Drinking Games
In a thousand days a soldier may not be called upon,
But once in battle must fight
With absolute courage.
A drinker may abstain for a thousand days,
But once he starts he should keep at it
Until he is drunk."
Across Creation, people of nearly all ages and cultures consume alcohol in varying amounts… sometimes out of necessity due to the purifying powers of adding alcohol to drinking water (murderous hunts of little disease and illness gods is the favourite hobby of the god of alcoholic substances Tusk of Orchid, whose Yu Shan manse includes dozens of bead curtains formed from tiny lumps of Starmetal, and so they take great pains to avoid drawing his attention), sometimes to medicate against pains both physical and emotional, sometimes simply for the pleasure it brings to carouse with friends or strangers in a state of reduced inhibitions.
This latter use of alcohol has given rise to all manner of games and diversions based around drink, from simple contests amongst peasant labourers to the complex artistry devised by Dynasts with the time and luxury to experiment with drink.
Contents
Diving-Under-the-Table
The simplest drinking game, with two participants. Each one has a glass of equal size, filled from their own decanter of drink. Both participants attempt to imbibe as quickly as possible, outpacing their opponent, the first to collapse being declared the loser.
Gambei
An evolution of Diving-Under-the-Table, this game has been popular with soldiers and Dragonblooded sworn brotherhoods since at least the time of the Shogunate. A group of people gather around, each with a small wine cup. The cups are all filled, and then each participant raises their glass at once and shouts ‘Gambei!’ before downing the drink in a single gulp. When only one remains standing, she is declared the winner.
Thousand-Streams-of-Language
Thousand-Streams-of-Language is a Dynastic drinking game popular at flower-viewing parties, where the host gives a list of words. These words each form the first word in a line of poetry, each guest taking turns composing the rest of the line, maintaining the meter and rhyme of the poem. When a line is deemed well-coined, the others drink a toast to the speaker, while if the speaker blunders then he drinks alone.
Beating-the-Drum-to-Hasten-Blooming
Beating-the-Drum-to-Hasten-Blooming is a Dynastic drinking game where someone (usually a servant) hidden behind a screen beats a drum as guests pass about a filled cup of an alcoholic beverage. The drummer speeds up and slows down the beat irregularly, and if a guest fails to keep their passing of the cup in time with the beat, or if they spill any of the liquid, then they must drain the contents of the cup, after which it is refilled and passed on once more.
Preserving Honesty
Preserving Honesty is not a game in of itself, but rather an approach to drinking games such as Diving-Under-the-Table to prevent cheating. Some unscrupulous individuals will pour themselves less than others, or choose tea or weaker drinks while the other guests choose stronger ones. Such dishonour can be solved by demanding that all participants ‘Preserve Honesty’... all cups are emptied into a common container, and the mixture is then distributed equally amongst the cups.
Flowing Cups
Flowing Cups is a game of drinking and poetry making use of the Moon Ponds and streams found in many Dynastic Gardens. Participants in the game fill a cup with liquor and set it "sailing" across the water. The person whose cup reaches the end of the stream or opposite bank of the pond without spilling is a winner. Losers, whose cups do not arrive or which spill their contents, must either drink or compose a poem as a forfeit.
A different, equally common variant sees players take positions along the pond or stream banks. The one in front of whom the cup stops is made to drink or chant a poem of his composition.
Those who favour this game often have Flowing Cup Pavilions constructed. These pavilions, usually open to view the surrounding gardens but sometimes found in indoor rooms, have a floor of stone into which is cut a winding ditch through which water from a spring is channeled, providing a perfect water feature for the game.
