Duel of Circles
Duel of Circles is a childrens’ game dating from the Shogunate, still played in Creation where urban populations and woodblock printing industries are prevalent.
It is played with sets of circular pieces, made of rough, thick paper and with bright painted or printed images on one side. These images vary by region and time period, but tend to be warriors and heroes: the Exalted, martial arts masters, gods, spirits, mythological figures, local monarchs, warlords, and the like. In some areas monsters and demons are also depicted, while in the Realm’s aniconic culture such overtly iconic pieces are also seen, but more commonly aniconic images of the five elements are used, or circles depicting the mon of prominent families and individuals.
To play the game, a circle is drawn in the ground and players each take a turn as the Attacker. Each player places one of their pieces on the ground, and the Attacker throws a piece in an attempt to flip other pieces, either turning them over or knocking them out of the circle. Whichever pieces are flipped or knocked out of the circle are kept by the Attacker, with the exception of the piece they threw… in order to keep THAT piece, the Attacker must be sure that it flips out of the circle along with its targets, a most difficult maneuver and one which will garner much acclaim. Sometimes, an Attacker will not want to risk his own piece, and will simply throw it so it flips out of the circle without striking other pieces... this is considered quite a shameful and cowardly act by most players.
It is not uncommon for an elder sibling to pass their pieces on to a younger one, or a parent to keep theirs for passing on to a child. These pieces will build up scuffs and scratches, viewed by their owners as the scars of battle, proof of a capable or lucky piece.
In the Shogunate Era, the game was considered an important part of children’s education amongst Dragonblooded… encouraging young scions of the Gens to meet and form intertwined friendship and rivalry with each other, while engaging in a competition of skill and risk… preparation for the battles and duels to come as they grow older, and a chance to practice the bragging and bravado of a victorious warrior spirit. Though the prevalent culture has shifted in the centuries since, perspective on the game remains similar, if somewhat more dismissive of its importance… indeed, the Dragonblooed of the Dynasty expect their children to develop skills at combat and politics far earlier than did most under the Shogunate, and the game today finds more favour amongst the Realm’s patricians and citizens (and the urban wealthy of cities such as Nexus or Lookshy) than in the Scarlet Dynasty.
