Exalted: Games of Divinity

[Talkkno]

What are exactly the Games of Divinity that prevent the Celestial Incarne from doing their actual jobs?

[Fishy]

Parcheesi.

[Poison_Fish]

Parcheesi is the standard theory.

I've always said it was Unreal Tournament, death match.

[BobVosh]

Crack-cocaine hopscotch calvinball.

Games of divinity is a game that is addicting to played, created by the primoridals. Looking at it will kill mortals, or make them insane. Something like that. Exalts aren't allowed in without special permission, and it addicts them as well. Gods are fairly immune, but prolonged exposure addicts them (based on essence ratings, surprise-surprise.) Basically it is a game so awesome noone can bear get away.

The sky in celestia shows who is winning, moon for Luna, Sun for Unconquered (most common), and whichever planet for the maidens. If something else is in the sky, some went horribly wrong in heaven.

Don't really worry about this place, because unless you have essence 6+ noone will make it inside. Even then it is likely you pleased your patron deity, they let you play one turn, and then kick you out.

[Armoury99]

Dungeons & Dragons obviously - that's why White Wolf won't let their PCs take a look at it. Sadly the game has degenerated into an argument over which suppliments are allowed and who's paying for the pizza... an of course which edition is best.

...Although traditionally of course, the gods play Populous.

[BobVosh]

...Although traditionally of course, the gods play Populous.

Ah, the landscaping god. What a silly game, played it again recently. So very boring, remember loving it on my 386 when I was 5.

[Rad]

Creation is actually a big game of Carcassonne. The Wyld is where they place the new tiles.

[RPGuru1331]

I always figured it was the Sims, but Calvinball is a good choice.

[KKL]

Imagine a celestial game of Chicken.

[vegetalss4]

Exalted, thats whats they are playing, through it is a running joke in my gaming club that it is playstation

[Tengu_temp]

Children's Gods' card game.

[Evil DM Mark3]

The sky in celestia shows who is winning, moon for Luna, Sun for Unconquered (most common), and whichever planet for the maidens. If something else is in the sky, some went horribly wrong in heaven.

Or Gia is winning, you missed her out. The Games of Divinity however are one of the big "we left this for the storyteller" areas. All we know for sure is:

• There are pieces.
• They are moved on a board.
• It is possible for rankings to change radically in an instant. (Also known as usurping)
• There are extended planning periods. (Back when the Primordials played they used to go down to Creation for months at a time on occasion)
• It is NOT games with the fate or lives of mortals.
• It is addictive as hell.

[Ravyn]

Nah, I always treated the local equivalent of Calvinball as being what happened when the Sids got sick of wondering what the Games were and decided to try to figure it out by trial and error. They usually call it the Sport Which, as it's gone through a large number of names while they try to get one of those to stick, and there's a Manse that's specifically designed for it by allowing for even the laws of physics to be changed in order to further the rules.

I got to run a game once. Let me tell you, there is nothing quite like watching fourteen demigods playing Calvinball.

The Games themselves.... that varies. I personally favor a slightly different explanation for why they're stuck to the thing than just the canonical addictiveness, but then again, I run the game with a signature style of "Oh, I'm sorry, were those your expectations?"

EvilDM: They don't have a specified sky-indicator for Gaia. Either she never takes the lead or whoever designed the scoreboard just doesn't care enough.

Bob: Read the material more carefully--they don't show the planets when one of the Maidens is winning, but the stars as if at midnight, colored in a manner appropriate to the Maiden in the lead. There's nothing quite as spectacular as the nights on which Sol is tied with the Maiden of Battles. And the place is called Yu-Shan, not Celestia.

[BobVosh]

EvilDM: They don't have a specified sky-indicator for Gaia. Either she never takes the lead or whoever designed the scoreboard just doesn't care enough.

I think they say that (she) never plays to win, or something. Basically they indicate (she) hangs out with Luna and helps her/him.

Bob: Read the material more carefully--they don't show the planets when one of the Maidens is winning, but the stars as if at midnight, colored in a manner appropriate to the Maiden in the lead. There's nothing quite as spectacular as the nights on which Sol is tied with the Maiden of Battles. And the place is called Yu-Shan, not Celestia.

I thought the terms intermingled, my bad. Also I thought it was planets, I may be thinking first ed, or just completely off. Both are possible.

This is why I reread everything I can think of whenever I host anything in Yu-shan, it is a bizarre place.

[Evil DM Mark3]

You also have to remember that it is not just the incarnae who get involved, although they are the players. Other gods (based on rank) touch or move pieces as insturcted, thus getting addicted themselves.

There was a mention somewhere (I forget where and as such it may not be canon) that some of the (really) old gods, particularly those created way back when as adjuncts and servants to the maidens, can't play because their precence causes interferance.

[Artanis]

You also have to remember that it is not just the incarnae who get involved, although they are the players. Other gods (based on rank) touch or move pieces as insturcted, thus getting addicted themselves.

There was a mention somewhere (I forget where and as such it may not be canon) that some of the (really) old gods, particularly those created way back when as adjuncts and servants to the maidens, can't play because their precence causes interferance.

I may be wrong, but I recall reading (I think in the 1st edition Siddy book) that if a god does something that the Incarnae are really, REALLY pleased with, they'll let that god watch a turn as a reward. Watch. The memory-recording thingies (dreamstones? Memory stones? Something like that) with memories of those moments are ridiculously valuable in Yu-Shan and borderline addicting.

When a god somehow manages to do something even better, the Incarnae might let him/her/it even play a turn. Needless to say, this pretty much never happens.

[Ravyn]

I think they say that (she) never plays to win, or something. Basically they indicate (she) hangs out with Luna and helps her/him.



I thought the terms intermingled, my bad. Also I thought it was planets, I may be thinking first ed, or just completely off. Both are possible.

This is why I reread everything I can think of whenever I host anything in Yu-shan, it is a bizarre place.

You're not just thinking First Ed, trust me. (I never made the switch to Second. They got silly.)

Artanis: Yes, you're remembering correctly. They're called dreamstones.

Can anyone tell I near-memorized the Sid book? *grins*