Mike Young
United States
Sterling
Virginia
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Note: This review is a direct result of this geeklist where I asked people to name a game and writing style and I would write the session report in the style of their choosing.
My dearest Caroline,
I am writing you today having just arrived on the shores of this new strange land. Myself, Viscount J-, and Lord G- have decided to make a sort of competition of it, seeing who could excavate the most pyramids and treasures. Already two small pyramids are in sight of our base camp and I look forward to exploring them.
Viscount J- has already seized the initiative after his scouts informed him of a newly discovered pyramid, one even more excavated than the two we previously knew of. He sent his men to examine the pyramid, hoping to get the jump on the two of us.
But luck was with me. I was able to discover the sight of no less than four buried treasures. I was able to excavate a strange wooden tiki and have sent two of my men to one of the lesser pyramids to try to secure it in my name.
Lord G- has reported back news of another pyramid, the same depth as the one Viscount J-. However, rather than attempt to excavate it himself, he has sent some of his men to try to obtain treasures from the very cache I discovered! Blast him. He has also sent a man to start to excavate the other lesser pyramid.
Things continued apace, Caroline. Viscount J- excavated only two levels of his pyramid, but then perched one of his men upon it with some sort of rifle, to guard it from the machinations of other. Lord G- also found a cache of treasures and excavated a couple. I was able to secure a second wooden tiki from Lord G-.
All seemed lost as I was the one who first discovered the volcano. At that time, our strategies were still forming. Viscount J- planned to excavate as many pyramids as possible. I was collecting treasures apace. And, luckily for me, Lord G- decided to fight Viscount J- for the pyramids, leaving all the treasures for me.
At this time, our scores stand at 2 for Lord G-, 4 for myself, and Viscount J- in the lead with 7.
I remain your humble servant,
Sir M-
Dearest Caroline,
I apologize for the delay in which you have received this missive. A great deal has happened since I last wrote you, but I shall strive to put into words the events of these fateful days. I begin my narrative just moments after I had discovered the volcano.
I took the opportunity to use one of my agents to sneak into Viscount J-‘s camp to obtain a third wooden tiki. In its place, a simple green mask was left. It was quite worthless to me and may have even been made of papier-mâché. Ah, would that I could have done this before discovering the volcano. Our fortunes would certainly have been reversed.
Lord G- meanwhile decided to go back to excavating treasures and immediately dug up no less than two identical golden idols. That man has the luck of the devil on his side, I must say. I was able to obtain the third matching golden idol myself, but Lord G-s men struck in the middle of the night, swapping it for some worthless piece of folderol, a mask of some sort, but not the same mask as I had already left for Viscount J-.
Meanwhile Viscount J- was continuing to excavate pyramids at a furious rate. Both he and Lord G- had created new base camps. I was less interested in doing so. I was doing fine at the treasure pits, and my main pyramid was still right by where my men had entered this valley.
Lord G- and Viscount J- were still sending their men to pyramids in an effort to claim the biggest one. I, of course, was simply digging up treasures and building up my meagre pyramids when I had the extra time. I knew that the artifacts would be quite valuable if I could only collect enough sets.
And then I discovered the second volcano. My pyramids were certainly lacking compared to the grandeur that J and G had unearthed, but I was clearly the leader in treasure hunting. Viscount J now stood at 29 points, but I was a close second with 25. Lord G still had not settled on a strategy and was no match for J’s machinations or my men’s treasure hunting prowess. He stood firmly in the rear with 20.
But our work in these jungles is not yet done. I long for home, Caroline, for the paved streets and fine teas of civilization. I long for your waiting embrace. But the jungle is my home for a bit longer. I hope my next missive brings better tidings.
I remain your humble servant,
Sir M-
My Darling Caroline,
My fortunes have indeed hit an upswing since my last letter. We have all had good fortune, in fact. Lord G was able to unearth a pyramid to its highest spires, a whopping ten stories tall. He has set a guard upon it. It is impossible for us to match this grand feat.
Likewise, Viscount J- has claimed his second pyramid. It rises nine stories, perhaps paltry compared to Lord G’s discovery, but far grander than any pyramid I have been unearthing, and far grander than I can ever hope to discover.
I have been busy discovering new treasure sites and uncovering the baubles left behind by this begotten civilization. I now have three sets of three treasures each and a handful of others, including the strange bluish-green mask, Lord G- left me so long ago.
I have finally set up a camp of my own as well, although Lord G- and Viscount J- have each set up two camps. My placement is good, however. It leaves me in easy reach of three pyramids that neither G- nor J- can readily get to.
And they are still squabbling over pyramids allowing me to claim all the treasures. I have left several of my singletons out temptingly, so that Viscount J would trade me for them, but he has his mind turned to pyramids and pyramids only. I would swap with him myself, but the swaps would benefit him more than me.
And then, as it happened before, so it happened again. I discovered the third and final volcano. By then, J and G were joking calling me "Mister Volcano." But the japes stopped when they saw how my well placed base camp combined with my sets of treasures catapulted me into first place. The score now stood with me at 58, Viscount J at 56 and poor Lord G at 46.
I suspect I only have a short time remaining in the jungle, but I shall return a rich man laden with the treasures of an ancient civilization. I shall do right by you Caroline, you shall see.
I remain your humble servant,
Sir M-
Ah Caroline,
I am undone, laid low by the machinations of a man who would choose the leader, a kingmaker if you will. Things were looking so well. I had my private set of pyramids. I had quite the collection of treasures. I had even discovered a path that led from my very first pyramid to a set of treasures that were previously only accessible only by a circuitous route that made them not worth the effort.
And then my fortunes turned. I was able to unearth one last treasure, but it was unlike any I had in my collection. It was a mask, very much like the papier-mâché one I had gifted Viscount J- so long ago. I settled down for the night, resigned to be done with this jungle one way or the other.
But Lord G- still had men on the move. Lord G- knew that he could not hope to win our little wager. He was too far behind myself and Viscount J-. But he could choose. He could not gain any more pyramids for himself, but he could move a man to one of two poorly defended pyramids, a small 3 story jobbie that I had unearthed or a grander seven story pyramid unearthed by Viscount J-. His men would not be able to take the pyramid themselves, but they would interfere enough to keep J or I from being able to claim the pyramid for ourselves.
Both Viscount J- and I implored G- to choose the other. J- stood to lose more points, 7 to my 3. On the other hand, I was winning as of the last accounting. Lord G- could not easily choose. I even suggested not interfering with either, but G- finally decided that he would interfere with my pyramid as I was indeed winning by the last accounting. Viscount J- is a persuasive orator and not a man to be trifled with.
And so I lost that pyramid, and those three points made all the difference. You see, sweet Caroline, that while Lord G- did indeed lose the gentleman’s wager with 89 points, I only had 96 points, exactly three fewer than Viscount J’s 99. Had G- chosen any other way, I should have won or shared a victory with Viscount J-.
I can only console myself with this large cache of ancient treasures I am bringing home to you, Caroline. For I am done with the jungle and wish only to return to your arms. I shall return forthwith.
I remain your humble servant,
Sir M-
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Jeff Flack
New Zealand
Dunedin
Otago
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Great Report -- it gives a real feel of adventure to your game, and describes what I like best about the game
Well done!
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