TFLN overflow

[catarmy]

If you post a continuation here, please include the link back to its origin url somewhere to make it easier to go back and forth in case of needing to review what was written prior. <3

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[catarmy]

Yeah. I'll bring it.

[They're about to get completely trounced. Large-scale tactics are not their forte. Not even chess is. But they'll play with him, anyway.]

I'm afraid I'm not much of a challenge. So I apologize. I've never really had the mind for such things.

Anything else in particular?

We don't get a lot of the gameplay in the book, sorry

[art_of_war]

That's alright

[ And Thrawn proceeds to teach them the basics. First, the board setup and then each playing piece having its own particular abilities (like chess). He is patient and methodical about instruction and even takes the time to explain some rudimentary strategies (like Risk). Unlike games that rely on chance, this is one that relies on a skilled underlying strategy rather than knowledge of how to play the game. ]

And you will want to keep your whisper-birds available with the use of the sortie option but sometimes the fire-wolves will be the better instead depending on the strategy that you select. To make it easier for your first time I'll go first.

[ His opening Gambit is to move one of the lowest value pieces a single square across the game board. ]

And since we are being so informal, what should I be calling you?

It's all good!

[catarmy]

[If nothing else, Raine is attentive, focus drawn out enough that they can actually process at least some of this. The pieces moving on the board are, at least, interesting to watch. Still, it's more complicated a game than they're used to.

[Even if, sometimes, the nice, pristine look of the set board makes them want to completely mess it up. Very much so like a cat knocking over some glassware. The whim-borne destruction of it is very appealing.

[But, hmm, if they mentally repurpose the function of the pieces to mostly line up with what they know... ah. It makes a bit more sense.]

My first name is acceptable. Raine.

[For now, Raine mimics the move after observing the board, though from a different tile altogether, rather than just replicating Thrawn's exact move, either directly or mirrored.]

And you?

[art_of_war]

Aliens have trouble saying my full name, so you may refer to me by my core name; Thrawn.

[ He moves a second low-value piece to be parallel beside the first. Technically his full name would be a bit long to use in conversation, anyway. ]

Ordinarily a proper opponent wouldn't tell you, but as this is your first game, that custom can be set aside. My next move will be to move one of my whisper-birds forward, say when you can spot my strategy.

[ Because as ruthless as he could be, Thrawn was always willing to coax another to make their own conclusions. Teaching without the student being aware they were being taught. ]

Ah. Your culture has two names, then?

[catarmy]

Very well, on both accounts.

And, yes. In my case, we have a first and surname. Though some branches of my kind have a middle name. Mostly from the posh branches of upper class.

In my case, my surname is 'Sunstar'. It's a product of its time, for good or ill.

[For now, they just stare at the board and try to figure out what strategy is being shown to them. There's so few pieces moved that it's... not easy. At all.]

I'll let you know now that my strength is in reading people on personal level, and a few other, limited talents. Not... playing pieces or the overall view of a board. I feel like I'm trying to sail the old-fashioned way, but have no idea where the sun rose nor set, and can't see any stars.

Is it alright that my turn will take a bit? You're expecting me to see what you're planning before your actual move, right?

[art_of_war]

Oh? Product of its time in what way?

[ As he already said, Thrawn places the whisper-bird on the space roughly four spaces from where it started, which was the piece's special ability. ]

Next time I plan to move my right hand Fire-Wolf

[catarmy]

I believe my surname was properly established not long after my world's sun was properly categorized as a star, and that was such a marvel that my ancestors decided that that was the coolest thing ever and changed their name just for the pride of pointing it out to anyone who might listen.

But I think it's cute, so I kept it.

[Okay, time to focus. Time to really focus on focusing. This shouldn't be this hard to grasp. But it's like trying to converse in a new language when at most you have the alphabet.

[--Okay, so that might work in sign language of one's native tongue, but not much else.

[Raine makes their attempt at a move at last, hoping to counter the bird first, having gleaned that needing longer to process the board is a bad thing with this game. If they can't think it through, they can only really react, and that's definitely not good on a strategy front by any means.]

[art_of_war]

[ As he said he moves the fire-wolf forward. This piece's special ability is to move in a hook pattern forward then to the side. It's too early to see it yet, but Thrawn was using one of the rudimentary strategies that he had already shown them. It was meant to set up a pincer move. ]

That wouldn't be much of a discovery. I thought that all suns were stars?

For my next move, I will move the fire-wolf again so it is nearly touching your first line.

[catarmy]

They are. Such was a discovery a several thousand years ago, after the early prototypes of old telescopes, but before anyone ventured into the air by mechanical means. It was the very nature of it. My kind had to wait for humans to accept it in full. And by then, we were pretty much sighing "told you so!" in our heads. By then, my kind's technology - or rather, magi-tech - was a lot more advanced. Still is, too.

And so my family name was something one could be immolated for until that wider acceptance. And while my kind are rather weak to fire, we can handle more of it than most flammable species.

In any case, that kind of tale can grow on a person. I can't help but wear my name with pride. I'm a living piece of history~

[They're much more comfortable talking about that than playing this game, but they continue to play, and make another move to get closer. But it won't be in time to intercept Thrawn's fire-wolf.]