Message:
Based on the board state of the last play, I started as "Chancellor" to the same set of players plus one more new player.
To be fair, I stumbled into a victory on the previous game with the benevolence of the previous chancellor (the game's owner).
So, I started in a slightly different role in the game.
To win, you run the clock out as Chancellor. Most of us knew a little more about the game but were not experts by any stretch.
Find advisors and secrets. Make Trades and Find "Visions". That's what I took away from the previous game. Uh, build troops because a battle may become likely.
The "Visions" or ways for the other players to win came out from the "World Deck" quickly.
After a few rounds, the game owner made his move and joined the Chancellor (me) in my reign .... BUT .... took the Scepter of the Realm which would give him the "victory" should the Chancellor be sustained (i.e win).
In his cloddish (said in the most loving way possible) backhanded coup, he accidently destroyed the one item that kept us in power. By chance in the previous game, we were protected by the Guardians who protected our banner. If I cannot hold the power, none shall!!!! But more like, what does this switch do.
Even though, he would steal victory from me, first we had to achieve victory over our opponents. One of the opponents had a "Vision" to win by taking more land.
So, the "Chancellor Team" then had two objectives. Recover the banner guardians to protect our win AND stop the other player from winning by territories.
Bonk, bonk, smash. Territories taken. Subtle cunning and patient searching ... Guardians restored.
And, of course, I, the true Chancellor, had another goal which was to garrote the fiend who stole my scepter. Details. But, both of us knew we were temporary allies. Should the garrote fail to find his neck, it would find mine.
As fate would have it, another threat to our Banner Guardians as an Enchantment discarded them again to the Hinterlands. (Enchantment being just another card found in the deck used cleverly.)
What is a Chancellor to do? At this point, time became a factor (as the game joint would be closing soon), so I took it upon myself to put the traitor to the sword. Big, ugly fight. While he felt comfortable that his troops would stand, it was not close. The Scepter was restored.
The game would end after each player had one last turn.
My traitor servant attempted one more military attack. He attacked the Chancellor as well thinking to whittle him down. Battle is cruel. Might makes right. No whittle. Crom count the dead.
John the Trader of Secrets had decided to take the role as King Maker and bringer of Chaos. Partially to learn the game and partially because he had no "Vision" (i.e. win condition). He attacked a territory in the Province to give the "Conquest" Vision a chance. It was a stretch.
The new player who had also sworn his allegiance to the Chancellor attacked as well to take the Scepter. Whoever held the Scepter would be the new Chancellor. Apparently, Oath is not as strong a word as one might imagine.
Do not come for the King unless you are sure to win. Count the heads on spikes and sing nursery rhymes to the carnage. The dice don't roll that high.
The "Conquest" visionary bent the knee. The road was too far to travel.
The game ended by time ... AND ... the dice roll of the clock running out in the game world.
The Chancellor had been maintained. Again, more of a "fortune favors the army with the most battalions" kind of thing.
An interesting turn of events rather than a masterful display of strategy.
The deck is rebuilt with the results of this game and the board state partially saved. Who will maintain the Oath in the next round?
We could easily have been playing a "Kingmaker" version of D&D as opposed to a board game. It's not for 2 players but if you find 4 or 5 hard core types, drink in the chaos.
Yours,
IronConrad
28-Aug-2025