Telkrat

A finished game of telkrat, held on an outside board.

Telkrat is a board game for two players, though variants exist for more players. It is believed to be of Dwarven origin, with the name being comprised of two Old Dwarven words; 'tel', meaning 'five' and 'krat', meaning 'piece'.

History

Telkrat is an ancient board game within the Mar Mountains, and the unofficial national game of Bormar. The earliest intact game was discovered in a blocked-off cave system, where two Dwarves had seemingly perished due to their entrapment. The armor of the Dwarves was of a certain metal and make to be estimated at roughly a thousand years before Bormar's founding.

Setup

Officially known as 'Krat', but usually just referred to as pieces, telkrat pieces range in shapes and colours. Most pieces used for tournaments and more formal games require them to be small cubes, with the favoured colours being red and blue. They are usually made of stone, wood, metal, or even bone.

There is only one rule for a telkrat board: it must be a square divided into smaller squares of two differing colours that alternate. These are usually coloured black and white, which helps differentiate one spot from another. The board can be of any size, so long as the players still abide by the rules. That being said a ten-by-ten spot board is the most common setup.

Gameplay

Within the standard version of Telkrat, there are two players. Each player picks their respective pieces and must take turns placing them onto the squares on the board, one at a time. Players are not allowed to move or remove their pieces from the board once they are placed.

The objective of the game is to place five pieces in a connected line, or 'row'. This can be vertical, horizontal, or diagonal. It cannot be 'up' or 'down', as in, 'above' or 'below' the board. Determining who goes first is usually done by a dice roll or a coin flip.

If the board fills up before either player achieves five pieces in a row, then the game is a draw.

Tournaments

Within larger communities, tournaments are often held, either for prizes or for bragging rights. The standard rules apply, but usually with some minor extra rules in order to facilitate the larger groups of players.

Smaller boards are often played at within the first rounds of tournaments or competitions. With the increased number of players, it is usually best to have the first round, with the most players, happen quicker.

Similarly, time limits may be placed on either the turns of individuals or the match as a whole. If such a time limit runs out for an individual, it is usually considered to be the next player's turn, putting the first player at a huge disadvantage. If a time limit runs out on a match, then any number of scoring systems may be used. A common one is to count how many lines of four pieces each player has, with the winner having the most.

Variations

• Multi-Player Telkrat - A version of the game where more than two players play at once. More colours of pieces are introduced in order to differentiate between the players, but other than this the rules stay the same.
• Garden Telkrat - Large, outdoor open boards usually placed in the gardens of particularly wealthy or powerful individuals. Sometimes, these boards will often be staffed by 'living' pieces; people who stand in as the pieces themselves.
• Trader's Telkrat - A popular variant amongst traders and merchants, usually played within shadier taverns around Bormar. Various coins are used as pieces, with the winner claiming all the coins on the board. These games usually go on for as long as possible, to ensure the most wealth won.
• Royal Center - A rare variation, usually reserved for wealthier players or as an incentive within exhibition matches. A single belning is placed at the exact center of the board. If a player makes a row of five using this coin, they win the match and the coin itself.

Notable Moves

• False Set - A line of 4 pieces, with a gap in the middle. Set up in the hopes that the opponent will not notice the gap, thus setting the player up for an easy win.
• Thronkir's Hammer - Two pieces, with one piece offset by 3 blocks in one direction and then 1 block to the right or left. A commonly seen move that helps set up multiple avenues of attack, or defense. Named after the folklore hero and his weapon of choice.
• White Quartz Opening - A plus-shaped arrangement of pieces, but with the center block missing.
• Maker's Mark - A block of 4 pieces in a solid square.
• Cracked Stone Opening - Two linked instances of Thronkir's Hammer, with the first piece of the second Hammer, set on the next diagonal block to the end of the first Hammer. Famously included in a match between King Broktar and his Telkrat tutor; Baruum Faulkrunn.
• Four Corners Opening - Having four pieces on the board in each corner of the board. Allows the player to effortlessly switch between areas of the board, thus putting his opponent on the defensive.
• Arrow Head Opening - Three pieces in a diagonal formation, one piece shy of the White Quartz opener. Considered a very popular and versatile opener.

Notable Games

• Cole's Folly - An apocryphal game supposedly played by a mercenary leader known as Cole who agreed to set his defeated enemy free if he was bested at telkrat. When he was defeated, the prisoner was set free and later killed the mercenary leader after rallying his own troops.

Notable Game Pieces

• Solum's Gift - A Telkrat board owned by King Solum of the Ariq, supposedly given to him at the event of first contact with the Dwarves. A roughly carved wooden board, made by the Dwarf who initiated contact, with sections of Mar Goat horn as pieces for both sides. The King's court was so shocked that a shoddy gift would be given to the ruler of the Ariq, but the King took great pride in this gift and treasured it. He supposedly enjoyed many games with the Dwarf in question, and was buried with the board when he died; such was his love for the game.