The Four Kingdoms of Archer Stone:
Montrange - “We see all!”
On the peak of the tallest mountain sits the castle of Queen Outlander, the kind but firm ruler of Montrange. As mountain goats navigate the cliffs without falling, the citizens of Montrange are not tripped up by difficult words, but remain steady and determined in their reading. Montrange knows to learn from the past, but work towards the future. Queen Outlander and her people look down on the other kingdoms, creating their plan to conquer Archer Stone. For upon the top of the mountain, we see all.
Swamplandia - “The swamp will provide!”
Deep in the swamps of the South, King Cypress and his followers live off of the land (which is primarily mud). They believe that the swamp will provide for all of their daily needs. Among the alligators and carnivorous plants, the people of the swamp enjoy a good day of fishing and reading a great book. Swamplandians may appear simple in their ways, but they are a complex and articulate group indeed. King Cypress has seven degrees of higher learning from the Swamp University!
Praireden- “In Praireden, we get readin'!"
If you find yourself walking through the waving amber grasslands in western Archer Stone, you will likely be greeted by Princess Sunflower and the people of Praireden in the west. A peaceful people, their sod houses are filled with tomes of poetry and classical literature, the citizens under Princess Sunflower are often found spouting sonnets and quoting lines from Shakespeare.
Foreista- “Heart of oak, mind of readers!”
The followers of Queen Eco are often found surrounded by the beloved creatures of the forest, lost in a land of fantasy and imagination.
Players:
Citizens: All students will be sorted into kingdoms at the start of the game. Upon the sorting, each student will become a citizen. Students will pledge their loyalty to the king or queen and will be given the opportunity to support their kingdom by helping to build the domain. Citizens can improve their social status by reading books and earning Territory Hexagons.
Apprentice: Once a citizen reads one book and completes one Response Assignment, earning a Territory Hexagon for his/her kingdom, he/she will be promoted to the level of apprentice. An apprentice is still considered to be a member of the working class of the kingdom, however he/she has shown a willingness to learn. An apprentice will continue to learn under the leadership of the Royal Court.
Squire: A citizen of the realm who commits to supporting his/her kingdom by reading 3 books, completing three corresponding Response Assignments, and earning three Territory Hexagons willl rise to the level of squire. A squire is considered to be a young person training under a knight with the goal of becoming a knight him or herself.
Knight: After reading 10 books, completing the corresponding Response Assignments, and earning 10 Territory Hexagons, a squire can move up to the level of a knight. The title of knight is an extremely high honor in the realm. As a citizen of their kingdom, knights have worked hard to support the growth of the domain. Knights will be considered leaders in the continued growth of the kingdom. They will work to train new squires by assisting with reading and Response Assignments.
Baron: After reading 16 books, completing the corresponding Reading Assignments, and earning 16 Territory Hexagons, a Knight can move up to the level of a Baron.
Count: After reading 24 books, completing the corresponding Reading Assignments, and earning 24 Territory Hexagons, a Baron can move up to the level of a Count.
Earl: After reading 32 books, completing the corresponding Reading Assignments, and earning 32 Territory Hexagons, a Count can move up to the level of an Earl.
Marquees: After reading 40 books, completing the corresponding Reading Assignments, and earning 40 Territory Hexagons, an Earl can move up to the level of a Marquees.
Duke/Duchess: After reading 50 books, completing the corresponding Reading Assignments, and earning 50 Territory Hexagons, a Marquees can move up to the level of a Duke/Duchess.
Judges:
Judges: Judges will serve the realm by determining whether or not a Response Assignment has met the required expectations to earn a Territory Hexagon. Judges will specialize in one or two forms of Response Assignments and communicate directly with the king or queen, the royal court, and/or the citizen from whom the assignment came. Judges will award Territory Hexagons on a weekly basis.
Playing the Game:
At the start of the game, each of the four kingdoms of Archer Stone will be given one Territory Hexagon to begin developing their land. From that point on, all Territory Hexagons will be earned through completing Response Assignments.
Each week the judges will award Territory Hexagons based on the completed tasks from the previous week. Territory Hexagons will be placed on the map of Archer Stone by the Development Troupe, claiming land for the corresponding kingdom each week.
Territory Hexagons:
1 Territory Hexagon = 1 Response Assignment
2 Territory Hexagons = Overtaking another Kingdom’s hexagon
Development: Hexes will be placed by the Development Troupe on their kingdom’s assigned Development Day each week using all of the Territory Hexagons earned the previous Friday. Hexes must be placed in spots adjacent to currently controlled territories. Domains may be built in any direction as long as each new Territory Hexagon shares one edge with one of the kingdom’s other hexes.
Earning Territory Hexagons: Response Assignments must be submitted to the judges before the end of the school day on Wednesday of each week. All submissions that come in after school on Wednesday will count towards the kingdom’s points for the following week. Territory Hexagons will be awarded by the Oracle weekly at Friday Morning Celebration.
Response Assignments must reflect an understanding of the text as well as excellent effort to create a high quality product. Judges will use a requirement checklist to determine if a project meets the expectations and earns the points. All citizens should refer to the Response Assignment checklist to ensure the work meets the guidelines for high quality submissions. Unacceptable Response Assignments will be returned to the citizen and may be resubmitted with necessary improvements. Exceptional work will be eligible for additional honors and benefits for the citizen’s kingdom.
Completed Response Assignments should be posted on the citizen’s kingdom’s Google Classroom.
Overthrow: As kingdoms develop their domain with Territory Hexagons, these lands may be overthrown by any of the other three powers. When the Development Troupe meets to develop new lands by placing Territory Hexagons on the map, they may choose to overthrow another kingdom’s hex with one of their own. Overthrowing another kingdom’s hex costs two of one’s own Territory Hexagons. The Development rule requiring all new domains to be built in spaces adjacent to current territory still applies in an overthrow situation. In other words, a kingdom may only overthrow another kingdom’s hex if that hex shares one edge with that kingdom’s domain.
Fortuity Cards: Every Friday each kingdom will draw a Fortuity Card. These cards may produce additional opportunities for development or unlucky misfortunes or destruction upon the kingdom.
Conquering the Realm:
The Game can only end when one kingdom exhibits dominance over the other three by amassing the largest fraction of territory in the realm of Archer Stone.
Creative Commons - Attribution, 2021