Game of Tomes 2020 Recap
The Conflict
Prelude
2020 was a disastrous year on the third planet in the Sol system. As if the widespread political and social turmoil, and the vicissitudes of climate change weren't enough, a global pandemic known as Covid-19, a Coronavirus infection, forced most of the world into lockdown conditions. In response to the health risks of gathering in public spaces, NaNoWriMo headquarters informed their Municipal Liaisons, including Sable Aradia, that they would not be authorizing any in-person events for NaNoWriMo 2020. Fortunately, the ASC Wrimos had the benefit of the Anvilite community to gather with online. Inspired by the #NaNoHouseCup, which is masterminded and organized by Elayna Mae, a number of ASC writers who participate in NaNoWriMo agreed to pit their word counts against one another in a month-long winner-take-all battle for the Iron Tome. Sable Aradia of House Lapin laid the challenge, and six ASC Wrimos accepted her invitation.
Deployment
- House Apis
- House Meles
- House Avis
- House Lapin
- House Chiroptera
- House Mollusca
- House Arakknis
- House Arensborg
- House Ceapaire
- House Chariste
- House Kitsune
- House Negmaw
- House Sauropoda
- House Tenebrus
- House Varangia
A total of 137 Tome Knights participated in the Game of Tomes in 2020.
The Engagement
Week 1:
First Elimination Stream:
Game of Tomes Week 1 Report:
Significant Events in Week 1:
- House Apis fell to the Undead Horde
- DaniAdventures, leader of House Apis, became the Night Queen and the Queen Zom-bee
- Siobhan the Writer and Cryssalia became the first two to complete NaNoWriMo
- Game of Tomes participants wrote 406,076 words in the first elimination period
Week 2:
Second Elimination Stream:
Third Elimination Stream:
Game of Tomes Week 2 Report:
Significant Events in Week 2:
- House Meles fell to the Undead Horde
- Darth Nikolas, leader of House Meles, became Lich Nikolas
- ShyRedFox, leader of House Kitsune, became ShyDeadFox
- The notorious mercenary Dazzlikat became Dazzlicorpse
- CoffeeQuills completed NaNoWriMo
- Game of Tomes participants wrote 339,119 words in the second elimination period
- House Chiroptera fell to the Undead Horde
- Siobhan the Writer became Queen of the Night
- House Chiroptera bought the services of AuthorGoddess just as they fell; Siobhan the Writer willed her services to House Varangian
- Lord Galakrond was driven from two houses -- House Meles and House Chiroptera -- and survived, to join House Mollusca
- Isaac A Thom, leader of House Ceapaire, was driven from two houses, and survived, to return to House Mollusca, where they started
- Nathalia Books survived the fall of Meles, to join the Varangian Guard, which was then driven from House Chiroptera to join House Lapin
- Game of Tomes participants wrote 382,698 words in the third elimination period
- Game of Tomes participants achieved 1 million words written!
- House Lapin, House Avis and House Mollusca had a bidding war over WriterGreg's words with bits - Kitoypoy and RPGDinosaurBob poured bits in, and Bob achieved victory for House Avis
- House Avis fell to the Undead Horde
- Cryssalia, the Penguin Prinx, became the Plague Penguin
- RPGDinosaurBob hired AuthorGoddess just as House Avis fell, and willed her words to House Lapin
- SunnyL wrote 80k words in the fourth elimination round
- Game of Tomes participants wrote 422,600 words in the fourth elimination period
- Eiliagh completed their second NaNoWriMo in a single month. This was their first time winning NaNoWriMo.
- Sable Aradia completed NaNoWriMo
- Eiliagh completed 3 NaNoWriMos in a single month
- Game of Tomes participants wrote 342,274 words in the fifth elimination period
- Sable Aradia was forced to flee the House Lapin when overwhelmed by the Undead Horde in the World Anvil community stream
- House Lapin fell to the Undead Horde - but Sable Aradia survived to bend the knee to House Mollusca, earning the epithets "Sable Bright-Eyes" and "The Queen who Knelt"
- Nathalia Books fell to the Undead Horde, sacrificing herself to save DMStretch and Sable Aradia, much to the Horde's joy
- The Undead Horde started stealing WriterGreg's words for the Horde
- Game of Tomes participants wrote 367,800 words in the final stretch
- The Game of Tomes participants achieved a total of 2 million words written!
- WriterGreg did a 24 hour charity stream for Kids Need to Read
Week 3:
Fourth Elimination Stream:
Game of Tomes Week 3 Report:
Significant Events of Week 3:
Week 4:
Final Elimination Stream:
Game of Tomes Week 4 Report:
Significant Events of Week 4:
Writer Greg's 24 Hours Charity Stream
WriterGreg hosted a 24 hour charity stream event at the end of the Game of Tomes 2020, featuring a number of guest worldbuilders, including many Tome Knights and major and minor house leaders! You can see the whole playlist of those features at this link!
Outcome
Final Confrontation - Game of Tomes 2020
Originally Aired Final Report
Note: this is very similar to the ultimate Final Report video which was made for World Anvil's community stream, which is featured belowGame of Tomes Final Report 2020:
Final Battle Stream:
Winner's Circle 2020:
Final Results:
Aftermath
Game of Tomes 2020 Credits:
Historical Significance
Legacy
Original Works About Game of Tomes 2020
Leaders of the Great Houses
- Coffee Quills (House Mollusca, Japan)
- Cryssalia (House Avis, Malaysia)
- DaniAdventures (House Apis, United States)
- Darth Nikolas (House Meles, United States)
- Sable Aradia (House Lapin, Canada)
- Siobhan the Writer - Belvarn (House Chiroptera, Canada)
Minor Houses of Game of Tomes 2020
Game of Tomes 2020 Leaderboard
- Siobhan the Writer
- Cryssalia
- CoffeeQuills
- NathaliaBooks
- Sleepy_owl_ink
- Eiliagh
- DieNyaa
- TheHappyMaskMaker
- Misades
- Diannika
- KaiBrightwing
- Wardenred
- Mavwy
- RPGDinosaurBob
- Sable Aradia
- Angsthase
- ATWWrites
Charities
Belligerents
House Apis
Led by
Strength
DaniAdventures
Lesser Houses in Service to the Apis Banner:
- House Sauropoda - Led by Dinosaur Bob (until House Apis' defeat, November 5, 2020)
Casualties
Objectives
House Avis
Led by
Strength
Lesser Houses in Service to the Avis Banner:
- House Arensborg - Led by Dhelian
- House Tenebrus - Led by Bloodclaw (eliasredclaw123)
- House Sauropoda - Led by Dinosaur Bob (as of November 5, 2020)
- House Ceapaire - Led by Isaac A. Thompson (as of November 15, 2020)
Casualties
Objectives
House Chiroptera
Led by
Strength
Lesser Houses in Service to the Chiroptera Banner:
- House Varangia - Led by DMStretch (until Chiroptera's defeat, on November 15, 2020)
- House Ceapaire - Led by Isaac A. Thompson (November 5 to November 15, 2020)
Casualties
Objectives
House Lapin
Led by
Strength
Lesser Houses in Service to the Lapin Banner:
- House Arakknis - Led by Kalghidorah
- House Chariste - Led by Rabidcandyvoid
- House Varangia - Led by DMStretch (as of November 15, 2020)
Casualties
Objectives
House Meles
Led by
Strength
Lesser Houses in Service to the Meles Banner:
- House Kitsune - Led by Shy Red Fox
Casualties
Objectives
House Mollusca
Led by
Strength
Lesser Houses in Service to the Mollusca Banner:
- House Arensborg - Led by Dhelian (as of November 25, 2020)
- House Ceapaire - Led by Isaac A. Thompson (until November 5, 2020)
- House Negmaw - Led by Sodose26
Comments
Author's Notes
I know there were a lot of important events I missed, but this is what I was able to gather by watching the Final Battle stream again, to make sure I got everything in the correct order -- so if you have other events to add that you remember, just tell me what week they happened in, and I will make sure to add them. This includes the week in which you finished your NaNoWriMo goal, because everyone is important! Thank you again to everyone who played!