********Alquerque Rules:*********

Objective: Capture all your opponent’s pieces or block them from making any moves.
Setup: Each player starts with 12 pieces, placed on the first three rows closest to them. The game is played on a 5x5 grid of connected points.
Basic Movement: Players take turns moving one piece at a time. You can move a piece along a line to any adjacent, empty point.
Capturing: You can capture an opponent’s piece by jumping over it to a vacant point on the opposite side, following the grid’s lines. You can make multiple jumps in a single turn if possible.
Endgame: The game ends when one player captures all of the opponent’s pieces or blocks all of their legal moves.

*********Backgammon Rules:*********

Objective: Move all your checkers into your home board and bear them off. The first player to bear off all their checkers wins.

Setup: Each player starts with 15 checkers. Checkers are placed: 2 on the 24-point, 5 on the 13-point, 3 on the 8-point, and 5 on the 6-point. Players use two dice, a dice cup, and a doubling cube.

Movement: Roll two dice. Move checkers forward according to the dice. Each die represents a separate move. If you roll doubles, play the numbers twice.

Hitting: Land on a point with one opposing checker (blot) to send it to the bar. Checkers on the bar must re-enter the opponent’s home board before other moves.

Bearing Off: Once all checkers are in your home board, roll the dice to bear them off. A checker can be borne off by rolling the number matching its position.

Doubling: Players can offer to double the stakes. If accepted, the game continues at double value. If refused, the opponent concedes.

Gammons & Backgammons: If the losing player hasn't borne off any checkers, they lose double (gammon) or triple (backgammon) the stake if they still have checkers on the bar or in the winner’s home board.



*********"Heralds of the Realm"*********
Objective:
In Heralds of the Realm, two or more players seek to outsmart their opponents by creating the strongest court by gathering a powerful array of noble houses represented by the four suits of cards.

Card Setup:
There are 4 suits, each representing a noble house in the medieval realm.
Each suit consists of numbered cards (1-10) and three court cards: a knight, queen, and king.
Each player is dealt an equal number of cards at the start of the game.
Gameplay Overview:
Players take turns drawing and playing cards, aiming to build a powerful "court" by aligning matching suits and strategically playing their numbered and court cards. Victory is determined by earning the highest value through strategic combinations of cards.

Game Rules:
Player Setup:

Players shuffle the 52-card deck and deal out cards to each player evenly.
Each player places their deck face down as a draw pile.
Turn Phases:

Draw: On a player’s turn, they draw two cards from their deck.
Play Cards: Players can either:
Play up to two numbered cards from their hand of the same suit.
Play a single court card (knight, queen, or king).
Challenge Phase (Optional): After playing, a player can challenge an opponent by attempting to "battle" their court using a combination of knight, queen, and king cards. A knight card can challenge an opponent's knight, a queen challenges a queen, and a king challenges a king. The highest numbered suit wins the challenge.
Forming Courts:

The goal is to collect a combination of knight, queen, and king cards of the same suit to form a complete "court."
A completed court grants bonus points based on the sum of their suit's number cards.
Winning Challenges:

If a challenge is won, the victorious player claims the defeated opponent’s court or set of cards, gaining points for the captured cards.
Challenges can only occur once per turn.
Special Powers:

Knights: Can be used to defend a court. If an opponent attacks, a knight blocks one challenge.
Queens: Boost the power of knights. When a queen is in play, the knight of the same suit gets +2 points.
Kings: The king has the ability to challenge any opposing court, gaining double points if the king wins.
Ending the Game:

The game ends when the draw pile is depleted, or a player successfully defeats all of their opponents' courts.
Players tally up points based on the cards they have collected:
Numbered cards = face value
Court cards (Knight, Queen, King) = 10 points each
Completed courts (Knight + Queen + King) = 30 points + the total of the suit's numbered cards.

Winning:
The player with the most points at the end of the game is declared the ruler of the realm.


*********Medieval Chess Rules*********
Objective: Capture the opponent's King (checkmate).

Medieval Chess Rules

The game is played on an 8x8 board.
The light and dark pieces are set up similarly to modern chess, but their unique shapes suggest traditional roles from medieval chess.

Pieces and Their Movements:

King (center piece with a crown):
Moves one square in any direction (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal), like modern chess.
The objective is to checkmate the opposing King.

Queen (beside the King, slightly shorter but similarly regal):
Moves one square diagonally (similar to medieval chess's "Firzan").
This piece is weaker compared to the modern Queen but holds significant strategic value for protection.

Rook (the largest pieces on the corners):
Moves horizontally or vertically any number of squares.
Like modern Rooks, they are powerful pieces in terms of range.

Knight (pieces with a distinct V-shape, similar to a horse's head):
Moves in an L-shape (two squares in one direction and one square perpendicular).
Like modern Knights, they can jump over other pieces.

Bishop (pieces that resemble a small pointed shape, likely representing an early Bishop or Elephant):
Moves two squares diagonally, jumping over pieces (this mimics the medieval "Fil").
Its movement is limited but can be useful when deployed tactically.

Pawn (the smallest pieces in the front row):
Moves forward one square, with no initial two-square option.
Captures diagonally, just like in modern chess.
Upon reaching the back rank, the Pawn can be promoted, though typically only to a Firzan (Queen) in medieval chess.


Special Rules:

Checkmate:
The objective is to checkmate the King, meaning the King is in a position to be captured ("in check") and has no legal move to escape.
Castling:

Castling may not have been common in medieval chess. If allowed, it is a move involving the King and a Rook, where the King moves two squares towards the Rook, and the Rook jumps to the square next to the King.
Pawn Promotion:

When a Pawn reaches the opposite side of the board, it is promoted, but typically only to a Queen (Firzan in medieval chess). Unlike modern chess, promotion to other pieces may not have been an option.
Stalemate:

A stalemate occurs if a player cannot make any legal move and their King is not in check. This usually results in a draw, as in modern chess.
Game Strategy:
The game in medieval times was slower and more defensive, with pieces like the Queen (Firzan) and Bishops having limited movement.
Knights (Faras) were highly valued because of their ability to jump over other pieces, allowing for complex tactical play.
Rooks (Rukh) were powerful due to their ability to control long lines of the board.


********Hazard Game Rules********
(Historical medieval dice game)

Objective:
The goal is to win by predicting the dice roll outcomes, similar to modern craps.

Setup:
Played with two six-sided dice.
One player is the caster (the one who throws the dice), while the others bet on the outcome.
How to Play:
Choosing the Main Number (Main):
The caster picks a number between 5 and 9 (this is called the Main).

Casting the Dice:
The caster rolls both dice.

Winning the Main:

If the caster rolls the Main on the first throw, the caster wins.
Losing the Main:

If the caster rolls a 2 or 3, they lose automatically.
Rolling a 12 results in a loss if the Main is 5 or 9.
Rolling an 11 results in a loss if the Main is 6, 7, or 8.
Establishing the Chance:

If the caster rolls a number other than the Main (but doesn’t lose), that number becomes the Chance.
Winning the Chance:

The caster keeps rolling the dice, trying to roll the Chance number again before rolling the Main.
If the caster rolls the Chance first, they win. If they roll the Main before the Chance, they lose.
Bets:
Other players place bets on whether the caster will win or lose based on the dice outcomes.
Game End:
The round ends when the caster either wins by rolling the Main or Chance or loses by rolling the losing numbers.



************Hnefatafl Rules************

(Traditional Viking board game)

Objective:
The game is played between two sides: the defenders (protecting their king) and the attackers (trying to capture the king).
Defender's goal: Get the king to one of the four corner squares.
Attacker's goal: Surround and capture the king.

Setup:
The board typically consists of an 11x11 grid.
The king is placed in the center square, surrounded by his defenders.
The attackers are placed on the edges of the board.

Movement:
All pieces, including the king, move like a rook in chess: any number of spaces in straight lines (horizontally or vertically).
Pieces cannot jump over other pieces.
Only the king can occupy the center square (the throne).

Capturing Pieces:
A piece is captured when it is sandwiched between two opposing pieces on opposite sides (horizontally or vertically).
The king can also help in capturing an attacking piece.
The king is captured when surrounded on all four sides by attackers.

King's Escape:
The king must reach one of the four corner squares to win the game.
Only the king can occupy or move to these corner squares.

Winning:
Defenders win if the king escapes to one of the corner squares.
Attackers win if they successfully surround and capture the king.

Additional Rules:
Pieces can move onto the throne, but attackers cannot capture a piece against it unless it is also blocked by another attacker.
Some variations restrict where attackers can move in the center or near the corners.


************Nine Men's Morris************

Objective: To form mills (three of your pieces in a row) and remove your opponent's pieces.

Setup:

The board consists of three concentric squares connected by lines, with 24 intersections.
Each player starts with 9 pieces.
Gameplay:

Placing Pieces:

Players take turns placing one piece at a time on any empty intersection.
The goal is to form a mill (a row of three pieces).
Forming a Mill:

When a player places a piece such that it forms a row of three pieces in a line, they have created a mill.
The player then removes one of their opponent's pieces from the board (not from a mill).

Moving Pieces:
After all pieces have been placed, players take turns moving one piece per turn.
Pieces move along the lines of the board to adjacent intersections.
A mill is formed again if a player’s move creates a row of three pieces.
Removing Pieces:

Players remove an opponent's piece from the board whenever they form a mill.
If the opponent has no pieces that are not part of a mill, they must remove a piece from a mill.

Winning the Game:
The game ends when a player has only two pieces left or cannot move any of their pieces.
The player who has reduced their opponent to two pieces or prevented them from moving wins.

Additional Rules:
A piece cannot move to a spot occupied by another piece.
If a player has only three pieces left, they may move their pieces to any empty intersection on the board.