The Sari Diaries- Monday 8/2/21

Dear Chippies, Parents, Family and Friends,

Happy Realm! I’m honestly not sure where to begin. Realm is creative, it is fun and it is weird. And it is also SO CHIPPEWA. This game is incredibly challenging to explain as it has a ton of intricacies, twists and turns…and a 95 page playbook! So for tonight, in order to describe it to you, I asked a number of Tans, Whites and Neutrals to explain the game from their perspective. You can read what they had to say here:

“Realm is so much fun- best game ever.” -Taylor G (Tan Spy)

“Realm is one of the most intense, fun and complicated games ever. I have been defending and attacking different houses all day. I am on the Purple Army for the White Team and it’s so much fun!” -Ava L (White Team- Purple Army Soldier)

“Realm is a Game of Thrones mixed with Age of Empires type of game. I am the cannon and archery dude. I sell the dodge balls, arrows and bows. And also the catapult. The catapult is one of the stages of the castle attack. It is hard to remember it all but as the game goes on, it all comes back to me. The kids seem to enjoy it and it’s fun getting dressed up and living in a make believe world for a couple of days. It gets everyone involved- even the out of cabin staff.” - Josh Halliday (Cannons R Us Owner)

“Realm is so fun! And intense.” -Audry L (Tan Spy)

“Realm is basically the Grands playing a board game and we are all pawns. Braves, Hunters, Warriors and Chiefs all do different things. I’m on an army, and earlier I was defending a house. Now I’m on a break and later we are going to be doing more.” -Charlie S (White Team- Purple Army Soldier)

“Realm is the best larping and live action Dungeons and Dragons experience I have ever had.” -Nurse Anna (Apothecary Owner)

“There were two back to back attacks on the White Team’s Lumber Manor. Maya C stayed under cover in the first attack because she was the most valuable member of the house…she is worth a ton points right now! For the second attack though, she came out of nowhere and dove to try to get Emma G’s flag who was the long-bower of the attacking army. While she wasn’t able to pull her flag (because she got hit with a white cannon ball), it was still an amazing act of bravery by an up-and-coming Realm star (Maya C).” -Alana Spaeth & Kylie Cutler (Lumber House Neutrals)

“Realm started off slow but after lunch (which was really good- I loved the pretzel buns) things really picked up. A lot of armies were defending Energy Stones and trying to collect them. It was really hard to get them because it was nearly impossible to dodge the cannons (dodge balls) being thrown as we were trying to get the stones. I think the Whites are currently in the lead- we have eleven houses (out of twelve!). After dinner, we are going to continue…I am hoping that my army goes on another attack. I think the White Team is going to get all of the houses so we can attack the castle. But you never know because there are a lot of houses going back and forth…the Tans capture them and then the Whites get them back. Halle S and Emmy F are doing really well for the Green Army…they have successfully attacked a number of houses for the White Team. Abby C is also doing really well for us!” -Naomi G (White Team- Purple Army Soldier)

“Chloe M is our hero- she is the reason we got to keep our Poultry House even after a tough attack!” -Ally C (Tan Team- Yellow Army Soldier)

So now you get it…right??? Here’s a brief summary with some details that should decode some of the above…this is my best shot at it- I hope this helps clear some things up:

Realm is a multi-day Tan and White game during which each team tries to occupy all houses and castles on camp, make the most money, and earn the most points per person. This morning, Realm 5.0: Secrets of the Round Table kicked off with a 5th annual Cornucopia, in which each sachem and advisor had 10 seconds to scramble to get special supplies for their teams. Both teams walked away with a hefty spread, and headed to their respective castles to await the wolf horn that signifies the official start of the game.

As the game evolved, Braves performed a number of tasks, depending on their house. Braves occupied Fish Hatcheries, Poultry Houses, Lumber Houses, and Apothecaries. Within these houses, they work towards raising fish, gathering lumber, making medicine and caring for chickens. There are different levels associated with each house, and campers must complete certain tasks in order to achieve those levels. While they are doing this, their houses are being defended by armies of Warriors & Chiefs from their own teams and attacked by armies of Warriors & Chiefs from the opposite team. Meanwhile, the Hunters served as spies and lightning rod protectors. And in each team’s castle there is a round table…they are the decision makers and strategists. At each round-table, we have the Grand & Chief Sachems, the advisors serving as the Wardens of their teams, the Chancellors (Dylan G & Lindsay A), the Treasurers (Ellory F and Lola S), the Sheriffs (Ava G & Maddie L) and the Grand’s Knights (Danielle K & Avery K). Each person at the round table serves a unique and significant role- from collecting taxes to paying their team members for their hard work, and possibly most importantly, protecting their Grand’s four flags.

Ultimately, each team is trying to occupy all twelve houses spread around camp, build the lightning rod, raise the dragons in the lair, and find the secrets of the round table…eventually, through a combination of all of this, they will then be able to attack the other team’s castle.

Yes, this is complex…there’s no doubt about it. But the amazing thing is that each and every camper understands her role in this crazy game. The significant efforts of the Realm Dev Team, under the leadership of Cliff, have paid off. This day has been amazing at #TheRanch2021 and we are excited for the game to continue after breakfast tomorrow…stay tuned!

Happy Camping and Love,
Sari