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Anthony Boydell
United Kingdom
Unspecified
Unspecified
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In Domino pizza, et fillings et spiritus Asti Spumanti. Amen.
Prime
Brother Anthony struggled into the Refectory carrying an enormous basket of fresh produce and let his weighty package slap onto the dining table - a couple of radishes spilled out onto the rough woodwork."Your tabard seems to have ridden up, dear Brother" said Brother Benjamin, barely glancing up.
Brothers Benjamin and Jonathan were meditating upon the Book of Architekton and surrounded by an extensive array of other 2-Friar diversions - it seems they were unsure whether Brother Anthony would make it back from the Abbey gardens in time for Sext (Brother Anthony always enjoyed a slow build up to Sext - particularly if one can slip in a little role-playing).
"May the Lord be praised," Brother Anthony said, "but I thought I'd never make it! The Head Gardener has had me on my knees all afternoon, rooting about in the beds: pulling parsnips, tugging carrots, cleaning up leeks and weighing his award-winning onions!"
The other Brothers stifled their giggles and finished - Br Benjamin conceding.
Brother Anthony continued: "I'm not sure I want to do any more Agriculture-related pursuits this evening - can we praise the City of the Seven Hills instead?" Brother Jonathan thrust his savory nuts under Anthony's nose: "Never played it", he grunted, "Want some of these?". A short reading of the procedures from the Illuminated manuscript of Br. A's memory elicited the expected frown of confusion, but there's no substitute for getting down and playing with this one. Br. Benjamin constructed a powerfully-early Colosseum which wreaked havoc upon the clientele, particlarly J's impressive team of Craftsmen and, unltimately pipped Br. A for the win (only 2 points in it). Gladiator? Yes, I think he probably was.
Terce
A quick refill of beakers from the barrels, and the Brothers once more settled. Brother Benjamin suggested Ninety-Nine, a Whist-like derivative with a devious bidding system. The aim is to get to 99 points by secretly bidding (with cards from your starting hand) for the number of tricks you aim to win in the round - if you achieve this, you get bonus points. You always get points for the tricks you win. There are a couple of other bonuses possible for revealing your bid and/or playing with an open hand. Brother Jonathan stormed the proceedings with an outrageous series of open plays, pipping the old Bridge-lag Br. Benjamin into second.
Sext
With Vespers approaching (you could here their terrible whining, buzzing engines from a distance), the gentle Friars concluded these contemplative exercises with Catacombs - a curious affair that combines Dungeons & Dragons with Shove Halfpenny. Br. Benjamin elected to be the evil overlord (an extra 200 Hail Mary's for him at Compline), with the other Brothers taking up the role of two adventurers each: Barbarian, Wizard, Thief and Elf. The adventurers displayed an alarming 'gung ho!' attitude as they progressed through the dungeon - flicking with impunity and leaving themselves wide-open to penetrative retaliation. So deft were some of Brother Benjamin's skimming responses that you would be forgiven for thinking (twenty Hail Mary's) he'd spent much of the previous week, alone in his cell, mastering control of his wrist! It fell, ultimately, to Brother A. and a solitary, rather flaccid, Wizard to face-off (aka 'capitulate pathetically') against the Sorcerer. All of the Brothers announced their satisfaction with the game, though had we taken a different (longer) path through the dungeon, it would've played out for another 30-45 minutes and outstayed its welcome.
None
The Monks departed, refreshed, to love and serve the Board.
Pax Dominion sit semper vobís cum
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