We're hosting a THING!
By 'we' I mean Fur-Affinity-majikcraft and myself. By 'THING,' I mean...
The first ever Majik Mystery Loot Brawl!!

When? FA:United 2016! More specifically, Sunday, August 14th, at 2:30pm (barring schedule changes.)

Where? FA:U, in Herndon, VA! We're going to (likely, barring, again, schedule changes) be in the Chesapeake room.

Before you PLAY, you might want to do some ahem heavy reading. Sorry, not sorry - you gotta know the rules before you can play the game!

HOW IT WORKS

Step 1: Buy in!
This year's entry fee is $10. Each person may buy in ONCE. Your fursuit is not an additional person. When you have paid, you will get a number. Don't get attached - we're going to ask for it back.

The Buy In tells us how many people are participating, and how many gifts to put on the table. (Dear FA:U; we want a table!) At this point, the doors will CLOSE, to prevent cheating.

Step 2: Randomize!
Here's where we take away your number. Don't worry, you'll get another one! While the gifts are being set out, your Buy In numbers will be shuffled, and everyone gets to draw a new number. THIS TIME, you keep it - that's your Order Number! Once you know your order, you get to take a seat around the Circle of (needs a good name). Once all the butts are in seats, we may begin.

Step 3: Review the rules!
A) No whining! Everyone gets a prize equal to or greater than the value of the Buy In. Maybe your prize isn't exciting. Maybe it's not relevant to your interests. Maybe you're allergic to gluten/cotton/water colors. STILL NO WHINING. You'll see why!
B) No whining! (Hey, you probably didn't read the first rule.)
C) No leaving early. If you cannot commit to the full hour, maybe this isn't the game for you. Leaving early may deprive another player of a proper turn.
D) No, your friend may not join late. So sorry, but don't be tardy to the party.
E) No lifting, no shaking, no X-Raying the gifts! Look with your eyes, and not with your paws. Once you've TOUCHED the gift, you don't get to change your mind!
F) The gift you pick does NOT have to match your Buy In or Randomized Numbers. ANY NUMBER WILL DO!
G) You cannot Steal if you have Unwrapped.
H) NO mid-game trading! If it isn't in the How It Works, PLEASE WAIT until the doors OPEN to start trading outside of game.
I)Back to How It Works!

Step 4: PLAYER #1!!

The player who has drawn the randomized #1 place gets to make the first pick. Once you touch it, it's yours! (For now) - No second-guessing while at the table. Sit down, and open your prezzie! Show it to the rest of the Circle of Thieves. Let them Ooh and Aah over your WISE and AMAZING selection. A round of golf clapping and insincere flattery is totally appropriate, here, for clearly Player #1 is the PINNACLE of gift-picking thieves!

Step 5: Player 2+

The second player is the FIRST TRUE THIEF... maybe. Or maybe not.
When the Player #2 has PICKED his/her/their gift, the choice of Unwrapping OR Stealing is available - it can't be both! Let's see these two scenarios below.
Scenario A) Player 1 has unwrapped A NEW CAR!. Player 2 chooses a random gift, but they are not interested in that random gift. Player 2 is covetous. Player 2 has avarice in her heart, and decides not to open The Second Gift. She approaches Player 1, and DEMANDS, at gift-point, to take possession of his A NEW CAR!. Player 1 is left with Second Gift. Player 2 gets A NEW CAR!, and the potential to be Future Thieved. Player 1 must now open The Second Gift, like it or not. Goodbye, A NEW CAR!.

Scenario B) Player 1 has unwrapped A NEW CAR!. Player 2 chooses a random gift, and loves Mystery and Adventure. Player 2 is totally interested in her random gift. Player 2 is not covetous. Player 2 does not have avarice in her heart, and decides to open The Second Gift. Player 2 has received This Beautiful Washer Dryer Set with Antique Walnut Paneling. Player 1 gets to keep his A NEW CAR!, and everyone is happy. Until... Enter, a new Player! Player 3 has joined the game! (On to the next Step!)

GOOD? Got it? No worries. Your Gift Masters are here to keep you thieves in line!

Step 6: Player #3+

Player #3 has opportunities. Player #3, and all Players after, will have MORE previous Players to Steal from, and fewer Wrapped Gifts to choose from. Player #3 MUST draw a Wrapped Gift, but, like Player #2, may only Unwrap that NEW GIFT if NOT STEALING. If Player #3 chooses to Unwrap, please sit down. If Player #3 chooses to Steal, please select your New Gift, and Steal from #1 or #2, without Unwrapping. (Sometimes Unwrapping the gift is the best part!)

This process continues on until the final player has Stolen or Unwrapped.

Step 7: What a Twist!
If you have read the entire Rules and How It Works BEFORE GAME PLAY, this will not be a surprise to you, when it finally does happen. After all Players have received their gifts, PLAYER #1 GETS A FINAL TURN. Player #1 got shafted. Player #1 NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO STEAL. Well GUESS WHAT? Player #1, your time has come! You've been waiting patiently, watching the fun all the other THEIVES are having, stealing from one another like greedy little magpies over a bag of marbles. THIS IS YOUR MOMENT. YOU ARE THE CHAMPION. YOU GET TO (sorry, sorry!) TRUMP THEM ALL! Player #1 has the option now to KEEP his/her/their current prize, to STEAL from ANY other Player, uncontested, or to accept The Omega Gift.
If Player #1 chooses The Omega Gift, this item MAY OR MAY NOT be unwrapped by Player 1, and Player #1 may choose to keep either The Omega Gift, or the Gift last left in his/her/their hansd, but not both.

Step 8: Leftovers and *Booby-prizes.
*Unrelated to any certain blue-footed avians who may or may not bear a resemblance of naming.
What happens to the gift Player #1 has rejected? The Circle of Thieves turns out to be a democracy, oh my! Players may now Plead their cases, and Vote for who had the WORST PRIZE. There can be only one Worst Prize Winner(loser?) - WORST PRIZE will then be allowed to trade for Player #1's leftover, wrapped or unwrapped.

Step 9: That's all, folks!
We'll take feedback from our first-year Players, to help us expand and grow the Majik Mystery Loot Brawl. The doors will open, and Players are now allowed to trade their gifts, break up lots, hug, whatever. IF TIME ALLOWS, we'll do this in the current game room. IF NOT, The Gift Masters will designate an alternative meeting place, and set the Players free.
BYE, FELICIA!