Game of Letters (TCG)

The Game of Letters was an ancient contest, said to have grown alongside the Imperial court as it developed into its modern form. In this game, two participants sent poems of thirty-one syllables back and forth, each a response to the last, often with small accoutrements such as flowers or incense attached. The game was said to end when one party responded with an inferior poem to the previous entry—but since there was no formal arbitration, the end point of the game often grew contentious unless one player admitted defeat.