A long time ago, the gods decided to pass Earth down to Mankind and retreated to live in the Heavens. They erected the Cloud Temple, a symbolic border between the two worlds and home to the Stone of Balance. As the sun shone from the Heavens and the Earth blossomed, the gods decided to open the gates of the Temple to only the most skilled people, allowing them to compete to become Kumo Hogosha, Guardians of the Clouds. Throughout the centuries, valiant warriors – the Kumotori – fought against each other in the Rotating Arena of the Four Winds where the renowned Stone of Balance resides. Each year, a prestigious tournament is held in which a single winner is elevated to the rank of Kumo Hogosha, a demigod amongst men. The challengers for this title compete in a duel that combines strength and strategy to demonstrate their skill in a myriad of fighting techniques. Today it is your turn to continue writing the legend and face these legendary warriors. Climb into the Arena, master its ever-changing environment, and bring the Stone of Balance into your opponent’s camp to become a Kumo Hogosha! To become a Kumo Hogosha, you have to move the Stone of Balance outside the Rotating Arena, into your opponent's camp. The player who first succeeds wins. Possible actions that players can take are: Grabbing: The active Kumotori can grab and move another Kumotori (opponent or ally) one tile vertically or horizontally. Throwing: The active Kumotori can throw another Kumotori (opponent or ally) one tile vertically or horizontally. Running: The active Kumotori can move from his original position to neighboring tiles either vertically or horizontally. Jumping: The active Kumotori can jump over one or more neighboring Kumotori (not diagonally) and/or the Stone of Balance to arrive at the next free tile. Blocking: The active Kumotori can sit on top of a neighboring (not diagonally placed) opponent to block him. You cannot block a Kumotori who is on any of the eight tiles surrounding the Stone of Balance. In the next round, the active blocking player will perform an action to unblock the opponent Kumotori, and move to a neighboring tile (not diagonally). Kumo: Kumo is the only action that moves the Stone of Balance. With this action you can move only 1 tile. To move the Stone of Balance you must have two Kumotori with the Kumo drawing face up next to each other, and next to the Stone of Balance.