THE MONOLITH GAME by julius yang, julius@rhythm.com

Required pieces: One giant steel monolith, 1x4x9 feet.
                 Two or more teams of people.
                 One or more referees, mutually chosen by the teams.

The goal of the game is to be the last remaining team.

All teams must submit one or more emplacement ideas.  If any team
submits fewer ideas than any other team, they must make up the
difference until all teams have each submitted the same number of
ideas.

The referees will then add as many emplacement ideas as they like
to the total.  The referees will discard any invalid emplacement
idea, as determined by these rules:

   1. The emplacement idea must consist of a spatial relationship
   of the monolith to a fixed object, such as "inside The Rose Bowl"
   or "within sight of a nude beach".  Use common sense.

   2. The referees may eliminate any idea at their discretion.  If
   the idea is from a team, the team must submit a new idea.

Teams must determine a random turn order.  The first team begins its
turn, whereupon it must draw a random emplacement idea.  If there are
no ideas left, all remaining teams and the referees must create new
ideas in accordance with pre-game selection.  The timer begins once a 
team has drawn an idea.

This team must then emplace the monolith in a spot as directed by the
emplacement idea subject to the following rules:

   1. The monolith must not be touching a substantial body of water 
   in any way.  (No oceans, streams, lakes, swimming pools, etc.
   This rule can be discarded for the Advanced Monolith Game.)

   2. The monolith must be tall side up.  That is, it must stand 9'
   above its base.

   3. The monolith must be secured for spectator safety, but it cannot
   be secured in such a way that it becomes immovable.

   4. The monolith must not be visible from any prior location it has 
   occupied in this game.  No artificial concealment (tarpaulins, 
   smoke, etc.) is allowed.  Any doubt about its visibility is assumed
   to be a violation of this rule.  (note this includes mirrors,
   reflections...)

   5. The monolith must be visible with the naked eye from a publically
   accessible spot.  Trespassing in order to view the monolith is not
   allowed, but trespassing is optional regarding emplacement.  (See rule 9.)

   6. The monolith must be relatively intact and undamaged after emplacement.

   7. The team has one day (24 hours) to complete emplacement.

   8. Any team member injured in such a way during emplacement as to require
   medical care automatically disqualifies his or her team, at the discretion
   of the referee.  Don't get into high-speed crashes.

   9. Any arrest of a team member by law enforcement constitutes a
   team disqualification.  An arrest of all referees will suspend the game
   until a substitute referee can be agreed upon.

   10. The emplacement idea must be satisfied.  Referees determine whether
   the emplacement idea has been satisfied. 

Optional emplacement rule:

   11. A boundary may be used to prevent extraordinary movement
   of the monolith, e.g. out of the country or up to excessive altitudes.

Optional speed rule (really speeds up the game):

   12. The monolith must be emplaced in an amount of time equal to or
   less than the previous team's placement, with a minimum of one hour.
   The first team's first turn may obviously ignore this rule.

An emplacement occurs when the team feels it has satisfied all the
emplacement rules.  The referees may not be asked to rule on
emplacement rules until the team declares an emplacement, whereupon
the team may not subsequently move the monolith.

Teams may not interfere directly or indirectly with another team's
attempt at emplacement.

Once the team has declared the monolith emplaced, the clock stops.
The referees should determine that the monolith has been emplaced
according to the rules.  The next team then starts their turn.  This
team must move the monolith and re-emplace it according to the rules
outlined above. 

If the monolith is moved by a natural agency such as weather, earthquake,
or wind, then it is assumed rule 3 (safety) has been violated, and
the team that emplaced it is disqualified.

If the monolith is moved by a manmade agency such as the police
then the team that emplaced it is disqualified.  A substitute monolith
(if required) will be put into play by the next team.

The referees are the final arbiters regarding rule interpretation.

Optional style rule:

    1. If, in the opinion of the referees, the monolith is placed in
    a particularly cool location, that team earns a 'pass turn' card.
    This card can be used once.  Only one card may be owned by a team
    at any given time.

Any team that is unable to satisfy any of the placement rules is
disqualifed, and the next team must draw an emplacement idea.

If only one team is left, that team must complete another turn
(i.e. it must retrieve and re-emplace its own emplacement) to win.
If the team cannot successfully emplace a second time, then
teams that were disqualified during the previous turn will continue 
play.  (that is, everybody who got knocked out by Team A, who then knock
themselves out, is back in the game as if nothing happened.)

Inspired by the Seattle monolith of 2001 and its subsequent journey.