Omva

Omva refers to both a children's toy popular in T'vaqi and the accompanying game of the same name.

Toy

The Omva toy is a seven-sided rubber game die, with a metal core within. The die takes the shape of a pentagonal prism roughly 1 doqon (11.2 cm) in height. The five square faces of the die are numbered with T'vaqi numerals 4 through 8. One pentagonal face is marked with the numeral 9, while the other (dubbed the "Omva face") is colored bright red. The metal core of the die is weighted towards the Omva face to make it a more likely outcome. When the Omva die is thrown, its elasticity allows it to bounce a measurable distance away from the thrower before settling.

Game

Omva may be played with any number of players, so long as there are multiple. At the beginning of the game, all players stand in a circle on a smooth, flat surface, such as concrete. One player is then chosen to hold the die and begin the game. Omva, a last-man-standing game, has no rounds and is instead played as a free-for-all. At any point in the game, the player currently in possession of the die must throw it into the center of the circle. If a number is rolled, all other players must shout "Viti!" the number of times specified, while the player who rolled the die attempts to pick it back up before the shouting ceases. If the player fails to pick up the die, they are eliminated from the game and the die is passed to the player to their left. If a non-rolling player forgets to shout, shouts an incorrect number of times, or attempts to impede the rolling player, they are eliminated. If the Omva face is rolled, the rolling player must shout "Omva!" before tossing the die to another player, who is now in possession of the die. The game continues until only one player is left to be declared the victor.

Omva is popular among young schoolchildren, especially those in urban areas. The game was invented shortly after the Second Unification of T'vaqi by a group of students in a Vir Alo primary academy. A largely informal game, its lack of defined rules and general hectic atmosphere make it unpopular among parents, who often teach their children to stay away from the game.