The Kwatoko Games of 720 GY
Date: August, 720 GY
Location: Kusandari mesa in Razir
Outcome: A thrilling Kwatoko Games with the largest number of non-Raziri participants ever recorded
Every year during the Dousing (summer months), the tribes upon the Kusandari mesa host a series of tournaments and competitions known as the Kwatoko Games. Even among the passionate and competitive people of Razir, the people of Kusandari are renowned for their love and prowess in athletic competitions. The entire northern quarter of their mesa is known as the Kwatoko Quarter. There are multiple, large arenas, open fields for practice or more casual games, well-maintained raised trails for hiking and running, foot race tracks, areas focused on rock climbing, six lacrosse fields, and fifteen ulli fields. All manner of pit fights, races, wrestling matches, shooting tournaments, lacrosse games, and wizard duels are conducted every day of the Dousing. Most of the official competitions forbid the use of magic, but not all, especially amid the fighting tournaments.
The Kwatoko Games are held annually in August. There has never been a restriction on non-Raziri participating, but it has only been in the last few decades that athletes from other nations have participated in significant numbers. The 720 Kwatoko Games had the most non-Raziri ever recorded, which also drew in the largest number of spectators. [Any number of characters may choose to be an athlete, spectator, or Order member at the 720 Games as one of their Historic Event roles].
The energy at the Games was electric. The Kusandari organizers worked night and day to ensure that the competitions were organized, that all the guests had places to stay, and that the athletes were safe. They coordinated with the Kinship of the Pallas Adine to officiate pit fights and knightly duels; the Kinship also assisted by patrolling the mesa to keep the peace. The Caretakers of the Heartsgrove were on standby for any healing needs. The Braided Band made sure that the mesa was well-supplied - and many merchants earned a sizeable a profit due to the huge crowds. Members from the Academy of the Rising Wind helped with the administrative work and documented the event. The Wardens of the Endless Road worked overtime ensuring the safe travel of all the guests and athletes.
Athletics Tournaments - Races & Long Jump
The foundation of every Kwatoko Games are the athletics tournaments. These were some of the earliest competitions to be officially included.
There are many different foot races on display during the Games, but two events are particularly prestigious: the Quarter Dash and the Full Loop (sometimes called just the Loop). The Quarter Dash takes place on a track that stretches from one end of the Kwatoko Quarter to the other. The Full Loop is a race that encircles the entire Kusandari mesa. The Quarter Dash had so many competitors that the organizers decided to break it into four different races, then the top contenders would qualify for the final race. There was a strong showing among non-Raziri, many of whom had never participated in the Games before. [Ten non-Raziri characters] were of particular note and all made it to the final race. The three favorites to win were [three Raziri or Raz-Orani], as all three had won in years past. The race was extremely close, but [one of the thirteen characters mentioned previously] won by only a single step. [One of the thirteen characters above] took second place and [one of the thirteen above] took third.
The Full Loop was nearly as popular, but rather than requiring participants to race more than once, they staggered the racers starting times and crafted precise clocks to determine each participants overall time. [A character with Craft: clockmaker] oversaw the creation and use of these clocks. Some of the racers of particular note were [eight characters]. The overall winner was [one of the eight characters mentioned]; with [one of the eight characters mentioned] taking second place and [one of the eight character mentioned] finishing in third place.
The Long Jump also has two categories: Long Jump and Staff Jump. The Long Jump winner was [any character], with [a different character] taking second place and [a third character] finishing in third place. For the Staff Jump, competitors utilize a staff to vault further than they could on their own. The winner was [a character with Staff proficiency and Master Combat Maneuvers], with [a different character with staff proficiency] taking second place and [a third character with staff proficiency] finishing in third place.
Fighting Tournaments - Wrestling, Duels, and Pit Fighting
There are scores of fighting tournaments throughout the Kwatoko Games. Wrestling is a popular pastime throughout Tokavah, so it was only natural that it would be included in the Games. The top contenders included Calixtus Paleologin , Elauthin b’Tanya’Lyrei, Sokkahri’fetu of the Honukai Tribe, Delmatai Acominatas, Atifa of the Kuchakali Tribe, Kelin Mel, Ameena of Mzizimoto Tribe, Bakeel of the Dundomuzi Tribe, and [four more characters]. In a surprising upset, the overall winner was [one of the four characters].
The Kinship of the Pallas Adine oversaw all the official duels and pit fights. The duels focused on the knightly ranking structure within the Pallas Adine; some of those duels allowed magic, but most were strictly weapon fighting. The knightly duels included tournaments for individuals who were not already members of the Pallas Adine. The top ranked fighters in those tournaments were invited to join the Kinship [any number of characters may choose to have been inducted into the Pallas Adine knights in this way]. Additionally, there were ranked duels for members [any number of characters may choose to have earned their Proven rank in this way]. One of the most prestigious and exciting matches was between an up-and-coming Kyr-Orani Paladin, named Jenda b’Jonay’Asiph, and Archon Sifiso of the Nafsiyowe Tribe. Paladin Jenda won her match, earning her the rank of Archon.
The pit fights had a lot more variety in structure. One-on-one fights were actually in the minority. Many tournaments allowed magic; some were a free-for-all brawl and others had teams. The crowds loved the wild atmosphere and showmanship. Just like with the knight duels, there were tournaments for non-members where the top contenders were invited to join the Kinship [any number of characters may choose to have been inducted into the Pallas Adine pit fighters in this way] and ranked matches for members [any number of characters may choose to have earned their Blooded rank in this way].
Of particular note in the Free-for-All Brawl was a Fire Channeler named Thunder Strike of the Dundomuzi Tribe. As a Valor, 1st ring, this was not his first time at the Kwatoko Games, but his explosive fighting style and big personality made him a crowd favorite. He won the Free-for-All Brawl with barely a scratch on him, and earned himself the rank of Valor 2nd ring.
Some of the best pit fighting teams were the Lava Dragons, the Karkadanns, the Titan Knuckles, the Sea Serpents, and three ulli teams with three players each - when choosing this role, submit your idea for a team name]. The Karkadanns won overall within the Team Pit Fight rankings.
Shooting Tournaments
The shooting tournaments included both stationary target shooting and events with moving targets. Crossbow competitions were the most plentiful, but the 720 Games included the first ever division for sparktech weapons. There were a lot of people concerned about the safety of these brand new (and often unstable) devices. The naysayers were drowned out, however, by the crowd’s excitement to see this novel technology up close. [Two Artificers and 1 character with Arcanatech] were on standby to troubleshoot any equipment failures and establish safe perimeters for the audience members. This turned out to be a good call, as one competitor, [Channeler with sparktech proficiency], attempted to Channel magic through their gun and caused an explosion, injuring themselves and several other competitors. Another notable accident was when [an Artificer with sparktech musket proficiency] had tweaked their musket to fire even further, but the blast shot backward into the crowd. A [Pallas Adine member with a shield] leapt in the way just in time, preventing loss of life. Despite the danger (or perhaps because of it), attendance at the Sparktech Shooting Tournament was high. The winner of the pistol division was [character with sparktech pistol proficiency]; and the winner of the musket division was [character with sparketch musket proficiency].
Not to be outdone by the new technology, the participants in the crossbow tournaments impressed the crowds with their incredible skill. Orno, an underdog and crowd favorite, earned the highest recorded score in the moving targets division. [A character with crossbow proficiency] and [a character with crossbow proficiency] were neck and neck throughout the stationary target shooting grand tournament until [the first mentioned] hit a bullseye on the final target, clenching the victory.
The Obstacle Course
A brand new competition that year was called the Obstacle Course. Competitors raced through a course that included climbing walls, high ropes, unstable platforms, and other tricky obstacles, and the competitor with the fastest overall time took the prize. [A character with Surefoot] dazzled the onlookers, making leaps that seemed impossible. Although, [A new athlete], didn’t win overall, they were a crowd favorite due to their enthusiasm. Sova Sonam was the overall winner of the competition.
Ulli Competition
The most popular sport in Razir is ulli [Oo-lee]. Ulli is a competitive ball game played with teams of three to five players. The object of the game is to keep your team's rubber ball from touching the ground, while trying to force the opposing team into a position that their ball touches the ground. Players are not allowed to catch or carry the ball, but must keep it bouncing once the game begins. The field is a large square with two stone, 4ft by 2ft walls near the center. The walls turn the playing field into a capital "I" shape. Players bounce the ball between their teammates or against the walls to keep it from touching the ground, while also attempting to get in the way or tackle the opposing team to prevent them from bouncing their ball, although you are not allowed to touch an opponent's ball. Ulli can be played with only two teams, but is more often played with three, and some versions have as many as five teams.
The Kwatoko Games Ulli tournament uses three teams of five players in an elimination bracket style. Fans from all over Razir and the Tokavah came to watch the tournament. Matches were held every day of the Kwatoko Games with the final match on the last day of the Games. There were also some newer teams on the scene that made a name for themselves: [three ulli teams with five players each - when choosing this role, submit your idea for a team name]. The semifinal teams were: the Striking Shadows [five characters], the Golden Grizzlehogs [five characters], the Scaldbites [five characters], the Ironhides [five characters], the Steamwraiths [five characters from Ishui and Razir], the Sparkwings [five characters from Kyr and Razir], and [the three submitted teams above]. The final match came down to [one of the submitted teams], the Striking Shadows, and the Steamwraiths, with the Striking Shadows taking the overall win.
PC Roles
Orno: Dustin V.
Sova Sonam: Chris V.