[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/267dGpi.png[/img][/center][hr][hr][h2][color=DEB887]Greedy King's School of Enchantment, Ucyaz, Khagan[/color][/h2][hr][hr][color=DEB887][color=3CB371]“Remember, guys, nobody expects a thing out of us. They think we’re just a bunch of weird kids from a faraway place, but…”[/color] Ahrora paused. She had somehow been elected leader of this group and was in the midst of plowing through this speech. [color=3CB371]“Um… remember, the blood of the great khans flows through our veins. Let them underestimate us, and it’ll be that much easier for us to come up from behind and kick ‘em in the nuts!”[/color] 

[color=FFA07A]“Inspiring, Babayeva. I am inspired,”[/color] replied a tall, lanky boy with an odd hat. His sarcastic claps carried in the small classroom that [s]Good Guy Team[/s] the Band of Heroes had taken over as their waiting point.

[color=3CB371]“Shut up, [i]Dildor[/i]. I’d like to see [i]you[/i] come up and deliver a speech without any preparation in front of a crowd.”[/color]

[color=FFA07A]“It’s four people…”[/color] 

[color=8dc73f]“And Zeno Niyazov!”[/color] Bohrom chimed in. [color=8dc73f]“I, for one, was inspired. We’re blood of the khans, guys.”[/color] 

[color=fff200]“He’s not here, though,”[/color] observed To’fon, gaze darting to something behind his fearless leader’s shoulder. 

[color=440e62]“Is anyone going to tell her?”[/color] murmured Yo’ldoshoy in a quiet voice, big dark eyes searching the others and wandering anxiously to that same spot over Ahrora’s left shoulder: her blind side. 

[color=8dc73f]“Um, Ahrora - ”[/color] began Bohrom.

[color=FFA07A]“Patch, the Arch-Zeno’s behind you,"[/color] Dildor cut in with subtle glee.

She turned on the spot and her eye widened. Arch-Zeno Nakamura smiled and waved. [color=f26522]“I am not many good at your language,”[/color] he admitted, in broken Kaganese, [color=f26522]“Kick them in nuts… this be a charming local…”[/color] he trailed off, unable to find the word. [color=f26522]“[i]jukugo[/i] of you’s?”[/color] he substituted.

[color=3CB371]“Uh, hehe. Yes!”[/color] Ahrora replied, bowing furiously. [color=3CB371]“Yes, it is!”[/color]

To’fon raised his palm to his face. Yoldy pursed her lips and tried not to laugh. Dildor adjusted his hat vigorously, and Bohrom just looked stricken. [color=f26522]“Well, I am happy to learn this,”[/color] the Arch-Zeno decided, [color=f26522]“and shall be sure of use it. Now, you need come with me. We go meet other teams.”[/color]

[color=3CB371][b]“Hai, Arch-zeno Nakamura!”[/b][/color] Hastily, they gathered their packs and jogged after him into the common room. The Nikanese’s robes obscured how fast it was that he walked, and his long black hair was tied into a sort of topknot. He carried multiple swords, but they all knew him for a friendly face and surprisingly informal authority figure. He almost always seemed to be either eating or at least carrying an apple. Then, he waved them goodbye and promised to return in twenty minutes. There was a sudden immense intake of power and then a portal of swirling energy opened up before him. In a flash, the Arch-zeno was gone.[/color]
[hr][hr][color=DEB887]They gathered in the Hall of Stallions, where the last khan’s armour was mounted and where the head Zeno often gave her addresses from. Zeno Niyazov was waiting for them and he quietly motioned them over. The other four teams were already there, and Alibek’s group - who he’d called the ‘Great Dragons of Dread’ in Avincian - stood a little straighter. ‘Band of Heroes’, her own team’s name, sounded better anyways. The ‘Heroes’ formed up behind their zeno and proceeded to listen to another one of Head Zeno Umarova’s endlessly droning speeches. She was so old that they often whispered that she spoke so often of the khans because she had personally known them.

In truth, as the old woman spoke, Ahrora’s mind and eye alike wandered. Gods, her Avincian was terrible. She’d been working hard to learn it over the past few months, but it just wasn’t enough time to sound competent. Ersand’Enise was supposed to be a massive place: big as a Vossoriyan city, but with a myriad of different peoples, languages, and religions and dedicated solely to the arts of magic. She thought of her cousins and of the Stray Cats who she’d run with for years in the capital: the petty theft, the scrabbling for food, when the guards had held her down and put her eye out for being a thieves’ lookout. She was a small person and this was so much bigger than her: a bigger place, purpose, and challenge. [color=3CB371][i]I'll just be some provincial nobody,[/i][/color] she thought. [i][color=3CB371]I'll -[/color][/i] Bohrom’s fingers reached out for hers and she let him take her hand. She smiled at him through the corner of her eye. [color=3CB371]“Thank you,”[/color] she mouthed. She had always risen to life’s challenges, and would once more. From her other side, Yo’ldoshoy reached out and Ahrora took the smaller girl’s hand. To’fon took Bohrom’s and, with uncharacteristic earnestness, Dildor took Yoldy’s. 

Zeno Umarova’s crackly old voice had risen slightly and she was finishing up. Everybody issued the obligatory applause. Ahrora glanced at her teammates, mind racing as a portal opened and the Arch-Zeno stepped through onto the stage. Umarova bowed to him and he bowed in return. [color=f26522]“Now!”[/color] he announced, [color=f26522]“we go!”[/color] 

The Great Dragons of Dread were first, and she watched them disappear through the radiant portal. Then, it was her. [color=3CB371]“Okay,”[/color] she whispered, trying to instill some confidence and levity. [color=3CB371]“Let’s go kick ‘em in the nuts!”[/color] For the first time in her life, but hopefully not the last, Ahrora Babayeva stepped into a swirling vortex of time and space and out the other side.[/color]
[hr][hr][h2][color=C0C0C0]Ersand'Enise Academy of Thaumaturgy, Constantia[/color][/h2][hr][hr] [color=C0C0C0]It was morning, and the bells of Ersand’Enise were [url=https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Kb4T1-EqjWP3dqfKBp5MMenPv8k72gEZ/view?usp=sharing]ringing[/url]. All over the city, from spires and steeples, windows and minarets, they raised a cacophony of welcome. Multicoloured flags flapped and strained in the stiff breeze and warming rays of sun peeked through the deep grey clouds. They hung low in the heavens, their bellies crackling with thunder. Brilliant shafts of light pierced the veil, dappling the plains where they struck and turning patches of grass outside the city into ponds of shifting whispering gold or green.

[i]Inside[/i] the walls waited hundreds of students, staff, and townspeople with growing anticipation. Businesses did a brisk trade in all manner of snacks, refreshments, souvenirs, and items useful for the coming competitions. The calls of vendors, laughter and chatter of friends and families, and a hundred different pungent scents filled the air. As with each iteration of the famous Trials of Ersand’Enise, every inn was booked full, every tavern had cleared space in its attic and cellar for beds and hammocks, all rooms had been rented out, sofas slept on, guest houses occupied, and yards filled with tents. Some of the yasoi were sleeping in trees and had eagerly made room for more of their people. 

Then, they were there: into the middle of a grand plaza appeared a portal of swirling light, sound, and magic, and a second moments later. These yawned open, lonely even amid the collective gasp of thousands and rising crescendo of murmurs. The first began to disgorge a hundred or more tall, slim youths from Tarlon: yasoi of the Tantas Island Academy of the Gift. They bounded, leapt, and grinned, waving, pointing, and fanning out. The second opened to an orderly procession, one-hundred-twenty-five students and one fifth as many Zenos marching through, two abreast. Glancing around excitedly and whispering amongst themselves, the biros of Twin Emperors took their assigned places and shot curious glances out at their new surroundings. 

A third portal opened, then a fourth and a fifth. Brown-skinned students from Sawand hurried through, dressed in the loose, ostentatious clothing of their homelands and chattering excitedly. A good number of them appeared to be a variety of yasoi. They were followed immediately by swarthy Xolexoctans with their angular yet swirling ornamental paints, piercings, and draconic leathers. They charged through in formation, let out a collective roar, and took their places as the first portal winked from existence and the fifth opened. Unusual and eclectic groups filtered through as further rifts appeared: 

Parynesian islanders with their bold tattoos, surfing boards, and grass skirts; 
fur-cloaked Retanese from the far north, along with an incongruously showy group of bards; 
Yspawashi wildmen with various animal motifs, howling and hissing; 
pale, rugged Vossoriyans with their fur hats, finely patterned hems, and booming voices; 
peoples of southwest Callanast with rich furs, headdresses, and tassels galore, dancing about; 
towering Eskandish announced by their great katterhorns and savagely noble bearing;
Proud and solemn Darhannics in the flowing silks and satins of their homeland;
Dark, boisterous East Severans, with their bold hairstyles, waving, smiling, and chatting excitedly; 
and, finally, the simple solid people of Kagan and the inner Callanast steppes, trying to look dignified but clearly overwhelmed.

Then, it was done. All of the schools had come. For a moment, everything became as if still and silent, despite the noise and motion. Conversation buzzed and students, Zenos, and citizens of the free city alike eagerly awaited what they all knew was coming. Every year, each of the two Holy Sees sent a team of initiate monks and nuns and they were almost always among the very strongest. At the very same instant, twin portals opened up at either side of the stage in front of Balthazar Hall and two teams in the various coloured robes of the monastic orders of Quentism marched out. Coming to a stop directly in front of each other, they lined up face to face and locked eyes. Then, the leaders of both teams reached out, clasped hands, and shook, followed by the other eight. 

The next portal disgorged five young yasoi pirates who traipsed boldly across stage, bowing and grinning, and quickly made their way into the crowd among others of their people. Then, came the first of the truly anticipated groups: ten young eeaiko emerged, their long mossy hair, webbed fingers, and large dark eyes thoroughly unhuman or unyasoi. They split into two groups, exchanging quick smiles and a few words, before waving at the curious crowd and stepping aside. While one group maintained a semblance of cohesion, the other’s members could be seen bouncing up and down excitedly, gesticulating and conversing amongst themselves.

Finally, the moment had come and it could not be said that the authorities of the academy were not without some flair for the dramatic. A single yawning black portal opened and out walked five youths no different in age and, perhaps, disposition than any of the others, be they human, yasoi, or eeaiko. These, however, were no more than two thirds to three quarters the height of the first, stocky, burly, and already possessed of robust facial hair at their young age. Their clothing was heavy: made of leathers, furs, and metal plate with glowing runes etched into it. Perhaps more than a handful would’ve commented on how hot they must've been were not everyone so enraptured by the sheer novelty of these people. After all, In the entire city, no more than could be counted on one’s fingers had seen a hegelan before in the flesh. 

Quietly, however, from a portal off to the side of the plaza, a team of five tall fair youths took their places. Many did not even notice them at first, but then a chill began to spread outwards and a strange sick feeling took root in people’s heads and stomachs. It was as if they’d been exposed to a blinding, strobing light, as if they’d eaten something spoiled, as if a weight was pressing down on them. Tiles and cobblestones began to glaze over with ice, even in the subtropical late spring, and people nearby bent over to wretch. Some staggered away. Others collapsed, clutching their heads. One of the five, bundled up in a thick parka and with a lick of shaggy blond hair half-covering one of his cool blue eyes, blushed and glanced around. After a moment, as the frost and discomfort had spread, his unusually large mouth cracked open in a massive grin that rendered his eyes upside-down crescents. [color=B0E0E6][b]“Oops,”[/b][/color] he chirped cheerily, and both the unnatural freeze and some - but not all - of the mystery illness receded. [b][color=B0E0E6]“Sorry ‘bout that.”[/color][/b] The gasps and murmurs settled into a heady buzz of talk. This, then, must have been the fabled Ice King and, whatever people had imagined him to be, he was now revealed, at least in part.

[color=a187be][b]“Welcome one, welcome all!”[/b][/color] boomed Zenith Upta’s voice, amplified by the Gift, and people’s attention was drawn back to the stage. [color=a187be][b]“Welcome to the Ersand’Eniise Academy of Thaumaturgy in this, our five-hundred-fiftieth year!”[/b][/color] There was applause and it was a good deal louder than one might’ve suspected from the number that could be seen clapping. The sound of the crowd, also, appeared to be at a suspiciously respectful low for a gathering of over a thousand boisterous teens. [color=a187be][b]“For today and over the coming week,”[/b][/color] the Zenith announced, against a backdrop of rumbling thunder and a gust of wind, [color=a187be][b]“you will live, learn, and compete against each other in a series of five competitions.”[/b][/color] She waited a moment for the sound of conversation to die down and an aggressive sweep of hissed, [b]“shhhs”[/b] advanced across the crowd, silencing it. [color=a187be][b]“Our first event, as you know, shall be the Great Melon Derby, as it has been every year for longer than any of us have been alive.”[/b][/color] She paused and glanced at an exceptionally old man who sat on a high-backed chair nearby. [color=a187be][b]“Even the Paradigm… I believe.”[/b][/color]

She lapped up the obligatory laughter. [color=a187be][b]“Now,”[/b][/color] the Zenith continued, [color=a187be][b]“for our second event, we can look forward to…”[/b][/color] A black sack floated her way and she made a show of reaching into it, shuffling through a bit, and extracting a rolled-up piece of paper. [color=a187be][b]“The Dragon!”[/b][/color] she announced, holding it up above her head. 

At that moment, in betting houses all over the city, hundreds of magi changed hands. The result was much the same when the third event was announced as Roses & Neskals: a notorious game of magical dodgeball that was often a spectator and gambler favourite. With the fifth event a staple, as was the opener, this left only the fourth and, when it was announced as Thin Air - a game of extreme altitude and brinkmanship - the crowd erupted into a flurry of speculation, half-baked strategizing, and not a little consternation as well. While it had been many years since a fatality had marred the Trials, the last one had been in that very event, and in a most grisly fashion. Finally, matters would conclude as they always did, with the physically and psychologically gruelling slog of Tug-of-Peace. 

All competitors were assured that rules would be explained before each game and that they would receive printed instructions in a language that they could understand. Indeed, translators were hard at work at the ears of some. Food and drink would be made available before the first scored event right here in the plaza and in Balthazar Hall, and an enormous leaderboard, updated after each, would be kept right above the fountain in the King’s Plaza. The first drops of rain had begun to fall, the Zenith was speaking on procedural matters now, and one could see and hear people’s attention waning.

All at once, in a purposely droning voice, she made an observation. [color=a187be][b]“Half of you are drifting.”[/b][/color] Upta shook her head. [color=a187be][b]“I could say that I had expected better, but I’ve done this too many times, so let’s make things a little bit interesting, shall we?”[/b][/color] Out of nowhere appeared an hourglass and a small bell on her lectern. [color=a187be][b]“The moment that I ring this,”[/b][/color] she declared, picking the bell up, [color=a187be][b]“your team will have three minutes to find a second team - not from your school - to pair with. So long as you are in physical contact with them at the exact moment that your three minutes is up, you will be allied to them for the first event. Your points will be their points and vice versa. However, those teams who are unable to find partners will participate on their own, at a severe disadvantage.”[/b][/color] Voices rose in alarm, confusion, and excitement. Thunder rumbled, the clouds flashed, and the rain began to come in earnest. Zenith Upta smiled deviously. [b][color=a187be]“Good luck.”[/color][/b] The bell rang.
[/color][hr][hr]
[hider=The Rules: Part One][h2]Guest Team Selection[/h2]
[i]Remember that these selections will be valid for the first event only: The Great Melon Derby. You will select a different allied guest team for the third event: Roses & Neskals[/i]

[u][b]IC Details[/b][/u]
It is pouring rain. The Zenos will announce that all teams must pair with another that is not from their school. You will have three minutes to make your choice and all five of your members must be in physical contact with all five of their members when the horn blows and time is frozen temporarily. You will then be considered paired. Those who fail to pair will be forced to go solo.

[u][b]OOC Details[/b][/u]
[list][*] Rank your top five priorities in terms of guest teams that you want to pursue.
[*] Once you have a list, I will return it to you with feedback on how interested that team is pairing with you. You will be able to do this up to twice. After that, it'll be finalized. 
[*] Guest team interest in your team will be ranked from -2 through to +2, with 0 being neutral. These will be bonus modifiers (bringing their rolls closer to or further from yours) in case you have to compete to get this team against other teams. More on that in a bit...
[*] If others want a guest team that you have selected at a higher priority level than you, they will win it. If your team selects a guest team at a higher priority level than all other teams, then you will win it. 
[*] However, if another group or groups select a guest team at the same priority level, you will roll against each other and the guest team in #damis-judgement on discord. Each member of the guests will roll first and the idea is to roll as close to their numbers as possible. Each member of your team will roll (another person may roll for you if agreed upon). You will call out which guest team member's roll you are trying to match and that will be binding. No changing minds and no rerolling.
[*] The player team that gets more of its rolls closer to the guest team's rolls is considered to have won. This could be a close 3-2 or a 5-0 wipeout but, IC, all of your members will be considered to have succeeded.[/list]
This minigame will be held live [b]Friday night, September 30, at 8:00 PM GMT-4[/b]. If you cannot attend, make sure that somebody in your group can. They may roll for you.[/hider]
[hider=The Rules, Part Two][h2]Melon Derby Scoring[/h2]
Team selection is not a scored event, but the right choices could help you in the game starting one IC hour after this, following the brief brunch reception: The Great Melon Derby. For this event, point totals will be as follows:
[list][*]First Place: 50 points
[*]Second Place: 40 points
[*]Third Place: 35 points
[*]Fourth Place: 30 points
[*]Fifth Place: 25 points
[*]Sixth to Tenth Place: 20 points
[*]Eleventh to Twenty-Fifth Place: 10 points
[*]Twenty-Sixth to Fiftieth: 5 points
[*]All Other Finishers: 2 points
[*]Disqualified: 0 points
[*]Disqualified (Dangerous Play): -5 points[/list]
In the event of a tie, both teams will receive the designated point total and the next rank below will be skipped.[/hider]
[hider=Resources][h2]Resources[/h2]
Please find a detailed map of the city for the upcoming Melon Derby below. All of you will begin in the plaza north of Balthazar Hall. Also, take a look at the [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vLI1tbGeSc1QZw_dunf4_ZOgXfDXekhu8WuQBLqmJF8/edit?usp=sharing]Guest Teams Guide[/url] for some help prioritizing the teams that you want to ally with, as well as the [url=https://keepthescore.co/board/mbsregmpihe/]Leaderboard[/url] to stay up to date on scoring.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/QrNIjzX.png[/img][hr][hr][center][hr][h3][u]Trial One: The Great Melon Derby[/u][/h3][/center]
With the holiday Melon Day having just ended, thousands of melons flood the city of Ersand'Enise. Most years, the number comes in just north of 20,000. This year, the exact total is 20,606, divided between the five 'elemental' melon types of firemelon, watermelon, thundermelon, terramelon, and cloudmelon. 

Precisely one of each type is special: created through binding magic and seeded with a spell that will trigger only once it is picked up by someone with a RAS of 5.00 or above. This spell will correspond to its elemental type: the firemelon will scald, the watermelon will splash, the thundermelon shock, the terramelon cover you in dirt, and the cloudmelon buffet you with a strong gust of wind. One further melon, of a type that matches the element of the deity currently in ascendance, is the 'Melon Supreme'. It is seeded with a temporal magic spell that will freeze time for all but its holder for precisely two minutes. It will also send out a massive beam of energy into sky, marking the position where it was picked up. It is strongly recommended that its bearer use their two free minutes to beat a hasty retreat to somewhere safer.

Each melon is worth a particular number of points, with the special melons being worth the most. Below is a guide to these:

[indent]All [b]standard melons[/b] (there are 20,050) are worth 1 point. These give no special indication.

Some [b]larger melons[/b] (there are 500) are worth 10 points. These have a bell hidden inside and will jingle. The bells have a specific magic signature and are very hard to counterfeit.

A small number of [b]very large melons[/b] (there are 50) are worth 100 points. These have a special magic item bound inside of them that will release a pleasant and pungent aroma whenever they are handled. Also very hard to counterfeit.

The five [b]'elemelons'[/b] are each worth 2000 points. These will have the effects described in the previous paragraph, depending on the element that they represent.

The one [b]Melon Supreme[/b] is worth a mighty 10,000 points. It is generally considered an all-but automatic win. Only twice in history has a team finished with this melon in its possession and [i]not [/i]won.[/indent]
Teams may acquire melons by all and any means possible, barring direct assault causing serious bodily harm against their opponents or non-participants. They may lie, cheat, steal, bribe, and destroy at will and often do. Targeting opponents' melons to deny them points is a tried and true tactic and the teams' home bases (their Zeno's house) are often temporarily turned into veritable fortresses, even though opposing teams may not actually [i]enter[/i] the property. All melons acquired by a team must be deposited at their home base in order to count for scoring purposes. In general, the rule with regards to cheating is, 'cheat in style.' Counterfeit melons, created either through binding or a mix of chemical and greengrowth abilities need to be able to seamlessly pass as the real thing. Get busted and any fake melons you're caught with will [i]cost[/i] your team five points each. Rough someone up? That's a 25 point penalty, though some teams tactically decide to eat it. As for sneaking into an enemy team's home base? Better not get caught, or that's a 100 point penalty per person per instance! Any severe injuries that you cause that can't be quickly healed through binding will result in immediate disqualification. Just... don't be that edgy. It's not worth it.

When the derby ends and melons are totaled and inspected, they must be in a condition judged to be 'consumable' as part of a healthy meal in order to earn their team points. Destroyed, badly damaged, obvious cheat, or rotten melons will not count, regardless of which type they are (including the elemelons and the supreme). The five teams with the highest point totals will occupy the podium for this event. Allied teams will share the same ranking.[/hider]