[hr][hr][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/2S4hpWL.png[/img][/center][hr][hr][h3][color=CD5C5C]Don't Stop to Smell the Roses[/color]   [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8c6tw_JbGRg]𝅗𝅥   𝅘𝅥   𝅘𝅥𝅮   𝅘𝅥𝅯   𝅘𝅥𝅰[/url][/h3][hr][hr]
[color=CD5C5C]Some called it mortal terror. Others liked to characterize it as ‘adventure.’ Whatever it was, it had become an expected and even essential part of the Ersand’Enise experience. A sanguinaire’s rampage had been halted the previous night. Ancient catacombs had been explored in the Torragonese desert. Students had celebrated their completion of The Dragon by dancing with Eskandish druids in a summer grove well into the evening.

There was, of course, more. Some was of great import, but the sun rose the next morning, the same as it always did, and triumphs and tragedies were placed neatly aside as the day began. Yet, there were some who did not even wait. As Ipte gave way to Shune, they were already rising, stretching, yawning. Hearty early breakfasts were cooked. Eyes were rubbed and yawns stifled. Copious amounts of coffee and other stimulants were consumed and Chemical Magic was in high demand. The hundreds of largely-bedraggled youths who crowded the plaza before Balthazar Hall nonetheless found their enthusiasm once the Zenith appeared. As usual, she was all-too happy to lap up their adulation.

The third event of The Trials, Roses & Neskals, better known nowadays as Roseball, was set to be an all-day tournament, played out in twelve separate arenas spread throughout the Twin Continents. Three minutes were given for teams to choose each other and, while the 1280 youths gathered were old hands at it by this juncture, there was now some strategy involved. They knew who the 'good' teams were. They also knew who were rivals in the standings, and five more of the potential prizes had been revealed. Many glances were taken at the leaderboard. Alliances were made strategically. Vyshta's Favoured and Shortlisted, formerly popular choices, found themselves able to attract only each other. You Could Never was also frozen out by erstwhile friends until rescued by CUBED and the Ice King. To everyone’s great amusement, the two Æresvaktr teams - Pravda and Sadan - finally joined forces.

There was less time to mingle. The bracket was revealed, portals were opened, and teams were assigned their starting locations. Most would not be playing immediately, but they needed to go through. For the second time in as many days, they emerged in a plethora of exotic locales, ready to play.[/color]

[hr][hr][h3][color=F0E68C]Not All that Glimmers Is Gold[/color]   [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VNWvNEPsilI]𝅗𝅥   𝅘𝅥   𝅘𝅥𝅮   𝅘𝅥𝅯   𝅘𝅥𝅰[/url][/h3][hr][hr]
[color=F0E68C]It was late afternoon before the wheat had been separated from the chaff, and most of the teams who had stood at the top of the rankings had battled their way through four single-elimination rounds, the sleep-deprivation of their early morning, and the sensory bombardment of their new surroundings and thousands of cheering and jeering fans. They were bruised, battered, and exhausted by the time that they found themselves in the group stage with - for the first time since lunch hour - a touch of breathing room. Browsing the sumptuous buffet tables of their four opening match locations, some collapsed onto the tables, chairs, and bleachers that had been set out for them while others took to snooping around the area, hoping to take int he experience or find local treasures. Word had spread from fellow competitors, hosts, and older relatives that it was Roses & Neskals tradition that various items of value should be found throughout the surrounding area.

For some, it was the whimsical 'Château de Fromage', quaint village square, and idyllic beaches of Picodon Supreme. Others dined above the pounding waves of Razor's Edge, the towers and steeples of the great city of Harrowend rising from the fog on the near-distant mainland. There were those who dined in the sumptuous gardens among the statues and columns of the Imperial in the Thalak capital of Vessaklion, and still others whose meals were taken looking out over the vast canyon of the Anghazi Floater in the jungles of southern Virang.

Then, it came time to play. The bracket had played out almost perfectly to seeding, with the only exception being the upset of the Æresvaktr Alliance at the hands of a colossally boosted Vyshta's Favoured and Shortlisted in the Round of Sixteen. The second and third-placed teams were gunning for the top spot and, so far, none of their matches save their epic clash with pre-tournament favourites Æresvaktr had lasted for more than fifteen minutes. Questioning minds now turned their thoughts to the only question really worth pondering: just who, if [i]anyone[/i], could stop them?[/color]

[hr][hr][h3][color=39b54a]Resources[/color][/h3][hr][hr]
[color=39b54a]Matches will be played out live in discord threads over two days each. Each team will have two large posts. Individual players may post as many times as they like during this period. However, they are limited to twitter-length posts, please, for the sake of brevity. Please read the hiders [b]thoroughly[/b]. If you have read them and still have questions, feel free to ask a moderator for assistance.

[hider=Roses & Neskals: Rules and Info][h2]Resources[/h2][list][*]All information on the game itself is available in [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1f72g4DryElAghRPmV9vusrSt9MkLLowz1UN8aX6EDDk/edit?usp=sharing]this document[/url].
[*]Allied team selections for this event can be found in [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kmociSR1NjLf95dz9iAEhXPLBMaKESWGNqieSNEBAOU/edit?usp=sharing]this document[/url].
[*]Profiles of all guest teams are located in [url=https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vLI1tbGeSc1QZw_dunf4_ZOgXfDXekhu8WuQBLqmJF8/edit?usp=sharing]this document[/url].
[*]The leaderboard may be accessed through [url=https://keepthescore.co/board/mbsregmpihe/]this page[/url].[/list]
[h3]Standard Field Map[/h3]
[img]https://i.imgur.com/hA9KpaG.png[/img][/hider]
[hider=Roses & Neskals: Bracket][h2]Group Table[/h2][h3]Group A[/h3]
[table=bordered][row][cell][u]Match One[/u][/cell][cell][u]Match Two[/u][/cell][cell][u]Match Three[/u][/cell][/row][row][cell](1) You Could Never & CUBED vs (8) Heartstoppers & Waking Nightmare @ Anghazi Floater[/cell][cell](1) You Could Never & CUBED vs (6) Snaked and Afraid & Coastal Crusaders @ Dragon's Fyre[/cell][cell](1) You Could Never & CUBED vs (3) Lucky Seven & Covenant @ Rough and Tumble[/cell][/row][row][cell](3) Lucky Seven & Covenant vs (6) Snaked and Afraid & Coastal Crusaders @ Razor's Edge[/cell][cell](3) Lucky Seven & Covenant vs (8) Heartstoppers & Waking Nightmare @ Rising Waters[/cell][cell](6) Snaked and Afraid & Coastal Crusaders vs (8) Heartstoppers & Waking Nightmare @ Blue Meanie[/cell][/row][/table][h3]Group B[/h3]
[table=bordered][row][cell][u]Match One[/u][/cell][cell][u]Match Two[/u][/cell][cell][u]Match Three[/u][/cell][/row][row][cell](2) Team VOID & The Huggy Bears vs (7) SYCAMORE & The Sea People @ Picodon Supreme[/cell][cell](2) Team VOID & The Huggy Bears vs (5) Gunboat Diplomats & Good Guy Team @ Baobab[/cell][cell](2) Team VOID & The Huggy Bears vs (13) Vyshta’s Favoured & Shortlisted @ Faulty Towers[/cell][/row][row][cell](13) Vyshta’s Favoured & Shortlisted vs (5) Gunboat Diplomats & Good Guy Team @ Imperial[/cell][cell](13) Vyshta’s Favoured & Shortlisted vs (7) SYCAMORE & The Sea People @ Teufelsumpf[/cell][cell](5) Gunboat Diplomats & Good Guy Team vs (7) SYCAMORE & The Sea People @ Villa Sparviento[/cell][/row][/table][/hider]
[center][h2][i]It's time to D-d-d-duel![/i][/h2][/center][/color]
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