Hex Crawl 23 #220: Shum's Tournament of Champions

Three hexes southwest, seven northwest of Alakran.

 

Bukhabar Shum is a kind commander, so his great tournament takes place when it is not too hot or wet, on the first day of the spring month of Iyarru and the autumn month of Sammu. All of the elite companies under his command, and several from adjoining provinces, compete in seven events in an arena drawn out in ropes on the hard, dry earth in the middle of nowhere (right here). An altar to Mitras, bull-son of Mitra, is set up, priests attend, and sacrifice is made before and after the games begin.

The events of this olympiad, in order, are: 

• Archery (hit AC 12, 15 and 20 in succession from 100')
• Heroic poetry (CHA and Performance, as well as INT and History if one composes one's own material as expected -- battle scenes only, with or without stringed instrument -- DC 10)
• Footrace (three tests of Athletics -- STR for the initial burst, CON for the long haul and DEX for the final sprint -- no DC to succeed)
  
• Wrestling (oiled; three tries each to Grapple, and then opponent tries break free with advantage)
  
• Long jump (Athletics, STR, DC 10)
  
• Javelin catch (DEX, DC 15, take damage if failed on a 1)
  
• Feats of strength (three tries at pure STR saves, DC 13)
  

Who succeeds by the most, is the winner, and tie breaks may be improvised. Each event will have d12 + 8 contestants, from the companies detailed in the last post, and from additional companies from other parts:

1. Pride of the Solar Mane (heavy chariot, Eryptos)

2. Enraged Hive of Deadly Bullets (slingers, Eryptos) 

3. Brine-Soaked Cords of the World Anchor (marines without ships, Eryptos)

4. Black Gazelles of Gilded Horn (light chariot, Eryptos)

5. Unstainable Honour Guard of the Royal Venery (axe beak riders, Mu-Asharru)

6. The Strife-Quelling Company of the Unceasing Shout (medium chariot-borne infantry, Mu-Asharru)

Contestants will have the three highest of 6d6 in their relevant stats plus proficiency befitting a fighter of level d12 (or, in the poetry contest, restricted to active-duty members, a bard of level d4.

The prize for winning each event is honor for a half-year in all the East, and the cranium of the sacrificial sheep, which is filled with d20+100 gold pieces as a gift.