Zul'ympics - A query.

So, I was browsing your past events and noticed the Zul'ympics from 2008.

In the past, I had run an annual event called Troll Week (2006, 2007, 2008). It focused mainly on educating younger Trolls and the other races regarding Trollish traditions and such. However, we did have a couple competitive events. Most went well (trivia and combat), but each time, I tried to hold a race and each time it went pretty badly.

I was wondering how your race ended up faring and if it went well, how did you make it work?

I ask, because many people have been bugging me about bringing back the event and I'm considering it.
Of course, being a stickler for tradition, I want to include the race but obviously the way I was doing it wasn't working.
So, if you did have a race that took all comers, how did you set it up? I'm looking for ideas from successful race events.

Edit to add:
Also, I like your Fey'dip legend a lot. Pheidippides (if he was in fact, a real man) would likely be quite flattered.
I was thinking of borrowing it (giving credit where it's due, naturally), but I will not use it without Snicka's blessing!

Thank you, Trinda, for the curiousity and the kind words.
The truth is that, without any organization and any kind of support apart from the verbal, the Zul'Ympics never became more than mere, although elaborate, plans. I can't remember if the word of it was even spread IC among the Horde.
The only relatively successful racing event on Scarshield Legion, to my knowledge, was the Kalimdor Road Rash. It was a motorbike race from the Shimmering Flats up to Everlook in Winterspring. The class-based bonuses were removed by everyone having to ride a motorbike. As I didn't participate this one, but Ryleen did, she can tell more about it.
I am happy that you liked the Zul'Ympics lore and the legend of Fey'dip. Feel free to use it in your own competition, as long as you give credits to me.

Snicka wrote:I am happy that you liked the Zul'Ympics lore and the legend of Fey'dip. Feel free to use it in your own competition, as long as you give credits to me.

Of course!
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Since my server has a totally different story than that of SSL (EU), we do not have an Antu'Rah or a Heritage of Zandalar.
So, clearly my character could not have met with Snicka as you know him. So, I've decided to go with the following...

In addition to an out of character acknowledgment, I will have my character consult with a Zandalarian chronicler in Yojamba.
His name will naturally be Snicka. Of course, I will only do this in character nod if it is alright with Snicka himself!
If not, I'll just leave it as a simple out of character acknowledgment.

If you feel like having your character talk to a Zandalarian lorekeeper named Snicka, I take it as a compliment.
Who knows, in an alternative universe Snicka might have been born as a chronicler.

Here's my first draft. Credits included.
Let me know if this is satisfactory, Snicka. I'd hate for you to have your name attached to something you didn't particularly like.

Background
As an enemy of Hakkar, Mel'Lodi had visited with the Zandalar extensively. During his many visits to Yojamba, he befriended a Zandalar chronicler by the name of Snicka. While Mel was no slouch when it came to Trollish lore, Snicka had regular access to the libraries of Zandalarian texts and tablets. So, any chance he got, Mel discussed some of the more ancient traditions and events with the scholar. While discussing the Forest Trolls, the topic of the "Arathor Run" came about.

A little over two thousand, eight hundred years ago a great war was fought between the kingdoms of Trolls, Elves and Humans. The Trolls of the Amani Empire were pressing hard on the High Elves. The Amani seemed poised to gain control of everything in the Eastern Kingdoms north of the Arathi Highlands. Meanwhile, the warrior-king Thoradin was busy uniting the Human tribes so that they could better defend themselves from the Trollish aggression. In a moment of desperation, predicting total Trollish victory without outside help, the Elven king Anasterian sent envoys to the Human king and an accord was reached. The Elves would teach the Humans magic in exchange for their now-massive army to mobilize and fight alongside the Elves.

During the war, there was a decisive battle fought at the foot of the Alterac Mountains. With the aid of Elven and Human mages, fire rained down on the Trolls and the combined armies of Silvermoon and Strom broke their foes' lines. It was a terrible rout. Those that didn't stay and fight to the last ran as fast and far from the battlefield as they could. Most were cut down in their flight, but some of the fastest and most cunning Trolls evaded the enemy and ran for days without food or water to deliver the message of defeat. To fight to the last was their solemn vow before the gods, yet here were Trolls who had fled the battle. Outraged at their cowardice, the High Priest* had the returning warriors and their immediate families all tortured and executed before the entirety of what remained of the Amani Empire. The lesson was clear. The Amani run from no one.

For at least two decades, this "Arathor Run" was a shameful retreat that was burned into the memories of the Amani. Finally, the new Great Zul decided to change a perceived weakness into a strength. Every few years, the leader of the Amani would order a small group of ten to twenty Trolls to infiltrate the now-enemy-territory. They would head to the foot of the Alterac Mountains, kill a Human and then make their way back to Zul'Aman as proof of their courage and cunning. The first few to make it back would immediately be places as elite scouts and tree-runners who would run with the warbands. They would fearlessly enter enemy territory to relay vital information back to their units. Those that arrived after the first few were killed for their failure.

In the eyes of the Amani, the Arathor Run was no longer a mark of shame. It became a source of pride and a test of skill. This practice continued for several centuries, but eventually fell out of favour as other rites of passage became common place. Seeing an opportunity for Troll Month, Mel'Lodi decided he would hold the first Arathor Run in over three hundred years.



*The ruling Amani Warlord would have undoubtedly been at the front lines getting slaughtered with his warriors. As such, one of the High Priests would have assumed leadership in the interim period.

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Out of character notes:
The idea for this event was inspired by the Blizzard lore regarding the Troll/Arathor Wars and by a friend of mine, Snicka of Scarshield Legion (EU). His legend of Fey'dip was a story of a Troll delivering a message of victory against the Humans to Zul'Aman and then dropping dead from exhaustion. As you can see, he took his inspiration from the legend of Pheidippides and the battle of Marathon. While I have put my own spin on it, credit must be given where it is due.

I like your Arathor Run story, Trinda, even though it's a very different story from mine. The setting is the same, but - as you point out in the end - while my Fey'dip brought the news of victory to Zul'Aman, your troll messenger (who deserved his name to be forgotten) flees from a hopeless battle and is executed. However, it's a perfectly acceptable version of the story, and the more brutal aspects you added are fitting the Amani pretty well, so I approve of it.
I would change one minor point though: the losers that still arrive back with human heads and information shouldn't be executed, as I don't think the Amani are that stupid to kill their own formidable warriors just because they are somewhat slower than the best ones. Those who give up and return without a human head would certainly be killed though.

In your version of the troll mythology, the "Great Zul" is an almighty god above the Loa?

How do you plan for it work?
Are they just supposed to kill a random mon and say they got a head?
Like the hole idea. Will be fun to participate.

Snicka wrote:I would change one minor point though: the losers that still arrive back with human heads and information shouldn't be executed, as I don't think the Amani are that stupid to kill their own formidable warriors just because they are somewhat slower than the best ones. Those who give up and return without a human head would certainly be killed though.

I have to respectfully disagree that the Amani would not kill formidable warriors. I liken it to the Gurubashi and Drakkari and their respective arenas where the best warriors fought to the death to be recognized as champions and leaders. The "sport" is different, but the ultimate cost of losing and failure is the same.

On that note, however, this thought has given me an even better idea. Those who came in after the first few would have to redeem themselves in the Amani arena (upon a little more thinking, I figure they must have an arena somewhere). Success there would spare them from a grisly fate and failure ends in death. This allows the better warriors the chance to survive and satisfies the brutal nature of the Forest Trolls.

Snicka wrote:In your version of the troll mythology, the "Great Zul" is an almighty god above the Loa?

No. The Zul is not above the Loas. The whole army (warlord included) swore to their gods to fight to the last.
Since some broke their vow and returned to the city instead of winning the battle or dying a warrior's death, they were punished by the leader who took control.

The Great Zul is just the Troll in charge. The chieftain, if you will.
A High Priest is only mentioned because he temporarily took charge since the previous leader and many successors would have died in the battle.

I can go into much more detail regarding my take on the titles, but that's a whole other thread.


Anyhoo! Glad you like it.
I will be making that small change regarding the fate of the losers and then going forward with the event.

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vajro wrote:How do you plan for it work?
Are they just supposed to kill a random mon and say they got a head?
Like the hole idea. Will be fun to participate.

It will be a less brutal version of the mythical run from the story.
The competitors will flag up for PvP to increase the difficulty level (this will be noted in the OOC part of the event posting to chum the waters for Alliance sharks). They will start from Tarren Mill (it is technically at the foot of the Alterac Mountains, after all) and make their way on foot to the gates of Zul'Aman. The winners will get a gold prize and an appropriate in-game RP item, second place will get some bags, third place will get a bit of a joke prize. The rest... I have a surprise for them.

And yes. Fun is the main goal here.
Though, as I play on a US server, your participation may be a little tough.
I'm just a fellow Troll enthusiast who has found kindred spirits across the pond in the EU servers.
Do feel free to take my version (or Snicka's version or make your own!) and organize something similar on SSL.
We can exchange notes once it's all said and done so we can learn from each other what worked and what did not.

Getting the losers thrown in the arena to redeem their honour sounds like a good idea indeed.
Good luck with the event, and I am looking forward to hear about the results and success of it!