Race of Eight Winds

The Race of Eight Winds is a sporting event that takes place in the Dura quarter of Sharn on the 23 rd day of Lharvion each year. Traditionally, the race features eight riders, each riding a flying beast representing a different area of the Dura quarter, competing on an aerial course through and around the spires of Sharn. The winner of the event receives a gold purse and some land, as well as glory for the area of the Dura quarter they represented. The race is a major cultural touchstone for the Dura quarter and brings in spectators from across Khorvaire . [1] [2] [3]

Race

Riders begin the race at a starting point in Hareth's Folly and travel a course that travels through the towers of Sharn, before ending once again in Hareth's Folly. [4]

Rules

The race is a full-contact sport. Mounts with talons and beaks can use them to attack the other competitors. Riders can also attack the other competitors, but they are only allowed to be armed with a light sporting crossbow. [1] The use of magic, as well as psionics, dragonmarks , alchemy and poisons, or magic items, are strictly prohibited, and riders discovered using these are instantly disqualified. [2] [3] However, that has not prevented riders from trying to bend or break the rules. [1]

Competitors

The Dura quarter is divided up into eight regions for the race, and each region enters one mount and rider into the race. [1] A region can donate an additional 250 gold to enter a second rider into the race, however, it is rare for a region to actually enter a second rider. [3] The creatures entered into the race as mounts become mascots of the region that enters them, and the creature's name is used colloquially to refer to residents of the region. [3]

Traditional Mounts [1] [3]
Region Mount Colors
Highwater Pegasus White and silver
Overlook / Daggerwatch Hippogriff White and gold
Broken Arch / Stormhold Giant eagle Brown and gold
Rattlestone / Bazaar Giant owl Brown and gray
Tumbledown / Underlook Dire hawk Brown and tan
Precarious / Oldkeep Griffon Brown and red
Gate of Gold / The Stores Glidewing Green and gray
Malleon's Gate Gargoyle Black and gray

Wind Guard

Each region has a committee known as the Wind Guard that organizes the region's participation in the race. This includes paying the cost of keeping and training the mounts. Generally this cost is paid through donations from local merchants of region, but if not, the Wind Guard needs to pay for the costs themselves. Each region's Wind Guard also make a number of backroom deals with the other regions, drawing on favor networks, bribery, and alliances that can sometimes stretch back centuries to gain an edge in the race, or use their rider to gain favors for their region. [3]

Prize

The victor of the race receives a grant of land and a purse of 500 gold pieces. [2] In addition, the Wind Guard of the winning region receives the Rod of Eight Winds for the next year. [3]

Cultural Impact

The race is a major fixture in the culture of the Dura quarter, and those born in Dura are often passionate fans of the race and champions of their region's rider. [5] On race day, each region of Dura is covered in banners of that region's colors and visitors wearing the region's colors can often get discounts from local merchants and innkeepers. [1]

The race also often leads to brawls among fans, especially in districts like Callestan or Hareth's Folly in the leadup to the race. [5] Spectators entering a district wearing the wrong region's colors on race day may find themselves targets of violence. [1] The worse mob violence is restricted to riders who are caught cheating, who often are in danger of being torn apart by angry fans. [2] [3]

History

According to a popular legend, King Galifar II founded the Race of Eight Winds by using Sharn to test the suitability of different flying creatures for use as aerial cavalry and scouts. [1] [2] [3] Over the centuries the race evolved into an aerial competition of eight different magical beasts representing different regions of Dura. Most of the districts in Upper Dura are not represented because the race predates those districts. [3]

The districts of Upper Dura that do compete have the best record, with the reigning champion being the pegasus of Highwater. The creatures representing Lower Dura have a much worse track record. The griffon, for instance, has never won a race, but can usually be counted on to take out another racer. [1]

Originally the Malleon's Gate district was represented by the dire bat , but 12 years ago, they switched to the gargoyle. While the gargoyle has yet to win, its record has been better than the bat. [1] [3]

Notable Participants

Appendix

References

Further Reading