The High Midnight Tournament

The High Midnight Tournament is an annual event in the world of UIR, and an OCT hosted by the creator Deputy Rust.

## Summary:

“*So it would seem you all arrived here in one piece. After what my dear Riders had told me, it would seem you are some rather bothersome pests. Nonetheless, THAT is why I had sent for some of you. Your skills, power, or just baffling luck are what I desire. So here is the deal. I want to add onto my top brass of bounty hunters, The Night Riders, to fulfill my needs and objectives. In order to separate the wheat from the chaff, I have devised a rather entertaining solution. Well, perhaps only entertaining to myself and others… you not so much. A tournament! A fight for survival. Yes, YOU will be competing for the chance to become a new addition to my deadly league of Night Riders, my personal hunters to do my bidding. If you are against joining such high ranks and honor, then you are free of course to leave… but to do so, requires you to fight. Your freedom does not come easy. You may leave only by surviving, or in a body bag. I’ll be looking forward to seeing who you all are in due time. But we have preparations underway. I will leave you alone to chat with the other prisoners and give you a taste of what waits for you.*”
— Baron McThrill, pre-tournament speech

The High Midnight Tournament is a side story in UIR thats canon to the ongoing story, though most of the events aren’t needed to follow the plot of the main series. It is annual event the Baron holds to find new Riders to put on his payroll. It takes place as well during a Gala, both of which go in tandem as a sort of black market and sports event for many high ranked crypts in the underbelly of the Cryptid World of UIR. The tournament itself wasn’t officially set until the late 20th century, but the Gala itself has always been an event the Baron has run. The tournament itself takes place in a random and remote location in Montana, though it is not too far off from the Castle of Helbelt the Baron's domain.

The Tournament itself is a bracket based system, and hosts only 32 competitors out of a number of crypts that are either scouted out for, captured, or invited to fight in the tournament. However, very few willingly come or approach first on entering the event. After which, the competitors are set off into two opposing cell blocks (Nothern and South) in The Stockade and entered into the brackets.

## Place in the Canon:

The tournament itself hasn't had a set timestamp officially for all of the events placed, at least for season 2. During Season 1, some crypts were already being collected for the tournament with Highway Jack being one of the selected candidates before Ben and Horror Show intervened unintentionally. An event that takes place during the High Midnight Tournament, the Midnight Gala, always runs during it and ran during the Round 2 period.

The official time period of the event is 5 weeks, each week leading up to a Round's fighters duking it out every Sunday, and allowing for the Midnight Gala to run in between as a filler event. This year though was a little different as a televised Talk Show made by one of the more peculiar prisoners was made and ran nightly (not including Sundays) that was cancelled during Round 2 after the death of one of its cohosts.