Dragon's Joust

A game inspired by dragons.

Legend has it that the game of dragons joust was invented by a visiting monk to the Academy of Ào Shù Xuéyuàn while they watched a pair of young dragons play. Originally conceived in the early 9th century, the sport has since grown to become the official wixan sport going so far as to be added to the school curriculum while also promoting the construction of coliseums for it in both it’s originating school and Scholomance, making it the only thing to ever cause an additional construction project to be added upon the founder’s design of Scholomance.

The sport itself is played using aeromancy where the entirety of each team is required to utilize a standardized category of vehicle with the exception of the controller who instead typically utilizes a mixture of aeromancy and hydromancy to manipulate the playing field and disrupt the opponent teams movement. The modern game is played in a long ovular coliseum with no less than 6.5 meters of water filling the bottom at all points. Players must stay within the boundary of the coliseum walls, ascending above them for no more than six seconds for whatever reason. Set within the water basin are two islands at the furthest ends of the island where each team keeps a clutch of six colored orbs.

Historically the game was played on a field with imaginary boundaries, however after several injuries it was moved to lakes. The requirement of a coliseum was introduced shortly thereafter to empower the controller with tools to utilize to further increase the strategic complexity of the game.

## **How to Play**

Dragon’s Joust is played with two teams of thirteen riders, seven understudies and a single controller and is played in sets which end when one team scores a point. There is no time limit to the duration of a game or set.

Riders each affix three long silk ribbon tails to their vehicle weighted by a small metal bell. Opponent riders may then try to remove these tails by projecting a bolt of magical force at their opponent. Should a rider have all of their ribbons removed in this way they are eliminated from the set. If all the riders on one team have their ribbons removed the opponent team scores a point and the set ends.

Riders that are knocked off their vehicle by the opponent team may immediately be replaced by an understudy who have their own ribbons unique to themselves. The water-bound player may return to the benches and effectively take the place of the understudy. Should they return to the set, they retain the number of ribbons they possessed when they fell into the water. Understudies are always deployed from their home-island.

One rider, designated the thief, wears either black or white ribbons (always opposite of their opponent's thief) with gold bells and has the additional goal of stealing an orb from the opponent controller’s island before delivering it to their own controller. Once obtained they may pass the orb, but only the thief may steal or deliver the orb to score a point, ending the current set.

The controller starts on their team's island and may use aeromancy to create gusts of wind and air-streams, as well as hydromancy to create walls of water or ice to control and manipulate the opponent team's movement. They may also use their station to try and protect their own team or disrupt the opponent controller’s efforts. Controls furthermore, may also fire their own force bolts. The controller may not, however, fully obstruct movement into any part of the playing field or utilize ice within 2 meters of either island.

### **Penalties**

* Taking any hostile action against the controller.
	+ Offender is immediately eliminated from the set.
* Spending longer than six seconds above the coliseum walls
	+ Offender must remove one ribbon per interval.
* Use of magic outside of the allowed spells.
	+ Offender is immediately disqualified from the game, set restarts.
* Physically removing another player's ribbon.
	+ Offenders must immediately remove one of their own ribbons.
* Damaging another player’s vehicle sails (if applicable).
	+ Offender is removed from the game.

### **Philosophy**

The riders express martial and physical expertise, while also being able to manipulate and utilize penalties as a mechanic to achieve victory, emphasizing draconian logic and strategy. Mean while the controllers are enabled to engage in an effective duel of wits and arcane ability.