~Enyoraheva~ - the Lashunta Game of Hoverball

Hoverball is a Lashunta game that human fans of Soccer Football would not find unusual, although it has some aspects suggestive of Hockey, Basketball, and even North American Football. As a team sport, it has developed over millennia with the dual purposes having Lashunta practice their psychic levitation and telekinetic skills and to practice coordinated teamwork. It is thus popular among both warriors and psychics, depending on the focus. Like, Soccer Football, however, hands are expressly forbidden.
In Pathfinder’s low-tech, Pre-Gap time in Castrovel’s history, the sport exists with multiple variations and rule-sets, from city to city, and even from freehold to freehold. Walled courts or lanes are generally preferred to fields, with the goal being defined as a marked space on the wall, typically half or a fourth of the end wall.
Despite the local variety, a number of common variations exist:

• ~Enyomoara~ - Warrior-Ball: the most common local form of the game, this is the version found in most city lanes, training yards, or spare fields. It is notable for its short-range levitation and aggressive checking and blocking (if not full-on rough & tumble). This is played with a large, inflatable bladder-ball, rather like a rubber kickball. Team size may vary between six and nine members. While mixed-clade play typically does not happen, both Korasha and Damaya versions exist - and the Damaya play almost as aggressively as the Korasha. Broken noses are a common side-effect.
• ~Enyoraula~ - Witch-Ball: this form is played almost exclusively with psychic powers, without kicking, and with a smaller, denser, and heavier ball. High-energy telekinesis wielded by trained psychics makes this version more resemblant of hockey, along with the risk of injury. Teams are generally smaller, maybe two or three on a side. This version is almost always played in a court or lane.

Along with the above versions, another has become popular, called ~Enyoa-Arya~ - Championship Ballgame, since this is the form preferred for tournament play in Qabarat, whence it has spread to other cities. Often this is played as a mixed-clade game with both Damaya and Korasha, giving this version a genteelness lacking in warrior-ball, and pairing Korasha strength with Damaya height (allowing the ball to be levitated above the psychic reach of shorter players). This version’s other noted feature is the single position of ~Raulanoza~ - Witchdriver, filled by a psychically potent player, which operates rather like a quarterback in North American Football, although not only do they coordinate long downfield passes or shots at the opponent goal, but also take an active role in defense, since their powers may deflect an incoming shot. Cities even construct walled gameyards with watchstands capable of seating several thousand for this version. The game is generally structured as three ~avalatha~ (gametide/inning/quarter), each lasting about a ~daemolaeri~ - quarter-bell, about 27 minutes.
Along with the above variants, this game has evolved some common features:

• ~Zhyami~ - Whirling, is a technique of orbiting the ball around one’s body or head while levitating it, as a means of keeping the ball with oneself and being ready to pass it. Players are noted as being ~zhyamazhea~ - clockwise-whirlers - or ~zhyamahiva~ - widdershins-whirlers. More exceptionally, ~Zhyamatira~ - switch-whirlers - are highly prized players.
• ~Lusho~ - The Squirt, is the development of the ball being contested by two opposed players’ powers and the resulting tendency of it to fly off unpredictably. Mastery of ~lusho~ is an important skill in the game.
• For all forms of the game other than Witchball, kicking, head-butting, and other forms of non-hand bodily ball control are important techniques for players to conserve their psychic energies throughout the game.

One factor within the game also impacting other Lashunta activities is ~Zerreima~ - War-Mind: the trait of individuals to psychically link and coordinate activities (note: this was a concept invented to describe the Outrider class’s special features in PF: People of the Stars, and could possibly be a feat applied to other characters). This may factor heavily into a hoverball team’s ability to work and react cohesively with each other, be it a pair of players, a forward or back row, or ideally the entire team.

Lashunta Terms & Phrases:

• ~Enyoraheva~ (common): hoverball
• ~Enyomoara~ (common): warrior-ball version
• ~Enyoraula~ (common): witchball version
• ~Enyoa-Arya~ (common): championship ballgame
• ~Raulanoza~ (common): witch-driver
• ~Avalatha~ (common): gametide; inning
• ~Daemolaeri~ (spiritual): bellfarthing; about 27 minutes
• ~Zhyami~ (spiritual): whirl; whirling
• ~Lusho~ (neuter): squirt
• ~Zerreima~ (common): war-mind