The Elite Combat Series - T.E.C.S.

History & Lore

The Elite Combat Series (or T.E.C.S. for short) takes place as a series of smaller events across Espen throughout the year culminating in the Brühousen Tournament of Champions. The event begins on the first day in the month of Shenzen and lasts until a winner is declared.
The series consists of a number of bouts at the Trivial, Minor, Major, and Champions tiers. Each team holds local tournaments each month. The winners may enter the above tier the following month. The Champions tier is held in Mithrigal, and the winners of any Major Tier tournament may enter. Each tournament may have a maximum of 16 competitors (3 rounds).

Trivial Contests - Periodically

The Icebound Trials are held in the Glacial Coliseum in the Bugbear Reach, the trials are a 3-round tournament in which a minimum of 8 of the initial competitors are bugbears. Though in some cases all 16 have been bugbears. The Trials are held in a canyon created by two massive glaciers, in addition to the general savagery of Bugbears, competitors also have to deal with falling ice as a hazard.
Bash at Battle Royale: Trazik Port is home to the Battle Royale Inn which hosts a winner take survival competition in which all competitors have 30 min to eliminate the other from competition.
DameSport Games: An all-female tournament held at the DameSport Festival Grounds. In the truest traditions of DamesPort, the competition is an all-female contest of skill. Competitors draw lots at the beginning of each round of competition and are required to use only the weapons afforded to them in that and succeeding rounds as the competition continues.
Crucible at the Keep: In keeping with customs of the Orc Vein Trench, the Crucible is in fact, not a traditional tournament. The island on which the Protean Keep sits is filled with competitors, all the bridges are burned and competitors battle each other until only one remains. If the winner is from one of the three tribes of the Trench, ownership of the keep becomes the property of that side. If the winner is not an Orc they would (in theory) be allowed to decide which tribe may lay claim to the keep, though this has never occurred in the 159-year history of the tradition.

Minor Tournaments - Monthly

Aquatic

The Bastille Aquatic Combat Tournament (BACT): BACT is hosted on the deck of The Trenchant a massive barge owned by the Horizon Bastille. Requiring all combatants wield on nautical combat weapons (Tridents, Nets, Javelins, Daggers, etc.). As the ship is the arena, one of the more difficult aspects of competing there is the constant movement of the sea under the combatant's feet. This has led to a number of combatants losing their matches on the technicality of losing their footing and falling overboard. While sailors and pirates are regular combatants at the BACT the competition is open to anyone however neither spells nor potions are allowed.

Indoor

The Basement: Hosted at the Kneecracker Ale House in Nin. While this is only a minor competition, many find that just getting into the tournament can be a bit of a hassle as the Kneecracker is known to be a difficult establishment to navigate. Though anyone can enter those who do should be warned that only hand-to-hand combat and ranged weapons are allowed. The basement, much like the Kneecracker itself is light on amenities and frills as most structures don't last more than a weekend.
The Diplomat's Forum is well known for its usage in handling disputes between organizations, cities, and cultures. Taking place on the floor of the Muir rotunda, inside the Loire Hall in Pra'Shad. The forum tournament begins with a debate that decides the order in which their weapons are tournament order is selected. This has made bards and clerics, particularly adept in this particular forum.
The S.W.I.F.T. is held in Evergreen Deep though it begins at the Wanderer's Post. Combatants draw lots and are placed on one of the many Rocky Isles, each of them competing simultaneously on their respective islands. Once a match is resolved the winning competitor is ferried to the next island. Unlike other competitions which can take days to complete the SWIFT Games are over in a matter of hours. With no breaks, only edge weapons to choose from, and no potions to assist competitors, many rely on fine meals and salves to temporarily bolster their stamina for the hours-long event.

Outdoor / Subterranean

The Briarwraith Terrace hosts the Sylvan Trials in Ossirion. The Trials are a 3 round tournament that pits competitors not only against each other but also against the elements of the garden which include Vinelasher Kudzu, Thickthorn trees, and Banebrush Bushes. The underbrush and foliage is so thick that most damage is done from the deep cover of the arena. As metal weapons are illegal, only nature-based weapons are allowed which include short bows, long bows, clubs and staffs.
The Underground Kings (UGK) Survivor Series is hosted by Quartermanes in Nattan Mal. The Deeps contains a number of tunnels that open up into wide and expansive caverns. The series is the largest of the minor competitions and features 32 competitors vying to be one of the final four left standing. As in the tradition of the Quatermanes, only miners' tools and supplies are allowed. Originally conceived as a mining competition that ended in fisticuffs, the Series has expanded to include a variety of combatants wielding pickaxes, shovels, chisels (wielded as daggers), and light hammers.

Major Tournaments - Seasonally

The Aquacade [Entry Fee - 200 GP]: The second of the Nautical based event is held by the Kobold Sportsbook. The Rising Tied, a retired Gnomish warship plays host to the tournament with the lower decks serving as an infirmary. The Tied's competition is open to anyone, and unlike the BACT, spells are allowed as well as minor potions are prohibited during the first 2 rounds of the tournament. As one of the 4 majors, competitors may only enter if they have previous victories in a minor competition. Though occasionally victors of matches can be denied entry for political reasons, champions of minor tournaments are never denied entry into major tournaments.
Assassins Fixtures [Entry Fee - 300 GP] are held in the Assassins Arena in Hatchetwinks. The competitions are held 3 times a year for combatants who have not only won a match in a minor tournament but also scored a kill within that victory. As not all tournament matches are to the death many events may end without a single death, however, as many of the combatants are trained killers, nearly all of the fixtures end with a number deaths.
The People Fighting People tournament is organized and run by the staffing company People, People in Everhold City. Located in the vocational sector, People, People not only does an excellent job of staffing and connecting adventurers with quests, but also hosting one of the 4 major tournaments. Seeking to create the purest form of combat between two combatants the weapons available are limited exclusively to daggers and spells. Bi-annually during the winter and summer, the PFP tournaments are held in the streets of Everhold City. [Enry Fee - 350 GP]
Clash at Riptide is the only major tournament held outside of the Major 12. Taking place on the Flooded Isles during their dry season, the Clash at Zenith occurs on one of the few islands high enough above sea level to avoid flooding. Though the soft marshy lands make movement more difficult, the tournament keeps things exciting by being the only competition in the minors or majors that allows for teams. Combatants enter in teams of 2 for the 3-round tournament and teams are eliminated when both players are either killed, yield, or are rendered unable to fight. [Entry Fee - 175 GP/Per Person]

Champions Tournament - Shenzen 91

As the originators of the martial tournaments were the Dwarves in Mithrigal, celebrating combat in all its forms is at the heart of the champions tournament at the Brühousen Arena in Mithrigal. As the most expensive tournament at 500 GP, competitors usually find sponsorships from their hometowns, shops, or occasionally private organizations. However, despite the high cost, the reward for winning the Brühousen Tournament is well worth it. A permanent residence in the Brühousen Champions Village at the center of town as well as the winning purse of 5,000 GP.