Ultimo-in-Vetta
The Worlds Strongest
Every 3 years, the martial arts guild known as the Onyx Prestiege hosts a tournament calling all practitioners of martial arts from around the world to prove their might. What was once a dwarven tradition of proving has since evolved into a worldwide phenomenon, drawing much attention in recent years, and many sponsors. Even noble families from the harsh and strict Empire have taken a keen interest in the event. The event starts on the First of Glory every new year and ends on the final moon of the same month. Originally, the winner would simply earn the praise and honor of strength and renown, but since its expansion to a worldwide phenomenon, local businesses and sponsors have donated to an ever-growing prize pool. Importantly, confident enough to enter are allowed in regardless of history or social class, which has drawn countless competitors from the furthest cracks of Fehr'gia. In recent tournaments, even orcs, gnolls, and bugbears have entered due to the rising cash prize.
War of Honor
Some monasteries that practice the way of the fist have used the tournament as a sort of friendly competition, to compare their many styles and the strength of their pupils and masters. Sometimes, criminals will ask to enter the tournament to try and win back their image in the public eye... or to let out their anger in a brutal brawl that would have gotten them executed otherwise. The tales of glory have gathered much attention, that even the mystical and strange Kanin tribes have sent representatives from their secret alcoves. On one such occasion, a frost giant traveled down from the distant icy rime of No Man's Land, to enter the fray. What's more interesting is that the frost giant was defeated by a hobbit master. The frost giant has since become a repeat competitor and has not won since.
A Host of Intrigue
While amongst the Populus, the tournament is a spectacle, the higher nobles use the tournament as a sort of proving ground. Testing the mettle of entries they find promising. Some come looking for new gladiators to take to the arena, while others look for warriors of promise to hire as enforcers or muscle. From the stands, these forces overlook everything, are thought to be the source of the multi-platinum prize pool.
The Fatal Fury
On the 322nd Honorary tournament last year, a masked fighter entered the tournament under the stage name Zhol, the Fatal Fury. They were brutal fighters, who crippled most of their opponents for life. When they went to the final round of the tournament, they were defeated by a grandmaster of Red-Lead Monastery. Enraged, Zhol went into a brutal rage, killing several entrants in the tournament along with a number of civilians, before escaping into the mountains. Despite the tragedy, with the oncoming of the next tournament only a year away, the hosts and proprietors have ensured that security will be a top priority as to not have a repeat of this event ever again.
