The cliffs of Besis were bathed in a shine of fortunate sun, clear for once of low cloud. It glittered off the scales of thousands of colourful dragons on the mountainside perches carved in the shapes of screaming birds and strange devils, and illuminated the valley floor far below in punishing light. There, on the bare stone, a dozen dragons in as many colours stretched their wings and peered up into the sun for a hint of the challenge ahead of them.
For a moment the sun was eclipsed as green serpent crossed it, suspended by a shimmering jade glow. It blinked slowly, and turned one gigantic eye towards the hovering form of a pink dragon hidden in the shadow of one of its whiskers.
Its voice echoed across the canyon as it spoke. "In the name of the Nameless, our god and maker, we gather for the Wingraces. May luck and the wind be with our brave competitors! On your mark, Your Majesty . . . ."
The pink dragon nodded gracefully and rose higher, the light glimmering through the translucent panes of its wings to cast a rainbow on the cliffside. "Blessings to all. Begin!"
A hush fell across the canyon, and every eye turned down. As the last echo faded, a small dragon that glittered like crystal spun upwards, darting towards the sun in the distance. A further eleven dragons in a great number of shapes and colours followed momentarily. The last rose slower, but the first beat of its wings clapped off the walls like a gunshot. Intelligent black eyes almost six feet across glinted as it tracked its smaller kin. As the smaller dragons ahead darted and dodged, it ignored the rocks cast down from above that shattered on its scales, and rose ever higher.
The Wingraces are the most prestigious competition of
Dragonkind, taking place every fifth year of the calendar. They have been held for nearly sixteen thousand years, making them the oldest continually running event on Macalgra. The only interruption to them in history was following the
Massacre of Sarirpala.
The Wingraces are presided over by the
Dragon King, and they are part religious ceremony, part public entertainment. The races also serve as method of honouring the
Nameless First Dragon and fostering racial pride. Admission is free and all guests are provided free food and drink by the Dragon King. Alcohol strong enough to make dragons drunk and high stakes betting are some of the major attractions, so much so that the Divines themselves regularly make a point of partaking.
Rules
The Wingraces are run by six teams of twelve dragons. The competitors are chosen in a series of elimination matches over the preceding year. The right to run the race is extremely prestigious, and the same dragon may only run it once a century. For the week before the match the competitors meditate in solitude, believed to bring them into closer contact with their god-father. During the race, contact between competitors is strictly forbidden, as is the use of breath weapons or magic.
The objective is to reach the top of the cliff, as fast as possible while traversing the magical obstacles - visible and invisible - that have been placed between the valley floor and the sky, and evading a great Steel Dragon.
Each team runs the race individually, creating six rounds. The twelve dragons start on the valley floor. To begin the races the referee sounds a magically amplified siren, and the competitors launch. A moment after, the Steel Dragon takes flight in pursuit.
Up to 20 points are awarded to each dragon, decided by speed and grace. A point is subtracted for each obstacle hit. If a dragon fails to reach the top within two minutes or is captured by the Steel Dragon, they receive no points. Teams are ranked by points; if there is a draw, another round is run where the two teams race at the same time.
The winning team receives a large monetary prize, and use of the Winners Caves - known for their opulence - for the following five years, as well as prestige and positions of command within the flying corps of dragonkind.
Thorough! I wonder though, what is the relevance of the god-father that the races were sometimes used to impress them?
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A good ppoint! I shall add some info post-contest