Ludi Piscatari

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Ludi Piscatari

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Mon Jun 16, 2003 9:02 pm

LUDI PISCATARI

QUARTER FINALS

Welcome, welcome to the Ludi Piscatari! These are a bit smaller ludi, a possibility for the factiones to increase their lead or catch up with the leaders before the big Ludi Apollinares. Everyone knows that these will be really determining as there won't be any ludi after these for a few months.

GROUP I (Morgareth, Damnator, Romulus)

So, today we start with the first quarters! And wow, it sure is a great line-up! Romulus, threefold champion, faces grim veteran Damnator and current champion Morgareth. The circus is purple, gold and white. Neither factio bears ill will to the other but they sure aren't supporting their opponents either!

And off they go. All three of them appear to be going as fast as they can. Romulus uses his known technique. What a precision when rounding the spina! Magnificent! He takes the lead in the first curve. Damnator and Morgareth follow closely. Romulus "Celeres" crosses the sands like a thunderstorm but both the "Fulmen Draconis" and the "Infernerator" are hot on its heels. And then, on the next straight lane, the first act of brutality happens. Although Morgareth is fully aware how dangerous Damnator's power can be, he risks it to pass the White with a wall on the other side. The frustrated Damnator seizes this opportunity with both hands. One firm bang pushes the Infernerator against the wall. Morgareth loses control. His span is in panic and his chariot is torn to shreds as Damnator now takes off and pursues Romulus.

The Golden fans are in shock. They can hardly believe that this one vicious push put an end to Morgareth's presence in the Ludi Piscatari already! The disgrace! The Whites are cheering and laughing. Damnator has done it again! While the Whites are teasing and pestering their Golden counterparts and Purples anxiously watch as the gap between Damnator and Romulus becomes smaller and smaller. Romulus takes another risky turn around the spina, increasing his lead. But Damnator is close, very close now. The Albi are going out of their minds! The Aurei and Purpurei are now supporting Romulus together. Romulus seems unaffected by the cheers and drives his Celeres into greater speeds.

Both charioteers now enter their last round. The Fulmen Draconis menaces Romulus' first position. Damnator furiously lashes his span, which seems to be driven by fear for its unescapable master rather than thirst for victory. Both chariots come out of the last curve. Damnator knows that he is unable to pass Romulus, who is gaing more speed. He lashes out his whip at the wheels of the Celeres and lets go of his whip. What is he doing? The whip spins a few turns around the Celeres' right wheel and makes it steer in the wrong direction. Romulus is forced to slow down. Damnator uses this opportunity to close in. The last few metres! And just before the finish, the Fulmen Draconis barges into the Celeres, spinnig it into the wall! The Celeres breaks a part and although the span passes the finishing line, frightened and lost, Damnator is first, having slain two champions. The crowds are going mad!

1. Damnator
2. Romulus took a closer look on the walls at Damnator's suggestion
3. Morgareth was pushed against the walls by Damnator

GROUP II (Indutiomarus, Bibax, Myrtilos, Victorinus)

Hmm, who said again the Ludi Piscatari were going to be small and insignificant? Two champions defeated! This surely will give a new, surprising champion! Perhaps it will be one of this quarter. This quarter features four racers. The legendary Indutiomarus and his "Gallia Victrix". At the advice of his friends Morgareth and PD Robur, Indutiomarus has changed his tactics and has modified his chariot. Let's see how he fares! The second contender is the White Bibax. Whereas Damnator is the evil hero of factio Albata, Bibax is the problem child, having never advanced into a next round! Perhaps this will be the first time. The third participant is veteran Myrtilos, leader of factio Veneta. Veneta were at an all-time low in the previous races and swore they would be back with a vengeance, although Myrtilos still prefers technique and good racing over violence and brutality. The fourth charioteer, finally, is Victorinus, the newest racer for factio Praesina, sponsored by the scholar Tiberius Coruncanius. According to inside sources he uses "disciplined violence". Let's see what that means.

And off they go! Indutiomarus takes the lead! The Aurei are cheering on their racer. They haven't forgotten the defeat of Morgareth! His plated armour shines in the Sun as if he has won already. Myrtilos and his Aquila follow closely behind. He seems to be making good on his promise to firmly reestablish factio Veneta in the races. However… what is happening there? Bibax, zigzagging between the other chariots (he's probably drunk again) slams his chariot into the unhappy Indutiomarus. The strongest man in Rome can't withstand the drunken fury of the White contender and is sent crashing into the walls! So far for Indutiomarus' comeback.

The Whites who have remained in the circus to support Bibax don't know what to do as Bibax once again experiences a most unfortunate accident in the third bend: Victorinus, the Green newcomer, pushes him, much to the delight of the Praesina supporters, against the spina! Bibax' "Vigor Serpentis" breaks in two and the driver is smacked against the cold marble. Some Albi openly mock Bibax. He is a disgrace for the white team! The Blues and Goldens now also begin to see that Victorinus will be a force to be reckoned with.

There they go, thundering down the tracks for the final round. Victorinus and his "Res Publica" are catching up with Myrtilos. In spite of Myrtilos attempts to speed up, however, Victorinus gets a hold of the blue leader in the spina curve. A vicious, sudden manoeuvre forces Myrtilos to change directions. This proves to be fatal: he flies into the remains of Bibax' chariot and is flung out of his chariot, onto the sands. His span and chariot crash on top of the "Vigor Serpentis". What a race!

1. Victorinus
2. Myrtilos was matched with the spina by Victorinus
3. Bibax was shown the inscriptions on the spina by Victorinus
4. Indutiomarus sought refuge against the walls

GROUP III (PD Robur, Maximus, Caesar)

So much violence already! What did the racers eat? First Damnator executes two champions and now a newbie takes on the leader of factio Veneta. And silly, drunken Bibax humilitates Indutiomarus of Aurata. Well, one thing is certain: the races are full of surprises. Now it's time for the third quarter! This one features PD Robur, the last hope of the Golden Horde, Maximus, the junior racer of factio Russata and finally Caesar, the third racer of factio Veneta, who has the doubtful honour to have collected zero points this year. Perhaps this time will be different!

The starting signal is given. Maximus, in his well-known Centaurus, takes the lead. It's been rumoured that Maximus took racing lessons with his team-mate Callidus to improve his skills. Well for now at least this seems to be the case: Maximus remains first as the trio leaves the first bends and is now halfway across the second straight. PD Robur makes a decent pace and is second, Caesar is third. The distance between PD Robur and Maximus is steadily decreasing, but both charioteers are speeding up simultaneously, leaving Caesar far behind. Veneta needs a miracle now if Caesar wants to collect his first point!

Oh, and there tragedy strikes! In the third round Caesar makes an unhappy twist, one of his horses takes a wrong direction and, in his risky spina manoeuvres, crashes into the white column. Sure the spina has exacted its toll today. Caesar is the second Blue to meet with it! Perhaps it's time for Veneta to return back to basics and take some racing classes! The Blue crowds are beginning to get disgruntled. Red and Gold however see their place in the semis secured as Maximus and PD Robur safely cross the finishing line in that order.

1. Maximus
2. PD Robur
3. Caesar fell for the spina

GROUP IV (Callidus, Hannibal, Juba Bane)

Okay, here we have today's last quarter! It features factio Russata's main racer, Callidus. Last race has been a bit of a disappointment for him. Doomed to remain a good second under Romulus' rule, he was unable to take his position when Romulus fell in the quarters last race. However, this time may be different, who knows! The second contestant today is Hannibal. Factio Praesina is still on the rise and Hannibal knows it. He beams with joy and confidence. The third racer is the Briton Juba Bane in his "Aenglish Wildfire". Reputedly one of the slower racers on the track, he has advanced into the semis twice, however. That's more than his team-mate Caesar can say!

Blast-off! Callidus and Hannibal take a kick-start. Both Red and Green already have a racer in the finals, but one extra wouldn't hurt, of course. Veneta, with slinking support, is shouting and screaming at Juba Bane, trying to encourage him to make more speed. However he is only third, and the distance is increasing. Will this be the second humiliation for Veneta? And who is to blame? Not us, in any case .

Callidus and his "Celetior" are now trying to pass Hannibal, who had assumed the lead. Hannibal grins wickedly. The Punic charioteer begins to use his whip to lash at the unsuspecting, focused Callidus. The first strike is enough to catch the Red racer off guard but not to unbalance him. The second strike however violently puts an end to Callidus' attempt to pass Hannibal. The whip flays his lower arms and he is forced to let go of the reins. The span goes out of control. Smack! The third lash pulls Callidus out of his chariot onto the sands. Hannibal laughs as he leaves his Red opponent coughing in the sands. Juba Bane poses no threat to "the Elephant"'s victory, and so they cross the finishing line.

1. Hannibal
2. Juba Bane
3. Callidus was whipped out of his chariot by Hannibal


****

Tomorrow: the semis and finals!!
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Semi I

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Tue Jun 17, 2003 2:01 pm

GROUP I (Damnator, Maximus, Hannibal)

With all this excessive violence in the Ludi Piscatari, what else can we expect today? The first semi pits two ruthless, violent players against each other with a peaceful speed demon caught in the middle. The first is the well-known Damnator. He still seems to be the only hope of factio Albata to ever grasp a victory, seeing that the other White charioteer is talented nor lucky. The second contender is Maximus, in his "Centaurus". Defeating a speedy PD Robur was quite an achievement in the quarters, but then again Damnator defeated two reigning champions. Maximus and Damnator are sponsered by two illustrous fratres of the same family. Rumour has it that the Dionysia clan is therefore heavily divided on the matter of races. They sponsor Blue, White, Red and Gold! The last racer, finally, is Hannibal, known for the fierceness of his whip and the terrible force he exerts. Luckily Carthago didn't use soldiers like that in the Punic Wars or we'd all speak Carthagenian by now. Or whatever that was.

Anyway, during all this babble the chariots have taken off! Damnator assumes the lead. His span has been replaced by a new one and it sure seems to make decent speed. Like a madman he rounds the first bend, followed closely by Maximus and Hannibal. Hannibal lashes his whip at Maximus and the public holds its breath as the whip flings itself around the Red charioteer's arm. However it proves to be false alarm and like a vicious snake the Punic brute's whip is forced to rereat as both contenders thunder down the straight line. The Centaurus passes the Elephant and readies itself to catch up with the Fulmen Draconis. The Praesina supporters in the public encourage their hero to make more speed but save for a final attempt to lash his spiked whip at Maximus it's all in vain: Maximus, already in the next straight, begins to pass Damnator.

The driver of the Fulmen Draconis is too focused on racing now to try and use his whip or to attempt to push his rival against the walls. His span moves into a higher velocity but Maximus is faster still. The circus is relatively quiet. Both the Red and White supporters know that if Hannibal remains behind, factio Albata ànd Russata will be represented in the finals so they hope that neither racer will make a mistake and oh! There it almost happens. Damnator steers his chariot a bit too far to the right and his Fulmen Draconis scrapes the spina in the last round. He's heard shouting a curse as this allows Maximus to increase his lead. And so they finish: Maximus first, Damnator second and Hannibal third, in a race that had every potential to be deadly and violent but remained peaceful without accidents!

1. Maximus
2. Damnator
3. Hannibal
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Semis II

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Tue Jun 17, 2003 2:02 pm

GROUP II (Juba Bane, PD Robur, Victorinus)

Factio Praesina is not so confident anymore. Everyone agrees that Hannibal is a good racer, but he was no match for Damnator's fury and Maximus' speed. And the public – especially those carrying the Green standards and flags and wearing the green caps – agrees that Victorinus made a dazzling, unforgettable debut but will he live up to it? Was it just a stroke of luck or is he truly talented? We'll see how he and his "Res Publica" will fare in the races. With the bookmakers the second contender, Juba Bane in the "Aenglish Wildfire", is no favourite. He is reported to be the least talented of factio Veneta, but on the other hand so far he's had the most luck. And that's something the bookies can't predict! Veneta fans, joined by a few lost Purpurea fans, are hoping the underdog will win. The third racer in the second semi is Publius Decius Robur, who is quietly continuing his trend of good achievements in the races in the Ludi Piscatari. With Morgareth gone, perhaps PD Robur could become the winner?

The starting signal is given! The Greens wave and shout as Victorinus self-confidently takes the lead. PD Robur and Juba Bane follow at a distance. And sure Victorinus is taking risks by going so narrowly round that spina! This boy is really talented! Most noise is now made by the Aurata and Veneta supporters. If things continue this way, one of them will not advance into the finals! To the delight of the Golden Horde and the frustration of the Blues PD Robur passes Juba Bane on the straight lines and fairly quickly leaves him far behind. Victorinus makes haste. The "Quadriga Ignis" however is unstoppable! In the next straight, after another breathtaking turn from Victorinus, the Golden chariot passes its Green opponent, taking the lead! PD Robur decisively leads now. Victorinus tries his best to catch up with him, but to no avail: the noble Aureus comes first! Factio Aurata and Praesina go to the finals. Factio Veneta once again misses out. In the darker tabernae Veneta and Purpurea begin gathering to speak of pacts. Especially Veneta begins to hate Aurata!

1. PD Robur
2. Victorinus
3. Juba Bane
Last edited by Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Tue Jun 17, 2003 2:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Finals!

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Tue Jun 17, 2003 2:03 pm

FINALS (PD Robur, Victorinus, Damnator, Maximus)

Hmm. These are finals both continuing trends from the previous ludi, and setting new ones. For PD Robur, it's his second final in a row. The "Quadriga Ignis" looks fit, and its driver appears to be much more talented than was previously assumed. In terms of speed and talent, he is probably the public's favourite. Victorinus is the angry young man of the races. First ludi, first final! Usually newcomers don't fare this well. Praesina is hoping to surprise and astound the others with this new talent. Finally, neither Maximus nor Damnator are new to the finals. But for former it's been a while since he reached the finals, while latter is usually there but never actually won one! They may still win, though, seeing how they have improved their speed and technique in the last few races. In fact we have to admit that this will be an extremely close call. Two violent and two non-violent racers. Should be interesting.

The chariots are off! The Res Publica emerges first from the first bend, fluidly passing the spina and waving at his supporters. Damnator is a close second, with PD Robur third and Maximus fourth. Anything may still happen. Oh yes, and there PD Robur, shining in the blazing afternoon Sun, quickly moves over the straight line and passes the evil Damnator. The Fulmen Draconis' driver's knuckles are turning white around his whip, but as they enter the next bend he is forced to concentrate on driving, letting the Golden contender go and make an attempt at passing Victorinus.

And yes, PD Robur passes Victorinus. Steadily speeding up, Damnator also passes Victorinus, who seems to be unable to keep up with the speeds the Golden and White chariot are making. The Green supporters are going out of their mind. This can't be happening! Yet it does. Damnator unsuccessfully tries to drive the Quadriga Ignis against the walls, but the graceful chariot evades Damnator's vicious attacks each time. Meanwhile Maximus also makes a move at Victorinus and, without mach ado, passes him, too, clearly making the most speed of the four chariots.

In the next bend Damnator finally bests PD Robur and passes him. White is on the lead! Will factio Albata take the first victory home? The Whites cheer on their vicious hero, who is now concentrating on maintaining the first position. Victorinus, meanwhile, makes one last attempt at coming back but is forced to fall back, despite his briljant steering techniques. Maximus now also passes PD Robur in the next straight. You should see how fast they are going! The gap between PD Robur, Maximus and Damnator is decreasing. The Centaurus now makes an attempt at claiming the lead. "Go Maximus!" the Reds shout. The Whites encourage Damnator to deal with this Red usurper quickly. PD Robur tries to keep up with the pace. The Greens are beginning to realise they are losing and their cheers are slowly fading away.

And there it seems to happen! Maximus, reminding of factio Russata's first driver, Callidus, in many ways, now drives alongside Damnator. Peevishly the evil White lunges at his opponent. A dash against the Centaurus however does not prove effective enough to steer him off course. Maximus is passing Damnator. The driver of the Fulmen Draconis then uses his last resort and lashes out in fury against the Red driver in front of him. The long whip curls itself around Maximus' throat. The Reds in the public are shouting indignantly! One jerk is enough to rip Maximus out of his Centaurus. He rolls through the sands and Damnator nearly crushes him under the hooves of his span as he unconsciously lies still in the middle of the arena. The Red Dream is over.

PD Robur is now making an incredible last ditch effort, as the three remaining chariots go into the last straight. But the distance is a wee bit too far for the Quadriga Ignis: Damnator and the Fulmen Draconis cross the finishing line first! Finally, a White victor in the circus!

1. Damnator
2. PD Robur
3. Victorinus
4. Maximus felt the whip of Damnator
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Epilogue

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Tue Jun 17, 2003 2:05 pm

Let's see what effect these races had on the tables...

Damnator + 22
Bibax + 1
ALBATA + 23

Factio Albata gains 23 points and becomes second in the factio ranking after a temporary slump last races. They are three points away from the new leader in the factio rankings, which means anything may still happen. In the invididual ranking Damnator has now become the new leader, five points away from Purpurea's legendary Romulus. Bibax still occupies the lower regions and even drops a place to the 11th spot.

Hannibal + 5
Victorinus + 15
PRAESINA + 20

In spite of a lost final factio Praesina still gains 20 points. Well done! In the factio ranking their hard work finally seems to pay off as the difference between them and Veneta is now 14 points. If they want to win this year, however, they still need a true victory to confirm and crown their talent. Victorinus, the new Green racer, barges into the rankings and secures the 8th spot. Hannibal moves from 6th to 5th.

PD Robur + 18
Indutiomarus + 0
Morgareth + 0
AURATA + 18

Certainly factio Aurata can't complain either. With PD Robur coming second again in the finals, factio Aurata now takes the lead in the factio rankings! Individually, however, these ludi were fairly poor for Aurata. The only racer to advance is PD Robur, who is responsible for the total gain in points for Aurata all by himself (18 points). Robur and Morgareth now share the 4th spot. Robur came from 7th position and Morgareth gained no points. Neither did Indutiomarus, for the third time in a row. He drops a place from 9th to 10th.

Maximus + 14
Callidus + 0
RUSSATA + 14

Thanks to Maximus, factio Russata gains 14 points. Although Callidus himself gained no point, he is still firmly cemented in his third position in the invididual rankings. Maximus is on the move and is now 7th, coming from 8th, only differing one point with the next higher ranking player, Myrtilos. As a factio Russata also retains a status quo and remains third. Overall a good race for Russata in spite of Maximus' brutal defeat.

Caesar + 0
Juba Bane + 4
Myrtilos + 0
VENETA + 4

Factio Veneta has done poorly. Myrtilos was defeated by coming man Victorinus and Caesar experienced an unfortunate accident. The only one to gain points, for the second time in a row, is Juba Bane. He and factio Veneta as a whole only gain 4 points. Veneta drops from 5th to 6th position in the rankings. Juba Bane goes from 10th to 9th position while Myrtilos drops from 5th to 6th. Caesar still has zero points and remains last in the individual rankings. Bad luck or ill-chosen tactics? The experts disagree on the matter. Veneta has potential.

Romulus + 1
PURPUREA + 1

It seems the golden age of Purpurea is over for a while. Romulus, and consequently the factio itself, gain only 1 point. Romulus falls from his authoritarian first spot to second, and factio Purpurea is now 4th in the global ranking. Good Ludi Appolinares may still save them, though. Or perhaps they could be fortified by new racers joining?


The Ludi pages will be updated with the next update.

Valete,
Draco
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