Current

HAIL SCREEECH

LONG BEFORE THE SUN GOES DOWN OVER THE DESERT, SHADOWS STRETCH LONG WITHIN SLOT CANYONS - BOTH MANGO PIRATE, AND ITS UNINHABITED (BUT NOT UNUTILIZED) NEIGHBOR SOCKET GORGE. THAT'S HARDLY UNUSUAL. BUT WHEN CLOUDS ROLL IN FROM EAST, BUBBLING AND BOILING INTO EVER LARGER, EVER DARKER FORMATIONS. WHEN THE WEATHERWATCHERS HEAR THE BOOM AND CRACK OF LIGHTNING'S PET, THUNDER . . . WELL, THEY GRIN IN ANTICIPATION. WHILE THE TRAVELERS AND MERCHANTS AND SHOPPERS OF THE DAY CURL UP SAFE AND SOUND IN THEIR RENTED BERTHS WITHIN THE WINDOW, THE WORD TRAVELS UP THE CANYON WALLS TO THE CELLAR, AND THEIR SINISTER OCCUPANTS COME SLITHERING OUT FOR THEIR OWN FAVORED GAMBLING SPORT.

TO THE SOCKET! AS RAIN BEGINS TO SPRINKLE, THEN POUR, AND THE STORMCATCHER'S GIFT BEARS DOWN WITH ITS TEETH CRACKLING WITH POWER, THE DRAGONS FLOW TO TWO LOCATIONS. THE FIRST, TO THE END OF THE TWISTED SPRAWL OF THE SLOT CANYON, WHERE OILED CANOPIES DIRECT THE WORST OF THE PATTER OFF THE CROWD AS THE SPECTATORS GATHER TO BOAST, PLACE THEIR BETS, PURCHASE LUCK CHARMS AND TOKENS TO TOSS TO THEIR FAVORED RACER TEAM, AND HUDDLE AROUND THE SPEAKERS THAT BROADCAST ALL THE HAPPENINGS OF THE SQUALL.

THE SECOND LOCATION LIES AT THE START OF THE SOCKET, APTLY NAMED THE FLOODGATES. HERE IS WHERE THE ACTUAL PLAYERS OF THE GAME COME TO REGISTER. THERE'S THE HAIL, PRACTICALLY GUARANTEED A SPOT, WHO'RE OLD-TIME RACING TEAMS, EXPERIENCED AND BRUTAL, WITH MANY AN ADORING FAN. THEN THERE'S THE SLEET, THE NEWCOMERS AND FIRST-TIMERS, THOSE WHO ARE EITHER GLORY-HUNGRY OR DESPERATE, WHO HAVE TO EARN THEIR BELONGING - FIRST BY PURCHASING A SLOT TO EVEN PARTICIPATE, THEN ACTUALLY SURVIVING THE RACE!

WHETHER HAIL OR SLEET, ALL TEAMS MUST REGISTER AT LEAST TWO RACERS, TRADITIONALLY ONE "ACE" AND ONE OR MORE "SCRAPPERS". THE ACE IS THE CAPTAIN, WHO PICKS THEIR COURSE AND STRATEGY, AND BEARS THEIR TEAM'S BANNER, A STRIP OF FABRIC (COLORS ASSIGNED BY THE SQUALL ORGANIZER, BUT THE DESIGN AND CREATION DONE BY THE TEAM ITSELF) THAT MUST BE MADE VISIBLE TO OTHER TEAMS, BUT YOU'LL WANT TO SECURE IT - THEIR SCRAPPERS ARE GONNA TRY AND GET IT! SCRAPPERS ARE IN CHARGE OF BOTH DEFENSE AND OFFENSE, CIRCLING THEIR ACE IN FLIGHT AND DRIVING OFF RACERS ATTEMPTING TO STEAL THE BANNER, WHILE OTHERS SNEAK OFF TO STEAL ANOTHER TEAM'S FLAG!

OF COURSE, IN THE SHIFTING EXPANSE, THERE ARE MANY MORE DANGERS THAN OTHER DRAGONS ALONE. ESPECIALLY DURING A F-CKING THUNDERSTORM! NAMELY: FLASH FLOODING. YOU THINK YOU GOT IT BAD IN THE MANGO PIRATE? THERE'S A REASON WHY SPECTATORS WAIT SAFELY BEYOND SOCKET GORGE. SQUALLERS DON'T JUST FLY FAST FOR THE MONEY OR TO OUTPACE THEIR COMPETITION - THEY'RE RACING FOR THEIR LIVES!

WHICHEVER TEAM CROSSES THE FINISH LINE FIRST WINS THE GRAND PRIZE - AS LONG AS THEIR ACE STILL CARRIES A BANNER! BUT NOT NECESSARILY THEIR OWN!! IF ANOTHER TEAM'S SCRAPPER SUCCESSFULLY SNATCHES THEIR FLAG, THEY STILL HAVE A CHANCE IF THEY STEAL ONE, OR TWO, OR THREE, BACK! THE MORE BANNERS A TEAM WEARS WHEN THEY FINISH, THE MORE POINTS (AND THE MORE CASH IN THEIR PRIZE) THEY EARN! THERE'S MORE CATEGORIES TO SCORE FAVOR IN, OF COURSE - WHICH TEAM HAS THE MOST FLAUNT AND FLAIR? WHICH ARE THE MOST RUTHLESS AND CUTTHROAT? THE MOST CLEVER AND RESOURCEFUL OF THEIR SURROUNDINGS? TEAMS AND INDIVIDUAL RACERS ARE RANKED BY VARIOUS SKILLS AND ABILITIES, WITH AN OVERALL RATING MEASURED UP TO SIX SPROCKETS.

THE GRAND PRIZE INCLUDES A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF TREASURE AND GEMS ALIKE, PUT UP BY THE SQUALL'S ORGANIZER THE RACECASTER - A WEALTHY RESIDENT OF THE ATTIC WHO USES THEIR WATER MAGIC TO PROTECT THEMSELF IN THE STORM AS THEY FLY OVER THE SOCKET, MAGECRAFT ENABLING THEM TO WATCH SEVERAL SPOTS OF THE RACE SIMULTANEOUSLY, SO THAT THEY MIGHT GIVE AN ACCURATE COMMENTARY TO THE SPECTATORS LIVE! (AND ASSIGN POINTS TO THE TEAM THAT MOST DAZZLINGLY CATCHES THEIR EYES.) A NETWORK OF MICROPHONES, WIRES, AND ANTENNAE HAVE EVEN ENABLED A RADIO TO BE SET UP BACK AT MANGO PIRATE'S OWN DUSKFALL TAVERN, SO ANY DRAGON UNABLE TO MAKE IT TO SOCKET GORGE THAT NIGHT CAN STILL GATHER AROUND RONNIS' BAR AND HEAR THE RACE.

STATIC AND CURRENT ARE THE FAMOUS RACER TEAM KNOWN AS THE HAIL SCREEECH, POPULAR BECAUSE OF THEIR ICONIC WOLF-LION COSTUMES AND FREQUENT STREAKS OF WINNING DESPITE BEING ONLY A TWO-RACER TEAM!! CURRENT IS THEIR ACE, LARGE AND MEAN ENOUGH THAT ONLY FOOLS DARE CHASE AFTER HER BANNER, AND STATIC IS THEIR SCRAPPER, KNOWN FOR FIGHTING SO QUICK AND WILD HE DRIVES OFF EVEN THE MOST DETERMINED OF ATTACKERS. THEIR FOCUS IS ON SPEED RATHER THAN FLAG-SNATCHING - THAT FINISH LINE IS THEIRS, AND ALL OTHER TEAMS ARE HARD-PRESSED TO KEEP UP WHEN THESE TWO CLAIM A SLOT.