Courtesy of the Amber Tribune – “All The News We’re Paid Enough To Print”. A Reprint of the Special Tribune Olympic Section, covering events agreed upon for the (winter themed) Amber-Chaos Summer Olympics. Please note that – since the Amber Tribune was, of course, published in Amber, some slight pro-Amber bias is to be expected.
Judging Oversight and Appeals Committee: Kimball Kinnison, Captian Mar’Vell, Lao Tzu, Gandalf The White, Mary Poppins, Fiona (representing Amber), Chaldwell the Voluminous (representing Chaos).
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Event: Hide and Shriek.
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Type: Freeform.
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Judges: The Phantom Stranger, Casper, Eukinidor, The Guant Man, Bruce Wayne, Judge Ooka, Vlad Tepes.
Description: This event requires the selection of a hiding place thats both as public and as private as possible, as your score is determined by how many people (only olympic attendees count) you manage to leap out at and scare before the opposing team finds you. There is a bonus if you manage to stay concealed throughout the entire two hours of your teams turn, but its not all that large – ergo sneaking off into Shadow is probably going to be counterproductive. It’s set up for two teams of eight, each gets one turn of seeking and one turn of shrieking.
Evaluation: Terror looks like a good bet for this one, but some clever shapechanger may well find a way to even the odds.
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Event: Doughnutathon.
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Type: Designated Equipment.
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Judges: Wimpy, Richard The Lionhearted, Diogenes, Cardinal Richelou, Masha, Valder The Innkeeper, Wuntvor.
Description: A simple event, a timed bicycle race over some rather nasty terrain. The catch is that you get to subtract five minutes from your time for every doughnut you eat at one of the refreshment stands along the way. This is an open event, anyone can enter.
Evaluation: This looks like a contest of raw strength, endurance, and appetite. While Amber is probably ahead on the first two, who knows about the third? Shapeshifting may offer a substantial advantage in gobbling… Overall, a slight advantage to Amber.
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Event: Cross-Shadow Tag.
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Type: Freeform.
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Judges: Paul Maud’dib, Yog-Sothoth, Aslan, Skeeve (The Great), Lord Incarnadine, Huntress Aleytys, Captian Crusader.
Description: A wild chase across shadow, the only real requirement being that actual, physical, contact must be made to count. Two sessions with teams of four, the team that’s “it” longest loses, each will start as “it” once.
Evaluation: Hard to call, since merely getting to the right shadow is not enough, you must also physically tag your opponent. Overall, a small advantage to Amber, but the Lords of Chaos probably have more practice.
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Event: Null Gravity Billiards.
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Type: Designated Equipment.
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Judges: Mark Remilliard, Falcon, Cyclops, Marvin (The Paranoid Android), Retrief, Hari Seldon, Cassandra.
Description: A sort of cross between dodgeball and 3-D billiards, you can score by either hitting your opponent with a multible bank shot or sinking one of your balls. Like most of the games using designated equipment powers can only be used on yourself. While both Chaos and Amber will be fielding “teams” of six in actual play they will be divided into three teams of two.
Evaluation: Overall, a small advantage to the Lords of Chaos, who can shapeshift their feet to hang onto the walls better. Coming adrift makes you a marvelous target for bonus shots.
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Event: Assassination.
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Type: Freeform.
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Judges: Chiun, Li Kao, Ming (The Merciless), Vlad Taltos, Raggedy Ann and Andy (Single vote), Miss Marple, Mario Greymist (Only via notes)
Description: A freewheeling game of “killer”, allowing almost anything so long as 1) the target is not actually hurt, 2) innocent bystanders are not endangered, and 3) the judges say that it would have worked. Partial points will be awarded for likely but uncertain successes. The game is open, anyone can play as long as they notify the judges of their intended target in advance. Assasination runs throughout the Olympics and everyone is a fair target unless they are participating in another event, in which case they are immune for fifteen minutes before beginning any preparations involved and for a similar period after the event concludes. If they assasinate someone during this time no points are scored. Each repetition against any one target is worth 10 less points.
Evaluation: Yet another tricky call. While the Lords of Chaos have had more practice, the lords of Amber have somewhat more formidable abilities on the average. There is also the question of numbers…
Assassination Point Values:
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Event: High Velocity Snow Sculpture.
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Type: Designated Equipment.
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Judges: Michelangelo, Cellini, John Steed, Darth Vader, Elminster, Leonarda Da Vinci, Rodin.
Description: In this event huge, horizontally hurtling snowballs are to be sculpted as they hurtle through huge tubes where the entrants wait on rocket skateboards. The contestants will have approximately 30 seconds to sculpt the passing snowballs, using a sword, axe, flamethrower, chainsaw, blowtorch, bare hands – or whatever the Judges will permit. This is an open event, and the results are judged on artistic merit.
Evaluation: This one seems to require speed, artistic talent, and good balance. Overall, a small advantage to Amber, since their reflexes are a bit faster on average.
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Event: Star Fleet Battles.
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Type: Designated Equipment.
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Judges: Ender Wiggins, Lord Vorkosigan, Mr Spock, Oracle, Fleet Commander Garth, Thanos, Arthur Dent.
Description: A game for two teams of twelve in command of a massive fleet of warships. Since each player is in command of his own subfleet, there is a premium on teamwork and coordination. Pure tactical skill won’t suffice without good communications and skilled teammates.
Evaluation: Yet another hard call. While the Lords of Amber may have the edge in tactical skills, the Lords of Chaos may be more used to working together if their team is drawn entirely from one clan.
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Event: Planetary Strategic Chess.
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Type: Designated Equipment.
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Judges: Colonel Cletus Graham, Sun Tzu, Yoda, Emperor Palpatine, Willard Phule, Flinx, Tolwyn Of House Tancred.
Description: While this is an open event the first few rounds are simply standard chess-type games. The final three rounds will be played with armies on a planetary scale.
Evaluation: Amber seems to have the edge in this one, due to this, the games will include handicaps of up to 2 to 1 based on the players performance in earlier rounds.
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Event: Freeform Conducting.
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Type: Designated Equipment.
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Judges: Cerebrus The Aardvark, Bach, Ieyasu, John Lennon, Daniel Howling Coyote, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Captain Wilton Parminter.
Description: Another open event, although limited to a maximum of twelve entries from each side. Contestants get an orchestra and a medley of twelve pieces of music to conduct, and will be scored on the quality of their production and of the special effects they provide.
Evaluation: This one seems to be a tossup. While the Lords of Chaos may be more used to the abrupt changes of mood and response an unrehearsed medley will demand, the lords of Amber have more talent for keeping an orchestra (or anything else) well organized.
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Event: Zero-Gravity Snowball Fighting.
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Type: Semifree.
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Judges: Aiken Drum, Pogo, Brother Juniper, Seren, Mrs Pollifax, Napoleon Solo, Wyrd Dragonlord.
Description: An open event involving freefloating snow forts, ropes, snow tunnels, and huge stockpiles of snow- balls. Entrants will be divied into teams of twelve, usually by their allegiance to Amber or Chaos. Hot chocolate is provided.
Evaluation: [Looks like fun. Wear warm clothing and play nicely]. <Get off the system mother, this is serious>. [A giant snowball fight is serious? Don’t be silly. How come you never call your poor old brokendown mother when you’re going to be working late anymore? For this I wore my fingers to the bone raising you, Unicorn help me that I should have such an ungrateful son, but what can I do? The only way he talks to me any more is if I should hack my way onto his newspaper system, and for this I] {ERROR ERROR – OVERRIDE ACTIVE, EXTERNAL MODEM SYSTEM SHUTDOWN} <Ahem>.
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Event: Hunting.
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Type: Semifree.
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Judges: Diana, Orion, Prince Humperdink, Kickaha, Daniel Boone, Curennos, Robin Hood.
Description: Straightforward, several shadows full of game and a time limit. While only “sporting” methods are allowed, and all kills must be made by the contestant to count, methods are otherwise up to the contestants. Time penalties apply for rule infractions. This can be nasty if the penalty was for failing to kill a wounded animal, or for cruelty to animals, as Diana often adds the touch of turning you into an animal for the penalty period. The event will accommodate up to eight individuals from each side.
Evaluation: Who knows? Julian looks like a good bet.
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Event: Team Scavenger Hunt.
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Type: Freeform.
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Judges: Lazarus Long, Belgarion, Alexander Jones, Magician Humphrey, The Borg, Spiff, Aramis Merrow II.
Description: This event comes in two grades, local and cross-shadow. The local competition is primarily for the kids, but the cross-shadow competition is definitely for adults. Suffice it to say that the list is long, weird, and often involves things in shadows a long way off that are closed to one or another power. The event is set up for two teams of ten, one from Amber and one from Chaos.
Evaluation: While a lot depends on the list of items, rumors say that the list has been intentionally selected so that neither side will have any great advantage. This leaves it up to the individual players,
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Event: Bobsledding.
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Type: Freeform.
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Judges: Vanyel Askevron (As the Forest of Sorrows), Frosty the Snowman, Willow, Gleep, Siddahartha The Enlightened One, Hiawatha, Monty Python.
Description: Anything goes, as long as you confine the manipulations to your own sled (or don’t get caught) and actually do cover the track. Other then that, go for it. Up to three teams of four from each side can enter, each making three runs.
Evaluation: Like any freeform event, this one may get pretty crazy – but it looks like Chaos has the advantage here. Both shapeshifting and logrus tendrils seem like they’re going to be pretty handy for this one.
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Event: Dimensional Orienteering.
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Type: Freeform.
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Judges: Odysseus, Baden Powell, Dr Fate, Admiral Perry, Guy Gardener, Magellan, Saint Bernard.
Description: An odyssey from point to perilous point, scattered throughout numerous shadows. How you get there is up to you but watch out for dangers around the check- points. Note that the maps only give clues, not precise images, hence a pure logrus search may take a long time. Up to eight individuals from Amber and eight from Chaos may enter as individuals, teams are allowed but are sort of irrelevant. The real race is against the clock at the finish line.
Evaluation: Yet another hard one to call, but maybe a slight advantage to Chaos, since a combination of Logrus search and something like shadow seek seems to be the best bet for speed. On the other hand, being first means that you have to deal with a fresh new menace at each point.
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Event: Topological Figure Skating.
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Type: Designated Equipment.
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Judges: Dr Fu Manchu, Sappho, Camber Of Culdi, Dr Dolittle, Maxwell Smart, James Bond, Gwyntelyn.
Description: This event involves figure skating on ice frozen in a nonlinear gravatational field that has since shifted somewhat. While the current lay of the ice does offer clues about what gravity is doing there, the error can be up to about 10%. Both sides will be entering six contestants.
Evaluation: Overall a modest advantage to Chaos. They are both more used to this sort of thing and have Logrus tendrils to help hold themselves up and assist in really fancy tricks. However, these manipulations tend to make them look rather graceless and wooden, hence the greater reflex speed typical of Amberites should make up part of the differance.
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