dessysalta Posted July 30, 2023 Posted July 30, 2023 (edited) Lore Impact (Small/Medium/Large): Small - Medium (it's one of those changes that could spiral into its own thing over time or just stay a little niche "that's cool!") Species: Unathi Short Description: I'm a huge fan of the Zandiziite Games (it's what got my Unathi application accepted, after all) and I think an expansion of it is in order because of how it plays into Unathi society and how much influence it can have on players. How will this be reflected on-station?: The Zandiziite Games are one of the single-biggest events in Unathi society, owed heavily to the fact that it's a sport based around violence, not too dissimilar to how we would treat boxing and wrestling. The more things you add to a sport like that, the more in-depth you can be with character creation or events; there can be 3-time winners of the Games on-board as passengers, ex-Zandiziites working in security after a recreational sport awoke a greater sense of authority and superiority, or even just relatives of existing Sinta on-board who like to reference famous Zandiziites and their competitors for fun. With enough work put into it, there can be masks made and PRed by those who are a fan of the concept (like me) and added to the code for ZZ-related events, or keepsakes and charms that reference the ZZ Games (like a misc in the loadout of like, the ZZ Games logo or something). Does this addition do anything not achieved by what already exists?: I think it better establishes the ZZ Games instead of letting them remain so vague. We know fighters wrestle and perform nonlethal sports like fencing or even ranged fights (and underwater harpoon competitions) but there aren't any Zandis in Notable Unathi (such as the female that refused to claim male spirit after she steamrolled everyone), there aren't any outright Zandiziite masks in the code, we have no idea what the main scoring system is (do we just defer to human sports? Why can't we have Unathi-specific sports with unique scoring?), and even one of the more interesting concepts of being unmasked as a Zandi remains more of a "this happened but we have no specific events to tell you about" which feels almost like an insulting notion given it's treated as something serious enough to start wars in extreme cases. Do you understand that the project may change over time in ways you may not foresee once it is handed over to the Lore Team?: Yeah. I have absolute faith in the lore team to make something amazing, even if it's not exactly what I had in mind--and I should say that I'm not the greatest expert in Unathi lore, I just present my ideas here in case the lore team wants to either utilize or build off of them. Long Description: The Zandiziite Games don't get enough love in my eyes. They're one of the biggest sporting events in Unathi society and have their own wiki link despite only having a thousand words, no notable competitors named, no idea of what they do other than "probably something MMA-related" and a lack of expression when it comes to things like being unmasked, female Zandis, etc. and I really don't like this. Thus, here's a three-parter submission: Notable Unathi/Competitors: Spoiler The Zandiziite Games are nearly two millennia old. We need some notable figures referenced on the Zandiziite Games wiki at minimum, and the Notable Unathi wiki at maximum. It doesn't make much sense for there to be literally no named contestants, and you can sidestep their only names being "Zandiziite [flashy name] of [location]" by building backstory for that character or referencing the training and sessions leading up to their history as a Zandi, because I bet no matter how hard they try to keep a Zandi's identity concealed, they still have to deal with their friends, family, coworkers (if they have any job outside of competition) and everything else. Here's a few ideas for notable figures: Nei'lah Drek'za (or Kres'ha'nor, if that's better), Zandiziite of S'th - Nei'lah was a honest Sinta with a focus on work and due diligence, never leaving her post or employment until finally snapping and wondering if there was more to her soul than being delegated to information gathering or menial tasks that she thought her body was better off ignoring and putting in effort elsewhere; she would go on to assume training for the Zandiziite Games after giving up nearly all she had as a person in order to do something she felt her soul, and by extent her ancestors, would be most proud of doing. Years of work and rigorous exercise, training bouts with her close friends and other competitors, she went on to in 1234 become the first female contestant to refuse to admit male spirit or influence in her trials. The year after, 1235, her dreams would be crushed by a Kres'ha'nor Hegemon after he banned competitors who refused to admit they were of male spirit or fighting capabilities, though would continue to act as a seasoned instructor to those who asked for her aid. Lee Dae-Shim, Zandiziite of Um'a'yid - Lee was a man who emigrated from his home society in Konyang to Um'a'yid following the discovery of Sinta'Unathi, and by extent Ouerea itself, in order to pursue a life based in the major themes of Unathi rather than what he considered to be inferior motives or systems back home (not to mention the fear of going to war, given he was from a planet that seceded from the ASSN), often referencing Sol's collapse and Konyang's declaration of independence as a reason for his paranoia and eventual integration. After several years spent living with he had only recently come to know of, he went on to train and compete in the Zandiziite Games after finding there was no limit to xeno contestants (save Dionaea and synthetics,) and would be seen as a "clear underdog" that "blew the horns off lifetime participants" following his acceptance into the top 10 matches of 2461. Za'Akaix'Nozz K'lax, Zandiziite of Tret - A K'lax Vaurca warrior that had seen years of supervision under a Kataphract, only for their death to lead them away from war. They would be sent as a representative for the Zandiziite Games after many buzzes and mentions of it on Tret, where they had worked after their Kataphract's passing. (I'm not super familiar with Vaurca lore, but this is just an elevator pitch). I don't feel confident enough in my writing ability to expand upon the Tajara representative for Adhomai, I gotta say. If all of this is canonized, I have to trust the Tajara lore writers and deputies to come up with something interesting if they feel like expanding upon the m'sai competitor. Results of Unmasking; The Masks Themselves Spoiler The masks of Zandiziite are chosen by both themselves and their clan alongside representatives or designers that work (or have been contracted to work) for their respective regions; for example, a Zandiziite from Skalamar would both have say in the size and perhaps minor designs or patterns of their mask, but would have to submit this to an artist or guildsman being contracted by the Sirax clan, or perhaps the Overlord himself, before being gifted the mask. For more authoritative parts of Moghes or Ouerea, a Zandi might get no say at all in the mask they wear, save for size and size alone. The masks are often blessed by elders or Shamans of the Zandiziite's and/or the Lord's clan before being given to the Zandiziite to wear during competition. The design (and occasionally the colors, though this is rare) will vary between Zandiziites, between years, but typically stick to symbols or flags and emblems most utilized by a region, given that's what they're representing at the end of the day, and it would not be in the spirit of the Games themselves if they were to constantly change. Some masks are more animal-like in appearance, whereas others can be form-fitting; it is incredibly rare if not impossible to see unorthodox masks worn by existing, well-populated regions, and sudden shifts of color or shapes are frowned upon except in the most extreme of circumstances (such as the end of the Contact War inspiring the regions to take on new designs or reinforce old ones, or an unmasking leading to a complete reimagining by that region's guildsmen or lord). Although the masks will always remain sacred, some Zandiziites from lesser-known or, on occasion, less respected regions will choose to modify their masks themselves. This can be seen as a noble goal or choice for the Zandi to make, interpreted as adding on to what they think their region is and by extent showing respect by continuing to give to it even when they have many-a fight ahead of them, or more often it is seen as offensive and tone-deaf, defeating the purpose of region masks at all if a competitor is just going to modify them and give them personal flair, leading to the disqualification or last-minute mask replacements of some Zandis. An "arc" of the 2460 Zandiziite Games involved a fighter from the Aut'akh Valley (assuming they're a large enough region to send their own Zandiziite; if not, any other region will do) pressing their claw into their opponent's blood and smearing it on their mask as intimidation, with their last fight against a representative from Sahhat ending in their defeat, and the Zandi of Sahhat smearing the Aut'akh fighter's blood on their own mask. The Aut'akh Valley's representative is the only fighter to be renamed midway through the Games, from "Metal's Disciple" to "Rainbow-Thresher". Unmasking remains one of the greatest insults and acts of dishonor to ever happen to a wrestler. Although media influencers have attempted to drown out unmasking instances, the Imas'hi and Darakath regions and their competitors have had lasting, and until recently, unsaid, hostilities towards one another after a Zandi of Darakath unmasked a Zandi of Imas'hi, leading to a short bout of skirmishes that would be interrupted by the Izweski after a year or so of nonstop sabotage. In recent years, there has been an influx of media coverage and dramatizations that lean into a burning rivalry between the two regions and their corresponding lord and lady-regent, with the burning question of whether or not the latest Imas'hi warrior will unmask a Darakath "usurper" but always ends in a normal match between the two, with no attempts at unmasking (none legitimately anyways--it's almost in good fun between the two competitors to "pretend" to attempt an unmasking, only to be thrown onto their back and have the position reversed). Deaths in the Zandiziite Games remain extremely rare, owed to the nonlethal nature of the Games. Those who do lose their life are buried with full honors and respects paid to them, with a copy of their mask (or other item chosen to represent them) used in a "Hall of Fame" of sorts. A select few Zandiziites have claimed their weapon(s) of choice have been blessed (or, by Aut'akh fighters, inhabited) by a late Zandiziite, though can be shunned or frowned upon should they fail or otherwise be defeated in the Games, as it is seen as disrespectful and/or dishonest to the spirit they claim for their weapon. Similarly, if their opponent destroys or disables the weapon claimed to be imbued with spiritual essence, the opponent is considered dishonorable for daring to mishandle or otherwise demolish a powerful artifact. For this reason, claiming a soul inhabits or has blessed a weapon is considered a slippery slope (it can be used by cowards who wish to have their weapons untouched, after all) and must have a very good reason behind it. Successors of late Zandiziite are always permitted to claim their weapon has been blessed by the Zandi in question with no repercussions, and in those cases the destruction of the weapon is seen as a similar insult to unmasking. The dramas associated with the Zandiziite Games in recent history of course still hold up, with plot-twists, betrayals, oaths, bonds, and the making or breaking of any of those things aiding in the entertainment of the Games and the soap operas outside of the tournaments. Common themes are bad versus good, traditional versus modern, alien versus native, and natural versus fantasy/supernatural, with plenty of similar narrative ideas to come and go. There has been word through the grapevine that the first Skrell competitor will lead to an influx of other Skrell Zandiziite, and birth a "magic versus technology" arc, but many have said this is incredibly unlikely, if for no other reason than Aut'akh competitors are rare and it would pit everyone else against the Skrell; it would be very hard to write and pull off effectively. Games, Rules (Spoken and Unspoken) Spoiler The Zandiziite Games are ultimately nonlethal and aim to be naught more than entertainment and honorable fighters and their corresponding fights at the end of the day, and even in competitions or tournaments where weapons are used, Zandiziite involved are aiming to disable and not kill their opponent. Some examples of activities used or hosted in the Games are: Boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts, or other hand-to-hand sports Fencing, point sparring, and other point-based sports Point-based sports that place emphasis on skill or technique rather than points; think sword fighting, melee combat, and other sports, typically with foam or padded weapons Long-range sports rooted in hand-eye coordination, such as archery, harpooning, slingshots, and other affairs, always utilizing nonlethal ammo Other competitions that make use of individual or team-based dexterity, strength, or endurance, but never activities that do not involve direct interaction between Zandiziites (No esports, no sharpshooting competitions that utilize a target instead of a Zandiziite, etc.) Region-specific games exist, such as underwater harpoon competitions taking place in Skalamar, to sky-high fights atop (a holographic rendition of) the Razir lighthouse that make use of longer poking weapons. A couple of universal games are: jiikun, or "towel flick", wherein a large belt of cloth is placed underneath two (or more) Zandiziites, with the goal being to push their opponent off of it, lift it, and use it to whip them, and tzehana, or "movement blind", where both Zandiziites wear blindfolds and ear protection, and their goal is to wrestle the other off multilevel platforms, all while not losing their own footing. Some examples of conditions that can be applied to arenas by wealthy nobles, Lords, and sometimes the hosts of the Games themselves, provided they have enough funds: Changing the height of suspension cables or the suspended arena to extreme heights of several hundred feet (with nets or excessive padding disguised via holograph) Adding, removing, or changing the padding used on weapons, usually in excess to exaggerate the weapon used Large shows of special effects, hard-light holoweapons to allow for more variety in weapon choice, etc. Generally, modifying a sport or activity such that it is unique to the season of Games, but not so unique that it causes incoordination in Zandiziites or violates the permitted games and rules The rules of the Zandiziite Games are as follows: Zandiziites must be masked at all times during the Games. To remove your mask is to dishonor not only yourself, but your clan, their surrounding clans, the region and community you represent, and their Lord. Those who are unmasked are considered to be irrevocably humiliated and their renown tarnished. Zandiziites may use any means necessary to ensure their victory, barring grave bodily harm and violation of any given game's rules. The Games are a nonlethal sport, and while blood can be encouraged on some fronts, it is not the goal of the Games. No fighters of female spirit. To compete, you must claim you are of male spirit and fighting style. Any reference to the contrary before, during, or after the Games is grounds for immediate disqualification. No Dionaea or synthetics. They make up a whole much greater than the sum of their parts; Dionaea cannot claim to be one as many, and synthetics are not capable of fighting spirit, and can be modified in any way to suit the needs of their tasks in the Games. Diona nymphs as limb replacements are fine, but must not exceed two in number. The narratives and comradery made during and outside of the tournaments are just as important as the tournaments themselves; it would not be a community of fighters otherwise. No full-body prosthetics or replacements. Aut'akh followers must have their implants and limbs inspected by no less than three times a day by a competent machinist in order to ensure faithful and fair play. Steroids and other drugs are allowed, provided they are clearly stated in being used, but must be permitted by the region a Zandiziite is representing. The unspoken rules of the Games are, in order of the above list: You must have a very good reason to unmask yourself or your opponent. It is permitted to do so once the Games have ended and you return to civilian life. It is considered honorable to unmask yourself or your opponent in the event of a life-threatening situation, no matter how unlikely the situation may be. Blood is fine, wounding is fine, maiming and torturing a competitor is not. The Games are not meant to be lethal. Do not dishonor yourself or your opponent in your victory--there is nothing in strength to be told about using underhanded fighting styles in a tournament or activity therein that does not deal in them. You may claim your spirit or fighting style to be male if and only if you are genuine in this claim. To rebuke this is to ask to be outcast from the Games and to be considered a pariah. Dionaea limbs are frowned upon. Synthetics are not allowed whatsoever, it is taboo to confide in one during the Games. Friendships, rivalries, and relationships are preferred over wordless fighting. Flame must recognize flame in order to properly attune with their fighting spirit; you cannot have a fight with less than two people. If you have a choice between winning and forwarding a story, forward a story for your future attempts and other Zandiziites, but never feel obligated to lose. Full-body prosthetics are not allowed for the same reason synthetics aren't. Aut'akh followers with more than 60% of their body replaced are extremely frowned upon. Using drugs is fine so long as you do not rely on them. You are competing to represent your region and its community first, your clan second, and yourself third. It is considered selfish and disgusting to treat the Zandiziite Games as an individual affair to be undertaken by one person, especially if you act as though it is you and not your people that have allowed you to compete in the first place. Edited August 8, 2023 by Triogenix 1
Triogenix Posted August 2, 2023 Posted August 2, 2023 Just making this post to let you know we're aware of this app and will be reviewing it in the coming week. 1
Triogenix Posted August 8, 2023 Posted August 8, 2023 Hello! So, this was discussed among the team, and we've decided that we like it, and we'll be accepting it into the lore. However, it will be with a few tweaks, mostly regarding regional differences, and FBPs and whatnot. Minor stuff all in all. We'll try and get it up on the wiki ASAP, however, that might not be for a few days, apologies if it takes that long. 1
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