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Goreball was a dangerous competitive team sport played in Faerûn.[1]

To me it just looks like a bunch of headless axe beaks running into each other.
— An unimpressed Zellidora Stormclash[2]

Description[]

Goreball was played between two teams, each of which had eight members. The central piece of the game was a gibbering mouther that was shaped into a ball. The playing field was a long and narrow grass-covered pitch, which had lines at each end representing a team's goal. The aim of the game was to maneuver the mouther across the opposing goal line. The first team to reach 13 goals won the game. A game of goreball could also result in a tie, which resulted in 'Endless Sudden Death.' Under this rule, the game continued until a final point was scored or none of the players could play anymore. The sport was made difficult due to the mouther's spittle and gibbering.[1]

The game had a number of different positions, each associated with different tactics:[1]

  • 'Wranglers' were tasked with moving the mouther towards the goal.[1]
  • 'Smashers' acted aggressively to push other players around and towards the mouther.[1]
  • 'Shield-bearers' defended their team against the dangerous mouther.[1]
  • Each team also had one 'Fresh Meat,' who lured the mouther towards the goal themselves. This position was the most desired but also the most dangerous.[1]

Important to the play of goreball were formations, which were planned out in advance[3] and had names. One formation, the 'Statue of Cyric' maneuver, was popularized by the Luskan Giants team. It involved using the spell polymorph to transform a player into something fearsome to distract the opposing team.[2] The 'tornado' formation was a flying diversionary tactic best used by dragon players.[4] Players typically wore colored spiked jerkins,[5] while earmuffs were banned items.[1]

Notable Participants[]

The Dungeon Academy Flumphs was a goreball team that represented the Dungeon Academy. Their rivals were the more successful Waterdeep Dragons.[6] Another team was the Luskan Giants.[2]

  • Kifin Stormclash was the minotaur coach who trained the Dungeon Academy Flumphs.[1]
  • A slender green dragon was the coach for the Waterdeep Dragons.[2]
  • Hugo and Snabla of the Danger Club were fans of goreball,[5] as was their friend Tavian Truescale.[7]

History[]

Goreball was played as part of the Tourney of Terror, a grand competition between the Dungeon Academy Flumphs and the Waterdeep Dragons. It had been held every 50 years, for about 300 years.[8] In one match, 150 years prior to the Tourney of Terror that the Danger Club attended, a period of Endless Sudden Death continued for nearly three days.[1]

Appendix[]

Appearances[]

Novels & Short Stories

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Madeleine Roux (2022). Tourney of Terror. (HarperCollins), chap. 3, pp. 35–36. ISBN 978-0008531027.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Madeleine Roux (2022). Tourney of Terror. (HarperCollins), chap. 8, pp. 125–126. ISBN 978-0008531027.
  3. Madeleine Roux (2022). Tourney of Terror. (HarperCollins), chap. 5, p. 64. ISBN 978-0008531027.
  4. Madeleine Roux (2022). Tourney of Terror. (HarperCollins), chap. 11, p. 174. ISBN 978-0008531027.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Madeleine Roux (2022). Tourney of Terror. (HarperCollins), chap. 3, p. 40. ISBN 978-0008531027.
  6. Madeleine Roux (2022). Tourney of Terror. (HarperCollins), chap. 3, p. 29. ISBN 978-0008531027.
  7. Madeleine Roux (2022). Tourney of Terror. (HarperCollins), chap. 13, p. 207. ISBN 978-0008531027.
  8. Madeleine Roux (2022). Tourney of Terror. (HarperCollins), chap. 3, p. 27. ISBN 978-0008531027.
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