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Obstacle Course

Rules:

• In this competition you must race through Polaris and go over the selected course to reach the end!


• Do not use magic or physical combat to trip up or otherwise impede your opponents, the judges will be watching closely and if they spy your character cheating you will be disqualified.


• Characters will also be disqualified if they use magic to help them through the course! You may only use "other" roll attempts to get your through each leg of the race!


• There will be five sections of the race! You must use your roll attempts to get through each one! To reach the next section you must roll a minimum of a barely successful attempt or you may not advance.


• Winners will be decided based on who gets through the course first! In the event of a tie (characters reaching the end at the same time) then whoever has rolled the highest number cumulatively will win.


• Please allow a judge to post to this thread first to begin the event! Then, you all may have at it! But please, to make it fair, allow everyone entered in the competition to at least have a post once before you post again. If three days has passed and one of the other competitors has not responded to their leg of the race then you may post again on the fourth day. @Ayr @Mercurius


• As with the other event threads spectators are allowed and there will be no set posting order for spectators.

Of the two judges, one stepped forward. Ayr, who's iridescent coat was usually snow-white, was illuminated in the bright green, blue and pink light of Polaris. She was ethereal, a ghost pacing delicately along the stone floor and up to the rock formation, hooves clicking softly as she climbed up.

Mercurius, she'd discovered, struggled with moving. In light of this, she offered to climb the rock on her own and announce the beginning of the obstacle course. 'Take it easy,' had been her actual words to him before she dipped her head and turned to the crowd.

Atop the formation of rocks, the unicorn stood staring down for a moment with slow-blinking eyes, but she did not raise her voice in the slightest to address the gathering of gembounds below, hoping that her presence would be enough to grab their attention.

"Welcome, friends," she said, despite not knowing a single one of them. "Welcome to the Olympic's obstable course. My name is Ayr, and behind me is the wonderful Mercy, and we'll be your judges today." She dipped her pale head backwards to the lion, and then back to the crowd.

"Now, allow me to take you through the course," she continued, indicating to the hurdles with a flick of her tail and a turn of her head. "In the southern side of Polaris you'll be jumping through hurdles. If you're a smaller gembound, you'll find holes in the fencing where you can make the jump. Mercy and I would like to remind you, however, that no flying is allowed if you are capable."

"For the second section, you'll be running two laps around the Spire. Ahhh, try not to touch it in the process."

"Then, you'll make your way to the river," she nodded towards the direction of the river coursing through Polaris. "Near the shore you'll find a bundle of rocks. On some of the rocks you'll find a red mark-- though do be warned that there are many rocks and small red marks, so search carefully! Mercurius and I will be checking the rocks after you've finished the race." There was a short pause, before the unicorn added, "also, there are multiple rocks-- only take one with a red mark, as the others are for other racers."

"Once you find your new friend, make your way back to the Spire where you'll find a glowing boulder and tag it, then turn back and towards the finish line-- keep your rock, of course. Don't abandon the poor thing." There was a hint of humour lacing Ayr's voice as she nodded to the final section of the race, hooves clattering quietly.

"And, finally, a sprint. You may notice that there are a field of flowers there-- but also please keep an eye out for the crater courtesy of the black cat. Racers are reminded that we do have a medic on hand--" she nodded to Oliver "--if you happen to fall down it. But I'm sure everyone would rather you did not trip, hm?"

With this, Ayr turned back towards the crowd, tail flicking back and forth leisurely. "Now, is everyone ready?" She asked, waiting for a chorus of general agreement before she drew herself up a little further, the lights of Polaris dancing off her curled mane.

"On your marks," she said, a little louder. "Get set, and go."

Kera had participated in the Olympics before-- but only the magicka competition, and lost. This time, Kera signed up for all of the competitions. She knew she'd be more likely to win, at least, and she was coupled with the raw determination not to lose again.

She turned her broad head around to listen to the unicorn as she came climbing up onto the rock formation, ears rotating back and forth, and then the broad wolf moved to the starting line to come shoulder-to-shoulder with several other gembound, large and small, preparing.

The wolf gave a small hum to indicate she was ready, and burst off as the glowing creature above gave the order to. It felt good to feel the impact of her paws thumping against the smooth cave floor, and when she came to the hurdles she sprang over them like a rabbit.

A kind of lopsided, heavy rabbit, who's claws scratched the tops of them more than once with a sharp scuff of wood, but a rabbit who'd managed to get through it regardless.

Squick was eager to begin, the worm's small, round body quaking with excitement. It couldn't see Ayr as she made her announcements. Heck, it couldn't even see the course save for the dull, blurred shadow of the first hurdle somewhere ahead of it. But it heard her, and listened excitedly. It peered around before beginning, looking up to the other Hosts assembled ready to compete.

It felt awe that it could exist in the same world as such creatures, beside them, and compete in the same challenges. Even if those challenges weren't meant for such a little worm.

As she called go, Squick let out a startled squelch and began to lumber its way forward, anticipating a stampede of larger creatures to soon overtake it. It was only a worm, after all, and its movements were, if nothing else, painfully slow as it made its way to the first hurdle... curled up... and then flick! It was sailing up and over.

---

When I think.

The amount of gembounds that had arrived to the 'Olympics,' whatever they were, was concerning. Jay was more concerned with eyeing up the competition in silence than listening to the judge looming above and explaining what she was supposed to do.

Perhaps that was important, actually.

Oh well.

When the massive kitten noticed everyone lining up in a specific place she went to join them, and then and only then, noticed the hurdles laying in front of her in wait.

At the unicorn's barely-enthusiastic call to go, the kitten went bumbling forward as fast as she could manage it. Running was difficult for her-- perhaps because she was larger than most of her age, and she lumbered and barreled along it, but somehow, she cleared the hurdles.

She had to go through the holes on the lower end of it-- too small to leap all five feet in the air to get through the fence itself --but she felt herself sailing past them as if she had wings, and land on the cave floor in front of them. Perhaps Jay stood more of a chance than she thought.

11 cycles. That was how long he had stayed in Eridanus for. Not since the last Olympics had he ever step foot out of the maw of mosses. But now here he was, a changed creature, nervously shivering in the open air of Polaris. The walk had been difficult and he'd almost lost his way. He did not remember the way to Polaris but he had somehow been able to make it here before the competition started.

He stood at the line before the course and crouched, refusing to look at the other competitors. He did not want to be distracted right now. He wasn't much of a runner, especially now with his strangely sticky paws, but he was agile. He'd spent half his life up in the trees. That would help him somehow, wouldn't it?

As the unicorn's voice rang through the cave, he lunged forward, running with all his strength towards the hurdlers. He almost got caught with his strange paws in the jump, but he managed to soar over all of the hurdles without touching them, running ahead towards the next part of the race.

Huckleberry stood with all the others, although he was quite nervous to be around so many people and when he saw the flash of green and the antlers, he felt his body seize up. But Shiny was on his back, now, her little claws digging into his scruff. It's okay, Huckle-friend. Focus. Her words helped him get back to his senses and he shook his head, as if shaking off the doubt. "I know. I will. You stay here, Shiny-friend."

He reached back and carefully picked up the little catsquirrel and set her down away from the track. The catsquirrel looked up at him with worry crossing through their link. Huckle-friend...the last time I let you go... But she stopped when he gave her a soft lick. "I'm not going far. I'll be back soon."

He turned back to the race and stood in his spot, now suddenly very excited for the race to start. He bounced a bit and pawed at the ground, holding his wings firm against his body. He wasn't supposed to use them. As the others jumped off from their spots, he shot off of his. He jumped over the first hurdle no problem, but at the second, he tried to extend his wings instinctively. He had to force himself to slam them shut, making him stumble a bit, but he didn't stop in his run.

As with the others, Palefur stood at the starting line, staring ahead with a level expression. It was time, now, although she admittedly didn't really want to do this. But she had thought it would be a good way to get in good standing with the others, as well as help her be stronger. In a way.

She noticed Jay in the running as well and gave her a small wave of her tail but otherwise did not go to greet him. When the unicorn shouted, she started forward.

The first hurdle was getting close and she bunched her muscles to get over it. But she misjudged the height and ended up smashing herself right into it, tumbling back as the others ran on ahead of her. She struggled back to her feet, giving herself a shake, not at all visibly perturbed but on the inside she was seething. She was behind now, way far behind.

Adderstrike had no idea what was going on.

She found herself smiling, standing in a crowd of (much larger, for the most part) Gembounds. The kitten didn't know what they were gathered for, but this was fun! It was the most Gembounds she had ever seen before, and this was neat!

A purr rumbled in her chest, and she pranced on her paws in place, looking from Gembound to Gembound, calling out "Hello! Hi! Nice to meet you!" but then someone was talking, and so she listened! She was a very good listener, of course!

And oh, wasn't she pretty? A snow white horse, with a handsom horn. "HI!" she listened intently, although she was quickly lost, watching the horse's tail as it twitched and lashed, wide green eyes moving from side to side. Ooooooooh~

And then they were off! She mewed, bounding off after the wolf and cats and funny thing, stubby legs working desperately to move a chubby body. They coiled, attempting to carry her through one of the holes in the fence, but her head bonked against the fence, and she bounced back, landing on her butt with a confused "Mew?", shaking her head.

Jayberry was no fool.

But when she'd heard of the Olympics, it had caught her ear. She hadn't seen Mother since the disastrous War of Eridanus, and had been desperately searching when she wasn't trying to pull her family back together.

The chances were low that Mother would be anywhere near the Obstacle Course, but if Mother was trying to heal, maybe she might be near the Spire? If she found anything - a ghost of a scent, a shred of a feather, it would be worth the danger.

But she was no fool, again, and so she stayed at the back of the back, huddling in on herself as best she could. If Pride, or Envy, or Glory or the Dragon were here, they would not hesitate to break the Peace Pact, she feared. And so her ears twitched, keeping her attention out even as she listened to the horse talk. Her nostrils flared, desperately scenting - the cat, Rift, was here, and her stomach churned. 'Fuck!' But her eyes caught on a familiar little catsquirrel, and her eyes turned - 'Huckleberry!' she was so startled that she missed the signal to start, and so she coiled her muscles and took off at a run.

Running as fast as she could, she fought to catch up, although her attention remained on the ground, on the area surrounding the path. She sought a feather, even the tiniest shred of one, and so she only barely cleared the hurdle, stomach scraping it as she leaped.