RACE MEET AND TWO-DAY GATHER
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SONNETTE'S DAWN RACE MEET AND TWO-DAY GATHER |
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Pern dates: PP 36 Month 5, Days 17-21
| Race Meet (M5/D17-21) |
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Entrants may start arriving on M5/Day 14, with the first races to begin on Day 17.
The races will be held on a "track," locally called the Runner Field, east of the barns that are on the map on the Web. Its oval outline is defined by stone posts with a heavy rope strung from one to the next, with a grassy infield from which spectators may view the races if they choose. A large pasture directly south of the runner field will be set aside for race entrants to set up their picket lines and tents. All entrants are responsible for their own gear, although feed may be purchased from the Hold. A large tank will be set up in this pasture and will be kept full of water pumped from a nearby pond. Latrines are on the north side of this area. Those attending the races as spectators may use a common sleeping tent located near the Runner Field.
For a fee, a few stalls will be available in the working runner barn -- make arrangements with Master Konnor if you wish to reserve any of these.
Persons of Rank, such as Lords and Ladies Holder, Masters, Weyrleaders, and Wingleaders may assume they will be housed in the Main Hold or one of the guest cots, if they choose, and may take their meals in the dining hall.
In addition to the infirmary, a first aid tent will be set up near the runner field with a healer on duty day and night. The first aid/triage tent will treat: scrapes and bruises, dehydration, sunburn, insect bites, and public inebriation. Individuals judged too drunk to be in public will be escorted to a section of the main Hold in which to sober up. Master Healer Corson reserves the right to have his journeymen "sober" someone up by any means necessary. Cold water and foul concoctions are a must. Anyone with a more serious injury will be escorted to the main infirmary. Note that a SPRAIN is a more serious injury and will not be treated at the triage tent. In addition, healers will circulate throughout the crowd to keep an eye for individuals who are becoming dehydrated or otherwise incapacitated.
Since food is not free at this Meet or at the Gather (sorry--we are a very prosperous Hold, but not filthy rich), food stalls will be set up near the barns, and you may assume a wide variety of foods as well as wine and beer to be available. There will also be a number of booths selling runner-related goods as well as items meet-goers may have forgotten such as buckets, blankets, etc. (Also, entrants may choose to cook their own meals rather than buy from the stalls.) All booth keepers will be charged a small fee.
A betting wagon will be set up near the food stalls, and the bookmaker sets all odds on all events except for the few exhibition races which have no entry fee and no purse, and odds on all runners in these races are 1-1. The bookmaker, Golan, and his two husky sons man the wagons.
Guards, accompanied by the Hold's large breed of guard hounds, will circulate night and day through the area, and double guards will be put on the herds.
| Gather (M5/D20-21) |
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The Gather will take place on the Hold's gather grounds in front of the Main Hold. Various booths will be set up around the grounds, and, as with the race meet, a small fee will be charged for booth space. If your persona, either PC or NPC, wants to have a booth, please let us know so that we can mention it; in any case, assume a wide variety of products or crafts.
Likewise, assume a wide variety of food stalls (in addition to the ones near the Runner Field). As with the race meet, food is not free at this Gather. (Sorry!)
There will be music and dancing at and around the harper stage in the center of the Gather Grounds on both nights of the Gather.
A large tent will be set up between the workshops and the infirmary for those who need a place to sleep the nights before, during, or after the Gather and who have no gear of their own. Those bringing own tents may set up around the edge of the Gather Grounds.
The activities for both the Gather and the races are described below. Pick the ones you like and post away! Join in all that you wish, and have a great time! For most of them, no one needs to "sign up" beforehand to have a winner. Just remember that if you mention any other personas in your contests, make sure you have their permission--or even better still, co-post! : ) Times may be suggested so that you will have an idea of the time flow and are only rough estimates, since the wristwatch has not yet been invented.
Contact Master Konnor if you need additional information.
Runner races will be held all day on all five days of the meet, with shorter races held in the morning and longer ones after nooning; entries for the day will be taken from 7:00 to 8:00 in a tent near the runner field. Races start at 9:00. Sr Journeyman Bral will take entries--an older man, stocky, with thinning gray hair. Each day there will be several races of each distance, including races for mares only, so there should be plenty for all who wish to post.
Distances (D=dragonlength, which for our purposes is about 25 yards):
16D (1/4 mile, roughly, or 400 meters)
32D (1/2 mile, or 800 meters)
64D (1 mile, or 1600 meters)
128D (2 miles, or 3200 meters)
256D (4 miles, or 6400 meters, run cross country)
The "track" (Runner Field) is wide enough to hold a field of fourteen runners and is 64D in length. 16D races will be a straight shot; 32D half around; 64D, once; and 128, twice around. Races will be started with the Official Starter dropping a flag, and race officials will pick the winners as they pass between finish posts. Decisions of finish judges are final.
On the first two days of racing there are no entry fees and no purses will be awarded. These races are for young or untried runners, or for those who just want to see how their runners might fare. (Plan on lots of side bets, though **grin**) Odds at the betting wagon on all runners in these races are 1-1.
Entry fee for racers for the third, fourth, and fifth day of racing is 4 marks per race. The purse will come from the entry fee for each race, with a division of 40% for 1st, 30% for 2nd, and 20% for third; the final 10% goes to the Hold.
The SDH smiths will set up an encampment near the runnerfield, so that any emergency shoeing may be done as quickly as possible. There will be several journeymen present every day during the actual racing and a whole slew of apprentices, as well as enough facilities to shoe at least three runners at one time. In addition, smithcraft wares pertaining to beastcraft will be for sale or trade. Master Taldor will be in and out.
It's likely there will be a great deal of barter going on throughout the two days. Those with beasts to sell or barter may keep their animals in the beastcraft market area used during market days. (see map) Various journeymen/women from the Hold will be on duty there to help keep order. Anyone interested in participating in the gather activities, please contact Lady Holder Anlie (Shetana1@wi.rr.com OR Shetana1@hotmail.com).
Flitter Races
Three events which will be run several times during the first 4 days, which a "final" to be held the morning of the 21st. Prizes will be awarded to the top three winners per event each day, with a purse going to the top three overall winners.
- Straight Flight..Contestants must fly straight from the start to the finish line. No betweening or shortcuts allowed. The humanpet may stand at either the start or finish line, but may not go from one to the other during a single race, nor may he or she race with her flitter.
- Grab and Drop.. Flitters must fly the course, stopping to pick up an item from a "grab" station and then depositing it at a "drop" station. The trinkets will get progressively harder for a flitter to resist. The final "grab" is a meatroll, which must be dropped whole at the finish line (flitters who complete the course will be allowed to eat the meatroll AFTER the judge has deemed it fit.)
- Scavenger hunt.. a dual event for both the flit and the human pet. The human will be given a picture of a location containing several of the same item. Ten locations and pictures in all. The humanpet must relay the image of the item and the place where it is to be found. The flit must then go to that place, and retrieve only one of the item.
For the remainder of the contests, assume many categories in each area, and win or lose as you choose. (Just don't win them all. *g*)
Beastcraft - Weight Pulling Contests
Contests will be held for both draft runners and bovines (oxen--which, by the way are merely steers that have been allowed to grow--they get huge!) both for individual animals and teams of two. There is a token fee of one quarter mark to enter, and the prize is a percentage of the entry fee, plus ten sacks of feed donated by SDH. Second place gets a lesser percentage plus five sacks of feed. (Of course, we can assume all kinds of side bets....*g*) Entrants may take nooning meals for free in the herder kitchen, if they choose. In the contests, beasts pull sleds, on which increasing numbers of sacks of feed are stacked, from one line to another, until only one beast/team is left. Contests are run by Journeyman Kliad of SDH. He is a middle-aged man, stocky with dark hair.
Ale Judging
Journeyman Farmer Lutril, a tall, somber-looking man in his late fourth decade, will judge. He'll be looking for color, clarity, and (of course!) taste.
Beer Judging
Journeywoman Farmer Misteene will judge. She is a laughing-eyed middle-aged woman, happily married, with soft brown hair and a fine palate for discerning the best of brews. Don't try to drink her under the table -- it's a lost cause! Like Lutril, she'll be looking for color, clarity, and taste.
Pie-Throwing
Before you get the idea you're all for throwing a nice cream-topped berry pie the farthest, read on. Put together by a trio of farmcraft apprentices (wouldn't you just know it?), this contest allows the less squeamish of contestants to toss dried and flattened bovine--ah, patties, shall we say--as far as he or she can. Distance from the point of release is all that counts. And if you're like most of us, you want that pie just as far away from you as you can get it! Apprentice Rokko (a blue-eyed, black haired imp) is the official measurer.
Games of Chance/Skill
The following games are set up like "carnival booths" where you put your marks down and take your turn. Events are ongoing all day. Win or lose as you wish.
Arm Wrestling Booth
'House wrestler' - JM Fisher Blagg, middle aged, tall, beefy with thick shock of short curly black hair, wide smile, missing right incisor. Rules: may wrestle Blagg or other contestant. Entry fee half mark, winner gets 3/4 mark, side betting encouraged.
Sack Races
Judge - Heilda, late middle age, gray hair, very plump, loud, jovial manner.
Adults: 1/4 mark per pair entry fee, each race minimum 6 pairs. Winner gets 1 mark per pair. Distance 1 dragonlength (25 m)
Children: no entry fee. Winners get two bubbly pies. Distance: 1/2 dragonlength (12 m).Ring Toss Booth
Run by Eraic, mid 20's, medium height, slightly overweight, short light brown hair. Rules: Five stakes in diamond pattern. 1/4 mark entry fee gets 3 rings. One ring on any stake wins 1/2 mark, all three rings on stakes wins 4 marks.
Shell Game
Run by Greenrider C'lars, small, thin older man, balding, mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes. Rules: runs all day, three cards, apprentice harper, apprentice harper and Weyrwoman. 1/4 mark per guess, find the Weyrwoman win 1 mark.
Archery
Run by Sainin, tall woman with dark hair. Distance is about 1 1/2 dragonlengths. Targets are bundles of straw with targets pinned to them, contests going on all day. Pay small fee to enter contest, win a percentage of the pot; can place various specific bets or have individual contests.
Sling Throwing
Run by a middle aged farmcrafter by the name of Kimran, he is short and stocky with thinning brown hair. (He can furnish a sling if you forgot yours.) Use a sling to throw stones at wooden blocks set at various distances. Open to all, 1/8 mark to enter. Knock down three blocks, win 1/2 mark. Can arrange for individual contests. (Note: Slings are not 'slingshots' but leather thongs in which stones are whirled and then released.)
Weight Lifting
Booth run by muscular man named Lugid, middle aged, medium height, light hair. Cast iron plates fastened to steel bar, much like modern day weights. Can bet with the boothman about how much you can lift (and he may refuse the bet if he thinks you are conning him), or you can have various contests with other gather goers.
Runnershoe Tossing
This is an ongoing activity for the whole family. Toss the shoe so it lands around a stake. The game will be set up near the Smithcraft booth in a roped-off area. Run by Journeyman Caidin, mid 40's, blonde hair/brown eyes, short, muscular, gregarious, enjoys running the games and often launches into a "spiel" to attract customers, prone to recruiting young people with his enthusiasm for the craft. (The Smithcraft needs you, young woman!) Thinks he's an amateur harper. Participants get three shoes for 1/4 mark, winners get a mark. Anyone can play--and win or lose. There will be two stakes set up so that two people can play at once. Caidin will be assisted by Apprentice Bendix, a stout, strong boy of 15 turns with a somewhat surly manner. Bendix will retrieve shoes and hand them out, help gather marks, etc.
Other Booths
Food, wares, and not limited to those listed below -- if you'd like a booth selling some crafts or wares, post away.
Leathercraft
Journeyman Laris (tanner) will have a leathercraft booth set up near the runner field (gather and race meet as well).
Tattoo Wagon
(Back by popular demand!) Boothman is short man, long dark hair, many tattoos. (Will arrive on Day 4 of the month.) Booth set up near herder area, next to the bridge.
Smithcraft Booth
The SDH smiths will have a large booth in the Gather area, run by journeymen. Apprentices will assist in running the booth. Journeyman Lycomin (tall, nasal, lanky fellow, mid 30's) will be in charge of the apprentice contingent. Various and sundry smith-made goods will be available for sale or trade, and commissions will be accepted. Jewelry, tin and iron products, tools, housewares, needles, and glass items will be available, both apprentice and journeyman made, and everything sold here will be craft approved and stamped. PC smiths are encouraged to run the booth. Journeyman Peltor (short slim man in his late 20's, red hair, green eyes, quiet and diffident manner) will be giving glass-blowing demonstrations, helped by his apprentice Trimble (tall, gangly, 14 turns, curly dark hair and brown eyes, shy but friendly personality).
If you have questions about the Race Meet or the Gather, please contact Master Herder Konnor (MJ) or Master Harper Lazaria at Sonnette's Dawn.
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