LUDI PISCATARI
QUARTER FINALS
Welcome, welcome to the Ludi Piscatari! These are a bit smaller ludi, a possibility for the factiones to increase their lead or catch up with the leaders before the big Ludi Apollinares. Everyone knows that these will be really determining as there won't be any ludi after these for a few months.
GROUP I (Morgareth, Damnator, Romulus)
So, today we start with the first quarters! And wow, it sure is a great line-up! Romulus, threefold champion, faces grim veteran Damnator and current champion Morgareth. The circus is purple, gold and white. Neither factio bears ill will to the other but they sure aren't supporting their opponents either!
And off they go. All three of them appear to be going as fast as they can. Romulus uses his known technique. What a precision when rounding the spina! Magnificent! He takes the lead in the first curve. Damnator and Morgareth follow closely. Romulus "Celeres" crosses the sands like a thunderstorm but both the "Fulmen Draconis" and the "Infernerator" are hot on its heels. And then, on the next straight lane, the first act of brutality happens. Although Morgareth is fully aware how dangerous Damnator's power can be, he risks it to pass the White with a wall on the other side. The frustrated Damnator seizes this opportunity with both hands. One firm bang pushes the Infernerator against the wall. Morgareth loses control. His span is in panic and his chariot is torn to shreds as Damnator now takes off and pursues Romulus.
The Golden fans are in shock. They can hardly believe that this one vicious push put an end to Morgareth's presence in the Ludi Piscatari already! The disgrace! The Whites are cheering and laughing. Damnator has done it again! While the Whites are teasing and pestering their Golden counterparts and Purples anxiously watch as the gap between Damnator and Romulus becomes smaller and smaller. Romulus takes another risky turn around the spina, increasing his lead. But Damnator is close, very close now. The Albi are going out of their minds! The Aurei and Purpurei are now supporting Romulus together. Romulus seems unaffected by the cheers and drives his Celeres into greater speeds.
Both charioteers now enter their last round. The Fulmen Draconis menaces Romulus' first position. Damnator furiously lashes his span, which seems to be driven by fear for its unescapable master rather than thirst for victory. Both chariots come out of the last curve. Damnator knows that he is unable to pass Romulus, who is gaing more speed. He lashes out his whip at the wheels of the Celeres and lets go of his whip. What is he doing? The whip spins a few turns around the Celeres' right wheel and makes it steer in the wrong direction. Romulus is forced to slow down. Damnator uses this opportunity to close in. The last few metres! And just before the finish, the Fulmen Draconis barges into the Celeres, spinnig it into the wall! The Celeres breaks a part and although the span passes the finishing line, frightened and lost, Damnator is first, having slain two champions. The crowds are going mad!
1. Damnator
2. Romulus took a closer look on the walls at Damnator's suggestion
3. Morgareth was pushed against the walls by Damnator
GROUP II (Indutiomarus, Bibax, Myrtilos, Victorinus)
Hmm, who said again the Ludi Piscatari were going to be small and insignificant? Two champions defeated! This surely will give a new, surprising champion! Perhaps it will be one of this quarter. This quarter features four racers. The legendary Indutiomarus and his "Gallia Victrix". At the advice of his friends Morgareth and PD Robur, Indutiomarus has changed his tactics and has modified his chariot. Let's see how he fares! The second contender is the White Bibax. Whereas Damnator is the evil hero of factio Albata, Bibax is the problem child, having never advanced into a next round! Perhaps this will be the first time. The third participant is veteran Myrtilos, leader of factio Veneta. Veneta were at an all-time low in the previous races and swore they would be back with a vengeance, although Myrtilos still prefers technique and good racing over violence and brutality. The fourth charioteer, finally, is Victorinus, the newest racer for factio Praesina, sponsored by the scholar Tiberius Coruncanius. According to inside sources he uses "disciplined violence". Let's see what that means.
And off they go! Indutiomarus takes the lead! The Aurei are cheering on their racer. They haven't forgotten the defeat of Morgareth! His plated armour shines in the Sun as if he has won already. Myrtilos and his Aquila follow closely behind. He seems to be making good on his promise to firmly reestablish factio Veneta in the races. However… what is happening there? Bibax, zigzagging between the other chariots (he's probably drunk again) slams his chariot into the unhappy Indutiomarus. The strongest man in Rome can't withstand the drunken fury of the White contender and is sent crashing into the walls! So far for Indutiomarus' comeback.
The Whites who have remained in the circus to support Bibax don't know what to do as Bibax once again experiences a most unfortunate accident in the third bend: Victorinus, the Green newcomer, pushes him, much to the delight of the Praesina supporters, against the spina! Bibax' "Vigor Serpentis" breaks in two and the driver is smacked against the cold marble. Some Albi openly mock Bibax. He is a disgrace for the white team! The Blues and Goldens now also begin to see that Victorinus will be a force to be reckoned with.
There they go, thundering down the tracks for the final round. Victorinus and his "Res Publica" are catching up with Myrtilos. In spite of Myrtilos attempts to speed up, however, Victorinus gets a hold of the blue leader in the spina curve. A vicious, sudden manoeuvre forces Myrtilos to change directions. This proves to be fatal: he flies into the remains of Bibax' chariot and is flung out of his chariot, onto the sands. His span and chariot crash on top of the "Vigor Serpentis". What a race!
1. Victorinus
2. Myrtilos was matched with the spina by Victorinus
3. Bibax was shown the inscriptions on the spina by Victorinus
4. Indutiomarus sought refuge against the walls
GROUP III (PD Robur, Maximus, Caesar)
So much violence already! What did the racers eat? First Damnator executes two champions and now a newbie takes on the leader of factio Veneta. And silly, drunken Bibax humilitates Indutiomarus of Aurata. Well, one thing is certain: the races are full of surprises. Now it's time for the third quarter! This one features PD Robur, the last hope of the Golden Horde, Maximus, the junior racer of factio Russata and finally Caesar, the third racer of factio Veneta, who has the doubtful honour to have collected zero points this year. Perhaps this time will be different!
The starting signal is given. Maximus, in his well-known Centaurus, takes the lead. It's been rumoured that Maximus took racing lessons with his team-mate Callidus to improve his skills. Well for now at least this seems to be the case: Maximus remains first as the trio leaves the first bends and is now halfway across the second straight. PD Robur makes a decent pace and is second, Caesar is third. The distance between PD Robur and Maximus is steadily decreasing, but both charioteers are speeding up simultaneously, leaving Caesar far behind. Veneta needs a miracle now if Caesar wants to collect his first point!
Oh, and there tragedy strikes! In the third round Caesar makes an unhappy twist, one of his horses takes a wrong direction and, in his risky spina manoeuvres, crashes into the white column. Sure the spina has exacted its toll today. Caesar is the second Blue to meet with it! Perhaps it's time for Veneta to return back to basics and take some racing classes! The Blue crowds are beginning to get disgruntled. Red and Gold however see their place in the semis secured as Maximus and PD Robur safely cross the finishing line in that order.
1. Maximus
2. PD Robur
3. Caesar fell for the spina
GROUP IV (Callidus, Hannibal, Juba Bane)
Okay, here we have today's last quarter! It features factio Russata's main racer, Callidus. Last race has been a bit of a disappointment for him. Doomed to remain a good second under Romulus' rule, he was unable to take his position when Romulus fell in the quarters last race. However, this time may be different, who knows! The second contestant today is Hannibal. Factio Praesina is still on the rise and Hannibal knows it. He beams with joy and confidence. The third racer is the Briton Juba Bane in his "Aenglish Wildfire". Reputedly one of the slower racers on the track, he has advanced into the semis twice, however. That's more than his team-mate Caesar can say!
Blast-off! Callidus and Hannibal take a kick-start. Both Red and Green already have a racer in the finals, but one extra wouldn't hurt, of course. Veneta, with slinking support, is shouting and screaming at Juba Bane, trying to encourage him to make more speed. However he is only third, and the distance is increasing. Will this be the second humiliation for Veneta? And who is to blame? Not us, in any case .
Callidus and his "Celetior" are now trying to pass Hannibal, who had assumed the lead. Hannibal grins wickedly. The Punic charioteer begins to use his whip to lash at the unsuspecting, focused Callidus. The first strike is enough to catch the Red racer off guard but not to unbalance him. The second strike however violently puts an end to Callidus' attempt to pass Hannibal. The whip flays his lower arms and he is forced to let go of the reins. The span goes out of control. Smack! The third lash pulls Callidus out of his chariot onto the sands. Hannibal laughs as he leaves his Red opponent coughing in the sands. Juba Bane poses no threat to "the Elephant"'s victory, and so they cross the finishing line.
1. Hannibal
2. Juba Bane
3. Callidus was whipped out of his chariot by Hannibal
****
Tomorrow: the semis and finals!!