Ludi Romani

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Ludi Romani

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Wed Sep 10, 2003 1:02 pm

Salvete!

Today, I will present you with the quarters and tomorrow the semis of the ludi Romani! I will post the report of the finals on September 15.

QUARTERS

Group I (Damnator, Hannibal, Myrtilos)

Three veterans pitted against one another. Who will win? Myrtilos is eager to redeem the name of factio Veneta, Damnator has tasted victory once but wants more and Hannibal; well Hannibal wants to kill them all, in his own words. And so they go! In an incredible display of furiosity Damnator immediately eliminates Myrtilos in the first round! The Blue supporters that have come to the circus are deeply disappointed. They don't even hate Damnator. Now it appears to be between the White and the Green. However Hannibal is too slow to catch up with his opponent and even narrowly avoids the spina in whipping up his span to make more haste. A self-confident Damnator wins this quarter. Is this an omen?

1. Damnator
2. Hannibal
3. Myrtilos was eliminated by Damnator

Group II (PD Robur, Maximus, Juba Bane)

Ah, three non-violent racers. It's been a while since we've seen such a trio. Maximus of the Reds has allegedly upgraded his "Centaurus". No signs of improvements or changes for Robur of Aurata nor for Juba Bane of Veneta. I see very little blue in the circus. Their fans are now leaving the factio en masse and have converted to Purpurea or Albata. Tough times for Veneta. And the "Aenglish Wildfire" of Juba Bane is not going to turn the tide: after the second round already, the chariot is way behind the fast-moving spans of Robur and Maximus. And yes, Maximus' improvements are really showing! He passes his opponent after a few cordial bumps back and forth and crosses the finishing line at an incredible speed. Robur follows soon after. The circus is already half-empty as Juba Bane comes third.

1. Maximus
2. PD Robur
3. Juba Bane

Group III (Romulus, Caesar, Callidus, Indutiomarus)

Fans have been looking forward to this quarter as well. Even members of the other factiones are now talking about the persistently bad results of Veneta. Caesar holds the last chance to make it up, but the statistics aren't in his favour; he never collected a single point. And he's facing three absolute speed demons: the celebrated Romulus (Purpurea), the strong Indutiomarus (Aurata) and the vengeful Callidus (Russata). As they go Caesar tries to threaten Indutiomarus but the "Gallia Victrix" is unmoved and rockets past his Blue opponent. Now, if you thought the speed in the previous quarter was high… the three leading contenders would probably best the winner of the previous quarter with great ease! In the end, in an extremely exciting fast lap, it's Romulus who gains the small edge by rounding that spina so smoothly. Callidus comes second and much to the dismay and disappointment of the Aurata fans, Indutiomarus is undeservedly third.

1. Romulus
2. Callidus
3. Induitiomarus
4. Caesar

Group IV (Bibax, Victorinus, Morgareth, Phaethoon)

Okay, we're probably heading back to violence again. This quarter has three out of four racers using violence. Yay! Veneta has already been wiped out of these ludi. But the other factiones can always use a little extra, of course. Oh my. Well it certainly looks like the racers aren't terribly doing their best. Morgareth, erstwhile winner for the Golden Horde, gives it his best shot and avoids the lashes of Bibax and newcomer Phaethoon of the Reds, taking the lead with great distance. Factio Albata is now openly mocking their Bibax as he manages to slam himself into a wall. It's down between Phaethoon and Victorinus now. Victorinus, in his "Res Publica", is the coming man of factio Praesina. He once more fulfills the great expectations by passing an uninspired Phaethoon and coming second!

1. Morgareth
2. Victorinus
3. Phaethoon
4. Bibax crashed against the wall

*****

Valete!
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Semi Finals

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Thu Sep 11, 2003 10:45 am

SEMI FINALS

GROUP I (Damnator, PD Robur, Romulus, Victorinus)

So, okay. So far we've had so-so quarters with some display of speed but a poor display of force. Perhaps this time it will be different. Damnator and Romulus, noted with the bookmakers as having a lot of chance, already face off in these semis. PD Robur is also sharp as ever. And Victorinus has been said to be a possible outsider. So, danger lurks everywhere. Racing fans of four different colours have gathered. A queasy silence fills the circus as the four chariots start the race.

Romulus assumes the lead. The others follow closely behind. Victorinus makes a first attempt to threaten the leadership of his Purple adversary but is stopped dead in his tracks by Damnator's whip. Under loud cheers of factio Albata, Victorinus struggles to release himself from Damnator's iron grip. PD Robur meanwhile flees the battle scene and tries to catch up with Romulus, who once more gracefully came round the spina like only he can. Victorinus, on the other hand, finally loses the unequal battle with the whip as he is flung out of his chariot and his span scrapes the walls. Damnator proceeds. He slowly speeds up to match the pace of PD Robur. The Aurata fans hold their breath. This can't be happening! Damnator lashes his whip, not on the rider but on the horses of the "Quadriga Ignis", in the midst of a corner! Has he gone out of his mind? The horses are frightened and agitated. Robur loses control. As Damnator's "Fulmen Draconis" passes the rabid span, Robur jumps out of his chariot moments before the span leaves through the chariot entrance, knocking out a few servants and bystanders.

This is too brutal. Aurata and Praesina fans join the Purpurea fans in their cheers and encouragements for Romulus. However, the distance between Damnator and Romulus is getting smaller and smaller. This is the last lap! And they're right behind each other. Of course Damnator would still go into the finals if he just lets Romulus win now, but obviously he's not going to let that happen. The "Celeres" neatly avoids a few useless lashes. The cheers get louder and some begin to shout death threats at Damnator. Unswayed, the evil White then proceeds to ride alongside Romulus. At terrible speeds he bumps into Romulus' purple chariot. Distracted by this move, Romulus steers a little to the other side. Damnator uses this moment to lash out his whip into Romulus' face. A small trail of blood sprays onto the "Celeres" and into the sand as Romulus screams in pain and brings his hands to his face in a reflex, letting go of his reins. He falls over unconscious and his chariot comes to a standstill metres away from the finishing line.

Damnator is first, with no opponents to follow him into the finals.

1. Damnator
2. Romulus was eliminated by Damnator
3. PD Robur has left the building at Damnator's counsel
4. Victorinus was the outsider after all, as proven by Damnator

GROUP II (Hannibal, Maximus, Callidus, Morgareth)

The good news for the next batch of semi-finalists is that three of them will go to the finals. Aurata and Praesina still stand a fairly decent chance. They; Morgareth and Hannibal respectively, are facing two Reds: Callidus and Maximus, renowned for their impressive speed. And with neither Damnator nor Romulus here to block them, what could stop them from achieving a beautiful victory here? We'll see. Half of the loyal circus supporters is now out for Damnator's blood, but this hasn't prevented them from coming to their favourite arena now. Half of the circus is filled with Reds, Praesina and Aurata equally dividing the remaining seats.

Here they come! Hannibal, as expected, assumes the lead in his mighty "Elephant". Gossip has that his sponsor, the wealthy censor Locatus, advised his racer to show a bit more fighting prowess and demonstrate some of the incredible force he possesses. Maximus and Morgareth appear to be unstoppable. Their movement is a blur across the racing track as they rapidly catch up with Hannibal and pass him in the next straight line. Callidus follows closely behind, with Maximus speeding up securely. Russata is renowned for their lightning-fast speeds, but so is Aurata. This should give some interesting results! The crowd is at the edge of their seats. Hannibal quickly falls back and is third now. He seems a bit powerless.

Wow, that was dangerous back there. Morgareth and his "Infernerator" scraped the spina. The Golden fans let out a relieved sigh as he rounds the bend unharmed but this allowed Maximus to take the lead now. Will the "Centaurus" finally win a race or will he yet be beaten by former champion Morgareth? Both are talented. Now Callidus, sponsored by praetor Tergestus, makes his move and tries to pass Hannibal. But Hannibal saw that one coming. As both the "Celetior" and the "Elephant" come side by side the Punic driver barges his chariot into that of his opponent and gives him a violent push. Callidus is startled but keeps gaing more speed, with the spina in sight! They both know that the loser of this duel will not make it to the finals!

A wave goes through the Russata crowd as Callidus passes Hannibal. The driver of the Elephant then lashes out furiously with his whip, tearing open the tunic of the driver in front of him, but other than inflicting a lot of pain, does not succeed in unbalancing the concentrated racer. They enter the spina. The Reds let out a surpressed moan of disbelief. The end of Hannibal's whip gets a hold of Callidus' feet and he is struck out of his chariot in the blink of an eye. This move however brings Hannibal out of balance and his "Elephant" almost cracks up as he makes a slight collision with the spina. Luckily for the Greens, he survives the encounter and rides on. Meanwhile the heated battle for the first spot between Morgareth and Maximus has been decided in favour of… Maximus! So the Russei can go home with a good feeling after all.

1. Maximus
2. Morgareth
3. Hannibal
4. Callidus was eliminated by Hannibal


****

Valete,
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Finals

Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Fri Sep 12, 2003 2:40 pm

Oh well, why not have the finals TODAY? :-P.

FINALS

(Hannibal, Maximus, Morgareth, Damnator)

Everyone in these finals is a veteran and have been in finals before. Morgareth and Damnator both even won one and are looking to secure a second victory. Their fans have flocked to the circus in large numbers, espcially after a heated fan of factio Veneta tried to assassinate Damnator on his way home yesterday. This put the Blues – even though absent from these finals – in an even worse light. They will certainly need a miracle to save their reputation this year. And to say that Veneta used to be one of the best factiones in earlier times. O tempora, o mores.

But now back to the present. The third finalist is Hannibal. It seems that a Green presence has become somewhat constant in the last few ludi and proves that Praesina has become a stable factio one can always count on. The fourth finalist is the young Maximus, sponsored by Tiberius Dionysius. Factio Russata has been plagued by misfortune, even their opponents will admit that. Perhaps these ludi will change things for the Reds?

Off they go! The four of them seem to be making equal progress. The crowd is cheering from all directions at once and the sun is shining. What a beautiful day. The beauty soon ends for some people, however. Barely have the four chariots left the first bend or two racers have taken a distinctive lead: it's Morgareth and Maximus, once again locked a fierce battle of speeds. Damnator and Hannibal are busy slamming their chariots into one another. Now is the time for Hannibal to prove his destructive force! But unluckily for him, he's at the wrong side of the circus and one final blow by his White opponent drives him against the walls. The "Elephant" breaks a wheel and the chariot breaks down completely in the middle of the track.

Morgareth is slowly letting Maximus behind him. The Reds are cheering on their racer with ardour. But then, in the fourth round, he makes an unlucky move and swings his chariot a bit too gracefully round the spina. He violently slams into the marble column and the "Centaurus" is smashed to splinters, leaving its racer unconscious. A massive wave of applause and cheers goes through the Aurata supporters. However, Damnator is closing in on his opponent under an ever-growing sound of Albata supporters. Sixth round is going in and the distance is now as short as two chariots. Morgareth begins to sense Damnator's hot breath down his neck but no matter how much he tries to get away from his opponent, the distance is still closing. The disappointed Reds have left the circus but the Greens are now supporting the Golden racer!

Ninth round! Morgareth knows the risk inherent to approaching the walls so he takes the other side. However, Damnator then lunges out with his whip and captures Morgareth's hand. The Celtic racer cuts himself loose and uses his own force to draw Damnator even closer, trying to destabilise him. Since Morgareth is primarily a speed racer, he has to focus on the track again and slows down a little, giving Damnator ample opportunity to recover. Who will achieve his second victory? They go round the bend and quickly find themselves in the last lap. And yes, there another lash which is echoed throughout the circus effectively ends Morgareth's ambition for these ludi. He is flung sideways in his "Infernator", which comes to a standstill as Damnator passes him and crosses the finshing line, as only remaining contestant. Factio Albata grasps their second victory!

1. Damnator
2. Morgareth was beaten by Damnator
3. Maximus slammed into the spina
4. Hannibal was pushed against the walls by Damnator


****

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Postby Gnaeus Dionysius Draco on Fri Sep 12, 2003 2:56 pm

Salvete,

Here are some updates on the rankings.

Damnator +24!
Bibax +0
FACTIO ALBATA +24

Factio Albata gains most points. Both Damnator and the factio further secure their leading position. Bibax has not gained any points in the last four circenses and keeps dropping. Damnator's possible position as champion of 2756 can now only be threatened by Romulus, so the final showdown will be between them.

Indutiomarus +0
Morgareth +16
PD Robur +4
FACTIO AURATA +20

Thanks to the good results of Morgareth and an honest effort from PD Robur Aurata rises as well. However their combined efforts are not enough to make them rise to first position. Morgareth joins the top 3 and PD Robur drops out of it. Indutiomarus keeps occupying the lower regions of the rankings.

Maximus +15
Callidus +2
Phaethoon +0
FACTIO RUSSATA +17

Russata confirms their solid impression and show they can still compete with the bigger brothers. It's clear that they can still form a threat to capture the leading position for this year. Newcomer Phaethoon once again had zero points and shares this unfortunate position with Caesar of Veneta. Maximus is slowly taking of Callidus' position of leading charioteer of Russata.

Hannibal +9
Victorinus +2
FACTIO PRAESINA +11

The Greens advance as well and although they are almost chanceless for a global victory in the factio or individual rankings they are still here and have gained points. Star charioteer Hannibal remains 5th in the individual rankings and Victorinus leaves veteran Myrtilos behind him with only one point, even though he did not make a convincing impression this time.

Romulus +7
FACTIO PURPUREA +7

So Romulus is not an "all or nothing" man after all! Although little, Romulus advances just to be able to keep up with the rest and to show he can still threaten Damnator's luxurious position. A fifth victory might very well guarantee Purpurea's total superiority.

Myrtilos +0
Caesar +0
Juba Bane +0
FACTIO VENETA +0

What can I say? Zero points gained for factio Veneta. It's their third catastrophical race in a row. Something needs to be done to get back on the right track! A change of tactics may very well be in order here, although a late victory will not help them win this year's championships. One thing is certain; they will not get the dubious honour of losing 15 points because they are and remain last anyway.

Individual ranking

1. Damnator (Al): 117 (1)
2. Romulus (Pu): 99 (2)
3. Morgareth (Au): 54 (5)
4. Publius Decius Robur (Au): 53 (3)
5. Hannibal (Pr): 47 (5)
6. Callidus (Ru): 46 (4)
7. Maximus (Ru): 44 (7)
8. Victorinus (Pr): 31 (7)
9. Myrtilos (Ve): 30 (6)
10. Juba Bane (Ve): 10 (8)
11. Indutiomarus (Au): 8 (9)
12. Bibax (Al): 2 (10)
13. Caesar (Ve): 0 (12)
13. Phaethoon (Ru): 0 (12)

Factio ranking (2756):

1. Factio Albata: 120 (1) -- 2 racers
2. Factio Aurata: 115 (2) -- 3 racers
3. Factio Purpurea: 99 (3) -- 1 racer
4. Factio Russata: 92 (4) -- 3 racers
5. Factio Praesina: 78 (5) -- 2 racers
6. Factio Veneta: 40 (6) -- 3 racers

The pages will be updated asap.

Valete,
Draco

PS: See you all at the ludi Plebeii, early November!
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