Bab 8: The first Ever Myriad Game
Soon many fighter came in representing diffrent houses and lordships. The only similarity is they are all nobles and no two are from the same house. My cousin lyonel (the younger twin one) was representing my uncles house while I didn't have anyone to represent mine except distant family members which were not trained as good as lords sons. They could probably still compete from what training they have but this match is for the spares of lords so they can get some recognition and fame.
So any lord with a second son they brought along could fight in the match to prove their worth. My cousin is fighting under the promise that should he place in the top ten he would be trained from here at the head of the dynasty's place before he gains a knightdom in my uncles land. Another is that his younger brother Lann will be here during that time to train as the head of my guards as he grows up and he would be able to watch out for him.
A fun fact I learned about the game is that a lords heir that he will inhabit will carry his name as well apun birth. Also for people who had sons in the game as well that are players and the heir their firstborn will be the body that the lord inhabits apun death. So the son will become a lord and then on his death his fathers(now son in game) firstborn son would be him. So the lordship would bounce between the two unless something happened.
But I'm getting sidetracked here everyone is already picking weapons. So I wait till there all chosen then give the order for the chests and leftover weapons to be moved. "Remove the remainder from the field and everyone space out" there are quite a few people in the fight numbering 100 as anyone to young or old wasn't able to compete or didn't bring their second sons with them.
It's also where I got the name for this competition, The battle of the second sons. Most of them are the same age as the life expectancy here is very low and a lot of other factors. So to keep it fair only those ages 14-16 namedays were to compete. It keeps it entertaining, fair, and shows their second son's potential possibly creating opportunities for them like recruiting into other household in great positions or maybe a small lordship under one of the great lords (basically Dukes) or just a knighthouse for themselves.
Once everyone was in position it was time to announce the games. "Let the first Myriad Game begin!!" I yelled. Than they were off most using a bastard sword or any other two handed weapon like a warhammer. There were no players down their otherwise they would be destroyed as most modern people ignore the benefits of a two handed sword or not using a shield. It may protect you but it also slows you and can break and chip or be used against you like someone just grabbing the shield and pulling it causing you to trip. It's not good to be overly reliant on and where most nobles don't use it there is no benefit to it. The peasants it's great for though as they have no training so can't really use a sword well to block or anything or great at mastering the sword and with a formation of shields it's more beneficial to use it then as it blocks your left and anyone trying to attack it opens themselves to the person on your left.
It didn't take long for the king, My uncle, and I were required to disqualify people for many reasons some being to injured, teaming up, and what looked like people trying to kill eachother. The last one I was surprised about until I realized most of these nobles know eachother and have some sort of feud of sorts.
It didn't take long for it to be down to 10 people remaining and I was glad to see Lyonel among them. It shouldn't have come as a surprise though for me as bloodlines are like a cheat. I figure it won't take long before other players realize this and try to get themselves some bloodlines to boost their family so they have an edge.
The reason the game made them so overpowered was so that the players could have an advantage over the AI and eventually rise to more power and getting more involved with the world. It should be a few generations before it becomes obvious for most, though I imagine all the people in Valyria already realized it in some way. Luckily there are currently restrictions on the use of dragons outside of Valyria and other stuff or the players would have gone on rampages. I'm willing to bet those restrictions will only be lifted after the doom but even them im not sure.
As the ten people caught their breaths before trying to engage eachother for the final time I called for a vault to the game. "Stop! The match will continue but first you must introduce yourselves you are the top of your generation of second sons!" I announced. I realized it was cheesy but doing this will make the events more appealing when I do them in the future. After they introduced themselves and the houses they represented I was surprised to find not a single knightly house among them. Then I realized that the best fighters were the ones training them and they had the best supplements so it makes sense when it comes down to it. That plus most of their fathers are the best as the lords training has been happening for generations and constantly improving while knights aren't usually long lived houses from dying out in battles or other means.
So the games resumed and the second sons went at eachother mercilessly. I was glad to see no one trying to kill eachother just beat. And so it was down to the last two my cousin and a branch house of the sea kings house going at it. It wasn't even close as my cousin even if a year younger was bigger then the 16 nameday old second son. It was an advantage a large part of the players would have as most of the people in the realms were shorter than modern people except a few lords here and there. "And the winner is Lyonel Goldscore branch house of house Goldblood!" I announced proudly. "Come up to be crowned victor of the battle of the second sons! And may the other nine come up as well" I announced to defening cheers for my causin and the other second sons.
Once they arrived up here I had my cousin kneel. "As host to the Myriad Games I Elijah Goldblood hereby crown you Lyonel Goldscore" I said proudly as I placed the crown apun him. "Rise" I said. He got up with the biggest smile I've seen on his face and I guided him to the ledge to be cheered as the victor. Once that was done I had the other nine line up on the ledge while I pulled him back. "Now does anyone want to offer these nine anything to gain their service" I asked the crowd of nobles. And like that the auction was on I allowed them to choose the offer they would accept with the eldest from the branch house accepting the kings offer for him to be a knightly house in his own personal lands. It wasn't the most lucrative offer with him being offered a lordship from two diffrent High Lords but it was an offer from the head of his dynasty and he had to accept though just being closer to the king has advantages so I doubt he would have refused if he wasn't a family member.
One of the others was offered a lordship while two more were offered knight houses and the other five some form of employment.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone