DM needs advice on AoW timeline

[Beckett]

Thanks for the "cholera epidemic" idea to delay the Games. That might work...

As I'm reading ahead about the Games, they seem a little strange. Can anyone explain to me why the games have no limit on party size? Some of the NPC parties only have 2 members! That seems pretty stupid to me. Is there anything stopping a small army from entering the contest as a "party". Has anyone done anything to flesh out the rules of this event to make it seem more reasonable/believable? I was thinking of stipulating that the Champions Games consist of teams of 4 (and if a group has more than 4, they need to tag in and out, kind of like a wrestling match).

Also, what is the explanation for the fact that there are no higher level parties entering the contest? One thing I thought of is that the prize might be too small for a higher level party to bother with. But if the Champions Belt is as prestigious as I've been making it out to be, it seems that some adventuring parties might enter the Games just for the honor. Did any other DMs bother explaining why there are no higher level parties in the Games?

Thanks.

There is a size limit mentioned somewhere in there- eight people, including animal companions, mounts, and cohorts, iirc.

As for higher level groups, it didn't come up, but I figure the prestige is big... for characters of about the party's level. Much beyond that, and there are bigger rewards and bigger glory out there- sure, you can beat all challengers, but can you kill a dragon? Also, I would imagine a lot of higher level groups would bristle at the restrictions- having to spend a week living in the underground pens? I think not.