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Message: <blockquote data-quote="seasong" data-source="post: 775631" data-attributes="member: 5137">Olympiad: The Valley RunStretching in a lazy oval through the valley of the city itself is a single road. Originally two farm trails that happened to be useful for wine merchants in later centuries, they since merged into an important military road, as the unearthed granite that forms their base allowed soldiers to cover two fronts and the remaining valley with far fewer soldiers than would have otherwise been possible, during the first defenses against orc raids, in the days when Theralis was first struggling to grow into a full blown city-state.Today, that road is still used by wine merchants, still maintained by the military (including short, defensible walls at various stops), and still used as a test of endurance, speed, and heart.Had he been alive, Athan would have dominated the contests this year. This, Greppa and Merideth agreed upon whole-heartedly. The pair were sitting beneath the shade of a grape vine trellis, examining the runners with a critical eye. Lean and muscular, they resembled a collected assemblage of youthful demigods, the ideal blend of powerful musculature, light build, and long limbs that the Theralese admired so much.Bellos, having discovered that some Theralese wines packed a bit more kick than the beers he was accustomed to, was snoozing lightly in the corner of the Trellis. He was missing out on one of the most demanding physical competitions in Theralis.Shield-beating thunder, rolling down the mountain and through the valley, announced that the time had come. The play had ended an hour ago, and now everyone was prepared. The runners had stretched, bets had been laid, wine was being sloshed on chattering tongues. The thunder was impressive, and it was obvious that Captain Agina had unwittingly begun a new tradition.The runners lined up like a row of hunched otters, bare skin glistening in the direct sunshine. The thunder stopped. The Run Master's arm dropped. The runners pushed off and began a swift, ground-eating lope.Cheers, then milling about. It was going to be at least two hours before the runners came back around the other way, and people had other stuff to see in the meantime.The startup and ending was usually impressive. The middle part, except for those standing along the road (who couldn't make it to Theralis for the Olympiad), wasn't more exciting for the runners pushing themselves.</blockquote>

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