The Eleven Kingdom Games

History
Set up by Roth Hawksplitter after the creation of the original ten realms. This was used as a way of bringing together all people of the realm together. The games have run for 41 years.

Function
Five participants from each of the eleven legitimate kingdoms have to compete in a kingdom-wide tournaments to determine the lists of the best fighters in the realm.

For each kingdom, they hold similar internal competitions in order to select their champion. These competitions have different aesthetics for each kingdom but come to the same conclusion: they locate the best troop of fighters in their kingdom.

The Knights at the top of their list are the commanders of their kingdoms after the tournament ends  and their chain of command follows based on their performance in the local tournament.

While the majority of the military nobility will be knighted as a matter of course, it's quite possible that skilled, unlanded individuals could defeat them in the tourney, and thus win The Games and gain favour and positions of high command.

For Knights, this tournament is everything. Most competitors train for years in teams before entering into the lists. Some less able who manage to find their way in the kingdom competitions traditionally resort to underhanded tactics in order to win. These have varied but the most famous was the poisoning of Lord Franton of The Hural Empire the night before he led his troop.

These competitions are held yearly in the great games arena in Trisca, Hural Empire, due to their fanatical drive to win the competition every year and due to the impressive arena build to house the games.

Local kingdom competitions take place in whatever sanctioned space available. Of note, the Drallac send their warriors to fight in The Silent Borderlands and whichever troop return are hailed as their victor.

Most kingdoms choose to take part but no one has ever come forward from Wildheart, even though the kingdom has been recognised for the last 5 years.

Past Troop Winners

 * The Absolam Assemblage - 1st winners
 * Struggle of the Tame - 2nd winner
 * Firefists - 5th winner
 * Hallowhammers - 11th winner
 * Boon of the Wolf - 12th - Team splintered after the murder of Highwinds
 * The Twin Roses - 16th winner
 * Dashingblades - 21st winner
 * The Nocturnals - 25th - Led by the ever-elusive Jasi Qui
 * Thunder Oath - 29th winner - Jadeheart trained.
 * Boneshifters - 34th winner
 * Fight of the Immortal - 37th winner
 * Snowgarde - 40th winner
 * Rage of the Rat - 41st winner - band of 'legitimate' fighters from The Ivory Jacks faction

Figures of Note
Those who become popular champions within their troops are usually (by kingdoms decree or celebrity) lifted to powerful heights within the Realm. This can sometimes be through notable acts of virtue, honour or bravery within the games or by favour of the public. There are currently 9 'champions' alive across the realm, most notable of them are:
 * Krasto Willowhold - the first ever winner of the games with the Absolam Assemblage.
 * Teobold Highwinds - 12th winner, murdered by forces from Drallac
 * Jasi Qui - Only Moonrise winner
 * Greggar Jadeheart - Only Jadeheart winner, son of Lord Jadeheart.
 * Vance Skullblade - 31st champion and current commander of Spiritmond Redoubt.
 * Nillen Aradi - Now leader of Wildheart - leader of the Dashingblades (21st winners)