Sports and games

The following are just a few of the many sports and games played by the Eses on Fameqe.

Nudgeball
Originally invented by aelurodons in the Northern Mountains, this game is played in a square field with a circle in the middle. There are two teams of six aelurodons present (plus a referee) and it is played using a small ball. The goal of team one is to nudge the ball into the circle using their nose and their front paws, though they may only use their front paws a maximum of twelve times. The opposing team tries to steal the ball from the first, using their nose and a limited amount of times their front paws as well. The circle-approaching team wins when they manage to get the ball six times inside the circle. The opposing team wins if the ball has been knocked out of the field six times. The referee always has the final word in this came.

Though this game originates from the Northern Mountains, it made their way south and has been adapted to being suited for other species to play it.

Wetrun
A game made up by some tough wolves in the Wolves' Land. For this competition, there is a set course which two or participants have to run, and there is always a body of (ground) water involved in it, usually a river or lake. The course consists of obstacles on land and in the water, such as trees the competitors have to jump over, or logs in the water which have to be dodged by swimming under them. Whichever participant manages to run the course back and fourth the fastest wins. This game made its way to the Paradise Isle, later.

Eating contests
Though only reserved for the highest and rich Eses that can afford tons of food in these dark times, eating contests are quite a commodity amongst highborns. Whoever can devour the most food in the shortest amount of time wins. Only Eses of the same species and (roughly the same) age may play this game.

Strenghtlocking
Done by the deer on Fawth, this is a game males with antlers can only play. The two deer lock antlers in a competition to see who is the strongest. This is usually done in crowds of young males to see who is the strongest and gets the most glory. Some groups of stags even allow the strongest of the strenghtlocking game to lead their herd.

This (back then) ritual was originally only done to get females for their harem, nowadays is done as a more playful game. Even young, antler-less fawns may try to practice this game by headbutting one another.

To-fro run
With this game there are two straight, opposing lines made on the ground, usually about twenty meters from one another. A line of Eses is located behind one of either lines. Then, at the sign of the referee, the Eses start running and aren't allowed to slow down (to a trot or walk) until they reach the other line, behind which they turn around and bolt to the other line again, after which they again turn around and run to the other line, after which they continue doing the same. An Ese loses the game when they stop running. The Eses that manages to keep running to and fro for the longest wins.

Gladiator fights
A rather deadly sport rather popular among the spotted hyenas. In this sport, a gladiator (usually a low-borns, captives or criminals) is pitted against the most dangerous hyena fighters, or sometimes aggressive dinosaurs. Big masses of hyenas flock to these events, and attending them is sometimes even mandatory if ordered so by the queen. Very little Eses are lucky to make it out of their first fight alive, and the ones that do are just pitted against toucher, more deadly enemies in the fight(s) after that, until they eventually die or live long enough to be appointed a champion, in which case they'll be ordered join the dangerous fighters in their endeavors to kill those pitted against them in other gladiator fights.