Ezdin Jubilee Cup

What

The Ezdin Jubilee Cup is a nation-wide sky ship race held by the Republic of Cin'Dar.

Why

The cup celebrates the founding of the Cin’Dar Republic, and is a nation-wide week-long holiday.

• The winning team The winning team receives 500,000 GP and holds the Ezdin Jubilee Cup for 4 years.
• Often winners are given lucrative contracts with the research engineers of Academy Cognitus and/or the ship foundries of House Ignatius.

When

The race is held in 🏢Ezdin every 4 years on the first day of Sunburst.

• The 1st of Sunburst is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. This year (3898 PR) it falls on a Friday (Ibik).
• Although the Republic is much older, the Ezdin Jubilee Cup race has been run for 288 years, this year (3898 PR) is the 73rd cup race.

Where

The race is held in the Cin'Dar city of 🏢Ezdin, on the continent of 🗺️Bordair

• The final race occurs above the streets, towers and factories within the city, in a roughly oval course around the area of Haggler's Court
• Race teams are qualified for the final race during the 🏅Four Princes Regatta, held in the month of Rainfall near the city of Lowatch, over the waters of Frostfire Lake.

Who

Sponsors and Judges

The race is sponsored by the Cin'Dar Senate and various mercantile and industrial organisations

• The race is directly sponsored by several 👑Decimus, this year it is sponsored by 🚹Decimus Valerian Antonius Drusus and 🚹Decimus Nerva Lentulus Aventius
• the final race in 🏢Ezdin is proceeded by a 4-year long racing season in which several dozen teams enter.
• The rules of the race are set out by the Ezdin Skill Racing Commission (eSRC), who also oversee and judge the competition.

Season Entrants

The 73rd cup season was entered by several dozen race teams from across the republic, including several non-finalist teams:

• The Azure Falcons: Known for their sleek and elegant ships adorned with azure-coloured feathers and intricate filigree, The Azure Falcons draw their crews from the noble class. Their pilots are skilled aerial acrobats, weaving through the skies with grace and precision.
• The Crimson Corsairs: Renowned as daring pirates of the air, The Crimson Corsairs plunder the racecourse with ruthless efficiency. Their ships are fast, agile, and painted in deep crimson hues, striking fear into the hearts of their rivals.
• The Shadow Stalkers: Cloaked in mystery and shadow, The Shadow Stalkers are a secretive race team which strikes swiftly and silently. Their ships are sleek and unassuming, blending seamlessly into the darkness as they stalk their prey with deadly precision.
• The Iron Golems: Formidable and unyielding, The Iron Golems are a faction of mechanical marvels. Their ships are constructed from solid iron and reinforced steel, bristling with gears, pistons, and hydraulic systems that allow them to endure even the most punishing of races.
• The Sapphire Serpents: Masters of subterfuge and deception, The Sapphire Serpents strike from the shadows with cunning and guile. Their ships are sleek and serpentine, painted in shades of blue and adorned with coiling patterns that mesmerise their opponents.
• The Celestial Phoenixes: Rising from the ashes of defeat, The Celestial Phoenixes are a faction known for their resilience and determination. Their ships are adorned with fiery motifs and shimmering feathers, symbolising their unwavering spirit and indomitable will.
• The Obsidian Ravens: Mysterious and enigmatic, The Obsidian Ravens are a faction of dark sorcery and ancient rituals. Their ships are crafted from obsidian and adorned with ominous symbols, harnessing the power of the shadows to outmanoeuvre and outwit their rivals.
• The Emerald Drakes: Masters of alchemical engineering, The Emerald Drakes specialise in unconventional propulsion systems and experimental weaponry. Their ships are a dazzling display of green-tinged steam and shimmering brass, capable of surprising their adversaries with unexpected bursts of speed and power. The Emerald Drakes failed to place during the Four Princes Regatta, when their crew and skiff were destroyed by The Electrica Ingeniarium’s Blendo.
• The Thunder Titans: Heralds of thunder and lightning, The Thunder Titans harness the power of the storm to propel their ships with unmatched speed and ferocity. Their vessels crackle with electricity, illuminating the sky with flashes of light as they race towards victory. The Thunder Titans failed to placed during the Four Princes Regatta, when their crew and skiff were destroyed by the Iron Fangs in a brutal boarding manoeuvre.
• The Golden Gryphons: A symbol of wealth and opulence, The Golden Gryphons flaunt their riches with extravagant ships adorned in gleaming gold and precious gems. Their pilots are aristocrats and socialites, competing not only for victory but also for prestige and acclaim. The Golden Gryphons, although backed by all the influence money can by, failed to qualify during the Four Princes Regatta, when their crew was assassinated by poison (by the Basscoil Ventures).

Final Qualifiers

This year the final qualifying teams (listed in order of qualifying position) are:

1. The Westmead Hawk - Kate “Bobbin” Westmead, flying the Aetheric Phoenix
2. The Brasscoil Ventures - Meras “the Undertaker” Unweil flying the Brass Raven
3. The Cog Heads - Arold “Ace” Rimmler - flying the Scholar’s Gambit
4. The Arrodan Syndicate - Lyra “the Legend” du Vectari, flying the ⚓The Crystal Maiden
5. The Iron Fangs - Hrakk “the Hunter” Blackfang flying Bloodstorm
6. The Electrica Ingeniarium - Graf “Teddy” Gearspark- flying the MK 7 Blendo

According to "Your Official Guide to the Cup" published by the Ezdin Skill Racing Commission:

The Westmead Hawk

The Brasscoil Ventures

The Cog Heads

The Arrodan Syndicate (Our Heroes)

The Iron Fangs

The Electrica Ingeniarium

How

Rules and Regulations

73rd Jubilee Cup is overseen by the Ezdin Skill Racing Commission (eSRC), who also set and monitor the rules for the season. The eSRC is led by 🚹Navarch Secondus (Vice Admiral) Cato Calpurnius, Commander of the Nauticus Academy, and administered race-side by a large team of academy judges.

The SRC has established rules for the race which emphasise crew finesse, martial prowess and engineering skill equally. According to the rulebook, the race will be:

• A fair test of the prowess of aircrews – providing advantage to the most skilled crew
• A fair test of air-to-air combat – those unable to survive the race will not prevail
• A demonstration of the peerless engineering skill of our great houses on a global stage

The rulebook outlines 13 core rules which are as follows:

Rule 1] The race is won by the first contestant to pass the finish line after completing 5 laps.  In the case of non-completion by all contestants, the winner is the contestant with the fastest average lap speed.

Rule 2] Contestant teams may enter no more than three vessels per season, and only field a single vessel per race.  Vessels may be replaced during the season, but not during a single race.

Rule 3] Contesting vehicles must be of the skiff class, and including all attachments, not exceed the following specifications:

• 27’ long x 15’ wide, with a combined weight of vessel and crew of not more than 2000 lbs.
• Not more than 5 crew, including not more than 1 shard drone and not less than 1 crew.
• Not more than 3 engines, thrusters and/or other means of propulsion.

Rule 4] Contesting vehicles may not be fitted with, equipped with or carry naval-class ranged offensive weaponry capable of damaging other contestants, vehicles or track.

Rule 5] Race teams may not through subterfuge, intentional or unintentional omission conceal the capabilities of their vehicles with respect to rule 3 or rule 4.

Rule 5] Contesting vehicles may not block the raceway in a way that causes two or more vehicles to be unable to proceed.

Rule 6] Contestants may:

• Employ spells that target or affect their own vehicle and/or crew.
• Attack, damage, hinder or destroy other contestants and/or contesting vehicles.
• Employ Spell Driving Modes, except Vortex
  • ERRATA 18/09 - Also cannot employ Invisibility or Disguise Ship (the punters need to see the race)

Rule 7] Contestants and contesting vehicles may not intentionally damage the raceway or injure spectators.

Rule 8] Contestants not at any time:

• Employ spells which target, harm or effect any contestant or contesting vehicle.
• Employ spells which target, harm or effect any part of the track, environs or spectators.

Rule 9] Contestants may not at any time:

• Be more than 12’ tall and/or long.
• Weigh more than 1000 lbs.

Rule 10] Contesting vehicles may not be living creatures, sentient or otherwise.

Rule 11] Race teams may not replace, substitute, resurrect or reintegrate race crew members during a single race event.

Rule 12] Race teams may not through subterfuge, intentional or unintentional act hinder, intimidate, bribe or any way impinge SRC personnel from undertaking their duties as judges.

Rule 13] All rulings by the SRC are final and binding.

Other Notes

Publications

The race has been followed by several publications including:

The official guide to the cup

The Orhaz Gazette

Other Notes

• The cup was won 68 years ago (in 3830 PR) by Randall Ludain (grandfather of Ren Ludain), piloting ⚓The Crystal Maiden from Brightwood in Sh’Reet. One of his competitors was Meras, an Umbriel Elf Arrodan syndicate lieutenant, who flew the Crimson Vanguard racing skiff. Randall used illusion magic to cause Meras to crash.
• The Arrodan Syndicate have competed for the cup for well over a hundred years. 🚹Lyra du Vectari was hired by the Arrodan Syndicate to win the cup this year.

Media