Easter Eggs in Fletnern (with violence)

Stay with me on this one; it’s not what you think.

Some time ago, sun worshiping humans established a spring festival where they would have the children search through cow pastures for wooden balls painted or stained a golden color. They were “searching for the sun”. They would bring the golden balls back to their parents (or town elders) and receive small treats or finding them. While taking balls from other children was never fully encouraged, it happened. Most adults thought the fun was watching the children search through the tall grass and avoid the cow pies left behind.

The orcs picked up the game from the humans they enslaved, but they took the violence part much further. To ramp up the action, they had only one golden ball, so once someone found it, the others had to try and get the ball away from him. To the orcs (at least the original ones who played), the golden balls were not the sun but instead the fiery mouth of a dragon. So the orcs called the game Blan Zar or “golden eggs”.

The game has caught on in the Wembic Empire to such a degree that it is now played in specially built arenas by teams sponsored by military units. The more “official” teams still don’t wear equipment, but there are “leagues” were they can wear armor but no weapons. Of course these guys are wearing spiked gloves and other “weapons” built into their armor. Killing is frowned upon, but beating to unconsciousness is expected. Teams can be of any agreed upon size, but eight on eight is considered normal.

So yes, Fletnern’s version of an Easter egg hunt is a violent sporting event most typically celebrated by orcs. Probably not what you were expecting when you saw Easter eggs, huh? Did I tell you that during the winter religious festival at the end of the year they give each other gifts, but coal is considered a good thing? Yeah, I can be ironic.