The Fifth Annual Writer Games: The Fall

Task Four: The Fall of Troy

"Then Laocoön rushes down eagerly from the heights

of the citadel, to confront them all, a large crowd with him, and shouts from far off: "O unhappy citizens, what madness? Do you think the enemy's sailed away? Or do you think any Greek gift's free of treachery? Is that Ulysses's reputation? Either there are Greeks in hiding, concealed by the wood, or it's been built as a machine to use against our walls, or spy on our homes, or fall on the city from above, or it hides some other trick: Trojans, don't trust this horse. Whatever it is, I'm afraid of Greeks even those bearing gifts."v

- Virgil

--

"How many reports have we had commissioned?"

"Three, sir. We've, uh, we've also had several media releases. It just seems like the people are getting restless again. They don't understand that even their favourites can die in an entirely unfavourable way. A cut, a scratch: in the Games it's enough to die."

"And that's why we have sponsors."

"Well, uh, yes, but well, we really still have not fully marketed those campaigns yet. There's barely any funds coming in so we're making do with what we have."

"Well, these Games are now in their fifth day. And what do we have to show for it? Only three deaths in the past four?

District 5 Female, Maggie Clearbrook [lunatonica],

District 11 Female, Cleopatra Babirye [lostwithmyfriends],

District 12 Female, Jodi Roanoke [yellowbillycat].

There's only so long we can stretch media coverage."

"Excuse me? I don't want to interrupt, but I just—and I don't even know if we have the capability to do so—but maybe, like. If we built the arena, right? We've used tracker jackers and stuff with our technology and the technology of the rebels. If we work the environment, then we can make sure the tributes have to get moving instead of freezing or starving to death."

"Hm."

"You're dismissed, thank you. We'll consider your proposal."

"Well? It's not the worst idea."

"The worst? I'm sorry but maybe you can't see, but we're a bit strapped for staff. And in case you're really blind, may I point out whether you see anyone in that room capable of rigging the arena? Releasing mutts is one thing—we've got trainers and coding and release points—but we don't have the capability this time. Look, look, hey, hold on. Look, I know you're going to go on and on about how the rebels had firetech and how we have explosives and adaptive technology, but we can't just have a turn around in a couple hours now."

"No?"

"NO! For Verin's sake.."

"okay, hear me out. Maybe we don't have the capability to cause earthquakes or send fireballs to the tributes, but we control the water. We control the weather. What we don't control is the fact we didn't build any infrastructure beneath the arena. So may we just up the temperature, or dry up the streams and snow."

"Then we just get tributes falling into crevasses."

"Better that than days of starvation and cannibalisation."

"Right. Well, you go draw up some plans."

"Excuse me? Folks? Just wanted to know if I could get you coffee—"

–

Congrats on making it to the final fifteen!

The Games have stretched far ahead, now in their fifth day. The Gamemakers are getting tired of watching tributes wander. The alliance pack(s) have had relative success and keep the cameras occupied, but the arena is just too giant for fifteen people.

THE TASK

Here's the sitch. I don't care how, and I don't care why, but your tributes are in their fifth day of the chilled and sparse arena (and by the way, when I said snow, I meant like, first snowfall, a couple centimeters on frozen ground snow, not deep snow).

You have three options which all lead to the same path:

1) You hear a call from the Gamemakers enticing you however they can to get you moving back towards the center of the arena.

2) You decide to move from your shelter or temporary place of being. You're likely hungry and cold and thirsty and are on the hunt. The rivers have freezed over (turns out cooling is much more efficient than heating water).

3) IF YOU HAVE ALLIES, you must part with them (ie. while 1 or 2 may apply, this must also apply) in order to seek out food or shelter of substenance or to hunt other tributes or animals.

Regardless of the option(s) you pick, here are the facts: the rivers/streams have frozen over. Your tribute is likely cold and hungry and thirsty and desperate. And cold and hungry and thirsty and desperate people do things they normally wouldn't do.

Your tribute upon their lonely voyage to wherever they go, will encounter another tribute in a state of distress. In the beginning, you must not kill the tribute. But trust is a fickle thing. And like the fall of Troy, an act of weakness could mean there's something behind you.

TLDR: Your task is to head off on your own, encounter a tribute in a state of distress, attempt to help them or mull over the decision, but then someone or something is waiting for you. That last part is vague. Here's a couple ideas:

Idea: Tribute 1 sees tribute 2 in a net. Tribute 1 wonders whether to kill 2. In their waiting, a tribute 3 sneaks up behind them and tribute 1 and 3 fight.

Idea 2: Same as above, but maybe tribute 2 escapes and kills tribute 3.

Idea 3: Same as above, but maybe tribute 1 kills both 2 and 3.

Idea 4: Tribute 1 finds tribute 2 in a crevasse. When tribute 1 pulls tribute 2 out of it, they're suddenly attacked by an angry polar bear. Everyone survives if not maimed.

It's up to you, and you don't need to follow these ideas, it's just options. The point is your tribute shows hesitation or grace for some reason in that moment and another trigger happens after that and what happens/the aftermath. Make sense?

I was going to have this be an alliance/paired task like my previous Games, but honestly I don't want to limit any of you from creativity or realism. If you'd like advice on the tribute(s) you might include in the entry feel free to ask.

Time span is any part of the fifth day.

WORD LIMIT

//

BALLOTS/KILLS

Reminder no in-entry death counts towards point deductions. Send me TWO ballots. Five have the chance of going up, three go up, and two die.

SPONSORS

Congratulations to the two tributes people across Panem thought worthy to reward: Eitan Mizrahi, District Two, and District Eleven's Bakari Maua.

For Eitan: No one but the chefs know what's in the single-person portion of stew, but some question if it's goat and elderberry. Wrapped in a linen cloth is a small silver blade, temperate, not icy, to the touch. Someone, somewhere, wants Eitan to know they care for him. There's a gentle engraving of a goat's head—the smith's signature—on the ram horn handle.

For Bakari: Mittens and a jacket and face mask of the finest weave, almost impenetrable but not quite. Reflects body heat inward and conserves body heat and energy three times as well as everyone elses. To be warm is to not be hypothermic, to be alert to the surroundings rather than the weather. Rumour has it there's a growing group of socialites and journalists hoping to see him through.

DUE DATE

Monday, August 12, 11pm Atlantic time.

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. May the odds be ever in your favour.