Trotsky
> << 2) In what circumstances (naval combat i suppose) ? >>
> During the Tournament of the Masters of Luck & Death.
Not quite. While the Pharaoh was on a heroquest back to life, it can't be taken for sure that he had used up his previous body. Belintar had a knack of avoiding staying dead even before his victory over the Only Old One - once he even was eaten by trolls, and yet returned, in his own body - and the annual sacrifice as Year King in Esrolia did not cause an annual Tournament of the Masters of Luck and Death, but an annual trip for Belintar back from the realm of the dead to the realm of the living. While this annual death did no use up his current body at once, it seems to have accelerated aging, though.
On his way back, Belintar had to pass through a number of stations which were guarded by mythical agencies. (I guess that he came to know some of these well enough to stop for a chat on his annual trip back... :)
One agency which he never really noticed until 1616 were the Red Guards, apparently a station which had let him pass by with a nod in earlier returns. Only this time, the Red Guards were reinforced by Jar-eel, and denied the passage. Nobody knows what happened, except probably Jar-eel herself, but the effect was that the Pharaoh did not turn up alive again after the rite.
> OTOH, the Kethealan fleet was destroyed by Wolf Pirates in that
> year, so he could always have been offed then if you prefer.
The Wolf Pirates even sacked the City of Wonders - possibly during Belintar's absence on sacred duty in Caladraland. Belintar visited each of his Sixths for one of these rites in the appropriate season, it seems.
Peter Metcalfe is on spot with his answers:
>>3) What are the events of the tournament of luck and death?
> AFAIK there's no set form. It's a magical contest in which Heroes
> attempt to best one another in magical combats and all sorts of
> tricks and strategems are used. The exact events would vary from
> tournament to tournament as it is dependant on the challengers'
> strengths and weaknesses.
It seems that the Pharaoh adds features of his body's previous owner to his abilities and character, in addition to granting the former owner an angelic bliss in the Hero Plane.
>>4) At what date does in take place in 1616 ?
> It doesn't have a set date, it takes place when the Pharaoh dies.
> Again there's no word on the precise date it took place.
It seems the tournament was called for when the absence of the Pharaoh became quite undeniable (though it is hard to prove a negative...).
Keith Nellist:
> As far as I understand it Belintar (the Pharoah) somehow changed the
> Sacrifical King rites of Esrolia and kept on inhabiting the body of
> the Sacred King, (who was chosen by means of a contest; the
> Tournament of Luck and Death.)
I'd rate this a "B" on the Tales rumours rating.
Belintar did change the Sacrificial King rites by returning from the sacrifice year after year, thus eliminating the previous contests for the post of the Year King instituted in the Silver Age by Kalops.
The Pharaoh usually returned in the same body from his deaths (and there seem to have been quite a few, including the annual sacrifice in Esrolia).
However, this body was subjected to greater strain than ordinary mortal life, and thus was used up faster than it would otherwise have been. Whenever an old body was finally used up, there would be a Tournament of the Masters of Luck and Death in which volunteers (and volunteered?) from all over Kethaela (and even Sartar) underwent tests and challenges to find the replacement body for the Pharaoh.
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