>While I was reading about it, I had a picture in my head of the game
>being played in Sartar.
Very clever, and great fuel for more speculation. The game could be viewed two ways -- first played by adults, especially those who have been chosen by the various Thunder Brothers. In this case it is a sport, a religious ceremony (great for the Thunder Brothers' Day), and, of course, a chance for men to smack themselves together in a good, manly display of non-lethal violence. Use of affinities and feats may or may not be acceptable, depending on how much sport and how much ceremony is stressed.
When the game is played by children (the non-initiated), it might be a way to see if one of the Thunder Brothers has chosen a boy. I expect that boys who can chant, say, "Hedkoranth," over and over while mopping up the field with pals may have caught His eye. (Of course, it also serves the purpose of building boy's endurance, agility, and giving them an acceptable outlet for pasting their friends and enemies.) Adults keep an eye on the matches, both to watch the kids (for good or bad behavior, injuries, etc.) and to watch for signs of divine favor.
Peter Larsen
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