We remember the Cold War as being fought in the form of arms and space race, proxy wars, espionage and political clashes, but with the 2012 Olympic Games in London drawing to a close, we can also remember it as being fought – peacefully for once – over a large stretch of the Games held since World War II.
So what about the Olympics in the Cold War inspired setting of The Red Star?
An event like that offers a prime chance for pitching characters against foes and rivals and let them test their mettle without having to stalk them through ruins or stare at them over the command screens of krawls and sky furnaces. But what sets the Games of The Red Star apart from the ones we know? What are they even called in the first place?
The Hellenic Games
Held every four years, the Hellenic Games were meant by their founders to stand as a symbol of peace, with the nations and dynasties of the Great Continent and the world entering into non-violent competition.
When after the Great Patriotic War, the Iron Hold descended on the world and split it in transnationalist and internationalist camps, led by the WTA and URRS, respectively, this peaceful competition of nations became one of ideologies.
The leaders of the blocks tried to demonstrate for all the world to see how their vision alone would bring out the best in man, pushing the limits of physical perfection.
Still, the powerful spirit of the Games remained, though events on the larger stage of the world would lend them a harder edge of conflict at times.
With the prevalence of sorcery and mental powers across all nations of the globe, these factored heavily in the Hellenic Games right from their inception. With the WTA and URRS leaning so heavily on them – and advanced technology – for their military and industries, their importance only escalated over time.
While the Games’ roster includes some purely telekinetic disciplines, such as hands free spear throwing, the main use of telekinesis for athletes lies in enhancing and complementing their physical strength and precision. For some disciplines, both enhanced and non-enhanced variants are included in the Games. Others would be impossible without the use of telekinesis, such as the telekinetic pull, in which impossibly large and heavy weights are telekinetically lifted and then physically pulled – for time over distance – by the athletes (a variation of the URRS’ famed “engine pull”). Of course, telekinesis plays no further role in yet other disciplines, simply due to the power’s inherent limits, like the inability to directly manipulate living bodies, telekinetic runners thus are – despite reoccurring accusations of “telekinetic cheating” – nonexistent.
Sorcery sees a similar distribution across the Games. Small displays of sorcerous power are woven into the routines of gymnasts competing in the “enhanced” versions of their disciplines, while stabilised jumping for example can only ever be done by sorceress-athletes – for without the ability to kast the necessary protocols (similar, if not the same, as those used in krawl drop operations) athletes would plummet to their death instead of being able to land gracefully and unharmed from the ever extending jumping towers. Off the track, sorcery is widely used in caring for athletes of all stripes – sorceresses themselves or not – by employing various medical protocols to prevent and alleviate injury and exhaustion.
The artwork is taken from The Red Star: Sword of Lies and was used with kind permission of Christian Gossett.
The Red Star and all related characters are ™ and © Christian Gossett. Used with kind permission.
The Red Star Campaign Setting is © Green Ronin Publishing, LLC.
Die Grafik stammt aus The Red Star: Sword of Lies und wurde mit freundlicher Genehmigung von Christian Gossett verwendet.
The Red Star und alle verwandten Charaktere sind ™ und © Christian Gossett. Verwendet mit freundlicher Genehmigung.
The Red Star Campaign Setting ist © Green Ronin Publishing, LLC.