Ariadne/080804-id1787

From LostRing

[edit] Ariadne's Blog

[edit] IMPORTANT MESSAGE from ELI HUNT - re: the Lost Sport @ the Olympics (link)

[edit] August 4, 3:39pm

Hello allies,

This is Eli Hunt, with an important message about how we can prepare our teams for the world championship on August 23 and August 24.

It has been quite an adventure these past six months, discovering and mastering the Lost Sport in teams across the globe. As we approach the start of both the Olympics in this world and the Multiverse Olympiad, I cannot help but reflect on the wonders of this labyrinth game we have learned to play together.

The Lost Sport, among all ancient games, is unique. There were no team sports at the ancient Olympics -- except for ours. Only the human labyrinth challenged athletes to work together. Yet another reason, perhaps, to consider the lost sport p+aignia aletheia megas+ -- "the most important game". Alongside the spirit of competition, the lost sport alone engages the power of cooperation and offers the thrill of team victory.

And we have seen some tremendous teams from all over the world in 2008, as we have prepared for our own Olympic moment!

At different times, teams in Tokyo, Shanghai, Vienna, London, New York City, San Francisco, and Wellington have held world records!

And every team that has trained anywhere – and we’ve seen amazing training photos and videos from Buenos Aires, Madrid, Paris, Zurich, Bristol, Tel Aviv, Dallas, Portland, Sebastapol, Kitchener, Bangkok, Singapore, Salvador, Natal, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janiero, and more – you are all part of a bigger team. You are part of Team Agonothetai 2008, the greatest team of agonothetai ever assembled in modern history. Thank you for being a part of something bigger this summer, thank you for training with us and helping us bring back the Lost Sport.

Speaking of teams. I have been doing additional research about team formation, and the rules of the Ancient Games, and how they might apply to the Multiverse Olympiad.

We know from the Lost Ring Codex that a 3-circuit labyrinth is said to require a team of 11, and that a 7-circuit labyrinth is said to require a team of 16.

But we know from training videos this year that if a team is skilled enough, and clever enough, it can perform the labyrinths with fewer players. And if it a team is capable of competing under more challenging conditions, why should they not be permitted to?

I therefore think it wise of us to submit to the Multiverse Olympiad our best teams, even if our best 3-circuit team has 8 members instead of 11, or if our best 7-circuit team has 14 members instead of 16.

However, we must be careful in doing so that we do not destroy the synchronising value of the labyrinths.

We must communicate to our other selves our intention of running the Multiverse labyrinths with potentially fewer members.

I therefore call on a captain from each of the potential World Championship teams – be it London, Salvador, Tokyo, San Francisco, or Wellington: If you are planning to compete with fewer than 11 or 16 members, I urge you to complete and film a personal labyrinth in which you attempt to advise your parallel selves of this plan.

That way, we will ensure that you are effectively synchronising with other worlds when you play!

If we can complete this plan by the Olympic Opening Ceremonies on Friday August 8, Team Agonothetai 2008 will be ready to beat all of the other worlds, and to win all of the gold, silver, AND bronze medals in both of the events!