Ride the Mountain

Surf the Spine...
With Mal Daggur's fleet currently deployed to Earth and Myr Chedryn and the Obsidian Guard keeping tabs on the Homeworld in his stead, Commons have very little to do outside of constantly analyzing piles and piles of data, and tend to get bored very easily. Nobles do the leading, Peasants do the heavy lifting and manual labor, but Commons unfortunately are so good at their jobs they finish so quickly they have little else to do in the meantime. As of late many of them have taken to recreational activities out on the surface, which is not very inviting by Human standards to begin with. If it weren't a way to keep morale up and ease stress, the Obsidian Guard would carry out mass-shellings, but they permit this luxury for now. Based off of an old tale about a duel of ego and wits between a Thunthen and Thangien, Commons frequently engage in this increasingly popular form of entertainment. Humans on Earth ride the waves on their idyllic oceans. On Planet Thunthen where there are no oceans, the Dragon-men ride the mountains.

History

"Race you!!" Miz shouted abruptly and bounded away without warning, lashing his tail tauntingly.
"Hey! What gives! Get back here! We're not done with training!" Kento protested.
"This is training! Come, Gauraax Kento! Ride the Mountain with me!" Miz crowed and began springing from crag to crag on all fours. Kento struggled at first to keep up on his feet before observing how Miz used his hands to catch crags and began mimicking his movements. Ryo followed from on high in his White Dragon sub-armor, grimacing awkwardly at their antics as the giddy Common and the transformed Ronin Warrior rushed along the ridges.
"'Ride the mountain'?" Kento asked as he slowly started to catch up despite his increased bulk.
"Yes! How does that old story go?..." Miz wrinkled his brow and cocked his head up slightly. "Long ago a Thangien flew to Thunthen astride a pegacorn and approached a Noble. 'I ride the pegacorn so I may always stay above you in the sky', he taunted. 'Then I shall ride the mountain, so I can meet you in the heavens!' the Noble replied."
"Huh. Cool story," Kento commented absently as he started gaining on Miz. Miz looked over his shoulder and spotted him then glanced to the side and noticed a sizable snow pack on the slope. He grinned and lunged to the side abruptly.
"Race you down!" Miz sprang high into the air and curled forward, tucking his head close to his shell and grabbing the tip of his tail with both hands. He landed shell-first in the snow and began rolling down the slope, accumulating increasing amounts of snow as he rolled.
"Uhh, Miz? I don't think...that's how...you're supposed to...get...down..." Kento paused and watched as Miz became lost in the growing snowball that bounced from side to side down the slope like a wayward pinball. A shadow slid over Kento as Ryo soared overhead. Kento sighed and made his way down carefully, skidding from crag to crag over the slope.
He finally reached the foot of the mountain to find an enormous pile of snow where the ball had landed. Kento approached the ball and looked to the side as Ryo alighted next to him. Ryo shook his head and folded his arms over his chest before pointing at Kento firmly. Kento sighed and hung his shoulders before raising one arm and plunging it into the snow pile all the way up to his shoulder.
He pressed his free hand against the surface as he fished around inside. His face lit up when he grabbed ahold of something and finally pulled out a long tapering orange-scaled tail poking out of a human-shaped mass of snow. He smacked the mass with his palm on what he hoped was the rear or shell and the snow crumbled off, revealing a very dizzy Miz.
"And that concludes our lesson for today kids. Any questions?" Miz slurred, his arms hanging limp beneath him.

— Omitted Content (might repurpose someday)

Execution

A run is usually performed while running on all fours at top sustainable speed, anywhere from 30-35 mph. Participants spring from crag to crag provided they're close enough and is not limited to a single individual peak. When landing, the participant catches the crag with both palms, bringing their chest within inches of the crag and pushing themselves forward. Once a session is concluded the participant will usually roll down the slope by grabbing their tail tip and tucking their heads close to their shells, rolling like a wheel.

RidetheMountain.jpg

Riding the Mountain by Mardrena

Made with BlackInk

Participants

Even though the original legend states that it was a Nobeyl who was challenged, no Noble in his right mind (except for a very young one) would partake in such activities. For one they lack the agility to move so quickly on all fours (Dames excepted), and two their weight and momentum running at literal breakneck speed would be hazardous to their chest cavities despite their sturdy skeletal structures. Their inferior dexterity with their long claws could hamper their ability to catch crags in time. Given how Nobles are quick to portray themselves at being the best of everything, it is entirely possible that it was actually a Common in the old story and that Nobles simply took the credit for themselves.

Observance

If there are no storms (sand or thunder) and the wind gusts are low, Khamens will take off from their stations to engage in races. These are not necessarily competitive but a personal test of speed and skill with Khamens comparing run times and arguing over best routes (which is folly because of the nature of the ever-shifting Spine...). These can be weekly or daily depending on the weather conditions. The Obsidian Guard have attempted to put a stop to it to no avail, because threat of shelling does not deter the Commons and even if many were shelled it would mean critical work would not get done. Thankfully the little Commons are quick enough they can finish their tasks upon returning to their stations and use gathering data as a pretense to Ride the Mountain.

Planet Thunthen by Mardrena

Primary Related Location

Planet Thunthen

Important Locations

• The Writhing Spine

Related Ethnicities

• Khamen

The Writhing Spine by Mardrena

Miz Paufan swept his gaze about the snow covered mountains and breathed deeply before he continued drinking in the pristine view with his eyes. "You look at them as if you're never seen mountains," Ryo commented.
"Oh, I've seen mountains before, though none such as these," Miz replied.

— Omitted Content