The Roundup

Calamatlan is full of big things: big cattle, big horses, big people. The Calamatlan aurochs are the biggest cattle in the world, roaming in vast herds across the plains. The Calamatlan Aurochs Exchange (known as the Cow Palace) is the largest commodity market in the world, including a massive trading floor where whole herds can be bought and sold at once. And every year in the height of the summer heat, the au hands and ranchers of Calamatlan (plus families, friends, and visitors from all over) meet for the Roundup, an week-long festival of feasting, drinking, horse racing, and politics near the the center of the Calamatlan plains, on the shores of Lake Nepechoacala.

Oy! This dust will be the death of me.

— ship's captain from the Reaches, a long way from the sea

Different people come to the Roundup for different things. The best au hands from each ranch will compete in rodeo events, demonstrating skills in herding, riding, and racing. On the tournament fields, there are formal duels with blunted blades to demonstrate skill with knives. Off the fields, there are always a few informal duels after a night of drinking that help populate the graveyard outside of the camp.

Hide-head fool went and got killed last night. Bury him the usual place, we won't take his body back. What happens at the Roundup stays at the Roundup.

— trail boss to her crew

And as always, when you get that many people together, deals get made. Traders interested in buying aurochs futures outside the exchange will show up, trying to arrange a deal. Politics happens in the big tents, alliances blending and breaking, with the ranch owners and their inner circles discussing the future of Calamatlan. And on a more personal level, some of the young people attending will leave the Roundup on a new saddle, freshly married and ready to start a new life with a different clan.

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Au Tipping

A popular evening entertainment at the Roundup, competitors will try to sneak up on aurochs and knock them over. Unlike the rumored pastime of "cow tipping" (with the goal of knocking over sleeping cows) au tipping is practiced on aurochs that are awake and alert. The au hands believe this makes it a better test of skill.

DRAFT

This article is currently a work in progress and may be incomplete or subject to change.