The Gauntlet of Mercy

This game is a celebration of our nation, and a demonstration of our Empress' ceaseless clemency. You, my beloved subjects, are being offered more than your freedom. You, more than anyone else, have seen the true glory of the Empire; our ingenuity and our power. This is more than mercy. This is absolution. This is transformation.
Regent Sai, speaking to the Gauntlet participants.

The Gauntlet of Mercy is a game run by the Empire in celebration of the 10,000th year of the reign of The Empress. It was conceived by Regent Sai. For more specific information rules, see the Gauntlet Rulebook.
The Gauntlet initially consisted of 64 participants, one team of four per province. The game is not competitive; anyone who survives all four rounds is granted full pardon from their crimes, as well as an audience with the Empress herself in the Celestial city. However, the Gauntlets themselves, once reached, have proven extremely deadly, with more than half of the game's participants eliminated in the first round.
The entire Gauntlet is being watched via a complex scrying network. Those who are permitted as audience members consist of the entire population of the Celestial City, as well as the Governors of each province and their courts. Apart from these people and the participants, no one knows about the game's existence--except some strange interlopers who seem to plan to use the game for their own ends.

Gauntlet Progression

Round	Survivors	Eliminated	Teams Remaining
1: The Gauntlet of the Clouds	28	36	7: Team One Team Seven Team Eight Team Ten Team Eleven Team Twelve Team Fifteen
2: The Gauntlet of the Sun	19, 1 recruited after Gauntlet	9	5: Team One Team Seven Team Eight Team Ten Team Eleven
3: The Gauntlet of the Star	19	1 (Voted exempt from final round)	5: Team One Team Seven Team Eight Team Ten Team Eleven
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