Dwarf Tossing

King of the Hill

Written by Endrise

And here comes Mother Bear with a dive right onto their opponent an-OH! An elbow right in the gut. Copperbeard's gonna feel this in the morning!

— Dwarf Tossing Announcer

A popular sport amongst the cultures of Dwarvenkind, Dwarf Tossing consists of getting your opponent out of an arena. While simple in design, it becomes quite the competitive sport if put in a more professional environment.

The Dwarven Brawl

The Basics

Dwarf Tossing does not require any tools or gear to play. To begin, a ring gets drawn in a diameter of a few meters. Most fields choose between four to five meters, but one can make the arena bigger or smaller if one wishes to.

Two contestants step into the ring at either side, only to then proceed to push one another outside of the borders. Everything is allowed besides direct violence like punching or kicking, making it a very physical sport. One can even lift their opponent off the ground and toss them outside the arena if they so desire.

One loses should they step outside the ring at any given time. Some interpret that as setting a foot outside the border, others as having any body part step outside the borders.

Origins

According to a myth in Dwarven cultures, two princes once could not share a throne after their father died. Rather than fight for the seat, the two agreed on a test of strength.

Drawing a ring in the throne room, the one who stood inside the ring would run the kingdom. With the rules set, both wrestled it out for an entire night. Who won depends on the story told, but it became a tradition amongst the Dwarves.

Others assume it simply began as a children's game that gained popularity over time. Whatever was the case, it became a small tradition to handle petty arguments.

Variations

Because of its widespread appeal, many variations existing of Dwarf Tossing, each with their own specific rules. Some change the amount of contestants, others the arena, and even a few the win conditions. Here is a small list of popular versions.

Mountain King

Rather than losing the moment you leave the arena, Mountain King requires one person to stay in the center before the time runs out. One can re-enter the ring if tossed out as many times they want, making for a sensational king-of-the-hill style match.

Brawl Barrel

Rather than only two contestants, up to twenty individuals enter a single ring. Like regular Dwarf Tossing, the goal is to be the last one in the ring, except with way more opponents. With so many sharing the arena, it can become a hectic free-for-all.

Usurp the King

Here, one person begins in the center of the ring while other contestants one by one try to push him outside the ring. If one is able to "usurp the king" by pushing them out of the ring, they become the king and is the next one people have to push out.

While not as wild as some other variants, it does benefit from a fun test of might against multiple opponents without the chaos. Ideal for more organised and less hectic matches.

Rune Rumble

Only doable by magic users, Rune Rumble allows the usage of spells in the arena. Often through magic items, it turns a regular wrestling match into an epic mage duel. From spells going off in all directions to the terrain changing beneath one's feet.

Most competitors favour spells such as Shape Stone, Mage Hand, Grease and Illusory Object. Spells that might harm an individual are obviously banned in most cases.

Core Rules

• Get your opponent out of the ring
• No direct violence allowed
• Last one in the ring wins

Competitive Dwarf Tossing

In the competitive scene, Dwarf Tossing tournaments are spectacles to behold. Rather than a simple fight, Dwarves love to make it a story of heroes and villains, with characters and arcs to go through. To do so, many take on personas in the ring, forming theatrical rivalries over the years.

For many it isn't even about winning the sport at this point. It's all about the presentation and entertainment. Winning or losing does not matter as long as one can make a good show to entertain the crowd. And for some competitors, they gotten pretty good at it.

With the growth in popularity, many other races besides Dwarves also began to participate. Different categories exist to avoid unfair advantages such as weight, gender and race. Granted, it does not stop some to mix up the competitors on special occasions.