Chapter 210: The Grand Melee Part 1
"Tourneys."
"They are a spectacle."
"For the noble class to prance, prune and fight mock battles that are poor imitations of the real thing."
"Even melees are the same, as they do not truly imitate the blood and gore of the battlefield, even if some get injured during them."
"But at least Melees make for good training as pain is a good way to prevent men from making mistakes that may cost them an arm or leg in a real war."
"And if you take them seriously enough...."
"You may even be able to improve your strength as long as you are below the master rank."
Reginald Coulan, creator and head of House Aurellion in Dynasties Online.
....
15th of September 4009 ASA (After Species Awakening) Nartook Fortress castle courtyard.
Railius stood in one of the large castle courtyards of Nartook Fortress, which was being used for the Grand Melee, as 100 men dressed in leather and padded cloth armour, wielding an assortment of blunted weapons, were alert, waiting for the signal for the first round of the Melee to start, when the chaos of combat would descend.
The hidden fallen noble’s eyes scanned his surroundings, taking in his many opponents, knowing that even with his specialised fighting style, it was unlikely for him to get far, as there were tens of thousands of expert fighters in this tournament who each had a good chance of defeating him in a 1v1.