Term: Blazeball

What it is:

   A modification of the game of volleyball, which was the only sport that survived the centuries after the fall of the Beast. Up till five years ago, volleyball was only a recreational sport (with the exception of occasional competitions) and has remained so. But Blazeball, a craze that started soon after Gyee Zur ascended the Kelsian throne, has taken the world by storm.

   It's a five-on-five game that replaces the synthetic volleyball with a blazing fireball, hence the name of the game. Both teams try to cause the ball to fall on the opponent's half of the court. If it falls within the boundaries of the court, their team scores two points, while their opponents lose one. The first team that reaches the score of twenty-one points is the victor.

   In the centre of the Blazeball court is a magically conjured wall of water. Depending on location and culture, the wall and even the ball itself, can take different forms, but they are always of opposing elements. The name of the game however is retained, as it follows the same rules. There have been sightings of communities that use a ball of ice and a wall of fire, or a wall of wind and a ball of rock instead. This can have interesting effects on the court.

   Another way to win in a Blazeball match is to incapacitate the opponent with the ball itself. Being struck by a fireball on the chest or the head is a sure way of taking out an opponent. As such there is usually a white mage or some sort of first aid ready at most official Blazeball matches. There have been reports of advanced Blazeball players who can smash the ball through the wall or cause the fireball to explode on impact, causing injury to those nearby. Some of these are Melnian Mystics, who have a class of fighter mages that specialize in Blazeball techniques in combat.

   There are no rules for what we may use to hit a Blazeball, but generally most players use their limbs. Some of the more advanced players (as well as some of the beginners) like to use certain weapons to increase the power of their shots. These however place a restriction on their reaction time and agility. Blunt weapons are a common choice, but there are some well-known players who use edged weapons in Blazeball. It is not known how they do it.

   Blazeball is introduced in Chapter 16.

Back to Glossary.