Sector Codex

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March 3230
wow that's a lot of stars    Hiranya Cluster    Livonia    Culture & History      Hoverboard Relay

Hoverboard Relay

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  This article is focused on Livonia, the religious planet that reviles psionics.
The team-based races of Hoverboard Relay challenge players' speed and skill, and are loved across the sector. However, its origins on Livonia are steeped in authoritarianism, where the players are used as tools of the planet's religious authority. Not all players are content to be used, and have found ways to flip the script.

The Sport

Hoverboard relay is played across the sector, but it originated on Livonia where it remains the most popular sport on the planet. It's a team sport in which players race to pass a baton to each other while on hoverboards. In a standard game, there are four players on the track and a variety of obstacles test their skills and slow them down.   Each game consists of three races. In low-stakes matches, the winner is the first team to win two races, making the third race an optional tie breaker. In nationals, the winner is the team that earns the most points across all three matches. In these games, points are awarded based on speed and style. A flashy trick could earn enough points to compensate for a slower time... or it could cost the team their win.  

Obstacles

There are dozens of potential obstacle types. Regions may have their own versions of known obstacles, or a unique and iconic one only they can use. Some common obstacles include:
Tightrope
A narrow pathway above water, testing balance and control
Rocky road
Sections of pathway are raised or lowered, like uneven stairs
Pillars
Players have to maneuver around randomly-placed pillars, testing their agility
Pendulums
Swinging or rotating obstacles test players' timing to navigate safely
Waves
The undulating track test players' stability and ability to maintain momentum

Arenas

The races requires a large amount of track space and a means for swapping around obstacles. There are various solutions to this depending on how much space and funding a location has.   Some places, especially schools and community centers, have a single track with obstacles that are rearranged between games. In these cases, all three races in a game would use the same layout.   Small indoor arenas might use holographic or laser-based obstacles with collision detection. Swapping layouts takes seconds, but some obstacles are impossible to replicate.   The massive arenas used in nationals have panels that are rearranged to form different layouts as needed. A coin toss determines which team picks the first layout. The third, the final and longest, is chosen randomly.

Did you know?

 Hoverboards are like skateboards without wheels. Magnets in the board and on specially-designed tracks allow riders to hover a few inches off the ground. Off the track, however, they obey gravity like everything else.

Information

Planet of Origin
Livonia
Team Size
Nationals: 4 active, up to 2 additional on reserve
Sub-nationals: Up to 15, with allowance for 4 separate players per race and 3 on reserve
Associated Campaign
Mini-Campaign: Inter-Seller

Author Commentary

Inspiration
The sport itself was inspired by the Japanese skateboarding gameshow Kasso. The culture around the relay teams is based on pop idol culture in southeast Asia, which is why the one team we've encountered so far is Korean-coded.

The History

Budyong National Relay team placed under arrest
  Chae, Duri, and team captain Sang were taken into custody the day after their win at the opening game of the 3230 season. In a public statement, the police chief has confirmed the fourth team member, Min-li, confessed to crimes of sedition. These acts included trafficking people afflicted with MES out of Livonian quarantine zones, but not the disbursement of propaganda that occurred during the game itself.   Investigations are ongoing to determine the veracity of the confession and extent of crimes committed. In the meantime, the Border Patrol Agency has advised all Livonians against using the towing agency known as Little Tow under suspicion of colluding with the relay team.
— Excerpt from Livonian Times newspaper
 
Hoverboard relay was originally created as a tool for Livonia's religious authority, the Congregation of the Enlightened. A century ago, skateboards were famously used by groups who opposed the Congregation's stance against Psionics. Skateboard gangs staged protests, spread anti-Congregation propaganda, and even smuggled psions off the planet. Skateboards let them quickly traverse cities, whether to pass messages or evade authorities.
The Congregation knew it'd be impossible to outlaw skateboarding, so they replaced it with something they could control: a skateboard that only functions in designated areas.   Under secret orders, media and celebrities promoted the new sport of hoverboard relay. Over the years, its popularity grew. Skate parks and skate shops were replaced with their hoverboard equivalents. As hoverboarding became uniquely Livonian, skateboarding became seen as a rejection of Livonian culture.
No laws against skateboards needed to be passed - cultural opinion did the work instead. With no stores, parks, or community, skateboards disappeared from Livonia, and the would-be rebels lost their easy means of transportation. The Congregation had thoroughly undermined a source of their power. Or so it seemed.

Word Choices

By all reports, smuggled is the accurate description - the smuggled individuals hired or asked the skateboard gangs to illegally bring them to another planet.   The Livonian government, however, has always reported this as trafficking - abducting individuals and forcibly bringing them elsewhere to exploit them for labor.   In doing so, they influence the opinions of billions of Livonians and vilify those fighting for equal rights.
 

The Cover

Today, hoverboard popularity is at an all-time high. Every country on Livonia has a national team that competes annually for a world cup. Team members are celebrities, idolized by their younger fanbases. Each member has an associated color, and fans wear clothes and glow sticks in that color to support their favorite player.   Players are coached not just on the sport, but on how to publicly present themselves and promote the "right" values. They're trained to be the Congregation's perfect role models.

The Truth

Some players know the history of the sport, and of the rebellion the Congregation sought to put down. Publicly, they say their lines and act the part of dutiful members of the Congregation, but behind the scenes, they find ways to support efforts to free Livonian psions from Quarantine Zones.   Often this involves secretly aiding underground movements with the funding and information their status affords them. They have to act carefully, however, as they never know who is truly an ally, even among their own team members.
 
 
You found a clue!   I'm a real employee of Little Tow. It's my first job and I love it! I live in space, fly around, and fix things like starships and coffee makers. The third letter of the password is the first letter of the name of co-owner and chief engineer of Little Tow.   If you don't know what to do, come to Gemini Station!  
Hint #1
Read about Little Tow employees for this answer!
Hint #2
He spells his name weird sometimes. And it rhymes. In his native language, this letter is always silent.
— ❤ Hana

Entry for WorldEmber 2024

Answering: "Tradition"
Visit Those2Nerds's Competition Page Check all other answers to this prompt Competition Homepage
wow that's a lot of stars and CSS theme © 2023-2025 Rin Garnett, all rights reserved. This setting is built off of the Stars Without Number: Revised Edition tabletop roleplaying game by Kevin Crawford, © 2017 Sine Nomine Publishing, Inc. Background image by Rin Garnett. All other images are credited to their original artist as detailed here.
Cover image: Global Banner by Aaron Lee (left), Nick Ong & Norah Khor (right)
Article template
Tradition / Ritual
World
wow that's a lot of stars
Category
Culture & History in Livonia
Author
Those2Nerds
Publication Date
18 Aug, 2024
Creation Date
10 Dec, 2024
Last Update Date
9 Apr, 2025
Visibility
Public
Views
200
Favorites
19
Comments
3
Work In Progress
Tags
ind-h len-medium 24-12 tradition worldember-24

Comments

Author's Notes

Features:
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Please Login in order to comment!
Grandmaster CoolG1319
Dec 10, 2024 17:48 by CoolG

*sniff sniff* I smell...political intrigue :D

Explore the dark and mysterious Inferncenem, the bright and wonderful Caelumen, the dark but magical Ysteria, the vibrant and bustling Auxul or the world of contrasts Mytharae!   Have a good one!   Join the Discord and chat with like-minded people!
Grandmaster Those2Nerds
Dec 19, 2024 15:57 by Rin Garnett

It's my favorite scent :D

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Councilor of the Inner Sanctum Serukis
Dec 11, 2024 00:38 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

I love the history behind why hoverboarding became preferred over skateboarding. Sneaky sneaky government. >:(

Emy x
Explore Etrea | Summer Camp 2025
Grandmaster Those2Nerds
Dec 19, 2024 16:09 by Rin Garnett

Governments are the worst.

⭐ Cause problems in wow that's a lot of stars
✏️ Take a WA unofficial survey
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Grandmaster Leijona
Dec 19, 2024 06:22

To make a sport as a tradition is so smart. And to read about such an interesting sport was really entertaining.

Grandmaster Those2Nerds
Dec 19, 2024 16:09 by Rin Garnett

Thank you! Glad you enjoyed the article :D

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✏️ Take a WA unofficial survey
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