The activities of Relic Excavator, Sandusky Kayvon, are frequently monitored by the local community for a range of reasons, but his recent discoveries in the Barren of Cormac have provoked much more than just a passing curiosity.
Investigation has revealed that under the shadow of the High Mesa lies a small sunken arena, the Corral de Calaveras, its high walls and stone floor thick with the blood of ages long passed. It is here in the Court of Skulls that wastelanders have begun to gather and participate in a new sport – Cabeza Muerta, the most enjoyably gruesome fun you can have with a severed head and a few friends.
In the game of Cabeza Muerta, two teams compete to throw a skull through either of the court’s stone rings. Either two or three points are awarded based on the distance a successful shot is thrown, with the first team to achieve 21 points declared the winner. While it may sound simple, the game is always frenetic and high-paced as the two teams battle it out.
The basic game revolves around each team trying to steal and dodge their way to victory, tearing the skull out of their opponents’ hands and deftly avoiding the other team’s attempts to do the same. The teamwork and tactics involved can vary greatly, from carefully coordinated passing and shooting to twitchy instinctive dodging and weaving techniques. The game often acquires a distinctly more malicious twist when the competitors are allowed to brandish some of their most prized possessions; Weapons.
With the teams now armed to the teeth, the game strategy changes significantly. Slashing and shooting at the opposing team until they are little more than a pulpy mess on the arena floor is considered a perfectly valid and frequently attempted tactic. With both teams using the same manoeuvre however, it’s possible for all involved to simply end up candidates for the next skull. With this in mind, the brutal combat is often tenuously balanced with the gameplay, hacking back at the other team’s advances while trying to score points for your own.
The court itself is an ancient and beautiful structure. Perched on the north bank of a long vaporized lake, its awnings pierce the sky like the claws of a giant beast, drawing its prey downwards to the stone abyss of its belly. With all of the stone blocks presumably hewn from the mesa itself in times long since forgotten, most of it lies on each side of the court, arranged into tiers of seats. It is here that those merely watching may cheer and pay for the blood sport of the players below them.
With such hazards as gouging, maiming and extreme blood loss coupled with the crippling embarrassment and frustration of defeat, Cabeza Muerta is an exciting challenge to all those willing to take part. Wastelanders hold frequent game events to test the skill of their rivals, and new participants are always welcomed with open arms (and blades). It’s not all about the blood and rivalry though. Cabeza Muerta provides the community with a valuable source of entertainment and as recent tournament winner Grinx Raymaker emphatically stated, “It was fun.”
Aside: Cabeza Muerta tournaments take place most Saturdays at 12:00 AM PST at the Court of Skulls in the region of Cormac, a barren sim to the south of the core Wastelands area. New blood is always welcome.
((Editor’s Note: Video courtesy of theblackcloud Oh))