DO NOT. FIGHT. THE CRESCENDO. Or: The Sport of Core-Diving.
“You see that?” “That giant eternal hurricane that is the most powerful storm to ever exist on Sornieth? The literal incarnation of a god’s wrath?” “Yeah.” “What about it?” “I’m gonna fight it.”
The Twisting Crescendo has raged over the Steppes since long before living memory. It is, in a way, Wind flight’s answer to its own cultural heartbeat. The Cloudsong is the epicenter of spirituality for Wind clans; the residence of the Windsinger himself, and an incarnation of the gentlest wind is capable of being. Music and laughter; kites bobbing on a gentle breeze.
But there is more to Wind than messengers and carefree wandering. The Crescendo, howling in the South, is a reminder of that. But it is not in a Wind dragon’s nature to be fearful; they look at an unstoppable force of wild nature and, with a laugh, adore it.
And so, core-diving was born. It could never have existed elsewhere.
Core-diving can take the form of team or individual races; a team race almost always includes at least one large breed like an Imperial, Guardian, or Ridgeback, whereas individual races tend toward smaller, faster breeds. The rules are functionally the same for each form; team tactics are just slightly different, though equally exciting to watch.
The rules are simple: Don’t leave the platform before the horn. Don’t miss the Eye. Don’t preempt the second circuit. And don’t die.
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