runouw.com

THE RUNOLYMPICS
& VALUES OF THE RUNOLYMPICS

Alright, who didn't see that coming?

*complete silence*

Thought so.

WE ARE THE GAME, RUNOUWLYMPIANS

Melody: Höhner - Mer Stonn zo Dir (official anthem of 1. FC Cologne)

Canada, Florida, Germany and Oregon
everywhere we come from, Runolympians!
New Jersey, Brazil, Bordeaux and Connecticut
everywhere we come from, Runolympians!

Contests, events, lots of effort, many friends
Courtesy, modesty, Runolympians!
LDing, gaming, taking part is everything
Team spirit and fairplay, Runolympians!

We go ahead, anytime and forever
We are the game, Runolympians!
We go through all heights and all downs, we stand together
Always stick with our comrades, Runolympians!

With vigour and youth we all play along
Together we are strong, Runolympians!
With freshness and skills we all play along
Altogether we are strong, Runolympians!

We go ahead, anytime and forever
We are the game, Runolympians!
We go through all heights and all downs, we stand together
Always stick with our comrades, Runolympians!

Mother has only had so many moments to cherish us, but it's as though she had never had to leave.

Her stories were the most evident side of my upbringing. Every night, when she came back home, she brought a new tale: an adventure, a confession, secrets from another age, and I would always listen carefully. Words from a thousand worlds, shackles of a paradise we were never meant to unveil.

And it was so because people had come to resent darkness. Never fly too high, never wander too deep, never even leave home at night, they said. Not, at least, without your torch.

Mankind had become such, drifting away and apart. Too cautious to not be as daring as it once was, and to not relive what it went through due to that.

However, it didn't mean that we had grown cold and unloving. With each passing year, I was further convinced otherwise.

And the reason it's so is also why there is one exception allowed to the Golden Rule: the Tournament. The one place where people from all islands could gather and spread word of their own unfolding.

The competitions revolves mostly around magic, a beautiful and dangerous art. Every student has to follow the Code, the lesson of a tale every student knew by heart, and the last Mum had told, and the one that is closest to my heart. It spoke of two treasures, of which a little share is entrusted to every living being, and that all ought to respect:

The Flower is who we are and what we've been, what we've learned, what we've seen. It draws strength from ancestry and bonds. It's our impact in the world. The Flame is passion, camaraderie and love. It's the candle in our heart, what shields us from the deep, and it's how we shape the world we see.

The flower grows free where the sun can reach, but it can only shine upon so many at once. And it's to overcome the Night that the Flame must shine ever bright. But this very same Light, when cast too fiercely, is harmful to the Flower. This balance a sorcerer must vow to never overlook, as magic draws its strength from the Flame, and one that shines too bright is bound to die quickly.

In the Tournament, people celebrate new encounters, accomplishments and, in general, life itself. Cultures, nations, colours, all mashed together to stir the Flame for years to come. And I just happen to stand at the very core of it.

Much like the Light, Victory cannot shine down upon all at once. It's grim, but sadly, the world can't be otherwise.

However, even if I'm not to be the one, I'll have nothing to regret if I have done my best.

And if it isn't enough, it doesn't really matter. As lonesome as the trip might have been at times, in the end, I wasn't truly alone. I didn't fight only for myself.

There's our team, the crowd, our colours.

And even if it's just for this moment... all we yearn for can come true.

---

Staff Roll
or, How to assemble a team to assemble yourself

Context: The Runouw Universe I've set up is a large town whose prime export is entertainment, generally in the form of art, film, and design. The main character is myself, a 52-year-old transitioning woman who suffers from depression and feeling past her prime, especially after a project that didn't go well humbled her. During a particularly rough patch that gets rougher with hard news, she meets five people, generally new people, that give her hope for the future generations of Runouw, and give her a sense of purpose. A lot of this is based off of real life and off of Runouw culture- in this one, every LDC is a year, so the story takes place in the 37th year (counting 25quared LDC and LLLDCs but not holiday LDCs) which is the 29th official LDC for SM63. The timeline is around a certain retirement and the creation of Leaves from the Vine, and a script for a level I almost made using the LotV parts I thought would go unfinished. A lot of this is also inspired by the death of Iwata, the swift grief cycle of which gave me a new sense of respect for our community. In fact, during a speech at the end I incorporated parts of a poem-type-thing I wrote in his honor.

You'll notice something early on: the font is paramount. It's courier new, which is scriptwriting font. You'll see the official Staff Roll on the front, and each new act will have the name of the location and a little something extra- banners I made to resemble set designs or art pieces, all with their own levels as a backdrop. I also capitalize new peoples' names whenever they appear, which is something you do in scriptwriting.