Glossary
Meshball
One of the more popular sports in Atlantis, with most towers having a team in the Tower League. The sport has existed for around a thousand years in the city, and is derived from a simpler form played in Barbaria. There are seven people on each team, with the intent being to score as many goals as possible.
Origins
During the Theoni Wars of 1500‘s, border battles would often be comprised of small companies who would seek to capture or kill the head chieftain or local warlord. The winning side would usually take the head, sword and armour of the losing chief, to deliver back at Alethion as a sign of victory. To ensure that the head was intact, it was wrapped in the chain mail armour and hung on the chief’s sword by the banner-general of the regiment. However on the long treks from the Stoci Plains to Alethion, the soldiers would often become bored, and so they would imitate the sword-mail and toss parts between them in the typical barbarian fashion.
The sport eventually left the battlefield and was used as a way of training soldiers to swing a sword, following the simple rule of whoever drops the "ball" loses. When it was brought over to Atlantis in 2049 YA, the students of Atlantis University on Camford Street observed the simplistic rules and decided to make it more competitive, creating the end-goals and the various types of player. Because of this, the game is often known as "Cammer".
Rules
Each team of seven players will arrange themselves at each end of the field. The Head-Defender will guard the goal, whilst two Defenders prevent the ball - a fist sized leather ball, smaller than the barbarian version - from getting to the end-goal. There are then two Netters positioned midfield, who pass the ball to the Swingers, whose job it is to lob the ball into the opposing teams end-goal. There will also be a referee from a neutral tower overseeing the match, making sure the various Camford rules are met.
A typical player will wear a simple wool shirt and trousers, with a leather top covering the shoulders. The leather top will be marked with the player’s surname on the back, and their number and team emblem on the front. The team sponsor will also have a logo on the wool shirt, and will usually be the company that uses the bottom floor of the tower as a market. Both men and women can play since 2376 YA, although very few women see the game as anything serious.