Capture the Flag

The world game of Capture the Flag, or CTF, as it is also known, is one of Sapience's biggest and deadliest events. It is a city-versus-city game that is both loved and loathed by adventurers Sapiencewide. Initially, cities stood to win huge gold prizes valued in the hundreds of thousands and, on one occasion, even an arena; however, in the year 337 AF, the Logos raised the stakes by creating the much-sought-after Effigy of Victory as the prize.

Preparations for CTFs vary between intense and non-existent: Concoctionists make a killing on the herb market as eager combatants bolster their healing supplies; Runewardens, Shamans, and Serpents from various cities engage in a miniature war of their own, implanting totems and splicing at strategic locations; and city leaders forge and break alliances, giving the CTF a political feel. Some cities sit back and do nothing until the day itself.

Once the game starts, adventurers scramble, kill, and rampage their way through the continent and the islands beyond in search of the seven flags to plant in key locations on the mainland. Once they get their hands on a flag, it's another mad dash to get to the locations their city teams have secured and avoid the opposing city teams that will undoubtedly be trying to hunt them down. The slaughter is rampant and indiscriminate at times; innocent passersby sometimes get caught in the fighting, but adventurer-caused deaths and kills have no experience loss or gain, respectively.

A CTF normally lasts around 2 Achaean days. In recent times, a more complex variation of the CTF, known as the "Game of the Eyes", was introduced by the Vertani. King of the Hill and Champions vs Assassins, two arena games, are also considered to be small-scale versions of the CTF.