Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame

The Pilgrimage of the Return of the Sacred Flame, sometimes shortened to just the Pilgrimage, is a national sport and combat tournament held at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame in Natlan. Previously, it was held as needed in response to Abyssal threat, being held more frequently as the Night Warden Wars intensified in recent years.^[1] With the Night Warden Wars concluded, Natlan no longer faces the threat of the Abyss, and Mavuika has repurposed the Pilgrimage into a purely athletic competition.^[2]

Overview

Due to the overwhelming number of participants, the tournament is divided into two phases. The first phase is a team competition, in which teams, usually led by an Ancient Name bearer, are sent out on hot air balloons to land at random locations outside of the Stadium of the Sacred Flame, participate in team battles to accumulate Contending Sparks and bring them back to the stadium entrance. Teams can, but rarely, contain more than one Ancient Name bearer, though some feel doing so can give the perception of cowardice. Defeat in combat, departure from the contest grounds, and running out of time all lead to elimination. The impetus for a team component is to instill the importance of working together, particularly for Ancient Name bearers. Participants from the winning teams move on to the second phase, which is composed of individual one-on-one matches. The outcome of these matches determines their rankings and the contestants' next opponent;^[3] closely matched opponents battle it out to see who comes out on top.^[4] The ultimate victors of the Pilgrimage are the top scorers at the end of the second phase. They are acclaimed as heroes, and the Ancient Name bearers among them earn the right to take part in the Night Warden Wars, a continuous battle against the invasion of the Abyss. For the tournament held just after the Traveler first arrived in Natlan, it was predetermined that the top five Ancient Name bearers would be the team sent to the Night Warden Wars, though it has not been stated how this number was decided upon. The specific wording used implies that different numbers of team members have been previously selected and sent.^[3][4]

The Pilgrimage serves numerous purposes. Its initial function was to collect Contending Fire to fuel the Sacred Flame, which protects Natlan from the Abyss as long as it keeps burning. Crucially, Contending Fire can only be produced in battles between the people of Natlan. As such, outlanders are prohibited from participating. It also chooses the strongest warriors to defend Natlan in the Night Warden Wars. Finally, the Pilgrimage is also how the Natlanese select their Pyro Archon; they believe that the most comprehensive test for a future Archon is performance in battle.^[3]

Prior to the tournament, individual contestants are required to fill out a pre-registration form (along with an optional supplemental form for personal information such as hobbies and the people closest to them)^[5] at the Stadium of the Sacred Flame. Team captains are then expected to register their team before evening on the day before the tournament. The Weary Inn provides free food and lodging for contestants and their friends and family on the night before the competition, courtesy of the Pyro Archon.^[3]

While being defeated is the most common way to be eliminated, contestants must also be on time for the opening ceremony on the morning of the tournament.^[3] Sleeping in (alcohol-induced or otherwise) and showing up late will get one's entire team disqualified.^[6] Additionally, contestants are expected to practice good sportsmanship, though each year there are a few "sore losers" when eliminated. Harassing other competitors still in the running can lead to tournament staff issuing a warning, and if such behavior persists, offenders can be barred from future competitions.^[4]

With the retooling of the tournament as an athletic competition, this opened up the possibility for outsiders to participate. The Traveler could have been the very first, however, as they accepted a request from Mavuika to serve as a special supervisor for the event, they became a tournament official and thus were ineligible to sign up as a competitor.^[2] For this new sports competition, there was only one winner required, of which Kinich became the first to come out on top.^[7]

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