“pre game

Trae and Ralnor are going through their pre game routine, when Finwë arrives, late and showing no remorse.

"Where have you been Finwë?" asks vice-captain Ralnor.

"Ah just having a bit of fun with some ladies I met," replies the cocksure elf.

"We've got a game on and it is a big one, get your head on! We don't want any stupid moves to cost us the game!"

"Please," retorts Finwë, "I'm ready to play whenever, I never worry about failing!"

A silent Traeliorn shakes his head in dismay, he is certain that sooner or later Finwë will realise that just because he has always had it his own way, doesn't mean it will always be like that.
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The heralds blow their horns and 19,000 fans stream into the stadium to watch the Kestrel's first game against the Akendorf Raizers, in the EEL Pasty Division. The excitement reaches fever pitch just before the ceremonial gong is struck to announce the start of the game, the Raizers have chosen to kick.

first half

The Kestrel's got off to a decent start. The team swept to one side KOing ghoul Johanna Stranck (who doesn't come back) in the process.

Things got a little messy when a double skull is rolled, using up a vital reroll and then a skull/both down comes up when lineman Tobiar Ryfon tries to block wight Spencer Jansen, giving the Raizers a chance at a 1D block. The resulting both down stuns team captain Traeliorn and pops the ball, but ends the Raizers' turn.

The Kestrels clear the ball (KOing werewolf Mayor Bright in the process) and retrieve it, but a failed dodge, this time, leaves them in a tricky position. Again the Raizers are able to tag the ball carrier with a wolf - this time Hansen Wright. But with lots of standing players in contact, the Kestrels clear a path for Eärendur Ancalimë to make the 3+ pass into the waiting hands of blitzer Finwë Táralóm, who streaks away towards the endzone.

Werewolf Wright, takes exception to this turn of events and smashes the hand of Olwë Telemnar, who will miss the Kestrels' game against the Barren Hill Bashers.

With the goal line beckoning and a potentiall early lead, Finwë Táralóm arrogantly blitzs wight Spencer Jansen, thinking "What is the worst that can happen, that is why I have a reroll in the bag. BOOM double skulls, that's OK, I'll use the reroll, reroll, BOOM double skulls again. A certain score turns into a mess deep in the Raizers' half. Both teams are out of rerolls and scramble around for the ball but fail dodges and pick ups so the half ends scoreless.

second half

With the score at 0-0 and both teams getting one knocked out player back, it is the Kestrels who kick off the second half, playing 9 vs 11. But not before the boisterous fans riot, costing some time from the game. The Raizers make their opening hits and cage up around werewolf Wirght in their own half.

The Kestrel's return fire, but another set of double skulls (is that four so far? - Ed) causes another reroll to be frittered away.

The Raizers slide down the flank - rolling a double skull of their own (rerolled) before a fifth double skull for the Kesterls is also rerolled. The play is all around the half way line as first blood of the half goes to the Kestrels with a zombie (Boris Flurn) badly hurt, regen failed - giving Finwë Táralóm his first star player points of this new career. The Kesterls' inability to block again results in a turn over, this time Ralnor Molaroni the guilty party.

Half way through the Raizers' drive, it is looking fairly rosy, with the ball caged up and the Kestrels' doing their best to sabotage themselves.

Then a failed block by Mayor Bright, KOs former dark elf Constantin Melandrach, but also ends the Raizers turn. Have fortunes turned?

A 1D pow opens up the half cage on the sideline, inviting the blitz. Captain Traeliorn doesn't need a second invitation and dodges away from Golem Mary Van Glife, and rerolls his block into another POW, werewolf Wright is knocked out by the baying fans and the ball is thrown deep into Kestrel territory. A couple of dodges and a pick up later and the Kestrels have the ball. From nothing, all of a sudden the momentum has changed.

Werewolf Bright tags the ball carrier, but to no avail as the Kestrels show that bloodbowl is as much about ball handling and dodging as it is about blocking. They dodge several players free, blitz Bright off the ball carrier, and (with a lot of luck) make a series of 3+ and 2+ rolls to see the experienced Tobias Ryfon run free with the ball in hand. The series includes team captain Trae dodging through a crowd of players to mark Mikeal Stine, the only Raizers player who can reach Tobias.

The only further action of note is another casualty to a werewolf as Mayor Bright badly hurts rookie Xhalth Selleck, before Tobias crosses the line for the game winning score.

Full time Kestrels 1 Raizers 0.
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post game

After the game Traeliorn is approached by the L'Anguille Herald reporter and asked: "Trae, a win in your first game, how do you feel?"

"It was a close game and in truth for much of the second half I thought we were going to lose it after Finwë failed to score," says the Kestrels' captain, before adding:

"The boys need to learn how to block though, too many failures today and on another day it would have cost us.

"All in all I'm delighted with the result, if not the performance, and when it mattered the boys came good."
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in other news

- With Olwë Telemnar out of the next game, the Kestrels will be facing the Bashers down a blitzer (and skilled player). It is going to be a tough assignment for our boys in green and red!
- He may not have got the MVP, but team captain Traeliorn was the undoubt star, with the sack on werewolf Wright to get the ball free and then the multiple dodge through a crowd, of necro players to tag the zombie ensuring that Tobias would be free to score.”