I love competition, especially sports. All kinds of sports. I don’t think I’ve ever found a sport I didn’t enjoy at least a little bit. When I set out to write Light’s Shadow, I knew the Darktouched would need some kind of athletic contest at the heart of their culture. So, I created Abzuball. 

Those readers who have played Final Fantasy X (FFX) will of course see some similarities to Blitzball. For those who have not played FFX, imagine a mashup of soccer, water polo, and ice hockey played within a sphere of water. 

Deep down, I always wanted to create my own version of Blitzball. But that was just the beginning. 

In the United States, team sports like football, basketball, and baseball tend to be where we focus. Ice hockey, tennis and soccer sit prominently in a second tier below these three. Then there’s lacrosse and rugby and so on… 

I wanted something different. Polo came to mind (something quintessentially American, albeit a century or more ago). And then I found the ancient Central Asian game of Kok Boru, in which “two teams of horseback riders compete to carry a headless goat carcass (or a mold) and place it into the opposing team's goal, which are usually large pits or ‘kazans’.” 

How cool is that? 

I was also reminded of a game from my childhood that was invented by my third grade PE teacher (or so he claimed). I believe he named it after himself, calling it Warner Ball. Players on opposing teams—all wearing flag football belts—would basically play Capture the Flag, as gaming enthusiasts know it. 

Simply, team members would attempt to run into the opposing team’s end of the field, dash into a marked circular area to steal one of two game balls, and then run the ball back to their own goal without their flag being pulled by the opposing team. Basic teamwork like defending the goals and passing the ball down the field were of course fair tactics. 

Coincidentally, the Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game (MMORPG) and global sensation World of Warcraft (obscure reference for the fans... I am evoking a certain South Park episode) featured some great Capture the Flag action in Warsong Gulch.  

Anyway, inspired by the above concepts, I came up with Abzuball—a blend of ancient and modern that I think reflects the world of the Darktouched well. 

Do you also enjoy sports and competition (even the online variety)? What others would you like to see reflected in the Raiders of Light series? Feel free to reach out and let me know!