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[FICTION] Naxian Culture | Palaistis & Athleticism

     Just as much as they love the arts, Naxians love competition and feats of physical ability. For over a thousand years, the Naxian Games are held to wreathe the best practitioners of their chosen sports.

    The most famous sport, however, is Naxian Wrestling, which focuses heavily on grappling and pain, rather than on permanent damage. That said, Naxian wrestlers, called palaistis, also often train in traditional unarmed combat; over a hundred different schools produce these talented fighters to compete in games, or even to act as more traditional bodyguards and mercenaries.

    Aside from martial arts, all manner of sports are played and practiced across the islands, with running and swimming being particular favorites. Some regions will conduct triathlons where athletes must race on foot, in water, then climbing a tall cliff or small mountain. Winners of such things are local celebrities, venerated by their communities as symbols of local pride.  

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