“CIBBL - Y7, Summer - GSS: Athel Loren vs Skavenblight - R4:

After last game's win, Mereia's confidence as the Meddlers' interim coach had been boosted. There had been no word from Timaris, the Meddlers' founder and head coach, who was still recovering in the psychiatric ward from a nervous breakdown weeks earlier.

Today the wood elves faced the foul-smelling Deluge-Bearers. So repulsive is their putrid stench that their presence is smelled miles before one can even see them. "This isn't serious. How am I supposed to enjoy my martini like this?", Mereia cursed when she installed herself on the bench minutes before kick-off. She hesitantly abandoned her glass and decided to grab the facemask she'd been carrying along. It appeared this would be a dry game.

The Meddlers started kicking in the first half. As by wonder no elf got injured. To make it even better, the rats failed the pick-up deep in their own backfield. For some reason the Big-lage Xelk Prideborn had wandered off alone on the Meddler's half and immediately got blitzed by Hauclir, who killed him on the spot with a mighty swing! "Kurnous' balls!", Mereia exclaimed, "that was unexpected", looking for her glass, but eventually deciding against it. Meanwhile the rats' apothecary carried the bulbous mass off the pitch and somehow managed to revive it. The whole process involved obscure and dark sorcery, no doubt. In any case, the game was over for the plague censer bearer.

Isilvar and Keira rushed forwards, applying pressure on the ball. Next turn Keira got blitzed and badly hurt and more rats withdrew from the line, trying to secure the ball. Ghidex Stormfur managed to pick up the ball this time, but tripped when dodging away from Isilvar. Then suddenly a fireball was launched at the elves out of nowhere, knocking down Nimrodel and removing Syrabeth from the pitch. Hauclir blitzed forwards, knocking down a rat. Then Isilvar saw his chance. He dodged free and picked up the ball in several tackle zones. Already Mereia jumped up from the bench, shouting him forwards, but then Nuffle intervened. Isilvar snaked the dodge, badly hurting himself in the process. No touchdown, but rather a turnover and another elf removed from the game.

As ever so often, when it rains it pours. Now Hauclir, suddenly isolated, got blitzed and removed from the pitch as well with a serious injury! "Loec, you bastard!", Mereia cursed under her breath. "What are you trying to tell us?", she continued talking to herself. The rapid change of opportunities on the field had gnawed at her confidence and left her indecisive. Meanwhile the game carried on. Only three turns in the game, the Meddlers were once again outnumbered. Many of their best players were out already. Nevertheless, the elves started regrouping. Mereia had finally snapped out of her passive state and regained her wits. Shouting instructions to her team, the Meddlers brought Ethandril in position, their only remaining hope. After a futile first attempt, he leapt in again next turn and wrestled the ball free. By then however, the elves' numbers had dwindled further, rendering any defense futile. When Ethandril got fouled off the pitch, only two elves and the tree remained on the field. Armour was breaking faster than an egg's shell. In the end there was no way of stopping the pestilous horde: 1-0 in turn 8. The Meddlers made a decent one-turner effort, that eventually failed with a fumbled pass. 1-0 at halftime.

Able to field only 8 players in the second half, the situation looked bad. Looking for an opening in the rats' defences took a turn or two. By the time the wood elves managed to punch a hole, disaster struck again. After careful preparatory work by Nimrodel, Syrabeth - who was carrying the ball - snaked a dodge! It had happened again! She even managed to kill herself in the process! Mereia almost jumped on the field herself, but ultimately restrained herself before sending in the team's apothecary. The wise elf quickly intervened, saving the star wardancer' life.

By then the game was completely lost though. All the rats had to do was to pick up the ball and run it in for a second touchdown. By turn 6 the score was 2-0. Against all hope the Meddlers set up for another one-score attempt, and got blitzed! That obviously ruined the oneturner. In the end the Meddlers still scored, but that touchdown had lost all meaning. Endscore: 2-1.

Two snaked dodges decided this game. The first not only prevented the opening score, but also caused two casualties. The second snake was even worse, killing the wardancer and destroying all hope of getting any result...

Bad season for the Meddlers! ”