The Eighth Annual Hunger Games
Introduction
Narciso Sombray and his wife, Lima Sombray, returned yet again this year as the President and the Head Gamemaker, respectively. Lima was pregnant with their second child, but only 3 months so, so she still was Gamemaker. Later that year, their daughter, Cartagena Sombray, would be born. Although the couple was happy and the nation was seemingly content, surprises would pop up in the next several years that would morph and change the country. But, for then, Panem was placated. Boliviana Rare returned as the host. For the tributes, it was again an average year, with not a single score higher than an 8. There was a single volunteer; the boy from 5, who volunteered to save his crippled , 17 year old brother. Here are the tributes:
District 1: Nada Tang, 16 (3) 62-1 and Sardar Schneiders, 15 (2) 76-1
District 2: Claudine Palmiero, 17 (8) 6-1 and Max Peterson, 17 (6) 18-1
District 3: Zinaida Lyon, 16 (6) 16-1 and Oshea Sandoval, 18 (6) 15-1
District 4: Glenna Jinks, 18 (7) 10-1 and Zdenko Choe, 16 (2) 73-1
District 5: Irmentrude Marley, 17 (7) 11-1 and Tristao Payne, 14 (6) 16-1
District 6: Madoline Peray, 15 (5) 23-1 and Eberhard Ryers, 18 (8) 5-1
District 7: Eleonora Meadows, 14 (7) 11-1 and Harvard D'Antoni, 14 (5) 24-1
District 8: Liliane Thwaite, 13 (4) 35-1 and Radomir Roosa, 17 (5) 26-1
District 9: Tanzi Bagnoli, 12 (3) 64-1 and Cathasach Idoni, 16 (6) 18-1
District 10: Lauma Tobias, 18 (6) 16-1 and Wischard McDomnhaill, 14 (5) 25-1
District 11: Mirjana MacThaidhg, 18 (7) 12-1 and Domnie Rake, 15 (3) 64-1
District 12: Aisling Surtana, 16 (5) 24-1 and Darius Cadwendell, 17 (6) 19-1
HGBA Odds: 21% on Eberhard, 18% on Claudine, 13% on Glenna, 10% on Mirjana, 9% on Eleonora, 7% on Irmentrude, 5% on Tristao, 3% on Lauma, Oshea, and Cathasach, 2% on Zinaida, 1% or less on Nada, Sardar, Max, Zdenko, Madoline, Harvard, Liliane, Radomir, Tanzi, Wischard, Domnie, and Aisling.
The Games
The arena was an Australian outback. The arena was mostly rough, rising and falling terrain coated in reddish sand. Spindly trees and crumbling bushes dotted the landscape. A large oasis sat to the north, streams cut through the east, kangaroo mutts lived in a shallower part of the arena, in the west, and large, rocky red mountains dominated the south. The Cornucopia and most of the supplies sat at the bottom of a steep indent in the ground, and the tributes would have to run down it to reach the Cornucopia.
The bloodbath this year would have 5 kills, and the blood would mix with the reddish soil of the outback themed arena.
5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The tributes ran in a variety of directions, about half heading for the Cornucopia, the other half sprinting into the hazy, burning hot outback.
The first kill was made by Lauma, who scooped up a spear and shoved it into the nearest girl.
Nada Tang, District 1 Female; 24th, Killed by Lauma, Bloodbath
The next kill was made by a viciously hammer wielding Irmentrude. She cornered a contender for the Victor's crown and smashed her temples in with a thick headed hammer.
Mirjana MacThaidhg, District 11 Female; 23rd, Killed by Irmentrude, Bloodbath
A third girl was killed when Eleonora and Madoline, allies, teamed up on a smaller, weaker girl, stabbing her with daggers.
Tanzi Bagnoli, District 9 Female; 22nd, Killed by Eleonora and Madoline, Bloodbath
The fourth kill was made by Eberhard, wielding a double edged sword. He smashed his sword through the side of a tall, lanky boy with a small backpack.
Radomir Roosa, District 8 Male; 21st, Killed by Eberhard, Bloodbath
The final kill was made by Claudine, wielding a crossbow with two dozen bolts. She shot two into an oncoming attacker who was trying to steal her crossbow.
Sardar Schneiders, District 1 Male; 20th, Killed by Claudine, Bloodbath
The bloodbath concluded, the tributes scattered, scrambling into the dusty outback.
Days 2 and 3 had no deaths, so the Gamemakers sent a harsh bush fire onto the arena. It claimed the lives of three tributes; one average boy, one weaker, wounded boy, and a girl who had made a kill in the bloodbath despite her lower odds.
Tristao Payne, District 5 Male; 19th, Killed by bush fire, Day 4
Domnie Rake, District 11 Male; 18th, Killed by bush fire, Day 4
Madoline Peray, District 6 Female; 17th, Killed by bush fire, Day 4
Stirred up by the bush fire and pushed together, a tribute died, having lost her ally to bush fire, on Day 5 from a long, hard duel in the red, burning soil with the boy from 6, the District partner of her dead ally.
Eleonora Meadows, District 7 Female; 16th, Killed by Eberhard, Day 5
Day 6 was deathless. Day 7 had two deaths, one mutt caused, one natural causes.
The first death, two hours before noon, happened when rabid kangaroo mutts attacked a tribute that wandered into their territory, ripping him limb from limb.
Darius Cadwendell, District 12 Male; 15th, Killed by kangaroo mutts, Day 7
The second death happened as night fell. A tribute perished from dehydration, having been unable to find water in the dry outback.
Harvard D'Antoni, District 7 Male; 14th, Dehydration, Day 7
Day 8 was deathless. Day 9 had a large fight between three tributes, in which two died. The trio to face off were Zinaida, Cathasach, and Glenna.
Zinaida was the first to fall under Cathasach's mace.
Zinaida Lyon, District 3 Female; 13th, Killed by Cathasach, Day 9
Cathasach and Glenna fought for ten minutes, trident against mace, but Glenna eventually prevailed, stabbing Cathasach in the stomach with her trident.
Cathasach Idoni, District 9 Male; 12th, Killed by Glenna, Day 9
Days 10 and 11 were deathless. Day 12 had another bush fire, killing three tributes, and then a duel that kill a 4th.
The bush fire rippled through the arena, burning three tributes alive. The first was killed in their sleep. The second was crushed by a burning tree. The third was caught in a hunting snare and was burned alive.
Oshea Sandoval, District 3 Male; 11th, Killed by bush fire, Day 12
Zdenko Choe, District 4 Male; 10th, Killed by bush fire, Day 12
Wischard McDomnhaill, District 10 Male; 9th, Killed by bush fire, Day 12
At this point, the final 8 was finalized: Claudine Palmiero from District 2, Max Peterson from District 2, Glenna Jinks from District 4, Irmentrude Marley from District 5, Eberhard Ryers from District 6, Lauma Tobias, District 10, and Aisling Surtana, District 12.
The pair of Liliane and Aisling faced off in the smoldering coals of the bush fire a hour after Wischard's cannon fired. Liliane and Aisling both held thin daggers, and they darted towards each other, trying to stab the other. They fought for ten minutes before one girl triumphed over the other, pushing a knife into the other's chest.
Liliane Thwaite, District 8 Female; 8th, Killed by Aisling, Day 12
Day 13 was deathless. Day 14 had a single death, where Claudine killed a sleeping tribute early in the morning with a dagger.
Aisling Surtana, District 12 Female; 7th, Killed by Claudine, Day 14
Day 15 had three deaths, caused by vicious earthquakes and tornadoes that shook the arena.
Max Peterson, District 2 Male; 6th, Killed by earthquakes, Day 15
Claudine Palmiero, District 2 Female; 5th, Killed by earthquakes, Day 15
Glenna Jinks, District 4 Female; 4th, Killed by tornadoes, Day 15
The final 3, Day 16 were pushed to the Cornucopia by dust storms. Eberhard shoved his sword into a girl.
Lauma Tobias, District 10 Female; 3rd, Killed by Eberhard, Day 16
Irmentrude and Eberhard faced off, fighting for fifteen minutes, before one triumphed, smashing the other's head in with her hammer.
Eberhard Ryers, District 6 Male; 2nd, Killed by Irmentrude, Day 16
"Irmentrude Marley of District 5, you are the Victor of the 8th Hunger Games!"
Irmentrude just threw her hammer away from Eberhard's body and tried not to cry.
Aftermath
Irmentrude was the second Victor out of District 5, the first District repeat and the first District and gender repeat. She joined fellow District 5 Female Tugra, Victor of the 3rd Hunger Games, that year. Irmentrude would help Tugra Mentor, and, when Tugra would die early, Irmentrude would step up to be a main Mentor. Irmentrude understood the clever tributes of her District, almost as much as very clever Tugra. Working together, Tugra and Irmentrude were fantastic Mentors and friends.
Irmentrude, age 17 at her Victory, would live to age 87 and die four and three fourths months after the 78th Hunger Games due to brain cancer. She would not marry during her life, but she would adopt twin girls.
The payouts were okay for her Victory, as 7% of bets were on her.
Her Victory Tour was normal, though District 5 was elated to be the first District to have 2 Victors. Districts 6, 8, 10, 11, and 12 still did not have Victors, though Eberhard had been close to bringing home victory to District 6.
Victor's News
Irmentrude moves into the Victor's Village of District 5, into the house next door to Tugra's.
Guild ends his engagement with Timmia.
Dillon has his first of four children, Lana, with his wife.
List of Victors
1st: Kelan Thather, District 4 (1, 1 Male)
2nd: Dillon Tripp, District 9 (1, 1 Male)
3rd: Tugra Ertra, District 5 (1, 1 Female)
4th: Noor Tuskararus, District 2 (1, 1 Female)
5th: Ishania Patel, District 7 (1, 1 Female)
6th: Guild Tonneroy, District 1 (1, 1 Male)
7th: Chaplin Nastaro, District 3 (1, 1 Male)
8th: Irmentrude Marley, District 5 (2, 2 Female)
