Casper Schwartz's History of the Vytal Festival

"I propose that a Festival be held every second year, with the purpose of promoting peace, goodwill and unity amongst the nations of the world. I do this so that the treaty we forged here today will last for generations to come, and so that we are not dragged once more into an era of endless warring and the needless slaughter of our best and brightest."

- OSWALD KERNOW, First Headmaster of Beacon Academy, Last King of Vale. 0AW

With the above words, the concept of the Vytal Festival was born.

If the history books are correct, Headmaster Kernow (as he later preferred to be addressed as) got the idea for the Vytal Festival upon seeing the collective celebrations of the soldiers that were at Vytal when peace was announced. As a result, he turned the signing of the Vytal Peace Accord into a larger celebration.

The order in which the Festival has been held ever since was based on the victor of the very first Vytal Festival Tournament, held during the second Festival. Mistral won, with Vale coming in second, Mantle/Atlas third and Vacuo last. It should be noted that Vacuo was still busy trying to not rip itself apart after its council was forced upon it, and had not sent its very best warriors to compete.

Menagerie was invited to participate, but its Chieftain Audumla declined. This was likely in protest both in the stripping of her former title as Queen of Vacuo, and in the total lack of help in setting up and settling of the government of Menagerie. Ever since, Menagerie has been barred from participating in the Festival, although as of the 9th Festival, Menagerian citizens may take part under a foreign banner.

Below is an abridged history of each of the Vytal Festivals.

(Note: If a tournament is left blank, nothing of note happened.)

2AW Vytal - The first Vytal Festival, which was intended to be a reconfirming of the global peace. An initially unofficial tournament was held by the soldiers of the various nations, originally as a way to put an end to rivalries that had sprung up during the Great War.

4AW Vytal - The Vytal Tournament was held for the first time, born from the tournament held by the soldiers in the first Festival. It is considered to be the first real Vytal Festival, as most if not all of the events that are now considered staples of the VF were first seen here.

6AW: Mistral - The first Festival not to be held on Vytal. The first Mistralli Festival was held just outside the Capital, as laws prohibiting foreigners entering the city itself had yet to be rescinded.

8AW: Vale - The first time that a 'Home Team' won the Vytal Tournament. It remains a somewhat controversial win, given Oswald's semblance of mild clairvoyance.

10AW: Mantle - This was the only instance that Mantle held the Vytal Festival. As such, merchandise from this Festival, when sold, often goes for high amounts.

12AW: Vacuo - Considered one of the best of the early Festivals, and the first instance of the Vytal Tournament ending with a draw.

14AW: Mistral - Foreigners were allowed into the Capital from this Festival onwards.

16AW: Vale

18AW: Atlas - From this point on, Menagerian citizens could compete under foreign banners. There was some protest by the Mistralli Council, but in a surprising three-to-one vote (Vale, Vacuo and Atlas vs Mistral), the decision was made in favour of letting Menagerians compete.

20AW: Vacuo

22AW: Mistral

24AW: Vale

26AW: Atlas - Following the success of this Vytal Festival, the highly anti-Faunus government Atlas had at the time began a campaign of discrimination, this included 'rewriting' history to erase achievements made by Faunus, and typically attributing them to Atlesians.

28AW: Vacuo - As a result of their then anti-faunus laws, Atlas was barred from attending this festival.

30AW: Mistral - As a result of their then anti-faunus laws, Atlas was barred from attending this festival. (Given that Mistral is on the whole more discriminatory than Atlas, it says a lot that even they thought the 20's laws too much.)

32AW: Vale - Former King Oswald died about a month prior to the 16th Festival. A memorial was held during the Opening Ceremony. The now elderly Chieftain Audumla of Menagerie was the one to lead the proceedings in a show of assumed posthumous reconciliation.

34AW: Atlas - For the first time, a Faunus led team (hailing from Vacuo) won the Vytal Tournament.

36AW: Vacuo -

38AW: Mistral

40AW: Vale

42AW: Atlas - The Vytal Tournament ended with a draw for the second time.

44AW: Vacuo

46AW: Mistral

48AW: Vale

50AW: Atlas - Amity Colosseum was first used during this Vytal Festival.

52AW: Vacuo

54AW: Mistral - For the first (and only) time, the Vytal Tournament final was fought by two teams from the same nation.

56AW: Vale

58AW: Atlas

60AW: Vacuo

62AW: Mistral

64AW: Vale - The Vytal Tournament ended with a draw for the third time.

66AW: Atlas

68AW: Vacuo

70AW: Mistral- This one takes place later this year. With luck, I will be able to attend this one and take Cinder with me.

The next five Festivals will be:

72AW: Vale

74AW: Atlas

76AW: Vacuo

78AW Mistral

80AW: Vale- This is the Vytal Festival seen in canon.