Somewhat nervously, Jabber, Mathas, and Naxi approached the Queen's throne room. Against all odds, the Oracle, Priest, and Ranger had beaten out the competition and made it to the last round, and now that final challenge had arrived. None of them really expected it, and none of them knew what to expect from here on out.
For the first time since the start of the Challenge, the castle was filled to bursting. Local nobles, foreign dignitaries, rich merchants who bribed servants to make it into the castle... everywhere you looked the hallways were filled with spectators eager shake the hands of those who might win all, and also to size up their individual chances of winning, for bets were being placed far and wide about who would take home the prize.
The throne room itself was barely controlled chaos as pages rushed back and forth trying to serve as many people as possible and not step on any of the various flowing robes, dangling hair, or other obstacles. Queen Athena herself was lounged almost casually in her throne as she chatted with one of the visiting Oreskran nobles.
As soon as the three challengers entered, a huge blast of trumpets started the gathered spectators into stunned silence, and Athena sat up properly in her throne as they walked forward, though her eyes glittered with amusement. "So we reach the final challenge, with all three of you ready and eager to compete against each other for the last time and claim the glory for yourself.
"This last challenge will be a bit different from the others, given that you will each compete in many small, different tasks, earning points--or losing them--based on your performance. The challenger with the most points at the end will be crowned the winner. And your very first round starts...
"Now." She smiled.
"For your first round, each of you must obtain sponsors to promote you. Anyone in the city limits can potential be a sponsor for you. These sponsors do not have to provide you with any other funding, but they must be willing to back you over any of the other competitors, as they can only choose to sponsor one challenger a piece. You will earn a number of points based on how many sponsors you earn compared to your foes. I wish you all the best of luck and skill!"