Toddler Olympics

All RT ships have traditions. Some have special games, some have feasts or superstitions. Some ship crews have other things

well they've just always done it that way. Windsor ships are no exception.

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The Crimson Devastator was a salvaged ship, and had previously been in the hands of pirates, chaos renegades, and humanoid buccaneers. But curiously, during all those hand-overs, take-overs, refits and repatriations, one of the large data servers had never been fully shut down, and had been running the same program for over 600 years. In ages past someone had written an excellent MMORPG, and some of the crew had been addicted to the game, and even when a new crew would take over, they saw the value of the system, and never turned it off. The host is redundant, so sections can be rebooted without affecting the whole. Plus it is extremely well programmed, and can run users in either 3D holo, 2D viewer, or even VR immersion modes. There are 2 dimensions in the game, one called Warmeisters of Worldcraft, which plays like a combo of Warcraft, Minecraft, Dwarf-Fortress and Fading Realms, it is a medieval fantasy game. The other dimension is sci-fi natured, entitled Travelcade 5000, and seems to combine elements from many different ideas, but lacks the world building feel of the first part. In any case, the imperial crew and adepts found it to be frivolous, but non-heretical, and allowed it to continue. Quickly the new Windsor crew of the Devastator eased into the game, and it has devotees from all ranks and sections.

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So on the Crimson Monstrosity, the ship's tradition is Toddler Olympics. In the interest of having a fit crew,

family bonding, and esprit-de-corps learned by teamwork, sports are strongly encouraged in each section.

The children from 3-5 are trained in several basic sports (soccer, relay races, team shuffleboard, obstacle course,

riding carts, modified pentathlon, volleyball, etc.) that encourage teamwork.

For seven quarters the sections compete locally, and then in the fourth quarter of the 2nd year, during the "summer" ;

ship-wide competitions are held, televised, betted upon. This is all crew - so the lowest of the blue-collar scuppers

can win gold, or even the haughty children of the stewards. Officers, marines, and even the rogue-trader children

compete in a completely level playing field. Betting is encouraged, but cheating, doping, augments, or scams of

any kind are harshly punished.

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On the Unblinking Venerator, twice during the Week, instead of Ship's Bells, they had music.

On Friday evening, at the start of 3rd shift, all ship voxes would carry a live signal from the ship's band, playing lively music, usually of an Imperial, Martial,

or cinematic theme. Sometimes with guest musicians. Sometimes a little jazzy, or peppy, but not too popular or heretical. Entertainment for one hour.

On Sunday mornings, beginning of 1st shift, all ship voxes would carry a signal (usually live but sometimes recorded) from the ship's choir, or the

Sisters contingent, or recordings from a respected musician, playing ecclesiastic music, usually of an Imperial, glorious, or spiritual them.

Inspirational music for one half hour.

It was considered extremely bad luck or ill omen for either of these times to be interrupted. If any red alerts, klaxons, or emergencies overshadowed

the music periods, it almost always impacted crew morale.

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On the Crimson Specter, each saturday night, the ships vox carries video from the Arena deck. Weekly battles are held.

All the various crews either build, or sponsor to be built, small battle-bots. Then that week's scenario is played out,

with color commentary.

Different themes or goals are played each time, such as King of the Hill, Destroy all Comers, Capture the Flag, Racing while

protecting an Egg, Timed Survival, Hussade ; Flooded Pits, Booby Traps, etc.

Crews lavish time and money on these little combat servitors. Some weeks the rules are tight, some weeks there are no rules.

Vast amount of petty cash change hand each week with the betting. All sections participate, not just the technical crews.

Even groups like the scuppers or chefs are involved, as they pool their money and sponsor a team. Groups deemed to have been

cheating are to be punished as harshly as any "real" crime by the ships codes. Records and video highlights go back in the

ships archive for 175 years. Winners from this week have a say on the rules for a future weeks battle.

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CRIMSON KESTREL

This is an extremely haunted ship and it shows. The ship has souls stuck in it from the hundreds of years the vessel has been in service,

and most are friendly, or at least neutral. The average crewman is considered Quite Lucky because so many eyes are on them at all times.

Ship tradition is that all meals, even MREs, quick breakfasts or snacks, ALWAYS include an extra beverage, meal, or serving, or place setting

as appropriate.. Somewhere during the meal, the food or drink will disappear, when no-one is watching that spot. It is uncanny

but you get used to it, like anything else amongst the weird stuff you see in the warp or void.

So the ship uses up extra stores because of this, but the helpfulness and protective value make it all worthwhile.

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CRIMSON SUN (aka Prodigal Sun)

Their tradition was just prior to each warp journey, each crewman had to eat a fresh donut.

Now what this implied was about 200 extra bakeries around the ship in addition to the usual

mess halls and cafeterias. Because all 12,500 crew had to have a donut on hand. So extra

cooking supplies and ingredients had to be stocked as well. Packaged or frozen donuts would

not do. So everyone on board, from the lowliest scupper or stores guard, all the way through

the weapon loaders and engine techs, on up to the Navigator and Captain, would eat a donut

during the countdown to warp translation. To not have donuts boded ill for the coming journey.