The logo of the Rhydin Sports Network appeared on screen before a young girl wearing a headset came into view. She tapped the side of on earphone with a fingertip then nodded as a voice reminded her that she was now on the air.
"Hello, Rhydin sports fans! I'm Maggie Harker, Baroness of Old Market, and we're coming to you live from the Cardinal Inn! This is the pre-game party for the 2017 Gubernatorial Cage Match. This shindig is sponsored by Nicole's Bistro and Pizzeria over in Old Temple along with Divine Delights Bakery in the Marketplace. Come out and enjoy some free food and fun. At eight p.m., we're going to start ferrying folks up to the Cage Match."
The camera panned the commons and focused on the buffet and dessert trays for a moment before returning to Maggie. She held up the appropriate amount of fingers for each amount of titles. "With us, now, we have two time Overlord, four time current Baroness, Mage Emeritus, three time current Keeper, two time Opal holder, two time Diamond, and the host for tonight's match, Claire Gallows! Welcome, Claire!"
Saving the glitz and glam for later in the evening, Claire had elected a more casual look for the pre-match party, consisting of jeans and a nondescript t-shirt, her hair tied into a loose tail over one shoulder. With Maggie's introduction she donned a bright smile for the camera. "Hi Maggie, thanks for having me!"
"What are your thoughts on tonight's Cage Match? Does anyone stand out as a possible winner?"
"Jesse comes in with quite a bit of fighting experience in the ring and she's, uh... definitely a risk taker, if needed. So she's the easy bet, but I don't think Colleen's tenacity and in ring experience or Samuel's element of mystery should be counted out either. We know next to nothing about him both in and out of the ring other than that he can throw a fun party, so he might be one to watch for any wiliness."
"Mr. Drumpf didn't appear for the debate nor has he made any public announcements about his candidacy. Do you think he'll make showing tonight?"
"To be honest, we didn't receive any sort of response from him or his people so instead we named the Missing Candidate cocktail after him and his lacking presence. It's a lovely blend of vodka, lilac liqueur, moon orange, and a tiny sliver of dry ice to make it foggy."
"What can you tell our audience about this year's
cage?"
"This one's a bit of a doozy, I think. Our first year, we played it save with a three tiered Crucible. The year after that we had the barbed wire octagon and last year, we had the sand pit. This year, we've put together a twenty-by-twenty plexiglass box of lights and motion with the Discombobulator. The light show is sure to entertain the crowd and confuse the fighters while the ring itself shifts and spins to add an extra element to contend with while Colleen, Jesse, and Samuel square off against each other."
"Kruger, the Anvil, Allen is set to officiate tonight's match. Will his pyrotechnics and music be a part of activities outside of the ring?"
Claire laughed. "Isn't it always? It's been such a pleasure to call these matches with The Anvil nearly every year. I expect plenty of fireworks and shenanigans from him along with some incredibly colorful commentary. Just wait until you see his outfit for tonight!"
"Before we close this segment, we have a little present for you, Claire. For the viewers that haven't heard, yet, Claire and her husband, Cooper, have a brand new baby boy at home! Congratulations!" Two shopping bags were set in front of Maggie. "Looks like we have a few things for, Jake, too!" Maggie held out a wrapped rectangular package about 2 inches by 3 inches.
"Ohhhhh my goodness, how sweet! Cooper's going to love this little hat. For Jake, of course, not him. Thank you, Maggie, and again thank you for having me!"
"Thanks for being with us tonight, Claire!" When Claire was out of the camera's view, Maggie said, "Don't forget, folks, Claire is also the owner of the
Sassy Owl Saloon located right here in Old Market. They've got the best Buffalo Wings in Rhydin. If you're a Team Dirty fan, wear your gear and get a 10% discount off your bill."
"And those who have not swords can still die upon them." - Eowyn, shieldmaiden of Rohan