DNN2

"Hello, everyone, and welcome to Wedassal, on the island of Blasigtland on the south-west coast of Norda. It's windy here, as it usually is, for the eleventh race weekend of the 1454 season of the Imperial League, and that sets us up for a fascinating contest at this vintage course that winds its way around the port of the city. I'm Sam Tinbru, with me as always is former IL Team Principal Bob Anmo, and for the next six hours we'll be bringing you all the action from Friday practice, as well as news, analysis and gossip from around the stables, all here on DNN Sport 2. Bob, it's nice to be out of the worst of the southern heat."

"It is, and it'll be a bit easier on the dragons too. We know that a few teams were pretty critical under the sun down in Anatolia particularly, but it'll be different stresses here. The wind is fierce, and it can be very changeable, it might even bring some rain with it through the weekend."

"Yes, weather systems tend to move quickly over this island, from the North Sea into the Gulf of Botnvik, which has given us some spectacular races in the past, even though, for a city course, there's a distinct lack of high-rise glitz here."

"Yeah, there's really only two landmarks in the city that feature in the course itself, the Wedastha at the north end and the cranes of the container dock down here by the river. Some people say it makes the course a bit boring to look at, but it keeps things much safer and the course layout itself is a classic."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Indeed, much of the layout is very fast, but the wind takes the edge off the advantages big dragons typically hold in fast courses. With the championship poised like it is, with two smaller dragons leading in Feran Andoal's Corredeira and Phoebe Tenryuu's Soot, and two big dragons, Lucia Aelschu's Olympia and Nikita Coro's Incandesia, beginning their comebacks from injury just behind them, it's going to be a fascinating weekend."

"Feran's been out of sorts lately, too."

"Yes, after winning three of the first five races, he's only taken one podium in the last four, but he's always flown well here. The bigger question is over Phoebe Tenryuu, who took a dramatic and shocking fall from Soot at the last race in Baleara. There are questions over her fitness, Bob, but also over her personal circumstances."

"Aye, the mid-season break seems to have been a bit of a nightmare for her. All sorts of turbulence in her business dealings, rumours about her personal life and connections, the team moving to a new headquarters, it must have been distracting at best."

"We'll be talking through all of that during our coverage through the weekend, of course, in fact I'm a little afraid it'll be all we talk about if we're not careful. Certainly the stables are abuzz with those rumours, and Tenebrae's personnel have made themselves pretty scarce. But let's try to talk about something else to start with…"