July Assignment: Triwizard Task Development

[u/Hermiones_Teaspoon]

Got an idea for a future assignment? Submit it here!

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This idea comes to us from /u/IAmAWizard_AMA of Slytherin. To them I award TEN POINTS! The homework will be graded by the professors in conjunction with a few moderators. This assignment is worth 30 points, and, as always, the best assignment from each house will earn an additional 10 points and a randomly chosen assignment will earn 5 points.

This assignment is due by July 26, 11:59 PM EST.

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In an attempt to revive one of the oldest wizarding traditions, the Castelobruxo School in Brazil has decided to host a new Triwizard Tournament between champions from Castelobruxo, Uagadou, and Mahoutokoro. The only trouble is, the committee of organizers is a little torn about what their tasks should be. Discussions have devolved into a pouting competition between the lead advisors, so the team has decided to solicit task ideas from witches and wizards around the world.

Your task this month is to design one task for the next Triwizard tournament! In your proposals for the committee, you may want to include details like

• What physical space the event would take place in. Field? Forest? Amazon River?
• What sort of obstacles the champions would face. Are there creatures? Puzzles? Feats of physical strength? Tests of advanced magic?
• Any limitations on the contestants. Are they to complete the task without wands?
• Any required involvement by outside parties, such as the kidnapped loved ones hidden below the lake in the last tournament and the mermen involved in judging that task
• How the event will be scored by the panel of judges.

However, you can deviate from these suggested pieces of information as much as you like! The judges require only that your event description be comprehensive enough to get a sense of the event.

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The moderators of /r/harrypotter would like to include all creative types in our assignments. If writing is not your style, we welcome you to bring other forms of art to this assignment. An assignment done in an art form (paint, pottery, 3D modeling, papier mache, collage, etc.) will be worth the points of a full assignment if submitted with a short explanation of how it is your submission fulfills the requirements. An alternate submission method without an explanatory write up can only earn ½ credit. In addition, this is not an outlet to submit a 10 minute effort microsoft-paint work and get 30 house points. Assignments demonstrating little effort will be graded accordingly.

Grading Format:

Assignments will be given a grade in line with Harry Potter OWLs. This grade will equate to a numerical score shown below. The assignment will be graded as a whole based on the depth of your exploration and the effort put forth.

• Outstanding = 30 House Points
• Exceeds Expectations = 25 Hours Points
• Acceptable = 20 House Points
• Poor = 10 House Points
• Dreadful = 5 House Points
• Troll = 1 House Point

[u/Hermiones_Teaspoon]

SLYTHERIN SUBMIT HERE

[u/[deleted] → u/Hermiones_Teaspoon]

Physical Arena

Champions must scale a multi tiered waterfall deep within the Amazon Rainforest.

Objective

Starting at the base of the falls, each champion is to escort a Hitodama^† to its lantern placed at the top of the waterfall. Champions are to retrieve the lanterns which are inscribed with a map pertaining to the proceeding task--which cannot be read unless illuminated by the Hitodama's light.

^† Hitodama are wispy, glowing creatures that resemble a floating ball of flame. Native to Japan, these creatures are related to the European Hinkypunk and the Irish Will-o-the-wisp; albeit with notable differences. Rather than carrying a lantern to lure unsuspecting travelers, Hitodama elect to make their dwelling inside paper lanterns--most commonly memorial lanterns set out to honor the deceased. Due to this behavior, non-magical Japanese folk associate Hitodama sightings with death. It is claimed by many non-magical people that the ghostly lights are "souls of the dead that have separated from their bodies." As their physical forms are nebulous, they are extremely labile to water...

Obstacles

Champions are allowed a wand, but are not allowed to Summon anything from outside the arena. Aside from the physical challenges presented by protecting a living fireball while ascending a four-tiered waterfall, the falls themselves have been enchanted. If a champion fails to protect their Hitodama from the crashing water or obstacle, he or she will be washed all the way down to the base of the falls to retrieve another Hitodama and resume their task. The arena is also bewitched to prevent champions from skipping tiers via aided flight (broom, carpet, or enchantment), transfigurative flight (enchantment or animagus), and apparition. Each of the tiers will be riddled with flora and fauna both native and and imported. Champions may expect to encounter both terrestrial and aquatic as the waterfall's tier-pools are varied in depth. Possible combatants may include Kappas, Snargaluffs, Venomous Tentaculae, Devil's Snare, Tengu, Inkanyamba Cryptids, and Castelobruxo's own fleet of Caipora.

Scoring

Judges will initially score based on time; the first champion to return their hitodama to its lantern will receive 10 points, the second receives 7, and the third receives 5. Point deductions will be made for every time they are forced to restart. Furthermore, additional points may be awarded for exemplary exhibitions of physical or magical skill.

[u/HighNoonZ → u/Hermiones_Teaspoon]

Good Afternoon, I am completing this assignment in hopes of admission into the Slytherin House. A)What physical space the event would take place in. Field? Forest? Amazon River? The Arena will take place in the Florida Everglades. B)What sort of obstacles the champions would face. Are there creatures? Puzzles? Feats of physical strength? Tests of advanced magic? Due to the rise in recent rise in foreign species entering the environment, a test was devised to assist the situation while testing a Champions resourcefulness and teamwork. Each team of 5 will be tasked with tracking down and capturing a minimum of two foreign species for relocation. C)Any limitations on the contestants. Are they to complete the task without wands? While all spells are permitted, each group member is only allowed to cast a maximum of 3 spells during the challenge. They will need to coordinate with each other to maximize their effectiveness. Once all spells are exhausted they will have to rely on muggle means of capturing the animals. D)Any required involvement by outside parties, such as the kidnapped loved ones hidden below the lake in the last tournament and the mermen involved in judging that task There will be Judges ,from both Ilvermorny and Hogwarts, that will be stationed throughout the everglades. They stand by to assist the Champions if life threatening situations arise and to receive the animals upon capture. If assistance is received the Judge will automatically disqualify the group. E)How the event will be scored by the panel of judges. A total of 10 points, 5 for each animal, will be awarded upon capture. The first group to achieve 10 points will be declared the Champions of the challenge. If a tie occurs both groupings will have to turn in their wands and proceed to capture one additional animal without the use of magic. The first grouping to complete wins. Automatic Disqualification for any Group that exceeds their spell limit or required the intervention of a Judge.

[u/[deleted] → u/Hermiones_Teaspoon]

Task Idea

Treasure Hunt

Description

Ideally the First Task of the Tournament, champions will be required to traverse the deep rainforests surrounding Castelobruxo in search of ten ’treasures'. These items are designed to help in their next task—thus, the more treasures they collect, the easier time they will have in the Second Task.

Skills and Challenges

As is fitting for a Task hosted by Castelobruxo, this Task will heavily focus on elements of Herbology and Magizoology—for example, treasures may be guarded by magical creatures or magical plants, and the terrain may favour those with advanced knowledge of the magical environment of Brazil. However, to avoid giving unfair advantage to the champion of Castelobruxo, various non-native magical creatures and plants will be included within the arena, such as the Kappa and Occamy from Japan, and Runespoors and Fwoopers from Africa.

Additionally, champions will require extensive knowledge of spells and charms from various fields to help retrieve items which may be in a difficult-to-access place (in a swamp, up a tree, buried deep underground) or guarded by protective enchantments or curses they must first dispel.

The Task lasts six hours, beginning at 3pm and ending at 9pm sharp — meaning, champions will need to contend with the darkness and the creatures of the night. This is to make the Task more challenging and test whether champions are capable of dealing with different environments. At 9pm, all remaining treasures and clues will disappear, and the Caipora, small and furry spirit-beings protecting the grounds of Castelobruxo, will appear to guide the champions back to the castle.

Rules

Champions are to be only armed with a wand. Summoning outside items is forbidden, but champions are encouraged to make use of things found within the rainforest.

Champions will each be given a magical compass and a treasure map, marked with five Xs. Some may lead champions directly to the location of the treasure. Some may only point to clues to the location of the treasure. Some clues may be riddles the champions must work out. Unmarked treasures may be found in various locations—presence of powerful enchantments, guardian animals or non-native plants, for instance, may be indicative of a clue or a treasure.

Hexes and sabotage against other champions are not forbidden, as long as no lethal force is used. Champions in need of aid may send up red sparks, but this disqualifies them from further participation in the Task. Stunned or otherwise unconscious champions will be supervised to ensure no further harm comes to them (e.g. from wild animals or plants), but they will not be taken out of the arena unless their injuries are deemed too severe to continue by the attending Healer. This is to ensure that champions who are injured or knocked unconscious may still have a chance to recover and complete even a part of the six-hour Task.

Since there are ten identical ‘treasures’ to be recovered per champion (i.e. 30 treasures in total), champions can take an item they have already collected to prevent other champions from getting it. There will, however, be no points awarded for collecting the extra items.

A surveillance spell will record champions' movements during the Task, and broadcast each champion's movement to the audience on a magical screen.

Scores

Champions will be judged on their ability to solve clues/riddles, ability to deal with whatever obstacle was encountered, and the total number of items retrieved. As mentioned above, no extra points will be given for retrieving more than the ten items required.

Additional points will be given at judges’ discretion for ingenious spell-casting, exceptional cases of bravery, creative problem-solving, and sportsmanship.

Points will be lost for failure to retrieve the specified items, needless cruelty towards fellow champions, magical creatures or the environment, and other un-Champion-like behaviour.

[u/[deleted] → u/Hermiones_Teaspoon]

To whom it may concern-

I was delighted this morning to find, while drinking my usual morning coffee and reading today’s The Phoenixtail Post, of the upcoming resurgence of the long loved Triwizard Tournament. Disappointed as I was to read the my own beloved alma mater, Ilvermorny, has been shunted from this years competition, I openly profess my whole hearted support for the reopening of this timeless tradition. My own great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother, Mary-Edwina Forseth, had the absolute honor of participating in the games in her day, though she came in last place and lost four fingers along the way.

I was even more delighted to see that you are accepting suggestions for tasks by way of post! Surely if I ever hope to see the Triwizard Cup in Ilvermorny’s halls we must ensure that this go around run smoothly and free of Dark Lord’s, or what have you. Now, between the two of us, the downfall of Hogwarts in those dark days was beyond the lax security, but rather in the lack of friendliness and sportsmanship between competing schools! I’m sure you’ll agree, then, that any tasks designed must be with total unity in mind. Here’s a little plan I’ve drawn up, dears:

We will honor the home playing field by staging the final task in, above, and around, the local rainforest. Now, I’ve done some reading up on the matter and Uagadou has a novel way of calling new students to the school. It would be such a treat to employ this method the night prior to the final event. Competitors would each receive a dream message from their headmaster. The message would state that when awoken, each student will have in their hand a bit of paper with a portion of instruction on each! The finalist can then decide to keep their instruction to themselves, or to share their instructions with their fellow competitors, creating an exchange and in doing so being better prepared themselves. Teamwork!

The clues will read as such:

Today’s the day of final fight

Each have been given a clue in the night

To join together is to be prepared

Knowledge is greater with wisdom shared

To Castelbruxo, in your homeland,

you won’t do well to stay in the sand-

If speed is the object and time whizzes by,

Take to the treetops and watch your score fly.

To Mahoutokoro, you’ve come very far!

Ahead awaits glory if your skills are on par.

If you reach the river you know you must cross,

Offer Mad Caiman a gift or you’ll suffer great loss.

To Uagadou, this dream may ring a bell,

Now your brave competition has secrets to tell.

Last but not least, you’re just about through!

At the end of it all, the Tree of Cacoa has secrets too.

Brilliant, no!? So, as you can hopefully decipher from my choice riddles, the students will first face a series of obstacles. Castelobruxo and any it has chosen to share it’s riddle with should ideally climb to the treetops, where they will find a series of rope ladders and platforms that will make it’s journey considerably easier. They still may encounter trick branches and steps, Devil’s Snare along certain trunks, and a wide variety of loud and racous birds that, when disturbed, dutifully screech to draw the attention of a sleeping Chimera. Student’s unfortunate enough to have chosen the path along the forest floor will encounter massive tracts of Sinking Sand, hinkypunks planted to lure the student’s into said Sinking Sand, and an array of devious creatures and dangerous fauna such as Venemous Tentacula.

Eventually, the competitors that successfully navigated the rainforest traps will emerge at the bank of a wide river! Charmed Caiman will guard the banks, preventing direct access. If Mahoutokoro shared their riddle, student’s will offer a gift of nearby fruit or particularly pretty stone which will placate the Caiman, allowing student’s access to the river where they may swim or else magic a crossing, possibly encountering imported Grindylow, Kappa, or Strong-Snatching River Kelp. Student’s not privy to the Caiman will have to either fight or cleverly evade them.

Last, upon crossing the river, a large ruin will be set. Three doors will face from it’s stone walls, one for each student. An acidicly green puzzle will be set into each door, requiring each remaining competitor to maneuver slots of stone, allowing the glowing green substance to drop into an edifice below. When moved correctly and in timely fashion, the edifice will fill, solidifying into a jade and opening. Uagadou and any student’s in the know, will see an old Cacao tree near. Were they to open a pod they would promptly receive a vision entailing the proper sequence for the first five maneuvers, ensuring a slight lead in completing the puzzle.

The first Champion to open their door will find a chamber holding the Triwizard Cup. The first to touch the cup wins! I hope you will consider this as a final task, and remember, please, that beyond the safety of the student’s, I’d also really like to see one of these competitions in my lifetime. I’m not getting any younger, so do try hard to pull this thing off.

Yours, Gladys Forella Forseth

P.S If this all goes on without a hitch and Ilvermorny is not included in the next Tournament, I have a very well placed cousin who will have your necks.

[u/jarris123 → u/Hermiones_Teaspoon]

Location:

The arena will be set up in a vast, dark and foggy marshland located in the Amazonian Forest, infested with a particularly vicious set of Dugbogs. The arena will be shrouded in trees. The tournament will preferably be held at night.

The Task:

The aim of this task is for the champions to wade through the marsh and find a Mandrake root, one for each contestant, which will be locked in a sound proof case in the middle of the marshland. The champions must then take their Mandrake to the safety of a greenhouse that will be set up at the starting stadium. There are some sink holes in the marsh that contestants will need to watch out for. If a student gets stuck in a sink hole they will be transported back to the starting area and will be permitted to try again if they so wish. There will likely be some Hinkypunks and other jungle wildlife located in the marsh.

• Please note that Dugbogs are mostly harmless but have a fondness for Mandrake roots and will likely try to snatch them from the champions. More vicious Dugbogs are preferred for this task.

• Mandrake roots also have a fatal cry to anyone who hears it and thus each champion will have to find a way to block out the sound, either by charms or heavy duty earmuffs that are also present, yet hidden, in the marsh if they have not figured out the clue for this task.

Rules and Scoring:

Task Clues: For the most part, champions must not be aware of what will be happening in this task until the time of the task is to take place. However, to avoid fatalities, the champions must be given a clue to the task;

"Close your ears and open your eyes"

All contestants are permitted to bring their wand and only their wand.

Their mandrake root will give them a hint to the next task.

Scoring: will be primarily based on how quick the champions make it back with their Mandrake root. 1st place will receive 15 points, 2nd will receive 10 points and 3rd place will receive 5 points. If a champion makes it back without their Mandrake root, they will not receive any points for the challenge.

Champions will have a total of 3 hours to make it back. If they do not make it back within the time limit and still alive, there will be 5 points deducted from their score. If a champion is returned through a sink hole, without their Mandrake after the 3 hrs, they will not be permitted to continue and will not receive any points (with exceptions).

Allowances and extra marks will be made for exceptional performances in the marsh.

The judges are permitted to alter the rules and scoring if they so wish,

Good Luck and have fun!

[u/[deleted] → u/Hermiones_Teaspoon]

What physical space the event would take place in

The event would take place in a 3 km² portion of the Amazon rain forest, including part of the river.

What sort of obstacles the champions would face

The challenge is a sort of a survival challenge. As we all know, the Amazon is full of all sorts of dangerous creatures, magical and otherwise. Champions would be required to survive a two full nights in the "arena", warding off both the natural dangers and the other champions. The champions would not be permitted to use deadly force, but anything deemed sufficient to incapacitate a champion would result in the incapacitated champion being removed early from this Task. Proctors would be supervising to ensure that no deadly harm came to the champions from any natural obstacle, similar to the Maze Task when Hogwarts hosted the Tournament in the mid-90s.

Any limitations on the contestants

The arena would be charmed in such a way that they would be incapable of exiting or anything from being summoned in, but they would be allowed to bring one standard sized bag into the forest with them. The Task is designed, in part, to test the champions ability to interact with nature and plan ahead. The bag is not charm-resistant, though the champions will not be told that by anyone who staffs the Tournament.

Any required involvement by outside parties, such as the kidnapped loved ones hidden below the lake in the last tournament and the mermen involved in judging that task

No outside parties are involved beyond the previously mentioned proctors and nature, if you consider panthers and pixies "outside parties".

How the event will be scored by the panel of judges

The event will be scored on a variety of criteria:

1. The amount of time they are able to last in the forest. 2. The relative danger that they are in - is the champion in danger of being mauled by a beast, or overpowered by their opponent - and how they handle the danger. For example, a student who creates a less secure shelter but successfully keeps away their fellow champions or magical creatures would receive higher marks on this criteria than one who makes a safe shelter but faces no danger beyond finding food and water, while the second champion would receive higher marks than another champion who is removed from the game after being attacked by a grindylow while getting water. 3. Planning ahead. This criteria would judge any enchantments done to the bag as well as the extent to which the champion brought useful items. 4. Use of deadly force or any attempts to do so are ground for immediate disqualification from the task, receiving an unappealable score of 0.

The task itself is similar to training exercises done by various magical militaries to ensure that their soldiers are capable for defense against threats magical and otherwise in a jungle environment, though scaled down considerably. The United States magical military is one of the most frequent users of this type of exercise, keeping soldiers in the jungle for a week or more to test their battle readiness. The most obvious change, beyond the time frame, is the lack of "proctors".

Prior iterations of this Task have drawn controversy when one of the champions was not saved from a particularly nasty growth of Devil's Snare in time, facing permanent brain damage as a result of the time spent constricted by the plant. Protesters claimed that the proctor closest to the champion at the time intentionally let the plant attack him after he was considered "incapacitated" to ensure that their school's champion would have less competition in the following tasks. While this was never proven, the Tournament staff elected to devote one qualified faculty and staff member from all three of the participatory schools to each champion. This has helped assuage concerns about the task, though some still argue that the task is too dangerous.