The official Relay pictogram for Marble League 2022, designed by JMR.
“We’re back!” Minty Fresh exclaimed as they received their bronze among the rest of their teammates. “We’re back at last!” With their medal, the Minty Maniacs had risen from last to 13th overall.
“This is just the first of so much to come,” promised Minty Swirl, adding, “We’re in Mint Condition!”
The rest of the team joined in, repeating “Mint Condition” as their fans began cheering along.
Meanwhile, Red Eye and Speedy were grinning at each other. “Well played.” The Crimson Cat commented to their Marbula One rival with a wink, “But my team is winning next year.”
The Speeder glanced at the Cat’s Eye, smiling as well, with their medal glinting in the light. “Best of luck to you,” said Speedy, “but we’re planning to keep up this streak.”
Far from the podium finishers sat former relay winners, the Green Ducks, taking in their last place. “I don’t know what happened.” Ducky started.
“Our handoffs were rough,” Billy continued, sighing. “But I think we’re just having an off day. We’ll be back up there soon. “
“We’re going to fly up the standings like the flock we are,” added Mallard.
The Ducks rolled away, talking about strategies for next time. Meanwhile, the podium finishers started to chant each other’s cheers in celebration of another great race, motioning to their fans to join in.
The official Water Race pictogram for Marble League 2022, designed by JMR.
Six years ago, Rima had been a few lengths from earning their first medal.
Something about the ebb and flow of the event had appealed to Rima when they volunteered to run it in ML2016. In ML2022, they were determined to try again.
“I wasn’t expecting to be standing on the podium. I just went out there, tried my hardest, and look! The first medal for Team Primary in years!” The Rimarkable athlete looked at their medal with great satisfaction.
Suddenly, an “OOOOO” cut through the air.
“We’ve done it!” Mandarin cheered, surrounded by their teammates. The O’rangers were certainly riding the wave of their Marbula One victory.
“I knew you were the right choice for this event.” Coach Rango remarked.
Pinky Promise said something similar to Pinkydink.
“I finally have a medal of my own!” The reserve laughed as they spoke while looking out over the course.
Pinky Panther exchanged a glance with Pinkydink.
“Guess I won’t need to try your medals on anyways!” The latter commented, and the entire team burst into joyous laughter.
The official Hurdles pictogram for Marble League 2022, designed by JMR.
Yellow Eye hadn’t understood what Red Eye meant by “keeping an eye out” until they were past the fourth hurdle and glanced to their left.
“Pinky Panther had been trailing until then. They didn’t relent, and I couldn’t keep up. I didn’t know what to do,” continued Yellow Eye. “But I knew what they would do – win the event.”
We watched from the sideline as Pinky Panther received their gold and turned to face their fans.
“PINKY! POWER! PINKY! POWER!” They chanted.
As Greg Woods announced the current overall standings, Mallard approached us with their silver. “What an interesting start to our hosting experience,” they noted, chuckling. “It’s not going as we expected, but I think it’s more fun that way.”
Mallard looked towards their locker room, sighing. “No one wanted to start the way we did. But we can only improve, and if there’s anything we can learn from the current leaders – there’s always hope.”
Noticing Sheet approaching, Mallard shied away.
“AW YEAH! THE GLACIERS GLIDE TO BRONZE!” yelled Sheet, embracing Iceberg on their way to our crew.
“I knew someone on our team would be able to do this event justice,” asserted Iceberg. “Maybe you can teach me some tricks?”
Sheet beamed. “You bet.”
We photographed Sheet with their bronze and with Swax, who they motioned to join them.
“Look at us! Just a couple of reserves who came in clutch for our teams,” Sheet told Swax.
“We’re cool like that,” Swax replied, winking through their sunglasses.
Nudging each other, the two turned to watch Pinky Panther do the same to Pinkydink, their medal falling loosely to the ground as a result. Laughing, Pinky Panther picked up the medal and extended it to Pinkydink, who smiled as they declined to try it on.
The official Balancing pictogram for Marble League 2022, designed by JMR.
“LOOK AT TEAM GALACTIC!” we heard fans shouting in The Pond as Team Galactic took the lead in Balancing to win their second consecutive gold in ML2022.
“We are starstruck right now,” said Starry, crying tears of joy.
“You might say we’re over the moon!” Cosmo added, smirking.
The Pinkies were similarly overjoyed to earn silver medals, following a terrible Balancing performance back in ML2019. “We got a 130. Can you believe that?” asked Pinky Winky, to Rosa’s laughter.
“We’re third overall. The Pinkies. Can you believe that?” Rosa responded. “Never in my wildest dreams as our captain did I think that would happen.”
Pinky Toe smiled warmly, rolling down from the podium and saluting Red Eye, who nodded in approval.
With bronze draped over their uniform, Red Eye broke from the rest of their team for their interview. “This event is one of our strengths, so it’s a welcome surprise to be bested by 2 teams that pushed to give their all.
I wonder what’s next for them.”
“What do you mean, Red?” questioned Yellow Eye, who had scored the team’s sole 130 during their heat.
“Well, what team starts with 2 golds and gives up? It’s not something we’ve seen in our career.”
Yellow Eye shrugged. “Should we resign ourselves to that?”
“No. It should motivate us to work harder. But for now…we should celebrate…” answered Red Eye, smiling slightly.
They watched as Pinky Panther leapt from the other side of the podium, modeling their Hurdles technique.
The official Climbing pictogram for Marble League 2022, designed by JMR.
As the torch was lit at The Pond, ML2022 began with Event 1: Climbing. A duo event, its gold medalists were siblings Pulsar and Quasar, representing Team Galactic for their first gold since Starry’s Sand Rally 2017 win.
“I’m nervous competing alone,” admitted Quasar, “so to earn my first medal with Pulsar means more than you could imagine. It’s an honor.”
Pulsar was beaming as they awarded their sibling with their gold medal. “We weren’t sure this day would ever come.”
Silver medallists Disarray and Snarl had also earned their first individual ML podiums. We found Disarray to the side as Snarl engaged in a dance routine with Coach Harmony.
“We didn’t even win. But I can see why they’re happy,” whispered Disarray.
Chuckling at Snarl, who glared at Disarray from a few centimeters away, was Hive, with Honey and their bronzes in tow. “Maybe this roster update’s working out,” remarked Hive. “Good on us!”
“Good on us for buying out your team,” Honey replied.
We watched the six medalists take a stand on the podium, trying out their best poses as Mascot Skipper approached us. Through their poise, everyone could tell that they were as excited for the rest of ML2022 as we are.
Hello, and welcome to another RetRollSpective, where we reflect on the history of marble sports teams that have competed in the tournaments of Jelle’s Marble Runs. This time, we’re going to cruise on over to the Valiant Violets, a team that blends in with the history of the Hubelino Tournament. Read on to learn how this team has uprooted the competition!
A fanmade logo for the Valiant Violets, designed by MightyCucumber.
The story of the Valiant Violets begins in an unexpected place: science. The four members of the Valiant Violets, Lantana, Madeira, Salvia, and Vivid, were all well renowned in the sphere of medicine. The group met at the Marblearth Athletics Convention in 2012 as botanists hoping to study new plants that could make a difference in medicine and recovery. What they found was much more than that.
All four of them ran an individual panel at the convention, and, as fate would have it, they each saw one another’s presentations. According to Vivid, “Lantana came up to me after my panel and we got to talking. Eventually, we ran into Salvia and Madeira, who had apparently met earlier that day, and the rest is history!” They got along well and exchanged contact information.
By the end of the convention, the four found that they all lived in the same area of Marblearth, a southern coastal city named Viola del Marb. They got together often for research and experiments but never could have dreamed that four years later they’d be at the top of the marble sports scene. It took them about three years to develop even the slightest interest in actually participating in athletics. Their opinions changed when they were invited to work as stunt aids in a movie, a blockbuster film titled The Foresters Awaken. Vivid and Salvia had worked as stunt doubles in the past due to their knowledge of athletic safety and while doing so had met and worked with a future member of the Bluefastics named Dory. The three had remained in intermittent contact, but they would soon meet again on the scene of The Foresters Awaken in 2015. Their friend and teammate Lantana, who had always written the best papers of the four, shared scriptwriting duties with another future Bluefastic, Gonzo. The two teams became terrific friends and would hang out for screenings of their favorite movies.
The Valiant Violets hike in a dense Viola del Marb garden. (Photo Credit: Pesky)
Back in Viola del Marb, the Violets remained hard-working scientists, committed to making advancements in their field. However, after learning of the incredible world of marble sports and how versatile it was, the Violets found themselves signing up for the local competition known as the Viola Cup. They were immediate standouts, having earned two medals in the first three events, and eventually making it seven out of eight by season’s end. With two golds, a bronze, and four silvers, they grabbed the championship with relative ease. The Violets were the newcomers, but they sure didn’t act like it. Local and regional news outlets had begun to notice the unlikely success story and were intent on getting the inside scoop on their meteoric rise. They were never brought on to a live broadcast, presumably because they refused to, but in the few articles they agreed to appear in, they claimed that their plans were to remain “…scientists first, athletes second,” and that the possibilities of them going pro were, “…very, VERY, slim.”
Their response changed, however, less than one year later when they were contacted by Jelle Bakker, who was beginning to run major professional competitions in Knikkegen, after seeing their impressive hometown performances. Jelle had plans to revive a competition of teams across Marblearth. They were looking for teams to fill spots in his competition called the Hubelino Tournament. Originally the Violets had negative opinions about the invite; they didn’t want to become famous for athletics and lose their scientific callings. However, they found out that their friends the Bluefastics had received the same invite. The two teams got to chatting about the possibility of competing together, and, after a period of consideration, the Violets finally caved and responded to the invite with a simple “Yes.”
Not long after, the news broke that the local team of scientists was trying their hand at the professional circuit. One news segment was even entitled “The Valiant Violets.” When asked about it, Madeira remarked, “None of us cared about the naming aspect. We had never even expected to be athletes. But when we saw that in the paper we all looked at each other and just knew that it was the perfect name.”
The Hubelino Tournament Season 1 logo was colored a very botanical green to the liking of the Violets. (Design Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
The Violets would continue to train for the upcoming Hubelino Tournament out of reach from the media. They stayed undercover as long as they could as they worked on their scientific studies and athletic ambitions. This is when they began using the pseudonyms we know by today. They answered no questions from the paparazzi and did their best to stay out of public. They were prepared to put on a show on the big screen, but they had no desire of revealing that they weren’t simply athletes, and their work stayed out of the way of their athletics for a very long time. This changed the day of their trip to the competition site. The team’s ability to compete was on shaky ground when they learned of some great news. Two of the team members had been selected to receive a Marbel Prize for their works in the scientific community! This was a huge honor that they simply could not turn down, but the two who had earned the prestigious award encouraged the remaining members to move forward with the Hubelino Tournament dream. It is still unknown which members received the prize.
“They were trying times,” said an anonymous team member, “We were so stoked for them, but on the other hand we needed two marbles to fill in fast.” After about a week of non-stop searching, the team found Rezzy and Rizzy, members of the Raspberry Racers, who agreed to join the team. They agreed to race under the nicknames of the two missing competitors and were accepted as honorary Violets. They had limited time to form chemistry, but they were determined to persevere through the competition.
It didn’t take long for the Violets to realize that they were sorely underprepared for the competition. They were competing in a new city with a vastly different climate than they were used to. That combined with the lack of half of their team meant that they were in far deeper than they had expected. The crew did surprisingly well to open the season, finishing fourth in Funnel Spinning, just behind the Golden Wisps. The team was feeling great going into the Catwalk event, but unfortunately for them, their confidence was misplaced. An abysmal run sent them spiraling into last in the event and dropped them to sixth overall.
The Valiant Violets’ good results in the first event were seldom matched throughout the rest of the tournament. (Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
They started the Halfpipe Crash with an overwhelming victory against the early leaders, the Golden Wisps. Unfortunately, the Minty Maniacs sent them into the Third Place match with a comfortable win in the semifinals. An awful run in the bronze medal round meant that once again they just missed out on a podium. The Elimination Race followed, where the team tied with their friends, the Bluefastics, for sixth. There was a sizable gap in the lead, but the Violets remained optimistic. A fifth-place finish in the Elimination Maze kept them in sixth place, but the gold medal from Team Phoenix in the Quartet Jump combined with their continued mediocre finishes dropped them to seventh going into the Pursuit Slalom.
After dispatching the Minty Maniacs, the Violets finally got to face their buddies. The Bluefastics took out the Golden Wisps to reach the semi-finals, and they didn’t stop there. The Violets didn’t take it easy on their companions, but in the end, they were no match for the eventual gold winners. After the event, a Violets member remarked, “I genuinely couldn’t be happier for them. They earned that medal and I want nothing more than to share the celebration.” Unfortunately for them, another bronze medal match went awry, and they were dropped to last place overall. Up next was the Swing Wave, where they got knocked out in their group and finished fifth. While only one point back of the next team, they had fallen far behind everyone else. A DNF in the Combination event didn’t help their case at all. The competition was put on hold after this for an even more grand event that Jelle had been planning, the 2017 Marble League. The team was in attendance for the spectacle and gathered some valuable information.
The Valiant Violets attend Marble League 2017 with their Hubelino peers. (Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
Unfortunately, their decline in form continued into the Halfpipe Dash, where they finished last again. Entering the relay course they were bottom overall; twelve points behind Team Phoenix. However, the Valiant Violets had yet to give up hope. They had “Valiant” in their name for a reason. They rolled into the relay with something to prove, and they did just that. After winning their first-round race via a Golden Wisps DNF, they won the semifinal race by six-hundredths of a second! They had finally made the gold medal race, and they weren’t going to stop at second. The Violets faced steep competition, but they managed to beat their bottom table counterparts Team Phoenix in a nail-biting race to take their first-ever medal, and it was gold!
“I’m so proud of the team, this victory was a long time coming!” said one member after the medal ceremony.
The Valiant Violets earn their first gold in the Relay Race. (Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
The Violets would go on to score another disappointing last in Block Pushing, but bounced back once more with a silver medal in Ball Battle, making it to the final but failing to repeat the group stage win as they fell in a tiebreaker to the eventual champions, the Green Gang, to finish the season. This result was insufficient to take the team out of last place in the 2016 Hubelino Tournament.
Soon after, the Violets, alongside all other participant teams, were invited by Jelle to attempt qualification for the 2018 Marble League. But with such short notice to prepare for the winter events, Rezzy and Rizzy leaving on good terms to rejoin the Raspberry Racers, and the original team just coming back together with a new friend named Vivia joining the squad on standby, they preferred to decline the invite, aiming for a more sensible opportunity and their own improvement. The reformed group was confident that, with more time to plan and train, they would be ready for anything the competition could throw at them.
Meanwhile, the team members turned their attention back to scientific research during the offseason, until being approached by JMR to officially announce the 2018 Hubelino Tournament. The team was ecstatic with the news and looked forward to proving that they were better than their last-place finish in 2016. They opened the season with a less-than-ideal finish in the Swing Wave, being eliminated in their group and finishing seventh. They improved in the Catwalk event, but still couldn’t do much, placing sixth and once again being eliminated in the group round. But, just when they seemed destined for another bleak season, they showed up to the Funnel Race with fire in their eyes. An impressive run sent them into the third position, securing their first medal as a unit! When asked about the performance, Lantana answered, “This feels so good. You know, to finally be all together with all we’ve been through as friends. To finally take a medal as a group. It’s special.”
Lantana’s first individual medal, in Season 2’s Funnel Race. (Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
The Violets would go on to finish in the bottom half in the next four events, leaving them in last overall and officially knocking them out of medal contention. However, the Violets were determined to leave on a good note. After taking second in their group race, the Violets charged on, and in what was one of the tightest finishes the Tournament had seen, they took the bronze medal, barely missing out on silver to the Ruby Rollers. In the end, they only managed seventh with 27 points, just one position better than their previous season. After the Closing Ceremonies, Madeira was asked about the overall performance, “Well, I can’t say it’s exactly what we’d hoped for,” they replied, “but it is an improvement, and that’s what we want.”
Madiera’s loss in a tight photo-finish led them to finish the Big Tower with a bronze. (Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
They remained hopeful that they could put together more strong performances in the future, but their hopes were derailed by the news that the Hubelino Tournament would not be returning. Without a championship to play for in the foreseeable future, the Valiant Violets considered pursuing a spot in the Marble League but, in the end, decided against the move.
The team would be absent from sports until late 2020 when they took part in a friendly tournament that brought back together all former Hubelino teams, the Herbotamia Reunion. Although results from the Reunion, realized behind closed doors, are unknown, the team’s presence sparked rumors of a comeback to official competition, all of which were denied at the time. “It’s all just for having fun with our friends”, Salvia, on behalf of the squad, was quick to clear up.
After that special occasion, that was it, or so they believed at the time. Come April 2021, the Violets received a message, sent directly from the Minty Maniacs and written by Minty Flav. The Herbotamia Invitational represented a new era of marble sports in the region, and also brought to the table a grand prize for the top two teams, which would be revealed only at the closing ceremony. There was hesitation among the five, who felt that taking the spot signaled a return that was never on their horizon. However, the letter mentioned that a growing number of fans were curious to see how the Violets would fare in an official tournament. “We found it weird that Flav mentioned our ‘uncommon’ colors as an argument for our invitation. But after some discussion between ourselves, we’ve decided to join, even as a way to evaluate restarting our sports career. We considered all aspects of the offer, and we also didn’t want to let the Maniacs down, they were great, always helpful friends throughout our Hubelino time.”
In the same week, the Violets were back at Pepper Field, this time for the Invitational. The team was out to a poor start, failing to score any points in the first two events. “We were just heating up, but it’s a short one-day series, there was no time to heat up”, said Lantana, who would take the zero out of the board with a fifth in the Sprint. The top two had already fallen out of reach, but they were valiant, still looking for a strong performance, which came in Collision. In the first round, they beat Team Plasma in what was deemed as “the upset of the tournament”; in the semifinal, they were no match for the Gliding Glaciers; but they would bounce back and win the bronze medal over the rookie sensation, the Solar Flares, by the minimal advantage. Unfortunately, it all came crashing down for Salvia, who was bumped off the high-speed banking of the Minty Mania circuit. With another scoreless event, the Herbotamia Invitational ended in a similar fashion to previous experiences, with the Violets finishing 7th place overall, only above the Balls of Flame.
The final standings of the Herbotamia Invitational. (Design Credits: Fouc, Jelle’s Marble Runs, MightyCucumber, Stynth)
After the closing ceremony, Salvia, checked and cleared by the medical team, talked about their campaign: “Not the way we’d like to end it, but I’m fine, happy to be here with the Maniacs and the surprise by Jelle, excited to see the Glaciers and the Flares in the Marble League. We couldn’t keep up with them, but, regardless, I’m proud of my team. We were here primarily to test ourselves, I think we still have the grit.” Eventually, the Violets decided to call it and not pursue the route of athletics, but have never run out of passion, looking back at their roots through sporadic appearances in the Viola Cup, and creating sustainable sports drinks, a business they have invested in since their first hiatus. They have provided multiple major teams with their product, dubbed “Vial of Violet”, including their old friends and Marble League winners, the Raspberry Racers, and fellow Hubelino Tournament team, the Minty Maniacs.
InRetRollSpective,the Valiant Violets are a team of life changers. While they didn’t have the most stellar performances, they left their hearts on display in all of their competitions, and their impression within marble sports remains as rooted as their dedication to science. Best of luck to the Valiant Violets in the future, keep on rolling!
Hello and welcome to another RetRollSpective, where we reflect on the history of marble sports teams that have competed in the tournaments of Jelle’s Marble Runs. This time, we’re going to uncover the history of the Strixes, a team that debuted in Marble ManiaX, but rotated their sights 270 degrees from being classical musicians! Read on to find out how this team has hunted the competition!
The official logo for the Strixes, designed by Tim Ritz.
The Strixes come from the bustling and creative city of Olkinhem, home to the very large and grand Royal Olkin Hall, the most spectacular venue among the city’s vast array of esteemed musical and creative establishments. Marbles from all around the world visit this famous theater to listen to the music performed at it. Nearby, surrounded by glorious rolling hills and valleys, a magnificent large white mansion was perched on the outskirts of the respectable city, a mansion that would later become the home and practice grounds for the team.
From a young age, each of the Strixes had been fascinated by music and strove to perfect their skills in the art. Tawny and Screech were the first to meet, growing up as very close friends, though Tawny was the older of the two. They had been members of the famous Olkinhem Youth Orchestra together for as long as they could remember, where they were joined by Specs in later years. Upon transitioning to the Royal Olkinhem Orchestra when they reached adulthood, they met Pygmy and Barn who were excellent additions to the friendship group, and while performing alongside the orchestra they formed their own smaller string ensemble, in which they named themselves the Strixes. Scops was the group’s close friend, who strove to act as their leader, and was in close relations with Tyto, the Orchestra Conductor whom the group had known for many years. The group’s agent, Eagle, lived in the middle of Olkinhem, a short distance from the group themselves and their grand mansion home. It was in this mansion home that the group of marbles practiced their esteemed instruments for many hours of the day, striving for classical perfection through dedication and passion. Seven marbles in total lived in the beautiful mansion: each of the group members, Scops, and Tawny’s younger sibling, Little. In this house were seven marbles who led a close-knit and luxurious lifestyle, yet never strayed from the path of friendship and determination which they valued far more than their success (as important as that almost was).
Members of the Strixes and family members huddle around their piano at their mansion on the outskirts of Olkinhem. (Art Credit: Phoenix)
The Strixes followed their values through all that they did, working to improve their friendship while fine-tuning their musical inclination and deep knowledge of music theory. They had a strong sense of logic and as a group would complete escape rooms and hold quizzes amongst themselves in their free time. This sense of teamwork in the face of adventure prompted them to begin recreationally participating in marble sports, where they took visits to their local sports stadium.
At the beginning of 2021, Screech caught wind of an upcoming unique sport and puzzle-based competition, Cranthym Challenges. The decision to take part was unanimous, and the group set to work immediately, training alongside their busy performance schedules. In the excitement of a new adventure, the group styled a new name for themselves, “Team Strix”, and selected a hashtag of “Flight and Fight” to accompany their determination.
This competition was to consist of ten different challenges, completed by 16 different teams.
“For the first time, I will admit we are nervous,” designated captain, Tawny, explained to a reporter outside the Royal Olkin Hall, a week before the team was set to leave for the challenges. “We’ve never done this kind of thing before; we train musically, and we’ve just discovered that renowned sports teams such as the Hazers, O’rangers, Savage Speeders, and others are going to be in attendance alongside us.”
Team Strix meets another Cranthym participant: the Banana Splits, who carried Fruit Circuit experience. (Photo Credit: Pesky)
Despite the prominence of many teams competing in the challenges, the competition itself was less well known, with many teams choosing to keep the reporting of it to a minimum alongside training for the upcoming 2021 Marble League. Full of nerves, unlike any musical performance they had ever undertaken, Team Strix made the journey to the location of the competition, a fairly isolated venue with accommodation and plenty of nature surrounding them at all times.
An introduction to the challenges had Team Strix silent for the first time in a long time, surrounded by reputable Marble League teams alongside others such as Guild of Wit, Amber Skies, and the Whizlers, who were teams that the group knew of from news of their respective local puzzle competitions. The competition was to be fierce and difficult, with each team truly testing their teamwork and perseverance to try to earn the Cranthym Crown, the ultimate prize. Although nervous and hesitant, an excellent start to the challenges saw Team Strix earn their first silver medal in the first event, featuring a maze.
“It was remarkable really, Specs really helped us out on this one, they were amazing, but we all did our part,” Screech admitted afterward. For their excellent performance, they earned nine points, only a single point behind the esteemed Marble League team of the Hazers, and a point ahead of the O’rangers. On the evening of the first event, the team chose to head into the nearby stretch of woods with their instruments, where they were able to practice in peaceful solitude, a reminder of what bound them together whatever their results.
The next few events didn’t go so well for Team Strix, as the second challenge, involving code breaking with a piece of paper that Pygmy hastily misread, saw the team place 13th earning no points. The next few events told a similar story, with the third challenge of navigation using a confusing map and the next two baffling the team with physical activity that they were not used to. It was the sixth event, a highly complicated quiz, that saw Team Strix’s next success, and they finally achieved a bronze, earning them eight points.
Joyous at finally having placed well, Team Strix decided to celebrate through an impromptu performance of their instruments in the dining room of the accommodation house, where all the other teams were able to dance and enjoy the music. Specific praise came from the Pinkies, a team who Tawny discovered were dancers, and glad to have the chance to demonstrate their passion alongside Team Strix.
“I don’t want to say this, but we aren’t doing that well. Only the places up to tenth actually earn points, and we’ve only earnt 22 points so far,” Screech confided to the sole reporter, Strigi, who had traveled with them from Olkinhem. Despite the difficulty of trying not to lose faith, the team continued to work together to get through, spending free moments playing music together as inspiration. Surprisingly, this tactic of dedication worked, and although there were only four events left, the team was able to clinch another 18 points leading up to the final challenge.
The dawn of the final challenge arose, dreary and miserable. Rain poured down, unrelenting, as the marbles made their way out in small huddles toward the large forest beside the stadium.
Team Strix approaches the final challenge of Cranthym Challenges. (Art Credit: Toffeeshop)
“And so, it all comes down to this…” the distorted voice of the host boomed down, while Team Strix shivered and peered into the forest, only to be met with darkness. “Make your way in, complete the puzzles, and they will lead you to victory…” Whispers broke out amongst the 16 teams, but Tawny rolled closer to the others in Team Strix. “Stick together, and we can do anything. Let’s put on our best performance yet.” Unanimously, they nodded and while other teams stared into the forest with looks of dread and fear, Team Strix broke out into smiles of dedication and the same adrenaline that took them through their many music concerts.
It was hours later, as the sun began to set, when the first team, the Whizlers, emerged from the darkness in the trees that seemed to swallow everything in its path. Just as the team realized that their hasty completion may secure their chance of winning, Team Strix rolled out in satisfied exhaustion. Upon noticing that they were finally finished, they broke out into cheers, congratulating the Whizlers on their win while celebrating a second-place finish. As the rain slowed to a halt, the two finished teams huddled under warm blankets, being provided with warm drinks as they discussed the challenge with each other.
“It was enjoyable, really, but I can’t say I’d have wanted to stay there much longer!” Tawny was overheard saying to the captain of the Whizlers, who nodded and laughed in agreement.
Amber Skies were the next to exit the forest, sometime later, closely followed by the O’rangers. Eventually, the Hazers also emerged, and the other teams remaining joined them in the following hour or so. Finally, it was time to return back to Cranthym Hall, as Specs was the first to notice that there was still one team to leave the forest. Putting aside the slight concern after being assured that there was a search party on the lookout, the teams all headed back to warmth with a now growing excitement to find out the final results.
Seating themselves a few rows back, Team Strix found themselves sitting aside two reputable Marble League teams, the Hazers, and Balls of Chaos, both teams who had also performed admirably and were excitedly awaiting the closing of the challenges. The three teams shared polite discussion, reminiscing over the challenges that they had had to face in their time at the Cranthym Stadium.
“That last challenge was a bit unexpected,” Anarchy of the Balls of Chaos said to Hazy, of the Hazers. “We actually really enjoyed it though. The thrill of potential danger; but the danger that can be avoided by working together. Honestly, I wonder if something could be done…” Tawny leaned over, laughing in agreement, as the rest of the team smiled and watched. “Count us in, we…” They stopped suddenly, looking out at the door where the Guild of Wit had suddenly appeared, wrapped up in blankets but looking cheerful. The captain, Witley, grinned at the Hazers, and Team Strix returned the relief that their fellow competitors were safe.
It was now that an elderly marble that Team Strix recognized only in passing, appeared and rolled to the center of the stage.
The awards ceremony followed the Cranthym Challenges, with Team Strix in a vintage uniform on the far right. (Art Credit: Phoenix)
“It has been so great to have you all here. Every single one of you has proved that with quick thinking, teamwork, and logic, even the hardest problems can be overcome. While I hope you take this knowledge with you where you go in life, the awarding of the Cranthym Crown is yet to occur.”
Team Strix smiled; while some of the challenges were new to them, friendship and loyalty as a team was something that they each valued massively through every task in life. With 54 points in total, the first team to roll up onto the stage was the Whizlers, which had impressively achieved the first position. Spectacular prizes including a marvelous crown, as well as a large trophy, were handed to the beaming team, who returned to their seats while their captain remained on stage. The Hazers were the next to head to the stage, having placed second. It was then that Team Strix was called up, with a total of 49 points that earnt them third place. Ecstatic with a wonderful result, Tawny led the team up to the stage where they all grinned endlessly to receive their flowers. Fourth place went to the Balls of Chaos, with the Green Ducks in fifth.
Although not the winners of the competition, the Strixes, ready to return to their original name, were satisfied immensely with their excellent performance.
The final standings of the Cranthym Challenges. (Design Credit: Stynth)
“I’ve never been prouder of my fellow group members,” Tawny commented upon the team’s return to Olkinhem. “It makes you think a lot about who you are and what you value, when you’re away from home, competing. We’ve started composing a great piece, ‘Strigi Flolkin’, which summarizes our experiences and values.
Despite the Strixes’ impressive showing at the Cranthym Challenges, the group returned to their ordinary life of hours of musical practice and performance, with frequent group outings as they had once done, participating still in recreational marble sports, escape rooms, and other fun and low stake puzzle-related activities. It was for this reason that it came as a surprise to the Strixes when later that year, Eagle informed the team that they had received an invitation from the esteemed Balls of Chaos, remembering their interest in a more dangerous styled sports competition, to participate in an upcoming competition. Marble ManiaX was to be hosted by the Balls of Chaos, where they had been granted input on teams that could be invited. The Balls of Chaos requested that Team Strix be invited to compete, citing their natural majesty as musical performers and enjoyment of the puzzles offered in the Cranthym Challenges. Immediately knowing that they would accept, the Strixes were overjoyed and began planning at once. They confirmed their participation in Marble ManiaX as the “Strixes”, honoring their priorities and staying true to themselves. In an attempt to fit in better with the theme of extreme sports, Scops suggested a hashtag change to “Silent Kill”, a change that strove to inspire confidence among the marbles entering new territory.
The Strixes’ Marble ManiaX team reveal.(Design Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
Joined by Coach Scops and Manager Eagle, the five athletes flew to Hunluen with every intention of fighting for the championship, alongside maintaining their musically inclined backgrounds. They, of course, brought their instruments with them and continued the reputation that they had received during Cranthym, of dedication to both the competition and their music.
Marble ManiaX, an extreme sports competition of eight teams participating in five events, began with Extreme Diving. This was a dangerous event that was to involve the entire team taking a dive off of a diving board, with a long fall to the water. Having never approached this type of event before, the team was hesitant, but encouraging words from Coach Scops convinced them that it was okay having a go and that working together would be enough. Despite this, their uncertainty caused a difficult start to the competition, and the Strixes only earned 61 points in this first event, which was enough for a fifth-place finish. They had three points on the overall standings and were rather disheartened.
Unfortunately for them, this continued into the second event, where Specs and Screech were selected as the duo competitors for Domino Bowling. A final bowling result of 73 points was again only enough for another fifth-place finish, and another three points towards the overall standings, where they remained in fifth.
“It wasn’t our best, I’ll give you that,” Screech commented briefly, before hurrying away, leaving Specs alone with the reporters.
“They’re right. We could have done better. But it’s alright, we aren’t going to give up hope. Tawny is competing in the next event, and I’ve never seen them work at something so hard since they tried learning to play Mrollin’s Third Symphony in one day! I think we’ve still got a chance.”
True to Specs’ confidence, Tawny excelled at the next event of Extreme Funnels, having turned up in complete silence with nothing more than an entirely dedicated expression in an event of physical battles to be the last to exit a funnel. Tawny was able to use speed and skill to defeat the Constrictors, Noxious Ivy, and Shining Swarm within the event bracket to win, earning the team ten points towards the standings, and lifting the team into third place overall. A gold medal in a competition of only five events was excellent going, and the team celebrated relentlessly with hours of music that encapsulated their joy.
Tawny wins gold in Marble ManiaX’s third event: Extreme Funnels. (Photo Credit: Jelle’s Marble Runs)
This wonderful success was not the last, as the fourth event of the Obstacle Run yielded an excellent performance from Pygmy, the reserve. A difficult course featuring lots of uncontrollable bouncing was light work for the young marble, who ultimately earned bronze, and the team rose again, up into second place in the standings. There was one event left in the competition, and it was one that the Strixes feared most, due to its unpredictable nature. Although they were used to recovering from mishaps and working together to ensure smooth runnings of musical performances, they were not used to events that demanded physical strength in a confrontation.
“We are worried, yes, but in the end, we will just try to work together and see how it goes,” was all that the captain, Tawny, could offer the reporters in the tense hurry before the event began.
Their fears were well represented in the Super Collision results. Participating in the second match against the Marble League team Shining Swarm, they were unable to win a single round of the match and failed to move on beyond the initial heats. Their competitors went on to win the event, while the Strixes ended Marble ManiaX in fifth overall, due to placing seventh in Super Collision.
Still, the team was happy with their results of 23 points and spoke highly of their competitors, although fans theorized that a small rivalry was forming between them and the Constrictors.
In an interview discussing their performances and results, Barn spoke up first, “We’re glad we took part in this. It’s okay that we didn’t win, although we understand if other teams don’t have the same view. But for us, it isn’t about winning.”
Tawny agreed, and continued, “Winning is important, of course, but ultimately just like with playing music, it’s about giving things a go and doing them to the best of your ability above anything else. We aren’t a team really trained for extreme events, and we are barely even a sports group, but anything can be achieved if you work together.”
The Strixes, photographed on a stroll. (Photo Credit: Emp)
Following their appearance in Marble ManiaX, the Strixes returned to Olkinhem and received praise comparable to their standing ovations after performances at the Royal Olkin Hall. To honor the Strixes’ newfound success in marble sports, Tyto commissioned a sculpture of the team to be displayed outside of the Hall, to inspire marbles living and traveling around Olkinhem to give things a go and do them to the best of their abilities, following the wise words of Tawny. The Pinkies performed a dance routine with the Strixes’ string orchestra accompanying them at the sculpture’s dedication ceremony, which marble athletes and personalities from across Marblearth, including Jelle Bakker, attended.
In RetRollSpective, the Strixes are a team that has played their way to a number of small successes within sports, music, and logic, while edging their way up in the ranks of great marble sports teams. Best of luck to the Strixes in the near future, keep on rolling!
Credits
Writer: Phoenix
Editors: Edu G.J., Smacg13, Stynth
Artists: Phoenix, Toffeeshop
Graphic Designer: Jelle’s Marble Runs, Stynth, Tim Ritz
Photographers: The Emperor, Jelle’s Marble Runs, Pesky
Hello and welcome to another RetRollSpective, where we reflect on the history of marble sports teams that have competed in the tournaments of Jelle’s Marble Runs. This time, we’re going to uncover the history of the Constrictors, a team that debuted in MarbleManiaX but has competed around Marblearth under a variety of different aliases and tournaments. Read on to find out how this team has ensnared the competition!
The official logo for the Constrictors, designed by Tim Ritz.
When one thinks of who makes up the marble sports landscape, which teams come to mind? You have championship-winning teams with marble racing in their every swirl, like the Savage Speeders or the Raspberry Racers; rookie teams to the Marble League with much to prove, like the Indigo Stars or the Purple Rockets; or legacy teams whose success in lower-tier tournaments has not translated at the highest level, like the Limers or the Jawbreakers.
What the League has lacked, however, is a “journeymarble” team. “Journeymarble” is an affectionate term coined by the communities of smaller competitions, meaning a team who travels from competition to competition, never defined by their peak performance in one league alone. This has been the course of the Constrictors’ career and a way of life they know all too well.
The Constrictors members posing for a shoot. (Photo Credit: Phoenix)
“Me, my family, my friends… the way I was raised, life is about bouncing from job to job and getting good at what you can,” explained team captain Boa. All five marbles are from the towns that dot the Brace Isles’ southernmost islands, a region with a rich history and many contrasts. Boa and reserve Eryx were raised in Wyvermouth: Python in Plymsnake; and Ana and Conda next to the hills of Cornroll.
“I had to leave school early and let’s just say I had to earn my keep early, to support some people around me,” said Python. They shuffled between two jobs from dawn to late night; one as a cargo driver and another at a shipyard. “What we did was seven of us marbles had to balance these big steel beams on our heads and carry them around. What’ll hurt is if you rolled too quickly because then we all lost balance and the whole beam just keeled over.”
Ana and Conda had more well-off, carefree upbringings, whereas Boa and Python both cycled through odd jobs: concrete mixer, pearl plucker, marbsheep shepherd, and flea fumigator. They could have kept to that life, like all their cousins or neighbors, if not for a chance encounter between Boa and Conda in 2005.
“It took me three interviews, but I got a summer job at the fancy getaway in the area… the Eden Project,” said Boa. “Marble families from all over the Islands would spend the day there because it was this marvelous amusement park with all the attractions.” Boa ran maintenance on the Project’s prize attraction, a giant marble run that young marbles seeking a thrill would roll down in the thousands.
A view of the Plinko board at the Eden Project in action. (Photo Credit: JMR)
Conda also worked near the run, and after the park closed they would take turns racing down the Plinko board or talking about their hopes and dreams. “I would tell Boa that I dreamed of doing marble rallies ever since I was little, but it’s not anything my family was prepared for,” said Conda. “And Boa would say they also read those same legends of rally racers as a kid, but everyone they know said athletics is something only rich marbles can afford.”
And yet, by the summer’s end, they figured out how things could work. Ana and Conda had enough of their own savings, enough to support four marbles to take part in athletic meets for half a year. This gave Boa a chance to quit their job as well as call up their childhood friend, Python.
“My racing career’s really all thanks to that Plinko board, wasn’t it?” Said Boa. “I fixed it up, but I knew nothing about why it was there. All I knew then was that they paid a foreign marble with a flower in their cap to design it, someone called ‘Jelly Backer.’ “
Boa “testing” the marble machine during their shift. (Photo Credit: JMR)
In 2006, a new team burst onto the Fruit Circuit scene: the yellow Zesty Lemons. Nowadays we would remember that season for the Yarble Yellers’ dominant win, but Fruit Circuit posters at the time prominently featured the Lemons next to the Limers, the Passionfruits, and the Pomelo Power. “NO TIME TO BE SOUR,” announced one poster. “THESE CITRUS TEAMS ARE IN IT TO WIN IT.”
“Of course I remember the Zesty Lemons – because they got in the Fruit Circuit by beating us!” said Sublime. A year before they began competing, the four friends out of Cornroll hitchhiked to Lemono, a town outside of the Limers’ home base. Sublime and their team had just started organizing the Fruit Circuit, but kept to a summer tradition where they would host a sand rally on the local beaches.
“The Limers said if you beat their captain in the sand rally, they would offer you a prize,” said Conda. After watching a dozen young marbles ahead in the line try the race and lose, Conda was side-by-side with Sublime as the gate flipped open. Right away Conda could tell they lacked Sublime’s top speed, but they knew a trick to play. Conda slowed down ahead of a chicane in the track, and as Sublime rolled way up the walls, the future Constrictor rolled straight past them.
Conda beat the Limer by several lengths, and the whole team of four had just rolled over to celebrate when a dark marble with white swirls introduced themself. “It was this beautiful marble and their name was Greg Woods,” said Ana. “And they asked us if we want to meet again tomorrow to show off our talent more.”
The next morning, with the sun just risen, Greg Woods and the Limers were tracking the four yellow marbles’ racing times, jumping form, and pushing power. By noon, the future Constrictors were spent, and thought they were hallucinating Greg’s request: “I know this is sudden, but do you want to fly out with us this afternoon and join the Fruit Circuit?”
Conda and Sublime on the beaches of Lemono. (Photo Credit: ItsChamp)
In the Fruit Circuit’s early years, as the former Lemons and Limers tell us, the organizers kept hyping up rivalries that did not pan out. The Limers and the Zesty Lemons were both much better than the rest of the citrus-themed teams while also firmly in the midpack. Over the eight seasons that the Lemons competed in the Circuit, their highest season placement was sixth.
For all their talents, “I think we had to admit we were not the best at off-road racing,” said Ana. They lacked the top speed and endurance of the championship contenders, such as the Yarble Yellers or the Grape Nuts. That is not to say they did not try: the Lemons formed a quick bond with several Limers racers, who would take time out of their day to train with the newcomers.
The Constrictors and the Limers before a Fruit Circuit Race. (Art Credit: Bookity, BG art: Craiyon.com)
“I really admire their team and their backstory, which is why I made sure I showed them the ropes,” said Lemonlime of the Limers. It was the Limers who convinced the Cornroll marbles to adopt not just the Lemons team name, but also accept being named Lemon, Lumon, Lamon and so forth. It was also team captain Sublime who would work with Ana and Conda in the off-season on how to accelerate and turn into straights the right way.
Another factor the Lemons dealt with: because the Fruit Circuit was not well financed and had a small staffing budget, every full-time racer was also part of race organizing. “So you had Sublime doing marketing and sponsorships, while Conda, Boa, and I handled fan stand setup every race,” explained Python.
“It was fun but also a shambles because we were much quicker on the job than all these other athletes we managed,” Python continued. “Those racing marbles were so green, you’d think they never worked a day on a construction site!”
Conda added to that thought: “Well, we knew they didn’t. And that was a sore point for all of you.”
Some of the Constrictors’ handiwork with the stands. (Photo Credit: JMR)
By 2014, the Zesty Lemons were at a crossroads. Python seemed more interested in doing construction work at each Fruit Circuit event than training. On a trip back to the Brace Isles, Boa also kept pitching for an additional teammate, their “brilliant cousin” by the name of Eryx. Even their mentors, the Limers, were spending most of their time talking to the Circuit’s rising stars – the O’rangers and the Raspberry Racers.
While Ana and Conda felt they just needed to train harder to be a Fruit Circuit winner, the team was deadlocked. “Those two grew up in Cornroll and really didn’t understand how we saw things,” said Boa. “You bounce from job to job. You get good at what you can. We weren’t great at rallies, so let’s find something different.”
It was Boa who, after each long race week, would look into the local sports circuits that were expanding across Marblearth. What caught their attention were a series of articles on the MFC Championship League, a league not based around off-road racing but on complex triathlons or target events like archery. Soon the whole team would read reports of that season, each event recording record-breaking attendance, up to the final events hosted by a team sporting streaks of gold – the Tiger Eyes.
“Yeah, my first encounter with Boa was when they dug up my number and called me!” said Jaguar, captain of the Tiger Eyes. “I didn’t hang up because I heard of the Lemons, they had some good photo finishes in the Fruit Circuit. Eventually, Boa asked me how they could apply to enter the MFC. But I told them don’t bother, we are just coming off of another opportunity.”
Ana and Conda on a free weekend with Jaguar and the Tiger Eyes. (Art Credit: Turtle)
At the time, the Tiger Eyes had been the five-time consecutive champions of the MFC. Their league domination, and the sports grounds they called home, were in large part financed by a sports promoter whose identity is still secret to this day. The Tiger Eyes had backing far beyond any other MFC team – and the promoter was thinking of a global opportunity.
Three top-tier MFC teams, including the Tiger Eyes, were committed to jump over to a radically different league, with less of a focus on athletics and more on daredevil challenges. “Our benefactor was thinking about drama, non-stop action, something that will broadcast on every TV channel in Marblearth,” said Jaguar. “Something that can dethrone Marble Drama Island on TV every week.”
The new league needed teams, and the Zesty Lemons snatched up a spot – or, the Lemons without Python. The racer would not go into detail about why they left the team when they switched leagues, just saying that “that new tournament wasn’t worth it for me.”
But the remaining three members, plus Eryx the talented cousin, moved continents once more with a high-earning contract and a new team name: the “Flaming Vogues.”
The “Flaming Vogues” announced to take part in MarbleSports Evolved. (Design Credit: Fouc)
The MarbleSports Evolved (MSE) Championship, as the new tournament was called, dubbed itself “only for extremophiles”. Teams aimed to survive elimination events held from Hunluen to Polaria, until the top four standing faced off at the Evolution Stadium in Om. The Flaming Vogues competed for three seasons, culminating in a championship victory.
“There are two things with MSE we remember well,” said Ana. “It was quite loud, and the fireworks never stopped.” Tournament events tended to be MFC events on a larger scale, like archery, cornhole, or an endurance-length “extreme marble rally.” But every event began with a parade of marble celebrities taking VIP seats and would end with a large fireworks show.
In their first season, the Flaming Vogues’ experience took them to the Final Four showdown in Om. There, they would be remembered for a championship battle with the Tiger Eyes on an obstacle course full of swinging weights and the dreaded “big balls” one had to bounce across with perfect accuracy.
“The rule was you pick yourself up and go to the start if you fall off, and the first team of four where everyone finishes wins,” said Eryx. “And in the end, it was between me and Felid of the Tiger Eyes, after we got battered a dozen times. And we were both aching, but they barely avoided slipping off the balls and got in before me.”
The Flaming Vogues and Tiger Eyes on the way out of Hunluen. (Photo Credit: Pesky)
After that season, however, the tournament started to crack. “Case in point… we were racing and the fireworks would start going off a few lengths before anyone crossed the finish line,” said Boa. “One time this scared the leader so much that we had a pile up right in front of the finish.”
In fact, what got Boa on the organizers’ radar was when they noticed a critical flaw in an event. For Extreme Relay, where out of each baton pass marbles speed up immediately through an accelerator, Boa saw right away that the lane walls were too short, though the organizers ignored their complaints.
“I took action into my own hands, that’s all. I got a ball bearing to go in front of a baton gate, then I just sped down the track to show how it goes wrong,” said Boa. They made the baton pass with the ball bearing, which went through the accelerator. The ball bearing shot out and skipped to the lane to its right, knocking loose the baton gate there. The organizers heightened the walls, but still suspended Boa for two events due to “tampering with equipment.”
With circumstances like these, the Tiger Eyes quit MarbleSports Evolved after Season 2. The Flaming Vogues’ Season 3 win comes with an asterisk, achieved without their top rival.
“I wish I could just say our first marble sports championship was the best,” said Conda, to nods from the whole team. “But when we rolled up to the podium and looked past the fireworks and the paid performers, you saw that two-thirds of the stands were empty.
“I talked to Boa the night of and asked, ‘why did we make this move again?’ We wanted something different, but really we picked a new tournament because we saw all those teams with those fans, working hard to become real champions. This competition didn’t feel real anymore.”
The “Flaming Vogues” on the top of the podium, but was it worth it? (Design Credit: Fouc, BG art: cppng.com)
Boa and the team were in contact this whole time with Python, who was now a fixture on the Sand Marble Rally circuit. “They didn’t tell me when I left, but I knew I was the weak link when we were the Lemons,” said Python. “So it would be nice to start fresh and make my own path. I went by Python’s Tub.”
Miracles do not happen overnight. Python’s Tub did not impress in their first amateur sand rally meets, but over time finished more often in the top half. With support from new racer friends they booked a trip to Knikkegen, where racers across the world were eager to qualify for Jelle Bakker’s 2016 Sand Marble Rally. Their new name was something friends thought rolled better off the tongue: Snake’s Tub.
Snake’s Tub beating Ghost Plasma for a pre-season race victory. (Photo Credit: JMR)
When starting alongside Marblearth’s best racers, the same issues from a decade ago started to show. Snake’s Tub could only reach the end of 2 races in the season before getting cut after Race 6. However, Snake’s Tub could own a pre-season performance that may have decided their qualification: victory in a 500-foot sand rally.
Starting near the front but knowing they were losing ground, Snake’s Tub displayed their teammates’ famous quick thinking. At a fork in the course, they slowed down and swerved left while most others turned right. Seconds later, they were the first marble to shoot down the course’s alternate straight and overtake the leading group. For the second half, Snake’s Tub would fend off pressure from future champion Ghost Plasma to take the win.
Getting commended by Ghost Plasma, Dragon’s Egg, and other elite racers after that race are some of Python’s favorite memories. The other is after their elimination from the 2016 season, and Jelle delivered an honorable mention award to each marble leaving the tournament. “I was on a call with Boa, just yelling out… I met Jelle Bakker first!” said Python. “The Plinko board designer who got all of us rolling!”
Python failed to qualify for the 2017 Marble Rally just as the Flaming Vogues were reconsidering MarbleSports Evolved. Over calls every night, Python emphasized they knew how their former teammates felt. “Them and I can say we won something in our lives, but it didn’t feel right,” said Python. “And I just told them what they were all thinking – it’s time for something different, just don’t go back.”
Snake’s Tub beating Ghost Plasma for a pre-season race victory. (Photo Credit: JMR)
MarbleSports Evolved was canceled in 2018, a year after the Flaming Vogues quit. The one marble sports event that every Marblearth channel tuned into arrived, but it was Jelle Bakker’s Marble League. However, by early 2021, rumors spread that the Bakker siblings entertained reviving the MSE concept, looking for a way to engage younger marbles less interested in traditional athletics. Reports were that Dion Bakker invested much of their personal wealth in the project and was in advanced talks with the Balls of Chaos to host and select participants.
“It was just like the Balls of Chaos to reach out to the Pinkies, who reached out to the Snowballs, who reached out to the Volleyballs and who reached out to us,” said Jaguar of the Tiger Eyes. “I told them, though, that we want to keep managing the MFC. But you need to invite this Bug Circuit team we know.”
That fateful day came in Fall 2021, not long after Felynia’s Marble League came to an end. The Bakkers, along with the Balls of Chaos on their side, drove under Buzznya’s maple canopies, then past the hills that surrounded the annual Bug Circuit’s grounds. The Bakkers looked for the Scorpions, who won all of the last three Bug Circuits and also sat on the Circuit’s managing board.
The Bakkers would goof and had to be told by Pincer, former Scorpions captain, that they needed to contact the second-generation Scorpions; even if they went by the old athletes’ names, their history lasts longer than even the original team. The new team would have been known as the Zesty Lemons, the Flaming Vogues, and Snake’s Tub before 2017. By then the Tiger Eyes referred that team to the retiring Scorpions athletes, promising they were worthy successors to the name.
Python, now a 2nd generation Scorpion, while surrounded by Bug Circuit rivals. (Photo Credit: ItsChamp)
“The Bug Circuit was a perfect fit,” said Conda. “Buzznya is beautiful, and apart from racing we take care of the birds at the zoo or the horses at the menagerie.” In all events except for short races, the new Scorpions had such endurance and focus that they were podium favorites. These athletes from the Brace Isles were winners, loved by the locals and could finish out their sporting career here.
“But an offer from the Bakkers, in real life… how can you turn that down?” said Boa. “I was half speechless the minute I saw they were driving down to our street.” The Constrictors thought the Balls of Chaos marbles spoke far too quickly, but they understood the offer from the Bakkers: Take part in Marble ManiaX, and they could compete under their own team name and possibly qualify for the Marble League.
“Isn’t it humorous that over a decade and a half of racing, we were never offered to choose our team name?” recalled Ana. They signed the deal that week and agreed to compete as the Constrictors.
“In honor of Python, the soul of our team.” “So the other teams know we’ll squeeze them out of contention.” And, for Python, “‘Cause you can never catch up to a snake and roll over it. No one can keep us down.”
The Constrictors announced to take part in Marble ManiaX. (Design Credit: JMR)
The first season of Marble ManiaX raged on in Hunluen, the home of the Balls of Chaos, in early 2022. The Constrictors were ready. Yet another cousin of Boa’s, Charmer, signed on to coach the team. Their fans packed a full section in the stands, whether they flew in from Buzznya or were Hunluen residents who once followed the Flaming Vogues.
The first event would be Extreme Diving, where marbles would leap from a skyscraping height onto the underwater target. The Constrictors showed right away they were last to jump, but not least: in their first jump, all but one stayed close to one another and to the bullseye, scoring one 9-point landing.
In the end, those 9 points made the difference in a tiebreaker among the top three, and as soon as the Constrictors dried off they would ascend the medal podium as the first event champions.
The Constrictors make their first dive with unerring accuracy. (Photo Credit: JMR)
When interviewed afterward on their Diving performance, Captain Boa was nonchalant: “where we grew up in the Brace Isles, we’d scale the cliffs around Plymsnake and jump off of them. So we knew exactly what it takes to dive well.”
Conda’s experience was also on display in the Domino Bowling event, shooting down the central lane with a 73-point run, part of their bronze medal performance in the event. While their teammates cheered them on, Conda turned and just said: “I was part of many events based on accuracy, so this event was pretty easy. I only wish I could equal Pinky Winky’s run.”
Conda after their high-scoring Bowling run. (Photo Credit: JMR)
Python admits to breaking the medal streak in Event 3, with a first-round loss against the Strixes in Extreme Funnels. As Tawny of the Strixes recalls: “It was quite humorous, because I congratulated Python on a tense battle afterwards. But they responded to me first with ‘It’s best to move on, I hate funnels.’ They tried to avoid me, but eventually we had a good chat.”
“I placed dead last in a funnel battle at the start of my rally career,” said Python. “And despite what my teammates think I am just shabby at it! Team Strix was all class though, they are some keepers.”
Python and Tawny out the gate into Extreme Funnels. (Photo Credit: JMR)
Boa finished sixth in the Obstacle Race, after an unfortunate incident right out the starting gate. In the third-round, the team captain rolled straight into a rubber barrier, costing them ten seconds of time they could not recover. That said, going into the final Super Collision event, the Constrictors were one of four teams that could win the tournament. With the Purple Rockets and the Strixes knocked out early, the team knew only they controlled their destiny: as long as they made the finals, they would win the tournament.
First, the Constrictors got past the Black Jacks in two chaotic rounds, with one Constrictor braking just in time to eke out a win. Then the team faced the Pinkies, and both took defensive formations that slowed the teams down to avoid contacting the fidget spinners.
But luck was again not on the veteran team’s side. Boa, at the formation’s center, held their breath as they were launched by one, two, three spinners. They ricocheted out of the stadium, smacking a trigger that sent out ball bearings that knocked out two other Constrictors with precision.
“Oh, we got an airborne marble!” exclaimed Greg Woods. The fans’ nerves were steadied, realizing Greg looked at a ball bearing and not their team captain crashing down to incur some lifelong injury. But the Constrictors lost the first half 2-5 and lost in full time 6-9. Another team went to the finals, and another championship was lost.
The critical moment in the Collision match with the Pinkies. (Photo Credit: JMR)
The Constrictors still left the event with hardware, beating the Balls of Chaos 5-3 to take a bronze medal. This concluded their Jelle’s Marble Runs debut, where the team stunned crowds by fighting for the championship throughout and finishing as runners-up.
If this sounds too much like their narrow defeat in the MSE seven years ago, there was a silver lining to it all: when the team first received their silver medals and remembered what the effort was for.
“We liked the music, and thankfully no fireworks… but what really mattered was the Bakkers coming out to award us the medals,” said Conda. “All of us teared up at that moment.” Boa and Conda, over the din, yelled to thank Jelle for building marble runs and bringing the team together many years ago. In Boa’s telling, Jelle did not say anything back but responded plenty through their kind eyes.
Runners-up again: the Constrictors receive their silver medals at the end of Marble ManiaX. (Photo Credit: JMR)
That was the last time much of Marblearth saw the Constrictors, but the story does not end there. All the athletes have their own memory of what happened after when the Black Jacks went back on stage with footage of incorrect scoring in their collision match.
“At first we sat to the side, thinking ‘gosh, this is like MarbleSports Evolved all over again,'” said Conda. “Every team was around the stadium looking at the footage, and we at least thought Captain Heart of the Black Jacks had a point. But it was a conversation between them and the refs, not for us.”
“But once I started seeing it turn into a shouting match between the Black Jacks and Dion and the crew… sorry, I felt obliged to step in!” said Boa. Six years ago they weren’t afraid of calling out the MSE organizers, and now they would intervene as a wiser mediator.
The issue, as Boa understood it, is that the Black Jacks thought of it as a fairness issue to acknowledge the scoring error, while the organizer thought of it as a financial issue. It was inconceivable to take a loss on the investment by acknowledging the error and possibly rescoring the whole tournament.
“Truth be told, I did not mediate very much,” said Boa. “In the end, the final offer was to run a tie-breaker as is and see what happens. The Black Jacks took it.” Every Constrictor agreed the overtime match was hard fought, and Ana hanging on by bouncing off of a wall domino made it 3–2 Constrictors, enough to justify the team’s win.
By the time every team left the stadium that evening, the pitch blackness of night was punctured only by Hunluen’s neon skyscrapers off on the horizon. We saw the Black Jacks roll alone to their team van, but also Ana and Python sprinting up to them.
“Look, Club, all of that nasty business is a part of sports… but in the Bug Circuit we are also looking for teams for an invitational this Spring…” we heard Ana say. “I know this is abrupt… why not come by if you’re interested?”
“Actually, the scheduling would work,” said Club of the Black Jacks. “That would work quite well.”
Captains Heart and Boa side by side in Marble ManiaX. (Photo Credit: JMR)
In RetRollSpective, the Constrictors are a team that has always been on the move but also never stopped evolving. Their career spans more than 15 years across five sports leagues, a journey that helped them gain street smarts, folk wisdom, and intuition for marble sports beyond raw athletic talent.
Following announcements by the Jelle’s Marble Association, the Constrictors were not one of four teams invited to enter the 2022 Marble League Showdown and therefore cannot qualify for the 2023 Marble League. Before the decision was finalized, we heard from Limers Captain Sublime: “the JMA would be nuts to leave them out. They are such quick thinkers and capable of such strength… no team is truly prepared for them.”
Prior to the announcement, the members themselves were more modest. “We went through a long career already, and we’re just thankful for any new opportunity we can get,” said Boa. “The Marble League is not our only priority. What will be our real legacy, I think, are our planned academies in Buzznya and the Brace Isles, where young marbles like we were will learn to reach their dreams.”
Best of luck to the Constrictors in the near future, keep on rolling!
Credits
Writer: Fouc
Additional Writing: Vector
Editors: Edu G.J., Smacg13, Stynth
Artists: Bookity, Turtle
Graphic Designers: Fouc, Jelle’s Marble Runs, Tim Ritz
On the peak of Mount Huaze, two marbles stand. Hidden in the mist, in the midst of training. When one speaks up.
“Do you think I made the wrong choice, Sensei?” Hazy asks.
Blurry responds, “I do not, but I must ask, why do you hold such uncertainty in your decision?”
“I…I can’t help but feel I just turned my back on my team when they needed me most. I just resigned like a coward and left Misty and Murky without guidance.” Hazy responds.
“Hmm, tell me Hazy, why did you resign?” Blurry asks.
Hazy answers, “I saw that my performances were not up to par with the rest of my team, so I decided to take a year off to improve myself.”
“Exactly,” Blurry continues. “You chose to leave the team so that both you and the team could improve. You saw the state they were in and chose to put your ego aside for the sake of your team. Such an act is not a show of cowardice, but of bravery and leadership. You recognized your shortcomings and decided to work on them instead of staying stubborn on a rocky path.”
“I…I never thought of it like that, it just always seemed like the sort of thing I should have done as their leader.” Hazy comments.
Blurry responds, “You did such an act through instinct alone, without even noticing it, proving that these traits have already been long ingrained in your heart. You already embody the traits of a true captain. Now you just need to obtain the skills of one too. Come now, these rocks aren’t going to move themselves.” They chuckle a little, then roll towards another peak.
Hazy gives Blurry a smile, then gives chase. And so, the two grey marbles roll down the mountain, resuming their training once more.
Special thanks to Icy for contributing this story, and to Toffeeshop for illustrating the featured image.
The official logo for Team Plasma, designed by Tim Ritz.
“Come on Phanto, you’re going to be late. The press is turning up already, the CMM van has been here for nearly an hour, let’s roll! It’s time to celebrate our success!” yelled Fearo, newly appointed captain of Team Plasma.
“I’m nearly done with the Ghostlings, just need to get Electrode back to their parents,” replied Phanto.
It had been over a year for the team of miners. After finishing fourth in the Herbotamia Invitational, the team had returned to the Ionise mine re-enthused about the excitement of marble sports.
“Seeing the Gliding Glaciers and the Solar Flares get their opportunity to compete on the big stage got us reminiscing about our time in the spotlight, it seems like eons ago,” said Ecto, a warm smile spreading across their face. “After a week or so back at the mine, we had a team meeting, and it became obvious that we had all been thinking the same thing.”
“Sports isn’t just a fun pastime,” added Gloomo. “It’s a way to bring people from all backgrounds of life together, exemplifying teamwork and fair play. We all sensed that this was our next step – to inspire others to have a go no matter their life circumstances. We wanted to see marbles try their best and be secure in themselves, no matter the outcome, excelling in whatever they put their mind to. And we knew if we wanted people to catch our vision, we had to lead by example.”
The five marbles worked long into the night planning their next moves. The morning sun flooded through the windows of their meeting room, illuminating a room full of tired yet satisfied marbles. The whiteboard was covered in ideas, but three ideas stood out:
Keep training – you never know what opportunities may arise and role models are important.
Start a youth team – if we can get this far, so can any marble who puts their mind to it; supporting others is important.
Check-in with the Gliding Glaciers and Solar Flares – no matter how they do, they need to be supported and encouraged.
And so that’s what the team did. In between working for the mine and tending the garden (Herbotamia in Bloom was just around the corner) the team kept on training, using the underground caverns as a training hub. One day, as the team finished their most recent training set, Fearo looked out across the cavern and had an idea. As the team ascended to the surface, Fearo shared the idea, and the team was onboard. They rolled as fast as they could to the head of the mine, Ion, and burst into their office.
“We should turn part of the mine into Marblearth’s first underground training facility,” blurted out Ghost.
After the initial shock of five large marbles storming into their office subsided, Ion agreed and the team got to work, converting their favorite caverns into a professional training ground. As work progressed, Marble League 2021 began. The team celebrated the successes of the Gliding Glaciers and commiserated with the Solar Flares.
“We need to call them as soon as we can,” said Phanto. “We know how it feels to come into a competition with expectations and then have the fans turn on you when you don’t live up to them.”
“They should be the guests of honor at the opening of the training ground,” suggested Ghost before disappearing down a tunnel.
The day of the opening arrived, and the mine was looking the best it had done for years. Right at the entrance was a large flower display in the shape of the Solar Flares logo to welcome the guests of honor.
“That day was special,” recalled Flare, captain of the Solar Flares. “We had been feeling really low after our less than successful entrance to the Marble League. We were being slated in the press and online, marbles claiming we were a joke and a wasted place. Then out of the blue, we got a video call from Fearo and the team. They had been so supportive at the Herbotamia Invitational and they had called to check in with how we were doing. They all shared stories of how they had overcome hardship in their lives, it was really moving. And then out of nowhere Ghost piped up and asked us to open their new underground training facility. We were blown away! How could anyone want us to do something so important? Fearo claimed that we epitomized the idea of resilience, keeping going in the face of adversity and they wouldn’t want anyone else to represent a core value that they shared. After the call ended, we were all tearing up. Just then we started to believe their message ourselves.
We arrived at a sea of flowers and bunting, red and orange to represent both teams. A cheer erupted from the crowd as we stepped out of the coach and I couldn’t help but smile and wave. A line of adorable young marbles greeted us, all in red uniforms and mining helmets – these were the newly formed Ghostlings, a marble sports team for young marbles that Team Plasma had started for kids in the local area. We got through the opening ceremony, including the obligatory ribbon cutting with overly large scissors, before being shown around the underground facility by members of the Plasmoids, Team Plasma’s youth team that had just finished reasonably well in the Herbotamia Marble Sports Cup. The facility was impressive, I’ve never seen a training facility make use of the natural features of a cavern before, it was ground-breaking. At the end of the day, we couldn’t thank Team Plasma enough for all of their support this year and the honor of opening their facility. I really hope we can compete with them again in the near future.”
It was a normal, slightly misty day at the mine when the lives of Team Plasma would change once again. The regular pile of bills and fan mail arrived (there was one fan who would send the team a different type of fancy pie every month – the team always looked forward to pie day), but this time it contained an uninspiring-looking letter. Ecto sorted through the usual mail and tasted this month’s pie, strawberry and rhubarb, before getting to this letter. A piece of pie hung awkwardly in front of their mouth as if it had been forgotten as Ecto’s eyes widened at the news. They immediately rolled out of the mail room towards the mine, their piece of pie a distant memory.
“You took longer than normal, you better not have started that pie without us again,” yelled Gloomo as Ecto rolled into view.
“You’ve got to see this, now,” panted Ecto.
The team huddled together. Suddenly cries of excitement echoed about the caverns – Jelle was expanding the Marble League and wanted Team Plasma to return. They had seen what had happened in 2018 and the unfortunate circumstances surrounding their retirement and were impressed at how committed the team was to exemplary sportsmanship, most recently seen in their support of the Solar Flares, that they had decided to offer one of the expansion spots to the team.
“We have to accept; this is what we’ve been working towards – it’s still on the whiteboard,” said Phanto jubilantly. The team agreed, ecstatic that their small but dedicated fan base would get to celebrate with them.
“I’ve been working on these, I hope you like them. I thought it would be a nice treat to celebrate our recent accomplishments,” said Ghost, pulling out from who knows where five brand new uniforms, shimmering in the dim light of the cave.
“Did you make these, Ghost?” asked Fearo. “These are amazing. I love the transparency, so ethereal. I didn’t realize you knew how to sew! Ghost, you truly are the heart of this team. You really are myst—”
Fearo looked up to see that Ghost had vanished.
(Design Credit: Minos Fylaktos & Tim Ritz)
The day the team had been waiting for had arrived. Last night JMR publicly announced their return. They had purposefully spent the day underground to avoid seeing the reactions of marbles across Marblearth. Phanto was finishing off the Ghostlings’ training session as the team in their brand-new uniforms rolled out to see hoards of media ready to go in front of the small stage that had been erected at the front of the mine. Angry clouds rolled across the skies, threatening to dampen their high spirits.
“This is more than I thought would be here,” thought Fearo, worried how the team would cope with so much attention. As the team rolled onto the stage, a sea of camera flashes erupted from the crowd.
And then it began.
“Rambutan, CMM. How does it feel to be back in the Marble League?”
“It’s great,” said Fearo, taking charge. “We are so happy to be back and we aim to do our best as always. We hope to prove ourselves as a worthy addition and make our fans proud.”
“Lapis, Brilliant Blue Corporation, Zuro’s number one news source. What do you think about the reaction to your team’s announcement?”
“To be honest, we’ve been working underground all day so we’ve been a bit out of the loop, but I’m sure we’ll take it in our stride.”
And then the avalanche began.
“Why did you agree to take a spot from a new team that deserved a chance to compete in the highest tier of marble sports?”
“What about the fan polls that showed they didn’t want you to return? Why should you get this opportunity and not the Quicksilvers or the Jawbreakers or a new team?”
“You’ve already had a chance and failed. Why do you deserve to come back?”
“We already have Ghost Plasma, why do we need you as well?”
“Why are you not letting the next generation compete?”
“Why do we need another red team?”
“Why are you letting your fans down by changing your uniform? Why not stick to the familiar classic look?”
“Why have you stolen the look of other teams like the Golden Orbs? Are you trying to deny them a chance to return by stealing their look?”
As the tsunami of sound and flashes rocked the stage, Fearo knew something wasn’t right. They could see their friends squirming, sweat beading on their brows. What should have been a celebration was quickly spinning out of control as a firehose of bitterness blasted the team. Fearo knew they had to stay strong for the team and could see the team trying their best. But Fearo was getting worried about Ghost. They had always been the type to stay out of the spotlight and had been worried about the press conference. Fearo had calmed their nerves, encouraging them to come on stage, assuming it would be a time to celebrate renewal, resilience, and redemption.
When Fearo heard the questions about the uniforms, they knew this had to end. Now.
But before a word could escape their mouth, Fearo heard a loud bang as a chair fell backward. They turned around to see Ghost sprinting offstage into the mist, tears streaming behind them.
“We’re done here. Come on, let’s roll,” yelled Fearo as they led the rest of the team offstage, leaving the cacophony of noise behind.
The four members searched high and low for their friend. A crumpled uniform was found outside the entrance to the mine as the rainwater started to discolor the exquisite design.
As the team entered the mine, they could hear muffled sobbing coming from the balcony overlooking their training facility. They found Ghost lying down, silently sobbing to themselves staring out at all they had worked on.
“Why bother? We’re clearly not wanted. We should return our invite and let a new team take our place. It’s what the fans want,” mumbled Ghost as tears rolled down their face.
“Hey, you don’t believe that, right?” said Fearo. “There will always be those who oppose you, no matter how much good you are bringing to the world. You can never please everyone. This is not how we thought our relaunch would go and I’m so proud of you for facing your fears and getting on that stage. We can’t let the opinions of others bring us down. We’re Team Plasma and we are not defined by others. We know who we are and will try our best despite the opinions of others.”
A loud crash interrupted the scene and the rest of Team Plasma turned around.
“We’ve been looking everywhere for you!” exclaimed Scorch as they burst through the doors, shadowed by the rest of the Solar Flares. “We came to surprise you on your big day. I’m so sorry they did that to you, what they did was not on. We love the new logo and the new uniform, they look so good!”
“But the fans aren’t happy,” whispered Ghost, who had rolled back upright.
“You may think that from those news people. But let me show you this,” Radiance said as they handed Ghost a massive card.
“Since the announcement we’ve been visiting other teams with this, have a look.”
Inside were messages for the team from the other Marble League teams.
“We’re so glad you’re returning. You amazed us at the Invitational and we’re sure you will do well in the Marble League!”
-Minty Maniacs
“We know what it’s like to go through adversity, don’t let the past hold you back.”
-Team Momo
“Don’t let the salt get you down!”
-Limers
“The opinions of fans can get you down, we know. But you have such a strong character that we know you will take everything in your stride. Roll on, Team Plasma!”
-Shining Swarm
“We’re glad such an inspirational team is joining at the same time as us. See you in the Showdown!”
-Wolfpack
“I am so glad you accepted my invitation. I know you will step up and prove to everyone you deserve to be here after the adverse events of last time. I believe in you and want you to be here. Plus, the new uniforms look great.”
-Jelle Bakker
“There’s also this,” said Flare as they dumped a large sack of fan mail, expressing similar sentiments of joy, all over the floor.
The front of Ghost’s face was re-flooded with tears, but this time of joy.
“I guess I should get my uniform again…I hope it’s not too damp,” said Ghost.
The five marbles huddled together.
“Let us not forget today. No matter what people say, we define our future and we are ready to compete. We will try our best and prove marbles wrong!” rallied Fearo.
“We are Team Plasma!” yelled the five marbles, the chant reverberating around the cavern.
“Oh, this may sound a bit strange but there are also 20 large pies at the front desk for you with a note that just says “PLASMAAAAAA!!!!” said Blaze, sounding slightly bemused.
Team Plasma will return to Jelle’s Marble Runs in Marble League Showdown 2022. (Design Credit: Fouc & Tim Ritz)
Project Marblearth 