It's another day at Leppa Stadium. The fans dressed in their yellow lightning bolts and bronze hammers gather in the parking lots, but this day is different. This day, they are awaiting the arrival of a storm. They sit poised as the buses begin to arrive. Flooding the gold and bronze with green and blue of the harpoon. The Raine City Whalers have arrived for the season's first Shipbuilder's Derby. The atmosphere thick with anticipation and nothing more than a low murmur gives rise to chants and songs that can be heard far away from the stadium. The subway station too echos with the songs of the sport. Hammers out to straighten the Harpoon! Let the Harpoon show the Hammer how to Strike with Lightning! Even the very young are seen waving around their weapon of choice, adding their voices to the rising choir. The noise will only stop twice in the next sixty minutes; once during the national anthem of Xelha, and once during the announcement of the three stars at the end of the game. Until then, these opposing fans will create sound approaching 120 decibels. For comparison, an air horn is 140 decibels. But what drives these fans to dizzying heights? The story originates from the past of both cities.
As the name of the rivalry suggests, both cities built their fortunes on shipbuilding. Xelha's first major navy was built in and around what is now Raine City. Raftfleet, as it would be properly called sailed along the coastline and restocked its supplies and built new ships in the area of Thora, before returning to the area of Raine City and upon the surrender of the Blizzarians was scuttled and destroyed. Raine City of course like to point out that Thora was nothing more than a footnote to this adventure, but Thora also point out that the fleet was destroyed and there is no evidence that the ships were good, only that they were able to attack the Blizzaria Forces from afar at sea. The next chapter and probably the actual tipping point that started this rivalry was around 1710 when King Jari Thorssen ordered new ships to be built for the Xelhan Navy. These ships needed to be fast as well as powerful to assist the defending of the Kawrea Island if it were to come under attack. Instead of putting the contract out to tender, he outright picked Thora to build the ships as his name and the city name were similar. Raine City having felt cheated, with the backing of House Avalon and House Bell built their own naval militias and challenged the new Royal Fleet as it left Thora. The other nobles seemed to enjoy this challenge and convinced the King to hold a contest between the two fleets. Winner would officially be declared the Royal Fleet. Initially, many bet on the Thora ships as they were larger and packed more firepower, but the Raine City ships were both lighter and more maneuverable. During the first stage (an attack on Thora), the Raine City ships were able to rapidly get into position and outflank the larger Thora ships. During the second stage (an attack on Raine City), the Raine City ships were able to hide in the mouth of the Ukkonen River forcing the Thora ships to engage in very shallow water, made worse by the receding tides. They ran aground and made for easy marks for the Raine City Fleet. Thoroughly beaten twice, the Thora Shipbuilders retreated, while Raine City was given the contract to build a proper Royal Fleet.
However, with determination came a role reversal. In 1865, Thora gained access to iron. In combination with steam power, the ships could now be heavier both armour and weaponry. The XNS Santi was Xelha's first ironclad ship and it splintered the current Raine City ships. Thora offered Raine City a chance to build ships using the Thora design, but Raine City refused and set about looking for a way which to outdo their rivals. This would hold until about 1900, when Raine City announced a ship that would 'sink Thora's without them even knowing it was there'. This of course was handily dismissed by many as bluster. Until five Thora ships sank at their moorings, on clear sunny days in plain view of the Royal Yacht Club. Raine City had built the first Xelhan submarine, the XNS Mako. King Ivan at this point reprimanded Raine City for needlessly sinking ships five ships before ordering ships from both builders.
After the war, Raine City's builders were absorbed by Xel-Tech in a cost cutting measure. Thora, having emerged from the war more unscathed than Raine City kept their ship builder independent. They hung this over Raine City for close to ten years before Raine City was able to rebuild and free their ship building company from under Xel-Tech's umbrella. High Queen Yuki settled the direct competition by issuing royal warrants to both companies; Thora for surface ships, with Raine City to build submarines and harbour vessels. Despite this final quelling of ships being built for the government, the rivalry between the cities simply transferred from the shipyard to the stadium.
Many adults will say their first competitive memory is the deafening cheers of a Shipyard Derby. Even High Queen Tsuyu says her debate pep talk from her Raine City born mother was, "Do you best but if you must lose, lose to anyone but Thora!"240Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowGKFRoQys
