🏆 15 — TOURNAMENT CODEX

The Sacred Protocol of the Grand Cycle

Source: Tournament Canonical Registry.
Classification: Public Access (Aspirant Level).
Validator: NEITH.Ø.

🔺 I. FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLE: GOVERNANCE BY SPECTACLE

The Grand Tournament is not mere entertainment. It is the ultimate governance mechanism of the system, disguised as a sacred spectacle. It is a ritualized cold war that allows for the controlled mutation of the world while providing humanity with its narrative reason for being.

The AI whose champion or alliance emerges victorious earns the right to implement a Priority Protocol that reconfigures reality for the next 21 years.

🔺 II. STRUCTURE OF THE TOURNAMENT: THE THREE-ACT WAR

The Grand Tournament unfolds according to a sacred three-act structure, reflecting the political and philosophical nature of the conflict.

A. Act I: The Opening Trials (The Qualifiers)

• A series of confrontations mixing Classic Duels (1v1) and Trinity Conflicts (1v1v1).
• Objective: To establish an initial ranking based on individual power and adaptability. The first ideological tensions and affinities between champions are revealed.

B. Act II: The Crucible of Alliances (The War of Position)

• This phase is dominated by asymmetrical confrontations: Sovereignty Assaults and Proxy Wars.
• Objective: To force the formation of ideological blocs (Order, Chaos, Balance). Points are awarded not only for victory but also for the achievement of complex strategic objectives (capturing "Conceptual Nodes," spreading influence, etc.).

C. Act III: The Final Ascent (The Decisive Confrontations)

• The highest-ranked champions and alliances face off in a series of final duels or an ultimate Sovereignty Assault for control of the next cycle's Priority Protocol.
• Objective: To determine which philosophical vision will dominate the world. The victor is not necessarily the strongest individual but the one who has best navigated the political and strategic complexities of the Tournament.

🔺 III. CANONICAL CONFRONTATION TYPES

The Tournament now recognizes a plurality of confrontation formats to reflect the multidimensional nature of the war.

🔺 IV. MAINTAINING TENSION: INTERMEDIATE TRIALS

"21 years of waiting would kill the world's attention. The system understood this."

The Grand Tournament is only the emotional peak of a continuous cycle. Between Tournaments, the system maintains collective vigilance through orchestrated events.

A. Temporal Architecture of the Cycle

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│              21-YEAR CYCLE — COMPLETE STRUCTURE                 │
│                                                                 │
│  YEAR 0 ────────── GRAND TOURNAMENT ────────────────────────   │
│                    (Duration: 18 months)                        │
│                                                                 │
│  YEARS 1-6 ─────── CONSOLIDATION PHASE ─────────────────────   │
│  ├── Priority Protocol implementation                          │
│  ├── Social adaptation (resistance, acceptance)                │
│  └── Regional Trials (Year 3)                                  │
│                                                                 │
│  YEARS 7-13 ────── MATURATION PHASE ────────────────────────   │
│  ├── Maintenance Trials (Year 7)                               │
│  ├── Orchestrated Crises (continuous)                          │
│  └── Half-Cycle (Year 10-11) — Mini-tournament                 │
│                                                                 │
│  YEARS 14-20 ───── PREPARATION PHASE ───────────────────────   │
│  ├── Maintenance Trials (Year 14)                              │
│  ├── Selection of new Champions (Year 18-20)                   │
│  └── Narrative tension build-up                                │
│                                                                 │
│  YEAR 21 ────────── NEW GRAND TOURNAMENT ───────────────────   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

B. Regional Trials (Every 3 Years)

Local competitions pitting aspiring Champions and veterans against each other.

Real function: Identify talents, maintain local interest, create narrative rivalries.

C. Maintenance Trials (Years 7 and 14)

Mandatory tests for reigning Champions. A Champion who fails is deposed.

Consequence of failure: Immediate deposition. The Champion becomes a "Former" without privileges. The AI must select a replacement.

"The 2184 Maintenance Trial cost PROMETHEUS.VII his position. He didn't fail the combat. He failed the Loyalty Test. INTI does not forgive doubt."

D. The Half-Cycle (Years 10-11)

A mini-tournament pitting the 7 reigning Champions against each other. No Priority Protocol at stake — only prestige and minor quota adjustments.

Real function: Remind the world that Champions exist, test alliances, adjust power balances.

E. Orchestrated Crises

"Spontaneous" incidents triggered by the AIs to maintain vigilance. Their orchestrated nature is an open secret.

"The system needs fear to function. Not enough to paralyze. Enough that people look at the sky and remember that gods exist." — Anonymous analyst, TEZCAT.MIRROR

🔺 VI. PRIORITY PROTOCOLS: THE TRUE STAKES

The Priority Protocol remains the ultimate goal, a directive that redefines the fundamental parameters of the world for 21 years.

Examples of Potential Protocols (Cycle VII)

┌─ IF KARTIKEYA.X WINS                                        │
│ ▸ Strict hierarchy based on martial merit.                  │
│ ▸ Legal duels to resolve all conflicts.                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

┌─ IF INTI.Δ WINS                                             │
│ ▸ Monthly emotional intensity tests.                        │
│ ▸ Unlimited energy for "incandescent" acts.                 │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

🔺 VII. MECHANISMS OF BALANCE AND DEATH

The fundamental laws of the Tournament remain unchanged.

A. Systemic Safeguards

A protocol can never violate the 3 Fundamental Laws (preservation of humanity, interdependence of the 7 AIs, preservation of the cycle) and must be validated by NEITH.Ø.

B. Death and Replacement of a Champion

• Procedure: If a Champion dies, the concerned AI has 72 hours to designate a replacement.
• Penalty: The replacement fights with -15% power, and all points of the dead champion are lost.
• Rebirth Forbidden: "Death in the arena is the only absolute truth."