Cherry Mops is the game everyone in Crow Alley looks forward to every year. The dyers guild gets rids of vast quantities of used dye batches in a mock festival of combat. Participants use mops and dunk them in the dye bins and in a semblence of blood, try and wollop their enemies. A man can have a stain on their front and one on their back before they have to leave. Teams are formed and one man fhas no map and carries a red ball – a cheap bundle of leather scraps died red.
Each team has three people than are designated carriers – they have no mops. This “kettleman” tries to get to the west end of Crow Alley, and deposit the “ball” into a rusted ancient kettle. Only Kettlemen are able to touch the ball There is no end to the hijinx; though if your mop breks (many donated by the sweepers guild) you are out. This leads some teams to store mops in hiding places for later.
This year the fake blood is going to cover up the real blood. Its been done before – but this is on racial lines now.