Return of the Iron Star (Group B, IC)

[TheCountAlucard]

Ah, Imperia!

It is the dawn of the first day of the Festival of the Iron Star. As the sun rises over the capital of Veria, the city finds itself bustling with activity. Brightly-colored booths have been erected in the marketplace, vendors and merchants already calling out prices as they peddle their exotic wares. Messengers run urgently from place to place in the city. Potent aromas waft from the eating-halls, packed with commoners and foreigners eagerly seeking a hot breakfast. Faint music drifts down the streets as devoted performers practice for the festival. The Mages' Academy is practically crackling with arcane energies as spells are prepared and cast. The temples in the city are likewise crowded, both from worshippers and from those who seek healing. Armored guards walk down every street, keeping a sharp eye out for miscreants and ne'er-do-wells. Colorful advertisements for various products and services litter the walls, with bold lettering in a half-dozen languages or so, depending on which district one is in. Even Emerseye Palace, residence of King Stephen and his family, is not exempt from all this activity, minor nobles scurrying about the elegant hallways.

[fendrin]

Ellis

"Good Morning, Father."
The young half-elf says to his adoptive father Jorge as they both begin the morning routine they have followed all week. Open the stall, removing the street-side wall panels to allow passers-by a view inside. Set up the display rack and fill it with the swords, axes, and other weaponry that they brought with them from Hensford. Stock the firewood and light the forge-fire. Some bread, cheese, and fruit serves for the simple breakfast the two share.

"I think the opening rounds of the archery tournament are today. I should go check in to find out when it is."
Ellis puts on his armor and straps his weaponry on. He wanted to look the part of a 'wildman of the borderlands' in the archery contest. Much better than looking like random villager #18.

"I'll be back tonight for dinner."
He says to the heavily muscled, middle-aged man as he heads out into the streets.

[Morty]

Johann wanders through the crowded city, wearing his crest proudly, pushing through throng of peasants looking for any sort of combat tournament. Yet another festival, yet another opportunity to fight and prove his prowess. He just hopes there will be some worthy opponents to face but then, in the capital, there should be no shortage of them.

[Keld Denar]

Ton wanders around the faire, taking everything in piece by piece. Knowledge is power, power is survival, and survival is quintessential. Looking over one vendors booth, he recalls a riddle he once heard and chuckles aloud before continuing on.

[TheCountAlucard]

EllisAs Ellis makes his way through the marketplace, nearby vendors wave to him with a friendly smile. People have already begun browsing the shops, listening with awe as the shopkeepers describe their exotic products in fine detail. Guardsmen likewise walk the streets, making their morning rounds.

Because of the crowded streets in the marketplace, it takes Ellis a little while to reach the three arenas. A temple of Kord stands nearby, a muscular human offering blessings to passers-by.

JohannAs Johann passes through the crowds, several smile and wave at him in a friendly manner, either recognizing him as the duke's son or simply admiring the noble.

After some walking, Johann finally reaches the three arenas. A temple of Kord stands nearby, a muscular human offering blessings to passers-by.

TonveressThe merchant looks at Tonveress puzzledly as the sorcerer laughs. He then turns his attention to a peasant woman, who inquires about a cloak he has on display.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn leaves her small apartment early, spending the early morning hours attempting to relax and enjoy the festival, and get her mind off of her concerns. She stops at a festival stall for breakfast and then continues meandering for a time.

Eventually Elwynn's mind turns to her other purpose for attending the festival... employment. While not being particularly dilligent, she begins to idly look for any sign of a advertisement, either asking for adventurers or from existing adventuring groups.

[Morty]

Johann

Johann approaches the gladiatoral arena and looks for someone who might be in charge.

[TheCountAlucard]

ElwynnAs Elwynn looks at the advertisements plastered on the walls, they mostly seem to be devoted to goods and services available in the marketplace. She fails to find any that request the aid of a seasoned adventurer.

JohannJohann finds a stand in which a skinny human and a burly dwarf are seated. "Ah, welcome!" says the dwarf. "Are you here to fight, or to bet?" The dwarf is wearing fine clothes, his vestments a dark purple color.

[Morty]

Johann

I'm here to fight, says Johann proudly, sticking out his chest.

[Steward]

Varga glides into town like a phantom. He had wrapped himself in a thick brown travelling cloak with the hood down, so as to favor the passing townspeople with his broad, flat orcish face and his slightly goofy smile. Trotting by his side was a raggedy-looking Dog with an air of cunning about it; if there are any missing plates of meat or overturned chamber pots around, don't expect to see Dog for a while!

The ranger had heard many rumors about the great city. Its gallant nobility, its brilliant guildsmen, and its fierce warriors, but in the outskirts of his realm the practicioners who recieved the most wondrous acclaim were the masters of the brew. The watered down bilge that Varga and the other rangers enjoyed on their patrol was said to be nothing compared to the potent brews that were available in this great city.

Varga begged directions from passersby before setting off in the direction of the cheapest inn in the city, hoping to find something to drink there...

[Tyrael]

Mal Sargen is a grim-looking man wearing a beat-up tricorne hat, an enormous billowing greatcoat and a battered and well-used cutlass at his side. His face is hard-edged and narrow, with a pointed nose, light blue eyes and a deep black goatee. Countless charms and small bits of jewelry adorn his body, and a battered leather bag rests over one hip across the shoulder, though sometimes he wears it like a backpack.

Former Captain Malcolm Sargen strolls through the streets of Imperia, chomping on a fresh green apple with a small boy dogging along at his heels. He had caught the urchin with a hand in his pocket, and instead of rebuking the child, he handed the kid a silver piece in exchange for a bit of company (and possibly a favor in the future...a beached pirate needed all the contacts he could make).

"Piratin's a good job, mate," he tells the boy. " 's challengin' work...out of doors...I guarantee you'll not go 'ungry, 'cos at the end of the day, as long as there's two cities left on the continent, someone's gonna want somethin' shipped."

"So your folks let you run around pirating?" The kid wrinkles his nose a bit.

Mal stares off into the distance, remembering one of the many arguments he'd had with his parent.


"Dad, I'm--I'm not a crazed buccaneer, Dad, I'm a smuggler!"

"Smuggler, buccaneer, what's the difference?" His father had shouted.

"Well, the difference bein' once's a job, the other's a mental sickness!" Mal retorted in exasperation.

"I'll be honest with you," Mal admits, taking another bite of his apple. "My father...does not care for it."

"So he's got bad feelings about it?" The child asks, eyeing Mal's money belt again. If he could just keep the man talking...

"Feelin's!?" Mal bursts out, rounding on the urchin. "You know who's got a lot of feelin's!? Blokes what bludgeon some traveler to death with a cudgel!"

Mal abruptly whirls and resumes walking, the child tagging along. "Professionals...have Standards," he corrects him.

"Be polite." Mal steps back and doffs his hat as an elderly peasant woman passes by.

"Be efficient." As the child turns to watch the old lady, Mal reaches out and plucks the kid's own money belt off him. The kid doesn't notice, staring at the lady in confusion, and then turns back to Mal.

"Have a plan to swindle everyone you meet," The pirate finishes with a grin, and with a flourish he unveils the purloined money bag in front of the child's astonished eyes. As the kid watches, Mal takes out an entire gold coin and places it in the bag, and then hands the bag back. He lowers his voice.

"Now, I want you to keep your eyes open for me. Rumors, gossip, word on the street...a good pair of eyes'n'ears will get you far in life, lad. You'll find me most often down by the docks. Every time you tells me somethin' useful, the good little boy gets a shiny, savvy?"

He twists his hand, and a silver coin seems to magically appear in his fingers. Another subtle twist, and the coin vanishes. "Do we have an accord?"

The child nods, his eyes wide.

"Good lad." Mal takes the uneaten half of the apple and gives it to the urchin. "Shove off, now."

The kid darts into a nearby alley, and Mal lifts his eyes, finally paying attention to where his wandering has taken him. "Well, I'll be blowed," he murmurs, reading aloud. "The Grand Arena of Kord, eh? Might be interestin' to see wot poor saps get dragged into the pit today..."

The pirate swaggers up to the skinny human and burly dwarf who appear to be manning the entrance. " 'ello, chaps!" Mal calls out. "I'd like to place me a wager."

[TheCountAlucard]

Johann"Good luck," the dwarf says, tipping his hat. "You'll need to talk with Harry here," he continues, gesturing toward the human.

The human perks up after hearing his name. "Good mornin', sir," he says with a lazy drawl. He blinks a few times, and then says, "You're going to be fightin', then?" Harry readies a quill pen and a piece of parchment, and says, "What's your name?"

VargaDue to some poor wording on the part of the commoner who gave Varga directions, the half-orc fails to find the inn he was looking for, but he nonetheless manages to find a suitable bar. The bartender, a hardy-looking gnome, eyes Varga warily for a few seconds before deciding that the half-orc means no trouble. "What'll you be having, stranger?" he asks softly.

Malcolm SargenThe dwarf finishes speaking with a well-dressed human, and then turns to Malcom. "Ah, you wish to do some betting? I'm the dwarf to talk to, then." He winks at the pirate. "Rurik's the name."

Rurik briefly waves to a wandering guard, and then says, "I manage the bets for the bloodsports. If you've got a combatant in mind, you can place a wager of up to five hundred silvers on him."

[fendrin]

Ellis

After briefly thanking the Kordite for his blessings, Ellis enters the arena and approaches whomever seems to be in charge.

"Hello, my name is Ellis Chaitan. I'm here to sign up for the archery competition. Oh, and the arena battle, though my father wouldn't like it."

OOC: in case anyone is wondering, his last name is pronounced: kite'-ann

[Tyrael]

Mal Sargen

"Hmmm." Mal thinks for a bit, then shrugs. "Can't say any particular name comes to mind, seein' as how I don't know who's fightin'. Wot's available?"

[Keld Denar]

Somethin fun gotta be round here to do. Mischief to be had...

Ton scraches his chin.

[TheCountAlucard]

Malcom"Well, you see," the dwarf says, "here's how it works. Each combatant will be pitted against an opponent chosen at random. He could end up fighting violent prisoners, giant scorpions, or even perhaps something worse. After the battle, he's given the opportunity to leave, or try and endure another match. You can bet on how many matches the combatant makes his way through, whether the combatant lives or not, whether or not he scores first blood in a match, and so on and so forth." As he speaks, he looks over a list.

"For today's matches, we've got Ballman Smith, Orick, Jaden Ka-"

A man with elven features walks up and introduces himself.

"Hello, my name is Ellis Chaitan. I'm here to sign up for the archery competition. Oh, and the arena battle, though my father wouldn't like it."

Ellis and Malcom"...and Ellis Chaitan, apparently," the dwarf says, turning to Ellis. "If you're wanting to participate in the bloodsports today, you'll be wanting to talk to Harry," he says, gesturing to the lanky man next to him, "when he's free. As for the archery tournament, that's happening in the next arena over."

TonveressThe woman eventually buys the cloak and wanders off, content with her purchase.

An orange suddenly appears before the sorcerer, bobbing lazily about in the air as though it had nothing better to do. "Fancy an orange?" says a child nearby, pointing his finger at the fruit as it moves lazily through the air.

ElwynnAs Elwynn wanders about, a man approaches her. He is blonde, with slightly elven features. "Why, hello there," he says. "You lookin' for something?" He smiles a little. "Perhaps I can help."

[Morty]

Johann

I'm Johann Falkenhayn, says Johann proudly.

[Tyrael]

Mal

Mal turns and sizes the young half-elf up for size, noting his grand total of three weapons and expensive mithril shirt. Gear like that don't come cheap, he muses. Possibly a nobleman's son? Remind meself later to find out where dead combatants' gear goes...Looks like he might know his way round a blade.

The pirate nods slowly to himself, then turns and flashes a grin to the dwarf. "Fifty silvers on me mate Ellis, here," he says jovially, clapping Ellis on the shoulder as he does so. "I got a feeling bout this one. It's always the underdogs that surprise ya, eh?"

[fendrin]

Ellis

The young half-elf looks completely shocked. Whether it's shock at someone betting on the competition or someone betting on him is unclear.

"Thank you, uh, thank you both."

He then turns his attention to Harry and waits for the lanky man to be available.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Me?" Elwynn raises an eyebrow at him.

"I'm just taking in the sights for the most part. Though... hmm..." Elwynn sizes the blonde man up. "You might just be able to help... I'm looking for work; specifically for anyone in need of a good blade or spell. I don't suppose you'd know of such a person, hrm?"

[Keld Denar]

Ton flicks his wrist, turning the orange teal.

I always felt that was a more appropriate colour for that fruit. What is your name?


PRESTIDIGITATION!

[TheCountAlucard]

Johann"All right, Johann," says Harry. He writes the name on the paper. "Is five o'clock today good for you? That's an hour after the initial part of the joustin' competition is over." He looks up at the noble, and says, "The rules are simple. One, no healin' magic; two, the crowd wants a good show; three, once you and your opponents enter, neither of you can leave 'til one of you is dead. That acceptable?"

Johann and EllisHarry turns slowly to the half-elf, blinking lazily. "Ellis, eh? I'll pencil you in as well; how'd you like to go after Johann here?" He gestures to the well-dressed noble.

MalcomAt the same time, the dwarf furtively eyes Ellis for a moment or two, before turning back to Malcom. "Fifty on him to win one match? Very well, then. If Ellis here wins his match, you'll have a hundred; how's that sound?"

Elwynn"Well, my uncle's been looking for someone to help him out," he says. "I'm afraid I don't know the fine details on it, but I'll take you to him, if you'd like..."

TonveressThe child gives a brief laugh as the orange changes colors. "My name is Cedric." He continues to point at the fruit, and it begins to spin slowly. "So," the kid says, "you can cast spells, too? My dad casts spells, but he does it from a book or something."

[Keld Denar]

There is power in life that some people just can't grasp. Have you ever seen a Dragon read a book to get spells? Of course not, thats silly. Some power just exists, intangible yet real, if you have the conviction to hold out your hand and pluck it from the very air itself. What does your father do, Cedric?

[Steward]

Varga furrows his brow. The Common speech was hard for him to speak; the words always forced his mouth to twist in some of the most unnatural ways. After he puts the words together in his mind, he lets them all roll out as clearly as he can.

"I... I reckon I kin get the strongest drink you has." He says, hesitantly at first. When he is sure that he has the right words, he repeats them again, this time more firmly, and begins to reach into his belt for a few coins with which to pay for his drink.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Hmm... I don't suppose you've got at least some basic idea of what he wants? I'm willing to meet with him and all; but I'd like to at least get a vague idea of what we're talking, if that's alright?"

[Tyrael]

Mal

Malcolm Sargen grins. "Suits me fine, mate."

[fendrin]

Ellis

"To the death? Are the losers raised after?"

[TheCountAlucard]

Keld Denar"He works at the Academy." Cedric continues to spin the teal fruit, bobbing up and down in front of Tonveress. "You know, coloring it like that was pretty cool. What else can you do?"

VargaThe gnome examines the coins, taking a silver piece and two coppers. "Of course," he says with a small smile. After a few seconds, the bartender slides Varga a small tankard of dark, frothy liquid. "Would you like something for your dog? For three more copper pieces, I've got a ham bone that he'd probably enjoy..."

ElwynnThe half-elf leans in close to Elwynn. "Promise not to tell? It has something to do with Captain Tyreus," he whispers.

Malcom(Assuming you pony up the cash...)

"Very well," Rurik says. He makes a note on a sheet of parchment. "Good luck."

Ellis and Johann"If you wish to be raised from the dead after the fight, you'll have to make the arrangements beforehand," Harry says.

[mistformsquirrl]

Do I know Tyreus from my time in the military? (If not, can I make a Knowledge Local to see if I at least know of him?)

Just in case [roll0] (I have 2 ranks, so it's trained. Disregard if it's not needed)

[TheCountAlucard]

Captain Tyreus is the head of the city guard.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Sounds fair. I've got no reason to say anything, even if I don't take the job. What can you tell me?"

Something odd here... bah, probably just being paranoid.

[Keld Denar]

Well, most of my magic is battle magic, and here is not the place to do it. Perhaps you know of someone who is more needing of my talents?

[Morty]

Johann

Five o' clock is fine and I accept the terms. Johann glances at Ellis.

[Steward]

Varga nods. "Mmhmm yeah, something for the little fellow too." Varga hands over the coins. Dog ***** his head to one side and scratches his ear with a hind leg. The ranger scowls. "Try an' look lively there, ya dagnab--," He growls before trailing off in a few orcish expletives.

He takes a big swig of his drink, hoping that the virile-looking brew would live up to its reputation.

[TheCountAlucard]

ElwynnThe man sighs. "I think it's got something to do with whatever happened in the sewers a few months back. Uncle Harold's not been very clear on it; I suppose I'll have to take you to see him."

TonveressCedric drops the orange into Tonveress' hand. "I think so," he says with a smile. "Follow me." He then turns and walks away, slipping into a nearby alley.

Johann and Ellis"Very well," Harry says to Johann, making another note on the parchment. The man then leans in and whispers, "My advice? If you can afford it, take a dose of antitoxin before the match... just in case."

VargaThe gnome chuckles softly and fetches the bone for Dog. He tosses the bone to Dog, and watches as Varga imbibes the intense intoxicant. "You know," the bartender says in perfect Orcish, "we don't get many orcs here. You from out of town?"

[Morty]

Johann

How much is it?

[Keld Denar]

Ton follows the boy through the streets.

And so starts another interesting story. Oh how I love stories!

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Alright. Take me to him and we'll see what the trouble is. Maybe I can help, maybe I can't, but we won't know until we find out eh?"

[Steward]

Varga's tiny eyes squint even further, as if a bright light had been shone in his face. He wavers a bit in his seat and for some reason he feels as if his nerves are on fire. This feeling lasts for only a few fleeting moments before fading away. Varga sways back in his seat, rubs his eyes, then leans forward to the gnome behind the bar.

Hmmph," He grunts appreciatively. "S'alright, Keep."

He pauses when he hears the barkeep's question; he is only a little bit surprised to hear the bartender speaking his own native tongue. More comfortable, he answers him in Orcish as well. "Yeah, I'm new in these parts. Came here in town to see that festival that's got everyone all excited." He explains. He smiles. And, uh, I'm also lookin' for work. My old job was in a mighty lonely part of the world, ya see, and Dog here ain't much for conversation--,"

At this, his dog yips excitedly. Varga smiles and takes a small sip.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm nods to the dwarf, then claps Ellis on the shoulder. "I'll be watching you, mate. Don't let me down," he warns the young man. Then he turns back to the dwarf and asks to be led (or shown) where the spectators sit.

[fendrin]

Ellis

Despite his somewhat tough appearance, the young man seems out of place and almost recalcitrant about the competition.

His expression hardens, and he nods to the lanky man.
"I will be here."

The round can't last all that long.
He thinks to himself.
I should be able to get cleaned up and back to the stall in plenty of time for dinner.

Departing the arena, he seeks out the Kordite that blessed him earlier to make arrangements in case he loses.

[TheCountAlucard]

JohannHarry scratches his chin. "I'm no alchemist, but at a guess, probably somewhere around five hundred silvers, perhaps less if you get a good deal. There was an odd little fellow in the marketplace earlier - if my memory serves me, he was selling 'em for four-fifty."

EllisHarry writes some more on the parchment as Ellis departs.

The priest of Kord waves jovially to Ellis as he approaches. His muscular form is clad in red-and-white priestly vestments. "Blessings of the Brawler," he says with a smile. "Can I assist you, friend?"

Malcom"Ah," Rurik replies, "you'll be taking the stairs to the right, the ones going up. It's free to sit in the stands, but if you want the special seating with the free wine and such, that'll cost you ten silvers." Rurik smirks a little. "Plus, in the special seats, you don't have to sit amongst the great unwashed."

TonveressCedric continues to lead Tonveress through the streets of Veria's capital. He comes to a low-slung apartment building, and knocks on the door.

A dwarf opens it. "Ah, hello, Cedric! Are you here for Brotter?" he inquires, to which Cedric replies by nodding. "Just a moment," the dwarf says, bringing the door to a near-close. A few seconds later, a dwarven child wanders out, casually eating a small loaf of bread. The little dwarf looks up at Tonveress curiously, and says, "Hey, Ced, who's this guy?"

Cedric smiles. "This is Tonveress. He's a mage, and he might be able to help us." Cedric turns to the sorcerer. "I suppose we should tell you about our problem..."

The child clears his throat. "A couple of weeks ago, me and Brotter heard that there were vampires in the sewers. We went down to check it out, but we didn't find any."

Brotter nods. "There was this gray... thing. What was it called again, Ced?"

"Gray render," Cedric says. "I looked it up in my dad's library. It was pretty scary at first, but it didn't attack us or anything. In fact, a few minutes after we found it, it brought us a bunch of dead rats. I think it was trying to feed us." Brotter and Cedric briefly shudder, and then the child continues. "Our problem is, it's too big to get out. Do you think you can help?"

Elwynn"He's probably handling the matches at the battle arena at the moment. I'll take you there." The half-elf leads Elwynn along to the arena, passing by a temple of Kord along the way. A dwarf and a lanky-looking man are at a stand in front of the arena. "How are you enjoying the festival, Chris?" the lanky man inquires, writing something on a piece of parchment as he speaks. "I'm doing fine, Uncle Harold. I found someone who might be able to help you out," the half-elf replies, gesturing to Elwynn.

Harold's eyes widen, and he looks up to Elwynn. "All right," he says, lowering his voice a little. "Were you here a week or two back, when there was all that hassle about vampires in the sewers or somesuch?"

VargaThe drink is only a little less intense in small amounts. The gnomish bartender smiles when the half-orc finishes speaking. "What sort of work are you looking for, friend? I might be able to help." He pours himself a beverage and gives it a brief swig. "My guess is that you aren't looking to help clean peoples' gutters."

[Keld Denar]

Why exactly do you want to get it out? If my [roll0] serves me right, hmmmm, I actually don't remember what they told me about them before I....left...school.

But regardless, I see what you mean. If someone with...less understanding and more...prejudice were to find it, it would probably result in a riotous mob that would result in the death of a decent number of townsfolk. Do you think the creature would be able to understand our intentions? Would it allow me to touch it to deliver a spell? I'd rather not find out why that particular creature possesses such a namesake, if you know what I mean. If you believe so, I would be willing to give it a try.

[Tyrael]

"The great unwashed?" Malcolm ***** raises an eyebrow. "If not washing is considered great, your ruler must smell up the whole castle, hey?" He grins, raps the dwarf on the shoulder, and heads up the stairs towards the common balcony. He mumbles as he walks off, "Now, if cleanliness is inversely proportional to greatness, then why aren't the beggars all kings...?"

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Vampires in the sewers? No I don't believe I was here for that. I must have been out of town on business, though I'm a bit surprised I haven't heard of it since I've been back. Care to fill me in?"

[fendrin]

Ellis

The lithely muscled young half-elf smiles to the far more muscular priest.

"Thank you. I have just entered into the arena competition, and wish to make arrangements in case I lose. You see, I promised my father I would be back for dinner, and if I were to die this way, his heart would be broken for a second time. I cannot do that to him."

[Morty]

Johann

I see. Johann frowns a little. I'll consider it, but this doesn't make the competition sound any better. Well, five o'clock is it?

[Steward]

The drink is only a little less intense in small amounts. The gnomish bartender smiles when the half-orc finishes speaking. "What sort of work are you looking for, friend? I might be able to help." He pours himself a beverage and gives it a brief swig. "My guess is that you aren't looking to help clean peoples' gutters."

Varga laughs in his characteristically deep voice at the gnome's comment. "No... no sir..." He answers, shaking his head. "I'm a-lookin' for something a little exciting. Something that'll let me see this big old world of ours. Walking back and forth on that narrow path on patrol for so many years was fun and all, but I'd like something that'll get me all-fired exciting, you know?" He nudges his drink to one side; right now, even the scent wafting up from the mug was making him feel a little dizzy. "You think you know a fella 'round town who's looking for someone who can get things done?"

[TheCountAlucard]

Tonveress"Well, from what I read, they're smarter than cats or dogs, though they're still not very bright," Cedric replies. "It seems to like me and Brotter well enough, but you're probably right about being careful."

"Yeah," the dwarf child says, "it's got a lot of teeth."

MalcomIt's still a little bit before the first match is set to begin, but already the stands hold a fair number of people, eagerly talking amongst themselves. The stadium's seating area is elevated a good thirty feet above the pit. The floor of the pit appears to be sand, and a large square metal grate, about ten feet on a side, rests atop the sand in the center. A short distance from each corner of the grate is a stone column, to the top of which the grate is chained. The entrances to the pit are at the north and south ends.

Because I felt like making a picture...
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/TheCountAlucard666/Arena.jpg

As Malcom makes his way to the stone bleachers, he notices a silent, square-jawed human sitting nearby.

Elwynn"Well, Captain Tyreus decided to investigate it himself. Came back up about a day later, said that he'd eliminated the vampires." The man looks around briefly. "I think something's up, though - there's something different about the look in his eyes, and a few days ago, I saw him heading into the sewers again."

He leans in a little closer. "Next time he goes into the sewers, would you try and follow him, all stealthy-like? If you can find out what he's up to without getting caught, I'll give you five pounds of silver."

Ellis"I see," the priest replies softly. "Unfortunately, raising the dead is not easy. Such a spell requires costly diamonds to focus it through, and would consume the gems in the process. While we happen have some diamonds on hand, they didn't come to us cheaply."

The Kordite looks at Ellis. "I'll revive you if the unthinkable happens," he says, "provided you're willing to work off the difference afterward." He takes a wooden holy symbol of Kord from his pocket, and presses it into Ellis' palm.

Johann"Yep, five o'clock. Good luck, Johann," Harry says with a smile. A man with elven features and a human woman, both blonde, approach Harry. "How are you enjoying the festival, Chris?" Harry inquires. "I'm doing fine, Uncle Harold. I found someone who might be able to help you out," the half-elf replies, gesturing to the woman.

VargaThe gnome takes another sip of his drink. "Well, I think I know somebody, but I'll have to talk to him about it beforehand, if that's all right." He finishes his beverage, and then smiles at the dog. "There anything else I can do for you two?"

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Very well, I guess we better get to lookin. Maybe we should bring it some sort of peace offering? Like...a steak? Or 6? 20? My basic plan is pretty much just to cast Invisibility on it, if it'll allow me, and then we could just waltz it out the door and...where exacatly outside of the city do you plan to take this thing? And how do you plan on keeping it from coming back in?

[Tyrael]

Good people of the Imperial City, welcome to The Arena!:smallbiggrin:

Macolm

Malcolm shifts slightly in his seat and stares curiously at the man, trying to spot what's so odd about him.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Seems reasonable enough... and you've piqued my curiosity." Elwynn rubs her chin for a moment, thinking. "I'll do it. I need to ask a few questions about the job first though, so I have a place to start."

Elwynn paces slightly as she begins to ask Harold questions.

"First - When was he last spotted heading to the sewers, and how often does he go? It'll be tougher if I have to stake him out.

Also, do we know if the good captain has access to much in the way of magic? I don't expect you to know the details, though if you do so much the better... but any information on how he may be prepared would be excellent.

Oh, and one last thing... what can you tell me about these sewer vampires? Just any information you may have overheard - but leave nothing out, it may be important. If your suspicion is correct, though I hope it is not, anything you know could be immensely valuable - both for getting the job done, and for my staying alive in doing it; which is understandably rather important."

Elwynn waits patiently for Harold to explain what he knows.

Gotta ask a couple things in the OOC thread

[fendrin]

Ellis

"That sounds like a perfect arrangement!"
The youth smiles, tucking the holy symbol into a pocket in his tunic.

"Uh, could you direct me to the archery tourny? I want to compete in that one too."
He taps the tip of the bow that protrudes over his shoulder for emphasis.

[Morty]

Johann

Johann approaches the jousting area. I hope that here, I won't be faced with poison.

[Steward]

"That's alright." Varga replies. "And, if'n it's not too much trouble, I was wondering if you could point us towards something to do around here. As I said, I'm new to these parts, and I've been hearing some stuff about a celebration..."

[TheCountAlucard]

Tonveress"I bet it'd like steak," says Brotter after a few seconds. "We'd probably have to feed it a lot, though. It's biiig."

Cedric ponders for a moment or two. "Making it invisible might help get it out of the city, but we still need to get it out of the sewer first," he replies. "As far as where to take it, they're supposed to live in swamps," he says.

MalcomThe human, clad in fine banded mail, seems as though he is unable to allow himself to relax as Malcom studies him. A man in a loose brown shirt and breeches approaches and sits down near the pirate. "Bloodsports, eh?" he says with a smirk. He takes a bite from a wedge of cheese clutched in his right hand. After a second, he looks puzzledly at the armored man. Turning to Malcom, he mutters under his breath, "Do you find it odd that the captain of the guard is sitting here, of all places?"

Elwynn"Well," Harold replies, "I've only spotted him once, but I'm guessin' he heads down there every two days or so. As for your question on magic, I think the Mages' Academy provides him with their services sometimes, if that helps."

He pauses for a second to think before responding to the third question. "Don't get me wrong here; a vampire expert, I ain't... I mean, I've heard stories, but who hasn't, y'know? Vampires, they're supposed to look like you or me, but that's where the likeness ends. Vampires are strong enough to tear a man in half, and tough enough to take a dagger to the gut without flinchin'. Worst yet, they gain their power from drinking blood. However, they do have a weakness: sunlight is supposed to hurt them. I'm not really sure as to why."

EllisThe priest smiles when the half-elf mentions the archery competition, clapping his hands together. "I'd be happy to," he replies. The Kordite points out the direction of the tournament to Ellis. "It's three blocks away," he says. "Stand firm, and may Kord reward your athleticism."

JohannThe list field for the jousting tournament is spacious, banners and insignias hanging from the stands and stalls. Attendants carefully assist the noblemen in donning heavy armor for the joust.

A violet-eyed elf dressed in a flashy entertainer's outfit scampers hurriedly toward Johann. "Welcome!" he says excitedly. "Can I help you?"

Varga"There's some tournaments going on over by the arenas," the bartender replies. "I think there's jousting, archery, and arena fighting. Some troubadors from Winnalton will be performing in the theater district. Oh, and you'll appreciate this last one... Eights, the eating-hall down the street, is allowing people to eat for free tonight." The gnome chuckles to himself. "I expect they'll be pretty crowded."

[fendrin]

Ellis

"Thank you, I will!"
He says to the priest before departing to find the archery competition.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm nods thoughtfully. "No reason to mingle with the great unwashed 'less he had a reason," he points out. "Could be guard business."

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn nods.

"Thank you Harold. I'll see what I can find out for you."

With that she turns to leave.

Out on the street, Elwynn begins looking for a magic shop of some kind - preferably with scrolls or wands.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Hmmm, I'll see what I can do. With that, Ton heads out to the market, buys a large haunch of beef or pork, whichever is most readily available, and returns with it stowed securely in his Handy Haversack.

Shall we go take a looksie?

[Morty]

Johann

I am Johann Falkenhayn and I wish to participate in the jousting competition, says the knight, sticking his chest out.

[Steward]

Varga chuckles as he is briefly reminded of his hunger. His work had trained him to be able to live off the land quite effectively, but to him nothing beat a meal that he didn't have to chase down, kill, skin, and cook himself. And he knew that Dog would probably appreciate that too? But that was tonight -- he still had to find something interesting to do until then...

"Thank you kindly for all of your assistance," He answers the gnome. "Now, I know I've imposed on you quite a lot, but I don't suppose you could point us to the arena. I ain't much for sport-fighting, but it's always fun to watch two poor blowhards clobber each other and call it chill-vary."

[TheCountAlucard]

EllisAs Ellis approaches the area for the archery tournament, he can see that it is quite spacious, allowing for the competitors to stand more than two hundred feet away from their targets. Already a variety of participants sit on plain wooden benches, waiting for the tournament to begin. A stocky dwarf waves to Ellis. "I take it you're here to do more than just observe?" he says with a chuckle, gesturing to the bow on Ellis' back. "Entrance fee is ten silvers."

Malcom"You make a good point," observes the cheeseater. "The city guard's been rather busy, what with keeping the city safe for the festival." He takes another big bite of the wedge of cheese, not bothering to close his mouth as he chews. "Say, you heard anything about that little pirate ship what tried to attack that big supply freighter the other day?"

Elwynn"Thank you," Harold replies as she walks away. It doesn't take Elwynn long to reach the Mages' Academy, where Shane Silverwind, one of the resident wandmakers, is reading a thick tome. "Ah, hello, Elwynn," he says with a smile. "Can I help you?"

TonveressThe butcher sells him a good-sized haunch of pork for eight silvers, wrapping it carefully to keep the blood from getting everywhere before handing it to Tonveress.

When the arcanist returns to the children, Brotter is finishing off the last of his bread. "All right," the dwarven child says. He and Cedric start walking, gesturing for Tonveress to follow. It doesn't take too long before they reach a manhole.

"Hold on," says Cedric, "I've gotta do the coin thing again."

"Oh, yeah," replies Brotter. "I forgot humans can't see in the dark."

Cedric produces a copper piece from his pocket, and intones his spell as he clutches the coin. The coin begins to glow, shedding light as a torch would.

JohannThe elf nods and bows respectfully. "Of course," he says. "Do you have the required equipment, Master Falkenhayn? Horse, lance, armor, shield? There's also an entrance fee of five gold pieces."

VargaThe gnome chuckles. "Of course," he says. "There's a temple of Kord a few streets over," the bartender says, pointing. "The combat arena is within sight of it. Have fun, friend."

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"You can indeed. I have need of a wand of invisibility, either that or 3 scrolls of the same." Elwynn smiles somewhat mischeviously. "Finally got a job... nothing too fancy, just a little scouting out of town, but it'll be damn good to get out there and do something again. Heh, I'm so happy for it I'm probably spending more here than I'll get in payment, lucky for you eh?"

A moment later Elwynn realizes she's blathering a bit.

"Not like I need to be boring you with all that though anyway, hah! Anyway, about that wand... it's been awhile since I had to buy one myself, how much do they run?"

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton follows the boys, keeping them at arms length in case danger lurks. How far did you say was the location you found these things at? While walking, Ton keeps mentally reciting the last 4 arcane words of his favorite spell, Glitterdust, ready to loose it at a moments notice.

[fendrin]

Ellis

Smiling at the dwarf, Ellis hands over the silver coins.
"That's be a week's wages if I were working in my father's smithy. Good thing I'm not."

[Morty]

Johann

I was hoping I could borrow or buy a mount and a lance. I do not usually fight from horseback, says Johann, still keeping the haughty tone.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Mal's eyebrows raise in surprise. "What, piracy here? Right in the harbor!?" he asks incredulously. "I thought we had a navy here to protect us!"

[Steward]

Varga

Varga scans the city skyline for the Temple of Kord. Once he locates it, he and his companion make their slow and steady journey towards it. "That gnome said it was just a sight past here," Varga said to Dog. It takes him a few moments but he manages to reorient himself, heading in the right direction without bumping into any of the natives and fellow visitors also occupying the city streets.

[TheCountAlucard]

ElwynnShane puts a bookmark in his tome and stands. "Invisibility? Well, I don't have any fresh ones, I'm afraid - they'd set you back a fair bit, anyway. However, I've got a couple of used ones that should be fine for a few uses." He produces a thin rod, slightly scratched from use. "This one's still got some use left in it. I'll let it go for two hundred and seventy gold pieces."

Tonveress"It's not too far," the young dwarf replies. Brotter and Cedric slowly haul the lid up. Cedric then slips down, using the coin to light the way. Brotter begins descending down the ladder after him. A small stream of water trickles slowly along the bottom of the storm drain, little bits of detritus bobbing along in the water. "It's usually not too bad around here," Cedric says, "as long as it doesn't rain."

Ellis"Of course," the dwarf says, casually taking the coins. "I'll enter you, then," he says. "What's your name?" he asks.

JohannThe elf nods. "Very well," he replies. "Lucky for you we've got so much extra equipment - a pair of blunted lances will cost you another five gold pieces, and borrowing a horse will cost another ten."

MalcomThe man chuckles and looks down at the arena. "We certainly do. Smashed the pirate ship to pieces."

Down in the pit, there is a metallic clang as a warhammer, a dagger, and a mining pick drop onto the metal grate.

"So," the human says to Malcom, "I hear this first guy was a bodyguard for a merchant. Figured I'd wage five coppers on him."

VargaIt doesn't take long for Varga to find the arena. A lanky, sleepy-looking human and a fancily-dressed dwarf sit at a booth near the entrance. The dwarf spots the half-orc first. "Hail, stranger!" says the dwarf. "Welcome to the arena! You here to fight, or to bet?"

[fendrin]

Ellis

"Ellis, sir. Ellis Chaitan."

[Morty]

Johann

Johann nonchalantly gives the elf twenty gold goins. Very well, my good man. When do the competitions start?

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Very well. Lead on.
Ton has nothing else to contribute until we actually get there. Maybe a little non-RPable small talk, thats about it.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Malcolm cranes his neck forward to watch. "Bodyguard, eh? Did'e protect anyone important? Though I'd point out that he can't have been a very good one if he ended up here."

[Steward]

Varga pauses. Lessee He reaches into his coin purse on his belt and subtly counts the coins within. Once he is sure that he won't end up starved later on in the week, he pulls out a handful of coins and nods at the dwarf. "I'd like to bet. What can you tell me about the arena fighters today? I don't want to put good money on some tough guy who's going to give up the sponge a few seconds into the fight, you see."

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Used is just fine. How many charges does it have left? I don't need a huge amount... but I'd rather not risk screwing up my first job on my own, eh?"

Elwynn draws out her coinpurse, but waits for Shane to tell her how many charges before deciding if she should take it or not.

[TheCountAlucard]

EllisThe dwarf nods. "Very well. The rules are simple, Master Chaitan. You get five arrows. When we call your name, you come up to that line," he says, pointing to a line about a hundred feet from the targets, "or, if you're feeling adventurous, that line, and any shot you make is worth double points." He again gestures, this time to a line about two hundred feet from the target. "Once you're on a line, you have one minute. Got it?"

Johann"I'd say, give it another five minutes or so," the elf says. "Best of luck to you, Master Falkenhayn. Your horse and lances will be in the fifth stall." The stall he gestures to holds a fine sorrel quarter horse.

VargaThe dwarf eyes the coins in Varga's hand. "Normally our limit for bets is fifty silvers per wager." The dwarf briefly looks over a list. "Ballman Smith is our first fighter today, a human from Stisson. Doesn't look like much, admittedly. His match is about to start. Orick will be going after Ballman. Orick is one of the city guards. After Orick is done, we've got another guy from up north, Jaden Kane. Skinny fellow, but he looks like he knows his way around a sword. After him, we've got Johann Falkenhayn - I think he's a noble or somesuch, and last for the day is a half-elven chap named Ellis Chaitan."

He smirks and looks up at Varga. "Except for Orick, they're all new to the arena," he says.

Malcom"Some merchant, I think." He shrugs.

Suddenly a deep voice reverberates through the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, for our first match of the day, please welcome Ballman Smith to the arena!" Down in the pit, the combatants approach the entrances at the north and south. At the north entrance is a burly ogre and two orcs, while to the south is a portly-looking human wearing a chain shirt and inexpertly brandishing a longsword, looking far from professional in the process.

The cheese-eater's eyes widen. "That's the guy I bet on?" he groans. "I won't be seeing those five coppers again."

Elwynn"It should be good for three uses," Shane replies. "Will that be enough for you?"

[Morty]

Johann

Johann nods at the elf and goes to his stall.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Mal winces sympathetically. "Poor luck there, mate." He leans forward and watches.

[Steward]

Varga ponders his choices carefully. None of them seem to be particularly inspiring; back home, the melees were between truly brutal warriors. He remembers one particularly savage fight, between an orc called Jakk Blue-Eyes and an enormous goblin who, uncreatively, called himself Tall Peat. By the end of it, Jakk was calling himself One-Eye and his opponent had lost half of his fangs.

"I reckon I better bet on the vet." Varga answers the dwarf. "Put me down for Orick." At this point, Dog intervenes, yipping excitedly at his master. Varga looks down into his animal companion's eyes and experiences a flash of insight. "I don't suppose I could bet on another fellow too, huh? You say this... Johann is some kinda noble. Assuming I recollect correctly, nobles were pretty darn good at this horseback combat. If you don't mind, I'd like to put down half on Orick and half on Johann. If you do mind, I'll keep all my money on Orick."

[fendrin]

Ellis

"Simple enough, thank you. Oh, can I switch lines between shots, or do I have to stay at one for all five arrows?"

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Three? That ought to be enough. With any luck I won't even need it; but I figure it's best not to take chances."

Elwynn quickly counts out Shane's coins and hands them to him, tucking the wand into the flap of her spell component pouch.

"Wish me luck!" she says as she walks out the door.

After a few moments wandering toward home, Elwynn doubles back toward the Captain's post hoping to observe him from a distance and following him if he heads for the sewers or does anything else... unusual.

[TheCountAlucard]

JohannAs Johann enters the stable, the horse looks calmly at the nobleman. A teenaged human makes his way over to the stable, carrying a pair of blunted lances. "Two lances for a Johann Falkenhayn?" he asks.

Varga"Orick and Johann it is," the dwarf says. "Good luck."

Varga can hear a voice from inside the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, for our first match of the day, please welcome Ballman Smith to the arena!"

"Looks like the first fight's about to start," the dwarf says. "Seats are available on the stairs to the right. The stands are free to sit in, but if you want special seats, it costs ten silvers."

Ellis"I'm afraid not," the official replies. "Now, if that's all your questions, go ahead and take a seat." He gestures to the benches where the other archers are seated.

ElwynnShane briefly thanks Elwynn as she leaves.

As Elwynn approaches the guard station, the stone multistory building is bustling with activity.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn gives the area a quick look over while acting as casually as possible, trying to take in as much of the area as she can.

[fendrin]

Ellis

"Ok, thanks."

The young half-elf takes his spot on the bench, briefly sizing up his competition before taking a look at the target, tying to figure out how hard it would be to hit.

[Steward]

Varga shrugs. "Might as well. Lessee, ten silves is about... 1 gold piece, right?" He fishes out one gold piece and hands it to the dwarf, leaving the remainder of his money just a little bit lonelier. "Nothin' but the best for us, am I right?" Varga declares to Dog. "Now, c'mon, I don't want to be late for this. Hopefully this 'Ball Man' will be a lot more impressive than he sounds!"

With that, the burly half-orc heads up the stairs to the right, Dog following closely at his heels.

[Morty]

Johann

Yes, says Johann. Then he takes one of the lances and mouts the horse.

[TheCountAlucard]

ElwynnThe stone structure stands a little over twenty feet tall, a little bulkier than a typical house in the area. Close by are three houses and a cobbler's shop. It is apparently close to or on the hour, as the guards seem to be changing shifts. As Elwynn circles the building, she sees two entrances, one at the east, and one at the west. It appears that there are at least a handful of guardsmen inside.

EllisThere are about fifteen or so other competitors, mostly human. For the most part, they look fairly competent, although their skill with the bow has yet to be seen. The targets stand as high as a man, with the bullseye at the center being a mere two inches across.

VargaThe stadium's seating area is elevated a good thirty feet above the pit, with the special seats located just a little higher. Whereas the stands hold little more than glorified benches, Varga's seating area has several padded chairs in it, some of which are already occupied by well-dressed nobles. Along with the chairs are small tables, each of which has a bottle of wine and a single glass atop it. From this position, Varga has a pretty good view of the arena below. The floor of the pit looks to be sand, with a large square metal grate, about ten feet on a side, resting atop it in the center. Each corner of the grate has a chain fastened to it, the ends of the chains fastened to the top of a stone column. The entrances to the arena are at the north and south ends. Resting atop the grate is a warhammer, a dagger, and a pickaxe.

Picture time...
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa100/TheCountAlucard666/Arena.jpg

At the north entrance stands a burly ogre and two orcs, while the south end has a portly-looking human wearing a chain shirt and inexpertly brandishing a longsword, looking far from professional in the process.

Malcom and VargaThe gates to the north and south slowly open. The ogre and Ballman sprint out of the gates, the orcs following after a second later. The ogre makes it to the center, picking up the warhammer, and swings it at Ballman, connecting solidly with the human's chest. The human staggers over to the southeast stone column and begins climbing it, while the orcs pick up the dagger and pickaxe.

The ogre jumps, trying to hit Ballman again and missing, while the orc with the pick attempts to shimmy up the column after the human, but finds himself unable to do so. The other orc starts scaling the column, while Ballman retrieves a wand from his belt and activates it, his hands suddenly aglow with electrical energy.

The metal grate suddenly starts to rise, slowly bringing up the ogre as well. The ogre takes another swing at Ballman, the human just barely getting out of the way in time. The orc on the column attempts to grab at Ballman, to which the human responds by tagging the orc with his electrified hands, causing him to fall from the column. Ballman frantically slips under the grate and fires a blast of magical energy through the bars, causing the ogre to drop.

The remaining orc moves, attempting to put some cover between him and Ballman, while the human climbs back atop of the grate, which has begun to sink again. Ballman panickedly fires off another blast, hitting his last opponent square in the chest and taking him off his feet.

The deep voice of the announcer resounds through the stadium. "Looks like we have a winner!"

MalcomThe commoner looks from Ballman to Malcom and back again. "That-that was not what I was expecting to happen."

JohannThe youth nods to Johann. "Good luck, then," he says. He takes a look out on the field, where the first joust is beginning. One knight has a gold-and-blue theme to his armor and shield, while the other knight's armor is less fancily adorned, his shield bearing the image of a wolf. Their armor looks excessively heavy, probably an extra thirty pounds or more of plating compared to ordinary plate mail. The two charge at each other, going at full tilt. The knight with the wolf on his shield manages to unhorse the other man, followed by cheers from the crowd.

TonveressAfter several minutes of twists and turns, including a brief stroll by a glowing crystal embedded in the floor ("Cleans the water," Cedric comments), the trio comes to a stop. Brotter and Cedric point to a channel built into the wall beside them, the top of which would be low enough to necessitate crouching on the part of Tonveress.

"The gray render is on the other side of this," Cedric says. The boy pops his head in and calls down the tunnel, "Are you there? It's us, Ced and Brotter! We're here to help you!"

A much larger head blocks off the end of the passage, six massive eyes looking across at the child. Its eyes seem to widen at the sight of Cedric, and its twisted jaws contort into what could charitably be called a smile.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton pulls a large chunk of meat from his HHH and hands some to Cedric, some to Brotter, and keeping the largest chunk of meat for himself. Advancing on the creature with the meat extended outwards on open palms, Ton struggles to keep his breathing normal in the face of such a large, powerful creature. How do you suggest we get it to follow us? Can you actually talk to it? Once I cast my spell, we won't really have any way to know if its following us, unless you can think of something? Ton starts mentally prepping the words and gestures for the Invisibility spell both to keep it fresh in his mind, and so that the familiarity of the spell would calm his nerves a bit. If the creature takes the peace offering and seems receptive, Ton will begin weaving the spell around it, and then beckon it to follow him back toward the exit of the sewer.

[Morty]

Johann

Well fought, says Johann as he mounts his horse and takes his lance, but I'm confident I will prove myself when my turn comes to fight.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn feigns interest in the cobbler's shop, lingering out front a few moments, carefully watching the guards change.

Elwynn will wait a little while to see if the captain emerges. If he doesn't within a good 20 minutes; then she'll head home to avoid arousing suspicion and try something later that evening instead.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

"Woooo!" Malcolm joins in the thunderous applause. "Good on ya, mate! Job well done!"

[Steward]

"Alright," Varga chuckled as he ascended the seating area and took his seat. Dog barks excitedly and jumps up onto a padded seat beside him. "This is the life, isn't it?" Varga says to Dog. "Howdy!" He waves at the nobles sitting around him before gazing down at the sand-filled arena below.

From where he sat, the chubby Ballman had not looked so impressive. But as the battle ensues, Ballman revealed his supernatural advantage. Magic! Varga thinks. You never see THAT back home. Even though he was sort of rooting for the orcs in a display of racial pride, it had still been a truly spectacular display. Despite himself, he starts applauding boisterously and calling down at the champion of the arena.

"Orick and Johann better display that good." Varga murmurs.

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressThe gray render initially growls fiercely at the sorcerer, its mouth opening wide to reveal rows of sharp, black teeth; however, when Cedric and Brotter announce to it that Tonveress is a friend, it ceases its growling, looking confusedly from one child to the other. Finally, it brings its unblinking gaze to Tonveress, its face again twisting into the "smile" it had before. It accepts the meat from Tonveress, allowing the sorcerer to get close while Cedric and Brotter feed it.

"It can't talk," Cedric says, "but we're pretty sure it has at least an idea of what we're saying."

JohannThe first match over, another pair of knights advances onto the field, one clad in smoky red armor, the other clad in icy blue. The youth rests the spare lance against the stall wall. "Good luck, Master Falkenhayn," he says, turning to walk off. "And take good care of my horse."

ElwynnElwynn fails to spot Captain Tyreus amongst the guardsmen as the watch changes. From her position, she can overhear the guards speaking to one another, but she is for the most part unable to make out what they are saying.

After about ten minutes ago, Elwynn sees a pair of guards approaching the guard station, carrying an unconcious black-robed human by his arms. Both of his legs appear to be broken. Elwynn still isn't close enough to catch everything, but she is able to make out one of the words... "Assassin."

Malcom and VargaBallman gives a little bow, clutching his ribs and wincing as he does, before exiting the pit via the south gate. A few moments later, the announcer speaks again. "Ballman has declined to continue in any more matches. Let's give him another big hand."

MalcomThe peasant grins. "Looks like I've got a silver piece comin' to me." He claps Malcom on the shoulder merrily, and then gets up to go collect his reward.

VargaThe nobles likewise applaud at Ballman's win. "Talk about a come-from-behind victory," one says, "I thought that ogre was going to drop him for sure!"

One looks at Varga. "What do you think, stranger?"

EllisAfter a few more minutes, the tournament begins. The first archer, an elven woman wearing padded leather armor, steps up to the first line and begins taking her shots. Two of the arrows hit the inner circle, while another two hit the bullseye, her last arrow hitting the outer edge of the target.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

When the creature finishes eating his offering, Ton holds his hand, palm up, to the creature. Would you like to follow us? I can take you to a place where there will be plenty of wild food for you to eat, and where the sky over your head will be bright. You will be free, and no one will bother you. Will you follow us? Ton weaves the spell, holding his hand out for the creature to touch and complete the transferense. No one will be able to see you Ton points to his eyes, then to the Render, then shakes his head. Just follow us! Ton waves his other hand to beckon the creature forward.

[fendrin]

Ellis

"That's pretty good."
He whispers to the archer sitting next to him.
"How many points is it for each part of the target? I forgot to ask the dwarf at the entrance."

[Morty]

Johann

I will try, he says to the boy, not really paying attention. What occupies his mind right now is the jousting field, as he waits, ready to spur the horse as soon as it's his turn to fight.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn loiters a few moments longer, but barring anything unexpected, returns home shortly thereafter.

Once home she eats a simple lunch, primarily to keep herself occupied while she waits so that her earlier loitering won't be construed as anything but idle curiosity in the cobbler shop.

One question:

How close to the guard tower does Elwynn live? Not something I even thought of before. I'm assuming it's a relatively middle-low end apartment. Nothing fancy, but better than a peasant's shack for certain.

*removed other question* - Figured it out!

After lunch, I want to go back and find Harold. It's not much of a lead; but maybe he'll know something about the "assassin" - and if not, at least it gives me a chance to be seen in another area than the guard tower.

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressThe gray render seems to understand the sorcerer's words, giving a subtle nod in response. As Tonveress' spell turns the massive creature transparent, Brotter asks, "How long will this spell of yours last?"

Ellis"If I recall correctly," the archer says, "the bullseye is worth ten points. The innermost circle is worth five points, the next circle is worth three points, and the outer circle is worth just one point."

ElwynnAfter her lunch, Elwynn manages to find the lanky man again, still seated next to the dwarf out in front of the arena. He leans forward when she approaches. "Learned anything?" he says in a low voice.

MalcomThe peasant returns a minute later, a grin on his face. "By the way, I never did catch your name, stranger." He extends a hand that still smells strongly of cheese, and says, "My name is Gil."

JohannFive more jousts take place before Johann is called to the field. On the opposite end, mounted on a splint mail-clad charger, is an imposing figure clad in scale mail. His lance and shield both have snake patterns on them. The deep voice of the announcer sounds across the tilting field. "Let's give a hand for Johann Falkenhayn and Herpeton Serpentes!"

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

A goodly while, somewhere around 40 minutes. I can recast it if needed. I do suggest we don't dally though. It would be unfortunate if the spell were to wear off while we're topside before we can reach a secluded place. Do you have any idea how we can get out of the sewer and out of town in a way where he will fit, and we won't encounter many people? Ton asks all these questions as he start walking back in the direction they came from.

[Steward]

"Oh, if I were a betting man, I'd have put all of it on Ballman." Varga points out to the nobles. "He looks a little more tip-top than any of the other guys. See, what you're looking for isn't size, but centers of gravity. Back home, it didn't matter much how big you were - it was how hard you bring the other guy down, see. Same with that ogre back there. He was big but the other guy had magic and... well, you saw what happened. As he is speaking, he comes up with an idea on how to multiply his wealth. "I don't suppose any of you are betting men, eh?"

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Not nearly enough. More questions than answers actually, which is why I'm here." Elwynn grimaces a moment.

"I went to the Captain's tower. I figured I'd keep an eye out - covertly - so I could tail him. Instead, a man in black robes, both of his legs broken, was hustled into the tower. I didn't hear much, but the guards mumbled something about 'assassins'." Elwynn rubs her chin in thought before speaking again.

"I'm not entirely sure what it means; but it complicates matters a good deal. Before you ask - no, I'm not quitting, and I'm definitely not increasing my fee. I agreed to find out what the captain was up to, and I will. I just wanted to warn you that things might get a little deep." After a long moment of silence she looks hard at Harold.

"I also need you to do something Harold. Nothing to risky - that's my job - but it is rapidly becoming apparent that we're looking at something larger than you may have at first thought. I need you to keep your ears and eyes open - especially for rumors about the captain.

Anything you hear, even seemingly mundane things, could be very important. Don't push anyone for answers though - just remember what you hear, I'll be back to see what you've learned early tomorrow."

Elwynn nods to Harold, waiting to see if he'll agree.

[fendrin]

Ellis

"So she got... 31 points points. Thanks. Well, good luck."

[Tyrael]

Unfortunately, I'm about to head off on a family vacation, so I won't be available until Sunday or Monday. Sorry, folks. :smallsigh:

Malcolm

The pirate grins and shakes Gil's hand. "Tom," he introduces himself with a smile. "Tom Badgerlock. You come around here often, Gil?"

[Morty]

Johann

Johann bows to the crowd, whether it's cheering him or not, and charges as soon as he's given the signal.

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressBrotter frowns. "The castle entrance is the biggest, but it's always guarded. Any street entrance isn't going to be big enough. There's a few exits on the southwest end of the city that might be big enough for the gray render to squeeze out and into the lake, but I think most of them have bars on them."

Cedric gestures to the east. "There's always that one under the arena." Brotter's expression brightens. "Yeah," he says, "I bet it's big enough!"

VargaOne of the nobles, a dark-skinned human man dressed in fine raiments, nods appreciatively. "I do a little wagering here or there; why do you ask?"

ElwynnHarold pales at her words. "I'd heard rumors," he says, "that someone tried to kill the king this morning. However, the attempt failed, and while he was attempting to get away, the would-be assassin fell."

The man shakes his head. "After you left, one of the people gamblin' with Rurik here," he says, gesturing to his dwarven companion, "commented on seeing Captain Tyreus in the Arena's seats. I didn't hear all he said, because I was busy with arranging the fights for tomorrow. Haven't looked yet, either, but if he's there, it might just save us both the effort of looking for him."

Ellis"Same to you, friend." He nods and continues to watch the match. Several more names are called, and several more competitors make their shots. A few moments before Ellis' name is called, an official hands the half-elf five fine arrows with blue fletching.

Mal- err, "Tom Badgerlock""Often enough to waste a few silvers." He chuckles. "That in mind, decided to go ahead and bet on Orick next. He's a veteran to the arena, so it's a fairly safe bet."

In the seats below, the armored human is finally showing some activity, looking first to the left, and then to the right.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Don't you think that the arena would be a bit high in population to bring a Render through, Invisible or otherwise? Southwest sounds like the better plan. I'm sure a fellow of his size and strength could probably make a hole big enough for us to squeeze through, and into the lake would make a great escape route for it to get away from the city undisturbed. What do you think?

[fendrin]

Ellis

Smiling to the official when he is handed the arrows, Ellis briefly examines the arrows, nodding with approval at their quality. When his name is called, he stands and walks to the farther line.

Why not, the worst that can happen is I lose. He thinks to himself.

Lining up with the target, he takes a deep breath in, brings his bow up, and in rhythm with his breathing, fires all five arrows at the target.

[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]
Let me know if I need anything else

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn smiles a bit.

"That's good information Harold; thank you. Keep your ears open, I'm going to see if I can find our captain at the Arena then."

Elwynn nods and turns to leave, exiting the stall and turning to face the Arena proper. She takes a cursory look to see if she can spot Tyreus perhaps leaving the arena.

Ammending this post as I misunderstood something and Alucard cleared it up via PM <@_@>b

[Steward]

"I was thinking," Varga whispers in a conspiratorial tone. "How about we enter into a little friendly wager over the next match. But, instead of money, I want to deal in something a little bit more interesting. If my man wins, you answer me a question about this fair city you rule. And if your man wins, I'll tell you a little about where I'm from. How does that sound?"

[TheCountAlucard]

JohannDuring the first two passes at one another, Johann and his opponent manage to miss each other. On the third pass, however, both lances strike true, with Johann's blow being forceful enough to send Herpeton tumbling off of his horse. The crowd cheers Johann as his opponent slowly climbs to his feet. "Good match," the knight rumbles, "and good luck."

Tonveress"You're right," Brotter says. "He could probably bend those bars without any trouble, and it's bound to be less crowded." Cedric nods in agreement. "Southwest it is, then," he says. He holds his coin aloft, illuminating the tunnel ahead. Tonveress hears a sudden splashing sound in the distance. Cedric and Brotter don't appear to hear the splash as they move forward, but the gray render gives a fierce little growl, causing the boys to stop, looking confusedly in its direction. By the light of the glowing coin, Tonveress can briefly see something shiny before it slips into the darkness.

EllisOut of the five blue-fletched arrows, only one misses the bullseye, and even then only by a quarter of an inch. Cheers rise from the impressed audience, and even some of the half-elf's competitors applaud at the display. "Ninety points," the dwarf says in a congratulatory tone, clapping Ellis on the shoulder. "An excellent display!"

With a score of ninety points, Ellis is currently in the lead, although a few archers have not yet taken their shots.

ElwynnElwynn does not see Captain Tyreus as she makes her way into the arena proper. There are two sets of stairs before her, the one on the left going down, and the one on the right going up. The observers all appear to be taking the stairs on the right.

Varga"Sounds like an interesting little gamble, my orcish friend," the nobleman says, taking a small sip of wine. "I take it you expect Orick to win?"

[Tyrael]

"Orik, eh? I'll keep an eye on 'im."

Malcolm shifts in his seat, watching the armored man for his next move. What's he up to? Blighter looks nervous. He's got the look of a man with a plan that went wrong. What's his game...?

[fendrin]

Ellis

Ellis smiles and waves to the crowd as he returns to the bench.
I hope I do that well in the Arena later.

[Morty]

Johann

Johann bows and waves to the cheering crowd. T'was well fought sir, he says to his opponent.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn pays 10g to enter the more expensive section guessing that this is the most likely location for elusive target to be.

Having some RL trouble; might be a little slow for a couple days, try to get back up to speed soon though.

[Steward]

"If he's anything like the others, I reckon he'll knock some heads." Varga says, grinning confidently. With one hand, he strokes Dog's head. "At least, I hope so..." Varga whispers to his pet.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Huh, I thought I heard something ahead. Maybe it was nothing, but stay behind me just in case. Ton moves ahead, taking the light coin and holds it higher aloft in an attempt to light up more ground. He advances slowly, following the children's directions to get to the lake.

[TheCountAlucard]

MalcomCaptain Tyreus gives another twitch, and then slowly turns his head, looking around at the other seats. His blank gaze briefly passes over the pirate and Gil, but the armored man does not say a word.

EllisThe next archer steps up to the second line, giving Ellis a little acknowledging nod before taking his shots with an expert hand. Four arrows strike the bullseye in rapid succession, with the last hitting the innermost circle. The bowman then turns to Ellis and winks before returning to his seat.

Johann"Thank you," replies the knight. He leads his horse off the tilting field as they announce the next jousters. When Johann returns to the stalls, he is congratulated by the youth. "Not bad, not bad," he muses to Johann, his eyes on the field as the next match commences. "I bet those first couple misses were just bad luck on your part, right?"

Varga"Given his performances in the past," the nobleman says, "I'd say the odds are fair." A blonde human woman wanders into the special seats, wearing a slightly-bulky red cloak with the hood up.

ElwynnThe stadium's seating area is elevated a good thirty feet above the pit, with the special seats located just a little higher. Whereas the stands hold little more than glorified benches, Elwynn's seating area has several padded chairs in it, some of which are already occupied by well-dressed nobles and a burly orcish fellow with a dog. Captain Tyreus does not appear to be among them. Along with the chairs are small tables, each of which has a bottle of wine and a single glass atop it. From this position, Elwynn has a pretty good view of the arena below, as well as the mundane seats.

TonveressThe children stick close behind Tonveress as he walks along, holding the coin aloft. There are a couple more instances in which something shiny seems to be just ahead of the group, but never close enough to be fully seen. The gray render definitely seems to be aware of it as well, giving a little growl every time Tonveress sees it, as well as a couple of times in which he doesn't. The gray render is also far from stealthy as it walks, its heavy, plodding footsteps giving away its position.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn takes a moment to find a particularly good seat - one with a good view, not so much of the spectacle below... but of the rest of the audience. Then she begins scanning the crowd for Tyreus.

He won't be easy to spot at this distance... but this is the best shot I may have for days. He's got to be here right?

[fendrin]

Ellis

The young half-elf smiles and nods to the archer in response to the wink.
Well, I see I haven't won yet. That's good, it's no fun without a challenge.

[Morty]

Johann

They were, says Johann. Although my opponent was no weakling too.

[Steward]

Varga nods appreciatively at the nobleman's tip. In truth, of course, he had no idea how any of the competitors would fare. Humans were much more scarce in his part of the realm, and he has little clue as to what strange powers they might use to overcome their opponents. Still, the unimpressive Ballman had managed to win his fight; it would not be a surprise if Orick were to display similar gifts.

Dog notices the newcomer to the stands slightly before he does and barks in response. Varga looks around and, upon spying her, waves as if he has known her all his life. "Howdy!"

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton continues to walk toward where the exit is, holding the light coin up and keeping his guard up to cast a spell should he need to defend himself.

[TheCountAlucard]

ElwynnIt takes long moments for Elwynn to find her target in the seats below, sitting in front of a man in a tricorne hat. Captain Tyreus is clad in heavy armor, and is looking around at the people in the stands.

The dog barks, and the orcish fellow seated near Elwynn waves as if he has known Elwynn for years. "Howdy!" he says.

EllisAfter a few moments of tallying scores, it appears that Ellis and his competitor are tied for first place.

The dwarf approaches Ellis. "Looks like a tie-breaker is in order," he says with a smile. "Think you can beat this guy?"

Johann"Exactly," he replies. "Herpeton was no pushover."

The youth chuckles as one of the knights is unhorsed, and then turns to Johann. "So, what are you doing after this? I bet you could use an ale."

TonveressThe gray render suddenly lets loose a thunderous growl, and moves forward, attempting to push past Tonveress and the children without hurting them.

[fendrin]

Ellis

Smiling at the Dwarf, he responds:
"I guess we'll find out!"

Once again taking up position at the farther line, he fires his next set of arrows at the target.

The range penalty is included this time.
[roll0]
[roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]
[roll4]

EDIT: ouch.... *3* 1s? That's absurdly bad luck.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn takes a good long look at the half-orc, seeing if she can recognize him; but after several long seconds cannot place him at all.

"Excuse me... do I know you?"

She attempts to keep an eye on Tyreus while dealing with the half-orc; so as to avoid giving away her mission.

[Morty]

Johann

I'm going to fight in the gladiatoral arena. I might drop by for a drink in the meantime.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton follows the Render as best he can. Shouldn't be hard with the amount of racket it makes. The words of a spell close on his lips, he tries to figure out what is causing the creature to act as it does.

[Steward]

"Ah, definitely probably not!" says Varga cheerfully. "Name's Varga! Are you here to bet on the fights? I've got 50 silvers on my buddy Orell--,"

Dog barks.

"Er... yeah, that's to say, Orick.." He peers past her down at the arena, hoping to see if the fight is going to start soon.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Oh, I'm just here to watch. Getting out and enjoying the festival and all that, ya know?"

[TheCountAlucard]

EllisTwo of the half-elf's arrows hit their mark, sinking into the bullseye. However, three of the arrows miss, hitting the ground in front of and around the target instead. "Ooh," the announcer says, "that's a bit of bad luck!"

The other archer grins, approaching the second line. He takes aim and fires, four of his arrows striking the bullseye, the last striking the innermost circle. "Looks like we have a winner!" the announcer says to the cheering crowd. After a few moments of applause, the announcer continues, "...and let's not forget to give a big hand to Ellis for second place!" The crowd applauds for Ellis as well.

After a few minutes, the dwarf returns to Ellis. "Bit of bad luck there near the end, but it was still fairly impressive. I know I couldn't have pulled off two bullseyes from that distance!" He claps Ellis on the back in a congratulatory manner. He then hands the half-elf a small bag of coins. "Here's your prize money," he says with a smile. "We'll have your trophy along in a day or two."

Elwynn and MalcomCaptain Tyreus rises slowly from his seat, eyeing the exit, and begins to walk in that direction.

Johann"Good luck with that," he says. "I hear at least one of the competitors is going to have to fight an ogre. They're supposed to be pretty strong."

It's not long after that when Johann is again called to the field. His opponent this time is of a somewhat-slighter build than Johann, wearing a silvery-colored breastplate. His shield depicts a silver rose placed between the pages of an open book.

TonveressThe render charges headlong in the direction of the noise from before. There is a human-sounding scream, and the squealing sound of twisting metal in the darkness ahead. As Tonveress gets closer, he can see the gray render, once again visible by the light of Cedric's coin. Hanging from its jaws is what might have been a suit of armor, before the creature had gotten its teeth on it. The gray render releases the suit of armor from between its jaws, a confused look on its face. Several of the gray render's sharp black teeth remain embedded in the suit, glittering faintly in the light.

Varga, Elwynn, and MalcomThe deep voice of the announcer reverberates through the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, for our second match today, please give a round of applause for a veteran fighter, Orick!" Down in the pit, an armored dwarf approaches the south entrance. At the north entrance is a massive scorpion, nine feet long. It snaps its pincers threateningly in Orick's direction, the only thing keeping it from rushing out into the pit being the iron gate that stands in the way.

[fendrin]

Ellis

Ellis claps for the other archer when the winner is announced.

"Thank you," he says to the dwarf. "Chance is a part of any competition. I am pleased to have gotten second place."

Departing the archery contest, he makes his way back to the arena, briefly examining his prize money along the way.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Do either of you have any idea what it was that he just munched on? Ton approaches the creature slowly to try and determine the nature of the suit of armor and whether or not it may have belonged to a person...or something not-a-person, and whether or not the Grey Render has gone berzerk.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

The pirate keeps a weather eye on Captain Tyreus even as he claps excitedly along with Gil as Orik appears.

"Oh!" Malcolm straightens up as if suddenly remembering something. "That's him, is it? Bloody hell, I forgot to stick a few silvers on 'im! Be right back, chum!"

Standing up, he begins unobtrusively making his way towards Tyreus, intent on shadowing him and watching what he does.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"It's been nice meeting you Mr. Varga; but I'm afraid I need to be going."

Elwynn rises, keeping her eyes locked on Tyreus the entire time, and rapidly moving toward the same exit he is.

[Steward]

Varga nods absently. "Good luck, then, ma'am!" He says. It's a shame you ain't staying for the fight. It looks like it's gonna be a ripsnorting, toothjangling... something or other." He waves her off, then leans forward in his seat to look down at the arena. The fight has just started, with Varga's man Orick squaring off against...

"Whoo-EE!" Varga exclaims, his eyes flicking back and forth between the noble and Orick's opponent. "This here is some city! We don't get scorpions that big where I come from. The most we got is ravenin' acrolomantids, and those critters usually don't get bigger than 5, maybe 6 feet." For the first time, he feels a twinge of fear with regards to Orick's chance of victory. He had expected another ogre, or perhaps a few more brother orcs working as shills to make some human look good. But this... well, Varga decides that Orick will need some help from above.

"ORICK!" Varga booms at the top of his lungs. "MAKE US PROUD! SQUASH THAT ORNERY BUG AND SEND HIM HOME TO HIS MOMMA!"

Dog joins Varga's cheering, barking and yapping to punctuate each word.

[Morty]

Johann

Johann rides to face his opponent.

[TheCountAlucard]

EllisSome of the departing crowd from the archery tournament gives Ellis congratulatory waves as he walks. As Ellis nears his destination, Harry and Rurik spot the half-elf approaching and give him a brief wave.

Tonveress"It looks like it was just a suit of armor," Brotter says as he examines the twisted metal, "but why would the gray render attack it?" He looks up at the gray render, who now appears as placid as ever.

"For that matter," Cedric says, "what's armor doing down here, anyway?"

MalcomGil gives a brief nod, his eyes focused on the fight below. "Dunno if they'll let you place a bet after the fight starts, but good luck."

A blonde woman in a red cloak, seated in the special seats, seems to have taken an interest in Captain Tyreus as well, and is watching from above as he heads toward the exit.

ElwynnThe man in the tricorne hat also gets up from his seat and begins heading to the exit after Captain Tyreus.

Elwynn and MalcomThe armored man begins descending the stairs that lead to the stands.

VargaAs the gates open, the massive scorpion immediately lunges forward, intent on charging the dwarf. Orick simultaneously moves forward, bracing himself at the last second and holding an intimidating-looking warhammer at the ready. The armored dwarf accepts the brunt of the charge with his armored body, batting away the scorpion's stinger with his hammer. As the two fight, the metal grate begins to rise again.

One of the scorpion's claws tears off the dwarf's helmet, leaving a cut on his face as it does so. Orick bellows in rage and begins to push against his massive opponent, surprisingly driving it back several feet. The gladiator pushes the scorpion underneath the rising grate and continues to battle it, dodging another of the arthropod's attacks.

The grate suddenly begins to drop, and while not heavy enough to immediately crush the monster, the scorpion is still injured by the massive iron weight pressing down on it, unable to bring its tail to bear. Orick then holds his hammer in both hands as he raises it overhead, bringing it down as hard as he can on the pinned creature. The resulting crunch echoes through the arena.

"Looks like our veteran, Orick, is again victorious!" the announcer says. "Let's give him a hand!"

Johann(Made the rolls for you, hope you don't mind...)

Both opponents' lances strike true in the first pass, but each competitor manages to roll with the blow well enough to avoid being unhorsed. In the second pass, Johann's opponent fails to even touch him with his lance, though he takes quite a hit from Falkenhayn. On the third pass, both knights hit each other again, with neither being unhorsed. However, after a few seconds, Johann's opponent slips from his saddle, colliding with the ground in an altogether-unceremonious manner. After a few seconds' examination by one of the healers on standby, it is revealed that Johann's strike knocked the elf out cold.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Regardless, we need to get the Render out of the city. We can come back and investigate this, but I'd rather not stick around here longer than required. I'll cast Invisibility on the Render when we get close to coming out in the open again. Lead on.

[Morty]

Johann

Johann dismounts and goes over to see if his opponent is alright.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Mal eyes the red-cloaked woman for a moment. Backup? Best be on my guard. He begins following Tyreus at a safe distance (80ft or so).

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Interesting... are you a coincidence, or a bodyguard?

Elwynn follows Tyreus down the stairs, but as best as possible tries to keep Tricorne man in view. If it becomes necessary however she'll focus entirely on Tyreus.

[Steward]

Varga

Varga winces as Orick finished off the scorpion with one savage blow. Then he stands up and cheers even more ecstatically than he had for Ballman. After that, he sits down and turns to the noble sitting beside him. "I saw it coming! Now, can I ask you something about this Iron Star I've heard so much about?"

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressThe gray render continues to plod along, keeping a few watchful eyes on the two boys. The group passes another cleaning apparatus, but this one appears to be broken, several fractures running deep through the crystal.

"Odd," Brotter comments, "I wonder what cracked the crystal like that..."

JohannThe healer casts a spell on Johann's opponent, who begins to stir. The elf takes a few seconds to stand, and then delivers a sweeping bow to Johann. "Well-fought," he says, and extends a hand to the dismounted Falkenhayn.

MalcomThe woman notices Malcom, but says nothing, exiting the special seats. She tries to keep the pirate in her view, but seems more focused on the armored captain, who begins descending the set of stairs leading beneath the arena.

ElwynnThe man in the tricorne hat notices Elwynn, but says nothing, exiting the normal seats. He tries to keep back from the armored captain, who begins descending the set of stairs leading beneath the arena.

VargaThe noble claps along with Varga. "A very good call," he murmurs, watching as the grate rises again and officials begin to drag away the crushed carapace of the scorpion. "Very well," the man replies, "just what is it that you'd like to know?"

EllisA heavily-armored man descends the stairs on the right, the ones leading to the spectator seating, and begins going down the left set of stairs, which lead beneath the arena.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton continues on with the boys and the Render until he gets to the exit or something more exciting happens.

[fendrin]

Ellis

Taking very little notice of the armored man, Ellis approaches the dwarf and the skinny man he talked with before.

"Second place in the archery contest. Would have had first but for a string of bad luck." He says, shrugging.

"So where do I go to wait for my match?"

[Morty]

Johann

Johann shakes his opponent's hand.
T'was an honor, Sir Argent.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn continues to follow Tyreus, still keeping watch on the other man. However she'll only change course if things appear dangerous for her or the mission.

[Steward]

Varga

"Everything you can tell me!" Varga answers with a grin. "I ain't never heard about it until a few weeks ago, and I want to know what I traveled here to see."

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Mal continues to follow Tyreus as well, attempting to blend into the crowd and appear innocuous whenever Tyreus glances back.

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressThe group continues on their way southwest, the smell of the air noticably worse due to the broken crystal. All of a sudden, the gray render gives a low roar once more as a humanoid creature appears in the darkness. The feral humanoid locks eyes with the sorcerer, and Tonveress can feel its will trying to impose on his, although he manages to defeat its attempts to control him.

Realizing that his attempt to dominate the sorcerer has failed, the humanoid charges at Tonveress, its lips drawn back to reveal a set of sharp fangs. It swings a fist at Tonveress, but the blow fails to connect.

The gray render growls fiercely and tears into the fanged human with its claws and teeth. The humanoid suddenly turns into a cloud of mist in mid-scream, seeping from the gray render's jaws.

To say that Brotter and Cedric look startled at this proceeding is an understatement. The human child, his hands shaking, makes a gesture in the direction of the mist, and a tiny ball of acid shoots from his hands at the cloud.

Ellis"Good job on the contest," he replies. Harry points to the stairs on the left. "You'll be wantin' to go down those stairs," he says calmly.

Johann"Same here," the armored elf replies. He then turns and leads his horse off the field, while the crowd again cheers for Johann. When the knight returns to the stall, the boy smirks. "Not bad, not bad," he says. "You can certainly take a hit, it seems."

Elwynn and MalcomTyreus opens the door at the bottom of the stairs and steps through the threshold, giving one last glance up the stairs. He scans the mass of people, and then slowly closes the door.

Varga"Well, from what I've read," the nobleman says, "it's a massive comet. Supposedly, when it appears, it's the second-most visible object in the night sky, right after the moon, and it appears every five hundred years."

The announcer speaks once more. "Looks like Orick has seen fit to grace us with another match! Let's give him another round of applause!" Down in the pit, the dwarf returns to the starting gate as the audience cheers.

"The funny thing," the nobleman continues after applauding, "is that even the most powerful mages haven't been able to work their magic in such a way to learn anything about it."

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Mal moves to the door, gives it a 10-second count (2 rounds) to let Tyreus get a good distance away, then quietly opens the door and slips through after him.

[fendrin]

Ellis

"Thanks! I'll see you after my match."

He then turns and proceeds down the stairs he was directed to.

[Morty]

Johann

Johann's chest swells with pride.
It isn't easy to strike me down, indeed.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn pushes through the door without waiting, attempting to feign coincidence between her and Captain Tyreus leaving.

If needed, a bluff check: [roll0]

[Tyrael]

Rolling a thingy:[roll0]

[Steward]

Varga

"Hmm, I reckon once me and Dog get a good look at it, we'll have it all figured out!" Varga joked. "Looks like Orick's back for round two. Heh, maybe he's pushing his luck this time, I think."

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

That was...disconcerting. I'm pretty sure that WAS a vampire of some sort. We probably won't be able to follow it. There might be more coming too. I suggest we hurry and try to make it to the grating leading to the outside as fast as possible.

[TheCountAlucard]

Ellis, Elwynn, and MalcomBeneath the arena is a spacious training area, complete with targets and dummies. A number of people also populate the area, some actively practicing, while others simply sit and wait for their upcoming matches.

ElwynnCaptain Tyreus begins walking past the practicing gladiators, heading slowly toward the far door. Entering the training area a few seconds after you is a brown-haired man wearing a mithral chain shirt. After that, the man in the tricorne hat quietly slips inside, a nonchalant look on his face.

EllisEntering a few seconds before you is a blonde woman wearing a red cloak with her hood up. Coming down the stairs just after you is a man in a tricorne hat. You recognize him as the man who bet on your match. He slips through the door quietly, a nonchalant look on his face.

MalcomThe red-cloaked woman heads down the stairs, followed by Ellis, the man whose match you bet on. As you slip silently inside the training area, Captain Tyreus begins walking past the practicing gladiators, heading slowly toward the far door.

Ellis, Elwynn, and MalcomA gaunt humanoid, seated on a bench and clad in black armor and a voluminous cloak, turns his helmeted head in your direction, but says nothing. A man with banded mail also looks to the small group in the doorway, raising an eyebrow. "Can I help you?" he asks.

JohannThe youth gives a little nod. "Careful there," he says, "a swelled head will make you easier to hit." He watches as another brace of knights joust, one getting his helmet knocked clean off in the process.

Varga"Orick usually endures at least two fights before he walks," murmurs the noble. "It's led to some serious injuries in the past, but that's something he's willing to risk, it seems. Honor, devotion, insanity... call it what you will, but it's entertaining."

Orick's next opponent appears at the north gate, an abberant creature with brownish-gray skin. It stands on a trio of thick legs, and thrashes about with nasty-looking tentacles.

TonveressThe mist swirls about briefly before slipping through a small crack in the wall. The gray render gives a glare in the direction of the crack.

"You're right," replies Cedric. The group begins pressing forward again. "Something's weird about this, though... I thought the guards took care of all the vampires."

[Morty]

Johann

Johann ignores the young man, watching the competition.

[Steward]

"He always wins though?" Varga murmurs at the noble's comment. "Good man. Solid."

He turns his gaze down at the arena, searching for Orick's next foe. Once the opponent appears, a chill goes up his spine and Dog sets to barking so loudly that Varga is convinced that they'll be thrown out. Varga is able to quiet his pet with a cuff to the ear, but Dog still jumps down off his seat and curls up beneath Varga's cloak.

"That ain't right." Varga mutters, glowing at the apparition facing off against Orick. "What is it, by the way?"

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Right...guards...yea...Vampires tend to make themselves rather difficult to erradicate, growing back like the most tenatious of molds. That one is far from dead, but probably harbors a very real thirst for vengeance. Let us hurry along the way and get out into the sunlight as soon as possible.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"No thank you; just passing through."

Elwynn attempts to continue after Tyreus.

[fendrin]

Ellis

"I'm just here to wait for my match."

[TheCountAlucard]

Johann(To those of you who AREN'T Johann and reading this, we resolved the rest of the jousting tournament via PM. Johann took third, got a shiny prize, and made his way to the arena.)

The dwarf and Harry give Johann a friendly little wave. "Ready for your big match?" Harry asks. "It's not quite time yet, but you're perfectly welcome to wait downstairs." He gestures to the set of stairs on the left.

"By the way, how'd the jousting tournament go?"

Varga"He doesn't always win," the nobleman replies. "He's actually had to be raised from the dead before."

Varga is not the only one to shudder as the monster stands at the north gate. "I'm not sure what that thing is," the aristocrat says. "I hear they got it when the city guard raided the sewers for vampires."

Tonveress"It's not much farther," Cedric says. The gray render coughs, and several pieces of tattered cloth escape from its jaws.

After some more walking through the storm drains, the group can see a pinpoint of light in the distance. "There's the exit," Brotter points out. "Leads right to the lake. He'll still have to get through the bars, of course."

Ellis, Elwynn, and MalcomThe armored man moves to block the red-cloaked woman. "My apologies, ma'am, but this area is for our combatants to train and wait for their matches. Do you have business here?"

[Steward]

Varga

Varga arches an eyebrow at this remark from the noble. From the dead? He thinks. That's just plain unnatural. But if it works, it works!

"You fellows have vampires in your sewers? Big, smelly, dead things with fangs sharper'n my axe?" Varga remarks. "Say, m'lord, you wouldn't happen to know where I might find a job, would you? I'm planning to stick around these parts for a while; Stisson's nice and all, but y'all know how to entertain!"

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton walks up to the grate and peers through. If it doesn't look like its too far down, he'll make a show of straining to pull the bars apart, then step back and point to the Render. Hopefully its strong enough to do the job.

[Morty]

Johann

It worked well, says Johann, I scored third place. Got my share of blows, though.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"Not here, no; but I have important business and this is the fastest way through. May I pass? I'll be gone before you know it."

Diplomacy check if appropriate: [roll0]

*cross fingers* >.<)

[Tyrael]

Mal

Malcolm glances at the red-cloaked woman, and shrugs to himself. Lucky me they ain't noticed me yet. He strides forward, mumbling something about "srry, cmn thru, ctch'n up wivva cap'n, prdn me" and trying to pass off as not worth bothering about.

Sorry about the delay in posting, work's been hectic.
Bluff: [roll0]

[TheCountAlucard]

Varga"Had vampires," the noble replies. "The guards saw fit to stamp them out."

He gives another brief gaze to the tentacled creature. "As for the job, I'll be sure and ask around. Just what are you looking to do?"

At that, the gates lower, and the fight begins. Forsaking his hammer, Orick produces a number of throwing axes and begins hurling them at his opponent, circling around the pillars as he does so to keep himself out of range of the barbed tentacles.

TonveressThe gray render crawls forward past the sorcerer and slips its fingers through the bars, gripping the iron tight in its fists. For several seconds, nothing happens, and then a horrid wrenching sound echoes through the storm drain as the gray render twists the iron as though it was paper. Several chunks of the floor and ceiling are still attached to the sundered bars as the creature rips them free, letting the iron drop into the lake with a splash.

Johann"Third place? Not bad, not bad," Harry says, with a friendly smile on his face. "Better than I could do, anyway. You've got some skill, Falkenhayn." He claps his hands together softly. "So, what all did you win?"

JosephAs you move through the town, one of your opponents from the jousting match is standing in front of the gladiatorial arena, chatting with a lanky man seated in a booth.

Ellis, Elwynn, and MalcomThe armored man's expression darkens as Elwynn speaks. However, when the fellow in the tricorne hat says something about "ctch'n up wivva cap'n," he reluctantly moves to allow him to pass. "Let me guess," he says to the red-cloaked woman with a sigh, "you're doing something with the guards, too? Go ahead..."

EllisOnce the woman passes, he sighs and shakes his head. "I hate city guard business," he mutters. He brightens up a bit as he looks to Ellis. "So, you're set to fight today, then? Have a seat." He gestures to an open bench.

[Lycar]

Sir Joseph

Walking about the fair with whoever accompanied him to this point, Joseph spot a familiar face. Heh, wasn't that the guy who came in 3rd place after him? Falkenhayn or something? Best to say hello.

"Just a moment, I'll be right back. Or on second thought, just come along."

Joseph approaches his fellow knight and says "Hello Sir Falkenhyn, you fancy a little fight in the arena? Too bad I couldn't made it so you were only bested by the victor of the jousting tournament. But then again, not winning against the king's own son is pretty much mandatory."

Lycar

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton gets ready to jump, then looks back at the boys. You guys do know a bit how to swim, right? We should probably let the Render jump first. Wouldn't want it to come down on top of us. Let me make it invisible again quick, just in case anyone is around when we come out of the water. With that, Ton approaches the creature and again starts casting.

[Morty]

Johann

I won this sword, Johann shows him the ornamental sword he won. I just hope I will fare as well in the gladiatoral combat as in jousting.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn nods firmly, trying to simply go along with the man's offered explanation.

"Thank you, I won't be long."

That was far too close. And the man in the hat... not a bodyguard I'm almost sure now; what's going on here?

[Lycar]

[So what does it actually look like then?]

"Nice. Mine is silver plated and has a black perl in the hilt. So, gladiatorial combat? Isn't that something beneath a knight of the realm?"

Lycar

[Steward]

Varga

"I'm lookin' at something that'll be a nice little earner for me as long as I'm here. Somethin' interesting, mind you." Varga answers.

The fight begins in earnest then, and the half-orc observes Orick's strategy. "Mighty big waste of good steel, that. But if it works, it works!" He is careful not to look directly at Orick's opponent. He doesn't need images of that visiting him at night when all is quiet.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Ducking past the guards, Malcolm continues shadowing Captain Tyreus.

[fendrin]

Ellis

Sitting on the bench, Ellis waits for the Captain, the woman, and the hat-wearing man to enter the other room.

"What sort of guard business would they be doing here? Seems like an odd place to meet."

[TheCountAlucard]

Joseph and Johann"Very impressive," says the lanky man to Johann, eyeing the sword for several moments. He turns to the new armored fellow. "I take it you took second place?" he asks.

TonveressOnce the spell is cast, Tonveress can hear the transparent creature squeezing through the exit. There is a splash as the gray render lands in the water below. A friendly little rumble from below assures the group that the gray render is all right.

"You can swim too, right?" Cedric asks.

Elwynn, Malcom, and EllisCaptain Tyreus slips through the far door, leaving it slightly ajar.

Varga"Better than wrestling with that thing in close quarters," murmurs the nobleman under his breath.

Orick continues to hurl the axes at the creature, cutting into its beastly hide with the blades. It lashes at him with a tentacle, but fails to hit the steel-clad dwarf. After several more attacks from Orick, the beast finally falls, to the crowd's approval.

EllisThe man nods, and then sits down next to Ellis, watching the procession. "My thoughts exactly." He leans in close and whispers, "Were you here a few weeks ago, when Captain Tyreus raided the sewers for vampires? I think he found a treasure down there or something, and that's why he keeps coming back."

Elwynn and MalcomAs you pass through the far door, the scent of blood can be detected faintly in the air. The sound of moving water can be heard.

The room is smaller than the training area. Captain Tyreus is slowly lifting open a largish trapdoor in the floor.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

I've seen people do it before...how hard can it be? And with that, Ton grabs ahold of the edge of the pipe and lowers himself into the water.


Swimming on calm water is a DC10. Ton has a +1 Str mod and is taking 10. Therefore, Ton automakes swim checks unless he becomes fatigued, water becomes choppy, or he tries to fight.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

The pirate narrows his eyes curiously. What's this blighter up to? Best to keep following, since I haven't found anything tangible. However, it might be best not to look like me while I do so...

Still believing that Elwynn is tied up with the guards behind him and that nobody is watching, Malcolm reaches up and taps the brim of his hat. His outline wavers, shifting, and suddenly in his place is standing the banded-armored guard from the arena. He creeps forward quietly, watching Tyreus intently.

Activating my Hat of Disguise.
Hide: [roll0]
Move Silently: [roll1]

[Steward]

Varga

Varga feels an odd sense of relief as the abomination is defeated. He stands up and cheers for Orick, the two-time champion. "Reckon you were right." Varga says. "Say, my lad Orick won again. This means I get another question!" He furrows his brow. "Where do I go to collect my winnings?"

[Lycar]

Joseph

"Second place, yes. To be honest, I didn't quite expect to end up that high in the rankings. But then again, most of the experienced knights perished in the war."

Jsoseph still waits for Johann's answer though.

Lycar

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

As soon as Elwynn is beyond the door, she draws the Wand of Invisibility she purchased earlier. Seeing the man in the tricorne hat transform, she decides it best to take precaution and uses the wand, vanishing.

Follow Tyreus and Malcom invisibly

[Morty]

Johann

Indeed, now I recognize the man who won the second prize. You have my congratulations. Johann extends his hand to Joseph.

[Lycar]

Joseph

"Thank you." Joseph takes a moment to take off his gauntlet before giving Johann his hand for a firm handshake.

"Mind if I ask you about your family? I'm afraid, my heraldic skills leave somewhat to be desired. Any relation to the royal family by any chance?"

[Morty]

Johann

My family name is Falkenhayn. Though it is an old, noble house, I am afraid we do not have any ties to our royal family that I know of.

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressYou drop safely into the water below. Brotter and Cedric likewise land in the water without injury, treading water next to the invisible gray render. "Let's get to dry land, shall we?" Brotter says.

Elwynn and MalcomCaptain Tyreus doesn't seem to notice the disappearance of his red-cloaked follower, nor did he seem to be aware of the transformation of his grim-looking companion. He lifts the trapdoor up fully, the smell of blood growing stronger as he begins his descent.

Varga"I'm assuming you made your bet with Rurik, the dwarf downstairs? Chances are that he's still down there, and you can get your lucre there."

The announcer's voice again echoes through the arena. "Orick has declined to continue with any more matches for today," he says.

"Would you like a glass of wine before you head down?" says the nobleman as he pours himself some.

Johann and JosephThe dwarf in the booth looks to the pair of fighters. "So," he says, "would either of you gentlemen like to make any bets on the matches?"

EllisA heavily-armored dwarf makes his way past the other fighters, blood on his armor, and sits down on a nearby bench. "I'm done for the day," he mutters, removing his gauntlets.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton swims to the shore furthest from the rest of the city, in any direction that looks like it has good tree cover.

Lets take him a bit further and see if we can find a nice grove or cave.

[fendrin]

Ellis

"Vampires? Wow, I hope they killed them all. Could you imagine if they captured one and made us fight it for this competition? That'd be a tough fight."

Glancing over at the dwarf, Ellis keeps talking to the man, but changes topics.

"So how's this work exactly? This is my first arena tournament. I mean, I know I fight to the death and all, but how is the winner determined? The winner of the tournament, I mean. Obviously the winner of the battle is the survivor."

[Steward]

Varga

"Ahh, thank you sir." Varga shakes his head when offered the wine. "I've been drinking too much today anyway. It's bad for me health, see..." He still remembers the blast he got earlier today. With a bow, the orc totters back down to Rurik. Dog trots behind him.

[Lycar]

Joseph

"Very well, I was just curious. As I said, my skills at heraldry are nothing to write home about. On the other hand, my home village my be pleased that 'their boy' managed the 2nd place in the joust."

Joseph listens to the dwarf making his offer but politely declines.
"Sorry, but I'd rather save my little luck for the next time I have to fight bandits or brigands. Used up an awful lot of it in this tournament already. Doesn't pay to get greedy."

Lycar

[Morty]

Johann

Johann nods in response to Joseph. To the dwarf, he says:
I'd rather not, thank you. I'd rather save what gold I have left.

[Lycar]

Joseph

Joseph nods approvingly as Johann turns down the bookie. Then he goes on to ask him: "You did quite well at the joust, Sir Falkenhayn. Did you fight in the war by any chance?"

"So, what do you want to do next?"

Lycar

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton heads for the cave he spotted, leading the kids and the Render. He doesn't dismiss the Invisibility spell, but for those of us around it, its not hard to hear...

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn moves after Tyreus as quickly and quietly as she can, though she makes no move to hide being invisible.

>.< I forgot, what Caster Level is this wand anyway? 3 is the minimum, but if it's higher it could last longer. <-- stupidly forgot to write that down when I bought it <;_;> sorry)

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressThe cave looks to be both deserted and natural, at least at the entrance. However, a good fifteen feet in, the sorcerer can see a small wooden bowl, a few small gnawed bones lying nearby. Brotter is the first to notice, and frowns.

Ellis"It's all about impressing the crowd, friend. After all the matches today, whoever the audience liked best wins." He grins and claps the half-elf on the back. "As for the vampires, the guard killed 'em all, but they also brought up a couple of nasty creatures we didn't know we had down there." He gestures to the blood-spattered dwarf, who has begun to doff his armor. "Orick there just got done fighting one of 'em. Nasty, tentacled thing."

The gaunt fellow in the black armor slowly stands, giving another look in Ellis' direction, his expression unreadable due to the helmet covering his head. He then heads in the direction where Orick had come from.

Once the dark figure is out of sight, the man in banded mail mutters, "That Jaden Kane fellow, he ain't natural."

VargaStanding by Rurik are a pair of armored humans. They seem to decline an offer made by the dwarf, and begin discussing jousting. Rurik notices Varga, and gives him a little half-wave. "Not a bad idea, betting on Orick," he says to the orc, and places two silver bars on the stand. He gestures to one of the armored humans. "Here's the other one you bet on." The lanky man seated with Rurik speaks up. "Speaking of which, Master Falkenhayn, you're up next after Jaden Kane, so I suggest you get ready."

Johann and JosephAn orcish fellow and a dog totter down the stairs on the right. A tall humanoid, almost seven feet in height, the orc approaches the dwarf, who gives a half-wave in reply. "Not a bad idea, betting on Orick," he says to the orc, and places two silver bars on the stand. He gestures to Johann. "Here's the other one you bet on," he says. The lanky man seated with the dwarf speaks up. "Speaking of which, Master Falkenhayn, you're up next after Jaden Kane, so I suggest you get ready."

Elwynn and MalcomThe floor of this passageway has a half-inch or more of moving water running through its center. Captain Tyreus steps onto the dry section of floor, and then rummages through a bag at his side. He pulls out what looks to be a torch wrapped in black cloth, and then slowly unwraps it, revealing it to be alight with a heatless flame. By the light of his torch, you can see that the running "water" contains a decent amount of blood and viscera in it. The guard captain seems unfazed by this revelation, and begins making his way down the passage.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

The pirate frowns curiously to himself. Staying silent, he continues forward, shadowing Tyreus at a safe distance.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton turns to the boys. What should we do? This cave looks kinda occupied. Think we should hang around and wait for whatever it is to show up again? Or find a new place? It could be dangerous here.

[Morty]

Johann
I'm afraid I didn't have the chance... and as to what I'll do next - then Johann is cut off by the other man. If you'll excuse me, I have to ready myself for the fight. Johann draws his sword and readies himself.

[Steward]

Varga

Varga takes the two silver bars and gives them a test bite. They seem real enough. Shoulda known. Dwarves are honest. He tips his head respectfully to Rurik, then for the first time notices the pair of armored humans discussing jousting.

"You're Johann Falkenhayn?" He says when Rurik points to one of the men. "Pleased to meet you! The name's Varga."

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Not good... not good at all...

Elwynn follows Tyreus closely, recasting Invisibility if necessary, and sticking tight to the dry ground at the side of the sewer tunnel.

[Morty]

Johann

Yes, I'm Johann Falkenhayn. I'm also pleased to meet you, Master Varga.

[Steward]

Varga

"Master Varga's my father! Just call me Varga." Varga replies, chuckling. "It looks I got a lot of money riding on you." He pumps his fist into the air. "Knock 'em dead, sir!"

[Morty]

Johann

Johann nods. I will.

[Lycar]

Joseph

Joseph looks on as Johann marches off for his fight.

"Good luck with your fight then."

Since he has nothing better to do for the day, Joseph decides to find the stands and a good place to watch.

Lycar

[TheCountAlucard]

Malcom and ElwynnUp ahead is the carcass of some strange tripod beast with tentacles, sitting motionlessly in the water. Captain Tyreus moves past it, continuing onward.

Further along the way, the smell of blood seems to lessen somewhat. In the middle of the stream of water, embedded in the floor, is a tiny glowing gem. The gem appears to be removing some of the pollutants befouling the water.

A humanoid approaches, walking along the dry part of the floor. He is dressed in tattered rags that might've once been fine clothing.

"You have something to report, Tyreus?" the pale figure inquires.

TonveressA few rats scurry away at the sound of the sorcerer's voice. Brotter briefly looks at the bowl. "The markings on that bowl are in Goblin," he murmurs. "I'm in favor of finding somewhere else." Cedric nods in agreement.

Johann, Joseph, and VargaThe dwarf gestures to the stairs on the left. "Master Falkenhayn, you'll be taking those stairs. Good luck on your match." He then looks to Joseph. "As for you, sir, if you want to join my orcish friend here," he says, gesturing to Varga, "the special seats are just ten silver pieces."

Johann(Assuming you head down said stairs...)

Beneath the arena is a spacious training area, complete with targets and dummies. A number of people also populate the area, some actively practicing, while others simply sit and wait for their upcoming matches. A man dressed in banded mail, seated in one of the benches, looks in Johann's direction. "Can I help you?" he asks.

EllisThe door Ellis had entered through opens once again; Ellis recognizes the man as the fellow scheduled to go before him, Johann Something-or-other. The man in banded mail gives a look in his direction. "Can I help you?" he asks.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Lets check out the glade I saw, or maybe look for a new cave. Then again, if the Render cleans up the goblin cave, he could claim this one for himself!

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn waits patiently, listening intently.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Malcolm halts and listens as well, moving into the shadows.

[Morty]

Johann

Johann descends down the stairs he's been pointed to.

[Steward]

Varga

"You oughta come up to the rich seats." Varga says to the other man. "Rurik, do I have to pay again or can I just go on up?" If he doesn't have to pay for the seats twice, he will just go up to see Johann's fight.

[fendrin]

Ellis

Seeing the familiar figure descend and be addressed, Ellis stands up and walks over.

"Oh, he's here to fight. Signed up just before me. Name's Falcon-something, right?"

[Lycar]

Joseph

Joseph smirks at the man as he produces a gold piece from his purse.

"I just happened to come into a bit of money. Turns out the bounty on a bandit is ten silvers nowadays."

Putting the coin on the counter he adds "I wonder how he will fare in the arena. He did make third place in the joust after all..."

And thus, Joseph heads for the stairs to the places to watch his fellow knight perform.

Lycar

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressThe dwarf child gives one last look to the bowl. "I'd prefer the glade," he says, "but-"

He is interrupted by another roar from the gray render. Brotter looks up and gives a shout of surprise, presumably at something just outside the perimeter of the glowing coin. The invisible render can be heard charging forward.

"Minotaur!" Brotter hisses.

ElwynnCaptain Tyreus nods. "I fear that the fight manager at the Arena is growing more suspicious of me. I saw a red-cloaked man watching me from the stands above."

The pale man's red eyes widen, and he looks into the shadows. "Did he follow you?"

"I think I gave him the slip," Tyreus replies.

MalcomCaptain Tyreus nods. His words are a little muddled from the sound of the trickling water, but Mal can still make out a few words.

"...fear... Arena... suspicious... I saw... man watching me..."

The pale man's red eyes widen, and he looks in Malcom's direction. "Did he follow you?" he asks, to which Captain Tyreus says something that Malcom does not quite catch.

Johann and Ellis"Very well," says the man in banded mail. He likewise walks over to Johann "You can call me Duke," he says, extending his hand in Falkenhayn's direction. "You're up next after Jaden Kane. Feel free to have a seat, or do some practicing, if you wish."

Joseph and VargaRurik shakes his head. "You're fine, Varga," the dwarf says. He takes the coin and smiles at Joseph. "Enjoy your seat, sir," he says.

JosephThe stadium's special seats are located just a little higher than the normal seats. Whereas the stands hold little more than benches, the premium seating has several padded chairs in it, some of which are already occupied by well-dressed nobles. Along with the chairs are small tables, each of which has bottled wine and glasses. From this position, there is a pretty good view of the arena below. The sandy floor of the pit has a large square metal grid, about ten feet on a side, resting in the center. Each corner of the iron platform has a chain fastened to it, the ends of each chain fastened to the top of one of four stone columns.

Joseph and VargaA dark-skinned nobleman waves to the orc and his dog. "Hello again, Varga," he says. He also gives a nod to Joseph.

The blueblood then looks down toward the south gate, where a rail-thin fellow in black chainmail and a helmet waits for his fight. "That Jaden Kane looks like an armored scarecrow," he says, gesturing for Varga and his companion to sit.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Harold may have been right after all...

Elwynn grips the wand of invisibility tighter, but doesn't dare move from her spot, continuing to listen.

If the Invisibility spell gets down to around 20 seconds though, I want to back out carefully and quietly, get further down the hall, and leave the way I came in, keeping a special ear out for any pursuit.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Malcolm freezes in the shadows, holding absolutely stock-still.

Hide check, here's hoping the shadows give me a bonus of some sort. [roll0]

[Steward]

Varga

Varga takes his old seat again, relieved that Rurik wasn't going to make him pay twice over. "Jaden Kane, eh?" Varga says, peering down at the armored scary. "Well, I ain't putting any money on him, that's for sure. I need to buy dinner later, heh heh."

He looks at the other man. "Say, did you bet on anyone, sir...?"

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton follows the sound of the charging Render, looking for the source. Stay behind me boys.


[roll0] Gonna cast Glitterdust Will DC 17 on any non-render targets I see outside of the cave.

[Lycar]

Joseph

Joseph picks out one of the cushioned seats for himself and sits down. His armour makes a lot of noise, but the fight has not started yet and the cushion helps.

It is certainly more comfortable then a saddle.

Also he can't quite help but overhear the comment of the (noble?) man a few places over.

Joseph returns the nod and wonders. (Scarecrow, eh? Well, let's see if that guy manages to scare his opponent into defeat.)

Lycar

[Morty]

Johann

Johann shakes the man's hand and then practices and works out before his turn to fight comes.

[TheCountAlucard]

MalcomThe pale man continues to stare into the shadows. "You've made a grievous error, one that shall be rectified immediately." He extracts a glass flask from within his tattered clothing as he speaks, and hurls it unerringly at Malcom, where it shatters and splashes him with caustic liquid.

The figure then retreats, moving out of the light of Tyreus' torch. The guard captain draws his longsword as he moves toward Mal.

(You take 4 acid damage. Your turn.)

ElwynnThe pale man continues to stare into the shadows. "You've made a grievous error," he says, "one that shall be rectified immediately." He extracts a glass flask from within his tattered clothing as he speaks, and hurls it into the shadows, where it shatters. A light splash of the caustic liquid almost lands on the invisible Elwynn.

The figure then retreats, moving out of the light of Tyreus' torch. The guard captain draws his longsword as he moves in your direction.

Varga and Joseph"Osric," the dark-skinned man says with a smile.

Down in the arena, Jaden Kane's opponent is introduced. It is a strange creature, a twisted mix of bloated spider and gangly human, with spindly long arms and legs connected to a fleshy body topped with an arachnid head. The thing stands over nine feet tall, and looks to weigh several hundred pounds. The creature is also joined by two spiders, each the size of Varga's canine companion.

"Wow," Osric murmurs, "I would not want to be in his position." He sets down his wineglass and watches as the gates open.

Jaden Kane waits a moment or two for the creatures to move into the arena, and then charges, letting loose a fearsome roar. He lands a blow on one of the spiders with his gauntleted fists, killing the arthropod.

Osric winces and looks to Joseph. "You ever see spiders this big?" he asks.

TonveressThere is a massive thud as Tonveress approaches. By the light of Cedric's coin, the sorcerer can see both the render and the minotaur. The pale horned creature isn't as tall as the gray render, but it looks just as fierce. The gray render bites the minotaur, leaving behind several of its teeth in the creature's hide. The minotaur does not cry out from the injury, its lips curled back to reveal pointed teeth.

Johann and Ellis"Good luck on your match," Duke says to Johann, watching as the nobleman begins to practice. In the distance, muffled applause can be heard. "Sounds like Jaden Kane is doing well," he says, before making his way back to the bench and sitting down.

[Tyrael]

I guess someone made his Spot check.

How does he throw acid at both me and Elwynn simultaneously? We weren't standing next to each other...

Malcolm

The pirate staggers slightly in surprise, but recovers himself swiftly.Reaching his hand into his greatcoat, it comes out encased in steel and wood as he points a nasty-looking, holdout hand-sized crossbow at Tyreus and pulls the trigger.

Move Action: Draw my Hand Crossbow
Standard Action: [roll0]
I should get Sneak Attack damage since it's the first round.
[roll1]
[roll2]


....Worst rolls ever.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton moves up a bit behind the render and launches a crackling black ray from his extended fingertips.

Ray of Enfeeblement
[roll0]
[roll1] Str Penalty

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

"My good captain, I believe it is you who have err'd here..."

Elwynn grins wickedly as the invisibility spell falls.

"... I hope you won't mind if I repair your mistake, hm?"

Elwynn then begins backing away, chanting as she goes.

Move 30ft away directly away from Tyreus (or at least, as far as I can move and keep him in my line of sight - though from the image I have of these sewers there's a long-ish stretch of straight tunnel behind us, yes?

Then when I stop cast Shield.

AC with Shield - 22.

[Steward]

Varga

Varga winces when he sees this latest aberration flounce into the arena. These sewers must be hell to get through, with all these things slithering around in there. Dog jumps down from his seat and hides underneath Varga's seat. "I don't blame you none," He mutters. "I hope this Kane fella knows what he got himself into. Them spiders might be easy to squish, but I wouldn't want to trifle with that big guy done there."

[TheCountAlucard]

TonveressBrotter yanks a bag free of his belt and lobs it in the direction of the minotaur. The bag comes apart on contact with the pale beast, spattering it with a sticky goo that already seems to be hardening. The minotaur is pinned in place by the sticky goo, unable to move as Cedric peppers it with an acid splash. Before the minotaur gets a chance to break free, the gray render again tears into the monster's hide with its black teeth and claws. However, the bull-headed humanoid only seems a little hurt by the render's barrage, already recovering from the vicious assault. It attempts to punch the gray render in the eye, but the combination of the sticky goo and the render's hold prevent it from doing so.

"Brought it with me," Brotter says in reference to the bag. "Thought it might come in handy."

MalcomThe bolt misses the armored Tyreus as he advances. Raising his weapon over his head, he is about to strike at the disguised Malcom with his sword when he hears the words of the once-invisible woman. He jerks for a second, something about what she said having an effect on him, but he nonetheless slashes at Mal with his blade.

(You take 10 damage.)

The pale man, on the other hand, seems to concentrate on something for a second, and then moves, disappearing into the shadows in the distance.

(Roll me a Listen check.)

ElwynnThe disguised man's crossbow bolt misses the armored Tyreus as the guard captain advances, raising his weapon over his head. He is about to strike at the disguised Malcom with his sword when he hears the voice of the once-invisible Elwynn. He jerks for a second, something about her choice of words having an effect on him, but he nonetheless slashes at Mal with his blade.

The pale man, on the other hand, seems to concentrate on something for a second, and then moves, disappearing into the shadows in the distance.

(Roll me a Listen check.)

Varga and JosephJaden Kane continues to combat his opponents, smashing the other spider beneath a hail of gauntleted blows. The large creature produces a sticky sheet of web and hurls it at the warrior, ensnaring him. The rail-thin figure grabs onto the pillar next to him and attempts to pull himself free as the monster advances.

"I heard that the creature has a paralytic venom in its bite," he says as he watches.

The black-armored figure manages to free himself before the creature can get close enough to deliver a bite. He takes a flask of acid and hurls it at the monster before backing onto the platform. The spider-like creature produces an unearthly howl of pain, and then furiously begins climbing a pillar as the platform slowly rises. Once the two reach the top, there is suddenly low roar as a blast of flame erupts on the platform. When the fire dissipates, both fighter and monster are gone.

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

Malcolm steps back, staggering heavily as blood runs down the side of his coat. With a flourish, his cutlass scrapes free of its sheath, slashing out at Tyreus in the same motion.

Free Action: Drop Hand Crossbow
Move Action: Draw Cutlass
Standard Action: [roll0]
[roll1]

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn continues to back away from Tyreus and Malcom's engagement. It is a measured and calm retreat, a tactic drilled into recruits in training, and put into practice by Elwynn on more than one battlefield.

As soon as the Shield spell has flared to life around her, she instantly launches into her second invocation, unhurriedly reciting the words beforereaching into her spell component pouch and dramatically hurling a handful of ashes toward.

As the ashes take to the air they spark, then become cinders, and within the blink of an eye they have coalesced into a single flaming rock, which continues to hurtle toward the guard captain at an alarming pace.

Elwynn is now casting Kelgore's Firebolt.

Fire Damage [roll0]

Tyreus needs to make a Reflex save for half (DC15)

If he has Spell Resistance:

Caster level roll [roll1]

If I fail to penetrate the SR, he still takes [roll2] fire damage.

Also - Listen Check - [roll3]

Huzzah for raw 1d20 rolls >.>

*edit*

"I'm sorry, I can't hear you over the sound of how awesome I am" <'x'> natural 1. Oi <T_T>

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress


Was it affected by my Ray of Enfeeblement?


Ton moves around the combatants to clear a channel. Inhaling sharply, he spits a line of acid across the minotaur's flank.

DC18 Ref or take [roll0] Acid damage save for 1/2.

[TheCountAlucard]

MalcomMal's cutlass makes a metallic rasping sound as the blade comes into contact with the guard captain's armor. Captain Tyreus is then stricken in the chest with a flaming meteoric bolt, presumably sent by the red-cloaked woman. He attempts another barrage on the abused pirate, but from the way he moves, it almost seems like he is trying to foil his own actions, missing Malcom easily.

ElwynnThe disguised man's cutlass makes a metallic rasping sound as the blade comes into contact with the guard captain's armor. Captain Tyreus is then stricken in the chest by Elwynn's flaming meteoric bolt. He attempts another barrage on his target, but misses him easily.

TonveressThe grappled minotaur writhes as the acid strikes it. The gray render lets loose another barrage of bites and claws at its opponent, which is finally starting to look worse for the wear. Suddenly, however, the minotaur disappears, its body dissolving into a cloud of mist that begins to retreat back further into the cave. The gray render gives an ineffectual swipe at the mist as it slinks away.

"The minotaur was a vampire, too?" Cedric says, surprised.

Varga and JosephConfused sounds come from the arena as spectators speculate about what just happened. One of the chains, damaged by the fireball, snaps, causing the metal grate to suddenly give a violent lurch, but nothing else occurs in the pit. "Wow," says the announcer, "there's something you don't see every day. Let's get on with the next match, shall we?"

JohannPracticing his maneuvers, Johann suddenly feels his blade freeze in place as though held in a vise, though he sees nothing holding his sword. A chuckling sound comes from empty space, and then a hollow voice whispers, "You're up, kid. Good luck in there." Whatever invisible force was holding onto his blade suddenly releases, just as the man in banded mail approaches. "Go ahead, Master Falkenhayn. They're ready for you up there," he says.

EllisAfter talking briefly with Falkenhayn, Duke returns to Ellis. "Go ahead and start getting ready, friend," he says, "you're up next."

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

The pirate jerks back in mutual surprise at the fire bolt, then decides to make the best of the distraction and lunges forward with a wicked slash.

Move Action: [roll0]
Standard Action: [roll1]
[roll2]

[Morty]

Johann

Johann enters the arena.

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn continues to back off, but stops after a few more steps. She begins chanting again, the same as before, once again sending an incendiary missile toward the captain.

Elwynn is backing off another 15ft, then stopping, then casting Kelgore's Firebolt again. (Huzzah for that spell!)

Damage [roll0] Fire. Reflex for half, DC 15.

*edit*

Hah <@.@> same damage. Please fail your save ><

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

So yea...I'm thinkin we should find a different cave. Minotaurs, we can handle. Vampires we can handle. But Minotaur Vampires? No thanks!

[TheCountAlucard]

MalcomMal's blade sinks into Tyreus' unprotected side, eliciting a pained shout from the guard captain.

Another fiery bolt strikes the guard captain, who twists partially out of the way. He takes a couple of steps back, fishes a couple of vials of liquid from his belt pouch, and drinks one down.

In the distance, Malcom can hear the faint, echoing sound of rats scurrying in great numbers.

ElwynnYour companion's blade sinks into Tyreus' unprotected side, eliciting a pained shout from the guard captain.

Elwynn's fiery bolt strikes the guard captain, who twists partially out of the way. He takes a couple of steps back, fishes a couple of vials of liquid from his belt pouch, and drinks one down.

In the distance behind her, Elwynn can hear the echoing sound of rats scurrying in great numbers.

Johann, Joseph, and VargaThe voice of the announcer echoes throughout the arena. "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Johann Falkenhayn in his first appearance at the arena!"

JohannAs Johann nears the closed south gate, he can see his opponent across the pit, likewise separated from the arena by a gate. A shaggy predator, this creature is covered in both feathers and fur, and has a sharp, hooked beak. Its head turns, its large, round eyes focusing on the duke's son, and lets loose a roar that turns into a high-pitched shriek toward the end.

Joseph and VargaAt the north gate is a shaggy, feathery predator with a wicked, hooked beak. It looks across the pit to its opponent, presumably Johann Falkenhayn, and lets loose a roar that turns into a high-pitched shriek toward the end.

Tonveress"I concur," Brotter says with a frown. "Let's get out of here before we see another of those things!"

Cedric looks to the sorcerer apologetically. "Sorry, Tonveress," he says. "I didn't think there'd be this much trouble." He pauses for a second. "By the way, how'd you do that with the acid?"

[Morty]

Johann

Johann shouts, brandishes his sword and chrages the creature.

Initiative roll is probably in order: [roll0]

[Tyrael]

Malcolm

The pirate grins to himself and quick-steps forward, spiraling in for another slash as he bashes through Tyreus' defenses to cunningly slide into the man's ribs.

5-foot step, I assume.
Move Action: [roll0]
Standard Action: [roll1]
[roll2]
[roll3]

[fendrin]

Ellis

Nodding to Duke, Ellis moves out into the practice area and begins stretching, revealing a surprising amount of flexibility. Suddenly he launches himself forward, landing on his hands for the briefest of moments before throwing himself into the air once more, twisting and spinning, landing on his feet facing his original position.

In one slow smooth movement he draws his sword, light glinting in it's fine edge, and with almost surgical precision swings it around and down in an arc that, if a body were to be in it's path, would slice cleanly from the right shoulder to the left hip, slicing flesh and laying bare bone and musculature before sending the entrails sliding from the abdominal cavity to the floor.

All this imaginary evisceration spans a space of about 10 seconds before the young man swirls around almost dance-like, his blade whistling through the air far more rapidly in different but similarly deadly arcs. Suddenly he stops, standing perfectly still, blade poised to pierce an opponent or block an incoming blow.

He sheathes his sword as gracefully as he drew it, then turns to face the doorway to the arena. He crouches down, one hand on the floor and the other on his hilt.

"In the wild, no one tells you when to get ready. You are ready or you are dead."

Silently he waits, an intense tenseness in his body like a panther crouched ready to pounce.

[Steward]

Varga

Varga shudders as Jaden's match comes to a close. Monstrous. He thinks. He likes a good brawl as much as anyone, but he didn't enjoy seeing what happened to Jaden. "Johann better have a trick or two up his sleeve."

[Lycar]

Joseph

Joseph watches the fight with lukewarm interest. He is not interested in fighting for fighting's sake. A tournament, that is sport. This...?

Nodding to the apparently noble spectator he remarks "Yes, one doesn't want to get flanked by these creepy crawlers. He seems to have the spider squashing going on though."

The fight goes on and Joseph watches with interest as the gladiator gets spider-webbed. (Good to know should I ever be unfortunate enough to face one of those...)

But the wiry man breaks free ans starts climbing.

"Nice save there. That could have ended quite differently."

But then the man and the spider-thing vanish in a flash.

"Well, that was unexpected..." he remark, blinking.

As the next monster is readied, Joseph pieps up "Oh, an owlbear. I heard about those. Nasty buggers. Wouldn't want to fight one if I got the choice."

Lycar

[Morty]

Johann

As soon as the knight reaches the owlbear, he aims a powerful, overhand chop at the creature.

Attack roll: [roll0]
Damage roll: [roll1]
Power Attack for 3

[mistformsquirrl]

Elwynn

Elwynn turns her head as she hears the rats rushing up behind her.

"Not good." she mutters to herself.

Then she shouts to the pirate-looking fellow currently engaged with the captain.

"Tyreus will have to wait, we need to go, now!"

Elwynn then casts a last Firebolt spell, hoping to keep Tyreus' head down while the pirate retreats.



Firebolt [roll0]

Elwynn isn't retreating this round however, she'll wait for Malcolm for a few seconds.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Its ok. Whats life without a little excitement. Lets just not have TOO much more excitement for a bit, ok? As for the acid, well, I believe I have a bit of Copper Dragon blood in my past. I feel my blood get hot whenever I cast spells, as if the will of my ancestors pulses with approval. I was young when I was first able to manifest it, and what an unfortunate experience that was. Alas, a story for another day. Lets get your gigantic friend here somewhere safe and have a look at his wounds. I do believe that that minotaur....thing really did a number on him.

[TheCountAlucard]

MalcomThis time, Mal's gambit is unsuccessful; his attack still strikes Tyreus, but the guard captain is not caught unaware and is thus able to prevent his vitals. Likewise, the bolt of fire does not seem to damage himself as much as it had previously.

Tyreus again moves out of the pirate's range, and downs a second potion, seeming to recover a bit as the magical liquid takes effect.

Malcom can hear the sound of rats in the distance behind him, scurrying in great numbers.

ElwynnHer attack doesn't seem to damage Tyreus as much this time; the guard captain again moves out of his opponent's range and downs a potion, seeming to recover a bit as the magical liquid takes effect.

EllisDuke gives a brief nod. "Blessings of the Brawler," he says.

JohannFalkenhayn's blade strikes true, though the creature still stands. It retaliates, attempting to maul Johann. He easily repels its wicked beak with his armor, but its claws nonetheless manage to find their target.

(You take 18 damage.)

TonveressBrotter and Cedric just nod, and gesture for the gray render to follow them outside. The render gives a pained grunt as it moves, slowly making it out into the sunlight.

(Make me a Heal check, please.)

[Morty]

Johann

Johann winces in pain as the owlbear mauls him, but stands his ground and responds with a spectacular, strong strike accompanied by a thriumphal shout.

[roll0]
[roll1]
Still Power Attacking for 3.
EDIT: Boo-yah.

[Lycar]

Joseph

Joseph watches his fellow knight fight the owlbear. He can't quite help but wince when the beast digs it's claws into Falkenheyn's side. But that won't save the creature from defeat as the knight retaliates with a mighty strike.

"I have to admit, it is kinda entertaining to watch other people get hurt for a change."

Maybe a bit of support for a fellow knight is in order. So Joseph calls out "That's right! Show the beast what happens to those messing with a knight of the realm!"

Lycar

[Steward]

Varga

"This Johann looks like he might be Orick's blood." Varga said. "I hope he takes down that owly freak." Dog barked; Varga couldn't tell if he agreed or not.

[Keld Denar]

Tonveress

Ton leads the boys out of the cave, looking for either another cave or a glade of some sort in the woods that the Render can make as home.