(IC) Fabricated Glory

[Morgana]

As each of you gradually snap awake, you find yourselves in the inside of a moving vehicle of some kind. At your sides you see prisioners much as yourselves, some of which you might even recognize from your previous travels. But many were new faces to you, as after all, since your capture you were traded and sent away multiple times, to a point where you had lost notion of where you were, or how long I'd had been since you were captured.

Then you hear the creek of a wooden door, and watch as a figure emerges from it. And as they move forward, they're revealed by a beam of light coming from a small window covered with bars, the only source of illumination that penetrated the room. You then see a elven man, his skin is the color of dead leaves, and an open albeit crooked smile complements his wild glare forming together an expression that seems to try and fail to inspire easiness.

The elf strikes his hands together excitedly, and then fixes the collar of his green coat. His clothes gave the impression of fake nobility, and seemed to be somewhat expensive although pretty well worn.

"Alright! My name is Fallenor, and I'm your um...*chuckles under his breath* Sorry, I'm trying to find a word here that defines our current predicament without being too "agressive". Let's go with contractor shall we? I know you've all had hit a rough patch coming here, but I just wanted to make sure as we move forward there won't be any hard feelings between us, and that you all see this as...How can I say? An opportunity really!"

[MinotaurWarblad]

Warrior sits still and stares, his stone skull seeming to suck the light from around him. A powerful oak and yew bridge connects his head with his iron-plated torso, which faces towards the quirky elf.
His gaze remains impassive.

[Quentinas]

He awakes for the light that come from the door looking around and then notices that elf and stare him bothered from that situation . Halfios' face has some trait of the elves because his race and then say , sitting among the other prisoners "Is quite difficult to don't have hard feelings in our situation, especially for who have captured us and for the "contractors" as you say, many of us i think would like to be free , but is more like a dream ... Then let's see this opportunity Fallenor what you want to do with us?" His voice is clear, with something of melodious , not angered maybe somewhat depressed in the end. He knows that they could not escape from here for now , so they need to wait for a favorable situation so he try to evaluate that elf and his posture

[AbuDhabi]

"Speak your offer, jailer," Valdar croaks, in apparent agreement with Halfios, rising from the cage floor. He doesn't look pleased.

[Morgana]

Fallenor scratches the back of his head. "Oh boy, this is awkward. Look, I don't wanna force you or anything, but it's not really a choice you know? Although I think this would be much better for everyone involved if you'd all willingly just follow along...please?" he asks softly.

"And it's not like this is gonna be much different from what you guys normally do! I'm not gonna have you all slave away for the rest of your lives in a mine or anything, you're gonna do something that I'm sure you're all quite good at by now, kill people! The only real difference is that this time it'll be as gladiators fighting for the honor and glory of a...god emperor person? I don't know, frankly I paid very little attention to all that. Look, the important thing is that you should all ditch these long faces! It's called GLADiator after all, you know?" he sorta gives an awkward laugh.

[AbuDhabi]

Valdar grunts noncommittally, as if thinking the matter over. He looks over their temporary prison - noting the condition of the bars, the sturdiness of the door and suchlike.

[Luccan]

Cor-Innul has yet to speak, but he glanced nervously at the door. His hands work mysterious patterns in the air by his knees, but they clearly aren't somatic components to anyone familiar with magic. He takes a moment to examine the other gladiators. Trapped like him, he's certain killing any of these poor people is the last thing he wants to do.

[Morgana]

As you look into your surroundings, you see that there are 2 rows of prisioners sitting on benches at opposite sides. In front of them there's a metal bar where their chains are wrapped around, binding your hands to the bar. The room is fairly crammed and empty, and only a singular window and the door the elf came from break away from the sense of claustrophobia.

[AbuDhabi]

"I will fight," Valdar says, wishing he still had his weapons. Then the situation might be different.

[Luccan]

Cor-Innul shakes his head So, will we have our weapons in the arena? Or will this god-emperor expect us to tear each other apart with out bare hand? The dwarf's voice drips with venom and contempt, particularly at the mention of the god-emperor.

[Quentinas]

He looks at the other prisoner , with his eye passing quickly among them sad but realizing that the other one will not let this occasion slip and will fight to freedom probably I will fight ... but so only one will go out from this gladiatorial contest or there is the possibilities that the gladiatorial contest will end with more than one of us alive? he tries to evaluate something tover that door ,If there should be an emblem that could help him to know where they are at least the nations. We will fight without armor or anything else? And can we know the name of the god emperor for who we will fight? He asks and think about that , where they are? The name of that emperor could help him to know where are they at the end.

[Morgana]

-Don't worry, all your gear has been secured and apparently you'll be able to use it during combat. As for how many of you will you survive I honestly don't know! But look on the bright side, if just one survives won't that make the whole ordeal feel that much more special? As for the emperor's name, I think it was uuh...Hemlock? A bit hard to keep track of their name with the amount of titles that were being thrown around"

*Roll bardic knowledge or nobility*

The door doesn't have anything in particular about it, it's just a plain wooden door.

[Quentinas]

Bardic Knowledge 1d20+3 (bard level)+2 (intelligence)+2 (knowledge history synergy)=[roll0]

[Morgana]

You know that Hemlock is what is called an "empty name", in the desert region of Cyndaar. These names are ones typically given to children that for some reason are considered at birth to have no value to their families, those normally being ones of certain prestige that they value being maintained. People with these names are often bastards, people with odd birth marks that can be considered bad omens or that have health conditions that are considered undesirable. Despite most people with these names having noble blood, often from powerful families, they normally enjoy very little privilege from that position and are kept away from positions of power.

[Quentinas]

He thinks about that name , while Fallenor continue to talk Having our equipment will surely help in the fight, and if one only survives he would think about all the people who died to give him the freedom says with a serious face, then he says a at a low voiceHemlock is a strange name for an emperor... how he has finished in that position and asks ]We are in the desert region of Cyndaar now ? In any case i will fight when this gladiatorial contest will be?

[Morgana]

"Indeed we are! Glad to know you still have some lights up upstairs, it's always disheartening when people get a bit "insaney" after the trip. But hey, what can you do you know? It's just the nature of public transportation on this scale" the elf explains, giving off a hint of what could be mistaken for sympathy.

"As for when the fighting will begin, I'm glad you ask! See? I knew I didn't picked you guys for nothing, you all seem to be a bunch of go getters! The cerimonies will start after we reach the uh..."rock" thingie? It's complicated, but anyway! I think we're almost there, just a couple hours off" he says trying to recall something.

[MinotaurWarblad]

Warrior tilts his head at the man.
"Are you always so vaguely verbose?"
His voice slightly echoes, as if being heard clearly from afar in a canyon.

[AbuDhabi]

Valdar nods in Warrior's direction, as if to say, 'the golem has a point'.

[Luccan]

Cor let's the ghost of a grin pass his face, but remains largely dour.

[Morgana]

He gives off an awkward laugh.

"Look. I'm sorry, I'm really trying my best here ok? Most of my peers wouldn't even do this, they treat the people they transport as "slaves" " he makes air quotes. "But I truly believe that a bit of small talk goes a long way into making this whole ordeal way less awkward! Anyway, my apologizies if I can't give you a whole encyclopedia's worth of information, why does it matter anyway? Trust me, after a while all these locations just sorta start blending together you know? And I like to think that me not asking too many questions goes a great way as far as my work ethic goes" He seems to lose his cool near the end for a moment.

He takes a deep breath and sorta mumbles something a few times over.

"All I know is that my client set up shop there a while back, considering the state of the place he definetly built his whole thing in an already estabilished structure though, the whole place is full of weird sigils and structures that seem older than the main building that looked to have been built on top of it. The whole place seemed to be on the verge of collapsing if you want to know my opinion, but what do I know? Engineering is not really part of my skillset honestly" he shrugs.

[Quentinas]

Another one talks and he turn as he can to see him , something like a golem, a warforged and it critics the elf which gives some interesting information on the end and so he sees him You know your work for sure, and i would have liked to know where we would fight especially for when we will be freed He said in an easy way then taking a mental note on the last part and nodded MMh well it was a way to save money at the end. We have arrived at this arena or no so we have still time to spend here? He ask searching to not seem bothered by the close vehicle and by the sense of darkness that there was here

[Luccan]

It would seem your skillset lay in propping up petty tyrants and cruel bloodsport Cor mutters. He then pointedly closes his eyes and leans back or slouches as well as he can, as if to sleep.

[Morgana]

"Now that's just hurtful" he frowns.

"I'll guess I'll leave you to it then, I'll go make sure we don't get eaten by purple worms!" He laughs as he leaves the room.

[AbuDhabi]

"Good riddance," Valdar says after their jailer leaves. "My name is Valdar. Who are you?" he asks the other three.

[Quentinas]

He sees Fallenor that leave saying something about purple worm What signifies to don't be eaten by purple worms he say at low voice predators in that zone maybe? He doesn't know that, and he thinks about these worms with Fallenor that leave probably closing again the door ,with that source of light gone if it is closed, and then a voice of one that speak before that he will fight say his name My name is Halfios says with a calm tone different from that he used to speak with Fallenor

[Luccan]

Cor-Innul Penathan replies the sullen, red eyed dwarf You may call me Cor, if it is easier. He looks around the cart at the others Pendragon's blessings, for what it's worth to you here.

[MinotaurWarblad]

Warrior stares at the door impassively, as if still seeing their handler through the wooden portal. He is clearly inert.
He's inert, but he can still recognize what's going on around him.

[AbuDhabi]

Valdar nods at the dwarf, and ignores the golem's silence. "For what it's worth, I do not intend to remain a battle thrall for long," he says.

[Quentinas]

[roll0]
"Oh one who have put his faith in Pendragon " Halfios says that surprised he had not seen so much people who has put their faith in that pantheon and observe that dwarf then he nods to the words of Valdar Neither I , i don't like this situation and i hope that we will be freed quickly, but if not we will have to think something at that arena especially if it is constructed over another build He says that in a low voice then he observe the warforged Someone of you know that ? he is pointing Warrior who did not speak so much

[AbuDhabi]

"It listens," Valdar informs.

[Luccan]

Unfortunately I'm quite useless with my hands bound. I feel we won't have much of a chance to escape our fate until we arrive. Cor shrugs I'd rather not leave anyone to that date, if I can do something about it

[Quentinas]

For me is better to wait that we arrive, because now we doesn't know very well where we are and we doesn't have any equipment, and we doesn't know if there are guards outside. And with these bound neither i can do so much especially without any component so let's wait until we arrive and here we will see, i would like that we are free but is not possible now and then he observe Valdar who say that Warrior listens and he observe him nodding Well maybe is better to imitate him and rests until we arrive we don't know many things especially who or what we will fight if there is the possibility maybe we should collaborate he says that even searching with the eyes the other slaves maybe they could collaborate with them to win this gladiatorial fight

[AbuDhabi]

"Patience will be rewarded, yes," agrees Valdar.

[Morgana]

With very little as far as reference points go, it is hard to tell how much time had passed as the caravan now seemed to slow down to a halt after making it's way through the desert. As a back entrance on the container you were all in opens, light floods in leaving everyone inside seeing spots as your eyes adjust to the brightness. The warforged on the other hand sees it quite clear with his mechanical eyes what his fellow captives would only later start to comprehend as their eyes adjusted.

In most other situations the colorful crowd that could be seen would easily the focus of attention. An imesurable number of colorful characters making their way in multiple files, goblinoids, kobolds, humans and elves were all marching along in a chaos that when seen from afar created a feeling that was a level of unity in their commotion, an order that only they could see. But they were all just so small, compared to the structure which could be seen ahead.

A huge rock sat on the middle of the desert, it's dark silver color was tainted by what looked like chorcal and ashes. Petruting from it fallen towers with strange symbols could be seen, along with strange structures that extended like tendrils towards the top and entering a structure that seemed to have been built on top of the ruins. A huge open dome made of what resembled marbel loomed above, petruting from it there were walls and multiple entries and sources of light. That coupled with the swarm of people pouring in made the whole thing look like an anthill after it was stepped on.

[AbuDhabi]

"Civilization," remarks Valdar. "Ancient and wicked, no doubt."

[Luccan]

The dwarf blinks hard several times to clear his vision, before responding to the sight. Strange architecture. How much of that do you suppose is the old city?

[MinotaurWarblad]

Warrior considers what the others say and takes special care to listen to the bard, since he seems to know a lot of information about the other thralls' cultures. He thinks it may be a good idea to befriend him.

[AbuDhabi]

Valdar shrugs.