As the beating sun rises to cover the arena in golden light, horns carved from the bones of something massive sound around the arena - the hushing momentarily quiets as the announcer cups hands around his mouth to shout his words; "We have all arrived to witness the challenge of Ak'hela. However - let us not forget tradition; any who wish to show their strength will have the opportunity - now!" Raucous cheers echo through the magnificent arena.
Thiandraèl is far too preoccupied staying afloat among the cheering waves of Torken flooding in to spectate the fight on everyone's mind. Herrena, Erbert, and - especially - Iver, on the other hand, take a moment to listen in on the word floating around. And, strangely, despite the originally amicable atmosphere present among the spectators, the announcer's words caused no small number of shoulders to tense. Nearly all seem to be having hushed discussions on the challenge of Ak'hela, the Torken's current champion, by a grizzled man named Vlaa'chi. Opinions differ, and often times the bickering turned bitter - support seems evenly divided between the two candidates. From what the party gathers, Ak'hela had been the strong leader of the Torken during the original incursion of the Imperium - fending off Imperials from the Torken territory and being the one to unify the armies of all Wilderlings to repel the Imperial invasions. Ak'hela evidently values strength in solidarity, and applying force only when needed.
Many Torken, however, have grown tired with the Imperials. Vlaa'chi publicly challenged Ak'hela on the grounds of being ineffective; Vlaa'chi and his supporters believe the Imperials are a blight on the land which needs removal. Vlaa'chi is rumored to be a warlord of impressive might - and most of the younger population of the Torken seem to be in support of the war-oriented Vlaa'chi.
Herrena, however, dives among the sea of spectators - and emerges near the stand offering signups for a bout in the arena. After quickly huffing out the intention to join the arena, Herrena was eventually given entry - and told to hurry before the gates to the arena closed.
Descending the stone-hewn stairs leading into the arena, a troop of guards ushered Herrena through. A gate slid open, allowing Herrena to see the arena from the perspective of a competitor.
Warm sands below crunched underfoot, the heat of the sun already beating down on the contestants. The cheers of the spectators all directed to the center of the arena leaves the area almost deafening with roars. Spots of dried blood clump here and there over the wide, coverless stretch; medics hover around the perimeters of the arena, though Herrena is told by some guard that attacking fatally is frowned upon. The horns blow, sending a bone-rattling sound echoing through the arena - and the announcer speaks.
"...and, for the final fight before the main event, we have four competitors! The last one standing will join the elites in the special observation wing. Begin on the horn's blow!"
The battle seemed to begin as soon as Herrena found her bearings - three contestants lock eyes and look each other up and down. A tall, armored, brutish man wielding a maul. A lithe woman carrying two curved daggers. An aged, hunched man wearing no armor nor weapon besides fists held in a defensive posture.
The horn sounded before a moment passed.
Initiative has begun! (Feel free to level up to 3 before or after the fight - the NPCs will be adjusted to match). Herrena Initiative: 18 Malikata Initiative: 21 Sithissi Initiative: 25 Lishima'a Initiative: 13
Alabaster and Malon, meanwhile, observe the startlingly efficient process the Outcasts have for dealing with bodies - after a minute or two, each is stripped of what could potentially be useful and carried off somewhere unseen. The remaining Outcasts look towards the two with a mixture of interest and appreciation, generally appearing to be sizing up the two new arrivals. Gaz and Asha shrug to themselves and Gaz speaks - "You're welcome to camp near us. I'm planning on heading out in the morning, finding something to hunt. Tumor's a rough one, but his heart's in the right place. I think. Get some rest - you'll need it."
Regardless, the friendliest Outcasts Malon can pick out from the crowd is an aged, wrinkled woman seated on a splintered, handmade oaken chair. Half-pointed ears and slim eyes hint towards a mixed elven heritage. She appears to be mending a few blankets and stitching together cloth with whatever thread is available. She introduces herself as Madam Bones - a toothless grin follows. "The name's a joke, dear. If you're looking to hunt, the world's your oyster - the woods are dangerous if you're unprepared. We're currently a ways south of the Zavas; the woods are fertile. To the East's the Pakora and Morka woods - the border's unclear, but usually undefended. Good place for hunting. Go too far south, you'll find the deserts - too far north, the Zavas. I recommend you don't steal anything from them." The aged crone winks. Her chair creaks. "People have tried, people have tried..."
Iver watches Herrena's match with great interest. After seeing a few matches while waiting like this, he realises the biggest difference between the two arenas. Here, the combatants are trained fighters, in one or another way. Completely different from what he knew - the forced gathering of random prisoners, many of which barely knew how to fight effectively with even a mere dagger. And now, it's Herrena's time. He wonders, will she use her magic to her advantage? It's a matter he's been pondering for a while, and this might be a great chance to learn... maybe.
Nico doesn't pay much attention to Herrena's fight. He mainly focuses on his surroundings, trying to see if anyone in the crowd is someone that he knows that would recognize him.
Insight:14 Perception:22
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
With the general excitement happening around her, Thea remains completely oblivious to whatever the other spectators may be debating. She even fails to notice Herrena's absence at first, but manages to connect the dots and saves herself from embarrassing herself by asking. She leans in closer on her seat when Herrena finally marches onto the battlegrounds, as she crowds cheering begins to take a hold of her. "I guess we'll truly see her in action now, not another attempt at talking some people in full frenzy out of a fight..."
Malon mutters thanks to Gaz as he adresses his words, saying an inside prayer as he forces himself to watch the bodies being looted and disposed of. He tries his best to ignore the curious looks they are getting.Time will come, perhaps, to make connection, but so far the recent events have left him too drained. Before himself leaving, he turns towards Asha, and in his usual gentle tone, albeit still shaking a little :
"I am no expert but ... I can help, at least a little, for the wounded. Please tell me if you need extra hands."
As he is making his way between the tents, he eventually finds an elderly half-Elf woman which he politely greets. As she seems to take well the joke about herself (or perhaps she even made it up herself), Malon manages a smile.
"I heard you, don't worry Ma'am, uh, Bones, I'm no thief ! More of a fisherman myself but I'll heed your advice ... guess I'll go with the hunting team tomorrow, then."
He takes a look around, thoughtful for a moment.
"I don't mean any prying by that, I'm just curious ... what does the tribe plans to do next, if I'm to help ? Also, apart from obvious rules, what should I avoid doing or saying with other Outcasts ?"
My first test in a while, Herrena thought to herself as walked into the arena and took in the view from her new vantage point, grinning like a fool. Before she could do much more than that though, the final announcement was spoken and the horn to begin was blown, forcing her focus up and get serious.
Glancing at each of the three challengers in the arena with her, she pulled out her swords and held them up in a show of respect before taking an odd lunge-like pose, one leg in front of the other and her swords facing forward towards her opponents and seemingly shimmering faintly. Hearing one of her Master’s maxims in her head as she took a deep breath– to“Let the fools come to you” when fighting in a duel or a situation similar to an arena bout – she held and position and waited.
Nico scans the sea of cheering Torken for anyone he would potentially recognize - and, surely enough, he spots several familiar faces not too far away; Nico's sister lounges on an extended ledge of the carved mountain. Most highly respected Torken - and usually those who fought for the titles - earned their own seats to view the arena from a better, less cluttered perspective. Several tattoos line her arms and run along her neck; more than Nico last saw on her before - most Torken symbolize their successes in the form of enchanted tattoos. Crowded nearby is a small assembly of Nico's clan family. All seem to be watching the fight with interest. None seem to have noticed the party. Beyond Nico's family, a few other dozen people would likely remember Nico (OOC: feel free to make up one if you would like to speak to them), including the arena trainers, herbalists, and healers can be seen as well. Nico additionally intuits the same information as the others did with their rolled Insight checks.
Herrena barely finishes the spell before she notices the flash of daggers reflect the sunlight from the dark-cowled figure. The combatant glances left and right before rapidly throwing two daggers in the direction of the burly half-orc. The warrior takes the daggers as a challenge and charges directly for the woman, while the aged man, sensing being mixed up in the fray would be a bad idea, instead levels his fists towards Herrena.
Sithissi Dagger Attack (Malikata, Assassinate): 24 Damage: 0 Sithissi offhand Dagger Attack (Malikata, Assassinate): 16 Damage: 0 Sneak attack, if hit: 6 Editing...whoops, I messed up on damage. Let's try that again. 4, 2
Both blades connect with the barbarian, who promptly grabs his Maul and charges the woman! Bonus Action: Rage. Action: Dash.
The elderly man begins walking far quicker than one would expect - in fact, he dashes directly next to Herrena, fists held in a defensive posture. Action: Dash. Bonus Action: Patient Defense (disadvantage on attack rolls).
Asha does her best to smile after throwing daggers with her eyes at Tumor's back. "We could always use the help. Look at us - we're pretty destitute. None of us really know how to heal...and the one worshiping the darker side of powers always ask for the 'good stuff' rather than the ability to mend wounds." Asha clicks her tongue, but leads Malon towards a makeshift Triage area - it's more of a dumping ground for the ill, really. The weak, sick, and elderly lie on dirtied mats. Nobody seems to really care for them aside from one or two people. Asha seems stressed as she does her best to help wounds heal.
Strangely enough, it's the middle of the night, but the population seems to be still active. It seems most of the people here possess the ability to see in the dark, for one reason or another.
Madam Bones smiles as she rocks back and forth in her squealing chair. "Don't associate with the Imperials, dear. Don't steal anything unless you're sure you can beat someone over the head with ease. If you can? Well, steal all you like." The Half-Elf smiles and points towards a small collection of gems and trinkets sitting in the dirt near her chair. Malon gets the impression the Outcasts don't leave her be out of their own sense of good will for the elderly. "As for what the plans of this group of Outcasts is? Well, we want to be accepted - and to show it, we've decided we need to drive the Imperials away. You can ask Tumor about the specifics if he'll allow it. The rest?" Madam Bones sighs as she sees two Gnolls fight over the scraps of an Imperial soldier. "Well...so long as we channel their destructive tendencies into something beneficial, who am I to complain?"
Gaz claps Alabaster and Malon over the shoulders and grins. "Well, that could've gone worse. Much worse. Trust me. Tumor really lives up to his name, you think? Get some rest, and we're headed out to hunt, first thing in the morning. Which should be...who cares? We don't sleep at normal times, anyways. Good luck." Gaz whirls around and dives into a makeshift tent made from some sort of dried creature's skin.
Nico notices his sister's new tattoos when he sees her. Shit. I don't want to talk to her and hear about all of the glorious deeds she's gotten up to while the only notable thing I've done is fight some Imperials I didn't even get to kill.
Nico attempts to fade into the crowd and avoid his sister's view.
Stealth:10
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
Malon gently nods at Asha's words as he's following her.
"I wish I could do more ..."he mutters as he's staring at the sorry place welcoming the ill and wounded.
He observes her for a moment, hoping he can manage to be helpful in any sort of manner. Eventually, he picks a wounded at random, softly lends a hand upon them with a few words, and lets the healing magic of his last available spell, Cure Wounds, act. He looks around and winces, feeling trying anything now in his somewhat shaken state would make him more of a burden.
"I'll try to come the next days ... and if a fight happens, I'd like to volunteer to take care of the wounded."
He excuses himself to Asha, hoping she is too busy to, perhaps rightfully, just see this offer as a cowardly attempt at staying away from the fray.
Later on, as he has his conversation with the elderly Half-Elven woman. Not being one for thieving, he takes in that part the main advice as "be ready to protect what you own, lad". Also, that he better not estimate people's threat based on their appearance. His eyes follow Madam Bones' towards the Gnolls. A shivers crosses his spine; he had heard of such creatures but had yet to meet any. Such unlikely folks associated in their hatred of the Imperium. Thoughtfully, he thanks the lady and excuses himself.
With Gaz' words about Tumor, he bites his lips, still a bit intimidated.
"That he does, I guess ..."he murmurs.
"Quite a turn of events ..."he goes on to Alabaster as Gaz leaves, setting his own tent."Can't promise I'll get a clear mind of things in the next days ... But as my Pa always said, always stay busy no matter what life tosses at you, so guess I should just get to it to be ready for tomorrow."He manages a tight smile."Sleep well !"
This post has potentially manipulated dice roll results.
Erbert peeks his head over the tall (to him) spectator in front of him, peeking his head in and out, watching each swing and duct, poking his head and arms back and forth, pretending to dodge and dart around swings himself. "Oooh! Yikes! I can't believe it!" Finally he calms down and says "Right, right, back on task. Remember why you are here. Let's see, let's see. Where are you, my tall bald friend..."
Perception : 8
He is frustrated that he can't get a good enough look, he can barely see around the people in front of him. "Too short. Let me have you go up and have a look again, Hoppy." He sends Hoppy up in the air and in his seat his eyes roll back and he looks through the owl's eyes, trying to spot a tall, bald headed goliath of a man fitting the description.
Herrena gave a nod to the aged man before stepping forward to engage him. Before she could take more than two steps though, she promptly tripped forward. "Idiot girl!" Herrena heard her master say while she flailed wildly at the man as she stumbled by. Though embarrassed and feeling like an untrained novice once again, she did manage to recover her footing enough to regain her balance and offer a better second attempt at landing a strike. "Just testing your defenses!" Herrena commented to her opponent as confidently as she could muster in the moment.
Attack (w/ disadvantage): Hit 7 (Nat 1!!)&25 (Crit Miss!!)
(OOC: who currently is holding the packages intended to be delivered to Aster?)
Aided by the crowd and the spectacle occurring in the arena, Nico feels reasonably sure he has evaded the wandering eyes of his sister for the time being.
Hoppy takes to the skies and avoids the drinks, food, and other things thrown in the air during the quite energetic cheering going on for the current fight - and, surely enough, after swerving higher and higher into the sky, the plump owl catches a heavily tattooed Goliath reclined on one of the judge's seats, an unimpressed look covering stony, expressionless features. His skin may have once been a lighter shade, but almost all visible skin is networked with ink. He's also the only Goliath in the judging stand, giving you the indication that this is, indeed, the Aster you were sent to meet.
Back in the pit, the old man gave a feeble nod towards Herrena - evading her first blow, but Herrena's second cut him directly in the arm. The man winced before returning with another punch of his own, content to reposition his footing and assume a more defensive stance for the moment.
The cloaked woman dropped to her knee, leveled her crossbow at the barreling man, and let a bolt fly at point-blank range. Sithissi: Steady Aim, Crossbow Attack: 23 Damage: 17
The bolt strikes true, but a flash of worry crosses the woman's face as the barbarian shrugged off the wound, inspired by his rage to continue. Malikata Reckless Maul Attack: 23 Damage: 11
The barbarian's maul directly impacts the woman, but she's able to twist out of the way and draws a dagger, heavily injured but still capable of fighting.
Morning begins to rise in the Outcast camp. Some of the residents who prefer a more nocturnal life - gnomes, kobolds, drow, the like - retire for the day, while others awaken with the sun. Most are thin, destitute, and poor, wearing rags barely disguised by weaponry. It seems the Imperial's gear has been repurposed for good use. Gaz approaches Malon and Alabaster, an ambiguous piece of meat held in one hand that you can't quite discern the origin of.
Between fistfuls of food, Gaz speaks. "Hey! So, we really don't like people who sit around and don't do anything. There are a few exceptions," Gaz notes, glancing vaguely in the direction of Madam Bones, "But - yeah, you want to stay here, you better be prepared to work for it. It's usually boring - Tumor said there'd be some fun stuff coming up soon, but not in recent times." The elf rubs his hands together. "So - what is it today? Hunting? Logging? Explorations? There's usually a bunch of Razorbacks traveling this part of the woods this time of year. Up to you - what do you want to do?"
Completely shrugging off the eldery man's attack and gaining confidence after nicking the man's arm, Herrena changed tactics and began acting bolder. Moving lightly on her feet as she danced around her opponent in a circle, partially for show, Herrena managed to land to two solid cuts to his torso, creating a large "X" across his body. She then reset into a similar defesive stance and waited for her opponent to come at her once again; egging him on with her swords.
Attack (w/ disadvantage) : Hit 23 & 15 / Damage 10 + 3(using (1) Bardic Inspiration for Defensive Flourish; AC = 19 until the start of her next turn)
Blade Flourish-
Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this action hits a creature, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish option per turn.
Defensive Flourish.You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn.
Off-hand Attack(w/ disadvantage) : Hit 25 & 24/ Damage 7
Despite the man's best efforts, both of Herrena's blows connect - leaving two gashes in the monk. The man falls, defeated by the twin slashes! A healer on the side mutters an incantations - while the man doesn't get back up, his blood immediately congeals, stabilizing him for now.
The woman, reeling from the blow, flips around and palms a dagger - slashing straight for the man's jugular. Bonus Action: Steady Aim Action: Dagger Attack: 21 Damage: 13 - and, with that, the barbarian, slowly keels over, sending a crash rumbling through the arena as he collapses!
As the beating sun rises to cover the arena in golden light, horns carved from the bones of something massive sound around the arena - the hushing momentarily quiets as the announcer cups hands around his mouth to shout his words; "We have all arrived to witness the challenge of Ak'hela. However - let us not forget tradition; any who wish to show their strength will have the opportunity - now!" Raucous cheers echo through the magnificent arena.
Thiandraèl is far too preoccupied staying afloat among the cheering waves of Torken flooding in to spectate the fight on everyone's mind. Herrena, Erbert, and - especially - Iver, on the other hand, take a moment to listen in on the word floating around. And, strangely, despite the originally amicable atmosphere present among the spectators, the announcer's words caused no small number of shoulders to tense. Nearly all seem to be having hushed discussions on the challenge of Ak'hela, the Torken's current champion, by a grizzled man named Vlaa'chi. Opinions differ, and often times the bickering turned bitter - support seems evenly divided between the two candidates. From what the party gathers, Ak'hela had been the strong leader of the Torken during the original incursion of the Imperium - fending off Imperials from the Torken territory and being the one to unify the armies of all Wilderlings to repel the Imperial invasions. Ak'hela evidently values strength in solidarity, and applying force only when needed.
Many Torken, however, have grown tired with the Imperials. Vlaa'chi publicly challenged Ak'hela on the grounds of being ineffective; Vlaa'chi and his supporters believe the Imperials are a blight on the land which needs removal. Vlaa'chi is rumored to be a warlord of impressive might - and most of the younger population of the Torken seem to be in support of the war-oriented Vlaa'chi.
Herrena, however, dives among the sea of spectators - and emerges near the stand offering signups for a bout in the arena. After quickly huffing out the intention to join the arena, Herrena was eventually given entry - and told to hurry before the gates to the arena closed.
Descending the stone-hewn stairs leading into the arena, a troop of guards ushered Herrena through. A gate slid open, allowing Herrena to see the arena from the perspective of a competitor.
Warm sands below crunched underfoot, the heat of the sun already beating down on the contestants. The cheers of the spectators all directed to the center of the arena leaves the area almost deafening with roars. Spots of dried blood clump here and there over the wide, coverless stretch; medics hover around the perimeters of the arena, though Herrena is told by some guard that attacking fatally is frowned upon. The horns blow, sending a bone-rattling sound echoing through the arena - and the announcer speaks.
"...and, for the final fight before the main event, we have four competitors! The last one standing will join the elites in the special observation wing. Begin on the horn's blow!"
The battle seemed to begin as soon as Herrena found her bearings - three contestants lock eyes and look each other up and down. A tall, armored, brutish man wielding a maul. A lithe woman carrying two curved daggers. An aged, hunched man wearing no armor nor weapon besides fists held in a defensive posture.
The horn sounded before a moment passed.
Initiative has begun! (Feel free to level up to 3 before or after the fight - the NPCs will be adjusted to match).
Herrena Initiative: 18
Malikata Initiative: 21
Sithissi Initiative: 25
Lishima'a Initiative: 13
Initiative Tracker:
Herrena
Sithissi
Lishima'a
Malikata
Alabaster and Malon, meanwhile, observe the startlingly efficient process the Outcasts have for dealing with bodies - after a minute or two, each is stripped of what could potentially be useful and carried off somewhere unseen. The remaining Outcasts look towards the two with a mixture of interest and appreciation, generally appearing to be sizing up the two new arrivals. Gaz and Asha shrug to themselves and Gaz speaks - "You're welcome to camp near us. I'm planning on heading out in the morning, finding something to hunt. Tumor's a rough one, but his heart's in the right place. I think. Get some rest - you'll need it."
Regardless, the friendliest Outcasts Malon can pick out from the crowd is an aged, wrinkled woman seated on a splintered, handmade oaken chair. Half-pointed ears and slim eyes hint towards a mixed elven heritage. She appears to be mending a few blankets and stitching together cloth with whatever thread is available. She introduces herself as Madam Bones - a toothless grin follows. "The name's a joke, dear. If you're looking to hunt, the world's your oyster - the woods are dangerous if you're unprepared. We're currently a ways south of the Zavas; the woods are fertile. To the East's the Pakora and Morka woods - the border's unclear, but usually undefended. Good place for hunting. Go too far south, you'll find the deserts - too far north, the Zavas. I recommend you don't steal anything from them." The aged crone winks. Her chair creaks. "People have tried, people have tried..."
Iver watches Herrena's match with great interest. After seeing a few matches while waiting like this, he realises the biggest difference between the two arenas. Here, the combatants are trained fighters, in one or another way. Completely different from what he knew - the forced gathering of random prisoners, many of which barely knew how to fight effectively with even a mere dagger.
And now, it's Herrena's time. He wonders, will she use her magic to her advantage? It's a matter he's been pondering for a while, and this might be a great chance to learn... maybe.
Varielky
Nico doesn't pay much attention to Herrena's fight. He mainly focuses on his surroundings, trying to see if anyone in the crowd is someone that he knows that would recognize him.
Insight:14
Perception:22
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
More
With the general excitement happening around her, Thea remains completely oblivious to whatever the other spectators may be debating. She even fails to notice Herrena's absence at first, but manages to connect the dots and saves herself from embarrassing herself by asking. She leans in closer on her seat when Herrena finally marches onto the battlegrounds, as she crowds cheering begins to take a hold of her. "I guess we'll truly see her in action now, not another attempt at talking some people in full frenzy out of a fight..."
Malon mutters thanks to Gaz as he adresses his words, saying an inside prayer as he forces himself to watch the bodies being looted and disposed of. He tries his best to ignore the curious looks they are getting.Time will come, perhaps, to make connection, but so far the recent events have left him too drained. Before himself leaving, he turns towards Asha, and in his usual gentle tone, albeit still shaking a little :
"I am no expert but ... I can help, at least a little, for the wounded. Please tell me if you need extra hands."
As he is making his way between the tents, he eventually finds an elderly half-Elf woman which he politely greets. As she seems to take well the joke about herself (or perhaps she even made it up herself), Malon manages a smile.
"I heard you, don't worry Ma'am, uh, Bones, I'm no thief ! More of a fisherman myself but I'll heed your advice ... guess I'll go with the hunting team tomorrow, then."
He takes a look around, thoughtful for a moment.
"I don't mean any prying by that, I'm just curious ... what does the tribe plans to do next, if I'm to help ? Also, apart from obvious rules, what should I avoid doing or saying with other Outcasts ?"
Malon : Kalashtar Ranger
Goramar : Half-Orc Ranger
My first test in a while, Herrena thought to herself as walked into the arena and took in the view from her new vantage point, grinning like a fool. Before she could do much more than that though, the final announcement was spoken and the horn to begin was blown, forcing her focus up and get serious.
Glancing at each of the three challengers in the arena with her, she pulled out her swords and held them up in a show of respect before taking an odd lunge-like pose, one leg in front of the other and her swords facing forward towards her opponents and seemingly shimmering faintly. Hearing one of her Master’s maxims in her head as she took a deep breath– to“Let the fools come to you” when fighting in a duel or a situation similar to an arena bout – she held and position and waited.
(Also I leveled up to 3)
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
Nico scans the sea of cheering Torken for anyone he would potentially recognize - and, surely enough, he spots several familiar faces not too far away; Nico's sister lounges on an extended ledge of the carved mountain. Most highly respected Torken - and usually those who fought for the titles - earned their own seats to view the arena from a better, less cluttered perspective. Several tattoos line her arms and run along her neck; more than Nico last saw on her before - most Torken symbolize their successes in the form of enchanted tattoos. Crowded nearby is a small assembly of Nico's clan family. All seem to be watching the fight with interest. None seem to have noticed the party. Beyond Nico's family, a few other dozen people would likely remember Nico (OOC: feel free to make up one if you would like to speak to them), including the arena trainers, herbalists, and healers can be seen as well. Nico additionally intuits the same information as the others did with their rolled Insight checks.
Herrena barely finishes the spell before she notices the flash of daggers reflect the sunlight from the dark-cowled figure. The combatant glances left and right before rapidly throwing two daggers in the direction of the burly half-orc. The warrior takes the daggers as a challenge and charges directly for the woman, while the aged man, sensing being mixed up in the fray would be a bad idea, instead levels his fists towards Herrena.
Sithissi Dagger Attack (Malikata, Assassinate): 24 Damage: 0
Sithissi offhand Dagger Attack (Malikata, Assassinate): 16 Damage: 0
Sneak attack, if hit: 6
Editing...whoops, I messed up on damage. Let's try that again. 4, 2
Both blades connect with the barbarian, who promptly grabs his Maul and charges the woman!
Bonus Action: Rage.
Action: Dash.
The elderly man begins walking far quicker than one would expect - in fact, he dashes directly next to Herrena, fists held in a defensive posture.
Action: Dash.
Bonus Action: Patient Defense (disadvantage on attack rolls).
Initiative Tracker:
Herrena
Sithissi
Lishima'a (Patient Defense)
Malikata (Rage)
Asha does her best to smile after throwing daggers with her eyes at Tumor's back. "We could always use the help. Look at us - we're pretty destitute. None of us really know how to heal...and the one worshiping the darker side of powers always ask for the 'good stuff' rather than the ability to mend wounds." Asha clicks her tongue, but leads Malon towards a makeshift Triage area - it's more of a dumping ground for the ill, really. The weak, sick, and elderly lie on dirtied mats. Nobody seems to really care for them aside from one or two people. Asha seems stressed as she does her best to help wounds heal.
Strangely enough, it's the middle of the night, but the population seems to be still active. It seems most of the people here possess the ability to see in the dark, for one reason or another.
Madam Bones smiles as she rocks back and forth in her squealing chair. "Don't associate with the Imperials, dear. Don't steal anything unless you're sure you can beat someone over the head with ease. If you can? Well, steal all you like." The Half-Elf smiles and points towards a small collection of gems and trinkets sitting in the dirt near her chair. Malon gets the impression the Outcasts don't leave her be out of their own sense of good will for the elderly. "As for what the plans of this group of Outcasts is? Well, we want to be accepted - and to show it, we've decided we need to drive the Imperials away. You can ask Tumor about the specifics if he'll allow it. The rest?" Madam Bones sighs as she sees two Gnolls fight over the scraps of an Imperial soldier. "Well...so long as we channel their destructive tendencies into something beneficial, who am I to complain?"
Gaz claps Alabaster and Malon over the shoulders and grins. "Well, that could've gone worse. Much worse. Trust me. Tumor really lives up to his name, you think? Get some rest, and we're headed out to hunt, first thing in the morning. Which should be...who cares? We don't sleep at normal times, anyways. Good luck." Gaz whirls around and dives into a makeshift tent made from some sort of dried creature's skin.
(Feel free to take a Long Rest!)
Nico notices his sister's new tattoos when he sees her. Shit. I don't want to talk to her and hear about all of the glorious deeds she's gotten up to while the only notable thing I've done is fight some Imperials I didn't even get to kill.
Nico attempts to fade into the crowd and avoid his sister's view.
Stealth:10
Xenophon: Topaz Dragonborn Fighter (ixi's Dragon of Icespire Peak)
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Malon gently nods at Asha's words as he's following her.
"I wish I could do more ..." he mutters as he's staring at the sorry place welcoming the ill and wounded.
He observes her for a moment, hoping he can manage to be helpful in any sort of manner. Eventually, he picks a wounded at random, softly lends a hand upon them with a few words, and lets the healing magic of his last available spell, Cure Wounds, act. He looks around and winces, feeling trying anything now in his somewhat shaken state would make him more of a burden.
"I'll try to come the next days ... and if a fight happens, I'd like to volunteer to take care of the wounded."
He excuses himself to Asha, hoping she is too busy to, perhaps rightfully, just see this offer as a cowardly attempt at staying away from the fray.
Later on, as he has his conversation with the elderly Half-Elven woman. Not being one for thieving, he takes in that part the main advice as "be ready to protect what you own, lad". Also, that he better not estimate people's threat based on their appearance. His eyes follow Madam Bones' towards the Gnolls. A shivers crosses his spine; he had heard of such creatures but had yet to meet any. Such unlikely folks associated in their hatred of the Imperium. Thoughtfully, he thanks the lady and excuses himself.
With Gaz' words about Tumor, he bites his lips, still a bit intimidated.
"That he does, I guess ..." he murmurs.
"Quite a turn of events ..." he goes on to Alabaster as Gaz leaves, setting his own tent. "Can't promise I'll get a clear mind of things in the next days ... But as my Pa always said, always stay busy no matter what life tosses at you, so guess I should just get to it to be ready for tomorrow." He manages a tight smile. "Sleep well !"
Malon : Kalashtar Ranger
Goramar : Half-Orc Ranger
Erbert peeks his head over the tall (to him) spectator in front of him, peeking his head in and out, watching each swing and duct, poking his head and arms back and forth, pretending to dodge and dart around swings himself. "Oooh! Yikes! I can't believe it!" Finally he calms down and says "Right, right, back on task. Remember why you are here. Let's see, let's see. Where are you, my tall bald friend..."
Perception : 8
He is frustrated that he can't get a good enough look, he can barely see around the people in front of him. "Too short. Let me have you go up and have a look again, Hoppy." He sends Hoppy up in the air and in his seat his eyes roll back and he looks through the owl's eyes, trying to spot a tall, bald headed goliath of a man fitting the description.
Hoppy perception : 20
A wizard is never late, nor is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
Herrena gave a nod to the aged man before stepping forward to engage him. Before she could take more than two steps though, she promptly tripped forward. "Idiot girl!" Herrena heard her master say while she flailed wildly at the man as she stumbled by. Though embarrassed and feeling like an untrained novice once again, she did manage to recover her footing enough to regain her balance and offer a better second attempt at landing a strike. "Just testing your defenses!" Herrena commented to her opponent as confidently as she could muster in the moment.
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
(OOC: who currently is holding the packages intended to be delivered to Aster?)
Aided by the crowd and the spectacle occurring in the arena, Nico feels reasonably sure he has evaded the wandering eyes of his sister for the time being.
Hoppy takes to the skies and avoids the drinks, food, and other things thrown in the air during the quite energetic cheering going on for the current fight - and, surely enough, after swerving higher and higher into the sky, the plump owl catches a heavily tattooed Goliath reclined on one of the judge's seats, an unimpressed look covering stony, expressionless features. His skin may have once been a lighter shade, but almost all visible skin is networked with ink. He's also the only Goliath in the judging stand, giving you the indication that this is, indeed, the Aster you were sent to meet.
Back in the pit, the old man gave a feeble nod towards Herrena - evading her first blow, but Herrena's second cut him directly in the arm. The man winced before returning with another punch of his own, content to reposition his footing and assume a more defensive stance for the moment.
The cloaked woman dropped to her knee, leveled her crossbow at the barreling man, and let a bolt fly at point-blank range.
Sithissi: Steady Aim, Crossbow Attack: 23 Damage: 17
The bolt strikes true, but a flash of worry crosses the woman's face as the barbarian shrugged off the wound, inspired by his rage to continue.
Malikata Reckless Maul Attack: 23 Damage: 11
Lishima'a Unarmed Attack: 22 Damage: 4
Lishima'a Bonus Action: Patient Defense (3/3 Ki)
The barbarian's maul directly impacts the woman, but she's able to twist out of the way and draws a dagger, heavily injured but still capable of fighting.
Herrena
Sithissi
Lishima'a (Patient Defense)
Malikata (Rage)
Morning begins to rise in the Outcast camp. Some of the residents who prefer a more nocturnal life - gnomes, kobolds, drow, the like - retire for the day, while others awaken with the sun. Most are thin, destitute, and poor, wearing rags barely disguised by weaponry. It seems the Imperial's gear has been repurposed for good use. Gaz approaches Malon and Alabaster, an ambiguous piece of meat held in one hand that you can't quite discern the origin of.
Between fistfuls of food, Gaz speaks. "Hey! So, we really don't like people who sit around and don't do anything. There are a few exceptions," Gaz notes, glancing vaguely in the direction of Madam Bones, "But - yeah, you want to stay here, you better be prepared to work for it. It's usually boring - Tumor said there'd be some fun stuff coming up soon, but not in recent times." The elf rubs his hands together. "So - what is it today? Hunting? Logging? Explorations? There's usually a bunch of Razorbacks traveling this part of the woods this time of year. Up to you - what do you want to do?"
Completely shrugging off the eldery man's attack and gaining confidence after nicking the man's arm, Herrena changed tactics and began acting bolder. Moving lightly on her feet as she danced around her opponent in a circle, partially for show, Herrena managed to land to two solid cuts to his torso, creating a large "X" across his body. She then reset into a similar defesive stance and waited for her opponent to come at her once again; egging him on with her swords.
Blade Flourish-
Whenever you take the Attack action on your turn, your walking speed increases by 10 feet until the end of the turn, and if a weapon attack that you make as part of this action hits a creature, you can use one of the following Blade Flourish options of your choice. You can use only one Blade Flourish option per turn.
Defensive Flourish. You can expend one use of your Bardic Inspiration to cause the weapon to deal extra damage to the target you hit. The damage equals the number you roll on the Bardic Inspiration die. You also add the number rolled to your AC until the start of your next turn.
Zoldier’s Curse of the Crimson Throne: DM/ Redii || Zoldier's Strange Aeon's: DM
Despite the man's best efforts, both of Herrena's blows connect - leaving two gashes in the monk. The man falls, defeated by the twin slashes! A healer on the side mutters an incantations - while the man doesn't get back up, his blood immediately congeals, stabilizing him for now.
The woman, reeling from the blow, flips around and palms a dagger - slashing straight for the man's jugular.
Bonus Action: Steady Aim
Action: Dagger Attack: 21 Damage: 13 - and, with that, the barbarian, slowly keels over, sending a crash rumbling through the arena as he collapses!
Herrena
Sithissi