Maybe I'll have better luck with my old standby, Hull thinks.
He raises his finger, and a lump of acid jumps out at the creature.
Nope. I'm just doomed.
Jade exults as the gore spatters her and grins a feral rictus as the crowd roars its approval. buoyed by her fulsome slice, she tries to separate this portion into two more portions...
5' step if needed, otherwise attack with Large reach.
[+2 Str, -1 enlarge person]
[+3 two-handed]
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Kyzrak still fails to find a chink in the half-snake’s armoured scales... making Radric’s precise kukri work seem like an artistic masterpiece in comparison – a masterpiece that slices a nasty wound across the snake-creature’s snout!
Meanwhile, Kyzrak’s yells finally seem to get through to Aspexia as she blinks and shakes her head, levels her trident at the snake-thing... only for a bolt of flame to fly out of the end of the weapon! It goes wildly astray, much to the derision of the crowd, who jeer and boo such poor aim but Aspexia seems more perplexed than anyone staring first at the tips of her trident, then her hands, then looking around at the crowd as she mutters,
‘I hear her... I hear her!’
Flanking the snake-thing with her teammates (well... those not tripping out anyway...), Jade contrasts Radric’s style by crudely hacking off a large chunk of the remaining snake... crude, but effective, as the portion of serpent still living thrashes around, ignoring the closer Radric and Kyzrak to attempt a last, desperate, lunge towards the giant Jade... only for the half-orc’s falchion to slices the thing’s (second) head off. This time when the chunks of snake hit the sands they only writhe around for a few moments before finally lying still.
The crowd applaud and cheer the gladiators' victory, even as attendants colourfully costumed as demons, enter the arena at a jog and rapidly start to clear the sands, ready for the next bout...
As the gladiators exit the arena, Aspexia keeps looking between her hands and the crowds, muttering to herself, but her expression of bewilderment seems to be shifting as a smile begins to spread over her lips...
***
As Lorelei draws her sword and moves to attack the hydra, one deadly head snakes out... only to deflect harmlessly off the invisible magic armour surrounding the drow sorceress . Lorelei’s own sword likewise fails to penetrate the monster’s scales... and a moment later the power of her spell is put to the test again as two more heads lash out try to bite her: one fails to penetrate her mystic protections, but the other manages to carve a minor wound along her calf...
The other three heads strike out at Narsius, whose defensive fighting style serves him well... to a point. One head manages to slip past his guard, clamping fangs down hard on the Taldan’s shoulder. He bellows a cry of pain as the fangs rip free in bloody streamers, but strikes out all the same, putting the distraction of Lorelei’s presence to good use as slices open the hydra’s flesh with his dagger, before plunging his scizore into the wound, arm-deep... for a moment the hydra seems to freeze... then it shudders...
‘Oh shi...’ begins Narsius, as it seems his scizore manages to nick something vital: a great torrent of blood and bile sprays from the wound, up the length of the Taldan’s arm, to cover him head to toe, even as the creature’s thrashing flings both him and Lorelei aside, before the multi-headed beast finally crashes over onto its side and lies still..
The crowd cheer. Narsius offers a half-hearted wave, but mostly seems concerned with trying to wipe off the gore now covering him...
***
Ivan readies his shield again, putting a little distance between himself and Zandu as he steps around the snake-woman, hammer swinging... but this time the wary serpentine female undulates out of the way of the blow, wincing as she does so, and clasping a hand to her shattered ribs. Hull’s acrid bolt flies unnoticed overhead, and Ragnar mutters what sounds like an Ulfen curse of some variety, before charging towards the snake-woman. The crowd cheer...
... but a whip-like lash of the snake-woman’s tail slams into the charging Ulfen, and she quickly gathers him into her coils... and starts squeezing... There’s a sound of armour bursting and the wood of Ragnar’s tower shield splintering, as a muffled cry can be heard from the man himself... Moments later the snake-woman unwraps her coils, dumping the twisted and unmoving body of the Ulfen onto the sands, before snaking away from the gladiators (twisting away from a hammer blow Ivan launches towards her when offered the opportunity) backwards. Zandu stops dead, glancing between the snake-woman and the fallen Ulfen, before looking back at her and asking,
‘Why?’
‘I... I didn’t mean to...’ the snake-woman offers, her voice catching a little in her throat as a tear rolls down one cheek, ‘... he made me do it... you saw... he was going to hurt me...’
The crowd boo as they throw putrid fungal foodstuff and random debris into the arena (none of it gets far enough to hit the combatants). The snake-woman remains about thirty feet away from the gladiators, swaying a little from side to side, eyeing them closely... Zandu looks once more between her and Ragnar’s broken form... then squares his shoulders, glances at Ivan and Hull, and asks,
‘Okay... she dies. What’s the plan?’
Warily eying the hydra, Lorelei is unsure whether or not the beast is truly down. No longer distracted by it attempting to bite her now, she is able to find a vital spot on it and strikes with her sword.
Lorelei hisses at Narsius: "The crowd loves the gore, leave it on. I will clean you once we leave the arena."
As part of her performance to the audience, Lorelei will attempt to carve out the heart of the hydra and hold it aloft on display.
She will also attempt to bluff the audience that she is taking a bite out of the heart.
to check the ulfen warrior. believing he is dead, Ivans features become set in stone. Ivan tosses his shield to the dirt in a very deliberate moment. Then slowly takes his hammer in both hands.
Ye ought not to have done that.
he wasn't friends persay with the ulfen, but Ivan had liked him well enough, a man of actions, tough as a dwarf in some regards. He had grown on him a bit.
he glanes down again.
Ye, REALLY OUGHT NOT TO HAVE DONE THAT
He charges straight at the lillend determination in his stride.
Hull shoots another glob of acid.
Jade stands covered in blood before the crowd. She reaches down, hacks off each head from a portion of the neck and gives each a big kiss. Then she bows to the crowd, before tying the heads to her hip with their own attendant viscera/skin and sauntering off toward the exit.
[+3 Cha, +1 friendly crowd]
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He notices that the crowd seems to like the contrast between Jade's fighting style and his own, her brute force to his measured finesse. He decides to play this up. While she brutally carves into the body after the creature falls dead, seeming to revel in the grotesquery and carnage of it, he drops his stance and wipes his knife off on his leather armor. He turns to the crowd, away from Jade and the body, raises his arms and gives an elaborate bow. He hears a smattering of laughter among the cheers, but it sounds more like approval than mockery. "The halfling won!" it seemed to say. Yes he did, Radric thinks with a smile as he and his allies are led out of the arena to prepare for the next round. "Good job, Jade!" he says after they've left the sand, knowing she did most of the work. He hopes to change that in the next round, when he has a chance to contribute more meaningfully.
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The crowd do, indeed, seem to respond well to the contrasting antics of Jade and Radric, with both cheers and (appreciative) laughter echoing around them as they exit the arena. Pharnox stands waiting, arms crossed, as the gladiators hand over their weapons (although Jade is allowed to keep her trophies), trying to look stern, although he seems unable to prevent a slight half-smile twitching insistently at the corner of his mouth as he speaks,
‘An impressive showing,’ he offers, scowling a little towards Aspexia as he adds, ‘some more so that others, of course... But you used tactics and teamwork, built on each other’s successes and covered each other’s failures. Clearly not everything I’ve tried to teach you fell on deaf ears. That’s how you survive in the arena... and that’s what will one day make you champions... if you keep it up.’ He pauses for a moment, as if trying to recall something, then adds, ‘Oh, yes... and your playing to the crowd seemed to work too, by the sounds of things... that will please Mother, in any case...’
Pharnox stays to observe the next battle as you’re directed back to your ‘dressing room’. On the way back, you’re passing a shadowy cage, about five feet across and partially covered by blankets, when a voice from within hisses towards your group,
‘You’re from the ludus of Loscivia?’ the sibilant but melodious feminine voice asks, ‘Rival to House De’lyl? I’m to fight them soon myself... if you’d weaken them, then aid me...’
Hearing Lorelei’s whisper, Narsius manages another half-hearted wave to the crowd, seemingly lacking in any enthusiasm whatsoever, even as Lorelei herself moves over to the hydra’s body and raises her sword...
... And just in time, as the hydra suddenly convulses and writhes to life once more, rearing up behind a waving Narsius (who pauses mid-wave as the crowd’s cheers suddenly turn to shocked gasps and pointing fingers...). However, with anatomical precision, Lorelei plunges her blade into the multi-headed beast’s chest, twisting and carving, before reaching in and pulling free the thing’s still-beating heart! Finally getting the hint, Narsius spins in place... only for the hydra to drop lifeless (for good this time) once more as a blood-soaked Lorelei raises the thing’s heart to her lips... to which the crowd cheer with renewed vigour!
The battle finally done, Narsius heads to the exit, even as attendants clad in pantomime-esque demonic costumes rush out to start clearing things for the next bout. One attendant pauses to kneel next to first Nathrae, then Segovax, and (on noting they’re not dead) gives each a whiff of smelling salts to get them back on their feet (from his mutterings, more so he and his fellows aren’t forced to carry them out than any wish to aid the fallen...).
Taking his cue from Ivan, Zandu rushes the snake-tailed elven woman even as the dwarf does, his longer stride outpacing his hammer-wielding compatriot just enough that the young thraex faces the serpent-lady’s powerful tail lash... and manages to catch it on his shield! Staggering a few steps from the impact of the blow, Zandu’s falcata strike misses by a mile... but Ivan charges straight through the opening the foolish young half-elf’s actions created, his hammer once more finding its mark on the wounded serpent-woman, raising a (crowd-pleasing) scream of pain from her as it smashes down upon her shoulder!
Hull’s acidic blast once more sails past almost without notice as the half-snake woman again attempts to retreat, her left arm hanging limp where Ivan’s hammer-blow shattered her shoulder. This time Zandu’s falcata manages to seize the presented opportunity, scratching a deep cut across the serpentine woman’s right bicep as she slips to one side to avoid another of Ivan’s deadly blows...
‘Please...’ the mangled snake-woman pleads (to the mockery of the crowd...), ‘... I... I surrender... please, I beg you, have mercy! You don’t have to do this!’
Zandu once more glances to his companions for a response, seeming to (perhaps wisely) no longer trust his own judgement...
"Oww..." Nathrae stirs as the smelling salts rouse her. The first thing she does upon waking is channel healing energy into herself...
Her injuries close for the most part, allowing her to get back to her feet.
"We won...?" She looks over at the dead hydra, and Lorelei standing over it, holding its heart in triumph. "We did?" A smile breaks out on her face. "Yaaaay!~"
She shakily gets to her feet and staggers over to Segovax before laying a hand on the half-orc's meaty chest. She channels healing energy into him as well...
His injuries seal to a great degree as well. It should be enough to get them out of here without future problems.
She then turns to Lorelei as she approaches. "I knew you had it in you!" She beams at her.
--------------
Nathrae's good mood takes a turn for the worse when she sees Pharnox. A surge of utter disappointment hits her hard... she approaches him with her head bowed.
"Master... I was a fool. A complete, utter, bloody fool." She says, her head still bowed. "I sought to take the beast on myself, and failed. As much as I excelled in the drills you put us through, I still forgot the lessons in teamwork you worked so hard to make us take to heart."
She takes a breath, still fully in her 'slave gladiatrix' role. "I wish to have another chance to make it up to you--I intend to perform to the best of my ability in our match against House De'lyl. Would there be enough time for us to make use of Dala's expertise?"
Hull flings another ball of acid. Finally!
Seeing nothing to dissuade her from self-interest Crocus is not moved.
"My loyalty does not yet encompass more than myself. I have no desire to harm, and little to help anyone...save perhaps Radric. What can you offer in return for us placing ourselves, I am sure, in the way of great risk?"
Kyzrak paused outside the cage, listening to the stranger and Jade's conversation with interest.
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Pulling the blankets covering the cage to one side, Kyzrak reveals a shapely, dusky skinned, woman, seemingly human... apart from possessing a full head of hissing snakes for hair! She’s sat in the cage with her legs tucked under her, clad in the bare minimum of rags, her only other ‘adornment’ being a cruel-looking eyeless metal mask clamped over her eyes and fastened round the back of her head...
... the caged woman recoils slightly, even as the snakes which replace her hair hiss loudly and strike out towards Jade... but fail to clear the bars...
‘I heard them talking... saying that you’d killed my pet... but to see the poor thing displayed so...’ she turns her face away (although the snakes still eye Jade...) and sighs, then presses on, her voice tinged with sorrow and regret, ‘... but I suppose it’s no worse than I’ve done to many over the years as I added to my garden of statues...’ she seems lost in thought for a few moments... although several of her serpents appear to move to look Kyzrak over as she contemplates... and a slight smile touches her full lips... ‘You’d make a fine statue...’ she comments to the attractive dark elf male, seeming to have quickly forgotten her grief over her ‘pet’ as she shifts her position slightly to smile up at him, her fingers reaching through the bars to tease down the well-sculpted muscles of his thigh as she adds, ‘... eventually...’
With a rather wistful sigh, the snake-haired woman turns back towards Jade,
‘What can I offer? I hear that I am soon to face the finest of House De’lyl’s gladiator stock... the more of them I can eliminate, the more impressive your own House’s showing will be in comparison when you face what remains in this afternoon’s games... If you fail to aid me, then I’ll surely be butchered in short order, and De’lyl’s best will have hardly spared a bead of sweat when it comes time for them to face you...’ she smiles and shrugs, ‘... I’d think that incentive enough... but if not, then I can also tell you how to best extract any venom left in my pet’s heads there: it’ll not last long without additional alchemical treatments, but you should be able to coat a weapon or two before your afternoon bout... if you manage to conceal the process from the guards and officials, of course. Assuming you’re not averse to such tactics...’
‘As to the risk you’d have to take,’ the snake-haired woman continues, ‘it would be minimal... all I ask is aid in removing this,’ she touches her fingers to the metal mask blindfolding her eyes, ‘or, more to the point, unlocking it,’ she leans forwards and several of her serpents move aside to reveal where the metal mask wraps around the back of her head – and the small keyhole located there. Sitting straight again she continues, ‘that would give me a fighting chance... and the House De’lyl gladiators a wonderful surprise...’ she grins at the thought of that, but then concludes, ‘if you have no knowledge of opening locks, then perhaps you could lift the key from my “handler”? He stepped away just before your match ended... I believe to visit with the... ahem... “priestesses” of Socothbenoth plying their trade in the tunnels nearby...’
In response to Segovax’s question one of the demonically-clad attendants hisses back,
‘Next you get the Abyss out of here to make way for another bout, you oaf!’
Pharnox is indeed awaiting the gladiators as they emerge. Narsius sits on a stone bench nearby (apparently already having exchanged words with Loscivia’s son) removing his armour and trying to scrape off more of the bile covering him even as guards take his weapons. The scizore glances up long enough to scowl at Segovax and Nathrae, and offer Lorelei a brief nod of respect, before wincing and cursing under his breath as he snags his wounded shoulder and turns his attentions back to his own affairs. For his part, Pharnox’s expression begins as fairly enraged... although it softens greatly as Nathrae’s humble act pre-empts any commentary he may have prepared. As she finishes he just shakes his head,
‘Dala’s not here,’ he explains, ‘although there are plenty around peddling healing and the like... for those with coin... or something else they can offer in trade,’ he turns to walk away, but then pauses and glances back, adding, ‘I’d pay myself, but Mother would have my hide for wasting coin on the likes of you after that showing... do as you say – perform better in this afternoon’s match against the rivals of our House – and prove yourselves worthy of the investment she’s made in you... or getting patched up will be the least of your concerns...’
Rushing the half-snake woman again, Zandu fails to block her next attack, her powerful tail smashing a staggering blow across his chest... although he manages to twist aside from the crushing embrace of her deadly coils. His own swing with his falcata just seems to be trying to fend her off as he waves the forward-curving blade wildly in the air, but completely fails to connect...
Having easily dodged Zandu’s attack, the serpent woman looks set to strike again... until one of Hull’s acid blasts finally connects! She screams as the caustic liquid splashes across her face, her good hand instinctively clawing at the smoking, sizzling, flesh... the crowd, of course, think that’s wonderful fun as they cheer and laugh and applaud the beautiful creature’s disfigurement...
Nathrae bows her head and says nothing. Instead, she walks off to find healing.
She does notice Radric, and realizes something--can I collect my bets now?
She wanders off to do three things:
1) Find Aspexia and get her share of the winnings.
2) Find a healer and get herself fixed.
3) Find out who they'll be fighting next.
Ivan slows for a bit to glare at the beast, then while advancing.
mercy eh? I had thought about it afore, but I got one question fer ye. Did ye show him any mercy?
He points to the downed gladiator whom Ivan believes is dead.
I don't know what ye are, or what ye did that got ye down here, but I got a promise to keep, and I don't plan on lettin' anyone o' anything keep me from keepin' it. An' asisdes' do ye really wanna go back to that torture room? Ye think it'll be any better if ye live? I ask cuz, even though any dwarf would say yes. Many others would rather the quick an' painless way. It matters not noe though.
Taking the opening left by the others Ivan barrels in
Lorelei accompanies Nathrae and Segovax out of the arena, stopping with them as Nathrae humbles herself before Pharnox. Phew, that wasn't too bad. I was half afraid he'd be having us whipped for such a poor showing. Though I suppose that may yet still happen depending upon our mistresses mood.
As they pass Narsius, Lorelei will spare a casting of Prestidigitation upon him to help clean some of the bile off of him. Ugh, I really do not want to be smelling that on him later when we fight again.
She will continue walking with Nathrae (and Segovax if he stays with them) to help with finding someone to heal herself and her comrade(s).
"We really need to decide upon some sort of plan for the next fight. We cannot afford another poor showing."
Lorelei uses some Prestidigitation to clean herself up a bit as well. She does not have a mirror, but she is sure that she got quite a bit of gore on herself when she cut of the things heart.
Nathrae glumly nods. "I intend to see who it is we are going to fight--I had no idea what to expect, and I nearly paid the price for it."
She glances at Lorelei, debating whether or not she should use the last of Flauros' favour for the day to heal her or save it for the next showing.
Crocus is keen to help the creature. She looks to Kyzrak and Radric for ideas as she eyes the eyeless mask with more than passing interest.
Eventually? What, I don't look good enough to pose for a statue now? Kyzrak had no idea why the snake-haired woman was fitted with an eyeless mask - perhaps she was able to cast a spell over those she could see? Though it seemed the snakes could see for her... so much for that idea. Anyway, it didn't seem like too bad a risk to take in order to avoid fighting the best gladiators of another house.
"Maybe we'll take you up on that offer. Jade, Radric, care to stroll down to the tunnels with me?"
Kyzrak lowered his voice and spoke as they walked. "If the guard is distracted by a priestess of Secothbenoth, it shouldn't be hard to lift his key from him - at worst, we might have to bribe the priestess - but another distraction in place might not be a bad idea. We could find the others and let them in on this - I doubt they're looking forward to fighting the best De'lyl has to offer. Maybe they have a little magic to ease the job. And if we run into snake-hair ourselves... well, let's ask around about what it is she can do."
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He briefly peeks under the sheet himself, to see what it is Kyzrak is talking to. During the conversation he says nothing, occasionally sharing a glance with Jade. Afterward, he follows the dark elf down the tunnel. "I don't know," he says hesitantly, "stealing from a guard is kind of a big deal. Do you have any idea what sort of trouble we'd be in? We've only just gotten on their good side. We don't have the kind of pull for them to go easy on us. If we screw this up, we're probably dead." Not unlike being in the arena, he realizes. Only if we do this right, we don't get any accolades... yet.
He grins. "I'm in."
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The half-serpent woman twists aside from Ivan’s barrelling attack, wincing as her own movements cause her shattered bones to grind against each other.
‘You condemn me for defending myself?’ she hisses in reply to Ivan’s speech, this time not retreating, but flexing a whip-like strike of her powerful ophidian tail towards the dwarf... a strike which Ivan easily ducks beneath. She screams loudly in rage and pain and frustration, before glancing round at the jeering crowds exulting in her degradation and crying out for her blood. ‘Fine,’ she states, a more determined tone entering her voice, ‘ours is an ugly and brutal performance on a stage of death and damnation... but I am nothing if not a performer... if my last dance is to be to a shouted chorus of sick and twisted lyrics drawn from dark hearts and withered souls... then so be it!’
Stepping around the maddened serpent woman a few paces, to try to flank her, Zandu attempts to chop at her from behind, but she just laughs as she shifts her body, dance-like, out of the path of the falcata’s blade, her melodious lilting voice carrying everywhere as it finds the harmonics of the vast domed chamber, the disturbing contrast between the sound and the broken snake-woman’s appearance causing a hush to descend even upon the crowd of jaded dark elf spectators...
The top, elven-looking, half of her body swaying almost hypnotically the serpent woman grins and beckons with her good hand first to Ivan,
‘Come, noble sir dwarf,’ she mocks, the laughter still clear in her tone as her words echo around the arena, ‘time to play the hero and spare me any further torments at the hands of my captors!’
She turns her acid burned visage upon Hull then, adding,
‘Or maybe your halfling friend wants to improve my looks a little more first, eh? Make me over into something more fitting for when I’m slain and the curse upon this damned place drags my eternal spark to the Abyss to be properly made over?’
‘My “handler” is an overweight drow male missing his left ear,’ the snake-haired woman in the cage adds, as the gladiators move off, ‘he’s not easy to miss...’
The tunnels under the arena seem to be barely organised chaos, with guards, officials, and servants of all kinds bustling here and there, not to mention colourfully costumed performers and, of course, gladiators – both the confident and fresh kind, and the dirty and wounded variety... Cages of different sizes (most containing various serpentine monsters) are wheeled into place (or broken and twisted ones are dragged out of the way...) near ramps into the arena or ingenious platforms raised to and lowered from the arena floor by a series of cogs and pulleys (slave-powered, of course...). Here and there trades-folk ply their wares to overseers and slaves alike: maybe a meal of fermented mushroom broth? Or freshly charred snake-meat on a stick? Could be your last..? Souvenirs of the fights perhaps? A vile of blood from a freshly slain gladiator? A small carving of a past champion? Maybe something to appease the gods of the Abyss? A lizard to sacrifice? Something larger? A goat, maybe – fresh from raids to the surface world? Maybe a halfling child, or two? But inquiries into healing services generally seem to get one directed to the priesthood of Socothbenoth...
Even in the area of the hypogeum claimed by the various demonic cults worshipped in the city, the priesthood of Socothbenoth is hard to miss, as one’s sense of smell is assaulted by overpowering floral incense, even as sounds of moans and cries of pleasure and pain... and both (punctuated by the odd whip-crack or two)... start to become distinct over the muffled noise of the crowds drifting down from the arena above. Turning a bend adds sight to the sensory overload, with drapes of pink and red silk everywhere, and a multitude of chambers of differing sizes leading off one main corridor – some filled with extravagant silk cushions, baths of rose petals, bowls of gold and silver filled with fresh fruit, and crystal goblets filled with fine wine... others ornamented instead with chains and bindings and devices of all sorts for flagellation and torture... although still with silk drapes throughout. No matter the chambers’ tone, all seem to be filled with writhing nude or near-nude bodies – some appearing more willing than others, and many sporting piercings and scars ranging from the ornate and artistic to the downright unpleasant... Many participants are drow, but various surface-world humanoids... and a few less-than-humanoids... are represented as well.
Both groups of gladiators arrive near the same time, and meet up, shortly before a slender and attractive young drow woman, nude apart from a brief twist of pink silk around her hips, and a thin chain of golden links arcing between her pierced nipples, extracts herself from a nearby knot of writhing, oiled, bodies with a light laugh, and steps over to greet the newcomers,
‘Blessings of The Silken Sin be upon you,’ she intones with a smile and a slight bow, before winking one of her long-lashed eyes (sporting elaborate eye make-up of golden paint) and adding, ‘well, maybe not literal blessings, you understand... these things cost! ’ She glances over your group, seeming to note various injuries, as she continues, ‘We’ll gladly offer you healing, if such is your desire... or your desire, if such is not healing (and we can work out a way to accommodate it here)... What offerings were you thinking of presenting in your devotions to our Lord Socothbenoth? Coin, or...’ she trails off, smiles again, and gestures generally towards the debauchery going on around you, ‘... glorious perversion?’
Aspexia steps over to the drow woman and bows her head,
‘Mistress,’ the gladiatrix says humbly, ‘may ask a question... in private?’
The drow woman looks the pale Chelish retiarius up and down... seems to like what she sees... then nods and moves slightly to one side to talk in whispers with Aspexia whilst the rest of you decide on your next course of action...
Though Nathrae strains to catch what the priestess is saying to Aspexia, a mixture of lingering pain and the sheer depravity and sensuality surrounding her quickly puts an end to such notions.
"Yes, Mistress. Healing is but the first of many things I desire." She says, quite taken with the debauchery she sees so far. "For now, I offer Socothbenoth myself in entirety, and gladly, for the strength to perform for the crowd." She looks all around the room again, beginning to remove her armour and clothes in preparation. "What would The Silken Sin desire of me?"
---------------
Nathrae takes to it with as much vigour as her battered, injured body will allow.
Which, surprisingly, is very, very much.
Lorelei senses seemed overloaded by all that she witnesses and is rather oblivious to what Aspexia is asking.
She moves to stand beside Nathrae as she makes her offer of her body. "Mistress, I too would like to make an offering of my body in return for healing to please the crowd today."
"I've got a bad feeling about this, but business is business," Hull thinks as he unleashes more acid.
as I said, I've a promise to keep, me apologies fer yer fate in this place, though mine fairs little better.
The dwarf stops, and suddenly his face lights up with an idea. After all There was a bit of good in the dwarf still.
The dwarf fiegns a strike at the lillend which goes wide, and as he gets closer gives a wink .
He then turns and addresses the crowd in under common.
ladies an' gents, I pose a question to ye. Has this creature earned naught but a swift death? Or, perhaps, to me thinking earned yet another showing!? I be but a humble dwarf, merely offering my thoughts to a superior race but, I think it would be a shame to waste such a grand thing as this creature on merely one battle. Has it, whatever it is, entertained ye the most today? Would it not be grand to allow it to live, to perhaps give you even more and better still entertainment tomorrow? O' the next? What say you? Has it earned a longer life? Or naught but me hammer? Either way... Are you not entertained!?
He raises his hammer in the air at the end.
oy, I hope this works superior... Bah leaved a bad taste in my mouth.
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The half-snake woman's laugh continues to echo around the place as she barely has to move to avoid Hull's latest acrid blast...
'Please,' she teases, 'you're hardly trying...'
... she then undulates away from Ivan's feigned blow...
'... and you, you're not trying at all...' she trails off, and her laughter ceases, even as the crowds jeer the dwarf's obviously purposeful miss, and she adds quietly, '... you're really not trying, are you..?'
... she undulates close to Ivan... close enough that he can feel her ragged breaths hot on his face as she stares into his eyes for a moment then, as Ivan gives his speech, she nods, almost imperceptably, to him before prostrating herself on the sands in front of the dwarf, head bowed to touch the ground...
'If they call for death,' she whispers, 'know that you are forgiven...'
... but the crowds aren't calling for death! A few still cry out for Ivan to smash the snake-woman's skull in, but mostly the cries are along the lines of, 'no swift death!' and 'make it suffer!'. In the noble's box the editor glances around the crowd, hastily consults with a few underlings, then stands and spreads his arms wide,
'The people have spoken!' he declares, 'The people have been heard! The creature will live, to suffer further torments! Victory to the ludus of Loscivia!'
The crowd cheers the news! The serpent-woman slowly lifts her eyes to Ivan, her expression unreadable, then turns to undulate painfully back towards the exit gate. Attendants rush out to flick whip-cracks at her, causing her to yelp and move quicker - to the crowd's great amusement.
Zandu stands watching the snake-woman leave, shield and falcata held loosely at his sides, before turning to Ragnar's shattered form,
'Damn...' he comments quietly, before starting to make his way to the gladiators' exit...
Pharnox is waiting when the gladiators exit the arena. He offers Hull no more than a passing glance, scowls at Zandu, then frowns at Ivan,
'Unconventional,' he seems to decide, after a few moments of contemplation, 'but I suppose the crowds liked it... even so, that could have backfired, dwarf, and reflected badly on our House... although we may have earned some gratitude from whomever fielded that creature - after all, it didn't look cheap...' he pauses in thought for a few more moments, then appears to give up as he simply shrugs and concludes, 'I'm sure Mother will have an opinion...'
As the gladiators' weapons are once more taken away by the guards, Pharnox heads off, adding in parting, 'I believe the others have gone to worship at the alter of Socothbenoth... there's some time, but maybe you should find them and make sure they're available when Rann returns to detail what their participation in the ludi meridiani will consist of... I need to report to Mother...'
Still glistening with sweat and duabed with other more internal fluids, Jade acknowledges the Silken Sinner with the requisite hand movements and posture.
"Honoured priestess, may your sins be without number, and their deviance be unrivalled. We have unfinished business with the portly earless guard. Canst thou direct us hither?"
before leaving the arena, Ivan will go to where Ragnar had fallen, he will plant the head of his hammer firmly in the ground so that the handle sticks up, and place his shield to rest upon it. Then, he will attempt to carry the fallen warrior out of the arena, waving off any but the most steadfast attempts to take the body from him....
As pharnox Speaks Ivan will reply.
Aye, to be honest with ye, there were a few reasons I did it that way, the foremost was I was worried about the halfing. I saw one companion fall today, I didn't want to see another. Another one is, I've always found that those who stand out are always remembered. Besides, isn't variety the flavor of the day? jus' killin' the thing right out would've been as boring as any other O' the fights today. But this one, you watch, I bet ye people will remember that fight.
he watches as pharnox walks off.
well, you two do as ye wish, though I'd wager findin' out a bit about our next match up would serve us well... I've somethin' to attend to
If allowed, Ivan will take Ragnar's body to the priestesses,
ye honored preistess, I be wonderin' ifin' there is anything ye can do fer this fallen warrior? If ye can, what be your price?