Asha watches Simon's bomb go hurling past Zarina, but between his words and those of Hok Fung himself, she realizes what is happening - but this time, with her flight spell ready, she is not as helpless as she was when the same thing happened to Zakarras the day before. Switching her glaive to being held in her off-hand, Asha pulls a scroll from her pouch and begins reading it, keeping a wary eye on Zarina as she does so.
Asha is confused, not sure whether she saw the obese wizard complete a spell or not. When she glances at Zarina, though, the dragonblooded warrior seems well enough, so Asha drifts after Hok Fung and begins slashing at him with her glaive in a fury.
Simon narrows his magic-enhanced eyes at the hateful Bloatmage and whips out a shuriken, coated with giant wasp venom. A flick of the wrist, and the gleaming thing goes flying towards the target, just before the elemental closes in and tries to spin Hok Fung around!
Zarina claws at the mage yet again.
Claw Attack with Power Attack, Haste and rage
Damage
Miss chance
Claw Two
Damage
Miss chance
Haste Claw
Damage
Miss chance
Poog continues to try to break the spell's hold on him.
Zak continues floating rigidly in a cloud of smoke.
It ends as swiftly as it began. Asha follows after Hok Fung, and four strikes from her glaive send the bloatmage crashing back down to earth - or, at least, into the marsh. Almost immediately, a hidden swarm of leeches latch onto his body and begin feeding on the cache of blood within him. Tournament officials quickly enter the ring and begin pulling him to safety, as it is clear that you have won!
"My congratulations on another swift victory, Elements!", the Emissary proclaims from atop the ziggurat. "You are the first team to qualify for the semifinal bouts tomorrow. For defeating Hok Fong, you have earned another reward. It is ironic that Hok Fong did not win this, as I am sure he could have put it to good use." Marythsan descends with a silver chain that glistens in the sun. A blue stone dangles from a setting in the chain, and he offers it to your group.
The Emissary wasn't kidding. That's a periapt of wound closure.
Simon calmly walks over to where the officials are struggling to save Hok Fung, and he tosses them a packet of salt from his rations.
"I trust you will not take certain comments made during the bout too personally, sirrah," he says, his tone of voice placid. "Safe journey home..."
"Hmmph. That am not so hard. Poog am not even need to move."
Zak floats down from his cloud of smoke, "What did I miss?"
Asha smiles, bows to Marthysan, and accepts the jewel. "We won again," she answers Zak's question, grinning at him and giving him a quick hug.
"Great job, Asha! Talk about your one woman team today," Zarina laugha as she pats her friend on the back.
Asha hugs Zarina as well, but she shakes her head at the same time. "Not at all," she says immediately. "Simon's spell allowed me to fly, your spell allowed me to strike so swiftly, and Poog's blessing helped me resist Hok Fung's spell. Zak claimed the first strike. I will not claim a solo victory that I did not earn."
One of the monks offers Simon a quick bow in thanks as he catches the packet of salt and begins applying it to the leeches in order to remove them. The bloatmage howls in pain as the salt is pressed into his wounds, but it's clear he will be making a swift recovery.
The next bout the Emissary calls is another group-on-one fight, this time between The Four from Avistan against Seishuku, the Scarred Ninja. You recognize the members of the Four: Risha Coaltongue, who has traded out her local clothing for studded leather and paired shortswords; Darys Shrike, who looks quite menacing in his chainmail and greataxe; Mol Kor, who seems eager to begin the fight bedecked in his spiked full plate; and Pirin Agramont, who seems both disinterested in the fight and intensely focused upon it. Seishuku, on the other hand, briefly removes the scarf that covers the lower half of his face, and you can see that the right side of his face is horribly burned and scarred. He quaffs a potion, and prepares an unusual weapon - a double-edged blade that has a second curved blade coming off of it, all of which is attached to a cord, at the end of which is a metal ring.
The Emissary calls the fight to start, and it too is not especially long. Seishuku's tactics are about what you'd expect from a ninja - he disappears into thin air, only to reappear briefly to attack from an unexpected angle. After a pair of strikes that take down Pirin, the three cluster up in order to take him when he reappears. This proves to be a mistake as well, as the ninja tosses a flask at them that showers the remaining three in acid. Despite these setbacks, the Four are able to take down the Scarred Ninja, and also secure themselves a spot in the semifinals. Based upon the brackets, they will be the team you will need to defeat tomorrow morning in order to enter the finals.
After their bout is over, the Emissary stands to make another announcement. "By now, it is clear to everyone present that the remaining teams are all skilled and powerful warriors. It would be very difficult to find someone upon Xielan Island that could rival their power. Difficult, but not impossible. For generations the brine dragon Huyanwo has menaced the region known as the Ridge of Graves. All who have sought him out have perished. I challenge any of the contestants to end his threat to the island! As for a reward, besides the obvious glory earned from defeating a dragon, whatever riches lie in the dragon's horde will act as your spoils. Who among you will accept this challenge?"
The Emissary's words echo in the arena, and the crowd is silent, awaiting a response from the contestants. The remaining participants each glance between your group and each other, but none of them immediately rise to the Emissary's challenge.
Poog looks around. "Is this going to help get prize? If not, why am Poog wasting time?"
Asha nods, her smile fading into a look of determination. "This is a good work," she says. "We can drive this beast off the island and away from the innocents it now threatens."
"I want to win the tournament more than anything. Can we take on the dragon after we finish the events? By the sounds of it, it'll still be there waiting on us."
Asha raises an eyebrow, but does not argue. "As long as it is done," she allows. She looks around at the other groups. "Although, if we succeed, whatever treasures the dragon holds might be valuable aids in our victory. Or in our defeat, should one of the other groups undertake the task when we do not."
"That am good point. We should go get rid of dragon!"
"I have not lost any dragons and so feel little need to hunt for one, but I will go where the group goes," Simon says, frowning a little. "I wish to know more about the creature and to have an opportunity to refresh my spells ere we confront it, however."
"Let's get that dragon now, it's an inconvenience to us, but worthwhile hopefully, and maybe it saves a few innocents from a dragonish fate."
Zarina shakes her head. She was still not completely convinced. "I still say we should wait until the tourney is over and we get our choice of a reward. That might make the battle with the dragon even easier." Even as she argued, she knew the others had become determined. If they still wanted to proceed, she'd stop arguing and go with them.
As you deliberate amongst yourselves, the Emissary clears his throat awkwardly in the silence that has arisen and shrugs dramatically. "Very well. Let the Tournament continue! The next quarterfinal match will be between Payudiel Arikametsu, samurai of Jinin, versus the Heroes of the Amaranthine Golem!" One on side of the fight stage, a tall elven warrior bearing the backbanner depicting a white leafless tree with many branches upon a black field readies a katana of pure light. On the other, another quartet of warriors have arrayed themselves: a tall, well-built woman of Kellid descent wielding an impossibly large blade; a Vudrani man with the shaved head denoting his monastic origins, wielding a curved temple sword; a Garundi woman with a massive golden headdress whose eyes are white and clouded; and a gnome that is flanked by what appears to be a rooster-headed feathered snake, each bearing the same glowing rune upon their foreheads. "The rest of the competitors, I give you leave to take care of any other...business you may have upon the island." The Emissary then takes his seat and begins watching the battle unfold.
"Fine, Poog calls. "We am going to kill your dragon now."
He turns his back on the fight, looking around to make sure his companions are leaving as well.
"I really would like to know more about this dragon before we face it," Simon says, sighing, as he joins the others. "Perhaps we should visit a teller of tales before we leave the city?"
Zarina shakes her head. "No one said they were going to try and shame us," she mutters. "I'm beginning to hate these tourney organizers more and more."
"Well, they are doing this to be paid and to receive the adulations of the spectators even moreso than we are, of course," Simon whispers dryly, winking at Zarina.
Asha smiles, patting Zarina on the shoulder. "It'll be fun!" she says, grinning. "Think of the stories! Speaking of which, Simon's suggestion of gathering information in advance seems sound. Let's find someone who knows the dragon's tales around here..."
"They am big creatures, like normal dragon. They am smarter than dogs, though that am not saying much. They no have fire either, so they am probably not that tough."
"What do they have? Acid? Ice?" Asha asks.
"It am breathing acid. But it also am making you weak with its bite, which am sucking water out of you."
"Well, I can bolster some of us against acid. Maybe not all of it, but a good chunk of it at least. We all need to be able to fly as well.
"I'm ready." Zak stretches out in a mock flying pose. "My flying cloud of smoke should keep him occupied for a bit, along with the arrows zipping out of it. Let's go whoop that beast, then make armor from it's hide into barding for It to look like a Huyanwo suit, then we'll cast enlarge on It during the next battle and win over the crowd by bringing 'little Huyanwo' to the arena."
"What is our deadline on this battle again?" Simon asks. "Because I would very much like to be able to re-study my spells before we engage this foul beast."
"It is not an official exhibition match, Warrior," a nearby monk explains to Simon. "And as such, there's no deadline, other than the end of the Tournament. Of course, one of your competitors might choose to take him on, and steal the glory for themselves!"
"These beasts are of Water," Simon muses as the group moves along. "It might be susceptible to electricity attacks... or attacks that target salt."
"Or fire..." Poog grouses.
I can See Invisible, but can't Glitterdust.