I was pretty certain you would face an uneven battle. The procedure here seems to be established gladiators beat fresh meat to pulp and perhaps snack on it later. This is not a country where the lonely survive long. You´re either part of a group or not. There is already one headstrong character who makes his own decision after his zealous religion, two of that will just tear everything apart and put all in jeopardy.
Blood seeped from his wounds as Yvell gritted his teeth. " You all don't know when to give up, unlike the last Orc. "
He placed his blade at his hip and swung diagonally upwards from crotch to shoulder.
He once again applied a bright light to his wounds.
Ibuki's scorching rays strike the ogre and it falls down. The crowd cheers and boos, some expecting the troll's pets would crush the unknown Scrappers.
The troll angrily hurls a pouch in your direction. It chinks as it strikes the ground. "Next time, Helskarg will crush you herself! Leave the Arena while you can, Scrappers!"
Inside the pouch are 10 silverdisks.
--------------------------
Val knocks down another of the orcs, leaving her free.
The three orcs surrounding Yvell chop at him with their falchions. One of them shifts to give two of them flanking.
Phylla waddles forward and bites into one of the orcs surrounding Yvell, then strikes at another with her tentacles.
,
Two of the orcs fall down from Phylla's assault. "Valtyra-servant, get to Yvell-servant! He is dying. I need him to feed me red food! Hurry!"
"Cover my Phylla." Val says moving next to Yvell. She chants and lays her hand on Yvell.
"You STUPID, STUPID IDIOT! If you die on me i'm going to kill you!!!!! Val says as she moves up to Yvell praying to Serenrae for guidance.
Yvell groans as his gets up from the ordeal, bleeding like a stuck pigs all over the ground surrounded by the bodies of orcs. " Ugh, I was careless it seemed. Well then Phylla.. you better get your meal now.. before I heal up.. When did I hit the ground I wonder..?"
Behind Yvell, Phylla and Valtyra, you see the four orcs that served as Birdfood's bodyguards. They have their hands raised and scamper forward, trying to stay away from the adventurers as much as possible as they run towards the center of Scrapwall.
"Keep that freaky little plant away from us!"
After they leave, Birdfood starts to stir from the ground. He stands up as Yvell stands up, wipes his grin with the back of his hand, dropping his bow and gripping at his longsword. The grapnel is still attached to his body. "You tricky bastard. I'd be laughing if you didn't make me puke out my lunch. Elven orphans. I use their tears as soup stock. Hyeheheh."
Yvell slams the ex-Smiler to ground raises him up i the air and recites a message b]" Birdfood, you have slaved, killed, slaughtered and raped. You have eaten the flesh of people and most certainly tortured others. Today you are helpless as a babe.. there is no redemption. You are not fit to live and I hope your soul sent to Abaddon "[/b] Yvell Stabbed the Man through the gut and cut upwards to his heart... and then right as his eye were going to close, dropped him to his knees and beheaded him.
" It was probably no where near the amount of suffering he gave... These Smiliers are disgusting. " he picked up the head stripping off the rest of the man's equipment. The head would serve as a token, while the Naked body laid in the open another disgrace.
As soon as you are allowed to leave the arena, Ibuki cuts through the crowd of spectators and disappears into Scrapwall without a word to Muga and Aeron.
--------------------------------
"Well, Aeron, did you see where Yvell was headed? My cover's blown anyway, so might as well check up on him." Muga asks as they head out of the arena.
Cover? You blew a cover? I did not know humans had such things. Does it hurt? I am guessing it would be a good idea for us to get to Valtyra for healing a blown cover as well as the rest of your deep wounds, but if it is Yvell you need, then they... went...
Aeron looks around realizing in her rush she had forgotten to see where the others went or were going. She lets out an exasperated sigh for her forgetfulness as she leads him off to a more secluded area away from the spectators. She then pulls out a wand and looks to Muga.
Well, since I am not sure where they went and you have some serious wounds maybe we should take care of them now, then look for them. Now don't move, I am still practicing with this and I do not want you to be worst off than you star... ted...
She then just realized that his recovery during the battle was not just a rush of adrenaline and a recuperation of the most genuine kind. He was still covered in gore and blood, but most of his most serious wounds were clotted over and no longer flowing. With a shrug, she then continued with her motions focusing her concentration on her wand and chanting low to it. A few intricate sweeps of the wand and an extended hand toward his chest, Aeron attempts to place a few heals of the two of them.
Success
Success
Success
Success
Success
magical arrows (5)
+1 studded leather
+1 composite longbow with 15 arrows
longsword
12 silverdisks
109 gp
6 falchions
6 silverdisks
6 studded leather armor
24 javelins
24 gp
Once Yvell started to drag take the gruesome token back to the Steel hawks, along with the loot from Birdfood and the 6 orcs who attacked them. Yvell began to realize where he was and more.. what he had did. It was not wrong in any means, but he had let his anger dictate his actions once more.. a bad habit that did not seem to have fully lifted.
He looked around and noticed Valtyra and Phylla.. were actually.. fully there. It confused him, his mind knew yet at the same time he thought himself alone and abandoned. But that was clearly untrue. The more pressing matter was, he knew not where Muga and the rest went. he turned to Phylla. " You spoke to me before, Something about Muga, what did he say again? "
"I don't remember, Yvell-Servant. I think Muga-Servant said something about pretending. Gathering information. Too bad you cannot read minds like I can." Phylla sends to Valtyra and Yvell, rather pleased with herself.
"You seriously underestimate me if you consider this level of injury serious." Muga smiled and kept moving at a slow pace. Aeron would have no difficulty healing them both as she wished.
"A cover, in the usage I was using, is akin to a disguise, only in a social context instead of physical. Does that clear it up for you?"
Yvell smirks, " Hrmph.. Well that's why you are so necessary Phylla. You are a good judge of 'character'. Too bad I cannot reward you with much right now. So I must have missed that in his tirade. I admit mind reading would be much easier but every person is allowed some level of privacy from time to time. Regardless, if that is true, chances are we will meet up at the only place we know is safe. I think we should head to the Steel Ravens at the opening of Scrapwall. We need to inform them of our tasks being done and gather more information.Perhaps rest for the day as well "
Aeron stows her wand as she digests hos explination. She nods slowly with understanding. She then looks around and notices for the first time that Ibuki is gone. Assuming he simply had pressing business, she leads the way back toward the Steel Hawks' base figuring that to be as good a place as any to start their search for the others.
After less than an hour, the four of you (and Phylla) meet back at the Steel Hawks' gatehouse.
"We heard about what you all did. Pretty crazy. If you can do things like that, you might be a match for the Lords of Rust. Don't know about their god though." Sevroth takes a look at the severed head.
Suddenly, a silver raven construct flies in through the window and perches on Aeron's shoulder. It moves its beak close to his/her ear and whispers. As soon as it is done, it caws and flies back out.
Aeron regards the bird with more than a little curiousity. She listens to the message as she slowly reaches up to try to touch the marvelous construction, but no sooner did her lithe fingers brush a wing did it abruptly depart.
The message was straightforward enough though. She turned her gaze over to Sevroth. The birds arrival and departure seemed not to have even registered to Aeron as odd or out of place.
Where might we find the Clockwork Chaple?
Yvell sees that two of the people had returned a little bruised but no worse for wear he was wondering however, where Ibuki had gone. " So, your alive. That is good. It seems you accomplished something while we were handling Birdfood, I also looted his corpse. What information did you find out Aeron and Muga. And where is Ibuki? Did something happen to him your not telling? "
Yvell sighed as his sat down resting himself, he looked to Sevroth " When you have the might of righteous cause it makes things easier, though there are always bumps along the way. Now that we completed a task for you can you give us more information? Something on these Smilers, Any other gangs around here, as well as how things are determined. I assume some form of power ranking. I must also ask if you will be the new Boss of the Steel Hawks? If there may be an issue with looting the old base if need be..if not your cooperation would be well welcomed. "
"Yes, everything, because you haven't given me a chance to say anything yet." Muga smirked at Yvell's accusatory approach.
Yvell breathed out but was feeling relatively better after killing a great evil and smiled, crossing his arms into each other. He grinned a bit and raised an eyebrow. " Then go ahead.. you have time. "
"Excellent. He helped me in the arena and then left. Seemed to be something important to him, he was in a hurry."
"As far as the information I was hoping to learn, I wasn't able to get to the second level like I hoped. But there is a gang, Redtooth's Raiders, trying to fight the Smilers, and that's what I like to call a noble cause." Griiiiin.
"Plus, bonus bonus, Smiler's leader is a necromancer who captured a few Redtooth Raiders likely for eeeevil experiments. We can't just let that slide, eh?" Muga is obviously making a case to Yvell's paladin hood, and he's making it absolutely clear that he doesn't care save for the fact they get to fight by his emphasis.
" It seems this town has much trash to clean up. What do you know of these Redtooth Raiders? What is their position? Im sure that regardless we will help as the Smilers are up to no good and as a necromancer, be destroyed. I'm sure you'd be itching to fight and maybe firsthand will see how it is that We took care of Birdtooth. However I can see that you are drained somewhat and it is getting late. We can take this opportunity to recuperate and learn more about how Scrapwall works through Sevroth. Truthfully I was thinking of having our group seem like a new Gang.. gaining reputation for taking out the evils of this town. That way we dont seem directly affiliated with any one group while at the same time gather support from other individuals who want to follow our lead. And Im sure.. once we destroy the Smilers, the base will be a suitable headquarters the duration of our stay. What say you Muga? " Yvell showed a fang and a smirk leaving his ideas out to bear. He was quite aware of Muga's attitude. " Surely it would lead to interesting.. fights "
"Hahaaa... You dream strangely. No doubt your god will help you with it." Muga laughed off the proposal. Wasn't saying no, but it wasn't anything Muga was going to put special work into. "Regardless, I'm down for another round before we hit the hay, but if you're in a rush to rest, I won't complain."
Yvell gave a serious stare " I have no time for dreams. I make my actions a reality " pulling up the gruesome visage of the Ex-Smiler. " We may very well be able to take on one more fight but the only thing I can see is the undead or the manticore. And I rather not deal with those without the information. We could kill them tomorrow along with visiting the Elf in the Clock tower. Then perhaps go to this arena again. Build some.. respect. "
"What would you chose to make a reality if you didn't have the dream in the first place?" Muga continued still smiling, but only did so after taking himself aside. He wasn't continuing the conversation so much as commenting to himself loud enough that Yvell could hear, but low enough that he could pretend not to have.
Yvell reclined in his chair and closed his eyes for the moment before opening them back up and looking toward the rest in the room, then back to Muga " Blood Ravens.. Or Blood Blades.. What is a better name? " He seems to ask almost at random.
Why does it have to be blood? How bout... "Dreaming of Pomegranates". I have never had a Pomegranate but I hear they are tasty. Anyway, I would like to go to the Clockwork Chapel. We were invited after all. I doubt we should turn down such a welcoming invitation as a mechanical bird after all. It might be important.
Her gaze drifted to the area the construct exited from staring longingly, though the emotion was lost to her.
Yvell lays back placing his chin to his fist in contemplation " The reason for that is that names.. must be powerful in their own way. They must represent what your group is about or demand respect by intimidation and awe. 'Dreaming of Pomegranates' a name that does not do. I agree with visiting the Clockwork Chapel, but we neither know the area nor can afford to visit it with the 'trouble' we caused in so little time. I was attacked on the way back here by random orcs. That's why we are gathering information first, making a group name, ect.. Sevroth knows this place better than all of us. "
Val looks at her companions, "First we should deliver the message we were sent here with."
"Heh... I don't think any name you pick will help our PR problems. People round here don't trust a man who believes himself righteous, and no amount of bloodthirsty naming will convince anyone around here that you are anything but that. So, sure, "Dreaming of Pomegranates" works fine for me, though it needs to be a name rather than a phrase. Pomegranate Dreamers or Dreamers of Pomegranates."
Yvell nods to Val " That is the plan. " looking to Muga he simply blinks. " People here dont trust a Righteous man for sure, but one is more predictable than say, these Smilers. And there is nothing that says they dont respect such a cae either. Just look at the situation now. The Lords of Rust are the strongest Gang here and their supposed rise to power is through Holy means. I don't see how they are that different. Or how some might not prefer the lesser evil in this case. That name is a terrible name regardless.. we arent worshipers of Sheyln. Or Gnomes.. "
Sevroth doesn't pay attention to your talking. She is too busy staring at the decapitated head of Birdfood. "What do you want to know? The Clockwork Chapel is on the west side of Scrapwall. Go further past the Hawk Palace to the north. Don't know why you would want to go there. That chick is crazy."
"Yeah, and the Lords of Rust rose up because they attracted crazies and were freaking strong in the first place. So, just like we're going to do." :P Muga crosses his feet and props them up on a table, relaxing with his hands behind his head, clearly enjoying this.
"Regardless, Yvell, there's two votes for Pomegranite something and one for blood something. Valtyra, when you finish saying your thing, if that ties us, shall we cast lots?"
I think the plant creature should also get a vote.
"Mmm..." Muga seemed to consider for a moment, his eye on Aeron before he shrugged slightly and closed his eyes. "Sure, sounds good to me."
On the one hand, Phylla's a fan of Yvell, on the other hand, she may like the idea of a plant related name.
Well, I would like to go to the Chapel regardless of the vote. I am interested in the creator of that bird creature.
She peers over to Sevroth.
What can you tell us about the mentally unstable woman in said chapel? And why are all the creatures of import in this place associated with birds? Is there something I am missing with the bird motif?
"She's a follower of Brigh. Spends all her time making constructs. Keeps mostly to herself. It's a coincidence. There aren't any other birds here except for us Steel Hawks."
"Hmm... What is a pomegranate?" Phylla sends and peers into your minds. "Oh, it is like a bloody fruit. Delicious. Red. I like. And I always dream even when I am awake. I like Pomegranate Dreamers."
She smacks Yvell lightly with a tendril. "Get me one of these pomegranates. I wish to try one, Yvell-Servant."
Yvell laughs and nods " Pomegranate Dreamers it is then! I'll get you one when we have the next chance Phylla. They are a fruit however, and won't taste like Blood at all. But I guess it would make my life a little easier if you weren't draining me every time you got hungry. " Yvell looked to Sevroth.
" So then our new gang, the Pomegranate Dreamers, will be assisting you. Let me repeat my last questions, I need to know if you know Something on these Smilers, Any other gangs around here, as well as how things are determined. These Redtooths especially with their relation to the Smiliers. I assume some form of power ranking. I must also ask if you will be the new Boss of the Steel Hawks? If there may be an issue with looting the old base if need be..if not your cooperation would be well welcomed. "
"The current power ranking of gangs is the Lords of Rust, Smilers, Redtooth's Raider's and Steel Hawks. The Thralls of Hellion were disbanded recently-don't know what happened to them. We're all fighting against each other, except for the Lords. They're too strong for us to deal with. Either we agree to their demands, or get crushed. I don't know if I've told you, but the Smilers have recently kidnapped Redtooth's brother Whiskifiss. Probably going to do some weird experiments on him. Their boss is a hobgoblin Necromancer named Marrow. Sicker than the rest of the Smilers."
"Feel free to take what you want from the Hawk Palace. It's your reward for taking out that ex-Smiler. As for the leadership, I'm the boss for now. I'll send some people over there eventually to fix it up again."
Sevroth sniffs. "I don't really want it, but someone's got to do it."