The Elf returned your handshake and made an elegant bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Skaar. I'm known as Dasilane." Leading you into a nearby table, he takes a seat at a private table in a corner and orders a bottle of Underbow Wine. "And whatever this gentleman wants. I'm buying."
”I’m good with the elven wine”, Skaar grunts with a nod at the server. ”It won’t be my first time.”
”So Dasilane, what brings a swordsman like you to the Kaer Maga arena? You don’t look like a sellsword and you’re certainly not an ordinary gladiator. You actin’ as someone’s muscle?”
Dasilane nods in approval at your beverage choice. "I've underestimated you, good sir. From what I've heard of your fights, I took you for one who cared little for the finer things in life. An error on my part, it seems."
He smiles at your question. "Most perceptive. It's true, I'm no sellsword, and I'm certainly not anyone's 'muscle.' I merely wished to pit my blade against the best Kaer Maga had to offer. The tournament's been interesting thus far, but I'm still waiting for a real challenge. How about you? What's your story?"
Skaar chuckles at the elf's assumptions. "I can enjoy a glass of fruity elven wine as much as a cask of grog fit for puttin' hair on your chest. Besides, drinkin's more about the company than what's in your glass. It's really not so different from a good roll in the sheets. You know what I mean?"
At the question of his motives, Skaar gestures toward the docks. "I was trapped at sea and the captain of the ship I've been stayin' on bailed me out. He asked that I fight in this tournament on his behalf to pay him back. I don't usually fight other fools battles for 'em but I've always been a man to repay his debts. I plan on leavin' the city as soon as the Games are over."
Dasilane smiles at your words. "That's true. Fleshly pleasures are quite enjoyable in moderation." He lifts his glass for a toast. "To tomorrow's bout. I promise not to beat you too badly; you seem like a decent fellow. I won't go easy on you, though, so don't get cocky."
Skaar laughs and lifts his glass for the toast. "I don't make promises I can't keep."
Dasilane returns your laugh, and you briefly sense great power residing inside him. "Neither do I."
"I get the feeling you're not like any of the others I've fought here so far. Where'd you train?"
Dasilane reverently draws the black-hilted rapier from its sheath and shows it to you. "I earned this at Lepidstadt University, but also learned some tricks from the Swordlords of Brevoy. It's served me well." As you look, you notice his cheeks are unscarred.
"You've got real pretty cheeks for trainin' in Lepidstadt", the big orc comments. "So you must be damn good."
"Where you headed after we finish up here?"
Dasilane acknowledges the compliment with a smile and slight nod. "We'll find that out tomorrow. As for afterwards ... I haven't given it much thought, to be honest. Continue training, improving, seeking out new challenges."
Skaar polishes off his wine and offers the elf another handshake.
"Until tomorrow then. May the best man win."
Back at the Wormwood, you're met with congratulations and another fine meal. You literally conquered the elements in today's match, and that's truly an impressive accomplishment.
Skaar feasts happily with the crew of the Wormwood, thoughts of his coming freedom and trip to Geb at the edges of his thoughts.
The evening passes uneventfully, and you enjoy a restful sleep. Until around 3am, that is, when strange and disturbing dreams wake you up. You can't remember their substance, but you're left with feelings of hopelessness in the face of a coming disaster.
Skaar wakes in a cold sweat after the bout of haunting nightmares and, worse, plagued with lingering despair. As a god of hope, such negative emotions were anathema to him and it takes the big orc spends several minutes to find himself in the Wormwood’s dimly lit cabin. Maybe the world’s better off without me, his dark thoughts whisper.
The emotions pass after a few minutes, but the reasons for the nightmares remain unknown. While it's only natural to have some jitters before a test, Dasilane seemed like a fairly decent fellow.
Once his thoughts become rational again, Skaar considers the strange dreams. He’d heard of powerful spellcasters weakening their opponents by denying them rest. Was he under attack?
While mages are known to send nightmares to their enemies, this didn't seem magical in nature. Perhaps it was simply a bad dream. Of course, the dreams of deities are often prophetic in nature, or at least carry deeper meanings than most. But you're not really a god anymore, are you....
Or maybe a warning of things to come, Skaar reflects while settling in and resuming his rest.
The rest of the night passes uneventfully. Fishguts has cooked up a big mess of bacon and eggs to help you get ready to the final fight.
Skaar noisily enjoys his power breakfast. There was nothing better for shaking a rough night than a big meal of salt and grease!
Breakfast passes quickly, and you're then escorted to the Arena for your final fight. As usual, you're given a short amount of time to buff before the waiting chamber opens to reveal a flat sandy arena.
Skaar bristles with anticipation for the coming bout. The elf was a waif but he knew better than to assume that meant he’d be a pushover.
He conjures his usual protective ward and, seconds before the battle begins, crafts an enchantment to accelerate time around him.
You grant the target the ability to make an extra attack at its highest BAB whenever it makes a full attack action. This effect is not cumulative with similar effects, such as that provided
by a speed weapon, nor does it actually grant an extra action, so it cannot be used to cast a second sphere effect or otherwise take an extra action in the round. You must concentrate to maintain this effect, but may spend a spell point as a free action to allow it to remain for 1 round per caster level without concentration.
You may cause a target to bleed through time, blurring their image so that they appear to be in multiple places at once. This grants the target concealment (20% miss chance) against attacks, +5% per 3 caster levels to a maximum of 50%. This is a blur effect, and may be counteracted by abilities that specify they can see through them. Opponents that cannot see the subject ignore this penalty, although fighting an unseen opponent carries penalties of its own.
As soon as there's room to move, Dasilane steps quickly to the center of the arena, draws his blade, and offers you an elegant salute.
Skaar chuckles in appreciation for the elf's decorum and lumbers forward with his polearm leveled at his opponent.
"You're surprisingly quick," the Elf chuckles as he holds his ground. It seems he's in no hurry to approach.
"I sure can be", the big orc replies as he steps forward for two swift but powerful strikes.
Ignore
Dasilane elegantly sidesteps your attacks, closes in, and executes a precise thrust. His footwork is confusing, making his movements difficult to predict. Taking advantage of a momentary hesitation, he penetrates your defenses only to hit the afterimage left behind as you move. Surprised, he throws himself after you, but his hasty lunge meets only air. His follow-up attack from the ground seems only designed to make you keep your distance. "That's a neat trick. Haven't run into that before."
Skaar: -2 to attack rolls for 1 round
Dasilane: prone
"You've got a couple tricks I wouldn't mind learning myself", the big orc comments when Dasilane's blade edges him away.
Capitalizing on his opponent's position, Skaar drives a foot into his ribs before throwing a couple meaty hooks.
Dasilane grunts in pain as your fists slam into his ribs. He uses their momentum to roll away and stand up before resuming his dance. His blade flashes by as he replies, "I won't be trying that again! You hit harder than the Earth Elementals from last round."
Dasilane: 30pts damage
Skaar: -2 to attacks for 1 round
Skaar grins and closes on the elf, keeping the pressure on. He drops his polearm as he steps in to drive two more hooks into his opponent's ribs followed by an elbow smash across his nose.
Dasilane gracefully weaves around your blows before landing a small gash to your chest. His follow-up attack misses, but before you can take advantage, he reverses the strike and scores another shallow cut.
Skaar: 6pts damage
The shallow cuts across his chest sting but do little to slow the hulking orc down as he follows a quick jab with a crushing uppercut.
Your jab connects, but Dasilane takes advantage of the opening created by your uppercut to slice your arm. "Have you ever seen the dance of the thousand cuts?"
Dasilane: 43pts damage
Skaar: 4pts damage, -2 to attack rolls for 1 round
Feeling the razor-sharp blade dig into the meat of his forearm earns another grunt on pain from the big orc.
"I have", he growls. "But I've always preferred the leaf-splitting strike."
He pushes forward in an effort to tangle his opponent's footwork up, lunging for the elf's offhand.
With a sudden lunge forward, you grab Dasilane. Then you feel a pain in your stomach. It seems you've been stabbed. He gives you a grin. "You've got a rather strong grip. What's the plan now?"
Dasilane: 43pts damage, grappled
Skaar: 20pts damage, grappled
Time rewinds itself for a few seconds, and you realize that you're about to take a rapier to the gut. Armed with this foreknowledge, you change your angle of attack and barely manage to deflect the blade. Dasilane gives you a frown. "Could have sworn I got you with that one. Nice move."
After stepping aside so that the blade scrapes a bloody line along his muscular midsection instead of being buried in his guts, Skaar capitalizes on the opening by driving his knee into Dasilane's midsection.
"I'm quick, remember?" he grunts. "And that thing's damned sharp."
The big orc follows by wrapping one huge arm around his opponent's neck. He flexes as he squeezes the chokehold tightly.
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Dasilane grunts in pain before narrowing his eyes and vanishing in a blur of motion. You feel a rush of air as his blade narrowly misses you. Looking around, you see him standing by the north wall of the arena, looking slightly refreshed. He flashes you a grin as he assumes a ready position. "You may be quick, but I've got some tricks of my own."
Dasilane: 52pts damage
"So you do", Skaar admits as he makes a quick sign with one hand increasing the density of his hulking form before darting forward. "I guess it's my turn to show you another one of mine."
Enhance Equipment:You may enhance a weapon, suit of armor, or shield, granting it a +1 enhancement bonus. This bonus increases by 1 for every 5 caster levels possessed, to a total of +5 at 20th level. This does not stack with any enhancement bonus already possessed by the item.
When using the Enhance Equipment enhancement, increase the enhancement bonus granted by 1. This means you can grant an item a +6 enhancement bonus if your caster level is high enough.
Dasilane's blade flickers as you approach, and more shallow gashes appear on your body. "You seem rather more intimidating now. Let's end this quickly."
Skaar: 3pts damage + 5pts damage, -2 to attack rolls for 1 round