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Wei will bow deeply with the rest of the team in turn, then offer the following brief poetry in Tien... and then Taldan.
" 'Tis Noble to desire
A reprise of fleeting glory
When the bits are gory
And the heart's afire.
'Tis Wisdom to refrain
From demanding perfection
This clown's indiscretion
Wilst hopefully not pain.
'Tis Wonder to witness
The spectacle of the stage
When our mountain's enrage'
Yet perhaps not witless
'Tis but a prayer tonight
That we humble players brought
A mock battle here fought
To make every future bright."
Master of Masters, please let them not insist we do another combat like that.
***Overseer post***
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Kiang Zhen meets you backstage after the curtain falls. “Time for your costume change,” she caws as she hands over a stack of black funerary robes. “Once you get suited up, throw these over your clothes; you’ll need them to enter the next event. Then head to the Petal District. You’ll know the way once you get there.”
A crowd of black-robed mourners gathers in a small, grassy square near the edge of the cemetery. The assembly forms a procession, which winds through the cemetery to one of the oldest and most opulent plots. There, the entrances to an entire row of aging marble mausoleums stand open. Before each rests a coffin.
The procession stops, and a woman in the robes of a Pharasmin cleric steps forward. She approaches the various groups of mourners and, speaking in a solemn tone, requests each of them to hoist a casket and carry it into one of the mausoleums. Then she adds the following instructions: “This next competition is the final one of the qualifier. The Emissary lies somewhere in the catacombs below. All you must do now is seek him out and touch his robes. Good luck.” Then the woman nods and leaves, without further explanation.
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After getting fully re-equipped the follower of the Master of the Ways will consider and tilt his head.
"Each of these encounters thus far has tested our depth of experience, character, and ability to work as a team. It wouldn't be out of line to put forward a challenge that tests the very boundaries of what it means to be a team, would it?"
Wei will finish getting the robes on and help carry a given casket as indicated.
"Every step of our journey is a chance to learn new things."
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The casket you are directed to carry into the catacombs weighs about 250 lbs, and has a long wooden grip on each side to allow for six pallbearers. As you carry the load down into the narrow passageway it becomes very cramped quickly, with all of you squeezing into a 5 ft wide tunnel, pallbearers on either side of the coffin.
The stairs empty into a long hall of cool gray stone. On both sides of the smooth, polished walls open deep, narrow arches that recede into straight, dark hallways. A gold-skinned humanoid sits in a trancelike state in the middle of the room like a great silent statue. Across his lap is a massive spiked club. Behind the creature, on the far side of the hall, a small brass gong hangs still upon a lacquered wooden frame. Beside the gong rests a large mallet, its beater wrapped in cloth.
As you make your way out of the cramped hall, the creature opens its eyes.
“Greetings, esteemed competitors. Allow me to introduce myself. I am called Heng—the Sifu’s Judge. Within this room you see eight arches; however, only one leads to the final competition. While I can show you the correct path, you must first prove yourselves worthy before I reveal the answer.”
The oni nods and without warning, all eight entrances erupt into impassible whirlwinds of lashing sword shards and colored smoke. Calmly, he continues. “Beyond me hangs a small gong. In order to pass freely, you must properly sound the gong using the nearby mallet. While this task sounds easy, I assure you it is not, for it must be struck perfectly in order to get it to sound. Hit it too softly and it will fail to echo, too hard and it will crack. Furthermore, I shall do
my best to prevent anyone from sounding it.”
The judge bows, his heavy gaze relentless. Then slowly his body coils into a combat stance as he signals the start of the fight with a simple nod.
Round 1:
Hiram (Carrying coffin)
Quiven (Carrying coffin)
Jin-Goro (Carrying coffin)
Wei Ji (Carrying coffin)
Roary (Carrying coffin)
Little Shins (Carrying coffin)
Judge Heng
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Little Shins' melancholy dirge gives this procession the gravitas that it deserves, and Judge Heng seems moved by the display before him, almost forgetting that it is merely a trial.
Round 1:
Hiram (Carrying coffin, readied to carefully lower)
Quiven (Carrying coffin)
Jin-Goro (Carrying coffin)
Wei Ji (Carrying coffin, readied to carefully lower)
Roary (Carrying coffin)
Little Shins (Carrying coffin, used dirge readied to carefully lower)
Judge Heng (Demoralized)
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Jin lets go of the sarcophagus, relying on his allies to have the strength to manage things. Raising one hand he reaches out and makes a grabbing motion at the opponent. Glowing blue lines of energy lash out and try to wrap themselves around the enormous spiked club.
If successful the club flies to Jin and he uses his move action to put it away.
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Quiven ducks down and creeps out underneath the coffin, but Judge Heng keeps his eye trained on the first person to make a break for the gong. As Quiven approaches the Judge, he seems suddenly distracted as Jin-Goro's spell penetrates through his wards and tears the club from his hand. He smirks a bit though as he shifts his stance slightly showing a pair of sharp claws. By the time he does so however, Quiven is behind him staring at the gong and the large mallet next to it. On a count of 3, the remaining party members lower the casket to the ground and prepare for battle. Heng however takes a step back to deal with Quiven.
Round 2:
Hiram
Quiven (-18)
Jin-Goro
Wei Ji
Roary
Little Shins
Judge Heng
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Quiven takes a quick peek around making sure that he's not standing near certain doom. He panics for a moment as he notices a faint magical line near him, but it seems as though it wards against entry into the alcove, and no more. Confident that the mallet isn't warded he picks it up and strikes the gong... resulting in a flat thud.
The Kuwa laughs at the attempt as he slashes at Jin-Goro in passing. "Is that the sound of a drunk hitting the barroom floor? I said RING the gong, not slap it!"
The bards of the group recognize the flat sound of the strike immediately. The gong appears to be very brittle and likely made of poor metals. In order to make a true ringing sound, the gong will have to rubbed with the mallet in order to warm it, and then a soft strike will make it sound. A slow deliberate action would be required to take the necessary steps, and keen skill will be required to apply the right strength of strike.
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Shins pleads, "Please don't kill the judge Roary."
"That strike was too swift, the gong is still cold! If you rub the mallet against the metal, it should warm it, but you must be sure of your strike! I would happy to show you to someone else who knows far more than I, but the least I can do now is to guide you with my magic!"
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Heng laughs and takes Roary's blow without visibly showing too much discomfort. "You'll receive no such restraint from here on out! I will perform my duties to the best of my ability, and I expect no less from you."
Round 2:
Hiram
Quiven (-18)
Jin-Goro
Wei Ji
Roary
Little Shins (Blurry)
Judge Heng (-33, Demoralized)
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"What kind of tournament would have a lethal selection process? What is gained by the loss of life?" Wei offers casually as he steps up closer to Heng... and then reaches out towards him in attempt to start pulling him away from his position...
"It is better for all if the bloodthirsty urges are dialed back."
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Heng swats at Hiram as well as he rolls by, but his reflexes are slow as he spots a new line of attack.
Heng, keeping his eye firmly on the goal, watches as Hiram prepares to make his attempt on the gong. He leans his body back, then pounces forward, shoving Hiram into one of the alcoves of whirling blades!
Hiram goes flying back into the alcove, through the whirring and slashing of blades and fog. Suddenly he blinks out of existence...
Heng turns and faces Roary. "Good... good... Until surrender or death... as temporary as the latter may prove to be."
Round 3:
Hiram (Bamf'd... with the mallet)
Quiven (-18)
Jin-Goro
Wei Ji
Roary
Little Shins (Blurry)
Judge Heng (-33, Demoralized)
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Wary of an imprecise blow, Shins uses his magic to better guide Quiven's strike.
With the mallet gone Shins refocuses on the safety of his companions. He speeds up the pace of the dirge and hopes the speed of his companions will increase as well.
The remaining bard yells at the room and rushes to the passage Hiram went through. "Hiram! Are you safe?!"