The Ruby Phoenix Tournament
As your team and other contestants arrive, townsfolk shower you all with cherry blossoms and hand out ceramic cups filled with warm, pungent liquor. The crowd forms a reception that leads to the center of town, where a crowded noodle house, Yon Loi’s, serves as the hub of all activity in New Harbor. The noodle house is a large, open-air structure centered around a courtyard filled with long, shaded tables for commoners. Smaller round tables fill a roofed balcony surrounding the courtyard, from which wealthier patrons and the tournament elite may look over the establishment. The kitchen sits on the ground floor, behind a short partition.
The townsfolk help in seating and serving the newly arriving contestants. Each receives a complimentary bowl of salty noodle soup containing fish and vegetables; beyond this first bowl, each additional serving costs 5 sp.
What would you like to do?
Takeshi walked solemnly through the town, gravely accepting the drink with a slight bow. He sipped it a little to be polite, conscious that now was not the time to get drunk. The sun reflected dully off the silver full plate armor covering nearly every inch of his body. His golden eyes flicked left and right, trying to take in everything around him as he resisted the urge to rest his hands on any of the four kukri attached by diagonal belts to his chest.
As he approached the noodle house, he immediately began to question his decisions thus far. Should he really have worn his armor to this? Would it not give their competition too much insight? Should he have dressed in more traditional clothing and tried to pass as a local? The mere thought made red flash behind his eyes as he gritted his teeth. He took a few deep breaths through his nose. No, his armor would do. Besides, if he were being honest, he felt naked without its comforting weight.
His eyes flicked over the other people already seated before silently contacting Say'ri and Guilliam. I think this is the part where we're supposed to chit-chat and make friends. His tone was flat, conveying exactly how much he wasn't looking forward to that idea. I'll...see what I can overhear. It was a flimsy excuse, and he was pretty sure they knew that. Before he went to pick up his complimentary food, he made sure to catch Aayalla's eye and flash her a quick, apologetic smile. It was a bit unfortunately that he hadn't managed to bond psychically to her as he did the others. A small part of his upbringing chided him, saying that he should have spoken audibly for her benefit (But what about Say'ri's benefit?). But the thought made him recoil with some unnamed feeling. He hoped that after their time traveling together that she understood. Plus he was reasonably sure Say'ri ended up filling her in on most things anyway.
Takeshi got his bowl and sat down as close to the center of people as he could. Next to what looked like an oni-spawn and behind the nekojin. He picked up his chopsticks, ready to eat. And then realized such would be impossible with his helmet still on. He grimaced before finally relenting and pulling his helmet off, revealing his short, jet-black hair, clean shaven face, and tan skin. He then began to slowly and carefully eat his soup, focusing on listening to the chatter going on about him and trying to figure out who among them they'd be competing against.
Aayalla is pleased at the sight of the noodle house.
Oh a meal would be nice.
She is even more delighted at the number of people inside. She sits and orders along with her companions.
"I'm excited for what tomorrow brings. I'm going to mingle see what I can figure out. I have an extra fifty platinum as well, thought I would see about our odds and place a bet. You guys play nice."
With that she excuses herself from the table. She scans the room She takes notice as a number of eyes shoot her way. She smiles playfully but with a bit of seduction. She makes a few gestures and speaks a few arcane words as music feels the room. A moment after her body begins to move. Soon she commands the room. Her Dance
Not one of her best performances but still quite good. She uses it to get close and whisper in the ears of those in attendance. She flirts and sets up communication for after. Once done she continues to mingle about the room trying to find out who they may face tomorrow and if one wanted to make a wager where would that be done.
+ = 34
It was a good thing the Professor was in the driver's seat today. If Égaré had been out, he would have been eating the noodle house out of business with his horrible appetite. Instead, the Avistan man sat at the table next to Say'ri, eating with conservative bites and pouring over the registration and papers for their team. It was his habit before agreeing to a fight to strenuously examine all contracts and agreements to make sure they were not being taken advantage of.
Finally, he was satisfied and slipped everything back into his briefcase before turning his attentions back to the noodle house at large. He was not a particularly powerfully built man and in comparison to many others in this establishment, he looked positively reedy but there was a way he looked at the other contestants that was not to be ignored by the wise or wary. The unimposing man was sizing them all up with a practiced eye.
Quite the crowd, he thought to Say'ri.
Aw, come on guv, you oughta pick a fight wiv one of 'em. Bust up them pretty knuckles o' yours fer once, Égaré cut in. If they did not know better, it would have been as though there was another person on their shared channel as opposed to the Professor and Égaré's... unique arrangement.
The beast was restrained inside of Guill for the moment, but his psyche stretched the bounds of its cage from time to time, pacing like a captive tiger. If Guilliam did get into a fight, it would be quite difficult to hold back Égaré from taking over once their shared blood was up.
Takeshi averts his eyes for Aayalla; just watching her made him uncomfortable. Or, more accurately, watching other people watch her made him uncomfortable. How could anybody actually want to draw attention to themselves like that? But then, how is that actually any different from fighting in a gladiatorial ring? It was a question he had asked himself many times before and still had yet to come up with a satisfactory answer beyond the fact that it was.
Shaking his head, he returned to the task of noisily slurping noodles from bowl. As much as he hated to admit it, the soup was oddly comforting in its familiarity.
As his eyes flick around, he reaches out once again to Say'ri and Guilliam. Did you notice the triplets in the back corner by the goblins? I'm betting they're a team. Who do you think is their fourth?
Aayalla Rand can't find anyone who seems to know who they are facing as she is asking around the room. Many men try to grab at you to sit them on their laps as you flirt around, some of them drunk. From what it looks like, nearly every person in here looks as if they could be contestant.
One individual did catch your attention though, a figure wearing a full hooded cloak is standing over the balcony watching everyone. You also see what could only be a Paladin walking from table to table, talking to the contestants. You also see a monk going from table to table arm wrestling people and laughing a lot.
With a sudden bang and a whoosh of flames appear in the corner where the Goblins are. People scurry to their feet and the flames are quickly put out. A goblin in question is now being escorted out of the building. Everyone is silent for a moment, but after the goblin is out they all resume enjoying the evening.
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Indeed. She responds to the Professor, relieved that he was currently in control. While she can handle Egare the more, violent, side inevitably leaves her nursing a headache. Those triplets though... I don't know. Do they actually need a fourth?"
Seeing no-one of significant threat Say'ri cant help but be interested in the paladin. Despite their being the antithesis of everything she is, Say'ri can't help but enjoy the opportunity to talk with men and women so confident in their faith.
Can someone introduce me? She asks, gesturing towards the paladin.
This
This
Takeshi nods to Say'ri. He clears his throat to get the persons' attention, waiting for them to finish whatever line of conversation they were in the middle of. "Excuse me. My name is Takeshi Yoshida, and this is my teammate Say'ri Al Bashere. We, like many, are here for the Ruby Phoenix Tournament. Say'ri wished to speak with you, but due to her communication methods, wished for an introduction first, so as not to startle you." He speaks in evenly measured, carefully pronounced sentences in Taldane/Common.
This is bonded mind
This is internal thoughts
The flirting is what it is and she trades the brushes and grabs for information more often than not, it seems this time there is little to be gained. She does take note of the paladin and offers a smile when their gaze meets. She shows her symbol of the dawnflower and offers a bow. She will soon approach the monk.
"You sir seem to be having a grand time. You like testing your strength I see. I'm sure your here to compete. Me too. I don't think we will go far but was hoping to make some money though. If a girl wanted to make some wagers do you know where she would do such a thing?"
Takeshi approaches and asks the Paladin a question. He responds "Hello. Oh she needs introductions? Sure." He asks for you to lead the way.
The monk responds to Aayalla, "Yeah would you like to test your skill?" He takes up a fighting stance. "Oh wagers huh? I don't know, I don't really travel with money so not really my thing. You sure you don't want to wrestle?"
Monk (yellow)
Paladin (orange)
"Are you kidding?" She reaches out and touches his chest.
"You are so strong, I would have no chance and well maybe we can wrestle another time. I do have a match tomorrow." She smiles and bounds away heading back to meet up with her group.
"I was not able to find out anything. Oh hey there Mr. Holy man. You wouldn't know where a girl could maybe place a wager on her team now would you?" She ask expecting to get some lecture on gambling being wrong or something.
Aayalla can hear another woman's voice speak up after you start to trot away and the sound of a bench being pushed back. ”Yeah, I’ll take you up on that offer.” She says as she approaches the male monk.
When Aayalla sits down, the man responds. ”I am so sorry ma’am I do not practice gambling. There is no official gambling for this tournament and though it isn’t against the rules, it is looked down upon by the tournament officials and can cause conflicts and has even disqualified contestants in the past.”
He returns his gaze to Takeshi and now Say’ri. ”I believe you wished to speak with me? Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Marthysan the Righteous, current champion of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.” You see a half-elf man wearing the symbol of Iomedae.
"ooh, current champion." She blushes. "I'm impressed. Thank you for at least giving me a strait answer. Can't blame a girl for trying to make some extra coin. So are you entering again this go around?"
She pushes out the bench inviting him to sit.
"Our friend takes time to form his thoughts, I'm sure he will be with you shortly. Have a seat. Have a drink with us."
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Hello Marthysan. Say'ri speaks politely into his head. It is a pleasure to meet you. Would you be willing to tell us about the tournament you won? I've never been this far east before and it's all a little strange."
She sits with an innocent smile and waits for the paladin to respond, hoping that he won't take the telepathy badly.
”I am so sorry ma’am I do not practice gambling. There is no official gambling for this tournament and though it isn’t against the rules, it is looked down upon by the tournament officials and can cause conflicts and has even disqualified contestants in the past.”
Hmm, that makes sense. I suppose one of the last things they want is for people to have financial incentive to throw their matches. Takeshi directs his thoughts to to Say'ri and Guilliam, completely missing Aayalla's next comment. What do you think the people who got disqualified did? It couldn't have been for throwing a match unless the tournament structure isn't a pure competition ladder. If it were, there would be no point disqualifying them as they would have already eliminated themselves.
When Marthysan introduces himself, Takeshi glances between the man and Say'ri, attempting to time his next words to not take place while Say'ri was "talking" with him. It was, admittedly, one of the difficulties with telepathy. It was also an excellent excuse to stay silent; one that he had used on more than one occasion. "Will the rest of your team be joining you here, Sir Marthysan?" He keeps his tone politely neutral as he once again points his thoughts to his two bonded companions. 'Marthysan the Righteous'? Do you think he gave himself that name? Should we give ourselves names like that? In contrast to his spoken tone, his mental tone is light and playful.
Marthysan responds in spoken word, ”Why hello there. I can’t say this is the first time I’ve had a conversation with someone using telepathy, I assume?” He smiles. ”The Ruby Phoenix Tournament celebrated its 30th decennial games in 7201 ic (4701 ar), marking 300 years of the tradition. To honor the occasion, instead of the traditional 64 entrants, an extra round of competition was added, bringing the total number of competing teams to a record 128.”
Glancing over at Takenshi, ”I did not have a team. I am not from around here either. I am originally from Lastwell in Avistan”
He smiles, "I'm not sure what you mean by that. In the last Ruby Phoenix Tournament, a sorceress from Lingshen was disqualified just prior to the final round for cheating. She swore vengeance upon me. While some believe she may strike soon, the event happened a decade ago, and I am sure she has forgotten about the perceived slight or moved on."
Takeshi the Extremely Serious you mean? Say'ri replies, winking at her companion as she looks to the paladin. I like Say'ri the Witty though.
Takeshi hides his smile behind taking a sip from his cup of water. Are you kidding me? 'Takeshi the Extremely Serious' has far too many syllables in it. Do you want my tongue to fall off? 'Takeshi the Talkative' has nice alliteration as well as verbal irony. In a similar vein, you could be Say'ri the Scintillating. We would then have Aayalla the Alluring and Guilliam the... He frowns slightly, attempting to come up with a suitable 'g' word. Genteel? Or would you prefer de Creth the Dapper? Or would that require a 'c' word?
He smiles, "I'm not sure what you mean by that. In the last Ruby Phoenix Tournament, a sorceress from Lingshen was disqualified just prior to the final round for cheating. She swore vengeance upon me. While some believe she may strike soon, the event happened a decade ago, and I am sure she has forgotten about the perceived slight or moved on."
Takeshi is just about to inquire as to how Marthysan managed to win without a team when the man continues talking. Hmmm, sounds like this sorceress was also on her own. Otherwise I would imagine they would have disqualified her as well as her team for cheating. "Was this tournament one for individuals rather than teams then? And how did this Lingshen try to cheat?" And more importantly, if she was the cheater, why would she swear vengeance upon you? It was possible Lingshen was simply one of those entitled fools who believed the world should also rule in their favor. Or it was possible there was more to this story. More that hopefully would not affect them, but if the sorceress' memory was long, they might become collateral damage in her pursuit of revenge (and possibly her desire to claim what she believed she was owed).
"This tournament can have up to 4 team members. Some are confident in their own abilities to enter alone or in pairs. The sorceress was Wu Dizhen, who was caught callously and repeatedly cheating and had to be ejected from the contest. Among the most egregious of her crimes were employing her identical twin, Wu Jufeng, as a body double. This allowed her to leave the island for healing and aid, using Wu Jufeng as outside aid during contests, and not sparing foes who forfeited bouts. Wu Dizhen’s crimes were discovered only moments prior to her entry into the final round of the contest, and her disqualification resulted in the automatic victory for me."
Cleaver girl. Aayalla smiles.
"Still you must be quite the warrior to make it to the finals on your own. Or you know how to sway the crowd. Either way will you be defending your title this go about?"
"I will not be. Previous winners are not allowed to enter again, to prevent to much power."
"So if you can't enter, you could make a bet and bet on me. I mean us, but an upstanding guy like you wouldn't know anything about that." She smiles.
"So what did you choose when you won? Can I see it?"
"I would like to see you guys win. I have heard of you from your qualifiers match. I selected the Chronicle of the Righteous and donated it to an Iomedae church in my home region."
"Charity is a virtue sir knight, one of many I'm sure you posses. I often prefer sin myself, but don't worry I'm not evil." She smiles.
Takeshi hides his smile behind taking a sip from his cup of water. Are you kidding me? 'Takeshi the Extremely Serious' has far too many syllables in it. Do you want my tongue to fall off? 'Takeshi the Talkative' has nice alliteration as well as verbal irony. In a similar vein, you could be Say'ri the Scintillating. We would then have Aayalla the Alluring and Guilliam the... He frowns slightly, attempting to come up with a suitable 'g' word. Genteel? Or would you prefer de Creth the Dapper? Or would that require a 'c' word?
I think I'd only need a stage name if I were to step onto the battlefield. Guilliam said from his bowl of noodles and paperwork. So don't tax yourself on my account.
That's right! I'm the one who needs a name to strike terror into the hearts of men and women! Égaré proverbially roared with relish. I've got a brand to work on after all.
"This tournament can have up to 4 team members. Some are confident in their own abilities to enter alone or in pairs."
Well that seems pointless. Why enter in less than a team of 4 if you don't have to? It doesn't really matter how skilled you are; adding more people will increase your chances of success. Unless, I suppose, you can't find trustworthy or competent teammates. Takeshi couldn't help but wonder if this Wu Dizhen could have spared herself from being disqualified and done just as well if she had simply entered the contest with a team. That could have at least covered the healing and aid during fights. Though he supposed if she was relying on the aid being a surprise that it would have been slightly less useful.
"I would like to see you guys win. I have heard of you from your qualifiers match. I selected the Chronicle of the Righteous and donated it to an Iomedae church in my home region."
Well, I guess that explains where he got 'the Righteous' from. Though I have to wonder if that actually helps the church or just makes it a target for others who'd want that artifact. Or maybe it's not the sort of item others would really want?
"What is this 'Chronicle of the Righteous'? Does it hold significance to your god?"
After asking, he directs his thoughts once more to his companions. Do you think he tells all the teams he wishes to see them win? Or just the ones with the pretty girls?
She says that sin is more fun... Say'ri comments drily. It certainly gives me a bigger headache!
I find myself wondering why one would subscribe to a system of beliefs when the things you enjoy wind up being 'sins'. Or perhaps is it more the label than the activity that is desirous?
That's right! I'm the one who needs a name to strike terror into the hearts of men and women! Égaré proverbially roared with relish. I've got a brand to work on after all.
Takeshi winces as Egare yells inside his head. How many times do I need to ask you not to shout? It's not like this is a crowded channel of communication. He ignores the implied request to come up with another alliteration; Egare seemed serious enough about it that the only fun response would be a tongue-in-cheek one, but he suspected that would only earn him more painful yelling in his head. Best to let Guilliam deal with it. He was pretty sure advertisement was part of his job. Maybe.
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Sinning is very much in the eye of the beholder. Say'ri replies, keeping Marthysan in the conversation. To some, speaking into another person's mind is distasteful - bordering on sinful. Others consider sex outside of a formalised union a sin. Even more consider only sleeping with one person a sin, formalised arrangement or not!
At Takeshi's statement Say'ri bats her eyes and pretends to fan herself. You think I'm pretty? Thank you oh handsome man of muscle! She fake swoons...
Aayalla smiles at her group as they talk among themselves. She takes another drink of whine and sits back.
"I guess we are pretty cute Say'ri. I think I'm going to turn in for the evening. I couldn't really find anything out from the crowd. A girl also needs her beauty rest for tomorrow we put on a show." She stands.
"Good night to you Sir Knight. I hope we see one another again. Perhaps you can save me from myself." She giggles as she excuses herself.
At Takeshi's statement Say'ri bats her eyes and pretends to fan herself. You think I'm pretty? Thank you oh handsome man of muscle! She fake swoons...
Takeshi blinks in surprise, a slight deer-in-headlights look in his face. He blinks a few more times before responding. Errr...what? I mean, maybe? Why are you-we talking- How is that even-? Scowling slightly, he quickly turns to his soup, lifting the bowl up to drink the last of his broth.
As Aayalla heads off to bed, Takeshi waves his goodnight, keeping one eye on the various drunkards lest any of them get untoward ideas. Really more for their benefit than hers. He still wasn't really sure what had happened to the last guy who had tried to push his luck too far.
Marthysan answers your questions, "The Chronicle of the Righteous is the collected records of the good Outer Planes. The pages pertaining to the good Outer Planes lie within covers of beaten precious metals, bedecked with jewels of every color and inscribed with celestial iconography. This was not associated to my diety but when you're in there selecting a treasure, it is all very overwhelming."
He watches Aayalla leave then continues, "To be honest, my win was a rather sad win. More than 30 of the 128 entrants in the thirtieth tournament perished in unrelated accidents, or exhibition combats not covered by the tournament’s strictures on ethics, honor, and safety. More than half of these deaths were attributed to the dragon Huyanwo, whose defeat has long been the ambition of Ruby Phoenix contestants hoping to make a name for themselves outside the arena. I can't say the last tournament went well."
Takeshi nods in understanding at Marthysan's words. He must have been overwhelmed indeed if he picked such a...lackluster prize. When the paladin goes on to describe his victory in further detail, he frowns. What kind of fools would go fight a dragon during the competition? That just seemed beyond foolish. Unable to resist, he asks, "Is that...normal behavior of contestants? Surely they must know better."
He then directs his thoughts once more to his companions. You don't suppose the last tournament involved mind-altering magic, do you? Are people really impatient enough that they can't wait until they're done with the competition to take part of such...frivolities?
"Yes it is a tradition. It is not forced, but of course the offer will probably be presented to you if you do well in the tournament."
Come now, Take-boy, nothing ventured, nothing gained. You only die once and what better way to go than taking down a dragon? There was an odd edge to Égaré's thoughts, a predatory glee the could only come from taking on something far bigger than he.
You're awfully cavalier about risking both our lives, Égaré. I, for one, entirely intend to retire one day once I've figured out how to split us properly. Very hard to do that when I'm dead. Guill cut in a second later, reining in his other half with expert care.
Takeshi seems to relax when it seems like it's mundane stupidty driving people to their death. He then rolls his eyes at Egare's words. Don't call me that; with your accent it sounds like 'Tacky-boy' Besides, only an idiot would lose focus in the middle of a competition just to go fight a dragon. Takeshi then bows slightly to Marthysan in thanks before following the good example of his companions and heading off to bed.
It seems as if all of New Harbor wakes before dawn. Even as the dull orange sun creeps slowly over the eastern horizon, the fishermen have already crowded into their boats. They move swiftly, like blackened silhouettes dancing against dawn’s watercolor pallet, eerily silent except for the shuffling of ropes and oars, and the caws of their trained cormorants.
Finding your way to the Grand Pavilion should pose no challenge to you, who find a steady stream of boats carrying contestants and observers who can afford passage across the bay to the seaside arena, while droves of locals follow the coastal path to the pavilion. The Grand Pavilion and surrounding fairgrounds lie deep within the cove, and feature a massive and elaborate combat arena specifically constructed for the tournament. Scores of colorful tents cram the grounds spreading from the wood almost to the water. A line of spectators stretches from the Grand Pavilion, waiting to enter the arena. Contestants are given priority, and red- and orange-clad monks usher the eclectic collection of warriors and battlemages into the arena to stand before the Emissary.
Before you are allowed to enter the Grand Pavilion, you must sign an entrance contract before an Abadaran cleric. On the contract, you must write their team name, and the name of each member of the team. They must also each sign their names to the contests’ five simple rules, which are:
- The commands of the Emissary and his agents are to be obeyed at all times, and the Emissary's word is final. None shall take violent action against the Emissary or his agents.
- No contestant may leave Xielan Island until the conclusion of the tournament for any reason.
- Once a round has begun, no contestant may receive any aid, be it magical or mundane, from anyone not participating in the round as a contestant.
- Should any contestant yield to a foe and forfeit the battle, failure of other contestants to honor that forfeit will result in immediate disqualification.
- No contestant shall loot the body of a fallen foe.
- All contestants agree that there shall be no ties; only one team may be named the champions.
Map: The Grand Pavilion