|
Before the Mayor is gone Dana asks. "May we cast spells during the ceremonial battle?"
Dana takes off her heavy armor and shield and you can now see her corpulant body and you surely have rarely seen anybody so weak and undextrous before!
She casts bless on the team to prepare them. )
"I hope we are guided by the spirits to make these Wayang proud that we participated. My Chaldira help you to succeed!"
She then uses her own spell like ability to shrink to Halfling size.
"Oh yes, of course you can cast spells. Well - fireballs and the like would probably be bad. We don't want you to kill anyone!" Harjandi answers as the mayor rushes off to fulfil his duties.
|
|
Dana sees that Vlazis cast bless and thinks about other spells she could cast.
She tries to recall a spell that grants her strength.
She casts Bulls Strength on herself.
d% Result
1–10 The amnesiac is unable to cast spells this round.
11–35 The amnesiac can’t remember the new spell (but can still cast spells this round).
36–95 The amnesiac remembers and can cast the new spell.
96+ The amnesiac can choose to treat this result as 36–95. Alternatively, once per day, she can instead temporarily recall any spell from the psychic spell list that’s 1 level higher than the spell she’s attempting to remember. When she does, her caster level counts as the minimum caster level required to cast the higherlevel spell, and she forgets the spell after it’s cast.
She looks at the team.
"Does anybody else want to become stronger?"
|
|
The Foreigner listens to the wayang brief the rules of engagement. Hmmm...
"We must lose, but make it look good, right?" he asks, recalling the earlier explanations of the ritual combat.
"Thank you, Dana Katsu." He nods his appreciation for her blessing, swapping his adamantine greatsword for one made of wood.
He gives the mock weapon a few sweeping practice swings, familiarizing himself with the blade's light weight and balance, a dramatic embodiment of the brash tengu warrior-priest, Nobali Hohachi.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Casting heightened awareness and mage armor from wands;
|
"Hrm, so no explosions either..." Dale comments on the 'don't kill anyone' theme of the battle. He looks around at the others in the group and takes a deep swallow, realizing that only two of them have talents for physical combat, and he wasn't really one of them.
"Well, let me see what sort of tricks Whaoxi has up his sleeve shall we!" He rummages through his personal extracts for something useful. He quickly starts drinking, using a mouth wash, and drinking even more personal extracts.
Once Whaoxi has properly enhanced himself, he floats over to the weapon rack and takes up a dagger, a greatsword, and a heavy crossbow with blunt bolts. "Wow, aren't these interesting weapons!"
|
Hayden looks at Dana taking off her armor. "Are you sure you want to do that?"
He looks back and forth between the Foreigner and Dale. He finally sees the Foreigner's brash movements and decides that he's more likely find himself in the thick of things. He closes his eyes and opens himself as a conduit to Sarenrae.
Suddenly, the Foreigner feels an odd confidence come over him. Like he couldn't die. Hayden turns to him. "It may be a mock combat, but you are graced with the Dawnflower's blessing. You cannot not die as long as I am here."
Your preparations complete, you leave whatever gear you decide not to use with a smiling wayang guard in the preparation room and open the large doors; you step out onto the arena floor. As you do so, each of you receives a momentary flash of insight - for a second you become the hero represented by your mask and ribbons, and see through their eyes a scene from long ago...
Several thousand wayangs sit in the arena stands, many of them solemnly waving black pennants. A number of low walls and raised platforms are scattered across the dusty arena floor. The air is charged with an electric undercurrent of excitement.
From his position in the centre of the stands, overlooking the floor, Mayor Farzhan speaks. His magically amplified voice carrying clearly to you and all of the spectators:
"My fellow citizens! It is the spring equinox, and Abbinthurtaa is upon us! The heroes of ancient Minata return, and as tradition demands of us, the spirits of our ancestors will now do battle with them! The ritual begins!"
Facing you across the arena floor are four wayangs. Each wears coloured ribbons, but they have no masks. They wear studded leather armour, but appear unarmed.
Combat round 1
Foreigner
Team blue
Tenibri
Dana
Dale
Team red
Hayden
Vlazis
The bold may act
Active conditions: Bless
|
|
A mystic vision possesses The Foreigner. For flash in time, the man is Nobali Hohachi, facing a wayang captain across the battlefield. Never one to shy from a fight, Nobali raises a nine-ring broadsword and rushes headlong to meet him...
The Foreigner realizes he will increase his affinity with Nobali Hohachi's heroic spirit if he charges an enemy in this battle.
Behind his wayang mask, black as a starless midnight, the Foreigner clenches his jaws in frustration, unable to reach these enemies were he to charge now.
The Foreigner adjusts the grip on his wooden greatsword and strides forward, ready to attack if one his foes gets within his reach.
The Foreigner takes up position behind one of the barricades.
Two of the wayangs come forwards...
... the one in the light blue ribbons ducks behind a barricade, whilst his partner sprints forwards and leaps gracefully up onto one of the platforms.
Combat round 1
Foreigner
Team blue
Tenibri
Dana
Dale
Team red
Hayden
Vlazis
The bold may act!
Active conditions: Bless
Tenibri conjures a grease slick...
The wayang atop the wooden platform loses his footing and lands prone in the grease!
Dana begins a psychic spell of her own.
Dale levitates up to the top of one of the stone pillars and admires the view.
The crowd 'ooh' and 'aaah' at your stratagems. There is a smattering of applause as the grease spell causes one of the wayang warriors to slip over.
The second pair of foes advance, one of them going underneath a wooden platform.
Combat round 1 / 2
Foreigner
Team blue
Tenibri
Dana
Dale
Team red
Hayden
Vlazis
The bold may act!
Active conditions: Bless
Vlazis pronounces a divine boon. And then...
'Thunk' goes an arrow loosed by Sir Hayden, bruising the ribs of the Team Red vanguard.
The bowshot is followed up by a wild charge from the Foreigner, invoking the Tien thunder god. A crushing blow from the whirling wooden greatsword almost knocks the wind from the wayang gladiator - but not quite.
Coated in grease. the gladiator atop the platform simply rolls off.
He lands on his feet, and ducks into the cover of a barricade.
Meanwhile his associate heads straight for the Foreigner and attempts to prevent further use of the massive sword by taking hold of the bigger man in an armlock.
...but the wayang fails in his ploy.
Combat round 2
Foreigner
Team blue
Tenibri
Dana
Dale
Team red (light -31nl)
Hayden
Vlazis
The bold may act!
Active conditions: Bless
|
|
Dale takes a stride off of the top of the platform, yet he doesn't fall, simply floating in air. He shoulders his new giant crossbow/cannon and sets his sights on the Blue Wayang.
"Let me introduce you to my little friend!" He cackles and touches off the trigger, his shoulder slamming back from the recoil. He then slowly lands on the ground and grins. "Push them back men, we can do it!"
|
|
Tenibri makes his way to the nearest pillar, slipping around the far side. The mask was... compelling him to take risks he normally wouldn't, but he resists... for now.
He instead murmers soft words of magic and points, flicking out a pinch of multicolored powder that becomes a psychedelic spray of color launching out at the closest foe.
Tenibri evokes a cone of bewildering colour. The crowd 'oohs' and 'aahs'.
The wayang in the dark blue ribbons is left reeling!
Dale shoots his heavy crossbow, the bolt hitting the same unfortunate wayang and bruising him.
Dana completes her enlarge spell and positions herself to help her team take advantage against the stunned gladiator.
The two red-ribboned wayangs flank the Foreigner and attack with their bare hands.
The injured wayang takes a measure of vengeance for the powerful sword blow that he received.
Combat round 2 / 3
Foreigner (-9hp)
Team blue (dark blue blinded 1 and stunned 2, 2nl)
Tenibri
Dana
Dale
Team red (light 31nl)
Hayden
Vlazis
The bold may act!
Active conditions: Bless
|
|
"This guy's using lethal force," the Foreigner rasps when he's slashed bloody by the wayang's sword. "The rules of engagement seem to restrict only us!"
The Foreigner raises his arms to the crowd and looks at the wayangs officiating the ritual match, seeking some acknowledgement of the this unsportsmanlike breach of the ritual's sacred etiquette.
Vlazis commands...
...but the wayang gladiator does not budge. "You should not have come, outlander!" the wayang replies.
Giant Sir Hayden draws his wooden scimitar and whacks one of the enemies with it.
Combat round 3
Foreigner (-4hp)
Team blue (dark blue blinded 1 and stunned 2, 2nl)
Tenibri
Dana
Dale
Team red (light 31nl; dark 6nl)
Hayden (-5hp)
Vlazis
Active conditions: Bless
The Foreigner is up!
The Foreigner raises his arms to the crowd and looks at the wayangs officiating the ritual match, seeking some acknowledgement of the this unsportsmanlike breach of the ritual's sacred etiquette.
The Foreigner looks up at the Mayor's booth. The Mayor looks at Harjandi and the other dignitaries who accompany him. They shrug and shake their heads.
The wild-haired warrior lands another powerful blow with his wooden blade.
Having failed once to restrict the Foreigner's sword arm, the wayang in the light blue ribbons chooses a different target.
He makes for Tenibri's position, but miscalculates giant Sir Hayden's reach and exposes himself to attack.
He grabs for Tenibri, but can't get a good grip. The gladiator hisses a single word at Tenibri in their own language:
Combat round 3
Foreigner (-4hp)
Team blue (dark blue stunned, 2nl)
Tenibri
Dana
Dale
Team red (light 31nl; dark 28nl)
Hayden (-5hp)
Vlazis
Active conditions: Bless
The bold may act!
|
|
Dale drops his crossbow where he stands, then hurries over to join the battle vs team red, drawing out his own very large sword, at bit clumsily. He raises his voice so the crowd can hear him
The masked kitsune gives the dark red Wayang a juke with the wooden blade... but alas it is just a clever FEINT! "You WOULD think I'd take out your legs..."
|
|
Feeling the compulsion of his mask's master, Tenibri dashes away from the wayang, but not before dipping very close and underneath the arms that failed to pin him just moments before. Stepping just outside of those arms' reach, Tenibri attempts to open a portal to some other space.
Sir Hayden clouts the gladiator in light blue ribbons as he goes past.
Dale makes a surprising swordsman and fakes out one of the gladiators. Dana moves up to protect him.
Tenibri voices a protest and tries to go by his harasser -
- his opponent merely sneers and aims a kick, but the sharp blow is defeated by Tenibri's mage armour.
Combat round 3
Foreigner (-4hp)
Team blue (dark blue stunned, 2nl; light blue 12nl)
Tenibri
Dana
Dale; feint vs dark red
Team red (light 31nl; dark 28nl)
Hayden (-5hp)
Vlazis
Active conditions: Bless
Summons incoming!
A whirling spinning tornado of air whips out of the portal, immediately buffeting the wayang threatening Tenibri.