Yog'Moi infuses a low-alcoholic drink with healing power and sprays it in Esh's general direction. Hei Feng's magic rarely is a precise affair. He then strikes at Tino, but the hobgoblin's skill with the blade won't win him the tournament.
Esh and Xin’s cross-slash attack takes out Ji-yook! As the kitsune falls, Hotcha turns her focus to Tino, kicking him around while invisible. Esh delivers a final strike, and Tino falls.
”Three Men and a Fairy win!” Tagada Emmi declares. The audience applauds your victory, and once the healers get Tino’s team back on their feet, they offer heartfelt congratulations and handshakes. ”Well fought, friends,” Tino says with a smile.
I groaned in appreciation at Yog's healing. I sorely needed it. The job of meatshield is not an easy one. I shook hands and exchanged pleasantries with the members of Tino's Toughest. They provided a good fight, I feel that with just a little preparation they could surpass the Lightkeepers in prowess.
I was also proud of ourselves. We had been good before this tournament, but the pressures that this had subjected us to had certainly fueled our growth as both a team and individual warriors. I'm starting to get old even by elven standards, and while I don't think I'm quite as strong as I was in my prime (I grimace slightly as images of dragons and fire and fields of dead bodies distract me), I'm certainly stronger than I have been in several decades at least. It felt good to fight like this again, with the comfort of knowing that no one would really get hurt. And while I had come here with no particular hopes of victory, just the self-appointed goal of fostering a good showing for Hao-Jin, I cannot say that our domination thus far was an unwelcome feeling.
I look up to see if Hao-Jin is watching, hoping that she might be pleased.
Yog'Moi rubs his skull in a vain effort to make the dull ache disappear. No, only alcohol could do that, but it wouldn't be proper to pop open up a cask here.
He watches Esh thank Tino and his company and squints as a realization hits him. If they could beat Tino and his group like this twice, is Tino good enough to be here? Or, perhaps even worse, are they holding back on purpose? Whatever, you're just being negative 'cause you're aching for a drink. His inner voice is correct.
"Ha! You better not let the third time be the charm, hey!", he barks at Tino. "And whatever you do, don't lose to the Lightbringers if and when you face them. That would make me very cross."
While her wings last, Hotcha flies toward Yan Fei (though not too close, in case one who can detect her invisible approach becomes nervous).
Unscathed, thanks to her Ki power to heal herself, the fairy appears a respectful distance from the border between performer and audience. Hotcha bows to Yan Fei as a warrior bows to a warrior of higher station, for she is both warrior and empress. What else she is in Hotcha’s eyes is not for the public eye.
Unless Yan Fei wants her to stay, Hotcha excuses herself to congratulate Tino and his crew for putting up a great fight.
Hao Jin is watching from above. She meets Esh’s gaze, but her expression remains inscrutable.
Yan Fei inclines her head to Hotcha, but the sprite sees a gleam in the empress’s eyes that match the spark in her own. ”Well fought, Lady Fairy,” she says.
***
Once all the teams have competed in their exhibition matches, the time has finally arrived for the competitors to sign a contract stating they will adhere to the rules of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament. The contract also serves as a waiver; the undersigned agree that permanent injury or death are a very real possibility in the tournament, and the tournament staff can’t be held liable if such a tragedy occurs.
The sparsely attended occasion is nonetheless marked with a bit of fanfare. Lanterns line the plaza as the teams approach a stone podium in a meticulously maintained garden space, and Aldunar Unmar hands out firecrackers that explode with colorful smoke. Lady Qiu May Shai congratulates the teams on making it this far and thanks them for the splendid show today. She explains what they are about to sign, and reads aloud all the rules for fighting in the Ruby Phoenix Tournament.
• Contestants shall not leave the boundaries of Goka until the end of the tournament.
• Once a round begins, contestants shall not accept aid from anyone who is not participating as a contestant in that round.
• A contestant who yields or fails to act for a count of three (3 rounds) shall be removed from the field of battle as quickly as possible and is no longer a contestant in that match.
• Contestants shall not loot fallen opponents.
• There are no ties. Hao Jin shall rule in cases when the winner is not obvious.
As each team approaches the podium to sign the contract, they are each given one final opportunity to impress the assembled patrons. As Archbanker Malii hands the contenders a quill, Lady Qiu May Shai, speaking for all the patrons, asks each team a single question, “What will you do if you win the Ruby Phoenix Tournament?”
You are neither the first nor the last team to sign the tournament contracts, so you can listen to a few other teams’ answers before being asked to provide your own.
Syu Tak-nwa speaks cryptically for the Lightkeepers in a grave voice: “After we complete our mission, our names will be spoken of in legends for centuries to come, and we will take our own piece of history as our prize.” Most of the patrons look at each other quizzically, some of them shuffling their feet uneasily, but Lord Buken Tegora smirks and says to Tak-nwa, “From your reputation, I think you will.”
Going down the line, Tino speaks next for his team, “If we win the tournament, my friends and I will have the glory of a once-in-a-decade victory—and that’s good enough for us!” This elicits slight smiles from nearly all of the patrons.
Now it is your turn to speak...
Yog'Moi knows he can't speak for the others but his heart yearns to sail the many oceans and seas of the world, and sample every drink and food there is. The friends he'd make along the way and the stories they'd write, it would be a tournament-winner-worthy tale. Unintentionally and unknown to him, he has been rubbing his belly all along.
And who knows, perhaps he'd finally get Hei Feng to be so jealous of his escapades that the feathered bastard himself would come down to fight it out with Yog'Moi before comradery in food, drinks, and cards.
Quietly the hobgoblin stands next to the others, staring at some indeterminable point ahead as he ponders the future. "You better speak well," is all he has to say to whoever will step forward and speak for the team.
Wu Xin is thoughtful for a time.
"I do not know. We have spent a decade honing our skills for this moment. Though we have done some good along the way, I think we could do more before we retire. Each of us has their own goals and desires and need to work out whether we'll pursue those together or separately."
"I would like to claim the planar ship we saw and sail the oceans of many worlds. But we will have to talk about it after we win."
"One thing I'm certain of is that we won't part ways until each of us has helped the others achieve their dreams."
The patrons nod and smile at Xin’s words. You sign the contract, and the remaining teams do so as well.
All the fighting teams are then sent to dinner at a nearby high-class restaurant, where they can mingle while the patrons negotiate among themselves and coordinate their bids so that no one is left without a patron. Each fighting team is called upon one by one, and all the patrons interested in bidding on that team present their offers in quick succession. The team can then choose whichever patron whose offer the team finds most appealing.
Of course, since you have already made a deal with Lady Qiu May Shai, the bidding process is largely ceremonial for you. Lady Qiu happily agrees to be your patron, offering you quite the bounty of rewards, which you have immediate access to:
Lady Qiu offers to arrange a 1-hour private audience with anyone in Goka for the party, including any of the patrons, any other team, Hao Jin, or even the Empress of Goka.
She also extends another special offer: For the duration of the tournament and up to a month afterward, the player characters can retain the services of one frost drake mercenary per character from the Icefang Aerie for use as mounts. The drakes do not take hostile actions; in combat, the drakes are allied mounts with the minion trait.
Once all the teams have accepted a patron, Hao Jin informs everyone that they have 1 week to prepare for the tournament. In the meantime, the fighters can continue to explore Goka, rest and relax, retrain if necessary, and make use of the payment from their new patron. After a week, each team will report back to the grand pavilion at the Cliffside Court, where the Ruby Phoenix Tournament will commence at noon sharp.
Hotcha caught the look in Yan Fei’s eyes. And she hasn’t really stopped thinking about it.
As soon as she gets the chance, she asks Lady Qiu (after thanking her for the patronage and all that), “When would be the best time to head to the palace?”
She called me Lady Fairy! Hotcha won’t call the Empress ‘Yan Fei’ in public, but she gets a kick out of the invented title. Yan Fei can call me that in front of the whole world if she wants!
"The empress will await your arrival this very evening," Lady Qiu says with a smile. She points to a particular window Hotcha should fly to at the appointed hour.
Hotcha is eager to go. She says to Lady Qiu, “I should bring something! Oh, but it’s hard for me to carry stuff for humans!”
Thinking a bit. “Maybe for security reasons, I should tell you my gift idea. It’s hard to get anything for the woman who has everything, and I gotta keep it on a tight budget because I’ve got a tournament to win.
“But ya think for less than a hundred gold, there’s a potion that Her Majesty can drink to become my size if she wants to, outta curiosity or something. The first nun to spar with me drank one. Oh, but the potion Sister Marionette drank only lasted a few minutes.
“So anyway, I could probably carry one potion by myself.” She flexes her tiny muscle bump. “But since my 9375 comes from you, would you rather just fund me less the amount of one potion? That way I can surprise Her Majesty, but you can see to whatever security measures are taken—that the potion isn’t poisoned or given a false label? Not that I think you think I would, but I’m sure anything the Empress consumes goes through some kinda security process.”
Hotcha smiles rather awkwardly.
Lady Qiu inclines her head. "Of course. I will withhold the necessary funds and acquire the potion, then ensure that it is in the empress's possession by the time you arrive tonight."
“Ohhh… I hope she likes it. It’s a weird gift, haha!” Hotcha reminds herself to work on internalizing her thoughts. “Thank you so much, Lady Qiu.
“I gotta tell the men where I’ll be. Er… not the secret window though.”
Hotcha bows before exiting.
* * *
A high pitched voice from a crowd of legs can be heard, “Hey guys, hey guys, hey guys…” But it’s hard for a fairy to get around without flying. And dangerous—though Hotcha’s tiny body can withdtand quite a few accidental stompings. Her yelling a lot helps prevent that, but still, she needs to part the crowd. “Lemme help you big people clear a way for little me, and have fun doing it!”
You put your right foot in
You put your left foot out
Ma’am, hold that stiletto heel right there
Mister, please air those boots out…
After hokey-pokeying her way to the men, Hotcha says, “Hey guys! Guess what!”
Xin is practicing breathing exercises in the garden. He is seated cross-legged on a wooden bench before a small koi pond, holding a heavy stone ring in each outstretched hand. Without opening his eyes, he asks "What is it, Hotcha?"
The rings do not waver.
Seeing how Xin is away from the public eye, Hotcha thinks she can call Yan Fei by name in front of him.
“I’m gonna see Yan Fei again! At the palace! We talked about it last time, she said come to the palace again when you can, and I thought she meant after the tournament but nnnnope! Lady Qiu said she’s expecting me tonight! I will not disappoint!” In her nervousness, she blurts, “Not on purpose.”
Her luminous skin reddens, illuminating Xin’s rings along with anything else within ten feet of the blushing fairy.
Xin opens his eyes. The rings do not waver.
"I'm happy for you. I hope it will be everything you wish."
Laughing nervously, she says, “I don’t know what it’ll be. The first time was a surprise, and now… oh, never mind that! Hey, listen! You guys should go do guy stuff tonight or something! I don’t wanna come back from the palace and hear it was boring while I was out, okay?”
She thinks a bit, and says, “In fact, I challenge you! See which of us has the wildest, most fun or least awkward evening!”
I wince slightly at Xin's response in the face of Hotcha's enthusiasm. That's going to grate on his spirit, I know.
“I don’t know what it’ll be. The first time was a surprise, and now… oh, never mind that! Hey, listen! You guys should go do guy stuff tonight or something! I don’t wanna come back from the palace and hear it was boring while I was out, okay?”
She thinks a bit, and says, “In fact, I challenge you! See which of us has the wildest, most fun or least awkward evening!”
Well if it's up to Xin or I, she would likely easily win that challenge. Our idea of a fun time is either training or meditating. Hopefully Yog will be able to make up for our shortcomings.
"Simmer down now," I laugh, pretending to shield my eyes from her red glow. I do another wall sprint, salmon leap up the ladder I had set up, then fall back to the ground.
"I'm not opposed to going out," I shrug, "But no one's ever accused me of being the life of the party. I guess there's a first time for everything though!"
Xin sets down the rings and stands.
He eyes Esh and points that practice ring nearby. "Let him sleep. The party's in there, old man. Unless you're tired?"
Hotcha isn’t sure how this is gonna beat her date with the empress. The human woman who makes him forget about me ain’t gonna meet him at sparring party.
“Aha, see? The evening’s getting totally manly already. I better step out before the fart jokes begin. Bye!”
Hotcha heads to the bath to make sure she, her dance scarves and her nectar cup are washed before her big evening.
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Empress Nai Yan Fei's chambers are in the largest building in the complex, standing several stories taller than the surrounding edifices. Hotcha flutters up to the window that Lady Qiu indicated to find a sumptuously appointed bedchamber beyond, even more lavish than the one in the Ruby Palace that Hao Jin created on Bonmu. Yan Fei rises to greet the sprite as she enters the chamber, clad in a dazzling blue qipao. A fizzy red and white potion sits on the table beside her.
"Good evening, Lady Fairy. It is a pleasure to finally have some time together with you again," the empress says with a smile.
Hotcha bows in mid-air. “It’s great to see you again too Yan Fei!” She lands before going on, “I’m sure you know so many customs, it’s not surprising to you a Cayden nun would bring a drink. I was trying to think what drink it would be, seeing how your access to fine wines is second only to Cayden Himself.” Hotcha walks across the table. She examines the fizzy potion. “Hence this nonalcoholic beverage.”
She’s smiling as she says this, but adds in a serious tone, “But y’know we can have a perfect evening even if you don’t drink this, right?“ She takes a few steps closer to the empress. She stands at the edge of the table admiring the beautiful woman who towers over. ”You’re ravishing exactly as you are, Yan Fei.”
Yan Fei smiles demurely down at the little sprite. "You are too kind, Hotcha. I agree that this potion isn't necessary for us to enjoy our time together, but I thought it might be even more enjoyable for us to be on the same level, both physically and metaphorically. I do not wish to be the empress of Goka tonight. Tonight, I am just Yan Fei, a girl on a date with a lovely sprite."
She picks up the potion and removes the stopper. She sniffs the contents and frowns slightly. "Hmm. It is redolent of fungus. I've... I've never done this before. Will it hurt?"
Hotcha perks up at the phrase never done this before. But to answer Yan Fei’s question, “Very badly if you let go of that bottle. After drinking, your clothes and any object in hand should shrink with you. But if you release your grip in surprise, like Sister Marionette did when she shrunk herself to spar with me, the bottle will come crashing down upon us. And this time, there isn’t an arrow-snatching gnome to catch it!”
Hotcha sits at the edge of the table and crosses her legs. It’s only her second time witnessing a human becoming fairy sized.
”Alright, I’ll keep a tight grip. Bottoms up, as they say!” Yan Fei raises the bottle in salute and then downs its contents. The effects are almost immediate. The empress lets out a soft gasp of surprise as her body rapidly dwindles in height. Fortunately for her dignity, her clothes shrink along with her. Within the span of a few seconds, the lovely woman shrinks down to only a few inches in height, standing on the table across from Hotcha. She looks around in wonder. ”Oh, my! Everything looks so big!” she giggles. She gently places the now tiny potion bottle on the table.
“Welcome to my world, Yan Fei.” Hotcha walks over to her. “This is the only world I’ve known. You’re all giants to me and you make giant stuff. Your rice bowl is my bath tub. An ankle-length stocking is my sleeping bag. I savor blackberries one berry at a time instead of eating the whole bunch at once.”
She offers her hand. “How do I… uh?” Hotcha laughs a little at herself. She had seen others hold hands and it looked so easy. “Well, now it’s my turn to say ‘I’ve never done this before.’”
”It’s easy, you just...” Yan Fei reaches out and laces her fingers with Hotcha’s. ”Like this.” She reaches out with her free hand and brushes some of the sprite’s red hair back behind a pointed ear. Her hand lingers a moment on Hotcha’s cheek.
Hotcha’s thought was that she’d ask for a tour about Yan Fei’s room. But now… Hotcha’s luminous skin pinkens at Yan Fei’s caress. The fairy follows the empress’ lead, running her fingers through Yan Fei’s hair. She never dreamed human hair could be so fine!
Hotcha’s free hand does not linger at the cheek, however. She slides her hand down the side of her own body, down to the hip. There, she unhooks the silver cup from her dancing scarf. She holds the cup up, willing it to fill with an amber liquid. “Fire nectar. In case the potion has a mushroomy aftertaste, you can drown it in alcohol.”
Or, fairy kisses, the look on Hotcha’s face suggests.
"You are too kind," Yan Fei says. She downs the shot of liquor, wincing slightly as it goes down. "Mmm! Strong!" The empress hands the cup back to Hotcha, then she gracefully sits down across from her. "Will you dance for me? Your dances are always so lovely, Hotcha. I am sure it would be even more amazing to see you up close at this size!"
“Of course. If you happen to have anything magical that plays music, I’ll dance to it.“
Yan Fei inclines her head. She speaks an odd-sounding command word, and across the room, a free-standing harp begins to play a lively tune, the strings plucking themselves!
Hotcha improvises a ballet performance. She twirls and leaps, and at first, it is as if Yan Fei is in the front-and-center position in respect of audience-to-stage.
…until at one particular point in the song, Hotcha holds the position of a high kick. She stands on the tip of her toes, left leg skyward, just a millimeter out of arm’s reach. Her hip scarf is barely a skirt, and Hotcha’s body is positioned in a way she does not lewdly expose herself.
Her next move is to sink into the splits, kip up, and leap over Yan Fei. Gravity has little hold on sprites, wings or no wings. Hotcha has to put some effort into leaping only one foot in height, and half that distance.
Her next move is to slowly circle the empress, letting the loose portion of her scarf flutter close but without touching. She curtsies at the end of her dance, then offers her hand.
She hesitates… not because she’s nervous about how Yan Fei will respond. It’s the weight of the question. Hotcha never danced with a partner because she never could.
"I’ve always been a soloist, and if you want me to dance solo for you, it’ll be my pleasure. But at this size, we can dance as partners.”
Hotcha had watched Jilly and Marionette dance together several times. She would watch from atop a shelf and secretly mimic their moves, in case one day she might meet a lovely sprite. She never imagined she would meet a lovely sprite, and still prefer a human.
“A qipao is perfect for waltz, cha cha… and tango.” Hotcha states these options in order of difficulty. She’s pretty sure Yan Fei had dance lessons at some point in life, though maybe taking the throne at fifteen put a stop to the fun side of royalty. She’s not the empress tonight. Just a girl on a date… “The waltz is slow and simple, and we can talk or dance in silence.”
Yan Fei watches with breathless delight as Hotcha dances around and over her. She applauds enthusiastically when the dance comes an end, then takes the sprite's offered hand. "I would love to dance with you, Hotcha. But I am not one for slow and simple." She speaks another command word, and the music the harp is playing shifts to the staccato notes of a tango. The empress puts her other hand on Hotcha's hip, stepping with confident, deliberate movements as she leads the dance.
Hotcha is glad she mentioned ‘tango,’ and blown away by Yan Fei’s skill! She follows her lead, and it’s apparent Hotcha’s practice with an ‘air partner’ was hardly sufficient. Fortunately, following the better dancer’s lead takes far less effort than leading. She dances though the early mistakes and just remembers Esh’s advice for relationships: Cherish her.
As dance reaches its crescendo, Yan Fei spins Hotcha away from her, then pulls her back and ends with a low dip. The music ends with a flourish, and the empress pulls the monk back up so that the two are face to face. Yan Fei's pale cheeks are flushed from the dance, a few strands of hair loose from its elegant coif. "How was that?"
Hotcha is glowing, literally. “Amazing! Even among my troupe, and the professionals we opened for, I can honestly say I’ve never known a better dancer!”
Yan Fei smirks. "You flatter me. I suppose all of that courtly training does have it's uses, after all."
Hotcha remains where she is… held closely. “I do flatter you, but I’m sure you know that I say what I mean. I spent my whole life trying to draw attention from others. At first, it was the realization that my sisters were always going to be way bigger than me. But then I learned the benefits… if I wanted to be held, it was better to just say it. My tantrums were too impotent to get me anywhere, but kindness just worked for me.”
She caresses Yan Fei’s loose hair. “Kindness and truth… I like to think every word from my lips has one of these qualities.”
When Hotcha says the word ‘lips’ her eyes are on Yan Fei’s. “I think you see that in me. On our first date, I felt you understood why I called you by name… maybe for the same exact reason you kissed my hand: there isn’t another person doing that. I didn’t bring you the potion so we could kiss or anything. I just thought you might have fun seeing the world as I do. I had this silly idea… we’d hold hands and, umm, explore…”
Hotcha frees a hand to gesture at whatever objects must now seem colossal to Yan Fei. To her, they were always big things for big people. The extravagant chamber suddenly seems ordinary now that she is holding the striking Yan Fei, and for maybe three quarters of an hour, they will remain the same size. Hotcha now takes her free hand and gently caresses Yan Fei’s hand—the one on her hip. She guides Yan Fei’s hand to the small of her own back, where the skin is bare.
“Kindness and truth…” She repeats the phrase with emphasis. Her lips tremble as she considers what to say next. “I want to kiss you. If you’d rather not, I won’t be upset. I mean it—just being with you like this is already so new and exciting. This evening is so much more than I’d imagined! It’s just that your body will grow again and mine won’t. So… I wanted you to know that, whatever you want from me, the answer is ‘yes’…
“With one condition.” Hotcha’s bold use of the word ‘condition’ is intentional. Yan Fei asked for an equal, so what Hotcha is not is a submissive servant. “Whatever we happen to be doing when you grow back, we don’t stop.”
Hotcha's thoughts go on: We explore how it can work between a fairy and a human, and we savor every bit of it, and cherish the unique gift we are to each other… But before she can say those words, the empress interjects.
"I agree to your terms," Yan Fei says. And with that, she pulls Hotcha even closer, closing her eyes as she leans in to press her lips against the fairy's...
Hotcha's tongue is far to busy to speak now. But no matter where the rest of the night will lead, when the men ask her of her night, kindness will mean not telling the truth, or at least editing out most of it...
"Let him sleep. The party's in there, old man. Unless you're tired?"
”Ah the fire of youth” I laugh, cracking my knuckles and following him into the ring.
Xin enters the ring and bows formally to Esh. Fun or not, the formalities were always to be observed.
He knew Esh was too good a warrior to fall for simple tricks, like pretending to stumble or hurling a fistful of sand. Instead, Xin approached simply, performing a curious little bit of footwork he'd learned in Minata and had been saving for just such an occasion. It allowed him to stretch left while lunging right.
Hotcha awakens snuggled alongside Yan Fei. She will dress after the bath but before breakfast, and end the morning conversation with two important things to say.
First…
“I met some sprites by the factory. So they explained where I’m from… my parents are immortal sprites like them. Maybe it’s …y’know, because they’ll outlive me that they had the nuns take me in. I’m mortal.
“The sprites said I can cross over to the First World, but I didn’t wanna chance I’d get trapped there. Anyway, I’m in no hurry to go there. Someday I’ll ask around and see if I can meet my parents and thank them for giving me life. I’m not upset they left me.”
And that leads to the second thing:
“Because if I hadn’t been born mortal and abandoned, I’d never have met you.”
She will kiss Yan Fei on the lips, if given a lift. Else, she will kiss the hand.
“When I address you by title in public, know that in my heart, you are Yan Fei. To me, that name is greater than any title.”
Hotcha will give Yan Fei the last word before she energizes her wings and flies back to her team…
* * *
Hotcha will not gloat to the men. When she sees them, she says, “I brought a drink, as is customary for a Cayden nun. And it’s something the Empress never tried before. Oh… and she’s not only a warrior, but also a dancer. I dare say a better dancer than I am!
“I guess we better win so she at least thinks I’m the better warrior! Anyway… after that, just some girl stuff. I don’t wanna bore ya.
“So… how about yourselves, gents? Good times!”
"Just boy stuff," says Xin, trying not to wince at the place in his ribs where Esh's left hook landed.
“Ohhh… I get it,” Hotcha says playfully. “What happens on guy’s night stays on guy’s night.
“If ya want another night, I gotta get Raq and the boy-sprites to meet Lady Qiu so she can arrange seating for them.” Aside from that, Hotcha will train like crazy. She will NOT fail the team or Yan Fei!
"I don't think anyone wants another night like that for awhile," says Xin, and though he groans a little, his spirits seem lighter.
"In the meantime, we've got a team workout in twenty minutes so eat up. I'm going hard on everyone today. Ten miles in heavy packs to start with. In the afternoon we're doing team maneuvers. I have a new tactic I've been working on and I want to work out the kinks."
Xin heads off to make sure his heavy pack is properly balanced and to be the first one on the practice field. He lives by the motto If you are five minutes early, you are already ten minutes late.
“Bawwww, not the heavypa—I mean… yessiree!”
Hotcha can’t actually wear a backpack because of her wings. Furthermore, tiny fey, like ants, can carry several times their own weight. Thus, Hotcha in a heavypack is not even close to being encumbered from weight. So what am I complaining about? she asks herself as she runs to the supply bag…!
Hotcha jogs up to the practice field, clad in an acorn hat, necklace with five hex nuts, knee socks with rocks (pebbles, actually) stuffed in the cuffs (which are striped), and the HeavyBelt, a length of copper wire wrapped around Hotcha’s waist several times.
“R-r-r-ready!” she says, jogging in place.
“Ohhh… I get it,” Hotcha says playfully. “What happens on guy’s night stays on guy’s night.
"If only," I groan from my position laying on the ground with my legs propped up on a nearby low table. One of the downsides of being as big as I was was that my legs tended to be hard to defend. A fact that Xin was well aware of, and definitely took advantage of. He had enough control that I wasn't injured, but my thighs were going to be tender for a while.
So of course he suggests a march. I glower at him briefly before sighing and rolling to my feet to fetch my bag and search for some rocks. Reminds me of my military days. People often underestimate how difficult it is to just walk ten miles while carrying a pack that's a third your weight, but there's a reason sergeants across the world ascribe to forced marches as the premier conditioning exercise. It's every bit as important to a soldiers survival as knowing how to swing a sword or hold a shield.
The next week passes by rather quickly as you train intensely and hone your fighting skills to ensure they are at their peak for the start of the tournament!
At long last, the time has finally come for the Ruby Phoenix Tournament! Over the course of 8 days, the eight qualifying teams will compete in a bracket-style competition to determine who is worthy of the title of Ruby Phoenix Champions.
The first day of the Ruby Phoenix Tournament opens to much fanfare and celebration. Officiants struggle to prevent ticket scalping for the limited seating in the grand arena. Most spectators must make do with sitting at the hundreds of tables set outside the arena where they can listen to the emcee’s narration of the fight. You and the other competing teams are flown via drake-drawn carriages from the Ruby Village to the Cliffside Court to make your grand entrance at the main arena.
Thousands of people from all over the world cheer your names as you enter the arena alongside the other teams. As the top seed in the tournament, you will have the honor of taking part in the first tournament match. In this match, you'll face off against Winter’s Roar, the last‑place seed. The warriors from the Land of the Linnorm Kings size you up as you await Hao Jin's speech to officially kick off the tournament...
Oh man, that's a lot of people.
The queasy feeling in my stomach was minute, a remnant of a prior century when the fear of doing things in front of people would leave me weak and distracted. I was far more focused and experienced now. But still, it was a LOT of people.
I was as ready as I could reasonably be though. My conditioning was nearly as good as it had been in my youth, and my strength probably greater. My reflexes were honed nearly as well as my blade (nobody could realistically train with my companions and suffer from slow reaction times for long, they were all so fast. It was strange company I kept when the elf was the sluggish one). Potions and ointments had relieved my joint pain (for now at least), I'd been sleeping well, and I'd even had a good smoke last night. I was ready. We were ready.
Honestly though, I was already looking forward to the final match. It was unlikely that this match, or the next, would be any significant challenge. Only the finals match, most likely against the Lightkeepers, would be something that would really test us.
Then again, I know that I can occasionally be arrogant and dismissive, and I resolve to take each fight with the seriousness it deserves.
I am still eager for the fight though.
Xin waves to the crowd, hyping it up as much as he can. Win or lose, he wants his team to remember this moment forever. As they exit the carriage, he presents his team to the crowd and bows deeply, knowing his voice would likely not be heard by those standing next to him, much less anyone in the crowd.
Nonetheless, he shouts to his team, trying to be heard "I'm proud of you! Never forget that you were worthy to stand here today!"
Little Hotcha trained hard! And now she was faster at getting into her jellyfish stance and could knock a man back over thirty feet with a perfect hit!
Like Xin, she waves to the crowds but makes no effort to rile them. Hao Jin and the emcee get to do that now, and the fairy will make the crowd lover her when she steps in that ring! They’ll love the whole team!
A little tipsy, because that's how you get through demanding situations per Hei Fang's divine example, Yog'Moi sways from left to right as he takes in the crowd, the awfully tall Northerners, and then once more the crowd. A hiccup escapes his lips which triggers a look of surprise.
He casually brings a hand to his mouth and rubs his lips with the back of that meaty mitten. "They're damned happy to see us, I'd say." Whether Yog means the crowd of the Northerners remains underdetermined as he does not further elaborate and opens a flask to invite more of Hei Feng's divine guidance for the fight to come. "If they've done their research, they'll know I'm eager to call lightning down upon them. Perhaps I ought to spice things up, ha ..."
The crowd falls quiet as Hao Jin rises into the air on fiery wings. "Welcome, one and all, to the 4721 Ruby Phoenix Tournament! Our competitors this year have fought long and hard to make it to the competition, and I can assure you that they are nothing short of the finest fighters from across Golarion! So, without further ado, let the games begin!"
Hao Jin hurls a ball of flame at a towering brazier, which ignites, to the cheers of thousands!
With the preamble out of the way, most of the teams leave the arena, save for you and Winter's Roar. High above, Emcee Emmi flies about, whipping the crowd into a frenzy. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to kick things off with a bang! They come from the land of ice and snow, but their blood runs hot! I give you Winter's Roar!"
The team's leader, the half-orc Urnak Lostwind, raises his icy greataxe. The shieldmaiden Huldrin Skolsdottir clangs her flaming trident against her steel shield. The halfling witch Juspix Rammel twirls his filcher's fork. The hobgoblin brawler Troff Frostknuckles cracks his neck and gives Yog'Moi a grin.
"And their opponents, who I'm sure need no introduction, the top seed going into this tournament, Three Men and a Fairy! This clash of champions is about to begin, so let's get into it! Three Men and a Fairy versus Winter's Roar. Ready? FIGHT!"
The crowd roars as the battle begins!
Xin's fierce battle cry gives one of the enemies pause, but Yog'Moi's fails to impress!
Even though this is the first match of the tournament, Hao Jin has made some modifications to the grand arena in order to excite the crowd and keep the fighters on their toes--two magical traps. The first is a pair of skulls of fire that swoop around the arena, releasing huge gouts of flame in random directions. The second trap involves four remote sensors at each corner of the arena that cause bursts of freezing magic to erupt from random tiles on the arena floor!
Hotcha is amazed by the phoenix wings. When the emcee flies, she wonders why these ladies are so good at flying. But her training makes her faster than an immortal sprite. And with traps on the ground, Hotcha thinks it best to show the audience how a fairy flies!
She ▶️energizes her wings, and flies full speed ahead!
That, she can do without effort, but her trick will be to propel herself upward after blasting fire from both hands!
Hotcha propels her flight up several yards so she’s out of melee reach.
I eye our opponents lined up across from us. The half-orc is directly across from me, and seems to be wielding a large axe, possibly with a frost enchantment on it. I am something of a fire specialist. This seems like it should go well. I charge in.
Yog'Moi chases after Esh and, with the wind rushing past him, jumps up to become one with the wind and tells of it the many ways the earth and other elements have insulted its honor. He grabs hold of a thread of the wind's anger and weaves it into a spell that (hopefully) leaves their opponents shocked.
Hotcha pummels Juspix with her sparks, leaving him stunned! A magical aegis protects him from some of the energy damage, though. Esh blinks over to Urnak and slices the half-orc twice with his katana, then Yog blasts all four of the enemy's team members with lightning!
Urnak roars a battle cry as she brings his axe up in a brutal slice! It cuts into Esh's hands as the force of the impact disarms the elf of his katana!
The half-orc then swings his axe sideways in an effort to sweep Esh aside. The elf manages to dodge the follow-up strikes.
Huldrin steps forward to assist Urnak. She raises her shield high as she adopts the stance of the Iron Maiden. She then swings her shield at Esh, impaling him with its spikes and knocking him down!
Juspix shakes off the stun and casts a powerful spell, causing a globe of freezing darkness to detonate and engulf Hotcha, Xin, and Yog'Moi!
As the darkness fades away, Troff rushes at his fellow hobgoblin. He jabs at a pressure point left vulnerable by the chill of Juspix's spell, causing Yog'Moi's skin to freeze and his limbs to turn sluggish and clammy. He then follows up with a flurry of gouging strikes, landing one hit!
The flaming skulls fly about the arena, unleashing gouts of flame, but nobody is close enough to get hit by them. Likewise, none of the freezing floor traps activate underneath where you are fighting.
Success: The creature takes half damage. (24 cold and 7 negative)
Failure: The creature takes full damage. (48 cold and 15 negative)
Critical Failure: The creature takes double damage (96 cold and 30 negative) and becomes blinded by the darkness for an unlimited duration.
Success: The creature takes 2d4 persistent cold damage and a –5-foot status penalty to its Speeds until the persistent cold damage ends. Dealing fire damage to the creature is an especially effective way to help end the persistent cold damage (allowing a new flat check to end it at DC 10).
Failure As success, but the damage is 4d4 and the penalty is –15-foot.
Critical Failure As success, but the damage is 6d4 and the creature is immobilized instead of taking a Speed penalty.
Hotcha easily dodges the attack.
She then disappears! “See ya,” the ⏩invisible trickster quips as she cat-falls by the hobgoblin! “Wouldn’t wanna be ya!”
Invisible feet Ki-flurry the back of the hobgoblin’s knees!
My opponent actually manages to disarm me, and while I'm trying to dodge his attacks, the woman with the trident blind-sides me and knocks me down.
This is not an ideal position to be in. Unfortunately for them, I had recently been sparring with Xin, who was most emphatic on being able to fight from any position. I lash out powerfully with a spinning round kick, using that momentum to spin myself off of my shoulder and onto my feet.
Battered and bruised by the spells and the bastard hobgoblin's assault, Yog'Moi nonetheless barks out a harsh laugh and figuratively spits adversity in the face. Does the freezing fool know who he is dealing with?!
Clearly not, for his strikes had managed to crack open one of the many clay jugs hanging from his torso. Hei Feng's anger at this wonderful drink being spilled so carelessly mixed with Yog's stream of pain to form a divine blast of both healing and harming magics. "Touch me, but don't touch my drinks! Yog'Moi doesn't share drinks!"