Gauntlets Under Moonlight

Emblem of Ea - Sunday, May 30, 2021, 11:09 PM

For translation convention as regards to this log, <<text>> is a dip into Draconic while speaking Trade

Braelnoir is running a Gauntlet arranged by one of the oruch Warmasters; a low complexity maze lined with articulated attack arms that simulate different attacks while Rocky is getting wrestling lessons from a Dwarven grapple master. Stjepan steps up to test his agility and throws himself through the gauntlet with aplomb while Brae and Rocky greet each other. They are soon joined by Seyardu, and they discuss grappling lessons before the Jotun heeds the call to other business. They discuss the limitations of armour, and augmenting the defensive value of scales, bringing a peculiar humor to the human, while the Warmaster has the gauntlet reconfigured slightly to accomodate less experienced fighters. It surprises the Sith both to learn Braelnoir once was also covered with a similar protective hide after an encounter with errant artifice, and Seyardu realizes that the scale polish that Cryosanthia, a mutual acquaintance, had regifted to her, had once been for the human's benefit. Brae assures her that it's just as well it go to someone who can use it while Rocky manages a fair time in the gauntlet, and, at last it comes to Seyardu's chance to shine...

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-<* A03: The Colosseum *>-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Crafted largely of stone, the Colosseum sits heavily in the midst of the district. Effectively a giant arena, seats form its sweeping sides like the forefront of a great stage. At its center is a stained, stone floor. Each end is overseen by the opposing statues of Kor and Angoron, their arms raised and each holding weapons in gestures of triumph. Staged at a crossroads, their stone gazes stand in eternal challenge over the battlefield floor. Angoron's statue appears to have something of a smirk, opposing Kor's dreadful scowl.

Construction here is on the massive scale. The Arena's stone form was carried piece by piece from the Redridge. Borne on the shoulders of ancient oruch and formed by the tireless hands of the khazad, it is second to none in ancient craftsmanship. Old tribal and clan symbols, nearly worn away, reveal themselves when blood and sweat pools in their minor crevices. Their unusual display brings to life, if only for moments, memories of warrior traditions past. It is for this reason the Arena serves as a diplomatic grounds for some cultures, as well as sport and competition.

Beneath the arena's stage are preparation rooms for competitors, and retiring areas for the wounded. Here, warriors are tended to by aids and medics, by coaches and priests. Tarianic laughter echoes from the chambers on the Angorite side. These unseen areas run alongside a cleverly, khazad-designed system to flood the arena's floor for certain performances. When flooded, the arena draws waters from the nearby Tornmawr. During these occasions anything is possible, as even the Nar-Sektoth have been known to visit from far off Am'shere, and display their powers beneath the gods' banners.

The encircling seats provide a grand view, while vendors often walk the aisle ways between, selling food or taking bets. Clear as blood is the single, red line drawn down the arena's center between the twin statues, daring an opponent to cross.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-- Contents --=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
 Braelnoir       A tall, pale Acanian woman, branded in silver.        
 Rocky           A grey Sith in armor, bit like a statue.              
 Seyardu         A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. 
 Stjepan         Big, blonde jotun.                                    
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= Exits -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

It's a fine night to be an Elunian, a cloudless sky revealing all to the wonderous eye of the full moon.

Meanwhile, someone of a different faith is currently running a gauntlet; Multiple armatures, kaden with assorted weapony line a mazelike path.

Within it, amongst other souls following divergent paths, a Korite with flowing hair and a scythe parries that pendulous Earthbreaker, deflects that battle axe, all the while, her flowing tresses and brand gleam brighter than her scythe blade under the moonlight. She takes a wound here, and there. Deflects a flail with the back of her spiked gauntlet, then ultimately sheers through the rapier wielding scarecrow at the end of her path.

A large Oruch festooned in plate and spikes glances at an hourglass with a black ribbon tied to it nods, and grunts, "A fine time!"

A few pants, letting the adrenaline fade and Braelnoir claps her fist to her breastplate, "Thank you, Warmaster."

Stjepan is on the floor of the arena, arms folded across his chest. He's come out onto the sand, ready to train -- gambeson and dull steel, instead of anything more. He sidles towards the Warmaster, as much as a giant can sidle, and looks at the course, considering it's layout. "Good night for a run, hm?"

Rocky is Warrior Caste, this is the softskin place for warriors. And admittedly, then skins around here are desidedly less soft. So the Sith Rocky makes a point in training locally, learning things he didn't know he didn't know. Today he is without his regular armor, finding out on a mat of sand why you don't wrestle a dwarf. Twisted into a sort of pretzel, the greyscale struggles a few moments before admitting defeat and tapping out.

The aged Oruch turns to the Jotun and laughs, "Ha, any night is a good day to test yourself!" a twinkle in his remaining eye, "All are welcome!"

The Korite with the Scythe turns to the interaction and gives a broad grin, "Hey, luv, 'ow ya been?"

She quickly finds interest in the struggle for dominance and throws a fist in the air, "Yeah, Rock, get'm, luv! AROOYA!"

Stjepan grins back at Brae. "Good -- been good -- you?" He turns, and considers Rocky and the dwarf, grinning. "That low center is going to getcha, if you're not careful." He picks up his sword, then looks at the Warmaster. "Alright, I'll have a go." Then, he shakes out his neck, and steps forwards, considering the way.

Rocky chuffs softly as he puts his parts back into proper order. Sorted, he bows politely to the trainer, making his way towards Brae as the dwarf turns to another vict-... 'student'. Rocky moves a bit stiffly, no shame in losing to a master, but it still stings the pride.

Braelnoir turns back to Stjepan on his query and grins back his way, absently glancing at one of the fresh wounds along her arm, "Just keepin' up the fightin' trim, luv, ya know."

There's a thmp of the butt of the scythe being set against the Collosseum floor, "Got a few routes ya can take through, luv, just chooses what kinda weapons're in the way." And that's all the help she will, or perhaps from the glance she gives the Warmaster, can, give.

Then, she turns to the sound of Rocky approaching and she grins up his way, reaching out to clasp the Sith's arm if he'll take it, "How ya doin, Rock?"

Stjepan nods, and pauses. "It'll be more interesting if I don't armour-up." He pauses. "I'd better use my war-sword, though. Nothing fancy." He goes to his back and gets his greatsword, gleaming magic-sharp in the moonlight. He looks at the routes, and picks one, taking a good pause, eyeing it all up. After the look, though, he's off -- moving faster than a giant really /ought/ to, you know? He flows into it, stutter-stepping to avoid blade-arms, and trying not to hit the walls -- extra challenge mode!

Rocky clasps the offered arm in a frim grap, familiar enough with the gesture, but offering his own twist. "Peace unto you nest. This One is good, learning much." He chuffs quietly. "Learning have very much left to learn." The sith falls still as he watches the start of the latest maze run, curious how the jotun will fare.

The Warmaster folds his arms and grunts aprovingly as the Jotun goes through with minimal protection, but since the Korite is done, he turns the hourglass over to begin the time.

As Rocky clasps her arm she smiles up his way, growling a warm, "Peace upon your nest, River Stone." <draconic>

Switching back to Trade, she nods, "Always a new trick ta learn, luv. Good ta see ya!" then turns to watch the giantkin traverse the course.

Nice!

The silver sith'makar wasn't the most experienced adventurer in the city by any sense of the word. But promises with others, and her own run ins in her time being there made her seek some way to improve in that area. Word always seemed to come back to the collosseum as the place to train, when events were not ongoing or being prepared there. And so she stepped through one of the many entrances, one where the clerics and other healers were stationed as she found herself sidetracked. With a simple breastplate on and a large warhammer at her hip, she stepped into the arena, finding a free area to take in the space, and how she might go about learning something useful there.

Stjepan keeps on flowing, using his size to jam a swinging pole high up near it's axis, then hard parries an axe blade coming in the other direction. Stepping though, he nicks the solid wood haft with a false edge strike as he goes by, then gets up a head of steam, hurdling a low spear thrust, and perhaps cheating a little when he grabs another axe, pulls it from the casing, and throws it at the final target. He follows after, grinning wildly at that last bit of cheekiness.

Rocky watches the maze with intrest, falling to a near stone stillness. Not to his style, but objectively well ran. A glint to the side brings Rocky's head up, and his tail thumps hard against the sand, rasing a hand in greeting to the Silverscale.

Braelnoir grins and nods as the Jotun makes his way through the course with aplomb. She throws up her fist again with another, "Arooooya!" and tucks her scythe against her shoulder before clapping her hands.

The Warmaster glances at the timepiece at his side and grunts, "A new best time!"

She looks to Rocky a moment as he thumps his tail, then turns toward Seyardu, "Hey, luvvie, how ya been?"

The sith'makar looked over to where she heard the noise, and a low thump was returned, before she stepped closer to where the group was, offering a wave and smile. "Peace on your nests. I have been doing well enough getting used to this place. I did not expect to see this in the collosseum though. And I do remember you too, kin" She admitted, glancing to the gauntlet nearby after gesturing to the other sith'makar. "I do not believe I got your name the previous time, but I remember your face. This one's name is Seyardu."

Stjepan salutes the Warmaster, then slows down, taking a moment to catch his breath and check his hands for splinters and other signs of his relative stupidity. He grins, and nods to Seyardu as well. "Hey." He puts away his sword, and opens up his gambeson....oooo, fresh air.

Rocky nods to Seyardu. "This One is <<River Stone>>, called Rocky in Trade. Is good place. Warriors of many paths, come together to learn each others ways." Looking to Stjepan he chuffs approval, turning his attention to the mechanical maze. "Seems challenge. Made those already know much. Is for those who know less a..." mechanical words, softskin words, takes a moment for find the right phrase "...setting?"

Braelnoir nods, "Good, good ta hear!" she returns, then lets the two sith get acquainted. She offers a fistbump out toward Stjepan as he makes his way back, "Good run, luv!"

The Warmaster claps his fist to his breastplate in salute, then turns to watch another soul start to run the gauntlet.

Brae turns to Rocky as his question, "Some times the weapons get swapped out fer blunts, but that's..." she looks up toward the Warmaster.

He, in turn, rumbles in thought, then, "It'll take a few minutes to reset it." After a few seconds, in a louder voice, bellows, "Last run, then bring out the other weapons!"

"Greetings again, Stjepan. Peace on your nest. Seeing you here certainly helps explain why I've encountered you so many times eating at taverns." She said to him, before turning back to the others."Perhaps there is something to learn there, even if it is made for someone who knows a lot to begin with." The silver sith'makar noted. "It was my not paying attention last time that led to me being stabbed, so I would like to avoid being caught off guard like that again, if possible."

Stjepan fistbumps Brae. "You too." He turns to step back, looking around. "Y' don't suppose anyone wants to wrestle?" He pauses, looking over. "More fuel for my furnace."

Rocky nods to the WarMaster. Not exactly what he meant, but answers his question, regardless. Turning to Seyardu, he chuffs softly, and raps a fist upon his hide. "Train your scales. If even not seen foe cannot pierce your hide, then is nothing to fear." Of course, a truly invunerable hide is near impossible, but makes a goal to strive for. The grey scale trundles over to the benches, fetching his blade and shield, but leaves his heavy armor there.

Braelnoir grins and, "May'n a bit, though it ain't m'specialty." A shrug and she looks to the others, "Scales're a good defense, luv, tha's true."

The Warmaster checks the hourglass, then, "Ha, a fine run!" he calls to the elf who shambles after the gauntlet.

Meanwhile, about a dozen members of the crew bring tools and leather wrapped wooden weaponry out to begins swapping the live blades out.

"I've never considered trying to strengthen them before, I didn't even consider that a possibility I was given this breastplate to protect myself before I departed, but only problem was, it did nothing if the blade goes low enough, and if it's poisoned, doesn't matter if it doesn't hit anything vital. At the very least, finding ways to strengthen myself further is a good idea." She said with a slight sigh, glancing to those swapping out the weaponry. "Perhaps wrestling would be a decent thing to practice, though I know not how much of a challenge I could put up. Probably less than the others here, for certain."

Rocky nods, and shrugs, moving towards the maze with a clear intention to participate. "All the better to practice. Everyone starts bad. Practice is what brings change."

"Struggle starts in th'shell, right?" Brae replies casually, then, "I got where I am trainin' most every day since I's a young'n." She reindexes the scythe to point the blade back over her shoulder, then, "Armor don't 'stop' everythin, but it'll deflect plenty, part of it comes down ta movin', but there's drills fer that, too."

"In, after, but there is a difference between surviving a jungle, and surviving a bandit attack. Usually creatures make it very clear if they're going to try to kill you. softskins are more complicated." The silverscale said as she turned her attention to Rocky as he got ready to challenge the gauntlet. "I did not train for such things, there were others who could benefit more from training such as that. I ended up looking inwards, and outwards, as they say. I know armor won't stop everything, but it's better than not having it."

Rocky chuffs. "If blade is not stopped, get stronger armor." He snorts a laugh. "But is true, move is good. Even strong armor can only do so much." He nods to Seyardu. "Each have own path. Some lay outward, some in. All are important to tribe as whole."

Braelnoir shifts her weight a bit, then, "No, an' it's smart ya realize that, Seyardu." the Korite begins, "Just sayin', it obviously ain't foolproof, an there's ways ta help it do it's job." She folds her arms round the haft of her weapon and shrugs, "There's a point I had more scales, an' I was lookin' inta ways t'augment'm." Here, she looks at Seyardu a moment, then the mark of her shoulder gleams in the moonlight. A look to Rocky, and a nod, "We all got our own ways, true. Some'r the mountain, some're the wind, an' others the storm."

"I am not saying that I could not stand to learn more about how to protect myself, it's true. That is why I am here in the first place." She said, shifting a bit on the spot.

"I know my place is not directly on the frontlines. But if I was to be injured near them needlessly, then I would just become a liability when I meant to be help. So I am here, and I train, so that does not come to pass. There are times to help people at home, and times when a more direct approach is necessary."

Rocky chuffs in surprise, and blinks to Braelnoir. "...you had scales?" It takes a moment, but he shifts focus to the silver scale. "No. Is job of Shield to protect. If one behind Shield is hurt, thenis Shield who failed. Yes, protect self, yes learn much. But count on Shield to protect. Is what Shield does." Between the innocent and danger. That's his role to play.

Braelnoir nods, "Also a fine array o'points." she replies with her usual casual humor, "Anyway, Vahnguz here's a damn fine Warmaster, an'e's usualy about. There's also Shevan, Gorrlu an' <<Blackhorn>>" her dip into the draconic tongue coming easily enough.

She smiles some to Rocky as he voices his question about her hide, a subtle variance in the expression, but she nods, "Shortly after I met Cryo, I got hit some some mojo-tech outta Merkabah that some yahoo stole from an artificer friend o'mine." She traces a steel clad finger along the pebbled surface of the silver skull, "Was like this all over soon after. I kept changin', too, spent a lotta time in different forms, but... these here're all I got left."

"The shield cannot protect everyone at once, at no fault to themselves. If one is more prepared, and both know so, it takes ease off of others, so they can shift their focus elsewhere. But I understand, Rocky. I mended wounds for those back home, so I could count on them to keep the camps where I worked safe." Seyardu agreed, though she grew thoughtful for a moment, to those who recognized the change in posture and expression, and squinted. "

"You Knew, or know Cryo, and had scales a light metallic color. You wouldn't happen to have been the color I am, perhaps?"

"We're scale sisters." Brae replies to Seyardu, and she nods, "But, yeah." she smiles again, eyes half lidding, "Silver scales." She shrugs a bit, then and looks out over the gauntlet as the workers are making their way back out with the job done.

The Warmaster grunts and calls, "The Gauntlet is open again!"

The human, then replies to Rocky, "I prolly wouldn'ta minded s'much if th'sonofabitch asked me, first. Some o'them forms were..beautiful... it just come with some... extra hassles I coulda done without. I... had ta break th'effect." She shrugs with a wry smirk, "Anyway, remember that time I wigged out with them orcs an' grew claws? That... was never a thing with me, before all that."

"Oh, is that so? Well, that explains it, finally, though I know not why I was so held up on trying to figure out about the gift she gave to me. Curiosity, I suppose. Silver, yes, she gave me some polish that I believe she intended for you at one point. So I would ask if you are okay with me having it, even if you do not need it anymore. Perhaps some tips on its use would be welcome, even so." Seyardu chuckled, glancing to the gauntlet set up, and to Rocky. "So, Rocky, you intend to run the course? I think I will as well, but a run through in its current setup would help me prepare."

Rocky nods to each. "Saa, many people have claws. This One's claws are small, use sword, or club." His blade is large enough for two hands, though he carries it in just one, the other holding a metal shield. Heading for the start of the gauntlet, the sith shifts his grip so the blade lays along his forearm, offering protection, as are no proper foes to strike.

Braelnoir smiles and reaches out to gently tap her knuckles against the silverscale's arm, "Sure thing, luv. It does wonders. I'm glad sh'found someone could use it." She chuckles, then, head tilting, eyebrow arched, "We figgered out that't works best when yer proper clean an' dry. There's a magic cleanin' thing Cry can do that does it all in one, or ya can wash an wait till yer all dry." She pauses a moment, eyes narrowed in through as she tries to work out an explanation for this next part, then, "There's a certain type o'brush we used, it gets coats th'scales ta the edges, n'matter how tiny they are. I can't remember what it's called, but I'm pretty sure it's still with m'stuff. I'll look for't when I get back ta th'Fern."

She nods, "Yeah, suppose a lotta folk do, a'that. Anyway, the route ya take don't lead ta dead ends, just mixes up the weapon order. Good luck!"

Seeing the Sith make his preparation, the Warmaster nods with a salute, but waits for Rocky to cross the threshold before turning the hourglass over.

"The sith'makar listened intently, nodding at times, until she smiled as Braelnoir. "I will keep that in mind, to clean up before hand. It makes sense not to trap dust and debris beneath it. If you could show me the brush you speak about sometime, I would appreciate it. She said it helps with appearances around softskins, so it is something I would like to remember. That, and I wished to find a hat, when I have time to stop and browse." She chuckled, falling to silence as she watched Rocky's run through the gauntlet.

Rocky is big, even by Sith standards. He's also fairly quick. That makes for a lot of momentum on the straight aways, but slow to turn. The grey scale charges past many of the swinging arms, only to get caught in the corners. Shield and blade block the majority of the incoming weapons, while others are just... ignored. Sure, they impact hide, but it's thick, scaly hide. A few Rocky definitely feels, but many are just shrugged off without reaction. The large blade come to play at the end of the maze, sweeping around to cleanly log off a strawscarecrow arm. Not the fastest, or most stylish of runs, but it certainly reflects his style.

Braelnoir nods with a little smile to the silverscale, "Sure thing. Want I should leave it for ya, somewhere so it gets to ya?" The human considers the hat situation, then, "Lower market usualy has decent deals fer regular gear. Want magic it's a little more involved, but comes down ta whatcha lookin' for."

She reaches out for a fistbump to rocky as she had stjepan, before with a, "Nice work, luv!"

The Warmaster gives his nod of approval, and glances to the hourglass, "A fair time!" he judges, then turns to look for the next soul willing to step into the maw...

"An impressive showing, for certain, Rocky. You did well. Though if you injured yourself at all, let me know, since I can tend them quick enough." She calls out to the Sith'makar. "Do not worry about leaving it somewhere for me, I would not ask you to go out of your way for that. I am sure I will run into you another time, perhaps if I stop by the Fernwood, since my friend Aryia stays there."

"I think I have put it off long enough, though." She chuckled, strapping on her large wooden shield and taking more steps to the gauntlet. "Experience is a good teacher when it can be done safely. So I shall get what experience I can."