Arena Chat
Tenebrae - Saturday, March 15, 2014, 8:29 AM
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A03: Arena *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
Like the Behemoth, Himself, the Arena rests heavily in the midst of the district. Seats line its sides like the forefront of a great stage. At its center is a noteworthy, if somewhat 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.
Construction here is on the massive scale. The Arena's stone form, carried piece by piece from the Redridge, on the shoulders of ancient oruch and formed by the tireless hands of the khazad, is second to none in craftsmanship. Ancient tribal and clan symbols, nearly worn away, show occasionally on the floor and at times provide places for blood to pool in ways that bring 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. 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 war 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, a universal symbol of competition, of "cross if you dare." At the far end of it, poised at its precise center, the beautiful face of Ceinara looks on, the traditional source of the two gods' conflict, aside from the lust and fire for battle, itself.
Azog is here, training hard. In full armor but with a weighted practice sword, he batters at a training dummy with swift, sure strikes.
Boshter bounds into the room! He intends to train hard also.
"Azog," he booms, running towards him.
"Nah, it just doesn't work. I mean sure, you can swing 'em around if you like, but the weight distrabution of your swing is all off. You won't have any accuracy or ommph behind it." Munch wanders out from one of the storage rooms, a practice GreatAxe in each hand. A fellow Korrite nods in understanding. "I mean I can carry them easy enough, but just aren't built for one handed use." Placeing one Axe into the rack, Munch bids his friend fare well, heading towards the loud hob and armored orc, while the other heads back inside.
Azog is in the middle of a form when he looks up at the shout and pauses. Because with Boshter, you have to look out. "Hello!" he calls out warily. He offers a nod to Munch as he heads that way also.
"Hello, creepy war golem!" Boshter declare to Munch, loudly, stopping near Azog. He doe snot run at Azog further, though, hvaing skidded to a halt. "You almost won the Headbutt Challenge, Azog!"
Munch mmms, nodding to Boshter. He's been called worse. "Who won that, anyway? Had ment to show, but ended up having some busniess instead."
Azog grimaces at Boshter and rubs his forehead in memory. "I was foolish to have attempted it. Not all challenges show worthiness, I think now. I have gained wisdom. And possibly brain trauma." He eyes Munch. "You are fortunate."
"Ormarr did! HE turned into a rhino and head butt the entire Arena!" BOshter looks at Azog and asks, "What's wisdom?"
Munch buzzes softly. "Typically is what you get when you don't get what you wanted."
Azog answers Boshter, "Wisdom is not smacking your head into things deliberately for any amount of glory." He shrugs to Munch. "There was celebration at vicotory, but in this city, that is meaningless, I am learning. This city celebrates foolishness and folly as entusiastically as it celebrates honor and victory, until it is hard to tell the difference."
"Lots of things are celebrated. Did we celberate much? I do not remember." This is probably /not/ surprising to anyone here. Boshter nods.
Munch nods, and shrugs. "Sometimes, celebration is it's own reason. Or so the Ceinarians tell me."
Azog muses to Boshter, "Who can remember after smacking our heads against adamantium plates." He nods to Munch about the Ceinarans. "It seems widely accepted. Celebration is fun, I guess, so people will do it whenever the opportunity arises."
"They Ceinarans always say silly things!" Boshter nods his head up and down. "In Blar, we know how to throw a good party!"
No. No, they do not.
Munch shrugs again. "Parties aren't really my thing. Though sometimes parties have brawls. Kinda like those."
Azog pauses at Boshters's comment. "Those aren't parties," he explains slowly. "Those are spears." He says to Munch, "You would like Blar parties, I think."
"Oh," says BOshte,r "Taht is right! You are right!" He beams at Azog, continuing, "I like this party"
Munch looks from Azog to Boshter for a moment, and shrugs. "Anyway, you guys heard anything of intrest about this Dragonier stuff? Just sounds like a bunch of those right things, and a big dead dragon."
Azog smirks at Boshter, but shakes his head to Munch. "I have been out of the city, living off the land and training. I have not heard any news. What is going on?"
"Something about undead! ANd people being upset about their country being turned into a mass of undead. It all sounds very bad," says BOshter, shuddering.
Munch nods to Azog. "Some big dead dragon guy took over the country a couple years back. Turned everybody into walking dead. Now people want to go to war or something, kick the dragon out."
Azog nods slowly. "Getting rid of undead dragons seems like a reasonable task for heroes," he says, sounding pleased. "Much more worthy than smashing things with your head. When do we leave?"
"Well, there's been missions into Dragonier often lately! I do not know much else. I hope to get to go on one at some point!" He bounces a bit, BOshter does, up and down.
Munch nods to Boshter, and shrugs to Azog. "Not yet. Hoped you guys knew more. Guess going to war take more time and preperation that I'd thought. Think part of it is letting everyone else know you aren't getting ready to go to war with -them-."
Azog ehs about missions, "Have there? I have not heard about those. Perhaps my timing is poor." He gives Munch a puzzled look, but then nods. "People in cities are like that, I think. They worry you are going to come fight with them when it is clear there is another threat. But I guess people in cities might really use that as an excuse to war on neighbors. It is puzzling and lacks honor."
"There was a big mission into some druid grove or something!"Boshter nods his head up and down. "I do not know much about it, to be honest." HE shakes his head.
Munch ponders a little while. "Maybe trying to get the other countries to help? One country goes to war with another, the two both get worn out. Get three or four against one, the one goes down and the others stay okay. Not really a fair fight, but with undead and countries, don't think has to be fair."
Azog hmms about the Druid Grove. "I believe things work out because powerful individuals see and direct adventurers where they can be most useful. So it must be handled well." He nods at what Munch says, but adds, "That is a task for those with wisdom and gray in their beards. I am a warrior now. Maybe when I am old, I will decide where other warriors should go."
"That is so true!" Boshter nods to Azog. "Powerful individuals! Great Hobgoblins! That is how it must be! Especially Hobgoblins," he adds, "Because we're very great. Maybe I did hit that adamant too hard."
Munch shrugs to Azog. "i deside where I go. I am the eldest of my kind. I am the only of my kind. So I accept recomendations from those even elder."
Azog arches a brow about great hobgoblins. "There may be some, among those who direct things," he allows. "But it seems to me as if there must be many people directing things. There are clearly signs of goblins and halfling involvement, also," he says in a disparaging tone. He nods to Munch. "I do not know how it is for you, who are unique. Do as you judge best, I suppose."
Scratching his bearded chin, Boshter then nods towards Munch and Azog. "YOu are the eldest and only? But I see other golems all the same."
Munch buzzes softly. "Golems, sure. But none like me."
Azog nods at what Boshter says about golems, but points out, "I have not seen others of his type, though. So maybe he is the eldest of his type."
"What makes you so different?" asks Boshter, curiously.
Munch buzzes again, a different tone. "Most are built. I was grown. And designed to grow even stronger as I learn more. Some of the brightest minds Gustav ever had worked on the plans for me." Likey and exageration, but most kids have an inflated view of their parents.
"Intresting," says Boshter. "Oh! I have something to do!" And then he's off and running.
Azog watches Boshter go, turns back to Munch, nodding slowly. "That is interesting," he says honestly. "It is complicated beyond my understanding. But. A person's worth is in what he does, and by that measure, you have honor."
Munch nods, pondering a few moments. "I still don't really understand the whole 'honor' thing. But I do believe it's important. It's...." The golem humms softly a few moments. "A bad fight, you don't learn anything. You don't grow. A fight with honor, you learn and grow from it."
Azog nods slow agreement. "You're right, you don't understand. But that is fine, too. There is no requirement to understand, or to do things as I would. I think perhaps the greatest confusion is people using their own definitions when I use the word honor. Perhaps I need a new and unique word for honor that only means what I mean." He explains, "Learning from a fight is not what I seek. It is the strength of the enemy that makes a fight honorable or not. If I learn nothing, that is fine. What matters is that I fought a strong opponent."
Munch ponders a few moments. "A weak foe you don't learn anything from. The only reason to fight someone weak is to teach them. Too strong, and you just get hurt. But pick good, and you learn."
Azog considers. "That is close, when you say it that way. But I do not always learn from a fight, even when it is with an opponent who closely matches me. Nor do I shirk fights from those who are much stronger."
Munch shakes his head. "If you didn't learn anything, they were too weak. You might not learn much, but a good fight you always learn something. And any fight where you die, was too strong."
Azog shrugs about dying. "If you die in a fight, you were not strong enough for the fight. But there is a little honor in making the attempt. And in some cases, it is right to make the attempt, even if you know you are not strong enough."
Munch stays quiet for a few moments. "To die is the end. If you die, everything you learned is gone. It's the worst thing. But... my makers died. And what they learned, they used to make me. So they aren't all gone, even though they're dead..." This is obviously a conflict of ideas for the metal man.
Azog snorts, shakes his head. "To die is far from the end," he says flatly. "There are priests here who can recall your spirit from Feiu," he uses the oruch name for Vardama, "to continue your tasks and gain more honor. Also, if you create ... I do not know how it is among golems. I suppose if you built a successor. I would train my child in the way of warriors, and that child would bring me honor even as I lie in my grave by using my training and gaining honor of his own. The way my deeds honor my teachers."
Munch ehs. "Comming back... is tricky. Eventually they'll deside who gets my spirit and won't let me come back." There's likely a story behind that. "But yeah, maybe some golems could, but I wasn't designed for kids, and I'm not a builder. Maybe like a student, or something, to carry on what I learned. Though think I'd rather just not die."
Azog doesn't know how coming back is for golems. Or for anyone else. At least not directly. But he has seen others fall and be brought back. He does agree, "There is a time, when your deeds are complete, that Feiu will not let you return. She will not let you stay past the end of your days. But until then, you may accomplish all than you will." He nods about not dying, agreeing, "That is the best choice."
Munch mmms, pondering a few moments, and shrugs. "So think I'll stick to not dying until I figure something better out. And with that in mind, I best get back to practice. Won't strictly stop dying, but it helps."
Azog nods gravely and bids the golem farewell, returning to his own training.