Challenges
Tenebrae - Friday, November 14, 2014, 6:20 PM
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A11: Festival Grounds *>=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
The sweeping Festival Grounds serve many purposes. For much of the year they serve as practice grounds for training knights, for the games of children who pick up ball, bat, and begin a game of stickball. During other times, they're filled with colored tents, with performers for some of Alexandria's many festivals.
Along one side are a set of permanent bleachers, and at either end an archway. Each archway is carved in the style of a grand entry and marked with images of of Daeus, with rearing horse and flying pennon. Here, the god stands depicted in his roles of defender and knight-warrior. Recently, the Lancers of Serriel have taken to practicing here, along the knights and warriors of other orders, and a small number of them take a select pride in the upkeep of the grounds, alongside the Daeusites, Navosians, Gileans, and other mixtures.
Littering the grounds are places for archery, target practice. Here too, scheduled a few times a month, is the space given for ridden sport, organized recently by the arvek nar. The reining champion's name is displayed in an upright lance at the end of the field, a silent challenge for next month's contender.
"URK!" Tal's breath leaves him in a rush as the pain hits. He does know enough not to struggle too much against the hold and risk causing himself actual injury. There are gasps from the crowd - and several crows of triumph from Azog's supporters who have just won money on their faith in him. Tal slaps the ground with his free hand. "I yield!"
Solace raises his eyebrows. "That didn't take long," he says to Yngvild. This is all happening on a dark, rainy night, under a large tent where performers are - an illusionist, an acrobatic troupe, and a wrestler...who has just been beaten badly by Azog. Solace calls over to Azog. "I suppose YOU are going to take challengers, now?"
Yngvild was just moving into position to get a better look when Azog manages to subdue the guy in a swift movement "Carnival performers don't often face real warriors" she says with perhaps a touch of disaproval in her voice as she looks to Tal and frowns slightly. Shaking her head she buys another mug of cider and takes a long swallow. As Solace speaks she turns her eyes up curiously to Azog to see if he will.
Azog lets the man go, and leaves the man in the ring to do his thing. He shakes his head to Solace. "I am not paid by the circus to take on all challengers." He steps out of the ring, and gets himself a snack, taking a satisfying bite of something fried and crispy. "Perhaps if there is another training event at the Temple of Angoron, I will participate."
Munch wanders his way though the Festival grounds, shifting his path to see what's happening at the tent. The Metal Man doesn't catch everything, but is able to get the gist of the situation, and heads over towards Azog. "There is a difference between taking all challengers, and calling for more. are you saying if one were to challenge you to combat, you would refuse them?"
Tal staggers to his feet. He blinks at Azog's departing back, but recovers quickly enough. He makes a show of rubbing his arm. "Ah, it seems that even the greatest of warriors can be bested by a strong challenger. Come, men! Surely there is one among you that can stand up to the example the oruch has set?" And just like that, the crowd is bigger than before, each farmer's son and paunchy merchant convinced that THEY can do what Azog just did.
Solace skirts the crowd to follow Azog, nodding to Talazia as he approaches her. "An unequal, but still entertaining, contest." To Azog, he says, "That was a kindness. The troupe will pull down an excellent take--" and then there's Munch.
Solace just stops and stares. He hardly even blinks, just drinking in the golem's form like a man in love.
Azog looks up as Munch addresses him and shakes his head. "I will never refuse a challenge. But I will not meet random people here, no. This is their stage, not mine." He hasn't wandered off very far at all, so Solace hasn't got far to walk to keep up with him. He shrugs to the half-mul. "That was not my concern. But I am not here to entertain others, so I felt that I should leave it to whoever is."
Yngvild's expression as she glances on Munch is not nearly as admiring, there is in fact a faint frown at the sight of the artificial man. Only for a moment as she manages a polite nod before taking a long swallow of her fresh cider. The smile broadens a little bit as she notices more of the general populace lining up "Well done" she congratulates Azog as he nears.
Talazia raises an eyebrow before she looks to , and waves to, Solace. "What did I run into?" She says softly as she looks towards Azog and Tal. "Anyone who claims they're the greatest is asking for a beating, I swear."
Munch nods, assured of his clarification in terms. The golem eyes the line of challengers a moment, but makes no move to join them, instead shifting his stance to put himself more behind Azog from Solace. Bandits, warlords, undead, demons, even dragons he's faced without flinching; but fanboys are scary.
Talazia's wave and question shakes Solace out of his golem-trance. He blinks a couple of times before turning from Munch to address the woman. "Azog was merely demonstrating the difference between a performer and a warrior." He leans just enough to give Azog's arm a nudge with his elbow. "Who knows? You might have inspired one or two of them to want to learn /true/ strength. Break out of their soft, city-dwelling ways," he teases. And then peeks at the golem again. Because, GOLEM. "Ah...Munch, wasn't it. How are you? Functioning within optimal parameters?"
Indeed, very scary.
Godwyn could attest to that, as she's been in the Soldier's Defense for the past two days, being treated for losing quite a good amount of what made her, her. Oh it was all for a good cause, but having just now gotten onto her feet again, she'd rather not repeat the incident unless she had to. The rain didn't bother her any, thanks to the dark blue cloak with the silver emblem of the Evening Star on the back, and she walked without Argent in tow this time, like she usually did when she went to the Parade Grounds.
She'd heard rumors. They'd garnered her interest. Now she was here to watch the spectacle, and who is the first person she finds watching with everyone else?
Solace.
It wasn't like she disliked him. She was just still annoyed. So she stood there, two feet behind him, and observed the conversation.
For now.
Azog murmurs a "Thank you," to Yngvild. To Talazia, he says, "No matter where you go, there will always be someone stronger than you. But you must always accept the challenges that face you." He peers at Solace and says, "I hope that is the case."
Benthus wanders into the area, doing his daily routine on checking on people and places for anything interesting or out of the norm. When he spots that there is a greater number of people in the area, he naturally became curious. He heads to one group, a group that he is familiar with, and asks his query, "Hello there. Is there something going on here?"
Munch blinks with a soft click. It's not quite rolling his eyes, but his optics don't work like that. "No, optimal performance is a continuous persuit. But all system indicators are green." The golem hesitates a moment, and slowly, trying not to be threatening, draws the massive greataxe from his back, ripping free the thin layer of skin that's grown overtop. "Have you been introduced to Reaver?"
Talazia chuckles softly at Azog. "Not all of us accept challenges.....Mine are more in the forest. I'm just here to find a friend of mine." She then shrugs a bit. "besides....in feats of strength, I'd lose."
"The martial pursuits are also not my strength," Solace agrees, although he sounds no more than minorly dismayed about that. He gestures at the revelry, a half eaten pie in his hand, as Benthus approaches. "A wandering troupe, it seems. Feats of strength, skill, and magic on display!" He sounds like a barker himself, then, practiced and enthusiastic.
That drops immediately upon the unsheathing of Reaver, blinking at Munch in curiosity. He doesn't seem to have noticed Godwyn behind him. "...is it conscious?" Not as silly a question as one might think, considering some of the weapons he's met.
Drawing a massive greataxe does tend to get attention, even if done carefully. Yngvild doesn't quite draw her own massive hammer in reply but she does shift stance just a little, keeping a wary eye on Munch as she finishes her cider. Looking up into the dark sky she frowns a little "Was a pleasure to meet you, but got a pregnant parishioner I need to check on" she says and nods around to the others present before returning the mug and heading off into the rain.
So Munch was here, too? Figures... and Solace didn't even know she was there. Ah, well.
Godwyn moved away from the talking and headed further into the crowd. She'd have her conversation with Solace later. He was engrossed in what he was doing, as always with artifice. She made her way toward the cider and took a mug with a smile, paying (whether she had to or not) before taking a seat and watching the action.
Yngvild has left.
"I am. More so than the big lug, sometimes. Regardless, greetings, I am Reaver. I... er... well, I don't really get out much." The axe enuciates quite well for someone lacking a mouth. At least, no proper mouth; the head of the blade is a stylized dragon head, the long mane fanning out into the blade. Layers of leathery skin have built up upon the long haft, and delicate networks of veins or circuits or something show below the surface.
Munch just holds still, having said his piece.
Benthus tilts his head to the side as he sees someone behind Solace. He smiles for Godwin then blinks as she walks away. He looks concerned. "Feats of strength? Interesting." He says distractedly. He shakes himself mentally, which comes out as a blink of his eyes and then continues his conversation, "I guess all is well here then."
Azog has left.
Solace makes a distracted sound at Benthus. "All quite well. Although you should try the pies. They're excellent." He takes his own advice, scarfing the last few bites of his hand pie, to free up a hand so that he can take a proper bow to greet Reaver. "A pleasure, Reaver. You are a remarkable construction." His voice is warmer and more enthusiastic than it hardly ever is for people of flesh and blood.
<OOC> Solace waves!
Kravar has disconnected.
Talazia tilts her head as she walks over and sees reaver. "You mean....you're not a sword? Or an energy sword? You're also not bonded to a vampire named kain? or Raziel?" She says as a bit of a joke towards Reaver and Munch.
"....I've killed a vampire." Reaver replies, not getting the joke. To the fair, he lacks thumbs to play.
Munch buzzes softly. "No, -I- killed a vampire, using you."
"-Excuse- me? Who did the actual cutting? Who drew the blood, or ichor, or whatever the heck that stuff was? You just happened to be holding my handel at the time."
"Right, like you can move on your own."
"I! ...I... I'm working on it! *ahem* Anyway... I'm not a construct. Those are planned and built. -I- was grown."
Grown from a construct. Still totally counts.
Benthus has left.
Solace gives Talazia a puzzled look, then grins at the byplay. "A triumph, nonetheless. Vampires are tricky." He takes a step back away, as if only just realizing he was creeping on the golem's personal space. "Thank you for introducing us, Munch. It is a welcome balm to the gall I had recently to swallow. An artifact of great beauty and power, and we had to smash it to pieces." Sigh.
Talazia smirks at Munch and Reaver's by-play. 'Did you cleave the vampire in twain?" She then looks to SOlace. "Was it necessary to destroy?"
Munch returns Reaver to it's accustom place between his wings. "Not in twain, just a really big gash. Though I guess you could say I vaporized it, since it turned to mist. Then we hunted down the mist and killed that."
"What sort of artifact? I've never been allowed to taste one of those."
The two voices are quite similar, and with neither having lips to move, can be hard to tell which is speaking. But the blade is far less resonate in it's words... and somewhat elss focused on consumption.
Solace sighs again, looking mournful. "Unfortunately, the only other option was to allow the a dragon who followed Heth to take off with it. Or Charn, which would have been almost as bad. Not a fate I would wish on a soul forge. So we destroyed it." But he clearly regrets it. He runs his free hand through his hair. "Anyway. What have the two of you been up to?"
Talazia looks to Solace. 'if there was no other choice....then I wouldn't worry too much about it. Like I said, I'm looking for my friend in the city. She gets curious about city life at times and I have to make sure she isn't made into steaks."
Munch shrugs. "Oh, one of those things. Would be neat to see one, but they're a flawed concept. Growth is a better creation process. Anyway, we've been working on how to vaporize rocks."
"Pulverize. There's a difference."
"Whatever. They disappear in a puff." The golem blinks, distracted as he shifts attention towards Talazia. "Who's steaks?"
"But it was beautiful. A work of art," Solace says, quietly. Then he shakes himself again and looks to Talazia. "Yes, do tell us of this potentially cannibalized friend of yours. Must we mount a search party?"
Talazia blinks at SOlace. "No need. She's around here somewhere, but she's not the type of friend most would think about." She then hears a scream from nearby. "And....that must be her." She then looks down just as a comparatively small (compared to how big she COULD be) snake slithers over Solace's foot, and onto Talazia's hand, coiling around her arm and Talazia stands up. "Snake steaks. Ever heard of them?"
"Canibals eat their own kind. Doesn't count if they're different." Munch corrects quietly.
"Pretty similar to fish." The golem continues.
Solace screams. And very nearly stomps on that poor snake. "Keep a hold of that thing!" he says, after jumping nearly a foot. Glare, glare glare! He clears his throat. "Well. I am...glad you found him. Her. It." HARUMPH. "I must be going."
Solace has left.
Talazia says, "her." She then laughs as Solace zips away. "Well how about that. he's startled of snakes. Even though she's tame." She then starts out of the city. "I'll see you soon, Munch. Glad to see you found an axe worthy of your ability to cleave things.""
Munch nods. "Grew, not found, but so am I."
"Found, feh, I escaped from that dusty prison you call a brain."
"Evicted. Anyway, yes, we'll see you around."