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Tournament of Champions 2 (The game has begun)
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Tai, Pele, Tourach and Sylva were preparing for another battle training.
Jaholion came up to them and asked: "Before we get split up into brackets, can I please join in a training match?"
"Dr Azmani sir, I'm really sorry! Did I damage anything? Is it a, a, an arcane staff imbued with magical properties?? So, so sorry!"
Vir looked up from the pages he was poring over. When he saw the object, he sighed.
"It's just a walking stick."
"Oh, um, I'm sorry anyway."
Vir waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing to worry about, lad."
The boy propped the walking stick upright, before pulling out a scroll. "I just wanted to say, sir, that, that..."
Vir propped himself upright, his curiosity and amusement having been tickled by this rather comical boy. "Go on."
"...that, uhhh, you're qualified!"
Vir narrowed his eyes in mock confusion. "Of course I'm qualified. I was a Grand Magus at a rather prestigious school."
The boy turned beet red. "N-n-no sir, what I mean't to say was that, you've qualified! For the uh, the, um, er..."
Vir realised he was going to have to spend the rest of the afternoon listening to this boy and his ums and ers if he didn't do something about it. He raised his hands, and his eyes began to glow with power. Now what was that nerve calming thing again? Um, er -- damn it, don't you fall into the same trap as that kid! Focus, Vir. When did you last have to cast thi-- aha! When the princess had a painting commissioned of her but she was too nervous to appear before the painter because she was once in a liaison with his son and-- bah, the things these young 'uns think and do. What a complicated bunch. Must be so depressing to be one of them. Okay, too off-topic. Now what were those words again? The entire train of thought took barely milliseconds, such is the mind of Vir Azmani.
Finding the shortest and most optimal combination of words of power he could come up with (it was his specialty, after all, and there is only so much one can forget), he spoke under his breath a single chain of three words. The glow dissipated from his eyes.
The boy looked a very different person now. Calmly brushing his wayward hair and straightening his cloak, he turned to Vir and said, "Yes, what I meant to say was that you are in the shortlist of 32 contenders for the Tournament of Champions. I wish you the best of luck for the challenges to come." Then the boy frowned. "I am not sure how I managed such coherent sentences."
A ghost of a smile crept over Vir. "How old are you?"
"Sixteen. It's old enough," said the boy with a hint of defensiveness.
"As I'm sure it is," said an amused Vir. Then with a flick of the wrist, he went back to his books. "Off with you now, I've got some preparation to do now. But do tell me your name."
"It's Hendrick."
Vir rolled his tongue, trying to wrap it around the unfamiliar-sounding name. The language of this land was strange to him. "Good day, Hendrick."
"Good day, Dr Azmani." Hendrick took his leave.
Vir looked back at his books. An issue of the Journal of the Electromagical Society caught his eye. He remembered that this particular issue had a review article on the applications of neuromancy in clinical psychology, and that it contained the most optimal version of the spell he just cast (the article cited him multiple times, of course). He leafed through the article until he found it. He was instantly disappointed in himself, for the spell was just two words long, where he used three. He frowned. While it didn't mean much in an academic setting, in battle the one-word difference could be the difference between successfully casting a spell and getting stabbed in the throat before completing it. A life and death scenario. Like the upcoming tournament.
I am getting increasingly rusty.
Time to amend that.
He headed to the library. He needed some time to think. And a place free from the incessant screams of seagulls.
I'll remember that silencing spell. One day...
“Jaholion, I don’t know,” Tai said, “Maybe this one time.”
“Okay.”
“See you on the grounds tomorrow!”
@Bobman111 - I'm working on it. Expect results soon. )
Morning sun was rising behind grey clouds, which were sailing over the port town of Eternstor. Judge Gaspar was sitting as his table, writing the names of contestants within a certain list while throwing a few dices onto the table from time to time. When he was about to finish the list, the door of the room opened and two men walked inside. One of them was a knight with a dark plate mail armor decorated with white and red scarves. The tall man didn't have a helmet and he had a two-handed longsword in his scabbard. The other man was a gunner. He had peculiar leather armor and his left arm was completely made from metal. In each of his two holsters was a pistol, but he carried no bullets. The knight stopped in front of the table and raised his right hand.
"Greetings, lord Gaspar! It's been a while."
The judge looked at the two guests and nodded his head. "Acyros and sir Killian. The tournament hosts sent you, didn't they?"
"They sent him, but I volunteered to come as well," Killian said and pointed at his companion with his thumb. Acyros walked next to a pillar and decided to lean against it with his hands crossed over his chest.
"Not very talkative today," Killian added, then he looked at the list on the table. "Are the match positions decided?"
"Yes. I sent Eetu to find good fighting spots for our contestants. Once they know their positions and we find a temporal arena, we will prepare for the 1st match-"
The doors opened once again. Eetu and two guards marched inside. The merfolk nodded at the gunner and the knight before looking at Gaspar.
"We found three good locations for the matches and we have the mayor's approval."
Gaspar stood up and took the list from the table. "Splendid. Sir Killian, I bet you want to meet the contestants personally, so I will give you the list," he said and gave the list to the knight. "Inform them their positions in the matches. We will decide the first match's location soon, then we will hold the first match at high noon."
"As you say, lord Gaspar, but we might want to postpone the first match," Killian said an pointed at the great windows at the back of the room. Judge Gaspar turned around and saw as the clouds in the sky have turned darker. He even could hear a faint, rumbling sound coming from the sky even though he was inside a mansion.
"A thunderstorm?"
"I will go to the tavern now. And Eetu, it's good to see you," the knight said before walking out from the room and hurrying to the tavern before the rain would come. Acyros was still leaning against the pillar and checking one of his pistols. Gaspar slowly sat down onto his chair with frustrated look in his eyes. Eetu, who was slightly smiling for a few seconds, opened his mouth. But before he could say anything, Gaspar pointed at him with his left hand's finger.
"Shut it!"
Then the judge put his right hand onto his face while leaning at the chair. He just knew that Eetu was about to say something witty about currents.
Few minutes later within the tavern of the contenders, sir Killian marched in and looked at everybody within there. "Greetings, contestants! I am sir Killian Flainor, and I will host the matches which will be held here in Eternstor."
He took the list from a small pocket of the belt and opened it. "The match positions have been decided, and they will be as follows..."
Match 1
@KalamMekhar VS @PewPewMen
Match 2
@bubbasnickey VS @bnew07
Match 3
@icyyou VS @shadow123
Match 4
@barchae VS @HeroKP
Match 5
@NokiSkaur VS @Nirlass
Match 6
@Jaxtheduck VS @Iseebirds
Match 7
@Faiths_Guide VS @kandra127
Match 8
@LGGisbert VS @MrPirate89
Match 9
@KingWatherton VS @Scott_Anderson
Match 10
@Corwinnn VS @Lujikul
Match 11
@pakashara VS @Bobman111
Match 12
@TheCenterOfTheUniverse VS @ShaperKyon
Match 13
@12258290 VS @DoctorFro
Match 14
@YaGirlSophie VS @DangMatt
Match 15
@SpiritDragon VS @baryonyx69
Match 16
@HATMAN VS @pjbear2005
Similarly, her opponent had to come to ground to hurt her so they were both at a strange disavantage which meant, the fight would probly come down to wich one was the most adaptable and clever.
I didn't change the abilities just the formatting
After Nya left the tavern she just needed to think. She went to to her training sphere where she found him. Konus, in his dog form sitting there.
"I've been expecting you," he said "You have been paired with one of your friends have you not?"
"I have, Sylva." Said Nya sadly.
"Well that is a shame, you must cast aside your friendships, for only one of you will be leaving the battle a victor, and it must be you." He walked towards her. "Your people, your other friends, and most of all myself, are counting on you to win. I have faith in you. Let us hope it is not misplaced, now come. We must train harder and longer, and then I will teach you the most important lesson. That is, if you have earned it." He then walked towards the vines and opened the sphere. He looked back. "Well what are you waiting for." Nya then ran into the sphere.
After an hour or so of training Nya stood up and looked at Konus.
"What."
"I've been thinking about what you said earlier. And I will train with you but I will not abandon my friends." She then turned around, moved the vines and left to go find her friends. Konus just stood there and smiled.
The 1st match will be played later than planned because of a thunderstorm that has arrived to Eternstor ( and totally not because of my personal matters ). Wind, rain, and lightning rules the current weather for approximately 15 hours. People, tournament hosts and contestants are advised to stay indoors if they are small enough that is.
Each match's winner is determined through different factors such as power/toughness, abilities, balance, extra costs, flavor, etc, but there is also special factors such as crowd support, character influence etc. Now would be the perfect time to make your champion to be known by the citizens of Eternstor. Make them present themselves, help people out, meet tournament hosts, gather connections, sing songs, show skills, take someone to a date? Whatever your champions comes up with!
The positions of your champions were decided by dice and pen.
After seeing who he was paired up against, Kozar left the tavern and flew up into the air. He looked all around for a suitable place to train and settled for a nice mountain in the distance. But first he wanted to get to know some of the other contestants. After returning to the ground he was greeted by an odd man with a strange blue aura to him.
"Hello, my name is Jaholion." He said as he held out his hand.
"Kozar." he said and then shook Jaholions hand.
"You look interesting. Demonic but also vaguely human."
"I am a human, but I was cursed by a demon and given some of their powers." Then suddenly a large rumble was heard and he saw lightning strike a strange green orb made of vines in the middle of the forest. It began to rain and they both headed inside. Once inside they found the nearest table and began to talk.
@Shadow123 @HeroKP @Bobman111 @pakashara @Sanjaya666
"Here are some fire lotuses for your fights" Pele Said "Just channel the fire energy from them and you will be able to cast a single fire spell"
Im Lobberknot and Lobberknot's me. I'll show ya my hole if ya ask real nice.
Lobberknot ain’t never done nothing but hench before. First he live in this old cave with my brother Stink Toe, an we both hench and Stink Toe peel carrots and I peel pertatoes. We hench for a smart guy, big magic, name Oliver. And peel pertatoes.
O DID I PEEL EM... ALL I DID FOR ALL FEREVER WAS PEEL PERTATOES
My PETATER PEELER:
Drived me plum neat crazy as a elf or some foofy like that.
But then he get a chance when an old druid come through and tell him he can be HIS henchman. But then, Stink Toe die trying to open the door.
My only brother what I can remember in my whole life die openin up the door. An it was OLIVER'S DOOR!! Boy howdy but we find that villain!
And Lobberknot peeled OLIVER’S UGLY MELON!! And the simply aromatic Druid gave ol Lobberknot TWO GOLD COINS (!!!) and they were DELISHIS...
Any how then we go hunt for some girl but when we find her we hand her right over to the rich guy. It’s okay because I stoled his dagger and sold it for a whole bag OF turnips. (SUCH A DEAL.)
Also um I gave the gnome a potion an save his life (why they say I'm a hero is, I didn't feed him the oil flashk) and NEVER GOTTA PEEL NO MORE POTATERS YAY!
-Ra'qu-en despite presenting its infantile form its power is able to drain the vital energy of its opponent.
In spite of his unknown language, it is possible to understand him by his gaze, he want to grows up, and he desires your soul
Ra'qu-en is ready to fight with another demon. it favors to his growth
-the souls eater vs. the thief of hearts (entertaining!)
-ARE YOU READY TO THE PROMISSORY DOOM?
( The tournament bracket can now be seen on Challonge over here:
Tournament of Champions 2 Bracket
I just created an account there so I could make that neat bracket for everyone to see. I will update it after each match. Hope you enjoy it!
I've also added the link to the bracket into this discussion's main page. )
( @Bobman111 your turn.)
She would often speak with those people telling them how to take better care for their plantations. Obviously Jazhara prodigal green thumb made those crop delicious and plentyful. Sometime farmers would give her some of it as thanks. she was offered vegetables and a bouquet of flowers; one young man even invited her in for tea.
This place was charming (when the weather would allow it to be) but Jazhara couldnt take the tournament off her mind.
@barchae
After finding out who he was up against, Jaholion went to visit Pele. After receiving the gift of the fire flower, he gave enormous thanks. Then, he told Pele, whispering: "Good luck in the tournament. The robot is a worthy opponent, but you can beat him"
LATER, AT NIGHT:
Jaholion finished tweaking his automaton. He stood up his masterpiece beside his bed. Once he turned his head, he saw a lady with glowing blonde hair. Her eyes were bluer than ever before.
"Whoah, Ami! You sure look glamorous tonight!"
"That's because I got upranked to Tier 5!"
"Oh!.. I just don't know what to say. Well done. Great!"
"Thank you, thank you, but it's not that big of a deal. Tier 4 to Tier 5 is probably the most boring transition ever. Remeber Tier 2 to Tier 3? That's when you got your constructs and I got my shadow walk. But anyway, I came here to talk to you seriously"
"Hmm... I'm listening"
"Who is his Pele girl you've been spending so much time with?"
"No, Ami, it's not what you think, not at all. She's just a friend and a training partner"
"I knew you'd never betray me, Jaho, but I just wanted to make sure"
"That's ok"
"Now, the real serious talk is, I found out something about one of the contenders. You know how all our names between with either Ja or Jo? Even I was called Jorania before I changed my name. Well, one of the contenders names is Jazhara"
"I thought that sounded like the names of our folk. Probably just a coincidence, though"
"That's what I thought so too. Until I managed to get a strand of her hair, and scan her life essence. This is what I found out... *whisper*..."
"Wait, she's the great granddaughter of the outcast? Yes, that actually makes sense. I shouldn't tell her yet, though"
NEXT MORNING:
Ronnie was running through an alley, when he was stopped by sheer terror. Right, there, in the alley, was Jaholion, the terrible god of opponents. Ronnie was about to turn and run in the other direction like crazy, but was stopped by the ethereal's strangely calming voice.
"There's no need to be afraid there, lad"
"Sorry, Mr Ethereal, I just run when I see the enemy, in hopes that he would chase me right into my bosses's traps. It's job instincts"
"Don't worry. Even if you ran, I wouldn't chase you. Unless I created some sort of hovercraft, I couldn't catch you"
"Thanks, sir. It's just that... I don't know why I signed up. You will probably kill me in the arena, and that would be the end for Ronnie the Bait Boy!"
"Now, now, don't talk nonsense. If you lose and die, you will be resurrected, and it will be like nothing happened"
"Well, thanks, Mr Ethereal. That's very reassuring"
"Call me Jaholion, lad" - said the god, and jumped up over the wall behind him.
Finding out was a simple thing. The options 'what to do' afterwards were not.
Days had passed, and Tourach could only spent her days in the tavern as a prisoner due to her insidious actions before.
'Still, it is better than being tied and burned at a stake.' Frowned the female lich. Her eyes were still fixated at the tournament's matchup board.
Although technically she could just slipped herself away via her mistform, the guards would then be alarmed about the lack of her presence.
Besides that, a mass of brainwashed guards would be bad for her already bad reputation anyway. Although their helmets and armors are enchanted to protect them from harmful sorceries, the same are not so much for their minds.
But there's a thing she didn't really like about the tournament.
A while ago, after she stole a memory from a random unimportant drunk civilian, again, there was an acknowledgement about a sort of intervention from some of the judges themselves in the arena because they simply just 'dislike' some certain champions.
And boy they are certainly dangerous people. Rumors also said that some of the judges are even gods from outside that plane itself.
'In the end, it ultimately doesn't matter whether your opponent is just a weakling. In the end, it's just their conclusion that is mattered.'
In the end, there was actually no real fight.
There was only the act of the judges' favoritism.
'Tch... What does it even matter then if my opponent is a gigantic predatory wurm or just a child with determination? A stray thought of a death spell can take care of it just the same. After all, they are being with souls.
But in the end, what does it even matter again if the judges decide otherwise?'
The lich gritted her teeth in frustration, and she went upstairs towards her room again to clear her head from such unnecessary anger. She wasn't a reckless fire-slinging wizard after all.
But the hatred, it was obviously still there.
A while later, the lights in her room flickered out, and a certain ghostly apparition approached her.
Illuminated only by the moonlight, the ghost kneeled in front of the lich mistress.
"There was a small settlement that can be converted, in a far north from here." Spoke the shadowy ghost with his whispering voice or commonly known as wraith.
"Why did it take so long?" Demanded Tourach.
"There was an unforeseen accident, and I had to possess the person and converted the whole settlement, my Lord." Exclaimed the wraith who was formerly the lost guard.
"A rash action. Nevertheless." She sighed and stood up. "What I need now is soldiers, not some more brainwashed cultists. Living soldiers. There was a change in the plan." She gazed at the night sky above through the window.
"What should we do now, my Lord?"
"Lead the way to that location. I shall revert them back and erase their memories. Then I myself shall convince them by a more traditional mean."
"My Lord?"
"Demon summoning. And not just a demon, an animal-oriented one to prevent further unneeded human sacrifices. And he shall act as my general and to spread the words about the Order. That the Order is a force that can't be easily ignored. Let's go, my faithful follower."
"As you wish, my Lord."
And both then transformed themselves into black and misty substances towards the north.
- || -
In the next morning just before the sun rose again, Tourach was arrived in her room again. Stealthily.
'Well, that was certainly a lot of work.' She sighed. Thankfully she couldn't feel any kind of fatigue anymore. Another good perk for being an undead.
A knock was heard in the room's only door.
"I'm coming." The lich opened the door and put up her best smile.
"Just daily checking, ma'am." Saluted the guard.
"Well, have a nice day then." She was still smiling.
The guard just nodded and left.
She then closed the door.
'At least I have my own dominion in this world, for now it might be small but it would be certainly grow.' Contemplated the lich while was watching the rising morning sun in the horizon.
Tai ran out of her room. She knew there were storms today, but she didn’t care. In the distance, she could hear voices. Familiar voices. Tai whipped out her rose and quietly hid.
“I just can’t believe you-” Sylva started as Nya cut her off.
“There’s something watching us.” Nya whispered.
She directed energy into Tai’s rose and it whipped her out of her hiding spot. Tai quickly regained control of it and cut the vines.
“You,” Nya said, “How long have you been here.”
“A few minutes,” Tai said.
Pele hurried in. “I nearly got struck by lightning!”
Then, Jaholion materialized into the place. “In a storm like this? I see why they call you mischief.”
Tai glared at her. We can practice in the second dome. Jaholion was an Artificier. She seemed strong.
“I’ll fight first,” Tai said.
@HeroKP your turn