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Tournament of Champions 2 Rematch (The game has begun)
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The wind was howling in the large grasslands next to Legorna, which shined under the bright morning sun of the ocean horizon. A large amount of tournament people and creatures walked on the long road, which led to the city gates. When the contestants spotted the shining white tower of Legorna, they thought they would finally be in the city in no time. But the road felt unbelievably long, maybe because of the slow travelers slowing others down, or because of the headwind, which was occasionally strong enough to send the smallest contestants flying backwards.
Countless steps and minutes later, the group was approaching the large iron gates of the city, which slowly started to open as they got close to it. The sound of the gate's mechanism drowned all other sounds and thoughts. When the way was opened for the tournament hosts, guards, and contestants to enter the city, two people were awaiting them at the other side. One of them was a young man with long, grey hair. He was wearing a navy blue attire with sky-blue cape and he seemed to be quite excited as he observed the contestants. The other person was a knight, completely covered in black armor. An old, blood-red cloak quietly waved behind him, and it hid a sheathed greatsword behind his back. His hands were crossed over his chest, and some contestants immediately believed him to be much more threatening than all the tournament guards around them combined. Sir Killian and Master Eetu walked through the gates to talk with the two men while the others still awaited outside. Ringmaster Philibert walked in front of the contestants and turned to look at them while smiling.
"So here we are, in Legorna, where each one of you will unleash your own little champion, which you have kept under control for many days now. But unfortunately, I will not be here to witness those moments."
"Me neither," Judge Gaspar said as he walked next to Philibert. "Other important duties demand us to travel to Crastine. We've already played our roles in Eternstor, so we wish you good luck in the games. Remember to cling to your souls as you fight and most likely die..."
With that remark, Gaspar turned around and walked through the gates to greet the two unknown men. Philibert tipped his top hat to the contestants and quickly followed. A moment later, the young man and the knight walked in front of the contestants. When the knight gestured with his left hand to dismiss the tournament guards, they each started walking into the city in a relaxed pace while the young man greeted the contestants.
"Greetings, contestants of the seventeenth tournament, and welcome to the humble, yet beautiful city of Legorna! My name is Nathandielle von Moxartine, but please, call me Nathan. And this man here is Oliver, the arena watchman."
"You don't need to be afraid of him as long as you keep to the rules, which are simple. Let's get over them as we go to the arena, so follow me."
"What? Are we going to fight right now?"
"About time! I've waited for too long!"
"B-but I need a moment to prepare for my match!"
Nathan heard many other questions and comments from various contestants as he was about to lead them through the gates. "No, there will not be any bloodshed today, but there are some regulations we have to make before we can start the games."
The contestants followed Nathan through rather empty streets of Legorna while Oliver was walking quietly behind them. Eetu, Killian, Gaspar, and Philibert had already gone somewhere when they entered the city. Occasionally there were some curious civilians looking at the strange group from buildings' windows or from the edge of a street.
"Where is everybody? And where is the welcoming ceremony?"
Nathan didn't see who asked. "The people know you are arriving sometime this week, they simply don't know when or by which ship. Plus, this is one of the most quiet hours of the day. It's better for you to arrive this way, so we won't have to deal with any problems that would occur otherwise."
"I don't like that walking statue," Koorir huffed and pointed at Oliver behind him with his right hand's thumb. "Could we get some other watchful creature that would not be as broody?"
"Oliver is some of the best watchmen Legorna has to offer," Nathan said. "He has made sure contestants stay under control and won't be attacked by anyone or anything except if it's within the rules, which should be easy to remember; Don't attack or kill anyone that is not another contestant, and don't kill any contestants either unless it's your opponent during a match."
A shadow of a large wall crept upon the group as they arrived to the central arena of Legorna. Countless statues of warriors, wizards, and other kinds of fighters were placed on top of the walls and corners of the numerous stone stands. As the group was moving to the middle of the round arena, some contestants noticed the dark animal tunnels underneath it. Nathan stopped when the contestants were standing in the center of the arena ring.
"This is the central arena and the largest one. It's used for different activities around the year, but the main attraction is, of course, the tournament. There are two additional arenas as well, one is in an abandoned town at the outskirts of the city, the other is in the nearby forest called by the name of 'Trogon.'"
Then they saw as a small iron bar door opened at the far edge of the ring. A person wearing dusky robes and carrying a grotesque staff walked from the shadows. When he closed the door and started walking to the contestants' direction, Nathan turned around to look at them.
"The people of this city want to see heated battles and glorious victories from you, but to be able to fight without too much pressure on your mind, we must remove one very significant factor in all of this. Death."
The person was standing next to Nathan. The old man's skin was grey and his black eyes seemed to measure each contestant's soul.
Nathan continued. "You will be marked with an abyssal signet by this priest here. This will prevent the abyss from claiming your soul if you would fall during a match. The spark of life will then be very easy to reignite again. Once revived, it will feel as if you just lost consciousness by hitting your head very hard. I'll leave you with the priest now. The deed will hurt a bit, but it might help you prepare for what is about to come. See you later!"
"Remember, the mark will only do its bidding in the three arenas, so don't be too lustful to spill each others blood before then."
Onara nodded and walked away from the priest. Oliver, who quietly walked back and forth next to the other contestants, gestured to the second one in the line.
"Next!"
The priest conducted the ritual the same way to each other humanoid contestant, but when it was Dostran's, Drellen's, and Gyar's turn, the priest placed the signet onto their heads. After about an hour, every contestant was branded with the abyssal signet and exhausted by it. The priest walked away through the door where he had come from, and Nathan returned to the arena a few minutes later. He guided the contestants through the town and after another few minutes they were in front of a large federation building. Countless soldiers were standing outside the building and within its hallways. Nathan told the contestants that one of the new hosts was awaiting them inside, and he sighed in relief when he noticed that the largest contestants were tiny enough to get through the building's doors.
Once inside, Nathan guided everyone to a large dining hall. When the doors opened, the contestants saw a long table with all kinds of food on it. Each seat had a piece of paper with a contestant's name on it except the ones at both ends of the table. When everyone was inside the hall, a large door opened at the other side of it, and a young woman in a golden, formal attire stepped though it. She had a long, brown hair, white silk gloves, and two beautifully sparkling purple gemstones, one serving as earring while the other was on her white bow tie. The woman walked in front of the contestants. She quickly glanced at Nathan and Oliver before she greeted the guests.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, contestants of the seventeenth tournament. My name is Clementia Frondel. On behalf of the federation, you shall all feel very much welcome."
"You must all be hungry after the journey and the priest's ritual, so please have a seat and dine with me and Nathandielle."
Some contestants almost hurried to their seats, and Oliver quietly walked out from the hall. Clementia took the seat at the end of the table while Nathan took the one at the opposite end. Gyar's handler, Darian, took the wurm's seat instead, and fed Gyar whatever the creature wanted from the table. During the dinner, Clementia told the contestants about what the arenas are, about the federation, its purpose, and the agreements with the capital city of Crastine. She also told how to appeal to the crowd, as the crowd would be important if total victory should be achieved. Lastly, she talked about the rewards victorious contestants would receive as they won matches, and that the true champion would earn them all. After the dinner, Nathan guided the contestants to nearby residential buildings, which would be their homes for as long as they're in the tournament.
The contestants spent the next week in Legorna by exploring the city, its outskirts, and training for the games, physically and/or mentally. They often split up to avoid conflicts, and Oliver, alongside with other watchmen, made sure they wouldn't do anything dramatic. Nathan continued to show the contestants around different parts of the city; The tower, the library, the training grounds, and various other interesting places the city had.
On the morning of the eighth day, the contestants were summoned to the central arena. When they arrived there, they were greeted by the cheers and shouts of the people all around the stands. Nathan and Clementia stood at the center of the arena with four other hosts. The contestants didn't recognize the elf and the older woman, but they knew the armored knight and the merfolk; Sir Killian and Master Eetu. The contestants were greeted by them, and when Killian asked them to present themselves to the audience, Nathan walked onto a wooden podium, which was put onto the center of the arena, and cleared his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, people of our wonderful city! Let us welcome the contestants of the seventeenth tournament!"
A loud cheer and applause echoed around the arena, then Nathan continued. "Here before us we have the sixteen, who have been carefully chosen for this year's tournament! They have traveled from afar with grudges against each other and maybe even some friendships, but when they leave this arena today, they'll leave as enemies with one single name on their mind; The name of their opponent, who will face them in their first match! Dear audience, look at your fighters, look at those who will struggle to become champions! Which one of these would you cheer for? Which one of these would you like to see become the truest champion over them all!?"
The people in the audience cheered once again and gave another thunderous applause. Nathan glanced at Eetu and the elf, who were making some sort of list together. When the ovation was over, Nathan looked at the audience and then at the contestants.
"People of Legorna and my respected contestants, it's time to pick names!"
Match 1
@Lujikul VS @HeroKP
Match 2
@pakashara VS @sanjaya666
Match 3
@AxNoodle VS @Jonteman93
Match 4
@pjbear2005 VS @Faiths_Guide
Match 5
@shadow123 VS @DoctorFro
Match 6
@kandra127 VS @Beastakles
Match 7
@notmyprimespeaker VS @KJMartin
Match 8
@Derfaulehelmut VS @ASubtleGhost
The bracket can now be viewed from the link below:
Tournament bracket
Eventually the flame ignited again on its own and I found myself writing for the tournament again. It was much easier than many weeks earlier. I hope you're not too mad with me for not being able to anything before. The bracket is now out, and the 1st match will be held within the next few days. Thank you for your patience, and please ask if you have any questions regarding anything at all.
No problem, we all need to take a break now and then, and no one can blame you for needing to take one, especially if you felt burnt out.
Ooh, Yagara gets to go first! That'll merry her ol' bones!
*Them's fightin' words!*
"But can you beat yourself?" Kift, taking Pele's form, remarked in a soft girlish voice.
(I think Braekun is one of the best contestants here!)
@pakashra @pjbear2005
That’s when the mysterious witch approached the trio.
@HeroKP (if you’d like to rejoin with Bab Yagara, that’d be awesome!)
Of course! Yagara is always up for fight club!
Best of luck. Let's see if the old hag can teach some tricks to the new beast.
Tai, Sylva, and Pele didn’t know what to say. Pele was half freaked out by the old witch’s voice and appearance and Sylva was stunned. Tai remembered what happened before getting onto the ship. The witch rose on mud or a stump. But that’s all she could remember. Then, Tai cautiously approached the witch and put out a small hand and said, “I’m Tai, this is Pele, and that is Sylva. And we can help you. We’ve learned to understand people like an ethereal named Jaholion and a girl who could control plants.”
Pele nodded and handed the witch a small red lotus while Tai offered a vial of black powder.
“This is a symbol of our friendship.” Sylva remarked, “Let’s all meet tomorrow at the grass training fields.”
The witch smiled and walked off.
@pjbear2005 @pakashra @HeroKP is this okay? If not, tell me and I’ll change it.
"Marvellous, dear!" says Yagara.
After some time he looked up again as he heard some people shout in awe. Braekun's eyes widened. Behind the crowd he saw the large and strong minotaur Koorir. On the rooftops stod the valkyrie (angel) Onara and on the field outside Legorna wwas the wurm Gyar. "They must be the reason I am here." Braekun thought with renewed dedication.
Soon, although the contestants can’t know it yet (or Dostran), he will grow fast like all Leofae. He is being quite slow compared to others.
Gyar is shuddering in his sleep. His handler is worried, but the wurm has been through much worse.
He is seeing a vision of a green head. He knows that the emerald skull doesn't seem to want to harm it, yet it must.
Oh, it must for things much greater than Yagara thinks of the wurm.
He will be a worthy challenger, and I shan't be embarassed if I lose. That said though, I would very much like to win.
While the handler watches on with concern, the wurm turns, the top of its serpentine body indistinguishable from the bottom. The vision left it worried, an emotion it rarely felt. It was strong enough to make its way through any physical bout, but an attack on the mind? It felt more vulnerable than ever. And so the beast made a vow, the second of its life. This intruder would be his next prey. He would hunt them down, and ensure they were cursed with everlasting regret at his fangs.
The tapestry has been woven. The wurm knows it isn't personal, yet he is angry and lusts for vengeance.
Exactly as planned.
As a member of the Abzan, this is a weakness she can exploit.
Your champions could also gain popularity from the crowd (me) in many ways, such as telling more about them, showing off, helping out others, making a scene, go to a local tavern, being around, or by going out with someone. These methods require writing, but you decide how much you want to write. If you have any questions about the locations or the characters, then go forth and send me a message!
I would also like to ask each one of you to send me your champion's signature card in a message (if it has a signature card). It would help me to keep them memorized and also help to conclude tough matches. I'll also write them down on a list, so I wouldn't forget them easily (I don't know why I haven't done that earlier).
( @Lujikul VS @HeroKP )
The match between Gyar and Bab Yagara will be held in the Trogon Forest tomorrow!
The four contestants met in a large, grassy field next to Legorna. Tai was extremely exited to test the what looked like a frail old witch in battle. Pele decided to have the first shot against the witch. Pele cast balls of dark flame that the witch deflected with a glowing staff. Tai marveled at this magic. She may have gotten rusty on some skills, but the witch knew almost everything as she had witnessed great events like these for many decades. Pele soon realized her tactic wasn’t working, so she changed it up. She cast fire around Bab Yagara, cloaking herself from the witches view, and readied a large fire spell. Meanwhile, the witch was chanting random words Tai couldn’t understand. Pele let loose the stream of purple flames and green, poisonous magic poured out of the old witch’s staff. Bab Yagara quickly overpowered the tired pyromancer and won the match. Tai noted Bab Yagara’s excessive use of her staff and flew up to battle the witch.
“Okay deary, let me see if you can impress me.” the witch said in a crackly voice.
Tai mixed red, black, and white powder together to make a bright flash. The blinded witch couldn’t see the Faerie who was aiming to take her staff. Bab Yagara opened her eyes just in time to swing her staff out of the way, but Tai hadn’t finished yet. She let loose a blast of red powder. The witch cried out in clear pain and agony. Tai swept down to silence the witch with some purple sleep powder, but suddenly, Bab Yagara’s staff started to glow. Tai paid no heed to the glowing staff and threw the purple powder. It settled on the witch when green, glowing bees came and swarmed Tai. She quickly pulled out her flute, hoping to calm the bees down, but she got stung. Tai plummeted to the ground, poisoned. The bees vanished. After Sylva used Tai’s healing powder to heal both of them, She readied herself for battle.
“I won’t lose like my other friends,” Sylva shouted.
“We’ll see, Darling.” the witch replied.
Sylva ran at the witch at full speed, she was fast, but Tai was confused why she’d barrel into the face of poisonous magic without an opening.
“Looks like this match is already over,” the witch cackled as she let some green wisps of magic pour out of her staff. Sylva was ready for this. She angled her hammer in a way that the sunlight glistened off of it and blinded the witch, causing the spell to miss. Sylva uncapped the hammer and slashed with toner dagger. The all-powerful witch fainted. When she was healed, Tai presented her with a gift. She gave the witch a bottle of red powder to use during her match. Tai said, “This powder will instill agony upon your opponent. Use it wisely.”
The old witch smiled and mysteriously hobbled away.
Thank you, I really think you captured Yagara's flavour well.
Story bit coming soon!
Note: They left Kaladesh before Aether Revolt. They don't know Yahenni died.
I'm making a juice stand for y'all!
Who wants to help me make juice?