Playing in the Sandbox

Those who were expecting a better fight weren't pleased. The next match was a half-orc against a Dwarven fighter - a dime a dozen these days. Decked out in full plate armor, holding a greataxe, and smelling vaguely of smoke, his dark brown beard held in braids by iron rings, while long hair slipped out from beneath his helmet, he held the greataxe in a way that indicated he saw people using them, and hadn't swung one much himself. It showed - he tried to swing it like a longsword.

The half-orc, meanwhile, was leaping to the side whenever the dwarf tried to strike, and slammed him back with blows from a fullblade. Over and over he'd continue, until he got cocky and the dwarf finally landed a hit. Then the half-orc flew into a berserk rage and started slamming the dwarf without mercy. Even when the dwarf ran, the orc threw his fullblade at the dwarf's head, ran after his fleeing foe, and punched him over and over again. It took three warrior monks to pull the half-orc off. The dwarf soon got up and shuffled, embarrassed, into the crowd.

"That could have gone better," he murmured to himself.

Still, it gave him things to think about. The half-orc abandoned all proper battle tactics the instant Tordek struck - could such a strategy be viable? He'd have to practice later.

As with the previous fight, a cleric of Kord (same one even) comes over the heal the dwarf's wounds (though probably not his bruises or ego).

Indeed, after the healing and leaving, the dwarf is trying to keep a low profile. Being A: Heavily bruised and B: A heavily armored dwarf, this isn't going so well. Maybe if he was among other dwarves...

No, he gave that up. All for the art of combat. Which is still totally going to work out.

Skaimos looked over at Alma. "Well, that was an interesting bout. The half-orc's rage seemed to give him power, but it seemed to come at the cost of his sense. Going into such a state might leave him very...weak-willed, so to speak. But I do have some questions for the dwarf. Would you care to join me, Lex-Iya-san?" Making sure that Alma was able to follow him (he had realized that he had foolishly abandoned her by rushing over to the Shifter, and did not wish to do so again), he slowly made his way over to the dwarf, who seemed to simply want to get healed and forget that bout had ever happened. "Pardon me, Dwarf-san," Skaimos asked the dwarf. "I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me. I am planning on going on a trip soon, and I wished to gather information about combat, which I know little about. Your persistence was admirable, and the fact that you were still conscious after that half-orc's barrage was quite impressive. However, you seemed a little...off-balance, like you weren't used to your weapon. Are you normally used to something other than a battle-axe?"

"I've been using this axe since I started combat," said the dwarf, accepting that he doesn't really have a choice in the "hide" part of his plan. "And it takes great endurance to even be a dwarf."

"Dam... I'd have hoped that Dwarf would've done better... If I had money, I'd have totally bet on the Dwarf. Good thing I didn't have money to bet..." Cyrta comments to herself having noticed only the about half of the second fight, still hovering next to the Thri-Kreen she was still sorta talking with.

"I can imagine. Oh, but where are my manners? I am Skaimos Terai, and this is Alma Lex-Iya-san. We were interested in learning the different strategies people use in combat. Well, more like I'm interested, and Lex-Iya-san has been gracious enough to accompany me. Well, thank you for your time and..."

Over the sound of the rabble watching the next bout, Skaimos heard a single definite yell. It had the sound of desperation and fear to it. Skaimos heard it again; the yell appeared to be someone's name called out.

"Did either of you hear that?"

---

Lyntermas wrote:"I can imagine. Oh, but where are my manners? I am Skaimos Terai, and this is Alma Lex-Iya-san.

"Tordek. It is funny - I also wish to learn about combat! Maybe we can-"

Over the sound of the rabble watching the next bout, Skaimos heard a single definite yell. It had the sound of desperation and fear to it. Skaimos heard it again; the yell appeared to be someone's name called out.

"Did either of you hear that?"

---

"Whatever it was, it sounded not good!" exclaimed Tordek.

Alma, who had been eyeing the Dwarf's bruises with mild distaste, suddenly snaps to attention. "Oh, what? I didn't hear anything." Seeing the concerned looks on their faces, she begins to look around, listening for whatever it was they heard.

Alam sees a Pixie waving hello to her who was hovering near a Thri-Kreen.

"Well, that was certainly... something." Thriss remarked as he saw the results of the fight. He turned his head to try and ask what the pixie thought of it but as he looked, he saw that she was frantically waving to someone in the distance. With an equeal mix of curiosity, boredom and "why not?", he looked into the direction she was waving.

Alma watched the gesturing Pixie in mild confusion. She didn't know it, that was for sure- Alma had never met a Pixie in her life. And despite her personal attitude, it wasn't common for a lower class race to so boldly approach an upper class race like herself. Then again, she thinks, the Pixie didn't actually approach me... Alma gives a nervous smile and hesitantly waves back (not noting that the Thri-Kreen next to the Pixie also seemed to be staring at her), and then turns back to Skaimos and the Dwarf. "Really, what did you hear Terai-san?"

"I heard someone calling out a name. It sounded panicked and desperate. I'll see if I can locate them." Skaimos looked out over the crowd to see if he could find the source of the cry.

---

OOC: Rolling for Perception...4+1(Wis)=5. Dang it.

"I swear I think they called out to us or something..." The Pixie comments to Thirss, not aware that she was just hearing things.

((Considering this was not actually meant as a challenge, 5 will do it.))

Amongst hundreds of other voices and noises Skaimos can't be sure he had located the voice he heard but, he did spot a Thri-Kreen calling out at the crowd in general, when he focused on the sound he heard the man asking if anyone would help him find his daughter in calm, perhaps resigned, voice.

((Up to the rest of you if you spot him as well.))

Tordek joins Skaimos in searching.

"It's a shame," said Tordek. "Lost children at a big event like this."

---

Tordek's base Perception is 8, which is more than enough to hear and see the Thri-Kreen.

"Oh no, that's terrible." Alma grabs Skaimos by the hand and pulls him toward the father. "Come on, we have to help him." She stops suddenly, and looks back at the dwarf. "Oh, um, you are welcome to come along, if you wish, Tordek-kun. I'm certain you could be of some assistance." She flashes a slight smile, and then starts off a again through the crowd.

Tordek, having been knocked out of the tournament in a rather humiliating fashion, has nothing better to do, so he follows Alma and Skaimos through the crowd of people.

((Perception Roll (d20+1(for having 10 in wis)+5(for being trained in it)=21)))

At realizing there is a Thri-Kreen calling out for a lost child, Cyrta flys off at full speed to the source of the call. "Lost child? What can I do to help!" She asked right away.

((Ok, I'm just assuming that Thriss followed the pixie to save time.))

The dark brown thri-kreen looked surprised when all of a sudden a group of people converged on him, suddenly interested in his plight when, it seemed he'd just been being ignored for a quite a while. "Ah, hello. Thank you, my daughter she..., I..." he looked around nervously. "Could we talk somewhere more private?" he asked, looked at some nearby alleyways.

"Yes, of course. I am Skaimos Terai, this is Alma Lex-Iya-san, Tordek-san, and...two other people who I'm sure are concerned about your daughter. Well met, new friends." Skaimos turned back to the father Thri-Kreen. "We would be happy to help you in any way we can." He followed the dark brown Thri-Kreen into a nearby alley.

The thri-kreen takes Skaimos' words as group consent (regardless of whether it is or not) as they (and anyone else who is coming, I'm just assuming all of you) find a nice quiet out of the way place to talk. He looks around cautiously and seems to feel it's safe to talk.

"First off, I hope you will pardon me for my deception. You are not the first people to offer help, just the first who seemed like they might be capable of providing the help I need. My daughter is not 'missing'. She has been taken captive by a visiting githzerai lord by the name of Tammet Iykta. He has taken her to make me work for him as a spy and saboteur. He has arranged for me to be able to visit her during the evening flower viewing up on the castle hill. Her name is Mykaila, will you please save her?"

The Pixie of course would've followed the Thri-Kreen no matter what was said... After all she was very navie and unless the Thri-Kreen seemed to be in any way dishonorable, she'd always be naturally incliced to help all Thri-Kreen that ask for her help. Now at hearing what this Thri-Kreen's plea made her blood just boil and is already thinking of burning down said lord's home as the soonest chance possible. "What an extremely dishonorable thing to do! How dare they blackmail Thri-Kreen-sama in such a way... That's just wrong... They could've just paid you or something. Are they just that cheap?"

The thri-kreen raises an eyebrow equivalent at the -sama. "I would not be bought." he says with what may be remorse or maybe he's just a solemn guy.

For Cyrtanthus her feelings toward the Ack'cha Family and by extension all Thri-Kreen explicitly is the closest thing she has to any kind of feeling of Worship. (And faith itself is a subject that the poor little fey can't seem to fully understand at all or just nobody was willing to give a good enough explanation for her. It might be both...) Therefor by that logic only sama would be the proper honorfic to her. "Mmm...." She wonders not sure how to take that comment. "If you were just too stubborn with them over your skills, that might make this less bad for them... But still I think it a dishonorable action regardless of their reason."