Chapter 1.2: Into the Camp

[lcg16]

Bah! Spears may be intended for thrusting, but I'm not. she whined, after tripping on the butt end of the weapon on her first attempt at a lunge. She soon seemed more like she was jumping instead of lunging. Obviously, the shapely lass was naturally agile...if only she knew how to use it. Brushing her unruly hair out of her eyes, she adds, Well, whatever. As long as I get my bow back, this soldiering business won't be so bad.

[VexedSerenity]

Yi cannot help but cringe slightly as Anming loses control of his spear, recoiling back more out of reflex than fear of being hit by the wayward weapon. Then there is the momentary distraction caused by Meiqin hopping about which threatens to provoke thoughts that Yi would rather not deal with at this moment. Just as he feels his cheeks begin to warm he forces himself to concentrate with a pronounced sigh. His left hand strays to the back of his neck, rubbing there briefly to help clear his mind. Yi then finally attempts to bring order to the matter before someone ends up accidentally losing an eye or vital organ.

"To be honest I am not sure why they had us trade perfectly good weapons for these spears either." Yi looks back over his shoulder to make sure his glaive is where he left it. After that he glances around to check around their small group before his voice lowers in a conspiratorial fashion. "I wonder if there is a reason for all of this or if they are just trying to keep us busy while they figure out what to do. But, I guess we should make the best of the situation regardless."

Yi takes up his spear in both hands, assuming a basic stance with his body turned sideways bringing his right foot behind and his left foot ahead of himself. His right hand grasps the rear of the shaft while his left rests almost halfway towards the pointed head on the other end. He bends his knees slightly and holds the position as he attempts to instruct the others.

"We'll cover the basics. The first thing is to keep a firm grasp on the spear with both hands. Second, keep both feet on the ground but be ready to rock onto the front of your feet when you strike. Knees slightly bent like so."

Yi holds the position long enough for a cursory study before proceeding onwards.

"Shift your weight from your rear to your front, raise your heels and lean forward while bringing your arms up to extend the spear. Keep a good grip on it and let your weight do its share of the work, use your arms and hands for guidance."

Yi slowly thrusts the spear forward and then pauses again, extended outward for a few moments.

"Then shift your weight back to your rear foot swiftly afterward so you are ready for the next attack."

Reversing his prior movements Yi ends up in the position where he started, pausing only fleetingly before standing fully upright and at ease with a gentle shrug of his shoulders.

"That, and practice I suppose. Although I'm not sure how much use you two may find it, I guess it may not hurt much to know the basics."

[JKTrickster]

Anming nodded at Yi's words. As he took up a similar stance, he began flowing through the same movements. He smiled as the movements seemed much more natural. He tested how fast he could get back from a lunge, imagining swords slicing the thin air in front of him.

"Well, the army must have it's own of way of doing things" Anming said after a good number of thrusts. The heat from the sun was starting to get at him now, and with all the physical activity, sweat began pour down his forehead. Wiping it with the back of his hand, he looked to make sure his stuff was still there. "But if I had to say, it doesn't look terribly efficient."

Or people like that boy wouldn't have to exist, he bitterly noted.

[bluejay206]

OOC JKTrickster means the other boy, not you Vexed. =P

Bamboo Spear Info Damage: 1; Range: 15 ft; Weight 1lb; Critical x3;

Number Remaining 487

"No, not me!"

"Sorry, we already have three."

"Mind if I join?"

After the words of the officer sunk into the crowd, the air was once again filled with chatters and shouts. The recruits were forming new parties, joining existing ones, yelling at other peers demanding to join their party. After about thirty minutes, the officer called on his bodyguard to weed out any leftovers that has failed to find companions. Angry and bitter about the officer's choice, they raised their spears against the bodyguards, hoping to block their advance. However, they were quickly knocked down and dragged out of the arena. The scratchy sound of cloth rubbing on the dirt floor were soon heard, followed by screams of protest from the protesters. The officer, not seeming to care, cleared his throat and spoke:

"Now that we have you in a group of three, we would like to test your skills. Working with your companions, or I may daresay enemies for some of you, to eliminate as many groups as you can."

He coughed.

"Eliminating groups does not require you to kill them, but to land a strong enough blow to floor the person."

...

"If, by any chance, one of your member ends up on the floor, all of the group's member will be eliminated."

"Let's start."

As soon as the officer gave the signal, the arena turned into an utter chaos. People were being knocked down from left to right; some hitting the dirt floor and trampled upon by other recruits without any knowledge. Surprisingly there were no blood, just sounds of screams and visions of badly mishandled body parts. Soon, a group accosted Anming, Meiquin, and Yi's group after a few seconds elapsed. Two of them, charging directly at Meiquin, had a very large body mass. However, for someone so big, they were quick and agile. The third member was nowhere to be seen.

[VexedSerenity]

OOC: I figured as much, but thank you

 

Yi's Statistics HP: 13/13 Delayed Damage Pool: 0/5 Current Stance: Martial Spirit Granted Maneuvers: Charging Minotaur, Douse the Flames Other: Combat Reflexes, up to 3 Attacks of Opportunity per round which will be taken against any opponent that provokes such. Feel free to resolve these on your own in order to keep things moving forward.

The time for lessons appears to draw to an end as soon as they commence. As the courtyard erupts into chaos Yi hopes the other two have picked up enough to hold their own.

"Stick together. If someone gets past under one person's spear it will be up to the others to cover for them. Try to work our way to an edge or corner to help cover our flanks."

Out of the corner of his eye Yi senses approaching movement, seeing a pair of men looking to make an easy target out of the woman among their group. Yi scowls and takes a moment to breathe in deeply, clearing his mind with an exhale and leaving it open for the divine inspirations of Zhu Rong to make themselves known.

"As you see fit" he mumbles to no one in particular. In something of a contradiction to the advice he just gave the others he lets out an ear-splitting war cry and charges headlong at the nearest of the two visible men seeking conflict with their group in order to intercept them.

 

Combat Actions Yi will charge using Charging Minotaur and Bull Rush the closest of the men. If he wins the strength check and the 2d6+3 damage the maneuver allows can somehow be done as non-lethal since he doesn't want to kill the guy then go for it, otherwise Yi will forgo the 2d6+3 damage and settle for the usual knockback results. Yi will elect not to follow the opponent should he be knocked back. You should have the information on Charging Minotaur Bluejay, and that the movement and bull rush do not provoke AoOs. If there are any questions let me know. Opposed Strength Check for Bull Rush: 10

[JKTrickster]

OOC Oh was there confusion? My bad. Sorry!

Anming automatically took two steps back, trying to distance himself from much of the fighting. Although he was no stranger to the concept, he never was in a brawl like this before. Looking around quickly, he tried to gauge potential enemies and easy targets. Not that it mattered; people were running about wildly and general chaos ensued.

And suddenly, two huge men charged out for Meiqin. Yi, with barely two sentences said, had simply jumped ahead and engaged them. But weren't there supposed to be three? Fearing an all too obvious trick, Anming look around, trying to spot the third person.

Meanwhile, Anming was all too aware that the fighting would soon be upon them. Anming adopted Yi's earlier stance, with his legs shoulder length apart and his right side facing the attackers. His spear rested comfortably in his hands, ready for an oncoming attack.

 

Combat Anming makes a spot check (roll here) for any hidden attackers. He uses his remaining actions to fight defensively (+2 to his AC for this round) and if he can, he'll move in front of Meiqin.

[lcg16]

Meiqin realizes quite quickly that, with those rules, her petite size and gender would make her the natural target for being bowled over.This swift recognition of the situatin does not help keep her from squealing in terror at the huge men coming to beat her down...And she wasn't even properly armed to fight them. It seems her confidence had a way of vanishing with her bow...

Uncertain what to do, she decided to just plant her spear against the ground and keep it between her and anybody trying to rush her...

OOC Ready spear vs a charge.

[bluejay206]

OOC Sorry lcg, I didn't mean to insult your character. I am going to introduce initiative for this battle, so please roll them.

Team alpha was ready to roll. Yi attempted a full charge against the nearest intruder, but was stopped instantly by a resisting force. It looked like a feeble attempt, easily blocked by a flip of a hand.

"Is that all you got?"

The man quickly thrusted his arm back with the spear in his hand and sent it crashing down right in front of Yi. A small echo from the ground could be felt, vibrating within five feet of radius of impact. It seems that, sadly, due to his massive weight, he also had a very bad aim. The fragile spear split into two pieces on sudden notice as the man stared at it in amazement. Seconds passed by as his face slowly changed into disappointment as he threw away his spear in disgust. The second intruder seems to have a bit more luck. As he neared Anming, the next in line, he thrusted his spear toward Anming's shoulder. Anming, however, was barely able to sidestep away from his massive body, but he reduced the blow to a graze on his skin. The second intruder looked utterly confused, looking around to see the defender. Anming failed to notice anything too indifferent; could it be that the third member is not here?

Meiquin stood behind the two boys, pointing her spear upwards, looking for any incoming intruders. Not that she needed it, seeing the two boys becoming a pack of meat shields for her. It did look like they could use some hands though.

To save or to be saved?

[VexedSerenity]

 

Yi's Statistics Initiative: 6 HP: 13/13 Delayed Damage Pool: 0/5 Current Stance: Martial Spirit Granted Maneuvers: Crusader's Strike, Douse the Flames Other: Combat Reflexes, up to 3 Attacks of Opportunity per round which will be taken against any opponent that provokes such. Feel free to resolve these on your own in order to keep things moving forward.

Yi scowls sharply as his charge proves no match for the superior bulk of his intended target. Thankfully, however, the large figure's cumbersome frame telegraphs his movements well enough for Yi to catch. Ignoring the momentary taunt and the sting to his pride Yi manages to sidestep the strike. Seeing the larger man's spear shatter against the ground Yi cannot help but allow his scowl to blossom into a satisfied smirk.

"It seems that you, on the other hand, have a bit too much" soon follows a retort to his opponent's earlier, mocking question. From the edge of his sight Yi can see Anming squaring off with another adversary. While his own opponent is now weaponless, Yi is not about to discount the bulky foe as a threat. Yi swiftly exploits the opening and spins his bamboo spear about, seeking to drive the butt of the weapon into the man's chest. While hardly forceful enough to be lethal, the true intent of the strike is to knock the wind out of the lumbering brute, giving Yi an opening to disengage from the now weaponless opponent.

If this attack should succeed, Anming will soon find himself with reinforcements appearing behind the man he currently squares off with.

 

Combat Actions Yi attacks the big man with the broken spear with Douse The Flames. If it hits the big man cannot perform attacks of opportunity for one round. If this attack hits, Yi will then move to position himself behind the other man facing off with Anming in order to provide them both with flanking. Also if this attack hits it will trigger the Martial Spirit stance which Yi will use to heal 2 HP to whomever among himself or his allies has taken the most damage. Standard action: Attack on the man with broken spear: 17 Move action: If the strike hits, the big man cannot perform attacks of opportunity for one round. Yi will take advantage of this to move behind Anming's opponent to set up flanking for them both. If the strike misses Yi will move regardless since the man broke his weapon, only this time it will provoke an attack of opportunity.

[lcg16]

Meiqin's fear soon vanished as the charging men were stalled. She remembered she had come along to protect Anming, and that was what she should be doing.

Meiqin still hadn't really picked up the concept of thrusting, so she decided to try whacking with the flimsy weapon. Remembering what she knew about hitting men where it hurt, Meiqin went around Anming, then brought the flimsy spear up, attempting to whack the man's groin area. I hope that hurts...You alright, Anming?

She then awkwardly got her spear at the ready again, hoping to keep anyone else intent on knocking her down off her. She wasn't exactly physically tough enough or protected by enough armour to really keep from getting hurt badly by a spear strike...

Attack

[JKTrickster]

Anming smiled a little at the second intruder, a mocking smirk on his lips. He looked almost completely at ease, the way he held the spear loose, yet firm, in his grip.

But his supposed cool demeanor belied his true feelings. He was completely out of it today. Licking his lips nervously, his eyes constantly shifted. It was pure luck how he managed to avoid being skewered. He still didn't find the third person and it was unsettling him a lot.

Anming was so unnerved, that he was let go of his weapon when he counterattacked. At the very last moment, he managed to pull it back, preventing himself from a completely humiliating fumble.

"Yeah.....I'm fine" he mumbled.

Combat Anming attacks the man in front of him. I don't know who flanks whom though, but it hardly matters since I rolled low. Attack and Init

[bluejay206]

OOC Never mind, do not roll for init anymore. The posting order and actions gets too intertwined. Also, JKTrickster, would you explain how you attack? At the least, tell me the general area you want to hit.

Number Remaining 376

Yi was ready to take revenge on those meaningless jeers that fell from his adversary's mouth. Capturing the right moment, Yi drove the butt of his spear toward his opponent's chest. The thing let out a small oomph as his feet was knocked from the ground. Unable to find balance with one foot, the huge man tripped over backwards, sending a inaudible rumble though the ground. Two soldiers were running toward Yi the instant he was down, ready to drag him and his partner out of the field.

"Let them go! They are out of the competition."

The soldiers were addressing Anming and Meiquin, both ready to strike the remaining contestant dead. Anming performed some sort of low swipe with the spear, which the man avoided without difficulty. Meiquin, taking her chance, slammed a hard strike against the man's groin. The man groaned very awkwardly at the blow, his face turning paler by the second as he slowly dropped to the floor without a fight. Perhaps this was one of the reason why man doesn't like to fight with her; she knew where to strike. A soldier neared the battle scene as his eyes widened at the sight of the still falling man. The soldier, shook his head, took the man by the arm to drag him out the field.

"You only have to punish one of them, you know."

As the event raged on, many people were dragged out of the field. Some participants had enough energy to protest, most remained unconscious throughout the process. There were a few battles around Anming, Meiquin, and Yi's group. On the north stood six men, clothed in plain white robes, engaging in some kind of hit and run fight. To the south stood two short men with armor, with their bamboo spears standing taller than them. Their eyes darted from one place to another, undoubtedly finding another fight to pick. The west and the east were crowded with fallen bodies and soldiers, who were busy picking them up and carrying them outside.

[VexedSerenity]

Yi rocks back onto his heels in recovery of his lunge, dark eyes steady upon his foe to witness the results of his solid impact. His spear is spun around and brought to the ready in case a follow-up attack is needed. Gratefully it is not and Yi grants a nod of approval to no one in particular as his rotund adversary tumbles over onto his back, feeling the solid collision with the ground through his boots. His honor now satisfied he moves to rejoin Anming and Meiquin yet it appears that the pair have matters well in hand. The soldiers are not the only ones to pause and double over in sympathy as they witness the unfortunately fate of the individual who crossed Meiquin.

Ouch...mental note, keep on her good side.

Yi forces himself to push side any empathic aches as the victim is dragged off the field and regroups with his allies. His earthen eyes dart about the field as the chaos continues to unfold, his body remaining poised at the ready.

Maybe east...no, too crowded. West...same problem.

"I don't like this, we're boxed in. Keep together and cover everyone's back" he remarks in a quieted, grim manner to his recent teammates. So far they had done well but it is clear they have a long way to go ahead of them. Quickly assessing the main threats both north and south, Yi frowns once noting they are neatly sandwiched between the two groups. The two to the south would likely be an easier target, but the six to the north could be a major problem. An idea quickly formulates in his tactictal mind and he calls out across the field to the pair of shorter men.

"Hey, you two! I think those six are ganging up on people" he nods towards the robed figures towards the north to indicate whom he refers to. "What do you say we team up and return the favor?"

[lcg16]

Meiqin meanwhile didn't waste much time. She started collecting spears dropped by the foes they had defeated, deciding the light weapons made for better javelins than anything. She also didn't bother waiting on people to help them against the bunch of people who weren't playing fair. Picking out someone from the group of six, she then called back to the other two, [b]I think this works best if we aim for people from different groups. Then, we can get rid of people quicker.

Closing in, she picks out the nearest one, and hurls one of the spears she had grabbed at the fellow, then prepares to hurl another, in case they tried to knock her down...

Attack the 6 to the North

[JKTrickster]

Anming took a deep breath, glad for some short rest after the battle. He took a cursory look at his flesh wound and seems to deem it not serious enough to care about. Giving himself a stretch, he managed a weak smile to himself before rushing over in front of Meiqin. He could already see the wooden spear, now transformed into a javelin, launched high into the air.

Looks like he couldn't rest any longer. Setting his foot wide apart, he prepared himself.

OOC Anming moves in front of Meiqin and uses his standard action to fight defensively