[Story] Caelum

[Atalla Wanderer]

~ Caelum ~

Your past means nothing, your present means nothing. Only your future has the ability to mean something. The next fight, the next win - or loss - could set you on the path of glory or despair. You are not slaves or free men, but gladiators! As gladiators your very souls are bound to the primeval magic of the pits. But when you are not fighting, you find yourself in a very different place. Here, now - before you bleed, and after you return. It iswhere you eat, where you sleep, where you live. Caelum is the halls of the Gladiators, the place where all of them stay when they aren't fighting. Odd, this - heavy magic infuses the stone, binding weapons out of place, so that nop fighting - even practice - can occur, lest the perpetrator wishes to be struck to ashes and purged from the List. Yet even so, every one of you stays here, lives here. It is home, it is Heaven: and Barathrum is the Abyss.

OOC Caelum is the place where you guys live and can interact with each other. A dining hall, living quarters, libraries and shops where supplies for the arenas can be purchased. It is, essentially, a great building, with no perceivable exits. There are places where funerral services may be held and places wherethe dead are laid to rest. Fighting, in any form, is prohibited: to do so will result in being Permanently removed from the games.struck down. Beyond that, this place is what you make of it. Only approved players - those with a Gladiator Playcard - can post here. Any rulebreakers will find themselves banned from the game - no mercy. Note: I'll try to provide a map of general locations around Caelum eventually - it's not an exact priority at the moment.

[Renen]

Pantera was sitting around, waiting for something to happen. Her feet on the table, and a drink in her hand; she looked very comfortable. Next to her lay a peice of paper. Though she came here to fight, she had no desire to actually kill anyone. The paper stipulated an agreement where all those who signed agreed not to kill each other, preferably using non-lethal forms of winning combat. Further, those who signed, agreed to be extra harsh to those who did purposely kill in the arena. Those individuals are to be shown no mercy and every attempt is to be made to keep them from killing any other participants. Making them physically unable to participate is generally regarded as the best method.

[Mostlymad]

A loud racket arose from the front entryway. One that could easily be heard throughout the halls of Caelum. A filthy, muddy, bloody mess of a human was being half dragged, half carried by two burly, and very annoyed, house guards. Grumbling loudly they unceremoniously dumped the feces reeking mess onto the floor in the living area that Pantera currently occupied before turning on their heels and leaving. Spitting blood onto the floor the human looked up from the floor to the first person he could find. A bloody red smile rimmed by a mud and blood-caked beard spoke to Pantera sarcastically saying, "Hi honey! I'm home!"

[Renen]

Take a bath, honey. Your presence endanger the lives of everyone in the room. Taking out a small vial, Pantera spills a few drops. Her immediate surroundings begin to smell like pine trees.

Pointing to the paper on the table, she motions the hobo to sign it.

[Totentanzen]

Tengin walks in and takes a seat in the corner. He acknowledge the two there with a nod but nothing more. He was here for business and that was how he would run himself. "So far it doesn't look to bad for me...No real competition yet."

[Mostlymad]

"What's ta matter honey?" the uncouth one asks while getting up off the floor and moving next to her at the table. The pine scent was enough to cover his bodily odors but sadly not the rankness of his breath. "Theodros don't smell natural enough for ya?" His brown eyes follow her lithe finger to the paper on the table. Snatching up the paper without even reading it Theo quickly used it as a rag to poorly wipe off the mess on his face. "Thanks Doll," he quipped while using both sides of the paper liberally. Even still he had barely made a dent in the cleanup effort. "Got any more Sweet-Cheeks? Cause this is obviously going to take a bunch!" The merriment in his voice is reaching annoying levels.

[Schniderman]

Walking with soft, unhurried steps, a tall woman clad in red-dyed dancing clothes strode into the dining room. She had come from the hallway which led to the living quarters, and from there made her way directly over towards one of the commissary's occupied tables to take a seat. Drawing out the chair opposite to Tengin, she sat down without a word. Despite how particular and direct she had been about seating herself near another gladiator, she did not seem particularly intent on speaking to him. Rather, she seemed more preoccupied watching Pantera and Theodros.

[Sparkie]

Tural strode in with his usual quick-step, a cup of water in his hand. He sat down and looked at his fellow combatants, each in turn. To Pantera he gave a smile, to Theodros a frown and a shake of the head. He glanced at Sensha Vokkyth then looked quickly away, his cheeks beginning to redden. When his eyes fell upon Tengin, however, he smiled once again. He motioned to the introspective monk to catch his attention. "We are to fight, my friend," Tural said. His words sounded strange, as if speaking with a stiffened tongue. "May we be the best we can be that day." He then looked intently at Tengin's lips, waiting for a reply.

[stobco]

Kira walked into the dining area, not so much for something to eat, more with the idea of getting a look at her opponent for the upcoming duel. She looked at the others that were present, some seemed to be ripping with muscles, others less so. "Those are the ones that I need to worry about," she thought to herself, "those are the ones that are less obvious." She knows she looks frail to others, but she doesn't like that perception of herself. "Time to let everyone know that I'm not some timid little girl that will be easy fodder." Making her way to the centre of the room, she speaks out in a loud voice that is surprising for her size. "Which one of you is Aurus Fletch?! Are you here Aurus?! I want to meet my opponent and look into your eyes before I defeat you!"

[Mostlymad]

His perception keen, despite his look, Theo couldn't help but notice the new arrivals. Moving away and quickly forgetting Pantera, he stood with dirty hands on dirty hips eyeing each in turn. His eyes locked onto Tengrin, "Ho ho! Look fellas, tonight's entertainment is here! Going to give us a show," he waggled his hips suggestively, "you lil' red devil you?" Whistling obnoxiously he continued, "Aw and lookit, she's already enamored one." With a wink and a muddy slap on Tural's back he was about to comment further when a sassy young lass burst into the room. Grinning wickedly he sauntered over to the brazen Kira and winked, "Why that'd be me." The lie was clearly apparent to any but the most dull. "Are-Us Belch," which he did, loudly and directly in Kira's face with that breath that would knock over a troll. "Damn, good one," he announced proudly while patting his belly. Leering at Kira he smiled a bloody, gap toothed smile saying, "You can look me in my eyes anytime sweet thang. But best be forgetting any notion that you can defeat anything o' frail one."

[Totentanzen]

For Glory Tengin looked at the man intently and then proceeded to let out a smile. "Yes my friend we are to do battle. I wish you the best of luck. May it be filled with honor and the Glory of battle!" He noticed an oddness about the man. "I mean no disrespect but you seem to talk a bit strange?"

[stobco]

Kira smiled at the filthy man. Not a smile of happiness, but one of contempt. She stands her ground and waits for the crass man in front of her to finish his required display of dominance. "Human male, how typical..." "Are you finished? Your arrogance is typical of someone of the inferior human race. I truly wish you were Aurus Fletch as, looking at your pathetic presense, it would mean an easy victory for myself." Kira turns around leaving the bold man staring at the back of her head. "Aurus Fletch?! Are you here?! Or are you a coward?! Present yourself?!"

[Carthage]

Aurus leaves his position; he has been leaning against the wall quietly, studying Kira. Studying how she moves.

"Kira. I'm here. I find that cowardice is normally masked by loud words and boasts, as with this one." He nods his head towards the bearded man who had impersonated him. "I look forward to testing my blade against you. Til we meet in the arena."

Without giving her a chance to reply, Aurus turns on his heel and strides away. There is much practice to be done.

[Mostlymad]

As the lithe Ifrit turned her back to Theo his eyes were not looking at the back of her head but had immediately meandered down to her back side. Winding up he lashed out and spanked Kira hard across her tush. "Uh oh... looks like the inferior just got the best of your posterior!" Grinning wickedly with a mischievous look he continued, "You should be thankful, Hot Pants, I jus given you a lesson in tactics. Never turn your back to an enemy." With a wink Theodros stepped back from his target before offering her a small bow, ensuring to keep his eyes on her. And just when you might think he was being serious, he released a substantial amount of built up gas in one horrendous go. Wafting it up to his nose and breathing the foul aroma in he stood up straight and sighed. "Dear gods that'll clear a room!"

[Sparkie]

Carefully, Tural studied the movement of Tengin's mouth as he replied. "...'Best of luck,' that's good. 'Glory of Battle,' that's even better... 'Talk a bit strong?' That doesn't seem right... Wait, he meant..." "Oh, yes," Tural said. "You see, I'm-" Just then Tural lurched forward, having been hit on the back by Theodros. Quickly, Tural turned and glared at his perceived assailant. "What a brute. Offense seems to be the man's defining characteristic, be it in word, act, or odor." With a silent huff, Tural turned back to Tengin and resumed his conversation. "I'm actually quite deaf, you see. I lost my hearing many years ago when I was a child, and I have difficulty speaking in a way that others can understand." Just then the strong scent of flatulence hit Tural's nose. He closed his eyes and his mouth and scrunched his nose, but it was too much. "Pardon me," Tural said to Tengin, and he got up and crossed over to the other side of the room, placing as much distance between him and the bedraggled excuse for a human that was causing so much disruption.