[Game Thread] Chapter 0: Boar's Brawl

[Avelestar]

After another night of heavy drinking, you count out the small handful of coins you have left and grumble in disappointment. You'd hoped the last batch of fight money would last at least a week...but the smell of cheap perfume on your pillow this morning showed where it all went. On your way out of the trash heap of an inn called Yale's Ales the innkeeper, a fat and middle-aged man asks you again where your money is for the last week of rent and in response gets a cold glare and a grunted "Tonight."

For most people, the walk from one side of Shadowshore to the other would be a terrifying and probably deadly ordeal, but Boar doesn't get so much as an unkind word said to him. After half a dozen failed mugging attempts, the residents of this shady part of town soon learned to steer clear of the beardless dwarf and the walk to the Champion's District is uneventful. It's just after ten in the morning when Boar reaches the large coliseum, and already there's a large line up. Luckily however, this is for the spectators entrance and Boar goes around the corner and down some steps to the competitors entrance. "Morning Boar!" comes the cheery voice of a young gnome behind a desk. She's short, even for a gnome, but quite cute. Her name is Gloria and has a baby-face with a mess of red curls. "Guess what?!" she says excitedly. Apart from a filing cabinet directly behind it, Gloria's desk is the only furniture in the large room. This room has a doorway leading left, which you know is the communal changing rooms and showers, and one to the right which leads towards private chambers of the higher ranked fighters.

OOC: This is your private solo thread, a chance to play with your character a little bit, and a reason for him/her to be known enough to be contacted in the first part of the Savage Tide path.

[Prometheus]

Not many thoughts go through Boar's head as he makes his way through the rotten underbelly of the city. A checklist of his weapons and pre-combat tasks takes up a few minutes, but beyond that, his mind is left to wander, which is not a pretty prospect for the exile. By the time he finally arrives, he has been thinking about his past for quite some time, enough to leave him even more bitter and laconic than usual. Almost eager for the distraction from his memories, he raises an eyebrow at Gloria and grunts inquisitively. "Mmh?"

[Avelestar]

He's never excited, thinks Gloria whilst frowning. "Well..." she begins, her facial features perking up. "Jamie's got a stomach bug, and he's puking his guts out!" she giggles at the thought of a huge half-orc curled up with a bucket whimpering. "And that means we're short a fighter for the Dragon Challenges today." Gloria lets this hang in the air, trying to build suspension...however she's far too excited herself and just blurts it out. "They've picked you to take his place Boar! Isn't it exciting!"

The Dragon Challenges are a much higher ranked and dangerous type of gladiatoral combat. Instead of fighting other gladiators, you are paid to fight rare and exotic beasts. The danger is much higher, but so is the pay. A win here would push your name way further up the ladder...you might even be given your own room right here at the the coliseum!

[Prometheus]

Boar's version of excitement includes screaming at the top of his lungs and burying an axe in someone's face, so it's probably a good thing he's so quiet and coarse around her. He grunts at the mention of the half-orc's illness, and Gloria's apparent enjoyment of the fact. Strange girl. Her next two sentences bring a bit more clarity. "When am I up?" He had known the fey for a little while now, so hopefully she'd know to accept for him. He'd been relying on her to take care of any paperwork or such as it was, as such things held no interest to him. A part of him wondered if he even could read any more. Another part wondered why he should care.

[Avelestar]

"Well we had a bit of a trouble getting the animals over here...some vigilante freed a whole bunch of animals from a shipment recently and we had to find some more." says Gloria, smiling at the dwarf. You highly suspect this was just another shipment of smuggled animals, but turn a blind eye to the fact. "In fact, the second batch we got were even more ferocious than what we expected! Should be a good fight." Gloria pulls a few sheets of paper out of her drawer, and quickly fills them in, stamps them and shoves them in the cabinet behind her. "Well there's a couple of warm up matches first, they're letting the younger boys open the show, then you're the fourth gladiator after that."

Gloria looks around the room, trying to peak her head down the two corridors and beckons you closer. "I'm not meant to tell you what it is...but it's got alot of legs!" whispers the gnome, giggling and smiling at you. "Now go on, get ready! First matches start in half an hour" You trudge off to the communal changing rooms, and prepare yourself for the fight ahead...fighting a beast was always different than another humanoid...it's harder to trick them, and they usually fight much harder when they're wounded.

As you sit in the waiting rooms, you can hear the roar of the crowd, the booming boos and the quiet gasps. Bloodsports always bring in a large amount of customers, and today being the Dragon Challenges has the coliseum over filled. People are sitting and standing on the stairs, cramming into every spot possible. It's a wonder no one has been hurt yet.

Finally your name is called, and your fellow gladiators slap you on the back for good luck. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" calls the magically amplified voice of the presenter, "UP NEXT WE HAVE THE SAVAGE BOAR, HAILING FROM ONE OF THE MANY ISLAND TRIBES." you get the same reaction as always, most people are gawking at the sight of a nearly beardless dwarf...and one from the savage tribes of the area. "AND HIS DRAGON CHALLENGE IS......RETHKA, QUEEN OF SPIDERS!" You scoff at this last bit, the presenters always talk up the challenges, and its highly doubtful this beast is the real Queen of Spiders.

A grate is lifted away, and a large black shape bursts forth from it. Indeed it's a giant spider, standing as tall as you. Rethka stops for a moment, blinking in the bright sun before she sets her eyes on you. It seems she's angry at her capture and being in prison...and the closest person is going to get it! However strangely she doesn't charge straight towards you, instead climbing up the closest column and hanging there baring her mandibles, which drip with an oozing green substance.

 

OOC: Round One, Fight! Roll initiative, and post any actions. Rethka's planned attacks are going to be the same no matter how you react round one, so it's fine if you're actually moving after her. Just post what you'd do anyway! Each square is 5ftx5ft and you can assume that from now on for every map, unless otherwise noted. Rethka is actually in the square at the base of that column, but her token is up there to show she's at the top! It's roughly15ft high.

[Prometheus]

Boar grunts, was hoping for a mammal of some kind. Arachnids don't seem the type to scare easily. Still, if he's going to fight, he's going to fight, and the spider's main tool won't have much effect on the hearty dwarf. Boar acts quickly. One throwing axe gripped in each hand, the barbarian makes a good show of screaming as he charges forward, arms up and behind him, though he holds off on raging until the extra strength would actually matter.

(Move 60 ft, to the position two down and one right of the spider's pillar.)

[Avelestar]

Rethka hisses as you approach, but waits until you're just in range before she lets loose a flying web. The missile lands a direct hit, cling to every part of your body and sticking to the floor as well! Rethka appears to cheer in triumph, letting out a hissing laugh. Your every move feels slow, as the web sticks to you, to your weapons, and to the floor. The crowd gasps in amazement and fear, and for now Rethka remains atop the column...it looks as if she's getting ready to leap on you though!

 

OOC: You're entangled! A DC 12 Escape Artist check, or a DC 12 Strength check (with a -4 penalty) will free you of the web. Both of these will cost you a standard action. The white stuff is web by the way.

[Prometheus]

Boar stumbles as he's caught in the sticky white mess. He had been hoping to hold off on raging for a bit longer, but that didn't seem to be in the cards. Roaring at the top of his lungs, the dwarf shreds the webs in a great burst of strength, glaring at the spider. Time for the real show to begin.

[Avelestar]

Boar launches himself into a berserker rage, tearing the webs from himself in spectacular fashion. The crowd roars in appreciation, cheering on the strange looking dwarf! Suddenly there's a collective gasp from the crowd, and Boar looks up to see Rethka in mid-flight, having leapt down from the column to attack him. The spider's aim was perfect, and she lands heavily on the dwarf.

As you shove the giant spider off you she bites into your arm, poison pumping through into your veins. (2 Damage) The limb starts to feel a bit heavier, and you try to shake off the affects whilst counterattacking.

 

OOC: DC 14 Poison save immediately, or take 1 point of STR damage. Make a check every round for the next 2 rounds until you pass one, taking 1 point of STR damage for every fail. Take 2 points of regular damage also.

[Prometheus]

Grunting stiffly as the fangs sink into his body, Boar completely disregards the poison, far too tough for a weak toxin like that to affect him. With a roar of rage, the barbarian brings both axes down on the spider. The beast will pay for spilling his blood.

(Full-attack action.)

[Avelestar]

Sethka cries in pain as one of your axes cut deeply into one of her many legs, green ichor spewing out onto the sand. The crowd was already roaring, but now the sound doubles, the beast has been wounded, blood is flying! The sound would be deafening and distracting if Boar wasn't a seasoned fighter, and already in a bloodrage of his own.

Sethka darts in, favouring her mutilated leg and takes a chunk out of the dwarf's leg. More green poison oozes forth from the wound, as Sethka continues her fearsome attack. Rearing up, darting in an opening, dodging blows, all the while hissing madly. (2 Damage)

OOC: MOAR POISON

[Prometheus]

Even distracted and bleeding, Boar's iron body will still not succumb to the poison. His muscled arms, bleeding from the previous wounds, guide the axes towards the beast, all of their raw strength coming to bear. The sharpened blade hit home, cracking and bursting her exoskeleton. Ripping his arms apart, he tears her torso wide in a crowd-pleasing explosion of ichor and chitin, screaming with terrible fury.

[Avelestar]

Rethka hisses a horrible death scream as Boar tears her to pieces. He's covered in blood, gore and spider bits, whilst what's left of Rethka quivers in the sand. The crowd goes ballistic, such a fantastic display, such a thrilling fight, such a brutal ending! "HAH, THE QUEEN OF SPIDERS IS NOTHING COMPARED TO OUR FIGHTERS, GIVE IT UP FOR BOAR THE BRUTAL!!!" comes the magical voice again, booming over the deafening sound of the crowd.

Breathing deeply from the fight, Boar tries to wipe off the worst of the gore, picking bits of spider off his armour. It's at this point he notices a pair of small spiders crawling off one of the larger pieces, and then up his arm. Suddenly the floor of the coliseum is a black, moving carpet of tiny spiders! They swarm off the cooling body of Rethka, and charge directly towards the closest food source. "OH HO HO! LOOKS LIKE THE FIGHTS NOT OVER FOLKS!" Almost four, no five hundred little spiders make a streamline for Boar, crawling all over him, biting at every exposed surface they can find. The hundreds of bites sting at your flesh, the wounds sting and burn, there doesn't seem to be a single spot that doesn't hurt. All the while a massive amount of poison is being injected into your body. (5 Damage)

OOC: You get an AoO as the swarm moves into you, and they're now in your square. Slashing and Piercing weapons cause half damage. Also make a DC 11 Fort save or take 1 point of STR damage (get a 1, I dare you ).

[Prometheus]

Surprised, injured, distracted, it doesn't matter, even at his worst, Boar is unaffected by the spiders' poison. He swings his axe instinctively at the swarm as it approaches him, and cuts a swathe through the baby spiders, but the lack of real damage is evident. Ignoring his body's screams of pain, Boar tosses the useless axes clear of himself, and pulls the warhammer from his belt. Winding over and up, he slams the hammer down with all of his might. Only one spider is hit directly by the weight, but the force of the swing and the shock of the blow is enough to fling spiders in all directions, ending the battle a second time in a flashy, over-the-top manner.

Closing his eyes, Boar lifts the hammer above his head, and lets the roar of the crowd drown out his own silence.

(AoO, drop both axes, withdraw warhammer, two-handed swing, end Rage.)

[Avelestar]

"AND THAT'S HOW ITS DONE!!" screams the presenter, completely caught up in the moment. "OH THOSE POOR LITTLE SPIDERS, CRUSHED BY A HUGE SHOCKWAVE FROM THIS POWERFUL DWARF!!" The crowd is ecstatic, this is the kind of fight that's talked about for weeks on end, you're someone just because you were there! The blood rage leaves Boar, and he collects his weapons, crushes a last spider under the heel of his boot and walks from the arena floor.

A cold shower, and an hour later when the events were over, Boar returned to Gloria's desk. The gnome is deftly counting out money and paying a rather large line of fighters, but looks up and beams at you when you walk in. Similarly, the line of hardened gladiators all simultaneously take a step back, allowing you to take the first spot in the line. "What a fight!" "You didn't even look like you cared about all those wounds!" "And the way you tore that web open with your bare hands, wow!" come the comments, praise and thumps on the back. There's a slight swelling at the sites of Rethka's bites, and her children left red marks upon your skin, but it's nothing a trip to the healers or a few days rest won't cure.

Gloria looks even happier than usual, evidently she saw your fight. "Wow Boar, what can I say?" she looks down at the piles of money on her desk, then back up at you. "Hey, I can't pay you just yet okay? Rennie wants to see you in his office, pronto!" You know that Rennie's private quarters are down the doorway to the right, and that he runs this coliseum, a retired gladiator who earned enough money to buy his own stadium.