The Off-Seasonal Arena: Number Three

[Exarch Thomo]

I have the results for the first match. Depending on how busy I get with my real job, I might be able to get it up today. Otherwise it will be tomorrow. I would say be patient, but...

[Attila the Hun Jr]

Originally Posted by ArchonFarseerGuy

Oh the patience possessed by us LOers.

I do possess it. I just choose not to use it.

And, fantastic news on the fact that I can expect the first match within 24 hours! Of course, my character fights last. But, by multiplying the time taking from he announcement of this arena to the first fight, I can deduce I can see Ice be cruely killed in just... 2 years 133 days! Woohoo!

Well, just 70 days, really...then factor in that you couldn't start untill all the characters had been submitted...35....

Attila

[xanaq]

I got no patience, but i got Warhammer:Age of Reckoning now.

[Exarch Thomo]

Round 1, Match 1: Trevor Bidleman vs Phs-Thra
The City of Lashiek shone brightly in the strong morning light, her winding streets seemingly deserted, the normal hustle and bustle of the exotic harbour city muted. The piercing cries of lone gulls echoed through the twisted alleys, bouncing off the sandstone walls of the buildings.
A sudden wave of noise shattered the deceptive calm, rising in a great crescendo only to spill forth from the massive arena, flowing through the streets and out into the azure blue bay. Cheering and clapping mingled with screams and whistles, creating a deafening din within the decorative walls of the Grand Arena.
Standing in a limestone alcove, his own private viewing platform, stood the Caliph, arms spread in supplication as he welcomed the adulation of the crowd.
"My dear friends," he said, his strong voice magically augmented to carry throughout the arena. "My dear friends, I bid you welcome on this fine morning. As you know today is the start of our long awaited tournament. Sixteen champions from all corners of the world have gathered here to compete in a test of strength, skill and courage unlike any other!"
"Yesterday was a day of celebration, a festival dedicated to those brave souls who will face each other in this very arena! Today is the first day of that tournament, and the bouts will start momentarily. I take this chance to remind you once more what these brave warriors will be competing for, the fabled Heart of the Chimera!"
Gesturing to his cadre of sorcerers he held up the magic stone, a glistening topaz the size of his fist. A flicker of orange deep within the dark stone betrayed the presence of the powerful magic coursing through it.
As one the sorcerers started chanting, and the stone rose into the air in a corona of golden light, coming to rest high above the centre of the arena.
"There it will stay for all to see, to be awarded to the final victor. Only when this tournament is over will the enchantments binding it be removed, and the power of the stone given to the grand champion.
And so I come now to the end of this introduction, and I wish each contestant the best of luck. May your blows strike true and your armour stay strong. Without further delay I present to you the first match, Trevor Bidleman, the Lost Knight, and Phas-Thra, the Golden Lord!"
Rapturous applause greeted this final announcement, and the crowd rose to their feet, desperate to catch a glimpse of the first contestants as they entered the arena.
The rattle of chains heralded the opening of the two wrought iron portcullis that separated the contestants and their cells from the main arena.

Into the morning sun strode Phas-Thra, the light gleaming off his golden shield and bright armour. The ancient ruler stopped and drove the point of his blade into the sandy arena floor, gazing with dispassionate indifference at the crowd before turning to study the opening before him.

Trevor Bidleman slowly entered the arena astride his armoured steed, somewhat slouched in the saddle. His armour was worn and dented, showing the signs of a life spent fighting and, by his presence here today, winning. A ragged cloak hung from his back, travel stained and torn, while a scarred leather scabbard sat at his waist.
The shadowy beginnings of a beard darkened his face and his close-cropped hair showed more grey than black, yet it was his eyes that were the most striking feature of his haggard face. They were a dull steely grey, and empty of any emotion. They were the eyes of a man broken by all he had seen; who had nothing left to live for, the eyes of a man who knew only how to fight, for who the only thing left was to fight.

They stood facing each other, these two contestants, one an immortal master of a people long dead, the other just a man. Silence filled the massive stadium as the audience held their breath, waiting for whatever came next.

In an explosive release of breath the two combatants launched into movement; Phas-Thra whipping his sword from where it rested and crouching back, shield held high and his ceremonial blade extended behind him while Trevor spurred his mount forward, drawing his gleaming blade from its battle scarred scabbard and swinging it down as the horse lurched forward.
Golden shield rose to meet the falling silver sword and clash of metal echoed through the arena, deftly blocking the first strike. The dry, brittle crack of ancient bones signalled the breaking of several ribs as the sheer mass of armoured horse and rider slammed into the ancient warrior.
Phas-Thra spun to the left, arcing his blade as he completed the circle, the edge glancing off the steel armour on the horses back and scoring the battered cuirass of Trevor, leaving a gleaming scratch on the metal covering his back as the knight moved past.

Trevor hauled the reigns hard to the left and his horse spun around in a tight circle, coming back again to attack the Tomb King. Trevor lashed his blade out, gliding over the top edge of Phas-Thra's shield and slicing into his chest, the gleaming tip tearing through the ancient armour and leaving an open gash in the torso, grave dust slowly spilling out. Phas-Thra staggered back, then stepped forward once more, his sword dancing back and forth in a bewildering array of strikes, only to be met each time by either blade or shield as the grizzled veteran turned every blow.

Rearing, Trevor's stead lashed out at the Tomb King, massive hooves crashing down onto him, catching the desiccated lord in the side of the skull and ripping part of it away in a shower of dust and dry bone. Stumbling Phas-Thra pounded his blade into the knight, the mighty strength of the immortal unable to pierce the solid, battered armour of the human leaving only several dents and scratches in the hardened steel.
Standing forward in the stirrups Trevor gathered all his might and slammed his gleaming blade down into the unprotected head of the desert lord, the sharp edge slicing through the remains of the skull before cleaving down through his chest.
An explosion of dust and noise heralded the death of the ancient warrior, his armour crumpling into a heap as his cursed body finally lost succumbed to the ravages of time, leaving naught but a pile of dust that slowly blew away in the breeze.

As the audience got to their feet cheering wildly for the first match, Trevor sat back in the saddle, eyes moving over the crowd. Emotionless he sheathed his weapon before turning and slowly riding back out of the arena.

The Caliph stood and moved to the front of his private balcony, holding his hands up once more.
"So ends the first fight! The mighty Phas-Thra has fallen, and the tenacious Trevor Bidleman advances to the second round. Take this moment now to refresh yourselves, for the second bout begins anon!"

___________________________________________________________________________ _________________________

There you have it, the first fight of this arena. The results were as follows:
Round 1

Trevor- 2 hits, 1 wound after rerolls = 3 wounds left on Phas-thra
Phas- 2 hits, 2 wounds = 2 armor saves by Trevor

Round 2

Trevor- 1 hit, 1 wound after reroll = 2 wounds left on Phas-thra
Phas- 3 hits, 3 wounds = 3 armor saves by Trevor

Round 3

Trevor- 2 hits, 1 wound after reroll = 1 wound left on Phas-thra
Phas- 2 hits, 2 wounds = 1 armor save and 1 ward save by Trevor

Round 4

Trevor- 2 hits, 1 wound after reroll = Phas-thra dies

[DavidWC09]

Dare I say it? Yes, I think I shall.

Another one bites the dust. Hey, hey. Another bites the dust. And another one's down, and another one's down. Another ones bit the dust.

Excellent writeup. I think you caught Trevor's impassiveness quite well. It was also kind of cool to see a match where one opponent dominated. Not a lot of back and forth to create mystery, which is also cool, but one where an opponent just beat down the other.

[daelrog]

Originally Posted by Exarch Thomo

Round 1, Match 1: Trevor Bidleman vs Phs-Thra
The City of Lashiek shone brightly in the strong morning light, her winding streets seemingly deserted, the normal hustle and bustle of the exotic harbour city muted. The piercing cries of lone gulls echoed through the twisted alleys, bouncing off the sandstone walls of the buildings.
A sudden wave of noise shattered the deceptive calm, rising in a great crescendo only to spill forth from the massive arena, flowing through the streets and out into the azure blue bay. Cheering and clapping mingled with screams and whistles, creating a deafening din within the decorative walls of the Grand Arena.
Standing in a limestone alcove, his own private viewing platform, stood the Caliph, arms spread in supplication as he welcomed the adulation of the crowd.
"My dear friends," he said, his strong voice magically augmented to carry throughout the arena. "My dear friends, I bid you welcome on this fine morning. As you know today is the start of our long awaited tournament. Sixteen champions from all corners of the world have gathered here to compete in a test of strength, skill and courage unlike any other!"
"Yesterday was a day of celebration, a festival dedicated to those brave souls who will face each other in this very arena! Today is the first day of that tournament, and the bouts will start momentarily. I take this chance to remind you once more what these brave warriors will be competing for, the fabled Heart of the Chimera!"
Gesturing to his cadre of sorcerers he held up the magic stone, a glistening topaz the size of his fist. A flicker of orange deep within the dark stone betrayed the presence of the powerful magic coursing through it.
As one the sorcerers started chanting, and the stone rose into the air in a corona of golden light, coming to rest high above the centre of the arena.
"There it will stay for all to see, to be awarded to the final victor. Only when this tournament is over will the enchantments binding it be removed, and the power of the stone given to the grand champion.
And so I come now to the end of this introduction, and I wish each contestant the best of luck. May your blows strike true and your armour stay strong. Without further delay I present to you the first match, Trevor Bidleman, the Lost Knight, and Phas-Thra, the Golden Lord!"
Rapturous applause greeted this final announcement, and the crowd rose to their feet, desperate to catch a glimpse of the first contestants as they entered the arena.
The rattle of chains heralded the opening of the two wrought iron portcullis that separated the contestants and their cells from the main arena.

Into the morning sun strode Phas-Thra, the light gleaming off his golden shield and bright armour. The ancient ruler stopped and drove the point of his blade into the sandy arena floor, gazing with dispassionate indifference at the crowd before turning to study the opening before him.

Trevor Bidleman slowly entered the arena astride his armoured steed, somewhat slouched in the saddle. His armour was worn and dented, showing the signs of a life spent fighting and, by his presence here today, winning. A ragged cloak hung from his back, travel stained and torn, while a scarred leather scabbard sat at his waist.
The shadowy beginnings of a beard darkened his face and his close-cropped hair showed more grey than black, yet it was his eyes that were the most striking feature of his haggard face. They were a dull steely grey, and empty of any emotion. They were the eyes of a man broken by all he had seen; who had nothing left to live for, the eyes of a man who knew only how to fight, for who the only thing left was to fight.

They stood facing each other, these two contestants, one an immortal master of a people long dead, the other just a man. Silence filled the massive stadium as the audience held their breath, waiting for whatever came next.

In an explosive release of breath the two combatants launched into movement; Phas-Thra whipping his sword from where it rested and crouching back, shield held high and his ceremonial blade extended behind him while Trevor spurred his mount forward, drawing his gleaming blade from its battle scarred scabbard and swinging it down as the horse lurched forward.
Golden shield rose to meet the falling silver sword and clash of metal echoed through the arena, deftly blocking the first strike. The dry, brittle crack of ancient bones signalled the breaking of several ribs as the sheer mass of armoured horse and rider slammed into the ancient warrior.
Phas-Thra spun to the left, arcing his blade as he completed the circle, the edge glancing off the steel armour on the horses back and scoring the battered cuirass of Trevor, leaving a gleaming scratch on the metal covering his back as the knight moved past.

Trevor hauled the reigns hard to the left and his horse spun around in a tight circle, coming back again to attack the Tomb King. Trevor lashed his blade out, gliding over the top edge of Phas-Thra's shield and slicing into his chest, the gleaming tip tearing through the ancient armour and leaving an open gash in the torso, grave dust slowly spilling out. Phas-Thra staggered back, then stepped forward once more, his sword dancing back and forth in a bewildering array of strikes, only to be met each time by either blade or shield as the grizzled veteran turned every blow.

Rearing, Trevor's stead lashed out at the Tomb King, massive hooves crashing down onto him, catching the desiccated lord in the side of the skull and ripping part of it away in a shower of dust and dry bone. Stumbling Phas-Thra pounded his blade into the knight, the mighty strength of the immortal unable to pierce the solid, battered armour of the human leaving only several dents and scratches in the hardened steel.
Standing forward in the stirrups Trevor gathered all his might and slammed his gleaming blade down into the unprotected head of the desert lord, the sharp edge slicing through the remains of the skull before cleaving down through his chest.
An explosion of dust and noise heralded the death of the ancient warrior, his armour crumpling into a heap as his cursed body finally lost succumbed to the ravages of time, leaving naught but a pile of dust that slowly blew away in the breeze.

As the audience got to their feet cheering wildly for the first match, Trevor sat back in the saddle, eyes moving over the crowd. Emotionless he sheathed his weapon before turning and slowly riding back out of the arena.

The Caliph stood and moved to the front of his private balcony, holding his hands up once more.
"So ends the first fight! The mighty Phas-Thra has fallen, and the tenacious Trevor Bidleman advances to the second round. Take this moment now to refresh yourselves, for the second bout begins anon!"

___________________________________________________________________________ _________________________

There you have it, the first fight of this arena. The results were as follows:
Round 1

Trevor- 2 hits, 1 wound after rerolls = 3 wounds left on Phas-thra
Phas- 2 hits, 2 wounds = 2 armor saves by Trevor

Round 2

Trevor- 1 hit, 1 wound after reroll = 2 wounds left on Phas-thra
Phas- 3 hits, 3 wounds = 3 armor saves by Trevor

Round 3

Trevor- 2 hits, 1 wound after reroll = 1 wound left on Phas-thra
Phas- 2 hits, 2 wounds = 1 armor save and 1 ward save by Trevor

Round 4

Trevor- 2 hits, 1 wound after reroll = Phas-thra dies

Well, this puts pressure on the other arenas.

This was one of the best fights I'v read in awhile. Characters were described well, the scenery was beautifully written, and the fight was... actually a fight. No last minute shanks, but a clear victor who belongs in the next round.

[DavidWC09]

Tomb Kings have the advantage of a fourth wound, but the lack of significant armor and ward saves really hurt Phas-Thra. As long as Trevor could get more than one wound through, he was likely to do well. Also, Trevor, has a 4+ armor save against str 7 attacks anda 4+ ward save to boot. He's a tough cookie, and I'm repping whichever one of you blighters manages to kill the old bastard.

[DavidWC09]

Personally, I'm looking forward to match 4 when the cross-consonant twins reunite.

Round 1 Matchups

Match 1
Phas-thra- Tuxedo Clank
Trevor Bidleman- DavidVC04 SHAZAM!

Match 2
Silverblade- avatar of khaine
Madoc Proudfoot- Arklite

Match 3
Cohen the Barbarian- mpdscott
Drubnot the Artist- Andre

Match 4
Kroxankha- RobtheGuru
Xuanzhong- AFG

Match 5
Naldic Darkheart- Stunted_Merc
Skinja- Phoenix

Match 6
Grimble Stonebeard- daelrog
Gar-Loc- Lore Colten

Match 7
Kalloren the Wanderer- Exarch Thomo
The Shadow Prince- xanaq

Match 8
Ice- Atilla the Hun Jr.
Durtram Notrelle- Tekore

[avatar of khaine]

good match, and i look forward to the next one.

[ArchonFarseerGuy]

Originally Posted by DavidVC04

Personally, I'm looking forward to match 4 when the cross-consonant twins reunite.

You know what? So am I.

Really nice job there Exarch! Gives me an idea. *goes back to his laboratory, muttering a few nonsensical terms*