Avatar's Arena #3

[tuxedo clank]

Well, I need to go to scotland tomorrow so I won't be around. Anyway, I hope this starts before I get back. 13th is a long way away.

[Kamikaza]

Sorry that the fluff isnt around yet, I am writing it on vacation. ( I am in Malaysia now) and I am going to post it as soon as possible!

[avatar of khaine]

At dawn, the siege was lifted, and by midday, the roles had been reversed. The sweltering noonday sun glinted off a thousand improvised weapons, weakening the denizens of the besieged castle. Braving the harsh sun, Lord Von Drachi stood atop the gate, surveying the people impassively, picking out the faces of those he had deceived for so long. Something close to fear stirred within him; his control over them had been broken, and now the wave, that cunning words had held back for so many years would come crashing down, all the stronger for the postponement.

But he was not defeated yet, not while fear and doubt still clung on in their hearts. “People,” he began, his voice fatherly, “Why have you come to this place? Castle Drachi has heard of no invading army that we must defend our homes against,” he winced at his choice of words, and continued “So I request that you all Go Home. There Is Nothing To Fear.”

A ripple ran through the crowd, but no-one moved to leave. Some frowned as they heard the words, as though they noticed the magic within them for the first time, and would not be fooled any longer. The old mayor, Freidurff, of the nearby town spoke from the very front, on Falkirk’s right hand side. “There is a threat we must defend against, and it has been in the heart of this land, leeching our strength and lives. We will not tolerate your existence, vampire! You will feed off us no longer!” He spat on the ground in front of him, and raised his ceremonial sword “Who’s with me!” The answering roar was deafening, and a flight of arrows shot up from within the crowd, stabbing into Von Drachi before he could react. Then, he laughed, a strange gurgling, hissing sound, and the cheers died away.

Then, quietly: “So be it.” He plucked an arrow from his chest, letting it drop onto the ground before him. Then he was gone.

The mob stormed through the castle, cutting down anything in its way. The lord’s strange guards were overrun without a single plea for mercy. Strange creatures of shadow and hunger were trampled, a youngish-looking vampire with a sword of mirrors was eventually peppered with arrows, after holding the assault back single-handedly for over a minute, those wounded by his blade crumbling to dust. A darkly beautiful vampiress found her charms broken on the savage fury of the common peasants.

Finally they reached Von Drachi’s room, where he and a woman that could only have been his wife stood guard over an enourmous, rippling mirror of green, while Heydrich worked over it feverishly.

Both vampires drew their swords simultaneously, daring anyone to advance. Falkirk stepped forward, determined to do his duty in cleansing evil. He fired his crossbow’s bolt into the woman at near point-blanc range. The wooden tip pierced the heart exactly, the garlic-infused shaft and the phial of holy water at the end making sure of the job. In doing so, however, he opened himself up to lord von Drachi’s assault. “Elannor!” he cried, even as his sword cut through the old Witch-hunter’s armour like paper.

Water erupted from the cut cloth, drenching the room, particularly the ancient vampire, who screamed again, this time in pain. “Holy water under the armour…” coughed Falkirk “The oldest trick in the book.” Seeing the vampire weakened, the men in the room drew their bows, and fired. Von Drachi subsided into dust, howling in rage.

Freidurff, the stout mayor who had spoken outside the castle, stepped towards Heydrich, who continued to work, seemingly oblivious, on the giant mirror. It was only when the sword thudded into his back that he turned round, his fingers only just brushing the townsman’s temples before a second blow removed his head. It had been enough. The suggestion of how to deal with the remains was planted in Friedurff’s head, the mirror would prove to be undamageable, and the Witch-hunter was dying. The stage was set for an eventual return.

Over the coming months, Friedurff would relocate and enlarge the town, now called Falkirk, named in honour of the man who died for its future inhabitants’ freedom. The vampires would, as Heydrich had hoped, be placed in the crypts, exposed to open air. Eventually, one hundred and fifty-four years later, it would be Friedurff’s descendants who awakened the Von Drachi family from their rest.

A vampire is difficult to defeat, all that can be accomplished is the postponement of the final battle.


That's the last piece of historical fluff, we're back to arena time now. Matches should be able to start as soon as we get our final entrant or Kamikaza's fluff .

[Attila the Hun Jr]

Awesome. That was so brilliant! It makes me really interested as to the von Draachis, and the glimpses of their personalities that you showed us were also really interesting.

I wonder, though, shouldn't the denizens of the warhammer world just kill anyone who has 'von' in their surname?

[Deadstar_MRC]

shouldn't the denizens of the warhammer world just kill anyone who has 'von' in their surname?

Surely not all vons are evil. What about the world-famous Von-Trapps?

Actually... you could be on to something here...

Good stuff Avatar, nice to see this up and kicking again! You still haven't heard from Kamikaza yet, Avatar? It's been a month, practically... and I know it's a bit harsh to drop someone out but it's not really fair to be holding up the rest of the contestants either...

Meh, I dunno. Your arena, your call!

[daelrog]

Just an idea, but in previous arena th rules have stated that if an arena contestant does not have fluff, then the arena master can make it as humiliating and degrading as possible (the example given is a hunched over, ugly high elf). I would put a time limit for a last character, or proceed with that in mind.

[RobtheGuru]

I can enter someone else if you really need the last spot filled Avvy mate.

[avatar of khaine]

yeah, i think that's for the best.

[RobtheGuru]

Name: Ghodk Bloodgrave
Race: Dward - Lord
Background:

Ghodk is the last survivor of his clan after it was annihilated by an Orc incursion. He awoke under all his dead comrades after being knocked unconscious. He now wanders the lands looking for the Greenskin king responsible. He has a long brown beard and armour of gold.

Equipment:

-Rune of Resistance
-Shieldbearers
-Shield
-Master Rune of Spite
-Great Weapon

Summary:

-Offence: x4 attacks at WS7, S6, Strikes last and x2 attacks at WS5, S4, I3
-Defence: x3 wounds at T5, with 1+ rerollable armour save and 4+ ward save
-Other: Immune to KB

Total Points: 249

[avatar of khaine]

“News?”
The young-looking man looked up at his father, hunched over in a stone chair. “What did you expect? The people of Falkirk are vigilant, even after all this time. The disappearance of the Mayor’s youngest son has sparked paranoia and mistrust. The vampire clans have no time for us, apparently they suffered a great deal after we were destroyed. They want a tribute of some kind, something impressive.”
Charlotte, his sister, spoke up: “These people live hard lives. They have very little in the way of entertainment.”
“Is that the stench of sympathy I detect?” spat Von Drachi.
“I would call it the sweet smell of opportunity, personally. Give them amusement and they return loyalty.”
“And you don’t want to do it because it would help these people? Your weakness sickens me.” A gloomy silence descended on the cave once more, while the lights of Falkirk twinkled in the distance, seeming to mock the ancient vampire as he watched.



The guards sprinted after an athletic man with thick, dark hair, blood dripping from his mouth. He rounded a corner, and they followed. At once they saw him, tripped and lying in the road. Without hesitation, they lunged, killing the man before he had a chance to cry out. They never saw the shadow disappearing round the corner, or the way the cape had been ripped, as though it had been put on him by force. They certainly never saw the cut in his mouth, from which blood dripped slowly.

“Hunting... in Falkirk... is dangerous. They’re too well prepared, we’d never get away with it. I think i pinned it on a scapegoat, but we need something clever if we’re to live here.”
“Father,” spoke Charlotte, nervously, “In the last hundred years, a new sport has been invented. I think you’d like it. It’s called the Arena of Death.”
“Tell me more...”



“We’ll have to play politics with the other lords, or it’ll seem suspicious. Between them and the vampire clans, it’ll be an expensive first few years. Andwe’ll need a diversion if we’re to feed, and your mirror thing still needs sacrifices, and the people won’t be happy about having a lord again.”
Eleanor, lord Drachi’s wife, spoke up. “There is one thing that would fulfil all of our needs... An Arena of Death.” Stunned silence filled the air as the others realised just how good an idea this really was. Lord Von Drachi spoke up “Brilliant. We won’t even need to be there long before the device is ready, in that case. I can even use my first name. Lord Arctus Von Drachi will once again be master of this land!” The other vampires, recognising the onset of his madness again, retreated to safety as he began raving and screaming.


Hooray! all sixteen characters are finally ready! the battles will begin very shortly.

Edit: Oh bugger! The name Christobel's already taken. Gimme a second to come up with a new one...
----------
Lorkar the blood hungry - Bleyden vs Karazo Ngor - CrownAxe
Sun - Throkken vs Bel-Sham-Harath, Soul Sucker - Tuxedo Clank
Yeelch - Daelrog vs A'ron Tetherblight, The Leper King - Esco Thompson
Squeaky - Pixie vs The Wendol - Mpdscott
li chen- AFG vs Ghodk Bloodgrave - RobtheGuru
Shalnar the Implaceable-Mellr0 vs The jester of eternity - RobTheGuru
The reaper - Attila the Hun vs Sylvia - Deadstar_MRC
Bombad Hammerfist - Dreadlock vs Lady Cristobel - CaptainSarathai