Colosseum BoN Inziim Grand Tournament

[Trektek]

Ancient Ruins
Heyitsjiwon CaptainSully Just_a_loneley_pilgrim Northless HolidayInn SilverSentinal Damafaud Flutterheart LadyOfStars Enum Kameron Esters-

For all the Champions that arrived at the designated location, the sky was cloudy and gray, they arrived solely at the ruins of what must have once been a grand castle of some kind, but now over the ages along with the weather, it has been brought down to a sad and desolate but also calming looking place. What a strange place to be meeting and to hold a tournament apparently. Especially when there doesn't seem to be anyone else other than all the contestants here at this location. Could they have gotten the location wrong? Was this merely a trap or diversion of some kind? Was there even an Inziim?

A loud snoring could be heard coming from behind a pillar, soon enough followed by a loud ringing sound and then a loud yelp. "OH no no no no. I did not just over sleep. Oh man. Inziim is gunna kill me." From out behind a pillar a young man wearing a purple robe skulked out. "Aw geez. You're all already here. I better get you going before I get in anymore trouble than I already am gunna be."

The man waved his arms around with intricate movements of his fingers and suddenly everyone was encased in white light. A feeling of warmth as though being wrapped up in a snug hug could be felt as the light held onto them.

When they were able to open up their eyes as the light faded back from whence it came, they were somewhere else in front of them was a skeleton with a fancy, well cut bespoke suit and a single monocle sitting in front of green glowing eye orbs where eyes should be, holding a cane in his right hand and a book in the other. As the group appeared he looked at a watch that was connected by a chain to his pocket and then muttered to himself, "That Reynolds will have his pay docked for sure." before quickly addressing the group before him.

"Welcome one and all to Castle Aiyers, a remnant of the Old World. I am Lord Pensbrooke and will be showing you around and explaining the ropes until Inziim can arrive. He still has much to prepare." He opened the book which seemed to not have any pages within, but in fact only glowing words written in a language that was different than the common tongue. Pensbrooke seemed to look back and forth between the book and the new arrivals as if making sure that they matched who was expected, using what looked like a thing black writing implement of some sort that left no visible mark on the glowing pages, only accompanied by a pleasant beeping sound.

Looking around, there seemed to be various undead wearing armor and clothing that seemed to be going about normal daily routines as though they were actual living, breathing creatures. There also seemed to be some living people as well, mostly humans and some animals of small and somewhat larger stances being moved around to different places. Most of the building seemed to be old and somewhat decrepit, at least that was what it seemed until the door to one of them was opened and the inside seemed to be almost magical with differently colored lights until it was quickly closed again.

Pensbrooke placed his pen in his jacket pocket and the book on a latch attached to his belt. "Now, before I give you the tour, do you have any questions that you wish to ask?"​

 

[CaptainSully]

Xaka dismounted the towering Carnivore Rex he had dubbed Grymloq. The beast lowered its body to the ground so that the saurian could get to the floor with more ease. With his weapons and shield still attached to his saddle, the seven foot tall Xaka approached the man before him.

With each step he could see looks from those around him, staring at the giant mount he had arrived on. They were safe, Grymloq was deceptively intelligent. Able to discern between threats and those just going about their business, the apex predator began to drift off into a deep slumber.

Finally he reached the man who had opened up the situation to questions. Xaka placed his arm across his chest and bowed forward in an act that was contradictory to his ferocious appearance. He spoke with a deep, husky voice and an accent that implied intelligence.

"I am Xaka from the Nation of Itza. I just want to say thank you for inviting us to this tournament of yours." Xaka cast a glance back towards Grymloq. "You do not need to worry about him. He is tired from the trip and will sleep well. If you could provide him with some meat when he awakes it would be most appreciated."

Xaka bowed once more out of respect for the individual.

 

[Damafaud]

Ioe Water
Interaction: Pensbrooke
Mention: Trektek CaptainSully​

As clouds floated toward the designated meeting spot, Ioe descended from a puff and joined the group. As most participants around her had humanoid shapes, she adjusted her form into one as well. Coincidentally, her true form was a humanoid so it was convenient.

Ioe participated in the tournament as a replacement for Brom. Brom Water was the best fighter among Waters, but there was a last-minute detail Osena forgot to mention to Ravus when he chose Brom: Brom was unable to speak Common. As a result, Ioe, who was not the best fighter but could speak Common, was chosen to represent Aloiss Elementals instead. Ioe didn't mind; she got to skip the heavy construction work and tedious water removal task.

It was Ioe's first time entering another city. Her stare went around in circles. A small whirlpool formed where her legs were supposed to be. Lord Pensbrooke, the undead, was not an unusual sight in Castle Aiyers, it seemed, as there was other undead around as well. Ioe thought hard before asking her question. It was not that she had none; she had a lot. Especially regarding the castle and how it could stay afloat. However, if she asked all of her questions at once, it would take a long while until she was finished.

"I am Ioe Water of Aloiss Nomad," she mimicked the introduction style of the Itzan's fighter. "How do we get here, Pensbrooke?"

Now, to humans, Ioe's words might sound rude. However, the skeleton introduced himself as Lord Pensbrooke. In accordance to Elemental's culture, calling someone with their last name was a polite expression instead. Pensbrooke was polite. Lord Pensbrooke was acceptable. Lord... now, she was not close enough to the skeleton to call him so, was she?

 

[LadyOfStars]

Castle Aiyers, places like this we’re scare around the continent these days, so it was satisfying to know that the castle managed to withstand the passage of time.what interested Maat even more than the castle however was the presence of a sentient skeleton. Aside from Tartarus he knew of very few entities that utilized necromancy as they did, now he was eager to meet the being that was pulling the strings.

When the overgrown fly eater stepped forward first to introduce himself, Maat turned his gaze towards the larger creature that slumbered nearby. This was a glimpse at the inhabitants of....Itza, and it painted a very clear picture of what their nation may be like. He smirked behind the golden mask of the jackal goddess and his silver stare turned to the undead stallions that headed his chariot. They were still, unresponsive, and quiet as the royal tombs back home. His attention was grabbed and drawn to the water being that soon appeared. It seemed that history was about to repeat itself now that these two nations were before him again.

Being that he was royalty and their host seemed far more knowledgeable about the world than most of them, it seemed pointless to proceed with an introduction and so Maat decided to skip such a formality. “Will we be meeting the host of this event? I would like to put a face to this...Inziim character.”

 

[Northless]

Jar Olle
Hara-Hara Nomads​

The ruins seemed like a nice place, Olle thought, somewhat dissapointed, when they appeared in front of the castle. She couldn't help it; Anything that could make for a good story was immediately well-received by her people. A tournament held by a shadowy character, in the middle of ruins that, inherently, have so many stories behind them? Not like a giant, out-of-nowhere-appeared castle was less interesting, though...

It wasn't just a crave for knowledge and ideas, or even creativity, but the fact that they were themselves stories, considering the 'Hara-Hara' aren't an actual tribe, but a made-up name a bunch of escapee-would-be slaves decided on for themselves. They were drawn to fiction, as in a way, they were fictional, too. She was already lost in thought with this by the time a giant beast walked past her, shooking her out of it, and somehow beginning presentations as well.

When it came her turn, she gave a small bow at the skeleton, standing comfortably straight in her place. "My name is Olle, I'm a Jar from the Hara-Hara tribe. I'm curious over who this Inziim is as in the letter, it was said he was the leader of his own nation. Where is this nation? What people does he rule over?" She tried to get a glimpse at the inside of the castle, when another question popped in her mind. "Also, what do you mean by 'Old World'? How... old, are we talking about?"

 

[Enum]

Hanon stepped gently into the grass. The others along with him introduced themselves kindly and calmly, but the Uniter was more focused on his surroundings. It was an odd place, this Castle Aiyers, but it was certainly beautiful. Though the high design and strange materials of the castles walls and gardens were a bit lush for him, he could admit that they were a great symbol of power. Whoever this 'Inziim' character was, Hanon could tell he had a grandiose sense of taste, and the access to powerful feats if he's able to access such a place so casually. Hanon turned his gaze to the others, keeping a distance. He recognized some of the cast, but none particularly closely. None were of the kingdoms of his betrayal from what he could tell. The Itza he recognized, but only as a rumor. He had never encountered their kind before. The Aloiss nomads he had seen before, but none so up close. He knew of their kind and recognized them as equals politically.

The Hara-Hara he recognized with some warmth. They had been kind in their arrival and helpful in their stay. Though he had met none of their representatives himself, Hanon was pleased with the arrival of this warrior. He pondered on the chance to speak to the honorable cat-person within the following hours. It would certainly be beneficial, and he'd be able to properly thank them for their efforts at the city of Overlook. He tried not to appear distracted, so he cleared the matter from his head and altered his attention to the next representative who stood among them. They were a representative of Hel.

The Helian was a different matter. He had not been to the kingdom of Hel, but he knew of them well. He learned of all the people's kingdoms of which his own country originated. He knew of Hel's idolatry of their God-King, and of their slave trade. He felt his throat dry as he kept a nasty side-glare upon the other kingdom, eying their representative carefully. He placed a hand to the mark left upon his forehead-that of an exile-and winced at the memory behind it. It felt as though it bled, but he knew best to ignore it. He approached the strange character in a banner he'd not seen beforehand, and listened to the questions the others asked, but remained silent himself.

Hanon tried not to let his blood boil. The grimace on his face made his feelings on the matter at hand very clear.

 

[Trektek]

Location: Castle Aiyers
Time: Mid Morning

Lord Pensbrooke was clearly happy with most of the responses that was given from those that had arrived and even though he had not any direct outward acknowledgement of Hanon's facial grimace, it seemed as though he had noticed it. The man that stood before them seemed unperturbed as he dealt with the questions and responses given to him in the order that they were received.

The skeletal figure bowed respectfully to Xaka with his arm over his chest in response to the bow that he had received. "And you are most welcome for the invite Xaka of the Itzan Nation. Though your thanks must really go towards Inziim when he arrives."

He clapped his hands and a skeleton wearing servants clothing of a fine caliber arrived holding a tray of meat and offered to the mount. "Some meat has already been prepared for your mount. It wouldn't do for him to go hungry, now would it?" Pensbrooke lightly chuckled.

Pensbrooke next turned towards the water elemental to respond to her inquiry. "Greeting IOE water." The fact that she called him Pensbrooke rather than Lord or some sort of other honorific amused him. It showed just how outside the cultural norms the Aloiss truly were and for him, that was part of the wonder of the new world. Besides, in this day and age, his noble title didn't mean much. It was more just something that he hung onto for old times sake.
"You have arrived here via magical teleportation. We had a spellcaster use his magic in order to bring you to this location. You would have arrived sooner, but it seems that the individual in question was napping. I shall certainly have to have a talk with the young man."

Next he responded to Maat's question, noticing his lack of respect in not even introducing himself. Of course, being a God King, it was obvious that he never thought of himself equal to anyone, only above them. A shame really, since his magical propensity and capabilities could take him far if he were willing to be an apprentice. But it was obvious that his countenance would never allow him to be subservient to anyone.

"Yes, you will be meeting Inziim soon. He is merely finishing up with some important preparations before joining you."

The member of the Hara-Hara seemed far more amenable than the God King and even Hanon. Full of wonderful questions that were just waiting to be answered. Returning her bow, he responded to her. "Pleasure to meet you Ollie. Let me answer all of your questions right now in the form of a story, especially since I know that your people love stories."
"Once upon a time, there was a very prosperous land where all the people were happy. Technology and magic allowed them to live their lives in comfort and ease. There was no hunger among the people and education was accessible to all. Our people even traveled among the stars, exploring the depths of the universe. Then, the dark times came. Powerful creatures known as demons emerged from the darkness. From the cracks in reality and other realms. They killed and rampaged indiscriminatingly, ending nations left and right. The peace was shattered and not even the most powerful weapons of any of the remaining nations could cause much damage to the more powerful creatures. Most people hid away for safety from the evil that seemed unstoppable. All seemed lost. That was until the emergence of a brilliant mage named Inziim. His studies into the undead bore the fruit of hope to the people. For those who undertook the ritual of undeath, to retain their intelligence, but be able to keep up the good fight against the demons. Those that had fallen were able to come back and fight to protect what they loved most in this world. The people that were willing to give up their old existence, were all viewed as heroes, sacrificing their mortality for the chance to end the demonic threat once and for all. In the end, Inziim and the other mages managed to discover a way to seal away the demonic forces once and for all with the time that was bought by the Free Undead who gave their second lives for the cause. To this day, Inziim and his people watch over the world, ready to lay down their second lives if need be to protect this world and all that exist in it should the demons ever return.

As he told the story, he looked at each of those that were before him and by the end, lingered on Hanon with his glowing eyes. He could grimace all he wants at the thought of undead, but not without hearing that the decision to become it was for the greater good and not out of a sense for power or a need to cheat death.

Lord Pensbrooke clapped his hands together and spoke with a smile in his voice. "Now, how about I give you all a tour before we head to the dining hall for lunch. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask them to me on the tour."

He walked the group around the floating island, first by showing them the stables, where there were animals both alive and undead. "I request that anyone with a mount have them stay here for the time being. And don't worry. You will all get them back."

The next spot on their tour was the arena itself. The structure looks as though it was old but refurbished and repaired. A relatively large coliseum, it seemed as though at one point in its history it was used for much larger and more extravagant events with more people than were present. "This will be the place where you will all be competing against each other. There is a strict rule of no killing your opponents and we have a state of the art medical facility on board to help heal any injuries. You won't have to worry about having to nurse any wounds before your next match."

The group passed by some nice small looking structures, each looking individual, but the outside being furnished with shrubbery and flowers to the taste of each of the combatants. Apparently some research was done on each of them in preparation for this event. It looked as though no expense was spared in the process. The gardens all around looked lovely and smelled of sweetness on the air. "Here will be your living quarters during the tournament. Each location has been suited to an environment that you are used to, with only the best amenities of course."

"And here is where we shall be ending the tour. The dining hall, for the lunchtime meal that has been expertly prepared." Pensbrooke clapped his hands together and the large double doors opened to an extravagant dining hall, with subtle reds, greens, and purples around the room. The flags of each of the countries were hung up carefully on the walls and there was silverware and fine china set up in front of each and every seat.

"Please take a seat. Inziim will be along shortly to join with us." Pensbrook stated as he took a seat next to the head of the table, where it looked as though Inziim would be sitting. As soon as everyone was seated, a soup course was placed in front of each of the guests. It was a thin broth, with a sort of seafood taste with green bits of paper thin vegetable and small white cubes.​

 

[HanShootsFirst]

Vrosk walked calmly into the ancient ruins eyeing the arches and designs intently. "These walls have been here as long as the ground itself... I can feel it," he spoke to himself. As he walked deeper into the ruins a bright light surrounded him and, startled, he tripped and fell forward just as the world around him changed and the relatively soft ground he was about to impact became hard white stone. "Woah!!" He attempted to catch himself only for his dark blue face to slow his fall to a stop. Vrosk quickly scrambled to his feet to see a large dining hall with many different strange looking creatures, "Uhhh, why am I here?" he asked nervously a small trail of blood dripping down his nose. Several of these creatures were noticeably taller than him and they were seated. "Is... this the... tournament?" he asked confused, "I'm not interrupting anything am I? I do not wish to be rude..." It was clear the boy was in an intimidating situation and he most certainly was intimidated.

At that moment some blood dripped off his nose and he realized he was bleeding, "Oh! Bloody!" he reached up and attempted to stop the flow of blood with his hand only for it to drain down his arm, "Not now, stop it damn you!" he hissed as if his will would stop the blood itself.

 

[CaptainSully]

SCAR VETERAN XAKA
The Nation of Itza

Tags: HanShootsFirst​

Guiding Grymloq to the stable area was an experience, the on lookers recoiling at the ferocious appearance of the bipedal beast. The reality was that Grymloq was too focussed on the giant plate of meat being carried before him. Outside of battle the apex predator was as tame as dog was to a human, its true nature only revealed on the battlefield. Xaka could see the person carrying the plate getting nervous and so broke into a short jog to catch up to them.

"He doesn't bite...unless i want him to." Xaka laughed although the individual clearly didn't find it funny. Even with a skeletal head their dropped jaw showed their disproval of the comment. "I apologise. Please let me take that from your hands." The saurian watched as the person scurried off to the side, their glance not moving from Grymloq until the party had reached the stable. They weren't designed for something as big as the carnivore rex. Even so, Xaka placed the meat platter on a patch of grass next to the stable and spoke to his mount in the Itzan native tongue. "P'áateen waye' suku'un." Grymloq lowered itself carefully to the grass below, lying down with the plate in easy reach of it's mouth. Xaka patted the hide of his steed with the palm of his hand, walking off once Grymloq's eyes closed to sleep.

Soon enough the group had reached the banquet hall and Xaka's seat was clear to see. Given his size it was a fair size bigger than the majority of the other chairs. The craftsmanship was unlike anything he had seen before, clearly his place possessed many talented individuals. Soon enough the group was seated but before introductions could begin properly a young man stumbled through the door into the hall.

Xaka saw the man enter, blood running from his nose. The seat next to the saurian was empty and so by deduction he assumed this person was to be its occupant. Standing up Xaka approached the individual, the towering saurian reaching into his belt to pull out a small piece of cloth. He tried his best to smile, to make the lad feel more comfortable but a seven foot tall lizard showing off it's razor sharp teeth was not exactly the most welcoming of appearances. Xaka decided to take a knee to try and get himself down to eye level with the individual, offering out the cloth in his hand.

"Here..take this." The voice of the saurian was deep and boomed off the walls within the room. "My name is Xaka..." He trailed off, giving the individual the chance to respond.

 

[LadyOfStars]

Maat, God-King of Tartarus ​

The mortal necromancer took one good look at each of the other creatures present, but didn’t give much thought to their existences. No matter what titles they may claim or be known by, his was the only one that matter. What he was interested in however was their location, their host, and the goal of this event. Luckily it seemed his thirst for knowledge would be satiated as the undead figure before them started to tell a story.

At first he was lost, the story spoke of this mystery host and the name was again unfamiliar to Maat. Certain parts of the story did sound familiar to him though. Events he’d heard past Kings and Queens of Tartarus speak about. He hadn’t always believed in every story, but now he felt more inclined to put his faith in the ramblings of his predecessors. By the end of the tale, Maat found himself eager to know more about their host and his supposedly wonderful power, as well as his ability to cheat death.

He’d hold his questions for now, in the interest of allowing things to progress a little quicker. As the tour moved on and he followed on foot, the only thing he could really think about was how he missed his palanquin. Walking was a mundane chore meant only to be suffered by the common folk. But he took in the sights just as the others did and analyzed their surroundings,

When they finally arrived to their final destination, Maat’s eyes took in the scene and he felt an ember of wonder take form within his heart. Only rooms within his palace displayed such opulence and beauty, so seeing it somewhere new was a bit inspiring. He entered the room with the other strangers and by force of habit sat at the head of the table. Normally he would eat alone, but he was still distracted by the decadence that surrounded him.

 

[Damafaud]

Ioe Water
Interaction: -
Mention: -​

Ioe listened attentively to Pensbrooke's story of Old Nation. Her innate interest was located in cultivation, but the further she delved into cultivation, the more she realised the value of history. Why did ruins hold powerful artefacts? It proved the ancient civilisations were stronger than the current era. That was what pushed her to explore with Brom and Freeda.

Demons were something she had heard before; Ancient One often told the story of demons when he was idle. She, however, was not among the Elementals interested in history. Ioe preferred to listen to Ragna's rambling regarding comprehension.

Walking further into the flying island, they got to see the arena, stable, and living quarter. The arena was a nice building. It was an open space with rich earth and wind essence. Perhaps it was due to magic, but Ioe felt no clouds passing through the island. The water essence around, however, was higher than open sky. Something she looked forward to.

Lunch was... Ioe didn't know how to describe it. She couldn't eat. Elementals were created from element essences. They had no need for food or water. They had no tastebuds either. Even when she took a humanoid form, she had no way of tasting the dish in front of her. After a moment of contemplation, Ioe dipped a 'finger' into the broth and sucked the water in. What left in the bowl was all the spices contained in the broth, the thin-sliced vegetables, and the small white cubes.

There was a small ruckus on the other side of the table. Ioe raised her head and observed silently.

 

[Northless]

Jar Olle
Hara-Hara Nomads

Mentions: Trektek ​

The story felt... awfully sad. She understood it, and the warrior on her thrived on the idea of giving up more than their own lives to save their loved ones, but the other half on her couldn't help but shudder at the thought. A place so torn with war, so lost, that people would resort to that? To lose themselves, in a sense? It was no wonder one would try to skim over some details, like dates or names...
Refraining from asking more about that era for now seemed like the best choice.

When they reached the arena, Olle was already having trouble keeping the rest of the group's pace. She would have stayed behind just looking at the castle's structure and design for hours on end if she could do so. The arena was gigantic... Bigger than anything she had seen before. Not like indentured servants get to go to colliseums often enough, though. She couldn't help but give a sigh of relief at the mention of the "no-killing" rule, trotting back to listen to Pensbrooke better. With the whole light magic transportation and giant war beasts, it slipped right past her head to ask that beforehand. She had to write Klothe about- "Excuse, Lord Pensbrooke, later, can we send letters home?"

Home. At the next stop of the tour, she caught a glimpse of the splattered pink and white flowers from her natal city; Then reds, yellows and oranges, a mix of tall and short flowers from different cities and regions. Some she had saw herself on her travels, others she recognized from other Haras' bedtime stories and tales. She made the mental note of asking if they had news from those places, if they had visited them to learn about their traditions... Some had left long ago and haven't heard from their old home in years, so news were always well received. The garden looked lovely, and she was hoping to be able to see the inside soon.

The soup smelled nice, but she would wait until everyone had sat down as well to drink some, specially after seeing someone had caught up to them just then. Old habits were hard to kill. Not like she complained about it, on the contrary; It gave her more time to examine each tapestry embroidery and layout, wondering just how much of the world she had left to see yet, and just how different they all were bound to be...

 

[Trektek]

Location: Dining Hall
Time: Mid Day

Lord Pensbrooke watched as this young lad came through the doors, which if his face could hold an expression would have been one of shock. Sure, he was on the list of those that would have been arriving, but the undead Lord believed that the lad had changed his mind and was not going to be arriving at all, let alone late. Perhaps he should have figured that Vrosk was going to be showing up fashionably late, he mused that is something that he would have done. Something that Inziim has called him out for many a time. As he straightened his outfit and was about to respond, a skeletal figure in fine red robes with a purple hue about them arrived behind Maat, the God King.

Maat would hear the sound of a throat clearing. Which was especially impressive since the figure standing behind the chair most certainly did not have a throat that needed to be cleared, or even one that didn't. It was the person that they were all waiting for, the host of the tournament, himself. The robed figured at first seemed to be imposing, but upon closer inspection, he seemed to have a far friendlier countenance than his outward appearance would suggest.

"Greeting honored guests. My apologies for being tardy. I had some last minute preparations to take care of that requires my personal attention." He bowed deeply to the group as a whole. "I hope that you have been able to enjoy the tour and the first course of you meal."

He turned to look at Maat with his glowing green eyes, expression unreadable from his skeletal face. "I take it that you are used to sitting at the head of the table." Inziim chuckled as he pointed over to another seating. "Your seat is over there by your countries flag, however if you feel more comfortable over here, than who am I to argue."

Inziim walked up to Lord Pensbrooke, gave him a hearty hug and spoke softly to his friend. "Thank you for meeting and greeting all of the warriors, Penny. Good work. I've just been so busy as of late." He clapped him on the back and turned back to the others. "Now, I'm sure that you all have some questions, why don't I answer them over you eating a fine and delicious meal?"

The Lich clapped his hands and servants brought in the next course, taking away any of the soups that had already been eaten. the next course was some sort of chicken roasted in with potatoes and various herbs and spices with asparagus placed tastefully on the plate. A red wine was poured into the glasses that was very sweet.​

 

[Just_a_loneley_pilgrim]

Hralnir had been sent by Thrazir to fight in this mysterious tournament. Hralnir just entered the hall, he had overhead the conversation so he quickly searched for his flag. He sat and before he knew it, he was already eating and drinking some delicious beer. Hralnir took his time to inspect the other champions trying to gather information about how they would be acting in the tournament. It was very easy to underestimate Hralnir but every dwarf knew that if you underestimated Hralnir you would be dead. Hralnir isalways trying to make himself look weak so that hopefully others will underestimate him greatly.

​

 

[Enum]

Hanon sat at his flag but did not touch the food. It was against policy to accept the kindnesses of foreign nations without establishing a relationship first. Although he didn't know if the Lich could be considered a foreign power, he had to be wary of his actions. He was representing his nation, and he had to keep the appearance that he and his people maintained thus far. He gently pushed the platter away, uninterested in taking anything. He peered at his fellow representatives. Some of them didn't quite fit in with the scenery, some fit in too well. His eyes eventually landed on Inziim. Something about the lich bothered him, and it wasn't just being undead. The state of the host was far from his mind now, the only thing that he could think of eventually spilled from his throat.

"What is this?" he asked, "What is this really?"

 

[Trektek]

Location: Dining Hall
Time: Mid Day

Inziim looked around at the large group of different types of people from some of the major nations of Khanzig. It gave him heart that they came, even if it was for the possibility of a prize. After all, they didn't know him from a hole in the ground and it could have quite easily been a trap designed to lure in each nations best fighters and crush them out of existence.

Granted, Inziim was never the type that would do something so dastardly, even if that kind of action would be prudent against any enemies that he might have, but that would be silly to enact against these young civilizations who are all still getting on their feet in the grand scheme of things. He was a facilitator, moving things along and helping to guide those civilizations to a better place.

The lich watched as the nations interacted with each other, each with their different styles and etiquette among them, even Hanon, who clearly despises undead, is here and hadn't asked to leave yet. So that alone is something. Something that could bring a chance in view.

That was when Hanon directed him with a question about what all this really was.

"I'm glad that you asked, Hannon, the Uniter. It is in a way, to help united the different people of Khanzhig. Many of you are far from each other, but I can sense some danger on the horizon and it might be better for you all to meet and engage with each other. That is the true purpose of this. To open up dialogue with your fellow nations and to have a friendly competition to aid in the good will."​

 

[Enum]

Hanon twitched at the answer. His blood was still boiling, and that answer didn't really help. He took a deep breath and leaned forward. It was strange and uncertain. It was comforting, for sure, but it made little sense to him. He gazed upon the other kingdoms, each with different valor and temper, some he could respect and others he could not. Some were eating, some were talking, enjoying the company. The scent of wondrous, strange foods filled his nose and covered his palette. The servants moved quickly and took care of everything. It was regal, beautiful, and perfect for those of his own calibur. Food and drink fit for kings, in dining halls perfect for lords of the highest class.

He hated it.

"You'll forgive my crass behavior when I say I don't believe that," he stood, trying not to bump into a servant, "To aid us? To open dialogue between nations? Come and offer us food and invite us to a friendly competition? That doesn't make any sense. You clearly have some power or stature beyond our understanding, so what do you have to gain by bringing us together? Any diplomat understands that trades such as this are not made unless you are to gain a profit from it, so what do you gain from this?

"As if that weren't strange enough; bringing us together just raises more red flags. Nations together, leaders eating as comrades, does that not seem odd? Though I'm sure some of those among you are friends, there are plenty of those who are not. Perhaps there are those who are at war. Are we expected to sit with each other and pretend no grudges are held? Are we to leave as we arrived, or are we supposed to be friends by the end of this?"

He took a few moments to breathe. "I can say with certainty, and with no insult intended, that there are many of you here whom I distrust greatly, but I have my reasons. I'm sure there are those among you who distrust, perhaps even hate, some others who sit at this table. Despite my rant, it'd be foolish to turn venomous words towards each other, so let me redirect my tangent towards a much broader, far more important question;

"How can we trust you, Inziim?"

 

[Trektek]

Location: Dining Hall
Time: Mid Day

Inziim sat and listened as Hanon spoke. He understood his views as they were the views of a thinking man who cares for his people and others, one who does not look, nor ask for handouts and in any other world, his own actions would not make even a little bit of sense. So Hanon had every right to question the lich's intentions, even going beyond the distrust that comes with dealing with the undead, in fact any undead. Inziim understood his words and concerns, but Pensbrooke was another issue.

Lord Pensbrooke stood up and his the glow of his eyes seemed to darken and intensify. He seemed about to launch into some sort of diatribe as to why he was questioning Inziim and how dare he insult him when he and his people have been nothing but gracious hosts, but he did not get the chance. Inziim quickly held Pensbrooke's hand in his and then placed his other one on top of that one. That seemed to calm the man who sat down and looked away. He wasn't happy about the situation, but he decided right then and there that he would not make a scene unnecessarily.

"You bring up all very fair points Hanon and I would expect nothing less than that from the leader of a people who have united his own against oppressors and tyrants. I want you to know that I am neither. Honestly, other than my good will that I have shown so far and that of which I will continue to show to my honored guests, you who are included, I can not offer you any direct reason to trust me. I offer you friendship and wish to cultivate the relationships of all the people on this continent and hopefully eventually those among the other continents of the world. If there are any grudges between any of the nations at this table, I ask that you keep it to the ring and to not attempt to kill anyone that you dislike there. Otherwise I will be a bit unhappy. But I truly hope that here, a dialogue can be reached between everyone. Even if it means that it is a dialogue against me and my people. I would be saddened by that, but for the other nations of Khanzig to be working together would be a much better gain in the long run than being friendly with me."

He turned back to Pensbrooke, realizing that he had forgotten something. The Lord clapped his hands and servants brought in chests of gold before each and every contestant. Inziim turned back to Hanon and continued to speak. "These are the gains that all of your countries are gaining just for participating in this tournament. A healthy application of Coin to aid all of you. Now, I hope that at least that I was able to answer your question to a satisfying conclusion?"

Inziim looked almost thoughtful in appearance as he looked not just to Hanon, but around the room.​

 

[CaptainSully]

SCAR VETERAN XAKA
The Nation of Itza

Tags: HanShootsFirst​

The offer of coin meant little to Xaka or even his people, Tokotol saw the invite as an opportunity to build relationships with the other races and Xaka understood that. That being said, he also wanted to prove his worth against the fighters of other nations. Large scale battles were less about the individual but there was something about singles combat that evoked a beastial urge within the Itzan champion. Xaka stood up from his chair and bared his teeth in an attempt to smile.

"I appreciate the offer of coin but more than anything I am here to try and build relationships between our peoples..." Xaka made sure to make eye contact with everyone, even those that Itza had recently fought against. "...and to have some fun in the process." A laugh escaped Xaka's mouth and he spoke to the group before turning directly to Inziim and Pensbrooke.

"I would just like to thank our hosts for giving us an unparalleled opportunity to meet each other." Xaka place his arm across his chest and bowed slightly in respect to the pair who had organised this event. Returning to his seat Xaka gestured to the other guests in a sign of respect.

 

[HanShootsFirst]

Vrosk scrambled to grab a napkin to wipe the blood from his face, "Thank you for the offer... uh, sir?" he said not sure how to address the large creature in front of him, "However I wish to be no nuisance to you." He bowed slightly and quickly took his seat looking around all of the others appeared to be incredible warriors from their prospective tribes. He eyed the lich with curiosity as he listened to the exchanges. Necromancy was not unheard of for Arissians but it was one of the rare gifts of the mages he was familiar with. He removed the napkin from his nose and the blood had dried, he held it in his hands so as to avoid placing it on the table. Vrosk sheepishly raised his hand in the air, "Um excuse me? These 'competitions you are speaking of, are they purely... combative? I'm not exactly a warrior...."

Thoughts began racing through Vrosk's mind as he tried to figure out what was going to happen. Why had James sent him? Of all people a young inexperienced mage? Not to mention his lack of confidence in statescraft.