Fantasy The Deadlands

[ArcticFox]

Scorpions? Dynis strained to overhear something more, but she was too far. Scorpion fights perhaps? Could he have been a gambler? She disliked the kind, but she was still curious to find out more.

"Excuse me." She addressed the man. "Are you also a guest here, maybe?" She gave him another one of her sweet smiles.

 

[Cartoonicat]

As though startled, the man - quite old, upon closer inspection - jumped in his seat and shot Dynis a wide-eyed look. "What?" He blinked, brows pinching in confusion. "A guest?" He looked around, as though suddenly remembering where he was. Brought a hand up to scratch at the bald spot atop his head, surrounded by fine white hairs and sunspots. "Ah, yes. I am," he said with finality. Then quirked a brow at her. "You're one of those priestesses always coming through here. I know those robes." He leaned aside, giving her a glimpse of the pile of coins on the table, a healthy mix of gold and silver. "I've got an... errand I need done. Want to earn some coin? Ten silver, gold, whatever you use. People here seem to like silver."

- Ask about the errand
- Take the job
- Decline
- Ask something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"What kind of an errand?" To be honest, Dynis did not think she should go off on errands for strangers, now that she was on an important task for herself. But, asking about it couldn't hurt. And if it proved to be something simple enough, then she would be up for it. Earning coin was good, she certainly did not have many left to spend.

 

[Cartoonicat]

The old man grinned, revealing several gold-capped teeth. "An extermination errand," he explained. "There's a cave East of here perfect for an investment, but it's swarming with blasted scorpions. I've got the poison, but nobody's got the backbone to actually do it." He dropped ten silver into a pouch. "This pouch is yours if you take care of my little pest problem."

- Accept
- Decline
- Ask something else

 

[ArcticFox]

Ten silver hardly seemed to be worth all the trouble. Not to mention that Dynis knew next to nothing about scorpions or exterminating them. She could risk getting seriously injured. Poisoned even. She could not afford that at this point.

"I'm sorry. I don't think I'd be of much help." She shook her head, declining the deal. Then she finished the rest of the meal, nodded goodbye to the man and decided to go up to the room to have some rest for the night.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Dynis left the man behind, grumbling as he was when she found him. Entering her room, Dynis found it to be quite accommodating; the sheets were soft and the room clean, just like the rest of the tavern. With the door closed, silence enveloped her. It'd be the perfect opportunity to settle down and read her Napari Holy Book or get a good night's rest.

- Read a few pages from the Holy Book
- Go to sleep

 

[ArcticFox]

Dynis put down her supplies in one corner of the room, after securing the door behind her. The she stretched her sore muscles and joints. Then she took off her robe and boots and laid under the sheets, taking the Holy Book with her. It wouldn't hurt to read a couple of passages before she went to sleep.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Opening her Holy Book, Dynis read the following passage:

"There came a day, not long before the High Mother came to lead us, a young Sister found herself lost in the forest. Back then, Napari was inhospitable - ferocious in both its wide array of beasts as well as its people. What originally started as a simple trek to the stream changed into two weeks' worth of fighting for her life. Bears, wolves, and boars tried to prey on the young Sister; yet, through her selfless nature she tamed each creature. First, the boar, who brought her food each day. Second, the wolf, who kept her warm against its pelt each night. The offerings of the boar and wolf were nice and good, but the Sister yearned for home. So, she tamed the bear. Instead of make her stay in the forest comfortable, the bear loved the young Sister enough to let go. In the end, she followed the bear back home, safe and sound.

While we worship the High Mother for taming the wild beasts of Nepari when she was but a Sister, we must not forget the generosity of the bear. In eternal thanks for returning the Sister home, we vow to act as selfless as the bear had on that fateful day."

After reading the passage, Dynis closed the book and settled down to sleep. She was out in moments.
-----
When Dynis woke she dressed, gathered her things, and headed downstairs. The tenants from last night were gone, replaced by new ones, though they did not appear particularly interesting. Stepping outside, she found herself faced with a new day and new opportunities.

- Go to the oasis
- Go to the marketplace
- Go to the arena
- Explore the residential area

 

[ArcticFox]

Dynis needed to remember to stock up for the next part of her journey - she needed some dried food and hard bread to sustain her after she left the town. But she decided to buy that once she finally decided to leave. In the meantime she would check out the arena. She was very curious to see what that odd building was used for. They did not have anything like it at home.

 

[Cartoonicat]

​

Arriving at the open gates to the arena, which were crowded with people slowly entering, Dynis could glimpse the inside. Blood stained the sand and already the brightly dressed citizens of Verona lined the edges, peering in from their seats. They cheered and demanded the show begin while the arena-goers in line protested, asking for more time to find their seats. A disturbance to her right caught Dynis' eye: a burly guard and a scrawny, tall man nearly coming to blows.

"You said I could participate this time. See? I brought the coin!"

The guard huffed. "Nobody wants to see you get yourself killed. Go home or watch as an audience member." Scowling, the man looked to the gate contemplatively - only to be shoved several steps away. "Don't even think about it, Manir. Get lost."

Manir, the scrawny man, went red in the face. "You-...!" He looked to the crowd this time, eyes pleading, but nobody paid them any attention. His eyes caught Dynis', though, and he looked a little more hopeful. "This is ridiculous," he told her, "I registered, brought my fee, yet they still won't let me participate. Ridiculous! I say boycott the shows."

"As if anyone will listen to you, much less a Napari priestess," the guard snorted.

- Side with the guard
- Side with Manir
- Stay out of it
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"Uh..." Dynis looked to one man, then the other, painfully aware that she had gotten in the middle of something she did not really care about. She did not really want to waste her time on men and their idle bickering, but she saw that there was no other way out of it now, they had already brought her into it. She turned to the guard, forcing politeness in her tone. "Would you please tell me why are you not letting him inside, if he registered and paid for it already?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

The guard looked at her, brows pinched, as though he couldn't quite figure something out. "Do you not see him, miss?" He waved a hand towards Manir, who spat at his feet. "Watch it," he warned, eying Manir sharply. With a roll of his eyes, he addressed Dynis again. "Fee and registration aside, he's got no chance of winning. They'll break him like a toothpick-"

"-I am a master swordsman, thank you very-"

"-and while we don't fight to the death, accidents happen. We try to avoid them when we can." The guard explained, blatantly ignoring Manir now. "Wouldn't you do the same?"

Manir, while quite tall, was exceptionally lanky and scrawny. It was hard to believe he was a master swordsman, but perhaps what he lacked in strength he made up in agility.

-Side with Manir
-Side with the guard
-Stay out of it
-Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"I don't understand." Dynis continued talking to the guard. "If he wants to fight and die, why don't you let him? It's his choice." She really did not understand these man. The young guy had a death wish. The guard should simply let him have it. It's his life he wants to waste, not someone else's. Besides, every man was awful at combat, it was common knowledge. She doubted the entertainment they had in the arena was of any qualify anyway. With a sigh she nodded to the guard. "I think it will be the easiest for you to just let him have it. At least if he gets beaten to death he'll learn his lesson and won't come back to bother you again."

 

[Cartoonicat]

The guard looked at Manir, then at Dynis again. Let out a long sigh and handed a small entry token to Manir, before stepping out of his way. "Fair point," he said.

"Thank you!" Manir smiled at Dynis, bright and slightly goofy. Fell into line beside her, cutting in front of those behind him and earning a few protests because of it. He ignored them, though, much like the guard had ignored him. "Finally, someone with sense..." Manir settled down a bit then, before quirking a brow at Dynis and curling the corner of his lip upwards in a smirk. "So... are all Napari priestesses as pretty as you?"

Not only did Manir talk a lot and make a fuss, he was certainly quick to start flirting. A real outgoing personality, much like Korine, but with seemingly less tact.

-Ignore him
-Flirt back
-Insult him
-Say something else

 

[ArcticFox]

"No, I am the prettiest." Dynis answered halfheartedly, not really looking at the man. Instead she scanned the building in front of her, wondering slightly how exactly did their fights look like. They had sparing back in her homeland as well, but it was very civilized. This seemed much more barbaric. It was kind of drawing her in. Out of the corner of her eye she looked at the young man. "So, is there a fee for watching the fights or only for fighting?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

"Is that so?" He hummed as they stepped under the large arch of the gate. "Makes sense. The last priestess wasn't nearly as eye-catching." Coming to stand directly under the gate, guards barring the actual sanded arena sent those with no token to the left and those with one to the right. Practically bouncing on his toes, Manir shook his head. "Free for the audience. New fighters cost twenty silver, veterans only ten."

Manir opened his mouth to say more, but they'd come up to one of the guards and he presented his token. Ushered to the right, towards a door in the wall, he waved to Dynis before disappearing amidst the crowd. The guard then looked to her. "No token? To the left," he said, pointing to a flight of stairs that would lead her to the rows of seats up above.

-Stay and watch the fight
-Ask to participate
-Leave

 

[ArcticFox]

She was not that proficient of a fighter to try to seek participation. She also did not want to grapple with sweaty men. So she proceeded to where the audience was, remembering to put on the sunbalm for protection for that day. She found a spot for herself and curiously peered down toward the ring, expecting to see the fighters at any moment.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Not long after Dynis took her seat, the gate that had been previously open closed with a loud clank. Within moments, two fighters entered from opposite doors. One brandished a two-handed sword, the other a swinging mace. Both were huge in stature and musculature. A man stepped up to a podium, situated in the middle of the audience, and spoke loudly:

"We begin with the beginner's bracket! Kelsor of Magdarene City and Derin from the Town of Hestar!" The crowd erupted in cheers, men and women both participating in the noise. The man at the podium waved his hand in the air and brought it down, swift.

The fight commenced.

Kelsor, the swordfighter, charged Derin and swung his blade - only to hit nothing but air. The other man ducked just in time, sweeping his leg around to hit the back of Kelsor's knee. The swordsman buckled, falling forward, his opponent's knee meeting his nose halfway. Blood gushed from his nose, but he did not relent. Got to his feet and continued the battle.

It went on like that for several minutes, Kelsor ending up the victor. With each round the contestants seemed to get bigger, burlier, slower.

And then there was Manir. Scrawny, lanky Manir with a single scimitar drawn up against a monster of a man wielding a sledgehammer. The battle began and he had just enough time to dart out of the way. The hammer left a large indent in the ground behind him and Dynis could feel the audience let out a breath. They'd fallen silent, no longer cheering. Simply watching with baited breath as Manir evaded more than he attacked. His opponent was not only massive, but quick, too. It was hard to believe he'd been placed in the beginner's bracket.

Manir's movements, once quick and fluid, became sluggish with time. He'd gotten maybe one hit in with his sword before the sledgehammer came out of nowhere, grazing his leg with enough force to still make him stumble. He scrambled to his feet and darted away, lips drawn in a taut line. Seemed to favor his leg more with each dodge, each evasion.

And then he lunged forward, leg perfectly fine, as the sledgehammer raised high in the air. His blade stopped just short of his opponent's neck, signaling the end of the match.

"Ladies and gentlemen. That concludes our beginner's round, with Kelsor of Magdarene City; Winslow from the Town of Junip; Tremlin, also of Magdarene City; and Manir from beyond the Deadlands as our victors."

The crowd burst into chaos. A standing ovation for the winners. Screaming, cheering, roaring, some even booing.

By time the tournament had ended, so nearly had half the day. She could use the afternoon to wander town, browse the marketplace, or speak to Manir since he was already nearby. While he hadn't used his sword much, it was obvious he knew his way around a fight; if Dynis played her cards right, he might be of some use to her. Or she could try to find Korine, if she wanted to, or search for work.

-Wait to speak with Manir
-Explore the town
-Browse the marketplace
-Search for work
-Try to find Korine

 

[ArcticFox]

The boy actually knew how to fight. Dynis had watched from her seat as the battle commenced and she would never admit openly that she was at the edge of it as it finished. His movements were quicj and precise and he had beated a twice bigger opponent. That was admirable.

As for the rest of the fights, it was juat as she thought. The men were barbarians. They had no actual skill, they were just flaunting their muscles around.

When the audience filed away out of the arena, she lingered back to wait for the young man. As she spotted and approached him, her eyes met his. "Hey, I believe you owe me for helping bring you inside. Without me you never would have won that fight. The least you could do is buy me lunch." She focused him with his gaze to let him know that she was not joking.

 

[Cartoonicat]

After a few minutes Manir came out of the side door, into the open archway gate that released the crowd back into the streets of Verona. Dynis seemed to catch his eye, for he stopped and let her approach. Offered her a triumphant grin despite her serious demeanor.

"Ah, is this the Napari priestess way of asking me on a date?" He quirked a brow. "Or is it just your way-..." he gestured to her, suddenly looking unsure. "...I never actually got your name."

- Introduce yourself
- Call it a date
- Don't call it a date
- Say something else
- Leave

 

[ArcticFox]

"Dynis." She said, considering if she should offer him a hand, but decided not to. She raised an eyebrow at his question. If anything, he was very bold. She was not that opposed to boldness, quite the opposite. Suddenly she found herself intrigued with this strange man, though she had an inkling that he would make her lose her patience quite soon. "Sure." She finally answered, giving a slight shrug. "Call it however you want. So where are you taking me?"

 

[Cartoonicat]

Brows raised, Dynis seemed to have taken Manir by surprise. Though he schooled his expression into one of confidence rather quickly. With a grin, he nodded his head towards the marketplace. "Not the fanciest establishment but the food is good," he said. Manir then lead her towards the marketplace, through the crowds. Similar to yesterday, the merchants caught sight of Dynis and flocked to her with their sales. Pushing through, Manir ignored them rather than try to wave them off.

Eventually they broke through the thickest part of the crowd. Walked a little further, just before the Copper Reed in, until slowing to a stop at a run-down rock hovel built close to the town's walls. A decent amount of people sat outside on sandy rugs with bowls and plates on their laps. The hovel looked run-down. Hardly an establishment, especially with no tables to eat off of and no chairs to sit in. Not to mention all of the customers appeared to be eating outside. From the hovel's window and door - permanently open and without glass or shutters - wafted the scent of cooking food. It smelled far richer and more aromatic than the dinner Dynis had eaten the previous night.

Without waiting for Dynis to react, Manir went up to the window and exchanged conversation with someone inside. Fished something out of his pocket and passed it over, before being handed two large bowls. Upon returning, he held one out to her. A lump of bread sat at the top, becoming soggy in the thick broth. The overall appearance of the contents looked highly unappetizing but it smelled delicious.

"I don't care what anyone tells you, this place has the best stew in Verona. There, some shade." He lead them to a spot near the hovel shaded by the city's wall. Dropped down onto one of the worn, sandy rugs without a care.

- Eat in silence
- Make conversation
- Don't eat the stew
- Do something else

 

[ArcticFox]

Dynis eyed the contents of the soup warily. It dis not look appetizing at all. She waited for the man to take a couplenof swallows first, then carefully observed if he should tip over. It wouldn't surprise her if the stew was poisonous. Eventually, when she saw that he was alive and well, she took a careful sip of the contents.

It was chunky and she almost choked on the first sip, but once it went down her throat she had to admir it wasn't half bad. If you closed your eyes and ate it without prejudice, it was perfect.

"So, how did you learn to weild a sword?" She asked, more to pass the time than anything. She could not bear the silence for too long.

 

[Cartoonicat]

Something flashed in Manir's eyes, indiscernable for how briefly it appeared and left. He then adopted a cocky grin. Waved his hand flippantly as he responded.

"In the mountains - where I am from - everyone knows how to wield a sword," he said. "Taught from the time you can hold it to the time you die. 'Always learning', we say." He took a bite of his stew. Chewed, swallowed quickly. "Hence why I'm out here, collecting arena tokens."

Manir held up the arena token from earlier. Two others with different symbols and colors sat in his palm as well. "Proof that we studied not only our own way of battle but others', too."

With Manir having studied swordplay not just from the Deadlands, but other places, too, there was a possibility he'd be able to teach Dynis. That being said, she still did not know him too well - though he appeared to mostly wear his heart on his sleeve. Also, if he traveled so much, he may know something about the High Mother.

- Ask Manir for training
- Ask about the mountains
- Ask about his travels
- Ask about the arena tokens
- Ask about the High Mother
- Say something else

 

[ArcticFox]

In some communities they seemed to let men play with swords. Dynis knew that not all the societies were as civilized as Napari and reminded herself not to trust anyone who hailed from such communities. She also knew to keep her prejudices to herself as long as could. It was never good to make enemies in a town you did not have any friends. So when she continued speaking to the man, she tried to sound polite.

"Where did you get the other tokens then? At other towns?" She asked, stopping halfway through her bowl of stew.