2v2 Battle Royale (FFD)

The twelve marched back to the town center -- a pair of individuals belonging to each class. "Young ones, wait!"

Obsidian and Stephen recognized him immediately. It was their boss, the head merchant of Pravoka. "Listen, I just lost my third crew this month and I have chosen to shift my entrepreneurial spirit from the merchant marine to gladiatorial combat. I have a flagship which I intend to retain for my personal ventures and a smaller, quicker cruiser which holds four adventurers."

The group of twelve listened, half-bewildered. The man continued. "Hear me out. For my inaugural event, I am planning to give away my cruiser, and I would like nothing better than to involve the twelve of you. So, I would like each of you to take part in a Two-on-Two Battle Royale by class. Once the remaining teams have fallen, the winning team will then turn on each other and fight mano a mano - or mano a womano *chuckle* - for ownership of the vessel.

Several hours later, fully rested and mentally recharged, the contestants reunited in the arena for the second tournament to-date.

The Battle For the Boat
[Please enter your commands and let me know if you did any shopping in the interim. Each of you are on a team of two with the other member of your class. Muteki and Obsidian, Atma and Undine, Guy and John, Dave Mlinko and Eric, Stephen and ToST, Max and Bob. For this battle, target-all spells will literally target all other teams. I will post updates every ~48 hours because you now have to consider that if you enter your commands immediately, you risk incurring the wrath of another team. Dave, unless Stephen can log in, I'd like ToST to control him for this battle. And if you are missing in action at camp, Eric can control your moves. After this event, the game should open up a bit, so that will be a good time to introduce some RP for those interested. Good luck and happy strategizing with your new buddies.] =)

[This is indeed an arena battle so defeat will not count as death.

And this is far from the final arena tournament I have scheduled. They will be a somewhat regular occurrence so as to allow different classes to achieve glory as they relatively gain and lose power throughout the game. Perhaps there'll be an even better prize at a later tournament when black belts and thieves have more power. As is, they might slip under the radar given the larger threats that exist. =)

I also saw this as a good time for 2v2 because with HIM's departure, we conveniently have two of each class.]

[Good question Max. Here's how the boat winner is determined:

If the last two contestants are of different classes, they continue fighting and the survivor wins.

If the last two contestants are of the same class, they turn on each other - without resting - the round after the third place contestant dies. That will add some strange drama toward the end of the tournament.

I am caught up on all actions so far (conditional spell purchases are allowed) and am heading to a wedding today through tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be unable to answer questions until close to the update, which will occur in ~33 hours]

(Guy)

Upon hearing of the arena battle for the merchant's ship, Guy...quaked a little inside. He had seen the power of Bob and Max. He knew of the tactical prowess and versatility of Atma and Undine. He had felt firsthand Dave's strength in the first arena battle, and Eric, while seemingly not a trained killer, was formidable in his own right. He knew of the temporary insanity of Muteki (and his weak organs), and Obsidian was from a mighty magic family (consisting of Ebony/Other Ebony/No Magic Ebony/Only Magic Ebony/Ebony That Only Used Magic on Tuesdays and/ZEbony. And finally, Stephen and ToST.....seemed like nice guys. Although Guy had ZERO desire to fight the unorthodox style of ToST.

Then again, John had a shiny new bracelet. And Guy had practiced hard with his hammer. He could take out imps! Maybe that would help.

Regardless, this was going to be an uphill battle. So he stopped by the magic shop and bought what was a useless useless useless spell. Except for this one battle possibly. And then he filled his Heal potion quota to the max.

Seeing John had made his own preparations, Guy met him outside the arena, and they prepared to enter to do battle.

In the arena proper, it was odd to see how everyone prepared for a battle. Dave just stared at everyone with a cold gaze. Atma looked around at his competition with a slight smirk on his lips, no doubt buoyed at his first arena battle victory. ToST was at the sidelines, chatting up what looked to be an innumerable amount of females complete with signs, banners, and a cheerleading section. This all ended when the command to begin was given. In all the commotion that followed, Guy noticed Atma, still with that smirk on his face, sheathe his sword and raise his hands.

"That can't be a good sign."

Regardless, Guy had no choice. He concentrated on his own magic and began to cast a Ruse spell.

(ToST)

The Horn for the battle sounds!!!!

"Sorry ladies..." ToST chirps as he climbs out of his cheerleaders..... "It's time to see what fate has to offer today!!!!"

He pulls aside the best looking one of the bunch.... "Well, Marya... I hope you're a good nurse.... I'll be in need of some healing tonight... {wink, wink}"...

"That is, if you don't mind it being a group effort"

Round 1
Muteki: Casts DARK successfully on Guy, Max, Atma, Undine, Dave Mlinko, and ToST (-10hit%)

Stephen: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max

Obsidian: Casts SLOW successfully on Guy, Max, Atma Undine, Dave Mlinko, Eric, and Stephen (Hit% * 50%)

Undine: Casts INVS on herself for 40 Eva

Max brandishes his blade

Guy: Casts RUSE on himself for 80 Eva

John: Casts INVS on himself for 40 Eva

Atma casts MUTE successfully on everyone except Muteki, Guy, and of course Undine. Obsidian

and John emit silent cries at being mentally neutered.

Dave Mlinko: 1-Hits 1-Damage against Max.

Eric: 1-Hit 30-Damage against Muteki. The first solid offensive strike of the battle.

ToST: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max. Max's armor seems impregnable.

Bob roars a warcry

[Max 188/191, Bob 191/191, Atma 120/120, Undine 105/105, Dave 133/133, Eric 134/134, Stephen 130/130, ToST 133/133, Muteki 73/103, Obsidian 99/99, Guy 120/120, John 116/116]

The combatants were too focused on the battle around them to notice the ever-increasing number of spectators in the crowd. Truly, the entire town had gathered to observe the warriors that saved their town. Most of the audience banter revolved around the various wagers of the onlookers. "Form an alliance!" "Why on earth did you use that spell?" "For the love of Bikke, don't attack him!"

From the battle's inception, the mages' coursed with mana, their lips spewing forth a furious array of tongue-twisting commands. The physical battlers meanwhile charged at their intended targets and the field quickly became a bedlam too difficult for any announcer to describe... and the audience loved it.

With various buffs and damage exchanging hands, it was difficult to determine the biggest winner from round 1, but team black mage was definitely served the most severe maiming with one muted and the other receiving the most damage. The slowing and muting debuffs would also seem to make this a much prolonged battle.

(Guy)

Guy felt pleased as magic flowed through him and around him, giving him several decoys around his body. He was also amazed at the amount of movement around him. It seemed like the action was in several places at once. Mostly he heard 3 clangs bouncing off armor and a mighty laugh. Glancing to his left, he saw Max laughing at the attempts to harm him. Then everything went slightly black, and he heard Muteki chuckle. Luckily, he had a spell to counter that because he was tipped off by Obsidian's brother, Ebony Who Only Collects Useless Spells. And then his body felt slow and sluggish, and he heard Obsidian and Muteki high five. Regardless, he had a few options open to him him this round, and chose one, as he prepared to cast a 2nd spell, he saw a flash of blue out of the corner of his eye.....

(Obsidian)

Pleased with the results of his first spell, Obsidian began preparing to cast his next spell when suddenly his voice caught in his throat. He couldn't make a sound. Obsidian glared at Atma knowing that he had single handedly in one turn pretty much taken him out of the battle completely. Well now he had a score to settle. With nothing better to do, Obsidian brandished his wooden staff and rushed at Atma yelling a rallying cry.

(John)

John noticed Obsidian running at Atma, clearly he was angry that he got MUTEd as well. It would probably be a waste of a turn, but there wasn't much else he could do, so John decided to join him in attacking Atma.

(Muteki)

As Muteki watched everybody slowly walk towards the red mages, Muteki saw Guy preparing a Ruse spell. Knowing that once a white mage has his or her ruse shield up that they are near immune to physical attacks, Muteki decided it was up to him to stop Guy by casting Fire on him.

(Undine)

Undine broke out in a sweat as she noticed almost everyone turn their eyes towards herself and Atma after the first round. She appealed to the non-Fighters, trying to point out that they couldn't hope to defeat the Fighters without the Red Mages, especially after their lackluster showing against Max in round 1. Not knowing whether anyone would listen, she started chanting INVS on herself for the next round.

Round 2
[Muteki's damage taken has been reduced to 16 per being punched instead of nunchuck'd. I am maintaining the SLOW effect as a 50% HIT% penalty but am altering DARK to be -40 to EVA and HIT% with a floor on HIT% = 50% of original - 10%, just to keep things progressing reasonably.]

Stephen: 1-Hit 4-Damage against Undine

ToST: 1-Hit 5-Damage against Undine

Guy: Casts Ruse on Guy for 80 Eva

John: 1-Hit 4-Damage against Atma

Undine: Casts Invs on herself for 40 Eva

Obsidian: Casts Fire on Guy for 32. Muteki launches the first pure-damage spell of the contest.

Muteki: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Atma

Bob: 2-Hits 35-Damage against Atma

Atma: Casts Fog on himself for 8 Abs

Dave Mlinko: 1-Hit 8-Damage against Undine

Eric: Critical! 1-Hit 43-Damage against Guy. Eric lands a near-flawless punch.

Max: 1-Hit 23-Damage against Atma

[Max 188/191, Bob 191/191, Atma 57/120, Undine 88/105, Dave 133/133, Eric 134/134, Stephen 130/130, ToST 133/133, Muteki 87/103, Obsidian 99/99, Guy 45/120, John 116/116]

The battle settled a bit this round, with 8 attacks directed at the red mages who split 110 points of damage. Will the red mages be the first to face defeat or will another team incur the wrath of the mob first? Who will crazed black mage Muteki lash out at next? Stay tuned.

(Obsidian)

Obsidian was still unable to conjure up any magic, but yet pleased with the force he helped rally against Atma the silencer. He smiled as he continued to poke and prod at him. We'll teach you to cast MUTE on me...

(Undine)

Sore from sustaining several hits, Undine was holding up well for the moment, not having taken heavy damage (pending the fixing of the update). She glanced over at Atma, who was not quite so fortunate. "Atma, what the heck did you do in that last tournament to piss these people off?!? We've got at least one person willing to forfeit if he can just keep us from winning! And of course the opening MUTE didn't help..." Undine had reservations about using MUTE in the opening round from the beginning, but was too distracted to fully think through the ramifications which might have led her to discourage Atma from using it. Now they had miffed mages and others not caring about winning, and only seeking to "silence" Atma, and by association herself, in a less direct way. "It's going to be rough-going trying to get through this... how are you feeling, Atma?" asked Undine, trying to decide whether she should heal Atma or use her last INVS. She felt the former would probably be safer, but wanted to wait and give the matter some more thought...

[I have a feeling that MUTE might end up becoming a sort of "Nuclear Option" in future Tournaments, where everyone capable of using it has a sort of tacit agreement not to use it, for fear of crippling themselves and basically handing a victory to Fighters (and later, perhaps BBs or even Thieves). Maybe the White and Red Mages can even draft some sort of "Treaty" after this tournament?]

[Glad to know that my Mute/Nuclear analogy makes some sense. Perhaps Guy, Atma, and John would care to join me after the tournament in drafting the "Pravoka Accord"? ;-)]

Speaking of staying alive, Undine tosses a Potion over to Atma. "Here, drink this!"

(Atma)

(("Pravoka Accords" sounds strangely... appropriate. I'm sure we can hammer something out.))

(Muteki)

Muteki saw how useless Obsidian's dagger was at the moment. He decided to sharpen it to the point in which it could slice through some armor.

That is when it happened. Muteki slumped to the ground as his eyes dilated. He slowly stood up with the posture of a zombie. The darkness had taken over the major components of his mind.

Muteki slowly scanned across the improvised battle arena. However in his mind all he saw was a large group of people. Unable to find the knowledge of spells such as Fir3, Ice2, or other mass destruction spells Muteki cast Slep against everyone he saw. It didn't matter if you were a red mage, black belt, or audience member, all Muteki's mind recognized was "targets." Not even Muteki's ally Obsidian was recognized by the black mage. Muteki was no longer Muteki.

Round 3
[Muteki -- I'm going to roll with the SLEP command as per your RP]

Max: 1-Hit 9-Damage against Atma

John: Uses a Heal Potion on Guy for 30HP

Eric: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Atma. (Yes I really did randomize poor Atma)

Muteki: Casts SLEP on John, Dave, Eric, Stephen, ToST, and many members of the cheering audience.

Stephen is asleep

Obsidian: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Atma

Undine: Used a Heal Potion on Atma for 30HP

Dave remains asleep

Guy: Casts MUTE. All casters except Undine and Guy are now muted.

Bob: 2-Hits 48-Damage against Atma. Undine's potion proved to be a lifesaver.

ToST wakes up of his own volition!

Atma attempts to mumble a spell unsuccessfully

[Max 188/191, Bob 191/191, Atma 29/120, Undine 58/105, Dave 133/133, Eric 134/134, Stephen 130/130, ToST 133/133, Muteki 87/103, Obsidian 99/99, Guy 118/120, John 116/116]

With the exception of the red mages, everyone is near full health, allbeit severely gimped. Only two spellcasters could still speak, four combatants were now asleep, and many others have been crippled with SLOW or DARK. The next few rounds will determine which teams get crippled and which ones maintain their early lead.

(Muteki)

Muteki's soulless eyes moved across the crowd again when he suddenly focused on the white mages. His mind suddenly started to concentrate on all his memories of when he was a kid. All he could think about from the memories was the feelings of hatred and the want of revenge on the white mages that tormented him when he was younger. After a failed attempt at starting an Ice spell, Muteki's body suddenly started slowly trudging toward the white mages while unsheathing his dagger.

(Obsidian)

Obsidian felt himself being lulled into an almost sleep, but barely fought it off. Atma was right in front of him and he certainly didn't cast it... where in the heck... he snapped around to look at his ally. "Muteki, what the hell are you doing?!" One look into Muteki's eyes and Obsidian knew he wasn't himself. What sort of dark forces now controlled his ally? He thought about trying to knock some sense into him, but when he saw him making his way towards the white mages, he thought to himself, "eh, I'm sure the white mages will knock him straight with their hammers, why bother myself..." "Ok, choices, choices... what to do, all these spells at my disposal and so many targets... oh that’s right I can't use any of them!"


 * Obsidian attacks Atma

(Undine)

Undine wasn't sure what to do now. All of their planning had been dashed when Atma was silenced, and while they both avoided the SLEP spell, so did both Fighters. The odds of the Red Mages pulling through this were now negligible, barring a miracle. If Undine had FOG it might have been workable, but Cornelia, the nearest place that sold the spell, was a long way away. Undine stood there thinking, contemplating her next move. All the while, she considered the use of doing so, considering the irrational behavior that had peppered the fight thus far.

(Guy)

Guy went to thank John for the heal by casting Invs on him......but noticed that his eyes were fast shut. Reasoning that John wouldn't be much of a target that round, he turned and surveyed the battlefield.

The BB's were both slumped over. Ditto for Stephen. ToST appeared to be setting up for another attack. Muteki was moving towards them in a daze, with evil intentions in his eyes. Enough evil intentions that Guy contemplated casting Harm on him, just to see what would happen. Speaking of evil intentions, Atma was saying something, which thankfully for the younger members of the audience, could not be heard. Undine's face was unreadable. The fighters had smiles plastered on their faces, the only question was who they were going to fight.

Because his only ally was fast asleep, self preservation would appear to be the plan right now. The only question was how to do it.


 * Guy casts Ruse on himself (for now)

(Undine)

Undine watched as the fixation with Atma passed from Bob and Max and transferred onto her. At this point, it looked like everyone left alive was gunning for her. Undine sighed as she did a *facepalm*, then raised her head back up, brushing her hair out of her face. "Pfft, a mere few days ago I could have flattened you all with a mere one or two spells." She got a few confused looks from the other combatants, and then sighed. "Never mind; I suppose it's no use living in the past."

Undine then jumped into a combat stance. "Fine! You want to get me? You're going to have to hit me first! Sure, I might not have enough for a full-on RUSE-barrier like Guy, but just how accurate do you pathetic low-levels think you'll be now that you've been blinded and slowed? Right now, even with my reduced evasion from being blind, the one who has the best chance of hitting me is Bob. Yes, Bob will manage to hack through my barrier eventually, but I aim to do a LOT of damage before I go. I intend for it to be to the Fighters, Bob first, since he's the bigger threat, but if you other morons persist in attacking me, I might just see how many of YOU I can take out by myself before Bob kills me! And might I remind you that, after the Fighters, I have the highest Attack Rating in this tournament; I can penetrate their Iron Armor alright, but don't think that I'll have nearly so much trouble going through your rags!"

Undine started chanting her last INVS spell for the next round.

"And ToST..." Undine added in between words in the incantation, "take my ear, and I'll take an appendage of yours - only expect it to be a bit lower! "

(Eric)

Although the SLEP spell hit, Eric still seems to be stirring restlessly in his sleep. Usually, one would expect the spell to cause a deep, dreamless sleep, but over the course of history, there were exceptions noted.

So, what's causing him to be so restless? Let's take a peek into his mind, shall we?

Eric's Dream - Part 1
"You chop that firewood nicely this past summer. Now let my FIRE spell warm up this winter." ... "Sure, black magics have a reputation of potent evil, but used properly, even it can be used to help life. This fire is proof of..."

...

"I've heard the news! We actually got a LIFE spell in our town now! Neither of us can use the spell, but now..."

...

"Hmm? That visitor? I don't trust him anymore than you do. You saw what he gave me, a ruby and some scrolls. Don't worry, I'm sealing them away. No one will..."

...

"QUIET! I'm... I'm... No, please. I'm trying to make an important decision." ... "I know, we would work everything together, but..." ... "I... I have some troubles in here that only magic can fix. You know you can't do anything about it. I can't have you...!"

...

And then... Seemingly incoherent shouting, followed by massive earthquakes... The same spell caster, holding an unglowing ruby...

...A vision, the land, barren...

...The wooden planks, rotting underneath...

...Pulled towards an opening in the ground... Had to escape! ...

...The black powers pulled in even his friend. Perhaps the purest black mages can...

Round 4
Muteki: Misses against John

Obsidian: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Atma

John wakes up of his own volition!

ToST: Critical! 1-Hit 24-Damage against Undine. ToST's unconventional ear attack pays off.

Stephen remains peacefully asleep

Eric wakes up of his own volition!

Dave Mlinko wakes up of his own volition!

Max: Misses against Undine

Undine: Casts Invs on herself for 40 Eva

Bob: 1-Hit 17-Damage against Undine

Atma: 1-Hit 6-Damage against Bob.

Guy: Casts Ruse on Guy for 80 Eva

[Max 188/191, Bob 185/191, Atma 28/120, Undine 47/105, Dave 133/133, Eric 134/134, Stephen 130/130, ToST 133/133, Muteki 87/103, Obsidian 99/99, Guy 75/120, John 116/116]

The red mages are hanging in there. The fighters feel their first hint of pain. And the awake members of the frightened crowd are departing, including one particularly bulky man.

The proprietor of the event frantically scans the fleeing audience and thinks quickly. "I beseech you to remain, fellow Pravokans, for you will soon witness the epic nature of this contest! The sleep spell was part of the experience -- it caused you no harm!" The man closed his eyes in thought for a moment, then opened them with a grin and walked briskly from the stage.

Muteki’s Backstory
[Muteki asked me to post this since re-typing on his Wii would be brutal. It is meant to provide some background for his current arena status.]

Muteki's parents were a part of a forbidden love story for the most part. His mother was a black mage and yet his father was a white mage. This was looked down upon by both groups of mages as mixed mages (or red mages) were seen as inferior in Gaia. Muteki's parents still decided to have a child, and thus Muteki's mom was impregnated.

However, during what was supposed to be a routine exorcism of some lowly bones Muteki's father and his 3 white mage coworkers were suddenly ambushed by a group of zombie dragons that came out of the distant castle and stayed above the clouds to avoid detection. It didn't take long for them to die.

After hearing this news the only thing that kept Muteki's mother going was Muteki himself. Muteki even reminded his mother of his father as the white mage genes were dominant making Muteki a full fledged white mage. However this was still looked down upon.

After many years of being in the white mage school, someone appeared to have found a way to infuse people with black magic fully, making them a complete black mage. The only requirement was that one started with magical power to begin with as the power was given directly into the magical circulation. The creator of this method was one of the few people to even talk to Muteki or his mom. And he wanted to test it on Muteki.

Muteki's mom reluctantly decided to allow him to try it on Muteki in the hopes that Muteki would get to live a life without being looked down upon, as Muteki was constantly bullied at the white mage school for being the son of a black mage.

As the test began it started off doing well. The black power was put into Muteki's mana circulation and started to quickly spread through his body changing it into the makeup of a black mage. (aka black mage stats) However it all went wrong when the black magic invaded his mind. It quickly destroyed his mind, destroying any signs that he was even human. He became a complete psychopath.

However the man doing the test could not tell. As soon as he released what had kept Muteki held down he was blasted by magical fire.

The newly made black mage then mindlessly walked out of the building and proceeded to blast a large portion of Gaia with fire. The ensuing flames and confusion wound up destroying the entire top half of Gaia, as well as killing who knows how many people, before Muteki left town in a zombie like state and wandered across the mountains to the south.

While still wandering around aimlessly he was found by a group of Lufenians. They took Muteki in and after the course of two years helped bring some light back into his mind.

The white mage and black mage sides of his brain are still fighting for complete control of Muteki's mind to this day. The continuous battle makes Muteki rather unstable. The white mage side has control over his logic and fear reaction sections of his brain right now thankfully.

Anyway, after the Lufenians helped Muteki gain some control again he decided to go back to Gaia. It was not a very positive event. Muteki was recognized immediately and was quickly seized. His magical abilities were removed by other mages before he was banished from Gaia.

His rampage had destroyed the majority of the magical archives and he knew the only other place that had the beginner spells was Cornelia so he decided to head there.

Eric's Dream - Part 2
Eric's friend, a Black Mage, got a visitor with a purple-glowing ruby and a set of scrolls. Eric never found out what was on the scrolls [On one of 'em, a one-shot earthquaking spell]. The visitor pretty much insisted that the friend take the stuff. Apparently, Eric's friend's plan was to seal them away.

Whatever the case, they certainly didn't remain sealed, if they ever were. It seemed as though the animosity was growing, 'til suddenly, he walked out, clutching a ruby which no longer glowed. The glow moved to his friend. One earthquake was summoned, and after his disappearance, on the days that followed, it seemed the earth itself abandoned Melmond.

Naturally, the wooden ships in the docks wouldn't last. Eric was one of those desperate people trying to get the heck out of town. He only managed to get on the last ship heading out, but alas, before sailing far enough, the ship fell apart. Holding on to whatever part of the rotting ship he could, he, by some miracle, swam to land. It was a bit of an effort which Eric fainted from, just after he came ashore.

Hours later, Eric woke up to see he was being carried. It appears the dwarven exploration team found him, and are heading back to their own town. Their underground town. Where, you know, the entrance is this big gaping hole in the ground. Memories of his ordeal at Melmond caused Eric to suddenly spring out of the rescuers grasps, knock the whole team out in a flurry of punches, and run off, stealing their rations.

And to a dock he reached [Cornelia? Elfland? A nameless dock? I haven't decided...], where he would eventually find a job and try to get his life straightened out once more... Anywhere off the land would be good.

Also, I haven't decided on a good name for the Black Mage friend [I may default to Eekus].

Yay! Time for Eric to charge forth!)

(Eric)

Short story long:

Getting back up from a sleeping daze, Eric was trying to remember the most recent happenings. Muteki seemed... Odd. Before Eric realized what happened, he was out, and...

Visions of his dream flashed in his mind. A perfect union, that Black Mage friend and Eric was. All those joyful memories quickly turned sour when it was that same mage causing an earthquake on Melmond.

Something deep within himself was nagging him about the ruby, but that was subdued quickly by the thoughts of the sheer power of the black magic, how it more or less consumed his friend, and caused great damage to his hometown, Melmond. Someone who'd go out of his way to save a squirrel, becoming the one to cause great destruction to the town he himself once lived in.

When Eric left, no, barely escaped the town on the last ship, which swiftly rotted under his own feet, there were still many who were left behind. Eric wondered just how long the white spells will last for the town. Maybe everyone who were left behind are still alive to this day, against all odds...

It's clear to Eric. Once you're down the path of black magic, entire towns are under a constant threat. You're destined to cause great suffering, if not today, then certainly there will be a day. And if it's not taken care of now, then there will be nothing left of the world when they're done.

Looking across the battlefield, there were only two in his mind. Out of nearly a dozen, Eric could only see the Black Mages. Muttering "the black powers spares none" (apparently, Dave's close enough to make out what Eric's saying), Eric charges to the Black Mages, yelling as he sends swift punches to Muteki.

(Guy)

Looking around the arena, everyone was still alive. The Red Mages seemed to be in a lot of trouble. But not to the point where they were completely out of it. Guy appeared to have several options available to him. He could boost up John's evasion. He could remove the darkness in his eyes. He could help out the Red Mage's (although he was certain they would know how his spells could be used on them better than he would). He could even remove the darkness from Max's eyes. Or Bob's. Guy forgets who was blinded. Since no team other than the thieves had even suggested the idea of an alliance with the White Mage's, Guy tentatively turned toward John and prepared to cast Invis on him.

Round 5
Muteki: 1-Hit 10-Damage against John

Atma: Used a Heal Potion on himself for 30HP

Bob: 2-Hits 69-Damage against Undine. Terminated with an unbelievably fortunate and timely strike.

Obsidian: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Atma

John: Misses against Muteki

Stephen wakes up of his own volition!

Guy: Casts LAMP ineffectively

Eric: 1-Hit 11-Damage against Muteki

Max swings at the air above Undine's unconscious body

ToST: 1-Hit 2-Damage against Atma

Dave Mlinko: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

[Max 188/191, Bob 184/191, Atma 55/120, Dave 133/133, Eric 134/134, Stephen 130/130, ToST 133/133, Muteki 76/103, Obsidian 99/99, Guy 75/120, John 106/116. Everyone is awake now and only Guy can cast spells. Undine got very unlucky with both of Bob's strikes landing and with significant power at that.]

The stadium floor began to moan and creek and dust began to rise from the dirt floor as the brave medics carried Undine to the trauma center. The proprietor, wearing a mischievous smile, once again returned to his perch overlooking the arena events.

(Obsidian)

Obsidian didn't like seeing Undine knocked out so quickly. Things were going from bad to worse, but really it didn't matter much, all his hopes of winning were dashed in the first round. His arms were getting tired constantly swinging and accomplishing almost nothing, and his anger was fading. He thought about going elsewhere to attack, but couldn't come up with anything worthwhile, so just continued as normal.


 * Obsidian attacks Atma

(Undine)

Undine was just about finished with her Cure spell, when she felt a sharp pain in her upper body followed by a second one in quick succession. She opened her eyes to see Bob standing before her, having accomplished an offensive so unlikely Undine hadn't even considered it as a possible outcome. Coughing up some blood, she managed to say "With my last breath, I curse Zoidberg!" and then collapsed.

Of course, as this was an Arena battle and the effects of lethal force are cut short, she hadn't quite died, and was just severely injured, much like after her fight with the GrOGRE who ONLY HAD 3 HP LEFT WHEN SHE LOST oh how she hated that GrOgre AND that stupid Maitre'd no don't think she had forgotten him because she hadn't and he would get his oh yes make no mistake there would be consequences consquences for EVERYONE who was making her life miserable oh you'd better beli-- she felt a jolt of pain as the medics lifted her onto a stretcher, interrupting her train of thought. 'Oww... maybe after I've healed,' she thought. She still needed to get stronger first, strong enough so all the bad luck in the world couldn't stop her. She caught a glimpse of ToST as she was leaving, and then remembered her ear. Not wanting to take any chances with the competency of the medics, she started chanting something under her breath, ignoring their requests to be quiet and save her energy. She finished the CURE spell with slight alterations to the incantation to effect a modified healing technique for regeneration of minor appendages, one of several skills she learned in her days at the Academy. At this point she lost consciousness, but rested assured that she had treated to wound in time to re-grow a new ear without any permanent scarring. The medics expressed some surprise as they saw a faint green light envelop Undine's head wound and then fade. The process was slow due to her weakened state, but should be accelerated during the healing process that was about to be applied.

Round 6
Muteki: Misses against John

Stephen: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Atma

Obsidian: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Atma

John: 1-Hit 23-Damage against Muteki

Max: 1-Hit 7-Damage against Atma

Atma: Misses against Bob

Guy: Casts Lamp on himself to reverse the DARK

Eric: 1-Hit 14-Damage against Muteki

Dave Mlinko: Used a Heal Potion on Atma for 30HP

Bob: 1-Hit 30-Damage against Atma, neutralizing the effects of the healing potion

ToST: Misses against Atma

[Max 188/191, Bob 184/191, Atma 46/120, Dave 133/133, Eric 134/134, Stephen 130/130, ToST 133/133, Muteki 40/103, Obsidian 99/99, Guy 75/120, John 106/116]

The ground quits its rumbling and a faint hissing sound begins and a low-hanging fog ebbs out over the battlefield, but nothing further occurs. The gladiators are too enveloped in their combat to pay the new elements much mind.

[I kept Stephen and ToST on Atma for continuity and because it only resulted in 1 dmg -- if it were more damaging, I wouldn't have for Atma's sake.]

(Guy)

The arena seemed to be enveloped in fog, and the ground has ceased rumbling and begun a faint hiss. Guy pondered these new developments. He wasn't aware of any enemy that lived underground. Perhaps it was a party of dwarves digging somewhere. He also wondered why nobody else seemed to be paying attention to these developments, but chalked it up to the fact that he was the only person in the arena battle who hadn't even drawn his weapon yet, instead focusing on self defense. Speaking of not attacking, he noticed Muteki attempting to attack John again. Guy figured now was a good time to start attacking, and he knew Muteki's weak point.


 * Guy attacks Muteki's Organs

Max's Backstory
The chaotic shouts of battle surrounded Max as he assessed his situation. His mind was darkened and his body was sluggish, and as a result he could not effectively use his sword. Suddenly the ground of the arena began rumbling and Max struggled to keep his footing. No, it can't be, Max thought. ''We’re too far away! It can’t be....''

cue flashback

The earth was quaking again. Max stood up and looked around. From his vantage point at the northwest corner of the city, he could see the cause of the earthquake far to the west: a distant peak that was spewing thick billows of black smoke into the air. Gurgu Volcano. The eruptions were happening more and more frequently these days.

The rumbling died and Max sat down on the ground again. He looked up and read again the inscriptions on the two tombstones before him. “Isabel, master of the white magical arts, devoted wife and mother.” “Tomas, skilled warrior, devoted husband and father.” A shadow passed onto the gravestones and Max looked up to see standing behind him an aged, bearded man with a sympathetic look. “You come here every day, Max.”

“I want to know what happened to my parents, Lukahn. It’s been almost 14 years. They left me in your care, and now I think it’s time you told me the truth.” Lukahn paused for a moment, and then said, “Very well Max. You are old enough now. But not here. Follow me.” Max stood up and followed Lukahn out into the forests east of the city, where the sages often met. But right now there were no sages present and they were alone.

“Max, as you know, your mother was a very adept white mage, and your father was a fine warrior. They only wanted the best for you. That is why when the troubles began, with the volcano and the stories of great evil that had been reawakened, they decided they must do whatever they could to rid the world of this new threat. There were prophecies speaking of artifacts of great power hidden somewhere in the caves to the north. Then one day two local men, Jim and Colin, returned from their journeys abroad bearing a map, detailing the specific location of a cave of ice that could be found through a maze of rivers in the mountains to the north. The prophecy stated that the artifacts therein could be of great use in defeating the evil of the volcano, and so your parents decided to journey north with Jim and Colin to retrieve them. You were young and they were torn as to whether they should leave you alone while they journeyed, but they felt it their duty to do what they could to save Crescent Lake. I knew your parents well and they entrusted you to my care should anything happen to them. The four adventurers set out and nothing was heard of them for several weeks. When finally the expedition returned, it was with disastrous results. Jim and Colin were bruised and bloodied, at the brink of death. Your parents were not so lucky. The two survivors spoke of a strange “eye beast”, a floating creature that was able to slay your parents by merely gazing at them. They fled from before it, bearing your parents’ bodies. They barely escaped back to Crescent Lake.”

“Why did you never tell me this until now?”

“I feared you might blame me for your parents’ deaths.”

“But why would I do that? They decided to take the risk...you had nothing to do with it.”

“That is not entirely true. As you know, I am a member of the Circle of Sages. We receive knowledge of the past and prophecies of the future. I was the one who prophesied that the ice cave held the key to defeating the evil of the volcano.”

Max was silent for several moments. He turned and started to leave the grove of trees.

“Max! The prophecy is true, I swear to you. I loved your parents and would never wish--”

“Lukahn, I believe you,” Max said, turning back. “I don’t blame you for anything. But I am going to that cave.”

“Max, don’t be foolish. Your parents were seasoned adventurers, and you have barely begun your warrior training. Besides, nobody knows how to reach the cave. You would become hopelessly lost in the mountains.”

“Somebody knows how to get there. Tell me Lukahn....whatever happened to Jim and Colin?”

“About a year after they returned from the fateful expedition, Jim disappeared. We found out from Colin that Jim was nearly mad with grief and anger and had set off once again for the cave. He was never seen again, and nobody knows what happened to him, although given that it has been about 13 years since then, we can assume the worst. This was too much for Colin to bear, being now presumably the sole survivor, and shortly thereafter he decided to leave Crescent Lake to start a new life. He said that his plans were to head or Cornelia, but we have had no word from him since he left.”

“Then Cornelia is where I’m headed,” Max said resolutely.

“Max, you have never even left Crescent Lake before. How do you plan on getting to Cornelia?”

“There are merchant ships that sail west on the rivers to the Aldi Sea, and then north with their cargo to Cornelia. I can book passage on one of these ships. I know about the gold that my parents left for me when I came of age. Well, I am of age now, Lukahn.”

“How did you find out about--?!” Lukahn started, then calmed down and sighed. “Very well, Max. I can see I shan’t be able to deter you. But know this: the world is full of danger, and even should you make it to Cornelia safely, you will be far from ready for the evils of that cave of ice. Be sure you do not rush foolishly into danger.”

“Thank you Lukahn. I won’t forget the kindness you’ve shown to me ever since I was a small child. Some day I will return and I will save Crescent Lake.”

It seemed like ages ago since Max had left Crescent Lake, but in reality only a few months had passed. Several times during the voyage the ship was attacked by horrible creatures the likes of which Max had never seen, or even imagined existed. But they had managed to flee from these monsters and the ship arrived safely in Cornelia.

Finding Colin turned out to be easier than Max had thought it would be; Colin actually found him. Colin approached Max in a tavern shortly after his arrival, wondering who this newcomer was who looked just like his old adventuring companion, Tomas. When Colin discovered Max’s reason for seeking him out, his face darkened.

“Max, there is nothing in that cave but death. You mustn’t try to go there, no matter how deep your desire for revenge.”

Max gave a small laugh. “I’m not as foolhardy as I seem, Colin. You misunderstand my motives. I have no intention of going to that cave until I’m sure I can defeat whatever is within. It’s not revenge I’m after, you see. I believe in Lukahn’s prophecy that whatever is in that cave can help to protect my city from evil.”

Colin thought for a moment. “Well then, I’ll tell you what. Continue your training. Go and find others who will join you in adventuring, and increase your skill. When the time is right, come back here and I will give you the map.”

Two weeks later Max found himself initiated as a member of the Cornelian city guard. Right away he did not really care for the job, but it did give him a chance to hone his skills somewhat. Max soon befriended a fellow guardsman named Bob, who quickly convinced him that the two of them should leave the town guard and adventure together.

Max’s mind snapped back to the present. He looked down at the body of Atma below him, and watched as he was carted off the field, and then began to cough and sputter as the poisonous gas spread across the arena. ''This was certainly not mentioned by the tournament organizer beforehand! Well, back to the matter at hand….''

Max attacks John.

(Obsidian)

Obsidian being bored with attacking Atma and startled by the ground shaking glances around the arena and notices two people coming at him. "Egads! What the heck? Thought I was just mindin’ my own business over here. Oh well, a nice fleshy target sure beats banging my staff against that impervious Atma."


 * Obsidian changes targets to attack John

Round 7
Stephen: 1-Hit 15-Damage against Muteki Muteki: 1-Hit 11-Damage against John Obsidian: 1-Hit 13-Damage against John John: 1-Hit 24-Damage against Obsidian Guy: 1-Hit 20-Damage against Muteki. Muteki wobbles wearily. Max: Critical! 1-Hit 52-Damage against Atma. Terminated. Eric: 1-Hit 19-Damage against Obsidian Dave Mlinko: 1-Hit 21-Damage against John Bob emits a second war cry in lieu of slashing the fallen red mage. ToST: 1-Hit 17-Damage against Muteki. Terminated.

[Max 186/191, Bob 182/191, Dave 131/133, Eric 132/134, Stephen 128/130, ToST 131/133, Obsidian 54/99, Guy 75/120, John 60/116]

Guy knew it when he saw Muteki and Atma being carted off to the recovery room by masked medics. He knew it before the proprietor confirmed it with his proclamation, "witness now, ladies and gentlemen, as the battlefield shifts from the open deserts of the Mirage Desert to the poisonous marshes west of Elfland!" [All remaining battlers lose 2HP] The low-hanging greenish mist continued to thicken. No doubt the toxic fumes would only become more potent.

(Eric)

If all this poisonous gas becomes BANE-like, I will... Uh, find the local complaint department! If it exists.

I can only imagine what the audience will do when a light breeze blows by...

Yeesh, pile on me or Dave or ToST or something. I mean, once both BMs are gone, I haven't thought more than a turn past their end. Alright, so you want that 250 EXP... Fine...

Eric attacks Obsidian. He's showing no signs of calming down.

Guy's Backstory
Choking on the gas that he now knew to be poisonous, Guy quickly tore a strip of cloth from his robe and tied it around his face, knowing that this was one area that cloth did beat armor. Watching the faces of his companions as they attacked, he could not help thinking about faces he hadn't seen in a while.......

(cue wavy flashback effect.)

His hometown, a small village to the west of Melmond, was a nice place. Full of trees, not a lot of people, but enough to form a community. Lots of farmland. Being that he was an only child, Guy was expected to learn how to till the soil and grow crops since he could walk. While he wasn't a sickly youth, he wasn't exactly the spitting image of a farmer. He didn't have the passion for it, the drive to do it. However, Guy didn't know what other opportunities were out in the world for him to grabs until he was presented with one by his father. That opportunity would present itself in the form of magic.

While his father would love to have his son on the farm all day, he recognized that the boy had a keen intellect. So when he grew to adolescence, he sent him into Melmond for basic magic training. This training would last a few years, and would require him to be away from his home. The classes were simple, not enough to be able to cast spells yet, but more along the lines of learning the tenets of magic. For an aspiring white mage, it was to defend and help those who required aid, at any cost. Perhaps because of his youth, Guy had a hard time taking his studies seriously. That would change a year before his training in Melmond ended. Because that would be the day his family died.

It was a tragic story, although not unheard of. His mother had been preparing dinner for his father when the cooking fire caught hold of the thatched roof. The fire spread quickly and burned down the house, with his mother still inside. The loss of his wife devastated Guy's father, with the shock to his mind and soul fresh and the scars of a life spent at hard work on his body, he didn't last long after that. His father sent for him when he knew he had little time left. Guy sat down, looked at his father, and had two things happen. The first was that a pouch filled with gold was put into his hand. "This is for your training." "But......what about the farm? What about home?" This led to the second thing. "I sold the farm, and the home.......I don't want that life for you, look where it got me. There is a gift deep inside of you, if you had the ability to recognize it......I can't help you bring it out, but I know you're destined to have a remarkable life, and that money can help you find the man that can........Sarda.......look for Sarda.......he can help you........."

Guy stayed for the funeral. Then he went back to complete his training in Melmond. His teachers were pleasantly surprised at how much progress he made. So much that they recommended that he go study further at Cornelia. When Guy asked where he could find Sarda, nobody knew, both in Melmond and in Cornelia. Although the death of his family weighed upon him, he tried not to show it around his new companions. It simply wasn't in his own personality to be aloof and not able to joke around, but he also knew his family wouldn't want him to mope and be depressed, but to face life, not run away from it. It had also been a few years, and the pain of loss had lessened for him. But still, Guy knew that until he was able to find Sarda, no matter how skilled in magic he may become, he would never truly realize his full potential.....

(exit wavy flashback effect)

Shaking his head a little bit in memory, he returned his gaze to the battlefield, which had two more competitors leave it. He needed to reduce the field of competitors. Although he had no desire to hurt anybody, he wanted the boat, if only because the boat represented a new path. He also had a responsibility to John in this battle....but things weren't looking well for him. Deciding that less people that were around meant less people could hurt John, he focused his attack on Obsidian.


 * Guy attacks Obsidian.

Round 8
ToST: 1-Hit 11-Damage against John

Obsidian: Misses against John

Max: 1-Hit 53-Damage against Obsidian. A stiff breeze would finish the poor black mage.

John: Misses against Obsidian

Stephen: 1-Hit 14-Damage against John

Bob: 1-Hit 37-Damage against John. Terminated.

Dave Mlinko: Misses against Obsidian

Guy: 1-Hit 16-Damage against Obsidian. Terminated.

Eric shadowboxes for a round.

The mist seeped through their armor, causing a burning sensation. At present, the hissing ceased though the mist continued to thicken [All remaining battlers lose 4HP]. The proprietor presently rotated his finger, sending the arena stagehands scattering.

[Max 182/191, Bob 178/191, Dave 127/133, Eric 128/134, Stephen 124/130, ToST 127/133, Guy 69/120. Please enter conditional commands for the next 3 rounds with as many steps as wish (i.e. if my HP fall below X use a heal, else attack Y unless Z attacks me then hit him back).]

(Guy)

Guy wasn't happy at being poisoned, but he was happy as he surveyed the battlefield. Although his ally was defeated, his defeat, combined with his final hit on Obsidian, meant that he was the last mage standing!.....which wasn't necessarily a good thing in a tournament such as this. Although with his three Ruse shields up, he would be hard to hit, but one hit would probably finish him.

Looking at the field of competitors, he noticed Dave was still standing. Still smarting from his loss in Cornelia, Guy moved to remedy that development.

(actually Eric, my char doesn't come from Melmond proper, but a smaller village in the Melmond area. One that was filled with farmland.....which isn't exactly true now in what would be the present day FF world. Also, I'd estimate that I've been out of the Melmond area for 2-3 years, so no need to change anything. To tell the truth, I was gonna put the Vampire into my story, but you beat me to it, so I changed over to include Sarda since he seemed to be one of the only major (friendly) characters that hadn't been taken yet.)

(Oh, and I have to add that in the message after mine, when Atma went "I put on my robe and wizard hat" much laughter occurred. At least here.)

Rounds 9-11
ToST: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Dave Mlinko: Misses against Bob

Bob: 2-Hits 81-Damage against Eric. The crowd goes wild at the strike of the tournament.

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Stephen: 1-Hit 3-Damage against Max

Eric: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Max: Misses against Guy

Max: Misses against Guy

Eric: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Dave Mlinko: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

ToST: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Bob: 1-Hit 30-Damage against Eric

Guy: 1-Hit 2-Damage against Bob

Stephen: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max

Stephen: Misses against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Dave Mlinko: Critical! 1-Hit 12-Damage against Bob.

Bob: 2-Hits 52-Damage against Eric. Terminated. Bob wonders why everyone is surrounding him.

ToST: Critical! 1-Hit 13-Damage against Max

Max: Misses against Guy. The white mage's ruse was clearly infuriating the warrior.

By the time Eric met his demise, the poisonous swamp gas had cleared. [All remaining battlers lost 12HP before it cleared]. Much to their angst, the remaining contestants now heard the rushing of water. Platforms were slowly ascending from the dirt floor where they continued their fight nearly ten feet in the air as water filled the arena floor.

[Max 153/191, Bob 146/191, Dave 115/133, Stephen 112/130, ToST 115/133, Guy 57/120. Half the contestants remain. Once again, please enter your commands for the next three rounds, being as explicit as you wish.]

Rounds 12–15
ToST: 1-Hit 2-Damage against Max

Stephen: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max

Bob downs a heal potion for 30 HP

Dave throws a heal potion at Guy for 30 HP

Guy chugs a heal potion for 30 HP

Max quaffs a heal potion for 30 HP. Plenty of drinking this round.

ToST: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max

Max: Misses against Guy

Stephen: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max

Bob: Critical! 2-Hits 127-Damage against Dave Mlinko. Terminated for kill #4 and the best strike.

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Bob: 2-Hits 92-Damage against Stephen

ToST: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max

Max: Misses against Guy

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Stephen: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max

Bob: 1-Hit 50-Damage against Stephen. Terminated for kill #5 just before Stephen healed himself.

ToST: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Max

Max: Misses against Guy. The poor fighter cannot break through Guy's ruse.

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

[Max 175/191, Bob 173/191, ToST 115/133, Guy 117/120. Only four contestants remain in the battle for the boat! I ran four rounds because Dave and Stephen seemed to want to move onto their RP. Once again, please enter your commands for the next four rounds, being as explicit as you wish. If it does come down to fighter(s) against Guy, I will simulate until someone dies and consolidate for the update.]

The proprietor, noticing the crowd's increased excitement with the combatants, raised his hand as if to halt the proceedings. He wanted this tournament to end without any further trickery. The combatants danced about the elevated planks with thrusts, slashes, and parries. It was down to team fighter, an inconceivably elusive white mage, and a crafty thief. Would deals be brokered or does someone want sole ownership of the vessel?

Final Round
ToST withdraws from the battle with a quick inward stab. The now swimming medics quickly paddle his unconscious body away from the action.

The remaining contestants, puzzled by ToST's quick demise, nod their heads at one another in deep respect. Bob and Max spiked their swords into the planks while Guy ceased his ruse. It was to be a draw on the battlefield with Bob declared the official winner. The crowd was a mixture of boos and cheers, bloodlust and respect.

The former head merchant turned arena proprietor moved into the spotlight once more. "Congratulations to fierce warrior Bob who evaded all the detrimental effects and swung his shining sword to victory! As a reward for his mastery over a field of worthy competitors, he will receive my cruiser and my artisans will engrave it with the naming of his choice."

With that, the three were whisked away to the healing room where their comrade ToST was finishing his healing and Eric was lingering after the last round of the battle. Amidst the celebration at making it so far, all combatants realized their coinage was missing, and the now humbled maitre'd informed them of their comrades quest to return it.

[Bob, select a name for your cruiser to be ready next update. In the meantime, all five of you are welcome to wait, RP, encounter, or run northeast for your money.]

Hypothetical Battle (only include Guy's actions; also no healing potions to keep me sane

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: Critical! 1-Hit 12-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: Critical! 1-Hit 24-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 2-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 2-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Max: Critical! 1-Hit 91-Damage against Guy.

Guy: Casts Cure on Guy for 32 HP

Guy: Casts Cure on Guy for 21 HP

Guy: 1-Hit 2-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 4-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 4-Damage against Bob

Guy: Critical! 1-Hit 24-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 4-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 2-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Max: Critical! 1-Hit 61-Damage against Guy

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 1-Damage against Bob

Guy: 1-Hit 3-Damage against Bob

Guy: Misses against Bob

Guy: Critical! 1-Hit 22-Damage against Bob

Max: Critical! 1-Hit 107-Damage against Guy

[So, Bob would have been down to ~35HP when Guy fell after ~60 rounds. Evidenced by the critical frequency, this battle was the finale under the old simulator. Under the current system, these would have been halved which only helps Guy's survivability. Of course with healing potions galore, who knows. It's also comedic Max and Guy scored all the criticals, shutting Bob out.]

(Guy)

Guy was pleased with how the arena battle went. He lasted a long time, more than he probably had a right to. He knew single combat was not his forte, and the fact that he placed 3rd out of the 12 adventurers he had come to respect made him happy. This happiness ended when he learned about his missing gold situation. While he did not have a lot, it was still his. He heard from the medics about how the others had traveled to find it, but this was a problem. He would go to help, but knew he could not survive in the wilderness alone. He needed help, and planned on looking for it in the form of his fighting companions.

Continue to Gimme My Gold (FFD)