Wednesday Social Part 2
A03: Colosseum District
Ga'Elian finds a reasonably empty space in the grandstands with decent visiblity to the arena below and heads there carrying a GINORMOUS bag of popcorn.
Behind Ga'Elian trailing more slowly is Shizin, though to be accurate the dawn elf has spotted Ga'Elian and only recently come up behind the more lithle elf - as the other is sitting down in fact. The midnight-blue haired elf waits a moment to be sure that Ga'Elian has settled before stepping across the isle and touching Ga'Elian on the shoulder. Shizin smiles softly. "May I?" The elf motions toward the seat beside to be absolutely clear.
Ga'Elian looks at the blue-haired Llyranesi. With a smile, he says, "Of course. You want some of this fluffy corn? They gave me a jotun-sized bag."
Shizin looks at the popped corn for a moment before hesitantly reaching out and taking one. After a moment the dawn elf eats it, again slowly. A flash of surprise flickers across Shizin's features and blue eyes meet Ga'Elian's. "It is good!" It is clear that Shizin suspected nothing of the sort, though corn itself was appetizing enough.
Ga'Elian also takes a small sample and tries it. He nods, "Yeah, it's not bad. You know, we don't grow a lot of corn in the forest."
Shizin's smile widens a little and then shakes blue tresses. One hand reaches up to push them behind a tapered ear. Delicately Shizin licks the salt remaining away and watches Ga'Elian enjoy the treat. "Do you miss it?" It's a bold question from the bard who so rarely spoke and seemed to find the act difficult at the best of times.
Ga'Elian asks, "My tribe? Oh, sure. I guess. But you know what? Life there in a decade is rarely as exciting as it is here in a week." He laughs.
The Llyranesi nods sagely, and lets out a little laugh as well. There's another question there, but Shizin holds it. Thinks it over and sits there quietly until it comes out quietly enough that it has to be listened for. "What is it like, your tribe?"
JOUSTS.
Two knights in glimmering armor have taken the field!
Seems they're practicing for a later joust, what, with that festival group in town promising shows a plenty...
Ga'Elian thinks for a moment as he munches a little more popcorn. He is about to say something when the knights take the field. He turns to watch them, then says, "A lot more predictable." He chuckles. He sits back and adds, "It's a big family."
"Oh?" Interest burns sudden and sharp in Shizin who has little interest in the posturing on the field. They are clearly practicing and thus are not truly putting their hearts or tallents into the effort they are making. "What is that like?" In the question is something unspoken but true by the very nature of its asking. One does not ask what a large family is like if they have one themselves. So Shizin's curiosity tells something of the dawn elf.
Astaren stares at program, tapping his chin, "How are we supposed to bet on this?" looking it over, "No Fireball quotiant, statical speed casting ratios, or even maximum spell memorizations. Well I suppose knights and horses, but horses have stats right? Max speed, this is..." grumbling, "Sports here are so bland."
Ga'Elian takes a deep breath, then explains, "For one thing, people in my tribe are honest to a fault. In the wilderness, life sometimes depends on unquestioned trust. That, I think, is part of the reason I've been duped so easily since coming to Alexandria." A bookie circulated through the grandstands and offers to take wagers. At this, Elian beckons her over and gives her a few coins, saying, "The one with the blue and yellow pennon to win by unhorsing the other one."
The good news is that the two knights in the glimmering armor are both small.
Easily gnome-sized, actually. And their valiant steeds?
They are ponies.
BATTLE PONIES.
In any case they, and their tiny lances, are preparing each other, spouting off lengthy names and lists of titles.
The bookie turns toward Shizin who wordlessly denies the offer to make a bet, and returns to the topic of conversation. Though it is granted that Ga'Elian is holding up the lions share of that. Instead Shizin glances toward the other elf's popcorn and frowns just a little. "A single lie discovered is enough to create doubt in every truth." It has the phrasing and tone of a quote of some kind, and Shizin glances at the field without really seeing it. "Life is better without." Those words are Shizin's and Shizin's alone.
Astaren is not making any bets, he is still trying to figure out the statistics. "So maybe more titles means advantage, but is that in speed, power, endurance? No no no that doesn't make any sense. Where do they keep track of the weights?" grumbling as he flips through the program. "This is so... blah."
Ga'Elian, on the other hand, is a little distracted from his chat by his own attempt to follow the jousting event. He turns to Shizin and says, a wry smirk on his face, "Both of those ponies'd probably bolt if Erithamiel were to fly over and scree really loud." He looks at Astaren and says, "Dude! Don't overcomplicate it. Just pick one, and put your money on it. Then you'll have a vested interest in the outcome!"
Shizin makes a little choked sound and is suddenly looking down at the tiny ponies and their riders in a new light. Indeed, if the griffon were here there would be no contest as to whom would win. The dawn elf bites a lip to keep from laughing at the imagry and glances up to find whom Ga'Elian is speaking to. No one that Shizin has ever met, but there are many who fit that description.
Astaren glances to Ga'Elian, and has that look like the man is crazy, "There is no... real.... that... is... are you mad?" tilting his head as he glances back to the gnomes, "I would have more fun flipping a coin, and adding up propabilities." grumbling as he rips the program in half, "Worthless."
GAME: Astaren rolls 1d20+9: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) : for one knight
GAME: Shizin rolls 1d20+9: (3)+9: 12 : for the other knight
Immediately, the BATTLE PONIES are riding towards each other. Their lances are up, aimed at their shields!
...and both shatter on the other's shield, sending shards of wood in all directions.
Both knights slide to a halt on their horses and round about each other to look at their mutually shattered lances and burst out laughing.
Duncan looks mystified at what he's seeing. After a moment he turns towards another onlooker. "How long have they been at this...?
Astaren tilts his head, "Are the lances not enchanted to be more durable? I will have to write to the game master about this!"
As it turns out, it is Shizin who Duncan turns to, and the elf simply stares at Duncan agast at being spoken to. With the shouts around Shizin it's difficult to hear the quiet response that's offered. "A moment?"
A moment later and their assistances have brought them their fresh lances. Apparently, shattered lances are not uncommon in jousting. One of the knights, the one with a wolf stylized on his breastplate, shakes his head and calls out, "That was great. Let's go again, shall we? I'll get you this time, you vile scallywag!"
The second knight snorts. Upon his armor is a unicorn.
"Not if I get you first, you son of a dog!"
"Wait, there are difference between dogs and wolves?" Astaren asks to nobody in particular.
Duncan roll his eyes. "If you come across one if the wilds, you'll learn the difference quick enough!" The Khazad assures him. Then he takes a closer look. Perhaps not, given some of the things wizards seem to do.
Astaren glances to Duncan, "I tend to sleep spell things in the wilds that want to attack me. If that doesn't work I resort to fireballs and disintigrates."
Shizin seems glad that the attention is gone now, and returns almost studiously to paying attention to what is going on down in the ring.
GAME: Astaren rolls 1d20+9: (1)+9: 10 (EPIC FAIL) : for one knight
GAME: Shizin rolls 1d20+9: (20)+9: 29 : for the other knight
You say, "The dwarf is right!"
This time, the two gnome jousters ride towards each other on their WAR PONIES at greater speed. They ride, ride, ride and then wham! Wolf friend is unserated, promptly, sent flying through the air where he lands with a mammoth series of crashing clanks as he rolls along the ground.
He lays there for a moment. His armor protected him from the worst of the impact, but it can't have felt good.
Ga'Elian jumps up and shouts wildly, sending masses of uneaten popcorn in all directions.
More slowly Shizin rises up and claps heartily for the victor. It was unexpected really that one of them could manage so smart a showing as that.
Duncan moves over as if to help the fallen knight up. He stops himself at the edge of the onlookers though. "Well fought!" he calls out encouragingly.
"Yeah," says Mr. Unicorn! He hops off his pony and then makes his way towards where his friend lays on the ground. He peers down at him.
"...there an Althean in the audience by any chance?" he calls out . There's not too many people here for the unscheduled showing, at the moment, but it wouldn't be hard to find a healer on the Colosseum grounds.
Ga'Elian makes his way down, saying, "I can do a little to help." Once by the injured gnome's side he says, "Will you allow me to invoke Eluna's power to heal you?"
Duncan does step forward now, offering a potion. "It's not as good as a cleric, but this could help as well."
Shizin can do nothing to help. Save perhaps to play soothing music, so the elf remains there, watching Ga'Elian and the one who had spoken up earlier to attend to the small warrior.
At the moment, there are jousters! Well, were jousters. One man with a unicorn on his breastplate has defeated a man with a wolf on his breastplate (or a dog, depending on who you ask) and he's kneeling over him. He looks like he's been stunned from being unseated and the call has gone out for a healer to come help.
"BOO!" Sarcis calls as the unicorn man wins, she was holing for the wolf/dog/canine-thing on the breastplate. "BOO!" A cup of her hands about her mouth to help amplify it, she's up in the stands, half up ot her feet.
GAME: Ga'Elian casts Cure Light Wounds. Caster Level: 18 DC: 15
GAME: Ga'Elian rolls 1d8+5: (6)+5: 11
"BOO! He used a lance with guidance on it or something!" Sarcis yells using her hands still cupped, and then sits down with a huff. A cross of one leg over the other, and her arms over her chest.
This is the perfect place to goof around! Kae's found a kind of track to zoom around and such, who cares if there's folks up on bleachers and whatnot, the path between one tier and another is a perfect place to test her new device, and well, Kae's gliding circles around said 'track' a big happy grin on her face as she stands atop what looks like a miniature artificed surf board, that somehow hovers above the ground and is pushed by magically powered rockets....
Ga'Elian calls out, "Niessa, oh Celestial Huntress, heal this valiant competitor." He touches the gnome.
Duncan casts a stern Khazadi look of rebuke at Sarcis for her comments. But then his expression turns to one of mild surprise as Ga'Elian applies healing magic. He turns to look now at the gnome, to see if he shows signs of recovery.
Sarcis lets out another huff. HUFF! Because clearly there was shenanigans here. She grimaces and looks back at Duncan, a stern Oruch stubbornness, "BOO!" She calls out again, frowning, muttering, "I bet if Sandy was here she'd be on my side."
With the healing spell cast, the wolf-armored one groans and shakes his head. The cobwebs have cleared and the fog of his concussion is lifted.
"Whooooa," replies the the smaller of the very small tw as hje tries to rise up. Mister Unicorn stops him, however.
"You lay there a minute, chief. Just lay there and collect yourself, eh?"
Ga'Elian agrees, saying, "Yes do rest yourself a few moments. That was quite a risk you took." Then he looks about to ensure that the pony is alright and being tended to if needed.
Meanwhile... Kae is racing laps around the place on this board that hovers while calling out "Weeee!!!!" really loudly... She's at least having fun, in her own unique way.
"...why are there three of her?" says the wolf-armored man, pointing at Kaelyn as she zips around.
"Who the hell is that?"
"Don't know, but she looks insane."
Anyway, wolf-man is eventually helped to his feet and is lead to his steed, where he remounts his... BATTLE PONY.
Ga'Elian dusts himself off then applauds the wolf-knight getting back in the saddle. He returns to the bleachers, taking care to not get in the way of Kaelyn's hover board.
Duncan backs away to give the knights room if they care to keep jousting. He assumes they're going to continue until one is knocked into a coma.
Kae see's Ga'Elian, and calls out "Gah!!!!" happily while waving, and well as she zooms back around the place she turns the board sideways, the thing's rockets stopping firing as she slides to a stop and is now near the other Elf... "You should soooo try this!" she says, hopping off and motioning to the board... IT's even got what looks like a cable going to some kinda controller... "Just put yer feet in the little straps, and push this nob forward.. You lean and balance with your legs to turn it!" She says happily... Yup this is a great place for a person who has probably never messed with such a device to use it right?!?
Sarcis glares down at the knights as the one remounts up on the pony. She grumbles some more and leans back into her seat when Kaelyn whizzes by behind her. A tilt of her head, a cant of it to the side, and she watches her glide along while explaining it. "Oh for heavens sakes you're just showing off now. If you're gonna be here to watch the fight you can at least sit!" Not that Sarcis is still a little bitter about guessing wrong on the last bout or anything.
Ga'Elian looks at Kaelyn with an amused expression. He says, "Sure, I'd be glad to take it for a spin. Just, maybe after the main event."
Both jousters stare at Sarcis for a moment, then look at Kaelyn and stare at her, a bit befuddled.
"Lady, you should join the Roaming Festival."
"Agreed. You're crazy enough to take around,." They both nod, then both warriors take a bow.
"The show will be putting on a bigger display next week. This was practice."
Sarcis' head slowly turns to try and find the bookie. "Practice...?" She growls, trying to locate the subject of her new ire, but he seems to have vanished in the same puff of smoke as her five gold went up in with the last tilt.
Kae happy-flails as Ga'Elian says he'll try her invention "Yaaay! It'll be fun!" she calls out happily, then she blinks at the Jousters.... "Ummm, No thanks, I get around just fine with all my contraptions!" she says happily... Yah she kind of ignored the crazy remark, that or she revels in it... Then again if anyone asks her her common response is "Well No one's ever accused me of being normal..."
Ga'Elian nods vigorously, "Oh, yes. Kaelyn would be GREAT for that." Then to her, he says, "You really should consider it, Kaelyn."
"Yes! We're jousting," replies the two small ones at more or less the same time.
"We're part of the entertainment. Us and our BATTLE PONIES."
Yes, they call them that.
Kae peers curiously "Ummmm.... well umm, I likes my inventing, that and making toys.... It's funny to see Sandy's reaction to some of them..." She says and taps her chin before blinking at the mention of battle ponies.... "Oooh, I can see that..."