Menefer Nazihar has no idea whatsoever where he is or how he got here. He's lying in a cage in a strange place where hundreds or perhaps thousands of men, women and beasts sit, lie and stand, eating and drinking. They've all got iron collars around thier necks. Menefer realizes he has one too. Suddenly he realizes that his belongings are all gone except for his studded leather armor and his weapons. The deadly eagle's claws feel comforting in his confusion. An old man aproaches him. "Ah, you're awake. You seem a bit dry. here, drink this." The old man gives him a whole flask of water, not wanting anything in return. What a strange attitude from a stranger.

With a grimace, Menefer sits up, looking around. Where in the seven sands has Haku's wind blown me now?

Menefer looks around, trying to judge his surroundings, if they are any place he is familiar with, or if he can at least tell what part of the world he is in, if it is hot or cold, dry or wet, anything to give him a clue.

Idly, Menefer wonders why he hasn't been deprived of his weapons or armor. It seems the first things anyone would take. At least, one might think so. Perhaps they had some use for him that required him to be armed.

Menefer glances when he hears the stranger speak, wondering if this man had anything to do with his captivity. Before he can decide what to say, however, the man gives him the flask of water. Perhaps he does not, if he is giving me water. Then again, perhaps it is poisoned. Though I suppose they could have killed me any time, so if they wanted me dead, I guess I'd already be dead. And I am a bit parched. . . .

Carefully, Menefer takes the flask. It would not do to waste precious water, though perhaps he was now far from the desert, and that was no longer a concern. In any case, there was no telling when he would get more. At least he needed much less than a human to survive. Carefully, he sipped the water, not much more than a few mouthfuls. He was Asherati. He did not need the insane amounts of water other races did, indeed, drinking as much as they did would likely harm him.

Finishing as much water as he dared drink at once, Menefer looked up to see if the man was still there. Perhaps a careful inquiry would be best for now. If the man is still there, he carefully, with as much tact and restraint as possible for someone in his situation, asks, "Where exactly am I? Why am I here?"

OOC: Diplomacy check if needed: 17

"You are in, or should I say, under, the Great Arena of the Or-Kvan Empire. I'm sorry lad, but you've become a gladiator. I do hope we won't have to fight each other. Then again, the jailors have a very keen eye when combat training matters. You'll get someone of equal skill. They're fair and unbribable." The old man gives a cough. He sighs and takes a sip from a hipflask from under his blue-black robes (with some red stains that look horribly like blood) "Where are you from, anyway?" He looks a bit strange, somehow. (Please roll a Sense Motive if you want more details)

"A . . . gladiator. So now I fight for their pleasure? Will they let me go if I do well? Do they treat us well? I can't stand being kept in a cage like this, I was meant to roam free! Out in the open desert, under the sands . . . the desert is my home."

OOC: Should I make up a name for the desert? Or do you have one in mind? Has my character heard of the Or-Kvan Empire?

Sense Motive roll: 13

OOC: Yes, you've heard many fireside horrorstories about the Or-Kvan empire. It is said that it is ruled by the most evil human who has ever existed. He is said to cooperate with mindflayers and some other aberritions.
And I'd like you to make up the name of the desert.

"Ah, yes you will." Now you suddenly realize there's something seriously wrong. But what? In a blink of an eye you realize what: The man is a mindflayer! as he senses you see past his illusion, he chuckles, his voice now so inhuman, you have trouble believing that it is the same speaker; "Clever one huh? Well I'm not here to suck out your soul or your brain. Don't worry. This brainsucking souleater won't do you anything out of the arena. The guards would kill me. And they can. But don't worry, you'll be treated after your performance. and the floor of the arena is always sand several feet down. I've heard it's 45 feet, but someone told it's down to 100! Anyway, you'll be let out in a bit. Until then, I think you'd better get some sleep. I'll gladly help you." The illithid stands up and starts chanting. You begin to feel drowsy, but shake off the effekt of the spell. Impressed, he looks at you. "Is your race immune to enchantment spells or something? I know you're not human, but what are you?"

OOC: As he says the part about himself being a souleater, he blinks. That usually means people are lying. And you're pretty sure he did.

He's lying? But about what? Is he one of those horrid mind-eaters I've heard, or is this part the actual illusion? "Yes, yes, we're resistant to enchantment. We don't take well to having our minds controlled. We like our freedom, you see. I'm a Pyron." Menefer said, giving the name of a race he had heard the Asherati looked superficially alike. He had no idea if the other race actually existed or not, but chances were this . . . being . . . wouldn't know either. Best not to reveal too much.

"I guess I'll get to sleep now, then, so I'm ready. Thanks . . . thanks for the water."

Menefer lay down, feigning sleep until the other walked away and he was sure that it was safe to actually sleep.

 

OOC: Ooh, interesting. Bluff check: 21

"Hmm. Well, a Pyron huh? And what in all of the darkness of the Underdark is that? Well, I guess it doesn't matter. Sleep well." Meneger hears him walking away and the other gladiators moving out of his way. -- DREAM! -- Menefer finds himself swimming through the sands, but there's no pleasure. He looks behind and sees the illithid following him! It's an even better sand-swimmer than him! It closes in on him! Its disgusting tentacles wrap themselves around his head! Now he's in a great arena, though there's no-one else. Despite of that, he hears thousands and thousands of people shouting, clapping, stomping. Then his opponent comes. It's a simple kobold. Although not even half as tall as him, it walks towards him without even a trace of fear. It wields two punching daggers, and has a mace attached to its tail. Menefer attacks. The kobold avoids every blow. Then it jumps, stabbing Menefer two times in the chest, sending him falling, falling, falling..
--/DREAM--
 Menefer awakes, drenched in sweat. Although this was the worst sleep he ever had, he's totally rested.
 Now it's his turn to fight. Two guards approach him. They open the cage door, forcing him out of his cage, into a smelly corridor. They walk for a while until they come to a steel door. "If you've got any prayers to say, say them now, boy," says the guard holding his right arm. "You're too harsh on the slaves, Gorn," says the left one, "that kobold nearly died from fear last time. It was pure luck that he survived!" "Well, we'll see if he stands the new one here."

Menefer awakes from the dream, shivering. He is drenched in sweat, at least as much sweat as any of his race has. He takes a small sip of water, both to awaken himself more fully from the horrible nightmare, and to replenish what little water he lost. Free, free, I've got to get free! I wasn't meant to be confined like this!

The guards come to escort him out to the arena. He takes one last sip of water before going with them. If nothing else, he would at least be able to be out in the open again. And there was sand to swim in! Perhaps, though, he had best keep that ability hidden for now.

Standing in front of the steel door, Menefer feels a rush of conflicting emotions. He has no idea what waits for him out there, and the dream . . . he does not want to think about the dream. But here was his chance to prove himself, and to be as free as he could for a time . . . he would have to make do. "Haku, master of the desert winds, lend me swiftness. Aid me in my trials." He nods to the guards. He is ready -- at least as ready as he'll ever be.

The guards push Menefer through the door. He lands on soft sand with a slightly red tinge from the blood of thousands and thousands of gladiators.  At the other end of the arena, a kobold steps forth. It's the kobold from the dream..







OOC: I'm unable to reply in Viareon :( I'll fix the stuff and give him the feat (what's it called) to give him the Pal/Bard stacks and change his scythe to a +1 sling. All in all I'll have 1060gp and 9 sp to spare. Could I throw them in to give my sling some minor bonus? (thinking something about giving him spare bullets when he runs dry or something. +20 bullets 1/day or something? Or perhaps eliminate his penalty to sling damage?)

This doesn't seem good, Menefer thinks, I hope this turns out better than the dream. That wasn't fun. Luckily, I have a weapon that the Kobold doesn't know about. I suppose I can always dive into the sand if things get out of hand . . . or more out of hand than they already are. Guess I'd better get this over with.

Menefer takes a calming breath, drawing his eagle's claws and moving closer to the center of the arena -- but not too close. Unsure of how things were supposed to proceed, he waits for the Kobold to make the first move, but stands ready, his surprise waiting. Once the Kobold is close to him, he'll send his glow to full brillance -- that was enough to dazzle most creatures, making it hard for them to see. Then he'd lay into him with his eagle's claws -- assuming he was able to act first.

 

OOC: Not sure if the battle will begin imediately or not, that's why Menefer is waiting for the Kobold to make a move. When he does, Menefer has taken a readied action to bring his skin up to full glow when the Kobold is about 10ft from him, forcing the Kobold to make a DC 12 Fort save or be dazzled for 1 minute. After that, he will take a 5ft step and attack the Kobold (not sure if all of that can be done in a readied action, if not, he'll just bring his skin up to full to dazzle the Kobold and attack next round. Of course, if he can do any of that might depend on who wins initiaitive -- if the Kobold does, he'll take all these actions after the Kobold attacks.

Initiaitive: 18

Attack 1: 11

Attack 2: 16

Attack 3: 4

EDIT: Opps, I meant dazzled, not dazed. Fixed that.

OOC: Damage roll: 8

OOC: Not sure why you can't reply, but I've had that problem myself sometimes. Hopefully it will work soon! As a note, you have to have a level a bard before you can take the feat, and as it allows you to add your levels of bard and paladin to determine certain effects, wouldn't have any effect if you didn't -- though if you want to change one or more of your Paladin levels to bard you can. I'll have to check a few things to see about the sling.

OOC: I have changed his 3rd level to bard. And I think the reason why I can't reply is because I run Mozilla.

A bell clangs and the kobold charges. As soon as it's within 10 feet, people roar in pleasure as the kobold screams in agony from the bright flash! Menefer closes in and slashes at the little humanoid, hitting two times, sending his opponent to the ground in a splash of blood.

(That's 300 xp right out without a scratch. What's Menefer doing now?)