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Post by Stix on Jul 14, 2009 13:12:58 GMT -5
Mahakashapa gets a quick jab around John's shield, wounding the Taker in the stomach. While he dislodges his polearm, John lands one blow on the fiendling's left arm and another across his chest.
Blood trailing from his wounds, the tiefling's eyes roll back in his head as he dodges away -- but the toxins in his bloodstream keep him too angry to realize that he's already dead. Even in death, the blind rage remains.
Accumulated wounds
Mahakashapa: 66 HP
John: 59 HP
Round 6
THAC0 16
AC -4 (3 Plated Mail, -2 Tough Flesh, -3 Dex, -2 drugs)
Initiative (+7 Military Fork, -3 Style Specialization, -2 drugs)
[dice=10+2][rand=178539507559507328389459830572464934578994128267628451705253458703]
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Post by john on Jul 14, 2009 14:29:47 GMT -5
John falls back, as he sees the blind, raging tiefling continuing on the offensive, and tries to parry the tiefling's incoming blow, the tries to finish it with one last blow, knowing that even drug-gifted strength can't carry the tiefling forever, though his own wounds are starting to soak his entire form with blood.
init
[dice=10+6]
parry
[dice=20]
Counterattack
[dice=20]
[rand=15466899030157655779415325653450770546297369284085999419675084685]
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Post by john on Jul 14, 2009 14:33:08 GMT -5
(oooh, barely got him, damage roll)
[dice=8+9] [rand=187771656644998597863316147232780415880931515596465332546221917053]
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Post by Stix on Jul 16, 2009 7:46:04 GMT -5
John's hit location
[dice=10][rand=6464198809370552014525333457577116738661595495900804589821365274949]
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Post by Stix on Jul 16, 2009 8:13:12 GMT -5
With a wordless scream over the drums, Mahakashapa stabs at John again and again, his reckless assault held narrowly at bay by the blood-streaked clearsteel chiv. As the fiendling strikes low at his opponent's weakened leg, John plants one boot on the polearm, pinning it in the dirt.
While the tiefling howls in rage and tugs at the weapon to free it, he never sees the blade coming. Pouring all his strength into one blow, John slices cleanly through Mahakashapa's neck. The head lolls backward, now attached only at the spine. With a spasm, the lifeless body collapses to bleed as furiously as it fought, punctuated by two final drum-beats from the Xaositect.
Even the sound of the Taker's pulse pounding in his ears can't drown out the mad cries of appreciation and condemnation from the spectators.
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Post by john on Jul 16, 2009 14:30:06 GMT -5
John doesn't sag, primarily because he knows that showing weakness now will only reduce his draw, and he doesn't want that. He leans his sword over his shoulder, standing on wounded legs, bleeding, and looks over the crowd, raising his shield to them for just a moment in acknowledgment of their existence.
He frowns a bit, inside the vulture helm, realizing he didn't have time to bet on himself, but shrugs, considering how close a call this fight was, and will wait for Mahaka-deader's corpse to be dragged from the ring before exiting, beating his blade once against his shield as a form of acclamation of his foe, who, for all his self-indulgent, drugged behavior, put up a good fight, which is the entire reason John comes here, in the end.
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Post by TheGratefulNed on Jul 20, 2009 22:02:43 GMT -5
Nuuko watches the heavy-handed fight draw to its bloody and decisive end. Wish I'd had time to wager on that one before they started trading blows, I could be a fair bit richer for it, the towering elf silently laments. Catching for a brief second the gaze peering out from the helm, the Prime offers John a respectful nod.
As the ring is being cleared of the hulking tiefling's headless corpse, Nuuko makes his way back toward his sponsor. From a couple arm's-lengths away his raspy voice calls to Aven, "always a good display the Taker puts on. Let me know when you find who I'm fighting and what the wagering on it is like."
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Post by Stix on Aug 1, 2009 21:27:23 GMT -5
As John exits the ring, the first face to meet him is not Ghour, but the Hive Ward luminary himself: Sir William Tanner. The crime lord flashes a grin and an appreciative nod at the Taker.
"Well won, John. Where do you see your future taking you?"
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Post by john on Aug 1, 2009 22:17:05 GMT -5
John almost spits when his proper name is used and says, "My name is the Taker of Blood, here." But he contemplates the question and responds "More fights." John looks at Sweet William coldly from behind his vulture-helmet. "Why do you ask?"
John looks for Ghour, his own loyalty to the promoter that has done nothing but right by him significant, a bit concerned that this man is attempting to muscle in on Ghour's territory.
He then will look back to William, sizing him and his people up, trying to hide the severity of his own injuries, puffing up like a cat with it's back to the wall.
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Post by Stix on Aug 4, 2009 13:47:15 GMT -5
The thugs are mostly collected in their original spot, a few of them having gone to collect their winnings. Two of them tailed him into the crowd, but evidently the Tanner expects no trouble -- or is willing to deal with it himself.
"I meant no offense," he says in a genuine voice, his face a blank mask. "I like you, Taker. You're a real blood in a fight: ruthless, always striking for the kill. Your temperament and talents could be very lucrative, if you know where to look for the jink."
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Post by john on Aug 4, 2009 13:56:11 GMT -5
John meets the crime lord's eyes for a moment and says, "Ghour's my sponsor here, and I honor my commitments. But if you're looking to hire me outside of the Pit I am open to your words." He looks around warily. "Is there a better place to discuss this?"
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Post by TheGratefulNed on Aug 6, 2009 13:39:12 GMT -5
Nuuko ambles back into the crowd and begins looking for John to congratulate one of the exceedingly few humans -- or non-elves for that matter -- to ever earn the Athasian's respect. After a moment's looking the Prime sees him speaking with an obviously influential and rich human. Not wishing to interrupt the Taker's business, he makes his way a little bit closer to the two conversing humans, in case this well-dressed guy is going to cause some trouble for John, while feigning finding a better view of the ring to see what the next bout will be.
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Post by Stix on Aug 11, 2009 7:39:16 GMT -5
John meets the crime lord's eyes for a moment and says, "Ghour's my sponsor here, and I honor my commitments. But if you're looking to hire me outside of the Pit I am open to your words." He looks around warily. "Is there a better place to discuss this?" Tanner looks askance at the new fighters entering the ring -- an armored githyanki and a shirtless tiefling -- before returning his attention to John. " I'd like nothing better. Get some rest, keep your wounds clean. I'll see you in three days at the Bottle and Jug." Ghour plods his way back, giving the human a good berth. The two exchange brief, wordless pleasantries as Tanner takes his leave. The orc holds out one hand, offering John a stack of five platinum coins. " Y' drew someone's attention, I see," he says through the beginnings of one of his sneering grins. |
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Post by john on Aug 11, 2009 20:45:05 GMT -5
john nods to ghour as he approaches, and takes the coin, hand lingering for a moment on ghour's, grateful for humanoid contact that is comparatively friendly.
"I did. I thought he was going to try to poach me from your service so I was about to tell him where to go, but it would seem he's intent on hiring my services outside the pit. You know anything about Sweet William Tanner?"
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Post by TheGratefulNed on Aug 11, 2009 21:44:52 GMT -5
Nuuko sees the two new combatants enter the ring and begins quickly making his way toward the house bookie. The lanky elf looks down at the odd, cube shaped being. Looking curiously at its saucer-sized eyes the Athasian inquires, "what are the odds on the githyanki?"
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Post by Stix on Aug 25, 2009 15:38:20 GMT -5
john nods to ghour as he approaches, and takes the coin, hand lingering for a moment on ghour's, grateful for humanoid contact that is comparatively friendly. "I did. I thought he was going to try to poach me from your service so I was about to tell him where to go, but it would seem he's intent on hiring my services outside the pit. You know anything about Sweet William Tanner?" The orc shrugs his massive shoulders. " Tanner don't come around much. It's a good place fer him to find a new legbreaker, when Jiring or one of his other spivs tells him about a new up-an'-comer. Don't think I've seen 'im in here when he wasn't garnishing somebody." Nuuko sees the two new combatants enter the ring and begins quickly making his way toward the house bookie. The lanky elf looks down at the odd, cube shaped being. Looking curiously at its saucer-sized eyes the Athasian inquires, " what are the odds on the githyanki?" The quadrone blinks once in recognition of Nuuko before replying in monotone. " The house odds favor Tep-em-kau, the tiefling, over G'hou'tra, the githyanki, one to two. Betting on all 'greens' matches is limited to one hundred silver pieces. What is your wager?" |
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Post by TheGratefulNed on Aug 26, 2009 13:43:16 GMT -5
Nuuko ponders for a brief second before fishing around in his belt pouch and producing five golden coins. "Five gold on the githyanki," he says with a certain finality in the proclamation. I still can't believe this place, the amount I just wagered would provide comfortably for my entire tribe for a year or more. With what I have on-hand I could hire, provision and outfit an army to rival a dragon-king. Realizing that he was still tightly gripping the five coins, the tall Athasian exhales and deposits them into the cube's hand.
His wager made, the Prime starts finding his way back to a place to watch the impending fight.
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Post by john on Aug 26, 2009 15:23:48 GMT -5
John nods his head and asks Ghour, "Where do we go from here, then? I'm... going to be a bit recovering from this fight. My sword will serve your coin again once I'm healed, though."
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