12th October 2021 - An Arm for Each of Us
Xan woke at the middle of the morning, and decided to go for a run to get her blood going and back into the right mood for the games. She headed for Mount Volkan and ran up the back side. As she reached the top she remembered the relay ended at the top. The small gathering of keen fans were wearing earmuffs, and a friendly older lady passed her a pair to cover her ears from the harpies' song.
Not long after she arrived, she saw her friend Braz rushing towards the finish line to claim first place.
The rest of the afternoon and the next day talk of the town is the grand relay, but also the clever mastermind Theo who chose his partner well. People are asking the group what is next after the games. The name ‘the Laurels of Vallus’ begins to gain traction around the down, and Xan is not as happy as others with her successes being attributed to a Queen who she cannot trust.
Boat-yo Drift
Begins at the Heart Bridge, single boat with two oars, goes past the docks, to a marker and back to the land.
Xan claims the role of captain, with her tiller Theo at her side. She paces back and forth to get herself in the right mood for sailing and hype herself up. This is her time to shine and show the City of Mytros and King Arkelander that she is worthy of the Ultros and the challenge set before her.
Calliope suggests she fly with the boat and, despite Xan’s suggestion of her sitting outside the boat on the No-go, she says she will keep near in the air. The team ready themselves in the water. Calliope settles on the Heart Bridge and chatters to the other Siren gathering there.
The announcer welcomes the teams and sets the race off.
Xan concentrates on the other boats, leaving Theo to control the rowing party. As she sails she feels her confidence gow, and is able to judge the surrounding seas and boats within her calculations. Theo is controlling the boat as best he can, and the rowers seem to hold things together.
They reach the point where they need to release the sails - Xan reaches up for the highers and the sails but the team seem to take their own decisions - not very crew like. They cast spells to bring a gust of wind and a whoosh of a wave which launches the boat around the buoy. Calliope is lost in the wind.
Pancras begins to summon Sydon. Barnos is thrown off of his boat. The Ancient Mariner shakes his head, catches a slipstream and follows along. The Praxian boat seems to have disappeared - Xan is concerned and aims the boat to get as far from where they disappeared as possible. Theo is coping well in his role, and has started to understand how the waves can be wrecked to their advantage, but he is still able to cast a major image to convince the other boats that there is a part of the colossus in the sea.
Calliope is still nowhere to be seen.
The boat nears a corner to get to the last leg of the race. Leland and the Ancient Mariner follow behind. The boat of Pancras and Duris launches out of the water; their boat is covered in blue shells, but in their haste they come up underneath the Oracle’s Chosen’s boat. THey are both smashed to the side and the boat behind them takes the lead - Leland and the Ancient Mariner take first place.
Pancras and Duris stare them down threateningly. Theo wants to go and fight for disqualification for the Sydon affiliated team. Xan immediately talks him down and promises they can talk about it another time, once they have been able to defeat others in the battle in the arena.
Gladiators… ready!
The party enters the arena, proudly representing the Siren’s Roost. The rules are announced as the competitors wave to their crowds. The area is within a protection spell, which means that no blow will be lethal, but will instead knock out the competition.
The arena has four 40ft pillars, each with a statue reaching a further 20ft. The statues depict Sydon, Pythor, Volkan and the dragonlord Telemok. To win, you must reach the top of each statue. The weapons the statues are holding are made of metal.
Acastus Arkelander flies over the arena and lands in the arena. He makes an announcement.
“People of Mytros... has this not been the greatest games we have ever seen? Not even when the great Pythor won every event was there a spectacle. Countries come that never showed their face. Competitors and contestants that have shaken the ground! I am adding to the games, I will listen to the pleas the crown and who they cheer for! Whoever is cheere for least will feel the icy breath of the my dragon Icarus.”
A group of Praxians begin to scream and yell their praise of Sydon. Falana and her teen entourage shout in unison for her competitors. Hartia cheers for the Erisians.
In the battle, the gygon immediately confronts the party, grappling Helikaon and dragging him to the side. Both Theo and Xan reach out to battle the gygon and between them in electricity, flame and sharp swipes take him down. Xan puts down the killing blow and the gygon falls.
While they are focusing on taking out the gygan, others in the arena begin to climb the statues… Pholon, a friend of the party, begins to help the party. A roar and a flap of wings above the arena, and a breath of ice shoots across the arena floor: Icarus.