Between Hylon Forest and Fonhinqann
Deserted House
Six Hours before Twilight
The bunny weakly raises its paws, but just lets them drop, hardly requiring the energy to dodge. However, its head snaps up sharply, catching Tristan in the chest and drawing blood. (-8 hp)

Tristan swings his stand in response, but the bunny actually manages to duck under it this time. Not so for Tristan's second strike though, which catches the bunny on the head, and causes it to disintegrate into a large cloud of dust.

Now that his current opponent has been dealt with, Tristan goes outside to quarantine the other little dust vermin, with the umbrella stand in hand and flailing it around, Tristan heads to the tall grass, the last known location of the monsters and tries to find them with he precise eye sight.

Fonhinqann
Gladiator Arena
Six Hours before Twilight
"So then... to the victor belongs the spoils?"
To this, the charismatic announcer lets out a boisterous laugh, and claps the dwarf on the shoulder. "Oh no, my friend, your belongings are not in any danger of being taken by Xira; she shows little interest in such things. I said my part, it's up to you to decide whether you listen to me or not."

"What Is My Reward for Defeating Your Defending Champion ... This Xira?"
The announcer nods, "That has been decided mostly by Xira. When she first became champion, she had said she would give a gift to the person who could defeat her. It is something that no other person has in the world, and considering what it is, I'm surprised anyone would even want it, much less use it. Taking this into consideration, you can also collect your prize from the arena manager, who will give you a sum of two thousand golden crowns."

The announcer's eyes look across, spotting movement, "Oh, it looks like you are going to be fortunate enough to meet Xira before the battle; here she comes now."

A human woman walks slowly towards the two standing in the center of the arena. She wears a black ornamental gown, and a few strands of her long black hair can be seen from her hooded face. Her bleak appearance is rather peculiar, but not as much as her hands, which are heavily bandaged.

"Is there a fight today?" the woman, Xira, asks of the announcer. Her voice is, like her appearance, slightly bleak and somewhat empty.

The announcer puts his other arm around her, holding onto both Gladiators, and proudly says, "Yes! Today Manalagna Hammer shall meet you head on in battle! That is this fellow here!"

At this close range, Xira's bandaged hands can be seen in their entirety, and Manalagna cannot help but wonder exactly how in the worlds the woman manages to do anything with her hands in those near-casts.

Between Hylon Forest and Fonhinqann
Main Highway
Six Hours before Twilight
The bunnies all scatter, and even Tristan's keen eyes cannot track all three hundred bunnies as they run in all directions. The small creatures run and run and run, and at most Tristan can only catch thirteen before he cannot find any trace of the others.

A soft sound comes from the open door of the house. It is faint, and Tristan has to strain his ears in order to hear it, but it is there. It sounds vaguely like something crying.

Fonhinqann
Gladiataor Arena
Six Hours before Twilight

Manalagna Hammer was a bit suspicious of Xira's bandaged hands and her overall bleak appearance.

Could those very hands within the bandages be her weapons of choice and the reasons for her arena success?

The Dwarven Druid politely extricated himself from the friendly grip of the Charismatic Orc and faced Xira, politely bowing as he said, "I salute your arena prowess ... oh Champion of Champions ... the Mighty Xira ... I am but a stranger in a much stranger land. The world where I come from revels in the granduers of arena combat. The loss of life is common in those arenas, but immortality is granted to those who graduate from the ranks of the arena gladiators! I have forsaken all that glory and promise to make a new life and destiny here. What ... pray tell ... are the arena rules in this place ... and is this a battle to the death ... or do we spare one another's lives?"

Outer Regions of the Hylon Forest
Unmapped Area
Six hours before Twilight


Armand Amaranth and Deunan Noot had been pursuing leads concerning the Dark Collectors for weeks, and it was another such pursuit that now had the duo --trio if you counted the ever babbling Caduceus-- traipsing through the dark of night, hours before twilight after another possible link to the elusive guild. It had taken quite a bit of effort, persuation, and unfortunately bloodshed even to learn the identity and location of Renshiir, and now, as she ran from them it was apparent she prefered to keep to her own kind, which was obviously not the radiant enforcers of light kind of people.

"You cannot escape to the darkness, for I will dispel it from the lands! You will answer to me one way or another Renshiir, it has already been ordained in the stars, you cannot fight your destiny, but you can at least choose whether you are alive or not when I pull the information I seek from your body."

Caduceus had begun his nagging again. "You're not thinking of killing her are you?"

Armand simply replied while he was running with "I just might if she keeps making me run!" His voice was loud enough for Renshiir to hear. "Though I'd be persuaded to be a lot more pleasant if she'd just stop and talk!"
As Armand ran, he searched within and channelled his Holy Aura into the protective field around him. He noticed Deunan was falling behind, and so to give her a boost, he fell into the incantation of a Haste Spell. Their speed no longer an issue, he charged, on, while Deunan moved to intercept the fleeing woman, hoping to tackle her to the ground while Armand approached for interrogation, his Holy Nimbus, chasing away the night as he moved, a beacon of light against the darkness.



(second bout of actions if need be)

If Deunan or Armand cannot catch Renshiir, Armand falls into the casting of a Hold Person (clerical) (Spell DC 22 minimum) in hopes of stopping the fleeing woman in her tracks.

Tristan wonders if there were others in the building besides the boy... and wonders why they would have been in there in the first place. But this is no time for inquisitive thoughts someone needs help, and he will be there to distribute it. Tristan hurries back into the house to see if anyone is in it.
"Hello?" he calls out in the darkness, as he tries to pin-point where the crying is coming from.

Fonhinqann
Gladiataor Arena
Six Hours before Twilight
"I salute your arena prowess ... oh Champion of Champions ... the Mighty Xira ... I am but a stranger in a much stranger land. The world where I come from revels in the granduers of arena combat. The loss of life is common in those arenas, but immortality is granted to those who graduate from the ranks of the arena gladiators! I have forsaken all that glory and promise to make a new life and destiny here. What ... pray tell ... are the arena rules in this place ... and is this a battle to the death ... or do we spare one another's lives?"
The announcer coughs to redirect the question to him, "There is a spell placed over the grounds of this arena that ensure that while unconsciousness is unavoidable, our battles never result in actual death. As for house rules, unfortunately the manager is in constant debate about such rules with all the competetors and so none ever get laid out. As such, besides the 'one on one' rule, anything goes."

"Why?"
A simple question, but the intonation is unnerving. Perhaps Xira's bizarre nature was also another reason why she wasn't often challenged.

"Why do you try to flatter me? There's the truth, and then there's the twisted truth, and you make it sound like I did more than I did."
The announcer's face goes a bit pale, then he whispers to Manalagna, "I've been trying to explain that to her for some time now; she just doesn't get it."

Outer Regions of the Hylon Forest
Unmapped Area
Six Hours before Twilight
Things did not bode well. Despite Deunan's improved speed, somehow Renshiir saw them coming, even through the trees, and evaded them yet again, dashing away.

Not willing to take any chances, as soon as he could, Armand weaves a spell through the air to catch her, but even as he gets line of sight to her through the dense foliage, something goes wrong, and the magic fails. Renshiir stops for an instant, looking back. In that glimpse, you can see green hair, eyes and even skin tone.

"If you're going to kill me anyway, why should I stop? That's what people like you tend to do to people like me who are in the wrong place at the wrong time." Renshiir's voice comes back, sounding terrified beyond belief. Perhaps there was more to this than just simple employment by a shady organization.

Suddenly, she changes her course of movement, now running to the West, to the cliffs.

(BTW, this Twilight is dusk, so it is still in the afternoon, but with the thick foliage and forest canopy, it might as well be night)

Between Hylon Forest and Honhinqann
Deserted House
Five and a Half Hours before Twilight
It had actually taken some time to locate the source of the crying sound, and when Tristan does, it is so bizarre he wonders if he even heard right.

Now silent in the house, Tristan stares at a small, bunny statue, hidden in the dust of the now felled Dire Dust Bunny. Dusting it off, it can be seen to be very very lifelike, despite it being marble. It looks so lifelike that it actually looks like it is very sad; very lonely.

Fonhinqann
Gladiataor Arena
Six Hours before Twilight

Manalagna Hammer did not flinch nor show any signs of relief as the announcer replied,"There is a spell placed over the grounds of this arena that ensure that while unconsciousness is unavoidable, our battles never result in actual death. As for house rules, unfortunately the manager is in constant debate about such rules with all the competetors and so none ever get laid out. As such, besides the 'one on one' rule, anything goes."
The Dwarven Druid measured the announcer's words and weighed the possibilities of the various shades of truth spoken as to whether or not his life was in danger.

After a few fleeting moments he decided that his destiny lay far beyond the confines of this particular arena, so he would take the Charismatic Orc at his word of face value that this Sand Dance would be as it was presented ... providing an opportunity for Manalagna Hammer to test his mettle against his mysterious opponent.

He nods his understanding grimly.

"Why do you try to flatter me? There's the truth, and then there's the twisted truth, and you make it sound like I did more than I did."

The announcer's face goes a bit pale, then he whispers to Manalagna, "I've been trying to explain that to her for some time now; she just doesn't get it."

Manalagna Hammer bows once more.

His thoughts were upon the possibilities of twisted truth. Was there really a spell to stay the hand of death between the combatants?

He had come too far to back out now ... and the curiosity of why this woman seemed to go unchallenged by any other challengers for so long could only be assuaged by confronting her in the battle arena.

So Manalagna Hammer refused to be intimidated by the woman's words.

He stares long and hard at Xira.

Then turning to the Buffed Orc, Manalagna Hammer enquires, "Where do I prepare for this Sand Dance ... and how much time do I have to select my battle gear?"

Fonhinqann
Gladiator Arena
Six Hours before Twilight
Xira returns Manalagna's stare, her dark brown eyes so nearly black and void that it is unnerving.

The announcer coughs once more, drawing the attention back to him, "If you wish to hear more about the spell, the manager can answer your questions, as he is the one who cast and continues to maintain the spell. He is inside the main office just outside the arena. You'll also find that your chamber to prepare in is on that side of the arena, as for time, you have until the sand in the hourglass falls." The announcer points to the respective arena end and to the hourglass that somehow appeared unbeknownst to Manalagna in the center of the arena. It appears to be actually made of sand, and is slowly draining from the top down.

Xira turns and walks towards her chamber, "Until later then."
The announcer shakes his head at Xira, "Honestly, why she has to be so... strange... I have no idea." he mutters under his breath.

Fonhinqann
Gladiator Arena
Six Hours before Twilight

"If you wish to hear more about the spell, the manager can answer your questions, as he is the one who cast and continues to maintain the spell. He is inside the main office just outside the arena. You'll also find that your chamber to prepare in is on that side of the arena, as for time, you have until the sand in the hourglass falls."
Manalagna Hammer strokes his silver beard with his right hand as he ponders the appearance of the hourglass, then watches as Xira walks to her chamber, before nodding once more to the Charismatic Orc before making a beeline to the main office to confer with the arena manager.

Fonhinqann
Gladiator Arena Main Office
Six Hours before Twilight
"Good afternoon, how may I help you?" The man behind the wooden desk is an elderly man, and he looks kindly towards the dwarf as he enters the small office.

The office looks rather plain, but hardly run down. It is as though the decorator strived for, and achieved, an oversimplification that provides only what is required of an office. In front of the man on the desk there is a crystal orb, presumably so he can witness the arena matches without having to be put into the often-rowdy audience. The man himself is dressed in a style reminiscent of a higher-order cleric, with a robe similar to that of a priest's.

Tristan takes the statue, looks at it for a few seconds, then decides to store it in his enchanted bag that is held by his hip by a belt that is essentially a rope. He then goes to search the entire house for a few more minutes.