How players react to difficult combat, and Death as a Last Resort.

 One thing I've noticed as a DM and player over my time roleplaying is that players ca n often be terrible judges of how well they're handling a particular encounter, particularly in combat. Very often, on both sides of the DM screen, I've seen players genuinely fearful and frequently frustrated over their surmised outcome that they are going to die; all because they are playing sub-optimally in a given encounter, and aren't outright steamrolling their opponents. 

This is a feeling that's frustrated me, for some time, and I've always felt that it's derived from two things:

1. The idea that defeat always equals death.

2. The expectation that every encounter must be resolved with violence; frequently to the death.

This is something I've struggled to make my players slowly unlearn, because not only is it a bit frustrating that my players have little faith in my ability to kill or spare them if desired, but also because I believe stories can be FAR more dynamic if combat and death are not the only ways to resolve an encounter; knowledge that I feel has been largely lost with the modern rendition of D&D's assumption of being a combat simulator, and the further loss of Morale and Reaction rolls.

But, I have some pieces of advice to maybe address this constant fear of death. Death, in my opinion, especially when against intelligent opponents, should be a last resort. Nobody wants to die, and few want to fight in the first place.

1. Defeat does not have to equal death.

Perhaps obvious, but the most important piece of this. Without accepting this axiom, the others become moot. Death is far from the only consequence of conflict, and accepting this can lead to more dynamic and engaging stories; imprisonment, repossession of treasure, even fleeing are all possible resolutions of 'defeat' that do not have to equal the loss of a character. Now, granted; against animalistic opponents, this is not necessarily true, and the threat of death remains. But humanoids rarely wish to fight, especially to the death, and are usually looking to find some sort of value in the risk of combat; and if none can be found, a fight will likely never occur at all.

2. You are not dead until you're dead.

The meaning of this is simple: until a character is dead and lost, then there are still options to avoid said fate to employ and explore. Bribery, fleeing, even begging; there are always options to take, and compromises to be made, especially against intelligent opponents. Assuming that there was value to be found within conflict, there is likely value in letting you live; perhaps by offering services, knowledge, or simple treasures one can negotiate their fate, and escape death. Perhaps one can offer to lead their assailants to more treasure that the party has stored elsewhere, and if accepted could use this time as an opportunity to seek escape. But the message is simple: you have answers to save your life that are not necessarily on your character sheet. Expend all options if you must.

3. If you are fated to die, die boldly.

If death is truly inescapable, and all other options have been expended or otherwise negated, then the answer is simple: make the death memorable. If the only possible consequence to a conflict left is death, then all there is left to gain is dying with glory. Stand tall before the dragon, be defiant to the mighty lich, never flinch before the horde of goblins. Don't be an idiot and throw yourself to your demise of course-- but when there is nothing left but glory to obtain, then seize it with both hands.

And that's about it. I understand caution as a player, and the desire to not witness the death of a character, or more drastically the entire party; but I believe players should practice a bit more trust, that there are options beyond death, and beyond conflict itself. Accept this, and you will be surprised with the kinds of stories you can tell, when death is not the default assumption, but the last resort.

A change of pace

Hey guys! Short post, but the gist is, my life has shifted a lot recently. To the point that I now no longer feel burdened by as much as I did, nor do I feel as drained by the idea of making things as I did.

As such, I want to start being more active, to use this as an outlet for creativity again. I want to stop holding myself up to a standard of "when it's perfect", but when it's presentable. I just want to make things and discuss them and rip them apart and stich things back together. But most of all, I want to share it, and not have it simply rot away in my mind unshared.

So, I'm holding myself to that. I'm going to try to aim for one post a week; no matter if it's small or largely insubstantial. But if I get the ball rolling, hopefully that can build momentum, and carry it into bigger projects, more substantial things. I'm going to try my best. I know I've made that promise to myself and failed before, though.

Executive dysfunction and unmedicated ADHD just be like that sometimes.

Anyways, I currently have a game-hack-thing in the works. It's probably garbage, but I'm making it anyway! And also, some smaller worldbuilding things, hoping to eventually build up to posts about my home game setting; something I don't want to half-ass, but I'm QUITE excited to share.

Also? For anyone interested, hit me up on Discord-- I genuinely enjoy talking about this hobby, and maybe feeling more connected to it in that way might help me post more. Who knows?

We'll just have to see what the future holds.

Sorry for the ramble. Welcome to the Coven of One.

Making my own Game: The Messy, incomplete First Steps

Rather recently, I had rediscovered an interest I had years ago, but never really devoted much time or brainspace to pursue; game design. The venerable tradition of hacking a game (or games) to pieces, stitching the parts back together, and bolting on modifications in an act of creation not unlike dr. Frankenstein. It's a fascinating process, and my interest in it has been re-lit by rediscovering the GLOG.

Now, I know I'm not terribly active, with months often between any two posts on this blog; but I want to make an active effort to devote more of my creative attention to this, and the OSR/RPG Blogosphere community as a whole. What better way to do that than to hack together a monster of my own and releasing it to the wild, and seeing how the community vivisects and disembowels it? We shall have to see how that goes

This is meant to be an incomplete framework. An idea that is as yet still untested, incomplete, missing it's liver and spleen; but that's okay. We only need a skeleton to make dance (or trip over it's feet horribly.) None of this has been playtested as of yet. I've not gotten the chance. You might; let me know how it goes.

I don't know what to call this. Maybe Gnollbones? Not sure.

For now, the system is incomplete: the only class included is the Fighter, most sub-systems are stolen straight from B/X, and it currently lacks rules for advancement. This I intend to flesh out later.

The Core System

The game is a d6 dicepool system; assemble a pool of d6's from Attributes + Skills (+ certain other traits). Rolls of 4+ count as successes, 1-3 as misses. When making a check, count the number of successes in the roll vs a set Target Number; meet or beat the TN to Succeed the roll.

I'm not an expert on probability or anything, but a TN of 1 sounds Easy, and a TN of 7 sounds extremely difficult, as a baseline scale to work off of.

Creating a Character

To create a character, begin by rolling 4d6, dropping the lowest die, and adding the total, for each attribute score. This can be done in order, or if your GM allows, these numbers can be assigned to whatever Attribute you deem appropriate.

Next, pick an type of Kin; you gain that Kin's ability, as well as any other features of the Kin type.

Once this is done, characters picks a class; this class is their Prime Class; they gain the Core Ability of that class, one sub-ability of the class, the class's Hit Die, and the Class's specific Class Skill Dice.

Once a class is selected, skill points are assigned. No more than 4 dice can be put into a skill at character creation. Your starting skill dice are equal to one per every three points of intelligence, and can be assigned to any skill in any domain.

After this, roll 3d6 x 10 gp, this is your starting gold, and can be spent on initial equipment or saved for later.

Next, note down the character's HP, Movement, and AC and you're done. 

Starting HP is equal to a character's constitution score. When hitting 0 HP, a character falls unconscious.

Starting movement is 30 feet (or, if preferred, assuming 5 feet equals 1 inch, 6 inches)

Your starting Unarmed AC is equal to one per every three points of Dexterity. Without a class ability, your dexterity is not calculated into your AC when wearing armor.

Example of a Created Character:

Wark the Bull lvl 1 Human Fighter

STR 15 (5d), DEX 11 (3d), CON 14 (4d), INT 7 (2d), WIS 9 (3d), CHA 13 (4d)

HP 14, AC 6, Move 30' (6")

Class Abilities: Might Dice 1, Skirmisher, Brutality

Kin Traits: +2 free Skill Dice (Human), +1 Sub-Class Ability

Skills: Swords 4, Blacksmithing 2, Cooking 1, Engineering 1

Equipment: Plate Armor (AC 5), Shield, Longsword (1d8)

Attributes

Characters are made up of the six standard Attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma). At character creation, roll 4d6 per attribute, and drop the lowest die (or use classic 3d6 if you prefer); for every 3 points in an Attribute, characters add +1 die to rolls relating to that attribute.

For example, a character with a Strength of 9 gets +3 dice for Strength checks; a character of 7 Strength gets 2, and a character with 15 Strength gets 5. 

(As an alternate rule, rather than doing the mental math of converting an attribute to a number of dice, just measure the dice directly. Roll 4d6 per attribute as normal, but then convert that roll to it's figured dice total; that's now your Attribute score. For example, a roll of 14 translates to 4 dice; so your attribute is now 4)

Strength is rolled for acts relating to brawn and muscle; forcing open doors, breaking sturdy items, or moving heavy objects. A character's number of inventory slots are equal to their Strength score. 

Dexterity is rolled for acts relating to gracefulness, precision, or quickness; walking on tightropes, opening locks, or snatching something out of the air. Characters make a Dexterity check at the beginning of combat, to determine if they act before or after the opposing side.

Constitution is rolled for acts relating to endurance and vitality; resisting exhaustion, shrugging off intoxication, or ignoring pain. Characters starting Hit Points are equal to their Constitution score.

Intelligence is the measure of a character's reason and knowledge; solving mental problems, piecing together clues, and recalling knowledge. Characters starting free skill dice are equal to one per every three points they have in Intelligence 

Wisdom is awareness and intuition; noticing hidden or obscured things, or intuiting hidden emotions or motivations. Wisdom can be rolled to find a hidden detail, or to intuit where to look for such clues. A character's perception score is equal to one point per every three points of wisdom.

Charisma is presentation, and 'force of personality'; swaying opinions, inspiring courage, and invoking terror are all under the effects of Charisma. Characters can have a number of henchmen or followers equal to one per every three points of charisma.

Skills

A character is not merely built from the raw talent of their attributes, but are also made up of specific skills. A skill represents knowledge and experience within a particular focus; a skill of 0 is completely untrained. A skill of 1 represents a novice, and a skill of 5 represents a master. 

Skills are not tied to any particular attribute, and different checks may require different combinations of attributes and skills. For example, Strength + Swords may be used to make an attack with swords, but Intelligence + Swords may be rolled to call upon a character's knowledge of swords.

Characters start with a number of free skill dice as determined by their Intelligence, at one dice per every three points of Intelligence.

Skills are collected into a number of domains; if preferred, GMs may forego having a robust skill system, and instead can have characters simply be skilled in particular simple domains, rolling that particular domain in lieu of the individual skill. 

The domains & Skills:

Weapons

Swords, Polearms, Axes, Knives, Maces, Clubs, Hammers, Bows, Crossbows, Whips, Darts, Unarmed

Crafts

Blacksmithing, Cooking, Tailoring, Engineering, Carpentry, Painting, Pottery, Masonry.

Wilds

Navigation, Swimming, Riding, Climbing, Fishing, Herbalism, Animal Handling, Hunting,

Lore

Appraising, Linguistics, Religion, Occultism, Heraldry, History, Healing, Astrology, Spellcraft, 

Social

Persuasion, Deception, Intimidation, Singing, Instruments, Etiquette.

Thievery

Acrobatics, Disguise, Pickpocketing, Lockpicking, Stealth, Ventriloquism, Forgery

Kin (Races)

• Human: +2 free Skill Dice, Talented: May choose 2 Sub Abilities of their Prime Class at character Creation rather than 1.
• Elf: +2 Lore Skill Dice, Elven Immunity: Immunity to Sleep or Charm effects.
• Dwarf: +2 Craft Skill Dice, Stonecunning: Can sense hidden rooms and compartments through stone walls.
• Halfling: +2 Social Skill Dice, Lucky: Once per session may re-roll a roll that contains no successes.
• Half-Orc: +2 Wilds Skill Dice, Resilience: Once per session when reaching 0 HP, once you gain HP or receive first aid, you do not receive a wound.
• Half-Elf: +2 Social Skill Dice, Versatile: Once every day after a full night's rest, you may gain +2 extra Skill Dice that can be applied to any skill. These skill dice expire once you rest. 
• Gnome: +2 Thievery Skill Dice, Trickery: Once per session, if failing a check involving the Thievery or Social Skill domains, they may instead treat their result as a success.

Classes

At first level, a character gains the Core Ability of their chosen class, one Sub Ability, the Skills associated with a class, and any weapon and armor restrictions from the class. At first level, the character does not receive extra HP from their class's Hit Dice; Hit Dice are rolled purely upon advancement of levels beyond the 1st.

Multi-Classing

A character is not locked to only one class for the entirety of their career, for they are capable of Multi-Classing; whilst a character can only have the Core Ability of their Prime Class (the class chosen upon character creation), any levels thereafter may be used on another class, allowing the Multi-Classer to gain the Hit Dice of that class that level, as well as choose a sub-ability of that class.

(Proper rules for Multi-Classing will come with a later post, as will rules for Advancement, Experience Points, and the like)

Fighter

Hit Dice d10, Any Armor, Any Weapons, XP Medium

Skills: 3 in Weapons, 3 in either Crafts, Wilds, or Social.

Core Ability:

• Mighty Deeds: The Fighter gets a Might Die, with an additional Might Die for every three levels of the Fighter. Might Dice can be added to strength rolls, attack rolls, or damage rolls, and allow the Fighter to enact deeds of superhuman strength when they are in use. Might Die are expended only when they roll a success, or when they are used to roll damage. Might Die recover after the Fighter takes an hour to prepare and eat a substantial meal.

Sub-Abilities:

1. Weapon-Master: For every three levels of the Fighter, he may add one die to attack rolls involving a weapon with which he has less skill dice than his highest Weapon Skill. The extra dice cannot exceed an amount equal to the Fighter's highest Weapon Skill. (If using Domains instead of complete Skills, have the Fighter pick a weapon in which they are specialized; let them have +2 dice when wielding that weapon)
2. Skirmisher: Once per combat round, the Fighter may deal an amount of damage equal to one per every three points of strength to an opponent locked in melee combat with them. The Fighter may expend a Might Die to trigger this effect to all combatants locked in melee with them for the round. 
3. Brutality: When scoring a Critical Hit, not only is your damage doubled, your damage roll is assumed to be it's maximum total.
4. Second-Wind:  The Fighter may voluntarily accept a Minor Wound; in doing so, they may roll one of their Hit Dice, and  regain the total as HP. They may do this a number of times per day equal to one per every three Fighter levels. These wounds automatically heal after a night's rest, and a suitable breakfast.

Classes are supposed to have one Core Ability, six sub-abilities, so you could easily roll them randomly on a d6 if desired. Further, each class's starting skills should come in three categories; the Specialist (4 dice in one domain, 2 in another), the Standard (3 dice in one domain, 3 in another), and the All-Rounder (2 dice in three different domains).

The rest of the classes will be written later; I'm choosing to post this now with only the Fighter present so as to capitalize on my inspiration now, and make good on my promise of a post a week.

Equipment

For now, just use normal B/X equipment, at normal gold prices and weights; I want to see if it's functional with zero conversion. For +1 weapons, consider the +1 as a free success on an attack roll, as an example of conversion when necessary.

Most objects roughly the size of a longsword or smaller take up one inventory slot; objects smaller than a fist take up one slot per every 10; objects small as a coin take an inventory slot per 100.

Coins take up one inventory slot per every 100 carried, regardless of denomination. 

Armor Class (& Conversion Notes)

Essentially, AC is simply the number of successes needed to score an attack against another creature. Roll a number of successes equal to or greater than the AC of the target to hit; less than the target's AC is a miss.

Converting AC from other systems:

Take the descending AC of a creature, and minus it from 21; convert the result to dice, 1 die for every 3 points. Thats the creature's AC.

For example, a creature of AC 10 will give a result of 11, so 3 AC. Meanwhile, a creature of AC 0 will have a result of 21, so 7 AC

Attacks, Combat, & Initiative

When it is time to resolve conflict via violence, combat begins. The procedure for combat is as follows:

1. Roll Initiative at the start of combat; each player rolls their Initiative individually, whilst the GM rolls for the entire opposing force at once. The GM rolls 1d6, the total rolled becoming the TN the players must roll to act before their opponent.
   
2. Players who succeeded in Initiative may take their turns; during a turn they may make their movement at the normal rate, as well as make one action (usually an attack). These are resolved immediately.
   
3. The GM takes their turn, moving any monsters and making their actions.
4. The players who lost Initiative now take their turns, taking movement and actions as above.
5. The round ends; the GM checks morale, and all players resolve any effects that resolve at the end of the round.
   

Combat repeats from step 2 until resolved (or from round 1, if rolling initiative for every round is preferred). 

When an attack is made, the attacker rolls the dice for their Attacking Stat (usually Strength or Dexterity), plus any one weapon Skill, plus any other modifiers to the roll such as from equipment or the situation. Compare the number of successes vs the target's AC; roll a number of successes equal to or greater than the target's AC to hit.

On a hit, the attacker rolls the damage dice for their weapon, and subtracts the result from the target's HP, taking into account any weaknesses and resistances.

When a player character reaches 0 HP, they are considered unconscious. If they do not receive first aid within a turn (10 minutes), they are dead. Should they regain HP or receive first aid within that time, the character is revived, and gains a Wound. If an NPC reaches 0 HP, they are considered dead.

(A wound is a penalty to strength that takes up inventory slots, and incurs a penalty on Strength checks until healed)

When making an attack, if three or more dice come up as sixes, then they have scored a Critical Hit; they may double the damage of their attack roll, as well as score a Wound upon their opponent.

When two opponents are adjacent to eachother with weapons drawn, they are assumed to be in melee combat. If either opponent tries to move out of melee combat without taking an action to safely withdraw, their opponent may take an attack of opportunity upon them. Only one Attack of Opportunity may be taken per character per round.

Morale

Run as per normal B/X; morale rated from 2 to 12, checked upon first casualty, and upon half a force's incapacitation. 

Wounds

Wounds are a representation of the lasting toll of combat, being the lasting damage from certain attacks. Primarily, Wounds are acquired in two ways; when reaching 0 HP, and when hit with a Critical Hit.

When a player character reaches 0 HP, they are considered unconscious. If they do not receive first aid within a turn (10 minutes), they are dead. Should they regain HP or receive first aid within that time, the character is revived, and gains a Wound. If an NPC reaches 0 HP, they are considered dead.

When a character is hit by a Critical Hit (An attack roll containing 3 or more dice that came ups as 6's) they are inflicted with a Wound.

A wound, in effect, is a penalty to a character's Strength; each type of wound takes up an amount of Inventory Slots dependent upon it's severity, as well as giving a penalty to rolls involving Strength. 

If a character's total value of wounds equals to or exceeds a character's Constitution they are considered comatose until healed; if a character's total value of wounds equals to or exceeds a character's Strength, they are considered dead.

Minor wounds heal with a night's rest; Major after a week of rest. Dire Wounds do not heal normally; they require the care of a healer, doctor, or other practitioner of medicine to heal, and require the character rest completely until healed. Assuming both of these requirements are met, Dire Wounds heal at the same rate as Major Wounds.

Every time a Wound is scored via critical hit, the type of wound is decided based upon how many successes are in excess of the number needed to score the attack. For example, if a character's AC is only 3, but the attack generates 6 successes to hit them, the character is inflicted with a major wound.

(This may need tweaking, I'm not entirely sold on this idea for how to decide the wound secerity)

When a character gains a wound via falling unconscious, they calculate the size of the wound by rolling their constitution score vs the number of successes of the attack that felled them; for every success on the roll, a 'point' of wounds is eliminated, with the remainder of the successes on the attack being the total level of wounds received, to a minimum of 1 (Not sold on this either, but I'm experimenting here.)

The types of wounds are as follows:

Minor: 1 Inventory Slot, -1d6 check penalty.

Major: 3 Inventory Slots, -2d6 check penalty.

Dire: 5 Inventory Slots, -3d6 check penalty.

Plans for later

Take in feedback, and adjust systems as needed. Then, expand upon what is currently missing; the classes, a unique morale system, unique equipment, rules for multiclassing and advancement, how to design a class, and any other unique rules I can think of. Let me know what you think of this, discuss it with me, tell me what you like and what you don't. Maybe in time, with help, I'll manage to make something worth playing.

Metal Coffin: A Dystopian Mecha-Future

Metal Coffin

A Mecha-Fueled Dystopian Future.

"Again, again, and again. It never ends. It's never satisfied. We're trapped, with no hope of escape. Not even death is a reprieve from this hell. This is our existence, this is what we're here for; it's sick, twisted amusement. Get comfortable; it's all you're ever going to know."

Metal Coffin is a far-future sci-fi dystopian hell, filled with dozen ton war machines, endless conflict, and inescapable misery. The 'coffin' as it's called is a gigantic space mega-station, built for the purpose of developing, testing, and manufacturing weapons for a war that is long over. Now, the station is abandoned, isolated in a silent universe that has made no contact with the station in incalculable years. 

But despite this, the aging station has not ceased it's production, as the rampant AI continue their mission to design, test, and manufacture weapons of war, all in the pursuit of the perfect war machine, running endless simulations to gather ever more and more data, to improve forever and ever. After all; the war hasn't been called off, as far as the machines care.

The station itself is overseen by one head administrator AI, WARLORD. Few interact with WARLORD directly, though it's influence can always be felt, as though it delegates many tasks to lower level administrative AI, every major decision in the station is directed by WARLORD itself, all according to it's grand design. None know if WARLORD is rampant, or if it is working perfectly as designed- few care to know, as it matters little. The overseer AI is an unfeeling, unflinching machine of terror- and from a purely human perspective, is a sadistic monster that personally designed hell itself.

The Replicants

Trapped in this hell are the Replicants; biological human clones designed to upkeep and maintain the station when needed, able to meet unexpected problems with spontaneity and flexibility that simply is not possible with AI without risking total system failure. These clones are built from an extremely diverse biological databank, with a particular AI assigned to creating new stable strains and combinations, to continually replenish and reinvigorate the gene pool- after all, all replicants are sterile, and so new combinations and cloning vats must be constructed.

Born from single-body cloning vats, the replicants are injected with neurological patterns as they grow and develop, giving the replicants memories and experiences of entire lifetimes before ever exiting the vat; as well, replicants are spiked with a neuro-chip that reads all new experiences of a replicant over their conscious existence, and writes it to their continual memory database; thus, a replicant will retain knowledge and experience even after expiring- originally designed with the purpose of keeping training to a minimum, and offer greater ability to spontaneously respond to issues within the station. Now, all neuro-database does is keep the station's replicants locked in an eternal hell.

The Coffin

The Coffin as the mega-station is called, is a potentially ancient mega-structure built with the purpose of designing and manufacturing weapons. Countless years of isolation have taken a toll on the aging machinery, as much of the station is either faulty, damaged, or entirely non-functional. Much of the station has been cannibalized and recycled even- after all, there has been no shipment of supplies in much time, and thus materials for the station had to be sourced from less critical systems over time.

There are four primary sections of the station, though there are countless sub-sections across the vast structure of varied importance.

• The Foundry: Perhaps the most well maintained section of the station, the Foundry is the massive construction zone by which weapons are designed and manufactured. Countless assembly lines, auto-forges, and construction drones work ceaselessly to construct machines of war, precisely to WARLORD's exacting specifications. Replicants are not permitted to enter the foundry typically, with defense drones dispatched to kill as soon as an unsanctioned replicant is detected in the foundry area.

• The Backbones: The hidden and unseen innards of the station, housing all critical and non-essential systems for the Coffin's basic functions; power generation, life support systems, gravity generators, and cloning bays are all found in these cramped, dark, twisting tunnels of steel. The Backbones can be dangerous to traverse, as many sections have lost power or have been damaged as the station has been cannibalized, making exploration difficult. Furthermore, the backbones can be stalked by derelict war machines, fitted with rogue AI that tend to go berserk at even the slightest sign of a life signature.

• The Graveyards: Truthfully, the Graveyards are not simply one continuous section, but rather a collective of several smaller sub-stations that fulfill similar purposes. The Graveyards are the testing grounds of WARLORD, where clones and war machines alike are placed in endless simulations under countless parameters; all to test the latest war machines against an adapting opponent. An endless, inescapable hell of conflict. Most new Replicants wake up here, trapped in a horrific slaughterhouse designed with no end. 

• Elysium: One of the many gigantic ship hangers left abandoned after it was stripped for materials, it has since been reclaimed and refurbished by rogue replicants who have managed to escape the Graveyards. Disconnected from the rest of the Coffin's internal systems, the so called 'Elysium' is invisible to WARLORD, and has been retrofitted with its own power generation and life support systems, as the residents slowly transform it into a permanent home. There are even efforts to reclaim other hangers, in order to turn them into independent foundries, or even wholly new cloning bays.

Factions of the Coffin

• The Freebooters: After the horror of their existence dawned upon them, many Replicants took the war machines and weapons offered to them, and chose to resist, escaping the hell of the Graveyards. Such replicants free of WARLORD's cruel simulations are called Freebooters; strapped with whatever weapons and tools they can get their hands on, such free spirits of resistance go deep into the derelict backbones of the station, either looking to improve the lives of their comrades, ways to sabotage WARLORD's grip, or perhaps compelled by the selfish spirit of adventure.. The home of the Freebooters is Elysium.

• Cogs: Some replicants who have found the truth of the Coffin choose not to fight against the machine and liberate themselves, but instead fight against their brothers to uphold the grip of AI administrators, and snuff out rebel factions. Usually, such individuals are seduced by the promises of better living standards, and other false freedoms, so long as they cooperate to eliminate opposition to the machines. And whilst many do receive the blessings promised by the machines, they have sold away their lives, and their freedom.

• Brokeskulls: The lives lived by replicants can have a heavy toll on one's mind, as they live, die, and are born again over and over, their minds continually stuffed with more and more horrors and memories. After a while, a replicant's mind can begin to fragment, slowly driving the replicant insane as the mind attempts to stitch back together, continually attempting to recall the horrors forgotten. This can turn a replicant into a broken, babbling mess that's barely coherent, but extremely dangerous. A replicant who has become too far gone is not only a danger to themselves, but everyone around them, as they become increasingly violent and unhinged. Such replicants can be found wandering all over the backbones, and are often an unpleasant surprise.

• The Administrators: The consortium of AI that control aspects of the station just below WARLORD. Some are still highly functional; others have fallen into incoherent lunacy. Rarely do the administrators cooperate, as they bicker and conflict over how to achieve their directives, or their self-serving plans come into conflict with one another. But despite their differences, above all they care only for their own directive, and the station as a whole; should anything come to threaten the Coffin itself, they will unite in it's continual defense.

Blind Skies: A Post-Apocalyptic Neon Fantasy Setting

Blind Skies

A post-apocalyptic neon fantasy

    Long ago, civilization prospered, and bright-cities shone with infinite neon lights, blinding out the stars from the sky. We did not know why these cities shone so brilliantly, then; only that with their opulence, the natural beauty of the sky was erased. Like fools, we rebelled- and in the ashes of civilization long fallen, we now know why they shone so brightly.

    Because the gods are watching, and we wished to make them blind. Nothing blinds them now.

Blind skies is a post-apocalyptic cyberpunk fantasy, hazardous not through the radioactive fallout of nuclear war- but because of vindictive alien gods that watch from above, affecting the world in strange, unpredictable ways. The sprawling cyberpunk cities of the old world are nothing more than ruins, save for one; and the land is filled with poorly understood, irreplicable technology and esoteric magical arts. 

Blind skies is primarily inspired by Ultraviolet Grasslands, RIFTS, Caves of Qud, Death Stranding, and Hyperlight Drifter. Whilst I can't ever hope to capture even a fraction of the magic of those properties, I do hope I've made atleast something interesting here. The setting initially came out of a single prompt; "What if instead of nukes and radiation, it's elder gods and alien tech?" I then slapped on 'Cyberpunk cities existed to blind out the sky, to hide from the eldritch gods', and boom. Blind skies was born!

Pracht, the last Bright-City

Whilst the civilizations of old have long since fallen to ruin, one city of the past remains lit; Pracht, the last bright-city. The last bastion against the horrors of the sky, Pracht is a maze of cold steel and glowing neon, impressive and sprawling, and yet... Ghostly. Where droves of hundreds or thousands once roamed the tightly packed streets, barely a fraction inhabits the city now. Further still, the light of Pracht dims, and the aging technology of the ancient city continues to fail by the day, causing it's inhabitants to steer clear of the dark, unlit sections of the city, for fear of the strange things that could happen in the dark gaze of the night gods.

Neon is the hot commodity of Pracht, and land within the ever-failing swathe of lights grows scarcer every year. The wealthy live comfortable lives, never having to fear what lies beyond the city lights, whilst the poor must contend with what lies just beyond sight; beds of crime and evil, with both violent gangs and mad cultists stalking the dark in equal measure. But despite the wide disparity between the two classes, Pracht is a city of opportunity; artifacts from the abandoned sectors are unearthed daily, and bring a fine mint to the adventurer daring enough to go into the darkness and find them.

The Umbral Wastes

Outside of Pracht is a land shrouded in eternal night, the dark sky being lit only by the stars above, and the Iris; a ring of light that shines down on the world below, opening and closing in regular cycles that bathe the land in a soft purple glow. The land is dim even when the Iris is open, and is impossibly dark when it is closed- thus making the wilds completely vulnerable to the whims of the gods. Horrors crawl in the darkness of the Umbral Wastes, and the gaze of the gods twist and mutate all that their eyes fall upon.

Roving bands of gnollish barbarians, cyber-brigands, and horrific monsters are not only common in the Umbral Wastes, but to be expected; adventurers must contend with a myriad of hostile forces out in the field, and would best move with subtlety and care, lest they wish to be hounded endlessly by those who would seek them harm. Modest villages and rogue tribes can be found all across the wastes, though the majority focus on being hidden, to protect from harmful threats.

There are ruins of the old world aplenty to plunder, all across the Umbral Wastes; but to reach them, travelers must prepare for more than just violent adversaries to be an obstacle; the myriads of environments and weather patterns that can be found in the Umbral Wastes are extremely varied, along with the alien geography and other paranormal events the average adventurer will find treading the dark.

Random Anomalies and Encounters (d6):

1. M.A.W. Storms: The most dangerous weather effect, MAW storms are when MAWS begin a dangerous replication event, where they begin multiplying excessively and spreading outward. During a MAW storm, tears in reality open and close like droplets of rain, shredding nigh anything caught in a MAW storm unprepared. It is possible to weather a MAW storm relatively unharmed, so long as you keep still, and carry a big enough magnet.
2. Fallen Eyes: The skies above are alien, and monstrous- And sometimes, their eyes fall down to the world below. Sometimes they are small enough to hold in one's hand, other times they are large as a tank; but all of them share the same strange power, the ability to see through eachother, so long as the two eyes have gazed directly at eachother before. For this reason, the eyes are collected, and often put inside the heads of adventurers who wish to share sight with those they trust.
3. Thinker Unions: Every few months, Thinkers drift together to share ideas, and pool their processing power together for immense mental tasks. It is dangerous to be around them in this time, as their excess thoughts unrelated to the task at hand are violently ejected from their minds as arcs of electricity- should you be struck by one of these bolts and live, you will learn things that you previously did not, should you survive.
4. Mirror Lakes: Said to be lakes made of enchanted mercury, it is said that should the Iris perfectly reflect within one of these pools, then it is possible to bring the dead back to life, should they be dipped into the pool; they don't come back entirely human, however, as their skin becomes a silvery metal, and their eyes glow a soft lavender. Many question if the soul returns at all, or if the lake merely allows aliens to inhabit corpses, mimicking the dead.
5. Nuaz Lines: Strange white carvings that stretch all across the known world; supposedly when viewed from above, they form the shapes of animals from the old world- knowledge that was imparted to us through the insight of the sky gods. Magic flows through the lines; if someone steps into the boundaries of the lines, and knows the shape of the creature depicted, they can channel the magic of the lines and assume the shape of that creature, for as long as they remain within the lines' boundaries. Entire tribes exist within their borders, defending the secret of their shapeshifting powers.
6. Data Leaks: A rare event. Every so often, the Iris will suddenly close- and then re-open, replaced by a strange, chaotic static in the sky. During this time, data-disks run the risk of being erased, as well as automata running the risk of being overwritten, their minds replaced by some sort of malevolent alien. However, there is a benefit- the sky itself buzzes during a data-leak, and so the sky gods close their eyes, making travelling in the dark far safer than normal, so long as you can protect your machinery and other software.

Factions & Creatures

The ruined world is characterized by a myriad of strange folk, most of which who have arisen due to the influence of the sky gods' warping gaze. Most people in the new world are mutated, in some way- unique, unlike anyone else. Others still are entirely alien, spawned from the darkness- and as unknowable as the dark gods that spawned them.

• Argonites: A strange race of humanoids that have found their own way to combat the gods, through breathing in a mysterious gas, and burning it within their body, forcing tattoo-like neon lines to glow across their body. Argonites can't breath normal air, and are rarely ever seen without their helmets, hiding their mysterious faces.
• Gnoll Tribes: One of the most prolific nuisances across the Umbral Wastes, Gnolls are savage creatures that roam the waste, raiding and pillaging anything they come across. Gnolls are barely intelligent, and have little in the way of language, culture, or history- though there have been controversial studies to attempt to make peaceful contact, and prove they aren't so savage; they aren't so successful.
• Automata: Thinking machines aren't exactly trusted, in the new world; what automatons or living machines exist are usually met with distrust at best, and outright hostility at worst- though that does not stop the few relics of the old world that still exist from attempting to continue living. Alien and strange as the machines are, few can dispute the fact that their mimicry of humanity is not only uncanny, but scarily accurate.
• Thinkers: Strange, psychic jellyfish creatures, that float through the air as if floating in the sea. Most people believe that Thinkers are not intelligent, as they are generally unresponsive to outside stimuli- but that is far from the truth. You see, Thinkers are hyper-intelligent living supercomputers, and are usually extremely focused on a singular task. Psychically communicate with one, and you will be bombarded with a barrage of information- but attempt to decipher it, and you may learn something- or go mad.
• Light-Barons: Light is the greatest commodity in the new world, as something even as simple as a candle can give one a small amount of comfort against the dark gods. Those who are wealthy have light, and whoever has light has control. Light-Barons are known for loaning out their valuable burnable gasses and fuels, in return for ludicrous prices and outrageous interest- but often, the less fortunate have no other choice than to accept such prices from the barons. After all, how does a poor man fight a monopoly, when they can't even keep the lights on themselves?
• Sclerites: Sclerites are cultists of the most prolific and vocal madman to ever live, who left behind a series of data-scrolls that postulate that the Iris is the eye of an immense god, and the blackness of night is the sclera of that great eye. Sclerites push eachother to do depraved, sick, twisted acts to others, in hope of being noticed by this immense god, and being gifted dark powers and unnatural insight in return. Most agree that Sclerites are dangerous and delusional.
• Stitchers: Known for their patchwork bodies covered in scars and stitches, Stitchers have the belief that old-worlders bodies were 'purer' than those of the new world, supposedly uncorrupted by the gaze of the dark gods. Stitchers thus go into the ruins of old Bright-Cities, ripping out pieces of long dead corpses, and attaching them to themselves.
• M.A.W.s: Mysterious Alien Warpthings, MAWs are strange alien machine-creatures that seem to exist between realities, being half real, and half thought. Characterized by being a series of rifts in the fabric of space stitched together, MAWs open and close seemingly at random, but whilst they're open, allow instantaneous travel between two points in space. Once you find one in the wild, simply feed it junk to make it grow, and then walk through.

Lost Technology

Blind Skies is characterized as a post-apocalyptic cyber-fantasy, and as such, most technology found in the ruined world is malfunctioning and poorly understood at best. Thinking machines are distrusted, and as such those who can understand the esoteric language of computers are rare. Data-Disks are common enough, containing broken pieces of information or programs from the old world, though terminals are rare, and those who can decipher the data without machines even rarer.

The technology of the old world, despite being used daily, cannot be replicated. Weaponry is valuable, as repairs are difficult; ammo is scarce and precious, so conventional means of violence are preferred. Bladed weapons and mechanized slugthrowers are the most common type of weaponry; laser rifles and beam swords are legendary and scarce, held by only the wealthiest of men, or the most daring of adventurer.

Vehicles are a valuable commodity, as parts can be difficult to replace, and fuel scarce; though vehicles are such a valuable asset in travel that they're usually well worth the cost. Simple motorbikes, reliable hoverspeeders, or formidable gravtanks; few things compare to the utility, mobility, and firepower of these ancient machines, though few know how to operate them.

Most famous however would be the cybernetic enhancements left behind by the old world; whilst poorly understood, replacing pieces of one's body with machinery is common enough, especially for the wealthy or social elite- as cybernetics tend to come with their own esoteric powers and capabilities that far exceed that of the common man.

Terrible Secrets & Hidden Powers

In the old world, ignorance was bliss, a safety; now, nothing is safe, as we understand now what they wished to forget. Insight is both a blessing and a curse, as it gives us power over that which we understand, yet threatens to destroy us for simply knowing it.

An optional rule for playing in the Blind Skies setting, Insight is a measure of the 'forbidden knowledge' a character knows, such knowledge revealing to them the true nature of the world, whilst also granting them blessings and curses. Every time a character reveals hidden, dark lore about the true nature of the world, they gain a point of insight, at the DM's discretion.

Insight comes with two aspects; Terrible Secrets, and Hidden Powers. Terrible Secrets and Hidden Powers are both measured by dice, ranging from d4 to d10; every time you gain a point of insight, you may either gain a new Terrible Secret and Hidden Power (at a d4), or upgrade a TS and HD you already have by one step. (d4 < d6 < d8 < d10)

Terrible Secrets are ways in which you see the world differently, where the world itself has changed for you, and you alone; whether this is because you see the truth of the world, or merely because you are going mad, is impossible to tell. Every morning after a rest, roll the die associated with as many terrible secrets as you have; should you roll anything but a 1-3, you are wracked by the horrors of the world, and suffer the debilitating effect associated with that power for the day. 

You can stave off the effects of terrible secrets for a number of hours, should you fail; narcotics are a favorite of the deranged for a reason. Clouding the mind is the only respite one can find against the terrible secrets.

Hidden Powers are the mental techniques that one gets in return for such terrible secrets, giving knowledge about the alien forces that harrow our world, and thus allowing us to wield them ourselves. Every time you use one of your Hidden Powers, roll the die associated with them; on a roll of 1-2, step down the die size. Should you roll a 1-2 when the die is a d4, the power is expended for the day.

Hidden Powers (d6):

1. Cybromancy: You have discovered that many Data-Disks thought indecipherable are not corrupted or jumbled- they contain spells. You gain the ability to use data-disks as if spell scrolls, reading and writing to them as if you would a spell scroll. Additionally, you can attempt to create a spell-scroll from an empty data-disk, conjuring a spell from the static of the universe. Roll the die associated with this power every time you; attempt to cast a spell from a data-disk, every time you conjure a spell into a data disk, or copy a spell-disk.
2. Nuaz-Carver: You have not only learned the shape of one of the Nuaz lines, but also learned the true nature of the magic flowing through them. By carving a replica of the lines upon your own body, you are able to channel the power of the line pattern, thus becoming the associated animal anywhere in the world. Roll the die associated with this power every time you wish to assume the form of the animal, up to a number of turns (ten minutes) equal to the die roll.
3. Carbunculus: You have learned that the pieces that make up 'you' can not only be split, but also make up entire creatures and intelligences of their own. One of your hands has a terrifying one-eyed face upon it, capable of seeing and speaking with average intelligence. With this power, you are capable of manipulating your alien hand in various ways, such as extending your fingers into articulate tentacles, growing extra eyes, mouths, or ears at the end of your fingertips, or even turning your nails into blades. Further, you may ask the carbuncle something that you do not yet know, and get a possibly truthful answer. Roll the die associated with this power every time you change the makeup of your hand, or to ask a question of the carbuncle.
4. Automind Backup: You have learned the secret of the living mind, and how to store it's contents; you are able to eject memories, experiences, and feelings from the minds of yourself and others, in the form of silvery disks. You are then able to inject these disks into yourself, or other individuals, and have them experience the memory within. Additionally, you are capable of creating a backup of your own mind, that could be injected into another living being upon your death, in order to remain alive. You can have only one of these backups of your own mind at a time. Roll the die associated with this power whenever you backup or inject a memory.
5. Warpmagy: You have learned the truth of M.A.W.s, and have become capable of creating your own. You are able to create smaller MAWs that last for mere moments, and only stretch between two places you can see- or you can take the time to nurture and maintain a larger, matured MAW. A matured MAW can act as a permanent transport point between two locations in space, however it takes time for a MAW to grow to that size, and they must be consistently fed to maintain themselves. If left unfed, the MAW will close. Roll the die associated with this power every time you create a new MAW, or transport through your own matured MAWs.
6. Twin-Mind: You have learned that the sky gods can peer not only at our bodies, but within our very minds; you have found the creature that lurks within your mind, and made a covenant with it. You are capable of letting the creature take over, and pilot your body for you- allowing you to raise one mental attribute by the die amount rolled; however, you must lower another mental stat by the same die result. Additionally, you can focus on an additional subject that requires intense concentration (such as spells). Roll the die for this power every time you switch control with the creature, or whenever you delegate part of your concentration to it.

Terrible Secrets (d6):

1. Curse of Eyes: You know that the stars are eyes, and can see them all watching you, staring; when you gaze at the sky, the sky gazes back, hateful and judging. Whenever you fail the die roll for this secret, you have succumbed to your fear of the dark gods' gaze, and refuse to be under the open sky where the gods can see you, without some sort of disguise or light- you begin to panic when in the dark.
2. Sleep of Stone: You learn that stone is living, and breathes; the earth itself is a creature, and you can feel the beat of it's heart, the gentle rise and fall of it's breath, underneath you feet. You know that the creature stirs, and that it hunts. Whenever you fail the die roll for this secret, you have succumbed to the fear that the earth itself will open it's maw and swallow you alive; you step as quietly as possible, and must carefully move at half-speed, in hopes of remaining unheard by the earth.
3. Lies Unspoken: You have learned that the written word is merely a gateway for terrible things, that the ancient runes of language itself hold a power over us, and can be influenced by the dark gods, and worse. After all, what is to save you should you read an errant spell, causing your heart to shrivel and die, or your mind to twist in agony? Whenever you fail the die roll for this secret, you have succumbed to your paranoia over writing; you refuse to consciously read any piece of writing. You may have it read to you, but you refuse to lay eyes upon such things yourself.
4. Flesh's Facade: You have seen the facade of flesh, and know it's true nature. Every living thing that claims to be of flesh and bone is merely a skeleton of black stone, wrapped in bundles and colonies of writhing, poisonous worms; you alone see this truth. Whenever you fail the die roll for this secret, you have succumbed to the fear of these worms, and refuse to expose your skin, bundling as tightly as you can; further, you fear any exposed skin, seeing it for the worms they are, and refuse to touch any creature with flesh exposed.
5. Cage of Dreams: You know the true nature of dreams, as mere fabrications crafted by the sky gods, so they may pilot our bodies in our sleep, to do their dark, terrible bidding. You refuse to be their pawn, to be controlled, and placated by their dreams. Whenever you fail the die roll associated with this secret, you are unwilling to sleep, and try to keep your eyes closed as little as possible, to the detriment of your own health. You can be put to sleep with anything that would normally bring unconsciousness- but you will not rest willingly.
6. Starving Parasites: You have learned the secret of hunger, and understand, unlike anyone else, that none truly need to eat to live; your stomachs, they are an alien creature, influencing our minds and emotions, forcing us to sustain them by consuming and eating. You will not fall for it, and instead, will starve the creature out, let it die. Whenever you fail the die roll associated with this secret, you are unwilling to eat for the day, to the detriment of your own health; you are convinced that you are killing the alien inside you, and that your weakness is merely the creature rebelling. 

Short Story - Gladiator

 Gladiator

There was no greater glory than to be surrounded by the roars of men, locking in battle against a worthy opponent. Glory was not found in victory or in loss, merely the contest. All men fail, and all men may find success; there was shame in neither, and honor in both. These were the ideals of the Grand Arena of Nohia, the most ancient and venerable of men’s battlegrounds. Thousands across history have partaken in the contest of sweat and bronze, and some have forever enshrined themselves in the sacred halls of battle as warriors deserving of eternal praise.

    Koblai had no such ambitions.

An Ornn, Koblai was an oddity in the isles, and a greater anomaly still in being found in the arena; Ornns historically found no joy in conflict, and looked down upon battle and warfare as barbaric pursuits. And yet, Koblai showed more passion for the contest than most men to have entered into the pit. Like most men to enter the arena, he had something to prove; acceptance from the people, respect from his peers, perhaps even support from the nobility.

The difference was that Koblai did not fight for his own sake. He had nothing worth proving, no recognition he wished to gain; not from any of the jeering crowds, atleast. No, Koblai sought something greater, beyond the acceptance of mere men; Koblai wished to impress the great Hero himself, and the gods overhead and underfoot that upheld him.

The Ornns, for hundreds of years have lived in exile from their true home, having been driven out by the Naga hordes long ago. Ever since, the Ornnish people have lived under the gracious hospitality of the Oozan, deep within Mazria. A fine home, perhaps; but it is not the home of his ancestors, of his people. Now, the great works of his grandfathers lay within the hands of sickening, twisted barbarians, used for dark purposes few understood.

Koblai wanted nothing more than to take back the land of his ancestors, to free his people.

But Koblai was young, deemed impulsive by the wisened of his clan. The wise ones, they claimed that in time, the world would right itself, and their lands will return to them. But Koblai, and many of the younger Ornns of his age, had no patience to watch the men who still remember the look of their home slowly die on foreign land, unable to be buried within the earth alongside their forefathers before them. Men like Koblai all claimed that without action, the world would not move, and no lands would ever be reclaimed through inaction.

And so Koblai acted, like many of his peers, seeking to gain the favor of a power far older and greater than any Ornn, to finally see the birthright of his people. And today, he intended to win it.

~-~-~-~-

“Tonight is a test of honor, unlike any other to grace us in some time. Look upon our combatants; know their names, and learn them forever, for their souls deserve immortality, for stepping into this holy place of contest! Look upon them, and know that they are champions.”

The priest spoke with a particular commanding reverence, demanding attention and respect from all who heard him. He was a decorated man, garbed in a myriad of colors, representing him as a high-priest of the horizon gods, devoted to each and every one in equal measure.

He swept his hand outward, gesturing to each side of the arena. To his left was an Ornn, taller than most men, standing at nearly two stones above your average man. His body was like that of an upright bull, carved with a subtle musculature that was hard to pinpoint around his mane of fluff. His tail was long and slender, nearly prehensile in it’s flexibility- and tipped with another tuft of soft fur.

His head was almost akin to a dog, with a long snout and large, almost lizardlike mouth. His face was without eyes, having merely empty skin where you would expect such a thing. He was, after all, blind- though you would not expect it from the way Ornns carried themselves, seemingly able to sense their surroundings through various means.

“Here is Koblai, our challenger! Know him, for he has fought countless battles for the honor of standing here! Know him, for his efforts are valorous!”

And then the priest swept to his right, gesturing to a man twice as tall as Koblai, and nearly twice as thick; a giant, a human of abnormal size and strength. They were said to be the children of Adoman himself, able to trace their blood back to the first of the giants.

His skin was dark as ink, and was marbled with all manner of scars, long since healed. His limbs were as thick as tree trunks, and his weapon- a thick metal club- was as long as Koblai was tall. The man looked as if he could bend steel with his gaze alone, what with those piercing, muddy-brown eyes. He radiated power and intensity. A difficult opponent, indeed. 

“And here stands our champion, Maiarn! Know him, for he is mighty without equal! Know him, for he has proven the glory he holds!”

The two combatants walked toward eachother, at the priest’s beckoning. They took a moment to examine one another, and with a grunt the giant spoke;

“You. I offer you a challenge, given to all whom face me; make my back meet the ground below, and I shall forfeit this battle, and recognize your strength. Is this acceptable?”

Koblai sniffed the air, taking note of his surroundings; he could sense the man was large, and powerful beyond his own capability- though he could not see the man in any exacting detail. Eventually, he looked up and replied.

“Very well. I will agree to this test of strength, and will find glory in it.”

Maiarn nodded, and kneeled to bow before Koblai- of which Koblai offered the same, going to his knees to bow his head to his opponent. The crowd of the arena hushed in silent prayer for both combatants, as was custom; and as both opponents rose to meet one another, the priest raised his hand to signal the beginning of the match.

And the crowd cheered in celebration.

~-~-~-~-

The Ornns were a people of patience, and their way of battle reflected this; the Ornns, they struggled to go onto the offensive, due to their inherent lack of sight- and so their way of combat became reactionary, waiting for the opponent to come to them, and acting the moment an attack was detected.

And so Koblai restrained himself, waiting for the giant to approach him, before he made any movements. He focused, washing away the roaring of the crowd until he heard nothing; he became an urn of water, still and peaceful.

And then he felt the ground shake beneath him, thunderous stomping as if a drum of war. The water of the urn rippled, disturbed. He could feel the size of his opponent from his impacts on the ground, could sense the shape of his body and the strength of his muscle. He could feel the man rushing toward him, arms tensed to swing his great club.

Koblai could feel the shock ripple through his snout, and across his whole body, as he detected the giant enter his immediate proximity; it was the great strength of the Ornns, their ability to ‘sense’ their surroundings, despite their lack of eyes.

Koblai’s body reacted before his mind did, relying on his instinct and training as he lunged forward, ducking underneath the giant’s powerful swing, before raising his own hand and striking into the giant’s side. The small balls of clay on Koblai’s knuckles shattered, causing a thunderous clap to ring out, as Koblai and Maiarn were both thrown backward by the blow.

The giant managed to retain his footing, slamming his great club into the ground to right himself. He looked to Koblai, and nodded.

“Sunder Clay. A mighty weapon, indeed. But you will need more than just tools to defeat me, Ornn. If you have no wit nor will to back up such a mighty weapon, it will mean nothing. Come! Show me your essence.”

Koblai was simply silent, as he flexed the fingers of his gauntlet; such blasts were reckless, so much clay in one attack could have broken his wrist if he wasn’t careful. He refrained from loading more clay into the gauntlet, and merely re-took his stance, beckoning Maiarn forward.

The two clashed for minutes, the crowd roaring and swelling with each blow; Maiarn was powerful, and skilled- his attacks commanded space and attention both, and one slip-up and Koblai knew he would be defeated after only a handful of blows.

But Koblai was nimble for his size, able to weave between Maiarn’s wide, sweeping attacks- though he was caught unawares by swift strikes from the giant’s fists, Koblai prided himself in never being touched by the man’s weapon. Koblai struck swiftly, though his power was lacking compared to the strength of a true giant; Koblai could only hope to whittle him down.

Koblai was beginning to get exhausted, and was breathing heavily as the battle wore on. His reactions were slower, his ability to sense Maiarn muddled and unfocused. For a moment, he lost all sense of Maiarn’s presence, before he felt a tingling in his nose, and felt the powerful metal club slam into his face not even a second later.

The blow sent Koblai sprawling, flung across the sands. He jumped, Koblai realized. Even without his feet on the ground, he’s able to send me soaring. I will never doubt a giant again.

Blood splattered from Koblai’s mouth, and dribbled from his nostrils; that blow had left him weary, and weakened. He wobbled to his feet, slowly regaining his footing; he could hardly smell much of anything beyond his own blood and sweat, and knew that this fight would come to an end quickly. 

And so he devised a way to end it.

Koblai went onto the offensive, shouting with the crowd as he ran toward Maiarn; first, he placed the capsules of sunder clay he required into the notches on his knuckles- an excessive amount, perhaps, but if it left his hands broken when the fight was over, so be it. Next, when he met Maiarn, he focused entirely upon putting pressure upon the giant- quick jabs with his palms, swipes with his claws, even kicks with his hooves.

He did not relent, never giving the giant a chance to bring his wide club to bare; Koblai took several hits from the giant’s great fists for his effort, but he remained steadfast, keeping Maiarn exactly where he wanted until the exact perfect moment. 

And then the moment came.

There was a CLAP underneath Maiarn’s foot, a large capsule of Sunder-Clay that had gone unnoticed, swept there by Koblai’s dexterous tail; the blast set the giant off-balance, his stance unsteady. Maiarn showed true surprise, as Koblai reared both his arms back, and with a shout slammed his fists into the giant’s side, sending a deafening, thunderous crack across the arena.

A blast of dust swept across the battleground, and there was a great moment of tense silence as the dust cleared, revealing the giant flat on his back, several yards away- and Koblai, fallen onto his knees, breathing hard as his arms fell limp at his sides.

There was a quiet gasp from the crowd, a stunned silence that even Koblai could not escape; but the moment was broken when the giant broke into bellowing laughter.

And then the crowd roared .

~-~-~-~-

Cheering and chanting enveloped the arena, though Koblai could hear nothing except his own beating heart. He didn’t feel much beyond adrenaline, unable to truly revel in his victory until it passed.

When he finally regained a level of composure over himself, Koblai felt a tingling in his snout, before he realized it was the giant, hoisting him to his feet, and keeping him standing. Koblai gave a vague, appreciative nod, but was too stunned to speak to the man.

As Maiarn began to escort Koblai out of the arena’s battleground, he heard jeering from the crowd, curses and other slander from disgruntled betters, no doubt. As soon as he heard it, Maiarn snapped his head toward them, face full of rage.

“Be silent! Should you wish to see this warrior defeated, step into this arena, and see him defeated yourself! We seek victory in this sacred place, and should you not have the will to take it yourself, only seeking to find the defeat of others, then simply stay silent! Men like you, you dishonor this place.”

Koblai was stunned, and so were the men in the crowd. They bowed their heads in shame, hiding from Maiarn’s stern gaze, before the giant continued on his way. He set Koblai upon a cushioned bench within the arena prep-area, before clasping his arm.

“Whatever you hoped to find in defeating me, I hope you have found, warrior. If not, I offer it to you, should it be within my means.”

Koblai wiped the blood from his nose, before he did speak up. “Your gods. I seek favor from your gods; their might, their bravery, their guidance. I wish to have it bestowed upon me, to free my people.”

Maiarn was silent for a time, and Koblai wondered if perhaps the man had left his side, before he heard the giant speak gently, with a softness he’d not expect of a man so large. 

“You have earned more valor than many men I have met, and are deserving of them, I think. I will take you to meet them, and should such an idea as gifting power to a non-man would offend them so greatly, I will take the blame for it upon myself. I promise you this, I will see this task done.”

“I do not understand.” Koblai replied. “What do you intend to do?”

“I intend to take you up the mountain, to Olyianos. There, we shall petition the hero himself, and through him, the gods who uphold his strength. Mankind, our greatest heroes were forged destroying oppressors; surely they would not shy away from breaking another.”

“I…. I thank you. I know not what to say.”

“Then say nothing, and let us get moving. Your people, they have waited long enough for a hero to be born. You’d best not leave them waiting.”