A Battle Royal II

My second fight? Hmm, against another priest I think. Ah yes, Avatar, a fine priest of Gapp. Aye, a fine priest. Well known throughout the land for his abilities. An excellent opponent, I thought he would fight well...and he did.

I was still recovering after the combat with Commando. Finding poison phials isn't easy you know? I had to pin a few young Assassins to the Brass Bridge to get those again. What of Avatar? Hmm, a Gappic priest...he would somehow fortify himself using Gapp's aid. Perhaps some form of special clothing ritual. Heh heh, he managed to harden his clothes into fearsome armour. I know not how, but the power required must only be a god's power! Gapp's power! Hmm, how to defeat him, I thought...poison failed on Commando. No doubt with Avatar's priestly attributes I wouldn't be able to use poison on him either. I decided against poison there and then. Why? Don't interrupt me child! Why? Because he would have great armour! Were you not listening?! Ach kids today. No respect for your elders. And stop sobbing, you know I hate that.

Anyway, I decided to mix my well seasoned covert skills in with a few warrior skills I learned from a fine old tutor...Aye, a fine tutor. Hmm? His name? I know not, I am old and forget things. He taught me in the ways of battering someone with something blunt, and he taught me well. As Commando found out, heh heh. Put more wood on the fire laddie. Ahh, much better.

I spoke to Avatar briefly in the Small Gods shrine in Ohulan Cutash.

"What is it you want?" he boomed.

"In case you have forgotten young man, we have a little ... comparing of skills to do."

"Ha! You're old and weak, I will send you into the next world old man!"

"We shall see, young one, we shall see."

We spoke a little more, arranging a time and place. I tried to persuade him to agree to fight in the same place as I fought Commando. See if my luck there would hold up. But he didn't like the exposed nature of it, so we agreed upon a suitably quiet place in Lancre. Why Lancre? No idea, he mentioned it. I didn't care anyway.

In the fight against Commando I tried to use a priestly rod to gain my god's attention. I thought I could try it again on Avatar; see if it would work this time. I needed all the tricks I could muster. I took a new rod, the old one having crumbled during the fight. What? The poison? Do you not listen?? Good grief. Stop sobbing child, you know I hate that.

I arrived in Lancre with my wife. She is a priestess of Pishe, and in the remote location her skills would prove valuable to both Avatar and myself. I took up my position on the southern side of the market. Why? Because the moonlight would provide me reassuring shadows there my lad...you will learn these little things in time. Heh, I didn't want him to know my location so I had rigged a little "I am ready" device up. A simple thing, some string which when pulled on in turn pulled the trigger on a crossbow, which was aimed close enough to Avatar to let him know, heh heh.

We started quickly; I pulled the string and moved into a new hiding position with no sound. I could see Avatar approaching with two of those whirlwind demons Commando has summoned before. Accursed gods and their little... Quickly child, throw that copper coal prod out the window. Good lad. Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Avatar was closing in on my position...

"Where are you old man?! Come out and play!"

I palmed a stone from the floor and threw it across the floor, Avatar turned and I leapt out with my thief's daggers!

"Ha ha! Stupid slow old man!" he shouted.

He had spotted me, and immediately he turned my attack on myself. I dodged his wild swings and rolled out of his way and into cover. There I waited planning my next attack.

"Come old man! You surely must know you're going to lose this!"

Muttering to myself, I pulled my blue mace from my pack and held it, its power pulsed into my arms and I could feel Gufnork's power. I peeked out of my cover to see Avatar frantically pushing boxes over looking for me. He was closing in and I gripped my faithful daggers once again...I moved into position to ambush him as soon as he was close enough.

"Come out come out wherever you are!"

I screamed and leapt out at him, dodging past his protective demons, I stabbed him deeply with my dagger while all my other blows bounced off his armour. I stayed for a moment stabbing here and there, looking for a weak spot. While doing so, Avatar spoke to his demons in a tongue unknown to myself, and they both attacked me! I dived to one side to avoid them; their immense presence was intimidating enough for me to retreat. I couldn't remember how to destroy them! I thought the bolts of energy killed the last whirlwinds but I had no such power with my daggers and no time to swap weapons! I lashed out with my daggers and struck one and it seemed to injure it somehow. I started stabbing them relentlessly. Their physical attacks were quite weak, more disorientating than anything. I rolled and dived and was lifted off my feet repeatedly. Finally one fell, then soon after, the second fell. I gasped breath back noisily and forced myself to calm down, to control my breathing as I went into hiding again.

I looked at my daggers, as powerful as they were, and I immediately knew I couldn't defeat Avatar with them. I drew my Retribution; the very same weapon that I dispatched Commando with. Again, it was enchanted somehow by the magical abilities Kempo held. I was confident my training with this weapon would bring me through.

Avatar was slowly scouring the market, looking for me in quite some detail. He was in the southwestern corner by a smithy. With his back turned and his defences down I charged out!

"Die!!" I screamed as I leapt.

Avatar heard me and span around, he could only look briefly at me as I swung my Retribution around, twisting my body to gain more force as I did. It smashed into his stomach and fully lifted him off his feet. He screamed in agony as he flew through the doors of the smithy, sending splintering wood flying! I stayed outside as the panicked noise of the smithy workers rose to new levels. Avatar smashed his way out of the debris, sending villagers flying as he approached me. I held my ground as he stormed towards me, stopping just inches in front.

"You left the arena, therefore you lose, priest." I whispered quietly.

"You were lucky this time! But next time it will not be so!" he screamed in my face. He turned and proceeded to march away from me, casting healing rituals on him as he did.

My wife smiled at me as I walked towards her, and she stood up and I...Ahem, well, that's not for the likes of your ears young man! No I cannot continue with that. 

Stop sobbing, you know I hate that.