A Week Apart
Reachrace
Sadie was excited to participate in the Sharn Reachrace. While it couldn't compete with the epic competitions held in the Eldeen Reaches, Sharn's reachrace was still an exciting competition of strength, agility and endurance for the shifters of that great city.
Sadie began the week by taking part in the Arrow Dodge event. Held on the second day of reachrace this event was about agility and grace. A skilled archer, with an exceptional bow fired a dozen blunted arrows at each competitor. Those with the least hits went on to the finals, and then to victory. Sadie, however, was not among these lucky few, and eleven of the twelve arrows found their mark.
A little bruised from her somewhat embarrassing defeat, Sadie next took on the Quickclimb event, later in the afternoon. While her cliffwalker dexterity helped her in the arrow dodge, climbing was really where her strength truly lay. She had vastly improved her climbing in the last month, being forced to climb longer and under more duress than ever before. The climb was 100 feet up a reasonably easy to climb tower, but the final stretch involved climbing around the underside of a small balcony. Shifting into her animal-like form, Sadie’s rat-like claws quickly tore through the length of the tower, and over the balcony, easily advancing her to the finals.
During this time she met Twitch, the Quickclimb champion for the last seven years. Twitch lived up to his name. Twitchy and chattery he wished her luck in the finals.
The final quickclimb race was between the twenty shifters who had passed the qualifiers. All talented climbers, they shot up the tower with amazing speed. It soon became clear, however, that the two leaders were Sadie and Twitch. Neck and neck they scurried up the tower wall. Sometimes Twitch would pull ahead, but then Sadie would fill the gap. Twitch was ever-so-slightly ahead as they approached the final balcony. Twitch’s claws raced over the edge, but Sadie gracefully leapt to the outer edge of the landing, her feet scrabbling at the base of the overhang, and pulled herself up and over. She finished the race less than half a second before Twitch.
Twitch was amazed, but friendly, as always - happy to accept second place. In the victory ceremony the third place climber (as short thoughtful looking shifter) received a pin full of blue feathers and a small purse. Twitch received a purse as well and a pin of yellow feathers. Sadie received a large pin of red feathers and a bone amulet which enhanced her natural armor. She was excited, and surprised to receive such a useful prize from the competition. As it turns out, this was the first year for such expensive rewards. House Cannith was sponsoring the Reachrace in order to advertise its new line of magic shifter braids. Magical shifter braids had always been an art among the weretouched, but House Cannith was now releasing a line of professionally manufactured braids, aimed especially at urban shifters.
After the competition Twitch asked if Sadie would like to team up with him for the upcoming Hide and Track competitions. Sadie had been looking for teammates, and Twitch was her best be so far. He claimed to be a good tracker, but a sub par hider. Since Sadie was just the opposite, she decided it was a good match. However, Twitch also had some information of a more sinister nature...
It turns out that he was one of the Shifters asked to be a part of the attack on the Cathedral of the Cleansing Flame. A large shifter who (rather arrogantly) called himself Gorebrute (its not like he's the only gorebrute in the city Twitch said) had approached he and his friends and offered them a job. In his stuttering and quick paced pattern of speech Twitch relayed how the shifters had been offered 1 gold for every shifter at the service killed, 2 for each human, and 10 for the priests and the shifters in the band. Twitch was, of course, appalled by this, but Gorebrute made it clear that backing out now meant a painful death. In the end some of the shifters went willingly, but a significant minority went under duress. Twitch felt the whole thing was too horrible, and he alone did not participate and instead went into hiding - but when he heard the attackers were all dead or in jail he decided it was safe to come out again.
When the day of Hide and Track came Sadie was met by Twitch and one of his friends, a large enthusiastic male shifter by the name of Pearl Quickclaw.
"I'm soooo excited about this competition,"
"Do we have any other team mates, or are we going with a random team," asked Sadie.
"Of course we have a team! You there," he said grabbing a random shifter from the crowd, "and you," grabbing another, "Here is our winning team. You guys are up to a little hide and track."
"D'uhhh, I guess. I dunnever tried any hidin' before, an' I was jes her ta watch, but I ges I can givit a try...." said a large, slow moving shifter, who later introduced himself as Deathclaw.
"Um, ok. As long as I don't have to go very far," said Fred, another shifter, in a high pitched voice as he limped up to the group.
Sadie rested her head on one hand and closed her eyes. "So, we are using a random team," she thought.
The competition actually went surprisingly well. Sadie's group stood up well against their seekers. Sadie was the last found, and only because Fred hid in the barrel she had hid behind (because hiding in the barrel was too obvious), and Fred said in a whiny tone, "Drat, you found me. I hope you don't find the other one hiding around here." The seeking went very well though, and they ended up having a five and a half minute differential between the teams, which advanced them to the finals (a four-team elimination tournament). Sadie's team was eliminated in the first round, however, by an arrogant team which beat them by half a minute. Everyone 'agreed' that the event was a success and decided to meet for next year’s competition.
The next event of interest to Sadie was the Highclimb. Climbing over a mile to the top of one of the tall spires in Sharn was not only a test of climbing skill, but of endurance - both of which Sadie excelled at. Emboldened by her victory in the Quickclimb, she made a good start in the event.
She was about 1/3 through the event when it happened. She had to make her way along the lengthy underside of a tower buttress. Suddenly the leader in front of her fell. The shock of this event caused her to loose her own grip on the treacherous architecture and she too fell. Desperately trying to grab hold of the tower she plummeted to the landing below, but at the last second, she activated her featherfall amulet (which she had bought the week before for this event) and landed gracefully on the landing below, unhurt. Unfortunately she was now nearly at the tail end of the marathon and use of featherfall had disqualified her from the event. She would have to try again next year.
Sadie attended the closing ceremonies with Merrin Tox, the paladin of the Silver Flame she had met at the cathedral. She found his company entertaining (he was as social inept as she was). When the ceremonies were over he asked her to accompany him to see an up-and-coming bard in the Torchfire district next week. She happily accepted.
Trial of the Broken Blade
Thaspar had been practicing his swordplay during his excursions with the party, and he now felt that he was ready to take the trials to become a full Swordbrother. This was something he had striven towards for years and an extremely significant even in his life. So, while Sadie competed in the Reachrace, he went to take the Trial of the Broken Blade to become a Swordbrother in his order.
He master, Gento, was excited that he had chosen to take the tests, and with the help of the monastery leader, Saria, the trials were organized for the next day.
The first trial was the Trial of Words, in which Thaspar was quizzed on matters of faith, and monastic life. He passed this test with flying colors.
The second trial Thaspar faced was the Trial of Fists. Competing against the monastery's newest swordbrother, Segrev, Thaspar fought weaponless against his also unarmed opponent. It was a pitched battle. Both delivered many blows in quick flurries of fists and feet, but in the end Thaspar stood victorious.
After healing was administered, both combatants were given swords, and the Trial of Blades began. Thaspar's skill with a sword was apparent. While the trial of fists had been a hard-fought battle, he easily defeated Segrev in a battle of longswords.
Healing was again given, and Thaspar was led into the basement of the monastery. Here the Trial of Seclusion began. Thaspar passed six days without food, and only one ounce of water per day. He was very weakened by this ordeal, but his iron will kept him going, and he never once thought of abandoning his cell.
He emerged six days later, weak and weary. He was led to the sparring grounds, where Segrev stood, ready - and the battle began. This was the Trial of Brotherhood. Thaspar was weak, but he still managed to claim victory in the battle - his fists flying at surprising speed for one who had not eaten in days.
After this first battle Segrev was healed (but not Thaspar), and both were handed a sword. Once again Thaspar's swordsmanship gained him the upper-hand in the battle.
Finally, when Segrev was once again healed (and once again Thaspar was not), Thaspar’s sword was taken, and he was instead given a broken hilt with which to face his fully armed opponent. What followed was one of the most amazing battles of Thaspar's life. As Segrev slashed out at his weak and injured form, Thaspar struck back with his fists, his feet, and the broken blade. Finally, Segrev once again fell.
Exhausted, and on the verge of collapse, Thaspar was handed his Swordbrother blade by his master.
"Take this sword," he said, "until you find a better one. Take pride in this blade, but do not get tied down to a material object."
The Swordbrother ceremony was short, but highly meaningful. Before he knew it Thaspar was walking out of the monastery a full Swordbrother. He had attained a goal he had worked toward for fifteen years.
Cora's Mysterious Disappearance
Early in the week Sadie and Thaspar found a note:
I'm going to visit my Uncle for a few days. If I am not back within a week come looking for me.
Cora returned after the closing ceremonies of Reachrace. She said that she had been visiting her Uncle and his family. She seemed a little different somehow, though, but Sadie and Thaspar couldn't think of a reason she would keep something from them, so they left it at that.
Timeline
- Mol 16 Lharvion - Cora Disappears
- Zol 17 Lharvion - Arrow Dodge, Quickclimb, Thaspar begins his trials and enters seclusion
- Zor 19 Lharvion - Hide & Track
- Far 20 Lharvion - High Climb
- Sar 21 Lharvion - Closing Ceremonies, Cora Returns
- Mol 23 Lharvion - Thaspar becomes a Swordbrother
People
Twitch
An exceptional twitchy and quick-talking shifter, Twitch has been the Quickclimb champion for the last seven years (unseated this year by Sadie). He was also asked to be a part of the attack on the Cathedral of the Cleaning flame but declined.
Adventure Names
- Robert - ...Until You Find Something Better
- Robyn - The Night's Gift
Statistics
Date Played: Oct 16, 2005
Session Length: Sadie 2 hours / Thaspar 1 hour / Cora 1 hour
Experience Gained: Sadie 1000 / Thaspar 1775 / Cora 1000
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