TURTLEDOME! (Battle Bone!) -- Part 2

[KenHood]

The troglodyte returns and leads you to a large double door, instructing you to wait for your cue before entering. Through the massive portal, you can hear the muffled roar of the crowd. Beneath your feet, the stones hum with it.

After a few seconds, the door opens with a fanfare of trumpets and thunder of drums. The audience cheers.

At the end of a red carpet stands Mr. Pinch, who gestures you forward onto a balcony overlooking your next battlefield.

"Behold, Death Mountain!"

Below, you see the arena transformed. A ziggurat--festooned with traps--stands in the middle. Flames burst from grills. Lightning dances on the tips of metallic pylons. Spinning blades and crashing hammers pop from the walls.

"Two teams enter, but only the one to hold the top of Death Mountain until the timer reaches zero is the winner. What do you think of your chances, brave challengers?"

 

[weldon]

Finnian looks at the fire shooting out from the grills and the spinning blades and hammers and turns a little pale.

Uhhh, we're going in there? I guess our chances might be good, but we haven't seen the other team yet, have we?

The ranger turns to his companion, Hey I don't know we're gonna fight in there, but maybe you can try to take the top and I'll keep the skeletons or whatever off of you. Erlai and I might be able to range about a bit more since we're pretty mobile.

 

[fireinthedust]

Emral takes one look at the traps, flaming grills and sawblades, and squints. Wow. I think I used to draw those when I was eleven...

Then, to Finnian:
Hmm... I have a better idea: why not have Erlai take the top, and we fight everyone? I mean, he can fly, right?

 

[KenHood]

The Boneral--the skeleton with the eyepatch and grizzled beard--stomps onto the stage, points its finger at you, and brays...

Har-har-har! You meaty pukes are pathetic!

Yes, yes! Send your little birdy up topside to do a real warrior's job, so you can cower behind a pillar and protect your fleshy buttocks, because I've got two new members of the Legion that will liberate your bones from your bodies! Behold!

With a flourish, the Boneral steps aside...

And a minotaur skeleton charges on stage!

Skeleton Vaunea kill stupid Emral and Finnian!

Then a human skeleton, wielding a magical staff, joins it!

And Skeleton Drivan will obliterate you with his bony magical might!

The three skeletons place fists at their hips, throw back their heads, and cackle with maniacal intensity!

 

[fireinthedust]

*shock!* *gasp!* Nooooo!!! You Creep of cartilaginous calcium, you'll pay for this!!! I'll sell your teeth for nickles to the toothfairy!!! Emral freaks out, shaking both fists as he bellows out the ire of a genasi.

 

[KenHood]

A fifty-feet tall illusory version of Emral hurls his rage over the stadium.

The illusion shifts, closing up on Marco and his family. The children, in horror, clutch plush Vaunea dolls to their tiny halfling chests and weep. Marco screams in terror and outrage.

 

[weldon]

//Wait. Are the children and Marco afraid of the 50-ft Emral?//

 

[fireinthedust]

//yeah, from whence comes the illusion? Emral is looking around, furious but sure this is some sort of trick.

 

[KenHood]

//They're afraid of the skeleton Vaunea and Drivan.

The illusion is part of the whole TURTLEDOME! experience, sort of like the giant televisions in a baseball game.//

 

[KenHood]

//Oh, and...

Toss me a couple of skill checks, because this is Trash Talk!//