All posts by ShinJae

Champions of Battle: The Very Best – Opportunity #7

After the after party, The BigBad Crew went to a cafe in another corner of the hotel to relax and recover.  Of all of them, Neely was the one that needed to recover the most.  He loved fruit drinks especially the sweet ones.  He had no idea what the clear liquid was they added, but it gave the drink an extra kick.  After more kicks than he remembered, he was quite finished.

He sat in the booth with them.  However, the way that he stared passed Liana on the other side of the booth, they were uncertain he was with them at the moment.  He had a large black coffee in one hand and an empty plastic bag in the other, just in case.

They each had a coffee of their own.  Most of them were infused with chocolate.  Liana and Catlin, wealthier from their casino exploit, happily paid for the drinks.  As they sit Jaquan tells them about the visit from Justice.  Justice had offered him a chance to fight better warriors.  In turn, Jaquan could become better than he ever was.  It was very tempting, but he had time to think since then.

After an hour, the thought of throwing away everything for a chance at a possibility sat very wrong with him.  This was a life changing decision.  Something like this required the honest opinion of the people he trusted the most.  “So, what do you think?”

After a brief period of silence Catlin was the first to speak up.  “The fans won’t like it,” she said seriously, “They’ll think you’re running from Chuan and forget about you,” she said looking at him knowingly.  “They’ll be hard to win back,” she sung pointing at him knowing she was right.  Though he ignored most of the public and treated news crews like garbage, he did enjoy being famous.  “Chuan will use this as a platform to claim you’re scared to fight him too.”

“Orien Chuan,” Jaquan almost spit out his name with venom.  “Gettin’ tired of him.  Oh and five and still claims he’s better.  Need to shut him up for good.”  Jaquan was stared into his coffee, elbow on the table holding his head in his hand.  How could anyone get through to a fighter so full of himself?

Liana decided to use the pause to step in.  “This… Justice, what do we really know about him?” she said deciding to change the subject, “He just pops in out of nowhere and tells you all this stuff.  How’d he get into the party anyway?”

“He’s always been a tricky,” Jaquan chuckled to himself.

“What if he changed while he was gone?  He could be trying to trick you now,” Liana continued.  “Are you sure we can trust him?”

“If you’re going to shut Orien up for good,” Catlin entered, “we’ll have to train harder than ever.  You’ll have to humiliate him repeatedly for the whole match.”

“We tried that once,” Jaquan said pointing at her to accent his point.  “He stuck me with that lucky shot.”

“What about a quick fight,” Liana suggested, “make everyone think he wasted his time talking to himself.”

Jaquan lifted his head looked at Liana and smiled.  Now there was a good idea.  Shut up his hype by sending him home early.  Everyone would laugh at him the next time he opens his mouth.

“BAMP!” There was a sudden slam against the table.  The sound of the silverware and empty cups bouncing off the table got the attention of everyone in the cafe.  They looked and saw that Neely, though still intoxicated, had heard and understood everything.  “I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” everything about him rung of someone insulted by pure witlessness, “Your friend uses the Holy Talents.  The Holy Talents!”  He paused between the words making sure they understood him.  “How could you doubt him?  Do you doubt me?”  It took a little while for him to continue but they all waited.  “If he says this will help, it will help.”

They listened on knowing that arguing with him was useless at this point.  “You can be the greatest!  The very best!  What you trained for!” Neely was reeling but his argument made real sense.  “Those promoters don’t give two Silicon coins ’bout you.  The crowds would just as well see you broken.  They’ll find someone else.  They always have another fight.

“This is about You.  You can be the greatest, the very Best!  Why you care ‘bout what Orien says?”  He said the name with disdain.  Orien Quan had proven to be a nuisance, but that was all he was.  “Let him talk.  He’s a publicity hog.  He wants to be the champ.  Let’s see how long he can keep it.”  Neely leaned forward holding himself as steady as he could.  With no small amount of concentration he lifted his hand.  Pointing at Jaquan staring at him he said, “You want to be the best, in the world?  You have to travel the world and become the best.”  He leaned back into his seat lowering his hand.  “It sure ain’t coming here.  Now if you excuse me,” Neely said turning to his right, still reeling, “I have to go to the toilet.”

Catlin got up from the booth to let Neely out.  He rose slowly and shambled his way to the toilet; bag in hand, just in case.

#1 – Opportunity #6 – Opportunity #8

Sons of Sword: Tales of Glory – Lost and Found #4

No harm in accepting a small challenge to get in the mood to compete on stage.  A drill like this was just what she needed.  As good as she was, even she lost the occasional challenge.  Losing the wrong one would be costly.  A fast paced target drill would get her into the grove quickly.

Walking with the elder student, she weaved through the bystanders towards the firing range.  It was a bit of a walk to the far side of the training center.  She went past the gloating Naoh and the now defeated and shamed opponent.  That familiar victory stance that Naoh used seemed just as obnoxious now as it did six years ago; her jeweled basket hilt swords flashed in the light as she pumped her fists.

In this arena, Naoh viewed opponents as Academy Point holders.  Her wit and skill took as many points as she could, often more than she needed.  Her opponent walked down the stairs from the platform completely distraught.  Tearing off his helmet in frustration, it was apparent he had no hope of escaping The Red.  Though nearly a grown man, he walked quickly towards the exit holding back tears.  Whatever hopes and dreams he had when he was accepted to the school were all but completely out of reach.

After the Final Exam, he had two choices.  He could return home in shame or to take a lowly job as a pitiful guard.  He could pass.  However, the final exam was specifically designed for the older and lingering students to fail.  He would have to train like mad in all the correct areas; areas that are personalized towards the weaknesses for each student.

“Poor guy,” said the elder student as they passed him.  “Better him than us I guess.”  It seemed as though she had come to the same conclusion as Metcalf about his situation.

“I guess,” Metcalf hesitated to say.

Koh, in has white and red armor, was at the wall near his sister’s platform.  They usually worked as a team.  Sometimes Metcalf worked with them.  It seemed they had their usual “king of the hill” type of match going.  The winning team stayed while the challengers waited in line for the next fight.

However, this session was over.  After seeing how Naoh mercilessly and utterly beat her opponent in every way, no one wanted to be next.  One by one they left the queue to look for other challenges.  Koh was trying so hard to hold back a laugh.  He cared less about the other students than his sister.  They were scandalous but at least they looked out for each other.

“I’m Isabeau,” the elder student spoke again.

Metcalf shook herself from the scene and looked at the elder student again, “Metcalf.”

The ice broken, they made small talk as they meandered around the challenge platforms.  The short yellow skinned beauty, Isabeau Bo, was from the Field Quarter.  She was a long time student at the academy but found that her training was a bit stagnant.  Master Lu, head of the Field Quarter, thought it best that she train with students that had something to lose.

Though she had no chance to fall into the Red Zone, Isabeau found that this training was well worth the time.  Each drill had rules, but those rules could be stretched where details were lacking.  Desperate students exploited every advantage they could find.  This forced her to do the same and made the competition quite invigorating.  With any luck, this training would prepare her for the life of a Protector.  Their opponents played with no rules.

Hearing her story, Metcalf thought in awe.  This is how training is supposed to work.  This was the training she hoped to receive when she was safely out of the Red Zone.

They continued to chat.  The conversation was exciting enough that they reached the shooting range before Metcalf expected.

#1 – Lost and Found #3 – Lost and Found #5

 

The Close Quarters Set

The Close Quarters Talent set is designed for champions that don’t mind being up close in hand to hand combat.  This set is particular for the adventurer’s choice of weapon and other talent sets.

Champions that use this set value outcome regardless form.  They are more concerned with how an item can be used than how it should be used.  If they are in a desperate situation, they can pick up rocks, bricks, broken table legs, or whatever else is lying around and use it with relative effectiveness in combat.  The selected item would be much more effective if it resembles a weapon the champion is familiar with.

Keep in mind, the item has to be around.  It would be extremely difficult to grab a rock if the champion is on a tree or in a well kept house.  Also the items durability is taken into account.  Since it is not a forged weapon item could break over time.

The special moves of a champion using this set is highly affected by both the weapon choice and the other two talent sets chosen by the player.  A caster can gain shorter channeling time and extend punches.  An archer can use arrows as single use daggers.  Gunners can use a gun more effectively as a melee weapon and are more effective with shot guns.  Duelists can aim for pressure points to stun opponents or make it painful for them to move.

These champions can master weapons that other Talent Sets don’t usually teach.  Even unarmed techniques are utilized.  Chain weapons, flail weapons, reverse gripped daggers, and other types of weapons are taught in this Talent set.  This can take most champions by surprise as weapon defense is also a stat that must be leveled.

There is an honorable and dishonorable side to this set.  As the names suggest, one is much less concerned about appearance than the other.  They have very different styles of training but both sides can be mastered by a champion who has spent enough time training.

 

Champions that use this set:

Orien Quan, AD7