di Senzio's Tournament: Road to Fallon [El Jefe Judging]

Along the road to Fallon, small red flags are marking the road. There is many persons that are taking advantage of the nice weather to take a picnic near the river that flow along the road. Near the city wall, where the river enter the city, a member of the church of Grendath try to keep an area clear, but the curious person are there.

You continue on the road, and follow the red flags. Three miles away of Orussus, where the red flags ends, a large wooden building stands there. The roadwarden station who is usualy calm is presently surrounded by a lot of activity. Next to the roadwarden station is a barn where people are taking care of some horses.

[SBLOCK=Note about this "adventure"]This adventure is not an adventure as we are used to see it in LEW. It isn't: we find a group, we go there, we do that, we take our reward and we come back.

This adventure happen in Orussus, so anyone in the Red Dragon Inn can join up almost at any time. If you are in a contest, you will have the chance to do it. Between contest, there might happen things. You are watching the contest, there might happen things. You are in the streets of Orussus, taking advantage of the larger amount of merchant that have come to sell things suring the tournement, there might happen things.

I have three objective with this adventure:

• Do a tournement.
• Make Orussus more than a name, but a living city, where everyday (and not so every day) events happen.
• Create thinsg around the character, and not an adventure plot. Which mean, if you haev a background, I'll try to use it. Most of them, will end to be roleplay only, but some will end with an open chance for a futur adventure. I like to see that the background is more than just a story to tell around a fire.

Even if I'll try to feed all players with something, it might happen that some times, I slow down so the timeline stay the same for everyone (I never know when I'll make people cross there path). If at one time, you have a IC chance to go back to the RDI and you want to (your character find the archery contest boring and want to take a drink, do to the RDI, why not. It's a fine place to take a drink, it,s free! ) and by the same moment, you can do some publicity for the tournement.

Finally, if you want to join a contest, you can subscribe to it as long as it hasn't started for the category you want to join.[/SBLOCK]

Octavio walks the road to the station, noting the course as he goes. "Looks as though endurance may be of more importance than speed. I hope I'm up for this."

Once there, he goes to the station, assuming he needs to check in with someone.

Octavio enters the place and spots a member of the temple of Grendath. He tell him he has arrive, and the cleric nods. "I'll brief the people in a moment.". After fifteen minutes, he asks all contestant to come around. He climb a small stand.

"Welcome to all contestant. You are here to contest into the race. The race will start here and finish to the Arena. The race will be devided in four step. The first will be from here up to the gate of Orussus. You'll be riding a horse you will be able to choose among the ones given by Riona. The second step will be crossing the river, so it is by the water you'll enter the city. Then you'll have to run in the streets of Orussus up to the Arena. Finally, into the arena, you'll have a few obstacle to cross before reaching the line. You'll have to follow the red flags at all times, getting outside the course will disqualify you. No magic can be use and it is a race, not a fight, so you can't touch other contestant."

He then detail what you have in front of you, so no one would have some surprise.

"Any questions?"


[SBLOCK=Race rules]The race will be made in 10 steps, which mean 10 rolls. Each rolls will ask for a skill or strength check. Here the rolls:

1-2: Ride
3-4: Swim
5-6-7: Strenght
8: Climb
9: Balance
10: Jump

You have a +/-2 to each roll (except ride) if your speed is higher/lower than 30ft by 10ft. (Which mean that an halfling would have -2 to all roll and a monk with 40ft movement would have +2 on all roll). This is the qualification, you are 12 in your wave, the best 4 will qualify for teh final.

Cheating is a possibility, as long as you are not caught [/SBLOCK]

Octavio listens intently to the reading of the rules. Having no questions of his own, he looks around at his competition, stretching as he does so.

You are all given the choice between two horses, choosing the one who suit you the best (OCC: Choose between an heavy horse or a light horse...). You place yourself on the depart line. You see the road extending up to the horizon, where the profile of the city can be seen. Next to you, you see the group that will be on the same wave than you. You find odd to see an halfling on a riding dog. His size might well cost him many position. The one who makes you doubting your ability of finishing first is a huge half-orc with some tatoos. he looks like one of these tribesman, whose skills of strenght and speed are reknown and only beaten by the ferocity. The is also two other half-orc, one seems to be a miner more than a warrior, and the other an hunter. Three elves are among the group. One seems a cleric of Phyrah. The god of travel might well help his follower, but as it isn't enough, there is also another follower of Phyrah, but that human is more build like a warrior. Finally, there is also two other human, and one well build man of mixed heritage, most likely an half-elf.

"Are you ready?" The follower of Grendath move on the side, the flag raised in the air. As everyone nods and concentrate, the flag move down, and a moment after, only a cloud of dust is left where everyone where standing, the sounds of teh mounts beating the road filling the air.

[SBLOCK=OOC]Choose your mount, and roll your first ride check. At anytime, if you want to do a special manoever, tell me, and I'll determine the effect.[/SBLOCK]

"This one seems eager enough," Octavio says, choosing the light warhorse, "I believe I'll call you Spirit." As he leads Spirit to the starting line, Octavio speaks to him, "Now then, you know what's expected of you, don't you? You've got to get me to the river ahead of all these others. Look. Look at them. They think they're faster than you, they think they're stronger than you and they think they're better than you. I don't believe it for a second. I, Octavio Amontillado, have chosen you to carry me to victory. And there can be no greater proof of a steed's quality than that. Now, just keep your eyes forward and run as hard as you can and you'll do just fine." He mounts Spirit and just prior to the start he leans forward to Spiit's ear and adds, "Get me there ahead of the others and there's a big bag of oats in it for you."

ride+3=19

ooc: AND THEY'RE OFF!

[SBLOCK=OOC]As you mount as a movement of 60ft, you gain +6 to your ride check... so it makes 25.[/SBLOCK]

The horses of the two elves, the followers of Phyrah and another elf, both seems to go out of control of there rider. It take a few moment to enter the course but they are in the back. Your mount take a quick start and you see quickly in second position, and you can almost touch the horse of the half-elf. You asks your mount to speed up and feels that you are gaining on him. Suprisingly, it is the hafling that is just behind you, his small size having allowed him to squeeze throught the main group. As you start to see Orussus' gate, you see your just next to the half-elf.

[SBLOCK=Ranking]
The number next of each is the sum of all rolls. It's gives a general idea of the distance between each but doesn't mean any fixed distance.

Octavio 25
Half-Elf 25
Halfling 23
Elf, Messenger 21
Human, Warrior of Phyrah 20
Human, Soldier 19
Human, Messenger 18
Half-Orc, Hunter 17
Half-Orc, Savage 15
Half-Orc, Miner 15
Elf, Follower of Phyrah 9
Elf, Knight 9
[/SBLOCK]

[SBLOCK=OOC]I forgot to told... you need to do another ride check for the next section of the race. As usual if you want to try something or try to cheat, you always can...[/SBLOCK]

"Hah! An excellent start, Spirit. Let's keep it up, now!" Octavio expects that if he can maintain his position he should easily make the top four, so he does nothing fancy yet.

Ride+3+6=29

ooc:Holy crap! I don't think I've ever rolled so well before!

Octavio's horse seems to fly on the road and start to distance the half-elf, who is catch up by the elven messenger and the half-orc hunter. The hafling and his dog are still on the heels of the half-elf. The warrior of Phyrah not only catch him up, but also beat them and start to catch up on you. His horse seems to perform better than yours The other two half-orc's horse seems to tire under the weight of there riders, and only the elven knight, whose horse weems not to obey him is behind them.

You arrive first at the river, where you dive and start to follow the line drawn on teh water by some floating flag. A follower of Grendah quickly take care of your horse so he doesn't stay in the road of the other contestant.

[SBLOCK=OOC]Swim check... it is assumed that you have too few equipement to consider any penalty from weight of equipement, but if you wanted to have anything on you, tell me what you have and calculate the weight. No special bonus apply here.[/SBLOCK]

[SBLOCK=Ranking]Octavio 54
Human, Warrior of Phyrah 50
Half-Elf 46
Half-Orc, Hunter 46
Halfling 45
Elf, Messenger 45
Human, Messenger 37
Elf, Follower of Phyrah 31
Human, Soldier 28
Half-Orc, Savage 28
Half-Orc, Miner 26
Elf, Knight 21[/SBLOCK]