Menu
News
All News
Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
Pathfinder
Starfinder
Warhammer
2d20 System
Year Zero Engine
Industry News
Reviews
Dragon Reflections
Columns
Weekly Digests
Weekly News Digest
Freebies, Sales & Bundles
RPG Print News
RPG Crowdfunding News
Game Content
ENterplanetary DimENsions
Mythological Figures
Opinion
Worlds of Design
Peregrine's Next
RPG Evolution
Other Columns
From the Freelancing Frontline
Monster ENcyclopedia
WotC/TSR Alumni Look Back
4 Hours w/RSD (Ryan Dancey)
The Road to 3E (Jonathan Tweet)
Greenwood's Realms (Ed Greenwood)
Drawmij's TSR (Jim Ward)
Community
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Resources
Wiki
Pages
Latest activity
Media
New media
New comments
Search media
Downloads
Latest reviews
Search resources
EN Publishing
Store
EN5ider
Adventures in ZEITGEIST
Awfully Cheerful Engine
What's OLD is NEW
Judge Dredd & The Worlds Of 2000AD
War of the Burning Sky
Level Up: Advanced 5E
Events & Releases
Upcoming Events
Private Events
Featured Events
Socials!
Twitch
YouTube
Facebook (EN Publishing)
Facebook (EN World)
Twitter
Instagram
TikTok
Podcast
Features
Top 5 RPGs Compiled Charts 2004-Present
Adventure Game Industry Market Research Summary (RPGs) V1.0
Ryan Dancey: Acquiring TSR
Q&A With Gary Gygax
D&D Rules FAQs
TSR, WotC, & Paizo: A Comparative History
D&D Pronunciation Guide
Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarters
Tabletop RPG Podcast Hall of Fame
Eric Noah's Unofficial D&D 3rd Edition News
D&D in the Mainstream
D&D & RPG History
About Morrus
Log in
Register
What's new
Search
Search
Search titles only
By:
Forums & Topics
Forum List
Latest Posts
Forum list
*Dungeons & Dragons
Level Up: Advanced 5th Edition
D&D Older Editions
*TTRPGs General
*Pathfinder & Starfinder
EN Publishing
*Geek Talk & Media
Search forums
Chat/Discord
Menu
Log in
Register
Install the app
Install
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Daikessoshen
JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding.
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an
alternative browser
.
Reply to thread
Message
<blockquote data-quote="Davies" data-source="post: 8416544" data-attributes="member: 30538"><p>The old man has rarely encountered something like this before. Generally, regardless of how well-practiced or experienced the opponent, he has always been able to discern some flaw in their defense, some weakness upon which he could capitalize. On some occasions, the foe has been cunning enough to realize what he was about, and able to conceal those flaws. He hopes that is what is happening this time as well. He <em>fears</em> that he might be facing a genuinely invincible foe -- perhaps even the actual Stone Monkey.</p><p></p><p>"Let us begin, then," says the ape as the buzzer sounds. And with that, Zuwen watches in stunned horror as he swells into immensity, his head almost at the top of the arena's roof, the staff he holds in one hand now the length of a train car as he lifts it up and prepares --</p><p></p><p><em>No!</em> Some small part of Zuwen's mind holds on to its rationality. <em>He <strong>might</strong> be able to grow in this manner, but how would the rod grow to match him? How would he stand in the exact same stance if his mass shifted like that? This must be an illusion!</em> Not fully believing his own desperate hope, he shouts out. "Enough of this trickery!"</p><p></p><p>"Trickery?" asks Wukong, having rather abruptly become his normal size once more. "I prefer to think of it as a deeper truth. Had I perhaps used it before the match began, <em>that</em> might be considered trickery." He lets the words hang in the air a moment, gazing steadily at Zuwen.</p><p></p><p>Despite himself, Zuwen flinches at the implied rebuke. "I contend with gods and living legends, and I am but a man," he answers, relying on anger to cover his sense of shame. "I will use what tricks I must."</p><p></p><p>"And to what end? What is even your goal --" Wukong begins to say.</p><p></p><p>No opening had he seen when he used his odd talent, but now there is one. Pushing himself to his utmost, Zuwen takes advantage of the minute distraction that his opponent now experiences to wrench the gold-hooped rod from Wukong's grasp. He is surprised by how light it is, how much like the staves he'd trained with half a century before instead of the wonder weapon that he might have expected. </p><p></p><p>The ease with which he can swing it throws him a bit off when he actually makes his first darting blow towards Wukong's side, such that his opponent is easily able to dance out of the way. And dance he does, turning that evasion into a weaving, almost cartwheeling charge towards Zuwen, that he is able to evade in turn, yet the movement keeps the ape out of the way of another attempted strike. He finally has a handle on the weapon's weight, though, and is able to strike its butt into Wukong's chest a moment later -- though it is obvious that no harm has been done.</p><p></p><p>But perhaps the blow, dealt with his own weapon, outrages the pretender to the Monkey King's title, for he almost growls as he charges, this time employing both hands and both feet in a flurry of attacks. None of them strike home, but his method of shifting from one foot to the other so rapidly stops Zuwen from success in his attempts to lay him out upon the arena's floor. And these acrobatics prove to be a prelude to a ferocious punch from Wukong that leaves him coughing and sputtering.</p><p></p><p>Yet for all that, the thought that goes through Li Zuwen's mind as he incorporates the rod into his ultimate defensive stance, beneath the roaring that he can hear there, is that he has never felt so al--</p><p></p><p>And then the pain comes.</p><p></p><p>"Oh," he says, the rod slipping out of his suddenly nerveless hands as his legs give out beneath him and he drops first to a seated pose, and then the rest of the way to the floor.</p><p></p><p>Wukong sees this, immediately recognizes that this is no feint, and darts forward to lift his fallen foe up and carry him as rapidly as he can to where the Lancet has emerged from the entryway with a horrified expression on her face. They pass from view.</p><p></p><p>"... I suppose we should call <em>that</em> a technical knockout, too," muses the Thunder Dragon, giving a faint smirk at all this.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Davies, post: 8416544, member: 30538"] The old man has rarely encountered something like this before. Generally, regardless of how well-practiced or experienced the opponent, he has always been able to discern some flaw in their defense, some weakness upon which he could capitalize. On some occasions, the foe has been cunning enough to realize what he was about, and able to conceal those flaws. He hopes that is what is happening this time as well. He [i]fears[/i] that he might be facing a genuinely invincible foe -- perhaps even the actual Stone Monkey. "Let us begin, then," says the ape as the buzzer sounds. And with that, Zuwen watches in stunned horror as he swells into immensity, his head almost at the top of the arena's roof, the staff he holds in one hand now the length of a train car as he lifts it up and prepares -- [i]No![/i] Some small part of Zuwen's mind holds on to its rationality. [i]He [b]might[/b] be able to grow in this manner, but how would the rod grow to match him? How would he stand in the exact same stance if his mass shifted like that? This must be an illusion![/i] Not fully believing his own desperate hope, he shouts out. "Enough of this trickery!" "Trickery?" asks Wukong, having rather abruptly become his normal size once more. "I prefer to think of it as a deeper truth. Had I perhaps used it before the match began, [i]that[/i] might be considered trickery." He lets the words hang in the air a moment, gazing steadily at Zuwen. Despite himself, Zuwen flinches at the implied rebuke. "I contend with gods and living legends, and I am but a man," he answers, relying on anger to cover his sense of shame. "I will use what tricks I must." "And to what end? What is even your goal --" Wukong begins to say. No opening had he seen when he used his odd talent, but now there is one. Pushing himself to his utmost, Zuwen takes advantage of the minute distraction that his opponent now experiences to wrench the gold-hooped rod from Wukong's grasp. He is surprised by how light it is, how much like the staves he'd trained with half a century before instead of the wonder weapon that he might have expected. The ease with which he can swing it throws him a bit off when he actually makes his first darting blow towards Wukong's side, such that his opponent is easily able to dance out of the way. And dance he does, turning that evasion into a weaving, almost cartwheeling charge towards Zuwen, that he is able to evade in turn, yet the movement keeps the ape out of the way of another attempted strike. He finally has a handle on the weapon's weight, though, and is able to strike its butt into Wukong's chest a moment later -- though it is obvious that no harm has been done. But perhaps the blow, dealt with his own weapon, outrages the pretender to the Monkey King's title, for he almost growls as he charges, this time employing both hands and both feet in a flurry of attacks. None of them strike home, but his method of shifting from one foot to the other so rapidly stops Zuwen from success in his attempts to lay him out upon the arena's floor. And these acrobatics prove to be a prelude to a ferocious punch from Wukong that leaves him coughing and sputtering. Yet for all that, the thought that goes through Li Zuwen's mind as he incorporates the rod into his ultimate defensive stance, beneath the roaring that he can hear there, is that he has never felt so al-- And then the pain comes. "Oh," he says, the rod slipping out of his suddenly nerveless hands as his legs give out beneath him and he drops first to a seated pose, and then the rest of the way to the floor. Wukong sees this, immediately recognizes that this is no feint, and darts forward to lift his fallen foe up and carry him as rapidly as he can to where the Lancet has emerged from the entryway with a horrified expression on her face. They pass from view. "... I suppose we should call [i]that[/i] a technical knockout, too," muses the Thunder Dragon, giving a faint smirk at all this. [/QUOTE]
Insert quotes…
Verification
Post reply
Community
Playing the Game
Story Hour
Daikessoshen
Top