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Message: <blockquote data-quote="PieAndDragon" data-source="post: 3401444" data-attributes="member: 18108">Warehouse BrawlDivided into two groups of four, we were told to make ready and had several minutes to discuss tactics and prepare. To my dismay, my companions consisted of two Humakt cultists and a slight woman with the symbol of the Lankor Mhy. The Cult of Humakt is a warrior one like my own, and a heated rivalry exists between us. They revel in personal glory and strong individual fighting, often using two swords in battle and taking foolhardy risks. My own Cult of Yelmalio is best-known for its ranks of skilled and orderly spearmen, working together to achieve a finely wrought victory. But I was under orders, and would work with whatever came my way.The largest of the three was Liverpate, a hulking brute covered in the almost exactly the armour I wore. He wore his long, reddish-brown hair in a warrior’s knot, tied back to avoid his eyes and face. I was surprised to note the poleaxe across his back, a heavy and destructive weapon which required great strength to wield effectively, and certainly not a weapon seen often among the ranks of Humakt. A quiet man, he said little, deferring to the second of the rival cult.Hoisim, although younger than myself, held himself with the arrogance one would expect from a proven and skilled fighter. Shorter than myself and Liverpate, his dark hair was cut short and he carried the twin blades common to his cult. The area around his abdomen was laid bare, and upon the tanned flesh symbol of Humakt was skilfully tattooed, marred only by a livid scar. Why a warrior would expose vital organs in such a way, I was unsure, especially as his cult believed it a sin to bring back their fallen warriors from death. He spoke for himself and Liverpate, assured and plain-speaking, common traits among his kind.The last of our quartet was a young, gangly woman named Lorange, as tall as me, but slight with bones poking through taut flesh. Although heavily armoured, she was also lightly armed, with a light shield, a sling and shortsword as her main armaments. Short black hair crowned a plain face, and the symbol of Lankor Mhy shone from a medallion around her neck. A cult dedicated to knowledge, I have had few dealings with their priests, and profess to knowing little of them. She did not carry herself as a capable warrior, and my confidence fell a little as I studied her.Our preparations for battle were minimal. We considered using Lorange as the tower for the contest, she being the weakest combatant, but discarded when I suggested Liverpate, he being the largest and probably the toughest to bring down. Our tactics would consist of myself covering the others with a bow, while the rest advanced to find our opponents and beat their chosen target to a bloody pulp.Hoisim knew a little of one of our opponents, having met him in battle in the past. A cunning and tricky opponent, who would use any advantage he had. The quartet facing us were fairly heavily armoured, utilising hammers, swords, shields and bows. They seemed much like ourselves in many respects. As we prepared for battle, I took a good vantage point from atop a stack of boxes, put an arrow to my bow, whispered a prayer to the Sun Lord, and readied myself for battle.When the signal came, Hoisim enchanted tower with battle magic, making him shimmer in the dim light of the warehouse, harder to strike as his location was obscured. We caught glimpses of our foes hiding behind the boxes, and scrambling into position out of my line of fire. My trio of companions moved forward, Hoisim using more battle magics to aid himself, Liverpate wielding his poleaxe, and Lorange ready with her sling. As I clambered to a better position, I made out one of our foes, sending an arrow at his head as our Humakt brute engaged another opponent. My arrow pierced his helm but he seemed unshaken by the pain he must have felt. In response he threw a spell at me, causing a burning pain in my chest which I did my best to ignore. Hoisim joined Liverpate in the fray, as the poleaxe of the latter shattered from his opponents hammer blow. Lorange was harassing foes with sling and battle magic, making little impact but causing a distraction nonetheless.Movement beyond my own opponent caught my eye, as I noticed lightly-armed warrior crawling into position behind a group of crates. I switched my attention to this new foe leaving my target to join battle in the middle of the warehouse. I conjured a flaming arrow to my bow, but as I readied my shot another force took control of my limbs, and my actions were no longer my own.In the next few seconds my body spasmed, then lurched forward, falling from the pile of boxes to the ground below. From the corner of my eyes, I made out my companions in trouble, Lorange having drawn her sword, while another man attempted to strangle Liverpate with a cord from behind. The pain of my impact against the stone floor was absorbed by layers of armour, but I was helpless to do anything more than flail on the warehouse flagstones.But I could still hear.The shouts and sounds of battle reached me as I lay on the ground. Hoisim’s voice taunting one of his foes, bronze on bronze as weapons clashed, screams of pain as combatants took their blows, gasps of heavy breathing that were most likely Liverpate’s, and a female voice shouting something like a warcry. The noise continued for a short time longer, before Hoisim let out a shout of victory, which I could only assume meant we had been the better side. When the battle magic had released its’ hold, and I regained my composure, I found a scene of carnage beyond. None of our foes had perished, but all lay still, with one missing an arm, and another a leg. The Issaries healer struggled to work his healing magics, while my new allies cleaned weapons and tended their own wounds. We said little of my struggles against their magic. There was a weakness there I disliked, that I would need to overcome.We had won. Munias knew we had done enough. We would be hired.</blockquote>

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