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Message: <blockquote data-quote="el-remmen" data-source="post: 4072153" data-attributes="member: 11">InterSession #18.3– “Timotheus’ Complaint” Later that same day, after a few desultory practice swings with his newly acquired battle-axe[sup]1[/sup], Timotheus stomped away from the others to pace around the rest of <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/The+Broken+Circle" target="_blank">the Broken Circle's</a> lair. His insistence that the party drill and practice for at least an hour each day was always met with agreement in theory, but when it came down to doing it, there was little enthusiasm.  Victoria was willing, and Telémahkos was genuine interested in improving his swordplay [sup]2[/sup], but the others became easily distracted, or did not consider it a priority.  And Markos recent comments in particular were driving Timotheus mad.[sup]3[/sup] The tall bastard Briareus wound up in a small cavern adjoined to where they were staying. There, Bleys pored over his books and maps. "Damn that Markos!" Timotheus burst out, as much to himself as to Bleys. "Ra's nails, he's making me crazy. I'm trying real hard not to kick his teeth in, but it's a struggle, it really is."Bleys looked up from the newly acquired tomes, one eyebrow raised, seemingly unphased by the sudden outburst and intrusion upon the solitude. "Is it?"Tim blinked at Bleys, vaguely surprised that the laconic watch-mage had deigned to reply. "Damn right it is," he said. "I'm a damn good fighter. I sliced up a whole mess of <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Bullywugs" target="_blank">bullywugs</a>, I damn near kill a dragon, I break some weird sticky mummy monster's neck with my bare hands and smash a half dozen walking dead by myself. [sup]4[/sup] But when I smack some guy full in the chest with a flail and he doesn't go down, does Markos say, 'Wow, that guy took a hit like that from Tim and he's still standing? What a beast!' No, Markos says, "Tim didn't take that guy down with one hit, that's so weak, we need to get us a real fighter!' That son of a whoring bitch!" Tim spat. "I'd like to see him fight up to snuff after three days with the bog flu. Or at all, for that matter. Spiteful little midget."Bleys waited for the riptide of slander to quiet before answering. "Well, you have two options: You could easily arm him and challenge him to a duel. That would certainly learn him as to what skill it takes to truly combat a man.""That's not gonna teach him anything. He knows he can't fight. He's already got beat down by Victoria and Telie. By my cousin, for gods' sake!" Tim shook his head. "But I'll do it if I have to. I don't want to, I'll look like a bully -- I'll be a bully -- but if I don't, I'll look like a wimp in front of the hirelings. And there's no way I'm gonna earn a commission if word gets round that I can't keep one bratty kid like him under control.""Well," Bleys continued monotonously, "then the second option: Ignore him."  Bleys quickly found his place on the page and he resumed reading.  Before the burly warrior could interject, without looking up, Bleys added, "But he is right you know."Tim sputtered. "Huh? What in the Nine Hells are you talking about?"Bleys the Aubergine, methodically closed the copy of <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/The+Prophetic+Visions+of+the+One" target="_blank">Prophetic Visions of the One</a> [sup]5[/sup] he was perusing, and secured it in his satchel carefully. He stood up to meet the well-muscled soldier eye-to-eye. "He thinks we need a real fighter, and so do I. He may believe there is better one out there. I do not. You have gotten sloppy, that is all. For some reason you have gotten caught up trying to prove something to someone. I do not know whom, and I do not care. I only care that no one dies while we wait for you to regain your prowess."  Bleys continued to hold the much broader man's gaze. "The bastard sword was not about heritage, Timotheus, it was about dedication. [sup]6[/sup] One that I know you must have, or surely you would not have lived to be the veteran soldier you are today. [sup]7[/sup] The only question that remains is: what are we going to do about it? If you need to beat someone up, here I am. If you want to work, we can do that too."  Bleys tensed, ever so slightly, attempting to ignore the pulsating blood vessel in the fighter's temple.Timotheus grit his teeth and balled his fists. But instead of lashing out at Bleys, he contented himself with kicking over a nearby cot.  "Damn it, Bleys. I do have something to prove! I fight. That's what I do. Taking down hobbos, protecting caravans, that's what I've done so far, but if I'm gonna make the kind of name for myself then I need to really do something in this world… I need to show what I can do! And if people are gonna undercut me and try to make me look bad, then I'll have to try that much harder." He sighed and ran a hand through his now-shaggy hair. "Fine. I know, I got responsibilities here and now. I gotta pull it together. And I will. But I'm gonna need some other people to meet me halfway."Bleys rubbed at the stubble now growing full on his chin. "Ignore Markos. He lashes out because he is scared. And he is smart enough to know that should you fall, easily the most seasoned of us, what is he to do versus the foe you've left standing? But you are not mad at Markos, not truly, you are mad at yourself. If you meet your expectations, others will do so as well.""I think you're awful optimistic about their attitudes, but what the hell. I'm getting tired of getting chewed up and stabbed anyway." Tim sat down by the wall, his broad back against the stone. "I'm not sure if I'll be as good at drawing attacks away from you guys if I'm fighting canny. But I guess there's just the one way to find out, yeah?""That is correct." Bleys nods. "And I can think of plenty of cause for our opponents to attack you.""What, is it the muscles? The seventeen different weapons?” He sat up and made a show of posing, flexing his thick arms and smiling his broad smile. “Or can they tell just from looking at me that I'm that awesome?" Tim’s grin melted as he saw no response the watch-mage. "No, don't answer that. I keep forgetting that you and jokes don't mix well."Bleys only stared at Tim flatly.  "Are we done here?"  The watch-mage resettled himself and produced another book.Timotheus jumped to his feet, stretched, and yawned widely. "Oh yeah, I also forgot that you hate people and don't want to have any friends. Fine, whatever… I'll leave you to your book of weird Rube religious drek. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it."  Receiving no response, the warrior ambled out of the chamber, leaving only the soft rustle as Bleys turned a page.Markos nodded to Tim with a smirk as he passed him on his way in to speak with Bleys and upon finding Bleys engrossed in study he cleared his throat.Bleys looked up from his work, "I am listening…" [sup]8[/sup]End of Intersession 18.3--------------------------------------------------Notes:(1) This axe was among the weapons wielded by the skeletons in the chamber of masks. (See Session #17)(2) Telémahkos is working towards take a level of fighter for 4th level.(3) Over the last few sessions, Markos had been making comments about the skill of the party’s warriors. Some of the comments were general, and some specific, but either way Timotheus took them personally.  Some of these comments have made it into the story hour, some have not.(4) Here Timotheus is referring to the events of Sessions #6, 7 & 8, Session #9, and #16 respectively.(5) This is one of the books found in the ‘Deadmen’s’ secret treasure chamber. (See Session #18)(6) This is a reference to Bleys’ inadvertent insulting of Timotheus’ heritage back in InterSession #8.2(7) Tim’s reputation is ‘Veteran,’ for his time working as a guard on the caravans between <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Chalkour" target="_blank">Chalkour</a> and http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/Azure]Azure[/url], and other settlements in the area of western <a href="http://aquerra.wikispaces.com/the+Charter+of+Schiereiland" target="_blank">Schiereiland</a>.(8) Markos went on to discuss more speculation and possible experimentation with the masks once the party was back in the tomb.  The discussion was too detailed and ponderous to recreate here, and anyway, the point I wanted to make by including the Markos portion at all, was to show that the other members of the party seem to come to Bleys for advice or to vent.</blockquote>

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