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<blockquote data-quote="Delemental" data-source="post: 2029918" data-attributes="member: 5203">A Midsummer Night's NightmareThe first day of Midsummer was heralded by a cloudless sky and a warm sun, a welcome sight in the normally chilly mountain are surrounding Laeshir.&nbsp; The residents of the dwarven city came to life slowly this morning – most of the shops and businesses were closed in honor of the festival, and even the normally industrious dwarves knew when to take advantage of a well-reserved rest.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; At the Uncut Emerald, the guests were even slower to arise – or at least eight of them were.&nbsp; Slowly, the doors to their rooms opened, and the members of the party came out in pairs, gathering in the common room of the inn where the innkeeper was serving soft bread and cheese along with a light breakfast ale.&nbsp; Xu and Osborn were the first to arrive, followed soon after by Kavan and Tolly. They sat around in a circle of chairs they’d pulled together, conversing quietly as the others joined them; Arrie and Autumn were next to arrive, followed by Lanara.&nbsp; Kyle, surprisingly, was the last one down, coming slowly down the steps and sitting down without a word of greeting.&nbsp; His face was pale, and his eyes seemed slightly sunken.&nbsp; He was surrounded by a noticeable chemical odor, and the ends of his fingers were stained various hues.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn reached out and placed her hand on top of his, a look of concern on her face.&nbsp; “Kyle, you look terrible.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He looked over at her, and flashed a weak smile.&nbsp; “Potions,” he said.&nbsp; “Twenty-one days straight of making potions.&nbsp; If I never see another distilling coil it’ll be too soon.&nbsp; I need a break.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie tossed Kyle a hunk of bread.&nbsp; “Well, then you picked a good time for it.&nbsp; What are your plans?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle sighed.&nbsp; “Well, I need to clean up the lab and return the equipment by the end of Midsummer.&nbsp; Figure I’d tackle that first to get it over with and give the room a chance to air out so that Burbark over there can rent it out again.&nbsp; After that, probably a long bath so that I can be in public again.&nbsp; The rest of my day I haven’t decided what to do with yet.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Then keep your night free,” said Lanara.&nbsp; “We’re going out tonight.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “We’ve been talking, and we’d like to all go together over to the Dirty Horse Tavern tonight to celebrate the first night of Midsummer,” Arrie said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Not to mention celebrating being around each other almost four months without anyone threatening to kill each other,” added Lanara.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Unfortunately, I will be unable to come with you,” said Kavan.&nbsp; “Midsummer is Erito’s festival, and she requires her priests to spend the first evening in candlelight vigil.” The elf smiled.&nbsp; “However, after that the time is mine to observe as I see fit, so I’d be in favor of a second outing.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sounds good to me,” Kyle said.&nbsp; “When should I meet you here?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Nine bells,” said Osborn.&nbsp; “And come thirsty.&nbsp; I was over at the Dirty Horse yesterday, and they’ve got a stack of ale barrels as big as my mom over there!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “That sounds great,” Kyle said between bites.&nbsp; He stood up, brushing crumbs off his robes.&nbsp; “Well, I’m going to go tackle that lab.&nbsp; I’ve let too much of the day slip by already.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Autumn looked up.&nbsp; “Would you like some help?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Sure,” Kyle said, offering a hand to help Autumn up.&nbsp; After they left,&nbsp; Arrie shook her head.&nbsp; “Man, Kyle needs to get out more.&nbsp; He looks like Death warmed over.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It’s the potion-making,” Kavan said.&nbsp; When Arrie gave him a look of not understanding, Kavan explained.&nbsp; “In order to create a magical potion, or any kind of magical item in fact, the creator is required to give up a portion of his or her life-force as a kind of seed to bind the enchantment to the item.&nbsp; In the case of such minor magic as potions this amount is small, but can build up over time.&nbsp; I’ve given what I could of my own energy to help him.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Wow, I didn’t know that,” said Arrie.&nbsp; “It doesn’t sound like much fun.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “It is not unpleasant, but it is draining,” said Tolly.&nbsp; “It is a matter of striking a balance; using enough of your life-force to create items that will be of use to you or your allies, while not weakening your own inner strength to the point that you become less useful even with the new items.&nbsp; One can forge a weapon with the mightiest enchantments, but it will do little for you if you lack the strength or skill to wield it properly.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara stood up.&nbsp; “Okay, you guys are really killing my Midsummer mood.&nbsp; I’ll see you all at nine bells; I want to go see what dwarves do when they aren’t working.”&nbsp;*&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; *&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp; Lanara was slightly disappointed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Most of the early observances of Midsummer were spent in very formal, very dull ceremonies.&nbsp; There were speeches, and observances, and more speeches, and honorary titles given out, and yet more speeches.&nbsp; The crowds sat and watched with rapt attention, but Lanara quickly grew weary of it and left.&nbsp; The others scattered throughout the city, attending to their personal whims.&nbsp; Even Tolly, who was unable to work on his armor as the Ardaran forges were closed, spent the day touring Laeshir to see what he’d missed during his unrelenting work.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Finally, the afternoon wore into evening, and the party gathered in the common room of the Uncut Emerald.&nbsp; Several of them had bought new clothes for the occasion.&nbsp; Osborn walked up to Kyle, leaned in, and sniffed the wizard’s robes.&nbsp; Smiling, he gave Kyle a thumbs-up.&nbsp; Then he looked up at Tolly, who was dressed in simple but elegant Ardaran robes.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Hey, Tolly, you’re not wearing armor!&nbsp; You feeling all right?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Since you have pointed out numerous times that I need not go to every occasion fully armored, I thought I might adopt more casual dress tonight,” he replied.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara leaned in and whispered into Osborn’s ear.&nbsp; “I’ll bet he’s wearing a plate-mail loincloth under that robe.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The Dirty Horse Tavern, despite its rather unpleasant name, was actually a well-kept and lively establishment, only a few blocks from the inn where they were staying.&nbsp; Each of them had been to the Dirty Horse on several occasions, but never together.&nbsp; As they walked, the group saw that the city’s many taverns and fest halls were filled to overflowing, and rowdy dwarves were running around everywhere, most with mugs of ale in their hands.&nbsp; The party had to sidestep a brawl that erupted out of the door of one tavern in front of them.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I can’t believe I had to wait a whole month for this place to get interesting,” Lanara moaned.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As expected, the Dirty Horse was packed full, but the party was able to spot an open spot on the far wall by virtue of the fact they were taller than most of the other patrons.&nbsp; The seven of them squeezed around a small circular table, pressed together tightly.&nbsp; Ales were soon deposited on the table, and the waitress departed before anyone could fish coins out of their purses.&nbsp; As it turned out, there was quite a fierce competition going on between several of the regulars as to who would buy the next round for the entire tavern, and so there was no lack of ale flowing their way.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Osborn and Lanara chose to drink sparingly; Osborn wanted to stay alert in case any disreputable sorts with sticky fingers might be in the tavern, and Lanara merely wanted to be able to enjoy the chaos around her with a clear head.&nbsp; Xu, as befit her vows, declined any of the alcohol, and after a long discussion with the barmaid explaining that her choice had nothing to do with the quality of the ale or of the establishment, was served mugs of hot tea.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The others had no inhibitions in their consumption.&nbsp; Kyle seemed eager to down as much ale as possible; so, surprisingly enough, did Autumn, who was encouraged along by her sister.&nbsp; Arrie herself drank more moderately, keeping an eye on Autumn.&nbsp; Though she was glad to see her more reserved sibling let loose, Arrie wanted to make sure Autumn didn’t get too out of control and do something she’d regret.&nbsp; She found it somewhat comforting that the only other person at the table drinking as much as Autumn was Kyle, and he was harmless enough that she didn’t need to worry about him.Tolly was keeping up with Kyle and Autumn in terms of quantity, but a lifetime raised among dwarves had allowed him to build up a considerable tolerance, and so he was less affected by the ales than the other three.&nbsp; Still, after an hour had passed, Tolly’s smile was considerably wider than it had been when they arrived.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Across the room, a single dwarf stood up on a table and began shouting for everyone’s attention.&nbsp; Although he was easily recognized as the owner of the Dirty Horse, his cries were mostly ignored.&nbsp; Frustrated, he shouted across the room.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Everyone pay attention, or no more ale tonight!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The room grew deathly quiet.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Thank you!&nbsp; Ladies and gentledwarves, its time for the annual Dirty Horse Bar Brawl!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; There were shouts and cheers across the room.&nbsp; People began picking up tables and chairs from the center of the room, pushing them back to the already crowded walls.&nbsp; The dwarf who had made the announcement pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket and marked out a large rectangular area on the stone floor.&nbsp; He then stood in the center of the room.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The rules are simple.&nbsp; Stand in the square if you want to be in the brawl.&nbsp; If you’re thrown out of the square or go down, you’re out.&nbsp; Last one standing is the winner.&nbsp; No weapons.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What about magic?” shouted Tolly.&nbsp; A resounding chorus of “No!” from the entire bar answered him.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A handful of dwarves began to filter into the square.&nbsp; Immediately the spectators began shouting out bets as they sized up the competition.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie looked around at the others.&nbsp; “I think I’m getting in on this,” she said.&nbsp; “Who else wants to try their luck?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “No thanks,” said Autumn.&nbsp; “I’m not that drunk yet.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly stood up.&nbsp; “I’m not that drunk either, but I would enjoy the challenge.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Xu also rose.&nbsp; “Indeed, this would be a good test of my skills.&nbsp; I shall also participate.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The three of them were about to head into the fight area, when Kyle stood up.&nbsp; “Hey, wait up.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Everyone turned to look at Kyle, who was taking off his robes and setting them across the back of his chair.&nbsp; “Um, Kyle?” asked Lanara.&nbsp; “You do realize you’re a wizard, right?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Yeah,” he said, words slurring under the weight of six ales.&nbsp; “And I haven’t been in a good bar fight in years.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara looked at Kyle, taking in his large shoulders and well-muscled arms, and then looked at the other contestants assembled in the ring already.&nbsp; “Oh, this oughta be good,” she said, and she went off to sit next to the tavern owner.&nbsp; Osborn also left, climbing up into the rafters to get a better view.&nbsp; Once up there, he discovered several dwarven youth hiding up there, also eager to watch the annual bar brawl.&nbsp; Autumn remained at the table, guarding their ales, though it seemed she’d decided the best place to keep them safe was in her own stomach.&nbsp; To remedy this, Osborn pulled out a rope and grapple, and used it to hook ale mugs off the table and bring them up for everyone to share.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; As the four humans walked into the ring and began sizing up their opponents, Arrie sidled up to a dwarf on the sideline who had been taking most of the bets.&nbsp; “What’re the odds on the girl?” she asked, pointing to Xu.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “The little thing?&nbsp; Twenty to one.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie fished out a handful of coins.&nbsp; “Put me down for ten gold,” she said.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The dwarf chuckled.&nbsp; “It’s your money, sweetheart.&nbsp; At least it is for about the next, oh, I’d say twenty seconds or so.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Just as the dwarf finished his notation in his ledger, Xu began to stretch out in anticipation of the fight.&nbsp; Arrie and her bookie watched as Xu began bending backward, feet planted firmly on the floor, until her forehead was touching the ground behind her.&nbsp; Then she flipped over and landed on her feet again.&nbsp; Arrie looked over at the dwarf and grinned madly, while his face took on a decidedly green hue.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When it was clear that no one else was stepping forward, the owner stood up again and raised a small gong.&nbsp; An expectant hush fell over the crowd.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The sound of the gong was quickly drowned out by the roar of the crowd.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Xu immediately leapt into action, confronting three dwarves at the same time.&nbsp; They tried to punch her, but she was far too agile, blocking their clumsy fists and sending her own counterstrikes into their heads and stomachs. She was a blur of motion, and for a while commanded the most attention.&nbsp; Arrie and Tolly each squared off against their own dwarven opponents, while Kyle found himself surrounded by two dwarves intent on reducing the non-dwarven population of the brawl by one.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly crouched low, and grabbed hold of the dwarf he was facing.&nbsp; Getting a good hold, he lifted the dwarf off the ground.&nbsp; Years of being raised by dwarves had taught him that the most effective way to fight them was to get them off the ground, though it was no easy task.&nbsp; Tolly staggered with the struggling dwarf toward the chalk line, and unceremoniously dumped him on the other side.&nbsp; The poor dwarf was soon covered in ale thrown by the other patrons.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Off to the side of the brawl, the owner scowled.&nbsp; The brawlers were being far too cautious, and it wasn’t making for a good show.&nbsp; He’d tried to stimulate the event by tossing a loose ale mug into the ring, but no one had even tried to pick it up and bash someone over the head yet.&nbsp; He turned to Lanara, who had been performing in his tavern for a few nights over the past month.&nbsp; “Anything you can do to liven things up?” he asked.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; In response, Lanara began to play a lively tune on her fiddle.&nbsp; The music wafted over the arena, working its way into the minds of the brawlers.&nbsp; Immediately the combatants began to grow bolder; the dwarves who were cautiously avoiding Xu now charged in, confident they could take her down with strength of numbers.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Arrie was dealing handily with her own dwarven opponent.&nbsp; Like Tolly, she had spent many years with dwarves, and knew the same tactics.&nbsp; She just about had the dwarf pinned to the ground when suddenly she was grabbed from behind… by Tolly.&nbsp; The Ardaran priest had come up behind them and joined in the melee, hoping to eliminate two opponents at the same time.&nbsp;&nbsp; But Arrie was a cannier combatant than that, and within seconds she and Tolly were locked together in a death-grip, neither one able to get an advantage.&nbsp; The hapless dwarf was caught between them, an unwilling participant in this wrestling match between two humans.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The crowd’s attention was quickly diverted to this match, taking their eyes off of Xu who had by now dropped two of her opponents and was being charged by three more.&nbsp; The shouts were interspersed with catcalls and various lewd comments as Arrie and Tolly continued to grapple.&nbsp; Lanara leaned over and whispered something into the owner’s ear, and with a grin he waved over one of the barmaids and gave her instructions.&nbsp; She ran back into the kitchen.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Moments later, Arrie, Tolly, and the other dwarf were taken by surprise as a bucket of a warm, clear, slippery liquid was dumped on them, coating them thoroughly.&nbsp; The crowd went into a frenzy of cheers and hoots watching the two humans slip around and over each other trying to keep their grip, while the poor dwarf looked as though he’d like nothing better than to stop being the filling of the human sandwich.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara leaned over to the owner again.&nbsp; “What’d you use?&nbsp; Oil?”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He shook his head.&nbsp; “Butter!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Lanara laughed.&nbsp; “Good call!”&nbsp; she glanced over at the continuing melee, then winced.&nbsp; “Ugh, I guess that Tolly’s not wearing a plate mail loincloth after all.&nbsp; But I really, really wish I hadn’t found out about it like that.”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It was a sight to see. Xu continued her impressive display, spinning and kicking her opponents until they lay unconscious on the tavern floor.&nbsp; The dwarf involved in Arrie and Tolly’s fight wiggled his way free, and staggered away, wiping butter from his eyes and clearly shaken by the whole unnerving experience.&nbsp; Arrie and Tolly were aware of the lewd comments being made by the crowd, but they both possessed an inner fire of competitive spirit too strong to allow them to break off their battle for something as paltry as personal dignity.&nbsp; But eventually, Tolly managed to gain the upper hand, getting Arrie in a position where he could lift her without being knocked back over.&nbsp; He staggered, and nearly lost his grip as Arrie fought fiercely, but at last he was able to eject her from the ring.&nbsp; Panting with exertion, Tolly turned quickly to survey the scene.&nbsp; His eyes immediately came to rest on Xu, who had eliminated all but two of the dwarves.&nbsp; One of them, he saw, was the dwarf that had been caught between he and Arrie, still dripping butter.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; A mischievous grin crossed Tolly’s face.&nbsp; The sight was so startling on the priest’s normally stoic expression that Lanara stopped playing her fiddle.&nbsp; Tolly walked up behind the butter-soaked dwarf, and laid a hand on his shoulder.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “I’m back for more,” he said, giving the dwarf’s shoulder a slight squeeze.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Panicked, the dwarf swung around wildly.&nbsp; Tolly hadn’t noticed it before because the dwarf’s back was to him, but after getting out of the grapple he’d apparently picked up the loose mug that the owner had tossed into the ring.&nbsp; The dwarf swung at Tolly’s waist, missing by a hair’s breadth.&nbsp; Tolly’s amusement turned to irritation, and he slugged the dwarf, sending him crashing to the floor.&nbsp; Looking up, he saw that Xu had dropped her last opponent.&nbsp; Looking over at Tolly, she raised her hand and motioned for him to come for her, a confident smile on her face.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Tolly charged in, hoping to use the same grapple and toss strategy that had served him well so far.&nbsp; But Xu was not so easily caught, and was prepared.&nbsp; Just as Tolly was about to close his fingers around Xu’s arm, he saw stars as she kicked him in the jaw.&nbsp; He stumbled back, head spinning, and when the next blow came he was out like a candle in a winter storm.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Xu looked down at the unconscious Tolly, quickly honoring him mentally for his bravery and determination.&nbsp; Just as she looked up, however, was when the weight hit her like a charging bull.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle’s fight with the two dwarves had been largely ignored by everyone, as it was a simple back and forth slugfest as opposed to Xu’s acrobatic assault on multiple opponents or Arrie and Tolly’s quasi-erotic wrestling match.&nbsp; But somehow Kyle had come out of it, battering down his opponents with sheer determination.&nbsp; He’d looked around at the scene through bruised, swollen eyes, and saw Tolly and Xu finishing off the last of the dwarves.&nbsp; He circled around as Tolly charged in to attack Xu; Kyle was pretty sure who was going to come out on top of that fight.&nbsp; That left him and Xu standing.&nbsp; Kyle was sure that he’d be lying face down on the floor next to Tolly within a few seconds, but he wasn’t going to give up.&nbsp; He saw that in the fight Xu was only a few feet from the edge of the arena, and an idea sprang into his head.&nbsp; He crouched down a few feet from Xu, and waited.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Kyle made his move just as Tolly fell.&nbsp; His momentum caught Xu by surprise, and she staggered backwards to get some distance between her and Kyle.&nbsp; An admirable effort, she thought, but the charging bull is felled by a single arrow from the sky.&nbsp; She prepared to deliver a quick, painless strike to Kyle that would cause the blood to temporarily drain from his head, causing him to pass out.&nbsp; As she moved to strike, however, she became aware that the crowd had gone deathly quiet.&nbsp; She looked down, and saw that between her feet and the heavy boots of Kyle, a thick chalk line stretched out in either direction.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Xu looked down at the line, then up at Kyle, who was bleeding from a split lip and had both eyes nearly swollen shut.&nbsp; Slowly, a smile appeared on her face, and she bowed.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The patrons of the Dirty Horse went crazy.&nbsp; Kyle was immediately swept up by the crowds and carried in a victory lap around the tavern.&nbsp; He was set down next to his friends, who all came up to congratulate him, except for Tolly who was still sprawled on the ground.&nbsp; Arrie pounded Kyle’s back and grinned, seemingly unconcerned that she’d lost her bet on Xu.&nbsp; He was pulled away by the owner, who had him stand on a table.&nbsp; “We have our winner!” he shouted, and again the crowds cheered.&nbsp; One of the barmaids brought out a gold-plated beer stein suspended from a gold chain, and placed it around Kyle’s neck, though he had to lean forward for her to reach.&nbsp; The barmaid kissed him on the cheek and then walked back into the crowd.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “What’s your name, son?” the owner asked, as he filled Kyle’s golden stein with ale from a pitcher.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Kyle Goodson,” he said proudly.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; “Well, Kyle, as the winner of the annual Dirty Horse Midsummer Bar Brawl, you win our prize!&nbsp; You have the honor of buying the drinks for the entire bar for the rest of the evening!”&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The dwarves all around him erupted into a frenzy of cheering and shouting for their mugs to be filled.&nbsp; Kyle, forgotten in the excitement, turned pale.&nbsp; He’d spent most of his money buying new spells, and had only a handful of silver to his name.&nbsp; Kyle began to imagine what dwarves did to people who couldn’t pay for their ale.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Seeing his distress, Arrie caught his attention and winked, letting him know that it was all right.&nbsp; Tolly, who had recovered enough to hear the announcement, also flashed Kyle an ‘its okay’ signal.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The remainder of the evening passed in a blur.&nbsp; Several more ales were consumed by the party, especially by Kyle and Autumn.&nbsp; Arrie suggested to her sister that they should dance with the winner of the brawl, and to everyone’s amazement Autumn agreed.&nbsp; Lanara immediately struck up a lively, bawdy tune for them.&nbsp; As they moved around the table dancing, a very drunk Kyle observed that only one of his dancing partners was covered in butter.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; The situation was quickly rectified by the helpful staff of the Dirty Horse Tavern.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Delemental, post: 2029918, member: 5203"] [b]A Midsummer Night's Nightmare[/b] The first day of Midsummer was heralded by a cloudless sky and a warm sun, a welcome sight in the normally chilly mountain are surrounding Laeshir. The residents of the dwarven city came to life slowly this morning – most of the shops and businesses were closed in honor of the festival, and even the normally industrious dwarves knew when to take advantage of a well-reserved rest. At the Uncut Emerald, the guests were even slower to arise – or at least eight of them were. Slowly, the doors to their rooms opened, and the members of the party came out in pairs, gathering in the common room of the inn where the innkeeper was serving soft bread and cheese along with a light breakfast ale. Xu and Osborn were the first to arrive, followed soon after by Kavan and Tolly. They sat around in a circle of chairs they’d pulled together, conversing quietly as the others joined them; Arrie and Autumn were next to arrive, followed by Lanara. Kyle, surprisingly, was the last one down, coming slowly down the steps and sitting down without a word of greeting. His face was pale, and his eyes seemed slightly sunken. He was surrounded by a noticeable chemical odor, and the ends of his fingers were stained various hues. Autumn reached out and placed her hand on top of his, a look of concern on her face. “Kyle, you look terrible.” He looked over at her, and flashed a weak smile. “Potions,” he said. “Twenty-one days straight of making potions. If I never see another distilling coil it’ll be too soon. I need a break.” Arrie tossed Kyle a hunk of bread. “Well, then you picked a good time for it. What are your plans?” Kyle sighed. “Well, I need to clean up the lab and return the equipment by the end of Midsummer. Figure I’d tackle that first to get it over with and give the room a chance to air out so that Burbark over there can rent it out again. After that, probably a long bath so that I can be in public again. The rest of my day I haven’t decided what to do with yet.” “Then keep your night free,” said Lanara. “We’re going out tonight.” “We’ve been talking, and we’d like to all go together over to the Dirty Horse Tavern tonight to celebrate the first night of Midsummer,” Arrie said. “Not to mention celebrating being around each other almost four months without anyone threatening to kill each other,” added Lanara. “Unfortunately, I will be unable to come with you,” said Kavan. “Midsummer is Erito’s festival, and she requires her priests to spend the first evening in candlelight vigil.” The elf smiled. “However, after that the time is mine to observe as I see fit, so I’d be in favor of a second outing.” “Sounds good to me,” Kyle said. “When should I meet you here?” “Nine bells,” said Osborn. “And come thirsty. I was over at the Dirty Horse yesterday, and they’ve got a stack of ale barrels as big as my mom over there!” “That sounds great,” Kyle said between bites. He stood up, brushing crumbs off his robes. “Well, I’m going to go tackle that lab. I’ve let too much of the day slip by already.” Autumn looked up. “Would you like some help?” “Sure,” Kyle said, offering a hand to help Autumn up. After they left, Arrie shook her head. “Man, Kyle needs to get out more. He looks like Death warmed over.” “It’s the potion-making,” Kavan said. When Arrie gave him a look of not understanding, Kavan explained. “In order to create a magical potion, or any kind of magical item in fact, the creator is required to give up a portion of his or her life-force as a kind of seed to bind the enchantment to the item. In the case of such minor magic as potions this amount is small, but can build up over time. I’ve given what I could of my own energy to help him.” “Wow, I didn’t know that,” said Arrie. “It doesn’t sound like much fun.” “It is not unpleasant, but it is draining,” said Tolly. “It is a matter of striking a balance; using enough of your life-force to create items that will be of use to you or your allies, while not weakening your own inner strength to the point that you become less useful even with the new items. One can forge a weapon with the mightiest enchantments, but it will do little for you if you lack the strength or skill to wield it properly.” Lanara stood up. “Okay, you guys are really killing my Midsummer mood. I’ll see you all at nine bells; I want to go see what dwarves do when they aren’t working.” [CENTER]* * *[/CENTER] Lanara was slightly disappointed. Most of the early observances of Midsummer were spent in very formal, very dull ceremonies. There were speeches, and observances, and more speeches, and honorary titles given out, and yet more speeches. The crowds sat and watched with rapt attention, but Lanara quickly grew weary of it and left. The others scattered throughout the city, attending to their personal whims. Even Tolly, who was unable to work on his armor as the Ardaran forges were closed, spent the day touring Laeshir to see what he’d missed during his unrelenting work. Finally, the afternoon wore into evening, and the party gathered in the common room of the Uncut Emerald. Several of them had bought new clothes for the occasion. Osborn walked up to Kyle, leaned in, and sniffed the wizard’s robes. Smiling, he gave Kyle a thumbs-up. Then he looked up at Tolly, who was dressed in simple but elegant Ardaran robes. “Hey, Tolly, you’re not wearing armor! You feeling all right?” “Since you have pointed out numerous times that I need not go to every occasion fully armored, I thought I might adopt more casual dress tonight,” he replied. Lanara leaned in and whispered into Osborn’s ear. “I’ll bet he’s wearing a plate-mail loincloth under that robe.” The Dirty Horse Tavern, despite its rather unpleasant name, was actually a well-kept and lively establishment, only a few blocks from the inn where they were staying. Each of them had been to the Dirty Horse on several occasions, but never together. As they walked, the group saw that the city’s many taverns and fest halls were filled to overflowing, and rowdy dwarves were running around everywhere, most with mugs of ale in their hands. The party had to sidestep a brawl that erupted out of the door of one tavern in front of them. “I can’t believe I had to wait a whole month for this place to get interesting,” Lanara moaned. As expected, the Dirty Horse was packed full, but the party was able to spot an open spot on the far wall by virtue of the fact they were taller than most of the other patrons. The seven of them squeezed around a small circular table, pressed together tightly. Ales were soon deposited on the table, and the waitress departed before anyone could fish coins out of their purses. As it turned out, there was quite a fierce competition going on between several of the regulars as to who would buy the next round for the entire tavern, and so there was no lack of ale flowing their way. Osborn and Lanara chose to drink sparingly; Osborn wanted to stay alert in case any disreputable sorts with sticky fingers might be in the tavern, and Lanara merely wanted to be able to enjoy the chaos around her with a clear head. Xu, as befit her vows, declined any of the alcohol, and after a long discussion with the barmaid explaining that her choice had nothing to do with the quality of the ale or of the establishment, was served mugs of hot tea. The others had no inhibitions in their consumption. Kyle seemed eager to down as much ale as possible; so, surprisingly enough, did Autumn, who was encouraged along by her sister. Arrie herself drank more moderately, keeping an eye on Autumn. Though she was glad to see her more reserved sibling let loose, Arrie wanted to make sure Autumn didn’t get too out of control and do something she’d regret. She found it somewhat comforting that the only other person at the table drinking as much as Autumn was Kyle, and he was harmless enough that she didn’t need to worry about him. Tolly was keeping up with Kyle and Autumn in terms of quantity, but a lifetime raised among dwarves had allowed him to build up a considerable tolerance, and so he was less affected by the ales than the other three. Still, after an hour had passed, Tolly’s smile was considerably wider than it had been when they arrived. Across the room, a single dwarf stood up on a table and began shouting for everyone’s attention. Although he was easily recognized as the owner of the Dirty Horse, his cries were mostly ignored. Frustrated, he shouted across the room. “Everyone pay attention, or no more ale tonight!” The room grew deathly quiet. “Thank you! Ladies and gentledwarves, its time for the annual Dirty Horse Bar Brawl!” There were shouts and cheers across the room. People began picking up tables and chairs from the center of the room, pushing them back to the already crowded walls. The dwarf who had made the announcement pulled a piece of chalk from his pocket and marked out a large rectangular area on the stone floor. He then stood in the center of the room. “The rules are simple. Stand in the square if you want to be in the brawl. If you’re thrown out of the square or go down, you’re out. Last one standing is the winner. No weapons.” “What about magic?” shouted Tolly. A resounding chorus of “No!” from the entire bar answered him. A handful of dwarves began to filter into the square. Immediately the spectators began shouting out bets as they sized up the competition. Arrie looked around at the others. “I think I’m getting in on this,” she said. “Who else wants to try their luck?” “No thanks,” said Autumn. “I’m not that drunk yet.” Tolly stood up. “I’m not that drunk either, but I would enjoy the challenge.” Xu also rose. “Indeed, this would be a good test of my skills. I shall also participate.” The three of them were about to head into the fight area, when Kyle stood up. “Hey, wait up.” Everyone turned to look at Kyle, who was taking off his robes and setting them across the back of his chair. “Um, Kyle?” asked Lanara. “You do realize you’re a wizard, right?” “Yeah,” he said, words slurring under the weight of six ales. “And I haven’t been in a good bar fight in years.” Lanara looked at Kyle, taking in his large shoulders and well-muscled arms, and then looked at the other contestants assembled in the ring already. “Oh, this oughta be good,” she said, and she went off to sit next to the tavern owner. Osborn also left, climbing up into the rafters to get a better view. Once up there, he discovered several dwarven youth hiding up there, also eager to watch the annual bar brawl. Autumn remained at the table, guarding their ales, though it seemed she’d decided the best place to keep them safe was in her own stomach. To remedy this, Osborn pulled out a rope and grapple, and used it to hook ale mugs off the table and bring them up for everyone to share. As the four humans walked into the ring and began sizing up their opponents, Arrie sidled up to a dwarf on the sideline who had been taking most of the bets. “What’re the odds on the girl?” she asked, pointing to Xu. “The little thing? Twenty to one.” Arrie fished out a handful of coins. “Put me down for ten gold,” she said. The dwarf chuckled. “It’s your money, sweetheart. At least it is for about the next, oh, I’d say twenty seconds or so.” Just as the dwarf finished his notation in his ledger, Xu began to stretch out in anticipation of the fight. Arrie and her bookie watched as Xu began bending backward, feet planted firmly on the floor, until her forehead was touching the ground behind her. Then she flipped over and landed on her feet again. Arrie looked over at the dwarf and grinned madly, while his face took on a decidedly green hue. When it was clear that no one else was stepping forward, the owner stood up again and raised a small gong. An expectant hush fell over the crowd. The sound of the gong was quickly drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Xu immediately leapt into action, confronting three dwarves at the same time. They tried to punch her, but she was far too agile, blocking their clumsy fists and sending her own counterstrikes into their heads and stomachs. She was a blur of motion, and for a while commanded the most attention. Arrie and Tolly each squared off against their own dwarven opponents, while Kyle found himself surrounded by two dwarves intent on reducing the non-dwarven population of the brawl by one. Tolly crouched low, and grabbed hold of the dwarf he was facing. Getting a good hold, he lifted the dwarf off the ground. Years of being raised by dwarves had taught him that the most effective way to fight them was to get them off the ground, though it was no easy task. Tolly staggered with the struggling dwarf toward the chalk line, and unceremoniously dumped him on the other side. The poor dwarf was soon covered in ale thrown by the other patrons. Off to the side of the brawl, the owner scowled. The brawlers were being far too cautious, and it wasn’t making for a good show. He’d tried to stimulate the event by tossing a loose ale mug into the ring, but no one had even tried to pick it up and bash someone over the head yet. He turned to Lanara, who had been performing in his tavern for a few nights over the past month. “Anything you can do to liven things up?” he asked. In response, Lanara began to play a lively tune on her fiddle. The music wafted over the arena, working its way into the minds of the brawlers. Immediately the combatants began to grow bolder; the dwarves who were cautiously avoiding Xu now charged in, confident they could take her down with strength of numbers. Arrie was dealing handily with her own dwarven opponent. Like Tolly, she had spent many years with dwarves, and knew the same tactics. She just about had the dwarf pinned to the ground when suddenly she was grabbed from behind… by Tolly. The Ardaran priest had come up behind them and joined in the melee, hoping to eliminate two opponents at the same time. But Arrie was a cannier combatant than that, and within seconds she and Tolly were locked together in a death-grip, neither one able to get an advantage. The hapless dwarf was caught between them, an unwilling participant in this wrestling match between two humans. The crowd’s attention was quickly diverted to this match, taking their eyes off of Xu who had by now dropped two of her opponents and was being charged by three more. The shouts were interspersed with catcalls and various lewd comments as Arrie and Tolly continued to grapple. Lanara leaned over and whispered something into the owner’s ear, and with a grin he waved over one of the barmaids and gave her instructions. She ran back into the kitchen. Moments later, Arrie, Tolly, and the other dwarf were taken by surprise as a bucket of a warm, clear, slippery liquid was dumped on them, coating them thoroughly. The crowd went into a frenzy of cheers and hoots watching the two humans slip around and over each other trying to keep their grip, while the poor dwarf looked as though he’d like nothing better than to stop being the filling of the human sandwich. Lanara leaned over to the owner again. “What’d you use? Oil?” He shook his head. “Butter!” Lanara laughed. “Good call!” she glanced over at the continuing melee, then winced. “Ugh, I guess that Tolly’s not wearing a plate mail loincloth after all. But I really, really wish I hadn’t found out about it like that.” It was a sight to see. Xu continued her impressive display, spinning and kicking her opponents until they lay unconscious on the tavern floor. The dwarf involved in Arrie and Tolly’s fight wiggled his way free, and staggered away, wiping butter from his eyes and clearly shaken by the whole unnerving experience. Arrie and Tolly were aware of the lewd comments being made by the crowd, but they both possessed an inner fire of competitive spirit too strong to allow them to break off their battle for something as paltry as personal dignity. But eventually, Tolly managed to gain the upper hand, getting Arrie in a position where he could lift her without being knocked back over. He staggered, and nearly lost his grip as Arrie fought fiercely, but at last he was able to eject her from the ring. Panting with exertion, Tolly turned quickly to survey the scene. His eyes immediately came to rest on Xu, who had eliminated all but two of the dwarves. One of them, he saw, was the dwarf that had been caught between he and Arrie, still dripping butter. A mischievous grin crossed Tolly’s face. The sight was so startling on the priest’s normally stoic expression that Lanara stopped playing her fiddle. Tolly walked up behind the butter-soaked dwarf, and laid a hand on his shoulder. “I’m back for more,” he said, giving the dwarf’s shoulder a slight squeeze. Panicked, the dwarf swung around wildly. Tolly hadn’t noticed it before because the dwarf’s back was to him, but after getting out of the grapple he’d apparently picked up the loose mug that the owner had tossed into the ring. The dwarf swung at Tolly’s waist, missing by a hair’s breadth. Tolly’s amusement turned to irritation, and he slugged the dwarf, sending him crashing to the floor. Looking up, he saw that Xu had dropped her last opponent. Looking over at Tolly, she raised her hand and motioned for him to come for her, a confident smile on her face. Tolly charged in, hoping to use the same grapple and toss strategy that had served him well so far. But Xu was not so easily caught, and was prepared. Just as Tolly was about to close his fingers around Xu’s arm, he saw stars as she kicked him in the jaw. He stumbled back, head spinning, and when the next blow came he was out like a candle in a winter storm. Xu looked down at the unconscious Tolly, quickly honoring him mentally for his bravery and determination. Just as she looked up, however, was when the weight hit her like a charging bull. Kyle’s fight with the two dwarves had been largely ignored by everyone, as it was a simple back and forth slugfest as opposed to Xu’s acrobatic assault on multiple opponents or Arrie and Tolly’s quasi-erotic wrestling match. But somehow Kyle had come out of it, battering down his opponents with sheer determination. He’d looked around at the scene through bruised, swollen eyes, and saw Tolly and Xu finishing off the last of the dwarves. He circled around as Tolly charged in to attack Xu; Kyle was pretty sure who was going to come out on top of that fight. That left him and Xu standing. Kyle was sure that he’d be lying face down on the floor next to Tolly within a few seconds, but he wasn’t going to give up. He saw that in the fight Xu was only a few feet from the edge of the arena, and an idea sprang into his head. He crouched down a few feet from Xu, and waited. Kyle made his move just as Tolly fell. His momentum caught Xu by surprise, and she staggered backwards to get some distance between her and Kyle. [I]An admirable effort[/I], she thought, [I]but the charging bull is felled by a single arrow from the sky[/I]. She prepared to deliver a quick, painless strike to Kyle that would cause the blood to temporarily drain from his head, causing him to pass out. As she moved to strike, however, she became aware that the crowd had gone deathly quiet. She looked down, and saw that between her feet and the heavy boots of Kyle, a thick chalk line stretched out in either direction. Xu looked down at the line, then up at Kyle, who was bleeding from a split lip and had both eyes nearly swollen shut. Slowly, a smile appeared on her face, and she bowed. The patrons of the Dirty Horse went crazy. Kyle was immediately swept up by the crowds and carried in a victory lap around the tavern. He was set down next to his friends, who all came up to congratulate him, except for Tolly who was still sprawled on the ground. Arrie pounded Kyle’s back and grinned, seemingly unconcerned that she’d lost her bet on Xu. He was pulled away by the owner, who had him stand on a table. “We have our winner!” he shouted, and again the crowds cheered. One of the barmaids brought out a gold-plated beer stein suspended from a gold chain, and placed it around Kyle’s neck, though he had to lean forward for her to reach. The barmaid kissed him on the cheek and then walked back into the crowd. “What’s your name, son?” the owner asked, as he filled Kyle’s golden stein with ale from a pitcher. “Kyle Goodson,” he said proudly. “Well, Kyle, as the winner of the annual Dirty Horse Midsummer Bar Brawl, you win our prize! You have the honor of buying the drinks for the entire bar for the rest of the evening!” The dwarves all around him erupted into a frenzy of cheering and shouting for their mugs to be filled. Kyle, forgotten in the excitement, turned pale. He’d spent most of his money buying new spells, and had only a handful of silver to his name. Kyle began to imagine what dwarves did to people who couldn’t pay for their ale. Seeing his distress, Arrie caught his attention and winked, letting him know that it was all right. Tolly, who had recovered enough to hear the announcement, also flashed Kyle an ‘its okay’ signal. The remainder of the evening passed in a blur. Several more ales were consumed by the party, especially by Kyle and Autumn. Arrie suggested to her sister that they should dance with the winner of the brawl, and to everyone’s amazement Autumn agreed. Lanara immediately struck up a lively, bawdy tune for them. As they moved around the table dancing, a very drunk Kyle observed that only one of his dancing partners was covered in butter. The situation was quickly rectified by the helpful staff of the Dirty Horse Tavern. [/QUOTE]

Verification