Fair Fights - Hazelden

General Summary

The Wardens having made their way to Hazelden settled in for some R&R getting massages, having a spa day, and some of them making their way to balance board fighting pit.

Dunk Tank

Opening on the guys Hagren and Raijun have entered a fists only balance battle where the goal is to knock the other side off of the floating platform first. Their opponents, Marvin and Jasper, seem well matched but Raijun is able to get a series of stuns off on Marvin making it much harder for him to balance when the table tips. Hagern is having a harder time squaring off against Jasper, who has managed to knock him off balance a couple of times trying to use the balance of the board to his advantage.
As Raijun and Hagren fight Persistent asks Adama why he did not join in as he also seems to enjoy fighting. Adama explains that he's really a sword guy preferring to stab things. Persistent says they understand as stabbing is a good way to end a fight but not as useful in this scenario. They offer that, "maybe we will stab each other at another time, that would be fun for both of us." Casing Adama to raise an eyebrow.
Meanwhile, as the fight moves towards the edge of the board the entire thing tips almost sending both pairs into the water. Shortly after Raijun is able to knock Marvin into the drink causing Jasper to have to move to defense near the edge of the board. Hagen pivots more towards the middle in order to help stabilize in case either of them loose their footing. Jasper is able to get Marvin back onto the board but the continued stuns by Raijun make it difficult for them to move into a more advantageous position o the board, the rope tying them together.
Trenchcoat pulls on Adama's jacket on the side pulling out a cage with a black and white striped animal inside. He grins menacingly asking Adama if his present would help Captain Hagren or Crewmate Raijun. Adama asks where he got another skunk from and Trenchcoat says he has his ways and taps the side of his nose. Adama shrugs and eggs Trenchcoat on thinking that it would be funny causing Trenchcoat to release the 'skunk' onto the balance board. As it lands it's clearly not a skunk but a feral racoon and it races towards Raijun. Adama high fives Trenchcoat as Persistent looks on perplexed commenting that Trenchcoat, "Must be a very good friend with him (Raijun). I will have to remember this."
Hagren is able to push Marvin back in saying "surfs up" as Raijun lands the final punch on Jasper knocking him in as they move towards the middle of the ring for stability. As they do the feral racoon rushes Raijun missing on the bite but critting with his claws on Raijun's face. The crowd is confused but excited by the additional challenger but Hagren is able to quickly pull the raccoon off of Raijun and chuck him into the water where it tries to escape as Trenchcoat runs to attempt to re-cage it.
After a pause, as if to see if more animals would arrive, the announcer declares "Raijun the Redeemed" and "Captain Hagren" the victors. The bookie comes over to Adama and hands him 150 gold mentioning that he has some "pretty strong friends". The guys leave the fighting pit and start bar hopping in Mariner's Reef looking for other opportunities for entertainment. They ask one of the local bar tenders who says they look like tourists which Adama notes they are. The bar tender offers that there is snorkeling and windsurfing but that they would need to wait for day time to do that. Adama asks what the local cuisine specialty is and the man gestures to the fish stalls around them. Adama asks how much it would cost to run a bar brawl in this bar and the guy gestures that they are in a bar like stall but when Adama drops the amount he's willing to spend the guy says that they are welcome to have a fight in his house. After making up rules, headbutts only, the guys decide they need a real bar to go to. The bartender offers that there's the Stubborn Oyster in Over Town if they wanted to go mess with some of the yuppies from over town. The guys say that sounds like exactly what they are looking for and start wandering toward the cable car.

Girls Night

Meanwhile Myra and Sarya, previously having decided to stay behind, begin looking for food asking Javier what's around. He informs them that due to it being the off season most of the normal restaurants are closed but says that the markets should be open in Mariner's Reef if they were looking to sample the local cuisine. They head over in that direction and start sampling the local food stalls creating their own poke bowls as they drink rum that Myra provides from her flask.
Myra asks Sarya more about herself asking if she eat meat or just fish. Sarya explains that she is effectively omnivorous noting that the other animals she turns into also eat. She says as a general rule she tries not to talk to prey as that makes it much more awkward. Myra agrees that that seems like a good rule and that she could see how that would make it more difficult. Myra inquires where else Sarya has traveled and Sarya comments that she's mostly been around the Turquoise Currents, Drumerin, Vloyuth, and Slekul but hasn't made it up to the North of either Glemios or Vratoth. Myra comments that there's not much up in the north of Glemios besides the Bismuth Abbey which is good mostly if you're religious. Sarya comments that's not really her jam as she finds religious people often want you to become religious too. Myra agrees saying that is a problem if your not.
The women drink and generally have a good time. There are enough awkward pauses that they become thoroughly drunk leading Sarya to ask Myra if she would stay. Myra looks confused saying that she wasn't planning on going anywhere saying that Sarya was the one who wanted to leave the group after she find Reina. Sarya says she knows she knows but she doesn't want to leave and that's not what she's takling about clarifying that she want's to know if Myra will stay in Kolis-Tane if her parents tell her to. Myra obfuscates saying that there are reasons that her parents would let her go again as she has an errand to run up at the Abbey and that they probably wont even have that problem. Sarya says good cause she doesn't want her to go. This somehow devolves into a conversation about noodles and then from noodles to cinnamon. They get stuck on the word cinnamon for a while before deciding to try to find some and failing minerally.
As they walk though the streets they come upon Trenchcoat trying to wrangle the raccoon from earlier. He looks mildly concerned by their current state of inebriation Sarya and Myra are, Sarya just waiving at him from several feet away. As they continue talking the rest of the guys walk up. The women explain they were out getting food and drinking, with Myra asking if anyone wanted rum. The guys agree and as they are passing around the bottle Raijun gives asks if they were on a date noting that Myra seems to be in a happy drunk mood in a rare change of pace. Myra grabs the bottle back and takes a large drink before promptly switching the topic asking if they won their fight.
The guys catch them up on everything that has happened as Meko explains to Persistent that we are now in a silly night and that this is what silly looks like. Persistent looks perplexed saying that they thought silly was something only children did that one grew out of. This leads to an explanation followed by series of mixed metaphors dealing with lemons which become more and more convoluted. They guys explain that they were headed to Over Town to a bar, naming it a number of things other than the Stubborn Oyster, and the entire group gets on the cable car up. Unlike the cautious Myra earlier, drunk Myra proceeds to rock the car back and forth with Persistent noting the silliness.

Tourists

As they enter the Stubborn Oyster they find some merfolk sitting at one of the bars with a number of other locals sprinkled throughout. The bartender, later identified as Bob, brings over some drinks and asks if they would like dessert. He lists off a number of options that sound delicious and Myra, being drunk and not wanting to make decisions, ask for a number of each of them and flips the man a platinum. The bartender thanks her and prepares another round of drinks for the table as Meko raises a toast.
"Here's to the Wardens. The last and greatest of my shivers." Myra asks why we would be the last and Meko explains that he's an old shark sawing with pride that he has swam with many shivers. He says that he's not afraid of death and that it will soon be his time to venture forth into the unknown.
Hagren sheds a tear pleading, "Don't die Meko." Causing Meko to look stunned and touched by Hagren's show of emotion.
"I'm not afraid of death. I have had many shivers. But, I look forward to seeing you all on your journey." Hagren indicates the journey itself might be hard and Meko comments that he's seen many dangerous things, "My mother ate one of my brothers when I was little." The group looks horrified until Meko says that he was only kidding.
Persistent chimes in solemnly saying that they never knew their parents, "I would have liked to have known them, to understand the meaning of a 'bed time story'. I am told that those are told by parents." Hagren explains that a bedtime story is to calm someone down, often children, to make it easier for them to sleep. Myra says that if Persistent ever wanted she would be happy to read them a bedtime story. Persistent says that though Myra is not their parents they think that might be nice and Sarya asks if she can join.
The Wardens bounce through a couple of topics including Trenchcoat admitting to planting the raccoon during the fight causing Raijun to start to get up to try to curb stomp him as Myra gabs him and yanks him down. At the same time Bob returns with with the deserts to a mutter of "tourists" from the bar behind them. Myra turns to Adama and asks if they should even be calling him Adama asking him what name he prefers offering Bob instead. The bartender indicates that actually that's his name and the group reminisces about the Bob that used to be part of the group before vanishing, Myra noting that she didn't particularly like him. Adama says that the name Adama works as he's used it for a number of years now and indicates that really he's just looking to make a memory with the group.
The group brainstorms other ideas they could do coming up with ziplining or cliff diving. Myra says that she things she could easily rig something up for that but notes that with the height of the cliff they would have to think about how to ensure people were safe. Adama brainstorms several options including flying or feather falling but resolves that the fall might be too quick for them to feather fall appropriately. From the bar a man walks over, later we learn his name is Samuel, and cautions us to not jump off the cliff as that is how his cousin Rodrigo died. He looks the table up and down and says to go back to our room at the Tranquil Tidepool and jump off of our balconies into the water as it is safer and then if we get hurt we can just sue the hotel.
As he returns to the bar Adama comments that now he really does want to jump off just to prove him wrong. From the bar Samuel asking the group to just shut up as some of the patrons are just trying to drink. Adama walks up and hands him ten gold explaining that it's for the noise leading Samuel to declare, "Oh okay you fucking tourists just throw money at it that makes everything better." Adama returns to the table as Raijun notices that Myra has gotten quiet and the good mood she was in seems to have dissipated with the remarks. Raijun asks her why she's quiet and she indicates that maybe it would be best if they just go back. Raijun loudly asks if she's sad because of the asshole at the bar leading Samuel to yell, "Go home tourist." Raijun counters with an, "Eat shit townie."
Samuel takes the coins Adama had given him and chucks them at Raijun suggesting that people like us with our stinking money walk around like we own the place. Raijun counters, catching the coins and sending them back with several landing in Samuel's drink, that they choose to live in this shit-hole and just don't have enough guts to try to leave or do anything with their lives. This causes Samuel to whip around and approach Raijun, "fucking tourists. The hard working people of this town don't take kindly to people slandering our home," as he throws a punch. Others quickly join in and Adama excitedly tells Myra and Sarya that the rules are no weapons and headbutting only and that everyone is going to put 25 gold in the pot for whoever knocks out the most.
The fight starts with the guys attacking their new found foes quickly taking down a number of them including Samuel which prompts other locals to join as they comment, "that's Samuel he does after school work with kids. You can't hurt him." Persistent joins in with the guys asking if their form is correct as they headbutt one of the locals.
Sarya is the first to try to leave but is stopped by two merfolk who were sitting closer to the door grabbing her. Myra follows shortly after with a local getting her in the gut as she passed to little reaction from her. As she makes her way toward Sarya the room around her gets cold as she looks at the merfolk and the bartender and says that she would like to leave. Being drunk and now in a very bad mood, Myra's features take on more of a dragon like intensity than she intended (crit on the intimidation check) leading the mermen to drop Sarya as Bob begs them to let her out. She continues past and exits with Sarya into the night.
The guys finish the fight inside taking out all the individuals that attacked them as well as a few who tried to get away, poor Shela. Raijun was a headbutting machine with 5 KOs, Hagren had 2, and Persistent managed 1. Looking around the bar at the unconscious people on the ground Raijun whoops in victory as Adama apologizes for the mess to the bartender and leaves 100 gold on the counter. Hagren adds another 20 gold before parting nodding at the barkeep. Raijun looks around still ready for a fight before realizing there's no one else and commenting, "this always happens when I drink." As the guys exit Hagren and Adama pay over 25 gold each to Raijun for winning the bet.
Sarya and Myra make their way to the cable car to return to the Tranquil Tidepool considerably more sober than when they came up. Sarya apologizes to Myra saying she's sorry their good night got ruined and suggesting that they shouldn't have gone out looking for cinnamon. Myra just nods silently (this conversation continues in Just Ask - Campfire). Meanwhile, to spite the naysayers, Adama has walked to the edge of the cliff and cast fly on himself before hurling himself at the waves below. He rises back up and does it a couple more times until he feels like he's sufficiently proved them wrong before joining the guys in heading back down to bed.

Nightmares

It's late in the night when Adama awakens to a burning in his scar. The sensation of building fear, of something truly terrifying just outside his field of vision hits him as he looks around the room panicked. On the floor his bag is spilled and the compass sits open, needle oscillating back and forth lazily. He rises from bed and reaches for the compass the needle still vacillating but pointing more firmly toward the shared living chamber between the groups suites. The needle seems almost metronomic now swinging back and forth as he enters the shared living space.
Adama, looking for aid, knocks on Myra's suite door to no reply. He knocks again louder before pushing the door in and it swings open revealing only inky blackness where her room should be. Thoroughly panicked he tries the mental link yelling for anyone in the group who might be in range. There is no response back except for menacing whispers that start to build.
Adama looks toward a mirror, perhaps trying to determine if this is a dream. In it he sees the form of a man, no a boy, a hero, a father, some of the forms feel forgotten or lost but there stands Adama. All of the people he has been or that he tells himself he's been. He turns back toward the void in Myra's room the darkness seeming to grow reaching for him, the people he trusts gone. They are always gone. As he faces the darkness the whispers in his mind grow until they coalesce into a growing chorus demanding, "Come."
Note: The compass was previously in the bag of holding with Myra.

Map of Hazelden

Hazelden

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Map of Hazelden on Vloyuth.

Report Date

09 Feb 2022

Primary Location

Hazelden

Secondary Location

Stubborn Oyster

Related Characters

• Meko Tidefin
• Persistent