The State of Battlerite

   The fabled Battlerite Tournament is a subject that I have covered frequently, from its initial holding to the great rivalry between two of its top contenders, it has never failed to captivate both live audiences and readers alike. (My acquaintance named ‘Reader’ has shown little interest, but he seems to be the single exception.) Thus, it is with great sorrow that I must announce the death of Krim, the Tournament’s creator and organizer. The conditions of his death are either unknown or have yet to be made public, but I have received confirmation from the Guild that he perished on an assignment. The first Battlerite champion, Alijiandaa, had this to say about Krim’s passing.

   “It has come to my attention that the previous runner of the Battlerite has died. It is sad,but it is the fate of all of us that call ourselves the adventures. However even in the most tragic of losses opportunity knocks. As many know I'm the crafter of all of the things. I have made many things using infusion of crystals. Everything, even my most notable tech, can be used by anyone. I have a surplus of powerful things so I will be giving them away. However you will have to earn them. I'm going to be hosting my own tournament and the winners will not only receive fidgets but also a special item crafted by me, tailored for them for free. The rules of this fight will be the very different. This will not be the gladiator fights with the ring outs and the hand holding. This will be gritty, a real STREET FIGHT. If you have any questions feel free to contact me. I will stress that even though this is a STREET FIGHTER TOURNAMENT, killing your opponent will not be allowed and every precaution will be taken to ensure the safety of all participants.”

   Though Krim may have left us, his legacy will live on with the continuation of his tournament, even if it does take on a new form. While I am greatly saddened by Krim’s passing, I am optimistic that the future of the Battlerite Tournament will be secure in the hands of Alijiandaa.

- written by Kenneth Oberon

To Whom it May Concern

   This next story is one I received in a letter. I know nothing about the sender, but his tale is fascinating nonetheless.

   “I don't speak often. That is who I am. I am not good at telling stories. But I will try to write my experiences. In hopes that new adventurers can learn.

   My first mission was to get my "rach/aujir kovgam", copper/bronze metal or the bronze plate, as it's called. My experience beings like many adventurers, a group of people sitting, talking and drinking together in a tavern. I do not remember how I got there or what we talked about, but it was nice talking to those of the same profession. The party consisted of a woman always smiling and singing whose words had magic and the most well-spoken orc who had two names, Gork and Bork...who liked smashing things. Throw in me, a black scaled lizardfolk and you have an adventuring party indeed. I later learned that this Claire is a bard and would go on to do many great things in the future, I still hear her name from time to time in the tavern. And the orc? I have not seen him since.

   The strange man who gave the job was even stranger. Dressed in ornate armor from his seat in the tavern, several drinks in hand, a nefarious dagger like curve in his smirk; he called us over. He spoke down, didn't pay very well, and did not give much information. He was not the nicest man, but not every employer will be nice. Nevertheless, we accepted and the job took us into the sewers to deal with some cockatrice. The sewer's entrance was guarded by a single man, who cracked a few jokes and told us another group went in before us. Strange to see multiple parties involved and not be informed.

   The tunnels were dark, warm, one could taste the sludge in the air; a combination of the smell of cockatrice and another. Blood. After taking several right turns to the right direction. Would later learn that "right" is not always "right", and common is a strange language. We arrived to find the remains of a party, several dead, cockatrice and adventurer. A single survivor, a paladin, there were a few cockatrice there, turned out to be a nest. Calling upon the healing of Kel'Ril I healed the man, and he became the first person other than myself who I've healed. I never got to learn the man's name. But he did want us to help him in saving a woman. Another member of his party, who they had to leave behind as they retreated from the nest to the room where we found him.

   After healing him, he joined our party and we ventured deeper into the darkness, torch in hand instead of the earlier random groping into the unknown. We had a direction to follow, and now a life was at stake. We found the section of the sewer where they made their nest and saw the cockatrice. The woman lay dying to the side. We had to act quick. The battle was brutal. I gave a quick blessing to our party before we clashed with the beasts. The Orc swung his axe with great might and speed, muscles tensed and the sound of metal met flesh, feather, and bone. Mixed in with the noise was Claire's performance as it echoed off the walls of tunnel. A magical melody that I still remember to this day.

   For me however, I learned that sometimes adventuring is not about swinging a giant sword or wield strong magic. That day I learned, that sewer waters are considerably worse that swamp waters, even if they might smell similar. Don't throw your torch, the only source of light you have, as a weapon. In my attempts to get the woman away from the cockatrice I dove into the water to avoided the fiendish fowls. Nearly throwing up and having to wade lifting her above my head instead of swimming to avoid the sludge of the sewers. Bringing her to safety as the rest of the party fought of the cockatrice. I was able to heal her and stabilize the woman. But when the battle was over and I turned around, I had learned that the paladin had fallen. Taking a blow, to help protect me and the woman, as I brought her to safety. Saved one life but lost another. A theme, I would learn common for adventurers.

   I don't remember much afterwards about after. But we gathered proof of the kills and the bodies of our fellow adventurers. We were met with somber faces when we returned to the guild. There we learned that the employer was a lazy steel-plate pawning off his jobs to lower ranked parties, and giving them only part of the profits. We were promised that the man would be punished and that we would be fully paid for the job. That day I got my bronze plate, but it was bitter sweet. I donated part of my pay to the burial process of the paladin, and helped make sure the woman received his belongings, and compensation for the job. She cried. And I spent the rest of the day with Claire and Gork, thinking if would have felt the same if either one of them had died, or if they would if it was me that had perished. A bittersweet celebration, that I hide behind my scaly face. One of the benefits of not having many facial features I suppose.

   I gained that day several things. Knowledge and experience about being and adventurer. Friends and comrades in my fellow adventurers. The motives and reasons of some adventurers. And that I still had much to learn to being and adventurer. I still have the feathers of the cockatrice, still smelling of sewer, as they adorn my bronze plate, a reminder to me. I vial of cockatrice blood I collected however, ended up being traded in a meeting with eccentric man in the woods, for a scroll of invisibility. But that is for another time.

   If you see me around, feel free to come and talk, I left out many details and am willing to sit down and talk. Although I look like I bit, I promise I won't.”

- written by Kenneth Oberon

Zenith

   This next adventurer confession was given to me by Zenith En, a rugged looking man specializing in the use of antique-style firearms. He told me of a simple escort mission that turned treacherous, even deadly.

   “So me and his party were intrigued by this notice on the notice board that asked for a party to protect some Sivanian noble as he went and talked to his subjects. Initially all we encountered were three bears. We toured like normal and nothing really happened until we were finished and were heading back. We encountered a overturned cart. It was obviously an ambush. We waited. Soon enough these turrets popped from the ground and the driver, a skinny human, went ballistic, stabbed my friend to death. While this was happening the turrets fired upon us. I personally was riddled with bullets and barely survived. But just as everything went to shit this small little mouse starts shooting lightning bolts over and over taking out maybe three or four turrets and the assassin. I managed to get a good two shots in one of the turrets, destroying it, while the mouse dealt with the last turret. It was a very difficult encounter and it cost us the life of one of our party members.”

- written by Kenneth Oberon

The Terrors at the Tower

   It was an ordinary day, most of us were just hanging out within the tavern, laughing, drinking and talking about our adventures. But the mood of the day quickly shifted as Guild Leader Eiden barged into the tavern. His words brought a shadow over my heart, they had returned, an attack within lyal’dream. The C’thon had gone for an assault upon the tower of leaves. Many of us have been there more than once, to explore the great amounts of treasure and adventure that can be found within the ever changing tower, but this ancient dungeon was not under attack by an arch bishop of sin, one of the few whom had not signed the davis agreement.

   Eiden summoned us to go to the tower, to help defend it, beat back the C’thon and secure those civilians that we could. But our pathway there was tampered with. We left through the portal from the guild hall, and arrived at the tower’s teleportation device, unfortunately we were unable to teleport into the tower and arrived in a market place. We made our way outside as we started to comprehend the terror that had spread over this city.  Thousands of demons slaughtering the soldiers, creatures of nightmare and pure horror. But that was not even the worst. The leader of this army, a keep sized demon lord with claws sharp enough to cut through even darkmetal, jaws that could grind walls to dust and armor that could only be pierced by the strongest of weapons. Upon his back he carried a machine that spewed the fires of hell out over the entire city, first it broke apart the defenses of the tower, before focusing on us, three of us were hit and heavily damaged by mere one of its shots. We would have taken casualties if it was not for the enhancements that I had been given by my dear friend Daku. Demons assailed us but were not able to overcome us, so they sacrificed themselves to make sure we had no route of escape. One of the demons tore itself to pieces in the portal and made it collapse upon itself. The blast blew most of us backwards but for a mere moment, we were disengaged from combat. We took this one opportunity and took to the skies, flying to the top of the tower where we could start helping the people there.

   Upon landing we found Eiden’s relative, whom had taken it upon himself to evacuate the civilians from the city within a chrome vessel, it left as soon as we arrived. After a short conversation we found out what the C’thon were after we rushed down to collect it and protect it from the demons. It took all we had, spells, strength and stamina. But we cut ourselves a path through the demons. Nothing would stop us, not even a legion. Soon after we saw our target, a teleportation crystal of a size beyond anything we’d seen yet. Our mages, Leta and Reader, extremely capable in weaving the powers of the chrome, teleported us over and out. This was not a mere group of warriors fighting for the world, this group was a team, where everyone pulled their weight. Most of us would have died if not for the herald of life and death. For Zielaph guided us all, and pick us up when we fell.

   For those adventurers that read this, hear my words, I am Sanguinius, at the time of writing this I am an adamantium plate. Those who fight, adventure and live with you are not just your party members, they are your family. And if there is one thing you should cherish it is family. Lift up the fallen and uphold their honor, for those who died that day, did not just die for this world, they died for their families, their friends and everyone else.

   May the light guide you, and may the shadows hide you.

- written by Sanguinius