When the guide approaches, Alex slows and then stops. She bows to Jiro for a good bout, and bows to the guide. She follows without asking any questions.

Jiro also follows, doing his best to be impassive.

The Guide leads the pair into the back rooms, and then down a flight of stairs. At the base is a short hallway ending in a very heavy metal door that lacks any handles. The moment he sets foot on the floor, a view port in the door is slid open. A moment later, it is shut and the door swings open.

The guide continues on, leading you a windowed area overlooking a series of hidden arenas. Jiro immediately recognizes the theme of five of them. The first was Water, making use of an artificial waterfall to create a small stream that drained into a whirlpool at the opposite end. Next was a shiny steel plate set on a series of posts--the arena of Metal no doubt. The following arena looked to be the Fire arena, as it looked to be something like a pit of lava with several rocky islands, of various sizes and shapes, scattered throughout it. The Wood arena was a series of bridges set over a log-strewn depression, parts of the bridges were missing boards, or ended without being finished. The fifth arena, Earth, was a simple, slightly raised earthen area, worn smooth by countless feet of warriors past who had fought there.

The final arena is completely empty, filled with a darkness that the eye can not penetrate.


[OOC: Thanks to Tattoedman of the Atomic Think Tank for the arena's. All errors are mine, from moving his arenas into another environment.]

Jiro's eyes widened as he looked around the arenas. This will be interesting, he thought. I wonder, wich arena will we be fighting in? Or perhaps it will be all of them, one at a time.

He took a long moment, gathering his thoughts and stealing a glance at Alex - trying to gage her reaction. The water arena will be bad for me; I am simply not as good at manipulated my ki when cursed. Fire... likewise. The penalty for falling looks much too high. And I have no desire to kill. I cannot assume the same will be true of my foes. Or, given her recent bahavior, my allies.  Another look. The earth and metal arenas look quite straightforward, as does the wood arena.  The bridges would be interesting places to fight. I am not so sure of the darkness... but I am not entirely dependent on my eyes. I am ready for this challenge, I think, whatever it is.

Alex looks positively amazed. "Wow. Those are some hard core fighting pits. How do they have all these down here? Most of them look pretty straight forward, but that can't be what it looks like in that fire room. Molten rock isn't exactly easy or safe to keep around. Rock doesn't melt until close to seven hundred degrees and some doesn't until well over twelve hundred."

She leans up to the window and looks down. "No way you could use that as an arena. That close and you wouldn't be worried about heat exhaustion, you'd be worried about bursting into flames. So, watcha using down there?"

The guide looks surprised for the first time. "I could not tell you the nature of the arena's creation. It is a mystery known only to Dragoneye."

"Huh. Well, I guess if you have magic, that would help make an impossible arena. I guess this is where this 'second test' is going to be. So, we going to learn soon or are you going to keep trying to ramp up the antici... pation?"

Jiro couldn't help himself, he smirked and said, "Indeed, Alex. A wizard did it. Thus, it makes perfect sense." She's talking again. She's sane again. Thank you, merciful kami-sama.

The guide slides back into unreadability. "Dragoneye's responsibilities are many and his resources are, while great, not limitless. There is a threat to the lives and well being of the people of this district. A threat that is too great to entrust to his common servants, but not pressing enough to warrant calling upon his most skilled followers or intervening directly himself. It may be that you are the ones who might end this threat, for the good of all the people."

"Some would simply send you against this threat directly, but Dragoneye's wisdom and compassion does not allow him that option. If this task is beyond you, then he sends you to your needless deaths. So, to see if you are capable, he has decided to allow you the honor of facing the tests of service. The First Test you have passed, in earning Zhang Peter's recommendation."

"Now the Second Test lays before you. A test of your skill, your resilience, your adaptability, and of your will. You must pass through the six challenges. You each will choose a challenge to face alone, and upon succeeding you will rest a short time and face another then the third. Each challenge must be completed. If one of you should fail, then it falls to the other to complete the remainder."

"There are no rules of conduct within the challenge rooms. Simply succeed at all costs."

"Huh. And you're not going to tell us what the challenges are until we get started. I've read this one before. I guess one is as good as another to start with."

She glances at Jiro. "I love to swim, so why don't I take that one first? You grab one of the others and then we'll compare notes."

Jiro nodded decisively. Thank you, Alex, for taking that one off my hands. "Then I shall first face the darkness."

The guide nods and claps twice. Two men walk into view, and lead the warriors to their first challenge.

Alex walks down a set of stairs and into the "cave". A cold spray of water immediately hits her in the face. There is very little dry land in the cave, and the moment she is inside the entrance vanishes. The stream near the waterfall is shallow, perhaps a foot deep. It gets deeper towards the whirlpool at the other end, and the current gets stronger.

Jiro walks down his own set of stairs and enters a room utterly opaque to even his enhanced sight. All his senses seem to be reduced, at least they still seem to work. He can hear the slightest sound of movement ahead of him.

[OOC: The current as a chance to knock one down as one gets deeper, and the dark room causes a -4 to all notice checks, regardless of what senses it uses.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 06:04, Thu 10 Feb 2011.

Well. So much for my ability to see in the dark. At least I can still hear. Jiro closed his eyes, straining to hear any danger that might approach.

[OOC: Array is in Ki Focus, using Skill Mastery to take 10 on Notice as well as Stealth (Stealth at 21, Notice at 18 thanks to the penalty)]

Jiro heard the faint sound of a step, then another. Something is in the blackness, hunting him. Human sized, wearing shoes. It moved with some stealth, but not enough to hide from the Martial Artist.

He heard nothing but the movement. No sounds of breathing.

A wise man once said, 'In times when conflict is assured, do not be afraid to be the first to resort to violence.'

Taking a moment more to pin down the other figure's location via his hearing, Jiro shifted his ki, and lashed out. "Wrathful Kami's Shout!"

[OOC: Array is in Blast mode, aming for the figure via accurate hearing. 22:42, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 19 using 1d20+8. DC25 toughness check if that hits.

Alex steps out into the shallow part of the stream, alert for whatever may be the 'challenge' of the room.

[OOC: 18:20, Today: Alex rolled 22 using 1d20+7. Notice Check.
18:21, Today: Alex rolled 9 using 1d20+4. Init.  ]

Jiro hears the faint crackling of Ki as his bolt shoots out, yet he can see no sign of it. Still, the utter blackness does not stop him from hearing a grunt of pain or the sound of a body hitting the ground.

[OOC: 18:15, Today: Gamemaster rolled 17 using 1d20+9. Toughness Save.
]

Jiro felt himself smirk as he heard his target hit the floor. Gomen, stranger, but the challenge is to win at any cost. Once I have won, I will tend your wounds, but until then I will not fail in this challenge.

Focusing his ki once more, he loosed another bolt at the target, guided by the sound of its impact. "Wrathful Kami's Shout!"

[OOC: Another Wrathful Kami's Shout. 15:31, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 24 using 1d20+8. blasting again. DC 25 toughness check.]

Alex looks down and sees a small frog float past her leg. Then another, and another. Soon the room is filled with frogs hopping all over the place. The jump on her, get underfoot, and generally make a nuisance of themselves.

The aggravation is beginning to set in when a huge frog leaps out of a deepest part of the stream, right beside the whirlpool. It is at least five or six feet long, and looks at Alex for a moment.

It lashes out with it's tongue, cracking it past the girls ear, and then croaks loudly and menacingly.

[OOC: 18:46, Today: Gamemaster rolled 13 using 1d20+10. Init.
Using Fearsome Presence. Make a DC 15 will save.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:07, Fri 11 Feb 2011.

"Frogs... Really? How is this supposed to be scary? Did you think I was a stereotypical girl who needs some big bad boy to beat the bejevies out of it? Please..." Alex rolls her eyes and pulls her bowling ball out of her purse.

"CATCH!"

[OOC: 18:58, Today: Alex rolled 17 using 1d20+10. AOA 2, throw.
18:53, Today: Alex rolled 21 using 1d20+11. Will Save VS Fear.]

Jiro listens carefully and hears another grunt of pain, followed by the sound of his foe leaping into the air. Following the faint sounds of his foe's clothing rustling, Jiro is able to step aside from the blow at comes.

[OOC: 22:34, Today: Gamemaster rolled 23 using 1d20+8. Toughness Save.
22:38, Today: Gamemaster rolled 17 using 1d20+10. Attacking Jiro.  ]

BESIDE ME, thought Jiro, and sidestepped the incoming blow. He darted back a few steps, then danced back into range, doing his best to present a difficult target as he shifts his ki and attacks, the light normally shed by his ki-enhanced blows lost in the swirling black.

[OOC: not sure if an acrobatic bluff works in this darkness, but I'll take 10 on one anyway, for a 17. Array is in Ki Focus. 19:41, Today: Jiro Koji rolled 17 using 1d20+12. attacking Shadow, ki focus. DC 23 toughness check if it hits]

EDIT: forgot a penalty for bluffing as a move action :P
This message was last edited by the player at 03:48, Fri 11 Feb 2011.

The giant frog leaps to attack just as Alex throws causing the ball to fly straight through the place the frog had previously occupied, landing in the whirlpool. The amphibian monster lashes out with it's back leg as it flies past Alex's head, but she ducks underneath the blow.

It lands on the side of the wall, staring at the girl.

[OOC: 22:44, Today: Gamemaster rolled 11 using 1d20+6. Attacking Alex. ]

In the dark it is impossible to tell if the maneuver had fooled the foe, but Jiro does know that he failed to connect.

Sharp claws tear across Jiro's body, and strong arms try to restrain the fighter.

Even at this range, Jiro can hear no signs of anything beyond the faint rustling of clothing.


[OOC: 22:53, Today: Gamemaster rolled 24 using 1d20+10. Acrobatic Resist.
22:54, Today: Gamemaster rolled 26 using 1d20+10. Attacking Jiro.
DC 25 toughness save.  Using Improved Grab to try to get a hold on Jiro. If it wins, it will Pin Jiro.
22:55, Today: Gamemaster rolled 26 using 1d20+14. Grapple Check.  ]

"Huh. You're quick, and now I've lost my bowling ball... Such a shame, I liked it. If you're not going to come over here and play, I'll just have to IMPROVISE."

Alex snatches up one of the numberless frogs that have been annoying her, and throws it at the larger frog.

[OOC: 23:02, Today: Alex rolled 27 using 1d20+8. Attacking Frog. DC 23 damage. Yay for throwing mastery!]