Not that he needed the money that much, but he might be able to buy something useful.  He tells Nic, I will be right back with 50 gold.  Watch my pack.  He removes his pack, sits it next to Spot and wanders to the 'arena'.

I think I might be able to lift the walrus, or eat him.  Your choice.

A smirk crawled across Sheldon's face as he saw the walrus flatten himself in the middle of the ring.

He turned back to Stylus and pointed to the ring. "After this. I watch this. Maybe I do this."

He jumped down from the barrel and waddled in line behind the polar bear.

Nic casually hooks one foot through one of the straps of the bearpack, and watches the excitement. He nods his hooded head at each and every villager they pass, asking about some bit of work he had helped them with in the last year.

Spot eagerly strained at his leash, trying to smell everything and everyone. Spot was still fairly new to the rest of the village, and many people were....surprised by the eyeful which the pooch was offering them.

"Oh, there's the Elder Sakai. You will need to talk to him about this fish problem. Elder Sakai!" Nic raises his invisible hand and, one assumes, waves it about in a futile effort to attract the elder's attention.

Being invisible in the middle of a party and not watching where you are going is never a good idea, and naturally, it was at this moment that Nic accidentally ran into [whoever feels like joining us].
This message was last edited by the player at 03:32, Sat 03 Oct 2020.

Tunic runs into a purple looking tree-mushroom. This is Juffi-Wup, the trader from the plantmen. He waves a few tentacles non-menacingly at the invisible man and a little bit less non-menacingly at the dog. An image of a waving hand flitters into Tunic's mind, followed by another image of a circle with a cross through it over a dog raising it's hind leg.

The catch that day had been poor, but that was hardly news to anybody on the island. He had caught a tiny thresher shark, barely as long as his arm, and the thing had looked half starved when he had hauled it into his boat.

The meat, skin and even the bones had sold briskly, so now Frank was left without much to do for the evening. Never really a fan of the fights, entertainment was none the less rare and when he heard that somebody might attempt to lift up Like he shook his broad beaked head and went to the side lines to see for himself.

Fifty gold coins was real money, but Kole was real heavy, and he figured there was little risk of any challengers pulling it off. They would make a profit on the drink sales alone.

He saw a few other locals he was more familiar with, waved or nodded in turn, and grew interested when he saw the distinct form of the white bear Mawr  moving through the crowd.

Mawr reaches the ring area.  He approaches Gibbsy, feeling the electricity of the crowd, yet seeing the bordom on the face of Kole.  Yes, he was massive, bigger by far than Mawr.  Mawr studied the situation, strength was most important, but leverage was also important.  It wasn't as if there was a handle to lift by.  But, he thought he had found a way to do it.  His height was enough to ensure that, when properly positioned, the walrus would be entirely off the ground, including any limbs or appendages.

Still a little bit unnerved about being the center of attention, he said to Gibbsy, "I think I would like to try to lift the walrus, if I am allowed.

Freddy feels himself relax a bit when the monkey screeches out it's message, moving closer, using his tail to tap people so they move slightly to let him pass, these kinds of contests not his favorite, but they always fascinate him as they are far outside his personal comfort zone, a thought coming to mind that he hopes there isn't alot of bloodshed..it's no that he's squeamish, he just doesn't like it..

Nic's empty hood turns to face Juffi-Wup, as Spot eagerly sniffs their newest friend. "Oh, uh, hello again, Mr Mushroom Sir. You must be excited to be in town in time for the festivities. Has your settlement been having any food issues lately? I've been hearing rumors."

While he engaged verbally with the giant double headed glowing mutant, Nic also tried to mentally project the thought, ~Please help me train Spot, please help me train Spot~ at the sentient fungus. This probably had very little impact, as Nic had never before demonstrated any telepathic ability.

Meanwhile, Spot wanted to greet Juffi-Wup properly, and so tried to find the Fungus Person's butthole to sniff, and was visibly confused when by the lack of any obvious excretory orifice. The dog tries to climb up Juffi-Wup's trunk, but Nic pulls him back by the leash and once again futilely tries to get the dog to sit.

Gibbsy turned from his perch atop one of the rope-poles to regard the big polar bear before him.  The crowd paused in their mutterings for a moment.  The suspense was almost palpable.  Nearby torches cast the ring in orange ruddy light, reflecting in the eyes of those present.

"WE HAVE A CHALLENGER!!" the little monkey screeched, doing a quick back-flip on the pole and landing back on his feet unerringly exactly where he'd been, his tail twitching.

"Of course you can.  But if you hurt yourself, it's nobody's fault but your own," Gibbsy chirped.

Kole the Massive grunted and craned his neck to regard the newcomer, letting out a HUFFF that smelled of anchovies.  He was, in fact, the largest walrus Mawr had ever seen.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:30, Mon 05 Oct 2020.

As Tunic conversed with Juffi-Wip, a quiet but raspy voice spoke over his shoulder.

"You called, Tunic deSanguine?"

Elder Sakai had apparently heard him, if not seen him, and was standing adjacent to the pair.  And Spot. He held out his rough, calloused hand, without stooping or even looking, for the dog to sniff.  His hair was black shot through with gray, salt-and-pepper, and his eyes were black.

Spot leaned in, his many eyes blinking, and then took a sniff.  And promptly sat with an audible thump. For a moment, all his eyes stopped blinking and focused on Sakai.

"Greetings, plant folk," the chief elder said aside to Juffi-Wip.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:40, Mon 05 Oct 2020.

Ignoring all that went on around him, Mawr concentrated all of his mental being on one thing, boosting his natural strength to a different level.  He didn't know how long it would last,


13:46, Today: Mawr rolled 9 using 1d10.  Turns for boost.

but he hoped it would be long enough to accomplish the task at hand.

As he felt the power surge through him, he approached the walrus.  He came in from the front, and lifting the neck up, he moved his hands down the belly, lifting more and more of the giant body.  He couldn't focus on what it was that made the beast so fat, but just the thought of strength.

Eventually, he would get to the balance point of the weight, and would lift with all he had as high as he could, hoping he held out and didn't get crushed by the thing if he gave out before bringing it down.

Nic turned around at Elder Sakai's entrance into his conversation with the sentient plant creature. "Oh, hello, Chief Elder!"

The tie-dyed cloak appeared to shift in a strong, invisible breeze, but was really shifting about the invisible body as Tunic offered a ramrod straight salute to the revered leader.

"I've begun looking into the lower rates of fish production. Mawr seemed to think that you were the person I should talk to. I was just checking with our trader friend here to see if the issue was limited to fish or if other sources of nurtie...nutri....if other foods were also being affected," Tunic added, accidentally misrepresenting the entire situation in an anxiety-fueled bid to avoid trouble. Naturally, he assumed that everyone else would be told a thing before anyone mentioned it to him, and therefore obviously the Chief Elder would know exactly what he was talking about.

He continued to hold the salute. Had anyone been able to see his mostly translucent body in the dim lights, they might have seen that he was doing it wrong, with his elbow at a strange angle, and with his knees bent too far, possibly to lower his hood to the same height as Sakai's head.

When Desi reached the square, she backed up against the wall of a building, about 20 feet from the throng.  Gibbsy’s shrill cry to the crowd, announcing the challenge rang out.  If Gibbsy had let her brothers know ahead of time about a fight, they could have increased his profits. She wondered what was driving this challenge.  Desi glanced the crowd. She knew most of them, but not all. There was Elder Sakai.  Then she saw the bear lumbering into the ring.
Desi had seen a lot of fights on the settlement. Goons, underdogs, clean fights and dirty fights. That included competitions and contests. Even though it seemed impossible, she figured the bear could lift that walrus.

He watches, fascinated as the bear lifts the walrus, amazed tho he wonders why, he's seen so many odd things before, but this, so simple and straightforward, it might be part of it, one doing all the work, the other just being, doing nothing, and yet he can't look away, hoping something more happens, but still Freddy doesn't want anyone to get needlessly hurt, his tail dancing to it's own inner rhythm as it tends to do..

It's not really all that apparent, but one of Juffi-wup's "heads" watches the action in the ring while the other attends to Sakai and Nic.

It projects an image of a person bowing at the waist in a stereotypical Asian greeting to Sakai.

To Nic's question about food sources, it projects the image of a head shaking, followed by the sun shining on the leaves of a seedling tree and the tree growing up towards the sunlight.

In response to the fish, it projects the image of a person in lab coat using surgical instruments to examine a dead fish. Somehow it is clear that this image is an interrogative rather than a statement.
This message was last edited by the player at 01:03, Tue 06 Oct 2020.

"Wait!" Gibbsy cried.  "Bets!  Place your bets!" he shrieked.

1 round elapsed as bets were exchanged.

"Go!" he cried.

On his second round of boosted strength, Mawr fumbled about for a grip.  Kole was fat, large and slippery.  He had a hard time getting a grip.

On the second round...

OOC: Mawr, please roll 1d20.

12:44, Today: Mawr rolled 13 using 1d20.  get a grip.

Boy, it is hard to get a grip on all that blubber, even with these big paws.

Nic's mother would never let him gamble, disgusting "sport" that it is. He stays focused on the discussion.

In reply to Tunic deSanguine (msg # 29):

Chief Elder Sakai frowned lightly and gently brushed Tunic's arm down from its saluting posture.  He managed to make it soft and without impact. The flickering torchlight from the arena cast shadows between them.

"Don't salute me, young man," he said gently, shaking his head.  "We are all in this together. But thank you for the respect."

His expression didn't lighten as he considered the youth's words. The smell of wood smoke and torch pitch wafted across them, along with the smell of unwashed bodies and the ever-present scent of sea.

"There is something amiss in the waters," he admitted, his tone indicating he had more information than he was sharing at this point.  "But nothing I've heard from the jungle.  Sir plant?" he asked.  But Juffi-Wup projected his pheromonal imagery, which indicated things were fine in the jungle, and asked about the fish.  And at the fungi's image of a man bowing, his dour expression did lighten.

"My great-great-grandfather applauds you," he said with a light smile.

Nic's arm moves as the elder directs, and listens/watches the conversation.

"Well, yes. I can take a sample of the fish to someone who who can study it, if we can find one to begin with, Miss Wup. What else should we do?"

The conversation now seems to include Juffi-wup into the little party that Eric is trying desperately to squirm out of (a job which he is doing so poorly at that many observers would assume he was the leader right now).

Kaden came running into town, late to the festivities as usual. He forced himself to slow down to a (normal) walking speed as the crowd thickened. His mother had tried to talk him out of going out, but he been stubborn. Of all the dull things he'd been asked to do in the past week, sitting and focusing on it NOT raining had been the worst. Still, it wasn't raining, and he deserved a little time to himself.

Hm. Something appeared to be happening thataway. There was quite a bit of noise and commotion. He headed in the direction of the arena, passing near Nic, Elder Sakai, and Juffi-wup.

Mawr's claws scrabbled along Kole's fat hide, seeking purchase.  In addition to being fat and squishy, the sentient mutant walrus was wet and slippery.

His first round of boost had been lost as wagers were cast, and his second round was spent unsuccessfully trying to get a solid grip.

"Don't squeeze too hard," Kole grumbled.  "Or..."

And at that the enormous walrus emitted a loud, odiferous fart that seemed to go on forever.

OOC: Mawr to please make a Save vs. Poison.  If he fails, it will give him a further negative to his next attempt to lift Kole the Massive.  Which he can then roll (1d20, wanting low) next.
This message was last edited by the GM at 23:56, Thu 08 Oct 2020.

Elder Sakai frowned.  "I'm not sure it's anything wrong with the fish, per se," he mused.  But he was distracted for a moment by a thunderous rumbling from the arena.  Shaking his head, he smiled lightly, even as Decher wandered by.

High up on the hill, at the base of the weathered tower that had once been a lighthouse, a lone figure sat on a ledge of smooth concrete, watching the lights below.  He was in shadow, as the tower was unlit; and with the sun down, it was far easier for him to see the torchlit arena below.

In reply to Desi P (msg # 30):

As Desi regarded the arena and the hilarity that ensued, a familiar figure slipped up beside her, dark as Desi was pale.  Her friend watched the bear trying to lift the walrus for a moment, and then said aside, "What are the odds?" with a slight grin.