Act 2: Upheaval I - The Werewolf

"Yeah." - Mihai answers indifferently - "Can we go in?"

The woman responds with a noncommittal shrug. "Good luck," she says.

Taking this as his cue, the other sentry knocks on the tall wooden doors that lead into the Arena. A subdued thump can be heard from the other side. Then, the doors open.

"Take them to the Szefowie," the spearman tells a younger guard. "They're Anastazja's sellswords."

"On it," the subordinate promptly says. He gestures for them to follow him.

Mihai steps forward.

Steve follows the guard.

"The best," Konrad chimes in after the spearman. He gives the middle-aged female guard a once-over look before passing on and following the others.

If it wasn't for her rugged looks, the woman might have been considered good-looking. Amused by Konrad, she salutes him with a lazy wave of her hand and returns her attention to her job.

The adventurers pass by many corridors until they find themselves under the sky again. The first thing that grabs the party's attention are the numerous tents set up in the arena, right where the Tournament will take place. There are many people milling about, sharpening their weapons and putting their armor on. The stands are almost completely empty, save for a few groups of people who are seated and waiting for something. Furthermore, there are large audio speakers that have been installed all around the stands, which the party members recognize as products woven by Blue Sound.

The young guard guides the party down into the arena. A multitude of footprints are strewn across the reddish yellow sand and almost all the space is either occupied by a tent or is used to walk around. As the they make their way toward the center of the Arena, the warriors they pass by all quiet down and turn their attention toward them. Their eyes are fixated on these apparent strangers, and a few of them stand up from their benches to get a better look.

It is now completely silent.

Once the party arrives at the center of the monument, they find an empty space that seems to be usually reserved for combat practice. 14 people stand there.

Men and women of various ages. Some are wearing scaled armor, others leather armor. There's even a woman who dons the black robe of a Stoic monk.

A man breaks away from the congregation and walks toward the adventurers. He wears a red leather armor with an emblem emblazoned at the center; two axes that crisscross each other, held together by ropes. His muscles are bulging from underneath the armor, and each one of his steps dig into the sand. He keeps his shoulder-length hair loose and styles his beard with braids.

With all of the attention on him, the giant man speaks.

"There they are!" he says with a booming voice. He stops in front of the party, now standing only one foot away from them. He looks down at the three new hunters and examine their stance and weapons. "They are supposed to help us?"

He spits at their feet.

"Pathetic. Who's the leader?"

Mihai shrugs, head slightly tilted and bored look on his face, looking almost sidelong at the big man - "Who's yours?"

Konrad steps forward. "I'm the captain, szef. If you have doubts about our skill at arms, pray, reserve them for the hunt. You will see then."

Steve affects a bored persona, looking around and then immediately losing interest.

Deception 33

"He means he runs the boat we travel on. You can deal with him if you like; he enjoys the attention. Just bear in mind that doesn't mean a thing."

Steve notices that a few of the Szefowie are glancing at him, but only briefly.

The tall man lets out a mocking laugh. "Oi, captain. I think your mate is speaking out of turn. What are you gonna do about it?"

Mihai cuts in - "Give it a rest. We're not politicians and you can't maneuver us, and what turns we have are none of your business. We're going down to that Den and hunt us a Werewolf. You can stay here and posture, but don't make us part of it. People are dying as you stand there and laugh."

Konrad laughs. "He's telling the truth, so there's nothing for me to do about it! Now, I told you to wait and see. Until then, why don't you go back to your mother and get your hair braided to match your beard? Add some pretty colors to it while you're at it."

The man glares at the adventurers, perfectly calm. The other Szefowie behind him keep their eyes on the party and wait for their compatriot's response.

This hulk of a man then shifts his gaze and looks at the space between Steve's feet; Florolf, the white carbuncle, has finally caught up to the rest of the party and decided to sit there. The Szef grunts and gestures at the men near him to move out. He approaches a weapon rack and picks up two large axes from it. Many other warriors do the same, including the majority of the Szefowie.

Armed and ready to go, the tall man looks at the adventurers again and says, "These loudspeakers." He gestures at the woven speakers installed all around the Arena. "Nice idea."

He then walks away, followed by dozens of men and women. But at the center of the training area remains five Szefowie. As their compatriots slowly leave the camp, they stand there and stare at the party. The monk is among them.

Mihai shrugs - "We don't all get public funding."

Then approaches the remaining five. Looks over all of them before speaking up - "The thing will probably pick whoever's isolated, first. It's out hunting, not looking for a brawl. I doubt it'll start with Czelusniak, and there's nothing to say it'll stick around for a second kill." - he pauses a moment to consider something - "Not unless it wants to."

Steve follows Mihai. He nods in greeting but remains silent for now.

"Huh. That's a twist. I hope they're all going together."

When near to the ones who stayed behind, he says, "So who was that?" He points in the direction of the warriors who just left.

The Myrzen warriors have now begun to leave the Arena. The few that remain are disassembling the tents starting from the edge of the camp, which leaves the adventurers alone with the five Szefowie.

The one who gives a response to Mihai is a man in his mid-thirties who wears a black leather armor. Of average height and stature, he nevertheless seems nimble, just like the female sentry that was posted outside. He smiles at the rogue and with a kind voice, he says, "Let's not rush into things. Why don't talk a little about ourselves first?"

When Konrad asks his question, the man is eager to reply. "That someone is our one and only Leopold Czelusniak." He articulates the last name on purpose, visible enjoying the way it rolls off his tongue. "He's so courageous, isn't he?"

"Stunning and brave as they come." - Mihai acknowledges, with a kind of bored sarcasm - "I'm Mihai, though it seems like you already know that."

"A pleasure to meet you." He reciprocates the greeting with a nod of his head. "I'm Zenon Duma, Szef of Dziki. And who's your friend?"

He now looks at Steve with curiosity twinkling in his eyes.

"He's been really quiet so far," another Szef comments.

At least fifty years old, this woman wears a black tunic with long sleeves, gray trousers and leather boots, but no armor of any kind. Her blond hair are short, which seems to be a practical choice on her part. Just like all of her compatriots, she has gone through intense physical training and thus has gained noticeable muscle mass. With her arms behind her back, she observes Steve with impersonal interest.

Steve affects a slightly confused look before launching into terrible Wytrwaly with a thick Feather's accent. "I bathroom Steve. A pleasure to meet your donkey." His body language suggests he is trying to greet the man in an unfamiliar language.

Deception 31.

Mihai scratches his head in embarrassment.

Deception 10(1) - Aid Steve