A Day at the Tourney Grounds

A Day at the Tourney Grounds
Date of Scene:	02 July 2014
Location:	Papaya Island
Synopsis:	The mysterious Masked Knight and Li-Ming meet in the carnival atmosphere of the World Martial Arts Tournament grounds.
Cast of Characters:	66, 413

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Li-Ming (413) has posed:
Completely unused to being idle, Li-Ming has found the gulf of time between matches to be difficult to bear. She's helped to pass time by taking in other's matches, learning what she might of this universe's warriors and their capabilities. If for no other reason than curiosity. Although it certainly never hurts to know what you're up against!

Anyway, this hour has found her peacefully sampling an ice cream cone. She's perches on a railing across from the restaurant, doing her level best to have her ice cream and not wear it too. In this weather... she'd probably make less of a mess exploding a demon out in the street. Or walk. Eventually, with a noise of digust, she gives up and the cone and leftover icecream evaporates in a violet flash of arcane energy. "Had I known this confection would melt so quickly I would have prepared." Now, to sulk. And secretly regret having to destroy the rebellious desert.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
There is a figure leaning against a nearby restaurant's wall, arms folded, cast in shadow by the building. Also, the huge broad-brimmed hat they're wearing doesn't help matters much, head tilted downward to hide the face.

The armour might be familiar if Li-Ming was watching the mysterious competitor registered as the "Masked Knight." This would appear to be none other than she.

"You know," she comments in that low, almost husky voice, "Best to enjoy such things while you can. One can always wash up later." There's a low, mostly breathy laugh; restrained and slightly creepy.

The Masked Knight seems to like casting a creepy impression overall. Then again, this girl makes a day job out of exploding demons, sooo...

"Come, now. Nothing to do between matches, either? I find the lulls quite boring, myself. I would prefer to be testing my blade, but... there is a time for everything, I suppose."

Li-Ming (413) has posed:
Li-Ming blows across her fingers, sending the flickering arcane motes floating away like smoldering ash before winking out entirely. Now, she notices the masked individual across the way. Hmm, yes, she's seen this one compete.

"Yes, the next time I care to try it again I will be prepared. I had tried to eat it too fast before and the ache almost had me in tears. Who knew food could be such a challenge?" She grins then, hopping down from her perch.

"I do not believe we have had the opportunity to meet in person. I am Li-Ming." She bows, then continues, "Well met! And... no, I have found precious little to occupy my time when not watching the other competitors." Or competing.

"I must say, you appear to have little need for testing your blade. You handled yourself admirably."

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"Hmm." It's a thoughtful sound, low in the lady knight's throat. For the Masked Knight certainly does seem to be a woman; her voice is low and perhaps hard for most women, but unmistakably feminine. "Most who see this mask prefer to keep a safe distance. There are many who do not act as I would expect. I have seen things to confound the wits and bewilder the senses. This place is as a festival-ground."

Her head tilts slightly, though the brazen mask hides her features and muffles her voice. "We have not. I could not be certain, but I thought I saw you in the stands. I have an eye for faces." Irony. "I am the Masked Knight, so long as I remain here on these tourney grounds." Again, that faint, almost sinister laugh. "Perhaps we will meet again elsewhere, but for the time being, I have my reasons for hiding myself. Well met, Li-Ming."

That magnificently hatted and masked head tilts slightly further when her skills are complimented. "Oh?" She might have smiled behind that mask, but it's impossible to tell that by tone of voice alone. "Thank you. I did not expect to succeed, truth be told. Onikaze Kenshin is a skillful swordsman, and his is a style I am unfamiliar with."

Li-Ming (413) has posed:
"Had I a fear of masks, in any sense of the word, I would likely not be standing before you now." At your comment of confounding the wits, she laughs softly. "Yes, I have found this place not unlike my former home although... less squalid."

"You have good eyes if you saw me that far back but yes. I have only missed a few of the matches so far. I hope to see the remainder." Should be easier, right? There won't be nearly as many this go!

"My own opponent was something I did not expect, though I admit he was not beyond my experience. A foe using your emotions as a weapon?" She shakes her head. "It was nevertheless trying." She slowly approaches, meaning to join the lurker in her lurking. Better that than shouting across the fairway, no?

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"I would say it's less a matter of precision, and more awareness of my surroundings. Perhaps I only glanced your way shortly before the match began." The masked figure shrugs, a careless roll of one shoulder, gilding on the armour gleaming in the light. "'Tis a fine demonstration of the Multiverse's variety, to be certain."

Her head tilts again in evident interest. "Emotionas as a weapon? Curious. I have not heard of such a technique before. My sword is more than enough for me to wield; I will not say I am the most skilled of swordsmen, but it has not failed me yet." Her arms uncross just long enough to adjust the lay of that broad-brimmed hat, before she folds them again. "I can imagine so."

Fortunately, the Masked Knight makes no move to chase away the wizard. Maybe she's more companionable than first impressions might imply; perhaps that guise of the aloof, cold wanderer is just that -- a guise and little more.

"What of your skills? I fear I did not see your match. Perhaps I should have." There's a dry chuckle from beneath the mask. "After all, if you were victorious, it may be that you are my next opponent."

Li-Ming (413) has posed:
"Yes, it is quite important though I suppose I misspoke. Your memory is quite good." Being of the arcane persuasion, it's very easy for Li to acknowledge and respect a keen mind. "Indeed. I am often taken aback, I must admit. The heat, however, is much more bearable here." Grin. "How foolish I feel for coming here to complain about the very same thing."

"Yes, though the methods were still every bit as violent as a typical weapon. It just seemed that my opponent, in an attempt to offer some form of counsel, gained power from the heightened emotions of the audience or even myself."

Li keeps a repsectable distance, however, not wanting to crowd in or violate personal space. "Me? I am exactly as I seem." She spreads her hands, fingers curling upward and cupping flame and arcane brilliance in her left and right respectively. "A wizard. Though many of my peers from home would insist that I use that label I do so proudly." She cuts the spectacle, dropping her hands to either side. "I have tried not to follow too closely in the footsteps of my predecessors but alas, their genius for destruction is immutable."

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"The heat does not bother me." Indeed it must not; though that armour looks as though it may be practical for warmer climates. It's only a fine silk shirt, and nothing heavier than layered leather for the cuirass. No metal, no steel to absorb the heat of the sun. "I come from Mirrah, a land of knights. It was east... when I left it, 'cross the mountains. I have long since lost notion of where it truly lies."

The Masked Knight makes a faint, somewhat helpless gesture with gauntleted hands. "Trying to find one world in this patchwork is much akin to the problem of finding the needle amongst the haystack. I have some notion of where to go, but I've no reason yet to return."

"Mirrah is a dry land of hot summers and mild, wet winters. It does not snow as it does in other realms. I do not mind the heat; I have long grown used to it. In fact, I find the heat of the tourney grounds here welcome." A reminder of home? Or perhaps just a comfortable climate to work in?

The Masked Knight seems content to resume leaning against the wall, apparently unperturbed by being joined in her broody lurking.

"There are some wizards in Mirrah, but not many. And perhaps none quite so straightforward as you, but I suppose I find it a refreshing quality." The words aren't given in a cold tone, so maybe she means that. Sometimes it's nice to just talk to people, and they're not giving you weird arcane hoodoo answers to a simple question. Not that she's ever had reason to speak to many magicians, of course. Knights were her brothers-in-arms. "I've no talent for such things, myself."

And no real interest to learn. She's rather happy with her sword, her other sword, and her horse. Nope, not even any weapons to use at range. She's pretty content riding up to things and stabbing them in the face. Real knights aren't afraid to get their hands dirty. Or their anything else, either.

The knight does, however, seem to eye that arcane flame very closely; perhaps, if Li-Ming looks closely, she might even not the reflected light of an eye behind the mask. Well, good. The Masked Knight is (presumably) human.

"Pity. Sometimes you do well to learn from your elders before you've decided you've had enough of their teachings. Myself, I am content to learn from whomever I feel has something to teach me." Again, that quiet laugh. "Precious few, I find."

Li-Ming (413) has posed:
With a curious glint in her eye, Li-Ming quietly listens as you dismiss the heat and go on to speak of your homeland. She's unable to keep her thoughts from straying at least somewhat, of course. Her own home, the lands she's wandered with varying purposes.

"Indeed? Where I am from, wizards are far from the norm. We are considered rogues, a danger to the order of things. Sorcerers, though they are often wise and powerful, though they profess to be champions of the weak and unpriveledged, often hide behind the fear of effecting change." Clearly, she's had none of that philosophy.

"I have traveled much in my life, though Caldeum was where I last had a home. No longer. I left that home behind when I became a wizard."

A few moments of silence, then, "It was a very obnoxiously hot place. Even before the heat came; a summer that went unbroken for seven years though I trust, now that things have changed, the weather will once more assume its natural course."

Of course, she could pry about who you are and why the mask but she refrains. She silently regards you for a while. "It is strange. I'd only ever fought for sport as a child. And then, it was only in the rare instance when one of my fellow students took it upon themselves to teach me a lesson that they believed they could handle more capably than our masters. Alas for their foolishness."

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"I would not call wizards ordinary in Mirrah. They are uncommon enough that their services are valued. My lord is quick to seek out their services, if he thinks they may offer an advantag." The Masked Knight gestures faintly. "My land of Mirrah is constantly at war, with enemies on all sides. We need every advantage, lest those enemies crush us."

Leaning back against the wall, she folds her arms again, head tipping down. The position seems one of disinterest, but the Masked Knight is still listening, evidenced by her response a few seconds later.

"Mirrah is still my home, but I have not seen it for quite a long time. I do not expect to see it again for some time yet. My journey is not yet finished." And what is that journey? She doesn't volunteer any information, though perhaps she might if asked. "I have fought for sport. Such duels are common in Mirrah, and in fact encouraged, to hone one's skill."

She falls silent for a few seconds.

"I had an older brother. We learned to fence together; he and I. He is a much better swordsman than I; despite all the times we sparred, I never beat him. Not once." Her tone is a little distant. "I have no doubt that he could best me even now. Lucky for the entrants that he is not in the lists, then." She seems almost disappointed about that. "He is the only one I do not mind losing to. It is right, to lose to him. He has always been my better, but even that is right. It means I always have something to strive to; some new trick yet to learn."

Li-Ming (413) has posed:
Li-Ming tilts her head, thoughtfully regarding her mysterious companion as the conversation goes on. "I would not say wizards are the norm where I am from. Nor are sorcerers common. It is just that... they so often choose to do nothing. Even when they are asked by a lord... even an emperor or his regency. War... is not an unfamiliar concept though I have only studied and imagined the waste of mere nations warring with one another. Men killing men for land or for so-called honor. I do not understand it."

"My journey, though I have no home to return to as such, is almost over. I only have one item of business remaining, though I suspect you do not wish to hear of betrayal and revenge." She forces a smile to keep from scowling. "Still, I suspect there is much more for me to learn from my world and these many others provided by the multiverse so there is simply no reason for me to be concerned."

"I... have only had one who I would think of as a sibling, though she was a teacher to me when I was much younger. She was an incredible talent and mind and tought me much of what I wield against my foes. Though we never truly battled, I suspect that she did have some tricks that she had no time to teach me before she left our order and my training was entrusted to another." She lowers her head now, remembering, "It has not been so long since I saw her but it seems like it has been much longer."

Rather than lapse into what almost seemed like a melancholy she waves her hand, "Of course, I do not believe I enjoy losing to anyone! Though it has been some time since I have been truly and outright defeated." The stakes are fairly high where she's from, afterall.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"I have no love for war, either, but I would not like to see my homeland overrun. The gods only know what would happen to those who remain." The Masked Knight twists her head; though she's not visibly looking at Li-Ming, the tilt of her mask and hat suggest she's regarding the wizard at least obliquely. "Especially those who could not defend themselves. Far be it for me to care about those unconcerned with my business, but even I would not wish such a fate on them."

The woman maintains her folded-arm posture, apparently content to brood in the shadows, unnoticed by most people. Those few that do notice her seem eager to hurry on past, except for curious individuals like Li-Ming... but the Masked Knight seems to appreciate the curiosity of those individuals, evidenced well enough by her stopping to take the time to chat with Li-Ming.

"Hm." A thoughtful sound, not much more than a breath. "There are always things to be learned. To think otherwise is only arrogance. I have much to learn of fencing. Even my dear brother would have much to learn. We are never truly masters." She chuckles, low in her throat. Maybe the Masked Knight is an effeminate man after all; her voice is hard, for a woman's. "Particularly in the Multiverse. There will always be something to come along and upset the apple-cart of order."

"My brother was skilled. He taught me much of what I know of fencing. My family had little fortune and no name; we relied on one another to survive, my brother and I." She sighs, one of those long, heavy, and somehow /weary/ sighs. "I wonder what has become of him. I do not know whether he lives or whether he has perished in some forgotten corner of the world."

She glances down at the wizard, silent for a few moments in thought.

"Have you heard of the undead? These poor souls are cursed to gradually lose their humanity. They lose their memories, oldest first, and once there is nothing left of them, they turn Hollow, and prey on others. And once one becomes Hollow, the poor wretches can never be human again." She looks away. "I believe the curse took him. Rather than lose face in Mirrah after all he had gained, I suspect he preferred to find a quiet place to die."

"I had come here, hoping that perhaps he could not resist a challenge, and entered himself into the tourney lists. I have not encountered him yet."

Li-Ming (413) has posed:
"I have come to know of war in a supposedly grander scale than the disputes of men. "It is much as you would expect with factions forever warring and killing over territory. To want to defend your borders against an invader is nothing I hold a grievance against. Indeed, I have done the very same. Men have, at least most rcently, set aside their differences with one another in the face of threats from... elsewhere."

"I have to wonder how long it will hold together. Until innocents once more have to fear the sword of their neighbor." Distasteful thought. "This is part of why I continue to seek knowledge. I would put a stop to all of it if I were able. Alas! My search continues!"

"My... Isendra, my teacher, is dead. She had been in the process of some magic to attempt to break the heat of our long summer and lost control." Her theories on the matter, at least for now, go unsaid. Then, abruptly, "I apologize. My timing is quite awful; if you have not alreadylearned of your brothers fate there is always the chance you will find him. So long as you never stop looking. And perhaps ask for help from others." She seems, at this point, genuinely interested. Perhaps that's a not-so-subtle offer. Of course, she'd need to know much more.

"Though I have heard of undead, perhaps ours are not exactly the same. Where I am from, the dead rise from the influence of Diablo and his minons. They are a favorite method of harvesting fear and anguish from their preferred victims. The onset is often quite quick and terribly contagious. It spreads like a plague, wiping out entire communities and turning them into monsters. Losing yourself more gradually, however, seems arguably more horrific. At least as a personal dilemma." She pauses, her expression hardening somewhat. "If he is lost in such a way, though it must seem awful of me to say it so, you must find him and destroy whatever he may have become. Yet another reason to seek him out, though it is more morbid than knowledge for it's own sake. Forgive me."

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"No. I do not intend to stop looking," the knight murmurs. "I have many reasons for seeking him out. But he is not the only thing I seek. There are many things in the Multiverse worth seeking out. Things that can perhaps only be found within the Multiverse."

Rather than explain that any more, though, she tilts her head down, falling silent as Li-Ming offers her own explanations.

"Hm." It's that low, creepy, breathy laugh again. "Worry not over your timing. It does not bother me. What you have experienced has no bearing on what I have experienced."

That mask rises when Li-Ming mentions asking for help, and those shadowed eye-slots fix on her for several long moments; long enough that the other may or may not find it a bit unnerving.

And again that low, breathy laugh. She's got to admire this girl's straightforwardness. That's always one good way to get on this aloof stranger's good side.

"Perhaps. I am unaccustomed to relying on others. But there is always a time to start. He is Aslatiel of Mirrah, or was, if there is naught of him left."

"Hm. Yes, I am well aware of this possibility." There's a short pause. "That is a possibility that has plagued me for many long weeks. I do not want to lose him, but if he has truly become Hollow, it falls to me to end his suffering. And perhaps he may remember something of his life. My brother became the most decorated swordsman in all of Mirrah. I never even compared to him; in fact, I never beat him, not once. And if he has remembered this..."

The mask tilts up again to regard Li-Ming directly.

"I only pray that he has not found his way to some helpless burg in the midst of the Multiverse, for I do not think he is in Drangleic any longer. I had not found any trace of him there. And he is certainly not in Mirrah. I have to believe my dear Aslatiel would have had the foresight to stay away from his homeland and avoid losing face." She sighs another one of those harsh, drawn-out sighs, drumming her fingers on her forearm thoughtfully. "It is not a pleasant fate, no. One cursed with undeath cannot die formally; they will revive, no matter how horrific or gruesome their wounds. But it is immortality at a high price."

She sighs again, this time quieter, through her nose. "Perhaps I may need your assistance, yes. If you hear of him, or if you find him, don't hesitate to call upon me. And if he is truly Hollow, lost without a trace... I may require your assistance to put my dear Aslatiel out of his misery. For surely, regardless of what stage of the curse he dwells in, he is in misery."

"But it is a cure, truly, that I seek. And I pray that I might find a cure before I find Aslatiel, for it will do me no good if I should find him first, and he does not remember me..."

Li-Ming (413) has posed:
And so, Li-Ming nods. "Of course, I did not mean to imply that you would." A small bow is offered, then she straightens. "This is an incredible place, full of many things I had not imagined."

Creepy laughs? Not a problem. "Of course. The undead, once destroyed, are destroyed. Returning sounds..." Well, returning after being destroyed again and again isn't -unheard- of. Still... It sounds like the solution is much more complicated than she'd anticipated.

Having been in the company and in converse with beings completely without faces, masks, no matter their quality, are almost a comfort in comparison. Still, the subject matter is serious enough... "I shall remember the name. Perhaps I should know who to say his sister is?" Just hazarding a guest, of course. She can apologize later if it turns out she was incorrect.

"Good, you know where he will not be found. You have already made progress in your search!" She quiets down then, taking in what information you choose to provide until... aha. A cure, then. "If it is a cure you seek, I am only able to aid you in your search and hope that it will prove fruitful." Happy endings aren't really a thing back home but it doesn't mean she won't try anyway. Nephalem are joyously stupid like that!

"However, fear not. I will make sure to seek you out at the first indication or mention of your brother. Should I encounter him, I shall only attempt to make it known that you are seeking him out." Of course, no mention is made of what happens if the worst case scenario turns out to be true. Subduing the undead, especially the powerful ones, is incredibly difficult.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"It is. There are many things here I once would have thought impossible, but I do not have the luxury of time to contemplate them properly. Time is of the essence. Aslatiel does not have much left, if indeed he has any at all." The Masked Knight says this simply, as though she were concerned for her brother, but the urgency in her low tone suggests there's some other experience speaking there.

She watches the magician through the slots in her mask, and when queried on her identity, she frowns, face lowering just slightly. It's enough to fix Li-Ming with the reflected light from one eye behind the mask; enough that the magician can see that there /is/ an eye behind the mask. Certainly not what colour, or any identifying features like that, but at least the woman /seems/ human. Some find that reassuring, perhaps in direct contrast to the unsettling features of her mask.

"No. I will not give you my name, not yet." She tilts her head, as though thoughtful, studying Li-Ming obliquely. She gives a single short laugh, muffled, little more than a breath. "I have not given my name publically, in this tourney, for a reason. It remains to be seen that I can trust you with discretion in using it." Don't worry, she's always this cautious to everybody! It's nothing personal.

"If there is no humanity left within my brother," she explains, "but there is still rememberance of his old life; if there is some attachment but no meaning behind it... well. If you should come across him, I do not know that my name would not simply attract his attention in the worst manner."

"I have no promises that he has not already become Hollow."

She inclines her head. "Still. I am appreciative. If you should require assistance in any endeavour, do not hesitate to call upon me. It is the least I can offer to you." She reaches into a pouch at her belt, deft despite the thick leather gauntlets over her hands; and withdraws what looks like a small piece of parchment. It has a number scrawled on it. She hands it to Li-Ming.

"This is my personal frequency. You may make use of it as you see fit. And if you should happen across Aslatiel, in any state... please call upon me."

Li-Ming (413) has posed:
"That is fair; I assume, at least, that your... attire may resemble his?" The hat, especially. Very distinct. "Regardless, I shall do my best to locate your brother. I can, however, only promise to try."

"Also, you do not need to explain yourself." She smiles, spreads her hands and shakes her head, "I mean, I have offered nothing but words to you thus far." That said, she assumes a thoughtful pose and ventures, "You let on that your brother might seek out placess to do battle such as this tournament. So, anyplace where there is an abundance of conflict would be a reasonable place to check, then..." Thinking aloud. "There are regions of this multiverse that are said to be perpetually contested. Might be be drawn to such a place?"

A small bow is offered at your appreciative acknowledgement and counter offer, "It is nothing. As I have said, I have done nothing yet." She takes the crisp bit of paper, giving it a glance before looking back. "Very well, I will do so." In return, she produces a coin, altering it to her specifications with a brief flash of arcane power... then she tosses it to you with a flick. Who hands coins over anyway? Her information is etched upon it helpfully! "Should you require immediate aid, of course, I will do my best to be at your disposal.

Lucatiel of Mirrah (66) has posed:
"An Elite Knight of Mirrah may be interchangable with his brothers and sisters in arms." The woman gestures to indicate her own attire, and laughs that creepy little laugh again. "Look for the hat, and the mask. I'm told they are quite distinct."

"It is possible that he will seek out such conflict, yes." Her head tilts faintly. "My brother could never resist a chance to prove his skill. Particularly not against opponents so variegated as a tourney like this. There are jousts and contests in Mirrah for a knight to prove himself, but nothing such as this. If there is anything left of him, such a thing would be irresistable."

The knight's reflexes are admirable; her hand snaps out, fingers closing on the coin in midair. She turns it, studying the surface, before dropping it back into a pouch at her belt. "My thanks. And I shall endeavour to be at yours, should you require assistance."

With that, she'll let Li-Ming go about her own way, if the sorceress chooses to leave... but the Masked Knight herself will stay right there, leaning against the wall as though she were holding it up with her shoulder; content, for the moment, to watch the world go by.