Rise and Fall of the Machine - RPLOG
Participants
Date
2/6/478
Log
It is a fine evening on the tournament grounds. It would be a miserable evening on the tournament grounds with the way it has been raining, but a huge awning has been pulled over the space, protecting the wide, grassy expanse. A small grandstand has been set up and a number of important looking beings are seated there, including a royal representative or two and even a little cadre of Creator scholars! In the center of the field is a silver pillar, standing about one and a half times the height of the largest of heavy clanners and twice as thick. Beside it stands the much, much smaller form of Dax, the hirsute little rhino, waiting for the fighters he invited to arrive.
Zuri shakes his jacket a few times to work the rain out. Once he'd heard Dax was inviting beings to test his sparring machine again the little salamander thought of nothing but to be here on time, not even thinking about covering himself from the blasted rain. Now inside the sheltered training grounds he stands with the rest of the fighters and Freeswords that were called here, ready to put the machine through some tests yet again. As he sees Dax he waves excitedly at the pygmy rhino.
A shark comes wandering up, armed, wearing a breastplate and open helm on his sharky head. He snorts a bit, rubbing his snout as he peers around the tournament grounds. Nisonilith looks up at the awning, then down at the short rhino, not at all caring about the rain that has soaked his clothes. "This the place to spar with the thing, aye?" He says, approaching Dax slowly.
Iorek wanders towards the other warriors, grinning childishly at the prospect, he spots Zuri and stops next to him "I hope Dax isn't expecting me fighting like last he saw me... I felt this would call for something more unnconventional..." he smirks as he shows he has a third sword held in his prehensile tail. "Might not have the full impact but a weapon is a weapon!"
Rather hurridly dashes a raccoon woman through the grounds, her jacket blowing open as she runs with a wooden board she had 'found' held over her head until she gets under the awning. "... Huh... Now -this- is the right way to live! I mean, to heck with standing in the rain, I like the way you people think! Oh! Pardon me lil'buddy, names Aimi, oddjob woman and vagabond! I heard you needed help...?" Her tail flicking as her amber eyes spots zuri and she waves while exclaiming loudly. "Hey there Choco-Biskie!"
Cara walks under the awning and shakes herself, causing all of the water that was on her body to fly off everywhere. Afterwards, she walks over to the center of the field, staff in hand and sabre sheathed. The feline grins as she stares at the machine. While this wasn't a tournament for fighting. The chance to spar, and possibly break a device sounded fun to her. She shifts her gaze to Iorek, Zuri, and Dax, "Nice to see you guys again. Anyone wonder if this device is resistant to fire?"
Dax gives a big, blocky smile to the gathered warriors. "I am very happy to see all of you," he drones in a strange, mechanical monotone, "I have invited you to help demonstrate my newly repaired sparring machine!" He pats the silvery pillar beside him with a thick fingered hand. "I will certainly reward all of you for your help," he says, "All you need to do is fight the machine! It will start slow, just to see what you can do, but do not worry, it will push you to your limits! Do not hold back. After a few moments of activity, there will be a red target. It will appear every little while and all you need to do is hit it." He looks from face to face. "Are there any questions?"
Zuri peers at the sword being held by Iorek's tail, and giggles. "Actually, that might work well in this test. Depends on how acrobatic you feel today my friend." He grins at Aimi and steps closer to her. He's still listening to Dax as he speaks, but from under his jacket he produces his tin of chocolate biscuits and pops it open to offer one to the racoon. "Will we all be going at the same time Mister Dax?" He asks Dax before taking one biscuit for himself.
Nisonilith knows his limits are low. Cares not! The shark nods, rubs his snout and starts stringing his crossbow, loosens the belt loop his axe hangs from. He says nothing, shark tail flicking slightly as he goes through the rest of his equipment, making sure his pbreastplate is on properly, and adjusting his helmet.
Aimi raises her hand high up as she smiles. "Do we get paid more the longer we make it?" The Raccoon barely awaiting an answer as she soon turns to look at Cara. "It's made of metal, I mean, unless you could make it hot enough to melt it, but then you'd probably set you--- Oooo a biskie!" The easily distracted woman leaning down as the picks up the offered biscuit and noms it before patting Zuri!
Iorek grins at Zuri as he sommersaults backwards, landing lightly back where he started. "Pretty acrobatic!" he bounces from foot to foot waiting on things starting."
Cara stares at the rhino for a moment, "Are you okay?" The feline walks closer to the rhino and stares at him closely for a moment, "I know we just met and all, but you seem odd right now." Her ears twitch as everyone else speaks and she turns to the raccoon woman, "Fine, I won't set it on fire then." The feline brings up her staff and grins toothly before speaking in a confident tone. "Let's begin."
"Great!" Dax drones, "Please wait just a moment." The little rhino turns his back on the warriors and trots a little way toward the grandstand. "Thank you for coming!" he buzzes, his voice suddenly much louder and reverberating in the covered space, "This is a showcase for the ARMA 7-13 Combat Drone in a training capacity." He uses some very strange words. "This demonstration is to show the combat training capability of this," he says something that makes no sense, "Or combat golem in the local speech. Please enjoy the show."
There is a smattering of bored applause from the little stand as the rhino comes back. "Please take places around the central pillar," he drones, his excited face belaying the monotone sound of his voice, "There will be a tone signalling the beginning of the fight."
Dax gives Cara a worried look. "Is something wrong with my appearance?" he asks, looking over his skin tight Creator jump suit.
Nisonilith finishes loading his crossbow, drawing the cord back before sliding the bolt into place. He coughs quietly, shifting on his feet as he brings up the weapon. The shark nods at Dax and takes up a position around the pillar, as directed. He keeps quiet, waiting for the tone signalling he can start doing things to the 'drone.' Has no idea what a drone is, however...
Zuri flips the biscuit tin closed and tucks it back into his pocket as Dax turns back to the stand. He starts to warm up by hopping from foot to foot like a pugilist. "This is going to be fun Iorek! Just watch out for the red ones, okay?" He steps forward and assumes a ready stance in front of the machine, tail flicking excitedly.
"Hit the thingie, get paid, I can do it yessir!" The Raccoon woman readying her staff as she shuffles her spellbook to sit on her rear as she mutters a few words under her breath... Trying to reinforce her skin with the elements of the earth for a stony armor! Well, if she manages it correctly instead of covering herself in mug again. "Ready! Hit red ones, don't get hit by other ones, got it!"
Cara walks to one of the places around the device and calls out to Dax, "Nothing, you just seemed a little odd at the moment from the lack of feeling in your speech." The feline gives her staff a nice twirl and smiles, "Okay, I hope this thing can handle long and close range or otherwise this won't take long."
Iorek smirks to Zuri giving a mock salute as he spreads out from his friends, continuing to bounce in anticipation, concentrating on the tower.
Dax walks up to the pillar and taps gently on its side and murmurs a few words before hurrying away. A blue circle of light ignites at the top of the thing, sending a grid of blue lines shooting around the field and running over the forms of the combatants. "OPPONENTS IDENTIFIED," comes a pleasant, feminine voice from the machine and it suddenly unfolds into a forest of legs with square padded ends and they start to lash out at the fighters! Not too fast yet, just feeling everyone out.
"Eas---ACK!" The Raccoon woman jumping up with a little magic assisted jump as she works to avoid the pads! "HA! You'll have to be faster than that if you wanna catch me! Jamu taught me all his little secrets on how to avoid dodges!" It is no doubt that Aumu is bluffing at this point.
Nisonilith is struck several times by the padded legs, knocking him back though he's able to stay standing. With effort. And armor. Effort and armor! The shark backs up slightly, then looses a crossbow bolt at the flailing legs, aim likely off due to legs flailing at him... And his shot goes wide. "Shit."
Iorek flips backwards judging the machines range and stopping just far enough away for the attacks to miss with a smirk. He is watching the limps intently, eyes darting between them all as they get close looking for his target.
Cara weaves her way around all of the legs with little problem avoiding the square pads. As she ducks the first one, a second arm flies towards her. As it gets close, she leans to the left to avoid the metallic appendage. As the third one comes by, she dodges by sidestepping and waits for the target to show up. As much as destroying the device would be fun, it's best to wait until she learns more about the device's attacks.
Zuri begins to nimbly leap and weave around the flailing limbs, tapping them lightly as if teasing them. He turns to the side to grin at Iorek. "Easy, isn't it?" He turns forward to see... one of the arms, coming straight for him! He hits the deck, narrowly avoiding getting swatted aside by the giant pad. He stands back up and huffs. "Keep your head in the game, Zuri, come on.."
Amidst all of the flailing limbs, the pattern is not so hard to figure out. It seems to simply be in a holding pattern, identical on all sides. Then there is a flash of red among the waving arms near Aimi!
There it is! Time to show them the secrets of all her years! Aimi quickly tucks and rolls as she mutters and holds out her hands... Throwing out a rather sad looking fireball at the red tile. "... Well fuck." And there goes her luck!
The bubble of magical force from Aimi barely disturbs the attacking limbs and the patch of red winks out, untouched! The limbs suddenly break from their holding pattern, moving faster and more erratically!
Nisonilith doesn't pick up on the pattern, slowshark. not having time to reload, lets the crossbow hang from his shoulder as he is immediately walloped upside his head, dazed a bit but able to stay standing. Manages to just barely pull his axe as he''s hit again! Takes a blind swing at the limb, trying to grab and hack at it before it can pull away from him.
Iorek flips again, slghtly spinning in the air at the last minute to avoid one blow going for his shoulder, he lands, putting a hand down and hops back slightly, unfortunately no having time to mock the salamander.
Zuri hops up to meet one of the pads as it sashays past him, kicking off of it nimbly into an acrobatic tumble over two others. He's not in position to see Aimi attempt to hit the red pad, but the does notice when the arms suddenly flail and thrash as punishent for the missed attempt. Luckily the agile salamander seemingly effortlessly avoids all of the ones headed his way. Much better!
Aimi quickly learns the downside of curling into a dramatic, and showy position as she's thwapped by the pads! "Ohsweetmercifulauntpetun--- I imagined worse." She cuts off as she continues to try dodging once more! The Raccoon trying to -not- get hit once more!
Cara merely avoids her set of mechanical limbs. She notes the increased speed and groans. At that point, she immediately brings out her sabre with one hand and sets her staff to the side with the other. As she turns around, notices two more sets of arms come at her at the same time. She jumps into the air and begins twirling her outstretched leg directly into the outstretched arms in the hopes to get them to stop.
Both Cara and Nisonilith manage to connect with one of the attacking limbs and the struck limbs, though they seem undamaged, instantly retract into the main body for a moment before slowly unfolding once more. So there IS a way to slow things down!
Meanwhile, a flash of red appears near Zuri!
Zuri finishes his acrobatic tumble by landing atop a slow-moving arm and rolling off of it onto the grass below. Then suddenly, off the corner of his eye is a flash of red! The nimble being reacts almost on instinct, ducking under another arm to aim two quick jabs at the flashing pad. Thwack!
Nisonilith hacks at a few limbs, getting through them... And then being struck right in the open portion of his helmet. The shark staggers back, shaking his head, dizzily swaying about. He shuffles a bit on his feet, barely able to stay up after the last strike...
Iorek thrusts at a limb to fend it off with his left arm deftly, the other going straight for his torso, he flips his parrying dagger to run along his forarm, blocking the strike with wince as he strikes with his dagger. he pants slightly, trying to keep his composure
Left, right, under, above, left, left... Aimi was busying herself with concentration as she worked on dodging those arms, that is before she thinks back to those delicious chocolate biscuits, and how she'd need some after this, causing her to get a face full of pad with a dull thwomp before she falls to the ground. "Sonofawhore!"
Cara jumps back to avoid the first set and smiles, then the second set come at her and she jumps back once again. "Okay, this is getting annoying. How many targets are we supposed to hit anyway?" As the feline finishes, the device goes for a horizontal swing with another set of legs and she leaps forward, narrowly avoiding it this time.
Zuri doesn't get a moment to breathe! No sooner is he done tagging the red target another arm comes slamming down onto him, the salamander having to skip backwards to avoid getting thwacked himself. He backs up towards Aimi, just in time to see her fall down and stands protectively next to her. "Aimi, are you okay?" He smiles down at the racoon being. "I'll keep them off you, you focus on attacking the red ones if you see them okay?"
Dax is speaking to the beings in the stands while the fight continues. "The machine can be set in many ways for an optimal training experience," his voice buzzes, "Currently, it is set to learning mode, it will adjust its tactics as it learns from its opponents and will grow steadily more difficult until the training fighters either strike the target four times, are struck too many times, or forfeit the match. The machine will not attack a fallen opponent and is sufficiently reinforced to withstand all but the most powerful blows. Certainly nothing that would be utilized in training will damage it."
Meanwhile, the machine has changed its tactics. While it no longer attacks fast and heavy, it seems to be steering its opponents to one side! Then, there it is! A flash of red, but nowhere near any of the combatants!
Nisonilith shakes his head, trying to clear his diziness as the red light flashes. The shark shifts his stance, pulling his axe back behind his head and then throws it at the red light... And, it just slams into the dirt directly in front of his foot as he falls over with an "Oomph." Dizzyshark.
Cara channels her fire magic into a small ball of fire. She sends it forward directly at the light, only for it to narrowly miss it. The feline frowns and almost stomps her foot, but immediately jumps over the arms as they all attack her at once. She nonchalantly goes for a double punch on one of the arms.
Zuri surveys the field, and focuses on keeping his companions safe from the interfering arms. He quickly darts from side to side, putting punches, kicks and elbow strikes into any arms that are getting too close for comfort. "We can do this together everyone! Cover each other! Let the others do their.." He spots an arm swinging in a wide arc towards Aimi and quickly dashes in, interposing himself to take the hit for the raccoon. He does deflect the arm, in a sense, as he's sent tumbling onto the grass himself.
Aimi covers her head for a moment anticipating pad attack, but it seems her little friend saved her! "Woo! We don't all die!" The Raccoon hurrying back up to her feet as she readies a spell, before throwing a better fireball at the target! Well, it was far better than before, but she misses it a bit... And by a bit, we mean a lot. "... Well good thing this ain't real or we'd be dead."
Iorek attempts to leap onto one of the pads to run for the target, but it sweeps from under him faster than he anticipated leaving him horizontal in the air, prime target for a pad to his chest sending him flying to the deck. He's concious but seems stunned as he lies on the dirt for the moment
"Currently, the win condition for the training fighters is to strike the weak point four times," Dax explains to the watching audience, "Though the machine will fight to win, it will not cause any lasting damage."
The machine seems to have found a strategy it likes, because the red target appears once more out of reach, though Cara's successful strikes have opened up the field a bit as arms retract briefly.
Nisonilith is down, and as he gets up, is whacked solidly on the chin, tossing him backwards and onto the ground. He writhes around a bit, still conscious but not exactly wanting to get up... "...Damn thing..." So the shark just sort of lies there, done for now and watches the others...
Iorek picks himself up, clearly a little winded but takes a step back and tries to assess the situation
Zuri gets back up on his feet, rubbing his head. "Ugh.. " He staggers back towards Aimi and takes up a defensive posture next to her, waiting for his opportunity to strike, and for the room to stop wobbling. That's his last thought before an arm blindsides him and twacks him back down onto the grass, face first.
Aimi focuses more intently this time, her fireball becoming more focused as she centers on the target, and trusts in her instincts... Before she throws it with deft and precision one would find a little neat probably! Hitting the red pad as she throws her hands up in the air! "Woo g-" Her celebration cut short as she's blindside and sent to the ground by a hit to the face, arms still resting in an up position above her. "... Forgot about that."
Cara begins creating one more fireball. As it still manages to fly past the light, she groans, "Okay, this isn't working at all." The feline immediately widens her eyes as the arms come at her. She instantly dashes underneath the arms and tries to find a nice spot to hit the coming lights.
Iorek dodges the arms but is clearly tiring at the unrelenting machine
he tries to move around to flank the machine to spilt the arms from his colleagues, attempting some feints hoping he can mislead the machine as he tries.
The machine changes tactics again! Something seems to have changed once it was struck by Aimi's fire magic. The flailing limbs suddenly stop attacking, seeing as only two fighters seem to be on their feet at the moment, this is probably a welcome relief. However the relief is short lived. The ring of blue at the top of the machine turns red and starts to spit balls of red light that slam into the turf with muffled WHUMPHS! This is certainly new!
Meanwhile, an arm with a red target has raised itself high in the air, directly over the center of the machine!
Nisonilith remains down, slowly crawling back away from the drone, defeated. "Need more practice." the shark comments to himself, mobing back farther away from the combat to stay out of the way...
Aimi groggily makes her way to her feet, hands readying another fireball as she narrows her eyes at the machine. "An' best pers---" The Raccoon taking one of the balls to the face as she's laid out once more. "WHATTHECRAP"
Cara continues to dash past the balls of light, her sword igniting as she moves about. As soon as she makes it to the center pillar. She leaps up into the air with her sword raised up, resulting in a rising slash up into the air, aimed directly at the device.
Iorek dives at the last minute from the projectile, taking time to stragegize on the machines weakness for a new plan for the team.
Zuri isn't beaten yet. The nimble salamander hops back onto his feet, shaking his head quickly. He growls at the machine and changes his tactic. He weaves under an arm as it flails in his direction and begins to wind up a bit of Fire Math of his own, a cluster of fiery projectiles appearing in the air in front of him before he looses them towards the target in a tight cluster. Though most of the projectiles narrowly miss, a few clip the flashing pad successfully. Huzzah!
Both Zuri and Cara manage to land their attacks simultaneously on the glowing red pad as red balls of force thump around them. There is a pleasant chiming sound and the red circle of light at the top of the machine turns blue once more and the remaining limbs still and retract until the machine is once more a smooth, shining pillar.
There is some applause and whispering among the beings and creators in the stands as Dax comes trotting back over with a big smile on his face.
"That was wonderful!" he drones, his words not quite matching his lips, "Not quite so intensive as I had hoped for, but you made it give a good demonstration! Thank you all!" He waves the group toward a table set up by the stands laden with all sorts of good food. "Come and freshen yourselves up and I will get you your pay!" he drones, the happiness on his face making up for its absence in his voice.
Iorek seems to take a moment to realise the machine has stopped, looking around a little confused. He snaps out of it on the mention of food as he runs up to the table wagging happily.
Zuri flops back down on the grass, that bit of Divine Math having taken the rest of his energy to pull off. After a moment's rest lying on the grass he turns his head to inspect the condition of the rest of the fighters. He smiles brightly and staggers back up to his feet, walking over towards the refreshment stand to grab a drink.
Nisonilith struggles back to his feet, taking a fwe moments to unstring his crossbow; not good to be kept taut in the rain... He rubs his jaw, slinging it over his back and moving to retrieve his axe. Which he drops into his belt. Quietly, he walks back over to Dax to collect his payment, not seeming at all upset with his failure.
Aimi wobbles her way to her feet, and gives a haphazard salute before wobbily walking her way to the food! "HA! Told you I'd... Eh I'm too hungry for that." The Raccoon taking a moment to gather herself before dashing for the free food and pay!
Cara wakes over to the table and her sabre is no longer on fire due to having nothing to sustain it after the slash. She falls to her feet and lands. It takes her a moment to regain her senses since a move of that degree is incredibly difficult to do. The feline promptly takes a deep breath and her chest rises and falls as she breathes. Then, she promptly proceeds to walk over to the table. "That was rather difficult. Thank you for the challenge."
Cara notices her staff near the table. It must have been thrown back from earlier. The feline picks it back up and sheathes her sabre again.
"Thank you all again," Dax buzzes, "That really was as good a demonstration as I could have asked for!" The miniature rhino dusts off his fancy jumpsuit and turns to greet the beings and Creators descending from the stands with a bow. "I hope you enjoyed the demonstration," he drones, leaving the fighters to their food and rest.
