#Kato Fanech

[drjdorr]

Got inspired to do fan fic of a d and d game I play in(in the d and d setting) from this prompt but it was Looooong so I put a "read more" so it doesn't fill people's entire dash

Jysgo is brought out, not wearing his customarily finery since they didn't want to risk him inevitably having a hidden dagger they failed to find, to a massive arena. He nodded in something that could almost be praise, he had asked for his execution to be a spectacle, Sinabi had delivered.

The stands were crowded with spectators, while most looked at Jysgo with hatred, many even futility trying to throw stuff at him, he did notice more than a few sending a bit of that venom in the king's direction. Probably wasn't a good look doing the very thing that the giants the rebelled against did, even if it was at the condemned's request.

Jysgo gave a smug smirk towards Sinabi who fumed back in return. Jysgo was sure the human could work around this, adapt, the cleverness was something that Jysgo almost respected about the surface dweller.

Looking around the stadium, Jysgo saw the rest of the royal entourage scattered throughout. The elven Queen Maeralya of course sitting next to her husband, she looked more outfitted for court than battle Jysgo noticed, though he knew with her being a wizard looks could be deceiving. Khar along with his cult of gnolls wasn't hard to find with their distinctively colored cloaks. Neither was Zzissu with her contrasting Abeil stripes, buzzing overhead. And hard to miss the brightly colored 15 foot mushroom that was known as the Monkanid. Jysgo had to scan the crowd for the half elf Hugo, they didn't look that threatening with only a bow out, but Jysgo had seen just how deadly that bow could be. And glancing at the armored soldiers across from him, Jysgo felt no surprise seeing the dromite Kato.

"Jysgo Olar-" Sinabi began

"Spymaster Jysgo Olar, Giant Slayer, Troll Slayer, and the elf responsible for doing what was needed to save this kingdom" Jysgo corrected

"Jysgo Olar," Sinabi persisted with a snarl, refusing to use the drow's mostly self appointed titles, "for the massacre of innocent people, you have been sentenced to death by a method of Your Own choosing," He gestures around, "that being by combat against armed combatants while you yourself are armed with a wooden training sword."

"I felt like the challenge." Jysgo said to the guard holding him who seemed less than amused

"Have you any last words?" Sinabi regretted the words almost as soon as they left his mouth

"But of course." Jysgo said with a grin, "people of this fine kingdom, I admit it, I killed those innocent people." He let the expectation angry responses die down before he continued, "but all I did was what I was paid to do. I was paid to fix problems, and the best solution to the problem had those dozens of people die, so thousands of people could live." He emphasizes his statement by gesturing out at the crowd with his shackled hands.

"We don't trade innocent lives"

"Sure you do, what would you call it when innocent people join your army. You traded their innocent lives for them to fight to protect all of their innocent lives. How is what I did any worse?"

"Because they chose to fight to protect others, the people you killed didn't choose!"

"But do they really know what they will face joining your ar-"

Thunder interrupts Jysgo's rebuttal as Sinabi stands, "you had your trial, this is your execution! Bailiff, give him his sword!"

Jysgo could barely hide his smile as the guard pushes a wooden practice sword into his hands, he had annoyed the man and better yet, people had begun to whisper among the crowd. Didn't matter how accurate what he said was, so long as it got people questioning the current regime, though that out burst certainly didn't hurt.

As the bailiff started walking away Jysgo held up his shackled hands, "aren't these going to be unlocked?"

"I had assumed they already had been"

Jysgo shrugged as he flicked them open, "I mean you aren't wrong. Though it is interesting how you are so quick to execute the person with the most dirt o-"

"Enough," thunder rolled before he turned to the warriors across from Jysgo, "just get this over with already"

Jysgo crouched into a fighting stance as the armored fighters charged at him. At a glance he counted 9 besides Kato.

The first one arrived and swung his sword, which Jysgo blocked with a slashing motion, taking careful steps, one at a time, to get the best positions.

Wood slivers flew from his blade with every blocked strike whittling away his sword till he suddenly dodged to the side avoiding the warhammer that crumpled in the breastplate Jysgo had seen the strike coming in.

"You seem to have missed," Jysgo mocked as he began dodging the swings of the warhammer. "Slow, predictable, and," he stabbed his sharpened training sword under the armpit causing a gurgling gasp as his opponent dropped his hammer, "leaves you open." As he withdrew the blade he mused, "seems I hit a lung. I'm not use to using such off balance weapons, I was aiming for the heart." He casually side stepped a flail before closing the distance and shoving the tip in a small gap under the chest before withdrawing it to a collapsed opponent, "that's better."

He rolled away as a man whose armor was more spikes than armor tried to grab him before giving a sigh, "too easy." He ducked under the next swing of his arms, snapping one hand cuff onto him before yanking his arm to block an oncoming glaive, "not wanting to wait your turn?" He then yanked the spiked armored warrior's arm to stab his own head, "very well, I was just finishing with him," before he blocked the next swing and pinned it down with the cross guard of his training sword, running down the haft to be right in front of him and in a movement faster than the eye could follow, Jysgo's blade slid into the eye slit of his opponent.

"This is fun and all but this will be easier like this," with a few quick gestures and words he was seemingly gone. And quickly the vulnerabilities of their armors were shown to all as bleeding holes opened up on them one by one as they desperately looked and flailed around for the invisible drow, an occasional amused chuckle being all any of them had to guess on till the only ones left on the field were Kato, a young goliath with a mace, and that drow.

"On our right" Kato called out in time for the goliath to turn his shield and hear wood on metal as a smiling drow suddenly appeared

"And here I was worried that this would be boring" Jysgo joked before recasting his invisibility before an ax swung just close enough that a few white hairs fluttered to the arena floor.

"You can't sneak up on us traitor, I can smell you approach." Kato said, making sure they were close enough to the goliath to give him fair warning Also how in the hive do you smell so clean, you've been locked in a cell!"

"It's called proper hygiene. Surely with such cramped living conditions, you dromites are familiar." The sound of wood on wood can be heard as Kato blocks a strike, "and being a traitor would require I was on your side. You of all people should understand I was only ever on my side"

A few moments of silence. A small puff of dust is kicked up.

"Ignore it," Kato tells the goliath as he turns his shield in that direction, "it's an obvious mis- LEFT!"

The two quickly turn in the direction of the drow who only gives the slight crunch of moving sand as he twists past the goliath's shield and Kato feels a few warm droplets before swinging their shield and sending the revisible drow tumbling as the goliath collapses, the blade having snuck under the edge of his helmet into the soft lower pallet.

"Not my cleanest work," Jysgo said as he stands, flicking blood off his blade giving his shoulder a little roll, "your nasty trick of being able to smell me made an inconvenient-" he barely had time to jump back as Kato's ax swung were his unprotected intestines were a moment ago, the proximity to the enchanted weapon leaving a line of frost across Jysgo's shirt.

They went back and forth, Kato almost casually blocking every strike from Jysgo and Jysgo dodging the lethal swings of Kato's ax sometimes only by a hair with Kato moving in as quickly as his little legs can carry him

At one point Jysgo has a moment of time and goes invisible again.

"I thought we established this traitor!" Kato yelled, their eyes trained as close onto where they smelt Jysgo as they could, "I! Can! Smell! You!"

Jysgo didn't respond before suddenly charging at the dromite, his blade dragging in the sand, kicking it up in a clear line.

Kato had no time to guess what he was doing before the blade was picked up from the ground, Kato's shield braced when they smelled the drow go up. A great strategy for anyone who couldn't smell him Kato thought to themself as they raised their shield to follow the drow's arc before they felt a pair of soft impacts, not like wood on wood, more like... Kato suddenly realizes what's happening as they notice they're right next to the wall

Jysgo jumped off the dromite's shield and manged to grab the edge of the wall and pulled himself up

"He's making a break for it!" Kato shouted as the rest of the royal entourage moves into action.

Jysgo begins to book it ,he knows how fast they can move as he hears Sinabi order the arena locked down, no one in or out.

He ducks behind a pillar as his invisibility drops, already partway through a spell to disguise himself. He has moments before- he leaps out of the way as a lightning bolt crashes into where he was just standing. Good news, people are panicking and that can provide cover. Bad news, the abeil had found him before he could get a disguise up.

He started moving with the crowd, the worst attacks most of them had hit wide areas, they wouldn't risk firing them into a crowd. Unfortunately people in the crowd where recognizing him and moving away. Also Unfortunately from the slight rumble, the giant mushroom was approaching fast.

Suddenly a nearby section of the stands burst into flames, and then another and another. Suddenly the crowd was less concerned with the condemned criminal and more concerned with getting away from the flames. It also distracted the entourage long enough for Jysgo to slip into one of the interior tunnels along with some of the crowd.

Taking this quick window Jysgo brought up his disguise, an older human man, and especially made sure to disguise his prisoner rags. Right as the glamor finished the hulking form of the myconid entered the hall, its head going side to side, searching the crowd as a faint amount of spores drifted from it.

Obviously nothing dangerous, Sinabi would never allow it... but comunication spores he probably would. Easy enough to work around, Jysgo thought, just don't think into the group. Easy.

And suddenly the minds of everyone in that hall was bombarded by everyone else's thoughts. Jysgo watched on in amusement as everyone suddenly jolted in surprise and confusion, some clutching their heads from their minds suddenly being so filled with others thoughts. It's only as the fungus' face locked onto him and the face of his disguise was broadcasted across the mental link that Jysgo realized his error in staying calm and collected and started shoving through the crowd as in contrast it parted as fast as it could for the usually terrifyingly fast behemoth after him.

Jysgo looked for an escape route that he wouldn't be followed through and never hated living in such an accommodating multi cultural place more. And then he saw a maintenance door and moved towards it.

The slight rumble, far to quite for something of that size, told him how close it was behind him as he reached the door and went to open it. Locked. He slammed his fist against the door, locked. Again, locked. Again, it had unlocked and he slipped inside as he felt the spongy fingers barely miss him before slamming the door shut.

"Hey buddy," A gnome looked at the human(drow) who had just ran into the maintenance area, slightly out of breath, "this is a restricted area. You can't just come in here."

Jysgo took a moment to composed himself before replying, "I am an inspector doing a surprise inspection." He tapped the door he had just come through, "you see this door? I just demonstrated with a proper impact in the right location, the locking mechanism comes undone. That is not a secure door and you should see about getting that replaced."

"...Uh-huh." The gnome slowly responds before reaching into his pocket and pulling out a sending stone and begins talking into it, "Hey central? Can someone let Sinabi kn- ghk" he clutches at his throat which had just had a foot hit full force into it before it stomped onto the stone, breaking it.

"Today has been a bad day," Jysgo says to the slowly passing out gnome, unable to breath past his crushed larynx, "I'm usually great under pressure, but usually I'm aware ahead of time of pressure and usually it's only handling someone as dangerous as one of those guys, I've got seven." Jysgo sighed looking down at the unconscious gnome, "they know what door I went through, I'm sure someone will be here before you suffocate, maybe. Like I said, bad day, usually I'm more professional." Looking at the gnome before heading off he redoes his disguise, it's a bit taller than the gnome should be but should be good enough at a distance.

He heads into the bowels of maintenance, he knew the back areas of the city enough that he could navigate it with his eyes closed. Unfortunately the only places he could navigate in here is other places in this maintenance or the arena above as the arena was a relatively closed system and didn't connect to any other buildings through their tunnels. He would definitely have tried to change that if it wasn't for the wanted for execution thing. Jysgo smiled to himself atleast it's accurate this time and not some sloppy frame job

He finds the door to concessions and goes through. The food prep area was mostly abandoned at this point, and quite a bit of the ingredients had been replaced with flasks of a rather reactive liquid.

"You know," Jysgo turned towards the masked figure sitting behind him, silent as the grave, "you could have set off the fires a little earlier Number Two. Would have made things way easier"

The masked figure slid off his seat to stand before Jysgo and flashing him some quick signs of drow sign language <sorry sir. The abeil found you sooner than expected>

"Whatever. Did you aquire my things?"

<yes, our associate dropped them off after escorting you to the arena> Number Two handed the box of possessions to Jysgo who quickly opened it and began dressing himself in his proper attire.

"You never realize how nice that protective aura of magic is till you lose it." He wiggles his body making sure everything sits correctly as he slides his wooden blade into a loop of his belt. "Is everything in position to move to contingency stage 2?"

<yes sir>

"Then let's do it"

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"Drow matching Jysgo's hight and build heading your way Khar" Zzissu said over the comunication spores

"On it"

The gnoll hid in wait for the drow. Seeing him, he looked like Jysgo, down to the finest detail, but Khar could see he didn't ask like Jysgo. Firstly, moving so openly looking as himself? Standing so casually when he needs to hide? Moving into a sparsely populated area when the entourage is hunting him? Heck he didn't even move like Jysgo.

Khar stepped out startling the imposter who stood tall and held the practice blade in a fencing stance. Khar could see he'd never held a blade like that in his life.

"Alright, you found me. But I will not go down with out a-"

"Where is Jysgo?" Khar interrupted, not having time for this game

"I think clearly I am righ-ugh" a wall of ice slams him into the ceiling, only his head sticking out as Khar repeats the question

"Where is Jysgo?"

"Ow. ow. I don't-ow. I think you broke my- ow everything"

"Hardly. I can demonstrate how wrong you are if I have to repeat myself though"

"I don't- ow know! I- ow don't know! I was to- ow told when I got the call to come in h- ow here, when confr- ow confronted to pretend to be- ow him, you'd go easy on me. And- ow at the end I'd get a hundred gold. I'd be set for li- ow life."

"We got fake Jysgos," Khar reported over the mental link as he left the imposter pinned to the ceiling

"Yeah, I'm starting to notice more than a few suddenly cropping up," Zzissu responded looking over the crowd in the stands

"Just caught 2 in maintenance," Kato reported

"I see one by concessions," the Monkanid passed on

"On just ran by near the main entrance, didn't approach the gate" Maeralya reported in

"Just had one try to attack me in storage" Sinabi continued the trend, "wasn't hard to catch him in his leap and it appears atleast some are in a glamor"

"Just found one mid applying the glamor by Jysgo's cell," Hugo said, "and we may have some unforseen issues. Because this was Jysgo's bailiff"

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Jysgo looked down at the chaos as his imposters swarmed around the stadium his former allies trying chase them down incase it is him. And yet he easily climbed to the top of the arena once he got his magic focus for longer invisibility and his spider climb cloak.

He took out a sending stone, and checked for any pesky fliers before confirming they were lower down and speaking into it, "I believe it's time for stage 3"

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"Sir- Sinabi- your grace- sir?"

Sinabi looked at the frazzled individual, a lesser noble, important enough to have been sent to him but not in charge of anything really, "what do you need? We are a little busy right now"

"I know si-sina-your- yes I know, but I was sent to tell you the city is on fire"

"I'm sorry what, actually one moment" Sinabi switches his attention from the noble to Zzissu to communicate over the spores, "Zzissu, you have the easiest access to the sky, I just got told the city is on fire"

Zzissu zoomed up to check and looked out over the city, unaware of the drow sitting and watching invisibly so close

"Yes. Nothing big yet but there is alot of fires, all over the city. Only major areas untouched are the palace and gnoll hill."

Sinabi looked at the noble, "thank you for your warning, we will handle it" and began to head for the exit, informing everyone what needs done when the noble interrupted him

"He did ask me to pass on another message"

Sinabi stopped and turned towards the man, "who?"

"The young gnoll who told me the city was on fire and to tell you. Weirdly clean gnoll too, only gnoll I've ever seen that clean is high priest Khar." Seeing the face on Sinabi's face he got to the message, "right, he told me to tell you, 'how do you think they'll react to the placements?' And asked me to give you this. Said it would explain stuff." He pulls out a small coin marked with symbols, the same kind of coin Jysgo was fond of using as a training tool for his agents.

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<so sir,> Number Two signed as they and Jysgo slipped through the city, avoiding the entourage as they fought to control the strategically placed infernos, <what are your plans now?>

"Well I certainly can't stay here, and they know where your loyalties lie. Well as much as I do atleast. Probably going to have to lay low for a decade or two." Number Two didn't voice their doubts that Jysgo Could lay low for a full decade let alone two, "but once things have calmed down enough that learning where I am will send them hunting me down? Well, there are plenty of towns, cities, and kingdoms we could rebuild in. But we're definitely going to want to get out of here before stage 4 starts itself and the people tear this place to the ground." He chuckles at the thought

A noble sentenced to die is allowed to choose their execution method. They ask to die in honourable combat against the king's knights, armed with a wooden sword while the knights have real weapons. It's been 24 hours since the execution started and the king is running out of knights.

[drjdorr]

I apparently can't feel motivation to write for my actual project but some random thought apparently gets a small novel worth of motivation. Anyways, have some Paradise City Jysgo backstory

Thunk thunk thunk thunk. Thunk thunk thunk thunk. The blades hit the targets with practiced ease, the second set almost resting against their first set equivalents in their kill shots. "The third throw is slightly to the right" the young drow thought with annoyance as he pulled the offending blades from the target dummies.

This little grotto was out of the way and hidden from the rest of the community, a place of his own, something unheard of most of the time for a lowborn male. It had taken time and effort but he had converted it into a small private training room for himself. A feat he would be proud of at his age if he could only correct that issue with the third throw.

He returned to his position and raised the knife to throw-

"Jysgy?" He flicked his body around at the noise, his arm arching forward to dispose of the intruder before he recognized the voice and flicked his blade around his hand and slipped the blade into its sheath. For Zarra she saw her brother for a moment as others saw him, his eyes cold, uncaring, and lifeless but she saw more in them, cold yes, but not uncaring and lifeless, Zarra noticed, they observed, they analyzed, and most importantly they hungered. In that moment her brother's eyes reminded Zarra of the eyes of a spider looking at a creature caught in its web.

But after a moment the face shifted, looking calmer, kinder, maybe even happier. "You have to be careful their," the young Jysgo told his sister, "if I hadn't recognized you in time you would be dead."

"I know how quick you are." Zarra assured him before continuing "mother wants you"

Jysgo sighed, "tell her I'll be with her in a second." He casually began removing the gear he put on for training, setting it in place with quick but casual skill.

"She's not alone," Jysgo's eyebrow raised at her statement, "the Matron is with her"

Jysgo shucks his gear off, shoving it in place and secretly cringing at the sloppiness only he would notice. "For the record, next time lead with her." He said as he launched himself out the entrance.

*****************

Filfyrr Olar stood with the calm stoicism expected of someone who grew up where showing weakness was a quick way to die. She eyes glared for a moment as her son entered the room. He moved with the confidence far exceeding one of his sex.

Jysgo bowed his head as he placed his fist over his heart, a show of respect, but only for one slightly above one's station. "I was requested mother" he said, calmly and respectfully.

"I've been waiting." the woman snapped like the whip that hung from her waist.

"My apologies mother, I was a good distance away when I learned of your summons" Jysgo looked up at his mother who couldn't conceal the annoyed twitch that such a male could be so insolent.

"Where is your sister?"

"She is fixing her dress so she wouldn't make you look bad infront of Matron Torret." His eyes scanned the room, identifying three obvious possible entrances the Matron could come in from and six possible hidden entrances.

As he settled into his place next to his mother Zarra scurried in, hurrying into her position as Jysgo gently wiped a bit of hair into its own as she passed.

The Olars stood in silence, the Matron having them wait to remind them who controlled who. Jysgo ran through scenarios, how to attack someone in the room and in turn how to counter that attack and how to counter that defense and so on and so forth. Zarra stood gently fidgeting, struggling to stay still like that. And lastly Filfyrr stood, glaring at her daughter who's inability to hold still would make her look bad.

A tapestry is moved aside as the two Olar women bowed their heads with their fists over their hearts as Jysgo dropped to a kneel careful to look directly down

"Jysgo Olar." The voice spoke with the casual authority of someone fully aware they could have everyone in the room killed on a whim.

"Matron Jhaelrynna Torret of house Torret" Jysgo responded, using her title and to which family she belonged, an act that's especially respectful when it's their own family.

"Rise male," Jysgo rose to his feet at the command, his eyes respectfully remaining on the floor. "Look at me." He raised his eyes to meet hers. She frowned, he was obedient but there was an arrogance in those eyes she didn't like in such a lowly male.

As he looked up Jysgo noticed the Matron had a male of her own at her side, a child not far from Jysgo's own age.

"Matron," Filfyrr started, "I'm sure we can discuss this directly, afterall, he's just a-" the glare Matron Torret gave her cowed her back into looking at the ground.

"I don't recall speaking to you, or giving you permission to look upon me." There was venom in those words and an implicit threat, but Jysgo caught something else, she hadn't killed her for her impedance outright. Whatever this meeting was about, the Matron must have considered it important.

"I'm sorry Matron." Filfyrr said. Even with her eyes obediently staring holes in her shoes she could feel the glare on her, "Matron Jhaelrynna Torret of house Torret"

Matron Jhaelrynna maintained the glare a few moments longer before returning her eyes to Jysgo. "I have heard you are quite skilled."

"I am" his voice remaining level and still with only the faintest hints of his pride slipping through

The Matron pushed her male infront of her to show Jysgo, "would you say more skilled than my son, Nimruil?"

Jysgo looked the other boy up and down, his attire left no doubt of his place in society, formal but not flashy, practical but still nice looking, fitting of the male child to a lesser great house. From what he could see of his body he seemed fit, not bulky but still well muscled. And his stance was balanced yet haughty, with legs set and ready to move at a moment's notice. "He looks like he would be a dangerous opponent," Jysgo concluded, the boy in question giving a slight smirk of superiority, "but it's hard to properly judge his skill from what I can see alone." The boy snarled until his mother flashed him a warning look.

"Are you suggesting you might be more skilled?" The Matron asked and Jysgo didn't like how her tone suggested she expected such an answer.

Jysgo weighed his options, it was unwise for a commoner like him to suggest his superiority in any capacity to a noble, yet it's also unwise to lie when a Matron asks you something. He looked into the Matron's eyes, he knew the right answer, he knew what he must say, yet his pride knew the truth. "I might be."

Nimruil gave a look that if they could kill, Jysgo would be dead, his mother though looked at Jysgo with a smug smile. Jysgo still wasn't fond of how much it felt like he had played right into her hands.

"My Matron," Filfyrr pleaded, "I apologize for the male, I've tried to teach him respect for his-" Crack! She fell back, clutching her face from the whip that had snapped against her face, careful to keep her eyes obediently on the floor.

"Next time you speak out of turn I'll remove your offending tongue. Am I clear!" Jhaelrynna hissed

"Yes my Matron, I'm sorry my Matron, it won't happen again my Matron"

"Get up" she snarled before turning back to Jysgo, "you speak with confidence beyond your station"

"But not beyond my skill"

"Well then," the Matron snapped her fingers as a goblin slave came out with a case from one of the doors, "shall we test that skill?"

The slave opened the case revealing a couple of training knives, chalk on their edge to help indicate a hit.

Jysgo looked at the blades. He couldn't refuse, drow who show weakness don't last long and he had already brought Nimruil's skill into question. And accepting wasn't exactly safe either, he either lost and would be made an example of why you don't challenge your betters, or he won and by extention insulted a noble.

He reached in and grabbed a training knife. It felt weird in his hand it took him a second to realize that weirdness he was feeling was quality, the nicest things his family had were their weapons but these fakes probably cost more than every weapon of his family combined. He gave the blade a quick spin and tilted it. "The balance is a bit off." He said casually before looking again at the Matron, "so what are the terms of the test?"

The Matron regarded this male for a second, her thoughts kept private before she spoke. "Each of you will be armed with a training knife and when the fight begins you shall fight till one of you lands a kill shot. Understood?"

Jysgo spun the fake blade in his palm back and forth a few times, getting use to the balance. "Understood." He snapped his hand shut on the handle, "when shall we begin?"

She tossed the other training blade to her son. "Now."

Nimruil darted towards Jysgo, clearly prepared for this sudden start. The blade darted at Jysgo before flicking to the other side. Jysgo's blade was there to meet his before launching into a counter attack. Back and forth back and forth, attack block attack block attack block. Jysgo had to acknowledge he had technically proficiency, his form was almost perfect, but it quickly became clear Nimruil was using the prescribed defenses and attacks and expected Jysgo to do the same and Jysgo decided to humor him, to feel him out, get a judgment on what he could do.

Suddenly Nimruil lurched to the side, the blade coming at him from an unexpected angle, that wasn't the right attack? He thought to himself. And then a strike was pushed aside when it should have been dodged, a strike pattern 7 was blocked with a block move 4, his opponent was messing up, making mistakes, so how was he winning?!

Jysgo moved through the pattern, Nimruil was doing textbook moves, which made it pretty easy to guess how he would react after Jysgo mixed things up, letting Jysgo move his opponent to where he wanted him, for him to decide even what moves his opponent would do. Made it easy to get their blade in a bind against each other, holding it in place long enough for Jysgo to suddenly scrape his edge against Nimruil's creating a cloud of chaulk that he blew into Nimruil's eyes.

"AAAGH!" He clutched at his eyes blinded, but even unable to see he blocked the blows against him when he suddenly heard Jysgo leap back, knocking the blade thrown at him to the side, such a risky move, now he's unarmed and an easy target the noble's son thought when suddenly he felt a hand on his wrist, such a sudden unexpected grasp left him vulnerable just long enough for his blade to hit his chest

"You are dead" Jysgo said matter of factly as he stepped back from his opponent with a single mark of chalk between his third and fourth ribs.

Nimruil wiped the chalk from his eyes and snapped "you cheated! Your moves were bad, no one who fought like that could actually win. And blinding me wasn't in the-"

"Nimruil!" Jhaelrynna yanked her son's hair, silencing him, "you will be silent before you bring more shame to your family." She snarled at him before shoving him away, "now stand there and try to not be such a failure." She turned to Jysgo who wisely knew to look down and not meet the eyes of the angry matron, "my son is right, you didn't use the right techniques and you used tricks that wouldn't work in the real world."

He knew well enough what saving face looked like, she couldn't say her son won without making her family look like it needed to lie about its victories, but she couldn't say he won without admitting that a member of her family lost. So her son lost, but only because Jysgo cheated, even though all he did was exploit her son's weakness of his over reliance on doctrine and used the resources available to him. He understood what would happen if he threatened the narrative being woven by Matron Jhaelrynna. He dropped to a kneal as he responded to the accusation "I'm sorry Matron, with your son's skill, I knew that if I didn't take any advantage I could, I could not have won." Not a lie, but hopefully close enough to her narrative to assuage her wrath.

The Matron looked down at this male who had bested her son. The welp was clearly just saying what he had to to save his skin, she could respect that. If only her own son was skilled in diplomacy. A wicked grin crossed her face. "You are right," she began, her agreement made Jysgo feel no better, feeling whatever noose was about to be revealed already tightening around him, "my son's skill is impressive, you could learn alot from him," she felt annoyance from Jysgo's calm face which only showed the barest trace of the concern he felt, "and I'm sure he could learn a thing or two from your skills in cheating," Jysgo had realized where this was headed and could see the annoyance and disgust on Nimruil's face as he realized to, "infact it would probably do you both some good to train together, as partners."

Both males hated this proposition, hated each other. Jysgo was just some commoner who had bested Nimruil through cheating and trickery. Meanwhile Nimruil was some noble so wrapped up in the "proper" way to fight as to be more of a liability despite his technical skill. If either had a say in the matter, only one male would would be leaving this room still breathing.

"Of course my Matron"

"Understood mother"

"It's agreed than." She looked down at Jysgo, kneeling on the floor, "get up," she demanded with contempt, "as my son's partner you are to act as his equal." As Jysgo rose, the word choice of him acting as an equal as opposed to being an equal wasn't lost on him.

"Of course my Matron"

Jysgo looked at the corpse before him a night of quite whispers and flirting glances and they had played right into his hands. A night of intimate passion to drop their guard and a letter opener left on the bedside table slipped into the base of the skull completed the contract.

He checked the clock, noone should be here for a few hours, and it's bad form to walk around with a recent kill so obviously on your skin. So he stepped into the shower to wash off. As he stepped out and started to dry he heard his phone ring.

He flipped it open and held it to his ear, listening to the other end. "Where are you?" The voice on the other end demanded.

"I had a job. Easy six figures," he answered while slipping into his suit, checking himself in the mirror to adjust his hair, "figured you'd be able to manage for one night by yourself Nimruil" he readjusted his tie to correct for a slight tilt noone would have noticed.

He could hear the noble grind his teeth from being addressed so casually "You know as well as I that isn't the issue"

Jysgo did know, "and that is why your mother doesn't need to be told, afterall if your mother found out that you let me skip out on our little training session I wouldn't be the only one who would be in trouble"

"Look normally I'd be all for the hope that you wind up dead in a ditch somewhere but I've heard that mother is coming to this session."

"Next time lead with that" Jysgo snapped his phone shut as he ran to his car. His sources put the Matron far from their training session so it was likely a lie, but not one Jysgo could afford to be wrong about.

As he slipped into his car and heard the tires squeal he thought of how to get back at his partner for such a deception despite the small fragment of pride he felt.

*****************

He had violated several traffic laws to get here this fast but had maintained the one law that mattered, "don't get caught".

He slipped into the training hall that dwarfed his old hidden grotto to see Nimruil standing their, his outfit nice but more by virtue that house Torret wouldn't dare have one of its members wear anything less, Jysgo knew such an outfit was a poorer outfit, something that to a noble was no big deal if they had to throw it away. Jysgo felt pride that he had forced him to not risk the nice clothes.

"Your late"

"And you are wearing the old clothes"

Angered by the casual insult Nimruil raised a gum and fired, a paintball hitting the door where Jysgo was standing not a moment ago.

"Not even letting me have a gun first," Jysgo tsked his training partner from behind cover, "though I suppose there is a reason I didn't feel like I needed to swap out of my nice suit." The repeated thuds of paintballs hitting his cover showed how much his comment had the intended effect.

He reached into a pile of weights and pulled out a stashed gun. He checked it over, making sure it was in order before moving his hand up and firing where he knew his opponent was standing, the noise of him dodging into cover confirming his blind shot.

Shots where fired back and forth, shifting the two around the training hall, ducking and dodging each other's attacks.

Then Jysgo casually stood, moving out in the open and walked towards Nimruil's cover. The drow poped his gun over his cover and pulled the trigger, "click." Out of shots. Jysgo used to opertunity to return fire, sending him into a different piece of cover.

Nimruil could help smile from his cover, just as Jysgo had kept track of his shots, he had kept track of Jysgo's, he was out too, but Nimruil had a trick up his sleeve. The gun that was meant for Jysgo for this exercise was holstered on Nimruil's back, fully loaded. So when Jysgo got into position, Nimruil would finally-

"Splat" a paintball impacts his head, he looks up and noticed, resting in the rafter above his cover spot, a paintball gun, connected to a cell phone. Looking to Jysgo, Nimruil saw him mockingly hold up his phone as he casually said, "you are dead." Before slipping the phone into his pocket

"You cheated."

"And yet you are still dead" Jysgo said casually turning away.

Nimruil stood and pulled out his hidden gun and took aim, even if he had lost he'd atleast take something from that arrogant cheater.

"Spat!" Nimruil staggered back clutching his paintball face as Jysgo stood their having whirled and fired.

"Predictable" Jysgo tutted

"You!" Nimruil shouted, his voice overflowing with rage "I counted your shots! You were out!"

Jysgo stepped towards his blinded foe, "did you now? And how modified was my gun? How many shots did I reload? How many different guns did I use? And what possibilities did I choose to leave out? You're sloppy." He shot his flailing opponent on the inside of the wrist and snatched away his gun, "maybe there is a reason the Matron prefers me to such a failure." Jysgo couldn't help a smile crossing his face as he looked at him, a noble, someone who is meant to be his better, so pathetic, and so at his mercy.

He could easily slip out one of the dozens of knives he had on him and do any number of kill shots, it would be so easy to rid himself of such a nuisance. He could even do it with one of his knives, really rub in the insult. The only problem is the inevitable issue with-

"I see my offspring failed again," Matron Jhaelrynna spat out in disgust from the doorway, "didn't even last long enough for me to arrive."

How was his intel more accurate? Jysgo mused as he turned and respectfully bowed his head and sat his fist over his heart.

The Matron looked at him, such a gesture was presumptuous of him, yet she begrudgingly understood that he had earned such a gesture. Then she truly looked at her son, the signs of several shots on his person clear and apparent, "of course you couldn't fail just once," she spat as he finally was starting to get vision back

Nimruil respectfully bowed his head with his fist over his heart, "I'm sorry mother, I put up a good fight, I had him on the ropes. But he cheated! In a fair fight he would have stood-" the cracking sound of a whip silenced him.

"When will a fight be fair?" She snarled, "if you are doing what you are supposed to, you are supposed to make it unfair in your favor," she tilted her head to better see the paintball mark on his wrist with his original gun in his other hand, "though it seems even you try that you continue to be nothing but a failure."

As much as Jysgo enjoyed watching his rival get insulted with nothing he could do, he wasn't about to let such an opportunity go to waste. "My Matron?" She turned towards him, "while your son is learning slower than desired, I will acknowledge that he actually has made great progress. Perhaps I could discuss this progress over dinner?" There was another reason for his favoritism, one which Nimruil was at a distinct disadvantage, and it never hurt to have the Matron of a rapidly rising house enjoy your company.

"Perhaps another night Jysgo, however we will skip directly to you telling me in my chambers."

"Of course my Matron" Jysgo said with a flirtatious grin.

"Yo, Olar!" The officer surrounded by his friends shouted across the break room as Jysgo walked by.

"And what do you want?" Jysgo asked, his boredom and disinterest clear in his tone.

"Hey, why the hostility? Is Mr. Lawyer to busy for us?" The cop walked across the room where he towered over the drow, this attempted show of power annoying Jysgo.

"As a matter of fact, yes." Jysgo takes a step to leave before turning back as he fished out a wallet from his pocket and tossing it to him, "speaking of, would you mind returning this to your mother? I accidentally grabbed the wrong pants last night." Before using the moment to slip away.

The friends laughed, maybe that drow could actually do a joke, even had props for it. Then they realized that the man holding the wallet wasn't laughing, the wallet open to an id for his mother on one side, and a picture of the cop as a child on the other.

"I'm going to kill that drow!" The man shouts as his friends grab him to hold him back.

"What did you do to piss him off?" Kato asked Jysgo as the dromite handed him some files for cases he'd been asked to give to the brusque drow as they were seemingly the only member of the force Jysgo seemed to not openly hate.

"I told him I slept with his mother" Jysgo said, looking through the files and handing back the files he didn't care to deal with with mutterings of "wrong", "boring", or "needs better evidence" and slipping the ones that caught his eye to prosecute into his case.

"All that over a joke?"

"It may have been the part where the only falsehood was me grabbing his mother's pants wasn't an accident." He made a face at a coffee stain on one of the files. "Unprofessional" he muttered with disdain before begrudgingly tucking the folder in his case making a note to get a copy that didn't have such an unsightly blemish.

"You really should maybe learn to get along with my fellow officers a bit better." Staring with confusion at what they thought was an airtight case being handed back to them as "wrong".

"Why? They know I'm the best at what I do and that they couldn't afford to replace me. Admittedly if I was less meticulous in my case selection, they could afford to have me either" Jysgo gave a small chuckle.

"I'm just saying, maybe you shouldn't antagonize people trained in the use of fire arms as part of their job" before scrambling back to pick up a folder Jysgo had tossed over his shoulder dismissively as a "career ender"

"I've seen his grades at the range, I'm not impressed." Before scowling at a folder, "is this pencil? What, did they run out of crayon? Boring anyways," he concluded before smacking it into the dromite's hands who had caught back up.

"Not everyone has your standards," Kato said, "most people would consider him a pretty good shot"

"And many people would be wrong." Jysgo dismissed before giving Kato the last file, "I'll prepare my prosecution for these cases and I'll make sure Number 2 sends you my bill." He said before turning into the lobby and heading towards the door.

*****************

Nimruil was standing, casually watching the crowds as they passed through the busy streets, such noise and lights unlike his home where you only drew attention to yourself if you were important enough that you could use that attention.

Suddenly he felt something poking into his side right inline with his kidney, "long time no see. Shall we take a walk?"

He started walking in the directions indicated by the knife, "I thought I heard rumors you had come here after you fled."

Standing where he could conceal the knife Jysgo responded, "you mean after you did that sloppy frame job? And I suppose those rumors and you being here aren't coincidences?"

Nimruil felt the knife tip shift, telling him to move into a park. "The rumors yes, though I didn't expect them to be real, should have known you couldn't resist being important." He winced as the knife was mildly pushed into him.

"What do you mean?" After finding a secluded area hidden by trees Jysgo pulled the knife away and spun his old rival around, pulling him in, the knife moved to his throat, why would rumors you didn't believe in matter?"

Nimruil couldn't help a smile breaking across his face, "you haven't heard? You weren't the Olar I was sent after, turns out being caught for blasphemy must run in the family."

His mother was a firm believer in the Spider Queen, but... "Zarra."

"Zarra." Nimruil confirmed, "and you only killed a priestess, she straight up denounced Lolth during a ceremony. How does it feel not being the most wanted member of your family?"

His smile wavered as he felt the blade gently press against his throat, not enough to break the skin, but enough that it would take much to change that.

"You know, if you brought her in with me, it might just make up for your murder, you could come home. Leave this foul surface world and come back to were you belong"

Jysgo said nothing, but his hand readjusting on the knife handle said alot. He slipped his knife away from his old partner's throat and looked at him, a single drop of blood forming along his throat, as he slid the knife away. "Your job," Jysgo said, gesturing out of the secluded area of trees, "lead the way"

As Nimruil took a step towards the direction Jysgo indicated he stopped, "what gave it away?"

Jysgo responded, his gun pointed at Nimruil's skull, "your frame job was sloppy, the crime itself was simply an excuse to get rid of me, I threatened to many people with my skill, they would never take me back other than to make me suffer. Next, you have lived in my shadow all my life, you wouldn't risk giving me this glory, even knowing I would be doomed anyway, you would never let me bring in your bounty. And regardless, you threatened Zarra."

Nimruil shrugged before turning around looking at Jysgo, two killers, masters of their craft. "I suppose there was only one way this would end." He pulled out his knife and flicked it around his hand, "so why not we end this like we started? Have it where we finally prove who is better, once and for all"

Jysgo looked at him, if he simply squeezed this annoyance would be no more... in a smooth motion he holstered his gun and pulled out a knife and gave it a test spin to check the balance.

The two circled each other, waiting for the other to attack first. Suddenly Nimruil's blade shot up, barely blocking Jysgo's in time followed by his own attack. The two were almost a blur of arms and steel as they fought, shifting around the small patch of trees. Jysgo tried predicting his next moves but it wasn't as easy as it use to be, he no longer relied on the best prescribed move. Suddenly a few crimson beads hit the ground as Jysgo lept back, a thin line across the back of his hand.

"You've improved." He acknowledged glancing at the scratch before leaping back into the fray. At some point, neither is quite sure when, a second set of knives joined the fray. Jysgo who in so many of their fights had controlled their movements found himself stumble, barely able to roll out of the way from a knife moving to capitalize on the moment. Eventually they disengaged both breathing hard enough that their usually still chests noticeably rose and fell.

"Ready to surrender?" Nimruil asked, imagining his glory of bring in and finally proving his superiority over this upstart commoner.

Jysgo flipped the the blades in his hands, somehow having one of swapped for Nimruil's at some point as he dropped into a ready position "are you?"

Nimruil understood, there would be no surrender in this fight. Suddenly the knife he had somehow swapped with Jysgo was thrown at its owner's face before Jysgo casually deflected it with a throw of his own which gave Nimruil but a moment to Dodge the second thrown blade. "You miss-"

"Pft!" The silenced gun shot rang like an unsilenced one to Nimruil's ears as a red blossom spread over his chest.

"You are dead" Jysgo said looking at his old foe.

"You-" Nimruil spat up blood, "you cheated"

"And you are still dead" Jysgo replied as he rose the gun and fired a shot through the other drow's skull.

He walked over and picked up the knives from the ground and scuffed out the spot where his blood had hit the ground. Having collected the evidence, he pushed open the corpse' suit and pulled out a wallet and phone. He pocketed the wallet to dispose of later before opening the phone and dialing back the last number.

The phone on the receiving end was picked up and the recipient waited before finally getting frustrated enough "is the job done?"

"Not exactly Jhaelrynna" Jysgo replied

The Matron went silent for a moment before continuing, "Jysgo. So I take it Nimruil is dead? What did I expect from such a failure."

"He's getting cold as we speak." Jysgo confirmed, "apparently he was going after my sister."

"Well she did insult our goddess, I'm sure you understand why we have to do something about her"

"Of course, and I'm sure you understand that if anything happens to her or I so much as think I saw or heard an assassin after her that every one of you nobles will die starting with you. And you know how skilled I am to follow through on that." He paused to let his threat seep in. "Just something to think about. Wonderful talking to you Jhaelrynna, you may want to get your agents better phones by the way, this is way out of date." Snapping the phone shut not bothering to wait for a dismissal before opening it and snapping it in half to better disperse the disposal.

Jysgo pulled out his own phone and tapped his password into the screen before calling up a number, "Number 2, I've got news of an individual who may be in the city and I need to know where she is. Zarra Olar, drow, female, mid to late adolescents, recent surface so unlikely to be seen moving during daylight hours, and currently hunted so likely actively hiding so she might take some work to-" as he was walking he suddenly hears the sound of a breaking branch and a familiar shout as someone fell out of a tree, one arm wrapped up alongside the sound of an annoyed animal joining them on their way down. "... never mind"

[drjdorr]

D and d is so fun. Like I enjoy playing my suave effortless killer Jysgo just riding the back of a giant while invisible stabbing away at him with impunity. And in the same battle my little dromite fighter Kato so effortlessly blocks an attack that he just asked the enemy to surrender because Kato had bigger threats to deal with. He then casually walked off two 20ft drops because it was the shortest route between him and the actual threats.

Just that juxtaposition of bad-a perfect killer and humorous "the enemy is down this wall" CLANG CLANG

[drjdorr]

I, a person who knows basically nothing about music, decided to figure out what music some of my characters would enjoy. Wish me luck and feel free to try your self

Jysgo, I usually associate with classical music. Let's face it a casual stealthy murder just feels right with classical. Plus he's a pretentious prick and can you think of a more pretentious music?

Professionally he may prefer something loud though to cover any noises, but he does enjoy the challenge. Perhaps one of those classical songs that have those sudden loud parts.

Kato... I guess they'd enjoy work songs. Something good to pass the time and their original job was hanging around tunnel crews incase they break into a tunnel that had monsters so a good rhythmic mining song would probably remind them of home.

They also probably would have enjoyed whatever that stuff with sea shanties was that went on

Bron son of Orth would also enjoy a work song, something nice and rhythmic to smith to. But for variety from Kato, he probably would also enjoy country music. To be clear, not "USA USA" hyper national country music, more "I love my truck, I love my wife" country music. He'd probably also like Dolly Parton, but who doesn't

Click Whistle likes sea shanties. He's a sailor who loves being at sea with his crew, enough said

[drjdorr]

Kato: he actually does do painting.(his character stats actually have a few ranks in craft painting) so he could try selling some of his better pieces.

Zarra: I can picture her braiding little bracelets and necklaces that she could sell, though she is probably more there to check out all the other crafts people made and, if Paradise City Zarra, maybe purchase a new phone charm to add to her improvised bludgeoning weapon of a collection

Jysgo: whatever he is selling odds are he didn't make it. Best case, he was forced to man the booth while Zarra went off and he's went and made proper price adjustments to her casual sale prices to instead make maximum profit. Worst case, he's selling straight up stolen crafts. If he is selling something he has actually made, he probably isn't doing it to openly as it's probably frowned upon to sell poisons and poisonous plants.

Bron: probably some form of metal work, his original self is a smith after all, and his Paradise City self, while a mechanic, would probably still do some artistic metal working as a hobby if nothing else. Though his prized crafts at his booth wouldn't be for sale because they're stuff he's showing off because it's made for him by his kids.

What is your oc selling at the craft fair?

[drjdorr]

This is basically the mentality of my 3.5 dromite tank

BEING A TANK. IS ALL ABOUT LOVE.

[drjdorr]

Some jobs my characters have are

the drow rouge who is, unsurprisingly, an assassin

The dromite fighter who is a guard, specially before joining the party they guarded tunnels being excavated and got in the way of anything that attacked while someone else came to kill it

Then I have a human fighter who's a blacksmith because it is the family business

yknow what i’m just going to give a quick bit of advice for any DnD or whatever tabletop players: if you’re trying to create a character and are stuck on their background, give them a job. Like a normal-ass job.

We have a witch in our party, but his greatest contribution to our campaign so far is that he’s also a fucking lawyer. The fact that in any given situation he can read the legality of our actions, the punishments for digression, the loopholes through it, it’s turned out to be absolutely vital to how we get through our dumbass shenanigans.

Our fighter, meanwhile, has a job as a professional dominatrix, and you’d be amazed how often it comes up? Her intimidation checks are through the roof she can just slam the butt of her spear against the floor and everyone shuts up and listens to her, it’s fantastic.

Like maybe this is an obvious thing to a lot of players, idk, but i have just been utterly charmed by how much you can get out of it–both in terms of utility and personality–if you have your character paying the bills not with dragon slaying, but with regular human professions.

[drjdorr]

My dromite, Kato, would be the post of the guy walking through the hoard because the zombies can't get through their armor. Meanwhile my drow, Jysgo, would either be very useful (they guy's stealth stats are so high he could probably punch you in the face and you might not notice) or he would become extra prick because he didn't follow the rules already, but now he doesn't need to hide breaking the rules so much

If you’ve never thought about a urban fantasy zombie apocalypse au for your dnd party this is your cue to do so

Because man it’s fun ��

[drjdorr]

Basically how I feel with my 3.5 characters. Jysgo could hide in an open field on a sunny day without using invisibility usually and Kato could be hit by a cannon and it wouldn't get close to his AC, but in one fight a giant could see straight through Jysgo's invisiblity and OUCHY most of Jysgo's health was gone in a single hit

Accidentally challenging the DM

Context : My DM and me discussing the future of my sorcerer who’s multiclassing as a bladesinger wizard :

Me *excited *: you know, with the bladesong form, my AC will go up with the intelligence modifier and since my character will be studying I intend to have his intelligence go up, his current AC is 17, he’ll be untouchable! 

DM : Hmm I see. I need to work on some stuff.

Me : oh fuck. Wait-

DM: Yeaaaah, you basically just went up to me and challenged me to smite you.

[drjdorr]

3.5 is great for just insane rolls.

I have a character whose armor class is basically over 40(I currently need buffs to get that high but said buffs are basically always active in combat)

Context: (3.5e) My assassin stole like 300 golds worth of healing potions in session one and the DM didn’t like that. So he sent the town guard to the tavern.

DM: Alright after they check everyones bags they say “Well then all that’s left is to check the saddlebags”

Me(ooc):Shit.jpeg (I actually pronounced the .jpeg yes, what you gonna do about it?), can I use a move silently to got to the stables out the window before they get there?

Dm: Well yeah but the stables are right next door its gotta be a high roll.

Me: *Rolls* “28”

Dm:…What? How the fuck?! You’re third level!

Me: Skill points are great.

Dm: *sigh* Alright you walk in front of the guards and take your potions and they somehow never once notice you…you fucking stealth God