video; +1 angry himbo

[dedoink]

Type: Video
Sender ID: dedoink (Grog Strongjaw)
To: general public
Subject: Grog is bored at the festival
Warnings: discussions of violence, will update as necessary

[ Grog thinks he's got the hang of this Shellphone thing by now. Keyleth helped him figure it out, probably. So, when he's wandering around Port Hope at the Festival of the Whales, and he starts to get bored of just stuffing his face with as much delicious seafood as he can, he decides to get his Shellphone out and properly introduce himself to the public. ]

Alright. So, this festival's nice an' all, but I could do with a little more action. I say we set up a bit of a contest. A test o' strength, of sorts. If you think you can beat me in a wrestlin' match, come and put it to the test. Anyone who can beat me, I'll give ya...

[ He pauses. He just got here, so he doesn't actually have much to offer by way of prize money. ]

Uh... I'll owe anyone who can beat me a favor, how 'bout that?

[ Yeah. That'll do. Surely no one will take advantage of how open-ended the promise of "a favor" is, right? ]

Come an' give it a shot. I'll be waiting.

Comments

video;

[incensor]

Sounds interesting. Are there any rules?

[ For the record, Lio probably looks like someone Grog could snap in half without breaking a sweat. ]

video;

[dedoink]

Rules? Well, lessee...

First, no killin'. Non-lethal damage only.

[ He promised the little deer fellow he wouldn't let things get too out of hand. ]

Second, keep property damage to a minimum. The nice folks throwin' this festival don't deserve to have ta clean up our mess.

Apart from that? No holds barred. Use whatever weapons or magic you want, an' I'll do the same.

[incensor]

Simple enough. I'm game.

[ More than that, he's gotta respect a guy who's willing to throw down without making it anyone else's problem. ]

[dedoink]

[ Hell yes. His first challenger! ]

Good. Meet me on the beach in Port Hope, outside the festival grounds.

action;

[incensor]

[ Lio doesn't follow up with a response.

Fortunately, he's keeping busy working around the festival and it's a short hike down to the beach at the end of his shift. The video didn't do Grog justice; in person he towers over the makeshift ring and the rocky boulders dotted throughout the sand.

This should make for a fun break. ]

Am I up next?

action!!

[dedoink]

[ Grog's been keeping himself busy by getting the arena ready. He's sure they'll draw a crowd once they start fighting, so he wants to make sure any onlookers know where to stand so as not to get caught up in the fray. But he turns and looks as he's approached, sizing up his competitor before striding over and offering his big, meaty hand for a shake. ]

Pal, yer first in line.

The name's Grog. Grog Strongjaw.

[incensor]

[ Lio adjusts his gloves as he approaches, tugging them down into a tighter fit. Meeting the other halfway, feet sinking somewhat unsteadily into the loose sand, he's forced to reach up to take Grog's hand. He's forced to look up as well to offer a proper greeting with a pleasant smile. ]

Lio Fotia. I hope I don't disappoint.

[dedoink]

[ Most of the people Grog shakes hands with are much smaller than him, and most of the hands he shakes are much smaller than his hands, so it is with a gentle firmness that he shakes Lio's hand. But, he's not about to underestimate his opponent based on physical size alone. ]

You'd better not.

[ With formalities out of the way, Grog turns and walks to the opposite side of the impromptu ring, before turning once more to face Lio. He plants his feet and gets into a ready stance, not entering a rage yet-- he wants to see what it is he's facing first. ]

Alright. Bring it on.

[incensor]

[ Lio takes his position at the opposite edge of the area. There's not many spectators gathered but a few more have joined, curious see whats going on. The briny breeze coming from offshore barely stirs the palm leaves overhead but he'll have to keep it in the back of his mind, in case anything changes. A good, strong wind could be a problem.

He takes off running, straight at Grog, fists clenched like he actually expects to land the first blow. A familiar heat gathers inside them, just itching to be released. The distance closes in seconds. When he's five, four, three steps away, all that pent up energy explodes straight at the ground in a fiery burst, somersaulting him clear over Grog's head. And as he falls back to the ground, he swings a glowing sword that's appeared in his hands, straight down on his opponent ]

[dedoink]

[ An opponent running straight for him, Grog can handle. An opponent shooting flames to launch himself into the air... That was not what Grog was expecting. He had started barrelling forward when Lio started running, and as a large object in motion, he has a hard time pivoting direction when the attack is suddenly coming from above and behind him.

Grog stumbles, wincing as the flaming blade cuts into his bare back. But, now that he has an idea of the sort of fight this will be, he can fight back accordingly. Entering a rage won't stop the fire from burning him, but it will dampen his pain receptors to any slashing or bludgeoning attacks. Grog grits his teeth, and turns in the sand to face Lio once more. ]

Alright, so that's how it's gonna be, huh?

[ He's fought enough mages to not be fazed, but instead be excited by this new turn of events. He raises a hand and beckons Lio forward. ]

[incensor]

I'm just getting started.

[ Lio spins the blade with skilled flourish, dancing from one hand to the next and then lunging forward for a wide slash. He knows his best asset will likely be his speed, which allows him to use his size to his advantage. The biggest disadvantage? Aside from their differences in raw strength, Grog's height gives him the benefit of long limbs, making it difficult to dart in for close combat.

He presses the attack once, twice more to test the waters, but neither flies with the same intent to strike as the first explosive hit. It wouldn't be smart to play all the cards he has in hand before Grog shows him what he can do. ]

How about you?

[dedoink]

[ Lio's fast. In a way, it reminds Grog of fighting Vax. Only instead of daggers, he's got the flaming blade. But Grog can tell that his massive size is his best advantage here. So, when invited to show off a bit, he decides to play to that strength. ]

I thought you'd never ask.

[ Grog balls both his hands into fists, and slams the two together, engaging the power inside his magic gauntlets. With a crackling of energy like lightning, he doubles in size, standing now seventeen-ish feet tall, casting a dark shadow across the sand. ]

See if you can land a blow on me now!

[incensor]

[ Oh. Now that's fun.

Lio cranes his neck to take his Grog at his full height, but he doesn't drop his guard. His sword looks more like a toothpick that would inflict about as much damage as a splinter on this giant of a man. ]

All I'm seeing is party tricks.

[ He still swings the blade, sky high where it erupts into ribbons of flames shaped like serpents that hiss and pop as they throw of sparks. They fly sky high where they splinter a dozen or more times into a rain of fire that hails down over the full scope of the arena, the densest barrage centered right where Grog stands. ]