Lia (Ranger9000)

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Takhoui would recognize Lia being awake and between her poor technique an

"Yes, your name was not on the schedule at all today for some reason. Did you do something to get yourself into trouble? Levon was saying something about you going into the forest last night. None of us ever went into the forest before.."

Takhoui would trail off as she started to go back to very inefficiently performing the task of feeding the cows and preparing them for being milked. Lia should probably try to help her out a little before leaving the barn to see just what was going on today.

No matter what Lia would choose as it pertained to helping Takhoui or not, she would proceed out of the cow barn and recognize a familiar visage immediately. Sir Grigor and Kohar were waiting for her.

"I see you survived your meeting with Cetaz? Dont worry that old wizard is perfectly safe. Though I think you should have handled the goblin a little differently. They tend to come back for more, and in greater numbers so you should have just killed it."

How did Sir Grigor know what Lia was doing while she was in the forest?

"When you are ready, we are going to go to the horse barn, fit you with a saddle, and then ride into the castle. There we will prepare for the tournament that is to start tomorrow."

Kohar would proclaim while Lia may still be trying to figure out what exactly was going on. None the less, at least she knew why she was not on the work schedule today. She would be in the castle with Sir Grigor and Kohar while the tournament was commencing.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia would indeed give Takhoui a bit of help with the cows before she left. At the very least showing the girl how to do the job a bit more effectively. Though once that was done she'd head outside and see Sir Grigor and his wife waiting for her, and before she could figure out what was really going on, they gave her an evaluation of her night in the forest.

She had been just about to ask how when Kohar cut her off about their plans for the day, so she would wait for the woman to stop speaking and then say, "I will be ready in just a moment milady," she then turned to Sir Grigor,"I just wish to ask how you knew about what I encountered in the woods?" It wasn't like she was suspicious, she honestly was wondering how they had tracked her, "Also I was worried that if I fought the goblin then his friends would come along as well, and with the growing darkness fighting three of them would have been difficult."

Whether her question was answered or not, she'd be ready to go right after that, having nothing she really needed to grab.

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Kohar would continue the conversation with Lia, if for no other reason than to set her mind at ease.

"Of course I was tracking you through the forest. Grigor was with me as well. We tried to stay far enough away that we are not spotted, and it seems that you were unaware of our presence. If we are going to put the time and effort into training you, then I think it is within our rights to protect our investment, yes?"

With the formalities out of the way, The trio would accompany Levon and Anush into the castle with the cart. Lusine was likely staying behind to help keep things running smoothly while everyone was in the castle. Just like any other time heading into the castle, the ride itself was fairly nondescript. Some idle chatter and bantering back and forth was had, but it was up to Lia if she would engage in any of her own.

Upon entry to the castle, the cart would head off to the regular spot in the marketplace. The other three had another destination as they were to meet up with the guards keeping watch of the nobles' quarters.

"Sir Grigor reporting for the tournament."

After presenting his colors, the guards would salute and then call for an escort. Four more guards decked out in fairly ornate armor that looked like it was more for decoration than actual combat would escort them through the streets.

A fairly large change of pace from what Lia had experienced in the marketplace. Very few people were out and about, possibly due to the time of day being very early still. A few children would gather along the side of the road and cheer the group as they travelled the streets. As they reach their destination, a fairly large building, two guards would stay with the group and the other two looked to head back toward the entryway.

With the two guards at the doorway, The trio would head inside and be greeted by a butler. The building they were in was a rather large step up from simple farm buildings for certain. A mansion of some kind from the looks of it. Two large staircases leading upward to an upper level and rooms leading off to the sides in almost every direction.

"Shall I show you to your rooms, Sir and Madams?"

The butler would address the group and almost immediately Grigor and Kohar nodded in agreement. They would simply want to get settled in it would seem.

"And you, Milady?"

The butler would turn to address Lia directly now. She could go with the crowd and be seen to her room, or head off and explore the mansion. With how the guards were stationed near the door, it was clear that nothing was to get in or out without their approval. So it was up to Lia now to decide what she wanted to do.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia hadn't even notice they had been tracking her, but it made more sense then some of the other ideas that had been running through her head. Like they had some sort of magic that tracked her or something.

Either way they quickly made their way to the castle, and once they had arrived, and been taken inside by the guards. She decided that the best option for now would be to figure out where her room was well she still had a guide. She could walk around afterwards after all. So she'd answer with a nod to.

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia would take a moment, and when prodded by the butler for a response nod her head as well. The group would head up the stairs and go down a hallway to the right of the entrance. The first door on the left was where Lia was directed to go. She was told that the door across the hall was a bathroom. The rest of the group would head further down the hallway as Lia would enter her room.

Whatever Lia had thought she was in for, this was far above that expectation. The room had to be about half the size of the whole barn that she would normally tend to. Anything she could think of was here, and then even a few more things on top of that. The more interesting things that stood out were a clothes wardrobe that Lia would walk into that had at least one of everything in it. The bed was big enough to fit about 5 Lia's on it.

Once she was over her amazement and exploration of the room she was given, Lia could start to consider some options for what she would like to do. Of course that all might get undone with someone coming along and imposing their own schedule of things on Lia like she was normally accustomed to. It would not be much of a stretch to think that most of this day was already planned out by Sir Grigor or someone else.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia's eyes went wide as she saw the room she was being posted in, and she almost had to wonder if it was a mistake, but the group had already left. Lia spent a good amount of time just looking to see what was all there, and testing how the bed felt, she almost wondered if she should be getting changed into something more then the clothes the system had given her, but she wasn't terribly sure on just what in there she should be wearing at the moment.

So she'd look over the clothes, and wait to see if Sir Grigor had any plans for her already.

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia would spend a good deal of time just being bedazzled with the room she was given. As time would pass, Lia would find herself some clothes that were to her liking. Lia would then lay down and try the bed out. Taking a quick nap, Lia would then head back into the wardrobe to pick something new out to wear.

What would end up being a few hours would pass before Lia would be disturbed by a knock at the door to her room. From the sound of it, it was the butler on the other side of the door.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia was happy as she looked through the wardrobe, having found some clothes much like her own, though it was a one piece dress instead of two, thus covering her mid riff, along with a higher neckline that removed her visible cleavage. The only thing it didn't have was a longer skirt but she could handle that.

Once redressed she'd go through some light form exercises, hoping it might help her fighting in the days to come, and then someone came to the door. She moved quickly to answer it.

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia would avail herself of the new wardrobe and pick something out. Certainly enough clothes here that were she to look for something else later on, it would be there. With this she would start to go through a few form exercises to see how her movement was affected with wearing different clothing. There did not seem to be much difference all told, and it did not increase or decrease her speed or skill in any way that was noticeable.

Lia would hear a knock on the door to her room, and it was the butler on the other side of the door with a summons for her. Lia would be guided by the butler to what was essentially the back yard of this particular estate. It was very obviously set up to be a training ground. A jousting lane was evident along with archery targets and practice dummies made from wood and straw. The stables for a few horses would be seen on the far end of the area that was about 100 yards in length. There were buildings surrounding the area, with a likely assumption that the building to the rear of the area she was in currently being a horse stable. The other two were seemingly nothing more than walls with a few windows here and there along them.

Sir Grigor, Kohar, and a few people that were unfamiliar to her were already present. With Lia's arrival, one of them would approach her soon after. The butler already having left the area to tend to his duties.

"So you are the one Grigor has chosen this time? Come with me, I will fashion you a suit of armor for the tournament."

Wait? What? Lia was going to get her own suit of armor? That would mean that she was going to be part of this tournament as well, would it not?

"Once your armor is fitted, we have what is left of the day to make a fighter out of you. So get ready for what will be a rough day at the office, sweetie.

With this, Lia was free to react how she may. The die was seemingly cast however as her day was again already planned out for her. Though this would be a far more exciting day than counting chickens and milking cows. Lia may want to inquire as to what exactly is going on, though she could just as easily go with the flow and see where it takes her.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia wasn't sure just why she was getting armour already, or why she was described as 'the one Grigor has chosen this time?' Which made her wonder what had happened to the other ones the knight had picked.

She had to wonder just how they expected her to be a capable person in this tournament with all of two days of training, but she would atleast try!

"Umm, this is a bit unexpected, but okay," She'd follow along behind the person planning to get her armour, and when she was out of earshot of Sir Grigor and the rest of the group she asked "I am fine with more training, but I didn't think I would be participating in the tournament?"

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

"Well, I guess since you have never taken part in one of these before, an explanation would help you somewhat. These tournaments are put into three phases. There is a jousting competition, an archery competition, and a hand to hand fighting competition. Grigor and Kohar simply could not do this by themselves, but so long as I have been with them I can count on one hand the number of times that either of them have ever been bested.

I think Grigor wants this to serve as your training. If Grigor and Kohar win their respective events, your battle will be more of a formality than anything. Though I would caution you to not take it lightly as even though they will have already lost, they will not want to be completely defeated and will certainly try to avoid that if at all possible. A matter of saving face as it were."

Lia would at least learn that she was the third member of the team, though by the looks of it she was not exactly going to be depended upon to need to win many of her matches.

All things being as they were, Lia would be able to see a few options presented to her by the smith that would work her armor.

"Well, I would say for you there are three basic options. We could go with a light armor that is probably more for show than actual functionality. A more balanced armor that is a good bit of form and function. The last option is full on armor that is almost all function with little form.

Of course there would be minor details that you could provide some input on as well, like if you want chain or plate. Though I would say that if you wanted something that would be for this competition, I would go with something that is lighter as you might be able to just flat avoid some hits that you would otherwise take in heavier armor. On the flip side if you plan on seeing combat outside of this tournament, I would suggest a more full suit of armor.

Just keep in mind that these tournaments are not lethal combat, you will be using blunted weapons generally made of wood here. It might ring your bell a little if you get hit in the head, but that is why you wear a helmet. Clean hits will score a point and 5 points scored will win the match. Of course, side action is usually something that takes place on these matches and I expect alot of betting to happen with you since you are an unknown."

Lia had a lot to take in. It would look as if she needed to put some thought into how she would want her armor to look. Also with knowing how the tournament would commence, she could possibly make a more informed decision. It was pretty much assumed that she would be in for some training exercises once the armor was finished.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia listened attentively, and wondered just what would be involved in said betting, since she didn't have any real money of her own for such things. Eventually she managed to pick out an armour style. With plates around her arms, legs and chest, but leaving her stomach, elbows, groin and inner thighs less armoured so that she could keep some movement. More or less going for a form of medium armour that would hopefully work good in both situations.

"Where does that betting take place?" Lia asked, wondering if she might be able to make herself some extra cash and get herself some better supplies for any adventuring she did.

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

The smith would listen to Lia's desires for what she wanted in a suit of armor. Lia would also get a reply to her question before the smith took his leave to work on her armor.

"Generally an agreement is made before the fight between combatants, there is always a director present so there is no funny business. Most of the other matches that you are not directly involved in could be wagered on as well, though you should not expect to see much of a return if you bet on Grigor or Kohar, they are generally very heavy favorites to win their respective matches. It would be unwise to bet against them as well, you would almost certainly be accused of fixing the match if you won the bet. Other matches would be bet on at your discretion, as they happen all throughout the day.

I will need some time to work the metal. Should take me about 2 hours time to work the larger pieces, and I can get the smaller ones done while they sit to cool off. I would suggest you head over to the practice dummies to get some work in with the weaponry that you are likely to be using tomorrow."

Now that the smith was on his way, Lia would be left to her own devices for a few hours. Taking the smith's advice would probably be the best course of action, though there were certainly other things that Lia could do as well. There was nothing stopping Lia from going back into the manor, or looking at the horses for a while either.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia could have gone exploring, but now with the challenge she had been presented, she wasn't planning to let Sir Grigor and his wife down. The darker skinned woman would practically bounce toward the training dummies. Eager to get in as much practice as she could without wearing herself out, as she was now determined to do as well as she could in the tournament.

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia would heed the smith's words and head over to the practice dummies. Knowing that it would be a while before she would have her armor ready, she figured the best way to use her time would be to train herself so that she were not completely incompetent at fighting.

In stark contrast to the rather portly older man that had left her to work on her armor, a far younger man was waiting for her at the practice dummies.

"I see you had your armor picked out, hopefully I can be of some use to you while you wait for it. Pick a weapon and I might be able to show you a thing or two. If nothing else, I can at least show you how to not make yourself look silly and defend yourself fairly well. These weapons will be fairly similar to what you would use in the tournament, so you will at least want to get accustomed to the differences."

Maybe not a ringing endorsement for this kid, but judging a book by its cover would tell Lia that this kid is probably unfit for actual combat. At least there was a few racks worth of weapons for Lia to choose from. Some longer, some shorter, and all of them were made out of fairly light wood.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia would grab one of the longer ones, that she guessed was an alternate spear or bill, or atleast that was what she was planning to grab before she noticed one that looked like a naginata. The bill was probably the most practical one really, but the naginata drew her like a fly to sugar.

Picking it up she said, "Thank you, I have very little experience with fighting other people, so I will take any assistance I can get."

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia would almost immediately be drawn toward the longer weapons, and right when she thought she settled on one weapon another had caught her eye. Deciding that practicality be damned, she went for the naginata. The weapon was almost as tall as she is and made completely of wood. Certainly not something that would be usable outside the tournament itself in any practical manner.

Looking over to the person responsible for helping her, Lia would ask a question as if she were looking to engage him in a mock battle. A rather timid response would be received.

"Oh, no... I would not dare risk hurting you. I think you should start to learn some basic form with the weapon first before you do anything else. I can help with that at least."

In what had to be described as just a rather awkward exchange, Lia would start to learn how to properly handle the shaft. Being shown a few basic moves and methods to block incoming attacks, Lia would start to feel a little more comfortable with the naginata.

How this would translate into an actual battle in the tournament however was anyone's guess at this point. Lia would hear a familiar voice at this point. It seems that her armor was at least partially done. Maybe getting some time in with both her armor and her weapon together perhaps?

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia was still fighting down a bit of a blush at the earlier conversation about how to handle the long weapon. The NPC could have handled the wording so much better!

Still she learned somethings, and was still tempted to get herself one of the actual weapons if she could somewhere after the tournament. Either way when the smith called out that her armour was ready, Lia wouldn't wait to get herself dressed in it, so that she could practice her moves while dealing with the weight and mobility reduction of her armour.

She really hoped that she would atleast put on a good show for Sir Grigor and his wife during the tournament, and hopefully so that she could get some money of her own through those bets...

 

[freeko]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia would find her armor almost a perfect fit for her, the loss of mobility at least from the armor getting in the way was minimal. The weight of the armor would take a little adjusting to. For someone who barely wieghed in on the north side of 45 kilos, adding another almost 20 worth of armor ontop was an adjustment to say the least.

As Lia would turn around to head back to the training dummies, she was intercepted by Sir Grigor.

"Just don't overdo it ok? Right now the first round will be an easy one. As you well know I am one of the best knights and Kohar just about the best archer that this land has seen in a few hundred years. Our legend alone will win the first week's worth of matches as they will throw very weak families and principalities against us.

That being said, our first match will be against the Bannock family. I will have to try not to kill their jouster since from what I hear they do not even belong in this tournament in the first place. Spoiled brat noble families are the worst. I think you could probably defeat their archer as well, but their foot combatant is one of the younger daughters of the family.

Focus on fundamentals and trying to improve, since there will be no real risk in this match unless you impose one on yourself. Just remember that you will go last so they may want to try to save face as it were by making an example out of you somehow."

Sir Grigor was very clear that he had no expectations on Lia in how she were to perform. With what Grigor had said with there being 4 matches during the week, it would be safe to assume that there would be a free day in between their matches. Lia would have a chance to talk further if she liked before she were to take her leave to do whatever it was she had in her mind before Grigor had approached her.

 

[Ranger9000]

Re: Lia (Ranger9000)

Lia liked the fit of her armour, it hugged her and barely reduced her range of motion. The weight on the otherhand was a much more serious problem, as it seemed to be nearly half her weight. Still she could handle it, or atleast she could try!

Then Sir Grigor caught her and gave her a little run down about how things were going to go. Well most of it was reassuring, the knights last comment that they might try to make an example out of her was not exactly the most calming comment.

"Okay then sir, I will try to avoid pushing myself too far. Though is there anything more you know about the foot combatant? Getting some extra information would be useful."

Whether Grigor had more information or not, she would go and try to get some practice in with her new armour. Though it would more just be trying to get used to the weight, and once that was done she would go see about that betting thing...