First six:
NAV
Ozarck
Dwarmin
Tomasque
Yoink
Beirus
Prologue
The six of you feel the touchdown of the carrier, thumping on the Farport Gateway's landing dock. The carrier's doors soon open, revealing a large, circular room with four landing docks at the center, two of them unoccupied. Two dock workers come and undo your straps and clasps, then helping you up as the motion sickness slowly kicks in. The Farport is the smallest of ports, reserved for criminals and newcomers, but nonetheless it is packed with spectators, alien, human and robotic. Stalls of varying degrees of wealth sell all sorts of goods, from simple shacks selling food, to lavish tents selling Arena-class weaponry.
A hooded being standing eight feet tall awaits you as the dock workers line you up side-by-side. The being's robe is a plain, simple red robe. Underneath the hood you can spy the glowing of electronics, and with his movement you can hear the whizzing of motors. In one hand he holds a datapad, in the other he holds an orb-shaped device. He hovers closer to your group.
"I AM 20, A CONDUIT FOR THE ARENA AI. ALL HIS COMMANDS ARE RELAYED TO ME AND THE 21 OTHER CONDUITS," he says, his voice an androgynous electrical growl. "WELCOME FIGHTERS," he says, opening his arms up in greetings, "TO THE ARENA!"
The being nods, and the dock workers begin stripping you of your belongings, down to all your necessities. The conduit hovers closer and brandishes a long, glowing stamp. He brands you all somewhere on your body large enough, unless you can't be branded at all, so he implants a chip inside you instead. "HERE YOU ARE NOTHING. WHAT YOU WERE, KIND OR CRUEL, BELOVED OR HATED, MEANS NOTHING. NOW IT IS FOR YOU TO DECIDE WHO YOU BECOME. STEEL YOURSELVES."
The conduit turns and waves you away, and the dock workers lead you to a robotic on a wall, with a map beside it. The robot has no legs or arms, only a neck and head. "Good day. I am Conduit 1. I am different from other Conduits because you may find me all across the Arena. I serve as a guide for spectators and fighters alike. Unlike the barbaric Colosseums and fighting pits of lower cultures, you are not slaves. You are free to roam around. Also, if you are not sentenced here by a judge or a similar law-enforcer, you are allowed toelave the Arena anytime you wish.
"A few rules before we begin the tour. Never start fights anywhere but the fighting pits. Any fighting will be quickly and severely put down by the Arena Guardians. Next rule. You may choose to leave the Arena for a short while, to do important business. At most you will have a year to return. If you surpass that time period, you are barred from fighting here again. You will still be allowed to spectate, provided you can give a suitable tribute as all spectators do. Third rule. The equipment given to you on fights are on loan. You may not keep them, unless you choose that weapon as a prize should you win. You will have no penalty from breaking loaned equipment, as we have an enormous stock of them. Your own equipment, however, must be fixed yourself or at one of the shops.
"Speaking of shops, there are stalls in the ports, the lounges, the living halls, and outside the fighting pits. They sell all manners of things; I doubt you can't find an item your looking for if you try hard enough. As the Arena is separate from every other ruling body in the galaxy, the merchants have cleverly devised the Arena credit, our own currency. There is an exchange system for every other currency in the galaxy in the Greatport, if for some reason you obtain alien currency. The Arena AI will not award you Arena credit as a prize; instead before every fight, spectators bet Arena credit on their favorite champions, and you get a portion of that no matter if you win or lose. If you want more spectators to bet on you, I suggest you try to win the hearts of the crowds. Speak to Conduit 3, the Trainer, for more on that.
"The Arena has other amenities for you to use: three different canteens, two for spectators and one for fighters. A training hall with assortments of equipment and training simulations. This is where you will find Conduit 3. The lounges allow you to peacefully relax and make acquaintances with other fighters. The lounge contains saunas, spas and pools for your use, courtesy of the Galactic Merchant Guild. The Armory is off limits most times, unless you achieve a high-score on the scoreboards, in which case you may specify a weapon you wish to receive, and a Conduit will try to find a suitable match.
"Finally, the fights. There are three types: simple arena fights, where you fight a number of opponents, to first blood, to who first yields, or to the death. Then there are battlefield types, where armies of fighters face off to achieve different goals: capturing a point, besieging a fort, or eliminating the enemy. They range from hundreds of fighters to thousands. Finally we have the Maze, an ever-changing arena where only the boldest, bravest and strongest dare enter. I do not suggest new fighters joining it. You are ill-equipped. Ill trained. The goal of the Maze is to escape it. There are myriad monsters, traps and puzzles you must face. No one has emerged from the Maze alive.
"That is all for now. If you have more questions, feel free to stay and ask. You may wish to visit the Trainer Conduit, or one of the stalls. You can relax in the lounge after that sickly travel from the Gateway and meet your new brothers and sisters. If you're feeling restless, meet Conduit 2, outside the fighting pits. He will give you your first fight."
((That...was longer than I intended. So only the first six I mentioned will get in fights. If you put in a character sheet after this post feel free to already hop in and go to the lounge. Assume you were greeted in the exact same fashion. Not all of you will choose to fight, but you'll have to fight sometime if you want to reach the high scores.))
Author
Topic: Galactic Champions [6/6] (Read 5915 times)