Open The Tournament of Fire Mountain

[Hagga]

(Image from BBC science website)

Once in a dozen generations the greatest fighters in the world gather at the highest peak of the Dragon Tooth Mountains for a Tournament, THE Tournament. The most intensive and dangerous fighting tournament in the world. The Tournament of Fire Mountain.

As the name suggests it takes place on Fire Mountain, an active volcano in the Dragon's Teeth Mountain Range.
Contestants must face not only each other but the many dangers of the Mountain itself including landslides, quakes, gas fissures and the occasional flow of lava.

The invitations have already been sent to be shown at the base of the Mountain where a town has been assembled just for this occasion. The Gathering is held for a full week before the Tournament begins and the contestants travel up the mountain. There they will face each other as they come until they reach the summit. The first to do so must ring the Matta, a brass Gong 22 feet in diameter, and declare themselves the winner.

The town itself, made only to be abandoned once the event is over, has no name but is easy to find.

There is a great hustle and bustle as fighters from all over the world come to compete, support or just observe. The weeks festivities are full of games and contests with prizes of ornate figures carved from obsidian and decorative weapons.

Overseeing the event are the Masters of Garru Harru, Lurth the Firehand and Shom of the Springs, who will adorn the winner when they return from the summit.

Hagga has been given the task of greeting the fighters as they assemble. Several had already arrived. A thin human with strange weapons, a masked woman who only identified as Klaw and a trio of dwarf's who looked identical to each other.

The day was getting along and then she saw the next group of travellers arrive so she stood up straight to her full height and smiled widely as she dipped into a long bow.

"Welcome to the Tournament of Fire Mountain. My name is Hagga and it is a pleasure to meet you."

 

[Kaiya Fa]

It had been a long journey to get here. Hunting her quarry across the seas, forests, and now the mountains. It didn't matter to where they would run until the job was done, or the contract was void, Kai would complete the task before her. It was a matter of honor after all. What she hadn't expected was to find herself amongst the contestants of some local tournament, but her quarry had come here, so she must too. At the very least it might make completing her task that much easier, should she end up facing her opponent. Accidents often happened in such events after all.

"Greetings Hagga! I am Kai." The Deva gave a smile as she bowed at the waist in an Aetochi greeting. The young woman likely looked odd for one entering into a tournament for fighters, dressed in clothes that looked better suited for a fine evening in the city than a burning mountain. Yet she stood, not the least bit concerned or worried at her current surroundings or the other fighters that had joined the little group.

Perhaps a bit too bright for an initial greeting, Kai had always been one the Clan's Elders had warned about drawing attention to herself unnecessarily. However, as a member of the Bone Clan vibrancy was often also an easy way to hide ones true intentions, drawing the eyes to the unnecessary in order for the truth to remain undetected. That and Kai had always just had a more positive personality compared to some of the other trainees of her time.

A sudden rumbling noise interrupted any other introductions as Kai turned to look up the mountain. A rock shot forth from the top, sailing through the air in an arc, before crashing down somewhere among the trees that still grew up the slope for a bit of a ways. The young woman gave a whistle through her teeth at the mountain's display.

 

[Hagga]

Towering over Kai Hagga beamed down at her as she rose at her greeting.

Then the mountain spat and levelled a few short trees and Kai let out her whistle. A group of Orkin children atop the border wall cheered, apparently they had been waiting for just such an exciting event to happen.

"Yeah... it does that sometimes."
Her smile became slightly embarrassed as she rubbed the back of her head, rustling her decorative chain braid.
"But we should be fine here, the location is one that almost never gets hit with rocks and we have traps to divert lava flow if it comes to it."

Her bright yellow eyes looked Kai up and down.
"Have you got your invitation?"
She did not look like a fighter, maybe she was waiting for someone or perhaps their party had already arrived. Hagga hoped it was not the woman in the mask. She was unpleasant.

@Kaiya Fa

 

[Nymrethyl Saimoriel]

The sky above Nym streaked with smoke, and a thunderous crack rang out from the forest as a few trees went down. Nym smiled up at the display, a gleam of awe in her eye. The Great Gathering of Fire Mountain, as always, did not fail to live up to its name. The volcano was as splendid as her grandfather had promised.

Her deer snorted as if in protest, holding its ears back and shaking its antlered head. But it dared not stray, and kept to the path. Up ahead, there was a gathering of people at the gate of the mountain. There conversations pricked Nym's ears as her deer rounded the corner and came into view.

"But we should be fine here, the location is one that almost never gets hit with rocks and we have traps to divert lava flow if it comes to it."

"That's a shame," Nym inserted herself into the conversation with little regard to the woman that stood at the front of the line. "I would have liked to see how the contestants here dealt with a little... natural intervention."

Nym swung down from her saddle, landing two feet on the black gravel with a crunch and clink of armor. A fold of red paper was produced from within the folds of her cloak, and offered to the orkin girl.

"House Saimoriel responds to your challenge. It sends its fourth daughter, Nymrethyl, to you, Champion of Ramenthiali and the Barren Sands."

Despite her prior rudeness, Nym pressed fingers against her heart and tilted her head down in a proper bow.

@Kaiya Fa @Hagga

 

[Roki]

Wide eyed, Roki stared at the mountain that would be their path toward victory. Arms and legs full of a static energy. He smacked his palm into his fist. "Alright!" he shout out as he widened his feet into a power stance. "Roki! Squire of the Knights Anatheaum, accepts the call!" A green-skinned fist shot up into the sky, and a bright tusked smile gleamed beneath golden eyes.

Somewhere in the crowd of spectators, Syr Lefellen groaned and shook his head.

 

[Hagga]

"It's a great pleasure to meet you, Nymrethyl of House Saimoriel."
The comment made by Nymrethyl did not escape Hagga's notice so, being the first contact she was she decided to fill in her guests knowledge as she accepted the presented invitation. All was in order so she handed it back to the armoured woman.
"There will be plenty of that once the Tournament starts. The activity has been high lately, so we suspect that it will be very dangerous on the ascend. Please there are refreshments beyond for you and your... um."
It was quite an odd thing. A bit like a tall goat with no horns. Strong though.
"... mount!"
It was a bit of a lucky day, Hagga had met those that come from the wider world before but never such exotic looking people. Their weapons and armour were very different from what she knew. The fact that they wore it in such a climate made her wonder at their endurance. She addressed the young Orkin next who seemed so full of energy.
"Glad to meet you as well Squire Roki. You both must have travelled a long way to get here."

Not wishing to be rude Hagga introduced them to the waiting woman.
"This is Kai and my name is Hagga. Please come to me if you have any requests, my role is to facilitate you during your stay."
Her smile was wide enough to show her fangs.

The town beyond was mostly short stone buildings of shale, cobbled together in little domes. The green around the base of the mountain was lush but short. No tree taller than about eight feet grew but grass and brush thrived on the nutrient rich volcanic soil and the main attraction of the settlement was a wide stone rimmed pool of a hot spring. Children and elderly were at rest and play there most of the days but a few of the more seasoned fighters were about it as well.

Most of the folk were Orkin of the taller variety. Ogres and Oni in such numbers rarely seen in other climes with plenty of Orc and Goblin too. Making it relatively easy to spot most of the foreign fighters.

 

[Kaiya Fa]

The Deva's eyes flickered toward the two newcomers as they joined, one offering a red invitation to the Orkin. They were not her quarry. Any other time, she might have ignored them as they would be of little interest, but if she was to Vend up having to face one of them as she remained a part of this contest while search for her target then their capabilities were of interest.

Kai had not received her own invitation, but that didn't mean she hadn't found one. It hadn't been hard to lifted the red invitation from a drunk contestant on the journey here. The red paper was pulled from a pocket of her skirt and offered to Hagga. "Here's my invitation as well."

The small group moved through the town as Hagga played tour guide. It was a simple village with homes of stone, nothing extravagant but with it's own beauty. The most popular feature of the place, aside from the volcano looming in the background, was the hot spring. The warm water of the public springs looked so very inviting. Kai couldn't wait to try them. She hadn't had a proper warm bath since she left home.

"How many participants are you expecting for this tournament?" Kai asked as they walked.​