[Rhargn Etn]

Fifth Cycle of Kalendryas
Eighteenth Candlemark in the Darkening of Srennia
The Winter of Era I of the Celestine Mandate
Thirteenth Era Post Fractum, the Second Era of the Reign of Arabella
Paradigm: The Eclipse of the Sun

It had been spoken of that the winner of a battle in the city Colosseum, could earn up to two hundred crowns, even more in special circumstances. Fame and public popularity were also there to gain, whether fights to the death, bare knuckle fights, even fights against foreign monsters, all would spread the name of the one who conquered them.

An assassinistic gust tore away from the docks and through the streets of Nexus Prime, howling at all it met. Not the rich nor the poor were excempt from the million needles that seemed to ride on the beasts back. The grey canvass above seemed painted with the laughter of Gods who played with the Telath folk like they were there pawns in a game of chess. In all, it was a nasty brightening.

Rhargn had spent several brightenings of his in Nexus Prime watching bar brawls, as well as miling around outside the great Colosseum, thriving off the sheer savage emotion that came with the crowds roar. To the ruffian, those who fought in that hell hole would be seen by the nobles who watched the sport, as heroes. Now, the mountain man hadn't descended on the city for an easy life, whoa betide. He'd come to escape the peasant future that his village had held for him, he'd come for glory and riches, and what better way to get both, then to fight in the Colosseum.

The thought of fighting in such a huge ampitheathre brought the very essence out of Rhargn. He was thirty three, 6ft6, 16 stone, a real bear of a man compared to most, except giants, though he knew this raw power was at a sacrifice of speed as he'd found out in several adolesent scuffles. This lack of speed however was compensated by the natural ability of one of his build, to absorb beatings and then batter someone down with just a few hard hits. It was about time Rhargn fought for something that wasn't his by birth right. A future.

'Fine chuffin' job someones done 'ere', the titan marveled as he made his way up the cobblestone road towards the perfect marble ring. As it was, there didn't seem to be a pitched battle of might shown at this candlemark, however Rhargn glanced a few scruffy looking characters shifting off around the side of the Colosseum and decided to follow. Were they here also for fame and fortune?

There sat a bald, bearded fellow, much to the description of Rhargn himself minus the head hair. 'Guess this guy's got something to do with it all.' A deep inhale, and the ruffian marched himself over to the human, who upon closer inspection had apparently lost a limb. "Serale mate. You couldn't tell us how to have a go in 'ere could ya?"

" 'av a go in 'ere? Yeah..." A flick of the head. "... simple. Sign ya' name down 'ere and ya off."

Rhargn quickly scribbled his name down where required, and began bouncing on his toes in anticipation. "Right, so like when do I get in there?" Grendal could see the excitement oozing out of the wide pores of this newcomer, he seemed like he'd put on a decent fight. "Right as this is your first match, we'll need some time to promote it, so say in three brightenings on the twentieth candlemark come back. You'll be fighting on the twenty second."

It was finally starting to all come together, in only three brightenings Rhargn would be fighting in the great Colosseum. What an adrenline rush it would be, though surely they'd put him up against someone, or more hopefully something, that was about equal to a newcomer in the arena, fore they couldn't have had droves of walking carrion heading there, could they? Surely, they needed to keep some crowd pleasing heroes alive.

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Fifth Cycle of Kalendryas
Twentieth Candlemark in the Darkening of Thera
The Winter of Era I of the Celestine Mandate
Thirteenth Era Post Fractum, the Second Era of the Reign of Arabella
Paradigm: The Eclipse of the Sun

The brightening had arrived with a simple, cool breeze, and work was finished. Pure adrenaline coarsed through the veins of Rhargn, as he began to inhale heavily through his nose. The walk upto the Colosseum had been one of a wide variety of emotions: excitement, nervousness, curiosity, anxiousness, even fear. However, there was no backing away now and as the ruffian marched on, he pictured that some of the bustling crowd heading in his direction would be those there to view his fight.

Upon arriving at Grendal, Rhargn allowed an obscured grin to nestle itself under his thick, mattered beard. There were no real formalities as Grendal quickly ushered the mountain man towards a holding room. As they moved the ruffian began. "How ya' doing' kidder. I'm right looking forward to this." No real reply, bar a few hushed murmurs were sound. Now the duo had just made it to the celland with Rhargn inside, Grendal slipped to the door. "Good luck mate, hope ya' win this fight to the death." The door slammed shut. A fight to the death?! Who'd said anything about a fight to the death?!

The candlemarks slowly welted away as Rhargn paced up and down the room, swinging his mace about a little, anxious about the circumstances. In the hazel eyes of the ruffian, it was total unfair, he hadn't asked for a fight to the death. However, in retrospect, he hadn't not asked for a fight to the death either. Infact, he hadn't asked for any specific type of fight at all, so how was Grendal meant to know. Eitherway, there was no backing out of this now.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen! On this fine darkening, we have a fight to the death!!!" Voices screamed out in uproar." "A gruesome fight for tonight! Between the newcomer: a bear of a man, the size of a giant, the strength of a minotaur... the ferocity of a wound up sewer pig! It's RHA...eerm... RHARGN THE BARBARIC!"An eruption sounded. The description was clearly an uneducated guess, but from where the crowd were at, did it really matter?

The gates to Rhargn's room opened, and in flooded torch and moonlight, elegantly entwined in such a majestic way. 'Aaaah great. It's now!" One final deep inhale, and the ruffian flipped his boulder like head backwards, his greasy hair dancing as he did so. Mace whipped out of harness and there was nothing more to do but head out into the arena. Each step was a million emotions. Each step brought more confidence and left behind fear. Pure adrenaline was all that was left in Rhargn's beast of a body.

Approaching the middle of the sand pit, everything seemed unrealisitic. The call of the roaring crowd was but a mere trickle of sound in his thick, cauliflower ears, the lights but a spectrum of colors. However, second by second everything came into focus and Rhargn raised his mace forcefully into the air, then the announcer began.