"Let's Play a Game!" (Thomas McTavish)

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Surpy stretched her four arms languidly, moving to take a seat nearby. Her gaze took in the gardens, and those of both races selected to tend these gardens. These gardeners peered from behind bushes and stone carvings, staring in awe at their gods. The scaled Avatar smiled.

"Indeed, we have. I had a pretty good idea, huh?" Surpy smirked, tilting her head. Then her attention rounded to the talk of contests. "A contest, you said? How do you select yours for the Hellrun? What trials must your champions overcome?"

She was delightfully curious, for she wasn't entirely sure how she would select a Runner of her own.
 
Thomas nodded, also becoming aware of the spectating gardeners. He did not mind, he was pleased that their races got along well.

"Yes, you did. Building and exploring this world is wonderful! And, yes, there will be trials. I am having my Priests select seven they think are fit to become Runners, and have them overcome an arena of obstacles. A maze, full of death traps, Daemons, and dead ends. Of course, none of it is actually lethal, it's all practice. I will cast illusions to make it seem real, though. I want to prepare my Runner, but if they all fail I don't want seven dead on my hands that could be better used elsewhere."

He yawned and stretched.

"What do you think you'll do? The same? Ooh! Wait! I have an idea!" he started bouncing a little, exited by it.
 
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In truth, Surpy had not given any trials real thought. She pursed her lips momentarily, then tilted her head to watch her companion overflow with excitement. A smile stretched her lips.

"Whatcha got? I haven't actually planned anything... Seeing as they're Foragers, I thought the best start would be teaching how to protect yourself.. so. I'm all ears."
 
"We do a joint contest! You pick seven from your people you think might be fit to be runners, and we'll pair them up with one of my seven. They can chose their partners, and do the test run together! They could help each other! Obviously, both Races have qualities the other does not. So, we team them up. Of course, you'll have to teach your Runners the art of combat, but I'll need to teach mine how to make fires and weapons and such to drive away the Daemons. Whaddaya think?"

Thomas grinned wide.
 
Surpy scratched her chin thoughtfully with one of four hands. Then she hummed, fluffed her feathers, and nodded.
"I like that idea. Gives our people equal chances of survival." She smiled, standing. "How about we gather our Runners in two months, and commence the joint contests? I have begun teaching my people combat techniques, but.. well.. they could use more practice. How does that sound?"

She clapped a pair of hands, excited again. The very air crackled around her avatar from anticipation.
 
Thomas nodded and smiled gleefully. He could hear the dread-filled gasps and terrified whispers of the gardeners at the mention of the Daemons. They scared everyone, including Thomas. But he was proud of himself for being able to create such creatures to strike terror into the heart of even one such as himself.

"Two months it is then. I will spread the word, and our chosen Runners will use this time to practice the skills they will need, alone the first month, together the second. Then, we put the Runners to the test. The ones that make it to Paradise first become the official Runners."
 
Surpy smiled, then nodded.

"Excellent! Then I must excuse mysellf. My Champions have much work to do."

The avatar bowed, then gave polite nods to the gardeners, as she returned to her tree-dwelling people. It took some time for her to figure out what she was trying to teach them, but with the help of created constructs, she was able to begin training her Champions to fight. This would be a long two months.
 
Thomas returned the bow, and headed to his own people, busy in their caves. He began teaching his Champions to make fire and weapons with the items they would find in Hellrun, spears and daggers of bone, stone, and wood. He would then have to teach them how to use them. This would be a long two months.
 
Two weeks into the first month, Surpy realized she had no idea what kind of creatures her counterpart created for the Hellrun. She descended from her home in the trees and traveled to Thomas's peoples' caves. She had actually never seen what his creations had become, where they lived, what they could do. So she moved carefully, her eyes wide to take it all in. The cave networks were extensive, but it was darker here than in her trees. Colors in crystals and stones were created dazzling patterns on the walls and in the darkness. She smiled, thinking momentarily about bringing some of these colorful crystals back with her, to share their wonder with her own people.

"Thomas? Thomas, I come to request an audience with you!" Her true voice echoed through the tunnels, seeking the entity known as Thomas.
 
Thomas emerged from a cave high above the ground, almost at the top of the honeycomb-filled rock. He leaped directly to the ground, fast transport and another display of his undisputed power and ability.

"Yes, what is it? Having difficulty with training?" He cocked his head a little to the side when he asked this, an expression of confusion his people used.
 
Surpy's feathers fluffed as her friend landed. To say she was impressed would be truth. She couldn't help but smile.

"No difficulties. Just concerns. I do not know what these Daemons of the Hellrun look like. I can't adequately prepare my Champions."
 
Thomas nodded understandingly and grabbed a stick from the ground. Combined with his magic, he drew sloppy pictures of the Daemons he had made, and used the magic to refine and animate the images. They gave him shivers as he drew them, how lifelike they became in the sand. He described each one in detail, from how they killed to how they could be killed. Strengths. Weaknesses.

"That help you any? I could make illusion constructs for your Champions to practice on, if you want. I'm doing the same for mine."
 
The scaled denizen watched, amazed. She did not shiver or quail at the sight of these creatures, but instead leaned closer. Fascinating, that someone could even conjure up something like this. She looked up when Thomas finished describing them.

"Illusions are not my strong point, but if you could spare a few... I think that'd be awesome." She smiled, looking back at Tue daemons in the sand.
 
"Good imagination and willpower is key. I'll be happy to come to your village and conjure some up. Might need a little help getting up there, though. I didn't exactly make my people good at tree-climbing. Sandy cave networks, yes, vertical climbs, not so much." Thomas, in a moment of random impulse, sprung to the side and did a somersault. No reason, just did it.

"I feel better. Now, about getting up to your village..."
 
Surpy waved a long-taloned hand. Her people were designed with claws and scaled fingertips for gripping... But her friend was right. His furry folk would have trouble visiting her scaled ones. So she turned and lead the way back to her tree-top village, considering possibilities as they journeyed.

Upon arrival, Surpy began climbing, slowly. As she did, vines began following her foot- and hand-holds, creating a network sturdy enough to climb in her wake. A ladder of leaves and vines.

"Give that a try, my friend! A temporary solution, of course. Perhaps we can tinker with something else later. For now, though, let me know if this works," she called down to Thomas, her feathers fluffing.
 
Thomas nodded, and began climbing the pathway. His clawed foot broke through the vines once or twice, but he didn't fall. Now amongst Surpy's people high in the trees, he made his way with her to where her Champions were being trained. Once it had been explained that what he was about to create was illusion, he projected the animate images of the Daemons they would face, describing each of them in the detail he had given Surpy.

"They still look kind of scared. Then again, I suppose I would be too, knowing I would have to go up against things such as these. Shall this do, or should I project the conditions of Hellrun as well?" he asked. Now he would get to see her people in action.
 
She watched, her essence touched by seeing her people scared. She wanted to protect them, but knew this had to be done. Her Champions were quivering, partly from being in the presence of the Avatars, and partly from seeing the daemons they would surely face.

"Let them face the daemons in comfortable grounds first... Then put them in Hellrun lookalike. I don't want to lose all of my champions before they even finish training." She smiled, and laughed a little too.

As if hoping to impress their leader, the Champions gripped their weapons tighter. Whether that helped their resolve or not, it was a mystery. Then Surpy realized something.

"Fire. We don't use that here much. Given that everything is flammable. Hm.." she stroked her chin thoughtfully as one set of arms gathered some dried leaves off of a hut and a stick from a nearby set of branches. Then she considered her options. Rubbing fleet sticks together until they ignited would have to do for now.

She called her champions forward, intending to quickly teach them how to make fire.
 
After she was finished teaching them how to make basic fires, Thomas watched as they used it to fight the Daemons one at a time, practicing what worked to bring the creature down and what only made it mad. He was pleased to see how well they did. There were several times where they would have died and been torn to shreds, but that's what training is for.
 
The four-armed avatar watched, nervous. She kept glancing at Thomas, half expecting him to be disappointed, or something. Her people were mostly peaceful, not terribly vicious fighters.

When the fighting ended, she wanted to swoop in and coddle her tired warriors, but resisted that urge. Apparently the entity has become very motherly. She cleared her throat and several acolytes came to tend to the tired warriors. Surpy looked at Thomas.

"Tell me, what do they need to work on?" She asked this quietly, sincerely. She wasn't sure if she'd be able to handle one of her 'children' dying at the hands, or teeth, or claws, of one of those Daemons.
 
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Thomas nodded approvingly.

"Fairly well for a fist time. They need to focus more on hitting the Daemon's heads than their sides, but there is much time to work on that. As for the fire, excellent use of it, fighting off the Daemons who hated it and distracting those attracted to it. For a race of peaceful creatures to enter battle against such horrifying predators I am sincerely impressed. Take an hour and a half rest, I can tell they are tired."

Thomas waved his hand and let the illusions fade into mist, carrying away on the light breeze. He himself sat on the ground and laid there with his eyes closed, smiling.

"Your Champions are doing well, but don't let it get to their heads. Overconfidence leads to pride, pride lets their guard down, a lowered guard gets you killed. But do treat them a little."
 
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