Into Hot Air

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==Blurb (Short Episode Description)==
Rusty, Leo and Tord rush to the docks of Niqamui when fireworks declare an annual contest. After sign up the group is whisked away and dropped into a winner-takes-all battle to the finish! They encounter many familiar faces as they mow through the competition only to have to face their most deadly threat yet!
==Non Player Characters==
* Nusi the bartender
* Soo Ah Schinkelshoek
* Gorb Bjorb
* Marabelle Noble 
* Anabelle Miao
* Eventyr Unfrid 
* Evan Jabłońska 
* Torque Pieler 
* Lira Wolfsbane
* Orin Vetner
* Philip Finnian
* Tess Fleetfur
* Bonaventura Halevy
* Mr. Chen
* Artemis Copperpenny
* Tikoloshe
*
==Plot Summary==
Leo, Tord, and Rusty mill curiously about the nearly empty guildhall, when the bang of a firework draws their attention to the fact that it is the annual Niqamui Games and that everyone has headed down to the docks to enjoy the festivities at the Niqamui Games Arena. Our trio join the flowing throng and upon arriving at the arena entrance decide to try and compete.  
They are surprised to find that the purse split by the winners of the competition will be one million dollars, but that there is also a substantially steep entry fee.  A Bank of Guaso stall nearby promises the possibility of a financial backer for the Fire Breathing Kittens.  Leo looks over the default contract and proposes a revised version: the BoG will fund the entry fee for the trio, and in return the party will give five percent of whatever winnings they procure to the bank.  With all parties pleased at this arrangement, the Fire Breathing Kittens procure the entrance fee and receive their participant numbers.  
Each member in turn passes through the first door, where they are each met by an arena official who is weeding out a tenth of all competitors.  This selection process is done based upon convincing the official that one would make an interesting enough participant in the competition.  
Rusty manages to charm the official with a bit of off the cuff singing.  
Tord shows off his impressive skill with throwing axes.  
And for his turn, Leo conjures a tornado in his hand, causing a bit of chaos in the office.  
This first gateway cleared, all of the party are advanced in the competition.
When Tord passed through into the adjoining hallway, he runs into an old acquaintance.  
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Tord then moves to rejoin his friends in the arena halls.  
The trio has some time before the event begins, and so they look to take advantage of the accommodations of the arena.  In this large gathering, there is a bit of a reunion with familiar faces.  Rusty runs into Tess while the group gets refreshments at the food court.  Orrin welcomes Tord and the Kittens at the arena temple.  Leo bumps into Lira, a former student, in the souvenir shop and another student, Philip, in the restroom area. The party gets a tip from Bonaventura Halavey that the Bank of Guaso is fielding a team of rock golems in the arena. With this bit of foreknowledge, the party heads to the Air Lift Zone to enter the arena combat.
The party boards the airship and the announcements of the commencing battle fill the arena.  The ship tilts and whirs high above a fog covered battleground as Rusty’s stomach lurches.  The trio watches as combatants begin to fly, jump, or drop over the edge of the ship.  Leo had turned himself to wind to more swiftly ascend the many stairs up to the airship.  Rusty asks Tord if he had a means to descend to the battleground floor far below.  Tord marches to the edge of the ship, and glancing back to Rusty calls, “Aim for the bushes!” before throwing himself over the edge. 
Rusty vaults after Tord, and as the ground rushes up to meet them, decides it may be in the best interest to intervene in Tord’s plan.  OVERCASTING Feather Fall, Rusty slows the descent of himself and Tord, but miscasts and also slows himself for a couple minutes.  
All safely on ground the magical fog now reveals more of the battleground to the trio.  In the distance a stone step pyramid rises into the fog.  Competitors all around are engaged in small skirmishes or heading towards the ascent.  A voice cries out, “You!”  The badly burned form of Mr. Chen approaches the party with violent intention, demanding satisfaction for Rusty and the Fire Breathing Kittens not supporting his plans in New Niqamui.  The group quickly pummels Mr Chen unconscious and start to make their way towards the pyramid.  
A crackling sound draws their attention back towards the form of Mr. Chen.  The party notices that the battleground is surrounded by a wall of energy that is slowly sweeping towards the pyramid.  When the energy passed over Mr. Chen, it gave him a jolt and disintegrated his weapons.  Not wishing to be caught in this wave themselves, the party hurries themselves towards the pyramid.  In his slowed state, Rusty is not able to keep up the pace.  Leo used his magic to turn Rusty to a gust of air, allowing the whole party to move more quickly. 
Managing to ascend to the second level, the party sees that boulders are cascading down the incline.  Tord identifies that these boulders are being tossed by rock golems that are hiding among the rocks.  Tord manages to intimidate them into focusing their attacks on other competitors and the Kittens progress to the next level.
The third level of the battleground is hot, with open pools of lava.  The party is surprised by the appearance of Artemis Copperpenny, who gets the jump on Tord and manages to push him into a lava pit.  Leo takes on physical form in order to turn Tord to air, allowing Tord the means to escape.  Artemis takes this opportunity to flee the Kittens before they can seek retribution.  Rather than pursue him, the group sets their sights on continuing their climb.  Turns out that this is a wise decision, as the energy wall begins to race forward, quickly eliminating any combatants who have not yet arrived on the fourth level. 
Keeping ahead of the tightening boundary, the party finds that the air of the fourth level of the pyramid has been superheated by the fiery stage below.  In order to avoid taking harm from simply existing on this level, the party once again attempts to turn to air - but at this point Tord’s magical aversion overwhelms him and he instead races off across the plain before Leo can cast the spell.  Leo and Rusty follow after him, but Tord takes more damage as he crosses and leads the party up to the next level.  
On the fifth level, the magical fog continues to obscure vision and cools the hot air of the previous level.  Tord bumps into the body of Gorb Bjorb, an old rival, who has been incapacitated.  Rusty attempts to revive him with multiple castings of healing (unsuccessfully) but Orrin arrives on the scene to provide aid. Tord shares with Leo and Rusty about his brother Eventyr’s death, and the way that pushed Tord into a life of adventuring.  
Leo clears the magical fog and in doing so reveals that Tikoloshe, Eventyr’s killer, is sneaking up on the party in the fog.  Tikoloshe vanishes back into the fog, and Tord wants to follow.  Rusty presses the group to move to the next and final level, confident that the approaching danger wave will force an encounter at the peak. 
Sure enough, Tord and Rusty use their combined strength to help the party scale the final wall.  The Danger Wave quickly closes the final distance enveloping the five lower levels and all competitors who remained there.  The fog on the sixth level parts and reveals Tikoloshe.
Tord charges, but is caught in illusory magics that deflect his attack and sap his will to fight.  The villain lashes out with tendrils at Rusty and Leo to make similar illusory attacks.  Leo is caught in his own illusory, watery prison, but Rusty manages to evade the attack.  
Charging at the villain, Rusty manages to strike him with a flurry of blows and disrupt his concentration.  This frees his comrades, who join the fray and press their advantage.  Tord metes out great violence with his twin axes, and Leo summons a lightning bolt of such magnitude that it vaporizes Tikoloshe.  
Standing victorious, the FBK are each given a minute to address the gathered throng.  Leo speaks to the importance of pursuing great knowledge of the world and its workings.  Tord implores the crowd to recognize the value of their relationships with loved ones, friends and family.  And Rusty invites all to give attention to these important facets of existence, but to also seek knowledge within and invest in the relationship that each person has with themselves.  Peace within is key to peace without. 
The FBK receives their share of the purse and so ends the 2024 Annual Niqamui Games with the FBK guild this year’s victors! 
Category:Episodes Category:Season 2024