<strong>Ivette &amp; Leander</strong><br/><br/>Amid her 'glow', Ivette noticed something behind her lover... a figure, arm outstretched against the door frame, blocking entry to the balcony. It was Nelliph, apparently intent on keeping anyone from noticing her two guest's... excursion. She was busy talking to someone it seemed, blocking the elf and sorceress with her body... but still someone got through. Or rather, something.<br/><br/>There he was, little furry Algernon on his haunches, as if to take a seat and enjoy the show. No ordinary badger, this one. It just didn't move with the attention span of what could uncharitably be called a rodent. "Ah, my guests?" Nelliph repeated, smiling uncomfortably, "No, I haven't a clue."<br/><br/>She was a charmer at least, able to keep the other party-goer's attention on herself.<br/><br/><div class="spoiler_container"><div class="spoiler_header" onclick="hideSecond (this);" role="button">Spoiler: Click to Show/Hide</div><div class="spoiler_body">After this, shall we move things along to the first event of the tournament proper? It'll probably be a long event, with lots of action so if you want some down-time to RP with the whole group, speak now or forever hold your peace. :p And feel free to spend any gold you have while you can...</div></div><br/><strong>Dexter, Ellen, Ivette, &amp; Leander</strong><br/><br/>One week later...<br/><br/>It was a sunny day (made so by Dewehrgard's wizards) on the morning of the first event of the Mass Games, and the Party of Four had been through the worst of the Games' trials; registration and preparation. The Pre-Game celebrations began in earnest long before the adventurers were corralled to the assembly area in the center of the now completely deserted Old Town. Apparently the village square seemed to be an arena of sorts for Games decades ago. Now it was the host to hundreds, if not a thousand or more adventurers.<br/><br/>The quartet were surrounded left and right, back and forward by other adventurers. Bards and warriors from the western lands, barbarians from the east, ninjas, wu Jen, and samurai from the southlands, swashbucklers and sorcerers from Aeune, dwarven fighters and clerics, halfling bards and rogues, elven wizards and archers, goblins, gnolls, orcs, and even a few giants from the Union. Truly, it was as if every adventurer from every part of the world had come to participate!<br/><br/>And in the center of it all, far enough away that the four adventurers could barely see, a stage had been erected for the mayor and other members of the commission, plus a few important guests. Mayor Daldmeyer's voice, magically augmented, rang out to the crowd and was transmitted to viewers from around the world.<br/><br/><strong>"Today is a beautiful day!"</strong><br/><br/>The colossus cast its' morning shadow over half the crowd in Old Town as airships hovered overhead, quite a few of Aeunic design, at least a fourth of the skyfleet in attendence, though none of the city's famed Great Wyrm class ships were present. Daldmeyer continued to speak, mostly about how proud and honored he was for the city to host the Mass Games, what an honor it was for him and so forth.<br/><br/>He lauded the adventurers themselves, calling them heroes and inspirations to all the youth, bettering the world with their examples of honor and courage. Eventually, he admitted that he was droning on a bit- though that was probably scripted as well- and began to announce the rules.