Completed The Purview of Strangers

[Aren]

Aren suspected that a body composed of clay might have some strange properties, but it seemed that Pycon were possessed of some truly amazing abilities. Body morphing? Limb regeneration? They looked quite fragile, but the little guys must have been notoriously difficult to kill, the Akalak suspected. "Fascinating!" Aren exclaimed, now all the more inclined to cross blades, as it where, with his new friend. Honestly, the warrior didn't even know where to begin forming a strategy that would be effective against Rabbit, but this was an exciting prospect in itself. Having to figure out a counter for something he'd never faced before already had the wheels in his mind turning, and the akalak's upper lip twitched every time he conceived of this tactic or that one. The Pycon certainly had more experience fighting opponents who towered over him, but Aren wondered if he had any experience fighting magic. That might be his trump card, or it might even be his only viable weapon. Now the scythe wielder now studied Rabbit with renewed interest, absorbing every morsel of information his senses could provide. General height, estimated weight, potential for acceleration, ability to change shape, proficiency with a whip-like weapon, regenerative capacity, experience with larger opponents... all facts observed and archived within Aren's mind. He was probing for any weakness he could exploit, when the time came, and any advantages he could capitalize on. Size and strength were the obvious ones here, but Aren doubted things were going to be as simple as that, and he relished the thought.

[Rabbit]

Rabbit grinned again at Aren's reaction, finding it funny. It really was fascinating, but it made sense in a way. Clay was malleable, and you could stick parts of it together and make them form into one, or just add more clay to make it bigger. However, though he could re-grow limbs, he could never grow past his maximum size, no matter how much he ate. This didn't trouble the Pycon though, since he was already quite large for his race in the first place. He was almost a foot high, though that was less than a sixth of the man before him. Being small was also an advantage in a fight, since people often had a hard time hitting him in the first place. He watched the Akalak's expression, certain that he was going through the same thoughts that had run through his head. 'How would I fight this?' It was a sensible question, since both of them had certain skills, and even Rabbit couldn't figure out who would win. A scythe would be an easy weapon to grab with his whip, but getting a blow on the azure warrior, or knocking him down would be near impossible. He had one idea... but wasn't quite sure how it would work. Shrugging, he decided to check the time. On a nearby wall there sat a large clock, one that the Pycon used often. Right now, it showed maybe an bell to dusk, and ever since his bad experience at night here, he always went home early. Slightly sad that they had to break up the interesting conversation, he decided it was time to leave. "I'm sorry... it's getting late, and I need to head home" He told Aren, giving a slight apologetic smile. He stood up to leave, ignoring the barely finished tankard before him. He was sure the Akalak would love to have the rest, since he seemed to enjoy alcohol. He lifted a hand in farewell, and hopped off the table in a simple, easy leap. He slowly hopped out of the tavern, and made his way home.

[Aren]

Aren nodded his understanding, and gave Rabbit a farewell wave. Honestly though, he couldn't fathom how time had crept up on them so quickly. The Akalak could have sworn that no more than an hour had passed since their meeting, but somehow that wasn't the case. Looking at the empty mug in front of him, Aren eyed the object with suspicion. Was it the ale that had produced this effect? Just then, their server had finally gotten around to bringing the requested refill, at which point Aren was almost tempted to turn her away. Deciding that, if the ale was responsible, it merited further testing, the blue warrior steeled himself for another chug by consuming what was left of Rabbit's glass. Surely he could immunize himself to it's effects by consuming it often, or so Aren hoped. He had heard people did that with poisons or some such, and it was true the more someone drunk the less impact that particular drink had on them. So, if drinking and poison could be tolerated by repeated exposure, surely the strange effect produced by this ale could as well. Consuming his newly filled mug almost upon arrival, the Akalak promptly gestured for another, garnering a concerned look from his serving girl. Before she could leave to fill the order, however, Aren slipped a gold miza into her palm, just in case the next thing he knew it was tomorrow.

[Matthew]

Aren

Experience Points:

• +2 Diplomacy
• +1 Intimidation
• +3 Observation
• +2 Rhetoric
• +5 Socialization

Lores:

• Business: Monopoly Prices
• Diplomacy: Manners Go a Long Way
• Pycons: Shapeshifting Clay Constructs
• Socialization: Bonding through Drink
• Socializing in a Foreign City

If you have any questions or concerns relevant to your grade, don't be afraid to send me a private message so that we can work it all out! Please remember to mark your Grading Request as Graded.

A shout-out to Ollic Rimesage, who was kind enough to make this template for me.