S11E24 - Fists of Glory, Wings of Judgment

Half the party gathers at the Colosseum for Soto’s big day, while Brand and Paquito remain at the blacksmith’s, reforging the angel’s greatsword into two longswords.

Ike and Nemo sit apart in the same spectator box. Nemo wears a discreet disguise; Ike sports a Mexican hat, a fake moustache, and thick-rimmed black glasses. In a nearby box, Lyra has braided her hair and dressed as an aristocrat. Below the arena, Soto waits in the blood pits for his first fight.

While they wait, Lyra talks to the person to her left, Kesh Mortarhead, a commoner who works as a builder and loves the games. She fishes for information about Soto’s first opponent, Iron-Skin, but learns little. Ike spots Rin Dubious sitting on his cage, and the wooden puppet bets 10 gp on Soto after seeing people dealing with the halfling. In the blood pits, Mera, the Colosseum’s medic, reassures Soto that fights aren’t usually to the death. She also tells him that the more dramatic he makes his fighting, the better his chances of attracting a patron.

Soto wins the first fight against Iron-Skin despite having to use some of his Ki points. The massive half-ogre lands punishing blows, including a double punch that nearly knocks Soto out. But the monk gathers his focus and, with a perfectly timed hit, punches Iron-Skin out of the arena. Already before the final blow, Lyra leads the crowd in chanting Soto’s name, and the spectators erupt at his victory.

After the fight, Soto parts on good terms with Iron-Skin, who takes pride in their bout. Lady Samira visits and offers to become Soto’s patron, but he declines. Lyra notices guards coming in and taking positions around the Colosseum’s upper tiers. She also sees Lord Tacitus make it into the Colosseum but hidden from Lord Boq’s view.

Ike places another bet on Soto with Rin, who accepts. Rin seems certain Silver Flash will win, yet encourages Ike to back the underdog.

The second fight is brief. Silver Flash lands a punch early on, but Soto quickly takes control and kicks the sexy tabaxi off the tatami, not giving her a chance. The crowd is cheers the winner in a less euphoric voice.

In another bout, Master Wei accidentally kills his opponent with a kamehameha, making him Soto’s next challenger. Lyra hears that Wei supposedly has an arrangement with Lord Boq: he can use magic as long as he calls it ‘Ki’. The distinction makes little sense, but no one challenges Boq’s protégé. After nearly winning last year, Wei is this year’s favourite.

Soto faces Master Wei in his third fight. Their first two exchanges end in ties, but in the third, Soto gains the upper hand. Before the tricky elf can unleash his kamehameha, Soto knocks him unconscious, grabs the cheater by one leg, and unceremoniously throws him off the tatami. The crowd cheers while Lord Boq looks at the air genasi with a cold glare.

During the break before the final, Soto respectfully approaches his opponent, Master Shen, who is meditating in the pits. He learns that Basira al-Sada, the white elf he is tracking, has been destroying monasteries to channel their mystic energy into the earth in order to triangulate the Wyrmspine’s location. He believes she must be working with a faction of the Unseen Maw, but he doesn’t have more details. The two fighters wish each other luck in combat and enter the arena walking together, as equals. Meanwhile, Ike, looking around, sees that Lord Tacitus is quite close now to Lord Boq. And Lord Boq, who has been conferring constantly with his captain, seems increasingly nervous. Two other characters, heavily guarded, have also entered the Colosseum and are approaching Lord Boq’s balcony: slave lady Marrow Hammer and salve Lord Sengo.

The final is the tournament’s most gripping fight. Soto struggles to break through Master Shen’s uncanny ability to read his moves, until he lands the decisive blow in the fifth round when both are one hit away from defeat. Soto wins the match and the tournament, sending the crowd into an uproar after a thrilling display of skill and sportsmanship.

The celebrations end abruptly when the older gnome the party freed from Lord Yaggira’s lair the night before leaps into the arena. Before the guards can reach him, he runs in front of Lord Boq’s balcony, accuses him of Yaggira’s murder, and swears on his own life. Then he draws a dagger and, to prove his accusation, kills himself. Before the gnome falls, Ike notices his eyes are purple—an unusual colour for a gnome. Graz’zt’s demonic voice whispers in Ike’s head: “Someday you may enjoy such devotion yourself, little friend.”

Lord Tacitus reveals himself and publicly orders Boq to surrender, accusing him of murdering Bane’s followers as well as Lord Yaggira. Lord Boq refuses and a fight erupts. The two other hooded figures turn out to be Lady Marrow Hammer and Lord Sengo, who also bring soldiers.

As fighting erupts, Sister Bianca appears behind Soto and opens a planar rift above the Colosseum. A majestic winged deva emerges and orders Soto to surrender. The swift monk seizes the moment and dashes to the blood pits while Ike turns himself and Nemo invisible, and Lyra, still disguised as a lady, hurries out with Kesh protecting her.

Our heroes all manage to get out, with Iron-Skin helping Soto escape, the invisible Ike and Nemo slipping away unnoticed, and Lyra turning into a giant eagle and flying away once she’s out in the streets. On his way out, Soto helps Tamuz, the little goblin in charge of cleaning the pits and the arena, who suddenly feels at a loss now that his employer, Lord Boq is dead.

The party regroups at the blacksmith’s as Brand and Paquito finish reforging the swords. Seeking help to escape into the desert, they sneak to the Cathedral to see Hjalmus. He offers them four camels and help crossing the city gates in exchange for delivering a finely crafted, sealed box to Fazhar Al’khamid in Temraq.

With the blacksmith’s no longer safe, Hjalmus offers the party shelter in the cathedral’s crypts. The exarch warns them about the savage desert and urges them to visit Lady Samira, who arranges the city’s caravans, and prepare for the desert crossing. They will need a guide and camels, he says, or they will be worm food.

Ike turns himself and Brand invisible, and they accompany Paquito to see Lady Samira. No guide is available for five days, but Samira takes an interest in Paquito, who handles the negotiations while his companions talk to him via their mental link and remain unseen. Paquito agrees to spend the night with her in exchange for a guide meeting the party at an agreed location outside Zoqoi five days later.

Back at the crypts, Paquito, Brand, and Ike update the others. Brand makes one last visit to Krys at the Ugly Coyote Pub. The knights are woefully unprepared, but, the party reasons, there is safety in numbers—and perhaps enough worm fodder to keep the party alive until their guide arrives five days later.

The session ends with Paquito in Lady Samira’s bed and the rest of the party bedding down in the creepy crypts.