Zyamasiel

Group Submissions

United Federation of Planets

“Uniting mankind for the betterment of all”

Group Description

The United Federation of Planets (UFP) is a conglomeration of the innermost three planet within the Duryenkai System. The make up planets very similar to Earth in terms of atmosphere, land-mass, and overall topography. However, their size varies almost as much as the people. They’ve become hub worlds, and through that the UFP has gained much control over the commerce. The UFP is run like a Democratic Republic, and its world leaders and council members that control their dealings are elected by the top one percent of the culture.

Their current leadership is renowned for bringing in business, and keeping down rebellions in the outer planets. While their control extends only a short way past their central hubs, they are powerful and far-reaching in terms of their power. The majority of food and supplies are processed through their planetary system and then sold back to the workers at markups creating one hundred percent profit margins. At the end of the day, The United Federation of Planets is a business, and they operate like a business. The board votes, with the President being the deciding vote in situations without a unanimous vote.


The current president of the United Federation of Planets is Odwin Inealdo.

Territory

Currently the UFP controls the three central planets within the solar system. Each planet is rich in resources, nutrients, and have their own specific purpose. Each of those planets also make up the crucial points of the UFP, and they’ve begun to fit to them their specific needs and purposes. The planets are as follows:

Inealdo City -- Named for the president who resides there, this sprawling city is the central location for all dealings with the UFP. The city covers more than 90% of the planet, and every single business transaction the UFP makes is done here. Because of that, and because it’s where the Council sits - security is tight. It takes years of vetting to be allowed to even come within orbit of the planet, and even longer to be allowed to land and actually conduct business. The UFP Security Force patrols the city at all hours of the day and night, stopping random people for checks and scans. The city rests on the fourth planet from the second sun - Duryk.

Furyk -- Furyk is the main source of industry within the system, close enough to Duryk for quick-hops back and forth at FTL speed, many of the people who do choose to work mundane, ordinary jobs commute every morning to their job sites. The main industry found inside the Federation is mining. Furyk is a planet of mines. Series of tunnels run nearly the entirety of the planet, and minerals and ores mined from its depths are traded throughout the galaxy for credits and mundane goods alike.

Muryk -- The planet of Muryk is pure agriculture. A sprawling planet with rich and fertile soil, the people of Muryk spend their days laboring in the fields to grow crops that are used to feed every living person within Federation control. This planet is, by far, the most important to the entire system. Without it, hundreds of thousands of people would go hungry, and famine would run rampant throughout the system.

Allies

None yet.

Enemies

None, yet.

Group Ability

Members of the UFP have specific traits granted only to them. Depending on their role within the Federation, they have options that allow them to determine a possible future for themselves. As of right now, only two castes exist within their society. The Council and The People.

The Council - Council members are the central leaders of all things within the system, they run trade, they own farms. They’re responsible and accountable for every dime pulled in and every penny spent. As such, they are capable diplomats and their words are laden with silver-tongues carrying their lilting speech. They’re capable of using their voice to sway minds and hearts to fall in line with their plan. Weaker minds are by far more susceptible, and certain people are entirely resistant to their call.

The People - The people are the blood, sweat, and tears of the empire. They are laborers and lazy. The fighters and the lovers. As such, they are capable of learning tasks and new things rather quickly. Whether its how to use a new piece of technology, or to bend the rules of reality to create magical effects around them - they have the utmost understanding of everything they put their minds to - and as a result learn twice as fast as normal people, when they apply themselves.

Members

President - Odwin Inealdo played by Zyamasiel
Chairman of the Board - ---- Played by The Harbinger of Ferocity
Board Member - Played By Yoshua
Board Member - Played By Ruby
Board Member - Played By Circ
Board Member - Played by Rilla

The Galactic Schism - General Overview

You live as you choose

The goal of Expanding Horizons is to create, and maintain, a persistent world in which people can come and enjoy themselves. Regardless of what you like to play, be it a super powerful wizard or a guy with an improbability cannon for an arm, you’re welcome to come and coexist inside of our world. Ideally, we want to make this as open and as appealing as possible to every member of the community, regardless of experience and inherent skill level. We want to help you, and your friends, grow into better writers and storytellers through practice and collaborative efforts.

That being said, we also have several storyline goals we intend to reach throughout each cycle of our game. And we want your help in reaching them. So, how can you help? Easy! Just play the game with us, and we’ll build a persistent, ever-expanding world that will evolve and grow with each new person bringing something different to the table. So, when we say your live as you choose, we mean it.

If you’re a war-mongering character bent on taking over everything, then you’re free to do as much of that as the community is willing to do before they stop you. If you want to live peacefully on a far-off planet to yourself, using your magic and your friends to build a utopian society, then you’re welcome to do that. The possibilities are endless. The only thing we ask is that you make your game as inclusive to other, like-minded, people as possible.

And of course, we’ll do the same. The GM staff will be running the main story arc in the beginning, and it will be on us to pull everything together into a cohesive story. Any additional help in that endeavor will be appreciated, but not required for play. However, we will not allow other people to be ignored. If a group of people show up and begin attacking you, we expect you to respond properly to them. With few exceptions, all of the threads will be open - and that means anyone can show up at any time! So, always be prepared to work together to defend what is yours, or to build a peaceful story with another group of wanderers within the galaxy.

Ultimately, how you play is how you play. We’re not going to impost heavy restrictions on magic or science. There are limitations - but even those can be broken when you bring in enough story justification to make it reasonable. So, how do you get involved in this persistent community where everything you do affects everything else? It’s simple!

Character Creation

First, you’ll have to build your characters. Every character will be submitted in a character specific thread designed expressly for the GMs to review and either approve or deny your character. Outside of a few game-breaking mechanics, we’re not foreseeing any denials coming through. The thread will be stickied to the top, so it will always be easy to find - and we welcome you to create your own character database systems to help better keep track of the characters you have currently inside our universe.

The basic template for characters is probably one everyone has used before, and isn’t necessarily anything new or foreboding, I hope. All you have to do is give us the basic, need-to-know information required to interact (and combat) with each other.

Name: Your name here
Title: Do you have any titles?
Height : How tall?
Weight: How much do you weigh?
Age: How old are you?
Race/Species: Are you human or alien?

Tier: What level is your character? Human, Light Power, Mid Power, or High?

Personality: How does your character act?

Appearance: How do they look?

Abilities, Traits, Powers, Etc. : What can they do?

Equipment/Weapons: What do they carry?

History: A brief overview is fine!

Groups

Groups of individual people working together to a common goal aren’t only allowed, but encouraged. We would love to see players working together to build something amazing. The whole goal, after all, is to be collaborative and inclusive! So, with that in mind, the creation of groups consisting of more than five individual members, with a write-up in the group sticky thread and and approved by a member of staff, will net you some bonuses. What are these bonuses, you ask? Well, they’re pretty nifty.

First of all, you can come up with up to three group specific powers that - while other people might be able to use from time to time - your group are masters of. Those powers don’t have to be magic, either. Maybe you’re a group bent on technological domination, a true Technocracy if you will, and you have a piece of proprietary tech. Then that belongs to your group, and your group alone. Someone can steal it, of course, from you in a story or a fight - but it belongs to you.

Or maybe you’re a special group of wizards with your own particular set of magical talents, that nobody has been able to replicate or come up with before. Each member of your group, just by being in your group, is allowed to partake in that power! The possibilities are nigh endless, and are only limited by your imagination. So, create whatever you can and come up with whatever your beautiful little minds can compute!

That being said, Group write-ups should somewhat follow a set of guidelines before being posted. Each group is required to have at least five(5) individual players playing a unique character. Granted, each person in the group is allowed as many characters as they wish to play, and can keep up with playing, but there must be five players involved OOCly before a group becomes official.

Official groups will be granted territory, which will be in the shape of a planet, ship, asteroid belt, etc., that belongs only to them. They will have complete say and dominion over their territory, and will be able to use it as they see fit. The guidelines for writing up the group page, and the territory (which should be included in the approval request) are:

Group Name: Are you the Dominion of Solitude? The Destroyers of Hope? Give yourselves a nifty name.
Group Graphic: A logo or picture of some kind that fits your group.
Group Motto: Do you guys have words you live by?
Group Leader: Who runs this? Is it a council? A single person? A priest or some form of God?

Group Description: What does your group want? What is their goals, their drives and desires.

Group Territory: Is it a planet? A ship? What does it look like, what would a person feel when there?
Critical Point A: The most important, possibly capital city of the group.
Critical Point B: A secondary place where things of important nature might exist
Critical Point C: And a tertiary.

Group Members: Here you’ll want to give a list of every person’s account, as well as what their characters in the group are. So, say I’m a group with John. We both play two characters. The list should look something like:

Zyamasiel: Character A, B.
John: Character A, B.

Critical points are points inside of the group’s territory that are valuable and important for whatever reason. A group cannot exist if it does not own a piece of territory with at least three critical points. The only way to have more than three, however, is by taking them from another group in a fight, or through diplomatic relations. Capturing a critical point gives you that critical point to add to your group, and of course you can completely change the lay of the land when you take it. Subjugate its people into slavery, allow them to be free, full members of your society. Whatever you wish.

However, when a group loses all three critical points it has lost its territory and can no longer be considered a true group. Critical points will be the main threads in which battles take place between existing groups, and as such the write-up for the territory, as well as its critical points, should be as detailed and graphic as possible. For the sake of everyone involved.

Thank you for joining, and we hope you enjoy your stay. Tell your friends, your family. Bring everyone who enjoys this kind of thing, and come build a better tomorrow with us!

Thank you,
Zyamasiel
Circ
Rilla
Ruby
The Harbinger of Ferocity
Yoshua

Group Submissions

Expanding Horizons

Groups

Group Sheet Information and Template

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Groups, also known as factions, are individual people working together for common goal. This is not only an option, but a suggestion! Expanding Horizons as a setting is at its best when characters and their players are working together to build something. The entire goal of the universe is to be collaborative and inclusive! With that in mind, we suggest forming official groups.

At minimum a group needs five individual Roleplayer Guild members not to exceed ten if possible, the completion of the template which you will find below, and an approval by Staff. These official groups, because they are recognized as an actual faction in Expanding Horizons, get some pretty nifty bonuses that unofficial groups otherwise lack. However, a character can only be in one official group at a time.

First of all, an official group can come up with up to three group specific powers that - while other people might be able to use from time to time - the faction you and other members are in are considered masters of. These benefits don't need to be part of the "Big Three" - Magic, Technology or even Mundanity - but that is a good place to start. Regardless of what you choose, it is unique to the group and theirs alone. While it could eventually be stolen, duplicated or even made obsolete with time, it still belongs to you and can only have those things happen to it in the story, or more likely, in a fight.

Each member of a group has access to it, just by being in that group, and is allowed to partake in that power so choose wisely! The possibilities are endless, limited only by your imagination and what the Staff believes to be appropriate without being overwhelming. So then feel free to create whatever you can and communicate its ability and potential clearly. The Staff are much more likely to approve groups that have more information and that which is specific. Being too vague means a chosen power might be just too powerful now and get declined!

Once a group is approved it will be granted a territory such as a planet or ship, but feel free to request something specific to your faction; just know you cannot take what others already have by doing this. This territory, like their power, belongs only to them. In it, they have complete say and dominion, able to use it as they see fit so long as they do not break the rules. They also have three critical points, or locations, items, technologies or similar themes that are extremely important to them. The only way to have more than three critical points however, is to take them from another group in a fight or through diplomatic relations and share them. If you capture a critical point through player versus player conflict, you get that critical point to add to your group and then of course can alter the lay of the land that applies to it.

If a group loses all three critical assets, it ceases to have its unique power and its territory. It is still an official group, but in order to gain those benefits again, or develop new ones, it will need to capture three critical points, be them new or those they lost. Critical points will be the main topics of Expanding Horizon, in which battles or alliances take place between existing groups. As such the write-up for the territory, as well as its critical points, should be as detailed and specific as possible for the sake of everyone involved.

The guidelines for writing up a group, their abilities, and their territory are below. If you are still uncertain and have questions, use our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page here.

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Overview

Faction Sheet for (Your Group's Name Goes In Here)

Name: (Your group's name goes here again. Think about who they are, what they represent, what their goals or identifying qualities are. Are they the Dominion of Solitude? The Destroyers of Hope? Give it a nifty name no one else has or could be mistaken for, just like a character's name.)
Graphic: (Your group's logo, insignia, flag or standard goes here. Try to picture a symbol that makes them immediately iconic to everyone else. Make sure it reflects who they are too, just like a name. The graphic is more or less the first impression others are going to get from your group other than what it is called.)
Motto: (Your group's creed, ethos or moot. What words do you live by? Are the inspirational? Intimidating? Compassionate? That's for you to decide, but try to live it out in everything your characters do while they're in the faction. They reflect it and it reflects them!)
Leader: (Your group's leader or leaders. Who takes responsibility for the group and its actions, if at all? Who is their figurehead that people recognize outside the group? What makes them the leader? How long have they led the group? Think along these lines for this part.)

Description: (Your group's description. Try to write this as an outsider looking in, attempting to catalogue or write them down. Alternatively, you could write this section for your faction from the eyes of its members and how they perceive it - just be sure that whatever vision you go with, it is accurate.)
Goals: (Your group's goals, desires and drives. What motivates them to work together as they are? There has to be a reason, so elaborate how it came to be and where it is going in the future. Be precise too, because mixing messages makes it hard for others to know how to react.)

Unique Abilities: (Your group's specific powers. You only have a maximum of three of these. With each additional ability unique to the group it will make it much harder to justify them all and gain Staff approval. Try to start small because you can always grow later and request to have new ones added.)

Territories: (Your group's controlled territories. First and foremost is the group's official territory, but list any other areas of influence or even outright control they have. Describe what people see or feel in each of them and try to imagine a day in the life of such a place. Remember, you only get what is approved by Staff, so later additions require speaking with them just like you would for new unique abilities.)

• Critical Point: (Your group's most important and vulnerable asset. Losing this critical location or resource, be it a ship, a planet, a technology, a magical ability, an item or the sort will hurt your group the most.)
• Critical Point: (Your group's second most valuable asset. If you lost this it would hurt more than your very last one and not nearly as much as the first, but it would still badly affect your faction.)
• Critical Point: (Your group's third and last most important asset. The last and "least" important of the three most important objects, locations, people or the sort to your group. Like the first two, harm to this is going to significantly affect you.)

Allies: (Your group's allies. Does your faction have anyone it associates with and considers a friend? They can be individuals outside the faction, as well as other groups. Try to limit these to other actual players or player groups. If they have no allies, just state they have none.)
Enemies: (Your group's enemies. Is there anyone who is a sworn enemy of your group? If so, who are they? Why? Are they just competition or are they legitimately out to take or destroy everything you have? Like with allies, try to fill this section out only with actual players' creations. If your group is neutral to all others, just state that or say they have none.)

Members: (Your group's most important members. You need to provide a mention to each of these Roleplayer Guild members, then list their character or characters afterward. You must have at least five members, but cannot have more than ten.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)

Template

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The template contained in the hider below is in code. All you need to do is copy and paste it into your post, fill it out, then submit it. Make sure every area is completed and feel free to add more to it if you wish.

Faction Sheet Template

[h3][center][b]Faction Sheet for (Your Group's Name Goes In Here)[/b][/center][/h3][b]Name:[/b] (Your group's name goes here again. Think about who they are, what they represent, what their goals or identifying qualities are. Are they the Dominion of Solitude? The Destroyers of Hope? Give it a nifty name no one else has or could be mistaken for, just like a character's name.)
[b]Graphic:[/b] (Your group's logo, insignia, flag or standard goes here. Try to picture a symbol that makes them immediately iconic to everyone else. Make sure it reflects who they are too, just like a name. The graphic is more or less the first impression others are going to get from your group other than what it is called.)
[b]Motto:[/b] (Your group's creed, ethos or moot. What words do you live by? Are the inspirational? Intimidating? Compassionate? That's for you to decide, but try to live it out in everything your characters do while they're in the faction. They reflect it and it reflects them!)
[b]Leader:[/b] (Your group's leader or leaders. Who takes responsibility for the group and its actions, if at all? Who is their figurehead that people recognize outside the group? What makes them the leader? How long have they led the group? Think along these lines for this part.)

[b]Description:[/b] (Your group's description. Try to write this as an outsider looking in, attempting to catalogue or write them down. Alternatively, you could write this section for your faction from the eyes of its members and how they perceive it - just be sure that whatever vision you go with, it is accurate.)
[b]Goals:[/b] (Your group's goals, desires and drives. What motivates them to work together as they are? There has to be a reason, so elaborate how it came to be and where it is going in the future. Be precise too, because mixing messages makes it hard for others to know how to react.)

[b]Unique Abilities:[/b] (Your group's specific powers. You only have a maximum of three of these. With each additional ability unique to the group it will make it much harder to justify them all and gain Staff approval. Try to start small because you can always grow later and request to have new ones added.)

[b]Territories:[/b] (Your group's controlled territories. First and foremost is the group's official territory, but list any other areas of influence or even outright control they have. Describe what people see or feel in each of them and try to imagine a day in the life of such a place. Remember, you only get what is approved by Staff, so later additions require speaking with them just like you would for new unique abilities.)
[list][*] [b]Critical Point:[/b] (Your group's most important and vulnerable asset. Losing this critical location or resource, be it a ship, a planet, a technology, a magical ability, an item or the sort will hurt your group the most.)

[*][b]Critical Point:[/b] (Your group's second most valuable asset. If you lost this it would hurt more than your very last one and not nearly as much as the first, but it would still badly affect your faction.)
[*][b]Critical Point:[/b] (Your group's third and last most important asset. The last and "least" important of the three most important objects, locations, people or the sort to your group. Like the first two, harm to this is going to significantly affect you.)[/list]
[b]Allies:[/b] (Your group's allies. Does your faction have anyone it associates with and considers a friend? They can be individuals outside the faction, as well as other groups. Try to limit these to other actual players or player groups. If they have no allies, just state they have none.)
[b]Enemies:[/b] (Your group's enemies. Is there anyone who is a sworn enemy of your group? If so, who are they? Why? Are they just competition or are they legitimately out to take or destroy everything you have? Like with allies, try to fill this section out only with actual players' creations. If your group is neutral to all others, just state that or say they have none.)

[b]Members:[/b] (Your group's most important members. You need to provide a mention to each of these Roleplayer Guild members, then list their character or characters afterward. You must have at least five members, but cannot have more than ten.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)
[@(Username)]'s Characters: (Your group's members who belong to this user.)

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The Colosseum Re-Opens

The problem was the chain. It was always the chain, where this fight was concerned. See, when the chain pulled tight going forward it was under the pressure of the spear. So, when the spear began to be retracted – and lifted – so too did the chain itself. Friction, the result of the pressure destabilizing which held it in place. Call it whichever of those things you wanted, since both had an equal impact on what happened. Regardless, the chain pulled back and lifted in exact timing with the spear, until it touched his body. As soon as that link of chain touched his groin, it stopped moving. The resultant action of that caused the spear to just slide along the metal of the chain, never actually touching his body. Beatdown knew that would happen, but apparently the other didn’t fully understand what was going on.

Of course, this fight wasn’t much of a fight – and Beatdown was growing tired and weary of everything happening. It wouldn’t be much longer, though, and he’d be in the position he needed to be in to ensure a victory – all he had to do was wait out and survive one more attack. Could he do it? Well, if the man’s current prowess was any indication, then yes. Yes, he could. Easily. He prepared himself for what would likely be another spear-thrust, shifting most of his weight over to his left leg and tightening every muscle in his body.

Expanding Horizons - A persistent discussion

Sure thing.

Expanding Horizons - A persistent discussion

So, I feel first and foremost the question that every reader of this might have is what is already in mind and in the works?

@The Harbinger of Ferocity

Currently the plan is to form an ever-evolving, Nation-style roleplay. Though individuals are more than allowed, and in fact encouraged to integrate themselves into the world - groups of five unique individuals will be the ones who control the most territory and have the most influence and power on the World Stage.

Currently we've gotten a concept for a group outline designed and ready to be put into place on launch. Our goal is to create a persistent story that involves everyone who could possibly want to join.

What level of writing and talent are you speaking to? What genre and style?

All levels and genres. We're not going to be picky and say only this can come in, only this can do this. Everyone and anyone is welcome, as long as they intend to further the stories we're building together. Obviously the better players will be the ones who end up holding the most influence and control ICly, but everyone is welcome to join us in our world - regardless of writing level and skill.

What is considered canon appropriate?

While we would, of course, prefer custom characters and groups - canon is whatever you want it to be. From mundane, every day humans with base technology all the way up to groups capable of using their technology or their magic to terraform worlds to be suitable for their lives.

A bit difficult to apply one's self, mind and energy without the general of this.

Understandable, we're currently in the process of finishing up the systems and we're hoping to have enough interest to launch the program early next week.

Even if unofficial to the point of, "We have nothing set in stone as of yet.", the opinions of those involved already provide us outsiders much appreciated insight.

Very true. We're hoping to have ideas and input from the general community here, too. Right now, groups will have to go through an acceptance process in which a member of the RP staff will approve or deny groups as official based on our guidelines. Characters will be approved or denied with a similar guideline - but will be far less strict in comparison. Groups, being the most influential people in the RP, will have the option of beginning with a planet, a large ship, or whatever other type of livable entity they can come up with. This will be known as their territory. They have full control inside of their territory as far as stories go.

Territories will have 2-3 "crucial" places. Places that are so intrinsically important to the group itself that they're high-value targets. If another group, or even an individual, wants to capture that territory they can attack those crucial points via a judged-fight system. If they attack, and the judge determines they won, then they gain that point - and the losing group loses that point. If a group loses all three crucial points, they no longer control any territory and become nomadic by nature.

I hope that managed to answer some of your questions, and if there's anything else you want to know you can find me on the Discord, or post the message here.

The Colosseum Re-Opens

Beatdown watched idly as the man took his steps forward, wondering if maybe he was finally going to fight him like a man. Of course, he wasn’t. Kids and their weapons, though. They couldn’t move past them. He was beginning to think this man would be completely useless if the fight became about fists and feet. Even with him in armor and Beatdown only wearing a pair of ripped up, faded out blue jeans. Fists would still give the other a clear advantage, but he chose to employ his weapon like a coward hiding behind his friends. Well, there wasn’t much he could do about that. So, he watched the man begin to thrust his spear toward his chest. Of course, Beatdown still had his arms lifted and was preparing to fight the man if he got close enough.

His left hand immediately reacted and started to swing out to grab the spear. It didn’t work. The spear retracted and targeted his thigh before the left hand came into place. Immediately he realized he’d fucked up, and now he was about to lose the use of his leg. He braced himself for the pain that was about to come…but it never did. He wasn’t sure why, until he felt a weight like someone pulling at his right arm – and immediately he glanced down to check.

His laughter rang throughout the quiet arena, as if those remaining were quiet in anticipation. What was he laughing at? Pure dumb luck, obviously. See, when his right hand lifted into position, the chain still wrapped around his hand left the excess hanging out before it, pointed toward the ground. And in the man’s rush to cause him injury, he’d neglected to take it into account. So, when the spear thrust forward to his thigh the chain was hanging in the way. The tip traveled halfway through that link, before becoming lodged and pulling the chain tight – which resulted in the tugging at his arm.

It wasn’t intentional. Hell, he hadn’t even thought it would be something to work – and he took no time to react to the second thrust, believing the first to be the true attack. But, it did work. Luck was on his side in that moment, and he couldn’t hardly believe that himself. Now, though, the spear was wedged between the links of the chain – and he wasn’t quite sure where to go from there. Except to keep tension on it and try to pull the spear from the other’s grasp. Believing that he’d finally get the man to let go of his cowardly ways and fight like a true warrior.

The Colosseum Re-Opens

The only clear thing happening here was his opponent clearly giving humans very little credit in their capabilities, and misunderstanding time-frames and timing in and of itself. He didn’t step forward and then crouch. He crouched AS he stepped forward. It was not an additional step, but the same steps already undertaken. The fact of his body crouching mid-step, and his arm being pushed outward not just above, but in front, of his head is what made the block entirely possible. Brennus seemed to assume that all humans are weak, fragile things. That their minds and bodies don’t react on pure instinct in the heat of the moment.

If Brennus was truly the warrior he claimed to be, then he’d have to understand that simple concept. For Beatdown, this fight wasn’t one of thought – where each option was weighed carefully and then undertaken after a far too long thought process. For him, fighting was second nature. Every move he made, every endeavor undertaken in the heat of combat, was muscle memory. It was instinct. That made his reactions immediate and definite. Not superhuman, no, but the movements of someone highly trained and skilled in combat for more than most their lives. Some people just didn’t understand that concept. Didn’t understand how muscle memory, how instinct, how reaction works. That’s fine, those people could be taught if they were willing to learn.

For Beatdown though, he’d learned it a long time ago. Throughout hundreds and thousands of battles fought and won by the blade and the fist. This man, though? He was a coliseum fighter. He fought for audiences, for the glory of his name. He didn’t truly know what it meant to be faced with death. He didn’t know what a true fight was, and he clearly didn’t begin to fathom what true, bred training in life-and-death situations bred into a real warrior.

So, Beatdown shifted back to a standing position, before taking two steps backward as the spear began to pivot. This put him at a range in which the man would have to fully extend his arm all the way outward just to make a minor point of impact on the most outward part of his body. Meanwhile, he inspected his forearm – and reminded himself that he was glad the shackles remained. It’d caused the sliding of the spear backward to lift a bit, and instead of a deep gash formed a shallow cut on his arm. It stung a great deal, but the blood loss was minimal and the cut itself barely a nuisance.

“Are you ever going to truly fight, or are you going to just keep trying to poke me with your stick? I’m growing bored with your ignorance, child.”