Archery Contest
-waves-
All right, as should be obvious, this is a private contest. If you weren't invited, you are welcome to watch, gasp in awe and choose somebody to cheer on. However, please don't jump in and start shooting. Enjoy!
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The night was cold, but calm. Outside anyways. Inside the barracks common room it was a scene of nearly controlled chaos as a regiment of people who had been cooped up away from everything that they were used to for a long period of time tried to blow off a little steam. There was boasting and bragging and card games. In one corner there was a tournament of arm wrestling going on, while in the other corner a couple of amateur musicians with more enthusiasm than skill tried to provide a bit of entertainment. It wasn?t much, but they were enjoying themselves. Mageria smiled at that; it was good to see things getting back to normal.
Somewhere around midnight, the boasting about weaponry skills started. While for the most part her people were smart enough that they didn?t haul out their weapons right then and there, two of her archers were about to start trick shots right then and there before she stepped in. Mageria fought a smile down as the two archers looked shame faced when she caught them; trying unsuccessfully to look repentant.
?Well, I suppose that we do need something to do, don?t we?? Mageria looked around at everybody and realized that a bit of healthy competition would do everybody a world of good.
?Right then. Tomorrow, you?ll all get the chance to show off. Until then; you need to behave.? She looked around at those who were her guests. ?Everybody is welcome; we?ll come up with some sort of prize or something. This will be a friendly contest, so no taking out your rivals before we start.? She rolled her eyes at the chorus of groans that met her announcement.
The next day dawned crisp and clear. Mageria had spent a little while figuring out how to properly test the skills of her people and her guests and believed that she had come up with something that would be a proper test. Facing the line of contestants, she grinned and cleared her throat.
?All right then. This is going to be in a series of three tests. The first one,? she gestured at a line of targets set up across the clearing. ?Is going to be a standard test. Those that manage to pass this test, shall go on to the next level. Shall we begin??
The line of archers was at one end of a clearing, about seven or eight men and women. At the other end of the clearing was a series of targets, standard bullseye types, but in varying sizes. Some of them were as big as dinner plates, while a couple of them were no bigger than the palm of her hand.
?Oh, and one more thing. Whoever wins, gets a bit of a prize.? Mageria held up a quiver in explanation. Jones, who was a fairly skilled leather worker, had made it to while away the long night hours. It was stamped and stained with a raven stooping down from the middle of the night sky, full moon shining down. It was a work of art; one that he had donated as the prize for the contest. It was also filled with a new set of arrows, all of them fletched with the black feathers that they had been desperate to get rid of.
?And . . . let?s begin!?
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/7EgcHS603eo/viewtopic.php
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