Part 1
There’s a tavern in the city of Thaytis where you can fight for money. It’s called Kevin’s Hole and its known for its fighting pit. Two competitors, each full of beer and bravado step up then are lowered into the 40 by 40 foot pit in the centre of the bar. On the left is Mikiron; an orc fighter with calloused hands. His opponent, a grey and black Tabaxi barbarian named Smoke who wields a greataxe. Bets are laid, threats and encouragement shouted. A bell is rung, and the fight begins in earnest.
Mikiron surges forward first, fists already cocked and ready. He lunges in with a brutal low hook, and it lands clean into Smoke’s ribs with a thunderous crack. As the catfolk stumbles back, Mikiron aims for the jaw, but this one glances off Smoke’s shoulder,
Smoke’s eyes narrow as pain becomes fuel, and a surge of primal rage floods his body. His fur bristles, his pupils dilate into slits, and the greataxe in his hands becomes an extension of wrath! He swings it in a sharp, brutal arc that Mikiron tries to duck but it cuts open his back spraying blood into the air.
The crowd roars in approval.
Mikiron grits his teeth and plants his feet and drives a fist square into Smoke’s stomach, but this time Smoke barely grunts, shrugging off most of the pain that would take out a normal man. Smoke hisses.
Pivoting on a clawed foot, the axe slashes across Mikiron's forearm, a shallow but punishing cut that sends a fresh splash of blood into the dirt. The orc staggers a half-step, sweat and blood glistening on his skin.
Mikiron explodes in a barrage of strikes. A left hook slams into the jaw, followed by a right uppercut which sends blood and a tooth across the pit. Another punch slams into the barbarian’s sternum with a sickening crack but still, the tabaxi won’t go down.
Smoke swings his greataxe clipping Mikiron across the forehead, luckily the orc pulled back to avoid a crude lobotomy. Blood gushes down his face like a waterfall. Mikiron staggers, pain blooming hot and sharp from his back, arm, and face.
“Fall over, you mangy mongrel!” Mikiron snarls as he throws out a feint, which Smoke falls for and raises his arms to parry. Dropping his weight and then springing up, Mikiron slams a mighty uppercut into Smoke’s jaw knocking a life or two out of him! Smoke sailed backwards and landed still on the blood soaked ground.
The crowd roars in approval at the stunning display. The local cleric enters the pit to heal the victor and keep the loser from death's door.
Part 2
A week later, Smoke return's to Kevin's Hole with a score to settle.
“Rematch?” Mikiron looks up at the angry catfolk and returns to his beer. “I got nothing to prove.”
Smoke flipped the table to one side like he was moving a curtain and kicked Mikiron’s chair, with him in it, into the wall! Mikiron leapt up to his feet, fists ready to fly when the owner of Kevin’s Hole; a scrawny bespectacled half-elf by the name of BaKevin, got in between them.
“Boys, you know the rules. You want to fight; you fight in my pit. Or you leave.” He smiled revealing his yellowed teeth from years of smoking. “And if I ask you to leave, you’re never welcome back.”
“Get in the ring!” Mikiron snarled as he shoulder bumped Smoke and headed towards the pit. Smoke smiled. The pair were lowered into the pit and the bar swelled with patrons as news of the rematch, and the incident spread across the gambling city. Bets are laid, threats and encouragement shouted. A bell is rung, and the fight begins in earnest again.
Smoke roared and leapt forward, his greataxe swinging low and catching Mikiron on the inner thigh of his left leg. The crowd cheered at the swift strike, sensing this fight will be just as brutal and unforgiving as the first, if not more so.
Mikiron’s face tightened with determination despite the pain, pushed off his right foot and slammed three punches into the ferocious feline; nose, left eye, and throat. The fired-up barbarian barely felt them as the axe sailed true and cut a trench up Mikiron’s chest. The orc fired out another combo but the agile tabaxi avoided each one, turned and swung the axe clipping the base of Mikiron’s neck...an inch closer and it was decapitation!
Mikiron dropped his shoulder and rammed a fist into the groin, but the raging barbarian didn’t feel it and slammed the axe handle down onto the orcs head with a such force it cracked the hard orcish skull. Mikiron slipped down Smoke's chest like a sheet of ice and collapsed on the floor. The roar of the crowd is intoxicating! Smoke raises his axe to end it forever.
“It’s over,” says a calm voice as the cleric waves a hand in Smoke’s face making him freeze in place. “Murder is bad for everyone’s business.”
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This came about by pitting two characters I have against each other in 1v1 combat via Chatgpt to manage dice rolls. One won the first round, the other won the other coming down mainly to whoever went first wins.
Mikiron (2nd lvl Orc fighter) STR: 20 DEX: 15 CON: 19 INT: 6 WIS: 6 CHR: 12. Spd 30ft. HP: 28 AC: 12 +2 to initiative. Unarmed fighting style punches & kicks do 1d6+5. x1 Action Surge. x1 Second Wind regaining 1d10+2 as a bonus action. Relentless Endurance. 5ft 11in tall and 220lbs.
Smoke (2nd lvl Tabaxi barbarian) STR: 15 DEX: 14 CON: 16 INT: 10 WIS: 12 CHR: 8 Spd 30ft HP: 25 AC: 15 +2 initiative. Uses a greataxe 1d12+2. x2 Rage as bonus action making bludgeoning/slashing/piercing damage is halved. Reckless Attack. 6ft tall and 187lbs
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