Aspect: Dream
Troll Type: Ravagers
Level: 15
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Catalizations
16-20- Aegis of Battle
13-14- Dream Magic
11-12- +1 Base Attack Bonus, Saves
9-10- +2 STR
7-8- +2 DEX
5-6- +5 Athletics
3-4- +5 Acrobatics
1-2- 10 Hit Points
Aegis of Battle- The Aegis of Battle is the blessing of the Elder God of battle himself. The bearer always go first in combat. They need not roll initiative, instead setting their initiative to one higher than the highest roll in the round. In addition the bearer is immune to disarm. They also gain a +1 divine bonus to hit and damage for every 4 character levels.
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Description
The Arena is not a true catalyst and in fact predates all known catalysts by several millenia. It was created in the golden age of the gods, with the collective strength of a dozen elder gods forging it out of raw magic.
The Arena was created at the behest of Freyja, the goddess of battle. She wished for a place to test the strength of all warriors, so that the best could be rewarded according to their stature. Each decade she called a contest where the 100 strongest warriors in the world were invited to participate.
They were placed into a grand melee with one simple rule. Live. The victor must slay the other ninety-nine combatants. Their deaths fueled the magic of the arena, which granted the coveted Aegis of Battle to the victor. Freyja often recruited the winner to serve as her lover, usually elevating them to near godhood so their skills wouldn’t be loss to the passage of time.
The godswar ended Freyja’s games, and when she died The Arena lay dormant for countless centuries. Because it had been linked directly to her life force it’s energies couldn’t be accessed without a very special conduit. Yet it still retained a vast measure of untapped power, power that would have remained forgotten forever if not for the fall of the Elentian Empire.
The fall sent a flood of refugees over the Ashwall into the relatively unpopulated lands of the west. A band of mercenaries led by the legendary warmaster Lukan struck out in search of a new home, and ended up traversing the Khalist mountains.
Much to Lukan’s shock he stumbled upon a structure like nothing he’d ever seen. A colossal arena seemingly carved from a single block of gold flecked marble stood alone atop the highest mountain in the Khalist range.
Lukan had no idea who had placed it there, or why it existed. Yet he knew it must be divine, as only a god could have created such a marvel. He brought his band up the steep slope to the base of the arena, and camped there for the next several days.
He sensed there was something great to the arena, but wasn’t certain what it was. Careful exploration revealed nothing, so eventually he gave up the search. Yet the arena was too beautiful to leave behind. He decided to build a new settlement atop the mountain in the very shadow of the arena.
Lukan and his men trained within the arena, and their wives and children watches from the stands. As the years passed the settlement grew, and more and more mercenaries came to learn from Lukan. He taught every student without prejudice, and eventually the city of Lukantria sprang into existance.
Unbeknowst to Lukan the arena had a rudimentary intelligence it had inherited from Freyja. It recognized that he was the one responsible for it being used again, and it decided he must be it’s new master. It linked with his soul, making him immortal in the process. His aging stopped entirely, and he now enjoyed a powerful connection with the arena.
He sensed that he now had the power to declare games, and that the winner of those games would be rewarded with great power. Lukan began scheduling gladatorial bouts, and found that each day’s viktor received a catalization from the arena.
Word of this fabulous arena soon spread throughout the west, and it wasn’t long before Zaro himself came to view it. As the Steward of War he was intrigued by such a thing, and decided to study it to see if it could teach him more about war.
Zaro asked Lukan to create a special match for him, and Lukan was all too happy to oblige. He found a hundred of the most skilled men available, and set them all to battle Zaro. Zaro wore no armor and used only a curved sword of unusual make.
He handily won the fight, and upon his victory the entire arena pulsed with golden light. He was given the Aegis of Battle, and for the first time in centuries grew stronger at combat. Zaro decreed that all who wished to follow him must journey to the arena and gain it’s favor, or they would be no true dedicated.
In the centuries that followed every aspiring mercenary and blademaster has made their way to the Arena. Each hopes to make a name for themselves, but most end up as just more blood on the sands.
