Circle of Death: Finale

This is the final match in the Circle of Death tournament: Drush vs. Mad Ramos. [I've played Mad Ramos as his rating is lower than Drush's.]

The two warriors meet at the center of the arena. Drush strikes with his axe but Mad Ramos blocks the attack with his shield. He immediately counterstrikes with his sword but Drush parries it with the shaft of the axe.

Drush swings his axe trying to avoid Ramos' shield. The human warrior parries the blow and then Drush, in a continuous move, raises the axe above his head and brings it down in a powerful blow. However, Mad Ramos dodges the attack and the orc stumbles forward. Ramos takes the opportunity to hack the orc's right arm causing a deep wound. The orc falls to the ground as his blood gushes.

Mad Ramos attacks the fallen orc. Even lying on his back and with his wounded arm, Drush keeps up the fight, parrying and attempting to strike back. At one point the orc tries to roll to the side to get up but Ramos moves faster and stabs him in the chest. In a surprising move, the orc pushes himself backwards, rolling away from Ramos and getting up.

Once more, Mad Ramos moves towards Drush and the two warriors engage in combat. Ramos manages to pin the orc against the arena wall and stabs his right leg. As he pulls his sword back, Drush quickly slips to the side.

Feeling the pain of his wounds and tired from the battle, Drush pauses to catch his breath. However, Mad Ramos doesn't stop in his berserker rage, charging the orc and bashing him with his shield. As Drush steps back dazzled, Ramos drives his sword deep into his belly. The orc falls on his back, still breathing.

Drush stands up but leaves his axe on the ground, as his right arm is limp and his left arm alone does not possess the strength or coordination needed to wield it. Covered in blood, he beats his fist to his chest and roars at Mad Ramos, who roars back and lunges at him. The orc lashes out with punches but he's too weak and slow. Ramos dodges and then runs his sword through the orc's chest.

The cheers and screams from the audience are stunningly loud. Mad Ramos looks up, his face covered in blood and his eyes wild as if looking for someone. He is hastily cleaned by servants and brought up to the suspended platform above the arena, where the tournament patrons are. They greet him and he nods and smiles, still with a distant look in his eyes.

Mad Ramos gains 2 Fame from defeating 2 gladiators of higher rating and 200 Talos. He gains 1 more Fame and another 200 Talos from winning the tournament. [Unfortunately, I failed all 3 rolls spending Fame to try to increase an attribute.]

The next morning, Mad Ramos of Mirish packs up his few possessions and leaves the island in a small boat and no one knows where he will go next.

Conclusion

This concludes the Circle of Death tournament. It was a very fun way to play more games of Red Sun Black Moon, and to learn some details and even tactics of the game. [In this last fight, once again I started burning my bonus dice to at least avoid Drush's Rage and Vicious signature combo. Luck was on my side on the second round, when I scored enough successes to cause a bleeder wound. This significantly weakened the orc, although Mad Ramos' relatively low strength and Drush's armor prevented a decisive killing stroke until later.]