Klodryx lies on the packed earth at the center of town, surrounded by a wide ring of townsfolk. Boots scrape, but no one steps closer.
the jeering man
Look at you, sprawled like a beaten cur. Is that scar supposed to make you frightening?
The man stands over him, one finger stabbing downward. His shadow cuts across Klodryx's face while the crowd watches in rigid silence.
the jeering man
You swagger through town as though strength belongs to you. Prove it, then. Get up.
No laughter answers him. An old woman grips her shawl, a butcher pauses beside his stall, and several townsfolk glance uneasily toward the road.
the jeering man
What is wrong? Has everyone finally seen what you are?
Dust settles around Klodryx's hands. The ring remains unbroken, leaving the next movement and every watching gaze fixed upon him.
✓ Quest Accepted
Make the crowd back away from the abuse
Director's note
I stand up and after im done talking I throw a right hook at the guys face
“"I dont ask or except anything, and i sure as hell dont go around like im strong because im not. But you, you are weak and i will prove that"”
FAILURE (Fair Willpower, rolled -1)
Klodryx plants one boot beneath him and rises from the dust. The ring of townsfolk tightens its attention, but nobody moves to intervene.
Klodryx
I don't ask or expect anything, and I sure as hell don't go around like I'm strong, because I'm not. But you are weak, and I'll prove that.
Before the last word fully leaves him, Klodryx drives a right hook toward the jeering man's face, committing his weight to the strike.
the jeering man
Too slow.
The man catches Klodryx's forearm just short of impact. The stopped momentum twists Klodryx sideways, forcing him to stagger across the packed earth.
the jeering man
That was your proof? You announce weakness, then hand me your balance.
He releases the arm with a shove rather than a blow. Klodryx remains standing, but the open ring has become a measured space between them, and the crowd's silence turns wary.
Director's note
I try and knee the guy in the gut
Klodryx turns with the shove instead of retreating. His planted foot scrapes a shallow line through the dust as he drives his knee toward the man's gut.
the jeering man
Still trying to force it?
The jeering man shifts his hips aside. Klodryx's knee catches only the edge of his tunic, and the man clamps both hands around Klodryx's upper arm.
the jeering man
You have power, perhaps. But power without control is just another weakness.
He twists, seeking to turn Klodryx off balance and cast him back into the dirt. The watching ring recoils as one, boots scuffing away from the struggle.
the butcher
Enough! This is the town square, not a hunter's yard.
The jeering man keeps his grip for one tense breath, then releases Klodryx and steps back. His eyes remain fixed on the scarred face before him.
Quest Complete
Make the crowd back away from the abuse