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Description: Unlike last year, the stone platform has been removed, making the entire ring nothing but a sandy ground. A twenty foot wall surrounds the ring to protect the audience in this open ceiling stadium.

Field Measurements:
Ring: 70 yard diameter

Ten Count Boundary: As soon as a fighter enters the bleachers, the count begins. The flying rule remains, as well.

If Tai was indeed a fan of quiet than his opponent's profession might not please him. After the ominous roar and the screaming of eager fans a sound was heard from the other side of the arena.

It started softly but began to crescendo as the bard entered in his black regalia and signature stone mask. The crowd hushed momentarily until they realized what the sound was...music.

The music sounded Celtic in origin and as Saphen's violin glowed gently beneath the bright sun he danced into the arena. What kind of dancing you ask? A Jig of course! a dance that Saphen had picked up in Ireland which was quick and lively. His feet skipped and stomped in different patterns, crossing every so often, keeping pace with the fast tempo his violin was producing. Some of the audience laughed, others mockingly danced along, one was even so bold as to yell something along the lines of "Are you going to win him over with a love song?!" A few others joined in the fun but Saphen ignored them all the same.

If one were to look closer at his violin they may notice one particular difference, small though it may be. The bow he used for his violin had a long metal plate that ran down it's length, the tip being a smooth spike that extended a few inches out. The metal plate it self was bent to make a sharp edge that stood an inch tall off of the wooden shaft. The violin had similar metal curved to form against the waist (or area that curves in in the center) of the violin.

With his meager size (5'5) he paled in comparison to the might of the beast that laid before him, however no one could tell how he felt about that beneath his emotionless mask. One could surmise however, that with his happy mannerisms Saphen was prepared to enjoy himself.

The magic of the music enveloped him and after a few more measures he shouted out happily "It is an honor to engage you in combat, I am ready to start this dance when you are," he said ironically as he halted his forward advances.

Laughing loudly...and almost sadistically... his dancing slowed to a simple kicking of one leg as he continued to play. The darkness of his mask's eye slits barely revealed some of the whiteness of his eyes. Despite this it was not hard to tell that his focus narrowed in on his opponent as he waited for the match to begin.

Legato: Tied Together "Let the Earth Tear you Asunder!"

Saphen watched his opponent's body lumber across the arena at him as he considered his options.

The bear was massive, twice the bard's size, and held a great amount of weight which made the thought of close quarters combat to be a dismal one. At the moment Saphen would stick to a ranged strategy if he wanted to even consider victory as an option.

As the bow gently licked the strings of the violin Saphen's eyes widened slightly as an idea hit him. With great weight comes great responsibility...no that wasn't it....the weight of the masses would out weigh the weight of the few...not quite (also impossible)....oh wait! The bigger they are....the harder they fall....Bingo!

Acting quickly the music accelerated and grew louder to compete with the battle cry of his opponent. The instrument would not be out done of course, they tended to be prideful in things pertaining to sound...that being their main job and all. With that, every other note became accented with strength and vigor as the magic prepared to release and despite the menacing figure coming down upon him the music never faltered.

As Tai's left back paw hit the sand, a pot hole was formed (2 feet in diameter, 2 ft deep). Theoretically the massive limb would sink beneath it, if there was no way for Tai to compensate of course. Hopefully, if all went well, the bear would trip, rearing his body upward in order to free his foot, allowing Saphen's next action to prove useful.

Whipping his right hand forward, removing the bow from the strings and pointing it at his opponent, a couple of metal daggers launched out of his baggy sleeve. Aiming for what would be Tai's shoulder and chest area. This of course would only be true if his opponent reared up the couple of feet that he had anticipated. If this was not the case...hopefully...it would stick into something soft and easily stabbed...but Saphen remained optimistic that his plan would be at least somewhat effective.

The daggers were not flying the way one would physically throw them, obviously being manipulated by some sort of magic as they flew straight with out spinning. If his opponent noticed this than two points would be discovered about the bard.

Point A: He could manipulate Sand
Point B: He could manipulate Metal
Point C: All of the above

Saphen's hand quickly returned to playing as he waited to see how Tai would react...calm and composed....for now.

Legato: Tied Together "Let the Earth Tear you Asunder!"

To the untrained eye the assault seemed pleasing to the bard, everything generally went as he had intended.

To Saphen however... there was no joy in how the situation unfolded. Not only did it not disable any of his limbs in any way but he continued to gain ground by the second. The daggers were no more than mosquito bites, his opponent, a giant can of Raid!

Eyes narrowed in on the train wreck that was charging at him, the sounds of his thundering footsteps were unsettling....very unsettling. With that realization Saphen now he had to make a horrible decision....

Should he pursue his original plan of ranged assaults in an attempt to wear down the fuzzy warrior...or do something radical? The thought of his hidden face being crushed by Tai's giant paws was less than thrilling. In fact in that moment Saphen could think of several more amusing things to do than being crushed by a giant bear.

1. Drinking Bleach (My insides are as white as my outsides!)
2. Laying in the middle of an intersection (which hand signal means "Don't run me over?")
3. Licking Carpet (The kind you put on the floor of a house....perverts...)

To name a few...

Saphen did not run...he did not evade...he did not even attack but instead stretched his arms slightly as he prepared to change the type of music he was playing.

Saphen's feet stopped for a moment as he ran the bow along the strings rapidly, his body bent only slightly as he focused on the complicated pattern of notes that fueled energy into the musician's form.

The muscles on his body tightened as his breathing relaxed...for a moment the world seemed tranquil. The sand lifted slightly as his right foot turned to point at his opponent who was almost on him. Focus....he had to retain focus....watching the way the bear's limbs moved he prepared for what was to come.

Allegro: Brisk or Rapid "My head is bloody, but unbowed."

Saphen waited as he stopped playing for the moment. At the frog end of the bow, the end which you held while playing, the leather grip was extended out a foot. Allowing him to have a full hand grip on it with his right hand.

What did this mean? It allowed him to use the bow as a weapon, similar to the way a fencer fights with a sword and dagger Saphen's used his instrument in the same fashion.

So how does that help him now you ask? I will tell you.

Saphen's signature skill as a bard was buffing, allowing increased skills in a variety of areas. Saphen would change what type of fighter he was using these skills.

Tai's first sight of him was a magic user, all range and no physical force. Unlucky for Tai, Saphen had just switched to physical combat mode. While this meant that Saphen lost his earthly abilities Saphen gained enhanced physical combat, specialized in speed with a decent amount of strength. While obviously his raw power would never match a member of the Tae'dae, hopefully, he could out maneuver his opponent instead.

As the bear soared through the air with great speed and power Saphen prepared for his counter. Kicking sand up with his right foot to make a small cloud of sand to momentarily mask his actions he quickly dashed forward. This occurred when Tai was several feet away from reaching Saphen, allowing him time to use the moment of confusion to his advantage.

As he cleared the sand cloud Saphen bent low, to escape the massive grip, and slashed at the ankle of the bear's left leg. It was all in one smooth motion, his right hand leading out in a horizontal slash in an attempt to disable the leg. As soon as the slash was finished Saphen would dive into a quick roll to avoid being grabbed, quickly righting himself to face his opponent, as he passed by. Saphen would take a moment to gentle place his bow back upon the strings. The music returned to playing to keep his physical enchantment up as he awaited to see the result. With the same gentle finesse as before he played cheerfully, even in the chaos of battle Saphen still loved his music.

If he was successful, Saphen could study how well his opponent defended against the attack as well as how tough his skin was in general.

Allegro: Brisk or Rapid "My head is bloody, but unbowed."

Saphen had not expected his opponent to turn around so quickly. The wound appeared to be decent but the beast caught the bard off guard with his sudden assault.

After a phrase of music Saphen had reached into his baggy sleeves and withdrew two more daggers. Taking a step to the right his original intention was to try and hit the same wound a second time to see if he could disable the leg entirely. This would allow him to gain some distance, change battle styles and defeat his opponent with long range assaults.

How ever when the dust from the landing cleared, Tai hopped at him swinging wildly but with massive power.

When Saphen realized it was too late to dodge he jumped to the right further to gain a better view of the wound and launched his two daggers.

"Haaa!" the bard screamed as he released the weapons, both spinning in the air with deadly precision in an attempt to finish the job of ending that leg's usefulness.

THWACK! was the sound as the paw slammed into his...well entire torso causing him to fly backwards a good 10 yards...sliding 5 more. Saphen gripped the bow and the violin in his left hand for dear life while his right hand attempted to help him break fall as he met the new arena's floor for the first time most intimately.

If not for his leather armor the blow would have been worst...Saphen quickly righted himself in a small daze as he felt liquid run down his stomach. Reaching down with out looking, his white glove was covered in a small green liquid.

While Saphen was in magic mode he could also wield plants to his advantage, which he kept wrapped around his body in various areas. The vine he had wrapped around his torso, beneath the leather armor, took some damage but also helped buffer the blow.

Saphen needed a moment to recover so while he had hoped that his opponent did as well he went back to playing. The music began in more simplistic tones until some of the dizziness went away but even with the mask on it was obvious that the wind had been knocked out of him.

Allegro: Brisk or Rapid "My head is bloody, but unbowed."

By this time, Saphen had recovered and even though he was slightly sore his body in this mode was equipped to handle some damage.

Stopping the music for a second he put the bow forward, the violin in his left hand, held low, the instrument facing the ground as he prepared for the assault.

When the bear landed he saw the familiar mannerisms that indicated the infamous "bear hug" was coming and with that, Saphen could react.

There was no way for Saphen to lunge and withdraw with out being in reach of the 10 ft beast so he darted forward.

As the bear raised his arms in a grab, Saphen leaped (super man style!) through the gap between his arm and leg (also known as the side of his torso). This occurred right when he went to grab the bard, the opening didn't last long, but it was worth the risk.

Saphen would give a quick stab with the metal point of his bow, aiming where he hoped would be beneath any chest armor he might be wearing (directly at the waist). Saphen would pull the bow out after the jab and flatten it out afterwards so he would fly through untouched.

The air whistled dully, as the hood he wore covered his ears, but it was enough to realize the danger he was in. Retaining this range with an opponent of much greater strength was a dangerous decision and one he questioned. Saphen had hoped to befuddle his opponent, slowing him down, making him consider his options but it seemed that Tai had very little strategy in mind. If Saphen wanted to win this battle he would have to crush him with brute force.

Reaching out as he passed Tai he placed his hands forward. Touching the ground as he pulled himself into a roll he quickly righted himself to see if he had time for another attack.

Allegro: Brisk or Rapid "My head is bloody, but unbowed."