Game Master: You all will join Hysteria and I here at the observation window. The window enhances the view of center court and there are close up views of each team with three alternate views for each Game Master. Please find your team views along the larger window as they enter center court.
The Game Masters
Sariel of Metatron and the Archangels
Agiel of Zazel and the Children
Iaoth of Tabris and the Third Sphere Archangels
Ahdis of Ahdis and the Supreme Mmoatia
Walo of Lolof and the Elder Yumboes
Sene of Umbriel and the Umbatia Council
Kazi Fandral of Rusa and the Prime 5 Allstars
Agiel: This is all insane, Hysteria. I can’t believe you managed all of this so quickly, and that Metatron allowed it. Though, when I say that aloud it sounds stupid. What could Metatron do to you?
Hysteria: Nothing at all. I designed this competition to allow for the possibility of change. How is your sister? She was shaken by her view of Vrwawl the last I saw her.
Kazi Fandral: As we should all be. An entire planet teeming with water, now just a desert wasteland. That should shake each one of us to the core.
Iaoth: This one is sensitive. The environment can be, and has been, easily recreated. The krogs are not extinct, there was no genocide like sensitives have claimed.
Kazi Fandral: This one is sensitive indeed.
Hysteria: Pardon my rudeness, I should introduce everyone. Some of you are familiar with one another, others are new faces even to me. How about we go around and say our names, our team, and what we are fighting for.
Agiel: I will go first as the Master of the winning team, despite our stupid name. Why are we Zazel and the Children? Isn’t the Game Master like the team captain.
GM: I would say you are probably like the assistant to the captain…
Agiel: Assistant captain at least.
GM: Assistant to the captain who is actually out there in battle. Your vantage is helpful for sure, but you’re not fighting anybody.
Agiel: The last time we met when I was rolling for Zaza you were much nicer. What happened to us?
GM: We’re still tight, Agiel. I’m just giving it to you straight because the game has changed drastically and everyone here seems to understand the stakes.
Walo: Well said, Master of Games. I am Walo of the Elder Yumboes. We fight to support the Supremes in their duty to prevent an aerphim takeover of this realm.
Ahdis: And we are grateful for your aid. The Yumboes and the Mmoatia have a long and strong history of doing the will of Age and of Mawu-Lisa. I am Ahdis. I must say that it is good to see you, Hysteria. It has been a long time.
Hysteria: Good to see you well mother. I hope that you and your sisters have come to compete.
Ahdis: We know no other way. When this is all done, maybe we could spend time together reacquainting ourselves.
Hysteria: We can discuss that when we have completed the Arbitration.
Sene: Hello everybody. My name is Sene, I am from Earth, of the Umbatia Swamp.
Ahdis: Pultine’s most favorite place on Earth. It is good to see you as well Sene.
Sene: I would say it is good to be here, but I don’t know if I completely understand what here is and what we’re doing. But when Ahdis asks for help, the Umbatia are glad to do what we can.
Iaoth: This one is sycophant. I didn’t think there would be so many inferior things invited to this competition of powerhouses. What is an umbatia? Your wings are puny insect wings.
GM: Sene is angry at the insult and her eyes begin to glow.
Hysteria: Iaoth! You will show respect to your fellow Masters of the game.
Iaoth: Sorry, Hysteria, but this feels like a joke. Metatron doesn’t assemble the Third Sphere Archangels for such weak threats.
Sene: You can test my weakness, pretty boy, but I swear you won’t like what happens.
Hysteria: Please. I understand that we have gathered for a parade of violence, but let us agree to be civil to ensure that things go as smoothly as possible. There is no need for insults. Your prowess or superiority will shine through the abilities of your teammates on center court.
Kazi Fandral: I am Kazi Fandral of Eel. I was recruited as a Prime 5 All Star, which sounds very flashy and cool. I’m adding it to my honorific. We fight to make sure that the wondrous powers of the Fonlands do not flood into our realm and completely drown us out. An ironic metaphor considering the fate of Vrwawl.
Iaoth: This one is too clever for his own good.
Sariel: Be easy, Iaoth. As Hysteria says, there is no cause for conflict between us up here. I am Sariel…
Agiel: More like Sorry-el, am I right?
Sariel: What is that?
Agiel: A pun, loser. It’s humor, which I guess you wouldn’t know anything about.
Iaoth: The brats that the Archangels birthed with Mmoatia are insufferable…
GM: Everyone startles and gasps when Sariel smacks Iaoth’s face so quickly that his arm is a blur in front of Iaoth who instantly falls to his knees with his hand to his cheek. They look like a father punishing his son; they look vaguely similar with their white wings, tan-yellow skin color, and the curly, light brown hair on their heads.
Sariel: Pardon me, Hysteria. I respect your wishes and I will not raise a hand again. You…
GM: He glares at Iaoth, who is still on his knees with his head down like a reprimanded child.
Sariel: Show respect to your betters, boy.
Sene: This is painfully awkward.
Walo: Hysteria, can we get on with this?
Hysteria: Certainly. The entrances from the vistas to center court are open and the participants are making their way through. The first question I will pose to you, the Game Masters, is if there should be obstacles created on the surface of center court. We can just have the flat fighting surface with the barrier, or I can create rock formations or different sized shapes and objects.”
GM: We will go down the wall and take a vote.
Sariel: No obstacles.
Agiel: Obstacles. It’ll make for a much more interesting show and our seats are too good for this to be boring.
Iaoth: No obstacles.
Ahdis: Let’s make it interesting. I vote for obstacles.
Walo: Obstacles.
Sene: Obstacles. Just make some vertical columns, some higher, some wider.
Kazi Fandral: I agree with Sene, simple columns.
Hysteria: Let’s do that.
GM: As she says this, four pillars begin to rise from the stone ground of center court and the participants shuffle around with surprise as one of the pillars rises high, two others bend to create horizontal stone bridges across the court at two levels, and the last expands to become a stone wall. From an aerial vantage, the participants look like inspects among the stone pillars on center court.
Hysteria: Is there anything that anyone would like to bring to my attention before the melee starts? Any concerns from your teams?
Sariel: Have the psychic links between the teams been established? I only ask because I imagine that some among have that ability and their teams have been privy to this conversation while mine is in the dark.
Hysteria: There are monitors in each vista, monitors on the level of center court with clear audio of our conversation here in the high tower. The psychic links will be established when the melee starts.
Agiel: I’ve got nothing.
Iaoth: I am ready to begin.
Ahdis: I won’t delay the proceedings with irrelevant questions. Let us begin.
Walo: You can truly enforce the knock-down rule? How can you be sure that you can observe all of the battle closely enough to eliminate someone knocked prone for ten seconds?
Sene: I was thinking the same thing. Not to disrespect you Ms. Hysteria, but how exactly can you make sure it’s all gone go like you say?
Ahdis: You have not witnessed the power of Hysteria before, it is a fair question. But know that she has the power. Everything you have seen since arriving to this moon was created by Hysteria and she never lifted a finger.
Sene: That’s impressive. Well, let’s get to it then.
Walo: Let’s.
Kazi Fandral: I am ready.
GM: Then the Melee of Hysteria will start in 3…2…
PRL Serials 