Tavern Brawls S02W02

Dragovar closed the journal, his detailed notes completed for the second week of the Decepticons’ results. His team was performing well enough, but it was clear that he may need to increase the pressure on his mercenary band to make certain they had the proper perspective and motivation for this competition. After checking on their demanding training regimen, he headed over to the Tipsy Turtle Inn, to scout and learn about their next opponents, the miscreant river pirates, known as The Brave Trawlers.

When he entered the Inn, he was quickly taken aback to see that that Inn was much too quiet for a Sunday evening. The regular patrons were few and none of the other brawler teams were on site.

After checking with the barkeeper, he learned that a Freak Circus had come to a nearby village. This had distracted the regular patrons, as well as the brawler teams. Rumor had it that the Commissar visited the circus too, although he guessed that her motivation was likely to find and purchase a rare and exotic circus beast that could be slaughtered and sold for its fur and skin. There were reports today that the Trawler’s ranger Sterling was sighted at the Circus, viciously practicing her marksmanship on unwilling human and animal freaks of nature. Hearing such a tale of the ranger’s cruelty resonated with Dragovar, as the only things he respected were demonstrations of force and exploitation of the weak. In his years working as a bounty hunter, he had always made certain that all plans were executed with the most painful methods. 

Deciding that he needed to see this spectacle for himself, he made the short journey on horseback to the nearby campsite hosting this spectacle. When he arrived at the entry gate, he quickly surveyed the dozen colorful tents of all sizes and a giant big top in the center of it all. A worn sign had been erected that read “Welcome to Crowley’s Circus of Freaks, Beasts, and Wonders.” Hundreds of local villagers were milling about and queuing to view all sorts of humanoid freaks, if the proper price was paid. 

His first stop was at a wishing well. This crude stone well was manned by a pair of jesters, who wore the most garish face paint. While Dragovar had a heart of steel, even he was taken aback by the disturbing mannerisms of these two clowns. One of them was definitely older than the other and for some reason they looked slightly familiar. But both seemed to be mesmerizing the crowds of peasants around them clamoring to hand notes with their wishes to the Jesters, and then cast bags of coins into the well. The Jesters seemed too skilled at collecting notes and coins. Whatever these fools were up to, Dragovar decided he wanted no part of it.

Turning away from the well of fools, he strolled past a menagerie of freaks: wolf boys, albinos, and sword swallowers. All kinds of humanoid oddities – exploited for a quick profit. Paying no heed, he moved on to see the freakish beasts that had been assembled into a makeshift zoo.

He approached the cages and viewed one animal after another, brown bears, giant boars, even a fraudulent unicorn were on display.

A smile crept onto Dragovar’s face. While others in the crowd were looking for escape from their mundane lives, he saw something different. He saw the taskmasters’ whips as beautiful instruments of torture to enforce the necessary performance. And looking at the caged beasts, whose sole purpose was to serve their master’s whims, this was a true thing of beauty. He loved putting living creatures in servitude and trapping them under his control. It didn’t matter if they were freakish beasts, or the human mercenaries of the squad who served him: Delyan, Dusk, Darien, and Darius. He was the master and breaking their spirit to train them is the job he was destined for. He just needed to perfect his cage-making skills in order to continue their winning performance at Tavern Brawls.

With two weeks of Tavern Brawls completed, the leading teams are the Decepticons and the Heroes of the Damned, each with 8 set wins. Rounding out the top of the brawl are the two other teams with criminal underworld connections, the river pirates known as The Brave Trawlers and The Smugglers, with 7 and 6 winds apiece.

As in Week 1, the Fighters are once again leading the charge, racking up an impressive 36-24 overall record to date. Two Fighters in particular, Hrothgar of The Street Thugs and Dragoon of ARPISTI, have yet to lose a single fight. The only other undefeated brawler besides those two Fighters is the dastardly MrGibbs, who serves as a Thief for The Brave Trawlers.