Hákon's Story: Chapter 3

VS Hyperion: Glacial Pace

Oct 27, 2022

Open on Grand Festival Hub

Hákon and Runa are standing on the right. Oddr approaches from the left.

Runa: [Great, what is it this time?]

Oddr: Greetings Hákon. I have to admit, I underestimated this festival. Erlingr has gotten more popular than I expected, he’s better at staying in character than I gave him credit for.

Oddr: He’ll likely be auctioned off shortly after the festival if he makes it any further in the tournament. How about building the auction into the end of the tournament?

Hákon: No, the foreigners would find that repulsive.

Oddr: That is true. Of course they always say they hate our way of life, but they never turn down our money. Shows how powerful all of us islanders are.

Runa: We have to get going now, we’re speaking with some of Hákon’s siblings before the matches for today begin.

Oddr: I need to get going to the arena as well.

Oddr walks off to the right.

Runa: We need to act fast. What if we threatened to disqualify Erlingr unless he’s freed?

Hákon: I’d never be trusted to run anything again if we did that. Let’s talk to the others, they should have ideas.

Exploration Start

The main obstacle here is a pair of platforms with a wide distance you need to cross. It’s easy, mainly there to check that you know how to use the aerial version of Hákon’s ice slide move. Be sure to drop down before crossing it so you can eavesdrop on the Pheonan knight.

Pheonan Knight: I still can’t believe the chief lost so early. Those dragons are tough. Please, goddess of our land, let the avatar of flames come to our side.

Mondragean Noble: I hear even warfare for these isles revolves around slavery, battles are about taking captives, so there’s barely any bloodshed. And they wage war with each other on a set schedule. You could say they tamed war itself.

Dravalan Noble: Wars with no killing, the world is a strange place. I wonder if slavery is really needed to keep that going?

Thrall: Hákon-talm, everything is going well so far. Some people keep trying to boss me around, but I’ve made it clear that I only take orders from our household. May you find victory in the arena.

At the rightmost area you’ll see all three of the other dragons, get closer to them to start the next scene.

Exploration End

Hyperion and Nisha are standing on either side of Aodh, Nisha is closer to the right edge of the screen. Hákon and Runa walk towards them from the left.

Runa: Is something going on?

Hyperion: We’re trying to get Aodh to at least watch his friend’s matches. Aodh, there’s no point in leaving the mountains if you’re going to keep to yourself.

Aodh: Yes there is.

Aodh walks past Runa and Hákon.

Aodh: Maybe I can’t stop you for good, you rotten slaver, but I’ll at least take you down a peg at your own tournament. Your ice won’t help you when I can melt it.

There’s a pause. Aodh walks off-screen.

Runa: You have got to stop putting up with him Hákon.

Hákon: He’s family. Besides, he’s going through a lot. I don’t want to kick him while he’s down.

Runa: That doesn’t mean you need to take every barb he throws without defending yourself. Besides, he was like that before that disaster in Lunis happened. He never respected you.

Hyperion: At least he sticks to his beliefs. I’m glad you invited him Hákon, I think he needed this, even if he might forget to show gratitude.

Runa: If Aodh actually cared so much for the plight of thralls, he’d realize Hákon is the one doing something about it, just not in the way he wants.

Nisha: You are right that Aodh hasn’t done much for other people, only those he personally cares about. And his methods tend to be shortsighted.

Hákon: But he’s our brother. We’re four of a kind, we can’t exclude him.

Runa: You say that like you don’t already have a household of your own. Does being a fellow dragon really give him the right to be an ass? I don’t think you need him that badly.

Notable pause between text boxes.

Nisha: I suppose that is true. We all have drakes to keep us company as fellow immortals now. Yet if we don’t extend companionship to Aodh, there’s no other dragon who could.

Nisha: However, there is something in what you say Runa. We all haven’t been the best siblings to Hákon, Aodh especially. You wouldn’t be wrong to respond to Aodh in kind, Hákon.

Hákon: No it’s fine, family shouldn’t fight. And I get it, from his point of view we’re all evil. I want to show him I’m not, the way I did for you and Hyperion.

Hyperion: It wasn’t until we all met that I realized how different some places are when it comes to morality. Aodh just isn’t mature enough yet to think about other people’s values.

Runa: He’s not that much younger than the rest of you.

Hyperion: Maybe, but it’s a hard thing to accept. I don’t want improved slavery, I want no slavery. But what you’re trying to do is your own way of helping people, I can’t fault that.

Nisha: We may not agree on what precisely is right and wrong, but we at least share a desire to do what we consider right. And that difference helps keep us from letting our own power go to our heads.

Hákon: You guys keep me grounded too. Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask for help. I don’t think I’ve done enough when it comes to politics, Runa wants me to leverage my draconic powers more.

Runa: But Hákon is worried doing that would make him into a complete tyrant, he doesn’t want to undermine the council, even if we’re both tired of how stubborn they are.

Hyperion: Isn’t running this festival supposed to give you more influence in the council?

Hákon: It should, but I have a friend who I can’t help. Which made me realize that there are plenty of other people I haven’t been able to help. I don’t know for sure that I’ll have more sway on the council after this festival.

Nisha: Now doesn’t seem like the best time to consider this. Why not decide after taking stock of how this festival added to your influence?

Nisha: Remember, we’re immortal. You have no need for haste. Losing your patience will cause more harm than good.

Runa: But everyone else isn’t immortal, especially our friend. And he might be auctioned off the moment this festival ends.

Hyperion: Couldn’t you buy his freedom?

Runa: We want a way that doesn’t contribute to the entertainer-thrall trade.

Hákon: And we were hoping you would have an idea of what that way might be, I’m not clever enough to think of it. My friend, Erlingr, is a gladiator whose master is from a different isle, meaning the council here can’t do anything for him.

Nisha: If you’re not going to take advantage of your power there isn’t much you can do without some compromise.

Runa: Which is why I’ve been trying to encourage Hákon to get more forceful with his powers.

Hákon: And I don’t think that’d be a good idea.

Nisha: I agree. We need to carefully consider the consequences of our actions, and Hákon could destabilize this entire region if he’s careless. Brute force is more likely to hinder than help.

Nisha: Money may not be the solution you want, but I believe it’s the one that works out best. Wasn’t that how you freed Runa?

Runa: And now that he’s a councilor he should have a better way of freeing someone than patronizing scum.

Hyperion: Starting to get the feeling we’re at an impasse here. Hákon, let’s get going to the arena.

Hákon: Right.

Hákon and Hyperion walk off-screen to the right.

Nisha: I am curious about something, couldn’t you take action yourself Runa? You have resources of your own now. Hákon’s approval isn’t required, in theory at least.

Runa: Maybe, but I’d rather work together with my husband.

Transition to Photens

The stage is set in the middle of a desert village. At the center is a well, inside a structure that’s like a wallless tent, except it’s clearly made to stay. The well itself is in the background, but the flat roof of the structure is both a ceiling and platform.

At both ends of the stage are a small sandstone building. Their flat roofs are also part of the stage. A barrier of golden light on each end stops fighters from going past the roofs to the other side of the buildings.

Battle Start

Unlike Hákon, Hyperion is a true grappler. That means both of you want the other up close, making this a dangerous and volatile match up. Since you’re the one with a projectile you can hang back and throw it out from a safe distance, but Hyperion will get in eventually.

Photens is a decently sizable stage, but at times a sandstorm warning will pop up. Once the sandstorm actually arrives, you’ll take constant chip damage unless you take shelter at the well. Ice slide towards the well the moment the warning appears.

Some of Hyperion’s moves have an emphasis on repositioning his enemy, which unfortunately for you synergizes well with the sandstorm hazard. He’s going to try to throw you out into the storm and keep you out. Use your own throws to lock him out instead.

Hyperion has a grab where he takes you up into the sky and throws you back down. If he uses it under the well’s cover, he’ll fly past the ceiling and slam you into it, which will put both you into the sandstorm if it’s raging.

Watch out for Hyperion’s Blinding Flash super, which is a grab with decent range due to Hyperion directing a burst of light right at his opponent’s eyes. The trade off is the long start up, so a quick attack can stop it. You can also jump over it.

When it comes to your own supers Gale Charge will get some good use here. It’s the one that looks like ice slide but it’s a grab, and if it connects Hákon throws himself and the opponent to the ground. Since it moves you forward it’s a good tool for getting into cover from the sandstorm or punishing a whiff.

Patience is key here. Don’t try to go for your heavy hitting attacks right away. Instead bait out Hyperion’s strongest attacks so you can punish them with your own. Win or lose, it’s likely this battle will be over a lot faster than the previous ones.

Battle End

Hyperion and Hákon are standing at opposite ends of the well.

Hákon: Phew, even with you holding back that was tough.

Hyperion: I’m impressed with how well you use your command over ice.

Hákon: It just takes practice. Your powers are incredible too, you shouldn’t be afraid of them.

Hyperion: I’d rather keep them as a last resort. Anyway, about your friend…

Hyperion: Are you trying to give him his freedom, or to make him yours?

Hákon: No way I deserve to be Erlingr’s master, all of my fighting skill comes from him.

Hyperion: That’s a relief. And you’re sure he wants your help?

Hákon: He’s too proud to ask for help even if his life was on the line. Besides, you’re the one against slavery, him needing help should be obvious.

Hyperion: Sorry, that was a bit of an aggressive question. I just want to make sure you really are thinking of his best interests, and not what you want.

Hákon: Don’t worry, I am.

Hyperion: Then whatever you do, I’ll at least trust your intentions.

Hákon: Thank you. I just hope I can help out Erlingr in time.

Chapter End

Note from the Author: Before discussing the actual chapter itself I have some housekeeping news. From now on my aim will be to post new chapters every Thursday, with the post story thread taking the place of a chapter update. There might also be one-off stories outside of Battles Beneath the Stars, but ideally only between character stories.

Also, I’ve turned on paid subscriptions, but at this time nothing will be paywalled (may change in the future). It’s a simple ‘support the author if you want’ option.

Back to the actual chapter, originally the fight with Hyperion was supposed to be second to last, but I felt that moving it here benefited the narrative flow. Hopefully you also find that the story has a decent flow, although it’d be helpful to know if you didn’t.

Another thing I’d like to know is if the worldbuilding feels sufficient. There’s a lot about this world to explain, especially Hákon’s corner of it, and it isn’t always easy to identify what people most want to know.

The Warthog Report

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