(Gamma World) This is Not a Test #21 - Gelatin Man Has Honor

 Our heroes, the De Facto Explorers, after sufficient rest, are ready for the joust at Fair-Town!

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Sneaky Pete: A mutated weasel scout.  Pete's telepathy and night vision take a backseat when he whips out his electrical powers.  Recovering from his injuries from the Glow near Ulmin.

Sonny Helianthus: a sentient sunflower artifact examiner with Restorationist ties. 

Slitheran Wurmtail (aka Squiggles): a mutated earthworm scout, in impromptu power armor, looking for trouble, and finding it often.

Lathar Bracken: A pure-strain human from River Bend.  He's got the muscle, the face, and a mount for most encounters.  Lathar's trusty beast of burden, No Name, travels wherever he does.  Looking for trouble in all the right places.  

Ramsay Kallax:  Mutated Ram from the far-off KIA Academy with a predilection for ancient treasures... and the occasional head-butt. 

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The sun set, and the tournament staff lit many torches to set the pitch alight. 

As Squiggles and Lathar prepped their equipment, and required pre-joust speeches, Pete and Sonny worked the crowd the bookies, looking for gambling action. 

The trumpets sounded and the riders for the other semi-final began, between Sir Zaxar and Lady Vespara.   Zaxar was an altered human, a regular attendee and occasional winner of the joust.  His hodge-podge of armor was covered with an odd, gelatinous glaze that he appeared to be exuding. 

Zaxar

Vespara was a regal-looking pure-strain woman with a full female entourage.  She had much lighter armor, but was was quite intricate. Her group had traveled from the far-off Western Lands, where the river ends.

Lady Vespara

Their first pass had light blows and shattered lances.  1-1

The second pass, Zaxar struck a solid blow that almost knocked Vespara off her mount.   3-1 Zaxar.

The third pass looked like a full charge at the mark, but Vespara appeared to pull up with some injury.  Zaxar slowed his mount and landed a glancing blow that the judges would consider a point.  Zaxar wins, 4-1. 

Lathar ran over to the the injured female, asking if he could be of assistance. Her team declined, but Lathar was surprised by the amount of blood that came out as they tried to remove her armor.  Lathar was quite taken aback and may have let out a yelp.

Zaxar rode over, saw Vespara's wounds, and without asking placed his hand on his foe.  The bleeding was staunched,  but the open wound remained.  He promptly rode away from snears and yelling from Vespara's team. 

Lathar regained his demeanor, as Vespara was being loaded onto a litter, "Don't worry m'lady.... I will defeat that slimeball in the championship to defend your honor."

Vespara stared at him with a blank stare, "Thank you, kind sir, although I hope you don't get a splinter grabbing your lance, less you faint from your injury."

After the pitch was cleaned off the second half of the semi-finals.  Sir Squiggles versus Lathar.

Squiggles formally presented himself to the Queen and the crowd:

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow knights and noble guests, 

I, Squiggles, the mutant knight with the strength of fifteen worms,

stand before you today to address an issue 

that has been the subject of much speculation 

and gossip in the court.

Yes, it is true that I have recently

 consummated a relationship with another worm. 

And while some of you may scoff or sneer at such a thing,

 I say to you that love knows no boundaries, 

and that true strength comes not just from

one's physical abilities, but from the strength of one's heart.

And make no mistake, my heart beats 

strong and true for my beloved worm. 

Together, we have overcome many obstacles

 and faced down many challenges, 

both on the battlefield 

and in the face of those 

who would judge us for our love.

But let me be clear: 

this love has not weakened me in any way. 

Rather, it has only made me stronger, 

more determined, and more focused 

on the task at hand. 

And that task, of course,

 is to emerge victorious in the upcoming joust.

For I am not just any knight. 

I am Squiggles, the mutant knight 

with the strength of fifteen worms. 

And with my beloved worm by my side, 

I will ride into battle with a heart full of love 

and a spirit that cannot be broken.

So let the naysayers sneer 

and let the doubters doubt. 

For I know that I am strong,

and that my love only makes me stronger. 

And when I emerge victorious from the joust,

they will know it too. Thank you.

It was obvious that Sonny had helped with the worms speech.  It was also sadly obvious that Squiggle's tryst, Ubenda, was nowhere to be seen.  

Lather's personal recitation followed suit:

Harken, all ye noble knights and ladies fair,

And lend thy ears unto my humble prayer,

For I, Lathar, doth stand before thee now,

A warrior brave, with righteousness endowed.

I ride into the joust with lance held high,

Defender of the weak, who in peril lie.

My cause is just, my heart pure and true,

And I'll not rest until my quest is through.

The secrets of the Ancients I seek to unveil,

For I am certain they shall never fail

To provide the answers we all seek,

And help us to live in a world less bleak.

But in the meantime, I'll joust with skill and might,

To defend the honor of all who fight.

My armor gleams, my steed is swift,

And I'll strike true, to give my foes short shrift.

Pete collected his winning bets, and paid off the side-bets on Squiggles. 

Sonny walked over to his worm-friend.  

"Quite impressive, my friend."

"Uh, thanks.  Do you see Ubenda anywhere?"

"Sorry, buddy."

A figure in in hooded robe emerged from the crowd,   Pulling the hood back only a bit, it presented a collected of pussy willows in the shape of a beard.

Hark, fellow knights and fair maidens, 

For I present to you,  Zaxar, 

the gravity-shaping mutant, 

to claim my victory in the jousting competition.

His abilities to manipulate gravity 

may seem strange and unusual, 

But do not let that fool you, 

for he is a masterful jouster, 

skilled and powerful. 

With a slimy and gelatinous texture, 

and the scent of ozone in the air, 

he is a member of the elite Gravity Shapers,

the finest of warriors, rare.

His customized armor has been crafted 

with the utmost care, 

To enhance his gravity manipulation,

 so beware. 

With my lance, he controls

the speed and direction of my strike, 

Giving him edge over all others in the jousting fight.

His mutated horse, with six muscular legs, 

is a sight to behold, 

With his riding skills, he rides

in perfect harmony, strong and bold.

 Together, they are a force to be reckoned with, 

a team supreme, 

And their victory in the jousting tournament, a foregone dream.

So let us ride into the arena, 

with heads held high and hearts ablaze, 

For this day, they shall prove our mettle 

and earn our rightful praise. 

With the power of gravity at his command, 

and riding skills honed to perfection,

Zaxar, shall emerge as the champion of this jousting competition.

The barbarian boy from Riverbend penned another speech:

Hear ye, hear ye, 

my fellow warriors and fair ladies fair, 

I, Lathar, stand before you 

with my trusty steed and lance in air.

 For I am not just a mere champion, 

but a defender of all, 

And I seek the secrets of the Ancients, 

for the good of us all.

With a heart of courage 

and a mind of steel, 

I charge into the joust, 

ready to do battle and reveal 

The strength and honor of a true knight, 

And to prove that I am worthy of the fight.

But let it be known, 

that I am not just a warrior, but a lover too, 

With a heart that beats for the ladies, strong and true. 

For I know that in this world of chaos and strife, 

Love and compassion can bring hope to life.

So let us ride into the tournament 

with valor and grace, 

For the honor of all is what we fight to embrace. 

And if the gods should favor me with victory this day,

I shall share my winnings,

and give to those in need without delay.

So let us ride, with courage and might, 

And let us honor the Ancients and their secrets, 

with all our might. 

For in this moment, we are warriors of Fair-Town,

Defenders of all, and bearers 

of honor, courage, and gold.

First pass was solid, but nothing extraordinary.   1-1 Tie.  The crowd began to boo, expecting a much better performance in the championship.

Second pass was full for fury, perfect angle and Lathar struck Zaxar's shield.  3-3 tie.

Third pass was much like the second, with both riders desperately teetering on their mounts.  5-5.  OVERTIME!!!!!   The crowd was finally back into it.  

The fourth pass was full of tentativeness with only minor blows.  6-6.

The fifth round was to be considered first strike wins.   Zaxar got the jump on Lathar, but Lathar changed up speed on No Name, forcing Zaxar to miss his strike!!! Lathar retuned the attack with a textbook blow.     

Lathar of Riverbend wins, 7-6!

Lathar rejoiced with his friends, save Pete, who was busy collecting the group's winning bets. 

Lathar collected his prize money, had a moment with the Queen, and was formally awarded a true prize, from the Forests of Nightmares.

GM Notes: The joust was my first introduction to Chat GPT, as I used it for the jousting speeches, starting with "create a pre-joust speech for a mutant knight named Squiggles, who has the strength of 15 worms, and has recently consumated a relationship with another worm. "  Lathar's speeches required a little more work, oddly.  Nothing could be read with the voice of Paul Bettany.  

Next: #22 - Leaving Fair-Town