[Maksimum_Fire]

It's a warm evening.  The setting sun provokes a bead of sweat from an employed-mercenary as he hauls in a batch of monsters for Tarson's arena.  Payment for services rendered, and an arena-employee missive reaches his hands.

Jack Jackson falls into his stump-seat with a "Phew!" before looking over the missive.  "Lessee here...  Misty stuff?  Whatnow?"  He hums a moment.  "...So that weird misty stuff that casters're doin is totally mercana, but the blast of light that makes people feel good ain't?  Well, alright.  Magicy-types sure got a lot of distinction going on between them."

While he looks it over, Another employee comes out of the tent, shoving the man aside to eek out a space on the stump.  "Gah!"  The first acquiesces to the rude shove, scooting aside.  "-Headhunter.  This part of some rendezvous you had with the cute priestess you've been eyein'?"

Hale "Headhunter" Storm gives a laugh to that.  "I wish.  We got a letter from Lispool 'cause one of the Leaderboards combatants used a weird spell.  Made it all misty, and wounds start'd closin' by themselves."  The Storm sips from a flask.  "Tarson and I took the weekend off in Lordwain, went to chat with the big head honcho of the church knights.  Marec-  Real respectable dude.  It was a tight negotiation.  We din' really wanna change the rules we'd put out already, but we also don't really condone the use of Mercana here at the badlands."

"I'm surprised you tussled with him on it at all."  Jackson had a bemused tone to him.  Hale just sighed.  "Sure, maybe we could've just changed the rules right that moment.  But that's not the philosophy.  You know during your project, you-"  "Yeah, yeah."  Jackson cut him off there.  "So when's the new regulation dropping?  Next season?"

"Yeah, next season.  We'll let the leaderboards go as they are, for now, and just encourage people to keep dukin' it out.  I like what I'm seeing from a lot of the fighters that're on deck.  Their boats are gonna stay unrocked for now, but next season misty-stuff's gonna be banned.  Maybe a couple other things-  Big Stuff Marec said he had a little more he wanted to talk about, regardin' the arena, but that'll be happenin' in another two weeks or so."  Hale pulled out a sandwich, his reason for bullying his way onto the seat revealed;  Lunchtime.  Jack, on the other hand-  Stood back up.  He'd just needed a moment to rest his weary feet.  "-Haah.  Well, I think that makes enough sense.  Not really perfect, but the world ain't perfect."  "Ain't that the truth.  Hey, you rest well, Jack-o."  "Take it easy, Hale."

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Word on the grapevine is that "misty healy magic" is getting banned for the next session of the leaderboards.  This decision was made after a good amount of deliberation by Tarson and his crew after a summons from the Church Knights.

Characters will not be actively inhibited from using Mercalan Mists in Leaderboards Duels, for the time being.  But as a result of a strengthened partnership between the Church Knights and the Badlands Arena, it wouldn't be unreasonable for the Church to hear about this use of Mercana in a friendly spar.  The tenets are something that Mercalans don't take lightly, so do be careful of their response.


I hope everyone has been enjoying the Badlands Leaderboards Program!  Look forward to next season!