Scatty

"I didn't see that one coming."

Scatty runs the Old Camp arena, rounding up the wagers and recruiting new fighters, and is the one Diego points the Hero toward to prove himself. She is blunt that the Hero will need to impress her by challenging one of the fighters who gather there, drawn from all three camps to trade blows for entertainment and betting. She explains that fighters from the New Camp show up despite the camps' mutual hatred because "after a week of scraping up ore, there ain't nothing a digger loves more than seeing a cocky New Camper get his teeth rearranged," and because the higher bets that draws are good for business.

After the Hero fights Kharim, one of the arena's best, and wins, Scatty is openly surprised, admitting she didn't see that one coming, and promises to tell Diego the Hero is the type of guy they need around here. A win against Kirgo earns a similar, if grudging, nod: "not bad for a freshie ... I'm impressed."

She also offers paid combat training, insisting on payment upfront, and lays out a full lesson in one-handed weapon fighting: keep proper posture rather than clinging to the weapon "like newborns to their mothers' tits," maintain momentum after landing a blow, use the crossguard to catch and parry an opponent's blade, pull back and sidestep if an attack is about to be dodged, and understand that critical hits exist but are rare for beginners and grow more common with skill.