avreya rurik

The Pit draws her with its strangeness, its sense of foreboding, its sense of doom. Perhaps it's odd, for it to draw her so, but a small part of her feels like there has to be something more at play, here in the arena. Lions fight everywhere all the time -- or at least they seem to elsewhere. But here in particular seems stained with blood, as if setting paw inside of the ring evokes a peal from the bell of chaos. A curse, perhaps? Or a blessing?

A small part of her hopes that she'll find a message here one day. A bitter hope for redemption to take back to her family, to hold in her breast to measure against Ruslan's.

The large lioness sniffs around in the lowest level of the Pit. It's quiet today -- no fresh crimson spilled upon the ground, no lions stirring dust on its chiseled levels. Avreya wonders when that'll change.

photomanip by mono / table by k'sariya

Like @Avreya, Magnus is drawn to the Pit. He'd been here before - plenty of times - and every time it felt like there was a shift in the atmosphere. It felt electric, almost. On this occasion, the titan neared the cusp and smelt the Rurik before he saw her. Aha. Do you sniff around for a challenger, Avreya? The High Sovereign chuffed, slowly descending the stone slope, attention unwavering as it settled on her form. Should she accept, he would be happy to offer himself as a sparring partner; while he wasn't in the best shape still, his muscles no longer ached so, and his pelt was starting to knit together again.

Only to be torn apart once more, no doubt.

the finest fury is the most controlled

code by corvus

avreya rurik

Eventually, life stirs upon the lip of the pit, movement drawing Avreya's eye. Pupils track the familiar, colossal figure of Magnus, and trepidation stirs slightly within her as he chuffs a booming question. It seems like Jewel was not the only one who came seeking battle here. What a strange land.

Ear flicks, brow raises, betraying none of the uncertainty within. Already she's calculating how to pull a victory from such a scenario. Eyes flick over massive form and rippling muscle as the Hollow sovereign approaches her. Yellow gaze meets shadowy orbs as she stares back at him, considering.

She's not sure that she can best his size, but there is no fear in her heart, only an acknowledgement of the potential disadvantage. But Avreya Rurik is never one to step down from a challenge. She shifts her stance to something more battle-ready, finding her center, letting a deep breath cycle through her. Long fangs poke from her lip as she offers him the slightest of smirks.

"I wasn't, but if you're offering..." She gives a firm nod to ensure he got the message that she accepts his offer, and then she bursts forward in an explosion of energy, seeking to close the distance between them.

Avreya figures that she needs to stay distant, keep as much space as possible between them. If it came to a battle of body-weight, push to shove, she knows she'll lose. So as she tries to close the distance, she seeks to feint to Magnus' left, seeking to skid to a stop and pivot upon her left paw to place her form perpendicular to his own.

Right paw seeks to snake forward, claws extended, as she tries to sweep her paw behind his left ankle, trying to swipe it forward at the joint in an effort to imbalance him. She's trying to keep her attacks light, prevent herself from being too committed and putting herself in a compromising position -- and she wants to test him, see where his size gives him disadvantages, weaknesses she can exploit.

All the while, she keeps her head draped low and muzzle tilted downward, trying to keep it at a range that would hopefully make it hard to access with his taller size -- and if not, it'd give her a good chance to learn the full extent of the massive man's reach.

avreya vs magnus
for
spar!

round 1/3
hits:

Rolling 5d20: 7 + 11 + 10 + 2 + 4

dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 13 + 20 + 2 + 6 + 8

photomanip by mono / table by k'sariya

She would stand tall, ready to receive him. He would say nothing in confirmation, merely dipping his head and making it clear that the offer was a genuine one. Even by the way she sizes him up, clearly judging the best move, it is obvious to Magnus that @Avreya is a practiced warrior. This spar would be a pleasure, then, regardless of the outcome. There is a charge, and then a feint - a move that lionesses seem to perform far better than a lion ever could - with her right paw snaking out to tuck and tug at his left ankle. It would budge, just barely, with the feeling of claws biting at the back of his wrist a burning, niggling sensation. He would pivot himself slightly so that he would face Avreya head on once more. Then, in retaliation, he would duck his head lower, bracing and tilted to favour his own right a little more, and seek to drive forward, left shoulder shunted outward and pointing directly towards the centre of Avreya's chest as he charged.

AVREYA vs MAGNUS
SPAR
ROUND 1 of 3
HITS:

Rolling 8d20: 4 + 17 + 16 + 6 + 5 + 20 + 18 + 2

DODGES:

Rolling 4d20: 19 + 5 + 18 + 2

the finest fury is the most controlled

code by corvus

avreya rurik

Claws find a tentative purchase on the back of his wrist, pressuring, testing his limits -- it budges but not by much, showing her just how heavy, how mountainous Magnus really was. She abandons the attack, having found out what she needed to know. She won't be able to trip him up unless already unbalanced. It had been worth a try.

He begins to pivot toward her once more and she seeks to replace her paw upon the earth, the other grounded one taking a quick and wary shuffle backward a single step. The other man lowers his head, she watches it drift to the side. She expects the charge, at least -- her distant shuffling and avoidance of getting close to him had been purposeful, and it makes sense for the heavier lion to want to throw around his weight.

She attempts to rise up quickly upon her back legs, upper body seeking to raise as he charges forward, both of her paws extending outward with splayed claws. She kicks her own right paw out to the right, shifting her weight onto it to offset Magnus' attack ever-so-slightly to her own left. It's a graceless shuffle, reactionary -- his shoulder bashes harshly into the left side of her chest in a blossoming wave of pain, ejecting part of her breath from her lungs in a brutal bruise. As they collide, she tries to hook the elbow of her left arm beneath his neck, and the right around his left side and the back of his neck in an attempted bear hug. The lopsided impact tilts her angle toward him slightly.

She tries to hop back, hoping that she'll land a grip around his hardy bulk that will both offer her balance and a means of using her own body weight to try to restrict his movement, albeit potentially leaving her left side exposed to his jaws.

avreya vs magnus
for
spar!

round 2/3
hits:

Rolling 5d20: 14 + 7 + 1 + 12 + 4

dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 2 + 19 + 17 + 15 + 14

photomanip by mono / table by k'sariya

Like an angry grizzly, @Avreya would rise up onto her back limbs. The shoulder shove would land its mark - hard bone driving into solid cavity - but Magnus would not be left without repercussions; a bruise of his own would bloom from the sudden, jarring contact. This was what happened when lions threw their weight around, even when merely jousting. Front limbs successfully wove their way around the width of his neck, claws finding purchase in the loose skin and leaving light, open punctures in their way. Growling earnestly - a reaction, a response to the adrenaline, as opposed to aggression - Magnus sought to part his jaws, fangs exposed as he would attempt to snap at the flesh that was closest in range; Avreya's left side. It seemed far more sensible to do that than to attempt to lift one of his limbs - especially with the weight of his opponent bearing down on his front half and therefore compromising his own balance.

AVREYA vs MAGNUS
SPAR
ROUND 2 of 3
HITS:

Rolling 8d20: 17 + 2 + 20 + 11 + 7 + 6 + 18 + 14

DODGES:

Rolling 4d20: 17 + 2 + 14 + 15

avreya rurik

With her grip successful, she seeks to hang on tight, trying to grip her claws into the flesh of his maneless neck and shoulders. He snaps at her side and teeth land purchase on the thick fat of the top of her left side, a bit below the spine. Top and bottom teeth clutch the fur together, ripping tears into her skin, eliciting a snarling hiss from her. She seeks to return the favor, looking to add her teeth to the tearing medley of her own claws. Fangs seek to wrap around his scruff, trying to find a way to wrest control, though feeling herself slipping with the proximity, the power of his weight pushing against her.

Frustration bubbles within her -- there has to be another way to do this, another way to fight these massive lions that roam these lands. Magnus is on good terms with the Rainforest, but there may come a day where he isn't, or another of his size becomes a threat.

avreya vs magnus
for
spar!

round 3/3
hits:

Rolling 5d20: 2 + 3 + 4 + 14 + 10

dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 18 + 4 + 12 + 20 + 3

luck:

Rolling 5d20: 10 + 2 + 14 + 1 + 7

photomanip by mono / table by k'sariya

Like the worlds beefiest necklace, Avreya would snag into his neck and grip on with vigour. When his bite landed successfully - fangs glancing off her flank, leaving a metallic tang on his tongue - the Rurik would retaliate with a chomp to his scruff. Her hiss was met with a snarl of his own, deep and baritone and rumbling in his chest. The energy and vigour within him would wane, now; the Firnen Noble was a worthy opponent, and tussling with her even momentarily had taken it out of him. Seeking to press further against her weight, jaws would part and attempt once more to snag at the flesh of her side, this time a few inches further down from the fresh wound. It would not have been kind to make an already nasty cut worse; they were allies, after all, and adrenaline and blood-hunger aside there was no animosity here.

AVREYA vs MAGNUS
SPAR
ROUND 3 of 3
HITS:

Rolling 8d20: 17 + 5 + 8 + 1 + 3 + 6 + 4 + 14

DODGES:

Rolling 4d20: 20 + 12 + 17 + 4

LUCK:

Rolling 5d20: 5 + 8 + 19 + 17 + 20

the finest fury is the most controlled

code by corvus

AVREYA VS. MAGNUS FOR SPAR
— RESULTS —

Avreya Hits: 2 + 2 + 1 + 2 = 7 hits
Avreya Dodges: 2 + 4 + 3 = 9 dodges

Magnus Hits: 4 + 5 + 2 + 3 = 14 hits
Magnus Dodges: 2 + 3 + 3 = 8 dodges

Avreya Successful Hits: -1
Magnus Successful Hits: 5

MAGNUS HAS WON THE CHALLENGE FOR SPAR!

Please allow the challengers to respond to the fight results first. As per the site rules, if 3 days go by without a post from the challenger(s), they can be skipped. Whichever comes first! Any posts made before this will be removed.

avreya rurik

His jaws snap upon her flesh nearby her other wound. Frustration blooms through her as his weight pushes further forward. Her back limbs scramble for purchase, hopping for a step or two back to try to counterbalance, try to keep her standing. But she knows it's too late -- she can't keep up with the lion's gargantuan weight, his overpowering force.

She falls backward, her grip slipping from his neck as she slams upon the earth below him, his teeth tearing away fur from her back. Avreya lets out a reflexive snarl, trying to push her paws up at his chest and neck to forcibly keep him away. "I yield," she growls, vicious tone not borne from aggression, but just with reflex and adrenaline, swept into the battle high and intensity of it all.

Shame simmers hot in her gut as she stares up at him from below. If this were a real battle, this is where she'd die. A man of his size would have little resistance from this position to tear her throat. That would be the end of the Rurik. However, she'd felt the blunting of his blows, the consideration in his targets, and loosely trusts that the man will respect the halting of the battle.

And yet, she still has pride -- rather than trying to scramble desperately from beneath him, she tries to hold him at arms length as she regains her outward composure, choosing to wait in order to give him the chance to move first.

photomanip by mono / table by k'sariya