There are many prides within Amaryllis, but of them all, it seems the Rainforest is the most hotly contested. The most sought after. On just location alone, Roarke would have much preferred to live within the Cove, or perhaps the Lagoon. Why this kingdom attracts the most attention, the most chaos, he cannot fathom. But whatever the reason, he is tired of it. This is his home, his kingdom, and this is where he will rebuild his clan. Anyone who thinks they should take it has a death wish.

The challenge goes up, some obnoxious fool making himself at home well within the borders of the Rainforest. Trespassing as well as an attempted usurping. Through the twisted paths and passesways, the giant follows the call in silence. The same silence that comes before the brewing storm. He is held together by fraying strings, a patchwork of what is left of Roarke Galloway and something entirely new. And he is done playing nice, through following rules for the sake of peace - there is no peace to be found here, nor anywhere. And while he could leave it to Cupid to chase this little bastard off, Roarke wants blood, and he knows the king is too soft to make an example of this challenger.

He comes into the clearing the bastard has found himself from the shadows. Attempting to launch himself at Calamity’s left front shoulder in an attempt to bull rush the younger lion over. At the same time, Roarke lifts and turns his right front paw and attempts to dig claws into the soft underside of Calamity’s stomach below the chest, while his open jaws twist to his left and try to sink into and grab a hold of Calamity’s throat, attempting to keep hold of it.

There is no mercy to be found, and no pity to be had for the younger lion; Roarke has come to punish, and extract payment for his arrogance.

Roarke vs. @Calamity
For Firnen Rainforest
Round I / V
Hits:

Rolling 10d20: 16 + 8 + 14 + 11 + 1 + 2 + 13 + 5 + 15 + 7

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 20 + 11 + 12

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 9 + 20 + 4 + 2 + 16

ooc: keepin vague bc her joinin thread isn't finished ripppp

Yet another calls for the green.

Wylodine wonders, almost idly, if it is the place these men want or simply the power. A crown was a crown was a crown -- they could find power in leadership anywhere they looked. Yet they seems drawn to the green for some reason, and there is a note of displeasure on darkened features as she arrives. It is not Cupid who answers the call but another, and the fur along her spine rankles at the scent of so many strangers pressing close yet again. Quietly, silently, the woman settles in to watch, her lips pursed as she considers the sight before her.

And wondering, as always, what another change might mean for her.

CODE BY LARS

A curious, cherry-coated shadow, Hiccup haunted Úlla as she made her way to the forest, cleverly hiding in the grass and behind brush along the way. The boy wanted to become a better hunter, so he was working on his stealthy approach. He thought he was making progress — Úlla never noticed him! (Or so Hiccup believed.)

The boy lagged behind though when they reached the forest. He’d never visited before, yet he recognized the scent boundaries of an established pride and hesitated. Quietly, he ducked away under some foliage and watched as more lions arrived. Confusion filled the boy. What was happening?

He needed to find Úlla. He was a stranger there, and the only lion he recognized (as he’d not yet noticed Nero) was the Sovereign. As quickly and carefully as he could — not wanting to draw attention to himself — the boy hurried into the forest, where he spotted the grey woman. And saw the fight.

Uncertainty stirred in his chest. Fortunately, his usual hiccuping did not. “What’re they fighting over?” he questioned Úlla as he reached her side. It seemed to him that whatever they were battling about must’ve been important, especially to have gathered a crowd.

background credit

There seemed to be an awful lot of unrest lately. Ignorance was bliss, and Petra knew nothing yet of her current predicament; though, given her disposition, it was doubtful that knowledge of her pregnancy would have the Gentry any more anxious about the political shifting. She would see every twist and turn as.... an opportunity. She had to - she was adaptive. It was why she'd lasted this long. With a quiet huff the lilac lioness would approach the fray, slinking along familiar pathways until the audience came into view. A man she recognized as being vocal at the last challenge - the one for the Bluffs - was attacking another one; younger, smaller.

She knew who she was putting her money on.

With a smirk she let her attention follow their movements for a moment, before focusing back on those that had gathered to watch. When brown gaze landed on the familiar features of @Wylodine, she would move toward the lioness, offering a quiet chuff of greeting before settling down a few meters away from the mauve woman. "More violence," she simpered - an easy observation.

irish

Ulla was focused on the battle that had quickly begun just as a high-ranked lion challenged in place of Cupid. However, she couldn't help but notice Leviathan off in the distance, giving her a roguish wink. She pretended not to see it, but felt amusement inside at his appearance. The challenge for the rainforest, the third of which she had seen, was an interesting one. This was the first time she saw someone else fight in place of the High Sovereign. Indeed, she knew no end in what she could learn. @Hiccup's voice piped in, startling the woman for a moment. She didn't anticipate that a child would be following her here. At the same time, Ulla was impressed that the little red boy managed to stay so quiet. And curious too. They are fighting for the right to rule this land she said with patience. Entertaining, no? As much as it must've irked the rainforest residents, Ulla thought it was spectacular to see a pride uprooted again. It had been a dull couple of days for her and Ulla had hopes that something would change it.

table by ferus

Everything is always changing here. Turning tides, battle after battle -- it's all rather amusing to Lexa, but considerably less so when it is her own home that's being challenged for. Still, she doesn't respond with anger, and doesn't possess the fury that so many do when their home is on the line. It's rather difficult to upset the spotted woman, and besides, she has every confidence in her king's ability to thwart the would-be usurper.

She doesn't move with a particular haste, strolling through familiar foliage until she's reached the scene of chaos. She picks out the protest of @Sole, whom she hasn't met yet, but recognizes as one of Firnen's newer members. Lexa meanders closer to him, settling herself idly by his side and turning her gaze towards the challenger, who is soon enough bulldozed into by none other than Roarke. Interesting.

"Don't worry. He'll fail," she muses to her current company, flashing the man a smirk of certainty. She sees no reason for fanfare when the interloper will be thoroughly crushed by the man who has evidently become their sovereign quite recently. Good for him.

Her golden eyes turn idly towards @Newt, her brow quirked in mild curiosity. "And how, pray tell, would he take it in a cowardly way?" she queries, truly interested in what he means by that. He is but one man, with evidently only one supporter. Does he understand the ways of this world, and that his lilac friend would be quickly ousted and detained for trying such trickery?

high achiever, don't you see? nothing comes for free

table by sentinel / art

The call had came swiftly to her home. Or rather for her home and she let out a huff. Can’t she just live somewhere in peace? Of that fighting for one’s desires was a sign of weakness, but this land was so violent proned. It did make life entertaining but not a very suitable or stable place to possibly start a family. The maned lioness wasn’t getting any younger either.

Coming into the scene she saw the fight was already underway and moved to take a seat near @Lexa. She didn’t really know the girl but they where pride mates none the less. “Hello again. @Cupid not fight?” She asked curiously as she watched Roarke. “Is he okay?” She asked with worry as normal the High King or High Queen would handle these things. Not that she was complaining just concerned that he hadn’t arrived to at least watch yet.

+5 Observe a fight 1/2

code by corvus

It seems that there was no rest for the wicked indeed. The monochrome dame slipped through the familiarity of the rainforest with silent ease, the route only slightly intimate from where she had been through it once before, and she remembered well the hazards it possessed that had almost claimed the life of her toe. A laughable thing, but the pain alone was worth being cautious for a second time around; and this place was treacherous enough that forethought should be given. Death had befallen two the last time she had ventured into Firnen and it was still an event that was quite fresh within her mind, for more reasons than just bloodshed. Those however would be pushed from the forefront as it only brought more anxiousness and unnecessary distraction when she needed to be sharp. Though this call was quite different than the last, it was still something that should be regarded as if the devil himself had uttered it.

As she approached the gathering, immediately her eyes were drawn to the well known form of her older sister @Úlla and quick was she to stride her way over to sit at the sovereign's side. "Systir." She rumbled gently as she approached, reaching out to give Úlla's shoulder an affectionate nudge with her head before she would take up position. However, the child on the other side of the lioness had not escaped Svana's observance, her pale eyes once more seeking him out curiously. She hadn't known her sister to have any younger children, and he did not bear any semblance to those of Sigrun descent. Perhaps, @Hiccup was just a passerby, a curious boy who had wandered into something he shouldn't have. These were dangerous affairs and certainly no place for a child, but it was what it was at this point. As long as he was in their company, he would be looked out for. "It wasn't so long ago that we were here." She commented quietly to her sister, turning her full attention to the duo squaring up below them. "Is it the crown this time, or another clamoring for the grave?"

+5 Observe a fight (Roarke vs Calamity)
+5 Observe a challenge and learn the results (Roarke vs Calamity)

table by sylph | stock 2

Interesting.

Viridian watched as a rather large brute comes in - taking the challenge head on as the battle begins. No doubt blood would be shed, the only question was… how much? Viridian ponders over the battle as more faces come to show. @Valencia hasn’t arrived yet, and for that he feels his skin crawling with an irritation- but he keeps it under the surface of his appearance. Remaining stoic, he takes note of the pride members that show, gazing at them for a few moments before looking to the battle once again. At least there weren’t any females fighting for power- that had happened the last time he saw a challenge and Viridian remembered how disgusted he had been by it.

+5 Attend a challenge

Did he know that voice?

His wandering exploration of the jungle was interrupted by a spark of curiosity. He definitely had not been idly searching for mind-altering herbs. Nope.

Part of him knew this was a better use of his time, the part that liked to remind him how certain lions would look at him if they knew he'd slipped back into terrible habits. Another part whispered that it always made the dark thoughts stop, at least for a little while. And, hey, couldn't miss lions if your brain was too fried to think about them, right?

Anyway.

The search was abandoned in favor of investigating the new challenge call. Was this kind of thing normal here? He'd barely been in the land two months and this was already the second challenge he'd be attending. Maybe the sea had dropped him here for a reason - but it was one that might go unfulfilled without some of his siblings. The lingering influence of his father-figure urged him to help bring peace to the land, but the cynical asshole that made up the rest of his inner voice insisted he really was only one lion and that was a big job so why not get dru-

Not a productive line of thought.

He shook his head and approached the border, brows raising as he recognized the purple, spotted, figure locked in battle. Hey. It was an Oasis lion. Interesting. Haros flopped down in the first open space he found, settling in to see what would happen.

code by corvus