Waking up with the bloodstains
My state of mind is a hurricane

As expected, his opponent did not shy away, and the fact Seneca met him with equal force brought something like a grin to his face. The press against his muzzle would be resisted, the other man's fangs glancing off his skull without puncturing bone and leaving bloody lines in their wake.

Ryker's head would twist, then, attempting to snap his jaws closed around Seneca's left wrist with a crushing force before it could move away from his face. If he could not break the fragile bones within the joint, he hoped to at least damage flesh or tendons enough to render that paw very difficult to use.

At the same time, his own right forepaw would lift and attempt to hook claws deep into the outer side of Seneca's left forelimb in an effort to lock it in place or, failing that, leave gouges down the length of it if his opponent pulled away.

Ryker vs @Seneca
Andal Oasis
2/5
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 14 + 12 + 18 + 13 + 17 + 1 + 11

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 3 + 15 + 6

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 6 + 3 + 5 + 7

I'm a wild boy, ready to destroy

code by corvus

Time ticked by as the pair fought and Amara couldn't help but notice that those who gathered weren't the High Sovereign's supporters as she would expect. More of her own members were there than those of the Oasis. Did they no longer care what happened to their pride? Were they weakened now in some way? Amara couldn't help but lift a brow as she looked around. If Bee was paying attention she would likely catch an almost amused look glinting in her yellow gaze. Was now the time? If Ryker didn't take the Oasis maybe they could attack. If they didn't want to show up at a pride challenge, would they show up when they started to snatch away their members? The scent of the Mire reached her, oh even better. Her head swung and her gaze looked for her ally but found cubs. Her gaze narrowed sharply at the two cubs that had decided it start to show up. Had it been her own offspring they would have been forced to return home but these were not hers. Still, should things go sideways she would need to remember they were here. Should fights break out before an adult from the Mire arrives, the cubs need to be removed and taken back there. She spoke low for those gathered around her. Amara left it up to them to decide who that would fall to, she would likely be in a fight herself.

Table by Ice. Graphic by Lars.

More unrest. Though Fallon was relieved to know that the challenge for the Lagoon had ultimately been unsuccessful. She rather liked Alizabeth right where she was. This again is a reminder that the Salem woman yearns for a pride of her own, as nice as it was to be with her husband and her children. She enters The Pit, bright pink gaze alighting upon the fighting males and drawing closer. Already, there is tension heavy in the air -- suffocating and enticing all the same. Curious to see how this battle might turn out (and inwardly eager to involve herself where she did not belong), the monochrome figurine waits with bated breath.

Louve listened carefully to her mother's words, scanning the gathered crowd for the cubs that she mentioned. What the hell were young children doing here, anyway? And why were they not guarded? Sure they were old enough to get around on their own, but it was surprising that they had no adults present. Though, she mused as she noted the two that smelled of the Mire, they did not look much like their King...

Mulling this over for a moment her focus soon turns back to the fight, surprised at how few had come to witness it. Perhaps there would be no danger here, after all.

Still she stays on guard, scanning constantly, ready if the winds should shift.

Image by Rabs

The char of ash precedes the taste of war, the glimmers of it glown over the embers of a rooting tension. The ravens and vultures are a crown upon the Pit, their facets of shining feather and glinting beak, the sharpness of their talons stretched with anticipation. Perhaps the taste of the Oasis is sweet, the flavor of resentment among Wolfbron proves full, and what scraps they dream of may not come with a preference. They are the carousel of watchers, death, agony, round and a-round each point of the withering halo.

Beneath their shadow, Gauthier joins the rank of his pridemates in the bloodied coliseum. The sallow want of Andal is contestant to the hunger of Wolfbron, each of greed and impatient yearn, for blood, for blood, the same gleam as in the hazy eyes of the buzzards.

Licking his lips with the anxious tidings of appetance, he roamed the edge of the ampitheatre to select a chaise aside, alone, but contented. There he waited, watching, tensed, observing the battle between the persistent Ryker and the haunted Andal King, and teethed the sharpness of his fangs on splintered bone left in the rubble._{BG — ART — CODE}

Alaric was not the first to come. Heck, he wasn't the second. But when he picked up on the scent of younglings from the Mire heading away from the Mire he immediately changed course to follow. They were not his cubs but they were, of course, under his protection, and he did not hesitate to trail them all the way to the battlegrounds of the pit.

It took him a minute to realize what exactly was happening (he had missed the summons, caught up in his own crap) but when he did he made his way over to where the Wolfbron queen was situated, arriving just in time to catch the tail end of her statement.

"Thank you," he rumbled, gaze sweeping to take in the young ones that had come -- one which he did not recognize and the other an obvious daughter of Patchouli. Strange; he wondered if she knew her true parentage, if Patch had told them...

His focus shifted to the fight as he settled down a short distance from the Bluffs members, watching with detached interest for what was to come of this challenge. Seneca had successfully defended his crown more than once and it was what Alaric expected to happen again, if he was being honest. No matter how determined and fierce the boy from the Bluffs seemed to be...

coding and art by dusk

@Ryker vs @Seneca FOR Andal Oasis
— DEFAULT —

Due to timer passing, this fight has defaulted.

@Ryker HAS WON THE CHALLENGE FOR Andal Oasis!

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.

---

WOUNDED ROLL

performed on discord by @Ice ★

@Seneca is automatically WOUNDED for losing!

@Ryker Wounded Roll: 3

@Ryker is WOUNDED!

Profiles will be adjusted to reflect the wounded rolls, which, if received, reduce the character’s hits and dodges by -1 for a standardized amount of time. Any wounded rolls received from this fight are considered healed as of 10/21, and are logged in the wounded log. Once healed, post in Trade & Dice Updates to have your dice returned to normal.

[[i'm just gonna be super vague and move this along]]

There came a moment where he could feel it. A sudden end to the battle - this time in his favor. However @Seneca reacted, he would step back to make space between them. Less to get out of his opponent's range and more in an effort to spotlight himself as his attention shifted upward to take in the crowd. A smaller showing than he'd hoped, but the presence of a couple important figures was good enough. It seemed he'd been right; his odds had been somehow better in the pit.

Andal is mine. Until I know what I'm dealing with, all ranks are stripped. All adult males are ejected. The rest, he paused to shrug one shoulder, we'll see. A little respect goes a long way. It came with a smirk. Seemed very few Oasis members present, he wondered if he'd be met with curiosity or contempt.

Probably the latter.

Actually, he fully expected to be met with violence from whatever supporters Seneca had left. But it was fine, even an empty pride could rebuild. Anyone interested in joining can come to the borders, any men who need to gather things from their den can do the same to request an escort. He moved as he spoke, circling around to reach the path upward. A nod and a quick flash of a grin would be offered to @Amara, and @Vermier, as he moved to head toward Andal. No time to waste now, there were borders to be re-marked and members to feel out.

-exit-

code: daanyen || art: lars || bg: sirius-sdz

GOD KILLS INDISCRIMINATELY AND SO SHALL WE

Leave it to a female to fuss over cubs. That had always been his sister's... he would not say weakness... but a point of venial vice. One ear folded in displeasure. He was too well-bred to contradict a female leader in public. But his glory would not be wasted carting cubs around while there was fighting to be had. Not even cubs of their blood. Just like the numerous bastards that had been adopted into their family before. He seethed on the memory, let it marinate and vexate; it was more toothsome to his angst than the sight of the battle, which he anticipated to be another failure. The incumbent was quite stout even when caught unaware, and he had had a former battle to learn Ryker's moves and intervening months to practice any weak points he had found. In the younger male he saw only enthusiasm, but how it paled to established muscle! And yet - unexpectedly - it was glory for the Bluffs, the dark male rising over the piebald fray and Vermier jerked himself to attention and roared a cheer. There need be no secret about who the Bluffs supported, nor any doubt that they would back their own and smite their foes. This had been much more satisfying than expected, but even the thought of ensuing political discussion threatened to bore him to tears. Ryker beat a retreat, keen to check out the Oasis no doubt, and Vermier felt masculine kinship to do the same on their own borders.

+5 Observe a fight

-exit

He supposed it was bound to happen eventually, but Seraphiel would have hoped that Seneca wouldn't lose to a man such as Ryker. He was torn, for a moment, between making sure his sovereign was all right and making his way back to the Oasis to get his daughter to safety.

Finally, Seraphiel made his way down to the man, keeping an eye out for any from the Bluffs that might decide to attack while he was down, as it were. "I cannot stay long, I must retrieve my daughter, but I'll make sure they don't bother you," he said softly, ever loyal to those few who earned his trust.

And so he lingered, watching, until he deemed it safe to rush back home... or at least back to the place that was no longer his.

-exit seraphiel-