straighten up little soldier This land was certainly not one to lack entertainment and it did not fail to deliver on keeping the widowed Rike on the tips of her toes. She hadn't been far from the borders of the Mire when the call had rang out, though compared to the last challenge she had attended, she hadn't been in the middle of much this time around. Rather, she had grown curious of what territory she had stumbled upon until she had quickly become disgusted at the sight of the muck and grime and had been more than willing to leave; how delightful. Unable to pass up the opportunity that had presented itself, Dagmar had simply resorted to gritting her teeth and bearing each squishing step towards the hullabaloo. How anyone could find this land worthy of ruling, she would be unable to understand. Maybe that was the beauty and value of it, no one would want to and thus one wouldn't have to worry about competition; at least until today was concerned. Her lips wrinkled as mud enveloped her paws as she strode along through the dampened swamp, making sure to rid herself of what she could of it whenever possible. This battle better be well worth it. Fortunate enough for her, it was quite the spectacle as she came upon it, rose eyes brightening immediately upon the display of different lions attacking one another. This hardly seemed a challenge for land alone, but rather, purely for blood itself. However, she was unaware of Sigrun and other Rike that were here, their identities unknown and masked from detection. If she had, she might have used a little more caution. Regardless still, Dagmar had never been a fighter, had never even learned to prepare herself if she had to. Those had been things that hadn't interested her, and what her former husband had always done while she played subservient wife. She had seen him more than enough times to know what went on, but that was far as her knowledge went on the matter. Besides, it was far more fun to spectate. The dame chose a spot that overlooked the chaos well and so she would sit herself down contentedly, more than eager to watch the happenings around her. Her attention slipped to the side where she caught sight of @Violarum engaging in a brawl of his own, a slight curving of her lips at presented opportunity. Surely, he would be requiring a medic after all of this was said and done. Medic +5 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds (Violarum vs Antares)

code // art // do not use without permission

He has no option. He is Sigrún, and he will die a Sigrún. If today is that day, then so be it. Nero trudges onto the scene with his hackles raised, bracing for what he finds: and oh boy, does he ever find what he expects. Saga in yet another fight to death, @Asteria and @Hiccup off to the side. He makes a beeline for them, his expression grave. "You two should go," he murmurs, studying them both. "Please." His stony gaze softens for a fleeting second. "And for what it's worth, you're two of the best lions here. And you're my friends, and I love both of you." He glanced to Hiccup, then back to Asteria before he takes a step and plants a kiss on her cheek -- and then his in turn. "Please go. Please take care of each other. This is going to get worse before it gets better." Nero ducks his head, wanting to memorize their faces. There is a a plea in his voice. If he is to lose his mother today, he cannot lose his friends as well. "Please."

code by dee

+5 Meditate or pray on your own or with someone else

+5 Attend a challenge

He came because Auntie Saga had called, but when he got there and saw the chaos that had unfolded he wished he hadn't. There were so many fights going on, members of his family and those he didn't know embroiled in bitter combat. He didn't know what to do.

Please Vellen, keep them safe and tell me what to do, he prayed, keeping it up in a litany in his mind as if that act alone would be enough.

He would have joined one of his family members in their fight, but he had a bad feeling he would just get in the way. So, instead, he remained on the sidelines, looking on with horror. At least his father and Auntie Eir weren't in danger... yet.

((Open for whatever~))

War drew her. There is nothing about her that appeared hardened or savage, no more than a moth is strengthened by a flame. Here the metaphor fails, for each moth is drawn blindly. This moth, bubbling Sarsaparilla, wanted to find those who drank deeply upon war. Rike, her beloved mate and potentially her brother @Renzo who was often in stride with them, willingly or sullenly it mattered not. And cursed Sigrun who had claimed her simply because she feared her name. She hated Sigrun. They would kill her children if given half the chance, and kill her mate gleefully, and kill her brother just because he smelled like them. They had no more mercy than the Rike, but from the Rike she had children and protection.

Her claws were out, dampening into the muck. This would dull them slightly but she needed silence, she needed revenge, and she needed to come out pretty. She liked being pretty. She liked having few scars. It made her stand out amid the Rike. And it made her look... innocent. She grinned. The expression seemed ill-bred. She followed the others, heeding the summons for war, and her heartbeat seemed to fade with the chaos. She would please her mate. Protect her children. Dig claws into something that made her angry.

Quiet quiet quiet. She was slower than others since she needed to be silent, not hasty, but it wasn't difficult to pick out a target. A glaring loud yearling @Zahra who arrived on the heels of the swarm and cheered on the fighting. The age of her oldest. She would not have her children die in battle against salt-bloated Sigrun swine. Not when she could pick them off first. There was another with this yearling but if he wanted to be foolish enough to urge for peace then she would let him speak his folly. She was dead set on revenge, on lowering her frame to creep through the mud, her pink eyes slit into blazing sunsets. She attempted to approach from directly behind @Zahra at the pace of a slow trot. A nice, steady, even gait. Her toes were spread for silence and the need to keep her balance, to hope to strike true. Her head was lowered and her ears were back. Like a snake, all fangs, she attempted to lash out attempting to clench her jaws below Zahra's right knee.

+10 Participate in a raid or war (actively fighting, healing, or helping others) (hoping war will be called!)
+5 Practice speed or stealth
+5 Sneak start a fight/spar

Sarsaparilla vs @Zahra
Minor maim (limb breaking)
1/5

Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 3 + 2 + 6 + 18 + 15

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 18 + 14 + 17

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 14 + 7 + 19 + 15

@Cassandra vs. @Alaric for EM
— FIGHT TIMERS PAUSED —

This fight and its timers are currently paused pending a Fight Club discussion and review. All other posting can continue to happen in this thread without issue.

Another post will be made to signal the unpausing of the fight timers, at which time the fight can continue.

Morrigan and Talisa were not left alone for long. @Myrkvi was quick to show up to her side in support of his beloved, and Khal came shortly after. Morrigan cast an approving look toward her son for making an appearance, though the look on his face showed how unhappy her eldest was with the situation. Before she could pay much more mind to her son, she was approached by another familiar face, though that face had changed in a severe way. The Greyflood had adjusted to the empty place left in Saga's skull... but now there were two.

She did not physically recoil from the now blind lioness like Talisa did, but only because she stopped herself from doing so. After all, she'd ripped and eye out herself before and it was likely only a matter of time before someone decided to try it on herself again. If there had ever existed any hope of a peaceful challenge it was soundly destroyed when Saga let out a war cry for all of their allies. As for her request, Morrigan dipped her head to the Jarl in silent agreement with Talisa, but she also though to herself, You won't fall today. We won't let you.

Alaric's large form had crashed down upon Cassandra now and the battle for the Mire had begun. Very shortly followed by the rest of the expected bloodshed. An Ecrosian man threw himself at a younger lion from the Oasis while a few others demanded and threatened the trespassers take their leave. Morrigan didn't even spare them a glance. Threats without claws and teeth behind them were nothing when she knew perfectly well that the Mire King had deadly allies. The battalion around herself only seemed to grow, joined by @Aquila first before their enemies began to attack.

First it was Myrkvi attacked, and then Aquila before Úlla was there on the offensive to attack one of the Mire lionesses. But Morrigan's attention had been caught by the long furred, battle scarred face that had just appeared. Erna. To absolutely no one's surprise, the feral Rike launched herself directly for Saga's throat, causing herself and wife to reposition themselves slighty. More fights broke out around them but no one seemed interested in Morrigan as a opponent despite her initial boldness.

@Valkravyn was there now to add to their group of warriors and asked after their readiness, "It's what I do best," she replied, though she couldn't help the memory of watching the woman's brother die and being able to do nothing. Shaking herself of such thoughts she would step away from Talisa, annoyed that no one had chosen her as an opponent yet, "Kommt schon, ihr verdammten Feiglinge! Kämpft gegen mich!" No sooner than she managed to release her frustration were her wishes granted.
- - - - - - fight starts here - - - - - - The Caladan King barrelled into the clearing and chose the dark barbarian as his dance partner, and he had no intentions of holding back. Good. Bring the blood. Morrigan braced for the impact to prevent rolling into her loved ones and felt the subsequent pain of catching the large man's similar weight on her chest. She breathed out just before impact to lessen the blow but could not hold in the snarl of pain as his right shoulder blade left the beginnings of deep bruising.

Morrigan would attempt to lift her own left limb as she felt his claws rake down the right side of her neck, keeping her other three limbs planted for balance. She would aim her claws directly for his right ear. She felt his teeth begin to cut through the skin of her cheek and would attempt to twist open jaws to grab hold of his lower jaw, tearing her own flesh against his teeth whether she was successful or not. She'd never been shy of scars though, not knowing it was the very thing that had attracted her opponent.

Already the smell of blood was thick in the cloying swamp air, but Morrigan's world had diminished down to this fight alone for the moment. Her eyes had been narrowed into slits and ears flattened angrily to her skull since she'd first spotted him and her tail lashed out behind her both for balance and to be aware of the bodies fighting close to them. She couldn't even spare a moment to look around for they were already doing their best to rip each others faces apart.

@Morrigan vs. @Sahir
for Minor Maim
i/v
Hits:

Rolling 8d20: 7 + 20 + 1 + 6 + 13 + 8 + 11 + 14

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 5 + 2 + 10 + 8

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 17 + 5 + 14 + 16 + 15 + 4

table by ferus, art by grav3wolf

It was mostly interesting because it came so quickly after the mire had attempted to overthrow the oasis. Ryker wasn't aware of any animosity between the bluffs and Ecrosia, and had expected the challenge to be little more than an amusing distraction for a few moments. What he found, however, was far more thrilling. With all the violence in the air, he found no issue striding in as if he belonged (even if the terrain itself made that a little more difficult than it would elsewhere). He really had no love for the landscape, but he could appreciate the strategic value. Who really wanted to go slogging through muck and whatever else just to get at the territory?

Mixed with the scent of Ecrosia was that of the brook - and Ryker did know their status with the bluffs. He lingered, watching, seeking out a prime target. This was too good a chance to pass up, an opportunity to do some real damage to someone simply because he could. And if it happened to be an enemy of the bluffs, all the better. A victory here and there always made one look good, right?

Even more entertaining, though, would be to surprise any one of the spectators that were undoubtedly trying to keep themselves hidden to observe without risk of injury. How dull! Why come to a battle if not to get your claws bloodied? Ryker shifted, skirting the edges and poking his nose into whatever brush might provide a nice hiding spot, while keeping a fair amount of attention on the chaos of multiple battles not far away.

-----
Ryker is attempting to locate @Diantha (because drama)

Rolling 1d10: 2

-Rolling a 1-3 means that the other character is successfully hidden and cannot be discovered in that thread, by anyone.
Rolling a 4 or higher means that your character has successfully found the hidden character, and can react accordingly in their next post.

I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

Fighting my way through the sins of the street I'm feeling psycho, psycho Where did my mind go? Biting my tongue and I'm loading my gun Back to the wind, better run, better run I'm feeling crazy, crazy Go 'head and make me It's the life that I can't escape, can't walk away There's blood in the ocean And I'm losing focus I'm a friend of the devil I'm a dangerous rebel

code by corvus

+10 Cast a curse or blessing on a character/group
+5 Meditate or pray on your own or with someone else

+5 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds

The Mire had changed hands several times since she had lost it to a bunch of trespassers, and she hadn't bothered to attend those challenges. But, she had little else to do and she noticed Aquila heading that way, so she would go with her sovereign.

Unfortunately, by the time she got there chaos had erupted, and there was no way she could help by inserting herself into the fights either. That wasn't where her skills resided. Instead, while being reminded sharply of what she had done over a year ago, she reached over with her right paw to scratch the inside of her left leg, drawing blood. She allowed it to drip down to the ground, muttering under her breath. "A curse upon these who believe they can own dis land, and they who dare to draw native blood," she said, turning her gaze back to the myriad of fights going on around her.

Please, Maua, keep them safe, she thought. She didn't know why everyone was fighting, or who the original challengers had been, but she would pray for the members of the Brook and their allies to make it out of this alive and preferably whole.

Tullia Valour

A noisy heart in her rib cage was all that would betray her calm exterior. When she actually felt the weight of it. She didnt want to see her family in such a bloodshed. But little she knew she was soon to be brought into it aswell. While she was distracted watching her pride mates engaging each one in a fight, she didnt saw an enemy approaching, though she didn't know they were. And when she knew it it was too late when she was surprised by something or someone's weight over her followed by the sudden sharp pain felt in her shoulders, ears pulled when almost in a heart attack she spotted a lioness riding her. Feeling her fangs pierce the skin of her neck and claws breaking that of her shoulders. She herself wasn't a fighter at all. But she was forced to act. The one meant to heal would now do the opposite, now she would break instead of mending.

And like that she aimed to turn her frontal side of the body toward the side Ashoret was attacking aiming to have a closer range to the attacker. Then she would rise her left paw and would aim to swipe it hopefully into the lionesse's face or wherever was at her reach.

Tullia vs @Ashtoret
for minor maim(face scarring)
1 - 5
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 7 + 2 + 16 + 17 + 1 + 14

Dodges:

Rolling 6d20: 1 + 19 + 12 + 10 + 18 + 3

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 19 + 5 + 1 + 17 + 13

code by corvus

THIS THREAD HAS REACHED
war STATUS!

— A war is underway between the factions of
Rike/EM & Allies and Sigrun & Allies —

If happening on a pride territory, this is a reminder that trespassing increases your character’s PVP by one level.

Please remember to read the fight rules on wars, raids, and the fatigue system here, and to post all fights in Fight Updates so that they can be properly logged.

If your character is in a fight or other situations that could impact them post-thread, please be mindful when doing posts that are set after this in their timeline.

A friendly tracker is here to help with who is doing what!