In the wake of Anniston's release, Violarum (and no doubt his new brawl-buddy, Orson) had a whole lot of fire in his belly and nowhere to put it. Or did he? Despite being well-suited to the lazy life of a Rogue and taking a liking to his watering hole, there really was no place like home.

Lorien would, in many ways, always be home.

The sun was just barely peeking over the golden horizon upon the lumbering gait of his approach, shoulder blades rising and falling with each rhythmic stride. Though the burly man is far from hyped, there came with impending battle a certain degree of heart-pump; it boiled and brewed beneath his ribcage, sending his jaw limp and his sides panting.

A pause by the border, almost reluctant to cease, as Violarum would glance over his shoulder to his friends and family - his pillars, his motivation - and send a long and low billowing call for Aeistrios to defend his throne.

Violarum vs @Aeistrios
For Lorien Plains
Round 0 of 5

_{art by kairi —}

(TULIE IS ACTIVELY TRYING TO STAY HIDDEN)

While Tulie had been busy healing from her wounds caused during the Raid, she had told Reah that she would have liked to remain as the Lead Scout. Her preferences to stay hidden were voiced and not be involved in battles any longer. Her gathering on intel was much more the cafe lioness's speed. At the call of someone challenging for the Plains, she crawled out of her den, staying low. Heading towards a mud hole, she covered herself from head to toe in the muck before rolling in leaves to disguise her appearance. When Tulie was good and covered, she slid like a serpent in the grasses as she stayed low, hiding behind logs and boulders that riddled the pride lands. When she got close enough to watch, but still far enough to hopefully not be seen, she laid flat against the ground behind a log, ears pinned and eyelids narrowed to make herself more hidden. Watching the fight, she wondered who would come out victorious on this day.

MASTER: SLEUTH
+5 Practice hiding your scent (mud/leaves) 1/2
+5 Practice disguising your appearance (mud/leaves) 1/2

(potential, 1 of these 3)
+10 Remain undetected in a large thread (5+ characters)
+5 Spy on a non-group thread without getting caught
+5 Infiltrate a group thread without getting caught

coded by flea + background credit

He was weak.

The poison had hit Aeistrios right in the gut - literally. He felt as if he was drained of all his energy, barely able to keep his eyes opened, his movements slow and sluggish. It had only been a day since the incident - his suffering fresh. He had been cursing the name of Scilla Lagoon over and over in his mind, plotting his revenge as he basked in sleep.

But even in his misery, he hears the familiar chuffs from an opponent.

@Violarum called for his crown, his power. It clicked in his mind then what had happened, and anger fueled through his veins. Tiamat had done this. She had sent her pride to poison him - weaken him for Violarum to come and steal back what was originally his. His face lifts in a sneer at this revelation, how sneaky they had been. He is also mad at the fact it was smart, and a different version of how he had weakened Vermeda for Lachesis to conquer.

Hauling his ass up, Aeistrios knew he had no choice. He'd much rather lay where he was and ignore it, but doing so would cost him his power, the Plains he'd grown to enjoy. Plus, he didn't want the brute to think the land would be so easily won from him.

His arrival was tedious, and while he did his best to appear strong, it was easy to see his eyes were tired, and his mane looked sickly. Grooming hadn't been at the forefront of his mind these last few hours. His stomach was near empty, cramping, unable to hold onto food despite his best efforts - his energy depleted, limbs weak.

Damn them all.

Excuse me for not looking my best for you. He finds himself musing, mustering up his energy to bring some sort of taunt to the table, his typical behavior. A bit of humor to his poisoned conditions. Lucien already tried this. A shrug of his shoulders, the outcome obvious as the territory was still under his scent. You can leave without trouble still. A nod, boldly dismissing @Violarum with a subtle grin at his lips.

If only it were that easy.

Aeistrios vs @Violarum for Lorien Plains
0/5

Hits: [roll=9/20]
Dodges: [roll=3/d20]
Luck: [roll=6/d20]

+1 Hit due to Tier 4 pride perk ! (doubles the level 1 bonus of their master trade).
+1 luck due to lead scout present (tulie)_{BG — ART — CODE}

hexa lumine

your best bet is to stay away motherfucker

---

A call for the throne. Hexa’s lips pulled into a sneer. Why couldn’t they all just be left alone? She growled and she quickly got up, racing towards the borders. She stopped when she arrived, her tail lashing with anger. She was ready to fight, conquer and maim once again. She just had to wait for some unfortunate soul to get here and test her.

Aeistrios seemed sick this time, and that angered her further. This man really wanted to fight someone who was sick and weak. What a fucking coward.

She swiftly moved and would pace along the borders, snarling as she did so. She was a threat, a predator, a monster, and she would wreck and ruin anyone who dared to take advantage of this.

---

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by vasilia

Reah had been keeping close to @Aeistrios since the poisoning. Her heart was full of hatred for the Lagoon, and she couldn’t help but worry about her husband. So when she heard Violarum’s call, she couldn’t help but see only red.

She followed closely after her husband, watching him closely. She stared down at @Violarum and finally, she snarled at him with pure rage. GET OUT! she screamed at him. THIS IS OUR KINGDOM! she roared. Her patience was no more, her hormones caused her to rage and her swollen stomach was apparent.

If he wanted to uproot her kingdom while the pair was in this state, then he was the most cowardly, pathetic, useless lion that she had ever met. And if he won, she would make sure to murder him. Or, murder his family._{BG — ART — CODE}

Léonie Miroslav

 

“GET OUT,” she heard a lioness scream through the grass that surrounded her. “THIS IS OUR KINGDOM.” Oh, now that was funny. Léonie was confident that the ones they’d originally taken the pride from had said something similar, and now they wanted to cry about potentially losing their home. Well, one was. And okay, when Léonie peeked through the grass and saw her condition, she supposed she had a valid reason. Nevertheless, the dark imp smiled, utterly amused with the scene before her.

Her hazel eyes moved from the loud-mouth to that colossal cunt, the one who’d maimed Halimede. A voiceless snarl rippled across her expression before she saw the king, who looked … unwell. He’d been the reason for her visit — she’d come to see if her poison had been effective and given his poor appearance, it seemed it had.

However, when her gaze wandered away and found the opposing male, she was surprised to see Violarum. Léonie wondered what it would mean — if anything — should he win. He’d once been an ally of the Stärke, and thinking of the Mire gaining more support made her nose wrinkle.

For now, the Miroslav lioness crouched where she was hidden, to watch.

Sleuth
Level 5: Can't be discovered if actively hidden in threads

artwork • coding

When the challenge echoed, she felt a thrum of fear in her. Not that Aeistrios couldn't defend the place- she was confident that he would and that the plains would remain their home. She felt the fear, because she did not want to be called to fight. Yelena swallowed nervously, approaching the sound to come to stand within the borders, her eyes on the large clay may who stood now before the plum king. Aeistrios was bigger, but Yelena also know that bigger was not always better within the realm of battle. She sat down heavily, letting the warm morning sun bask against her fur as she decided to sunbathe in that weaker dawn light, and watch- to observe and see what she could learn... all the while praying that she would not be called to fight.

ART BY YUMPY, CODE BY LARS

With her residence in the gardens, Ghyslaine did not miss @Violarum 's call for the Plains. She should stay away- stay in the anonymity that being Meira had brought her. Yet, she tucked the cubs into the den, and took a breath before rolling in the flowers to disguise the cub scent from her body- and she headed back towards the plains- towards her former home. Despite being Meira now, she couldn't deny the ties that did bind her to Vio- and his call for the throne was one that was important to her to witness.

She approached the plains, the smell of her former home enticing though it was tinged with the scent of strangers now. She approached the border, before stopping a respectful distance from it, her teal and silver eyes scanning the scene before her. Only after a moment, would she take a seat- ready to observe her friend fight, to watch and see what would happen. To be here for him, even if that was all she had to offer at this point in time.

ART BY NAME KIM, CODE BY LARS

See, the thing about Lorien being a relatively close neighbor, was that it was harder to miss the air of impending chaos. Also harder considering Ryker himself had been out for a morning walk nearby anyway. Ears tipped back and he hummed lightly under his breath as he shifted his path and made for Lorien instead of Firnen.

Did he need to stick his nose into this? Probably not, honestly, but given how the last pride challenge he'd attended had turned out, it seemed a smarter choice to attend rather than ignore it. And he'd lost track of who owed who favors between Firnen and Lorien in the recent battles. He'd rather avoid being dragged into something else on the grounds of little more than 'you owe us' while several of his pride were still healing from the last thing.

Anyway, Ryker would arrive and position himself outside the border - because Lorien was an ally but he wasn't sure if they'd still take offense to him crossing inside. In the wake of @Reah's own shout, his head cocked to the side as he noted her swollen state, and soon raised to the sky to roar out a summons for the adults of his own pride. Lorien could defend themselves, sure, but if @Aeistrios retained his crown today, Ryker hoped the plains might make a similar show of support if (when?) he faced his own challenge in the future.

- ryker is outside the border -

No shackles on the demon in me

I'd rather be dead than average

code by corvus

There and back again. Anniston strode behind the hulking figure of her father, an impish smirk carved upon her features which prevented her from donning any truly threatening aura. Her stomach blossomed with brewing anticipation, her limbs practically buzzing as she strode across those plains. It felt different this time. It felt good in a way Anniston scarcely recognized anymore. It felt like hope.

She stood aside as Violarum took up his challenger's stance, a toady carved out from the lion's very own rib. See who is on my side, her eyes said. See who cares after all. She flickered the tip of her tail with growing nervousness as those familiar silhouettes began flocking to the scene, the purple one looking markedly more haggard than she remembered him not so long ago – not even after their literal war. Then came the lionesses, always wailing with complaints. Anniston thought that was her job.

"Um, it was ours first?" She pointed out in false question, sweeping her ears back indignantly.

"Maybe you should go find your own thing," the young heiress suggested with a shrug and a smile that did not quite reach her eyes.

---

|| june y10 | two years | rogue lioness | at lorien plains | @Reah ||