IT'S A GRACELESS DANCE OF EPITHETSshe'd stayed in the proximity of the pit for the last few days - considering how many challenges for the prides had been happening. wither wonders at the way it feels like things are changing. nox's blessings and words, her talk of fate and destiny, ring in the assassin's ears and she makes a soft, thoughtful sound in the back of her throat. foolish notions, she knows ( are you sure, darling? ) but it's still such a romantic, whimsical thought that she finds herself sometimes taken by the notion ( fate is taken by you, too ). she doesn't join the madness below, this time. she knows only one in the crowd, the fiery nephthys, but she doesn't join when an unknown lion moves to her side. she's had her fill of masculinity for what feels like eternity, lately.

but this is fernweh's home, she recalls; the mountains. so she waits atop the ledge she's tucked behind. her paws slide beneath her chest, tail tucking close, and her eyes half-lidded. in the mottled shade of the stones and vegetation, wither blends fairly easily - especially since she's gone so far as to cake the side of her face and neck with mud, this time, to help her blend.

trying to hideWE LEARN TO MAKE SOMEONE HURT

Things Parvati disliked included change, and aggression, and changes caused by aggression. Even the threat of it was bad enough. Maybe it was worse. The uncertainty, the waiting... the silver lion couldn't stay in the Summit waiting for news to reach them. They had to traipse across half the land by the light of the moon. Their short, sleek pelt gleamed with the stars' reflection and the lines of their manestache seemed to glow when the light hit it just right, and dull to copper ore veins when it didn't.

Not like any light was right, in the maw of the Pit. Parvati sighed and readied their haunches carefully before each downward spill, conscious of the cool stone and the dew-sweat between their pads. At the best of times they were stiff with nerves and clumsy due to rigorous overpreparation. It was only on the last landing that they stumbled, spilling into an instinctual half sprawl, half flip, that had them back on their feet with an entirely confused expression. Now it was not only what was going on? but how did I just do that? "HEY EXCUSE ME SIR I do not know what you think you hope to achieve by uprooting a peaceful pride but I must tell you that peaceful lions do not handle violence very well and are bad with emotions and have tempers that are clumsy! We can be very chaotic and dangerous if we lose control!" Parvati was as dangerous as a tornado of sand in a hourglass and spun fragments of words just as loose and whirled, spinning tears as they struggled to find their footing even though the ground was clear.

This was all... not even wrong, not even comprehensible! They remembered coming here, they knew where they were, and they felt emotion overwhelming but they didn't know where that was from, it was all nauseous anger but also a vision of marching words of justice.

--- (I am absolutely seeking for Parvati to be attacked but they will most likely try to escape. Gotta get those Pathfinder afterlife reqs!)

(1/2) +5 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds
(1/2) +5 Exercise to gain endurance (excluding spars)
(0/2) +5 Observe a fight (adeodatus vs morrigan)

She had decided to go out and exercise. She knew she needed to keep up her strength and to keep herself feeling as best as she could while she aged; she wasn't getting and younger and she was rather painfully aware of it. Valkravn had taken to a jogging for several minutes before exploding forward for a full minute, wanting to keep her heartrate up but also wanting to see how fast she still was at a full sprint. It would be at one of the times she was jogging that she would hear the challenging call, an ear twisting in interest. It was a call that challenged Morrigan herself.

With a snort would Valkravn close the small distance she was from her training area to the pit, already seeing lions gathering about. The Summit Queen was not in sight just yet, and with narrowed eyes would she silent judge the challenger. Her body would instinctively settle into defenses as she stood there; the Mire was no friend of the wintry mountain pride and the Viking had a very good feeling that there would be more than just a battle for a pride to be had here.

**please contact me before attacking so i have a heads up!**

ART BY RIOT, CODE BY LARS

(Tokyo is wandering around mewing at everyone)

The little cub had endured a great many hardships, her life tied to the kindness of strangers and their willingness to feed a small little orphan. Perhaps it would be easier if she were born one of their kind, for some would not think to help a member of another species, seeing them, once fully grown, as competition for food and a threat to their young.

She had been lucky so far, often given something, however meager. Others might simply ignore her. The worst of her experiences was with a lion who only irritably motioned her away when she drew too close to his freshly caught meal.

It was dangerous to come to such a large gathering, where tensions were high and she was likely to get trampled under so many feet. She did not think of these things, though she was admittedly a bit nervous in her approach, keeping always just out of pouncing range. She would then begin mewing, like a tiny cub seeking its absent mother.

A brief pause near each one, moving on to the next whenever she received no reaction. Surely someone here would spare the child a glance, a scrap of something?

Penrose’s ears went cold as ice when a call for his kingdom reverberated across the plains. He hurriedly slid down the dusty slope of the crater, not minding the scrapes as he eyed the group which begun to amass in the Pit. Several Summit members had also gathered. The princeling stomped way over to where @Isla ♔ and @Azanty had settled, black eyes boring unwaveringly into the looming form of the false usurper. This was no time for hiding in the shadows. This was time to defend his kingdom, his birthright.

The Summit belongs to the Greyfloods and our allies by fate! He snarled at @Adeodatus, spitting in a blinding hot rage he had never before felt. Destiny had blessed Morrigan with the mountain. How dare this Mire rat question the will of Maua? You are too much of a fucking coward to challenge us on the mountain. You and your swamp rats wouldn't survive a second in its clutches! Subconsciously, he hoped his mother Talisa had not yet arrived to witness his foul mouth. Muscles grew taut in blood-chilling anger. Penrose was the guardian of the mountain, and he would do whatever was necessary to protect it.

CODE•ART•BG

Versace had no idea what all was going on exactly. Everyone seemed all upset or something. So far he hadn't seen Fernweh to be able to ask about what was going on. He had thought to use his big boy voice in order to try and attract her attention but something else caught his own attention before he could do that.

There was another cub here! A tiny one! Versace, not fully realizing the size difference between himself and the other cub, came bounding over towards the snow leopard. He even sought to try and pounce on her, playfully of course. "Hi!" He chirped out brightly. "Play?"

@Tokyo

This, Myra absolutely had to see.

Somehow, it doesn't surprise her that Adeodatus would try to take a crown for himself, even if her fellow Noble hadn't necessarily expressed such a desire in words. She'd simply known that he was ambitious. Their first meeting had been born of it, in fact. A bloody clash for a rank that he has since managed to claw his way to. Perhaps...this is the only natural next step. And isn't that an interesting thing for Myra to contemplate further?

Of course, the Summit lions don't seem particularly impressed by this turn of events, several of them shouting pointless and ultimately meaningless insults at the silver male in the arena by the time Myra arrived. She can't quite suppress the urge to roll her eyes, sending a half-annoyed and half-amused glance towards the young @Penrose in particular. "If you're really meant to have the place, your leader is just going to have to prove it with strength. Living on a mountain doesn't mean you get to live above such rules, boy." Fate. Such an asinine concept. The Summit Queen either possesses the strength required to keep her position or she will fall beneath Adeodatus's claws. It's as simple as that, and it was the way their kind lived.

Words changed nothing, but force would.

She offers Adeodatus a sharp nod from where she settles in to observe by herself, tail flicking sharply behind her as she keeps a careful eye upon the others still gathering. She suspects that these tensions will keep on growing high and higher. She finds that she welcomes it.

ART COPYRIGHT RIOT / CODE COPYRIGHT ANALESE

~Hubert is attempting to remain hidden~

Another day, another challenge, and Hubert rather likes the sound of this one.

What better way was there to show those patronizing lions of the Summit their place, than to rip their home out from beneath their feet? He doesn't really know all the details of Adeodatus's motivations, nor why anyone really would want to spend every day on a frozen mountain, but that's all beside the point. He simply enjoys the poetry in it all, the idea that this rival pride of theirs should be usurped by one of their own. It goes without saying that the prince is rooting for Adeodatus's victory.

The prince is growing more and more familiar with the pit with each visit, and it doesn't feel so difficult now to slink his way into the shadows between rocky outcroppings, carefully peering his head out to await the arrival of the High Sovereign. Though wouldn't it be terribly amusing if she didn't show? His tail flutters back and forth behind him in impatience, a smug smirk crossing his lips when his dark eyes landed upon the clusters of irate Summit lions. The sight of Isla's displeasure, in particular, sends a rush of satisfaction through his blood.

Such a poor dear.

Assassin:
+10 Successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread
+5 Practice speed or stealth

Sleuth:
+10 Remain undetected in a large thread

ART + CODE By Dee

Of course the lioness had came when her mate had spoke of where and what he was doing, she would support him in anything he did, her eyes took in the scene before them, then she scanned the crowd. She was smart this time and rolled in the dust of the pit to hide her scent, and then she waited with baited breath.

It was only then a soft mewling grabbed her attention, the pink lioness turned to face @Tokyo with a concerned motherly gaze before she lowered her head, "Are you alright, dear?"

code by anyu

OOC: Status is vague, since AO challenge is still ongoing

It's like the floodgates have opened. One challenge seemed to give way to another and then yet another, seemingly all without an end in sight. Not that Rainer particularly minds. If anything, the Rike thrives upon seeing everyone tearing at each other's throats like this, metaphorically or not, the mindless illusion of peace crumbling in their wake. And if Rainer gets to perch somewhere high above the masses to smirk upon them in contempt, that just made it all the better.

More than pleased with the idea of seeing the dusty arena stained with red once more, the piebald brute made his way towards the pit at what he thought was a relaxed pace, though he was surprised to see that he was rather early. Earlier than Illyria's current ruler at least, whoever that may be. Was that due to arrogance or simple tardiness? Eh. Rainer doesn't care, so long as he's given the entertainment he was promised.

In the meantime, he supposes he can occupy himself by prodding at other things. And by 'other things,' he naturally means his dear cousin, of course. What else? It's been a while since they'd spoken last, anyway - @Adalwolf must have missed him terribly. Fancy seeing you here, vetter! I was beginning wonder if the the swamp monsters had dragged you down to the depths. Such a tragedy that would've been. Oh, the tears that would've been wept! If, you know...Rikes were actually capable of crying. Ah, well.

He settles alongside the jarl, subtly tipped his head closer to the other male while he contemplates the silver challenger in the ring. Friend of yours? That he's a man of Ecrosia is all Rainer can really deduce about Adeodatus, but since Adalwolf still seems rather attached to the place (forced circumstances or not), perhaps there's a connection here. It would be fitting for one of their family's allies to hold the mountain pride, after all. Though not as fitting as it would be if they took it for themselves.

Icy eyes would slide back towards Adalwolf's face, sharper in intensity than before, though his face was still fixed with a lazy smile. It looks like quite the frenzy for power and blood is sweeping through this land. Werden sie mitmachen? He speaks in low, accented tones, though he's confident that their native tongue shall allow this discussion some measure of privacy.

These days seem to be the most opportune for their family to make a move, after all. If Adalwolf doesn't make it, Rainer can't promise that he won't do it himself. He's rather tired of letting their name exist beneath a veil of obscurity. It'd certainly save him from growing too bored. Besides, it'd certainly save from growing too bored.

Ambassador:
+5 Observe a challenge and learn the results
+5 Have a conversation about politics

Beatnik:
+5 Gossip with another character

Art + Code by Dee