The siren song of chaos, and the vague knowledge that the bluffs were still connected to the cove, drew him down from the heights.

Actually, his original destination had been the pit for a little practice, but the noises drifting toward him on the wind had piqued his curiosity and carried him to the coast instead. With such a crowd already present, he had no fear of striding across the border to join the loose collection of known friendly faces, settling some short distance from @Amara and @Alaric to stand and watch. Though he shifted a few paces more away when @Anthonius made his charge.

There were other familiar faces present, and those were not as welcome a sight. The patched Savante family seemed to be out in force, and his face pulled into a judgmental sneer at the sight of @Dragos barreling toward @Louve - visibly pregnant. Was it a bit hypocritical of him to judge the guy for doing something he would have been very likely to do to an enemy himself? Yeah, but hey, he never claimed to be perfect. It did show him that the man just never really learned a lesson, after the bluffs horde had ravaged the man's family at the Hollows.

Or. Well. One of the horde, specifically.

His gaze found @Apollinaire, predictably locked in battle, and then moved to scan the rest of the crowd. The actual challenge didn't seem to have progressed very far at all yet, which amused him. It was always more fun when these things dissolved into absolute chaos right toward the beginning.

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

Only one dared to respond back to him yet none moved. Growling lowly, ears remained pinned against his skull, hidden within his thick mane. Eyelids stayed narrowed as purple gaze cast daggers upon @Vermier as the male remarked he was "helping". The Lead Fighter knew who the Cove's allies were and this male was not one of them. Utterly enticing the Gaia lion, the Hollow King merely taunted him by not leaving. Fangs fully bared and claws extended to their fullest lengths out of their sheaths, Keligan would charge at his opponent.

His ass was grass.

The blacked beast lunged himself towards the intruder. Claws gripping into the sandy ground as he ran forward. Then at the last possible moment, he went for Vermier's LEFT side and attempted to swipe his left front claws against the Hollow High Sovereign's face. His bobbed tail stayed flat against his rear as his hind legs flexed in their attempt of keeping him balanced.



Keligan vs @Vermier
Minor Maim (tbd)
Round 1 / 4
Hits:

Rolling 9d20: 19 + 9 + 7 + 11 + 3 + 18 + 4 + 16 + 8

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 13 + 18 + 17 + 4

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 8 + 11 + 2 + 19 + 1

Caladan Cove Lead Fighter Perk: +1 hit rolls when fighting on your pride territory or an allied pride's territory.

((Permission given by Mara to interrupt the fight as has been agreed it won't be proceeding.))

He was hoping the family would see sense and leave with him, or at least get behind him where he could take the brunt of whatever was coming for them (because something was certainly coming for them), but he had to watch helplessly as Dragos went charging in. Well, not entirely helplessly he realized. Still, he had a moment of shock as he watched him going past, seemingly heading directly for the little tigress that Angelo had been chastised for speaking with before. Whatever had happened there, he didn't know, but he did have a feeling that Dragos would regret it after the fact.

So Angelo went charging after him, intending to come up beside him and knock him aside, but when Dragos suddenly altered his course and target he found himself directly in his path. All the better to stop him, he guessed, but the sudden change caught him off guard.

@Dragos

The call for the Cove was loud and noticeable. He was interested to know if his cousin would keep his sandy throne or would it be taken and he would fall to the ground. Perhaps this would be the notion that could bring Adeodatus to the Cove. Ears pushing backwards as he moved through the territories and into the Cove where the fight was beginning. He was late. That much was certain but Adeodatus was never to late to notice things as he spotted @Alaric and moved towards the High Sovereign. Have I missed anything yet? He was curious, taking note of all of the fights that had begun, including his cousin's own fight.


Adeodatus is free to be thrown into a fight.

ART BY IRISH / CODING BY SENTINEL

( Permission to interfere given by Mara & Shan. )

Alexander was incredibly late to this...chaotic show. He hadn't even realized the challenge was happening at first, but the scent of blood and sound of battle carried on the wind with ease. The scene he came in upon was war - something he knew well and it caused his stomach to drop, a familiar sick unfurling with illness. The bloodshed, the carnage - it took him back and caused a darker side of the beast to edge closer to the surface, an ache for that sweet, saccherine fluid to coat his lips.

The battlefield was a bloodbath, and before it stood the Verisä, the blood father. Crimson, covered in the life of his enemies - he couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. It was all so pointless. The Earth was endless and the Svante were arrogant for thinking they owned it. He is humbled, but weren't most wartorn creatures? Shown the truth of the world - their eyes opened to a doorway that would never close again. How mortifying and thrilling it was to know the delicate measure of a life.

Inhaling deeply, the Savante pushes forward, doing his best to battle the urges crawling beneath his flesh. Pale eyes catch sight of @Nazonal then, and @Dragos - as well as an unknown woman he had yet to meet. Moving in close, he hears the tail end of the conversation, gaze settling on @Asteria with disgust. So she wished to be no better than him? How did that stop anything? It didn't - it would only breed more discontent and pass it on to their children. It was a curse, vengeance. One he well knew.

Surprise filtered over his face as he saw Dragos burst forward - not expecting his son to take the offense when he could be working to protect them. Anger swelled within him, but those pale blue eyes recognized it - anger for anger. The boy had gotten it honestly, the blood in his veins no less than the his Father's, despite the vehement hatred Dragos carried for him. Alexander couldn't let him do this, destroy himself.

He didn't get to give up.

"Dragos, NO." He bellows in a roar, his heart hammering in his chest as he moves to close the distance between he and the strawberry male. He attempts to throw every pound of his own weight into the other, jaws moving to grasp for the back of his scruff, wanting to try and jerk it back to keep his jaws from @Louve. Alexander knew her, he knew what she tasted like, the way she felt against him - and those pale eyes would briefly meet hers with a cold, fiery intensity, but this wasn't for her.

No, in this moment his son needed him more than ever and he couldn't disappoint him.

table by aurora / art

The world continues to devolve, blood begins to spill. And it's as natural as anything. Nazonal feels greater power building, greater confidence, as one by one lions move towards the Wolfbron horde. Lions she has slowly begun to recognize around the central point she knew to be Alexander. They were all his family when she thought of them but he was simply him. And unsurprisingly is it not long before he is on the scene as well. Any semblance of delight to see him is short lived.

They are stunned, jaw dropping for a second before snapping back up into a snarl. Alexander. Nazonal hisses, fur bristling a little up along her neck as their eyes settle on his. But they're not looking at her. They're looking at @Asteria with a feature of disgust in his eyes. And at once the young leader, so worried about the protection and safety of her own family, felt hardened. Felt angry. They are not given the time or chance to confront him. And she seemed ready, stepping forwards to attempt and angle herself between Asteria and Alexander but the Andal lion is off after Dragos. Nazonal can only watch the back of his head as he moves off. Their own chest rumbling with sounds of discontent, her form subconsciously drifting back trying to find contact with Asteria or Beetle for grounding and comfort. He would answer for that. Of that Nazonal was certain. No one looked at her family that way. Ever.

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

the scene that valens trots into is one he's grown quite accustomed to. although not as disgusted as his brother by the prospect of a good fight, he knows better than to pounce upon their enemies unless threatened. they'd indeed seen too much war - too much violence - in their time on this earth. his generation as well as their children. so despite the prickling, parched feeling at the back of his throat, the dappled savante strides across the battlefield with careful purpose.

he'd slip through, noting his brother (@Alexander ♔) lunging for dragos, @Angelo nearby as well. the boy was troubled, @Dragos, a child grown up far too fast due to wartime necessities. no doubt he was haunted by the things he'd been forced to see and do during his young life. while the uncle was tempted to join his kin in pulling the beast back, val had something far more important to do. enemies surrounded them in every which direction.

pale eyes would pass @Ryker, catching his signature, ugly sneer and it was sadly gone ignored. as much as the war horse wished he could rearrange that face of his, he'd instead continue until he reached @Lilliana and @Valerian.

"back to back." he'd clip at his nephew, an order and not a suggestion. "lilliana. watch our sides, do not be a hero. is that understood?" and with that he'd stand with his back to one side of lilli - standing still with defenses up and at the ready in case any others wanted to step up to the plate and make this place more of a shit show. he'd expect val to do the same on the other side of lilli. to decrease the likelihood of enemies sneaking up on them and also giving the best possible visual of the battlefield.

ooc: The challenge had called his attention, but more so seeing Louve and Amara leave. He turned to look at his mate and children, they would remain here. There would be no more repeats. The scar across his eye had healed so he was no longer struggling to see. Moving cautiously towards the gathering group he approached @Alaric to flick his ear listening to her speak of Louve. yellow eyes dragged across the group pausing on @Asteria and @Nazonal but he disregarded them. They were not his target today. No, he was settling his defenses when he heard someone yell. Snapping his head he saw @Dragos going for Louve and Dragos' family trying to stop him. No. He would not harm another of his family. Anger had boiled over and he was moving before his brain had registered what he was doing. Claws out he was racing to try and slide in between the pair. To take advantage of the space between them, to take the hits meant for Louve. If they connected. It seemed Dragos' family was trying to reign the beast in. "No!" he roared angrily, tail lashing behind him he took a step towards Dragos his ears pinned back. Jaws were open in a snarl while he continued, "This is between me and you, so back the fuck off!" he roared angrily. Hoping to get Dragos to leave Louve, he could take Louve's punishment later. Right now, he wanted a chunk out of Dragos. Tripfire has come BETWEEN louve and Dragos hopefully

Art and Code by Cloudy
@Louve @Amara @Dragos

GOD KILLS INDISCRIMINATELY AND SO SHALL WE

Vermier's ego was a giant blind spot. He saw the male before him. The bull getting ready to charge. It was a stance and emotion he knew intimately, just as if he were looking in a mirror. The smaller male, with his burly Napolean complexes of muscles and heavy scars, slipped from bravado stance to a lower one that was prepared and waiting. It was an automatic motion that filled him with glee. Like anti-lock brakes rumbling. Vermier was a freaking machine. A snow plow. Sand plow. He was an angry sack of mixed metaphors ready to rock.

Outside the blind spot: What he did not see was his matriarch, pregnant. The lions charging toward Wolfbron. Piebald patches, indistinguishable from the Miroslavs. He knew the Bluffs was strong without him, no matter what Amara said. He'd do this his way. Win and prove he was right.

He knew sand was tricky, likely to send him sprawling if he waited to try to take the charge while standing still; but also likely to betray him if he raced and attacked too wildly. He compromised by only aiming to advance when the other male was several strides away, though he was still too slow to intercept the enemy's shift toward his left side. His ember eyes slit against an anticipation of sand, though what they saw was only an instinctual reflex of shadow descending toward his face. Vermier's noble snarl hitched to a tiny whine (you didn't hear that) for a tiny moment as the reverberation of the blow across his face rang through the old soreness of his jowl muscles that had been accosted in his pride challenge. The old, hated wound pounded like old guilt. Much more happily, though painfully, did he feel the direct effort of the attack rippling across his left cheek, bruising spreading through the jiggly fat and clean fast slashes spilling blood like from a scalpel. Reflexively he tried to bite after the blow, aiming for where he anticipated the left wrist to be (though he couldn't see very well, his eyes narrowed and more disoriented than he expected to be at the onset of combat). And as usual he wanted more, also attempting to swing his left claws down Keligan's neck.

@Keligan vs Vermier
Minor Maim / tbd
1/4

Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 1 + 14 + 5 + 9 + 3 + 18

Dodges:

Rolling 6d20: 9 + 17 + 18 + 11 + 4 + 16

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 2 + 14 + 6 + 8 + 5

the clamoring of yet another battle reaches the young medic's ears and this time she's prepared. she'd been near the cove collecting herbs and such for the stores back at the oasis when the sounds had rung out. it'd taken csitri a bit longer than it should to arrive due to the scurry for a leaf large enough to package her precious goods in. they were delicately double wrapped in case of any incidents on the way or during the skirmish.

however, upon entering and seeing the havoc - particular her stupid brother, @Dragos , lunging for a quite pregnant @Louve her bundle was all but forgotten. tossing it in a bush for later (hopefully), the small patchwork woman would bolt toward @Alexander ♔, @Angelo, and dragos at top speed. she'd only slow once she neared and @Tripfire came to also step up.

great. not this guy again. hatred for the man shone in her dual-colored eyes, but she'd decide to pay him no mind in favor of calming down her snorting bull of a brother.

"dragos." she'd call to be heard over the commotion. "ekä, please. just stop for one moment." paws would pad closer so that she could hopefully find his face somewhere and shove hers into it so that he'd be forced to look at her. "that's enough. you. are. enough. there is no need to attack others, we are all safe. you've done well, i know you just want us all to be safe, hm?" the words came tumbling out without much thought - said soft enough so that only dragos might be able to hear them.