please avoid jumping to Csitri’s defense or aid until Gunner posts with @Arkyn, thank you!

Her damnably short legs worked overtime to get her there faster. It was the heavy satchel of clay and a collection of herbs that had been carefully placed around her shoulders that slowed her down. The thing kept flopping and hindering movement. Csitri was trying so hard to keep it from tripping her up, that she didn’t get to pick up much speed.

This meant that the patchy woman wouldn’t arrive until after plenty of others had already gathered. She’d come to the summons sent by @Ronin with the intent to heal those that needed it, not to fight. Although since their training session she was feeling more confident in that field!

The bag slipped again, some of its contents fluttering to the ground. A low curse and she’d look as it floated away in the wind. Growling and foolishly not looking where she continued to walk, a grunt would be given when her shoulder slammed rather hard into the solid form of another lion.

@Valaine

+10 Cast a curse or blessing on a character/group

+5 Observe a fight (morrigan v rainer)
+5 Observe a fight (isla v astarte)

Ronin hastened to give him a task, a rather important one at that. Any woman with cubs was to be defended with one's life, and Dmitri didn't fail to notice that he had been entrusted with protecting the sovereign's own mate. It was a duty he would not take lightly. "Understood, kedgesem," he said, moving to trail after her as she went to tend to the yearling who plummeted from the tree. Both were quickly surrounded by members of their pride, judging by the smell, but he would still linger on the outskirts of the group and keep an eye on those who would choose to approach. He could also keep an eye on the fight for the pride, and the other fights that had broken out.

"Keep their claws sharp and let them strike true," he murmured in Hungarian to the Mother, noticing a fight erupting nearby with participants seeming intent upon tearing something off of each other. So that was how they fought here. Interesting.

if you're going to be two-faced,
at least make one of them pretty

Her eyes were fixed on a peach-colored lioness on the other side of the battlefield. Someone looking rather sure after Morrigan had made her commands about throwing her family off the cliffs. Valaine would see to it that no one went over the sides of the cliffs - at least as far as she could help it. And that lioness over there, in particular, was about to be the first that learned the consequences of messing with the Rike.

She had tunnel vision for her target, and as she started moving, the path seemed to clear and there was a straight line leading right towards @Arachnae. First at a quick walk, and then at a run. She needed to charge up enough momentum to lunge.

But then - halfway there - someone hit her from the side. It felt like a charging rhino. It knocked her off-balance, and as she stumbled to catch her footing, she saw red. She had lost the peach lioness she had intended to attack, but now. Now, that didn't matter so much because her new target stood right next to her.

Valaine hadn't noticed the herbs fluttering around at her feet in the wind, she only noticed the female standing a bit too close for comfort - the female that charged her. Valaine whirled around - acting first, asking later - and led with her teeth. She aimed for the female's face.

@Csitri @Arkyn (used @Arachnae in this; no real intention to attack her tho <3)

art / code

Are you volunteering to even out the numbers? How very generous of you. "Like I told the last Rike who tried to kill me, even if you succeed, you'll only martyr me. Ich werde dich einfach heimsuchen," she finished her sneered words in their shared mother tongue as their two large figures came closer to the first collision.

Morrigan feels the harsh huff of air leave her lungs and the pain of deep bruising in the hard muscles of her chest as he shoved his own weight back, but she attempts to drive harder into his chest, seeking to keep them nice and intimate. The taste of his blood is satisfaction between her jaws, but already compromised air supply was suddenly cut off by the feeling of his shoulder blade in her throat.

Abandoning the attack of her jaws with a strangled, instinctual snarl around the sharp pain, reminded of having the life choked out of her once before and letting the pain add fuel to her rage, Morrigan would attempt to throw her skull backwards using the force he was providing, aiming to crack the hard bone against her opponent's lower jaw. No time like the present to pull out old faithful.

She felt the claws of his left front limb sink into the flesh of her right ribcage, but she would focus her attention on protection more vulnerable parts. Let his claw marks join the dozen others marking her hide beneath black and white cloak. They were all of them trophies, stories to tell her many children of her invincible legacy.

@Morrigan vs. @Rainer
For Illyria Summit
Round II / V
Hits:

Rolling 9d20: 11 + 12 + 7 + 3 + 20 + 18 + 1 + 5 + 6

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 8 + 9 + 20 + 6

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 3 + 16 + 9 + 20 + 2 + 7

+1 hit dice Tier 4: Bonus to members participating in fights in their pridelands (doubles the level 1 bonus of their master trade).

coding & image by flea

And it'sx my whole heart, xxweighed and m e a s u r e d xxxxxxxxxxx i n s i d e And it's an old scar, trying to bleach it out

The priestess would have beef her head in quick prayer as her queen and the stranger interlocked themselves in battle, the woman's heart wrenching in her chest. Apophis, cast us strength on this day and we will bring you chaos and vengeance in return. she would whisper in her mind. A gentle brush against her hind side would bring the peachy lioness to jolt her gaze open, wincing slightly as she suddenly looked upon the sunny world out from under the tree again.

Steadying herself, she would turn to calmly gaze upon @Darcy, a slightly relieved though solemn smile on her maw, It is lovely to see you as well, Lady Daredasher. Your support here is treasured. She would smile, looking back out unto the growing violence amongst the gravelly frozen cliffside. Looking past the throwing of claws between her pride mates and others with guilt, the small form of a child fell form a tree, landing upon the ground in a heap. Sunlight blazed between her and the child, as well as the figures that begun to gather around her.

She squinted, trying to better peer at the form of a lioness in maroon, the woman undeniably familiar in a way that left her heart with a painful tug. She would yell out, hoping to be heard over the sound of snarls and roars, @Nephthys! Bring the child to me! She called. Even if they were from an enemy pride.... A cub was a cub, and no child deserved to be left to suffer. She would remain distracted for several moments, even as suddenly there was a Caladan woman barreling towards her with malice on her face. Arachnae only came to realization of the situation fast enough to steel herself for impact with a snarl, digging dark claws into the ground and furrowing her brow as the darker colored feline charged. She, however, would never make impact as a large blur slammed into her from the side, sending her away into the chaos once again, leaving the witch blinking hard several times, trying to comprehend what had truly just happened.

who's a heretic now?

code by loki - art by Aurora

It begins, and with Morrigan’s blessing before she charges to her own fight, Roarke looks for his own target. Someone to shove off the summit cliffs, if need be. Battles break out around him, but most seem to linger around the edges - and of them, so few enemies. Cowards. He notes Alaric, but there is a child broken and unconscious with him and some others - including Ronin, an ally. Whatever is going on there, Roarke does not want to risk harming the teen. Enemy or not, she is weak and a child. There is no threat from her or the others while they are distracted.

But a Caladan lion soon appears, looking as if he is just here to watch. Bold of him, considering his status as an enemy of the Summit. Roarke’s blood sings for battle, so long without it, so he doesn’t hesitate to launch himself at the dark lion.

Roarke attempts to come directly at Keligan, running quick and hard towards to lion. His open jaws let out a low, rumble as he lifts his front limbs push off the ground as he nears his target, attempting to slam his left into Keligan’s cheek and hook the other into the side of his neck and try to bury into the mane and grip it, with the idea being to use Keligan to hold himself above the other.

Roarke vs @Keligan
For Get Out - Minor Maim (tbd - feel free to dm me!)
I of IV
Hits:

Rolling 12d20: 16 + 9 + 1 + 7 + 19 + 3 + 5 + 17 + 12 + 8 + 6 + 15

Dodges:

Rolling 3d20: 16 + 18 + 9

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 5 + 10 + 13 + 15 + 6

Lead Fighter Perk: +1 hit rolls
Tier 4 Pride Perk: +1 hit rolls

Scorpius

 

A pride challenge is not something he has much interest in, but those who gather - they are who he wants. The chances of seeing certain lions there increase depending on who is challenging for what, and when. Ronin goes, and Scorpius eventually follows. The trek up the summit is taken slowly, until the scent of a pride invades his nose. The stench of it is disgusting, but not just because of the swamp. The king himself is here.

Scorpius Miroslav has waited a very long time for this.

He follows the scent until he finds him. @Alaric, mid conversation with @Ronin. The heir snorts as he catches Alaric’s words, but the king slips away to some fallen girl and Ronin’s mate. "Hypocrite." The word is snarled as he comes to stand at Ronin’s side. He ignores the others, their orders already given, and those gathered nearby that are not pride are not worth his time.

"Let me have him." The request is spoken softly, so only the Andal king can hear. It isn’t begging, it isn’t demanding. Scorpius wants revenge, and Alaric is as close as he will ever get to the source of his and his siblings’ pain. But even as his claws dig into the snow, and his red gaze is set on Alaric, he does not move. He waits, body tense, for permission. Ronin knows his hate, his fury. He knows why he wants a pound of flesh from the Starke.

Scorpius Miroslav has waited a very long time for this.

And now, he must behave.

artwork • coding

Careful pawsteps crunched the snow beneath her, the chimera girl was curious, always curious about challenges, she always found herself at one, this time she was not prepared for the literal war ground she found herself in. She should have stayed home, @Seraphiel would have a heart attack, and yet she stayed, eyeing the different lions.

Her yellow eyes tracked each fight, them landed on the fallen girl and her saviors? A slight tilt of the head was given in curiosity, this was no place for a yearling, especially one as small as her, but she wanted to see. She just hoped everyone was safe back home, the Brook had suffered her fair share after the challenge, but this seemed gargantuan compared to that. She paused before darting between fighting bodies, coming to a stop near the adults, "I-i can try and help..

Medic double exp:
+20 Participate in a raid or war (actively fighting, healing, or helping others)
+10 Learn something from another about your trade
+10 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds

Yes, he would have a heart attack, thank you very much. At least once he figured out where she was going. Well, he certainly wasn't going to grab her by the scruff and try to drag her back home, but he absolutely would follow along to make sure nothing happened to her, like a greatly oversized shadow.

Seraphiel hadn't made the trip up the mountain before, and by the time he got to the top he had to wonder why anyone would want to live up here. And, naturally given his luck, he'd lost track of his daughter in the crowd.

Moments later, he spotted her, and couldn't help but feel a sense of pride that she was over with a group gathered around a fallen yearling. He could only assume she was offering some kind of assistance.

He made his way around the edge of the group, skirting the various fights that had already broken out to stand near the assembly around the youth. They reeked of Mire lions, but given that he was no longer in the Oasis he had no quarrel with them so long as they didn't attempt to start anything with @Solanum. His only purpose in being there was to make sure she was all right and could do... whatever it is she was wanting to do to help.

Well, well, so it seemed that the mountain peak was not the only thing this woman had commandeered. Such familiar, purloined words...Well, so be it. Only those who possessed a conscience could truly be haunted. He would love to see her try.

The impact of their bodies seems to reverberate through Rainer's ribcage, a forewarning of the bruising pain that's sure to come in full force once the violent thrill surging through his blood fades away. That moment is not now, however. No, no, the fire has only just begun to blaze. She pushes against him, and he shoves back, all too welcoming of the cruel 'embrace.'

It's like music to his ears, that gargled, growling sound she makes when his shoulder catches her throat. He'd probably snicker, if only he had the breath for it. Alas, she catches him off-guard, suddenly flinging her skull back to catch him hard enough in the lower jaw that his teeth rattle, forcefully snapping his mouth shut when he'd just begun to open it. Not a peep escapes his clenched teeth, which is a shame because 'Ouch, that hurt!'

While his claws finished tearing at her dark hide to leave gashes to mirror the puncture wounds left in his own right side, he would attempt to swing his now-free right forelimb up to try his sink his claws into the left side of Morrigan's neck and grip there. He would try to lift his front half slightly upwards as he did so, his hindlegs widening their stance atop the cold stone as he shifted more of his weight onto them, splayed claws gripping at gravel. With the additional leverage, he would attempt to part his abused jaws once again, seeking to sink his teeth into her nape near the junction of neck and shoulder.

@Rainer vs. @Morrigan
For Illyria Summit
Round 2 / 5
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 7 + 19 + 15 + 6 + 2 + 10

Dodges:

Rolling 6d20: 11 + 4 + 10 + 8 + 7 + 17

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 14 + 2 + 12 + 1 + 7 + 10

Art + Code by Dee