This content might touch on topics that are sensitive or triggering for some readers. Trigger Warning for mentions of ritualistic self harm, gore -- Just putting this here to be safe!

The accursed hollows.

Marja had no returned to them since the earth-shake that had chased them from their home. She had not returned since the male had taken the place in the challenge against the dark hued female. She had never intended to return, and yet, her paws had brought her back here.

Cursed

Cursed like the Rainforest. Another place that Marja had been unwanted by some god- perhaps her Gromm. Marja studies in silence, all of those gathered as the fight begins- and others break out.

"проклятый!" She yells suddenly, barreling down into the middle of it all, her eyes wide and afraid as she studies everyone- trying to warn them. "проклятый!" (CURSED! CURSED!)

They have to know! They have to leave! Won't the earth begin to rumble and swallow them whole?

TRIGGER WARNING BEGINS HERE

Marja hollers, and frets- as she decides the only way to make Gromm hear her, and respond... She raises a paw and with a claw, slices her fore-leg open, letting her blood fall to the stone.

"ЗАЩИТИТЕ ИХ ВСЕХ!" She cries, as her blood drips against the stone. (Protect them all). A desperate prayer to protect them all from the inevitable.

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

The audience is growing rapidly as the fight progresses, more lions than Ania has seen in many moons. She has to weave and duck past the bigger members of the crowd (nearly everyone, thanks to her petite stature ) to keep her bearings, to keep the main challenge and other smaller fights in her line of sight. Events like these are always prone to more violence than necessary; it's almost reflex to keep watch for wounds that will need immediate attention.

A familiar low rumble breaks her from her concentration but is welcomed all the same. Ania leans into @Wolfgang's touch with a happy little chirp, ducking into her favorite spot beneath her husband, her forepaws bracketed by his own. "Much better now, my darling," She coos back at him, amber eyes round and endlessly fond, head craned back to look up at him. She basks in his protectiveness like sunlight. "I understand the purpose of the challenge, but to think it almost always incites these other little brawls...You think there'd be better things to focus such energy on."

A dark form barrels into the fray of lions, shrieking in a tongue unknown to the fae, but what really catches Ania's attention is when @Marja cuts her own leg, deep enough to draw blood. "Oh - oh, Wolfie, that woman's injured herself! Should I - is it safe, do you think, to go help her?" She's reluctant to go charging into the roiling crowd herself, but that poor woman - she needs help, doesn't she?

It had taken some time for Scot's paws to find their way to the hollow and even then she attended only with the intention to inform herself of a political landscape she really cared nothing for. The throng was particularly dense and Sláine skirted the outside of the group, her muscular form taking up a seated position some distance from the main action.

Of course, she spotted those she knew, pridemates and vague acquaintances. Even @Alaric's distinctive self could be seen, cosying up to his Lagoon Queen. But Sláine's lips barely curled at that, feeling all too numb these days. Even spying @Ronin and @Nephthys brought only the littlest clench of a broken heart.

Blue lips conceded as she sighed, her claws kneading the earth beneath as she settled to observe the match.

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

The cub couldn't be restrained to the Mire any longer. She didn't care that her lungs burned with each step she took further and further from home. Didn't care that this could be potentially dangerous for her considering her young age. How other prides liked to prey on young cubs at challenges; any opportunity to steal and pillage would always be taken advantage of. No, what Artis cared about was the battle song that wove it's way towards her. Pulling her from her den, guiding her as she made her way towards the unfamiliar land that stunk of caves and mildew. There were so many bodies gathered, far more than she had ever witnessed before. In the throng of lions Artis was able to spy her Mam's bright fur stinking out in the darkness. She moved quickly, her tiny body able to manuever through the sea of unfamiliar faces before she put herself against @Sláine's side. Her own blue gaze was quick to notice Vater speaking with another woman, one she did not recognize and her lip curled. A snarl rumbled lowly in her throat, even though it sounded more like a purr then anything. She noticed her Mam's claws kneeding the earth, as if it bothered her too but she was too strong to even show it. The feral child leaned against her Mam, as if she knew she might need it, and finally spoke. "Sae this is whit a pride rammy is?" She questioned wryly, coughing not once but twice after she spoke. Quickly slamming the urge to cough again down down down, she could not appear weak and sickly. Not here of all places.

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

OOC: Amara is currently away from the crowd. There was little that would keep her from attending this challenge. She chuffed for the pride to attend but hoped that things would be at least a little calmer so she didn't order fights to happen right away. Her call was clear that ALL cubs would remain within the Bluffs. Amara would not allow a repeat of anything like last time to happen. Ever. Again. She arrived to see that the challenger was familiar and that he was already being handled. There were a number of other fights happening but she didn't understand the context of them right away. What really caught her eye was @ Sláine who was sitting alone, away from things. She could see @Alaric with another and knew enough about him to know that the male had many wives but that his wives only had him. She wasn't sure what it was that caused her paws to carry her to the side of the lioness and a cub that arrived but she found herself next to the Queen. They had rarely spoken but there had been an understanding of sorts because of the prides being allied. Maybe it was time that Amara focused back on the female who was leading the pride and less the male. She said nothing as she sat down, willing for now to let the fights happen without her. Slowly she glanced at her, there was a burning question that she had when she knew a lioness was forced to share a mate. Why? How could she stand here and just allow him to be so open in something that should be between them? She had a mate once, there had been enough between them that he hadn't needed another and she still hadn't found another mate after. That didn't seem to be the case for the lioness next to her now.

Table by Ice. Graphic by Lars.

The call that echoed throughout Amaryllis was unmistakable. Even though miles and miles stretch between its origin and where Lucanus then stood, he felt the weight of it in his bones. The time it had taken to chase down the sound had felt almost instantaneous to the Savante son, and yet he arrived to a mixed crowd of multiple fights. The sharp slice of his gaze through the commotion quickly found its rest upon his father, entangled in battle with an unknown (to him) lion. But wait—

In his quick scan for Alexander, the sea of faces had all been a blur—other than her. @Caltáriel. His Caltáriel. His head whipped back in the opposite direction, the merest suggestion of what he had glimpsed already raising his hackles as he sorted through the masses to grab sight of it again. There she was, a lion's teeth wrapped around her soft, lovely, undeserving throat. A snarl tore from deep within the young warrior's throat at the unholy sight of it; sweet purity tainted in blood, ripped and torn, being held by another man and in ways she was never meant to be held.

The sight of them were cast in red, the scene set to the thundering drumbeat of his heartbeat in his ears. The rest of the world faded into the dark and he could see nothing else but the dove ensnared in the jowls of that black bastard. Steadily the sight of them grew in his vision as he approached on paws he hadn't even realized were moving, tearing earth out from under them in his desperation to get to her.

@Keligan

( fight's not tallied yet, so this is just luc's slo-mo scene lol )

This was certainly not a game that she had signed on to do. Not in the slightest as she would have immediately canceled and called in sick if that were the case. All she had wanted to do was sit quietly (like every other challenge she'd gone to) and watch the fight. But no ! Alongside the two that she couldn't seem to unglue herself from came another. @Léonie sidled in near to the chatty kathy and went so far as to butter the guy up by expressing he was prince charming. As if. If @Aurochs were charming, he might have attempted to read the fuckin' room. Or her face, for that matter.

Ember looked suuuuper briefly to @Sedona as she looked her dead in the eyes and was attempting to communicate somehow. Expressions that were hardly unable to read as she struggled to communicate back. What she did recognize was subtle hints to leave while the guy was occupied. Wouldn't he just... find them again? At least the guy was nice enough to encourage her confidence by saying that she had a lot of stories. She did but that was besides the point. He likely wouldn't ever hear once, especially when his own mouth near shut up.

With that in mind, she lifted a single paw and invited the tiny little thing to escort her to somewhere else in the vicinity that was out of sight and out of mind. If sticking with the quiet sand kitten was the price she had to pay for getting away from the exuberant and vain male then so be it. At least as she waited to move she was able to look to her friend still fighting for this shred of land, this crown. A moment that was lost in time as she watched him attempt to barrel the man backwards and not let him gain ground. A smart move as she quietly, expressionless-ly rooted for him.

+5 - observe a fight (alexander vs. vermier for oh)
+5 - exercise to gain strength

^{ART BY LARS, CODE BY CALA}

Only moments after taking her spot near @Levana, she is approached by another, the male reeking of the Brook. Gods, they just couldn’t get enough of her, could they? “You’ll have to excuse me.” She spoke in a polite tone, nodding briefly to @Ryker who had just come up on the Firnen Queens other side as she stepped forward to stare her would-be captor down. She was still wounded from her fight with the other old man from the last challenge, and she would be damned if she let that small weakness be the reason she lost her freedom, and the title she had only just earned. When she spoke, she made sure her words were loud and carried over to the people around them. “I thought you guys were supposed to be the heros in this story. Kidnapping pregnant women to hold them prisoner isn’t a good look.” Renfri was not afraid of a fight, but she was the type to use every possible weapon at her disposal, both mental and physical. Deception was often just as effective as claws and teeth. Worst case senario, even if her bluff was called by her opponant, she was sure her husband would hear, and was equally certain that he would beleive her every word. Her lie ensured that he would burn Vermeda Brook to the ground if they took her. The part of her that screamed to rip apart everyone that had looked down on her in her youth raged against her restraint, but one of the skills she had acquired as she aged and matured was to know not only her strengths, but her weaknesses too. “Do you really want to cross that line today, in front of all these people?” Another push. Even if he knew her to not be pregnant, would those around them be as sure as he? Was it a risk he was willing to take, the damage it might cause to their precious reputation. If it came down to it, she would fight with everything she had as she always did, but she was so close to having some piece of her old life back and she didn’t want to take the risk of losing that now. They had allies here, but they were untested. The Rainforest at her back, and while she didn’t expect the pregnant Queen to jump in to help her, she couldn’t help but wonder if the King might. Especially after her aburpt, and ultimately fabricated, pregnancy announcement. This was also a great opportunity to see how much they could really rely on their allies for aide in these situations. Renfri vs. @Aquila For Renfri Round 0 Permission to edit from Squid

Art & Code by Vasilia

A flash of blue warranted the sharp turn of the queen's skull, sapphire gaze tracked after the child with a furrowed brow until @Artis was at her side. Disapproval cloaked the initial exchange of greetings between mother and daughter as Slaine's paw came down to press upon the bairn's spine, an attempt to keep Artis under her control and out from harm's way.
Even so, the lioness felt the press of her child's soft fur lean against her own and could not help but allow the faintest of smiles to plunder her stern expression. Alaric and his other mate were forgotten, for a moment at least.
"Aye. Tha' it is." The Scot replied, eyeing her daughter briefly as she coughed a few times. Slaine's ears drew forward but she didn't comment or admit to herself the concern she felt over Artis' health. "Now, ye watch closely an' ye may learn." The highlander instructed. "But dae nae.." She warned sternly. "..venture from beneath my paws."

It was only as her skull lifted and straightened, intended to return her attention to the battle (and not her husband.) that Slaine became aware of @Amara's quiet approach. The Scot mustered a respectful nod for the Wolfbron leader, suddenly aware that they had never really had the chance to speak. "Is a shame tha' we only ever see eachother on such occasions." She commented mildly. Round and round it went, this rise and fall of leaders.

ART BY KIM, CODE BY LARS

The woman was drawn to the sound of multiple vicious battles. The strong scent of her husband lingered as she followed, her eyes narrowing as she approached the scene. She couldn’t help but feel a sneer appear on her face as she scanned over the situation. There were multiple enemy prides here, and she couldn’t help but feel the violence calling to her once again. Just like how it happened at the Summit. If Alexander wouldn’t win today, she would still at least do her part in supporting him and the Oasis. So when her eyes landed on a Wolfbron lioness, she couldn’t help but lunge forth.

All she could see was red.

Celestia’s jaws opened and she ran behind the girl, and she attempted to roughly bite at the girl’s right back thigh.

@Celestia vs. @Aideen
For Dominance
Round 1 / 3
Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 8 + 4 + 20 + 15 + 10 + 9 + 5

Dodges:

Rolling 5d20: 20 + 17 + 5 + 10 + 11

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 7 + 13 + 17 + 9 + 10 + 2

code by scorpixia♡︎