Louve was never entirely thrilled at the idea of attending another challenge. Duty drew her, though, for she would not miss the fight between an ally and an attempted usurper.

The woman is a stranger, and the fight is already underway when she arrives. Spotting @Laerra and @Aideen she approached the pair and sat beside them, curling her tail around her paws as she did so. Louve had little desire to find trouble, but if she needed to jump to the aid of Firnen she would do so. "Watch closely," she advised the girls, "be prêt à combattre, oui?" be ready to fight.

code by scorpixia♡︎ | art by Spu

baby, you’re a haunted house

louve is being followed, her steps dogged as she leaves the bluffs.

Her shadow today is small and skinny, certainly harmless as she tip-toes across the island in her mothers wake. They trade red rocks for lush green grass, walking until the air grows humid and hot. Lazare lags behind, lost in all the different sensations and sights of this new place. Namely the scent markers, the very obvious division between there and here -- but soon she arrives, lingering close to @Louve ♔'s side. Close enough to hear her words, anyway. Watch closely, she says, then mentions a fight. Lazare gets the words right but in the wrong order, peering up at her mother through lush eyelashes. A little giggle pulls from her chest, quiet against the backdrop of the challenge -- idle chatter and snarls alike. il existe une! (There's one!) She says, as if louve cannot see what is right in front of her. Of course, lazare often misses things -- so maybe it's not a completely far-fetched fear. Clearly she is just trying to help -- in her own, strange way -- as glassy eyes lull back towards that very fight, hopelessly enthralled.

better find another superstition!

code by anyu

There was a certain degree of rage that filled the young princess at the sound of a challenge for their home. She hadn’t even been able to properly enjoy being a princess before the title was being threatened to be ripped away again. Her face scrunched up in a scowl, and while part of her was tempted to go charging onto the scene, a voice in the back of her mind whispered to stay hidden. To see what she could from the shadows. Slinking through the underbrush, Iskra made her way to where the fight had already started. She peered from her hiding spot, watching her father clash with the fiery intruder, taking note of each movement, each attack, and getting a sense for how they moved in the heat of battle. Iskra is attempting to hide +10 Remain undetected in a large thread (5+ characters) +5 Observe a fight

art & code by vasilia

Though she was trying to find a way to love her new frozen northern home, reaching one year had made it that much more difficult for the girl to keep herself confined to places she had deemed safe. Knowledge that Illyria was at war meant there was a chance for trouble, but her curiosity and longing for her childhood home was impossible to ignore. Hearing the sound of a challenge coming from within was even more intriguing, and though part of her wondered if it was a good idea she went anyway. She couldn’t stay sheltered forever, and she needed to know what was happening.

Creeping up to the edge of the territory, she took in the scene with wide eyes. It was the first time laying eyes on the Rainforest since she was young, but it looked exactly like she remembered it. It was strange to think some other family had ruled here, lions she did not know roaming the same paths she had, perhaps even sleeping in the den she once shared with her mother and siblings. And now they faced the potential of being ousted from their home just as she had. There was a pang of guilt that stabbed through her chest at the memory of how many times she had longed for her father to do this, to return to their home and reclaim it for her family. Was this violence what she had been asking him for? Was this what it meant, to claim a home for ones family? The thought weighed heavily on her as she found a shady spot to sit on the neutral side of the border, hoping she could avoid being pulled into any direct conflict herself.

art & code by vasilia

If there was one thing that Discord had learned about these lands it was that pride challenges were a frequent occurrence. It wasn't without it's fair share of amusement, but perhaps the challenge for the rainforest seemed a bit more personal to Discord considering some of his family lived there. He didn't make his way towards the challenge at first. Instead he paused every so often to coat his fur in the sweet scent of lilac and daffodils, rolling in the flowers and even going as far as finding a small mud puddle to cover the more prominent areas of his body. He was no fool, he knew that his own musk was an interesting concoction that could make him stick out like a sore thumb. That was far from what he wanted as he made his way over the borders of the rainforest. He stayed towards the denser forestry, allowing his large frame to lower amongst the shrubbery and foliage as his lilac gaze rested on the man and woman. Naturally he would root for Ryker, men were normally stronger anyways.

*Discord is attempting to remain hidden!

[sleuth exp]
+5 Practice hiding your scent
+10 Sneak into a pride or group without getting caught
+10 Remain undetected in a large group thread

ART BY IRISH, CODE BY DEE

Well, this was just rude, wasn't it? The call came from inside the borders, from what he could tell at a distance, and it immediately brought a scowl to the boy's face. By the time he arrived, there was already a crowd and his scowl deepened.

His sisters had gotten the better color for their home, their greenish fur blending more easily into the foliage than his own floral hue, but there were streaks of white he could recognize in his sleep and so @Abaddōn was quickly picked out of the spectators.

Lucifer would join her at her side, still scowling, tail twitching in agitation, less offended that he might lose his status and more at the fact some stranger had walked right into their home. "Who's the red bitch?" Did he know what that word meant yet? No, not exactly, but he'd overheard it and was pretty sure he was using it right and that it was supposed to be insulting.

Because I'm hyped up out of control

Define your meaning of war To me it's what we do when we're bored I feel the heat comin' off of the blacktop And it makes me want it more Because I'm hyped up out of control If it's a fight, I'm ready to go I wouldn't put my money on the other guy If you know what I know that I know

She was bigger, but she wasn't the first giant he'd felled. So to speak. A couple inches had rarely made a difference, from what he'd experienced. What was more important was tracking how she bled - slightly more difficult than with some due to her color, but there was an unmistakable shine and a scent that he always found invigorating. It would be embarrassing to let his poison course through her only to accidentally dose himself via her blood.

So he'd let her pull away, let her tear her flesh out of his grip in order to contort himself. Right paw finally returned to the ground as he shifted again, a quicker step to whip his rear out of reach - though not before her fangs managed to clip his side, between hip and ribs, parting flesh in a set of neat, bloodied, lines.

Ryker would attempt to, more or less, fold himself toward his right while his rear pivoted toward his left, in an effort to get at her face. Fangs sought her right eye - less an attempt to actually connect, and more an effort to make her flinch away, but he'd take the bite if it happened - , while the still-freshly-poisoned claws of his left paw would attempt to rise and try to hook deep into her right armpit and tear toward himself/her elbow as his rear continued to move to his left to pull them closer to a more head-on positioning.

Ryker vs. @Kireena
Firnen Rainforest
Round 3 / 5
Hits:

Rolling 9d20: 6 + 9 + 3 + 16 + 14 + 13 + 5 + 18 + 7

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 14 + 11 + 3 + 20

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 11 + 7 + 4 + 20 + 17

If it's a fight, I'm ready to go

code by corvus || free wallpaper

She was weakening, earlier than from a normal fight. They had barely begun and she felt like her limbs were not carrying the normal strength she held. Not something she was used to. When Ryker released her thigh, she felt her fur slick with the heat and wash of crimson. It fell to the jungle floor beneath them, and she wondered how long she would manage until it was a sizable puddle.. His jaws snapped for her face and she was broken from her thoughts, snarling and attempting to yank her skull back - but his fangs crossed over her eye, leaving furrows across her brow and thanks to the poison coursing through her veins, her vision was instantly overwhelmed in red. She attempted to balance herself, her claws sinking into the soaked earth after her attack on him. Kireena attempted to snap her jaws in Rykers direction - though she knew she would miss - it was a threat.. A warning. But if she managed to land? Fabulous. His talons raked once more down her hide and she would attempt to use her right front limb - trying to lift it as she would attempt to lash it towards his right front limb - the one balancing him upon the ground. If he was intending to keep slashing at her, she would try to go for his balance. The red druid felt like she was merely repeating her movements - claw, snap, twist.. snap claw dance.. But perhaps it was that her thoughts were slowly getting fuzzy, vision narrowing - fading at the edges. Get through this - and figure out what he had poisoned her with. Find an antidote and go from there. She would see the favor returned. Kireena -vs- @Ryker -for- Firnen Rainforest Round -3- of -5- Hits: Rolling 7d20: 19 + 10 + 3 + 12 + 4 + 16 + 15 Dodges: Rolling 5d20: 6 + 4 + 19 + 10 + 1 Luck: Rolling 5d20: 10 + 15 + 16 + 8 + 17

code by koi

He watched carefully, analyzing every move. Ryker was ferocious, unrelenting. He would have made the organization Kovirah once belonged to proud with how he danced. Like shadow, or water, in and out to strike and slip through the fingers of Kireena. Brute strength meets cunning, and he felt his heart racing as they danced. The red giantess turns and attempts her own bite, mirroring that of the high sovereign of Firnen not moments prior.

The smell of blood is pungent, almost overwhelming as it mixed with the earthy scents around them.

Kireena gets him in the side, it seems. His retaliation is to swipe at her again, but now Kovirah sees something. Her movements....she seems sluggish; not in the way of her own colossal size but something else. His gaze squints as she moves into an attack again. Suspicions rise now, but he would not be able to fully confirm it until the battle was won--and he was able to safely examine her blood and wounds. But, Kovirah would lay coin on the fact that the bastard was using poison....

He couldn't say he was angry about it per say, but then again he felt something in his throat at the thought. Like a roar or a growl that needed to be choked down. Once more he's left with the sensation of needing to step in--did she know about poisons? Did she understand what was happening?--he certainly hoped she did.

He takes inventory then, allowing his gaze to sweep over the few denizens he could see. No one here was inclined to start more fights, and for that he was thankful. Kovirah would much rather sit and observe than need to fend off more--but he would should that need arise.

potential xp:
+10 - successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread (assassin)
+5 Practice covering your scent (Assassin)
+5- observe a fight (barb) (Kireena vs. Ryker)

code by daanyan, Art by Rabbit

LUCÍA

She wasn't very good at listening to directions, and her curiosity certainly got the best of her at times. Staying home was only fun to a certain extent and when she caught the scent of Tía @Léonie heading out of the Summit, well that wasn't fair! "Why is she leabing me?" She murmurs to herself, obviously very upset that Tía wouldn't even consider her feelings in the matter! Did she not know that she wanted to spend every waking moment with her favorite family member? Easily the girl would skip across the borders and follow her Aunt's trail through the neutral territory between the mountains and forest. It felt like she had been walking for years and by the time the cub did manage to make it to the forest she was stumbling, exhausted. It was a very long walk and she was going to demand that Léonie carry her home after all of this because there was no way she was doing that again! Nope! She scurries through the foliage, her bright ruby gaze searching for her Auntie. She was here somewhere, but where? Thankfully she managed to toddle right underneath the tree Léonie was perched in, completely unaware of her presence above. No, instead her gaze was absently focused on the fight now, completely intrigued by the violence of it. "Dat looks fun." She would whisper to herself, shrinking down low to the ground to hopefully remain undetected from all the strange grown ups that were gathered.

*Lucía is attempting to hide!

---

*Tía - Auntie/Aunt

code by flea, art by yumpy