OOC: Would it be at all possible to make your text black or darker if you're using that light blue background? It's hard for me to read :c

Maia watches as more and more lions and lionesses alike gather. Dual-toned ablaze eyes do not falter from the frame of @Pistis though, as she watches the girl's every move. The ivory-cloaked woman was larger than her, and older than her, so Maia had a challenge on her hands. Perhaps she was stupid? Or ambitious? Or both? Only time would tell.

Maia had some madness in allowing Pistis to go first: the girl knew that her challenger was much larger than her, so careful footing along with speed needed to be her friend. Pistis launches herself at Maia as they face each other head on. Maia has a few seconds to react to the woman's movements, so finds herself pivoting her hind legs to her right, which caused Pistis' chest to make contact with Maia's right shoulder. Moderate bruising would blossom across the joint.

Pisitis' right arm does not meet it's mark: with Maia's pivot to her own right, Pisitis' claws find purchase against her chest, simply grazing the skin and muscles that were housed there. With Pisitis' paw in the air, leaving the woman unbalanced for a short window of time, Maia would lunge forward and attempt to slam her right shoulder into Pisitis' left, hoping to wind, bruise and knock off balance. Simultaneously, Maia would (as she lunged forward), attempt to clamp her jaws around Pisitis's muzzle, aiming to clench and hold. To control.

Maia vs. Pistis
for Scilla Lagoon
Round one of five

Hits:

Rolling 2d20: 12 + 17

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 11 + 1 + 14 + 16

avreya rurik

It's Avreya's first time at a challenge like this, and she realizes the stories that Anastasia and the rest told her hadn't been exaggerations. Lions truly flow in like water filling a crater, streaming in from every direction in a flurry of sights and smells and murmurs, bodies filtering into groups both distinct and fluid, blending together around the lagoon. She returns Jewel's nod as the woman arrives, notices the polycaudal woman's massive grin toward the claimant -- a friend, it seems.

A familiar figure arrives in the form of Magnus. The colossal coal beast comes with an offer. An interesting one, at that. She casts a sideways glance at Kimagure as he speaks. It's a curious offer -- but she can't help but wonder what it means for Avdotya, and for the Hollow's standing in general. The Lagoon seems bountiful, plentiful almost. She imagines it's probably an ideal territory for any pride, but that also means it's less likely to be given up without a fight.

The pale woman confirms as much, and then a call rings out in the distance. It puts Magnus alert, then draws his immediate attention, the Sovereign heading toward it without another word. Concern knits mildly across her brow -- the call was male, but was something the matter in the Hollows' territory? It makes her uneasy as she hopes that Avdotya is alright. She makes a mental note to stop by after the challenge, and watches as another lioness rises instead to meet the first woman's claim. The Rurik watches as they begin to launch into battle, beginning to seek skin with teeth and claws. Pupils track their movements and where they focus and draw blood. She becomes aware once more of the herbs resting at her paws. It'll be good to see if any of their wounds need tending after, perhaps as a gesture of good faith to the new leader or the fallen fighter.

It's almost dizzying, but she keeps her head. Avreya leans her skull over near Kimagure's. "Have a preference?" she murmurs only to her high sovereign. It's good to know if they had a particular hat in the ring in case things go south. "Or know any of the ones showing up for them?"

A youth approaches, one that she recognizes to be @Eina from her mother's descriptions of her children. The dark child steps up to Kimagure's side with the same taciturn quiet as her parent. Avreya dips her head to her in acknowledgement.

She tries her best to take in the details of every lion that comes, even though some will undoubtedly fall away from her memory until she sees them once again later on. Avreya spies a few leaders that she's seen before; a minuscule lion with a gray-ish pelt that reminds her vaguely of Soren; another gray yearling with a dappled back; an infinitude more. @Aesir approaches and she returns the dip of his head quietly also.

Avreya notices one of the gray lions begin to have a particularly displeased word with the clay man that had already been here when they'd arrived. Another lion begins to bristle in the others' stead -- it seems like tensions were rising, at least on that side of the ring. The bearish woman watches with a steady gaze, waiting.

photomanip by mono / table by k'sariya

Pistis is just a tad winded as she knocks into Maia. She’d had her chest ran into several shoulders at this point from fighting, and was getting better at recovering her breath back. Being calm and collected helped her remarkably in a fight. No reason to make this something personal, just focus on what was going on. Her paws are firm as the girl lunges towards her.

Pistis draws her head away as she notices the movement, Maia’s teeth do scrap across her nose and chin, but because of her parted jaws, they find no purchase, as Maia makes contact with the left side of Pistis’ snout, Pistis draws her head to the right and attempts to slam into the left side of the girls face quite hard, hoping to stun her. It’ll give her some painful bruises, but she cares not, as this is happening she tries to clamp her jaws down on the girls upper cheek, to the left and slightly below her eye, with this she is trying to make sure those jaws do not come back for her. She keeps her paws firmly in the ground now, claws scraping into what little bits of dirt she can find underneath the somewhat sandy soil.

Finally she raises her front left paw and keeps the others firmly rooted in the ground, and tries her best to rake her claws across her right side and upper rib area, and latch on there as firmly as possible. Maybe not the best ground to fight on, but she’d been walking them for a few months now, and when she’d first learned to fight with Gwyn it had been in sand. Her tail stays loose behind her to help with her balance, watching the girl incredibly closely to see what she’d do next. Part of her hated herself for doing this to such a young woman, but it couldn’t be helped. She was an adult and had made her decision by fighting someone years her senior.

Pistis vs. @Maia
for Scilla Lagoon
Round 2 of 5

Hits:

Rolling 5d20: 8 + 17 + 9 + 18 + 2

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 20 + 16 + 19 + 12

OOC: Table switch, so sorry for anyone who couldn’t read her posts!

we get colder... as we grow older

manip by Rowan | code by twesh

Quickly Nadia had begun to discover that most individuals in this new land were savage. They didn't respect others and simply took what they wanted with little regard. Calls to bear arms were going up left and right and Nadia could understand why the natives here were so angry. They had every right to be. This time though when yet another call echoed across the land Nadia moved to the nearest body of water she could find. Claws dug into moist soil nearest to the puddle she had found, scooping large chunks of mud to smear across her ebony coat. Lying down she rolled from left to right, covering her back and sides in the thick mud in order to mask her scent as best as she could. When she felt satisfied she rose from the ground, moving as silently as she could manage through the lagoon. She crept closer, but stayed far enough back in order to remain hidden. Her dark eyes landed on the challengers, two lionesses by the looks of it. Lying down she hid herself among the lightly-packed foliage, concealing her appearance as best as she could manage.


* Nadia is hidden


+5 - Spy on a thread without getting caught (1/2)
+10 - Sneak into a pride or group without getting caught (1/2)

ART COPYRIGHT IRISH

ever prim and proper, @Gareth addressed the druid politely, formally, and it did nothing but broaden the smooth edges of her smile, twisting sweetly up at the edges. opal eyes remained bright, tempered, warmth, as she basked across his own expression, poised despite the idle thrumming of her heart within her chest. unfortunately, however, his explanation did little to soothe the worry that blossomed for vasilis' well-being, causing her expression to deflate somewhat, though it was not the fault of gareth. it was, simply, circumstantial. "ah, i see -- i must admit, i'm worried about the missing king, diuris." she replied, concern blanketing the simple words, serving as a testament to her internal conflict. though she had already decided that she would go looking for him following the results of the claim, it did not change the fact that his version of the lagoon was gone, like ashes in the wind.

knowing that she could not linger at the side of the other pride for long, however, nymeria would shift her frame somewhat, as a small sigh escaped from between her lips. "will you find me later? i should be getting back to my family." she asked towards the swirled brute, pausing a moment in hopes that he would oblige to her wishes, and not take her departure as a sign of callous disregard. and though her eyes had never once left his face, with @Aurum at her side now, the queen would cast her brother a brief look, before, hopefully, starting to pull away. surely, a small part of her wished that she could stay, seated comfortable at the man's side -- but it was not the time nor the place for spectacles and sweet reveries. that would have to be saved for another time.

rather, nymeria would look to move back towards @Tullia, @Talisa, and @Aquila, her expression falling, as emotions of contemplation and confusion settled in across her exterior. "it doesn't seem as if anyone knows where the old ruler has gone. the dust hasn't even settled , and they are trying again to claim the lands." a somber statement, disappointed that what she had perceived to be 'one of the better ones' had crumbled, and that these strangers were so fast to rise up and clamor for their shot at infamy. but, ah, it was the new way of life, apparently -- fickle and unpredictable and falling short of expectations.

Faust kept to the back of the crowd, moving in slow sweeping bursts so that he could try and gather more bits and pieces of information than if he had stayed on one side of the mass. He kept his movements casual, as if he simply was looking for the best place to set himself.

He moved in a way meant to not draw attention with sound either, setting down his paws pad first and keeping his tail from moving too much but also too little. Enough that it might blend in with the dappled light of the sun on the sand below palm trees. He was not necessarily hiding, but he wasn't making it easy to spot him either. From further into the crowd if one simply glanced back then perhaps his own sandy tone would give him some amount of camouflage, but he was keeping to his occasional idle movements as well.

A familiar voice was humming nearby, belonging to the Vermeda Queen that lived beside the Bluffs.

'-must admit, i'm worried about the missing king, diuris'

Oh? Faust came to a gentle stop, angling his head toward the fight with perked ears that were certainly not meant for hearing whatever snarls and thumps it produced. No, he wanted to hear more about the status of the Lagoon's previous leader, Diuris. He had hoped someone would have had an idea, if there had been an officially announced reason then his late arrival had lost it to him.

As he listened further it became apparent that no one really knew for sure what had happened, just that the pride lay empty for claiming. Perhaps the sea really had taken the king in his sleep as he had imagined it would those months ago.

Stock | Manip by Ark | Coding by Werge

+5 Observe a challenge and learn the results
+5 Spy on a thread without getting caught
+5 Infiltrate a group thread without getting caught

[[hidden]]
This was an absolutely fantastic opportunity, if you asked him. He had no idea what had happened to the lion who'd met him and herded him out the last time he'd ventured into the lagoon territory, but it really wasn't his problem. A brief thought was spared for Amra (the only one he knew within the pride), but, well, she seemed capable enough. She'd be fine, he was sure.

Nearing the territory, his steps slowed and he skirted the edge of the coast, keeping an ear tuned toward the sound of a scuffle further in. After a few moments, he turned inward, settling behind a large stone and patch of tall plants he couldn't be bothered to try identifying. Mismatched gaze fixated, bright and curious, on the battle already in progress. Personally, he was becoming very amused by this apparent trend of white beasts seeking land for their own.

A few seconds later, that curious gaze began roaming to see who else was present and Jak was pleasantly surprised to find Amra herself in the crowd. Perfectly fine, if a little annoyed. Cool. He could catch up with her later and pretend he hadn't seen anything.

i'll be in the corner takin notes

i got your six while you're workin votes

code by corvus

OOC: You gem! Much luff <3

Maia's right shoulder successfully hit its mark against Pistis' shoulder, and she is only slightly winded. Maia hadn't managed to knock her into imbalance, but the slight winding would do for now.

Maia's jaws scrape across Pisitis' nose and chin - but unfortunately finds no purchase. Disappointment fulfils her chest for a moment, before the younger woman had to react to the attacks her opponent put against her. Maia can do nothing against Pistis' head slamming against the left side of hers, causing the girl to pull away her head in natural defence, jaws closing. With Maia's retraction, Pisitis's jaws fail to clamp down upon her cheek, but instead simply caused some minor lacerations below her eye, closer to her cheek, which would bleed and most likely scar.

Maia's retraction caused the girl to take steps backwards (only a few, to widen the distance between the pair by a few centimetres), which meant that Pistis's claws would rake across Maia's right side and upper rib area, but wouldn't latch on: they would slide off and leave moderate lacerations to her chest.

With a gap in between them both, Maia would take the opportunity to once again lunge forward towards Pistis' left side - after all, Maia is facing Pistis at an angle (facing her left side head on) - and attempts to push her weight off the ground enough to aim to sink her claws into the larger woman's stomach: hoping to latch on and drag down her claws to cause severe lacerations.

Simultaneously, Maia would continue with the lunging momentum and aimed to clasp her jaws around Pistis' throat, particularly the vulnerable loose skin that protected her wind pipe. Maia hoped to find some purchase on that skin, to clamp down. She would make her mark upon the older lioness: no matter what the outcome.

Maia versus @Pistis
for Scilla Lagoon
Round two of five

Hits:

Rolling 2d20: 17 + 3

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 6 + 13 + 19 + 7

Suddenly, Maia is flinching away from the snowy woman, giving her a moment to catch her breath, but she doesn’t make a move to attack, just keeping her guard up after her last attacks went poorly. But this time? She expects the lunging from the smaller girl, but is unable to dodge the claws coming for her stomach, seeing as the girl is lower than her. They leave behind deep, painful lacerations. But the jaws coming for her throat? She moves her head to the right, Maia’s teeth scraping against Pistis’ left side of her neck, but not finding purchase. It leaves behind blood and mild lacerations. Anger seeps into her very being. Coming for her throat over a pride?! This girl really had some fucking nerve. Pistis releasing a loud, wild snarl, hoping to startle the girl, to some degree. One of her paws comes up, attempting to slap Maia’s right cheek, hard. Maybe leave some bruises? It was a purely petty move, in all honesty, but Pistis moves herself forward with her shoulders to try and slam into Maia’s left breast, making sure to keep the meaty part of her neck out of the short woman’s reach with her parted jaws. Her right paw came up to try and scratch at the woman’s right shoulder/lower neck area, quickly moving it away almost as quick as it had gone, wanting long, rather than deep, scratches. She didn’t want to give the opponent the chance of grabbing her paw in her jaws. She once again tries to draw close and grab at Maia’s cheek with her teeth to lock her jaws from being used. Pistis vs. @Maia for Scilla Lagoon Round 3 of 5 Hits: Rolling 5d20: 1 + 11 + 14 + 8 + 20 Dodges: Rolling 4d20: 2 + 11 + 7 + 8

Code by CloudyNight

Kimagure Stagner

A beating heart of stone...

A small challenger smelling of the oasis stepped up to the nursing lioness and the fight began.

Kimagure’s watchful eyes track every arrival, some moreso than others. Her gaze rested for a time on @Siofra, noting that the girl spoke to the clay male that had greeted the claimant. She saw also the cubs that tumbled around his paws. Kimagure scented quietly when the other man arrived, smelling distinctly of the mire’s muck. Her expression remained calm and collected however. She also kept tabs on the fight, sizing both challenger and claimant up.

Then the boy, @Xerxes. He had survived. But perhaps he would not for long if he continued to antagonize others as he did the clay man. His mother followed behind, and that drew her eyes to @Vermier. It was then that she made the connection regarding the event with Jewel’s cubs. As the numbers continued to increase, the tangling of scents made it too difficult to get a good read on him, so she gave up the endeavor.

Other leaders arrived as well, including @Jewel who she gave a nod. The arrival of @Eina surprised her, then a flash of concern regarding her having left the rainforest passed through her... but had Eina not done what Kimagure asked, coming to claims and events? Kimagure aimed to meet the child’s eyes for a moment to acknowledge her. Then came @Aesir, bumping his head against her shoulder. She tensed slightly at the contact but did not pull away. “In public, do not give away our relationship. It is dangerous to us both,” she whispered for only him to hear. She then returned her gaze to the fight. It was then that another sweep of the gathered lions caused her to lay eyes on @Conrad. But she looked at him even as he looked away, so she was unaware of his eyes lingering on her. ((Based on Conrad’s post, it seemed like he turned his eyes away from her after staring. If that’s not the case please let me know and I’ll edit!))

She heard @Avreya, her ear flicking around to listen to her even as Kimagure kept her paws beneath her. Before she could answer her eyes caught the grey challenger going for the mother’s throat. The only sign she gave of her surprise was a sharp inhale of breath, then her muscles tensed. The claimant moved in time, reducing the damage of what could have been a fatal blow. Not even Kimagure would have attempted to kill her opponent over a pride match... not in front of so many others. She sucked on her teeth.

“If the challenger wins, we will need to be very wary,” she murmured so that only those closest to her could hear, her ears flicking backward as her face tightened in displeasure. “To go for the throat in a pride challenge...” she clarified, mostly for @Eina. Even then, she wanted to teach the girl. She wanted her to learn what exactly she should be watching for.

She watches. | "She speaks." | 'She broods.'

Art by Luyene