She's drawn to fights like moth to flame.

But the woman is learning, adapting. Sersie does her best to find a spot among the rocks that she can wedge herself between--to hide and observe and learn.

It would seem the big guy from the fight in the plains was here, demanding one of the other leaders meet him in open combat. Something about this one felt different too, like the aura was all doom and gloom. She catches someone muttering something about death, and the tripod wonders if this is a fabled sort of match to the death.

Wouldn't that be interesting?

Her legs are coiled tight, she wasn't yet recovered at all from the wounds in her last fight. Her tail is curled in slightly, and the woman is hidden among the shadows. Her good eye fixated on the ring of unfamiliar and some familiar faces.


+10 Successfully stay hidden for the duration of a thread
+5 Practice speed or stealth (1/2)
+5 Observe a fight (0/2) (Aeist vs. Morrigan)

code by daanyan, Art by Ink

The ghost didn't have much to draw upon when it came to major fights. His death had come early in his life and he didn't actually know how he died. Only that he did. He didn't want his other family to join him. He didn't think they would like being trapped like he was. The call for Morrigan's life caused panic to spread through his ghostly body. No no no. This could t be happening!

He raced through the skies, blasting through the storm with a care and came to the pit. It took only a moment for him to figure out who had made the call as the other lions settled in around him. Tormund wouldn't settle. Maybe he could unsettle the male just enough to give his ma an advantage. He landed himself right next to @Aeistrios.

Death welcomes you. His body was small next to the large male but his features were stern and steady. No one here was a threat to him. He was untouchable as the snow shifted through him. He smirked up at the lion. You'll join me soon enough. Oh how he hoped he was right. He hoped that Morrigan would wipe the group with his blood. Your body will lay under the ground, if you are lucky. Like mine does. Alone. Cold. Dead. He kept talking as he shifted just enough that his "body" was in Aeistrios's front leg. He was tiny but scary! Right?

TABLE BY ICE

she knows very little of the feud that has brought such ire to the pit. the hate stings and burns more than the old iron coated stones against her nose. imogen's incessant wandering near the neutral battle grounds has left in her the midst of what could only be the beginning of years and years of battle to come and she trembles in the background as spectators gather, offering their support and their vitriol.

this a solemn event; a call for death and despite the nuances between good and evil, the great and the lesser, two families would lose someone important today. the lioness hangs on the ends of the crowd, lowering her frost blown herbs and foliage near her paws. she doesn't know what chains her here today, but watery eyes gaze out as she awaits the challenged much like everyone else.

imogen blinks against the impending winter storm, flicking snow from her ears and whiskers, glancing about almost as if looking for someone to explain. with a huff, the woman thinks to turn and leave and yet she cannot.

CODE BY LARS, ART BY 86

There had always been this threat looming in the background. Sunder and @Kvare had been well aware of the feud between @Morrigan and @Aeistrios, and Sunder had known that in time it would come to a head. The woman was strung up tight with adrenaline, she wasn't anxious or worried. Morrigan had fought many in her time, this would be no different. She could conquer him just as she had before, Sunder was confident in her abilities. She didn't arrive at the same time as her husband, initially she had lagged behind only to check their own borders thoroughly. Finally, she'd pull away from the Cove to make her way towards the Pit. She spies Kvare in the crowd, surrounded by both @Lagertha and @Cassandra. Sunder moves in closer, squeezing in-between Lagertha and Kvare. "We support Morrigan today, no matter what happens. If this gets nasty, anyone associated with the plum bastard is a target." Sunder commands, knowing that Lagertha would readily go to war at her side. She gives her friend a reassuring smile, reaching out to nuzzle her cheek before planting a chaste kiss on Kvare's neckline. "The calm before the storm love.. I'm ready whenever you are." She murmurs to him quietly before redirecting her icy gaze to the crowd, watching and waiting.

art by hush

The youngest Saxe had known it was coming, had been warned by their mother that their father sought to bring death to an enemy that had plagued the family. But the risk on his own father’s life was just too much for his young heart to take. His stomach tightened and swirled uncomfortably the entire trip to the Pit. It was his first time here and he would be forced to watch either his father die or someone else he didn’t know die. They were a faceless enemy, someone he had no other feelings for other than the shared hatred from his father and mother. He knew there would be multiple supporters for the woman his dad was set to challenge. But the sheer amount of them had him sticking to the shadows like their mother had instructed. He would not become a distraction for his father today. This was just too important to mess up.

Dual toned eyes desperately search for Renfri or any of his siblings. He hadn’t expected to see any of them as they had been instructed to hide, but a part of him wished he knew he wasn’t alone here in this den of wolves. The snow that pelted down was harsh and cold. He made a point to try to cover himself in as much of it as he could, despite hating how it felt against his fur, he would do anything to try to disguise himself as he crept closer to the edge of the pit. Hoping it would be enough to keep him hidden from sight. Paws hooked lightly over the edge as he peered down into the literal pit, his father’s dark form just barely visible from above. Eyes squinting, trying to get a better view of him. Orei didn’t want to miss a thing. So he would hide and bide his time as they were instructed. He hoped he had done enough to keep himself from being seen.

Orei is attempting to hide


speech goes here

ART BY RABBIT, CODE BY LARS

.Poltergeist lazily joined those in the Pit as the roar rang out for the Summit Queen. He had been cued in to Aeistrios' plans and invited to support him, so it was no accident that Poltergeist was here. It was perhaps odd, since (unknown to him) Recluse had been making waves against the Saxes - and not the good kind. Poltergeist had no intention of fighting or joining the violence... He simply had come to watch the handsome Aeistrios fail or prevail against the Summit Queen.

If he had not been so indifferent to everything, he might've realized he could be watching the bloody end of his crush on this day. But instead, the indifferent Noire simply looked around, eyeing those in attendance and waiting for the main attraction to begin.


- Poltergeist is supporting Aeistrios -.

The red woman makes her way from the rainforest, her large paws treading carefully across the snow-covered ground. There was something different about this particular call that rang out, the urgency of it. The demanding tones that reverberated throughout the air. That voice however was a familiar one, the plum man that had been eager to steal her away. Had it not been for @Kireena ♞ Sybil very well could have been under his thumb, thankfully she was free. She didn't have to worry about him. But the fact that he was here, challenging someone else to a death, that just didn't settle well with the medic. Her ruby gaze roams the crowd, finding the towering form of her mate and making a beeline for her. She arrives just in time to hear her speak, I don't know where Wolfbron stands with him...but be alert, little love.. This is likely to get nasty. She sees @Etain and offers her a warm smile before moving to take Kireena's free side. She reaches over to nuzzle her neck affectionately before retracting, still leaning against her so their shoulders could brush against one another. "He won't ever stop, I don't understand this senseless need for destruction. What of the one he challenges? What's the reasoning for this?" She asks Kireena carefully, her gaze still roaming across the crowd to see who out of the lot of them would be the one that he summoned, or if the individual was even present yet to begin with.

[medic exp]
+5 - Attend a challenge to assess the wounds (Aeistrios v. Morrigan)

ART BY DAWN, CODE BY LARS

The shadow comes first. Fearne had the notion of what was to come, but he's not been made to take it seriously or to heart yet. It was no different than the stories he is told to put him to bed at night. A little scary, but fake. It's fine because when you wake up it's all over.

So why couldn't he wake up?

Fearne sneaks along, keeping quiet and keeping away from anyone big. It was easy- all eyes were on the center ring after all. Meaning Fearne made his way to the edge without having to stop and talk to anyone. He crawls low upon his belly- body no bigger than the rocks that littered around the immediate area. He sees the lion, he hears the summons still echoing in his mind. It's brought him here like a moth to flame. Fearne blinks and for the first time he realizes truly where he is at and where his feet have taken him.

And fate has brought him to Orei. He immediately lays down small as he can and presses his side into the dark cub and shadow. Who... Who is that? He knows, he knows in his heart what the answer must be. He can see it plain as day between Orei and the lion who calls for his mother. They're family. His voice quakes as he struggles to keep it down at the level of a whisper. His voice shakes as he hopes he has this all wrong. It can't be.. it can't be. What does he want with my Mummy? He knows, he knows in his heart what the answer must be. He can hear it loud as thunder from the echos, from the rising rumbling white noise of the crowd around them and down deeper in the pit. It's the call of the grim. He looks away from the Andal King and to his friend beside him, unsure if he could call @Orei that in this moment. Begging for answers that he wanted to never come. Everything was cracking around him and was on the verge of shattering. He wanted to see his friend for just the few moments more before it all becomes infinitely more complicated.

permission granted to hide w/ Orei

ART BY SPU, CODE BY LARS

+10 Cast a curse or blessing on a character/group
+5 Meditate or pray on your own or with someone else

Well, wasn't that a hell of a call? She wanted to think she'd misheard, but she knew she hadn't. Someone thought he could come for the natives, could take one of their own from them. Pure rage burned through her as she strode through the storm, enough so that it was shocking the snow didn't immediately melt upon landing on her.

A curse upon him and all his kin. May dey never know peace for the rest of dey days. May deir food taste like ash and deir thirst nevah be quenched, she growled as she finally caught sight of the man. As per usual, she dragged a claw down her foreleg, letting her blood drip onto the snow beneath her as a proper sacrifice to the spirits.

Maua, spirits, protect Morrigan. See her through dis battle like ye have all her others, she prayed. She couldn't help with the fight, so she would beseech those who could. Surely Maua would smile upon the natives this day.

He probably shouldn't have been here, but Morrigan was his pride leader and he knew her well enough to care if she lived or died. Besides, he hated the man who called for her for plenty of reasons, enough to wish that he was the one who was fighting this bout instead. He might have been tempted to ask, if he knew that Morrigan would refuse to allow him to fight her battle for her, and that even if he won he'd end up dead because Bronx would kill him afterwards. So he just had to sit on the sidelines and watch, and hope that things went Morrigan's way. Because if they didn't, that was just one more reason for him to try to kill the male some later date he supposed.

ART BY IRISH / CODING BY SENTINEL