(Miaran is missing her left eye from the Scilla War. I will not post again unless address or after maim is judge.)

Once Miaran finished her impassioned address, the new Noble prepared to speak, but not without a palpable tension hanging in the air. Her ears pinned back in defiance, the tip of her tail flicked with a slow, deliberate intensity. @Milano, seizing the moment, swiftly intervened, placing himself between the formidable lion and the fierce Viper Queen — as he recounted the true depths of Miaran’s fierce might.

A singular, piercing gaze held him captive while a flash of sharpened fangs sliced through the tension as she confronted @Skjol, her voice a fierce tone of indignation. "Do you dare to call me a coward for not displaying my prowess before the masses? In my homeland, there exists a brutal dichotomy: you are either strong enough to survive or weak enough to perish—there is no sanctuary in between. Many of you have witnessed my battles, my relentless fight for my crown and to keep it, my dogged defense in wars and the unforgiving pit!"

With a fiery resolve, she edged closer to the Noble, her claws digging deep into the solid rock beneath her, a testament to her unwavering conviction. "This isn’t boasting; it’s a truth I want you to hear from my lips, not a distorted version spouted by some other’s malice. Reti stands ready to welcome any of you into the Plains if you dare to seek refuge into Aphrodite’s shadow." The invitation was bold, raw, and full of fiery possibilities.

From the fringes of her vision, the shadowy figure of her niece stirred as @Haakon's voice rang out behind her, cutting through the tension. A heartbeat passed—a moment pregnant with unspoken words—and with a fierce determination, the Viper Queen launched herself from her lofty perch, placing herself as a fierce barrier between @Khadija and the tumultuous clash ignited by @Avril's challenge to Skjol.

coded by flea + background credit

It would seem, he had few allies who shared the same sentiment. Skjol was never one to truly be loyal—not to anyone outside his kin, and even then, it was selective at times—for loyalty often got the noble-hearted killed. He acknowledges, however, that it does help to have people willing to fight for you come the time for blood and gnashing teeth. Today, he stands alone. A bastion of dark rock against a sea of blind, erratic fools.

The Terror made his point. He does not seek favor or an apology. Blue and milky-white fall to @Milano, the first to step forward and protect the grey-hued ruler. Skjol had no intentions of fighting @Miaran. He was simply spouting words. It would seem, the young hunter would be unable to discern the sort of intricacies body language held. The man listens closely, keeping his growing irritation in check. At the very least, he levels his unblinking stare upon the clay-hued hunter—cold, calculating, wondering if this time he’d rather tear his tongue from his skull and wear it.

”Blind loyalty is what gets gott-folk murdered” he says, low and dangerous only to the man who dares question his own thoughts. ”You would do well to remember that”

He considers tearing him apart, right here. Right now. Claws in orange flesh and maiming the lad for getting on his nerves one too many a time. But the brute is attacked—not by any he had expected or known. He feels the claws skink into his backside—the sides of his hips. The man twists with a roar, his front right paw swining up then down sharply, attempting to catch the girl right in the arm. He turns shaprly too, a curt motion to tear from her grasp—the sand kicks with their movement as his own dark pelt is torn from this transgression. He moves two steps, his right side now facing the sandy colored woman.

”Fine” he snears, teeth bared. If this girl wanted a fight, he’d give her one.

Skjol lunges toward her, still half turned. His front legs come upwards in an attempt to grab her by the neck, to seek purchase with dark ugly claws along pale, pristine fur. He tries to use his grip to swipe her to the left, as his right releases, then attempts to lock upon her joint behind the elbow. His jaw opens painfully wide again, seeking to sink gnarled teeth into the supple flesh of her throat, then yank further to the left—then right, hoping to tear some of the young lioness’s flesh.

This was not the reign of Miaran’s predecessor. There was nothing here but @Lagertha and maybe @Rose to which tolerated his existence. Skjol did not even know why he bothered to fight this one. Perhaps he just needed the thrill.


Skjol vs @Avril
Minor Maim
1 / 4

Hits:

Rolling 7d20: 5 + 17 + 3 + 16 + 7 + 11 + 9

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 1 + 19 + 17 + 18

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 7 + 4 + 10 + 6 + 12

code by corvus art by drifty

He is far larger, older, and more experienced than she. But Avril would not have gotten where she is without determination. Impulsive as her decision is to attack this stranger man without knowing the true testament of his strength, she is so very eager to see what these Amaryllisians are made of.

Her claws find purchase on his hips, but @Skjol is twisting just as soon as she lands. His claws catch her arm in a painful, piercing grip. She digs her feet into the sand, attempting to hold fast against his fervent twist, and keep herself from falling into the beach. She tries to hold on just enough that the stretch he must make to reach her neck is just that much more awkward, and his claws find purchase just before his jaws do.

Oh— Her gasp catches in her throat. He means business.

Avril releases her hold from his hips, and instead seeks to swipe her free paw onto the unblinded side of his face, banking on the idea that perhaps he's protective enough of it that he may relent just a portion of his strong grip. She needed an opening—and she needed it fast.

---

Avril vs Skjol
for minor maim
ii of iv
Hits:

Rolling 4d20: 18 + 3 + 4 + 8

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 18 + 10 + 8 + 16

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 1 + 2 + 8 + 7 + 20

I put my armor on, show you how strong I am

None were granted even the smallest bit of attention once she'd settled. Thoughts and emotions guarded, expression devoid of warmth, of anything resembling more than a beast of war, waiting to be unleashed. Yet there was so much they didn't see.

A graceful shift, merely a few steps, brought her to the other side of the rock, closer to the one she'd truly waited for. And as their Queen spoke, she listened. Claws dug into sand, fur raising on the back of her neck as soft lips peeled away from sharp fangs. Verdant fire blazed in her gaze as it landed on @Skjol. A look exchanged, words unspoken but thoughts shared. Still, she said nothing. Even when he fought a girl she'd not yet met. Still, a growl still vibrated in her throat, lips lifted in a vicious smirk.

But then she turned. A graceful leap and she stands by @Haakon's side. Not a guard dog but a warrior queen, paws firmly planted with her head held high. She'd played it well, true feelings veiled beneath fierce loyalty. It was easy when the loyalty to one was true. And so she stood, her words but a whispered request in their shared tongue. "Vi kommer att prata efter detta." They needed to.

code by flea, art by irish

@Avril VS. @Skjol FOR MINOR MAIM
— DEFAULT —

Due to Skjol's timer running out, this fight has defaulted.

AVRIL HAS WON THE CHALLENGE FOR MINOR MAIM!

The results of this fight cannot be acknowledged ICly until either both challengers have responded or 3 days have gone by — whichever comes first. Any posts breaking this rule will be removed.

---

WOUNDED ROLL

performed on discord by @muuland ★

Skjol is automatically WOUNDED for losing!

Avril Wounded Roll: 2

Avril is NOT WOUNDED!

Profiles will be adjusted to reflect the wounded rolls, which, if received, reduce the character’s hits and dodges by -1 for an standardized amount of time. Any wounded rolls received from this fight are considered healed as of 09/12 and are logged on the character’s profile. Once healed, post in Trade & Dice Updates to have your dice returned to normal.

At first, she thinks she's simply lucky.

@Skjol is so much larger, so much more experienced. Had Avril not first noticed him from across the clearing and taken into account his ferocity she might have second-guessed challenging him. But she cannot afford to be unafraid now—not when all she's ever been born and raised to do was to not only succeed and prevail, but to rise to the occasion regardless of whatever it was that stared back at her.

But when she first feels victory, she thinks it can't be so.

She thought herself a silly, lucky girl then. Now, she feels it tenfold.

But that feeling of shame subsides as she feels the breath-taking squeeze of his weight bearing down upon her, and her free hand reaches to the other side of his face, desperate to gain purchase and wrest herself free of his grasp. But desperation and defense turns swiftly as her claws meet where she intends them. Her talons rest upon the firm ridge of his brow, and when she yanks downward, they sear deep into the skin around his remaining good eye.

It is almost enough to claim it, to seize victory through means of entirely blinding him. But she misses it by inches. Inches.

And when she reels away from him finally and sees the marks she's left upon him, a blooming sort of ferocity rises in her chest. She's heaving, panting—keening. But she is victorious. And with almost clinical precision she quickly smooths down her fur and readorns her pleasant smile, turning to @Miaran and the subjects around her. But while she is all things demure and reticent, there is a deep-seated, hungry pride that lurks in her doeish eyes.

Death is justice, and we its loyal servants, she begins, addressing the crowd just as much as she addresses Skjol. Any king who cannot beat a woman is no king at all.

(You may do a exit in next post if have nothing to say to Miaran)

For all the bluster from the older male, it was her fierce and unyielding niece who emerged victorious in this harsh battle. A triumphant smirk graced her lips, a flicker of pride igniting within her as she gazed down at Avril, who expertly marred Skjol's face with resilience. When @Avril joined her side, Miaran’s voice rang out like a clarion call to the eager crowd, Avril, you shall take up the noble mantle. @Skjol, you are stripped of your title and cast down to mere Lion.

Miaran’s heart surged as she turned to face the assembled throng, each individual a witness to the turmoil unfolding. You may cast me into the shadows for what is deemed customary in my homeland, yet you must understand that weakness invites death to the doorstep of the Mob. At the tender age of one, siblings must engage in mortal combat, and I have borne the heavy burden of ending my brother’s life. In my world, it is a brutal dance of survival: kill or be killed. Males are relegated to lesser roles, valued only for procreation and to uphold specific positions within the Mob's structure. Monogamy is a sacred vow in marriage, and infidelity is a crushing betrayal. My husband sought the warmth of another’s embrace while I nurtured our precious cubs. The weight of Mob law is absolute, and I obeyed it without hesitation. Do not cast your stones at me for that, for I permitted Aphrodite to bond with Reti, fully prepared to shower her cubs with the love, protection and care they deserved. Every action I took was driven by necessity and purpose. If my reign is too unbearable for you, then take your leave and follow her to the Plains.

With her heart racing, she swept her gaze across the sea of faces, attuning her ears to the whispers of worries and hopes that danced in the air, eager to catch every tremor of concern that escaped their lips before she bumped her shoulder against @Velasco's and left the meeting area.

/Exit

table code by daanyen

Prior to the summons, Daedric had kept himself busy patrolling the pride border. He moved with quickened pace, pushing himself through the fatigue, refusing to slow until he had made a full circuit of the territory. When he finally did join the group, it would already be in full force.

Daedric had been observing as a fight broke out, a quiet watcher from the fringes of those gathered. A lioness fighting against the pride Noble for whatever reason. There was a measure of indifference towards it all, the heated words and tension lost on him. Whatever it was the Queen spoke of, he didn't much care, he had not been here to witness it for himself.

She spoke in defense of herself, spoke to her prowess as a warrior and a survivor. Words held little weight in his mind, actions spoke much louder. He was not one to speak of his skill, he was one to demonstrate it and leave no doubt.

The queen's talk of her past left him agitated, but he would do little but tap his tail against the ground as he sat. She was from a completely different world from the one he lived in, though not so different from those of Amaryllis as a whole. When he came into his own power, things would be different.

PALADIN EXP
+5 Exercise to gain endurance
+5 Patrol your borders
+5 Observe a fight

Well this was unexpected. Rose watched as tensions built to a breaking point and a sudden and surprising challenger arose. She’d expected Milano and Skjol to come to blows again, but it was a strange woman who made quick work of the sharkslayer. It was both terrifying and beautiful at the same time. The lioness fought with a fury and finesse that was enviable.

She raised a brow as the man was stripped of his rank and it was given to Avril. An expected exchange given the circumstances, but Rose couldn’t help but feel her heart sink for the man just a bit. He’d spoken truth- where they blindly following a woman who admitted to such atrocities as the murder of her own children?

As Miaran began another speech she listened. The woman seemed to have a lot of reasoning behind her actions, but did that make them just? She claimed it was their way - but that did not make it right did it? She made claim of what she was prepared to do for Aphrodite’s children -and yet her wife was no longer there. Surely the missing woman would have had some reason to believe the scarred queen’s intentions could not be trusted. One did not simply pack up in the middle of the night and leave an entire kingdom behind for no reason.

Hmm. a soft hum of thought left her as she remained silently observing. Miaran welcomed them to flee to the plains if her rule was too harsh, but she would not run. At least not yet. Her friends were here. Her first real home was at the cove. Rose would see what the coming months brought them, but she would be watching with a critical eye.

She felt no need to address anyone else any further, at least not in a group setting. As speech finally died down she would slowly make her way to leave. Giving a dip of her head to those around her she’d attempt to slip away to find somewhere to ponder the events that had just unfolded.

-exit unless someone says something to her.

code by corvus & art by Shazaki

Skjol is not a man easily angered, but he is one who knows he has chosen wrong from time to time. He does not retaliate from their scuffle despite the pain she's inflicted upon his face or the words this bitch tosses towards hom, nor does he throw a tantrum like a petulant child. Instead, he stares down @Miaran with the pale gaze of a man who has just identified another enemy. An obstacle. A place for him to return to and crush with all his vengeance, if time would allow.

But here and now, was not the place. He was in a den of snakes. It would be unwise for him to be so bold and brash.

"Fine" he says, coldly, "I take my leave, permanently. Find someone else to fight for you, kút--I wash my hands of your heimsku" unworthy of his strength she was, and he would take himself elsewhere. The brute turns and leaves, his head high and his pride barely wounded. He'd be back one day, to spill blood on these sands.

---exit skjol, he leaves caladan (I love you all and I'm sorry I couldn't finish the fight! Look forward to a potential rematch in the future?? ❤️)

code by corvus art by drifty