it scares me half to death
Battle after battle. Violence after violence. It seems to be the only universal language that they spoke in these lands. How many challenges had he attended? How much blood had he seen shed? Empires fall, kingdoms burn...It was all but a hopeless cause that seemed to run rampantly in circles. The twisting of time and the recklessness of greed, he wonders when it will all cease. When what is dearest to a man's heart will come forth as more than just the lust and greed for tailored pride and prejudice. They wager their years like carrion crows, throwing liar's dice unto the floors of a dusty phoenixes lair. Letting their tongues and teeth account for the sins that their desperation sows. They wager their lives as if they are merely nothing more than a blade of grass in a summers moore, yet, do not value the beauty of living free like a summer's sunset. Why..? Why did he always find himself amongst a crowd of many when it came to the damnation of destruction? It is not a scene that wears well on his petticoat, and yet, the black maiden is amongst the many bodies grinding against the dirt like cogs of a rusted machine. He merely slips away unto the uneasiness of familiar hostile faces before seeking out the one whom held his comforts in the palm of her hand.

Icarus shuffles, feet dragging amongst the sand as he makes his way throughout the weave of stuffy bodies and angry scowls. Stealing the precious moments of time from his sun, coming quickly to perch amongst @Aidoneus' court with nothing but a silent bump and purr unto her side. He does not speak to the towering brute (@Alaric) - for his aura is enough to frighten the care-free creature of the stars. Instead, he would offer the elderly a curt and solace nod. Mayhaps, he were intruding on personal matters, yet, if they would wish his court to be dismissed. She would need only to say so, and he would be gone. For now, he settles - spectating as vagrant hounds tear at the throats of rabbits. Drilling them unto their burrows before pulling their homes, comfort, and safety from beneath their very feet.

+10 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds
+10 Learn information about a potential threat
+10 Observe a fight

image by rabs || code by saph

Their time at the cove had been brief, sure, but Lyric could not deny the feelings of possessiveness that overtook them when they heard the sound of yet another lion calling for ownership of the beach. They quirked one brow as they altered their path from the watering hole to the direction they knew the cove to be, their steps quick as they went down familiar trails.

Soon they broke out into a jog, parting their jaws to allow for them to pant and expel their warm breath on that cool autumn night as they ran. The light of the moon guided them to the scent borders the new ruler had created and they meandered along the borders for a while, content to watch the spectacle from a distance at first in favor of exploring the entirety of the scene.

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|| october y7 | three years | rogue lion | at caladan cove ||
+10 - Observe a fight (Sahir vs. Ulla, double exp event)
+10 - Exercise to gain endurance (double exp event)
+10 - Explore the borders of a pride (CC, double exp event)

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One would expect Elías to feel anger — fury, even — at the audacity to challenge for his home. He is met only with a calm sense of duty and stoicism, playing out the potential outcomes of this scenario in his head. With the Lagoon fallen, this is his family's stronghold, and they cannot afford to lose it. Not now. Úlla must win, and in his conviction, he is certain that she will.

@Revna's call beckons him soon enough after the interloper, and he rumbles lowly as he approaches the swiftly-gathering crowd. How quickly they all flock to any sign of chaos and change. Elías snorts his displeasure at the interlopers in his home, even knowing that this is the way of things — that when the fight fades, so too will the crowd.

It doesn't take him long to spot Revna and @Dhaveira amongst the masses, a protective force along with @Nebula overlooking young @Cirilla, @Zahra, and @Rúna. Rather than finding his way to Eira's free side — knowing that she is safe beside Revna — he makes for the open space beside Rúna, rounding out the group in a defensive manner. For now, things are peaceful, but that does not always last, and the future of the Sigrún family will not go unguarded.

"Vellen mun stýra sigri hennar," ( vellen will guide her victory ) he rumbles to his gathered kin, his hardened gaze intent upon his cousin and her opponent. Elías has never seen the man before, but that isn't particularly surprising, considering his recent arrival in these lands. And in the end, it won't much matter; he will flee from here at the end of the day, tail between his legs.

+10 - Observe a fight [1/2]

OCEANS RISE & THUNDERS ROAR

table by sentinel / art

Truthfully, a part of him would not have cared about trespassing into a territory when a challenge is called. Everyone else seemed to have no problem doing so but Jafar also knew the allies of his allies. He knew that Vermeda was allied with the Hollows and that Vermeda was a close ally of the Sigrun and thus, knew it was better if he remain respectful. After all, this was still an inhabited pride and he would be conscientious of their rules. So when @Tobin came and found him, he was delightfully surprised and welcomed the company. It was an odd thing to feel a positive warmth at the approach of social natures but it would keep him otherwise occupied and able to resist moving in. The Sigrun lead here. They are an ally of Vermeda, so I felt it is best to respect that alliance. Said in such a way as to not tell his company what to do or how to do it, but explaining why he stopped where he was. Jafar Casales, Roan's new Sovereign. There was some hesitation before his introduction as though trying to make words out to sound as though he wasn't one-upping the advisor. Speaking to the pride members and suddenly introducing himself as Sovereign seemed odd, seeing as none of them knew him and suddenly he was their leader.

art by torriyi // code // do not use without permission

her head now hurts. and her limbs feel heavier. more than usual, more than the norm that it ought to be. with a flick of her head, úlla tries to dissipate the growing paranoia that, for whatever reason, she may be truly old. fortunately, the success of her own counterattack brings a moment of peace to her. the ruby red of his blood stains @Sahir's cheek dark. úlla smells the blood from both of them permeating in the air. not a lot, but due to their close proximity it's thick and coiling inside her. vellen demands more; so too úlla, from the man who sought out the cove and is challenging her. a roar pierces the air, driving her out of her thought. sahir is mad, angry, just like she is now that she realizes it. the queenmother cannot help it, even if she too once challenged a king for his throne. her eyes narrow as sahir moves, she almost got away but his jaws manage to clamp for a few seconds against her scruff. but she cannot move away from his claws attacking her nor the way his right shoulder collides with her. several different pain blossoms out, causing her to wince and utter a low deep growl. never minding the pain and whatever possible advantage she may give him, úlla twists her head and attempts to latch onto the skin surrounding his eye. meanwhile, her left paw comes up in an attempt to slash down the top of his shoulder.

úlla vs sahir
for caladan cove
move 3 of 5
Hits:

Rolling 8d20: 6 + 2 + 9 + 3 + 7 + 14 + 11 + 10

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 6 + 10 + 1 + 14

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 6 + 8 + 9 + 3 + 7

table by ferus

(1/2) +10 Observe a challenge and learn the results (double exp from site-wide boost)
(1/2) +10 Have a conversation about politics (double exp from site-wide boost)
(1/2) +10 Learn a character’s full name and rank (double exp from site-wide boost)
It was the call challenging for his childhood home that would gain Keir's attention. Every time the Cove had something major (such as a pride challenge) would it seem to affect the lion differently than others, and he could only chalk it up to it having a special place in his heart. It was the first place he had ever lived in when he, mother, and his siblings had first stepped foot here. It was also where mother battled and won for the crown. Caladan held most of his memories, and one day he knew he would be back to take it - and win.

Large frame would push past the borders just like the majority (if not all) of spectators here did, blue gaze looking over the large crowd. He would first notice @Jafar, watching him with silent observation. He hadn't seen the man since he had lost the Mire, but by the looks of it he looked like he was doing fine. The next to catch his attention would be the cub he had saved from the passage (@Kinki), although she had grown quite a lot since that day. His mind began to wander, hoping that she were doing okay since he could only assume she had stayed in Ecrosia. The figure of @Sanson would gain his full attention then, feeling his spirits lift only slightly. "Hey," Keir would greet his brother as he neared him by the tree, aiming to bump his nose into his sibling's right shoulder. He were the only family he'd seen in quite some time, and for a brief moment Keir wondered where mother or the rest of the family were at. “Who do you think will win?” Tone would be low and held with indifference; he wasn’t sure he really cared who would come out on too here.

Haunches would lower to seat himself on the right side of Sanson, continuing to observe the crowd. It would be here that the figure of @Alaric would catch his attention, feeling anger rise within him and his muscles stiffen. As quick as the feeling came would Keir push it away; there would be a time and place for his anger toward the usurper but it was not here. So with a roll of his eyes would attention glance over toward another lion that had been at the uprising (@Violarum), ears twisting forward as he spoke the challengers name. Sahir. He hadn't heard that name before, but Keir also hadn't been the most social of butterflies since his latest defeat.

Tucking the male's name into memory would he finally rest his gaze upon Ulla and Sahir, allowing for a rather steeled expression to now wash over his features. Shoulders would roll forward and the lion would hold his head up, tail curling around him and toes flexing in the sand to allow for his claws to sheathe and unsheathe, repeating the process several times over.

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(1/2) +10 Leave a trail of confusing tracks (double exp from site-wide boost)
(1/2) +10 Observe a fight (double exp from site-wide boost)
Arkyn had been wandering in nowhere in particular when he heard the call. It would cause for his body to stiffen and for a low growl to erupt from him. Ever since losing his birthplace to the natural disaster Amaryllis had thrown upon them he had a sort of disdain for any he did not know that took over Caladan, most likely from his unchecked angst. But that wouldn't stop him from not being curious to see both who was challenging and who would be the winner in the end.

Growing colossal body would slink forward on the sandy beach, continuing on with his self teachings on how to leave tracks that made him harder to follow. First he would smudge his paw with every step, making the tracks a little less readable. Next, would he drag his paws instead of lifting them up with each step, making sure to leave zigzag lines as well as lines that wove together, making it harder to see which way they were heading. But once he were at the Cove's borders would he straighten his posture, yellow eyes glancing at the ones that had already gathered. He would stay on the outskirts as he watched, waiting to see who would come out the victor.

_{BG — ART — CODE}

(1/2) +10 Observe a fight (double exp from site-wide boost) (1/2) +10 Exercise to gain endurance (not including spars) (double exp from site-wide boost) (1/2) +10 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds (double exp from site-wide boost) She felt as if she hadn't been to a pride challenge in some time, so when the familiar call rung out in the air would the Viking begin to make her way toward Caladan. She would first start off in a walk, allowing for her muscles to stretch out a bit from her prior position of laying on a rock to sunbathe. Once she felt that her body was ready would Valkravn begin to jog, watching her breathing as well as allowing for her eyes to observe her surroundings, making sure she wouldn't trip over any types of debris on her way. The sand would create the perfect resistance, as well, causing for her to work just a little bit harder with each step. Once she were at Caladan's borders would Valkravn stop briefly, sucking in a breath and taking note of the many scents that were floating in the sea salt air. With a huff would she then push past the border, soon finding herself coming onto the all too familiar crowds that gather at challenges. Periwinkle eyes would then land upon the two opponents, haunches lowering herself to a sitting position near a rock as she watched.

table by spu

she's in the clouds, heavy and dark

Uzma is curious when she hears the call; she can only tell that it comes somewhere from the direction of the ocean dwelling prides, and she is forever on a quest for information in her role here. So when one of her pridemates departs from Vermeda, she follows at a distance — not in a rush, casual and unassuming. Luckily, the crowd here is large, and she is inconspicuous, her associations still well-guarded.

There is a brief moment of pause as she assesses the scene, her gaze stopping sharply on @Dagmar the moment she spots her. But Uzma says nothing, implies nothing, and makes no move to head in her direction. She imagines her sister will be plenty smart enough to leave her be in this moment — not that they often interact willingly in any way.

She returns to her original purpose, padding up quietly beside @Valkravn, who she does not yet know; but she is from Vermeda, which makes them allies on some level. Safe. Uzma leans neatly onto her haunches, her ears perked towards the fighters and her gaze intent upon the way they snap and claw at one another. "Do you know either of them?" she queries in her faint accent, swiveling an ear towards the pale lioness. Amusingly enough, Uzma does know the defender, knows her to be Sigrún if nothing else, but she plays ignorant, playing her cards close to her breast.

+10 - Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds [1/2]

waiting to fall like rain

code by corvus

Challenges seemed to attract everyone. Literally everyone. It was one thing for the last fight, where the pride had been driven out of their territory by something, leaving it up for grabs. But in this case the territory was still theirs and Revna would have loved to tear into every trespasser that walked across that border to sightsee. It would have been a losing battle, though, and she knew when to let go of something she could not win.

@Cirilla had shadowed her to the fight and now stood near her. Revna made it a point to shuffle closer so the youngster was protected from anyone who thought it might be a good idea to pick a fight with someone smaller than themselves and smirked when the fiery girl called out an insult to the dark challenger. "Sigrún mun sigra. Vellen vill það," (Sigrun will prevail. Vellen wills it,) she spoke to Ciri proudly, having taken quite a liking to Ulla's children.

@Zahra, who had joined recently, came near and joined them, sitting near Ciri and leaning in to whisper to her. Revna was close enough that she picked up the words and lashed her tail from side to side, the anger of the situation getting to her even more when she saw the effect it could have on the younger ones. "Við látum hann ekki vera," (We will not let him stay) she said firmly to the two, trying to reassure them that their involvement would not be necessary. It was valiant to want to help, but the adults would oust this would-be challenger and keep them all safe.

@Nebula arrived to their little gathering. Revna experienced a moment of guilt, that things might change so soon after the lioness' arrival and her gain of the lead medic role, but that only strengthened her resolve to make sure this lion never kept the Cove under his paw, even if he managed to beat Ulla in battle. "I've never seen him before," she said with a shake of her head in response to Nebula's question.

Before she can say more Ulla arrived and the battle commenced, leaving Revna to watch with a brow furrowed in worry. She did not like this at all, and did not relish the thought of them losing a home when the Lagoon had fallen so recently. They had not come here to lose, and they had not come here to be homeless either. What would they do if Ulla lost this fight?

It was then that @Dhaveira approached her, and Revna immediately went on high guard. If anyone tried to hurt her wife here in the chaos of the challenge, she would destroy them. But Eira's presence was also a balm to her soul, and she felt her anger rein itself in ever so slightly. "He has come to challenge Ulla, to take the Cove from her," she said seriously, her voice laced with concern. "I do not know him, though." She'd never seen the male before, though she also hadn't been around all that much just yet.

@Elías joined them, coming to stand on the other side of the younger members of their family, and Revna huffs her approval of the move and her agreement with his words. Together they would stand strong in the face of this chaos. Vellen will not let them lose another home. Surely their god would not take that last thing away from them.

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