07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

The goings on of courts
Draylen
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07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Draylen »

Aibne Grant stalked the halls of Ht'gon, taking unused passages with great care, as he was left alone with his thoughts. The power that Quinn had demonstrated should have flattened armies - and he was left with nary a scratch. This should not have been, he thought, echoing for the thousandth time that hour in his mind. It's all HIS fault! A vicious snarl ripped from his jaws as he reached for the hilt of his stone sword, before he forced himself to calm, taking a meditation as he leaned back against the stone wall.

"I don't belong here," he murmured to himself, sighing a little. "I... don't. So..." he thought, giving a long, slow sigh. "I just wanted to be..." He shook his head, one paw reaching down to trace the rapidly healing welts that crossed his body with a faint wince. "This... I..."

He shook his head and closed his eyes. He heaved a great sigh, before putting on a smile that did not reach his eyes. He strode from the unused walkways, brushing past dwarves, gnomes, goblins, and orcs alike as he joined the major throughways, making his way out of the mountain fortress. His feet carried him with purpose along the highway to Amber, and he strode into the city. His injuries, slight as they were, did not matter - the expended spells he had yet to rehang were irrelevant - the people he passed. So many faces, so many people that knew him and that he knew, that he could put a name to if he wished - none of them mattered right now.

He came up to the castle, his castle, and thrust the doors open with hardly an effort. He stomped through the hall, into the courtyard, sliding into the center of it with great purpose. He tilted his head up to the sky and stared angrily at the sun that watched over all, at his eye that viewed all things, and opened his jaw.

"Hear me, Dworkin!" the bear roared, loud enough to rattle the very stones of the castle. "You have done me great injustice! This curse you have leveled upon me without my consent, I will have an answer for! I, Aibne Grant, do challenge you to honorable combat!" the bear roared, flipping his tattered cloak over his left shoulder, the stone hilt of his sword and gleaming gemmed ring on his hand visible to any within the courtyard.
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Joshua
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Joshua »

It is unlikely that words can express the stillness that follows the challenge. (This is before the meeting and before sundown.)

After a few moments of stunned and total silence, Dworkin will walk over from wherever he ended up after the practice yards. He's silent, but Aibne is wound up enough to spot him.

The old man strides confidently up to the much larger bear. "Boy, are you sure this is what you want?"

(Timing note: This may have happened during the meeting on the castle. Likely as it was winding down. Remember, odd time.)
Draylen
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Draylen »

"Yes, I'm sure, demon," he growls, staring accusingly at Dworkin. "Your... Pattern steals mens souls, and for what?! You are no god but a tyrant, a devil dancing in the sun, fooling everyone." Anger has filled his eyes again, white hot rage as he stares down his muzzle at the tiny old crazy man*, a snarl ripping from his teeth.

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*Place your bets! Giant angry brown bear versus tiny old man! Odds not in Aibne's Favor! After all, his opponent is a tiny old crazy man. Alas, if only Aibne knew the stories that would be told not quite three thousand years after his time.
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Joshua
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Joshua »

Dworkin will laugh at the accusation. "Pattern? Pattern is tame compared to what is out there. Perhaps it is time to give you an idea of what will be coming for us. When they regain it... thankfully." He will look around, as people are ducking away. His voice will stay a whisper but will echo from every shadow in the area. "Guards, stay. You should witness."

He will look over the bear. "I will use the two powers of our enemies. One major, one minor. You have that as well, yes? Pattern and sorcery. Major and minor." He will laugh again. "I have no desire to end someone I have invested so much in. Perhaps then, third blood*. And what should be the stakes? What demand do you make of me?"
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*: That's third person to draw blood. Not first to draw blood three times. Not that he's explaining that.
Draylen
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Draylen »

The bear spits at Dworkin's feet. "You are a demon, Dworkin, whatever guise you wear, and I would no more trust you to abide by any demands I place upon you than I would Lancelot the Oathbreaker." He draws the stone sword and snarls at the small old man, holding it from his right shoulder down toward his hip. One paw rests just behind the stone blade, a claw tracing faintly the sigil of the Pattern on it.
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Joshua
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Joshua »

Dworkin cocks his head. "If you do not make demands, then how can I counter them. It is your right to make a demand when challenging. What would you like if you win?"
Draylen
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Draylen »

"Freedom," the bear snaps, snarling. "For not just myself, but everyone you've stolen away from their homes, everyone whose soul you've stolen!" He snarls again at Dworkin, still standing at the ready.
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Wyvern »

Alys has, by this point, turned up, and is watching the scene with a deliberately bland expression.
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Joshua
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Joshua »

(OOC: Worked out in chat beforehand. With the assumption that Alys will not interfere.)

"Agreed, and I will demand you be my skald, a champion of Amber and Pattern, and a leader of Amberites*." He makes a simple sign in the air in a symbol of a higher power that's not Pattern**.

The bear is having none of what the dwarf is saying. He’s going for a blitzkrieg - end it, and end it instantly. He’ll start with a forward lunge toward the chest, aiming the point of the sword at the gut, pushing all of his mass behind it. Not a lethal blow, or at least immediately lethal, but fast.

Unfortunately, a brilliant white eye opens up behind Aibne. Black, shadowy but glowing tendrils will grab Aibne's limbs (from behind) and yank him back into the wall. They don't let go and remain connected to the eye that's focused on the bear. Dworkign will chuckle, "That's one."

In response, Aibne will make a desperate swirling cut with the sword, a lot like what happened with him taking care of the spear. It shouldn't work, but this is Amber; the place of power for Pattern. His Pattern charge beats Dworkin's logrus, and they burst into flames with the smallest cut… which also causes a cut to appear on Dworkin.

Aibne takes advantage of the distraction, and triggers his zero-lynchpin Jump spell (targets him specifically, works based on Amber physics, basically a force multiplier for his legs as he leaps into the sky) and dragoon-leaps several stories up. He comes down like a comet toward the old man, sword pointed at his head.

Dworkin looks down, and shrugs. More specifically, he rapidly shifts into a large, stooped grey and red demonic form. Leather winged, horned and scaled, finely in the chest with large plates on the back. He shrugs one of the large plates against Aibne's sword and spins with the impact, grasping him with a large clawed hand and assisting the bear the rest of the way to the ground***.

The demon form will sneer. "Third blood mine. Two draws. Do you agree to be a champion of Amber and Pattern?"

Aibne will struggle, but… after a few moments, he’ll close his eyes, sighing. “Fine, demon,” he says, snarling. “But I will be a champion for Amber and Pattern. Not you."

Dworkin is already back to his small, dwarven form. "Seems reasonable," he'll say.
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*: In case you're wondering, third blood can win by being the third to draw blood, the first (or second) and third, or scoring three hits that draw blood. Aibne accidentally gave his demands in threes, so Dworkin assumes he knows how this works.
**: Both participants are currently charged with their powers. Due to Logrus allowing you to fight with it brought to mind, I'm allowing it for pattern as well. Although it is distracting and does prevent you from using a lot of your own powers. But seriously, if you can only do the hobble of a lame-duck with it up, that's not useful.
***: Aibne’s totally pointing at this later and going "I KNEW IT!!!" but right now his thought is 'Bloody hell!!'.
Krajk
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Re: 07.13g: Courtyard Challenge

Post by Krajk »

Krajk is predator, not prey, but that does not mean he is insensitive to that feeling in the air when something with sharp nasty teeth and an appetite wanting satisfying is stirring; after all, there's always a bigger fish. As chance would have it Krajk was just passing through the area - some message to/from Odin, perhaps - when Aibne's challenge shakes dust loose from the rafters. He tilts his head to one side and listens to the bear's challenge, wincing and shaking his head with disappointment (or disgust, it's hard to tell which) at the last bit. Taking a couple turns seemingly at random he arrives in a room with a view of the courtyard* midway through Aibne's response to Dworkin's arrival. The wereshark is silent throughout the entire confrontation and the only part of him that moves are his eyes. He largely ignores what Aibne does, though the ridiculous leap nets a sardonically arched eyebrow for a brief moment, focusing virtually all of his attention on Dworkin. The symbol, the eye and tendrils, and the shapeshift (though moreso for what that form might be capable of than that it existed) - all of these Krajk commits to memory as best he can. Aibne's defeat comes as no surprise and thus gets no reaction from Krajk; instead, he takes the time to briefly glance over at Alys, making sure he hadn't been mistaken in thinking he'd seen her arrive in the periphery of his attention, before returning his gaze to the aftermath.

(*He doesn't know Castle Amber particularly well, but he does know how castles in general tend to be laid out and he can smell the fresh air coming in through the aperture, which is probably a narrow window or arrow slit of some sort.)
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