Duel:Hildegarde v Korike, Semi-Finals Match 2 of the 2013 Frostmaw Tournament

From HollowWiki
Duelists: Hildegarde vs. Korike.
Duel: Traditional 3 posts each, with final defense. 15 minute posting limit.
Stakes: Autohit post. Advancement in the Titans of Winter Tournament 2013.
Judges: Eboric, Kuzial, & Satoshi


Frostmaw Arena

Satoshi shouted, "[As the storm winds quell and the Frostmaw arena stands fill once more, their raised voices are mingled with bestial screeches and roars. The primal noises originate from the now familiar glass panels hovering around the stadium, their scrying magic activated to reveal where this semi-final match is to take place: in the heart of a wyvern flock's nesting ground. Hatchlings, fledgelings, adults, and elders of the northern species can be seen, huddled in nests, squabbling over scraps of food, and soaring in the air above. A number of the creatures greedily eye the two combatants with hungry intelligence. While none at the moment seem willing to strike either Korike--selected to replace the missing Riss, and represent the Mage's Guild--or Hildegarde, they certainly are considering lashing out if either get too close... or too injured. Like vultures, the wyverns wait and watch, as eagerly as the many people stuffing Frostmaw arena. Let the contest for who moves on to the Championship begin!]"



Wyvern Nests

As you travel down a path which moves between large snow covered boulders, you stumbles into an area with large dead trees. Upon the trees you see several nests, and upon further investigation, as you look up you can see frost wyverns gliding as they look for prey. The nests contain some young, while others are empty, or with eggs. You can leave this place by heading back to the north.




Hildegarde had followed the instructions to the location, able to smell her kindred within their would be arena. She made her way in with trepidation, wondering whether or not her status as a Silver would protect her some from the wyverns. Perhaps it would, perhaps it would not - but her halberd and her might would protect her for as long as it took if her heritage did not offer her that protection. Once her opponent came into view, she would offer him a friendly smile and dip of her head, "You must be Korike of the Mage's Guild. I am Hildegarde the Silver," she said it politely enough. But once Satoshi declared that the battle for the championship had begun, Hilde offered him another nod. Whim twirled in her hands deftly, emerald sparkling like any beautiful gem might do. But after that twirl, the knight was sprinting forward - armour clinking and clanking as she charged after him. Whim was swished upward; shaft of the halberd aiming to wallop him, but her intended force was to hit and drag him upwards; drag him airborne if she could. Providing she managed to drag him airborne, she would swish Whim downwards with a hearty roar as if she wanted to slice him in twain. But she knew, after fighting Seriis, that her opponents often held agility that she did not, so she attempted to dart back and regain room.


Korike entered the arena and glanced around. The gnome was clothed in a black bone-lined robe and pants. The bone's pattern mimicked the human skeleton. He had been picked as a last minute substitution, and wasn't sure what to expect. All he knew was that one of the higher ups in the mages guild wanted him to fight someone. Although a bit unnerved at the sight of all these wyverns, and being a vampire, the short man knew he could escape quickly enough if he needed to. The gnome then bows to his opponent. "Pleased to meet you, Hildegarde." Once the battle began, the gnome focused his magic, conjuring up a barrier of shadow around his front. The female's sword struck with enough force to send Korike airborne and crack his shield. The second blow did seem to break the shield...but not destroy the shadow. Softening up into two separate blobs, one above the gnome's head, and one at about his stomach. The higher blob began coiling around Hildergarde's sword, aiming for her head, The tip of that shadow had morphed to resemble a gauntlet fist. The lower shadow seemed to morph into a giant arrowhead, aimed at the female's midsection. The arrowhead then shot forward. Korike was planning to either deal a good amount of damage, and/or disarm his opponent.


Hildegarde was not terribly surprised by the sudden appearance of the shield, after all, she knew the man was a mage. She simply had no experience of fighting one who dealt with the deathly magics, the mage she dealt with played in fire and blood. But soon Whim was coated in that split blob of shadowy darkness that coiled and attempted to strike her in the face. She inhaled quickly and sharply, dispelling her concentrated frost against the shadowy gauntlet in an effort to stop it from striking her, paying the cost of the arrow against her armour. It punched the blue iron and pressed into the soft skin of her belly, causing her to hiss with pain. But pain was meaningless; pain was only as bad as you allowed it to be and the woman had no time to allow it to weigh heavily on her mind. This gnome needed dealing with, after all. Stormy eyes flicked upwards, looking to the predatory wyverns above, listening to their caws and crows of hunger at the scent of her blood. Whim twirled dangerously in her hand, before her body followed suit; turning with her halberd to gain momentum before slicing through the weakest of the trees and creaking down towards Korike. It was only a nest of younglings, older than hatchlings, they could fend for themselves or fly away from the danger if needed to - she would not harm the innocents or defenceless after all. As the tree began to fell, the knight moved to flank him, axe-head of her halberd swinging threateningly in the effort to block his escape.


Korike gave a frustrated grunt, as his counterattacks appeared to have less than the desired affect. At first the short man wonders why the female had decided to chop down a tree. It didn't become clear to him until he found himself trapped. The dragon bones on his robe wouldn't protect him from either of these threats. Thinking quickly, Korike actually dived down and to the left of Hildegarde, avoiding the tree. He let out a pained yell though, as her weapon made quite a gash in his shoulder, easily tearing away the cloth and dragon bone clothing. This wasn't good. He had to get some distance. Sinking into his shadow, the injured gnome popped up at the other side of the arena, and began muttering a gnomish chant. Outside of the shadows behind the female, rose one of the gnome's favorite flesh golems. Below the torso, it had the body of a centaur. The torso and head itself were those of a minotaur..with two extra arms. Each hand clutched steel a double-edged axe. The undead creature lets out a snort, before attempting to bring down all four axes in a line, on her. If they were to miss, the golem would turn around, and aim a mule-kick at Hildegarde.


Hildegarde watched as the man dodged the tree, watched as the young wyverns fluttered higher up and crowed angrily at the pair as if to warn them not to test their temper. But Hilde's temper was now being tested as she caught sight of his robes: the dragon bones. Her eyes widened with her anger and her sorrow, another one of her kin lost to some sick fashion. Leather gloves creaked as her fingers curled ever tighter around the shaft of her halberd, her rage bubbling up within her as she questioned whether or not he had stripped the dragon of its bones or had someone else done the deed for him. But then she heard that snort behind her, sharply turning on her heel to intercept the four axes, shaft of Whim holding them up above her head with a yell of effort and strain, muscles hidden under her armour flexing with the effort. But the mule-kick was quite successful in sending her back into the ground with a loud 'oof!' However, the knight was not one to be easily defeated, especially when she had seen her kin mutilated for the sake of fashion. So, she hauled herself up with an angry snarl and looked at the abomination before her and ran head on for it. Honestly, the Silver had a thing for running right at her foes. But instead of attempting to kill the thing, she tucked her body in tight and forced her body to slide: aiming to slide right under the thing and pop up on the other side. Once she was back on her feet, she'd pull herself up onto the beast, feet kicking the sides and forcing it forward to charge at its summoner. Her eyes were affixed to Korike, as she rode toward him. But it was as though she had a change of heart, as she leapt off the beast, only once its course was so affixed it could not change tact and was sure to crash into its master. The Silver rose to her feet and followed suit, flanking the gnome once again and swinging her halberd down and aiming purposely for his shoulder with a mighty battle cry. She wanted to slice into his shoulder and force him down into submission with her sheer might.


Korike gave a wince as he saw someone actually his flesh golem. No one had ever dared to try that before. By the time Hildegarde had leapt off of the flesh golem and started to come at him from the side, the short man thought that he had one way out. With a snap of his fingers, the undead self-destructed in an explosion of dark magic, sending Korike flying some distance from where the golem and his opponent had been. Not sure if Hildegarde was about to mount another attack, Korike quickly conjured up a large blob of shadow energy above himself, and split it apart into a large swarm of tiny tar-like pieces. Each piece then burst into a black flame, thanks to the gnome's shadow-fire spell. Korike then pointed at where he thought Hildegarde would be behind the dust, and the flaming shadow-tar, flied off towards that spot, attempting to stick to, and burn Hildegarde.


Hildegarde , with the might of the explosion, was thrown back much like the gnome had been. The dust of the blast and the outcry of the wyverns caused the scene to become exceedingly disorientating, so she clung to Whim as she staggered up to her feet. She blinked repeatedly, attempting to calm her senses before she felt heat approaching her and realised another attack had been launched. The Silver inhaled deeply and as quickly as she possibly could, before pointing her chin upwards to expel a concentrated cone of frost in an effort to stop the fiery pieces of tar like shadow from reaching her face, eyes, mouth and throat: the essentials, as it were.




Winner: Hildegarde


Hildegarde hissed as she felt some of the tar like patches stick to her skin, bubbling and hissing as it stung her delicate flesh. She frowned, able to finally see the trickster of a gnome now that the dust had settled. But the wyverns were hungry and growing impatient, the intruders had outstayed their welcome. She stomped over to him and looked down upon him maliciously, halberd hefted up as though she were ready to End him there and then. But no - she stabbed Whim into the earth softly and knelt to pick up the gnome. "You fought well, sir," she commented with a little smile. "I am sorry that my temper bested me, there. Seeing folk wear my kin... it pains my heart, you see. You should try a different substance if you seek protection, one that does not cause pain on another." She smiled at him, "Let us leave, before we become dinner! I shall escort you to the medic if you seek any medical attention."


Korike was caught off-guard to have suddenly been picked up, though a bit relieved. He only had enough energy for another spell or two. "Thank you, replies the gnome with a smile. Congratulations on your victory" he adds. He then shakes his head. " That won't be necessary. I still have enough magic to get myself somewhere safe."


Hildegarde picked up Whim with her free hand, the gnome was not so heavy or large that he required both her arms to be carried. "Thank you, sir. I am relieved to hear you are well enough to not require aid," the same could not be said for herself, as her stomach oozed blood and her flesh was still burning. But the people came before her. It was her sworn duty. "Let us be off," she said, and left the wyvern's nest in a hurry.


Korike waves to Hildegarde. "Until next time!" The gnome then sinks into his shadow, vanishing from sight. He was going somewhere private to heal.