Duel:Lefty v Joan, Match 1 of the 2023 War Games - Larket v Cenril
Duelists: Lefty as Roldric Greyhood vs Joan Duel: Traditional 3 rounds with final defense, 20 minute posting limit. Stakes: Standard, autohit delivered by winner with allowance for final reply. Judges: Daisy, Clovelia, and Jorix
Elegant Bridge
A large, wild and gushing river separates the lands of Larket and Kelay-Sage but luckily a long and elegant bridge formed of sweeping arches crafted carefully of brick and stone links the two lands together. On the north side are a pair of Larket Knights in armor and on the southern a pair of Elven Rangers, neither side appear to be bothered by the other but it would appear recent events have led to the stone bridge now being guarded round the clock. The southern side of the bridge is bright with verdant growth; the beginnings of Sage Forest. On the northern side, however, is a bustling city of stone.
Round One
Lefty ||The Cenril troops arrive, followed by the renowned Roldric Greyhood. A small red kitten rides on his shoulder. The soldiers stare, stone-faced at their Larketian counterparts, steeling themselves for a difficult battle. A sharp yowl emanates from the kitten, and the druid signals the troops to close. The Cenril soldiers charge with a deafening roar as they all scream their battlecries. The kitten’s yowl activates the first set of runes, causing the affected soldiers' bodies to betray them. Lefty’s mastery of carnology combined with the newfound runic scripts ignites among the defending soldiers, causing them to attack their brethren. The fear in their eyes reveals a devastating fact. While control of their bodies is locked away from them, their minds are not. The full traumatic effect is that they are fully aware of the atrocities they are being forced to commit.
Joan had taken her time to wheel the cart full of dead to the healers guild hall entrance, she had met with some of her fellow healers outside and gave instructions to carefully check over the dead and write down what they have observe of the bodies. She also left instructions to have the bodies checked over magically for any hidden spells and or runes, as she had a very funny feeling about that darn little cute kitten from earlier. Following her gut feeling the vampiric healer would make her way back up towards larket and the bridge after she had the chance to clean herself magically as well as physically. It was never wise to come back to a battle area if you felt something was wrong. It was also important to not carry germs back if you was a healer, cleanliness was very important. She footed it back to the bridge in time to witness that attack, the vampiric healer shaking her head as she hurried onto the scene properly, having called her version of the black tides, shouting out a few lines of an incantation Joan would direct her purple shadow flames to engulf the Larket soldiers to hopefully burn off whatever was magically affecting them, should the shimmer wavering purple shadow flames work each person it affected would allow them to once more control their own bodies and try to launch a counter attack.
Round Two
Lefty ||Time waits for no man, or woman, as the troops close on their enemies. While several Larket soldiers fight to regain control, others have already decimated their friends and were losing their will to fight. The Cenril fighters, feeling a bit more confident as they see their foes taking each other out find their task much simpler. They slash and stab into the chaos that the enemy had been reduced to, taking out many more soldiers than they would normally be able to. Roldric makes his own move, calling for the Larketian horses to buck their riders. ‘Your rider has betrayed you, join the herd that protects as your current one has failed to do.’ The kitten yowls again, waking the dead that the healers hadn’t checked. Perhaps they’d discovered the traps, but if not, the dead will join the fight from behind Larket’s lines. Lefty glows in contentment from the kitten’s left eye socket.
Joan was never one for violence, she hardly ever was cross with anyone. It just wasn't in her to really cause harm, it could also do with that pledge she took once she became a healer with the guild. Mouth turning down into a frown the vampiric healer would dash into the fray with her amethyst hair flying about her head. The undead woman would use her vampiric strength and speed to hip and shoulder check into as many of the opposing force troops in hopes of offering help to the Larket forces, while she weaved and dodged about the soldiers she would take measured slaps at the Cenril's soldier's wrist or back of their weapon inclosed hand to hopefully knock their weapons out of their hands or just plainly try to break the wrist. There wasn't much she could do about horses rearing up, knocking off their riders and joining the fray, the best she could do was break off now and then to run up close to a horse here and there and offer a loud hissing growl to spook them. What was left of the Larket forces need help and to rally so for that Joan would reach deep down into herself and call up her magic, each soldier she was able to bump against of the Larket forces for receive some amount of healing magic. The sound of stampeding running footfalls as the vampiric healer draws up short as she just stares...She just left these dead back near Enchantment...they must have put on the speed close to near impossible for the newly raised dead.
Round Three
Joan hadn’t expected the dead soldiers to arrive so quickly, but doesn’t bat an eye (not that he has one to spare). Roldric continues to call the enemy’s horses over, tying them off and comforting their fears. Even with Joan joining the fray, the Cenril forces gain ground. The Larket troops are surrounded in a deliberate pincer attack, and must choose with force to have at their backs. Few, if any, make the right choice. First, they had to fight their friends. Now, they must choose to fight their fallen, or die to them. The vampire, Joan, disarms several Cenrilians and they fall back. A dozen are taken down by the advancing Larket soldiers, but the tide cannot be turned at this point.
Lefty ||The arcing, rippling energies of Joan’s attack splashes against the Cenril forces, driving many to their knees. Roldric’s shoulders tense as he feels the dark magic build and turns to face the enemy once more. The horses would need to wait. He slashes the air, sending his own natural energies out to counter. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to combat darkness. The Cenril fighters regroup, but several are dragged away to be treated or buried. Their arms remain strong, and their faith in the chain of command is not broken. Charge and fight, for the glory of Cenril we must retain our honor. The Larketian dead continue to advance, pressuring their living compatriots into an untenable position.
Final Defense
Joan groaning aloud,tho it couldn't really be heard over the loud clashing of weapons and cries of the hurt and fallen Joan would lift her head up towards the sunsetting sky as she exhaled out,having taken a moment to gather herself and her thoughts. A very deep quick inhale follows as she steels herself to force out more of her healing magical energies as the fading purple shadow flames bunt off what they could to those still affected by whatever the Cenril side had used. Joan knew she would be feeling the side effects to using the strange combination of necromancy and healing this quick and fast without much training and practice, yet she threw herself back into the fray, moving the stand in the middle of the bridge as she yelled out to the Larket soldiers, "Shield wall!" She loud cry rallied the few remaining men, those that could would try to move out of the way as Joan fully faces the oncoming Cenril group, calling back in her magic to that is shot back into her form the vampiric healer would then thrust out her half gloved hands towards the advancing group, she'd shout out a few words while thrusting out her rebounding magical energies to force out a tearing force of dark magic, these energies flung out with the force of the undead woman's ire.
Winner: Lefty
Lefty ||The arcing, rippling energies of Joan’s attack splashes against the Cenril forces, driving many to their knees. Roldric’s shoulders tense as he feels the dark magic build and turns to face the enemy once more. The horses would need to wait. He slashes the air, sending his own natural energies out to counter. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to combat darkness. The Cenril fighters regroup, but several are dragged away to be treated or buried. Their arms remain strong, and their faith in the chain of command is not broken. Charge and fight, for the glory of Cenril we must retain our honor. The Larketian dead continue to advance, pressuring their living compatriots into an untenable position.