Duel: Beldur v Kang, Match 1 of the 2023 Titans of Winter Tournament
Duelists: Beldur vs Kang Duel: Traditional 3 rounds with final defense, 20 minute posting limit. Stakes: Standard, autohit delivered by winner with allowance for final reply. Judges: Mahri, Quintessa, and Valrae.
West Arena
Large crowds can be hosted here, with ample room in the rise of stone seats. The arena has been restored to pristine condition with beautiful carved white marble archways and pillars. The center is filled with hard-packed earth and lined with fully stocked weapon racks.
Valrae || As darkness settled, torches and lamp light flickered like starlight over the busy seaside republic. While Cenril was known for its sleepless nights and lively streets, none were so rowdy as Arril before a tournament battle. Bodies pressed together, lines from the grand arena as people rushed in to find seats and friends. The sun sank below the sea and left the sky above the arena blanketed in a star dotted dusky blue that bled into orange and pink as the last of Kafzhash’s light burned away. The stands had crowded fast, patrons excited for the promise of blood packed in with beer and popcorn as they cheered even as the earth at the center of the arena remained empty. Drum heavy music filled the air, rising above the crowd in an upbeat and steady tune. Valrae was seated high in the stands in a private box reserved for dignitaries. Her golden hair was a series of intricate braids pulled into a high pony’s tail of waterfalling curls. She’d lined her eyes sharply and painted her lips bold and bloody red. Her dress was simple, a soft cotton toga gown of blue threaded with an ethereal green. The illusion weaved within the fabric appeared as if she’d donned the sea underneath Vaalane’s light. As the witch waited for her signal, she sipped on sweet white wine and made pleasant small talk with the representatives of Frostmaw.
Kang / A faint mist rolls into the arena, thickening much faster than natural as strangely muted hoofbeats echo in the air, seemingly from all directions. A shimmery black mare races into the arena, depositing her armored burden on hard earth. Compared to his equine ally, his feet seem deafening. The tall reptilian preklek surveys the crowd and gives a solemn wave. The tarnished laurel from his previous victory over Winter sits almost mockingly on his brow. He pulls his staff from the unicorn's back and whispers something in her ear. Her only response is a whicker and she gallops back into the fogs. Aruaven fer Kang steps over to his corner, the charms on his ankle clinking slightly. He is ready.
Beldur ::The warrior and his drake walk with a purpose into the arena. His visor lower as if ready to face the challenges ahead of the pair. His sword and shield before him. His armor, that he earned the last tournament, seems different. Arcane runes caress the edges of the Frostmawian styled armor. It's runes seem to reflect in the torch light. The silver-blue scales of the young drake wrapped around his shoulders growls as she saw the pair's opponent. Rising to rest her claws on her masters head. Spreading her wings in what could be at best an intimidation display. “Shela, shield.” Was all he said before the drake gave a final hiss at the Preklek. Her form still small enough to hide behind the large kite shield as his sword lifts to give his opponent a respectful salute. He didn't acknowledge the crowd with how focused he was on the duel.
Valrae || When it was signaled from below that both contestants were prepared to begin, the witch stood from her soft cushioned seat and raised her hand delicately. The drum beat halted and the arena fell to silence as her voice rang out. “Welcome to the first match of the annual Titans of Winter tournament!” She calls to the crowd, pausing for the dramatic bellowing of the patrons that followed before continuing. “Tonight, the knight-errant Beldur will face off against Kang!” As she speaks, incredibly lifelike illusions of all manner of people began to move over the arena. They walked calmly, moving about as if they were enjoying a park. There was a mother, a giggling babe on her hip. An elderly man seemed to be enjoying a relaxing stroll through the center of the hard packed earth. A young girl skipped over a rope. In total, there were a dozen illusions in the ring. The mayor addresses the contestants now, “The rules are simple. Try to defeat your opponent without causing any civilian casualties or damage. If you do, you’ll find that your mistakes will have explosive consequences.” Which was to say, each illusion of a Cenrili commoner would trigger an explosion of holy and arcane magic. While it wouldn’t be lethal, there was the minor risk of losing a few appendages if one weren’t careful, and it would be painful. She paused once more, waiting until she could feel the hardly contained energy of the crowd reaching its breaking point, before she dropped her hand again. “Begin.”
Round One:
Kang allows a small grin to pass across his face at the ‘no civilians’ rule. This would do nicely. “Now, my Lady!!” In response a loud whicker from the mists that still hadn’t dissipated signals that the stygian unicorn had not left the arena completely. The fog thickens to the point where identifying commoner and enemy would be impossible. To further confuse the issue, the staff in Kang’s hand melts over his body, turning him into one of the commoners. He joins the crowd, matching the rhythm of his movements to the illusions. He makes his way over to Beldur, and on passing extends a single ash-covered claw. The sudden stab and run should do the trick. Kang leaps forward, trusting that the commoners would continue moving as he’d seen. Before he lands, he has another face again. This is what the staff was made for. Occasionally a giggling whicker emanates from seemingly nowhere. The stygian mare likes this game.
Beldur ::He was surprised at the illusions of civilians. Even his drake looked confused. Knowing they're not truly there. Hearing Val's yell to start, he gives Shela a quick whistle to redirect her attention. But the first stab was able to get through. Shela chirped as she smelled her masters blood. His armor unable to dispel illusion. His growl escaped his lips and helm as he looked around. “Find him and be a good girl.” Shela would spread her wings, leaping off his shield and into the air. Though the staff seemed to hide his physical feature, Shela moved through the air as though she was a shark. Seeking her masters blood. Pausing before one illusion, then another and another, chirping here and there to ensure the large Frostmawian warrior could follow. Finally stopping before an illusion, she would tilt her head before breathing frost into it's face. Trusting his drake, he would return the favor. Striking from the mist into the illusion she struck to buy her time to escape an attack or the enchantment if she was wrong.
Round Two:
Kang / It has been a long time since he’d have to fight in earnest, so it is completely understandable that the blast of frost strikes true. Kang leaps again, replacing certainty with the desperate hope that the civilians wouldn’t change their routines. He barely dodges Beldur’s strike, but his eyes need time to recover. Time that isn’t available. He brushes his hand across his face, and the disguise dissolves and flows down his arm. It reforms into a white stick that he raps on the ground. The echoes of the taps most certainly give his position away, but it also helps to orient him with the temporary lack of sight. He uses his other hand to brush away the ice and hopefully restore utility to his eyes. All is not lost, however. He calls out into the mists. “Here kitty, kitty. Come back to papa.” The ash he’d deposited on Beldur activates with a low purr. It lights up, but does no damage to the Frostmawian warrior. No, it simply lashes out at every commoner as Beldur or his drake passes. The chain of explosions would help Kang locate them without needing to see, and if his opponent gets hurt as well. . .Um, oops?
Beldur ::Hearing the call, at first, would think his opponent was taunting his drake. But hearing the purring, he instead gives a sharp whistle. Sending the drake up into the air as his armor activates. Nullifying most of the holy damage that he wouldn't gotten. His drake coming in from above to swipe at the reptilian warrior. Her claws trying to catch skin, er scales before lifting herself up to escape his reach. Though the explosions would hurt, he would charge towards where he heard the staff tapped the ground. He could almost take the injuries from the explosions themselves. But he wondered if his opponent could. Or if his opponent would see him coming. Shela would circle above him waiting for a chance to return for more strikes to keep the staff user from being solely focused on one of them.
Round Three:
Kang directs the fiery chaos elemental with the claw coated in a mixture of the elemental's ash and Beldur's blood. He follows the sounds of the explosions, calmly sidestepping the civilians and paying close attention to the sounds of footsteps. A shift in the mists where there shouldn't be a civilian, and the lack of footsteps tells Kang exactly where the drake is. The rush of footsteps and a sudden increase in explosions that is impossible to ignore tells the preklek the exact location of the drake's owner. He crouches, and leaps straight at the drake swinging his stick that shifts once again, but this time it's supremely less than elegant. The club whistles through the air at the drake, intent on launching it directly into the approaching maelstrom of magic and her master.
Beldur ::Shela was use to fighting giants, and wolves. But beings similar in size to her master wasn't common for her like it was for Beldur. She would be hit hard but not without her own retort of a surprised frost breath aimed at the hand that held the weapon. Hitting his shield, she would climb behind it to nurse her injury while being protected by the thick arm and board. Beldur, on the other hand would be focused. His arm would bring the shield closer to protect his drake. He didn't have magic, but to make up for it, he had might and weapons training. Even in the mists of explosions, he would seek out his foe. Shela chirping to follow the scent of his blood on his foe. Though even that was starting to become unreliable as he was unable to stop the explosions from opening up more injuries. But unlike the preklek, he wasn't blinded earlier in the fight. Every attack aimed for unarmored parts. His control stopping before hitting an illusion, though his opponents spell would cause it to explode anyways. He would suddenly swing his shield when he felt he was close enough. Whether he hit or not, his drake would peek her head around the underside of the shield to breath her frozen breath in hopes to pin Kang.
Final Defense:
Kang staggers backward at the blasts, covering his face from further damage. Suddenly, with a loud whinny, his unicorn emerges from the mists and takes the full brunt of both Beldur's and his drakes attacks. Mist rises from her flanks and the mystical effects take hold, healing both her and Kang even mid-battle. He climbs onto her back and they gallop away, making distance for them to breathe.
Winner: Kang
Beldur :: Shela would pout at the results of the bout. A warm chuckle would come out as he heads towards Kang. His sword sheathed before offering a hand to the victor. Battered, bloodied, and injured, he still upheld a code. "It was a good duel. Though in pure strength, I think I would've won."
Kang directs his mare over to Beldur, and slides down to offer a hand. "Thank you for demonstrating just how much I need to improve. There was a time when I'd have taken no damage, nor resorted to such tricks." With that, he gallops back the way he came. Seconds later, a cloud of hissing yowling embers jolts from Beldur's side chasing after the preklek. The kitty may be naughty, but it knows who home is.
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