It was time.

Enough waiting, enough talking. Alaric had trained for this, and he would not hesitate to reach out and take what he deserved. He did not even know the name of the pride, knew only its location was appealing -- he wanted a place to shelter his future family, to give strength to the clan that supported him.

He was not sure if the Rike would show today, now, but he did not care. Their support had been given and if it came down to it he knew their claws would be waiting. Erna would be watching, somewhere, and he hoped that there would be others. The challenge was on his shoulders, though, and there was no sign of hesitation in the cream coated beast as he stalked to the entrance of the caves.

Alaric appreciated what the Oasis had done for him, allowing him to grow stronger while doing what he could to serve the pride, but now it was time for him to claim his own throne.

He stopped outside where the caves began and there he loosed his call for the King, whomever he may be. This pride would be his. He stood as if uninterested but readied himself all the same -- he expected them to get right down to it, when the unknown leader appeared. So he flexed his muscles and shifted his weight, balancing evenly over all fours, while checking his defenses at the same time. And then he waited with a grin that was almost disturbing.



Alaric vs @Roan
for Obsidian Hollow
0/5

code by corvus

ooc: good luck! and warning for language XD

For fuck's sake. Roan couldn't help the thought from running through his mind the second he heard the call for his crown. Just when he was finally starting to feel settled somewhere with hope of bringing his family together under the Hollow's banner, someone had to come along with intent to stop that dream... again. The only consolation Roan took to the challenge, though, was that it didn't come from a familiar voice. He'd much rather fight someone he didn't know rather than be challenged from within like last time.

Wasting no time, the mauve lion raced out of the caves, fully intent on meeting this challenge head on. With only one male present, it was clear who his opponent would be as Roan let a rage-filled roar rip through his vocal chords. Paws ate up the ground beneath him as the Hodari aimed to charge straight at @Alaric ♔. He would attempt to collide head on as the king burst from the shadows of Obsidian. The male's right shoulder would be shifted forward at the last moment in hoped to collide it square into his opponent's chest. Ears slicked back into the Hodari's mane with his eyes narrowed subtly for protection. His head lowered to cover his throat until Roan was close enough to attempt to bite at the right side of Alaric's face. He wouldn't waste time with talking. Let's just get this over with.

Roan vs. @Alaric ♔
for Obsidian Hollow
1/5
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 10 + 4 + 18 + 12 + 17 + 7

Dodges:

Rolling 6d20: 2 + 9 + 20 + 10 + 1 + 13

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 16 + 10 + 11 + 7 + 6 + 12

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Base

it had been quiet for longer than she would have expected. the spring had been busy with gathering herbs and hunting, but it seemed that amaryllis itself had settled in to a lull over the past months. winter hibernation, perhaps.

with spring came life and, surprise surprise, a challenge.

she was one of the first to arrive having been in the desert to gather some plants that did not grow elsewhere. with curious eyes -- she knew roan from the tournament, after all, and he seemed a good man -- she settled a safe distance away to watch. her bag of goodies at her side, ever-ready to offer her assistance if it is needed.

**Note: double exp for all participants in this thread due to boost**

+10 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds 1/2
+10 Gather information about a character 0/2

Art by Yumpy

+10 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds (double xp)

Could the Hodari ever find peace? A familiar call rang out at their doorstep. Not familiar by way of who was calling for her brother, but by what they were calling for. Another challenge for another pride, and Roan would be on the receiving end of yet another fight. Avana could feel the panic already settling in, knowing that her big brother wouldn't give up their home without giving his all. Though she didn't want to see him get hurt again, the maned girl knew she couldn't not be there for her brother either. Quickly, the strawberry lass gathered up whatever herbs she had stashed in her den before heading out in her brother's wake.

By the time she appeared from the mouth of the caves, Roan was already engaging in battle. The one calling for the crown was a stranger, so at least it wasn't an act of betrayal from within like last time. Though she didn't know if her brother knew the man, the scent of Andal eventually wafted her way. So it wasn't an ally, either, who wished to take Obsidian. Just another lion out for land and power, probably.

Avana would remain halfway hidden within the caves, not that she was purposely trying to hide, but she didn't feel the need to tread further out. Staying out of her brother's way was priority number one. Casting her maw over her shoulder, though, she'd call for the rest of Obsidian, especially those who were related to Roan. They needed to show their support for their king especially if this simple challenged turned into anything worse, as seemed rather common within Amaryllis lately. For now, all the younger Hodari could do was sit and watch her brother, hoping that any injuries he sustained would not be dire, and that he would come out of this the victor.

Table & Reference by Amanda | Base by Drifty | Background from unsplash

The man of the hour burst from the caves like a hurricane and that grin on his face grew. This was what he had been waiting for -- this is what made his blood sing. A thirst for battle made his throat dry, and there was little doubt in his mind that this would be a vicious one.

They were evenly matched, and sharp green eyes watched the quick approach of the Hodari male. At the last moment he shifted to the left and braced for the inevitable impact. That slight step was enough to throw off the target, Roan's shoulder colliding with Alaric's right. Certainly the Starke male would come out more bruised than his opponent, but bruises would heal.

An angry snarl tore from his lips in answer to the Hodari's impact, his head diving and teeth flashing forward in an attempt to have them sink in to that same shoulder. He can feel Roan's own teeth close on the thick of his mane (his cheek out of reach due to his own move), and can feel a chunk of it torn from flesh, but he is focused on his target. He aims to bite down while at the same time his left paw rises from the ground, claws unsheathed to strike at Roan's right side. Alaric intends to flay flesh over ribs, to water the ground with the kings blood.

He does not play nice.



Alaric vs @Roan
for Obsidian Hollow
1/5
Hits:

Rolling 9d20: 16 + 14 + 7 + 3 + 1 + 18 + 8 + 10 + 4

Dodges:

Rolling 4d20: 2 + 11 + 10 + 8

Luck:

Rolling 5d20: 13 + 6 + 3 + 1 + 4

+1 hit due to doubled lvl 1 trade bonus from AO's tier 4

code by corvus

Intriguing. The summons was deep. A mature male, aggressive and invasive and interesting. Toblerone knew of pride takeovers but had never been involved with one. The claim had been too stingy with drama for her liking; Roan was too nice (at least in public). The pink near-yearling sullied through the caverns. She knew her way in the dark, and she knew the smells of the outside trickling in on the heels of strangers.

She watched the two men clash in the murk, one dark and one bright. Indeed, they were the same age and size, so she figured the battle would be truly based on skill. How wonderful to be in a pride where the strongest ruled. (Hint: Someday it was gonna be her. She was the strongest.) Whatever the outcome, Toblerone would be pleased... maybe she could fashion up a little something for the winner, hmm? On that note, she sidled along the sidelines toward a strange female who was sitting sentinel near a bundle of herbs @Calypso. "Are you with him?" She asked casually, the tone deliberate. It wasn't an accusation. She wished to declare that she cared not for the female's loyalties - there was another question on the tip of her tongue, once the water had been tested.

+10x2 Learn something about pride/group/family relations
+5x2 Attend a spar or challenge to assess the wounds

the click of her tongue was an irritable one, prowling towards the borders of her once-home with a narrowed gaze and the slightest prick of her ebony fur. she knew not who challenged for the throne or for what reasons, but it did not matter much, in her eyes — because, regardless of what flippant explanations the brute may have, this had still been her birth land, forged from stone and shadows, and voluspa had always maintained a sense of protectiveness over it, even in her absence.

she is amongst the first to arrive, roan delving into battle with prowess and might, as he should — and though the sigrun recognized @Calypso amongst the growing sea of faces, she opted to pause and maintain her anonymity, at least for the time being. tucking herself into a crevice amongst the shadows, the yearling hoped to remain unseen, and unnoticed, as others spectators would begin to filter in, waiting for the right moment to make herself known. or, maybe not. she would have to see how all of this unfolded first, she supposed.

voluspa is attempting to remain hidden

coded by flea + background credit

It's time. Sunníva cannot deny how excited she is about another event with a large gathering, and the potential for chaos. Of course, she's promised to behave herself, and she is well aware of the repercussions if she doesn't -- but if she doesn't start it, then all bets are off.

She's been cautious, however, and before heading for the hollows, she'd found a particularly muddy spot to roll in and conceal her scent that is otherwise too easy for a Sigrún to pinpoint by now. By the time she makes her approach to the impending battle, the mud has dried into a clay; she prowls quietly around the outskirts, climbing up the rocky outcroppings until she's found a suitable spot up above. From here, nestled between the rocks, she can easily see everything happening below -- and hopefully, no one will notice her. Reclining onto her belly, her singular eye fixates upon the fighting men, a wry simper on her lips.

sunníva is hidden

you said you wanted revolution

table by sentinel / art

Much to his delight, the stranger didn't try to talk his way to the crown, not that Roan had given him much choice. The disappointment came, however, when Alaric shifted to his left at just the right moment. A jolt shot up Roan's shoulder at the impact between both their right shoulders, knowing the bruising would be deep come tomorrow. It was almost routine at this point, though, to put the burden literally on his own shoulders, so scarred over from previous fights. The flood of adrenaline would help to dull the ache of it all for now as the Hodari's jaws only managed to snag out a mouthful of mane from his opponent.

Alarics own jaws then came searching for Roan's right shoulder. Being that there was little he could to do avoid the onslaught, the Andal lion would find his mark quite well. Teeth gouged into the scarred flesh, sending another searing pain through Roan's shoulder and a hiss through his teeth. He could already feel the blood seeping into his thick fur. This was really all too familiar, but hopefully the mauve man had learned from past fights. Who are we kidding? Roan has like four different moves and that's it. As such, he did what he always did and aimed to shove his weight behind his shoulder and push hard into Alaric's jaws. With the lighter male's face on Roan's right side, though, the mauve lion couldn't see the paws that came soaring for his shoulders. It would only be the sting of claws against his right side that would let him know of the attack. Instinctively, the Obsidian king tried to pivot his hind end to his own left, away from Alaric's claws. The Andal's claws would thus leave behind mild slices down Roan's ribcage before falling off just before his stomach.

With his right front limb anchored, Roan would lift his left front limb with claws exposed in an attempt to smack against Alaric's right side, similar to what the Andal lion had already done. However, the Hodari's target was further up, aiming to dig his claws into the flesh just behind his opponent's right front limb. Meanwhile, the Obsidian king would again attempt to snap his jaws towards his opponent's face, this time craning his head to his right in pursuit of the top of the lighter male's head.

Roan vs. @Alaric ♔
for Obsidian Hollow
2/5
Hits:

Rolling 6d20: 2 + 18 + 16 + 10 + 7 + 14

Dodges:

Rolling 6d20: 17 + 14 + 18 + 20 + 7 + 9

Luck:

Rolling 6d20: 12 + 20 + 8 + 10 + 7 + 2

Table & Ref by Amanda | Background | Base

the winter soldier

THE BLOOD ON MY TEETH BEGINS TO TASTE LIKE A POEM, LIKE RELIGION, LIKE THE WAY YOU LOOK AT ME

Violence fills the air, the snarls resounding through the cerulean firmament, and Amaroq is drawn to it all; he is drawn to the chaos. His body, lean and athletic, is the blood-hued flash of crimson against the long grass; his muscled frame, weaving through the shadows, his taloned-paws heavy and massive, as grit from the earth digs between his toes. This would be his first pride take over to witness. It consumed his curiosity, and his glacial blue eyes will watch with dark intention, how the two men fought. The two men appeared similar in size, and Amaroq thinks it will be a close fight. His muscular body unfurls from the darkness, finding a solitary place to witness it all. Amaroq speaks to no one, and he observes in silence, curious of the outcome. One day, it will be him the one who challenges. One day.

Amaroq is observing.

+5 Observe a fight 1/2