Round 2 - Housemaster vs Imp[J- Nazgul]

[Nazgul]

The black robed figure known as Nazgul stood in the middle of a great stone pit. The pit was a perfect circle with a diameter two hundred yards. The stone walls of the pit were adorned with carvings which appeared to be Mayan in nature.

The walls of the pit stretched upward for one thousand feet, the opening revealing blue sky. A few long vines hung down the walls, the ends just barely touching the floor. The floor was also made of stone, though it was smooth and unremarkable, save for the small quarter inch space which separated it from the wall.

Nazgul waved his hand and the two combatants appeared at opposite ends of the pit.

"Greetings," Nazgul's voice hissed. "Welcome to the pit. One of you will move on, the other will become a blotch of gore on the walls of this pit. And why you may ask?" Nazgul didn't answer as in that moment he vanished and the floor started to rotate.

( I will not jump in on this. Each round of posts, the floor is going to increase in speed. It will become difficult to keep your footing by the fifth round due to centrifugal force. And it will be nigh impossible when you get to the eighth round. The stone walls of the pit are unbreakable and despite the carvings, will be impossible to climb as they do not go to the floor and start about 10 ft above your heads

By a flip of a coin(I used a Canadian penny ), Housemaster has first post

Have fun and good luck!)

[Housemaster]

*can finally post*

"No one!" one boy boldly stated to his flabbergasted friend.

The other young boy blinked, "You sure? Like, even against the best?"

He nodded, "Mmhmmm... us druids travel everywhere, so we would know!"

Both boys were sitting on the edge of a town near a rustling river that rushed into the neighbouring forest. One of the boys lived in the house right by the river, the other lived further in the forest where the Druids dwelled and called home. The discussion at hand? Warriors... champions... those who dwelled in books or lived in castles. The town boy favoured knights of old and warriors built of strong steel. The young druid made a very bold statement in that affair, a very bold statement indeed.

The druid boy spoke of mystical creatures who lived in the forest, of druids whom have transcended a human's natural connection with nature and became engulfed with its power. These creatures were known as the Wo'dan, meaning 'Those who watch the Wood'. The Wo'dan are among the most respected creatures of the forest according to the Druid elders, many seeking their wisdom and guidance about the forest from such creatures. As revered as these creatures are, Wo'dans are incredibly rare and are widely solitary beings.

"They're as powerful as a mountain!" The young druid boasted, feeding off the immense wonder and awe generated by his town-dwelling friend. "A Wo'dan can defeat any warrior, easy!"

"Really! I would love to see one in action!" the town boy imagined images of how fierce a Wo'dan would be.

The druid shook his head, "Well..." he leaned forward as his words held some worldly secret, "Most Wo'dans stay in their forests, and most warriors who encounter one dare to never harm one." the druid then reclaimed his boast, "But if one ever were to challenge a Wo'dan, they would have no chance!"

It was then and there the boy from the town remembered seeing a flyer posting about some tournament. "What if... we entered him into a tournament?"

The druid, unfamiliar with such things, became curious to his friend's suggestion. The town boy explained to him what a tournament was and how it was organized, but something seemed to make this wishful scenario a bit hopeless.

"One problem though..." The town boy stated. "How are we going to find a Wo'dan and convince it to fight in a tournament?"

The young druid's face twisted with a scheming grin, "Leave it to me... just leave it to me..."

* * * * * * * * * *

Weeks have passed, and the final sign-up for the tournament was nearing its close. The two young boys, accompanied by an oddly shaped figure who was walking with the aid of a staff, were slowly making their way into town towards the main square.

"Common, we've got to hurry!" The young druid told the cloaked figure, whom seemed very uninterested in whatever affairs the two boys had. Instead, his hidden visage was pacing from here, to there, slowly taking in every nook of detail the town had to offer.

His voice hummed like a drawn out baritone note, "Ohmmmm.... Paaaaatiencceee younnnng seeedling..." His attention was set on a tree which was boxed in on the side of the road, its roots covered with cobblestones with little space for soil. The cloaked figure placed his bark-covered hand on the tree, "Such a loonnnnely child with... aummmm.... little ssssspace..."

It was then the surrounding stones cracked and shifted with a sudden disturbance. The tree's roots had suddenly sprung to life and shifted many of the surrounding stones to expose more soil. The hooded figure smiled as he rejoined the two anxious boys.

"You can talk to the trees later, but right now theres an entire forest that can use your help!" The druid shouted, rushing the cloaked figure down the square towards a rather unimpressive table and sign-up sheet. The young druid arrived first, demanding for a sign-up sheet.

"Sorry kid..." The herald grabbed the paper, "You're far too young to join..."

The druid gave a very sarcastic glare, "You think I'M going to fight in this tournament? Mister... I'm ten years old. I may be a kid, but I'm no idiot." The herald adjusted his glasses and spotted the other two lingering in the background, "See that man over there? I'm signing him up, not me..."

He gave the druid a suspicious look, "Why's he need you to sign up for him?"

The kid chucked as if the question was expected, "Sir, if I may call you "sir". My friend here has only lived a life of battle..."

A couple of birds fluttered on to the cloaked figure's shoulder as he hummed with glee at their arrival.

"A fierce man like my friend here grew up in combat... so sadly he cannot read or write." The druid grabbed the paper back, "So I write for him! Sorta like his unofficial manager... somewhat... kinda..."

The herald observed as the cloaked man soon became adorned with many colourful birds, each chirping beautiful notes as the 'fierce warrior' whistled back in song. "Yyyyyeah... Sure kid, whatever." He handed the druid a pen, "Sign there and he'll start immediately."

The druid snatched the pen and quickly filled out the necessary paperwork, taking no time to read what it actually said. Checking off the liability boxes preventing any 'legal' measures to be sought, the druid ended by signing the cloaked figure's name.

Hu'natu

With the final stroke of the pen, the square filled with a flashing light and Hu'natu disappeared immediately to the frightened shrills of the birds. The Druid looked shocked, "Wha-wa... What happened?"

The Herald looked bored, "Looks like your man was picked..."

"Picked?!"

The man nodded, "Yeah, picked... didn't cha read the paper? Every name that gets signed is placed in a pool of hundreds, maybe even thousands! The good ones get picked, then teleported to the battleground of the Judges design."

This did not bode well with the young druid, "But... but... I didn't even warm him up! Or even tell him what a tournament actually is!"

"WHAT?" the other boy yelled, "He doesn't know that he's supposed to fight?"

The druid shook his head, "I was gonna tell him, right before the fight, honest! I told him that a tournament was where people discussed the growth of worldly forests... I... I..."

The herald, still bored, was picking his ear, "Well I hope yer man is the 'born killer' you said he was... Otherwise he won't be lastin' very long."

* * * * * * * * * *

Hu'natu felt very surprised with the sudden change of environment. He was used to gradual changes, things that were expected and required slow tender care. This was a flash of something entirely new and unfamiliar, but the Wo'dan stood his ground with a curious stare into the what was called "The Pit".

There was much stone here, very little in the means of plant life save for the vines descending the walls. Everything felt too 'man-made' for Hu'natu's liking, chiseled down to fit people's specifications while often damaging the growing wild around it. The Wo'dan limped towards the wall with his staff in hand and carefully observed the vines. The roots were strong and skin felt rough to the touch, stronger then most plants would be. It seems the environment required a tougher plant to survive whatever it was that happens down here... what exactly does happen down here?

Hu'natu remained silent, even after he noticed that he was not alone. The one named Nazgul provided a quick and grim greeting before disappearing entirely. All of this was unfamiliar magic to Hu'natu's senses. Regardless of Nazgul's proclamation of "becoming a blotch of gore on the walls" Hu'natu attempted to remain fairly optimistic, and blissfully ignorant to what he was actually involved in.

"Aummmmm... Greeeeeeetings..." The Wo'dan gave a respectful nod.

His opponent felt very large and unfamiliar as well. It was difficult to tell what sort of creature was facing, but Hu'natu's curiosity was more geared to another fellow 'forest lover' rather then a half-giant warrior who is more or less very intent in hacking the innocent Wo'dan to pieces. Then the floor started moving to Hu'natu's surprise.

"Ruuuuu? Hoooow, mmmmm.... cuuuuurious..." he hummed while brushing his hands against the vines on the wall, soon to be his only friends in this hell-forsaken pit of an arena.

[Imp]

After the unexpected blinding flash, the Jotun found himself in far different place. Unlike the peculiar environment of the previous, this had a feeling of home thanks to the familiar stone the tribe's masons use. The pit also had a similar feel to one of the many dragon nests in the mountains near his home with it also being cold and somewhat dark.

He assumed he was victorious over Asavar and so his next combatant, although a confusing sight, apparently was the tree in the shape of a man. Once again this tournament brought on something different. Last time it was the place, now the person. He had fought similar beings but during that skirmish was the available use of fire. This time, sadly there was none to be obtainable.

Another judge appeared, this one different from the former Tal'set was first introduced to. This one varying greatly in appearance but all the same informed the fighters of the map and the end results. Gore would merely relate to the Jotun rather than his woody friend probably filled with sap. For this fight, his shield may prove worthless and so he may need to be on the offensive as that would allow him to be faster.

"Aummmmm... Greeeeeeetings..." the combatant spoke and a nod followed. The Jotun didn't respond and instead stood there in silence in his iconic defensive position. However, he was soon taken off balance by the floor beginning a rather noisy slow rotation. Collecting his footing again, Tal'set went on the defensive and was ready for the fight to begin. As usual, he would let his foe take the first move...

[Housemaster]

No response...

The gentle Wo'dan sensed his fellow occupant's tense stance. Its given nature of the large creature's stance suggested that he was on edge, as if he was expecting Hu'natu to do something unexpected. Hu'natu was not one to do something unexpected, not on purpose at least. One could say that he being in this tournament in the first place was plenty unexpected, but again... that was not Hu'natu's choice.

His opponent was doing nothing, and to the best of the blissfully unaware Wo'dan's knowledge this large figure was here to tend to nature as the young Druid had told him. The vines dropping down from the walls were the only bit of nature in this deathly pit. That was when a spark lit in his head. What if they were sent here to tend to the vines, to help them grow? It certainly did fit well with what the young druid had told him, as incorrect as it was.

The old tree hummed as he turned to face the wall to examine the condition of the vines. His expression turned sour when he remembered the floor's movement, but something else felt odd and... unnatural. The floor's movement was not constant... it was in fact accelerating, bit by bit. Taking root on the edge would only waste energy as the speed would destroy any attempt of plant-life. Past experience from "deconstructing" watermills with accelerated growth of nature taught the Wo'dan that the best place to grow in a moving circle is the absolute centre. Plants that were growing near the edges of the water-mill snapped easily and eventually got drowned by the water... however the plant-life that was taking root in the centre of the wheel was able to get a more stable root. Simple law of nature, and Wo'dan has been observing nature for a long, long time.

He began his trek towards the centre of the rotating floor, maintaining his balance while doing so. It was a long trek, and weather or not the other occupant would do anything was beyond Hu'natu as it appeared that the Jotun was waiting for the old tree to make the first move. Finally he reached the centre, and the air immediately began to change.

Fresh roots shot from between the old barken openings of Hu'natu's legs and dug forcefully into the surrounding stone floor, creating a small diameter of roots about ten feet wide. Standing comfortably in the centre, the only interruptive movement the platform was giving him was a small rotation... best place in this circle to proliferate new seedlings...

"Ummm... perrhaps you can work with the... ummm... vines?" He lulled at his friend, "Do not ssssstay near the walls too long... this rotation is... ermm.. troublesome..."

As time progresses, the roots would grow bit by bit into lively young trees accompanied by vibrant plants. Would the Jotun allow it to happen? Find out on the next episode of Dragon Ball Z

[Imp]

A crude growth formed on his enemy and it looked like it needed a trim. Seemed the walking tree was harnessing power whilst planting himself in the center. Tal'set thought quickly on the subject of how to assess the situation and once the walking tree spoke up again, he just smirked behind his mask. He knew a good shield bash was in order.

"Do not ssssstay near the walls too long... this rotation is... ermm.. troublesome..." the foe then finished. Tal'set already figured the best place was in the middle, especially seeing it would be mandatory due to the increased speed he felt. The spinning platform reminded him of a flail in that the outward rotation was dangerous due to the force it gathered unlike the middle region. References to tools of war generally guided him in the right direction of how physics and the sort worked.

If the Jotun would pull off the shield bash well enough, he needed to not directly charge in a straight line at his target but rather run a foot or two away from the center to better flow with the rotational momentum. If he had ran straight, he would have been off in his trajectory and the shield bash would have been for nihil as it missed.

"You right... I come." Tal'set finally replied with his loose grip on the English language. He placed the guan dao aside as he needed both hands to support a moderate shield bash. Sure it didn't use all of his strength but he needed to learn about his enemy and not sacrifice energy to heavy attacks so early on. Plus, unlike his comrade, he couldn't gather energy from the surroundings and so he needed to use it sparingly.

Once everything was confirmed in his mind, he charged forth and insisted on giving the tree a welcoming shield bash...

[Housemaster]

The little sun that was able to creep into their deep hole felt like delicate warmth on Hu'natu's old skin. Taking root is always a mixed bag for the Wo'dan, especially when the environment discourages any plant-life taking form... but the Wo'dan was always fond of bending nature's rules for its own benefit. The stone floor felt rough and cold compared to the fertile soil that allows for such growth, but the Wo'dan stood still in his meditation as the vines opened with new seedlings of green and pale colours.

But something felt off...

The Wo'dan had lost track of the whereabouts of his friend since he left the confines of the Pit wall. Hu'natu was spending a good deal of concentration tending to his new children which made him lose his sense of things in the Pit. The environment felt a little darker, but Hu'natu felt no need to worry... not until he felt the heavy footsteps.

The enormous creature charged towards the Old Tree with an ill intent. The Wo'dan could feel a sense of foul play in the air, but felt that his mind may have been playing tricks due to the amount of energy spent on growing new trees. Suddenly, the giant came into focus once again only this time he was holding his enormous shield as some sort of weapon. What was he planning to do with tha-*WACK* Hu'natu felt a heavy impact in his left shoulder where The Jotun charged. It twisted his body sideways as chunks of bark flew outwards with the collision. His feet remained firmly planted on the ground due to the roots, but in the process broke one of his legs nearly clean off from falling on such an awkward angle. The Wo'dan felt a rush of confusion veiling his attempts of puzzling together what just happened, all of which was now replaced with his survival instincts.

Keeping the majority of his weight and balance on his walking stick, Hu'natu pushed back towards the area of impact and reached out with his long arms. His goal was to grab hold of whatever the threat was, be it the shield, or even Tal'set himself. Once his hands got a hold on whatever attacked him, he would hold on with a grip that could turn coal into diamond. The next step would be to pull the aggressor inwards towards Hu'natu, keeping the Jotun close long enough to charge his spores and let loose with the chemistry of nature.

Attacking a Wo'dan is almost like attacking a hornet's nest... Best be light on your feet if you wish not to be stung. However if the Jotun is able to escape the Old Tree's grasp, he will have to retreat further from the centre of the platform. A platform which is continuously accelerating with potentially lethal results.

[Imp]

After completing the first attack on the Wo'dan, Tal'set prepared for a follow up blow. Pulling back like a piston ready to fire outward, he was then taken by surprise from one of the creature's swinging arms. The strength of the swing picked him up while he was hugging the High Guard closely. The shield did the job but some cracks were heard on impact. As the swing continued, Tal'set found himself being tossed over his shield and the arm due to it lifting higher from the low swipe.

Managing to roll out of the radius of the swinging arms, the Jotun noted the shield had been taken from him. It was always a tragedy when such a ceremonial gift would be lost during conflict but he wasn't ready to lose it completely just yet. Seeking the guan dao for assistance, he found the platform's speed increased further. This would prove to be troublesome, but Tal'set was a warrior, and thus meant he would find the means to either use the obstacle as support or overcoming it.

Either way, he needed to keep on the offensive with this creature but in a defensive manner. Tal'set knew he needed to further embrace the Wo'dan's swinging attacks to lessen the impact. Allowing the force to take him instead of putting up resistance would result in far less ribs getting cracked. The Jotun was up against a violent tree and so either he had to keep his distance which would prove difficult thanks to the rotating platform, or instead go in close which proved deadly. Decisions, decisions...

Tal'set decided on the former until the speed of the rotation increased or till his enemy was forced from his current centered positing in the pit. Taking the pole weapon into both hands, he positioned himself for a swipe at the lower section of the tree man. Tal'set, hoping to deliver several chops with the guan dao, knew after the first hit that the Wo'dan would counter fiercely. Or it should but it seemed different from the usual tree-like monsters he had tackled before. Pulling the dao behind his right side, Tal'set aimed and then swung heavily. As the blade came closer to the target, all that crossed his mind was what to do in recovering from a possible failing attack...

[Housemaster]

The enormous creature was surprisingly nimble for its size as the Old Tree discovered as it held on to the Jotun's shield instead of the Jotun himself. Luckily, the aggressor was falling back to revisit his plans of attack and to retrieve yet another weapon he had set aside near the edge of the pit one-hundred yards away. This allowed Hu'natu plenty of time to make use of at least one of his spores.

The Old Tree's upper torso suddenly started to emit a luminescent cloud of bright greens, yellows, and blues. The cloud was composed of thousands of bacterial spores that, when released, are attracted to the broken membranes of other cells which at the moment could be found in the Wo'dan's broken leg and damaged arm. The bacteria swirled around the wounded leg and began replace all the dead and damaged cells. Before long his leg had reattached itself, but not perfectly as it left his ankle a bit warped and twisted (which explains the other misshaped body parts on many Wo'dan). The remaining spores descended on the young plants and roots surrounding the Old Tree, healing any harm done by the Jotun's destructive trampling. As far as Hu'natu was concerned, his mission was to protect his new children at all costs...

Hu'natu wished to reason with his fellow occupant in this pit, but it seemed that Tal'set had a limited understanding of his language. Regardless, the Wo'dan would attempt to communicate through his actions where words would otherwise fail.

He felt the rumbling of yet another charge, however this time the aggressor was without a shield. Instead, the Jotun was carrying what felt like a large poll. The Wo'dan could not see the type of material that made its tip, which generally meant it was composed of metal... A crude and unnatural bending of nature for aggressive creatures with ill purposes (at least that was what most Wo'dan conclude). Now expecting and ready for the return of the Jotun, Hu'natu abandoned his concentration of his proliferation and concentrated fully on the charging creature.

Hu'natu was blind, but in cases like these he always used the sight of his enemies to his advantage...

When the Jotun was close enough, the Wo'dan's blind vision was suddenly full with the eyes of the Jotun himself. The Old Tree saw himself as the intended target, with the large poll-arm extended with the intention of causing harm. The edged blade of the Guan Dao swung low, and in an unorthodox method to neutralize the blade Hu'natu bent downwards to meet the blade head on.

The sharp metal bit deep into his right bicep, but showing no pain the Old Tree curled the rest of his arm around the blade in attempts to pull it from the Jotun's grasp (not knowing exactly how hard a Jotun's grip could be). The wood composition of Hu'natu's skin made it difficult to free any kind of blade, but given the aggressor's strong grip it was definitely possible granted it was pulled at the correct angle. As an added level to neutralize the giant creature, a dark cloud of dark grey mist sprayed from the small pores of the Wo'dan's body. The dark cloud completely surrounded the Old Tree, obscuring the vision and hopefully throwing Tal'set into a confused and worried state.

[Imp]

The hit was sweet at first but once Hu'natu retaliated by wrapping his arm around the weapon, it then proved most unsavory. Tal'set furiously tugged at the guan dao but with the pole being nearly one with the enemy's arm, it seemed a waste to continue. Just as the Jotun released his grip on the polearm, he was overwhelmed by a strange cloudy mist.

Tal'set jumped back in response but lost his balance due to the increasing rotation of the platform. Remaining on his bottom, he opened his eyes only to reveal his left was still clouded by the strange grey liquid. Concentrating on the moment, he understood that without a weapon he wouldn't have much of a chance against the wooden creature. Instead, he may as well try to learn more about the Wo'dan by speaking rather than by various attacks. The Jotun did his best to process the English language for a minute or two. Thinking up a comprehensible sentence would do well to start the communication between the two.

"What else you capable of?" The Jotun queried while sitting a good distance away from the Wo'dan. Tal'set shrugged off any worries of attack. He felt confident in dodging most anything from the distance he was at and the decreased probability of being directly hit due to the spinning motion offsetting anyone's aim. He wasn't planning on sitting there forever, no. Once either of the enemy's arms opened, then the weapons would be ripe for the picking...

[Housemaster]

Had Hu'natu been built like his other Wo'dan cousins, the dark mist surrounding him would have had a dim green glow from the slits of his eyes. The old tree however had lost the use of his eyes due to overgrowth, wood having knotted over where his lids should have been. Still, he could see clearly the dark mess he was making from Tal'set's vision, a useful tool for survival... and perspective.

"What else you capable of?"

The voice sounded and smelled of thick exotic lands. How exciting it would have been for Hu'natu to visit such areas with new forms of life and trees of varied sizes. If the warrior was willing to wait, the Wo'dan would show what he was capable of. Using what vital time he could, Hu'natu refocused his attention on proliferating, showing the Jotun that his true nature is to bring life, not to steal it. The Jotun's question seemed... inquisitive, but inquisitive was good... a curiosity that is normally shared by gentler creatures. His oaken throat bellowed his answer...

"MMmmmm... I will... prooootect these... children..." He sang, "I will... oohhmmm... do what I can."

He reached for the long poll-arm, releasing the metal teeth from his wooden frame. Hearing a small hissing noise, followed by the dripping of blood, the Wo'dan tossed the weapon from his garden. It landed to Tal'set's right if his vision was reliable, and the impact noise confirmed its position. The old tree wished to show his distaste for conflict by showing his distaste for keeping weapons. The poll-arm was shifting slightly from the movement of the platform, yet nothing too drastic for it to slide backwards.

At the moment, the very edge of the platform seemed nearly impossible to stand on. Anywhere that's fifty feet away from the centre would be considered unstable to inhabit... There was one possibility to stop it, though at the risk of ripping the old tree to pieces. If Hu'natu could complete his expansion of new trees, it would provide him with enough fauna to magnify his control outwards to the vines on the wall. If he could use the vines as leverage, it just may stop the platform from rotating... but from how things looked now it seems a very slim chance of succeeding, and very high risk of turning the Wo'dan into kindling...

And yet, the platform spins faster...