Round 1- RedKayne VS. Beta - [Judge: TheBat]

[Salroka]

Please forgive any errors in formatting or coding. As my laptop was stolen, I will be making this post from a very old mobile. Thank you for the understanding.

By the Dragons, this knight seemed to have near limitless potential. It had used two spells almost like it were nothing, and only slowed it pace by a small fraction. Speaking of spells, the crackling trap detonated at a snap of the knight's fingers and sent Lars' bow into the groaning abysmal flames. "You heretical bastard..." grumbled the hunter under his breath. His pap had helped him buy that bow when he was sixteen. Now it was gone. He'd show that knight what denizens of the Imperial Ruins did to people who, destroy things so casually...

Just then, the knight spoke. A name, an order unfamiliar to those of the Blessed Isle, and an expressed desire to have fought on more even terms... Lars was having none of it. "You speak of things that make no sense, Anathema. There is only the Immaculate Order in my lands, and your use of magic is proof of your status." It seemed however that the knight was no longer listening, as she began a charge against the young huntsman. What was worse, it seemed she had enchanted her shield with lightning... certainly not fun for Lars.

Just then, it seemed as if the arena itself came to his rescue. The floor changed direction once more and smoke billowed from above until it filled the chamber with a thick fog not unlike that which often hung in the forests where Lars hunted. This was his chance to capitalize. From the current distance between the two, Lars only saw the silhouette of the knight. Perfect. If that was so, maybe she was similarly impaired! Without a second thought, he clamped his teeth down on the pommel of his hand-axe and wedged his knife under one arm. It was time for a trap.

Reaching into one of his pouches, Lars retrieved a bag of wickedly pointed caltrops, sure to halt any charge. He tossed the metal foot-wreckers in a ninety degree arc in front of him, about three meters away from his current position. With the fog, it was likely the knight would be focused on him rather than the floor. Lastly, to make it seem like he was merely panicking, Lars threw his "Lucky Rock" directly at the knight before making a few steps back and readying his axe and knife once more.


"You'll get yours, Anathema... keep coming. That's right. Attack your enemy directly and without fear. That's a good heretic." It seemed Lars was fairly confident this trap would succeed in crippling the charging knight, otherwise he would be praying to the dragons instead. Still, he had seen the tiny spikes stop a moose in its tracks, so why wouldn't they work to stop a charging knight? All he had to do now was hold still. Soon the knight would crumble to the ground and he would deliver the finishing blow. "Just a bit closer, monster. Soon the Dynasts will hear of how I vanquished one of the Anathema. Surely there is a fat reward in my future."

This was it. Either his trap would succeed and he would emerge the victor, or he would be trampled and electrocuted by the knight's powerful charge. Only time would tell... and Lars hoped it was on his side.

[RedKayne]

The Emperor's Return

---

Yet again, the room itself came alive with the coarse sounds of machinery activating. An odorless smoke descended from the vents above, which accompanied the disturbing hissing sounds. The audible noise of the lever returning to position echoed across the room, and dismayed the Tempest Knight. The conveyor belt reversed itself once more, and directed the combatants towards the incinerator's hell-flames. Lastly, another song erupted from undisclosed sources, and boomed loudly overhead.

Captain Malstrom's steps halted as the situation changed itself. This song proved to be a bit more difficult to ignore, as the tones of cackling hyenas and the emphasis on the lyrics “Be Prepared” distorted the current combat situation. The music itself was extremely out of place for a serious matter, and Elena's gray eyes only rolled back at the childish act. Apparently, the gods of this tournament fully enjoyed toying with the participants. Malstrom wouldn't be surprised if a trickster, a child-like deity, or a small-minded being was responsible for this song choice.

Regardless, the Captain had to focus upon finishing this battle. Elena's attention shifted back to her challenger, but then she suddenly froze. Malstrom's piercing eyes widened with fear, her lithe body stiffened, and her breathing became more labored…

The smoke filled the battlefield and impaired the vision of the competitors. She could no longer view the ranger clearly, she could only see his shadowy silhouette… a dark figure.

I can't… I can't...

She couldn't breathe. Malstrom's legs trembled as if the very ground itself was quaking, and immediately those legs gave out. The metallic knee plates thumped loudly against the black surface, and the mage-knight's free arm shot towards the ground. Her palm slammed against the conveyor belt, and the Captain struggled to retain balance.

Not now… Please, Luthious… No...

Captain Malstrom glanced back up at the opposition. The dark figure's eyes glowed with blue flames, which signified malevolent intentions. Elena's entire body was shuddering in fear, and felt like she was suffocating. The dark figure quickly rushed towards her, and the knight's paralyzed body couldn't do anything to dodge the assault.

The demonic force was in front of her, and then there was a flash of steel. Pain shot throughout the Tempest Knight's entire body, as a blade cut across her torso. Blood splattered onto the conveyor belt… no… it splattered onto gray mud.

She was no longer in the incinerator room.

They were in the outdoors. It was the dead of night, but dark clouds were above and heavy rain poured down. She knelt onto the mud... knees sinking into the ground as if it was quicksand. The templar breathed heavily, as blood dripped down from the large gash across her chest.

Malstrom's head barely lifted itself, as she struggled to find the strength to stand back up. The Captain's blurry vision cleared momentarily to reveal the black knight whom assaulted her.

The Cold Emperor.

The almighty death knight stood before the kneeling young woman. His eyes of blue-flame flared with anger and hatred, and her blood coated the destructive dual blades he carried. There was a brief flash of lightning behind the imposing warrior, before thunder boomed aloud in the area. The heavy rain pelleted against the Emperor's obsidian-black armor, and he stared down at the young woman in brief silence.

"Stay down, or else you will fade away," the Cold Emperor warned with finality. He shall spare no mercy to this woman, if she intends to stop him from achieving his goal for vengeance.

Elena nearly gagged from the stench of death in the air, and then she coughed into her hand as something caught in her throat. It was blood. Blood seeped from her lips, down to her chin, before it fell and mixed with the ground's gray substance.

The templar paid no heed to the blood or the grievous injury. Malstrom could not ignore the grave threat before her. The knight's eyes glanced back up, watching the blue-flames staring down at her. “I will… not… I cannot… let you...”

The Emperor raised up his right sword, preparing Elena Malstrom's final judgment.


"Die."

Die.

Die.

Die.

Anger.

Death.

Hatred.

Weak.

Pathetic.

Die.

Die. Die. Die.

Vengeance. Wrath.

Darkness. Rage.

Die. Die. Die. Die. Die.

Clunk!

Elena raised up a free hand, and then gently touched her forehead. There was a small red welt, directly above her right eyebrow. Something small hit the young woman, and snapped the Tempest Knight back into her senses. She glanced down at the moving black surface of the conveyor belt. The Captain's helmet lying on the ground. Which was strange, but perhaps at one point during the nightmare - Malstrom ripped off the helmet in belief that it was suffocating her.

However, her gray gaze fell upon the small object lying next to the helmet.

It was a tiny rock.

The Captain had no understanding at first where the rock came from, but then quickly deducted that it was thrown by her opponent. Perhaps the huntsman intended to distract her, or bait her into attacking... but it only ended up saving Elena by bringing her back into reality.

Could the Captain consider it luck?

No, it was much more than that. Her god, the Noble Luthious, saved her from the nightmare that has haunted her since two years ago. The night where the Cold Emperor nearly took Elena's life.

Blessed Luthious, I thank you for your kindness and benevolence, Malstrom silently prayed. The knight lifted herself from the ground, and clenched tightly onto the electrical shield with her left hand. I won't let you down, Elena's determined gray eyes narrowed upon her opponent - the silhouette of Lars. Shoulder-length silver hair cascaded upon her shoulders, but the smoke masked her face from sight. I shall be victorious in this battle, and I will find him...

Thank you for standing by me, Lord Luthious.

"Ranger!" Malstrom's strong voice called out to her opponent. Earlier, the huntsman dismissed the knight's words and still called her an Anathema. If an Anathema is a magical-user in his own language, then there's nothing Elena could do to dissuade him otherwise.

"Why do you fight?" The Tempest Knight questioned him, genuinely curious. "Do fight for survival? Do you to protect your family, or loved ones, perhaps?" She inquired, trying gain a better understanding of the huntsman. Everybody has their reasons to battle. The Cold Emperor himself fought others to become a stronger individual, and in hopes of completing his quest for vengeance.

Elena's own reason was rather complex.

"If you don't mind sharing, ranger, then I will share my reasons," she stated.

Malstrom's right arm crossed her chest and reached for the shield. She gripped onto the edge, and nonchalantly ignored the electricity crackling around her hand.

"I fight because I want to save the life of a person very dear to me."

Elena's voice rang firmly in the battlefield. The two individuals were closing upon the incinerator, and they didn't have much time left before they would reach the ghoulish hands.

"And I will do everything in my power to accomplish that goal. That is why I cannot lose in this match."

The knight then corked her body slightly in a counter-clockwise motion, and then tensed the muscles of her dominant arm - which held the shield in a horizontal position.

"I will be victorious. The gods of this tournament withhold the information I need."

The Tempest Knight made her final move. Her body quickly uncorked itself, and she flung the electrical shield towards her opponent. The shield soared through the air as a projectile, spinning rapidly to gain velocity. It flew above the caltrops that the ranger set up earlier, unbeknownst to the Captain.

The shield directly aimed itself at the huntsman's chest. If there was a direct impact, the shield would surely break a couple of rib bones, and the electricity revolving around the shield would cause moderate burns to the man. However, it wouldn't kill him - but surely the attack would cripple him and give the victory to the templar.

"And with Lord Luthious by my side... there is nothing I shall fear."

[.Karma.]

"And with Lord Luthious by my side... there is nothing I shall fear."

Just as the word fear was uttered, the lights went out, the only light remaining being that of the inferno. The flames dancing around, as if hungry for their flesh. The arms and now the faces of the previous fighters could be seen in the blaze. That was until the flames, also, were suddenly doused. The heat could still be felt coming from the hole in the wall, but the room was pitch black. The conveyor belt made one last final scream before stopping and leaving the room in a still silence. The music cutting off and they were once again left in the same situation as when they started the battle.

Darkness and silence surrounded them, but only for a few short seconds until hushed sounds of groaning could be heard from where the inferno once raged. The one or two groans that were at first heard, turned into a chorus where the room was filled with their cries. Then, if you listened closely you could hear their bodies against the conveyor belt. Some were dragging, some steps could be heard, and some sounds that were indiscernible in their nature. The groans and movement seemed to be approaching albeit at a lackadaisical speed. The inferno must be fed, it must be satiated. At least one of these combatants would be the one to feed its ravenous hunger and become one with the flames.

Which would it be?

[.Karma.]

Writing Style:

• Artistry and Complexity (creativity/originality, risky techniques and intricate details that enrich the post, unusual structuring and changing styles)

RedKayne seemed to lead here with the risky moves, first with orb of electricity which I think was very clever to have basically this attack which was meant to be stationary and having it move with the floor. Also, in having Elena drop her own weapon in order to operate the lever. Creatively I really like that he left Elena’s gender a secret and revealing it later as a sort of plot twist, spending all of the posts up until then not using any type of gender pronouns. Also, I found that adding the lyrics of the song was a creative way of being aware of his surroundings and acknowledging what was happening in the arena. It helped break up the post and made it quite enjoyable to read. The very last post showed an artistry that had been missing a lot of the battle, with the words across the screen and Elena’s flashback.

Beta seemed to play more off of the confusion he had at being placed in such an arena, which kept to his character very well and made it creative. How Lars didn’t know what to do with the buttons until Elena pulled the lever and made something happen with the environment. Overall though, I feel like other than the confusion, there was more so a lot of just stating what had already happened.

Beta- 2.25
RedKayne-2.75

• Fluidity and Clarity (Ease of following the action of the post, and smoothness in reading and understanding it)

I believe with both Kayne and Beta it was very clear what their actions were along with their motivations of why they were doing it. There wasn’t really a point where I did not understand what was happening in the battle between the two of them

Beta-3.00
RedKayne-3.00

• Conventions (grammar/spelling/punctuation)

There were only minute errors in this area, both fighters were very meticulous in not making these kind of mistakes.

Both receive a score of 3.00

Effectiveness of Combat:

• Character Consistency (How well do the actions of the character in the post reflect or fit who/what they are, their capabilities, and their limitations?)

I think again that both RedKayne and Beta did very well here. Beta definitely did with the confusion and not knowing what the devices were or why the floor was moving or how the music was coming through. Also in comparing the knight to an Anathema regardless of what Elena said she was. The determination and hope also seemed to be very genuine and reflective of Lars. Kayne also stayed with his character, often mentioning that the Lars must be a ranger, and getting a bit cocky when revealing her character as a woman. The desire to not kill Lars and hopefully just win the battle. RedKayne mentioned Beta’s character as being religious and reflected on her own religious nature. She was more calculating and more focused on the combat so she could succeed and move along with her goal which suited her character as well.

Again both receive a 3.00.

• Ingenuity (How well does the character handle situations in original, interesting, yet effective ways? Does the player simply repeat the same actions and put little thought in their moves, or do they provide interesting responses to the situations they’re in?)

This is where I feel that once again RedKayne had the upper hand. Redkayne never used the same technique, using the lightning orb in one post, tossing his weapon and using a spell to grab the lever the next, and using the orb to then get rid of weapons, at the possible detriment of his own. Also, he provided interesting responses to the music change when Lars pushed the button and that the let the bodies hit the floor was grating on his nerves. His insults about the song Be Prepared, though, earned him a .000001 deduction. Jerk The way RedKayne used the flashback definitely showed an interesting response to her surroundings and was quite creative.

Beta didn’t use many actions at all, he was very reactive and mostly just focused on the fact that it was an odd environment for him. I didn’t really believe there was a lot of thought put into his movements until the 3rd post with the caltrops, I think it was a very interesting choice at that point to try and stop the charge as well as throwing the lucky rock as a distraction, it definitely is not something I would have thought of.

Beta-1.75
RedKayne-2.5

• Choreography (How well does the character/player interact with the other player’s character? Is it like a battle dance? Or two rubber chickens banging their heads together?)

In this battle I don’t really feel like the characters interacted well together at all on either fighters parts. They were both more focused on their environments or being introspective. There was not really many attacks at all that were actually aimed at one another until the very end. So, in saying as much, there wasn’t much of a chance to have a ‘battle dance’.

Beta-2.00
RedKayne-2.00

Control of the Field:

• Environmental Awareness (How well do you roleplay awareness to the surrounding environmental conditions with your character, taking into account how they affect your character, positively and negatively?)

The environment in this battle was definitely mentioned in every post, from both fighters reactions to the floor switching directions, the inferno at the end of the belt, and the sounds the ones who had already been given to the fire made. Both characters mentioned and wrote their reactions in their posts. The only difference I believe was that RedKayne actually tried to involved and include reactions to the music when Beta pushed the button and mentioned the hands coming from the fire a few times.

This was something that was done well by both.

Beta-2.75
RedKayne-3.00

• Strategic Awareness (How well do you play off your character’s abilities, strengths and weaknesses in each situation/round? Are you aware of the ways that the environment and your opponent’s actions can affect your character? Are you able to anticipate and turn these to your advantage or minimize the damage to your own character effectively?)

In this section, Beta didn’t seem to show a lot of his strengths until the battle was half over. Although he did mention not giving up hope, which is a strength. It was more just reacting to what RedKayne posted. He did however definitely write about his weaknesses, how the environment was different and that Lars was scared and confused, yet trying to make sense of it all. He also used the arena to his benefit with the caltrops and lucky rock, showing a creative way to get out of a hazardous situation..

RedKayne seemed to have a goal in mind and seemed a bit more aware of the effects of what was happening around Elena. Where the weapons were on the belt and what effects the detonation would have on them, and being able to at least get rid of one of the opponent's weapons. He used his his spells as a strengths to help him use the environment. He was also the first to try and use the environment to see what it might do to give him an advantage or at least stop himself from heading toward the inferno.

Beta-2.5
RedKayne-2.75

• Control of the Fight (Did you maintain control of the situation? Was your opponent on their heels scrambling to meet your attacks, or were you on yours? If you were not in control for most of the fight, was there an impressive “turn” in the direction of the combat; did you turn the tables on your opponent in a decisive manner through surprise or cleverness?

I think RedKayne had control of this battle from the first post. It felt that Beta was mostly reactive and on the back foot most of the time. RedKayne was the first to use one of his spells, the first to use the environment, he used the orb to get rid of weaponry, and was the one to charge forward each time they got close to one another. Beta was very reactive and didn’t take a lot of initiative. There seemed like there wasn’t a lot of actual fighting at all in this battle. The one defining moment for Lars was when he used the fog to his advantage and threw the caltrops down while seeming to flee in fright, which stuck well to his character, but again that was after Elena had already charged.

So in this section I give Beta a 2 and Kayne a 2.5

The final score is:
Beta: 22.25
RedKayne: 24.5

Congratulations, RedKayne! Elena has been victorious

I enjoyed being your judge and really getting to get into the minds of your characters especially when I created an environment they weren’t familiar with. Thanks for a good read!