Round One [Jester-vs-Bard]-Judge Omac

[SikstaSlathalin]

ROUND ONE: Derelict Temple
Jester -VS- Bard
Judge: Omac

Beyond the wave of tree hidden high up in the mountains sat a temple. Surrounding the temple was miles of treacherous woods that seemed to bend around in an eternal loop. The way the wind blew in one direction, seemed to come from another. Moving too far towards the trees only started back at the temple. It was a maze, an inescapable maze, with only one exception; a path that could only be forged by the rustic blood of another. The temple roared whenever it saw new challengers... New victims to tempt, new guts to fill the colorful yet ridged terrain. It wanted to see bloodshed. It wanted to see death. It wanted to see one hell of a battle.

Step up to the temple. You may attempt to find yourself an entrance, run as far as you can, or you may climb as high as you wish, but you will always return where you started. Inside the temple lies treasures beyond your wildest dreams, but if you enter, you will surely be devoured. Even the strongest of wills may struggle to fight off this temptation. Afterall, this temple once belonged to a society of monks, now all fallen to the wrath of the temple. It demands to see bloodshed. Turn to your enemy now and strike.

There is no escape… there is only death.

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You have 5 posts per person and 72 hours to respond between posts.
Omac will post after two posts and you must wait for his post to continue.
By the flip of a coin, Bard will go first.

[Koti~]

Bri adjusted her case upon her shoulder, moving past the trees that seemed to scrape and grab at her with spindly fingers. Bri grumbled as she moved to the clearest path that seemed to tunnel her towards the looming ruins above. They invited her inwards, temping her with untold legends and mountains of unraveled mysteries. Why care about the gold inside, as Bri had seen more than enough in her lifetime. No, what she wanted was stories that were locked away untold.

"Damn woods more confusing than a goblins name. No idea how people lived in these woods." Bri complained as she finally made it to the steps of the temple, pulling twigs and leaves from her hair, more than glad to breathe freely. The dwarf kingdoms were less confusing than this. Bri wasn't sure just how she managed to get here, but now with that massive pile of secrets and mysteries in front of her, she didn't care.

"Don't look like many ways in without climbing." Bri spoke as she began to walk around the temples, trying to figure out the best ways inside the place. She shouldered her instrument more snugly against her back as she moved to the idea of scaling the temple. The ever present sense of forbearance and untold death would drive many away, keep them from trying to enter, yet here she was, ready to throw her full being into this place. Cause besides, what was the point of being a bard if you had no stories to tell!

[Rayfire]

Risus

Being lost in creepy woods is never fun, Risus thought as she traversed the tree tops.
She wasn’t even sure if the word ‘lost’ properly described her dilemma, as everytime she went in one direction, she returned to a different side of the temple. This isn't creepy at all, she kept telling herself with a chuckle, all the while wishing to encounter someone. After all, being a jester with no one to entertain was a miserable existence.

This new thought brought a frown to her usually smiling face. It wasn’t something she wanted to think too much about since it reminded her of her past. Everytime she tried to think of the past, it hurt her head and summoned blurry memories of her time in that dark cell filled with voices whispering to her. However, it didn’t take her long to shake those thoughts; she was used to ignoring the bad things and focusing on the joy of life. A Jester’s job was to bring joy to the world and help people escape the misery of life, preferably while escaping their own.

Jumping from tree top to tree top, she used her sword to help her merrily swing across larger gaps in the trees and reach higher branches. As expected, the trees eventually brought her back to the temple. Only, this time, she spotted a short female with a violin case circling the temple. The tree’s aren’t that bad, she thought to herself with a smile, although there are a few bad apples. Still, it led me straight to a bard.

The bard was inspecting the weird temple that appeared to be the source of the bad vibes Risus was getting. As if on cue, the moment Risus arrived, the temple released a roaring, blood-curdling moan. "Verdammt." Risus cursed out loud in her native tongue before telling herself it's just the wind and firmly gripping her weapon. Regardless, perhaps she could bring some much needed cheer to this temple.

Knowing her opponent may have heard her and not wanting to lose the initiative, Risus quickly gauged the distance between the two of them. With that in mind, Risus flicked her sword whip down at the lady, aiming to pierce her neck and give her a quick death as she calls out a greeting. "It’s over, lovely. I have the high ground!" Despite the deadly move, her tone was light and amusing.

[Koti~]

Bri glared at the temple, letting a grumble pass through her system. Her search of the temple came up blank, nothing revealing an easy access to her. She stared at the ornate doors, willing them to open to get, boring them down like an unruly child. There remained stubbornly closed, enough to result in her kicking them with her boot in frustration, only to grumble in pain at the obstinate door securely locked in place. Hopping back some in pain, she kept her eyes fixed upon the door, only to jump as a demonic howl as wind sliced through the ancient ruins, howling from every crevice and hole inside the temple. It was enough to make a shiver run through her body, a chill chasing it despite the cold.

What really made her skin run cold was the voice that followed shortly, sounding human and very much real. Bri turned on the spot, eyes combing the grounds for the source of the ghostly voice, just in time to catch the floosiest woman she had ever seen. What was even more worrisome was the blade cutting through the air towards her, glimmering in the sun with dead!y intent. Instinct cut in despite the surprise, forcing Bri to dive towards the side, feeling cold steel whip past her neck. She could almost feel the metal shave off hair from her neck, making sweat bead her forehead from the shock. It was closer than she had ever been to her own end, and more to meeting her end by another's blade.

The fuck is that damn hooker thinking? Bri thought in shock, scrambling back to her feet and on the move. She was exposed and open to that metal whip, meaning she needed cover first. Bri scanned the yards before finding a pillar to duck behind, one that would put some protection between herself and the strange monkey so she dove for it, limiting as much time exposed as possible. Her mind and heart were racing in equal measure, trying to rationalize what gaas going on. Having been lost trying to figure out the temple, she had forgotten why she had been placed here, some unknown being having dragged her here for their own entertainment.

Guess that's the other half of the entertainment. Seems some freak wants to see some blood. Of course they put me against some hussie monkey with a metal whip. My sword might as well be a shiny stick Bri grumbled mentally, trying to plan things out. She needed to close the distance between them, yet get her on level grounds to fight with. How else would she even try to fight against the woman. Looking around again, her first plan came to mind, bringing a grim smile to her face. It was a risky move, but the first one that came to mind.

Grabbing the fist sized rock in her hand, she counted to three before moving, rolling out into the open and sprinting sideways, trying to keep on the move. She did her best to relocate the woman, only stopping once she had found her.

"Suck on this ya floozy callgirl!" Bri shouted before she chucked the stone as hard as she could, aiming to knock the woman from the tree. Bri didn't stay still long though, already cutting her path again, straight for the dense woods. If she wanted any chance to draw this fight close, getting some coverage from that whip was needed.

[Rayfire]

Risus

Risus stared down at her victim with one corner of her mouth raised in a coy smile. The high ground was a perfect jest in her opinion. Like all good jests, it contained a grain of truth. The treetops provided her good cover and a clear vantage point of her surroundings. Most importantly, it gave her a vague warm feeling of comfort. Being high up and feeling the wind against her hair reminded her of performances long past.

Speaking of performances, this bard's movements are intriguing, thought Risus as she assessed her opponent. Her smile grew into a bright, ear to ear, creepy grin. It was amusing to see her distracted opponent look up at the sound of her voice and, even more surprising, dodge her strike in time. A loud snap resounded in her wake as Risus retracted her chain with a flick of her wrist.

Continuing to press her opponent would be easy, but Risus decided it was more entertaining and useful to observe. She chuckled as she studied the bard's movements, alert yet relaxed. After all, she still held the advantage. Her opponent seemed to know this, too, and retreated behind cover.

“So a bard and a jester arrive at a temple,” Risus taunted. “Sounds like the beginning of a splendid journey, or a terrible tragedy.” She spoke cheerfully at first, but as she finished, her words became flat and dead cold. Both a choice and a threat were implied in her words.

With her opponent further away, she leaped to a closer tree. While the tree tops looked like a disadvantage, they offered her many different angles of attack, letting her keep her element of surprise and unpredictability. It seemed she did so just in time because her opponent rolled out from her hiding hole. Cute, she thought to herself in amusement, watching her opponent's maneuver. It seemed the bard had the proper idea, but her execution was lacking.

From Risus's vantage point, she could clearly see the bard’s attempt to locate her while she hadn’t lost sight of the bard at all. Dummes Mädchen, erst wägen, dann wagen. Risus thought to herself. She intended to teach her this lesson the hard way. Watching her motions, Risus timed her strike with the running figure. However, just before she attacked, the bard stopped and launched a rock at her while shouting an insult.

"Floozy call girl? Oh, so the bard think herself a jester?" Risus responded with a sly quip while pulling up and releasing a branch to send the rock flying back. "Then here's a poem for the bard." Amidst her words, she swung her chain sword in an over handed attack that would cause the blade to arc through her running path before swinging forward to slice her in two.

"Weep if you must
Parting is Hell
But life goes on
So sing as well!”

After all, a good dance deserves a proper accompaniment, and what is a decent battle if not a good dance?

[Omac]

The temple shook as the surrounding area had begun to turn darker. The colorful forest became over run with a misty darkness as a bright light came from the entrances and all the cracks of the temple. It whispered, a faint wind coming from each crack like it was breathing. Next to the two warriors, a series of skeletons rose from the ground. Each of them wore the treasures they stole and the chains of their punishment. The chains rattled against the ground forming lines in the dirt. They scratched at the trees as they floated through the skies. They clashed against each other as the shadows moved between the warriors.

Then came the harsh whisper that begged the two to give into their desires. At first, it seemed like it was coming from the shadows, and then it became apparent it was coming from the temple itself. “Give in… Give in… Just give in…” as it spoke the air became more harsh and dry. It would feel like it was harder to breathe. There wasn’t any danger in letting out a deep breathe, the air itself was harmless. It was the relief of pressure, the desire to give into the most simple of desires that was the concern. “Give in…” it kept saying over and over until the first of the warriors were to strike once more.

The dead simply watched them, dancing faintly around them as the light shined against their jewels. The shadows departed from them to take their own form, taking the shape of men and women that would resemble the fighters truest desire. For the jester, it was the depressingly look of their family, begging her to to cheer them up. For the bard, it was specially her mother standing in the shadows. She seemed so much happier then that of the jester's family, as if all she wanted was to take the bard away to somewhere better. If they reached out for even a second, they would surely be ripped to shreds, but if they simply watched their eyes would melt from the sockets. The only option they had was to look away, and more importantly, to keep their focus on the battle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~

Omac will once again post after two posts and you must wait for his post to continue.

[Koti~]

The Temples Call


Bri Just managed to skid to a stop in time to avoid the blades of the whip, but not from the attack itself. The shuddering of the temple had drawn her attention, the ground rumbling beneath her feet as light poured forth from the temple, bathing the lands in an eerie glow. Bri watched in mild fascination as shadows crept into the woods, a creeping mist like the tendrils of a great beast, weaving around the trunks and foliage. It was a weird sight, the light spilling from behind her as mist choked the woods in front of her.


“Alright, the woods might not be good anymore.” Bri spoke aloud as she stepped back, just in time to see monsters clamor out from the ground, skeletons of the dead rising from the earth. Ancient jewelry and heavy chains covered their bodies, obvious victims of the temples curse. Despite the horror scene before her, Bri couldn’t help but smile, thinking of what kinds of songs she could tell from this moment, her mind momentarily forgetting the floozy with the whip hiding away right now. Already she wanted to know more of the people, to hear their stories and how they had fallen as the air became heavy and dry.


‘Give---in. Give… in. Give. In’ The words whispered around her, sending a chill rushing down her spine. They wrapped around her, like smoke from the depths of a forge seeking the fresh air, trickling upwards and snaking around anything in its path. Much like the smoke, the air grew heavy and dry, making each breath pull at her lungs, like moving deeper into the depths of the earth, yet missing the heat. It was nothing she couldn’t handle, having grown up in the mines and spent time around this kind of environment.


“This your trickery ya hussie? Trying to throw me off my rhythm?” Bri challenged the woman in the trees, watching the skeletons scratch at the bark, their chains dragging on the ground. What truly got her to stop, was when the shadows formed, an appearance that seemed pulled from her mind.


Her own mother. The burning in her lungs seemed to grow into an inferno, the ache deep in her bones as her mother smiled at her, an invitation to sing together. Bri was silent, staring at the smile with nothing more than wanting to rush into her arms, to join her in jubilee songs and dance, to delight and entertain the masses around them. She could feel it in her bones as she watched her mom, that small inviting smile, one that was etched deep in her mind.


But it was wrong. She wasn’t back in the mines, getting ready for another birthday party, or another opening for a tunnel. She was in a forested temple, fighting a half-dressed woman with a whip, surrounded by skeletons. Her mother wasn’t there, and that pressure was just the temples will. She pulled her eyes away from the face, her mind recalling what her mother told her to do when feeling that pressure, like gems under the hammer of a dwarf.


She sang


“When the hammer falls,
And it sounds through the halls,
When the hammer falls,
Freeing treasures from the walls,
When the hammer strikes,
And the kingdom comes to life,
When the hammer pounds,
Like the thunder underground,
When the hammer falls,
When the hammer falls!”


She could breath easier, even with the pressure still there.


Of legend and myth,
Is the craft of the smith,
The molten metal poured,
And pounded into sword,
From the fire is made,
Every Dwarven axe and blade,
When the hammer falls.”


Bri straightened up, a smile growing on her face as she sang.

When the hammer falls,
Forging weapons for all,
When the hammer falls,
Songs of battle fill the halls,
When the hammer flies,
Lines of armored Dwarves arise,
With the hammer’s roar
We go marching off to war!
When the hammer falls,
When the hammer falls!


“When the hammer falls,
Then our victory calls,
When the hammer falls,
Songs of glory fill the halls,
When the hammer flies,
Mighty heroes now arise,
With the hammer’s sound,
Live the Dwarves down underground,
When the hammer falls,
When the hammer falls!”

It wasn’t the full song, but it's the verses she felt most close to her heart. Always the words that she heard when her family worked in the smithery.


Bri moved then, turning back to the temple and clearing the stairs two at a time, hitting the platform that the temple rested upon. Drawing a blade she took down the first skeleton near her, grabbing some of the chains that hung across its broken frame. She wrapped them around her left hand, holding them tight before moving back to the boulder she had just come from. Instead of hiding behind it though, she placed her back against it, staring out into the forest. With the light on her back, and the shadows before her, she wanted to see the attack coming with her. If this woman wanted to keep hiding in the trees, she didn't want her back exposed for the lash of a blade. She needed to bait her into coming out of hiding.


“Okay ya floozy, seems the temple wants a show, and I say let's give it to ‘em. Unless that fancy whippin is all ya can manage, ya sideshow carny wannabe.” Bri insulted the woman, leveraging her right foot forward, ready for anything. It was time to get this fight started seriously, and with that attack distance, she needed to eliminate that.

[Rayfire]

Risus

Risus was all smiles while her blade bared down on her opponent until the little dwarf stopped in her tracks. For the first time since being awake in this new land, her smile disappeared with a grimace. No. No. No! She shouted in her mind. Yes, she knew they were tossed into this to kill each other but, contrary to her actions, Risus didn’t want her opponent dead yet. The show must go on; it was too early for the performance to end, and she didn’t want to go back to that dark, painful place.

To make matters worse, the forest changed. Before she knew it, the forest was invaded by a misty darkness that sent a cold chill down her spine. The timing of this was a little too surreal for Risus as she wondered if this area was reacting to her emotions. Focus, she told herself while surveying the changes. The treetops that were her safe heaven and allowed her to control the battle no longer felt so safe. The forest became dark, but in contrast the temple was emitting such a bright and beautiful light. Hah, beautiful? Now I must be kidding myself. Beautiful wasn’t what one would expect from such a dark and creepy thing, yet it seemed to be alive with its own personality. For her, there was beauty in that, even if it was morbid.

With the appearance of skeletons, this couldn’t get any more grim. There was a large horde of them decked out in many treasures, but that didn’t interest nor concern her. What captured her attention were the long chains they dragged. They sprawled out amongst the trees in all directions, some scratching at the trees. Surprisingly, some were even floating in the air. Risus couldn’t help but think it was a neat trick she’d love to learn someday.

While she assessed her situation, she began to hear voices in her head. “Give in… Give in…” Well, it’s official. Ich habe einen Vogel, she thought to herself, looking around for the voices. At first, she thought it was coming from the shadows. Then, she realized it was coming from the temple. Which reinforced her insanity plea, after all everyone knew temples don't speak. A heavy pressure accompanied the words. “Give in… Give in… Just give in…” Risus thought it sounded like something a creepy stalker said to a fair maiden. This was far from her first time under such pressure. Indeed, there’s nothing like being on the edge of death where your head could go rolling for a single joke gone wrong. Like any good jester, a quip was her way out. She’s faced Kings, Queens, Nobles, and Peasants alike. Still, she kept her head firmly on her shoulders and wanted to continue doing so.

“This your trickery ya hussie? Trying to throw me off my rhythm?” Risus heard the bard shout and let out a deep sigh. And they call me the fool? She thought with a disappointed shake of her head as she responded. “Sure, I’ve always wanted a creepy stalker voice in my head.”Speaking of creepy stalkers, the skeletons stood there passively observing them, defying expectation when they didn’t attack. This spiked her paranoia and left her drenched in sweat. Being surrounded by skeletons was never good.

Risus thought this couldn't get much worse until she saw her parents take shape from the shadows. They looked depressed and begged her to cheer them up. She wanted to help them but shook her head and focused on the bard. The show must go on, and the performance must be completed, ringed throughout her mind. They drilled it into her: as performers they owed the world and themselves that much. Her parents worked hard to bring entertainment and joy to people, even while they struggled to feel joy themselves. They would never ask for help. She knew with every fiber of her being they weren’t her parents. However, that didn’t stop the tears that dropped from her eyes. Now I'm seeing things, please come rescue me Doc. I’m cuckoo-for-cocoa-puffs. She could feel the pressure on her shoulders now. Risus needed to finish this performance soon.

The bard also put on a good show with a beautiful, elegant, and powerful song. Out of respect, Risus patiently waited for the bard to finish. Chuckling to herself, she was glad she did. The bard had finally drawn her weapon to strike down a skeleton and steal its chains. Seeing the weapon, Risus herself broke out into a song. Of course, she wasn’t a bard and didn’t intend to sing much, but she could still hold a tune.

“Cause I may be bad, but I'm perfectly good at it
Death in the air
I don't care, I love the smell of it
Sticks and stones may break my bones
But chains and whips excite me”

She wrapped her chain sword around a branch to swing herself out of the treetops and down in front of her opponent with a wink she finished a few more verses.

“Na-na-na, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon
I like it, like it
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon
I like it, like it
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon”

This time, Risus laughed at her own joke and taunt before responding to the bard. “You know a joke said too many times loses its flavor?” She made sure she maintained a good distance on her opponent but didn’t need the height advantage any more. She already finished feeling out her opponent.

With an overhead swing to her left, Risus sent a diagonal strike at her opponent. She angled the attack so that the sunlight would reflect off her blade and chain into her opponent’s eyes. However, this also meant she had to keep her weapon perfectly angled. Risus wasn’t expecting such a simple attack to hit, nor was she fond of them. Now that she wasn’t in the treetops, she could further showcase her skills. She had a versatile plan for when her attack closed in on her opponent, or when her opponent appeared to dodge left or right. She would grab her extended chain with her left hand and yank it like a steering wheel while pulling back on it a little. This would cause the momentum and direction of the blade to change and pick up speed. The blade would swing around her in a circular manner, cutting off options of escape and aiming to cut the bard at various, unpredictable angles. Risus purposely drew her opponent in and got her comfortable with one form of attack when she really had no set standard. After all her style was to get her opponent to underestimate her.

---

**Ich habe einen Vogel, - I have a bird.

[Koti~]

Bri had to admit that the woman had some skill with her words, though that could be said of any performer. They were masters of the craft, and servants to the audience. Their life, their words, their very blood were given in name of the art, even for one not talented in their field. It was with respect that Bri remained silent and poised, allowing the woman to finish her song as she alighted upon the ground, elegant and strong. Bri hated to admit that the woman had a good voice, and skill enough to hold a tone. Of course it wouldn’t be winning any awards in a contest of song. That of course was not their fight, but one of sword and blood.

Bri tightened her stance as the woman dropped from the trees. Finally the monkey had decided to fight for real. Either from her taunting, or the mist in the forest, the woman finally dropping to the ground. While the whip still gave her range, they were on even footing, so the height disadvantage was much more limited. Bri would not underestimate this woman. From her appearance, and even her words, this woman was not truly a simple mule with a simple trick. Rushing in head first upon landing, while very much dwarven, would prove unwise without finding out more.

“If I remember, it’s the rule of three yeah? Trust me, I’ve run out of jokes on you. Ya’ll funny enough on you’re own.” Bri commented on the woman, giving her a snarky grin. Bri was a bard, and everything had a beat, and a cadence. Repeat the same note over and over, the music grew stale, dry, and unwanted. Just like the woman in front of her. Now that she had finally reached the ground, already a new sound was added to the note. It might not be much a difference to an audience, but to a performer, that one small change affected the entire show, turning a one note melody into a symphony. Bri smiled, leveling her blade point down, pointing it directly at the woman's chest, as though she aimed to pierce through it in a single thrust.

The rapier in her hand was made for her, the weight balanced out for her height just right to take full advantage of her reach. The metal gleamed, never dulled, sharpened to a point, allowing the blade to slide through the flesh of her enemies with ease. It was a blade crafted by her family, the love of her brothers, the protective nature of her father and his siblings, and the warmth of her mother. It was a blade of elegance, poise, and skill. It was perfect for a bard, one vested in song and dance, not one of strength and determination.

What she did was very much unlike the sword. Bri ignored the whips movement, keeping her eyes very much locked upon her enemy. The movement of the opponent told a much better story than what her blade could ever do. She was a bard, her words came not from the simple steel of a weapon, but the fighter behind that blade. The whip was aimed for her right side, meaning to strike her from shoulder to hip if she decided. One could easily tell just from how the woman moved her arms. As soon as the woman's arm began moving forward, Bri took action.

Bri looked down at the elegant blade.

What she did was blunt, straight to the point, and very much unlike the weapon in her hand.

What she did was very Dwarven.

Bri shifted her left foot forward, dropping her right side back as she stabbed the blade over her shoulder, the shriek of steel as the blade sunk into the stone behind her, much like the pick of a dwarf. It would protect that side, help keep from a missed blade to strike her there.

“Since you’re giving a run at my schtick, I’ll honor you with a trick of my own. Can’t be that hard now.” Bri commented to her as she finally let the chain unravel, all save for a loop around her wrist and where it was grabbed in her hand. It was then where Bri started to sing again, a smile hung on her face as she began. A simple deep breath was all she needed, eyes filled with a fire of her home, the forges burning hot as she would sing for her people. Sure the light gleaming off the blade was distracting, making her want to shy away from it, but she knew the forges. You never took your eyes off the target, doing so dishonored the craft.


The Dwarven song

Spoiler: Bri's song pt1 

Brothers of the mine rejoice!
Swing, swing, swing with me
Raise your pick and raise your voice!
Sing, sing, sing with me
Down and down into the deep
Who knows what we'll find beneath?
Diamonds, rubies, gold and more
Hidden in the mountain store

Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone
Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home
Skin made of iron, steel in our bones
To dig and dig makes us free
Come on brothers sing with me!

I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole

Bri began spinning the chain, counter clockwise in front of her, letting the chain reach over her head. One upside to being a dwarf, it didn’t take much to be larger than her. A light thrum filled the air as the chained whipped through the air, the links gliding through the air with a whistle that only seemed to bring music to her song. She sang her heart into it, the first song she had truly performed on her own. One told around the fires and the miners, keeping spirits alive and traditions afloat. It spoke to the dwarves, of their lineage and their strengths, and why all should respect them as allies, or fear them as enemies.

Spoiler: Bri's song pt2 

The sunlight will not reach this low
Deep, deep in the mine
Never seen the blue moon glow
Dwarves won't fly so high
Fill a glass and down some mead!
Stuff your bellies at the feast!
Stumble home and fall asleep
Dreaming in our mountain keep

Born underground, grown inside a rocky womb
The earth is our cradle; the mountain shall become our tomb
Face us on the battlefield; you will meet your doom
We do not fear what lies beneath
We can never dig too deep

I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole

Born underground, suckled from a teat of stone
Raised in the dark, the safety of our mountain home
Skin made of iron, steel in our bones
To dig and dig makes us free
Come on brothers sing with me!

I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, diggy, diggy hole
I am a dwarf and I'm digging a hole
Diggy, diggy hole, digging a hole…

The chain spun, almost blurring in front of her, the metal singing as it sliced through the air, whistling through the open links. The second the womans whip got close, momentum would snag the two together, the gaps acting as a point for the chain to be snagged upon. Bri would not leave this woman any options of range. If she wanted to fight, she would have to do it close, sword to sword, or knuckle to knuckle. It was time to fight in earnest, not hide in the shadows, or keep the enemy at bay with trickery and skills. No, it was time to fight like a true warrior, one unafraid of the battle field. She would strip away any chance this woman would have to keep her away. She would turn the field, keep this woman from any snake oils or mind games she might want to play. It was time for a true fight, those that pitted each against each other in skill and the strength of wills.

It was time to fight like a Dwarf!

[Rayfire]

Risus

Risus chainsword danced elegantly, it's cold metal gleaming as it arced out and turned gracefully in the air. It was akin to court dancers bouncing and twirling joyfully for royalty. Death hid behind its beautiful mask like a rose's thorn awaits gullible fingers. Risus herself personified this in her beautiful clothing, and playful, enticing movements.

She had no memories of her training, yet she remembered many performances with the faithful weapon. The nobles loved seeing her dances and flips with the weapon flowing around her. Chains were a symbol of bondage, but for her, it signified freedom. For her, it's a weapon that truly moved in all sorts of manners and fit her very well.

It was inventive, albeit silly of her opponent to think of using a weapon similar to hers to best her. Like many others, her opponent had underestimated her abilities. Not that she blamed her. So far, all her opponent has seen were some simple yet innovative attacks from the trees, none of which showed just how skillee she was with the weapon.

The bard's chain flew out with more strength then one would expect from such a small woman, but it was crude, blunt, and lacking much in finesse. She flung it like a whip, oblivious to its heft and the different tactics used with such a weapon.

"Lass die Kirche im Dorf. Ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen."

Risus called out in her native tongue as the bard released her chain. Her words sounded sharp and guttural but still held her playful nature. She could clearly see her opponent's weapon swinging in at her and had many ways she could deal with it but decided to go with the simplest of moves as they're often the fastest.

With a tug, Risus jerked her chain to the right with its momentum, and then down left towards her opponent. Using its circular motion and gravity, she caused the blade to dart back a little, dodging the chain that seeked to entangle it. Like a bird with its wings spread, the blade would glide back and pause for a single moment before diving down in a new direction. The change in momentum definitely took away a portion of the power behind it, yet the flowing angle of attack following a path close to her opponent's neck would allow for a swift slash across her opponent's chest. If it landed, it would be a sharp cut but, lacking in strength, it wouldn't be too deep.

Risus's simple yet versatile dodge and attack were only possible thanks to the weight of her chainsword. Having a chain with a weight at one end gave one more options with less focal points needed to control the weapon. For her, jerking the weapon out of the way and changing the motion of attack from her initial one was simple. Even better her opponent underestimated her and allowed her weapon to close the distance. Putting her back against a wall her opponent didn't even give herself much room to dodge. Combined with how close her blade already was left little time or margin for error.

Risus herself caused her opponent to misunderstand her speciality. She thought her speciality to be long distance but of course she couldn't keep a solid eye on Risus to judge her style nor the distance of her weapon. In actuality it was adaptability and medium range that suited her most. For her mistakes, Risus finally had a chance at getting her real target. The strap of the bard's music case that rested on her chest. After all, jesters have no interest in bloody battles to the death. She just enjoyed a fun opponent to play with and ultimately wanted the Bard’s instrument but didn’t think the little lady would respond nicely to that request.

"If you don't mind i’ll be taking that now."

Risus called out to the bard with a sly smile and a twinkle in her eye. It was clear she didn’t care if the bard said no otherwise she would have asked from the beginning.

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**"Lass die Kirche im Dorf. Ein Fisch auf dem Trockenen." -Let the church in the village. A fish on the dry.;Don’t get carried away. A fish out of water