Tournament Semi-Final: Age vs. Youth

[Hera Ledro]

Combatants - Jacob Wylliam King and Ravona Denton (Danny the Cat vs. Drachnon)

Arena: Tournament Coliseum Ruins

Desolation was the only term that could summarize this land.

The coliseum had been a large one, a strong one, one that they assumed could last an eternity. But that was in the days of old, without mass war and suffering. Now the sandstone walls crumbled, and the very coliseum itself carried a look of decay. Creatures had long since abandoned any attempts at food or drink that they could garner from this structure: it was desolate.

The structure itself was eliptical, stretching for half a mile long and a third of a mile wide. Destroyed sandstone benches riddled the stands, the woodwork having long been eaten away by insects. A high wall separated the stands and the arena itself.

Inside the arena was a littering of skeletons from almost every conceivable family of animal life. There were canine, feline, equestrian, primate, and many other kinds that could not be described, mutilated as they were. The sand blew over them, but even after centuries, they had not been fully covered, and the milky-white bone stood out fiercely against the sandy ground.

A flash of darkness erupted in the sky, and three figures appeared out of thin air. The first to crash to the ground was a red Dragon, only slightly larger than human sized and powerfully built. The second was a woman, thin and very magelike. The final figure was a floating woman, garbed entirely in black with pale skin.

Voice smooth as quicksilver, the woman spoke. "Two more to be tested, but one to fall. You have been chosen as the victors in your previous fight; whether or not your skills are great shall be decided by this match."

"You have been instructed as to why you are here. Your strength is great, and now we must test you against others of great strength."

"Win, and you carry on to the next round, the final round. Lose, and you will be returned to your world; if you die, you shall be reborn and made to live out your life again."

"You will find yourselves healed to your original vitality, both in energy stores and vitality. We must have you at your best if you are to give us a good performance."

"Powers of earth and darkness are amplified to twice their power here. Use this advantage wisely."

"Remember, your victory could ensure the safety or destruction of our worlds. Bear this in mind as you fight for what you believe in."

In a flash of darkness and the sound of a whirlpool, the woman vanished, leaving the two combatants to decide their fates.

 

[Drachnon]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona walked through the halls of Jorths mansion, though the word mansion didn't really do the building any justice, it was more like a palace. An very empty palace, since besides herself and the master together with his familiar there were no living beings. Only a score of magical entities that kept the building clean formed the remainder of occupants of Jorths home.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona looked outside through the crystal windows, the sun shone down on the tranquil gardens while a couple of birds were bathing in the fountain in the center. However in the distance some dark clouds were gathering.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Master seems to be upset about something. Ravona thought to herself. When suddenly her masters familiar cat jumped out in front of her. Ravona didn't flinch or show any signs of surprise, with a straight back and all politeness she could muster Ravona asked:[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sjimmie, is there something you need of me?” Truthfully Ravona couldn't stand her masters cat, the creature always seemed to have a flair of arrogance about him even though he was only a familiar. Still being her masters familiar and therefore her masters most trusted friend it would not benefit her to rub him the wrong way.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona, Jorth requests your presence in his chambers.” Even though the cat didn't even reach her knees she felt like he was looking down on her.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Very well” Ravona said “I'll shall see him now.” And with that she walked towards her masters chamber. Ravona wondered if it had anything to do with what was upsetting master. Well she would find out soon enough. [/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona knocked on the doors leading to her masters chamber and without sound or warning the doors opened themselves. Master was sitting in his chair with his hands folded on his desk. In his eyes a blue light burned, a sign he was using magic right now, then again Jorth seemed to use magic all the time.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Come in Ravona, my apprentice.” Jorth gestured slightly with his hand.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]'Apprentice' It seemed like she was here as his student, and what would happen next would be part of her training. As Ravona stepped into the room she become aware that there was something wrong, it was as if the room was... different.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The measurements don't seem to add up, and I can feel how magic is pulsing through the air, strong yet subtle. An illusion? No, it's different it's like space is warped hiding something on the right of the desk.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The more Ravona studied the magic as she entered the more she realized that it wasn't her masters work. Someone or something else was here with them hiding himself inside the room be bending space to his will. Though suspicious Ravona decided not to pursue the matter. There was no way master was not aware of what was happening and if he allowed it then there was no reason for her to doubt him.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]You requested my presence?” Ravona asked.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Yes, there is a matter I'd like you to take care off. I think it will be excellent training for you.” Jorth leaned back in his chair and continued.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]A certain entity seems set on having several of it's universe's 'heroes' fight each other under the pretense of a tournament. Once they're done they'll use the life force of the fallen to activate a Dominion spell. I don't think I need to explain the rest.”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]You want me to go?” Ravona questioned. “Don't you have servants capable of destroying all of them in a single blow?”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Like I said it will be good training to you, besides you don't have to kill them, in fact it would be better if they lived, either defeat them or make them surrender until you reach the finale. After that the ringleader should show itself and I'll take over for you.”[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona was certain there were several things that he was not telling her but she could tell now was not the time to be questioning him. “Very well.” Ravona said “I'll participate in this tournament for you.”[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Excellent, just wait outside the mansion barriers and you'll be teleported to your first battle by them.” Ravona turned around and started walking towards the door.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ow before I forget, take this.” Jorth said. Ravona turned around and caught the object Jorth threw at her. It was a small piece of wood with several runes inscribed. Ravona was familiar with any of them nor did she have any idea what the item would do. “Don't worry about what it is” he continued “just keep it with you.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona pocketed the item and after a final bow at the chamber door she headed outside awaiting the portal to the battle ground.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Meanwhile inside Jorth's study:[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]I assume you're content with this?” Jorth spoke.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]A cloaked woman appeared next to Jorth's desk. “I don't like being made out as a bad guy. But this will be fine.” She spoke.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Good. Of course I don't think I need to explain to you that under no circumstances Ravona may be killed, unlike your other participants resurrecting her won't be as easy. Then again I don't believe that she'll be killed that easily. You may go now.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jorth waved his hand and the cloaked woman was forcefully send away from this world.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona reached the barrier and went outside, for a few minutes nothing happened however then a bright light engulfed her and she was send away. Next thing Ravona knew she was inside a forest of some sort there were others her, a hooded woman floating above a fountain and a man laying on the other side of the clearing. She didn't get any time to peacefully observe them as with the first breath of air she took her lungs felt like they were burning. Ravona clutched her chest and rolled over the ground with her eyes wide open in pain. This world had a completely different composition of air then the previous one and though not lethal the sudden change were a heavy strain on her lungs.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After recovering the woman explained the tournament to them.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Apparently they were supposed to be resurrected in the event that one of them died, and this would somehow lead to choosing the warrior who would lead the forces of this universe against the forces of evil.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona got onto her feet and saw her opponent do the same. The man looked around him for a bit and then at Ravona all in a way that made Ravona wonder if this man was really a fighter, his stance seemed to suggest otherwise. Perhaps he was a magic user.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The man then spoke:[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Hey girly, I don't know about you but I didn't sign up for this. Besides I have no interest in girls who aren't legal. So a bit you adieu.” And with that the man disappeared. Some sort of dimensional shift as far as Ravona could tell. Ravona guessed that meant that she was the winner and sat down on the edge of the fountain using her hands to drink some water, while waiting for her next match.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]About 15 minutes later Ravona was teleported once more but this time she was ready. Landing on her feet Ravona found herself inside what looked like an old and ruined coliseum. Carefully taking small breaths to let her lungs adjust Ravona observed her surroundings so more. The arena floor was littered with skeletons of what seem to be small animals, as Ravona replaced her feet while turning around the bones crumbled under her feet.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Finally she saw what she had been looking for, a woman was floating in the air just like in the last battle.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]With an almost alluring voice she spoke:[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"Two more to be tested, but one to fall. You have been chosen as the victors in your previous fight; whether or not your skills are great shall be decided by this match."

"You have been instructed as to why you are here. Your strength is great, and now we must test you against others of great strength."

"Win, and you carry on to the next round, the final round. Lose, and you will be returned to your world; if you die, you shall be reborn and made to live out your life again."

"You will find yourselves healed to your original vitality, both in energy stores and vitality. We must have you at your best if you are to give us a good performance."

"Powers of earth and darkness are amplified to twice their power here. Use this advantage wisely."[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"Remember, your victory could ensure the safety or destruction of our worlds. Bear this in mind as you fight for what you believe in."[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]After that the woman disappeared.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Nice speech. Ravona thought to herself. Apparently she was telling the truth about darkness magic being doubled since Ravona could feel that darkness magic would be more powerful here. [/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Come to think of it she also said something about nature magic being more powerful on the previous field. I hadn't paid much attention to it since I couldn't confirm it and assumed it was a lie. Perhaps I should be careful with this guy. He might be able to use darkness magic or stone magic.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]And then she looked at what her opponent seemed to be. The scaled creature would seem like a dragon to any others eyes but Ravona was not that easily fooled. Even without seeing the odd patterns in his aura Ravona who had seen real dragons could tell that this was an fake.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Real dragons had an almost majestic presence around them inspiring fear in their enemies and courage in their allies. However this thing seemed to be completely void of such things.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Though relieved that she didn't have to fight a real dragon Ravona wasn't willing to let her guard down. This one still got through the first round and probably hadn't lucked out like she had.[/FONT]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Feeling uncomfortable in the heat Ravona cast an adept spell on herself to protect her from the environment. Ravona waited for her opponent to get back on his feet without showing any hostility. When he finally stood Ravona casted a spell to translate her speech into a more universal language though her planewalker blood allowed her to interpret any language it didn't translate her own speech and she had no idea if her opponent had similar abilities:[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Greetings, my name is Ravona Denton. May I inquire yours?”[/FONT]

 

[Hera Ledro]

Jake was about to deal the final blow when, all of a sudden, he was pulled into a vortex. Not two seconds later, he landed with a thud on the ground. He stood up quickly, staring upwards. A woman floated above them, garnered in flowing black robes. Her voice carved through the air like a keen blade as she addressed Jake and the other opponent who had arrived.

"You have been instructed as to why you are here. Your strength is great, and now we must test you against others of great strength."

"Win, and you carry on to the next round, the final round. Lose, and you will be returned to your world; if you die, you shall be reborn and made to live out your life again."

"You will find yourselves healed to your original vitality, both in energy stores and vitality. We must have you at your best if you are to give us a good performance."

"Powers of earth and darkness are amplified to twice their power here. Use this advantage wisely."

"Remember, your victory could ensure the safety or destruction of our worlds. Bear this in mind as you fight for what you believe in."

As the previous figure had, she was enveloped in a flash of darkness, and Jake's ears filled with a sucking sound as she and the darkness vanished. Jake cursed, though he wasn't fool enough to go after the woman as he did with the last figure.

“Greetings, my name is Ravona Denton. May I inquire yours?” Jake looked to the origin of the voice.

Standing on the opposite end of the sandy earth was a woman, thin and pale, but with a hint of beauty. She wasn't powerfully built, but Jake was not going to make the same mistake of underestimating his foe as he did before.

"I'm Jake," he replied. He cast a weather eye on his surroundings. It was a coliseum-like structure, very old. He grimaced at the sight of all manner of skeletons protruding from the sand. "Gross," he muttered. Raising his voice slightly, he called out to the woman. "Look, I'm not going to just fight like I did last time. The guy I fought against was right; you shouldn't always just take things for granted." He cast an eye around the place. "You think there's another way of getting out of here?"

 

[FireFrenzy]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"I'm Jake," The dragon replied to Ravona's question. Jake, a rather short designation for oneself, either he lacked the courtesy to give his full name or lacked a longer name. On the other hand perhaps the world where he came from simply lacked the custom of introducing oneself with his or her full name on first meetings.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Though possibly impolite Jake didn't seem hostile so far which was good, perhaps Ravona could convince him to give up and continue with her task. [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"Look, I'm not going to just fight like I did last time. The guy I fought against was right; you shouldn't always just take things for granted." [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Jake said while glancing over his suroundings.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] "You think there's another way of getting out of here?"[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]A way out? [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona had lacked to try an escape herself so far since it would conflict with her present objective.[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif] It seems like the fighters themselves have some doubts about this tournament. That should make things easier...[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona turned her head a little and said: “My previous opponent escaped through a dimensional shift. Seemed to have worked for him at least. If you can do something similar I suggest you'd try it.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona slowly walked in a wide circle around Jake. “What are you anyways? You look like a dragon at first sight but you're not really one are you? Shapeshifter perhaps?” A shape shifter was a logical option, they could easily take on the appearance of a dragon but didn't get any of their inherent abilities.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]OOC:[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Sorry it's a bit short but I don't have much to work with.

EDIT:
BTW this is actually drach posting at Frenzy's house. Didn't feel like changing accounts
[/FONT]

 

[Hera Ledro]

Jake let out a wry chuckle. "A shapeshifter? Well, I guess you could say that." A blaze of golden fire erupted around Jake. When the flames cleared, he was standing in his human form.

Jake's black sweater was loose around his body, and a white shirt could be seen underneath it. His tinted hair gleamed in the sunlight, and his tan face smiled wryly at who was to be his opponent. Despite the obvious bagginess of Jake's clothing, his posture allowed some of his muscular features to show.

He was a fifteen-year-old human boy.

"Wow, it's hot," Jake said. He took off the sweater and tossed it across the field. It landed ten feet away, despite the resistance it met with the air. Jake's muscles were very well-defined, and his forearms looked as though they were hard as brick.

Jake stared into the sky. After a few moments, he looked down and sighed. Staring hard at his opponent, he said, "Alright, we might as well do this. Even if we wanted to, we probably couldn't get out of here." Suddenly, his focus shifted. Jake's eyes hardened and he flexed his muscles readily, getting into a defensive stance. His left arm raised up, outstretched with the palm facing upward, slightly bent upwards at the elbow. His right arm came back with the back of the hand running parallel to his face (which remained staring at Ravona). His left leg stretched outwards, completely straight. He leaned on his right leg, bending it at the knee with the foot running perpendicular to the body.

"Alright," Jake called, his eyes fierce, "Come on!"

 

[Drachnon]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"A shapeshifter? Well, I guess you could say that." Jake said before suddenly becoming engulfed in a golden fire slightly removing the dragonkin from sight before leaving what looked like a young human brat. After a closer look Ravona noticed some slight facial features that suggested mixed blood, all things considered Ravona estimated that these were his dragon lineage. [/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The more Ravona looked at him the more she felt that he was more then he appeared, of course this was besides the fact that he was in this tournament at such a seemingly young age, had the circumstances been different Ravona would have enjoyed studying him a bit more beyond his combat potential but this was neither the time nor place for such things.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"Wow, it's hot." Jake took off the baggy sweater, with a dragon head imprinted upon it, and tossed it away showing a well trained warriors body. Ravona's eyes followed the piece of clothing for a moment, the fabric seemed different from the ones she knew, it wasn't magical though so Ravona cared little more for it. Jake himself seemed to take his time to look at the sky before sighing.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"Alright, we might as well do this. Even if we wanted to, we probably couldn't get out of here." Then Jake he suddenly went into a fighting pose, placing his arms and legs in all sorts of probably impressive positions, which would probably be really impressive if only Ravona had any knowledge on martial arts. [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]A martial artist then. Best keep my distance then.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"Alright," Jake called, while giving Ravona a wild stare, "Come on!"[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]He's thinks I'm going to attack him? But I might as well give him something to keep him busy while I study his strengths and weaknesses for a bit.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona scratched her head a bit formulating her strategy and then decided. “Well if you insist on fighting then I guess I have little choice. Still I don't think you completely understand the situation.” For those who could see magic Ravona would be surrounded by a feint blue light as she was lifted from the ground. Ravona made a few movements with her arms. Several black arms sprung from Ravona's body reaching into the ground carving lines, whilst crushing the bones of the , first a large circle and then working inward, within 3 seconds the summoning circle was completed.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Since you seem practice martial arts I'll be lenient and give you an opponent more of your liking. If you can't defeat him then there is no meaning for continuing this fight anyways. Ack'thar Bathol by your name I summon you!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]The circle light up and a humanoid figure appeared. The daemonic brute was slightly bigger then most human men, around two meters, with 4 thick arms and horns on the side his head. Ack'thar roared as Ravona forced him under her control.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona had little difficulty in taking control of the daemon, brutes were easy to manipulate even for daemon standards, still there was a limit to her control over the daemon. It was impossible for her to control the brutes exact movements but then again there was no real need to the brute was more then capable in fighting. Ravona had specifically chosen Ack'thar for several reasons. Firstly she wanted to see how strong Jake really was, Ack'thar wasn't to quick on his feet but his four fists were quick and his arms were strong. Also though Ravona was not knowledgeable on martial arts she figured that it wasn't likely that Jake had much experience in fighting things other then normal humanoids. Judging from how Jake would go about dealing with an opponent he wasn't used to Ravona could have some grasp on how well Jake adapted to unknown situations.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Before giving Ack'thar the order to attack Ravona waved her hand and an invisible sphere of telekinetic energy formed around her while she drifted away from the battle field to not get caught up in the battle.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Attack Ack'thar.” The spoken command was unnecessary since Ravona could just as well send the commands through telepathy, but it would be best if her opponent wasn't aware of such details.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ack'thar suddenly rushed out of the circle towards Jake. However just before reaching Jake Ack'thar stopped just out of reach of Jake's arms and attacked with his superior reach. His upper right arm made a fist and tried to punch in the face whilst his lower left used the right as a diversion to make a grab at Jake's right arm. His other two arms made a cross in front of him to shield him from attacks at Jake striking height.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]OOC:[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]You specified in your post first that Jake's left arm is raised up and then once more that it's parallel to Jake's face. Shouldn't one be his right arm?[/FONT]

 

[Hera Ledro]

((OOC: Yeah, it should. Bad boy, I am ))

Jake's eyes widened with shock. His opponent had summoned some sort of creature, one she called "Ack'thar". While he was by no means frightened, he was hardly one to underestimate the creature. Its very appearance was demonic, horrific to the last limb. Before Ravona called the creature to attack, Jake's shock wore off and he sniggered; who knew, he might actually get a challenge.

With a call from its master, the demon rushed at Jake. Jake, in anticipation of such an attack, rolled to the left. He leapt up from his position and flipped in mid-air, landing on his feet and facing the demon.

"Come on," he chuckled, "Total melee? That's so old hat..." Jake crouched and jumped into the air. With a roar, he slammed into the ground, using the terrain to his advantage. He jerked his hands upwards, raising two spires from the earth. With a jerk of his hands, the spires exploded into several tiny shards. However, instead of falling everywhere, Jake sacrificed a fifth of his energy and kept them aloft. He thrust his hands forward, sending the Shard Storm towards the demon.

As he finished, he thrust his hands forward again, sending a beam of golden energy through the whistling shards and straight for his opponent. Nearly a third of his energy had been sacrificed in less that a minute, but that was alright; the demon didn't seem to be too fast, and even if it managed to dodge the blast itself, there was still the Shard Storm to worry about...

 

[Drachnon]

[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]"Come on," Jake chuckled, "Total melee? That's so old hat..." before crouching and jumping into the air. Whilst screaming Jake hit the ground and created two stone spikes with a gesture of his arms. After turning the two spikes into smaller shards Jake send them at [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ack'thar together with a bright blast of energy.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Meanwhile Ravona kept a close eye on her opponent, apparently Jake could do more then martial arts, his magic was not of the same kind as her own but from the changes in his aura Ravona could make some estimate of his power. Ravona was quite pleased with Jake's display, it was quite obvious that he was putting up more of a show then needed.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona had estimated Jake to be strong enough to defeat [/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ack'thar w[/FONT][FONT=Times New Roman, serif]ithout resorting to magic and energy blasts, anything more that Jake showed her only gave her more insight into his abilities.[/FONT]


[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Still Ack'thar wasn't defeated with some pebbles and a single energy blast. As the attacks came at him Ack'thar jumped to the side and shielded his body all his arms. The blast barely hit Ack'thar sending him rolling over the ground whilst the rocky shards seemed to have no effect on Ack'thar's hard skin. Roaring with it's deep voice Ack'thar got back up and seemed ready to go at Jake again but Ravona said: “Stop.”. Ack'thar seemed to freeze in the middle of his movement and Ravona waved her arm. Ack'thar faded away, back to whatever hell spawned him.[/FONT]
“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]It seems like you're capable of a little more then just martial arts. Though Ack'thar seemed like he wasn't near going down I don't think he'd ever be able to catch you into close combat.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona smirked “Well it doesn't matter really I have decided on more suitable opponents anyways.”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Ravona waved her arms and energy collected itself in the summoning circle. “Myr'thaya and Gar'thaya twin spirits of the forsaken fire lords. In thy names I summon you!”[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]A black and blue vortex formed in the summoning circle and two dark flame spirits rose up. The shapes humanoid but their features hidden deep within the scarlet flames that covered their bodies. Unlike their predecessor these two didn't speak or make any sound other and the crisping of their flames.[/FONT]


“[FONT=Times New Roman, serif]Go!” Ravona ordered and the two flame spirits quickly took into the sky Myr'thaya circled around Jake whilst shooting dark fire bolts towards Jake whilst Gar'thaya simply sped towards Jake slightly straving left and right while the flames in his body became brighter and brighter, in a plan to create a massive inferno right on top of Jake.[/FONT]

 

[Hera Ledro]

The battle is now over. Judges, please post up your decisions.

 

[Saix]

Drachnon

• Originality/Creativity: 8
• Interaction with Environment: 8
• Yieldability: 8
• Readability/Grammar: 7
• Power-playing/God-modding: 9

Danny the Cat

• Originality/Creativity: 8
• Interaction with Environment: 8
• Yieldability: 9
• Readability/Grammar: 8
• Power-playing/God-modding: 9

Wasn't much to go off based on direct combat, which leads me to comment on how much of Drachnon's posts [although very interesting, detailed, and descriptive] contained entirely irrelevant information and content. Your first post, Drach, was very interesting and provided a back-story for your character - however we do not judge this factor, and as such weren't given credit for it. You know what the judging fields are now, so you should endeavour to indulge in those fields in order for you to gain the result you want.

Quite a few grammatical errors on both sides, so points were deducted for this in disappointing measures; spell check, guys!


Anyway, after totalling the scores, Danny the Cat emerges the victor by my judging.

 

[FireFrenzy]

I would have to disagree with your statement of that information as irrelevant... Both Drachnon and myself have had serious discussion with the moderators over the way we treated our last battle.

We (i can only speak in fact for myself but have heard similar stories from Drach) were instructed that we would just need to make up our own back story for the tournament. Drachnon did so and as a result this cost him the battle? If one were to limit once self to merely "relevant" or "pertinent" information one could just as well make a 10 line post along the lines of "I wake up, i find myself fighting some dragon dude, i say this and summon daemon x//fire an energy blast" or what ever move your character makes. The "useless" detail is what imo separates the "good" rpgers from the "bad".
Example: in the last 10 rpgs (of both on and offline variety) how many times did your character Eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, wash and or get clean underwear? Thinking of details like this is what makes a character become more then just a few pages of data stored on a hard drive and a server somewhere and makes him,/her become "alive" -for want of a better term-. Along these lines, my character Nova Carmine went from “cool character” to “favorite” character in an rpg which was run by Hera Ledro (OT: just what is the problem with having one account name and sticking with it? This is IMO needlessly complex) because of “needless information” like back-story and the like.
I think in order to properly role-play your character you need information like that. Another example: Nova for instance is someone who when on “assignment” wears very functional clothing, bullet proof vest with MOLLE webbing and a pair of cargo pants. Functional and camouflaging making her “work” as a Sniper easier. This includes sports brassieres and the like. However given a choice she would much rather wear loose fitting pants and Silk undies. It’s more comfortable and she can afford to.

I am not a moderator or anything so feel free to ignore this but it is my opinion born of role-playing for the better part of a decade that the “useless” and “impertinent” information is what makes for really good characters and the truly memorable moments that you’ll be talking about for long times after the original role-play has ended are the useless info.

FireFrenzy

P.S. Hell I still consider one of the best posts I have ever written to be a page and half long discussion on the back story of the lizard man people in an rpg on a forum that is long since dead. A page and a half of information about why the choice one of the other players made was wrong and what consequences it had for the “uninteresting” npc characters. It was about a character that needed to ascend to godhood against his wishes so he could restore balance to the world and he decided not too. I could have just slapped him on his head and tossed him into the ritual pit or I could have made up some “needless” and “useless” back story as to WHY I am doing that.

P.P.S. I am well aware that RPBs tend to be shorter with less information and back story and more “lets bash each other on the head” but that’s no excuse for bad role-playing…

 

[Saix]

Might I start by citing that your opinion on the matter, FireFrenzy, is equally as irrelevant as the aforementioned. =)

We (i can only speak in fact for myself but have heard similar stories from Drach) were instructed that we would just need to make up our own back story for the tournament.

I have been informed that, yes, creating a backstory relevant to your character in order to 'spice' up the fight is encouraged, but surely you can't expect me to credit him for over half a post of "backstory"? This is a role playing tournament battle, not role playing tournament give-me-your-life-story.

Drachnon did so and as a result this cost him the battle?

As you can see, by the scoring it's had very little effect on the outcome; I don't utilise the 'bonus points' that Contra does, so a notable amount of points was not subtracted. In essence yes, it did cost him. I'm here to Judge the criteria, not what he feels like typing on the side.

Furthermore, note he lost three points for grammar.

If one were to limit once self to merely "relevant" or "pertinent" information one could just as well make a 10 line post along the lines of "I wake up, i find myself fighting some dragon dude, i say this and summon daemon x//fire an energy blast" or what ever move your character makes. The "useless" detail is what imo separates the "good" rpgers from the "bad".

Congratulations; you've exaggerated hugely.

Example: in the last 10 rpgs (of both on and offline variety) how many times did your character Eat, sleep, go to the bathroom, wash and or get clean underwear?

Again, you seem to be missing the point of RPBs - particularly of this variety. This tournament was arranged to test who was the greater combatant, not descriptor of why they slept on the left and how much those beans made him fart throughout the night.

Thinking of details like this is what makes a character become more then just a few pages of data stored on a hard drive and a server somewhere and makes him,/her become "alive" -for want of a better term-. Along these lines, my character Nova Carmine went from “cool character” to “favorite” character in an rpg which was run by Hera Ledro because of “needless information” like back-story and the like.

Well done! You've succeeded in participating in an RP. However, this is simply not necessary for battling. I want details of the battle, nothing more.

I am not a moderator or anything so feel free to ignore this

You heard him, mods. -thumbs up-

but it is my opinion born of role-playing for the better part of a decade that the “useless” and “impertinent” information is what makes for really good characters and the truly memorable moments

Although very true, you just seem to be horribly confused as to the context in which people should add such information.

P.P.S. I am well aware that RPBs tend to be shorter with less information and back story and more “lets bash each other on the head”

Now you're getting it!

but that’s no excuse for bad role-playing…

Ah, so this all boils down to the fact you think Hera is a bad RPer? I apologise on his behalf for adhering to RPB standards.





I note that only one Judge has posted thusfar, due to her inability to effectively Judge whilst on her current computer; this may sway the result.

 

[Drachnon]

The first post was nessisary to justify why Ravona was there and didn't just surrender before the battle started. I know I could have done that in 3 lines but then it would seem like a rush job compared to the rest of my post. So unless you actually deducted points for writing it I don't see your problem.

BTW If by unessisary information you mean Ravona's thoughts on her opponents abilities and such then I can assure you those are nessisary. Ravona is a very intelligent person and though I might not have made this very clear in her bio she's not someone who, especially in battle, will do anything without putting sufficient thought into it.
Attacking without a greater plan is not something any seasoned fighter will do. Ravona is not even a fighter but a mage who will put even more thought into their plans. I even had a plan which required Ravona to move away form the battle a bit (one of the reasons she had moved away from it). I never got to put it in motion but that doesn't really matter.
In fact I'm kinda disappointed that I don't see more people who do long term planning in their posts. Pretty much all the battles I've read are pretty much a continuous repetition of evade/block opponent and then attack yourself. I'd like to see people take actions that won't have any affect till 3 posts later.

I know that in character roleplaying is not judged neither is sensibility (or logic for that matter). But that doesn't mean that you don't have to bother with it at all.

Now I choose the first daemon for more reasons other then the ones I gave in the post. I figured that Danny the Cat wanted to fight a melee battle considering how much effort he put in describing what stance. Plus since Ravona would just use improved invisibility and/or teleport away whenever Jake comes near I can guarentee you that there wouldn't have been much Jake could do.
Can you imagine how disappointed I was when Danny the Cat decided to not fight close combat but instead make it a blasting battle

Btw you do have to explain yieldability to me since Ravona never evaded anything nor did her deamons (he tried though). So how can I score lower here then Danny the Cat who did evade at least something?

I can understand grammar/spelling though. I'm Dutch and dyslectic so my spellings check exists out of what open office finds for me which doesn't cover everything, or so it seems.

EDIT:
p.s. since the backstory and extra information do not count for the RPB I'll asume you didn't deduct any points for any grammar/spellings mistakes made in them. Otherwise I'm going to ask to return them to me.

 

[Contra Fates]

I am a bit disappointed to see that you two [Drachnon & FireFrenzy] have jumped the gun on this. Judging results are not to be disputed. If you have an issue, you are welcome to privately discuss it with the Judges. Although, seeing as how both of you didn't even bother to wait for my results, it doesn't seem like that was even a thought.

Judging Results:

Drachnon
Originality/Creativity: 10
Interaction with Environment: 9
Yieldability: 10
Readability/Grammar: 8
Power-playing/God-modding: 10

Score=47/50
-2 Points.
Final=45/50

Comments:
If you and FireFrenzy did not post, you could have tied this battle. But, because you wished to be judged on RPB-only material, my judging was limited, and points were deducted from your score:

-1 Point for Laziness. It would not have been a hassle for you to have logged out of FireFrenzy's account and into your own name. I was shocked that you posted under his name because you 'didn't feel like changing names.'

+ 1 Point for Description. I gave you a bonus point, because you showed a lot of effort in your posts, and they were very detailed. I will not claim 'irrelevance,' but I will inform you that again, this is an RPB battle, so description is meant for the battle itself, not for the backstory.

-1 Point for FireFrenzy's Post. For not waiting for my judging post, I had to deduct a point from your score. Not only is it rude, but it shows poor sportsmanship to argue results before they're even fully posted.

-1 Point for Drachnon's Post. I deducted a point for the same reason as mentioned above. Lurid was not the only Judge in this battle. And, again, any sort of judging dispute should be handled privately, and NOT within the battle thread itself.

Due to poor sportsmanship and hastiness, you have lost this round. No one else in this Tournament has caused as much of a fuss as you two have. I can understand having questions, and concerns...but you've both gone about it the wrong way.

---

Danny the Cat
Originality/Creativity: 9
Interaction with Environment: 10
Yieldability: 10
Readability/Grammar: 9
Power-playing/God-modding: 10

Score=48/50
-1 Point
Final=47/50

Comments:
Over-all you've done a very good job. I wished that your posts were a little bit longer, in an attempt to match the length of Drachnon's posts, but everything else was very well done. I'll explain the point deduction below:

-1 Point for Shorter Posts. I felt like your posts could have been a little longer. In total, Drachnon had 3,223 words for their posts, while you had 922. Granted, Drachnon posted first, the difference in length is quite large.

Your posts were engaging, and you focused more-so on the battle itself. Congrats on being the winner for this round.

Winner: Danny The Cat!

 

[Drachnon]

Wait I'm being deducted points for Frenzy's post?????

 

[Contra Fates]

Wait I'm being deducted points for Frenzy's post?????

Yes, and I'm positive that Lurid would have agreed with me on this. You two are close friends, which is obvious because you even posted on his computer at his house. Surely he spoke to you before posting, and even if that were not the case, you posted after him. No one else has interrupted the results. So I consider it a very high offense. Had I not deducted that point, you would have tied with Danny The Cat. But, because of your post, the tie-breaker would have ended in a decision for Danny The Cat to be the victor. Good sportsmanship is a very big deal in a Tournament.

We have spoken several times privately, as it should have been, and the same goes for FireFrenzy. For the both of you to be so vocal about this battle, before I even had time to post my results...it cost you, no matter how you spin it.

This thread is now closed. If you have any further comments, you are welcome to privately message me or Danny The Cat, as that is what should have happened in the first place.

[Thread Closed.]