2021, Stage 2 Group D: Hufflepuff vs. Slytherin

Action| Doing as strategized

She had her wand, her brooch. She'd opted for a high ponytail this time instead of a braid, though it served the same function of keeping her hair out of her face. Here she was again, making her way onto the duelling strip. There were differences, of course. The moderator was different, Alan Vanes instead of the departed Charms Professor. They were up against Hufflepuff. For the first time, she was the oldest player, but surprisingly, it didn't feel any different. Sure, she was the one with more spells, more experience. She just didn't feel like that remotely warranted underestimating her opponent or assuming that meant victory. She was also a Co-Captain, and that meant she felt an even greater responsibility to help her team succeed.

There was one thing she was still carrying around that she'd hoped to be rid of by now. A need to prove herself. Their last duel had technically been a win, it just didn't feel like it. If anything, she'd proved she was agile, not that she was particularly good at casting spells. She had every intention of making up for that now. Losing this one really was not an option.

It helped that Santario radiated excitement, because it rubbed off on her too, reminding her that while this would be a fierce competition, it was also most definitely something she enjoyed doing. She was determined to not let her nerves get the best of her like they had last time. She returned her teammate's comment with a nod, sending the same brief bob of her head towards her opponents as well as a sign of sportsmanship. Sure, she was aiming to knock them both unconscious, but this was nothing personal. Her wand was drawn, ready to cast, strategy in mind. She breathed in, then out. She was ready.

Action: Doing as strategized

Logan was nervous as she made her way to the dueling room, who wouldn't though when you are about to go against a team that seems much stronger than your own. Logan didn't want to let the Hufflepuff team down, what if she was the reason they lost. Even with her weekly practice sessions with Henry, she was still afraid she would make a fool out of herself in front of everyone. The Hufflepuff wasn't the best at casting spells, she was better at potions. She was going to try her best though.

It seemed that her partner had not arrived yet, but Logan knew she would be there soon. The Hufflepuff sighed as she looked over at her opponents and gave them a little nod as a good luck. The two Slytherin students scared her, she had never met either one of them before and wasn't sure what they were capable of. She couldn't remember the last duel, so she wasn't sure if they had won theirs or not either. What Logan did know was that one of them was older than both her and Lucia. "You can do this?" she muttered to herself as she prepared for the duel to begin.

Action: N/A

Lucia was, for once, bubbling with excitement at the thought of the second stage of the duelling season. She and her partner Logan had won their last duel with both still standing, and pumped up with confidence from both this memory and several letters from home, she was sure that the same would happen this time. Even though one of her opponents was a third year. Gulp.
Spotting Briar in the small audience, Lucia gave her sister a wave which was returned. "Good luck!" her sister mouthed, and Lucia gave her a smile and a thumbs up before taking her place.
"You can do this," she confirmed to her partner. "We can do this."

Round 1

Santario vs Logan

Reducio

Santario casts Ventus at Logan
Wisdom DC: 11
Wisdom Check: [d20:15] + 8 = 23 > 11 → Success
Split Chance: [d10:7] → fail
Accuracy Check: [d20:5] + 8 = 13
Evasion Check: [d20:13] + 6 = 19
12 < 19 → Miss

Bridget vs Lucia

Reducio

Bridget casts Ventus at Lucia
Wisdom DC: 11
Wisdom Check: [d20:13] + 9 = 22 > 11 → Success
Split Chance: [d10:6] → fail
Alluring Roll: [d10:8] → fail
Accuracy Roll: [d20:20] + 8 = 28
Evasion Roll: [d20:1] + 8 = 9
28 > 9 → Hit
Damage: 50 + 7AP x 10 = 120
Duration: [d3:3] → 2 rounds 1-2 : 1 round | 3 : 2 rounds
Effects: -4 Evasion

Logan vs Santario

Reducio

Logan casts Curse of the Bogies at Santario
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20:9] + 8 = 17 > 12 → Success
Accuracy Check: [d20:10] + 8 = 18
Evasion Check: [d20:14] + 7 = 21
18 < 21 → Miss

Lucia vs Bridget

Reducio

Lucia casts Curse of the Bogies at Bridget
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20:15] + 8 = 23 > 12 → Success
Calming Presence Auto-Hit cancels Evasive Maneuvers
Accuracy Check: [d20:4] + 6 = 10
Evasion Check: [d20:11] + 9 = 20
10 < 20 → Miss

Right as the duel was starting, Alan would step out of the area to ensure he would not be caught by any stray spells, off guard and watched the rapid exchange of magic spells. Two teams with similar yet very different strategies, which in a way was really fun and interesting to observe. Both team would start off by casting a spell at one of their opponents, which lead to at least each of them being under attack; an expectant grin formed on his face as he would lean forward just a bit. He would watch as Santario's spell, despite being cast marvelously, went into nothing and Alan had to force his body and facial expression to not show that he hoped she might have hit Logan instead, simply because he knew what a fantastic with his friend was.

He would watch on and could have missed the spectacular moment in which Bridget conjured up a jet of air, that was visibly twisting and turning like a small tornado that would search for a victim to take a grip on. Lucia who had probably meant to step out of the spells way, instead must have been tripping or slipping and instead ended up stepping right into the jet of wind and would successfully be trapped in it. Her maneuverability would suffer greatly with this, but Alan still had hopes in her.

Both Logan and Lucia would also go for the same opening spell that they would attempt to cast on both Santario and Bridget. While both of their spells would be a success, and Alan could not help but make a face once he heard the incantation of those nasty spells, he kind of was glad that they missed their target. He wouldn't want to suffer the consequences of that spell but understood the importance of why they would be cast in this very situation. He would presume this was only the start of the battle, and would wait for the contestants to show what they would be doing next.

Information

1. You have 96 hours from now to write your entrance posts (50 words min).
2. In the same time period, send me (Alan Vanes) your team's actions per owl. Do not hint at your actions in your post.
3. If you don't post in the allotted time frame, your action is void. Extensions up to 24 hours can be requested before the deadline has passed.
4. Your Stats, Abilities, and Spells have been locked to what they are now for the duration of this duel.
5. If you have questions or notice something odd about the mod post, don't hesitate to owl or DM me. DraLamb#5832
6. Good luck, and have fun!

for spectators

Action| Doing as strategized

"Ventus!" There was no hesitation when Alan gave the word to start. Worry lurked in the back of her mind that she'd backfire on herself again, but it was easy enough to concentrate on the strategy they'd discussed. Failing was one thing and not trying was something else entirely; she was going to give her best and hope all her hard work would pay off.

And it did. The cast itself was fairly average, but she could feel it as the wind left her wand, the control over where it was going. If there was one spell she had confidence in, it was this one; after all, it had been the only one she'd managed to land last duel. This time was even better, the spell perfectly aimed. Lucia couldn't get out of the way in time.

This, she decided, was what duelling could feel like, a bit of smile breaking through her neutral expression: the rush of adrenaline, the feeling of accomplishment. Bridget wasn't stupid and knew one beautifully executed spell was hardly something to get cocky over, but it planted a spark of confidence in her ability to perform during a duel.

"Thanks," she responded to Santario's compliment. Even more than proving her competence to herself, she wanted to make up for letting her partner down. The duel was far from over, so having allowed herself a moment of celebration, Bridget returned her focus to her next move, taking stock of their situation. Santario had missed, but the third year had faith in her teammate's skill. She'd make up for it. They'd both dodged the spells sent their way, thankfully; she'd seen the Curse of the Bogies in action last stage and been victim to it before, so knew full well it was quite nasty. On to round 2.

Action: Doing as strategized

Hearing the call to start, Logan's wand was up and pointed at Santario. "Mucus ad Nauseam" she called out clearly. The Hufflepuff didn't have much time to think if she had actually done the spell correctly though, as she had to dodge out of the way of the Ventus spell. Luckily she had managed to dodge it. Glancing up, Logan sighed as she realized her neither her spell, nor Lucia's had hit. She wasn't going to let the first missed spell get her down though, she knew she was capable of more.

Glancing over at Lucia, she winced as she realized that even though she had managed to dodge the spell aimed at her, Lucia was not so lucky. "Don't give up Lucia," she called out to her partner, worry evident in her voice. She hoped Lucia was okay, but didn't want to risk becoming completely distracted with concerns for her partner. They could do this though, they couldn't give up with just a few missed spells and one of them getting hit. Logan wasn't going to have much time to think about not giving up though, as the next round was about to begin and she needed to be prepared.