2025/26 Stage 1 Hufflepuff vs Ravenclaw: Match 7

Credit to Mylo Atkins (above), Pericles Dralt (below)

There was something special about the start of a duel, when everyone's moves were perfectly scripted (or Aislin's were, anyway, maybe some teams didn't precisely plan their openers?) and the only variation came down to speed and accuracy. The rest of the duel was probably much more interesting, the stringing together of reactions based on contingencies they'd discussed before and pure instinct, but she did like this moment, the straight comparison of their strategy, listening for Pyxis' word and then pointing her wand, rather than at any Hufflepuff, at the ceiling.

The Weather-modifying Charm was a second year spell, so she hadn't practiced it in a class, but Aislin had performed that same swirling wand motion plenty of times over the past few weeks. It was her opening move, she wanted to get it right, and there was a brief moment where her face lit up seeing the dark clouds form, dripping rain across the stage and buzzing with static energy. She then attempted to school her expression and her focus, since spells could be coming her way (there weren't, yet, which made things easier), but the sharp crack of a mini lightning bolt right onto Alina and the accompanying little boom brought the grin right back. She hadn't expected her storm to do anything that soon, but it had, and it really was quite a pretty opener.

Action: Doing as strategized

Round Two

Costanza vs Maisie

Reducio

Costanza casts the Cracker Jinx at Maisie.

Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20: 3] + 10 = 13 > 12 → Success

Radius vs Costanza (19-20): [d20: 1] → Miss

Auto-Hit (19-20) (Intuition): [d20: 14] → No Auto-Hit
Accuracy: [d20: 12] + 9 - 2 (Charmer + Tarantallegra) = 19
Evasion: [d20: 18] + 9 = 27
19 < 27 → Miss

Radius vs Aislin
Accuracy: 19
Evasion: [d20: 16] + 6 = 22
19 < 22 → Miss

Radius vs Nicholas
Accuracy: 19
Evasion: [d20: 9] + 6 = 15
19 > 15 → Hit

Radius Damage: 20 + 7 × 8 = 76
Duration: [d3: 3] → 2 rounds

Effect: Nicholas is hit by the radius of the Cracker Jinx and takes 76 damage. He will suffer -3 Wisdom for 2 rounds. Maisie and Aislin evade the Cracker Jinx.

Minnie vs Aislin

Reducio

Minnie casts the Fire-Making Spell II at Aislin

Wisdom DC: 12 - 5 (Skilled Transfigurer) = 7
Wisdom Check: [d20: 12] + 7 = 19 > 7 → Success

Accuracy: [d20: 13] + 4 - 1 (Charmer) = 16
Evasion: [d20: 10] + 6 = 16
16 = 16 → Impaired Hit

Damage: 60 + 8 × 15 = 180/2 = 90
Duration: [d3: 2] → 1 round

Effect: Aislin suffers an impaired hit from the Fire-Making Spell II and takes 90 damage. She will also lose 30HP per round for 1 round.

Alina vs Maisie

Reducio

Alina casts the Dancing-Feet Spell at Maisie.

Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 18] + 6 = 24 > 9 → Success

Accuracy: [d20: 2] + 6 - 1 (Charmer) = 7
Evasion: [d20: 2] + 9 = 11
7 < 11 → Miss

Effect: Maisie evades the Dancing Feet Spell.

Maisie vs Costanza

Reducio

Maisie casts the Disarming Charm at Costanza.

Wisdom DC: 10
Wisdom Check: [d20: 2] + 8 = 10 = 10 → Success

Auto-Dodge (19-20) (Intuition): [d20: 11] → No Auto-Dodge
Accuracy: [d20: 16] + 9 = 25
Evasion: [d20: 11] + 7 - 2 (Tarantallegra) = 16
25 > 16 → Hit

Duration: [d3: 1] → 1 round

Effect: Costanza is hit by the Disarming Charm and loses her wand for 1 round. She must search for her wand to decrease the duration.

Aislin vs Alina

Reducio

Aislin casts the Slowing Charm at Alina.

Wisdom DC: 10
Wisdom Check: [d20: 3] + 7 = 10 = 10 → Success

Accuracy: [d20: 19] + 7 = 26
Evasion: [d20: 17] + 6 = 23
26 > 23 → Hit

Duration: [d6: 5] → 2 rounds

Effect: Alina is hit by the Slowing Charm and cannot actively dodge for 2 rounds. She will also suffer -4 Evasion for 2 rounds.

Nicholas vs Alina

Reducio

Nicholas casts the Dancing-Feet Spell at Alina.

Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 20] + 5 = 25 > 9 → Critical Success

Accuracy: [d20: 13] + 6 = 19
Evasion: [d20: 17] + 6 = 23
19 < 23 → Miss

Effect: Alina evades the Dancing Feet Spell.

Lightning

Reducio

Lightning hits on 19-20.

Costanza: [d20: 13] → Safe
Minnie: [d20: 19] → Hit
Alina: [d20: 18] → Safe

Damage: 50 + 4 × 15 = 110

Effect: Minnie is hit by the lightning and takes 110 damage.

At the sight of Costanza’s majestic stepdance, it seemed that others wanted to try their hand at sending their opponents hopping across the piste. Alina went after Maisie, and Nicholas took his shot at Alina. Both casts were absolutely superb, especially Nicholas’ whose looked incredibly forceful. Alas, their focus on concentration couldn’t pay off as both spells missed their marks.

Costanza and Maisie were still locked in battle, though this time, the badger extended her reach to the rest of the Ravenclaw team. Her conjured crackers missed Maisie, and Aislin was far enough away, but Nicholas felt the exploding poppers on his arm and side of his leg. He was going to be feeling the aftereffects for a while. Despite Costanza’s premonitionary skills getting the best of Maisie last time, there was no stopping the eagle this time. Her Disarming Charm struck the badger on her wand hand, sending Costanza’s wand toppling to the piste a short distance away.

Aislin continued to take wins for her team, striking Alina with a Slowing Charm. The badger’s movements suddenly decelerated. She could try and force herself to dodge spells, but would find herself inhibited by the constraints of the spell. Aislin’s rain cloud also had something to say, rumbling loudly before striking another badger. This time it was Minnie, who had suddenly become active after blanking a few seconds ago. Despite the scent of more singed hair, Minnie managed to hit Aislin with a fire spell on the tip of her shoulder. The fabric there caught fire, but the flames were seemingly not at their full power.

Information

1. You have 96 hours from the time of this post to write your posts (50 words min).
2. In the same time period, send me (Pyxis Hellebore) 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.
4. I may mod early if all posts and actions are sent in before the allotted time frame has passed. If you do not want me to do this, please send an owl my way.
5. Your stats, abilities, and spells were locked on October 13th and will remain in that state for the duration of this duel. Any trunk updates since then will not be included.
6. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to owl or DM me!
7. Good luck, and have fun~

Duelling Spells

Duelling System

Newest Patch

The spectator thread for this duel can be found here.
Come cheer for your House and friends!

Stats: stamina: 6|evasion: 7|strength: 4|wisdom: 7| arcane power: 8|accuracy: 4

Interacting With: @Costanza Jewelweed and @Alina Carnell

Word Count: 55/50

OOC Notes: Reducio Speaking: b38900 Thinking: Italics

↜↝

Outift: Reducio A green tank top, jeans, and her satchel.

"Nice moves, Jewelweed!" came the cheer from from the crowd as Maisie looked over to find Robin, who would be competing her own duel for the first time later in the day, paying close attention. Unlike the last few times she'd been up here, it seemed she had a cheering section and that filled her with a new energy.

Maybe this time she wasn't alone.

She was quick to move out of the way of Costanza's spell—something she did not immediately recognize—but Nicholas was not so lucky. Meanwhile Aislin got set on fire, something unfortunately all too common on the piste. "Are you two okay?" she whispered to them both, knowing getting hit for the first time was not fun. Hopefully, they'd remember what she'd said in the beginning: don't give up.


And yet...

“Go Maisie! You’ve got this!”

Percival's lighthearted cheer—one of many ways he'd shown up for her—reminded her that just because Costanza had side stepped one spell—the timing still seemed strange—didn't mean she might do so again. And frankly, she was getting tired of her and her jeering match after match. But there was one thing—no matter how else the rest of this whole thing went, no matter if Costanza sent her to the hospital wing again, no matter if she never stepped up here again (because she did, in fact, suck at this sport)—that Costanza could never take away from her if she pulled it off, the most wounding thing one witch could do to another: take her wand.

And take her wand she did.

Mentioning @Percival Rocier & @Robin Marie

Stamina: 7 | Evasion: 9 | Strength: 2 | Wisdom: 8 | Arcane Power: 5 | Accuracy: 9
The Muggle Condition | Perfectionist

Credit to Mylo Atkins (above), Pericles Dralt (below)

Very quickly, it was harder to keep track of everything. It was a little like chess combat in that way, though not quite so many moving parts, bright and loud and chaotic. The crackers from Costanza's wand were the real cause of most of this, popping around Ravenclaw's end of the stage, and Aislin managed to avoid the fringes of the spell that came close to her, then realized Minnie had sent a burst of fire at her, too, and how did anyone ever manage to dodge multiple spells at once? Maybe it just took practice, because Maisie was pulling it off.

In between zipping spells and fire catching on her shoulder, she managed to incant a Slowing Charm at Alina. She'd had too much luck evading Nicholas' spells, in Aislin's opinion, and moving as though through molasses should change that. Her beautiful storm cloud struck yet again, hyperactive compared to the ones she'd summoned in practice, but this time she was a little too preoccupied to appreciate it. "I'm okay?" she answered Maisie's check-in, but she was still eyeing the flames uncertainly. They didn't hurt that much worse than a skinned knee, but it was a different sort of pain. Another question: how did duellists possibly focus on anything in front of them while on fire?

Action: Doing as strategized