2021, Stage 2 Group E: Ravenclaw vs Hufflepuff

Round 4

It would appear that Thomas was not a big fan of being on fire, as evidenced when the blinded duelist gave up on trying to return his vision and instead opted for extinguishing himself, all in all, probably the wiser decision. His spell would go off without any problems and the silvery mist that doused the flames would save him some very sore burns in the near future.

The fury and frustrations of Miss Callie Jensen next to him though, that was something to behold. She was sick and tired of missing her spells in this duel. This time she would not be throwing away her shot. With dignity and poise and a drop of rage she would blast green fire towards her first-year opponent. Martyna's celebration and confidence would soon be overwhelmed with a warm feeling...slightly...too warm actually, as the Hufflepuff would now find herself Aflame just like her previous victim before now.

The Badgers had been doing quite well up to this point, luck or skill? Who can say? However, it would seem fate did not favour them this time, as the raw barbarian energy of Callie caused her to easily avoid the spells of her opponents. Either that or it's quite hard to cast spells when you have a cold and/or are on fire.

The scales were becoming more balanced by the second.

Thomas vs Fire

Reducio

Thomas attempts to cast Extinguishing Charm
Wisdom DC: 12 8 +2 for Willow's Lovely Creature, +2 for Remaining rounds of Aflame.
Wisdom Check: [d20: 16] + 11 = 27 → Success
Effects: Thomas is no longer aflame, and takes no damage for the effect this round.

Callie vs Martyna

Reducio

Callie casts Fire-making spell II at Martyna
Wisdom DC: 14 12 + 2 due to Willow's Lovely Creature
Wisdom Check: [d20: 7] + 10 = 17 → Success
To Hit: [d20: 19] + 8 = 27 → Success
Evasion Check: [d20: 19] + 7 = 26 → Fail
Duration: [d3: 3] → Max duration applied, 2 rounds.
Effects: Martyna takes 130 damage 60+(7*10) and is Aflame for two rounds, as such she will take 60 damage a round unless the effect is nullified.

Willow vs Callie

Reducio

Willow casts Knockback Jinx at Callie
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 8] + 10 = 18 → Success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 7] + 4 Reduced by CoB = 11 → Fail
Evasion Check: [d20: 7] + 7 = 14 → Success
Effects: Miss

Martyna vs Callie

Reducio

Martyna casts Fire-Making Spell at Callie
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 10] + 6 = 16 → Success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 10] + 7 = 17 → Fail
Evasion Check: [d20: 15] + 7 = 22 → Success
Effects: Miss

Information

1. You have 96 hours from now to write your posts (50 words min).
2. In the same time period, send me (Allister-Jameson MacAllister) your team's actions per owl. Do not reveal 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. If you have questions or notice something odd about the mod post, don't hesitate to owl me.

It would not be accurate to say that Thomas was afraid of fire. He had been exposed to far too much of it in his time at Hogwarts to harbor such a phobia. Not to mention, he was rather fond of the spell Incendio, a fact one of the Vice Captains of his dueling team would be able to recount. However, old habits died hard, and his muggle sense of self preservation and lingering desire to not be scarred from the burns was something that was not so easily erased from the psyche of a boy just thirteen. No matter how much bravado Thomas may have possessed, no matter how foolish it might have been to cast the following spell, he did so nonetheless. "Extinguo."

Slowly but surely, the young wizard felt himself losing steam. He had managed to stay up for two rounds now, still blind as a bat, but surely this wouldn’t last forever. Unsure if he had been the target of any spells, Thomas cast a vague taunt towards the opposing team, an exhausted approximation of the same enthusiasm he carried before. "At least have the decency to knock me out already! Not being able to see is making this duel even more of a snooze fest than it already was..."

Action: Doing as strategized.
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers, Statistically Relevant (+2 Wisdom)
Stats: Sta 5 || Eva 7 || Str 1 || Wis 9(+2=11) || Arc P 9 || Acc 10

Banner by Lucia Fox
Mentioning: @Willow Anderson, @Thomas Baines & @Callie Jensen

Once again, Callie struck fire in Tina's direction. This time, however, she took the damage full on, with no error made in the other's aim. "Yowwwwww! She's totally going for me because I'm younger!" she managed to squeal to her partner, who was currently growing weaker and weaker by the second. For someone so small, Willow was pretty strong.

Now with the additional task of trying to desperately fend off the bright flames colouring her robes, Tina misjudged her aim, and Callie deftly scooted out of the way of both she and Willow's attacks. Thomas had also managed to recover from the fire Tina had cast on him earlier, and despite being blindfolded still, things were looking more and more bleak for the badgers.

Action: Doing as strategised

"Finally!" Callie exclaimed with a surprising amount of enthusiasm as she watched the flames connect with Martyna. At least now she was managing to land her hits and that was a significant improvement. If she didn't jinx it entirely. However before she could consider her next move too closely the ever familar heat of an incendio slipped onto her radar. After sidestepping the flames with a surprising amount of ease for someone so clumsy, Callie once again slipped out of the way from Willow's attacks.

However before she could revel in her own small display of success Martyna seemed to take issue with being targeted. "You should give up already then if you can't handle a little heat!" Callie mocked with a wide grin all whilst considering her next move. Part of her wanted to make sure Thomas was alright but she knew better than to question his own ability to look after himself. Even if he was looking a bit woozy.

Action: As strategised.
Abilities: Calming Presence [Ally: Thomas], Prodigal Charms
Stats: STA: 6 | EVA: 7 | STR: 3 | WIS: 10 | ARC P: 7 | ACC: 8
Trunk: here

Banner by Lucia Fox

All around her Willow could hear various quips being thrown, from Thomas, Martyna yelling about something, possibly something from Callie. The sickness that wracked her head barely allowed her to concentrate on her own spells, let alone fully comprehending what was going on around her. She did know that her spell had missed, but it wasn't a surprise. Willow tried to sniffle some of the ridiculous of snot running down her face away, but it didn't do much. The most she could do was ready herself for next round, and hope that she could last as long as possible.

✿Action✿
Doing as Strategized

Round 5

Was this the beginning of the end? Or merely the end of the beginning? If it was the latter this was shaping up to be quite the long duel.

Both teams would find themselves in various states of health. Seemingly Thomas and Martyna respectively had suffered the worst of it. Callie could stand proudly with her lack of injury and despite a rather runny nose Willow was not doing so badly either.

For the two injured members things were about to get quite dire indeed.

Miss Romero of house Hufflepuff managed to escape the roaring flames that threatened to scorch her by the grace of her mucus stained teammate making her awash with a cool, silver mist. This would not stop the wrath of the angry bird Callie Jensen, whom seemed intent to strategically remove the first year from this duel.

Her spell hit Martyna squarely, the Hufflepuff perhaps distracted by the vanishing flames and unable to evade in time. The crowd gasped as they expected her to fall then and there, but it seemed she still had enough will left to fire off one last spell.

Master Thomas Baines of House Ravenclaw was not quite so lucky with his fate. Even as the light finally poured back into his pupils and graced him with the gift of vision again. He held his blindfold aloft, triumphantly rid of the wretched thing. However the doomed Martyna intended to cut his celebrations short. She gasped out an incantation, and for a moment it seemed that the spell was not to come, yet after a moment a brief sputter and spark of fire came from the tip of her wand before a familiar jet of flame shot towards her intended target. Shortly after, she would collapse unconscious.

Neither Thomas or Martyna would be making it to round six. The stalwart and brave duelists ought to be commended for the punishment they both endured, but AJ knew all too well there was only so much punishment someone could take. The nurse on site would extinguish Thomas quickly before any further harm could be done, and the pair of them would be taken to the Hospital Wing.

Leaving the chance at victory for either team firmly in the hands of Callie Jensen and Willow Anderson.

It was still anyone's game, AJ opened his mouth to speak again when another referee came and whispered in his ear hurriedly. The Gryffindor's face contorted into a confused frown, but he nodded and quickly took his leave without a word. It would seem he was needed elsewhere, and that someone else would take it from here.

Thomas vs Blindfold

Reducio

Thomas attempts to remove Blindfold
Strength DC: 12 -3 due to previous attempt.
Strength Check: [d20: 19] + 1 = 20 → Success
Effects: The gift of sight returns to Thomas, maybe now he won't take it for granted.

Callie vs Martyna

Reducio

Callie casts Knockback Jinx at Martyna
Wisdom DC: 11 9 + 2 due to Willow's Lovely Creature
Wisdom Check: [d20: 16] + 10 = 26 → Success
To Hit: [d20: 14] + 8 = 22 → Success
Evasion Check: [d20: 1] + 7 = 8 → Critical Fail
Effects: Martyna takes 170 damage 100+(7*10)

Willow vs the Flames of Romero

Reducio

Willow casts Extinguo at Martyna's flailing, burning form.
Wisdom DC: 10 8 +2 due to remaining rounds.
Wisdom Check: [d20: 18] + 10 = 28 → Success
Effects: Martyna is extinguished successfully, no damage suffered.

Martyna vs Thomas

Reducio

Martyna casts Fire-Making Spell at Thomas
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 3] + 6 = 9 → Success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 10] + 7 = 17 → Success
Auto-Dodge Check: [d10: 1] → Fail (due to Thomas' Evasive Maneuvers)
Evasion Check: [d20: 7] + 5 -2 due to bubbles. = 12 → Fail
Effects: Thomas suffers 130 50+(8*10) damage and would be aflame but it's kind of a moot point due to his...lack of consciousness.

Information

1. You have 96 hours from now to write your posts (50 words min).
2. In the same time period, send someone else (Meenauh Silmataurea) your team's actions per owl. Do not reveal 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. If you have questions or notice something odd about the mod post, don't hesitate to owl me.

"AHA!" She cackled as she watched the flipendo connect with poor Martyna, too overjoyed that she was starting to hit properly to consider how mean it might've sounded. However her cackles of joy didn't last long. Callie knew Thomas' time on the duelling stage was limited but she didn't expect things to be cut off so quickly. After all she hadn't at all expected Martyna to have another spell left in her after being targeted so harshly. Perhaps it was a little mean bullying a first year like that but it was a duel! There was bigger things to worry about than pesky morality. Duelling brought out a ruthless side of Callie that she wasn't at all aware existed before at the end of the day. Apologies could come later.

"Thomas look out-" She tried to call out a warning as she took notice of the flames sputtering out of the wand but it didn't come in time. "Darn it!" She exclaimed as she watched the nurse cart the unconcious pair off to the hospital wing before turning her gaze back to Willow. "Just you and me now, huh? Don't worry, I won't go easy on you." She taunted with a wide grin whilst clutching her wand tightly. "You'd better keep cooperating, wand!" She mumbled under her breath to the tempremental creature.

Action: As strategised.
Abilities: Calming Presence [Ally: Thomas], Prodigal Charms
Stats: STA: 6 | EVA: 7 | STR: 3 | WIS: 10 | ARC P: 7 | ACC: 8
Trunk: here

Apparently this was the end for the young duelist. After wrestling with the effects of Willow's aggravatingly expert spell casting for an impressively long period of time, it seemed that Thomas's struggle was beginning to gain purchase. He had done it! The blindfold was removed, after such a long battle. Thomas opened his eyes to watch Martyna go down, beginning to speak a word in triumph, "Finally I can s—" he was struck, by the gods the Hufflepuff's last spell hit him true. As the flames slowly began to take hold, the Ravenclaw stumbled and fell flat on his back, the wind knocked out of him with a huff by the impact.

Action: Taking a nap, getting extinguished.
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers, Statistically Relevant (+2 Wisdom)
Stats: Sta 5 || Eva 7 || Str 1 || Wis 9(+2=11) || Arc P 9 || Acc 10

Banner by Lucia Fox
Mentioning: @Willow Anderson, @Thomas Baines & @Callie Jensen

Things were looking pretty bleak at this point, Martyna was beginning to realise. With the powerful flames gradually riding up her clothes towards her hair, she couldn't help let out a crazed squawk as though she were a rather upset parrot, jumping up and down and yelling at her partner to: "Put 'em out! AHHHHH! Oh my gosh put em out!" She frantically bunched her hair up in her hands, forming a protective seal around her precious curls. Thankfully, Willow's well aimed Extinguo stunted the wrath of the flames which were about to eat her alive.

Her next mistake was letting her guard down.

Callie's Flipendo caught her completely by surprise, knocking her on the head. Somehow, this was especially painful. She stumbled back, hand clasped over her forehead with the other stuck out at the poor, blindfolded Thomas. If she was going down, he was coming with her.

"Indencio!"

She wasn't actually sure if the spell hit or not, because her vision was fading and she was soon lying flat on the floor, dreaming of baked goods and painted nails.

Action: ..zzzzzz...
Good luck for the rest of the duel guys, and thanks for the excellent moderation AJ!

Banner by Lucia Fox

Well crap. This wasn't how this was supposed to go at all. Willow was hoping for a clean victory with both her and Martyna standing victorious side by side. Well... with Martyna KO'ed that wasn't exactly what was going to happen, was it? Willow was snotty and dribbly and worse for wear. There was a familiar feeling creeping up on her, and she didn't want to pulled under the throes of unconsciousness before she took Callie out. She would win this for the Hufflepuffs. She couldn't help but roll her eyes at the continued trash talk, she really wasn't one for throwing bants around the duelling field. "Yeah yeah, you want to win... I want to win. Let's just get this going." She felt a little harsh, but she really had to focus at this point of the sickness overwhelming her and Callie's threats really meant nothing to her.

✿Action✿
Doing as Strategized