2021, Stage 1 Ravenclaw vs Gryffindor: Match 4

Far more confident as a duelist rather than a moderator, Thomas stepped onto the stage without an ounce of hesitation. The last official duel he participated in, against a pair of Slytherins, had left a rather sour taste in his mouth. Hungry for a victory rather than a loss, the Ravenclaw's smile was enormous and almost unsettling. There apparently wasn't a single shred of humility in him, no sir.

Ever bad with faces, Thomas didn't recognize the duelists before him. The Ravenclaw didn't often remember those who he didn't make a conscious decision to remember, after all, and in his eyes, there were few worthy of that effort. "Let's get this over with fast, eh?" His grin was toothy, and without restraint. "I've got two more duels I want to watch today, and the sooner we're done here the sooner they begin." These comments were made quietly, for his partner to hear. The arrogance was abhorrently apparent in his tone; should one have distilled the pure bravado, it would have been strong enough to be outlawed in each of the fifty states aside from Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, and Rhode Island.

"Good lu-uck," Thomas called to the other team, singsong and cheerful in nature. There was a rather apparent undertone in the gesture of goodwill, the quiet implication that the other duelists would be needing it.

Action: Soon to be owled! Owled!
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers, Statistically Relevant (+2 Wisdom), Evasive Maneuvers II
Stats: Sta 5 || Eva 12 || Str 1 || Wis 11 || Arc P 10 || Acc 10

Addie bounced up and down on the balls of her feet, adrenaline supplying her with a jittery energy. She hated standing around like this, waiting for the match to start. She was ready for spells to start flying, and to see how she would fare in her first ever dueling match.

The moderator’s words sounded like buzzing in Adeline’s ears, distant background noise. And finally, it was time to take the stage. Addie bounded forward and took her place, tapping her wand against her leg in anticipation. As she looked around, she began to feel slightly alone. She had never met either of the opposing Ravenclaws, and even her own partner, she wasn’t well-acquainted with outside of the dueling team.

Adeline scoffed and rolled her eyes as one of the Ravenclaws wished them luck. She could hear the slight mockery in his voice, as she was rather accustomed to using this tone herself.

Deliberately not returning the boy’s sarcastic well-wishes, Addie turned to Katrina. “Let’s give them hell, yeah?” she whispered to her dueling partner, a bright smile spread across her face.

With that, Adeline took a ready stance, her muscles tensed and prepared for whatever was to come. We’ve got this in the bag, she thought to herself. The seconds seemed to stretch on for hours as Addie waited on pins and needles for the match to officially begin.

Action: Owled

| @Thomas Baines, @Katrina Walker, @Adeline Hughes, @Xailah Alptraum, @Lydia Cooper |

Adrenaline wasn't the sort of thing one would expect the mild-mannered Pericles to become addicted to, yet Hogwarts had a knack for developing odd sorts of wizards. Now, the third-year was not necessarily hooked on hostilities themselves, but the whole package of dueling. Testing one's wit, forming strategies, sizzling spells, all aspects of the sport melded to create one of Peri's favorite pastimes. There was nothing quite like the thrill of narrowly dodging a blow, or tactically landing a hit. His eyes were practically aglow as he climbed the stairs alongside Thomas. He heard his name called from the crowd and slowed, turning to smile and arch an eyebrow at Xailah. it felt good to have a friend who cared enough about him to support his interests, even if she spent the rest of her time teasing him relentlessly.

Arriving on stage, Peri first turned his attention on Lydia, listening attentively as she recapped the rules. Despite knowing them, an affirmation was nodded with a low "Thank you" for her moderation. Then they took their positions, from where the co-captain indulged in observing the opposing team. Thomas' muttered bravado was welcomed with a small smile to the side. "Alright," was all he offered, with the hint he wanted to play along, but either did not know how, or was erring on the side of manners. Pericles was hardly the best at banter; he usually left that to @Dealla Prince, whose company at his side would be missed. There was at least comfort in seeing how dedicated Thomas was to the team, and how suitable his skills were. Good at banter too, evidently, as he was already making an opponent roll her eyes. Pericles sent a look towards the witch that could almost be described as apologetic, if not for his gleaming amusement. Lastly, a more familiar smile towards Katrina, before he raised his wand and bowed his head, a gesture per the books. Familiarities were finished. Time to take off the gloves....

Action: As Strategized

Once again Katrina stood proudly on the dueling platform, wand spinning in her hand. The people around her have changed since the last time she was in this position, but she still radiated that cool confidence.

There was something about dueling that was just very different for Katrina. It brought a sense of adrenaline and almost power that she couldn't attain any other way. It's what had broken Katrina out of her shell, let her be recognized by others, even gained something of a reputation among others. Not only was dueling fun, but Katrina had also convinced herself that it was real world practice in a safe scenario-- it was, but she had convinced herself so thoroughly that she was able to discard her typical protective nature entirely when it came to the subject. Katrina allowed herself to assume her 'dueling persona', indifferent, confidant, headstrong.

Her current opponents, both Ravenclaws, Katrina at least knew of. The first was Thomas, somewhat irritatingly cocky, though the lioness was careful not to let her irritation show. In response to his 'well-wished' comment of luck, Katrina responded, "As much as I appreciate your luck. We won't be needing it," with a matching tone to his and a fake smile allowing her confidence to show.

Her dueling partner, Adeline, which Katrina had yet to become well acquainted with as of yet seemed very confidant as well, although Katrina knew it was to be her first real duel, she hoped that confidence would continue, they might need it. "They won't know what hit them," Katrina said in response with a knowing smile. This wasn't Katrina's first duel after all.

Pericles, the other opponent standing across from Katrina, seemed a bit more well meaning in his lack of banter. He gave her a knowing smile, and she returned it, this time careful to be sincere. Pericles seemed like a formidable opponent and to be honest, she was a bit excited to see how he was when it came to dueling. Katrina returned his bow, aiming the familiarity more to Pericles than Thomas.

Time to do this.

Actions: Owled
@Pericles Dralt @Adeline Hughes@Thomas Baines

Round 1

Pericles Dralt vs Katrina Walker

Reducio

Pericles Dralt cast Wind Jinx at Katrina Walker.
Wisdom DC: 11
Wisdom Check: [d20: 17] + 9 = 26, success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 19] + 9 - 1 Katrina's Charmer = 27
Evasion Check: [d20: 6] + 8 = 14
27 > 14 → Hit
Damage: 50 + 8 × 10 = 130 HP
Effects: [d3: 2] -4 EVA for 1 round (1d3, 1-2: 1 round, 3: 2 rounds)

Thomas Baines vs Katrina Walker

Reducio

Thomas Baines cast Blindfolding Spell at Katrina Walker.
Wisdom DC: 10
Wisdom Check: [d20: 12] + 11 = 23, success
Accuracy Check: [d20: 17] + 10 - 1 = 26
Evasion Check: [d20: 13] + 8 = 21
26 > 21 → Hit
Effects: the opponent is blindfolded and unable to see; their EVA and ACC are 0 until the blindfold is removed

Adeline Hughes vs Thomas Baines

Reducio

Adeline Hughes cast Dancing-Feet Spell at Thomas Baines.
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 12] + 6 = 18, success
Auto-Dodge: [d10: 7], failThomas' EM II
Accuracy Check: [d20: 19] + 7 = 26
Evasion Check: [d20: 16] + 12 = 28
26 < 28 → Miss

Katrina Walker vs Thomas Baines

Reducio

Katrina Walker cast Blindfolding Spell at Thomas Baines.
Wisdom DC: 10
Wisdom Check: [d20: 19] + 11 = 30, success
Auto-Dodge: [d10:9], success Thomas' EM II

The duellists wasted no time, and as soon as Lydia declared the beginning of the duel, spells started flying across the platform. Both Pericles and Thomas had set their eyes on Katrina; Pericles skillfully cast the Wind Jinx at the girl, hitting her and dealing quite some damage, as the strong jolt of wind would render Katrina's movements more difficult until the wind was blowing. As if that wasn't enough, Thomas had cast the blindfolding spell at the Gryffindor girl as well, and soon the girl would find that it was impossible for her to see anything as the blindfold wrapped around her head.

Before that happened, Katrinahad tried to cast the very same spell at Thomas, but the boy had been far too quick for her to hit him, and the conjured blindfold never arrived at its destination. Adeline had set her eyes on Thomas as well, and decided to make him more vulnerable to attacks; her Tarantallegra was well cast, and even if it was flying towards the Ravenclaw boy, Thomas was too quick once again, and managed to avoid the spell.

The duel had just started, but Revanclaw had already managed to gain some advantage on their opponents. Who knew what else would happen.

OOC Info

1. You have 96 hours/4 days from my timestamp to do a post of minimum 50 words and owl me (Lydia Cooper) your actions. The deadline will be the 5th of November, 2021 (3:20 PM GMT+2).
2. Remember, there are no more extensions!
3. If you do not post or owl in the allotted time frame, your action is void. Remember also not to hint at your action in your post.
4. Your stats, abilities, and spells (your trunk) have been locked in as of posting this thread. You're still allowed to update your trunks, but those updates will not count for this duel.
5. If you have any questions, you can always reach me with an owl or on Discord! My username is Kiki ~#5243
6. Have fun, and good luck!

Spectator Thread

The duel kicked off with a bang. Both teams selected the target of greatest concern, each making an attempt at debilitation: a blindfold and jinx aimed at Thomas, with a blindfold and Ventus bound for Katrina. The latter was Pericles' first attempt at casting the spell in an official setting. He had learned it only recently, though these third-year spells packed quite a punch, and he had been especially excited to add them to his arsenal. It was practiced in rehearsal surely, now to see if he could cast it under pressure.... "Ventus." A steady gust of wind barreled out of the white wand, buffeting its target. Though the young wizard's expression remained one of cool concentration, his gaze glowed with the boyish relief of Oh! That actually worked! The blindfold Tom's wand ejected was swept along in the gust, slapping itself snugly over the target's eyes. Peri was doubly pleased to see his partner dodge both attacks intended for him. A strong start for Ravenclaw, yet not the time to get cocky. Well... not that Tom wasn't already.

Action: As Strategized

"Obscuro!" As the spell found its mark, Thomas beamed. "Right on th—" cut off, the young Ravenclaw worked hard to duck and weave out of the way of two spells coming his way. Used to this sort of treatment—Thomas was almost always the first to be targeted when he was partnered up with Callie—the boy’s triumphant expression shifted a bit into something more vengeful. As one of Ravenclaw’s vice captains, he understood the strategy behind trying to eliminate him. He was a little guy, definitely the weaker of the two between himself and Pericles physically. Thomas estimated that his partner would easily out class him in any competition of fortitude. In almost all situations, a 2v1 would be far more fortuitous than a 2v2, no matter how competent the last remaining duelist was.

The failure of the Gryffindors to knock him out only tasted sweeter due to this fact, Thomas couldn’t help but believe. He had worked hard over the summer, particularly after the events at the forest’s edge at camp, to ensure that he would survive. If not by physicality, than by ability to avoid getting hit at all. "I’m standing over here, you know," he called over to his opponents, pointing a thumb at his chest in a gesture of pride. "Riiiight there, good place to aim."He paused for a moment, before laughing derisively. "Oh, I forgot… Follow the sound of my voice, blindman’s bluff!"

Action: Owled!
Abilities: Evasive Maneuvers, Statistically Relevant (+2 Wisdom), Evasive Maneuvers II
Stats: Sta 5 || Eva 12 || Str 1 || Wis 11 || Arc P 10 || Acc 10

This was the first time Katrina had been outright targeted by both opponents. She could tell even as the duel launched in that both Ravenclaws had their sights on her. They leapt into action, both spells hurdling her way. Katrina rarely thought of herself as particularity good at dodging spells but she was reminded again that she really wasn’t.

Her own first spell was a blindfolding one at Thomas, a hopeful respite and a chance to get a good spell on him. However, he dodged with easy grace that Katrina had not at all anticipated and the spell had been for nothing.

By the time she registered her miss, there was a matching blindfold on her own face. (Thankfully not her own backfire) And she suddenly felt a gust of wind slam into her chest, making it almost hard to breath and impossible to move. Well this blowed, literally.

Katrina noted with a touch of pride that they had both aimed at her because she was likely the larger threat, so that stroke to her growing ego kept her from feeling too down about the current turn of events.

Actions: (soon to be) Owled
@Pericles Dralt @Adeline Hughes@Thomas Baines

The second the match began, Adeline sent a spell straight for the more obnoxious of her two opponents. “Tarantallegra!” she called out confidently, lunging forward slightly as she completed the charm’s wand movement. As she watched her spell fly across the battlefield, her attention redirected to the two others that were headed directly for her teammate.

“Oh come on, I’m dangerous too!” Addie yelled out, frustrated that she apparently wasn’t viewed as a threat and that she hadn’t gotten to show off her dexterity, which was most of what she had going for her. As she glanced over at Katrina, she saw a blindfold wrapped tightly around her head and watched as a heavy wind slammed into her.

Addie angrily turned back to at least see what damage she had managed to deal to her opponent, but found the boy standing instead of dancing, seemingly untouched by the Dancing Feet Spell.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she muttered under her breath. This was not how she had imagined her first duel going.

Action: Doing as strategized