2023, Stage 2 Hufflepuff vs Gryffindor: Match 6

@Regina Miller

House Colours: Gryffindor
"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

~ Sun Tzu

Well so much for asking nicely... When had that ever worked for the kid? The answer was, of course, never.

As the fog let up bit by bit, as Piérre settled into his aim; the fire spell left him most simply. It was an easy spell to cast, after all. Just as he was about to send it flying, though, a small shudder went down his spine. It was just enough to cause him to "fear-sneeze" which is exactly what it sound like it is. It is a sneeze brought on by a sudden scare or unease.

Funny thing, though, Piérre had a weird tendency to sneeze with his eyes open. It was an odd party trick of his; so it was not because he couldn't see that he missed and simply because the action of sneezing had sent his aim flying sideways and far from the target.

"Oh well... Boogers." Piérre clicked his tongue. "Yeah... Hey and I told you that they weren't going to be around for long." The kid nodded to the fog that was now a light haze high in the room overhead. "Saved ya from a bad spell though, huh didn't it?" A grin.

Balancing the weight of the wand in his left hand, Piérre swished it softly from side to side. Man... Would it sure be nice to actually hit something... Or at least cast a spell usefully for once...

Doing as Strategized
Calming Presence Ally: Regina Miller

The fog charm was finally beginning to go away, but that didn't make Jake feel any better. He didn't really want the other team able to see him right now.

Whatever confidence he'd had from the cheering charm had long gone away, and the storm cloud above his head wasn't something he could ignore anymore. He could still feel the pain from the lightning, and it took all he had to hold it in. He wanted to focus on his opponents but he coudln't, because he couldn't stop looking up. The cloud was all he could think about. It swirled ominously above him. And any second it could flash. Any second it could bang. He just KNEW it was going to, like it had before, when he least expected it. He couldn't get hit again.... he just couldn't. "Ventus!" the boy finally cast nervously, not thinking. So desperate was his move that the gust of wind even spiraled out and hit Regina as well. But all he wanted was to blow the cloud away. He didn't think of how it might hit the other team. He didn't think about anything but getting it far away from HIM.

Beside him another spell hit his partner. He looked towards the side. He had to do something...! But what...? He couldn't hit them even if he wanted to, he knew he couldn't. They were going to get Autumn, and then he'd be alone. Then they'd get him. Why had he signed up for this? Why had he wanted to duel?

@Autumn Ivy

Action: As Strategized

date / Monday - January 30, 2022
word count / 400 words

"Oh, Miller. I have the sneaking suspicion you know nothing of my bite."

Maybe Autumn shouldn't have been engaging with the young Gryffindor, but anybody who thought so could simply sue her. Springhall wasn't there and she thrived on duelling banter. It was a little easier now, with the smoke beginning to dissipate. She could breathe again, thank Merlin.

Autumn was having the time of her life. Sure, she was hurt, almost out of the duel, but she had, over the years, grown to familiar with these moments. The last few before the flames and the hits became a little too much and unconsciousness laid its heavy blanket, taking her slowly to peaceless sleep.

She'd soon be dragged out of her and awaken in the hospital wing. She would regather what remained of her dignity and pride, she would go to her dorm, sit in her bed and yell into her pillow, before beginning to run through the duel in her head to figure out exactly how she doomed herself, so she could practice and not repeat her mistakes.

She'd always hated this, the shame dragging the usual edges of her scowl even further down, but now... Well, she almost felt light. Untouchable and yet mere steps from defeat. It was poetic, in a stupid little way.

She felt laughter building in the bottom of her throat. Exercising some amount of self-control, she kept the output to a simple chuckle. Uncharacteristic, but not enough for most to raise an eyebrow. If Naomi was watching, though, hopefully seeing her sister all bandaged up would delay any awaiting interrogation.

She didn't know what was happening. It was strange, and she enjoyed it nevertheless. Maybe some kind of crisis? Maybe after being knocked out in duels a little too many times, she was finally catching some sort of madness.

She remembered a line from a curious book she'd found in the library, the mesmerising kind that had her reading and re-reading for hours. "My liver is bad, well then- let it get even worse!" It was a little like how she felt now. It was a duel, and she'd taken duels so seriously for so long, she'd very nearly forgotten the joy in them. Still, she loved victory too, so she could run on spite and hope for the best. If she was the worst dueller, well then- let her get even worse!

health / 132/800
stats / Stamina - 8 | Evasion - 9 | Strength - 7 | Wisdom - 7 | Arcane Power - 10 | Accuracy - 10
abilities / Sixth Sense - Perfectionist - Comprehend Languages (Mermish) - Terrible Presence

Round 7

Jake vs Piérre

Reducio

Jake casts Knockback Jinx at Piérre
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20:10] + 10 = 20 > 9 → Success
Auto-Miss: [d20:13] → No Auto-Miss
Accuracy Check: [d20: 3] + 13 = 16
Evasion Check: [d20: 20] + 15 = 35
16 < 35 → Miss

Autumn vs Piérre

Reducio

Autumn casts incendio duo at Piérre
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20:8] + 7 = 15 > 12 → Success
Auto-Miss: [d20:14] → No Auto-Miss
Accuracy Check: [d20: 15] + 10 = 25
Evasion Check: [d20: 7] + 15 = 22
25 > 22 → Hit
Duration: [d3:2] → 1 round (1d3, 1-2: 1 round, 3: 2 rounds)
Damage: 60 + AP × 10, so 160 x 0.9 (tp) = 144
Effects:
- The target suffers –60 HP per round (1 round)

Regina vs Autumn

Reducio

Regina cast Flipendo at Autumn
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20: 10] + 8 = 18 > 9 → Succes
Accuracy Check: [d20: 20] + 9 = 29
Evasion Check: [d20: 12] + 9 = 21
29 > 21 → Hit
Damage: 100 + AP × 10, so 200 x 0.9 (tp) = 180

Piérre vs Autumn

Reducio

Piérre cast incendio duo at Autumn
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20:19] + 10 = 29 > 12 → Succes
Auto-Miss: [d20:18] → No Auto-Miss
Accuracy Check: [d20: 9] + 14 = 23
Evasion Check: [d20: 7] + 9 = 16
23 > 16 → Hit
Duration: [d3:3] → 2 round1 (1d3, 1-2: 1 round, 3: 2 rounds)
Damage: 60 + AP × 10, so 130 x 0.9 (tp) = 117
Effects:
- The target suffers –60 HP per round (2 rounds)

Lightning

Reducio

Regina: [d20: 10] → No Hit
Piérre: [d20: 7] → No Hit

Both Jake and Regina would cast the knockback jinx, but only Regina's spell would hit. Sadly for Jake, it seemed like Piérre was on his A-game as he easily dodge the spell. Regina's aim had been perfect and there was almost no way Autumn could have dodged that spell. At the same time as the girl was hit with the flipendo, she was also hit by the fire-making spell. Piérre had cast an incendio duo, just as Autumn had. Before both spells had hit the duellist, Autumn had managed to set Piérre's robe on fire.

However, that was the last thing she would do in this duel as her body gave in and the girl became unconscious. "Stop!" Samantha yelled when she noticed Autumn laying on the ground. Once the unconscious student was removed from the stage, the dueling captain would allow the other duelists to presume the game, now with one less Hufflepuff.

I N F O R M A T I O N

• You have 96 hours from the timestamp of this post to owl me, Samantha Salwis, your actions. If you do not send your actions or post within the allotted time, your action is void. There are no extensions.
• Word count minimum is 50 words, but feel free to write as many as you like. Do not hint at your actions in your post; it'll let the other team strategize against you.
• Your stats, abilities, and spells have been locked on the 26th of January. Any new spells that are added after that day cannot be used.
• For any questions, comments, or concerns I ask that you only contact me through my owls or on discord.
• And most importantly, have fun!

Duelling Spells

Duelling System

Newest Patch

[Spectator Thread Day 1]

@Regina Miller

House Colours: Gryffindor
"Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win."

~ Sun Tzu

A gout of brilliant fire left Piérre in tandem with the burst of light that signified his partner's Flipendo being cast successfully, spiraling beautifully around a similar blast of fire that came from his target towards him. Piérre saw the other knockback Jinx from Jake also heading his way, and with a small adjustment-- though his clothes caught on fire and the subsequent blistering pain that accompanied it began to scorch the poor kid-- he spun himself like a whirling dervish and caught himself just short of his momentum throwing himself into the air in some sort of flip or other acrobatic feat (Nat 20 Evasion Roll).

The Hufflepuff girl who had set him on fire would not be able to withstand both the Flipendo and the Incendio Duo, and Piérre looked on as she was essentially blasted by both spells into that sweet state of senselessness. Hah... about time someone else felt that for a change other than him... His head hurt just thinking about that, let alone because of the concussion he had gotten right at the start of this duel...

As a timeout was called, Piérre tried to beat at the flames, but they kept going strong. WHY WAS HE NOT ALLOWED TO EXTINGUISH HIMSELF AT THIS TIME?!

It seriously made no sense. God, the boy didn't like fire. It wasn't fun unless it was in a fire pit and there were marshmallows to roast and smores to make.

"Not gonna lie, that was pretty sweet." Piérre grinned to Regina. "Wanna make it a twofer?"

Well... Piérre's smile faltered as he glanced to Jake. "Hey, uh... I'm sorry? You seem really great. Sorry about this and all... But I get the feeling you're not gonna let us have it easy, right?" The Britalian tried to encourage the solo boy as thunder rumbled ominously overhead. There was still time for everything to go horribly wrong.

But it wouldn't if Piérre could help it. All they had to do was keep clinging on for as long as possible.

Doing as Strategized
Calming Presence Ally: Regina Miller

The spells connected with Autumn so quickly Jake couldn't do a thing to warn her. He watched as his partner fell unconscious, dropping to the ground. Distantly, he heard the yell of "Stop!" from Samantha, but Jake was already frozen as he stared down at her. They brought her away, probably to make sure she was ok. He hoped she was.

This wasn't how this was supposed to go at all. Jake might have argued with Autumn before about the WAY she dueled, but one thing Jake realized as she fell was how much safer it felt having her there dueling next to him. Now, it was just him alone....And as his eyes rose he saw the two Gryffindors on the other end of the platform. Two of them, one of him. Gryffindor...the house of the brave. If they were in Jake's shoes would they be scared? Never. But he couldn't help it. He might have been a duel captain but he wasn't a fighter.

Maybe Piérre saw the look in his eyes because his face changed as he looked across the platform. Jake kept his eyes on him (because he didn't want to look at Regina's eyes). Piérre at least said sorry... sorry for what? What he was about to do probably... Jake couldn't be mad at HIM... he was just doing what he was supposed to. But it was two-on-one now. There was one thing Jake was good at and that was dodging away from things that wanted to hurt him. He was going to need that now. He had to be fast. Jake didn't know if he wanted to even win anymore, he just wanted to survive. But Piérre's gave him encouraging words, and Jake nodded his head shakily. He tried to forget the fire and the lightning. He tried to make himself look as big as he could (though Jake wasn't very big, so it wasn't very). "R-right. N-no way." he insisted, and though his arms were beginning to tremble again he hung onto his wand and raised it.

At least if he met his end bravely, would that make it ok?

@Piérre Marchonné

Action: As Strategized

date / Monday - January 30, 2022
word count / 206 words

Autumn felt pride at her spell leaving her wand and connecting neatly with its victim. The hit was graceful, and the fire it left scorching the boy's robe was anything but. Autumn smiled at that, only slightly. She didn't think she'd make it past this round of spells, not without some kind of miracle, with her legs already threatening to give out. She could be thankful for the hit. For the last bit of pain she could cause, the tiny step towards the impossible victory.

It was all kind of poetic. Maybe she would consider a career in literature when all was said and done. Clearly, professional duelling wasn't in her particular set of cards.

She had known she would fall, but the mix of Incendio Duo and Flipendo were anything but pleasant. She couldn't help but let out a pained grunt, because magic wasn't as fun when she was on the receiving end. The release of unconsciousness was itching closer, and she couldn't help but welcome it.

Maybe it was the delirium of losing unconsciousness, but she couldn't help but try to mutter out a "Good luck," to her teammate. She had no idea whether the words came out before her body hit the floor.

autumn is down!!!
health / 0/800
stats / Stamina - 8 | Evasion - 9 | Strength - 7 | Wisdom - 7 | Arcane Power - 10 | Accuracy - 10
abilities / Sixth Sense - Perfectionist - Comprehend Languages (Mermish) - Terrible Presence

Round 8

Jake vs Piérre

Reducio

Jake casts Knockback Jinx at Piérre
Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom Check: [d20:4] + 10 = 14 > 9 → Success
Auto-Miss: [d20:18] → No Auto-Miss
Accuracy Check: [d20: 6] + 13 = 19
Evasion Check: [d20: 10] + 15 = 25
19 < 25 → Miss

Regina

Reducio

Regina cast the Wind Jinx at the storm cloud
Wisdom DC: 11
Effect: cloud to Hufflepuff (Jake)

Piérre

Reducio

Piérre cast the water-making spell at self
Wisdom DC: 11
Wisdom Check: [d20:19] + 10 = 29 > 11 → Succes
Duration: [d12:3] → 3 rounds (1d12, 1-5: 3 rounds, 6-9: 4 rounds, 10-12: 5 rounds)
Effects:
- Any ongoing 'Burning'/'Aflame' effects are canceled and the target gets wet.
- While wet, the target cannot catch aflame.
- While wet, damage by fire spells is reduced by 20%.

Lightning

Reducio

Jake: [d20: 11] → No Hit

Just as in the previous round, Jake would cast the knockback jinx at Piérre. The older student was able to dodge the flipendo easily again. While the last standing Hufflepuff tried to do damage to his opponent, Regina blew the storm cloud back with a ventus. Piérre would conjure water, extinguishing the fire and saving himself from burning. Samantha looked at the storm cloud, wondering if Jake would be hit by lightning again. Luckily for the boy, he was safe for now.

I N F O R M A T I O N

• You have 96 hours from the timestamp of this post to owl me, Samantha Salwis, your actions. If you do not send your actions or post within the allotted time, your action is void. There are no extensions.
• Word count minimum is 50 words, but feel free to write as many as you like. Do not hint at your actions in your post; it'll let the other team strategize against you.
• Your stats, abilities, and spells have been locked on the 26th of January. Any new spells that are added after that day cannot be used.
• For any questions, comments, or concerns I ask that you only contact me through my owls or on discord.
• And most importantly, have fun!

Duelling Spells

Duelling System

Newest Patch

[Spectator Thread Day 1]