2023/24, Stage 1 Slytherin vs Ravenclaw: Match 1

Banner by the lovely Hanako Tone

Cocky - Shea Coulee (Explicit)

Roleplaying as Dmitri Kazimir Jones
Perfectionist II | Spell Spread | Terrible Presence | Evasive Maneuvers II
Sta 19, Str 2, Eva 10, Wis 18, Arc 11, Acc 15

In Dmitri's fervor to struggle through the bindings around his arm, he barely even noticed one of their opponents succumbing to their injuries had the moderator not called for a momentary pause in the match.

However, the boy couldn't care any less seeing as his efforts still proved to be fruitless; he was still firmly stuck in place.

Looking at his teammates, he shook his head. They seemed to have more things to worry about than his ropes (but it didn't exactly escape his noticed how his restraints loosened a bit after whatever spell Bridget sent his way).

Maybe just one more pull...

———

Doing as strategized.

Credit to Hanako Tone

While her biggest problems were unquestionably the toll those Confringos had taken and the sting of prolonged exposure to fire, she decided to ignore both of those. Not happily--her teeth were gritted--but out of calculation. Dmitri was effectively useless right now, and if there was one thing her former captain lacked any competence in, it was physical strength. Those binds might keep him occupied for a while, but if she could at least loosen them...

Still no luck, Dmitri remained bound. Everything else was far more exciting, and as she glanced back over, it was Astrea's moment to shine, twin streams of fire racing for the eldest Ravenclaws. They both struck, and for Delilah, that was all the nudge needed. Galton yelled for a halt.

"Well cast," she praised, but it had not been without its cost, Astrea the victim to an explosion, a fire, and the same blinding light Bridget was now blinking futilely out of her vision. It was the classic duelling joy, not being able to see as you flung around harmful spells. She took the moment to breathe until Galton resumed the action.

Action: Doing as strategized

For every damaging action in duelling, there likely came an equally destructive reaction shortly after. As an academic advocate for the grand, cyclical nature of the universe, Astrea knew no better example than in duelling. All of this to say that she could not expect any less from Ravenclaw as a great explosion of magic caught her square in the chest just as she let off a split Incendio Duo, the brilliant green flame outshone by a starburst of blinding heat. With Confringo's effects and an additional Lumos Maxima eclipsing her vision, a momentarily blinded Astrea could but attempt to rapidly reorient herself upon the piste. From their moderator’s brief pause in action, it was evident that her efforts to injure the other team while her partners aided each other was not in vain. With one duellist down, they had long leapt from the frying pan and directly into the face of fire — quite literally — itself.

The searing weight of injury weighed heavily upon her, yet Astrea had not cultivated such a reputation of aloof experience without enduring until she could surrender to a healer’s expertise. Her dignified expression one of frozen dispassion and stinging hands as steady as ever, even the looming threat of retaliation could not shake her confidence in their capability. They had done this much already — which poor hunter’s prey would be the piste’s next sacrifice?

Action: Doing as strategised.

Delilah's failure earned a bite of Phaedra's cheek. A moment this crucial wasn't the time for error, but Phaedra could hardly hold it above the witch's head when she was struggling to simply stand, let alone muster the mental fortitude to demand splits from a tired wand. A heavy plop onto the piste signalling her fall was joined by Ravenclaw's chorus of curses; and by the look of Astrea afterwards, Slytherin could consider themselves lucky that Delilah's Confringo hadn't manifested at all. One hit...that should do it.

Doing as strategized (x)

Round 5

Astrea

Reducio

Astrea Soleil Neptune cast Protego
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20: 5] + 12 = 17 > 12 → Success
Effects:

Reducio

- The caster creates an invisible shield that blocks spells and can reflect them. When hit may do:
Reducio
• 1: The spell pierces the shield (avoidable)
• 2-5: The spell dissipates.
• 6-8: The spell ricochets off to a random target (including allies, avoidable).
• 9-10: The spell rebounds back towards its caster (avoidable).

• if the redirect targets the caster's ally, use shield user's accuracy.
• if the redirect targets the shield user's ally, use caster's accuracy.

Bridget

Reducio

Bridget Collins cast Protego
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom Check: [d20: 3] + 15 = 18 > 12 → Success
Effects:

Reducio

- The caster creates an invisible shield that blocks spells and can reflect them. When hit may do:
Reducio
• 1: The spell pierces the shield (avoidable)
• 2-5: The spell dissipates.
• 6-8: The spell ricochets off to a random target (including allies, avoidable).
• 9-10: The spell rebounds back towards its caster (avoidable).

• if the redirect targets the caster's ally, use shield user's accuracy.
• if the redirect targets the shield user's ally, use caster's accuracy.

Dmitri

Reducio

Dmitri Jones Struggles
Strength DC: 9
Strength Check: [d20: 1] + 2 = 3 < 9→ Failure
Damage: 50 + 10 * 2 Round Bound = 70
Effect: -2 to DC at round end

Aida vs Dmitri

Reducio

Aida Mòrsgor-Ama cast Petrificus Totalus at Dmitri Jones
Wisdom DC: 14 + 2 [LC]
Wisdom Check: [d20: 10] + 15 + 2 [CL] = > 16 → Crit. Success
Auto-Miss(10): [d10: 10] = 10 → Auto-Miss(TP)
Extra Spell(10): [d10: 7] < 10 → No Extra spell(Phoenix Feather)

Phaedra vs Astrea and Bridget

Reducio

Phaedra Stavrou spell spreads Confringo at Astrea Soleil Neptune and Bridget Collins
Wisdom DC: 17 + 2 [SS]
Wisdom Check: [d20: 2] + 18 = 20 > 19 → Success
Astrea Protego Check: [d10: 10] → The spell rebounds back towards its caster (avoidable)
Auto-Miss 1(10): [d10: 8] < 10 → No auto-Miss(TP)
Astrea Accuracy Check: [d20: 8] + 18 - 3 = 23
Phaedra Evasion Check: [d20: 8] + 12 = 20
23 > 20 → Hit
Damage: (150+ 13 ARC * 20) * .9 = 369
Bridget Protego Check: [d10: 5] → The spell dissipates
Extra Spell(10): [d10: 7] < 10 → No extra spell(Phoenix Feather)

4th November 2023- Morning

Galton's ceasefire would only allow a moments reprieve from whatever chaos had taken hold of the piste this match. And while the spells that followed would not be the craziest combo the crowd had seen this game, they would still leave the ears ringing.

Snake and Bird would take drastically different approaches. The Snakes would choose to coil up defensively. Both Astrea and Bridget would elect to throw up protegos, perhaps they feared retaliation for what they'd done to Delilah. If so, it was spot on, as Phaedra would conjure up another dose of confringo for the two. Aida would look to keep Dmitri immobile, with a body-bind. And Dmitri would do that cute wiggle-struggle thing that passed for trying to break free.

Lucky for Dmitri, leveling ones wand in the presence of such a... unnerving fellow, whether bound or not, was not easy. Aida's spell would shoot off overhead, far, far from the tangled Snake. Good for him too, because he would remain tangled. You'd need insane perception to see if he'd actually even attempted to escape his bindings this time around. And with the show that Phaedra was putting on, why would you even be paying attention to Dmitri.

There was a muggle saying that perfectly represented what was about to happen. "If you play with fire, you'll get burned." It was only a matter of time. While one of Phaedra's confringos would dissipate harmlessly, the other would ricochet back at her, just like it had a few casts before. Maybe "Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me" would fit better.

Galton's hand shot back up "PAUSE!" The same scene would repeat itself, and when Phaedra was clear, he would call the match back on. "Resume!"

It was now a three versus one. As wounded as some of the Vipers seemed, they were still standing, and that meant they could keep casting. Galton cringed slightly as he realized how stacked the odds had just become. But you never know where Merlin's luck would land.

Information

• You have 96 hours from now to write your posts. A minimum word count of 50 is needed per post.
• In the same time period, send me (Galton Lansdale) your team's actions per owl. Do not hint at your actions in your post.
• Unless asked not to, if all actions have been submitted and posts made, I will (hopefully) be moderating before the deadline
• If you don't post in the allotted time frame, your action is void.
• Your Stats, Abilities, and Spells have been locked to what they are now for the duration of this duel.
• Please owl or message me if you have any questions or concerns!
• Here you can find the rules to the Duelling System.
• Best of luck, let's have some fun!

"Phaedra, no!!" cried Aida as another comrade succumbed to blowback. Things were looking bad for the Ravenclaw team, but the white wix wasn't about to go down without a fight.

"Come on and get me!" snarled Aida. "If I go down, I'm taking you with me!"

From the corner of the room, the sound of a clicking beak echoed Aida's disapproval.

Stats: Stamina✵ 10 / Evasion✵ 13 / Strength✵ 1 / Wisdom✵ 15 [17] / Arcane Power✵ 10 / Accuracy✵ 13
Abilities: Blindvision - Sixth Sense - Beast Master - Wandmaker - Comprehend Languages (Mermish)

Wand: Chestnut, Phoenix Feather, 26,6 cm, Whippy; "Ancient, ideal for magizoology, has a will of its own, showy, prone to giving away tells"– details

Reducio

Banner by the lovely Hanako Tone

Cocky - Shea Coulee (Explicit)

Roleplaying as Dmitri Kazimir Jones
Perfectionist II | Spell Spread | Terrible Presence | Evasive Maneuvers II | Blindvision
Sta 19, Str 2, Eva 10, Wis 18, Arc 11, Acc 15

If it weren't for the younger Ravenclaw's distressed screeching, Dmitri would not have been able to realize that another one of their opponents fell to the ground unconscious—he was simply just locked too tight into his bindings to have a great enough time.

However, with how things were looking right then and there, maybe chilling in some bindings wasn't too bad of a way to go about his day.

Sighing—half in resignation and half in relief that he wouldn't have to try too hard for the rest of the duel—Dmitri parked his bum onto the cold floor of the Dueling arena and halfheartedly poked at his restraints.

"Hmmm... Well, good luck with that, I guess." He'd murmur amusedly in response to the remaining Ravenclaw duelist.

———

Doing as strategized.

Credit to Hanako Tone

Well familiar with the ways duels operated, and specifically how the momentum shifted when someone went down, Bridget had a pretty good idea of how this would go. Ravenclaw needed to even out the playing field and she was very certain that if she was knocked off her feet again she would stay down. It was their obvious solution, unless they decided to focus Astrea, but she didn't let herself overthink it that far. They needed someone out so she threw up a shield.

Once again, it was the right decision. She braced herself against the rocking force of the Confringo, and when she blinked the bright spots away, Phaedra was on the ground, out. Two of three Ravenclaws out, and when she glanced to her teammates, they were both still on their feet (at least, until Dmitri decided to sit down, still bound). She wasn't so exhausted that she couldn't appreciate just how good that was for them, and how well Astrea was duelling right now. All they had to manage now was a three on one. Aida could try to take them down with them all they wanted, but Bridget wasn't about to make it that easy, either.

Action: Doing as strategized

With Slytherin's overall condition as it was, Astrea could not— would not depend on the fickleness of chance alone to tide them over until the next cacophony of exchanged blows. Dmitri, bizarrely incapacitated still even with Bridget’s magical aid, could not contribute to the cause no matter the inherent want for victory. How fortunately resilient was her shield to rebound that spiteful Confringo back at their caster, sharply ricocheting the opposite way with a rippling deception that mirrored rounds before.

Protego: an experienced duellist’s best, most under-recognised spell in the midst of brutal chaos. Two of the three opponents she had dealt the final blow to, yet it was clear that this shake of morale only resulted in angered desperation for their remaining opponent. There was little do now but swiftly put an end to this whole establishment. Alone upon the piste against three snakes, the white-haired wix’s vow of reciprocal vengeance met deaf ears as Astrea partook in the rare desserts of puppeteered teamwork.

Action: Doing as strategised.

Round 6

Astrea and Bridget

Reducio

Astrea Soleil Neptune spell spreads Reparifors at herself and Bridget
Wisdom DC: 11 + 2 [SS]
Wisdom Check: [d20: 8] + 12 = 20 > 13 → Success
Healing: 50 + 10AP * 10 = 150

Bridget

Reducio

Bridget Collins cast Reparifors at herself
Wisdom DC: 11
Wisdom Check: [d20: 2] + 15 = 17 > 11 → Success
Damage: 50 + 10AP * 10 = 150

Dmitri

Reducio

Dmitri Jones Struggles
Strength DC: 7
Strength Check: [d20: 15] + 2 = 17 > 7 → Success
Effect: Dmitri is no longer bound

Aida vs Astrea

Reducio

Aida Mòrsgor-Ama cast Flipendo at Astrea Soleil Neptune
Wisdom DC: 9+ 2 [LC]
Wisdom Check: [d20: 5] + 15 + 2 [CL] = 22 > 11 → Success
Auto-Miss: [d20: 16] < 19→ No Auto-Miss(TP)
Accuracy Check: [d20: 7] + 14 + 2 (Wand) = 23
Evasion Check: [d20: 8] + 16 = 24
23 < 24 → Miss
Extra Spell(10): [d10: 7] < 10 → No Extra spell(Phoenix Feather)

4th November 2023- Morning

All the excitement that the crowd (and Galton) had grown used to during this firecracker of a duel was about to start a sad decline. It wasn't that nothing exciting could happen, just that a stacked field like this seemed to lead to one conclusion.

One would not be discredited for trying though. Aida would make their move with the first flipendo of the match. Beautiful and reliable flipendo. If there was one spell - other than confringo - that said you wanted someone out of the game, it was flipendo. On the flip side, the Vipers would go about healing themselves with reparifors. They did not, apparently, want to be taken out of the game.

As cool, purple healing magic radiated around Bridget and Astrea, a similar ball of purple magic was sent soaring over at them. Aida's flipendo would be aimed at the refreshed Astrea. Maybe Astrea was helped by a sudden burst of healing, or perhaps Aida's fury had shaken her aim ever so slightly. The hostile purple magic would whiz mere centimeters from the vipers face before crashing into the piste with a thud. Sighs of reliefs, or shouts of frustration were heard from the stands as it happened.

And all the while there was Dmitri, looking on from the debris covered ground that was formerly a dueling piste. He would not have much trouble escaping this time; two rounds out of the fight had given him ample time to recharge - find his zen. The rope would fall off around him to become another piece amongst the chaff and rubble. He was free.

Now it truly was a 3 v 1 situation. Had Merlin turned a blind eye to his Murder? Or was his favor just delayed?

Information

• You have 96 hours from now to write your posts. A minimum word count of 50 is needed per post.
• In the same time period, send me (Galton Lansdale) your team's actions per owl. Do not hint at your actions in your post.
• Unless asked not to, if all actions have been submitted and posts made, I will (hopefully) be moderating before the deadline
• If you don't post in the allotted time frame, your action is void.
• Your Stats, Abilities, and Spells have been locked to what they are now for the duration of this duel.
• Please owl or message me if you have any questions or concerns!
• Here you can find the rules to the Duelling System.
• Best of luck, let's have some fun!