2023/24 Stage 2 Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw: Match 3

Damion cast the spell with precision and all his might. "Flipendo" He said. He was happy that the spell hit the target that he was aiming to hit. He was surprised that his other team mates had also hit their targets. He smiled as he glanced at the standing teams. He could see that they had all three of them standing while Gryffindor had only two.

Stats: Stamina: 14
Evasion: 9
Strength: 9
Wisdom: 8+2 (10)
Arcane Power: 9
Accuracy: 10
Abilities: Lovely Creature | Statiscally Relevant | Broken Broomshaft | Catch | Advance Casting
Action: As strategized.

Duels had not only been broadened into three-on-three, but the rounds had been shaved down yet again. Matches were short and time was of the essence. When teamed with Dealla, Pericles had grown accustomed to following balanced, analytical strategies that juggled offense with defense, buffs with debuffs. Now it sounded like the were auditioning to play the canon portion of Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture. Both barked a Blasting Curse, which coupled with the force of Damion's Knockback Jinx to blow their unfortunate target clean off their feet. It was violent, but brilliant. The sheer force of the collective blast tousled their hair and billowed their robes for an immaculate dash of flair. This was soon cut short by a jet of water, which Pericles struggled against with upraised arms, ducking his head to catch his breath. It left his robes dripping and his hair in curling tendrils. As the stream stopped and the referee cried out for a ceasefire, fog enveloped them, leaving him with a split second to squint across the way at the culprit. It was reasonable of Eve, buying her side time to recover from such a devastating first blow. From the sounds of it Dee was stuck in the stuff too. "At least it's nothing we aren't accustomed to," Peri drawled from the depths of his personal cloud. "They'll need more than fog to win this time, after a first blow like that."

Action: As Strategized

If Evelynn found any humour in Piérre's response, she didn't show it. Not a curl at the corner of her mouth, not a scoff through her nose, not even a roll of her eyes. The only response the boy had gotten was a cool look lacking of any expression before it peeled off towards the Eagles as though any further conversation wasn't worth her attention.

And perhaps it was a good thing, too. Not seconds after the duel was called to start, several streaks of light shot from the opposing team, all centered on a singular target. She didn't even have to follow their trails to the ultimate victim to know who they had targeted. A crumpled thump sounded the conclusion of the incantation that had send a nearly opaque curtain of fog to the other side of the piste. In a blink of the eye, the unknown component of the Gryffindor team had been rendered unconscious. This did illicit a scowl of disapproval as her stormy lidded gaze swept over the listless form of her former teammate. It remained fixed to the individual even as the duel was called to a pause and the body was removed to the sidelines for medical tending.

During that time, Piérre's questions had gone ignored, but she flicked her attention in his direction in brief appraisal in the lag before the duel was called to resume. "For one," she began flatly, "a good team captain does not voice doubt in the abilities of their own team. If there is one sure way to ensure failure, it is to instill a lack of confidence and hesitation to try in those very team members you are supposed to inspire." A pause punctuated her spoken thought as her gaze scanned from his head to his feet and back again. "You should be leading by example. Serving as a role model, mentor, and a source of courage and confidence. If you are lacking in those qualities, keep it to yourself."

The sharpness of her tone may have muted somewhat, but it remained nonetheless quite apparent just how unimpressed she was. Giving no further thought or elaboration than that—which, frankly, had already been quite a bit more than she might have deigned to provide—Evelynn turned her attention forward again, shoulders squaring as she adopted a loose but attentive posture. It might have been three against two now, but if the sudden and near violently imposed disadvantage against the Gryffindors bothered her, she didn't show it. If anything, she seemed all the more eager to continue.

Action: As strategized

Round 2

Evelynn vs. Pericles

Reducio

Evelynn casts Flipendo at Pericles

Wisdom DC: 9
Wisdom: [d20:17] + 15 = 32 > 9 → Success!

Auto-hit (from Pierre's Calming Presence): [d20:10] → No auto-hit
Accuracy: [d20:9] + 16 - 1 (Dealla's Charmer) - 4 (Nebulus) = 20
Evasion: [d20:18] + 12 - 5 (Nebulus) = 25
20 < 25 → Miss

Pierre vs. Pericles

Reducio

Pierre casts Flipendo at Pericles

Wisdom DC: 9 + 2 (Damion's Lovely Creature) = 11
Wisdom: [d20:7] + 12 = 19 > 11 → Success!

Accuracy: [d20:4] + 16 - 1 (Dealla's Charmer) - 4 (Nebulus) = 15
Evasion: [d20:4] + 12 - 5 (Nebulus) = 11
15 > 11 → Hit!

Damage: 100 + 15 * 5 (ARC) = 175

Damion

Reducio

No actions submitted before the deadline

Dealla

Reducio

No actions submitted before the deadline

Pericles

Reducio

No actions submitted before the deadline

Julian couldn't tell if it was the fog or some guilt on the Ravenclaw team's part over having knocked out one of their opponents so quick, but the next spell exchange was decidedly lopsided. Both remaining Gryffindors cast Flipendos in the direction of Pericles, with Pierre landing a hit directly to the boy's chest. Impressive, considering the thick fog that surrounded him. Meanwhile, neither of the Ravenclaws made a move to cast, 'causing Julian to frown. It was probably a good thing for the Gryffindors too, since they seemed enmeshed in a deep conversation on the ins and out of what made a good captain, a conversation that Julian couldn't help his attention drifting to. After all, he too wanted to understand what it was that made a good captain just as much as Pierre did, and it wasn't a question that he would ever be brave enough to pose to one of his teammates.

Evelynn's answer to the question Pierre had posed had proved somewhat reassuring He didn't know if he was much of a role model, but he certainly strove to be so and while he knew he could do better in the realm of confidence more generally, he at least was usually confident in his own spellcasting skills. And he didn't think he'd ever voiced doubt in his team's abilities. He didn't like lying, so he'd never outright say they would win if he didn't think so, but he at least tried to be encouraging.

Information

1. You have 96 hours (4 days) from the time of this post to post at least 50 words and owl me (Julian Pritchard) your moves.

2. Please don't hint at your move inside of your RP, as it gives the other team an advantage.

3. If you don't post before the deadline, your move will be void.

4. If you have any questions, or notice anything wrong in the mod post, please don't hesitate to send me an owl!

5. Your stats, abilities, and spells have been locked for this duel. Any new abilities added to your trunk after this duel started cannot be used.

6. For your convenience, here are the duelling rules, the duelling spells, and the latest patch.

Good luck!

The spectator thread for this duel can be found here.

Come cheer for your House and friends!

In the uneasy pause before their duel resumed, Pericles was listening intently. He could hear Evelynn's voice, muffled though it was by distance and the denseness of this cloud, and furrowed his forehead as he strained to eavesdrop. He would hear her clearly when she recited an incantation, and managed to lurch to the side in time to avoid it. This brought him directly into the path of Pierre's, an impact confirmed by a grunted "Oof!" Rubbing his chest and catching his breath, he eventually called out to his partners: "Can either of you see anything?"

Action: As Strategized

Damion watched in awe as one of his team mates was targeted by both the standing Gryffindors. Damion was not sure what took over but he didn't cast any spell. Luckily, he was not hit. He was not sure about the fog. It was sorta still there. He was going to be ready this time he was sure of that.

Stats: Stamina: 14
Evasion: 9
Strength: 9
Wisdom: 8+2 (10)
Arcane Power: 9
Accuracy: 10
Abilities: Lovely Creature | Statiscally Relevant | Broken Broomshaft | Catch | Advance Casting
Action: As strategized.

@Evelynn Decipio

House Colours: Hufflepuff
"Thus the skillful general conducts his army just as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by the hand."

~ Sun Tzu

Simple spell, simple cast. Easy movement, graceful dance. Piérre's knockback jinx of "Flipendo!" flew off into the general area of the mist where he seemed to remember Pericles standing last. A contact made him grimace lightly. Whoops, but also I mean... he had meant to make Pericles his target anyways. "Sorry Pears! It's nothing personal, I swear!" He couldn't help the fact that they were positioned against each other like this...

He chewed on his thoughts as he mulled over Evelynn's words. He hardly noticed that there had been the briefest of respites... perhaps he was just too distracted. Despite himself, though, he felt somewhat differently on the matter. "Pride too great leads to a similarly tragic fall." He reflected. "I have no doubt in anyone's ability but my own." He hummed. "Besides. Prove me wrong." Competition gleamed in his eyes as he flashed a sideways gleaming smile. "There's no way we'll win this, right? We should just... give up, right?" There was an edge of mischief in his tone. "Neither of us will amount to anything, after all. Not me. Probably not you. Not with a crabby, stingy look like that on your face." A bite appeared, a mocking that was intended to jibe. To infuriate. Above all, he remembered Evelynn's fire. Her competitive nature.

Stoke that fire... and he could perhaps elicit a performance yet. "Look at them. They outnumber us already after the first round; they're preparing to blast us out of the water, and there's nothing we can do to stop it. We'll end up on the floor just like our unfortunate companion; perhaps we should take ourselves out right now. Before we... embarrass ourselves." A brow arced. "Prove me wrong. You can't." His heart beat faster.

Like he was gambling. Like he was chasing that elusive high. He could crash, or he could produce a wildfire. He would burn, or perhaps the fire would bend into a ferocity untamed.

"Can't you, Evelynn."

Doing as Strategized
Calming Presence Allies: Evelynn Decipio & Jay Victoria

It was odd, Dee mused, how duelling numbed you to casual violence. They had just knocked a kid out in twenty seconds, with one of the most brutal spells the sport had to offer, and not only did she not feel bad about it, she simply didn't care. Somewhere behind the fog, Jay was being carried off the stage, unconscious and likely bleeding from where the splinters of the explosion hat hit him, and Dee was more concerned with not getting her shoes wet. But perhaps it was just magic, not duelling itself. Quidditch wasn't any better, after all.

Squinting uselessly into the fog, she tried to listen for her opponents, since her sense of vision was rather impaired at the moment. The Gryffindors were chatty today. Were they discussing philosophy? Oh, apparently they were talking about their inevitable defeat. She only realised she'd missed the cue to continue - had it been visual? Or had she been so lost in her thoughts she hadn't heard Julian give a verbal signal? - when she heard the incantation of two knockback jinxes somewhere across the stage, and she hastily dodged to the side, just in case they were aimed for her. If they had, they missed her, but apparently Peri wasn't as lucky.

"Yeah, I see lots of fog," she replied to Peri's question, sighing. A missed opportunity. "As long as you're still standing, I think we still have this though."

With both Evelynn and Piérre nearly simultaneously firing off Knockback Jinxes into the gray haze, it was difficult to know who's had landed their mark with Dralt's tell-tale forceful exhalation. Not that it particularly mattered. If luck was with them, perhaps they'd both succeeded. If not, at least one of them had.

What was unusual, however, was how no spell had been slung their way. Brows creased over narrowed eyes straining to peer into the haze. The fog did wonders to blind their opponents, but it did have the drawback of limiting their own vision as well. Generally where vision failed, hearing stepped up. Not so this time. No uttered incantation offered indication of the Ravenclaw's strategy—apart from the muttered lamentations of a clouded view, the only speaking Evelynn could clearly make out was that of her captain.

She wished she hadn't. A roll of her eyes marked his initial commentary, but the more he spoke, the more deflated Evelynn would appear to become. Facing the Eagles, she didn't see the competitive gleam in his eyes, nor the flash of a smile. If the air of mischief came through on his words, she didn't react to it.

"There's no way we'll win this, right?"

The corner of her mouth twitched.

"We should just give up, right?"

Her shoulders dropped, head canting slightly to one side.

"Neither of us will amount to anything, after all."

The floor suddenly seemed to have become rather interesting as her gaze dropped to some arbitrary space between herself and her quarry.

"Not me. Not you..."

Knuckles whitened momentarily as the grip on her wand tightened.

As he continued, Evelynn's stance shifted, feet pulling back together, her form beginning to appear more like she was standing in a classroom preparing to cast a mundane practice spell for the fourty-seventh time, her wand still poised in front of her, but lax. At his command, she looked up, gaze lidded, and while she peered in the direction of the Ravenclaw team, she may as well have been staring at some far-off scape. She said nothing. Through the jab and the jeer and the attempts to stoke her ire and coax out the defiantly competitive nature she was known for, Evelynn remained silent.

A pained look briefly touched her countenance before it masked to stone. And as the final syllable of her name—her full name—faded from Piérre's tongue, her wand-hand fell loose to her side.

Action: As strategized

Round 3

Evelynn vs. Pericles

Reducio

Evelynn dodges.

Dodge bonus: 5 + 15 * 0.25 = 9

Pierre vs. Pericles

Reducio

Pierre casts Aqua Eructo at Pericles

Wisdom DC: 13 + 2 (Damion's Lovely Creature) = 15
Wisdom: [d20:1] → Critical failure!

Duration: [d3:1] → 1 round
Damage: 80 + 15 * 5 (ARC) = 155
Effect: Pierre will suffer -4 accuracy for one round.

Damion vs. the Gryffindor Team

Reducio

Damion casts Metelojinx

Auto-Fail (5% from Evelynn's Wandmaker): [d20:19] → No auto-fail
Wisdom DC: 12
Wisdom: [d20:2] + 10 = 12 = 12 → Success!

Effects: Each member of the Gryffindor team has 10% chance of being hit by lightning each round until the end of the duel.

Dealla at Pericles

Reducio

Dealla casts Reparifors at Pericles

Auto-Fail (5% from Evelynn's Wandmaker): [d20:19] → No auto-fail
Wisdom DC: 11
Wisdom: [d20:11] + 14 = 25 > 11 → Success!

Healing: 50 + 8 * 8 (ARC) = 114

Pericles at Dealla and Self

Reducio

Pericles uses spell spread to cast Animosus at Dealla and himself.

Auto-Fail (5% from Evelynn's Wandmaker): [d20:5] → No auto-fail
Wisdom DC: 11 + 2 (Spell Spread) = 13
Wisdom: [d20:1] + 11 = 12 > 17 → Failure

Lightning

Reducio

vs. Evelynn: [d20:7] → Miss
vs. Pierre: [d20:8] → Miss

It was interesting how, after an exceptionally explosive start to the duel, the pace of the match had swung in the opposite direction. The Ravenclaw team had apparently rallied despite the fog surrounding them, but no doubt knowing their aim would be hampered, had restreated into a more defensive strategy, with Dealla casting a mending charm on Pericles and Pericles returning the favour with a bravery charm. Or attempting to, anyway. His wand did not seem to want to cooperate and the charm spluttered out at the tip. At least he fared better than Pierre, whose attempt at a water charm backfired all over him, soaking the front of his robes and spraying water into his eyes.

Damion was the only other duellist attempting an offensive spell, and Julian inwardly groaned as the boy conjured a stormy cloud over his opponents. When had this become such a common strategy, anyway? Julian would like to have words with whomever was responsible.

Evelynn, meanwhile, seemed to have chosen to remain vigilant and ready for spells coming her way rather than any concrete action. It was a little surprising to Julian. He understood why the Ravenclaws were going with the defensive strategy, since they had the lead, but he would've expected the Gryffindors to go more aggressive. Maybe Evelynn had simply been too distracted by her ongoing conversation with Pierre.

Information

1. You have 96 hours (4 days) from the time of this post to post at least 50 words and owl me (Julian Pritchard) your moves.

2. Please don't hint at your move inside of your RP, as it gives the other team an advantage.

3. If you don't post before the deadline, your move will be void.

4. If you have any questions, or notice anything wrong in the mod post, please don't hesitate to send me an owl!

5. Your stats, abilities, and spells have been locked for this duel. Any new abilities added to your trunk after this duel started cannot be used.

6. For your convenience, here are the duelling rules, the duelling spells, and the latest patch.

Good luck!

The spectator thread for this duel can be found here.

Come cheer for your House and friends!