2023, Stage 3 Slytherin vs Gryffindor: Match 11

It was nice how their rotation of the captains made it for each stage. She and Galton, Alan and Galton, she and Alan. Nice — different partners meant different strategy, different synergy, different state of mind and the whole energy of the stage.

She stepped in, noticing the awkward feeling she was usually getting when Astrea was around. Nodded to Alan, nodded to the Slytherin girls and winked to Bridget. The person who she was more and more considering a friend. At least a very warm relationship. Be it because of the Knockturn adventure, or in general.

She listened to Delilah, the Ravenclaw duelling beast who she'd request to never duel again, please, thank you. Giggled at the attacking part, but waited until she'd leave the stage before whispering in mockery to Alan: "If no attacking each other, how are we going to win then?"

She fought together with Alan before, and she liked it. So, why not taking as much fun out of this one as possible?

Alan was excited for yet another duel as he stepped onto the piste. Tiger had stayed back in the dorms this day, as the weather really was not to his liking and the feline had wanted to remain close to a fire place at all cost. Alan didn't really mind and was happy to go to this duel. He was up against Slytherin this time and curious how well he and Meenauh would fare against them. He was unsure whether he had the opportunity to duel against either of the vipers before but no matter what was confident in winning no matter what. "Alright~," he chirped in response to Delilah listing the rules. She had been his moderator last stage too and he truly hoped this stage would go better! He readied himself for any action to come.

Credit to Hanako Tone

There was something reassuring about making your way to the duelling stage with a familiar partner at your side. Astrea wasn't a person you would typically deem reassuring, yes, her fellow fifth year radiating a certain intimidating energy, but Bridget was happy to have that practice working together just the same.

And yes, their debut together hadn't gone well, exactly. It had been a barrage of spells, her memory of that day mostly Confringo after Confringo, and Bridget had taken the first loss of her duelling career. Strangely, that had lifted a weight from her shoulders as she prepared for today. The time leading up to her matches had always been marked by winding nerves and tense shoulders, and those were still there, but it wasn't as bad. She'd lost, the worst thing that could happen had happened.

(She could think of worse things, actually. Failing miserably, for example, missing and backfiring and tripping through the whole duel. But that was besides the point.)

Today, she was going to duel a--well, she might call Meenauh a friend now. Did they count as friends? She wasn't really sure, that was a vague line she'd never quite figured out, just sort of went along and hoped the other person would say it first. But they were certainly on friendly terms, and Bridget smiled back at Meenauh's wink.

Bridget doubted she could ever take a duel as a mere friendly competetion, nor would she really want to--she had to push herself, see how well she could do, and set a good example for her team to boot. Still, a duel of all people she knew on a more or less friendly basis might be nice.

"Ready?" she asked Astrea, more habit than genuine inquiry. They'd been practicing, they'd planned, so they were ready.

Action: Doing as strategized

Time stretched thin and well-worn during the peaks of annual championships, caught between endless hours of practice and coordination. Every season, it was if Astrea had been plucked from her bird’s nest of observation and put to dance against the normal flow of her self-induced routines. She enjoyed the thrill and experience that returned with each new round of duels, less so the stilted adjustment of a new partner and opponents. In all but direct and lingering interaction —to which Astrea held little ownership nor want of—, outside influences held little consequence on the duelling piste. Even so, Bridget’s continued status as a partner and fellow year mate was a small, strange comfort considering the expansive list of possible other options.

It was this rare factor of resembling acquaintanceship that softened Astrea’s stoic approach towards her assigned position, nodding firmly at the other’s habitual inquiry. For the other Slytherin and all others upon the piste, she owned nothing more than quiet, vaguely begrudging respect for her rank superiors, muffled only by her own lack of proper exposure past a strictly business atmosphere. Only a great duel was guaranteed between the participants, and Astrea intended to see it through to the end.

Action: Doing as strategised.

Round 1

Bridget vs Gryffs

Reducio

Bridget casts Nebulus at the Gryffindors
Wisdom
WDC: 12
Wisdom: [d20: 14] + 13 = 27
Success!

Duration: [d5: 4] - 3 rounds

The Gryffindors both get -5 to Acc and Eva for 3 rounds

Astrea vs Alan

Reducio

Astrea casts Petrificus Totalus at Alan
Wisdom
WDC: 14 + 2 LC = 16
Wisdom: [d20: 10] + 12 = 22
Success!

Acc vs Eva
Accuracy: [d20: 8] + 15 + 1NHE = 24
Evasion: [d20: 19] + 20 = 39
24<39
Miss!

Alan vs Slyths

Reducio

Alan casts Nebulus at the Slytherins
Wisdom
WDC: 12 - 5Metamorph = 7
Wisdom: [d20: 5] + 7 = 12
Success!

Duration: [d5: 4] - 3 rounds

The slyths get -5 Acc and Eva for 3 rounds

Meenauh vs Astrea

Reducio

Meenauh casts Fulgari at Astrea
Wisdom
WDC: 16
Wisdom: [d20: 20]
Crit success!

Acc vs Eva
Accuracy: [d20: 13] + 11 = 24
Evasion: [d20: 10] 12 = 22
24>22
Hit!

DC calculation
15 + 1 10 Arc + 5Crit = 21

Astrea is now bound by Fulgari and cannot cast until she breaks out from a Strength DC of 21.

This was a spell Del hadn't seen before, it had been in a class but since then she hadn't seen it. Fulgari, although Delilah couldn't examine the spells workings long before the entire stage was covered in 2 layers of fog. "Again?" Duellists seemed to just really like making everybody incapable of seeing a goddamn thing.

Information

1. You have 96 hours from this post's timestamp to owl your moves to me (Delilah Stewart) and to make your 50+ word post.
2. Do not hint at your move in your post, as this can give an advantage to the other team.
3. Remember to send your move and make your post before the deadline. If either of these are not completed in time, your move will be void.
4. Your stats, abilities, and spells are considered locked for this duel. If any are added to your trunk since 26th January, they may not be used.
5. If you have any questions or feedback regarding this post, please feel free to owl or DM me. (I'm still learning - your patience, guidance, and understanding are much appreciated!)
6. Handy links: Duelling Rules, Duelling Spells, and the most recent patch.
7. Good luck and happy duelling!

The spectator thread for this duel can be found here.
Come cheer for your House and friends!

It was always a satisfaction to land a spell on the first hit. Especially, if the spell would disable an opponent for a while. The power she invested into the spell made her wand vibrate as the spell left it. She could feel it going all the way through and binding Astrea's hands. Just a second before she found herself inside the thick fog.

"I thought it was meant for them," she giggled and smirked at Alan, even though she only perceived his silhouette. She knew well, of course, that it wasn't Alan who cast it on them, but she couldn't resist the playfulness she started the duel with.

Alan grinned back at Meenauh, the last time they had been in a duel together was during the summer games of the previous school year and they had won that one. So he was quite confident they could win this one too. Meenauh was quick to confirm such high hopes in this duel with a spell that even Alan hadn't properly figured out yet. Which to say the least was quite impressive and to his knowledge there was no way either of the Slytherins would be capable of a proper counter. "That's wicked, how did you learn that?" he asked, directed at the girl, though his eyes stayed on the other team. He couldn't waste time being inattentive in this duel. His own spell also was a success, but it seemed like the vipers had a similar plan.

Credit to Hanako Tone

The plan was to shroud the Gryffindors in fog. The plan worked. It was just literally everything else that wasn't going excellently for them. They'd been covered in fog, too, and if Bridget couldn't tell that her cast had gone off fine, she might wonder if she'd miscast. Then, Astrea's spell missed, the noise of a frozen body hitting the floor decidedly missing.

But the worst part was definitely what Astrea was hit with. Bridget had limited familiarity with the spell Meenauh cast, only knew it from books and from last stage where she'd hit Dee with it. Dee had broken out with surprising ease, but that had felt like an anomaly. The spell was meant to bind you, to be difficult to break out of. And if there was one thing Bridget knew, it was that duellists didn't tend to frequent the gym. So yeah, having her teammate more or less immediately taken out wasn't great, but it was also too early to panic.

Action: Doing as strategized

Her attack dodged easily between the rapidly settling double clouds of fog, Astrea's vision hadn't even had the privilege to accustom itself to their opponents' locations before she was hit with a shot of white. She had anticipated being targetted first -- this factor seemed to be a consistent one throughout her encounters -- yet she could not have imagined their opponents to seize the prospect of humiliation-based targeting so quickly into a duel.

Within seconds, the gleam of action had contorted itself into winding cords of concentrated magic, cinching unforgivingly about both sleeves and binding the Slytherin's arms together in foul, snake-like imitation. Had Astrea been a lesser person, perhaps the foreign, near-fearful sensation of being bound against one's will in a high-wits situation would have been akin to a duelling death knell... But as it was, she could only remain grateful that their other opponent had chosen to wreak environmental detriment rather than outright attacking her.

What magical power she had held and long honed came at the severe cost of physical strength. Some distant, rational portion of her logic remained between the strange pang of regret for such accidental neglect. Puzzlingly, even in this situation, she still could not justify the alternate choice of focusing most of her time over-exercising muscles maintained by the already strenuous activity of duelling. Perhaps this was karma for her daring hubris, or further punishment over the inalterable misfortune of being born and educated a year later than her 6th-year (in age and/or knowledge) peers. Regardless of its presumably fate-laden origins, this did not guarantee nor require immediate mourning. In one way or another, the duel must go on.

Action: Doing as strategised.