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Post by aspenivan on Dec 2, 2014 8:23:19 GMT
Though some cultures found great pride in their marksmanship or archery, Single Combat was something else entirely. People from every corner of the Empire could truly enjoy this show, and every House and kingdom represented at the tournament had a stake. So it was that Ishui Seldu, Vizier of the North, decided to keep his words short and to the point. "Greetings to the Third Day of the Grand Tournament of the North!" he announced, standing in his box. "Champions, do your Duty, excel in your Mastery, and remember the Dignity due to your opponents. With no further ado, let the duels begin!" He decided against mentioning the unfortunate absence of Ikegami Yukimura and Alan Sarvo, who were in their chambers suffering from hangover, a little too many beatings at the feast, and what looked like brewing illness. Doctors and apothecaries were on hand, ready to provide care if their condition worsened. Best to let the matter remain unspoken than to mar the glorious proceedings. This time, the center of the amphitheater was much more organized. Chains had been tied to posts and strung around to mark the boundaries of the dueling field, weapon-racks had been laid out on either side, and attendants waited along the sidelines to help the contestants equip themselves or otherwise intervene if necessary. The rules were relatively simple: The first to five points would win, with the head counting for two points and the body for one. Hitting the arms or legs counted for nothing, though such moves could be useful for a fighter to attack their opponent's coordination or balance. __________ Brackets <-(Hyper link) -- Every player post once, referring to the Brackets to identify their opponent if necessary. No particular order is required, but every post should include a concise, general strategy as well as the arms and armor of the fighter. (Strong armor is recommended. Though tournament weapons are blunted, severe hits can cause serious bruising and fractures. Some can even kill). -- Once every player has posted, the event will end with one modmark listing the winners and losers with a short commentary for each duel. |
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Post by Vaklu on Dec 2, 2014 8:53:04 GMT
Gudrik stood ready in his full-plate. His shield was held firmly in his left hand. He'd taken a blade that would take the place of his longsword. He warmed up a little to make sure he was limber and ready, Titanhand was no joke even if he'd thrown away his own people. Gudrik would use his speed and agility to his advantage. He would have to stick to the body, though if he got the mage off his feet that would be a different story.
Tholarg had also chosen full-plate and had armed himself with a warhammer. He was fight his own retainer in the first round and they had both sworn to do their best. Wulfric had decided on half-plate and was armed sword and shield. Both avoided blows for the head for while they were worth more points it was the most likely to cause permanent damage.
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Post by zurajai on Dec 2, 2014 10:02:36 GMT
Haakon arched his neck forward with a resounding wave of crackles and pops as he prepared himself for the duel to come. He stood bedecked in the standard partial-plate and robes commonly worn by Tovenaar-Akur, giving him ample protection the the chest, shoulders, head, forearm, and lower legs whilst still leaving him relatively free for more precise motions. He knew his first opponent to be Gudrik, the so-called Blood Dancer: a fine warrior, Haakon had no doubt. The warrior's strength came in his speed yet Haakon noticed his full-plate which would certainly encumber him at least partially. The shield, as well, would reduce Gudrik's ability to move overly functionally. Titanhand would have to play his own strengths. If Gudrik intended to be an unrelenting force than Titanhand would be an immovable object.
In his left hand he hefted a scutum fit for a Giant, his right tightly gripping a 'short' spear: a laughable concept when it remained the height of the giant. Along with the obvious point the spear also sported a nasty looking hook for the purpose of disarming opponents or pulling them off-balance with a tug of the leg. In addition to his fearsome spear was a secondard bearded hand-axe, perfect for a situation where his own spear was pulled from him. With his encouterments properly strapped in place or held tightly in his powerful grip, he was ready.
Cathasach stood away from Haakon, preparing on his own. Meditation and prayer had been key for today's preparation, mentally preparing himself for the duels to come. He wore the bronze splint-mail of a Saighdeoir over his robes, the long clothing itself being knotted up and tied into place to keep it from hampering him in any way. Much like his giant companion, Cathasach had taken the time to study his first opponent. Chief Garlog was a skilled warrior and an avid marksman but Cathasach had to admit he was not overly familiar with the Orc Chief's prowess in hand-to-hand combat. He would have to improvise.
With that he selected his weapons: a spear closely estimated to the length and weight of his own and a set of two sabers of acceptable if dubious merit. Sadly, he noted, beggars could not be choosers. He intention was to rush the Orc, relying on his own incredible speed and litheness to outmaneuver the orc on the field. If his initial blitz were to fail then he would resort to a more calm, calculated posture with his sabers. It wasn't the perfect plan, but it was a plan. With one more prayer to Aed Cathasach pulled his helmet down over his head and breathed deeply.
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Post by missmilkmaid on Dec 2, 2014 10:18:24 GMT
Azlyn joked with his squire, as he dawned his half-plate armor and chain-mails shirt beneath. He seldom wore full plate, for fear of over burdening his horse and because it limited his movement. Of course he wasn't mounted here, but he intended to use the weapons and armor he was most accustomed to in order to put his years of practice to the best use. In his left hand he carried a sturdy shield and in his right a longsword.
Azlyn had always been stronger than most opponents he went up against, due to his height and board shoulders, but he knew this probably wouldn't be the case, when going up against one of the firetooth orcs. For this fight, he intended to stay light on his feet and to use his sword and shied to deflect rather than catch the blows Carok sent toward him. He'd always been a skilled warrior, with both strength and athletic nimbleness, but he knew the seasoned Firetooth warrior was more experienced and the orc's fine reputations was well known in Elon. It would be a worthy fight.
It was a fine sunny day and Azlyn took a few moments to warm up, testing the weight and swing of the tourny sword, making sure he was limber and alert. Eloise waved at him from by the stands and he smiled and waved back. Chello wouldn't allow the child to watch the fights for fear of an ascendant happening before the girl's eyes, but his daughter had insisted on coming to the fields right before hand. "I love you Daddy! I know you will win!" she screamed over across the arena, before her nurse took her hand and led her back up to the castle.
"Good luck, Sire," his squire said, handing Azlyn his helmet.
"Thank you, Jeremy, keep your finger crossed," Azlyn said and pulled the helmet on, before stepping on the the fighting square.
"Good Marrow, General Carok," Azlyn greeted, smiling to the orc and giving him a polite bow, "It will be an honor to test my merit against you, Sir."
Azlyn didn't intend to take swings at the head, not unless the orc was leaving him no other openings and, even then, he would certainly measure his strength carefully. The last thing he wanted was to cause any serious injury. He would target the body and, when he could, knock Carok off balance with blows to the legs or arms. In defense, he intended to keep in step with the orc and make sure Carok didn't get the chance to out maneuver him, or get around the guard of his shield and sword.
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Bronsyn of Dorn didn't have the money to pay for full plate mail. Good steel and iron was scare in Elon and in any case he'd never worn such heavy armor before and it doubtlessly would have inhibited his usual style. He wore his normal studded leather and warg hide armor. Armor which was nearly a second skin to him, but certainly looked less than impressive on the tournament fields. There were some obvious repair patches and some of the metal studs were showing a little rust on the edges. The fur lining and warg fangs fastenings certainly added to the rugged look, but Bron knew he would have full maneuverability and so what if everyone got to see him for the western ranger he was?
For his primary weapon, Bron chose a saber, shorter and lighter than most of the other swords on the racks, but he certainly wasn't hoping to cut through heavy armor today, so a heavy weapon would bring him no advantage. While being shorter would limit his reach, the weapon would be more maneuverable in close combat, which suited him well. Speed and maneuverability was the edge he was hoping to gain, plus, as he tested the weapon, he liked the balance and found it easy to swing quickly and accurately in one hand.
For his left hand, Bron chose a wide bladed dagger with a hooked guard. It would be ideal for parrying and disarming his opponent. He knew the samurai seldom carried a shield, so, if he could manage to disarm Sayoko, or at least entangle her kantana, he'd gain an defiant advantage. Lastly, he tucked a back up dagger into his belt. If he got disarmed himself, he could fall back on it.
He snuck a glance over at Sayoko, trying to see what all she was wearing and grinned slightly. For what reason, he wasn't sure. He was just happy and happy to be looking at her. He had her little token dagger tucked into his boot and and the idea of their exchange of favors seemed absolutely hilarious this mourning. It was a beautiful mourning. As he stretched, tested his weapons and warmed up, Bron tried to show off his muscles a little, just in case she happened to look at him. Then he put on his helmet and stepped into the arena.
"My fair lady," he said, giving her a gracious bow, "For the honor of your name, I will soundly whack you as many times as I can!" He was still grinning like a silly schoolboy, but then cleared his throat and focused.
He intended to dance around her, using speed and nimbleness, to dodge, duck and redirect all her attacks, while hitting her as often and as lightly as he could, with his saber. Though he would avoid her head, he didn't care where else he might hit, as long as he landed an attack. Legs and arms wouldn't give him points, but it'd keep her flustered, off balance and confused. He'd try his best to disarm her, or catch her weapon with his parring dagger and so gaining control over it. If he was quick enough, he'd maneuver around her and get the chance to come at her from the sides and Bron wasn't above using a few wrestling tricks to try and trip her up, knee her in the stomach, or distract her attention. He was a ranger after all, not a knight. Honor and traditional decorum didn't really matter to him.
Finally, Bron intended to shamelessly flirt with Sayoko. He knew some cheesy pick up lines and stupid jokes, which, while he'd probably sound like a fool, would add to his overall tactics of flustering and distracting her and, if he could actually get her to laugh, well, that's be better than winning.
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Post by ravigen on Dec 2, 2014 15:37:15 GMT
The Ikegami party marched onto the field and aside from their exposed faces it was difficult to determine which was which as each had donned similar armor. The typical Ikegami armor was comprised of numerous iron scales and plates riveted and tied together. The armor was moderately heavy, enough to give good protection but without depriving them of their maneuverability and speed against their opponents. Each carried a single katana and backup wakizashi, the wakizashi could be used as a backup weapon or as a companion weapon to the katana in conjunction to form a Daisho pair, the blade would be well suited for up close work and against their opponents it would be more than useful.
--
Ikegami Naozumi bowed respectfully before Aeron, he had his doubts about fighting a one-armed man but figured that Aeron knew his own shortcomings and was willing to take him completely seriously both for the sake of the competition and the man's pride. Still he wouldn't hold back against the King and would give the duel his best.
For this duel he'd decided to use his katana to tie up Aeron's main weapon and use his wakizashi for quick up close strikes to the chest, the head would be reserved for emergency cases only and not at all if Aeron's helmet didn't seem up to take the numerous blows.
He settled into his fighting stance and donned his helmet, focusing all his attention on his opponent. --
Masateru unlike his brother wasn't inclined to be so gentle, he would fight Casomir with everything he had, prepared to give the man a relentless assault that would batter at his defenses and hopefully brush them aside in short order, he wanted to win this fight in an effort to fight his brother. Naozumi had always been the better duelist and Masateru the better general, he meant to change that, if only to have something to hold over his elder brother for years to come.
--
Sayoko stepped onto the field, offering Bron a smile as she bowed respectfully to her opponent, she'd been excited when the announcement pitted her against Bron, she'd wanted to test his battle prowess since they had started talking at the feast. She wasn't against admiring the view admittedly but she would not focus on it, the pendant he'd given her as a token of 'favor' still hung around her neck and she couldn't help but feel relaxed with it, she knew Bron had her dagger somewhere on his person but she didn't feel like looking for it particularly at this moment.
"And for the honor of your name, I will do the same, though I would hesitate to strike that pretty face." she returned in kind, grinning at the prospect of a good fight.
She had her katana and wakizashi and by the looks of it he was going for speed with that saber and dagger of his, that would be a difficult strategy to counter head on and in her armor she could not reciprocate and use that same strategy, so she'd decided not to, she would be patient and calculating, watching his strikes and waiting for the opportune moment to counter, her katana and wakizashi could be wielded together with good efficiency and skill and she would show that skill today.
She would focus attacking his arms and legs to put him off balance and negate his speed advantage, taking opportune moments to strike at his chest before returning to her defensive state. As she did she would compliment his own tactics and skill, adding just enough of a flirty or teasing edge in an attempt to fluster him, but the look on his face would indeed be reward enough for the strategy. |
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Post by cerdigon on Dec 2, 2014 18:23:55 GMT
Two King's meeting in single combat. In Ages past it was how wars were decided. Instead, here and now, it was for little more than sport. The King was all smiles for the crowd, waving. But if one was to look close, the mirth did not touch the King's eyes. He seemed unfazed by last nights debauchery and if one had a devious mind, they could've thought that Aeron might've organized the brawl to take out some of the contestants before they could reach the tourney field.
King Aeron was equipped with a chaimail shirt. It wasn't as heavy as full plate mail but it could stop the slashes of a sword and turn aside a blade, along with iron gauntlets, pauldrons, and curiously a half helm. While his head was protected, his eyes were exposed. But King Aeron knew that in order to win, he would need speed and vision. He couldn't have either if he wore a great heavy helm and breastplate. As Naozumi took up his fighting stance signaling he was ready, King Aeron offered a small bow of his own out of respect.
The moment the clarion blew for the fight to start all pretense of chivalry was dropped. Honor was a useless weapon that would get you killed.
More importantly...Aeron only had one arm, he needed a handicap! Naozumi would be greeted by a shower of dirt to the face as Aeron used his armored boot to kick up enough dirt and grime to blind the Daimyo. While the Daimyo seemed content to remain on the defense, Aeron knew that his only chance was to attack! The rapier was light, fast, and sharp. Useful for exploiting the gaps in Naozumi's heavier plate. Aeron's plan was to get inside the guard of the King's katana while he was still recovering and attempt to end the fight quickly.
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Beora Brightheart slapped the visor of her bronze helm down. Instantly, the beautiful face of the woman and that short cropped blond hair disappeared behind a visage of metal. Only those haunting green eyes peered from beyond the slits. One could imagine her face contorting with rage as Beora Brightheart charged towards the Survaekom General. It was well known that tensions between the Viizer and the Commonwealth were running high. If she could embarrass one of the Vizier's best soldiers in single combat, then so much the better. Like the King, she was armed in chain mail. Heavy enough to protect her but not to keep her from flying.
Unlike the King, she carried a two handed battle axe. While the General might've been bracing for the charge, Beora took to the air at the last moment and came hurtling down on the old soldier from above. Using the velocity gained from the dive, she hoped to channel that energy into the blow that would hopefully connect with the General's breastplate and take him out of the battle.
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Post by aspenivan on Dec 2, 2014 22:14:14 GMT
General Stae Pjjokhat was honorable enough of a man, but he was not known for holding back or displaying mercy. And he certainly wasn't planning to change that reputation today. He would play to win, plain and simple. Any opening he could get was a good one: Head, body, limbs, anything. He had picked weapons suited to the task: A long rider's saber with a shallow curve and a forward tilt to let it swing and stab effectively, and a sturdy round shield with a large bronze boss in the middle perfect for bashing.
His armor was a mix of traditional Khaitis and more modern components. Pjjokhat knew that in a fight with blunted blades, trauma was a far greater danger than cutting or stabbing. He had opted, therefore, for a typical Khaitis Knight's front-and-back cuirass of steel lamellar rather than plate. This also had the advantage of being a little lighter and more flexible. Attached to the cuirass were more recent innovations: a skirt of faulds to cover the thighs and genitals, a gorget for extra protection of the neck and sternum, and a bevor to guard the jaw and throat. Under these metal parts, the general wore the standard Surv-Akur long gambeson, a trusty piece of padded armor that could be the difference between a broken rib and a burst-open heart. Besides this and a pair of pauldrons, Pjjokhat's arms and lower legs were unarmored. To top it off, he wore an old-style Surv-Akur helmet in the likes of those Empress Khei led against rebellious knights, with an oversized noseguard and a full mail coif in addition to the headdress. Overall, the set of armor was designed to offer maximum protection for the head and vitals at minimum expense in maneuverability and range of vision. The price, of course, was that the arms and much of the legs remained relatively vulnerable, but General Pjjokhat trusted in his shield and saber to keep them safe.
As he entered the ring, Pjjokhat began to size up his opponent. She seemed the hardened warrior type, but her choice of such a heavy weapon was unusual for this kind of event. It was clear that she wasn't planning simply to hit him: She wanted to knock him out of the fight altogether. And that battle-axe looked like it could do the job, if it hit one of his arms or legs. Even an expert, veteran soldier couldn't simply shrug off the pain from a bone broken so brutally. Yet, the general had a feeling she was expecting a standard, defensive Surv-Akur fighting style. General Stae Pjjokhat was something else entirely: At the very first opening he could spot, he would strike and stay on the attack until his opponent either faltered or tired out. Luckily, as Beora had no shield and a cumbersome weapon, almost her entire body was an opening right from the start.
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Post by talis on Dec 2, 2014 22:21:50 GMT
Carok intended to enter the fight in traditional Firetooth arms. He wore a coat of heavy steel scales that covered most of his body and upper arms. A chain skirt, scaled gloves and bracers protected his extremities. The armor was heavy, but hardly a burden to one trained in its use. And besides, Carok did not intend to be prancing around the battlefield like a young pup. For arms he carried a large roundshield strapped on one arm and a steel sword in the other. The long, straight blade was good for stabbing or cutting.
He would let Azlyn tire himself out swinging about while he defended himself with his shield and blade, feinting only occasionally to keep the pressure up. Once the king began to tire he would no doubt start making mistakes, and that was when Carok would start putting more pressure on him.
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Garlog was a pragmatist in combat more than Carok. He wore similar scaled armor to Carok's, but had a few "modifications" of his own. His heavy boots were studded with rivets that could puncture leather and skin, and his fists and elbows were padded and plated so that they could be easily used as weapons, given the right opportunity. Against the lighter Sylph he had chosen a longsword, flexible in both offense and defense. He would have to rely on his armor and reach against the Sylph and conserve his energy.
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Post by saoshyant on Dec 2, 2014 23:03:02 GMT
Casomir stood as boldly as he could with his sallet helmet under his arm, his bevor protected most of his neck and chin while also able to protect his whole head with the visor down.
With his plate cuirass and faulds, along with a leather jacket beneath it, King Casomir felt confident about his armour, hopefully it will also protect him enough while keeping him mobile and agile enough to use his longsword to the fullest.
The Hessnyan king had been taught from a young age that the key to using a longsword was precise and deliberate stances and finding the best moment to strike. A tradition of fighting wars of survival and bloody conquest have also skewed Hessnyan ideas of fighting with honor.
Casomir knew the blade wasn't the only part of a sword that hurt if used right and when his opponent was down he would use his boots and if his was disarmed he will use his gloved fists.
It wouldn't be socially polite to, as his former instructor said often to "Kick his teeth in" though if this Masateru was to put up a proper fight then perhaps he will.
After Casomir put his sallet on and the visor dropped for a thin slot that gave all the vision he needed, Casomir reached a hand out to the elf Masateru he was about to fight.
"No matter who wins, no hard feelings aye?" Casomir told the elf.
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Post by aspenivan on Dec 5, 2014 22:12:41 GMT
Moderation Mark
Thane Gudrik vs. Haakon TitanhandWhen the two continent renowned giants of the North entered the ring, hundreds of spectators prepared themselves for the fight of the century. In one corner Gudrik the Blood Dancer, indomitable warrior of the savage Jotun. In the other, Haakon Titanhand, Giant among Giants. But the crowds would be disappointed: In quick succession, Gudrik slid through Haakon's defense twice, landing one strike on his cuirass and another on his chin. He followed with a vicious blow to the knee, forcing the Tovenaar-Akur to kneel. In one last exchange, Haakon managed to ram his spearhead into Gudrik's breastplate, but the smaller giant followed with another swing to the head, ending the fight. The final score was Gudrik 5 / Haakon 1.Chief Garlog Whiteshot vs. CathasachThe match between Garlog Whiteshot and Cathasach would be one of the shortest and closely fought matches in the first round. The first exchange left Cathasach's sepear broken and both fighter reeling from striked to the head. The second exchange favored the Sylph with another strike to the head, while whiteshot only gained a body strike on his foe. The deciding factor in the end could be called dumb luck. For as Cathasach made his final charge he stumbled and whiteshot claimed his second head strike and the win. The final results would be Garlog 5 / Cathasach 4.
Ikegami Naozumi vs. King Aeron Sefti
The duel between Ikegami Naozumi and Aeron Sefti would be one between total defense and total offense. Aeron secured himself a head start early on, blinding Naozumi with dirt and landing a stab on the Daimyo's eye (avoiding serious injury only because it was closed). Aeron followed with a stab to sternum, but Naozumi landed a hit on the half-elf's stomach at the same time. And then, the fight shifted: With his eyes more clear, Naozumi was able to deflect every strike and follow with a quick blow of his own, hitting Aeron once in the arm and four times in the body. The Sefti King only managed to break the Daimyo's one last time, leaving the final score at Naozumi 5 / Aeron 4.Ikegami Masateru vs. King Casomir IIThe battle between General Masateru and King Casomir would be close, but ultimately the Hessnyan would never find the perfect opening he was looking for. The duo traded blows one after the other: Masateru bashed Casomir's helmet, Casomir replied with two strikes to the body, and finally the two engaged in a flurry in which the elf was able to land one more crucial blow than the human. The score stood at Masateru 5 / Casomir 4.Wulfric Thunderfist vs. Jarl Tholarg WolfkinThe two Jotun giants engaged in a match that was close, but long and rather uninteresting. Wulfric landed the first blow, but from there they seemed to trade exactly one blow for another like it was a game of tag. One block, one block. One bodyshot, one bodyshot. Even when Tholarg (perhaps accidentally) crashed his sword into Wulfric's fingers, the Jarl somehow let the warrior do exactly the same back to him. After a dragged out back-and-forth, the fight finally ended: Wulfric 5 / Tholarg 4.Beora Brightheart vs. General Stae PjjokhatGeneral Pjjokhat had seen battle recently and Beora had only seen the training field for the last few seansons it wasn't much of an edge but it proved to be vital. At first things had looked poorly for the man of the empire, with Beora scoring a body strike without reprisal. The general scored a head shot while taking another blow to the breastplate. But when her axe rebounded off the general's armor she found the heavy weapon lodged in the dirt and the time it took to free the weapon gave Pjjokhat the time to regain his breath and to score a blow upon her back. Beora would continue with her streak of body blows however the general's retort to the third blow was a strike to the had that sent her sprawling and left her dazed. The final score would stand Pjjokhat 5 / Beora 3.Bronsyn of Dorn vs. Ikegami SayokoThe fight between Sir Bronsyn and Ikegami Sayoko started off with a tremendous pair of blows. Bronsyn getting a solid hit to the body while Sayoko provided a head shot that would send the ranger reeling. It caused him to misjudge a counter and take a blow to the arm that made a sickening 'crunch'. They would both flounder for a few exchanges with neither able to to connect. Finaly Bron claimed another body shot. But the next flurry of blows would provide Sayoko with a second head strike. Bron was still off balance when she claimed a strike to the body and the win. The final score was Sayoko 5 / Bronsyn 3.Carok Ironbelly vs. King Azlyn ChristalloAzlyn was right to expect a tougher fight than usual, but this wouldn't save him. The duel began as might have been expected, with the two combatants circling around each other and lashing out with calculated strikes, Azlyn managing to hit Carok twice and take only one blow in return. But then, perhaps in a moment of overconfidence, the King left an opening that the orc warrior drove at mercilessly. Carok first rammed his weapon into Azlyn's helmet, then as the human backed up he followed with two strikes to the body while taking only one hit to the chest from the King's desperate defense. The final score was Carok 5 / Azlyn 3.
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