semifinal

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says to Ellodin in a deep, calm voice, "The stage?"

Ellodin reaches up to untie his hair, contemplating Maid Issyn.

Ellodin says in a quiet but clear voice, "Summon the sand stage."
Raising her blackened staff high, Maid Issyn chants elemental words of power. Without warning, the rattling whisper of shifting sand fills the air as golden grains pour down the far wall of the arena in a veritable waterfall. It takes only seconds for the stone floor to be completely covered in a thick layer of coarse sand, which slows movement down and makes it difficult to gain purchase.

Kei scuffs her boots in the sand briefly and huffs. "... I suppose it will do."

Xandir nods his head emphatically.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says to Kei in a deep, calm voice, "Call the coin toss please."

Page Kei Greywards, Soloist says to Xandir in a low, silvery voice, "Heads."

Using his wrist cleverly, Xandir flips a golden sovereign up into the air. You watch, mesmerised, as it spins rapidly through its arc. It hits the ground and you see that the tails side is facing up.

Ellodin scuffs his sandals in the sand.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says to Ellodin in a deep, calm voice, "Will you take the initiative, or defer to your opponent?"

Ellodin says to Xandir in a quiet but clear voice, "I will initiate."

Xandir nods his head emphatically.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Duelists, please take your places and say the words."

Ellodin pulls back a little ways from Kei before bowing to her and saying, "For the thrill of battle."

Kei steps opposite Ellodin across the arena, bowing in turn and lowering a lightweight, elegant bastard sword into a ready stance. "And the rush of challenge."

Xandir nods his head emphatically.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "May the best duelist win."

Ellodin begins circling to his right, his steps careful and his eyes vigilant on Kei. He begins a weaving series of feints with both a weighted net and a wood and silver five-pronged trident before leaping into range, stabbing the points of the trident towards her.

Kei shifts her blade to the side, balancing carefully on the balls of her feet before lunging forward, bringing her weapon up in a slash at Ellodin's midsection. It catches between two prongs of his trident, leaving the weapons locked for a moment with the clash of metal.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Both duelists start on the offensive, and their attacks cancel each other out. The round is a draw."

Kei pushes away, shoving Ellodin's trident from her blade with both hands as she raises it up before her, gripped at either end. She plants her feet firmly in the shifting sand, watching carefully for his next move.

Ellodin sweeps some sand upwards with a drag of the weighted net, creating a momentary screen. When the dust settles, he has retreated to a safe distance, and his careful stalking resumes.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "As if they were cut from the same cloth, both duelists have decided to defend. The round ends in a draw."

Ellodin feints another stab with his trident before casting a weighted net towards Kei. His hand swiftly moves to a sealskin dagger sheath, drawing a graceful silver dagger from it.

Kei shifts her grip upon a lightweight, elegant bastard sword once again before striking forward to close the distance. At the last moment, as the net flies through the air, she uses the sand's natural lack of stability to slide completely under it's arc, bringing her blade up in a strike that scatters loose sand in all directions but just meets with Ellodin's trident and dagger again.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Both duelists have chosen to attack again, cancelling each other out. The round ends, once more, in a draw."

Dropping one hand from her blade's hilt, Kei plants it in the sand and shoves herself back. Sand scatters all around as she rises to her feet once more, taking a one-handed warding swipe in Ellodin's direction.

Ellodin rolls away from the swiping blade and particles of sand litter his hair. He remains on one knee as he watches Kei vigilantly, contemplating his next move.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Both duelists have, yet again, chosen to defend. The round ends in a draw."

Ellodin brings his dagger up as if to ready it for a strike, but a handful of sand flies towards Kei instead! He follows up behind the attempt to blind, closing to striking distance and stabbing his trident at her legs.

Kei dips her blade at the tail end of her weaker swing. Raising her free arm, she shields her face from the sand cloud, using her sword tip to sketch a rune in the soft arena floor. Continuing to retreat another few paces, a wall of solid stone swiftly rises to stymie Ellodin's advance before crumbling away.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Finally breaking the routine, Duelist Kei's defense has thwarted Ellodin's attack! The point goes to her."

Kei brushes the last of the sand from her face quickly and plants her feet in the sand. She sketches another swift rune before using the crumbling wall's rocks as a step to leap into the air. She brings her blade crashing down upon Ellodin while the isaz rune sends tremors through the ground, the sandy arena becoming unstable for a moment.

Ellodin teeters for a moment before recovering his balance with a grace born of years in dinghies on the open sea. He neatly sidesteps Kei's blade, slashing upwards with the dagger and slicing her tricep. A slight sneer mars his features.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Using speed to his advantage, Duelist Ellodin's attack has landed before Duelist Kei's power attack. The point goes to him."

Ellodin pulls a wood and silver five-pronged trident closer to his body as he ducks beneath Kei's waist, taking a whirling slice at the back of her knee with a graceful silver dagger.

Wincing only slight at the pain, Kei hits the ground and smoothly brings her blade around again as blood stains the sandy floor. Though suffering another bloody strike to the leg, Ellodin's manoeuvre puts him directly in the path of her sword, smashing the pommel into his chin.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Driven to the height of fury with their successes, both duelists have attempted to push the offense, only to have their power attacks meet in a draw. No points awarded."

Kei pulls her injured leg up, aiming a swift kick to Ellodin's torso as he slips from under her. A powerful thrust straight down follows that, aiming to impale him to the ground before he can rise from his last attack.

Ellodin begins to retreat before the kick connects high on his chest, causing him to move out of the range of Kei's impaling blade. He sluggishly takes his feet, moving to one edge of the weighted net on the floor.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Keeping up the ferocious onslaught, Duelist Kei's power attack has destroyed Duelist Ellodin's defense. The point is hers."

Ellodin lifts a wood and silver five-pronged trident into a throwing position before hurling it at Kei's torso. He kneels down to grasp the weighted net and also throws that at her before gripping his graceful silver dagger tightly.

Kei presses her advantage as Ellodin staggers to his feet, pulling a lightweight, elegant bastard sword from the soft sand she just impaled. She lets out a furious, vengeful cry as she knocks the trident aside, letting her swing carry her forward with its momentum. The net catches on her shoulder, but even weighted it barely slows her advance, cleaving across Ellodin's body with one huge sweep before finally coming to an entangled halt.

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Bolstered by her prior successes, Duelist Kei's attack strikes before Duelist Ellodin's power attack can land. The point, and the duel, are hers."

Xandir S. Chiragh, Argent Hand says in a deep, calm voice, "Well fought, Duelists. Please bow to each other to end the duel." (49 minutes)

Ellodin takes a sip from a wildwood vial wreathed in thistles before bowing to Kei.

Breathing heavily, Kei reaches up and slowly pushes the net from her body until she can finally take a bow to Ellodin.





Reyson says, "Very well. Have you decided which of you will begin? Or will we be flipping a coin, ladies?"

Elisella, Purifier says to Reyson with a lilting Haraekanewa accent, "The coin. And I call tails, since she chose the arena."

Stheno huffs softly.

Idolatrix Stheno Aristata says in a golden voice, "Calling my tails."

Using his wrist cleverly, Reyson flips a golden sovereign up into the air. You watch, mesmerised, as it spins rapidly through its arc. It hits the ground and you see that the tails side is facing up.

Reyson says, "Daylight robbery if I ever saw it! Tails it is."

Elisella's lips curl into a hint of a smirk.

Elisella, Purifier says to Reyson with a lilting Haraekanewa accent, "I'll defer to the Idolatrix."

Reyson smiles and says, "And a ploy to curry some favour with someone about to hit her! Insidi through and through, it seems."

Stheno smirks.

Reyson says to Stheno, "Your choice, then, Idolatrix. Will you be keeping the initiative, or surrendering it?"

Stheno gives Reyson a long, flat look in response.

Reyson's mouth turns up as his face breaks into a smile.

Reyson says, "Very well!"

Reyson turns to the crowd, with one hand held high.

Reyson says, "Let us witness their battle, then, eh? Let's have a cheer for the duelists!"

Reyson looks sceptical and says, "I've heard more enthusiasm at slave auctions. From the slaves."

Reyson says, "Very well!"

Reyson turns back to the duelists and drops his hand swiftly.

Reyson exclaims, "Begin!"

Her eyes fluttering shut, Stheno's blood-red lips move on a silent refrain. She raises her hand and plucks a blade from the ether, a writhing thing that materialises into steel and a malevolent, glaring eye by its hilt. Almost before it's recognisable as a daegger, it darts towards Elisella, seeking her heart.

Reyson says approvingly, "Straight at the heart! The Idolatrix wastes no time in trying to cut down her foe."

Changing her stance swiftly, Elisella lowers her blade before charging towards Stheno, lifting her blade in a swift underhanded stroke aimed towards her gut. As she notices the animated daegger, she turns, allowing the daemon to plunge into the thick pauldron over her left shoulder, a trickle of blood weeping from the wound. Distracted yet undeterred, her blade's motion follows through on a different trajectory, biting in a glancing blow against Stheno's arm instead.

Reyson says, "A pair of strikes land, with the Idolatrix's daegger and the Purifier's blade both finding their marks! But neither has enough advantage to call it a point."

Reyson says, "Begin!"

As the daegger wriggles in her shoulder, Elisella exhales roughly, her eyes flashing with malice as she follows through on the previous motion of the blade, her body twisting with a dancer's grace. Her arms tense as if prepared to strike when she feints abruptly, lunging forward in an attempt to drive the pommel of her sword into Stheno's chin.

Reyson says, "Once more, a warrior tries to get all of us to recognize the need for wearing a helmet when fighting!"

Frustrated with the daegger's less than lethal aim, Stheno snatches it out of Elisella's pauldron and wields it herself. With a quiet snarl, she lunges at Elisella, the pulsing blade aimed squarely for her scarred face. The pommel of Elisella's sword meets Stheno halfway, knocking her head back and shutting her mouth with the click of her teeth coming together. She staggers away, spitting blood at Jarrod's feet.

Idolatrix Stheno Aristata says wryly in a golden voice, "You'd all weep if I wore a helmet."

Kiet frowns at Stheno, then turns to Elisella with a glare.

Reyson smiles impishly and says, "Something tells me if the Purifier hits that pretty face again, we'll have a riot on our hands."

Reyson says, "Still, a point is a point, and she leads, one-nothing."

Reyson says, "The Idolatrix has the initiative."

Reyson smiles impishly and says to Stheno, "Let's see some payback, hmm?"

Reyson says, "Begin!"

Stheno waves her hand dismissively, levitating the blade at her fingertips as she backs away from Elisella. She holds her position there, a sweltering wave of heat rolling forth from her and into the crowd. A distant roar heralds the ground-cracking steps of her Baalzadeen, before it staunches and breathes a plume of incandescent flame at the Infernal knight.

Reyson smiles impishly and says, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? I'd put my money on a pissed Apostate's Baalzadeen, myself."

Elisella's form tenses before she lunges towards Stheno in a fierce overhanded strike, the serrated edge of her sword gleaming in the available light. As the plume of flame engulfs her, she lets out a loud cry of disgust, allowing the blade to clang harmlessly against the basalt floor, sparks flying from the impact as she quickly smothers the sticky flames engulfing her hair and skin.

Reyson says, "Drawing even, the Idolatrix gets her revenge! We're tied at one point each."

Reyson raises his hand high, eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

Reyson says, "Let's see some more violence, then!"

Reyson says to Elisella, "Begin!"

Reyson's hand drops in signal to commence the bout.

Elisella staggers backwards, her face and hair singed and smoldering as she retrieves a thin ethereal spear, the point wickedly barbed as a grey miasma swirls over the surface. Her eyes blazing in a mixture of pain and rage, she cocks backward slightly and hurls the spear directly towards Stheno, a piercing shriek of an imprisoned and tortured soul echoing over the roiling of the lava as it hurtles towards Stheno unceasingly.

Reyson smiles broadly and says, "Finally, someone hurled a soulspear!!"

Reyson murmurs something under his breath that sure as hell sounds like, "About damn time."

Stheno smiles beatifically at the smell of singed hair and flesh. As she beckons to her Baalzadeen, it lumbers closer, lowering its head to its mistress's lips. Running her tongue up the daemon's cheek, Stheno nods in satisfaction. She sends it storming towards Elisella, its fangs bared in a rictus grin, but its ill intent is stopped by the soulspear that comes hurtling from Elisella's hand. Infuriated, the daemon catches it in its huge shoulder and then swipes at the spear, snapping the ethereal shaft in half.

Reyson says, "Baalzadeen and soulspear meet in furious assault, neither's Necromancy enough to overcome the other's, it seems! We're still tied at one-one."

Reyson says casually to Stheno, "You're not going to let her poke holes in your Daemon like that, are you?"

Reyson raises a hand high above his head with a teasing smirk hiding behind a menacing wyvern helm.

Reyson drops his hand swiftly.

Reyson says, "Begin!"

The Baalzadeen prowls around the edge of the lava, breathing in Elisella's scent. As it hunts her, Stheno extends a hand of friendship to Elisella, her expression softening. "Come now, Elisella," she purrs. "Let's not fight." Her words belie the silvery threads weaving themselves together into the shape of a second spear in her hand, and the flex of her branded shoulder as she cocks back her arm with an unearthly grace. Stepping forward, her anklets chiming, she hucks her soulspear at Elisella's midriff, right where the air hits her skin.

Reyson says, "Soulspears, soulspears! Who'd've thought the little lady could curl one so ferociously!"

Tendrils of black vapour whip around Elisella's form as she glares at Stheno, her body quickly becoming incorporeal before being suddenly interrupted by the spear penetrating deep into her gut. She groans in agony, doubling over as blood trickles from the wound, a hand falling from her sword to grasp at the spear as she concentrates, absorbing what remains of the life essence into her form as she takes an unsteady step backwards, her face twisted in a rictus of anguish.

Reyson says, "The Idolatrix's soulspear finds its mark! She takes the advantage, two-to-one!"

Reyson says to Elisella, "You'd better do something clever, before the rest of your blood pours out of you. You've the initiative!"

Reyson raises his hand high above his head, once more.

Reyson drops his hand, and nods to Elisella.

Reyson says, "Begin!"

Elisella's knuckles clench around the handle of her blade as she raises a hand towards Stheno. Her hand stays firmly splayed open imperiously before she clenches her fist in a gesture of contempt. As her hand closes, a torrent of maggots and pestilence erupts from beneath Stheno's feet, followed by the grasping hands of rotten corpses that lunge towards Stheno's ankles and knees, the nails rife with decay while the insects attempt to feast upon any exposed flesh.

Reyson smiles and says approvingly, "A low blow from the Purifier!"

Blinking, Stheno wobbles as her balance is momentarily upset by the grasping hands of the grave, almost falling for a second. She kicks her heeled foot, flicking off a pustulence of maggots and trying to step away. Realisation dawning, she whispers something in an Infernal tongue, and grins as the snatching hands relax and instead give her a conciliatory pat at the ankles. Unhindered, she saunters across the arena towards Elisella.

Reyson says, "The Purifier is unable to wrench anything more than a moment's reprieve, and neither scores a point! The Idolatrix still leads, two-to-one."

Reyson raises his hand high above his head once more. He looks to Stheno and gestures with his helm to Elisella.

Reyson says to Stheno, "Time to win yourself a spot in the finals, hmm?"

Reyson says, "Begin!"

Closing the distance, Stheno reaches for Elisella as her Baalzadeen watches on, spreading her arms in the invitation of an embrace. She tries to pull the other woman into her decaying touch, one finger lifting to Elisella's lips to begin the slow, agonising process of unzipping her from throat to belly in vivisection.

Reyson smiles broadly and says, "A bold move, to split her opponent open while she stands! The Idolatrix seems to have no mercy in her heart this night."

Reyson says, "Or any night!"

Elisella's free hand reflexively snaps forward, wrapping her fingers around Stheno's neck as she easily lifts Stheno off of the ground, her thumb pressing into Stheno's windpipe. "It helps if you break the limbs first, Idolatrix.", she says impassively, her thumb gently choking Stheno to punctuate the point before she hurls her backwards in a display of contempt.

Reyson smiles impishly and says, "Denied, face-to-face! One wonders if one of these lovely ladies owes the other some money, or something."

Reyson says, "We've run the gamut from soothing reassurances to drop one's guard, to how to properly fling a soulspear, to a lecture on the do's-and-don'ts of vivisection. But now, it's time to see someone die!"

Reyson raises his hand high above his head, and smiles behind a menacing wyvern helm to both Stheno and Elisella.

Reyson says, "A beautiful match, thus far, but I think we all know what the crowd wants. And who are we to keep them waiting, hmm? Begin!"

Moving forward as she grasps her blade firmly, Elisella steps towards Stheno with a low slash towards Stheno's legs, the edge of her blade a blur with the force of the slash. In her harsh native tongue, she lets out a lilting unintelligible command as a Tsol'teth war beetle lets out a buzz of fury, its six legs rapidly moving it across the battlefield before it curls into a ball, the massive bulk of the insect hurtling like a runaway boulder towards Stheno.

Reyson says, "A strike to cut the legs out from under anyone who stands against her! And an insect to accompany it! How... avant garde."

Stheno coughs, picking herself up off the ground. A few things happen at once, the battlefield now a madcap blur of violence. The Tsol'teth beetle hurtles into the path of her Baalzadeen, and the daemon picks it up with both arms, its insectile legs flailing. Reckoning with Elisella's contempt, Stheno murmurs, "Noted." The ground splinters with a sudden onslaught of grasping, rotting hands. As they drag Elisella half into the heated fissure, bones cracking under their ravenous hunger, Stheno towers over her and places her hand over Elisella's heart, a dark light issuing from her fingertips. The skin peels back under her palm, unfurling like a fleshy flower, and the siren reaches into the Infernal's chest, dragging out her sternum with an ear-splintering crack. Thus armed, she stabs the bones of Elisella's ribcage through her heart.

Reyson smiles and says, "How beautiful."

Reyson smiles and says, "A fitting end to a proper duel."

Reyson smiles and says to Stheno, "You've my sincerest congratulations."