the Rift


I blinked and the world was gone [Ru vs. Isopia]

Ru Posts: 130
World's Edge Captain atk: 7.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 4.0
Mare :: Pegasus :: 16.1h :: 3 [Tallsun] HP: 60.5 | Buff: Novice
Mar
#1

Who was she to tempt fate? Child of no-land, wandering vagrant; seeking precious items and things to fill the silence washing far too often against her spirit. Ah, but she had failed to purchase the mythical flute – destined to fill the air with songs and swoons to move even the coldest of hearts. She would have learned how to pluck every emotion, however faint or daring the strum.
 
Alas her purchase fell through her fingers, many, many nights ago. Time brings the girl’s mind to the higher things she must aspire to. It does not come as a craving does, gathering desire to a heightened point – compelling her to take pleasure in the fight. No, it was anything but the pleasure.
 
Young, unblooded warrior - can she even call herself one? She’s a wannabe hero, without a dragon to conquer or a land to protect. It’s a whimsical wish that shines brightly against the dull sky as it turns. The trace rays of the sun peak out from the horizon, where the ocean is endless and the earth ends below it. From beyond, Ru can scarcely make out the fine fingertips that caress her cheeks and shoulders, belly and limbs. But it is the striking cold that prevails, crystallizing her breath against charcoal nostrils. Biting, gnawing against the surface of her skin, the constant beat of those sharp wings, the muscles that hum and coil underneath fight its reach. And she is fine, she is simple and forward – and she recognizes the need to study and become what she clings most to. Because there was no reason to rely on anyone else for protection, or for love or affection.
 
All of its was a farce, it blinded the girl – and she knew it – because the thing that she craved most as she neared a short cliff side, was the warmth and the coddling of a grown up. The unconditional protection of a friend, loyalty to no end; but it simply didn’t exist in this world. Everyone had their breaking point, everyone could only compromise for so much – before drawing back and surrendering to some sort of self-preservation. Whether it was the herds, or individuals themselves, they could not exist without the basest needs. And the girl thought simply, that, besides her desire to live an extraordinary life in a world filled with magic and swords; she would have no sway unless she could become powerful enough to influence the world. The same world that would have her scrambling for these petty wants and desires. The one that had taken, and beaten the things she cared most about – because she was too weak to act in turn.
 
Her thoughts churned, heated, prickling. But then she smiled and laughed quietly to herself – a voice that cracked and bounced against the cliff edges. One day she would be the very best. Despite all odds, she would get there some day. With that she let out a challenging cry. Loud and pointed. Below her the Riptide Isles appeared swathed in rolling mists, with only the peaks – like the one Ru had landed on – poking out and visible to a clear sky. To the north, the bodies of large, massive clouds threatened the steady quiet. The wind here had lulled, with the occasional, random stream twisting through the cliffs and mountains.
 
And clinging to the cliff side, her eyes eyed for her challenger. Eager to risk the treacherous winds, and to test herself in what she’d always considered her favorite domain. Recognizing the brief skip in her heart, the anticipation as she stood there – she pushed off and flew further up into the sky. Preparing to engage in heavenly battle. 

[Opening Post - words: 615 ; 0/3]


Image Credits


@Isopia     

Teaching Spar!
Setting:

Riptide Isles – Frostfall – Early Morning – Weather: mists cover the lower lands, leaving peaks and taller cliffs poking out from the veil. A snow storm is approaching from the north.
Timeline: normal
 
Restrictions? None, magic and everything allowed. 
Thank-you Odd for ze thread! <3
Please Tag
Permision to use any violence/harm; nothing that would cause immediate death

Isopia the Mountain That Knows Posts: 780
Dragon's Throat Apostle atk: 6.5 | def: 10 | dam: 8.0
Mare :: Tribrid :: 18hh :: 3 - is now aging slowly HP: 90 | Buff: NUMB
Hubris :: Royal Bronze Dragon :: Shock Breath & Frost Breath & Babel :: Royal Gold Dragon :: Fire Breath Odd
#2
isopia
Having had a large portion of her memories erased, Isopia had reverted to a previous version of herself. A version that knew only the childhood love of her friend Zero, who had never experienced (nor indulged in) sexual urges. A version of herself that had never murdered a child, nor had given birth. Her actions over the past few seasons had led to an Isopia that was nearly unrecognizable from the academic, emotionless mare she had worked so hard to become. For a time, she was reckless, passion driven, and foolish. She let her heart guide her decisions, and in the end, not even her vast mind could endure the memories she had created. Without those memories, were the lessons she had learned all for nothing? Was her child's death rendered that much more meaningless now that his existence was forgotten? Many would say yes. Could Isopia answer, she would say no. Her relationship with Volterra and its evolution were surely so improbable, that such circumstance, statistically, could not happen to her again. She didn't need those lessons to guide her, because now that that one possibility had been played out, it never would again.

And so, as a call for action rang down from one of the mountaintops, Isopia received it with an open, and academic mind.

Despite the strength given to her by virtue of her semi-godly blood, Isopia was not the warrior that she desired to be. In this land of might makes right, there were many who had bested her in the metaphorical arena. Aristotle had encouraged a fakery, of a sort, with regards to mastering anything. Virtue, for Aristotle, was nothing more than something one did as though it was second nature. That was a crude formation of course, but the phrase fake it 'till you make it, certainly had its roots in Aristotle. And so, though other minds might worry whether or not they were prepared enough to answer the call of an unknown opponent, Isopia took to the air on maroon and tan wings without hesitation.

Despite the fact that the skies were her birthright as a winged creature, Isopia had never actually engaged in an aerial battle before. So rather than feeling trepidation at seeing her challenger appear through a haze of misty morning cloud cover, the demigoddess felt only a subdued sort of excitement at the opportunity to learn something new.

As Isopia flew nearer and Ru became clearer, there was still precious little information the demigoddess could glean about her challenger. She was not one to make assumptions, and so other than her physical characteristics (objective characteristics mind you), Isopia could pull no real information which would aid her in this battle. A more seasoned warrior would likely have scoffed at this academic restriction on her part - assumptions could make the difference between a victory and death. If you could not look at your opponents well-muscled body and assume physical strength, what good was it to look in the first place?

But Isopia had never been conventional, and though her eyes saw much, her brain concluded little.

"I have come to oblige your call." Isopia's voice rang out across the distance between the two winged mares. In the air, as opposed to the land, Isopia's mountainous size was a hindrance, rather than a help. Up here, it merely made her slower, as well as providing her challenger a larger target to hit. She would have to keep her distance, lest the smaller mare use her own body against her. (You see? Isopia had learned a few things along the way.)

Isopia reached for her magic, grabbing at the earth inside of her soul. She created a few goodish-sized rocks, which she let fall from the sky, aimed at Ru. At the same time, hoping this magical attack would distract the naturalistically-marked mare (if they didn't hit her), Isopia flew forward. Her large wings propelled her through the frigid air, beating harder than normal for there were few air thermals at this height to assist her. She aimed to slam her left shoulder against Ru's left, hopefully upsetting her balance and causing her to lose altitude.

Nearby, Hubris flew in a rough circle to remain parallel in height to the two mares. His bright blue gaze did not detect any sort of companion who could assist the brownish pegasus (though he would continue to search for one, just to be sure). This was not a battle Isopia needed to win (she would gained valuable information regardless of the outcome), and so unless Ru did have another to fight on her side, the bronze dragon did not feel the need to upset the balance of one-on-one combat.


WC: 785
Attack: 1/3
Summary: Iso uses her earth magic to create a few rocks, and drops them over Ru. Then she rushes forward and tries to have her left shoulder and Ru's left collide.

Image Credits


TEACHING NOTES

I'll give you feedback based on our current rubric. Since your opening posts aren't judged (just the actual attack posts), I don't have a ton to say. You've introduced the setting well (though do remember to carry that through the rest of your posts!). This was written BEAUTIFULLY, and your table is unbelievably cool ;)

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here

Ru Posts: 130
World's Edge Captain atk: 7.0 | def: 9.5 | dam: 4.0
Mare :: Pegasus :: 16.1h :: 3 [Tallsun] HP: 60.5 | Buff: Novice
Mar
#3
Rolling out from the breath of mountains, the challenger appears. Instead of the mists that hold on tight, a robe of velvet trails beside them. A cloth saturated in blood, against the dull gray skyline, and the canopy of innocent blues. It’s the first thing Ru grasps, beyond the golden hue of eyes blazing from the sun. Reminds the girl of the pain she endured with Volterra during her first fight; its distinct depth and range unknown to the training child. It comes as a warning, a thought that interjects with bright encouragement; that she can endure, regardless of the scars, blood, the exhaustion and its added sting.

With the prickle of frost, and the teeth of winter submerging the girl’s body, she takes the mare’s reply with a vibrating fervor. It translates into a hungry leer across the stranger’s body. The opponent is far larger – even from this distance, muscles glisten underneath an ashen hide from shoulders to hindquarters. The girl takes pleasure that the odds may play in her favor. She’s smaller, less bulk. Gravity, the weight of the whole world, of the moons and stars plays his part rigorously in the air. She must learn to manipulate it to her advantage.

Perhaps then, it will be imperative to avoid the mare’s attacks at all cost. She imagines her body won’t take the mare’s blows kindly, given the strength coiling underneath that skin. As the girl prepares to meet the stranger head on, fighting against the void that has become their playground – she wonders if and how she might exploit this size difference. To assault constantly, knowing that the other mare would feel the burning resistance of gravity condemning them to the ground. Surely Ru might out last her?

It comes with a thrill of fear that beckons the girl to dive all in. Resisting the spike of hot white anxiety, the mind numbing propulsion of doom. Ru charges towards her quarry with the intention of gaining elevation.

One after the other -

- pebbles fell from the sky. Before the girl can grasp the masses of earth hanging like hammers above, she hisses underneath her breath. Expelling air in her body, drawing in wings to dive in an attempt to avoid the large shadows hovering above her head. Dirt and things trickle down her sides, but from the edges of her eyes, in the periphery of her gaze she makes out the mare quickly approaching from her left. With a heavy breath, she stays her course to meet her. Ru rolls her body to the right, before they can meet shoulder to shoulder. Snapping in her wings as she delivered a kick from both hindlegs, aimed for the left shoulder. At that same time she began to fall. The sinking, impending loss of control swirled around her in a blistering scream. Freefall.

She had always lost her breath like this. Submitted willingly to the wind, knowing that her offerings would not go on forgotten. Unlike the rumors of the Gods, the air – its soul thrived, wherever she beckoned for a taste of it. Even if it threatened to kill her, at least she could sense it; bask in its terrible force.

Ru bursts the sails of her wings open, turning sharp to the left to face her opponent as soon as she could with a forced hiss. By no means would she allow them to rest, she would push, she would pry hard and harder with each assault. Exhaling sharply once more, she pumped her wings vigorously in the hopes of catching up to Isopia. Intending to face her either from behind or in front, as the wind began to pick up. The air salted from the sea, the coolness leaving embittered kisses against her cheek. Ru’s course staggered from their target, the rogue stream swinging her slightly off course to the right as she intended to halt her approach. Just enough to expose her belly, body perpendicular to the horizon. She gathered her forelimbs and drove them down as she rested suspended in the air for a fraction of a second. Searching for a head to plow down, or a rump to batter from the ends of her nails. But who knew where it might have landed?

And then she began to fall again. The weight of her body carrying her backwards, as she began to submerge further into the world below. She could see the dark mists, their nefarious bodies bubbling up to swallow her whole. She was vulnerable.

Resisting the desire to leave all thoughts in abandon, she strained to keep a gaze on the crimson robe. The eyes of sunshine, to stay her course true to their prey.

[WC:785
Attack: 1/3
Summary: Drops elevation to avoid the rocks. Meets Isopia and rolls right to avoid her attack, kicking out with her hindlimbs to Isopia's left shoulder. Drops elevation, turns left and picks up speed to meet head on again. A burst of air leaves her slightly off target as she pulls back from her charge, in order to rear up and strike with her forelimbs. Either on the head or rump if possible. Then starts to fall backwards.]

Image Credits


XD Haha, thanks Odd! I hope I can describe these attacks well enough. I honestly wasn't 100% sure how to go about the critical miss, and then attacking after that. I kind of split it between the first attack and coming back for another. But... ah, we'll see how it goes.

Much excitement... :3
Please Tag
Permision to use any violence/harm; nothing that would cause immediate death

Blu the Bootyful Posts: 443
Administrator atk: 99 | def: 99 | dam: 99
Mare :: Other :: 5'7" :: 25 HP: 99999 | Buff: TWERK
Blu
#4
Isopia has exceeded the time limit and defaults to Ru. Ru earns 0.5 VP.
 HP: 1100

Helovia Hard Mode


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