[aliyaah]

Round 4

Rianne (Sunfrost) vs Vojorn (+ ebonite + )

It has now been two days since the last round of the tournament. The gladiators were offered an extended time of reprise, allowing them to rest, so that they could return to battling in a refreshed state.

It hasn't snowed for several days, but a light layer of snow still lingers on the ground. The gladiators have been met with warmer weather, although there's a gentle breeze with a slightly chillier note passing through. It is mid-day, and the pair of competitors will find their battle to be taking place in the fields. The snow has hardened as compared to being the slick, slushy type. Blades of ragged, dead grass and several bushes are poking through where the snow was not thick enough to cover it. Some of these bushes carry thorns upon their branches - be wary, as they will be very painful to step on, particularly if they graze the bottom of one's hoof. 

---

Please remember that this post serves as the first post of the battle. It is taken as though both your characters are now present, and your following posts will begin the fighting (unlike regular battles where one equine enters and has to wait for the other to arrive). 

All battles are fought with the rules 3 attacks, 1 dodge, 3 days to reply. There will be no extensions given out, no exception. As these are meant to be shorter, quicker battles, the maximum word count is 800 words. 

*If the second poster finishes the thread with an attack, the first poster may post OOC to describe the results of said attack prior to judging (still needs to follow the three day rule).

Please ensure you utilize the battle for just like regular battles. 

+ ebonite +  , you were drawn to post first. You have 3 days from this point to make your first post. Let the battles begin!

[+ ebonite +]

Two days was not enough. She had beaten Legion, and she wanted so badly to celebrate that, but she was worried the price that she'd paid was too high. The pain was unimaginable as she'd limped off the Battlefield to her resting place. In desperation, she'd tried to cover her bruises with snow, hoping that the cold might keep some of the swelling down. She didn't know whether it would help, but she'd kept it on for as long as she could stand it, and then went back to her usual routine of resting and walking. It was difficult to tell if she slept at all when she closed her eyes, but rest was rest. When she walked, it hurt so badly that she wanted to give up. These injuries were not for nothing, she told herself, you have to keep going. So, she continued her routine, even as the sun rose and gave way to a new day. The whole extra day was precious time to rest, but it was also time to figure out how the hell she was going to fight in the next round.

Her limp was more pronounced than ever. She couldn't hide it no matter how slow she walked. It was a significant weak spot that would slow her down and give her opponent something to exploit. She just hoped that her opponent's injuries were just as bad, or this wouldn't be much of a fight. If she could put her opponent in a trap or something of that nature, it might help her out, depending on the location and the terrain. She would also have to rely on her teeth to do most of the attacking. Using one back leg or one front leg was questionable, but possible. Until she saw her opponent and their injuries, though, she couldn't come up with a better strategy.

The next night was easier than the first, though only marginally. She gave in and let herself rest for longer periods of time, only walking short distances before resting again. It might have been a bad idea, but if she didn't listen, her body might have decided to stop listening to her instead. When she woke up that morning, she groaned audibly at the streaks of light in the sky. Wincing, she forced herself to move. She made her way toward the area, her pace slow, her limp obvious. This battle would take place in the open fields outside of the Colosseum. The snow crunched beneath her feet, and she could see some vegetation poking up through it. Bushes and grasses. Her brow quirked slightly as she observed this, tucking it away for later. It wasn't much as far as terrain obstacles went, but it could be something. Her gaze then settled onto her opponent - a mare named Rianne. Vojorn once more had the height advantage, towering about two hands above her. Unfortunately, though, it felt more like a disadvantage at this point in the tournament. Vojorn's injuries meant she couldn't throw her weight around without injuring herself, and she'd be slower than Rianne, especially with said injuries. Rianne had a few bites on her hide, the biggest one on her neck, with two more on her rump and near her withers. Other than that, Rianne appeared unharmed. Though I doubt that's true. No one made it this far without injury. Vojorn would just have to expose her weak points.

Just like every other fight, she would start the two of them off by circling her opponent. She wouldn't bother to hide her limp - in fact, it might be possible to exaggerate its effects a bit to make herself seem weaker than she was. With that thought in mind, she started off the circling at a much slower pace than she was capable of, her face pulled into a grimace. She was going to aim for that bite on Rianne's rump for now. It would be the easiest point to exploit without exposing herself to Rianne's teeth and front hooves, and hopefully it would expose some of Rianne's weaknesses by forcing her to move - either to see or to dodge. Vojorn forced herself to put on a sudden burst of speed, circling around to the back of Rianne and toward that wound on her rump. It was only enough for a dozen steps or so, but hopefully it would be enough to catch Rianne off-guard - assuming she hadn't moved. Vojorn reached out with her teeth toward the wound, grasping for flesh. As before, she hung around for a few precious seconds to hopefully deepen the bite before she backed off with her remaining burst of speed, hoping to avoid any retaliation from the mare.


Name- Vojorn
Breed- Appaloosa x Andalusian x Arabian x Appendix Quarter Horse x Paint x Shire
Age- Seven
Gender- Female
Height- 17.1 hands
Alliance- Unallianced
Health-
Physically: 40%
Mentally: 100%

Injuries-
Third round
1. Moderate bruising on her upper chest from Legion's hooves.
2. Legion's hooves struck her in the left shoulder, causing moderate to severe bruising and a limp that will last about two weeks.
3. Legion collided with her left side, further aggravating the bruising already there and jostling her cracked rib. Bruising has become severe in some spots.

Second round
1. Three inch gash on the right side of her neck in the middle, just below her mane. Has stopped bleeding, but will leave a scar.
2. Bruising on the right side of her barrel from Stark's hooves. (staff rolled injury)

First round
1. Hound's body collided with her left side. Moderate bruising.
2. Her right side collided with the wall from the impact of Hound's attack. Mild to moderate bruising.
3. Hound's first strike struck her in the ribs. At least one cracked rib and severe bruising.
4. Hound's second strike scraped along the top of her back near her shoulder. A shallow two inch cut with mild bruising. Any bleeding has stopped at this point.
5. She dropped to her knees to avoid his third strike. Mild bruising.
6. Hound's attack aimed for her chest hit near her hip instead. Caused three shallow cuts with mild bruising. Any bleeding has stopped at this point.

Hits- 1/3
1. Reached out to bite at the wound on Rianne's rump, hoping to worsen it or create a new wound.
2. --
3. --

Dodges- 0/1
1. --

count 790
notes -bangs gong-
timeline avitas is a few weeks old, after she's been made lead of dark woods
tag Sunfrost

"Speech"

[Sunfrost]

Could Gladiator Tournaments occur all the time? Rianne bet not, but she wished she could campaign for that to occur. Never had she felt so gloriously alive, including when she had pounded former Light King Coreion into the ground. She hadn’t been able to claim that, though; at least she could claim victory here! Rianne had defeated her latest opponent, Stark, with confidence and class (if she did say so herself), and been rewarded not only with a win but with two full days of rest. Though she had accrued only minor injuries during her last match, those two days had allowed her bruising to begin to heal. She had walked out of her last match with bruising along all sides of her body, sans her tail end. Hiding the fact that even breathing hurt would have been difficult. At least she had managed to escape the battlefield before making it apparent just how hard movement was for her. She had definitely dragged her hooves in the snow as she plodded home, an unacceptable sign of weakness.

Rianne had collapsed into a heap the moment she arrived within Ittudale, inadvertently sleeping along her less-bruised right side. She had woken up the next day and realized the snow had helped her side feel better, cooling the heat that had been wafting off the bruising. She had switched to her left side after that and spent the day alternating between moments of snow-bound stillness and moments of movement. Her occasional walks helped work out any stiffness accumulating in her muscles as well as maintained an image of functionality. Let the herd think she had come out unscathed from this tournament so far. Let the rumor mill spin. Rianne had no issue developing a reputation that would make others think twice before double-crossing her. The first day had been rough despite all her attempts for it to appear otherwise; the second day was better. She had ensured she slept along her left side that second night, and stepped up the amount of time she walked during that second day of rest. Her bruising became less tender and her movements more fluid instead of stilted. The additional rest let her feel far more energetic as she woke the next morning and made her way to the battlefield for her fourth match.

Snow lingered on the ground, though it was not soft like fresh-fallen snow would have been. Rianne surveyed the location for this battle as she arrived, noting the vegetation poking through the snow at some points. She couldn’t hide the gleeful anticipation in her gaze as she finally gave her opponent her full attention. Vojorn – yet another horse who stood taller than her, but when had that mattered during this tournament? The mare began to circle her, and Rianne allowed it, smirking as she noticed her opponent’s rather terrible limp. She was definitely going to exploit that, and it only boosted her confidence further. How had this nag even showed up today? Rianne was going to make her regret it. She moved a bit as Vojorn circled, ignoring the tenderness along both sides of her body as she kept her opponent within her vision. She was used to it by now, and it was nowhere near as bad as before.

Adrenaline sang in her veins as the nag accelerated suddenly, heading for the area behind her. Rianne spun on her front feet, attempting to dodge whatever attack Vojorn was hoping to carry out near her rump. She was caught off guard a bit by Vojorn’s speed; looked like the nag was capable of acting! Rianne hissed as she felt teeth sink into an area near the bite mark on the left side of her rump, her speed not quick enough to escape Vojorn’s attack. Her momentum came to a grinding halt, deepening the bite wound there slightly. Furious, Rianne took advantage of her weight already tilted toward her front hooves from the attempted dodge and bucked out with her back legs, heedless of the teeth that were potentially still stuck in her rump and ignoring the way the bruising along her sides and chest complained from the sudden movement. Vojorn would get unstuck from her rump very quickly if this mare hoped to dodge a back-kick to her chest or, if Rianne was lucky and the mare was moving away, her head.


+ ebonite +
(I'm sorry she's so mean!)

Name: Rianne
Breed: Akhal Teke
Age: 9
Gender: Mare
Height: 15hh
Alliance: Dark
Health: 53% (health down to 55% after Round 3; 3% gained back after 2 days of rest leading to health being 58% at the beginning of Round 4)
- Long, medium-deep bite wound on neck that has scabbed over, but will take a few weeks to heal. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Light bruising along right side of body, five days old. After two days of rest, the bruising is not felt as sharply as it used to be, and Rianne is fully accustomed to moving with it
- Shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Moderate to light bruising along left side of body, four days old. It is not as tender as it was after Round 3 and is on its way to healing, but is felt more sharply than the bruising along the right side of her body
- Medium-deep bite wound in flesh at base of neck, above shoulders towards withers. It is scabbed over and is a bit sore, but no longer stings (staff-rolled injury, round three)
- Light to moderate bruising in chest; it is a little tender, but does not hinder movement or functionality, and Rianne is accustomed to moving with it after two days of rest (staff-rolled injury, round three)
- Moderate depth bite mark near existing shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump; it is bleeding freely and stings, and is deeper than it would have been if Vojorn’s teeth were still stuck in Rianne before she initiated her first attack, but does not hinder movement

Word Count: 726
1/3 Attacks Used
- Rianne bucked with her back legs, hoping to hit Vojorn in the chest (if her teeth are still stuck in Rianne’s rump) or in the head (if Vojorn started to back off before Rianne initiated this attack)

0/1 Dodge Used

[+ ebonite +]

When her mouth filled with blood, Vojorn allowed herself a brief moment to enjoy it. Success. It seemed her ploy had worked. Just as she let go, though, she felt a sharp kick to her chest as Rianne retaliated. Vojorn had hesitated just a moment too long. On impulse, she added a sharp cry to accompany the hit, hopefully to further the illusion that she was more injured than she was, despite the attack she'd just made. Let Rianne underestimate her. Vojorn didn't know how long it would work, but if it helped her make any more hits, she would act as weak as a newborn foal. Luckily, the blow she'd taken was lower than the one she'd taken earlier from Legion, though that didn't make it hurt any less. Just another bruise to add to the collection. She was several feet away from Rianne now, the burst of speed causing coils of pain to spiral from her shoulder all the way down her leg. Unfortunately, though her attack had landed, it had not revealed anything further about Rianne's injuries. The mare had retaliated with her back hooves, which told Vojorn that she was not too injured to use those, but nothing more. Now what? Well, now it was time to forget about trying to reveal Rianne's previous injuries. Vojorn had already used up one of her hits for that and it had failed. Time to change tactics and aim for universal weak points. She needed to conserve her energy and make hits that mattered.

Vojorn started to circle again, her pace slow once more. Her breathing was labored already, but she was starting to get used to it. If she could survive fighting in this tournament in this state, regular battles would be a piece of cake. But, where to aim next? The legs were always a good go-to spot, but Vojorn's taller height would make it more difficult to grab at them. She needed to use her height to her advantage and aim high. Ideally, she wanted to do something that would hinder Rianne's movement - such as a blow to the shoulder. Realistically, she was not sure if she could. Was she stable enough to manage an attack with her legs now that she'd had two days of rest? Her back legs would be more reliable than her front ones as a support structure, and though her front left leg might be ineffective because of her shoulder, her right leg would not be. But was it even worth it? It might only be a single blow, and it might worsen her injuries. She grumbled inwardly, her hooves crunching through the snow. She was taking too long to decide. She didn't know how many more battles she would have to fight, but she'd taken too many injuries already. Better not to risk herself further. If anything, she could leave a riskier attack as her last one. That way, even if she did injure herself doing it, it would be toward the end of the fight.

She might not be able to take out Rianne's shoulder with a hoof like she wanted to, but she could still use her teeth. With this goal set in mind, Vojorn steadily picked up her pace again, though made it subtle enough that it wasn't immediately noticeable. Assuming Rianne hadn't moved out of the circle, Vojorn circled back around her rear and launched herself at the top of Rianne's right shoulder. The burst of speed caused pain to radiate down her entire body, but it was too late to stop now. Her teeth grasped for flesh, hoping to tear a sizeable gash that would be enough to slow the smaller mare down.


Name- Vojorn
Breed- Appaloosa x Andalusian x Arabian x Appendix Quarter Horse x Paint x Shire
Age- Seven
Gender- Female
Height- 17.1 hands
Alliance- Unallianced
Health-
Physically: 35%
Mentally: 100%

Injuries-
Current round
1. Mild to moderate bruising on chest from Rianne's hooves.

Third round
1. Moderate bruising on her upper chest from Legion's hooves.
2. Legion's hooves struck her in the left shoulder, causing moderate to severe bruising and a limp that will last about two weeks.
3. Legion collided with her left side, further aggravating the bruising already there and jostling her cracked rib. Bruising has become severe in some spots.

Second round
1. Three inch gash on the right side of her neck in the middle, just below her mane. Has stopped bleeding, but will leave a scar.
2. Bruising on the right side of her barrel from Stark's hooves. (staff rolled injury)

First round
1. Hound's body collided with her left side. Moderate bruising.
2. Her right side collided with the wall from the impact of Hound's attack. Mild to moderate bruising.
3. Hound's first strike struck her in the ribs. At least one cracked rib and severe bruising.
4. Hound's second strike scraped along the top of her back near her shoulder. A shallow two inch cut with mild bruising. Any bleeding has stopped at this point.
5. She dropped to her knees to avoid his third strike. Mild bruising.
6. Hound's attack aimed for her chest hit near her hip instead. Caused three shallow cuts with mild bruising. Any bleeding has stopped at this point.

Hits- 2/3
1. Reached out to bite at the wound on Rianne's rump, hoping to worsen it or create a new wound.
2. Aimed to bite a sizeable gash in Rianne's right shoulder, hoping to create a deep wound that might hinder movement and cause pain.
3. --

Dodges- 0/1
1. --

count 619
notes <33
timeline avitas is a few weeks old, after she's been made lead of dark woods
tag Sunfrost

"Speech"

[Sunfrost]

Success. Rianne felt the impact as her hooves landed somewhere on Vojorn, followed by a sharp cry from the mare. The spot she hit likely wasn’t the mare’s head, given that the cry wasn’t muffled. Rianne would have expected an impact to the head to break the mare’s jaw, or at least impacted her speech in some way. Maybe it had hit her chest? That would be towards the front of the mare, and it seemed she had been backing off after biting her rump. Rianne smirked, enjoying the sound of the mare’s pain even as some rational part of her conceded the mare could be acting. She’d done that already, hadn’t she? Vojorn had pretended to be slower than she actually was when she had circled before the first attack. Her speed had taken Rianne by surprise. It wouldn’t happen again. This mare had gotten to round four of the tournament, after all. She had to have some tricks up her sleeve. Rianne didn’t doubt that she had some injuries, just as she herself did, but they were operating out of different playbooks. Vojorn played up her injuries; Rianne pretended that hers did not exist, no matter how much her bruises complained. Fighting was just as much psychological as physical. If Rianne pretended she was unhurt, she would move as though she was unhurt – even if her muscles and bruising complained about it. They could cry in pain as much as they wanted after the fight, not during.

Rianne turned, disliking having her back to her opponent even if she could lash out with her back hooves in an instant if Vojorn attacked. She wanted to keep her gaze on the mare and try to discern how much her first attack had injured her. Her brown eyes hungrily tracked the mare, searching for weakness. Vojorn honestly was not looking very good. Her endless circling revealed her limp for all to see, and Rianne saw numerous bite marks and scabbed over wounds similar to her own riddled around the mare’s body. Vojorn’s left side was weak; that was apparent by the limp. Rianne decided she would try to exploit that. Was the limp more acting on the mare’s part, though? Maybe she wasn’t as severely injured as she appeared. Rianne resolved to find out. If it wasn’t acting, then this could be how Rianne found her victory. How could the mare fight if she couldn’t use one leg entirely, after all? She would enjoy finding her victory in making this nag powerless – as all should be before her.

The circling would make Rianne dizzy if it went any faster. Instead of following it, Rianne decided to watch Vojorn with her eyes when in front and listen with her ears when behind. A sneer painted itself on her face as the mare continued her circling. Honestly, is your tactic to try and make me dizzy? she taunted, speaking for the first time to the mare before her. Attack already. I grow tired of this. Rianne knew that she herself could attack if she wanted to, but she was wary of the vegetation underhoof. She didn’t want to step on something sharp and injure her hoof, and she knew for a fact that the exact area she occupied at the moment lacked any sharp vegetation that would prick her hoof. Better for Vojorn to come to her, over familiar ground.

Alert as she was, Rianne had no issues hearing Vojorn as the mare finally attacked. Snow crackled as Vojorn launched herself forward from her position at her rear. The rear, again! Her keenly pricked ears alerted her to the sound coming from her right side. It seemed Vojorn was going to attack her from that side! Rianne dodged to the left, skittering sideways and then planting her front hooves to wrench her body around to face her attacker directly. It seemed Vojorn had been going for her right shoulder. Rianne may not have been fast enough to dodge if it had been the rump again, but the shoulder had given her more time. Rianne now faced Vojorn head on, provided the mare had continued moving in the direction of her attack even as Rianne dodged it. She snarled in the mare’s face and lunged forward herself, teeth bared and going for the mare’s left shoulder. Rianne’s bruising complained as it always did. Her chest felt tender from the rotational force of wrenching her body around to face Vojorn as quickly as possible after the dodge. A sharp thorn from a half-buried bush pricked her back left hoof, causing pain in the tender area. Rianne did not care. She wanted this mare to bleed.

+ ebonite + <3

Name: Rianne
Breed: Akhal Teke
Age: 9
Gender: Mare
Height: 15hh
Alliance: Dark
Health: 50%
- Long, medium-deep bite wound on neck that has scabbed over, but will take a few weeks to heal. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Light bruising along right side of body, five days old. After two days of rest, the bruising is not felt as sharply as it used to be, and Rianne is fully accustomed to moving with it
- Shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Moderate to light bruising along left side of body, four days old. It is not as tender as it was after Round 3 and is on its way to healing, but is felt more sharply than the bruising along the right side of her body
- Medium-deep bite wound in flesh at base of neck, above shoulders towards withers. It is scabbed over and is a bit sore, but no longer stings (staff-rolled injury, round three)
- Light to moderate bruising in chest; it is a little tender, but does not hinder movement or functionality, and Rianne is accustomed to moving with it after two days of rest (staff-rolled injury, round three)
- Moderate depth bite mark near existing shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump; it is bleeding freely and stings, but does not hinder movement
- Light pain and tenderness on bottom of back left hoof, caused by stepping on a thorn while preparing for her second attack; Rianne stepped on it only briefly in the middle of making this attack, so it did not have time to cause further injury

Word Count: 781
2/3 Attacks Used
- Rianne bucked with her back legs, hoping to hit Vojorn in the chest (if her teeth are still stuck in Rianne’s rump) or in the head (if Vojorn started to back off before Rianne initiated this attack)
- After dodging and repositioning herself to hopefully be facing Vojorn head-on, Rianne is launching herself forward to attack Vojorn’s left shoulder with her teeth, looking to rip a sizeable gash and open up a nice, bleeding wound

1/1 Dodge Used
- Rianne dodged Vojorn’s second attack, skittering to the left and then planting her front hooves to rotate her hindquarters to be behind her, moving her body out of range

[+ ebonite +]

Rianne's taunts made Vojorn chuckle, because yeah, maybe she was trying to make her opponent dizzy. It wasn't a bad strategy if it worked, right? Unfortunately, she was not rewarded with the taste of blood this time as her teeth snapped on empty air. Vojorn felt a swell of anger in her chest. Two of her attacks now had not done the job that they were supposed to. This third one could not fail. But what can I do now? She did not get any further time to ponder it as Rianne snarled and launched herself toward Vojorn's left side, teeth bared. It didn't matter what Rianne was aiming for - Vojorn's entire left side was compromised. Luckily, this meant moving to the right to dodge, which was an easier task given how much stronger that side was. Her body responded in time, despite the aching and her wheezing breath. Rianne's teeth would also snap on empty air. When Vojorn, landed, though, her left shoulder spasmed and nearly collapsed beneath her. Gritting her teeth and grumbling to herself, she tried to think of a hasty attack to make now that Rianne was so close to her. Her front left leg might be weak, but her back legs were strong. They'd responded during her attack and her dodge. But would she use them to attack or to support? If she used them for support, it would mean she only had one leg for attacking. If she used them to attack, it would mean a stronger hit, but her front left leg might give out completely.

She had seconds to decide, and in those seconds, she noticed how close they had gotten to the undergrowth, poking up through the ground. It was so little to work with, but it was something, right? Maybe the undergrowth could prevent Rianne from dodging. Vojorn reared up, choosing support. Her body screamed in protest as she did so, but she managed to ignore it, for now. Just one more attack. She lashed out with her right front hoof three times, panting, her pelt coated in sweat despite the cool temperatures. She aimed for Rianne's withers, her neck, her face, hoping that the mare hadn't moved out of the way. Vojorn had wanted to make a flashy move for her last hit, but she'd forgotten one important fact - Rianne still had one more attack left. If Vojorn made it too flashy, she might not be able to dodge Rianne's retaliation. Good enough. Vojorn landed back down with a painful grunt, focusing on keeping the weight off her front left leg. Her leg did not give out, but the pain in her shoulder was enough that she had to bite her tongue to keep from whimpering. Her sides heaved and her entire body was throbbing. She'd managed to get three strikes in, which was more than she'd thought was possible. With her attacks now spent, she just had to await Rianne's last move.


Name- Vojorn
Breed- Appaloosa x Andalusian x Arabian x Appendix Quarter Horse x Paint x Shire
Age- Seven
Gender- Female
Height- 17.1 hands
Alliance- Unallianced
Health-
Physically: 35%
Mentally: 100%

Injuries-
Current round
1. Mild to moderate bruising on chest from Rianne's hooves.

Third round
1. Moderate bruising on her upper chest from Legion's hooves.
2. Legion's hooves struck her in the left shoulder, causing moderate to severe bruising and a limp that will last about two weeks.
3. Legion collided with her left side, further aggravating the bruising already there and jostling her cracked rib. Bruising has become severe in some spots.

Second round
1. Three inch gash on the right side of her neck in the middle, just below her mane. Has stopped bleeding, but will leave a scar.
2. Bruising on the right side of her barrel from Stark's hooves. (staff rolled injury)

First round
1. Hound's body collided with her left side. Moderate bruising.
2. Her right side collided with the wall from the impact of Hound's attack. Mild to moderate bruising.
3. Hound's first strike struck her in the ribs. At least one cracked rib and severe bruising.
4. Hound's second strike scraped along the top of her back near her shoulder. A shallow two inch cut with mild bruising. Any bleeding has stopped at this point.
5. She dropped to her knees to avoid his third strike. Mild bruising.
6. Hound's attack aimed for her chest hit near her hip instead. Caused three shallow cuts with mild bruising. Any bleeding has stopped at this point.

Hits- 3/3
1. Reached out to bite at the wound on Rianne's rump, hoping to worsen it or create a new wound.
2. Aimed to bite a sizeable gash in Rianne's right shoulder, hoping to create a deep wound that might hinder movement and cause pain.
3. Aimed three strikes with her right leg at Rianne's neck, face, and withers, hoping to cause painful bruising that might hinder movement.

Dodges- 1/1
1. Dodged to the right to avoid the bite to her left shoulder.

count 496
notes short and sweet this time
timeline avitas is a few weeks old, after she's been made lead of dark woods
tag Sunfrost

"Speech"

[Sunfrost]

It was absolutely infuriating for her words to be met with a chuckle by the other mare. How dare she?! Vojorn was impudent – that, or Rianne had hit too close to home with her remark. Whatever the case, Rianne was looking forward to the conclusion of this match. It would be a fantastic opportunity to truly establish her dominance and prove her worth. She moved forward to attack, targeting the mare’s left side, and felt utter disappointment as her teeth clacked together, no flesh between them. Dammit she snarled, unable to stop neighing to her frustration. She didn’t care if Vojorn knew she was frustrated, either. It really would not affect the outcome of the match, and Rianne was not a mare given to silence. She had always sought release in her matches through vocal taunts. Stark hadn’t invited them, but she had thoroughly roasted both Peri and Undead Legion during her matches with them. The bay mare considered it a necessary outlet. To boot, it did not compromise her fighting ability, so what did it truly matter?

Rianne was close to the other mare now, and that closeness could invite opportunity – for both of them. Vojorn reared, clearly choosing to capitalize on this opportunity despite how very weak she was, at least in Rianne’s eyes. That won her some respect, though the Dark mare would absolutely never admit to it. Vojorn’s right front hoof lashed out, and Rianne knew she would not be fast enough to dodge this. She was simply too close to the mare after her last attack, and she had backed off despite its failure. Bracing herself, the mare felt an impact at her neck, right where the medium-deep bite wound from her match with Stark was. It had scabbed over in the two days since that match, but this attack made the area explode in pain. Rianne bared her teeth as she felt something wet drip down her neck. It was blood. The mare realized that the scabbed-over wound had reopened. In addition, she felt new soreness and stinging in the area. Vojorn had put a lot of power into that desperate blow.

And it seemed her opponent was not done. Rianne was just starting to shift her weight, her mind racing through what her next attack would be, when she felt yet another impact – this time on her neck, just above her chest. The existing tenderness there from her last match made it especially hard to attempt to move out of the way of this hit. Rianne’s breath caught for a moment, her existing bruising blossoming into fresh pain. Clever. Rianne had not expected multiple blows, though it was a tactic that had been used against her at least once during the tournament so far. The tenderness of her bruising was amplified by this impact.

Irritated, Rianne made a split second decision. She could either back off and circle before coming back in for her own attack, or she could wade in and get this done. Rianne knew she was too short and slim to be able to muscle Vojorn around. If Vojorn had been a bit closer to her height, Rianne would have tried to knock her off balance by charging in and shoving her before landing a well-placed bite. As it was…Rianne decided aggression, as always, would suit her. She shifted to the left in preparation to attack Vojorn’s right shoulder, keeping the same distance between them as she did so. Her opponent had proved her ability to protect her left shoulder, but would she be able to use those muscles to dodge an attack to her right? Rianne doubted it.

Rianne pushed off her back legs just as Vojorn’s third blow came. The blow skated down her right shoulder. The mare felt a light stinging sensation – it seemed that this blow had left a light, vertical cut as the hoof lightly brushed past her flesh. Rianne half-reared, ignoring the sting as she gave herself some height and finely balanced on her back legs while maintaining more power in her torso than she would have with a full rear. Her hooves lashed out towards Vojorn’s right shoulder. She aimed to bruise that shoulder as badly as possible with this attack and put as much power as her bruised body would allow into two blows, both aiming for the same location. She would have attacked three times, but highly doubted Vojorn would fall for her own trick. Additionally, she really did not want to overstress the tenderness in her back left hoof and the bruising along her sides more than she already had. Worsening her existing injuries would not serve her well in future matches, after all.



+ ebonite + – thank you for the match! ^__^

Name: Rianne
Breed: Akhal Teke
Age: 9
Gender: Mare
Height: 15hh
Alliance: Dark
Health: 40%
- Long, medium-deep bite wound on neck that has scabbed over, but will take a few weeks to heal. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Light bruising along right side of body, five days old. After two days of rest, the bruising is not felt as sharply as it used to be, and Rianne is fully accustomed to moving with it
- Shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump that has scabbed over. Does not hinder movement, breathing, or functionality
- Moderate to light bruising along left side of body, four days old. It is not as tender as it was after Round 3 and is on its way to healing, but is felt more sharply than the bruising along the right side of her body
- Medium-deep bite wound in flesh at base of neck, above shoulders towards withers. The scab has broken and the wound is bleeding freely and stings (staff-rolled injury, round three + reopened during current round)
- Moderate bruising in chest; after being hit during this match, it is very tender and makes it moderately painful for Rianne to move her front legs (staff-rolled injury, round three + worsened during current round)
- Moderate depth bite mark near existing shallow-to-moderate depth bite mark on left side of rump; it is bleeding freely and stings, but does not hinder movement (current round)
- Light pain and tenderness on bottom of back left hoof, caused by stepping on a thorn while preparing for her second attack; Rianne stepped on it only briefly in the middle of making this attack, so it did not have time to cause further injury (current round)
- Shallow vertical cut on right shoulder; it stings slightly, but is not bleeding profusely, nor does it affect movement (current round)

Word Count: 784
3/3 Attacks Used
- Rianne bucked with her back legs, hoping to hit Vojorn in the chest (if her teeth are still stuck in Rianne’s rump) or in the head (if Vojorn started to back off before Rianne initiated this attack)
- After dodging and repositioning herself to hopefully be facing Vojorn head-on, Rianne is launching herself forward to attack Vojorn’s left shoulder with her teeth, looking to rip a sizeable gash and open up a nice, bleeding wound
- Rianne moved slightly to the left – Vojorn’s right – and half-reared, lashing out with her front hooves towards Vojorn’s right shoulder and aiming to cause painful bruising or any other injury to that area

1/1 Dodge Used
- Rianne dodged Vojorn’s second attack, skittering to the left and then planting her front hooves to rotate her hindquarters to be behind her, moving her body out of range

[+ ebonite +]

[ooc] Vojorn is slow to react to Rianne's attack, but manages to turn to the side enough to at least avoid a blow directly to her shoulder. Instead, she takes both hits on her barrel, knocking the wind out of her and causing moderate to severe bruising.


Name- Vojorn
Breed- Appaloosa x Andalusian x Arabian x Appendix Quarter Horse x Paint x Shire
Age- Seven
Gender- Female
Height- 17.1 hands
Alliance- Unallianced
Health-
Physically: 30%
Mentally: 100%

Injuries-
Current round
1. Mild to moderate bruising on chest from Rianne's hooves.
2. Moderate to severe bruising on the right side of her barrel from Rianne's hooves.

Third round
1. Moderate bruising on her upper chest from Legion's hooves.
2. Legion's hooves struck her in the left shoulder, causing moderate to severe bruising and a limp that will last about two weeks.
3. Legion collided with her left side, further aggravating the bruising already there and jostling her cracked rib. Bruising has become severe in some spots.

Second round
1. Three inch gash on the right side of her neck in the middle, just below her mane. Has stopped bleeding, but will leave a scar.
2. Bruising on the right side of her barrel from Stark's hooves. (staff rolled injury)

First round
1. Hound's body collided with her left side. Moderate bruising.
2. Her right side collided with the wall from the impact of Hound's attack. Mild to moderate bruising.
3. Hound's first strike struck her in the ribs. At least one cracked rib and severe bruising.
4. Hound's second strike scraped along the top of her back near her shoulder. A shallow two inch cut with mild bruising. Any bleeding has stopped at this point.
5. She dropped to her knees to avoid his third strike. Mild bruising.
6. Hound's attack aimed for her chest hit near her hip instead. Caused three shallow cuts with mild bruising. Any bleeding has stopped at this point.

Hits- 3/3
1. Reached out to bite at the wound on Rianne's rump, hoping to worsen it or create a new wound.
2. Aimed to bite a sizeable gash in Rianne's right shoulder, hoping to create a deep wound that might hinder movement and cause pain.
3. Aimed three strikes with her right leg at Rianne's neck, face, and withers, hoping to cause painful bruising that might hinder movement.

Dodges- 1/1
1. Dodged to the right to avoid the bite to her left shoulder.

count N/A
notes that was a blast - excellent battle sunfrost <3
timeline avitas is a few weeks old, after she's been made lead of dark woods
tag Sunfrost

"Speech"

[❅ Icy Dragon ✩]

I will tally.
Waiting on judge collection: Yes
Judge 1 Collection: Collected
Judge 2 Collection: Collected
Tally-ing Scores: Yes

[❅ Icy Dragon ✩]

Roleplayer & Character: + ebonite + with Vojorn
Cohesiveness: 10
Comments:
- No issues that I saw.
- Posts were very easy to read and follow, except for one small sentence.
"Vojorn reared up, choosing support." - This sentence made me get a little lost. Does the roleplayer mean that she's choosing to use the support of the undergrowth? If so perhaps it could be worded better as "choosing to use the support of the undergrowth to her advantage" or something. Just got a little lost here.
Realism: 10
Comments:
- Constantly addressed Vojorn’s injuries both past and present.
- Attacks were realistic, no issues.
Movement: 10
Comments:
- No concerns
- Loved the tactic of her making herself appear weaker than she was.
- Very well thought attacks especially in response to previous battles. Love the thought put through.
Completion of the Form: 10
Comments:
- Form completed correctly each time.

TOTAL: 40

---

Roleplayer & Character: Sunfrost with Rianne
Cohesiveness: 9
Comments:
- Very few mistakes, however I found certain paragraphs to be a little hard to follow as there were numerous commas and breaks within sentences. I would have to stop and reread the paragraph from the start to understand again. It's not that the sentences were incorrect, there were just so many breaks and commas that it became hard to follow.
"How had this nag even showed up today?" - Showed should be Shown
Rianne knew that she herself could attack if she wanted to, but she was wary of the vegetation underhoof. She didn’t want to step on something sharp and injure her hoof, and she knew for a fact that the exact area she occupied at the moment lacked any sharp vegetation that would prick her hoof. - I had to go back and reread this a few times to understand it. Should be worded better to explain that the undergrowth could be sharp near Vojorn and current isn't under Rianne so that's why she doesn't move forward.
- Careful with repetitive use of words. In your first post, you described Vojorn as a “nag” about three times within a few sentences. I would like to see a greater variety of descriptions.
- “Furious, Rianne took advantage of her weight already tilted toward her front hooves from the attempted dodge and bucked out with her back legs, heedless of the teeth that were potentially still stuck in her rump and ignoring the way the bruising along her sides and chest complained from the sudden movement.” This is quite the long run-on sentence, which makes it for an awkward read. It could be written as “Furious, Rianne took advantage of the fact her weight was already tilted towards her front hooves due to her attempt at a dodge. Utilizing this position, she bucked out with her back legs, heedless of the teeth that were potentially still stuck in her rump. Ignoring the bruising along her sides and chest that complained from the sudden movement, ….”
- “Rianne would have expected an impact to the head to break the mare’s jaw, or at least impacted her speech in some way.” - In this sentence, impacted was used twice. It could have said “or at least altered her speech in some way.” In addition, this reads as odd because you switch from a present-tense to a past-tense. It would have been more appropriate if it had been written as something like "Rianne would have expected that an impact to the head would have broken the mare's jaw, or at least impacted her speech in some way."
- “Rianne didn’t doubt that she had some injuries, just as she herself did, but they were operating out of different playbooks.” - Without specifying the subject, the first “she” in this sentence reads like it is talking about Rianne, when it’s supposed to mean Vojorn. Then, it switches to the next “she” as meaning Rianne. This is confusing - it should be something like “Rianne didn’t doubt that her opponent had some injuries, just as Rianne herself did…”
- In the second post, I didn’t feel as though discussing Vojorn’s acting in both the first and second paragraph was necessary - it felt like repetitive information that was more filler than anything.
Realism: 10
Comments:
- Attacks were realistic, no issues.
- Constantly addressed her own injuries, and her attacks were believable.
Movement: 9.5
Comments:
- Really enjoyed Rianne deciding to stop spinning and use her ears instead of allowing herself to become dizzy. Good tactic.
- Attacks were good, but I feel Vojorn's had more thought into them.
Completion of the Form: 10
Comments:
- Form completed correctly each time.

TOTAL: 38.5

The winner of this round is + ebonite + with Vojorn!
Please prepare yourself for the fifth round of battling.

[Sunfrost]

Congratulations + ebonite +! Rianne is never going to live this down hahaha ^__^