Diablos Training Grounds

[Underground Man]

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Welcome to the Diablo Training Grounds. You're here because you want to become a better RPBer. And you've come to the right place. The Diablos is home to many of this forums greatest RPers. Whether you've never RPBed before and want to learn, or just want to hone your skills, this is the place to do it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Get ting Started

Never RPBed before? Here's what you need to read to understand the basics. If you've ever RPBed before, skip this part.

An RPB (short for Role Playing Battle) is a mock-battle between two people. How this is performed is you write a creative prose introducing your character and the events leading up to the impending battle with my character. Then I would introduce my character in the same fashion. Then we would take turns typing out a battle between our characters, with each post picking up where the last one left off. With your last post, your character would kill my character (hah, good luck). With my last post, I would pick up at the post before yours (since in your last post you just killed me) and kill your character.

For example a fight between you and I might go something like this:

Your Intro: "GuyAboutToDie walks onto battlefield"
My Intro: "HoT walks onto battlefield"
Your 1st Post: "GuyAboutToDie punches HoT"
My 1st Post: "Recovering from punch, HoT kicks GuyAboutToDie"
Your Kill: "GuyAboutToDie leaps to his feet and crushes HoT's skull"
My Kill: "Following his kick, HoT stabs GuyAboutToDie repeatedly."

This would be called a "1-1-1" battle, meaning there is one intro, one battle post, one kill, from each person. Fights can be 1-3-1, 1-5-1, etc. If you want to be old school do a 1-8-1.

This is, however, a horribly dumbed down example of an RPB. The winner is judged (by an Official C&CW Referee (http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=147727)) on creativity. So posts like the ones above would get you laughed out of any battle.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tra ining

Okay. So you read/already knew the basics to RPBing. And you want to get better. We can help. Sorta. We can give you tips, pointers, and criticism that will turn your RPB posts into good RPB posts. But that's about all we can do. We can't change the way you think, and unless you take what we say to heart, you'll never get any better. I can teach you to be good, but I'm incapable of teaching greatness. You'll have to figure that one out on your own. Remember, practice makes perfect, and your skills WILL rust, so whether you are a newbie or a veteran, this Training Topic is never a bad place to be.

If you're here for teaching, just post requesting a mentor, and we'll get somebody to take you under their wing. If you just wanna spar, you're welcome to request a fight in here, though you might have better luck throwing an Open Challenge out in the main C&CW forum.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Som e Basics

Just a few basic things that you can do to make your RPB posts better.

Use proper spelling and grammar. This is really important.
Originality. We've all read Lord of the Rings. Don't pull out Andúril and try to slay me. Create your own character, your own background, your own arsenal, etc.
Third person, past tense is generally the best way to go. I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't do, but first person and/or present tense just...sounds bad.
---Moridin: First person can be done, as can present tense, however I don't recommend doing this until you have a good understanding of fighting. Once you get comfortable with RPBing, by all means, experiment and find out what works best for you. I use first person and present tense now and then but I recommend first trying it out here before taking it to C&CW.
RPB posts (on this forum at least) must be at least 10 lines. I'm not going to tell you more is better, but more is better. There. I said it. Don't draw it out, but you need to be detailed and creative. You can't do that in 10 lines. You generally can't do that in half a page. I've found that on average my RP posts are about a page long. This isn't to say I set any sort of standard, but is just to give you an idea. The general rule of thumb here, and in C&CW for that matter, is that quality is far better than quantity. At the same time, both is better.

[Lucifer Pyrifax]

I think that modern could work if it was done carefully and realistically. XD But even then it'd be tough haha.

I RP'ed a modern character for a brief stint, but it just became aggravating to try and weave fairly medieval and fantasy characters with a semblance of modernity. Guns > swords, yet sword RP > gun RP. Clearly. Just not as interesting, anyway.

Zedgar2 was the only person I know that consistently did it that I can remember... *shrugs*

I'd gladly duel anyone in here if there's someone spare.

[Slyner]

I see what you mean. If you can spare the time to read it, any input on the intro I did? I haven't done **** like this for ages so it'd be good to get some input from anyone.

[Dr. Manhattan]

So I came in here a while ago looking for training. After Slyner's first post I completely freaked out and pretty much forgot about the training thread. So I'm back to see if I can get a little better.

[Requiem]

I say that it should be a group effort in Cox's case. Well, with everyone really. One person dosen't hold all the knowledge, y'know.

My advice, write stories that people can relate to. Its always more fun to read somethin' when you can say "lol dat sound lk me".

[SSJ2 Vegeta]

Can we get a sample RPB post, Dr. Cox? Let's see one of your intro's.

[Dr. Manhattan]

One that's already done or one that I write now?

[Requiem]

A fresh one would be good. Gauge your level at the moment and so forth.

I honestly forgot to ask for one. I meant to :P Thanks Vegeta.

[Dr. Manhattan]

Any specific thing you would like me to write?

[Requiem]

....Nothin' in particular. Just lay us out a good tale. :)

[X]

Uh Cox, you owe me too... JSC?

[Dr. Manhattan]

Oh yeah, K, I have about 5 RP's to write. X has been waiting the longest so I'll write that one first. Then I'll get this one up.

[Dr. Manhattan]

A light breeze ruffled the young man’s hair as he stood on one of the many rolling dunes that covered the landscape. Hiking across the desert in full armor had not been a wise choice, yet he was inexperienced in travel and had no clue that the desert would be so hot and desolate. His thoughts trailed back to the old man who had warned him of the trouble he would face. He had scoffed and walked on, now he regretted that action. The three suns glared down from the sky, his black leggings and long shirt absorbed the heat more than he had expected. Even worse was the fact that he had declined the offer for a horse, so their was no way to take his clothing and armor off. It seemed hopeless. A small sigh escaped his lips as he began to climb the dune in front of him, his feet sank into the hot golden sand making the climb even more difficult.

A cry of joy erupted as he saw the oasis that lay in front of him. With renewed vigor he rushed down the massive hill of sand. A single tree cast a shadow over a clear, cool pool of water. Somehow this small area had grown soft grass around it, an area of life in a place of death. Gratefully he ripped of his armor and threw down weapons. In seconds he was in the pool of water, floating happily in the refreshing liquid. Opening his mouth he allowed the water to fill his belly. After an hour in the pool he climbed out, strapping his armor on and gathering his weapons. He froze as he felt the barrel of a pistol pressed against his back.

“Who are you to think that you are allowed to use my oasis?”

“My name is Joseph, and I wasn’t aware that this is your oasis.”

OOC: Sorry for it being so short. I'm suffering from writers block.

[MachSpeed]

Well, before I say anything else I'd like to say great RPB intro Doc!

Now then, I'd really like to come here and get better at RPBing. I can say I'm good and people can say I'm good, but ultimately, there's always room for better. No such thing as "Great at what you do" if there's always more to learn! So, without further ado I'd like to ask to be a part of these Training Grounds.

[Requiem]

A light breeze ruffled the young man’s hair as he stood on one of the many rolling dunes that covered the landscape. Hiking across the desert in full armor had not been a wise choice, yet he was inexperienced in travel and had no clue that the desert would be so hot and desolate. His thoughts trailed back to the old man who had warned him of the trouble he would face. He had scoffed and walked on, now he regretted that action. The three suns glared down from the sky, his black leggings and long shirt absorbed the heat more than he had expected. Even worse was the fact that he had declined the offer for a horse, so their was no way to take his clothing and armor off. It seemed hopeless. A small sigh escaped his lips as he began to climb the dune in front of him (< I would have said "The dune ahead but its all gravy) , his feet sank into the hot golden sand making the climb even more difficult.


Warning that there is an oasis comin' up would be good.
A cry of joy erupted as he saw the oasis that lay in front of him. With renewed vigor he rushed down the massive hill of sand. A single tree cast a shadow over a clear, cool pool of water. Somehow this small area had grown soft grass around it, an area of life in a place of death. Gratefully he ripped of his armor and threw down weapons. In seconds he was in the pool of water, floating happily in the refreshing liquid. Opening his mouth he allowed the water to fill his belly. After an hour in the pool he climbed out, strapping his armor on and gathering his weapons. He froze as he felt the barrel of a pistol pressed against his back.



“Who are you to think that you are allowed to use my oasis?”

“My name is Joseph, and I wasn’t aware that this is your oasis.”
A little work on the conversation.

All in all, good RP. Short, but understandable. Stayed on point and the feelin' of heat is always evident.OOC: Sorry for it being so short. I'm suffering from writers block.

I liked it. Stay away from writer's block :P

[Dr. Manhattan]

Heh, that's normally a good thing to do.

The whole point of not developing the conversation was because it was an RPB intro. I didn't know what my "opponents" character would have been like, so I didn't want to develop a personality for him/her.

[Wej]

Oh i want to rp practice hey Cox wanna have a fight.

[Dr. Manhattan]

Sure, if it's okay with the trainers. And you could throw in side notes.

[Wej]

k snd me a pm when you are ready

[Dr. Manhattan]

Well first we need to get someone to ref it. I'm not sure if it has to be an official ref because this is a training thread. But I could be mistaken.

[Underground Man]

Alright, you guys decide how long you want the fight to be, who goes first, etc. I'll judge/critique your posts (and any other trainers that are here can do the same)

[Dr. Manhattan]

Um. 1-2-1 Sounds good to me. And wej can start?

[Wej]

k I will try to find one or we just fight for practice

[Dr. Manhattan]

You will try to find one? You realize that you're writing your own stuff now right?

[Wej]

k you want to go first

I am ready

[Dr. Manhattan]

Sure I guess I'll go first, give me some time to write something.

[Wej]

k I can wait

[Dr. Manhattan]

A dull sound echoed throughout the deep valley. Another resounded as a warrior struck a tree with his blade. In a quick movement he circled the tree, slashing the bark again. Sweat dripped off his face, it seemed that he had been practicing in full armor like this for quite some time. Once again he slashed and hacked at the tough brown shell of the tree, what he thought this was doing, Iryku was not sure. Slowly Iryku slid down the side of the tall rock that he had been sitting on. In a quiet and solemn manner he traced the shadows of the tall valley walls until he had a good view of the young man practicing his sword play. Again and again the bright blade flew through the air, striking the tree in numerous ways. Finally the man stopped, he sat down and wiped his brow, breathing heavily.

“A couple of tips,” Iryku said loudly, stepping out from the shadow. “Don’t use a good sword when practicing like that, it will dull the blade. And normally you want to remove all of your armor when working in this extreme heat. But you are an exemplary swordsman.”

“Well,” The man started, “If I was to be in an actual battle I would be wearing my armor, so why would I handicap myself?”

Irkyu looked at him for a quick second, his eyes traveling over the young man, then flitting to the gear that lay next to the tree. The man followed his gaze, immediately thinking of robbers his hand drifted down to his sword. Irkyu noticed the movement, not acting upon it he continued the conversation.

“It’s true, so you obviously know about combat, did you fight in the war?” He asked.

“Yeah, I was in it…” The man replied, obviously not wanting to converse with a “bandit”.

Iryku allowed his stance to relax a little, he sensed hostility emanating from every pore of this mans body. This could become dangerous…

[Wej]

occ: Am I the man

[Dr. Manhattan]

Yes you are the man. I didn't give a description because I thought you would want to do that.

[Wej]

Koril stood up with beads of sweat flowing off of his brow. Well he thought. I do not trust this man at all. Koril began to reach for his sword, but he thought better of it and decided to wait this out. Koril stood up and politely asked the man to leave when he didn't move Koril tensed his body and decided to go back to his training. He picked up his gleaming knightsword with it's beautiful ruby studded hilt and began attacking the tree again. Attacking the tree furiosly with his grey hair flowing in the light breeze which was sent down the valley. Like a raged beast he kept circiling the tree and the metallic sound was emitting from his sword was almost deafening Koril. When he finished with the tree it was slim and the tree was no more than a stick. So with one graceful twirl of his blade he shattered the tree.

While breathing heavy and sweat falling off his face like a waterfall and it made a puddle on the dull red valley's sand. Then Koril looked up towards the man. He was still there. Not that Koril expected him to leave, but he was hoping to immtimadate him. The attempt was to no prevail and the man was still there starring at Koril with his steely eyes.

"I ask you one more time to leave. I do not wish to fight"

Then Koril grabbed his sword and readied himself.

OCC: I got alot to do this week so I might not be able to respond until Friday

[Dr. Manhattan]

OOC: Once again a very poor RP on my part. I don't know why I'm doing so bad.

In one swift, smooth movement Irkyu held both of his blades. Light shone off the polished silver blades that were held by the curved gold handles. He spun both of them nonchalantly as he continued to stare at Koril. It seemed that these young soldiers always expected a fight, and then initiated one. A small sigh escaped from his lips, he hated killing these poor men. One foot steeped in front of the other, creating a small cloud of dust. Another step brought him forward, then another. Slowly he began to circle Koril, his eyes resting on the blade held in his clenched hand.

“You should know you are outmatched, you haven’t even asked my name, a mistake on your part.” Irkyu stated, a smile playing around his mouth. A small blast of energy flew up from the ground, knocking Koril onto his back. The smile grew even wider as another blast sent the young soldier flying. It was true what he had said, names are important. No one would ever guess that Irkyu Oringard, the Lord of the Burning Plains, the man who slaughtered the inhabitants of Lishne single handedly, was such a simple looking man. With a flare of unneeded rage he conjured a ball of energy and launched it at his newest victim. To Irkyu’s great surprise, Koril moved with more speed than expected, dodging the energy blast completely. A flash flew past his face, it seemed that somehow Koril had thrown a knife without Irkyu’s knowledge. This will be much more difficult than I expected, Irkyu thought, circling around his opponent.

Less than a second later his two blades clashed with Koril’s one. Sparks flew through the air as the blades smashed together. Irkyu jumped over Koril’s sweeping blade, coming down with a hard slash. The blow caught Koril in the shoulder, leaving a deep gash. Bright light flowed from hand to shoulder, healing the wound completely. So, he has can use magic. I might have to up the pace a bit.

The dual blades spun in a whirlwind of death, slashing at every conceivable spot. Yet somehow this young soldier managed to block each one. The only blows he had landed successfully were minimal. Sheathing one of his swords, Irkyu raised his hand slowly. A large portion of rock tore itself from the ground, proceeding to fly towards Koril.

[Storm Wolf]

One question Cox, how long you taking on these?

[Dr. Manhattan]

I'm spending maybe 10-20 minutes. Maybe. I've been pretty rushed with things.

[Storm Wolf]

Hey, there is no reason to rush, just take a little time out from it every so often. That way you can think of what to add next. Also, you can design a plan of what'll happen in your post.

(Maybe I should use my own advice.....)

[Dr. Manhattan]

Yeah, if this was a real war and not a recreational RPB then I would definitely spend a lot more time on them

[Wej]

OCC: k it is finally up

Koril destroyed the rocks with his armored gauntlets almost as if they were nothing the gauntlets seemed a gold in the bright sun. Then, Koril grabbed his beloved knightsword The Flame of Serteral. This blade was inherited from his father. Little did this infidel know was that he was the great exiled prince of Serteral. The same who had killed thousands of innocent men at the great Sertal Palace. Then he murdered his father. "Hmph yes names are important." Koril knew that this would be a fierce battle even the gods would remember. Koril began valiantly swirling his blade over his head light gleamed off of the sword and it seemed to become a great shining sphere. Then without notice the blade flew out of his hand and it created a tornado as it spun. The man jumped on top of the blade, but he did not stick his landing. Instead he landed off balance and Koril gave him an uppercut to the face. The man landed on the ground, but quickly retrieved his former stance. "You must learn that there are more weapons than your blade." The man's face was slightly bleeding, but with one flick of his wrist he healed. "Dam*" Muttered Koril under his breath. Koril's blade returned to him and the glow began to recede from the magic that was put into it. "Well I suppose you want me to ask. What is your name because I can tell you are not just any regular petty thief." Koril saw the gleam in Irkyu's eyes he readied himself for another brutal assault

[Xellos]

god peoples posts are short nowadays....

[Wej]

yea my post was short took me 10 mins. I have to do a take home test.

[Storm Wolf]

Xellos, usually mine (even in a practice battle like this one) are a little longer than these. Saying that, I have been a little too slack with my recent RP posts though.

[Dr. Manhattan]

Irkyu’s razor thin lips curled into a wide sneer. This young boy truly thought that he was worthy to know his name; that information was something to be earned. He swiped his sword to the side, parrying a swift thrust thrown his way; the bright weapon in his other hand rising quickly through the air, forcing Koril to leap backwards. His formidable opponent leapt into the air, channeling a blast of electricity through his sword towards the warlord. An opaque yellow shield flared as it absorbed the intense attack.

The ring of swords clashing echoed throughout the valley. Local animals retreated from the ruckus into their homes. Birds made a point to fly around the dual. Chest heaving, Irkyu leapt away from his you opponent. Somehow, the battle had stolen away the day, and night had fallen over the two warriors. Both blades felt heavy in his hands, the fight had already absorbed an extreme amount of energy.

Small gashes and cuts covered both their bodies; both had suffered a more than minor wound. Blood seeped out of the open slash on the side of his calf. Sweat and blood mingled together on his forehead, stinging and blinding him. Luckily, his enemy fared no better. Not five minutes ago Koril had received a deep slash to the shoulder. Neither warrior had the strength to heal even the smallest of their wounds.

Summoning a burst of strength, Irkyu called upon the magic that lay in the air around him. It came together in the form of a pure energy. Using all of his skill, he built up a store of magic and imbued it into his legs and arms. With the speed of a cheetah he crossed the gap between them, slashing and slicing at every inch of uncovered skin. It was to no avail, the dust settled and Koril stood behind him, as tall and proud as ever.

How this young man could match his speed and skill, a skill that Irkyu had spent over twenty years developing, was beyond him. His body a blure, Irkyu spun on the spot and struck down at his enemy’s back. A terrible sound issued as the razor sharp edge of his sword rent down through the steel armor. Blood poured from the wound, pooling on the ground below them.

Light shimmered around the wound, sealing it poorly. Deep red droplets of blood still squeezed from the openings. This fight was almost over….

_____________

god peoples posts are short nowadays....

Yeah, if this was a real war and not a recreational RPB then I would definitely spend a lot more time on them

[Xellos]

i was just saying that way back when, like 5+ years ago, it was normal to see a post that would take an hour to read... a minimum of 3000 words was not uncommon.

[Dr. Manhattan]

Ah, well right now if I wanted to do that it would take quite a while. And since this is just a recreational battle I'm not going all out.

[X]

DAAMN... 3k words. That's a lot. I'd like to say Meaty and I are over 500, but I don't remember.

That's a novella.

Edit: Or not. I meant to say Neil and I have been doing over 1500. So yeah, 3k= no big deal.

[Meathos]

I've done 5000 word posts.

Ralek Morano vs. Meathos in the Jedi-Sith War. Snoog gave me a hell of a run. I don't think I should have won, but I did.

[X]

I'm sure I could. I'd just need an extention.

But atm, I'm just matching your pace.

[Moridin]

I think mine and Xu's second fight when I copied it all over to Word was maybe over 45,000 words.

[Storm Wolf]

Woah!! That's a lot. The whole fight was 45,000 words long.... Shoot, what format did you use? I'm not sure what my longest post is, but I am working on something at the moment that is almost 1500 words but its not finished yet.

[X]

1500 should take 2hrs tops, w/o the Block.

Uh, you're not a Diablo, are you?

[Storm Wolf]

No, but I wanted to see and comment on the Dr.Cox vs. Wej training bout, both being part of Illuyad an' all. But if you want me not to post here then I'm cool with that.

[X]

Oh no. I wanted you to join. :D

[Storm Wolf]

Ah right, I see. Any particular reason? Been over my RPing history? I don't mind if you did, I am just curious.

[Meathos]

We'll take anyone who has a will to write, Storm. I've never seen you write, but I know you like to. I also know you're in Illuyad... That means that what you're used to is weak. Really. Sorry, but it's true.

So come aboard.

[Dr. Manhattan]

Meathos, this was his latest post in an Illuyad Tournament.

http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7569064#post7569064

[Meathos]

Ahh. Good. Long. Needs work, though.


I can say the same for anyone, though.

[Storm Wolf]

Yeah, we can all improve ourselves with the right people, so I will accept your offer to join.

Oh and I am pleased that you said it was good, because in C&CW, I expected my efforts to be bordering on satisfactory at best.

[Underground Man]

Yeah, we can all improve ourselves with the right people, so I will accept your offer to join.

If you want to join, do so in the Diablo thread (http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=162635).

But don't feel obligated, if you just want to hang out in here and spar a little, you're welcome to do so.

[Meathos]

Storm, compared to the sh!t I've seen come out of Illuyad, it was good. :P

In other words, don't get too overconfident. I didn't read it all, just skimmed most of it. ;)

[Storm Wolf]

I am sure I won't but if I ever am overconfident, kick me down a few pegs mmkay? :P

So, what do I need to do to join, just post a profile of my character and then give an intro?

[X]

Click the link, say hello, and you're in.

[Pencil Thief]

Storm, compared to the sh!t I've seen come out of Illuyad, it was good. :P

Well, if thats how you feel, here comes some more sh!t.

I'm looking for someone to tell me that I'm horrible at RPing then help me get better. I'll edit in a link to my only real RP.

My very first(and only) RPs. (Click) (http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=551505)

[Storm Wolf]

Well because they are your first proper go at RPB, they are good in comparison to many others I know. Take it with a dose of salt, PT.

I have to back up PT on this though, some of our more experienced members are good at RPB, it is just the blatent fact that Illuyad mostly attracts the RPers that don't seem to have much talent.

Pencil Thief is the exception, his initial talent is better than what mine was when I first started RPBing. Proof can be given if you want me to prove it.

[Pencil Thief]

Thank you Storm Wolf.

[Wej]

Holy crud your RP is short for a tourney. Try to put length in for those.

[Storm Wolf]

He will eventually Wej, and hey I could say the same to you seeing as though my intro dwarfs both of your intro's put together. He needs to find a comfort zone, once he's in it, they will get longer and more detailed.

[Meathos]

Length is not a problem. I assure you that I can win a fight aginst someone with a very short, but effective introduction. The last thing you want to do is bore the reader, and a really long, bad introduction does just that.

[Storm Wolf]

Ah, so that's why mine look "slap-dash" towards the end... My own opiinion, not someone elses :D

[X]

PT, I tried to recruit you from welcome room to The Ronin, but you got banned on acceptance, remember?

I guess length is not as important, but still you want something rewarding, fulfilling, and descriptive.

[Pencil Thief]

PT, I tried to recruit you from welcome room to The Ronin, but you got banned on acceptance, remember?

Are you talking to me? Because I really don't know what your talking about.

Wej, you better beat Starfyre, because now I wanna face you. I will do my best to beat kittykat.

[Wej]

Hah Starfyre has mediocre Rping skills I will win no worries.

[Storm Wolf]

Funny you should say that guys, but think Starfyre's not showing his best, far from it in my opinion. Don't take him too loosely Wej, he can RPB when he wants to, I should know that, because he's beaten me before...

You forget, I am judging that match.

[Pencil Thief]

Hah Starfyre has mediocre Rping skills I will win no worries.

Yeah, you never want to down play your opponents RPing skills. If anything, I think its better to overrate them, and down play your own skills.

And comments like that are exactly the reason he requested to face you......I think he wants you to think exactly that.

[Storm Wolf]

... Or just come out strong and see how they respond, which is what I did.

[Wej]

What he requested me. I wanted to fight you theif. Ah well I think I can win this round and maybe the one against you or your opponenet, but I will lose at the semi finals though.

[Pencil Thief]

What I mean by downplay your own skills is to be modest about them.

Yeah, he requested you Wej. Look in the original "Second Illuyad Tournament" thread.

[Wej]

I know what you mean, but I think I had a better intro. I definatly had a longer one. Please tell me what you think.

[Storm Wolf]

I will tell you when it comes to judging it at the end. I need to see ALL of your posts not just the intro.

[Wej]

I know I am saying so far. Huh I forgot you were my ref. So Dr. Cox is no where to be found so anyone want to fight

[Pencil Thief]

I'm just trying to get mine done. I only have to do my kill post, but kittykat is taking a while to do her second battle post. Its getting me a little nervous that its taking so long. I hope she isn't going to drop a huge bombshell of an RP on me.

I would battle you Wej, but I'm trying to form a kill post in my mind for when kittykat finishes. We may do battle soon enough!

[Wej]

k are there any specifications you want for the battle.

[Storm Wolf]

In the finals of the last tournament, I had a kill post fixed in my head before I'd even finished my intro, that was how prepared I was. That too was against Valkyrie, whom I am battling now.

This thought is settled in my mind.... If Illuyad gets a third tournament going long after this current one, I won't compete.

[Pencil Thief]

k are there any specifications you want for the battle.

What I meant was I won't battle you, but we may battle in the tournament.

Oh, and here you go.

Do you mind me asking why you requested Wej?

Main reason is the way he acts. He thinks he's all high and mighty, so I feel the need to sink his ego.

:shrug:


Why wouldn't you compete Storm Wolf?

[Storm Wolf]

Well in the first tournament I beat Dr.Cox in the first round, and then The Razgriz in the semi-finals, (both were extremely close fights) and lastly beat Valkyrie in the finals (Not so close, to be fair). This time I am aiming to do the same to prove that my current "Champion" status was not a fluke.

The reason for not entering a third time is simple; I want to know how everyone does in a RPB tourney without me being part of it, if the people I beat in the past can get further without me there.

[Pencil Thief]

Oh, I see.

I'm just hoping I can get past the second round. That's about as far as I think I'll be able to go.

[Storm Wolf]

I'm just hoping that more people participate next time around.

[Pencil Thief]

Yeah. It won't have quite the same feel if there are only 6 people participating.

[Wej]

Umm I don't feel that I act that bad I mean somtimes I do, but oh well. Pencil you seem to be doing good. Well I will only have an inflated ego in front of Starfyre if I win.

[X]

I dunno... I guess you can talk about this illuyad or something. Use this as a place for practicing, k?

[Storm Wolf]

Yeah, enough talk about Illuyad now guys. Who wants a practice match?

[Wej]

I would, but there is a chance (very slim) that I might vs. you later in Illuyad so no.

[Moridin]

I'll do a practice match with you if you want Storm. I've only one active fight going right now with Northern in the tourney and I'm waiting for him to decide who goes first so go ahead and lay down your intro and we'll have a practice, 1-1-1.

[Panther]

i was just saying that way back when, like 5+ years ago, it was normal to see a post that would take an hour to read... a minimum of 3000 words was not uncommon.

You remember way back when David, to my fight with Strider in that war? Two full posts for one kill. Man, those were the days ^_^

[Moridin]

You remember way back when David, to my fight with Strider in that war? Two full posts for one kill. Man, those were the days ^_^

Old men and their ramblings.

[X]

Old men and their drunken ramblings, is the better phrase...

[Panther]

You know what they say BJ, "Those ignorant of the past are doomed to repeat it".

So we've got to keep rambling. This place would fall apart if we ever had another "golden age" lol



EDIT: I am for once not drunk. So HA!



.....God I need a drink.....

[Storm Wolf]

I'll do a practice match with you if you want Storm. I've only one active fight going right now with Northern in the tourney and I'm waiting for him to decide who goes first so go ahead and lay down your intro and we'll have a practice, 1-1-1.

Sure thing, it might take a while to post an intro though, because I have a lot of work to do between now and Wednesday. I'll post it in the here (obviously) when I'm done.

[Moridin]

Sure thing, it might take a while to post an intro though, because I have a lot of work to do between now and Wednesday. I'll post it in the here (obviously) when I'm done.

Works for me. No rush on it.

[Pencil Thief]

I'm requesting a mentor.

My very first(and only) RPs. (Click) (http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=551505)

[X]

Good stuff. I wanna see a battle in C&CW though.

Rather than mentor you, I'll fight you, 1-1-1, here.

[Pencil Thief]

:paranoid: You're talking to me? Thanks! I suppose I'm up to getting completely owned in C&CW.

[X]

No, I think a fight 'tween us two would be close. Should I start?

[Pencil Thief]

:hmm: OK. I would rather start though. Would you like it to be held anywhere in particular?

[X]

I don't have any problems. Wherever you want it, the fight shall be.

[Pencil Thief]

OK. I would expect to have it up by the end of the weekend. What with Turkey Day today and family visiting, I won't have time to do it today or most of tomorrow. However, I will take my time on it (unlike the RPs I posted in the Illuyad tounrament) and try to make it good.

[Storm Wolf]

Hehehe, nice to see you saying that you can do better than you are currently doing. Good luck writing that intro.

Moridin, I have been very lazy with my work, and haven't finished any of the remaining PE or Physics homework I have yet to finish. I am currently doing PE now, and will blag my "forgetfulness" of "not bringing my physics homework" in. Sorry, I am hoping that I can break away from homework soon.

[Pencil Thief]

Hehehe, nice to see you saying that you can do better than you are currently doing. Good luck writing that intro.

I'm guessing that means I was doing good already, so thanks. And good luck on writing your intro too.

'cough'updatemypokédex'cough' :D

[Storm Wolf]

That's what I was implying :D

Hehehe thats a nasty cough you have there!!!

'cough'kindabusybuti'lltry'cough'

Wow, its contageous too!!

[Pencil Thief]

I assume we will be making up our characters, X?

[X]

Huh, what?

Just describe your character in your intro, and I'll do the same. I don't have a bio.

[Pencil Thief]

Er, yeah. I was just making sure we're not using pre-created characters.

[Wej]

You are gonna need a ref. I can get you one.

[X]

Not a big deal... We have 2 official refs in this clan besides me, plus at least 5 others who have reffed, and anybody in it could ref.

[Wej]

Well could I possibly ref I would like to take a go at it.

[X]

Can we have a battle before we have a ref? Chill.

[Storm Wolf]

Wej, I don't think you are experinced enough here in GW. You've only been here two months, and probably only in this clan for like a month if that. So I doubt he will give you that privilege.

[Pencil Thief]

How are we gonna do this X? 1-2-1?

[Meathos]

I'll ref.

[X]

1-1-1, something quick, as we're both in tournies.

[Pencil Thief]

OK, sounds good to me.

Just an update on my RP; I have roughly 2 pages written right now, and I think I'm about to run into a wall. :-\

[Meathos]

Don't try to do too much. Keep it simple, keep it detailed, crisp, clear, consise. Too much will be confusing and it'll seem rushed. Be careful, though, don't be boring and have nothing happen. Try to find that balance.

As I ref, I'll give pointers.

[X]

Question: Is my stuff too complex?

[Pencil Thief]

Pencil Thief vs. X
Introduction


Soren peered through his hair at the ocean in front of him. It was still dark, the sun not yet ready to move to Sorenʼs side of the Earth. Water rushed past his bare feet, submerging them temporarily in the salty water. It was as if the ocean itself was breathing in and out.

This had been the only place that Soren was able to come to think since it happened. The sea seemed to calm his nerves, forcing him to relax. When he was in this little cove, all of his troubles seemed to vanish, like they didn’t even really exist. Here, nothing would hurt Soren. At least that is how he felt.

Things just fell apart since it happened, forcing Soren to this place more often. He hadnʼt named it as of yet, he didnʼt need to. He didnʼt want to. He felt like if he named it, it would no longer be is own. Like as soon as it had a name, it would become something different, it would no longer comfort him.

Soren stared into the water. An unfamiliar being stared back at him. It had the same long dark brown hair as him, the same tanned skin as him, but the green eyes that stared back at him weren’t quite the same as they used to be. They lacked the joy they had once been filled with, the appetite for life they had once shown. At this realization, Sorenʼs eyes filled with water, until they overflowed and ran down his cheeks. He punched the reflection, as if that would make it less real, as if that would make everything that happened become undone, and the joy and appetite for life would return to his green eyes. It did not.

Soren knelt down, once again peering into the water. He reached out his hand, calling forth a single drop of water. He played with it, making it dance across is fingers and hand. It eased the pain. Soren curled his fingers, making ice slowly incase the drop of water. The newly formed shard of ice dropped to Sorenʼs hand, and did not melt. He gripped it between his thumb and forefinger, and tossed it out into the ocean.

Soren delighted in this, and continued on repeating this process, slowly altering the size and shape of the water he called upon, thus making different things out of the ice. After hours of this, he realized his latest creation was a sword. He gripped the new weapon, watching the rising sun cast light on the blade and marveling at the fantastic colors that reflected off of it. Soren stood up, slowly making his way to the other side of the cove, where a large cave loomed over the stretch of shore, an overpowering presence in the small cove.

Soren gazed at its wide entry way, seeing nothing but darkness inside of it. He decided to let his imagination get the best of him, and instead elected to stay outside of the large cavern. He made his way around to the side of the structure, running his hand along the rugged stone it consisted of. It was cold. Much too cold for a cave in the summer. The chill crept into Sorenʼs body, making him shiver. Yet the blade constructed of ice he held in his right hand did not numb is hand.

To Sorenʼs left, the tide flowed in and out, to his right, a forest of palm trees towered over him. He decided to test this new weapon here.

Soren started by raising the blade high over his head, and bringing it down on the trunk of the nearest palm tree, leaving a long gash. Soren followed up with a quick stab to the bottom of the tree, then jumped high into the air, and came down with a powerful slash down the length of the palm. He continued on in much the same way throughout the early morning, tearing the tree apart, cut by cut. When the blistering heat finally drove him back to the shoreline, the once proud palm tree looked about ready to topple over, many deep cuts covering the whole of its trunk.

Soren waded his way into the ocean, letting the cool water dampen his clothes, making them stick to his body. He kept doing this for a long while, making sure to cool himself down as much as possible, until he finally swam back to the shore, for he had made his way deep into the ocean by that point.

On his first step back onto the beach, he set his foot on a bottle, making him slip and fall face first into the sand. Soren stood up, spitting sand out of his mouth, and looked back at the bottle. It was a small empty bottle, probably formally used to hold cheap, convenience store wine. Upon closer inspection, Soren found that the beach was riddled with bottles of roughly the same size and shape. At first, he brushed it off, quite angry at people’s litter making its way to his favorite cove, but then he saw the use in them. He scoured the beach, picking up every bottle he could fit into his hands, then he filled them with water, and hid them in the many pockets of his pants. They might become useful.

Soren spent the majority of the rest of the day lounging on the beach, trying his best not to think about what had happened the previous month, and the results of it. He dozed most of this time, catching up on the much needed sleep he had been missing thanks to countless nights of tossing and turning.


He decided that it had been a good day as he looked up at the stars. That was another reason he liked to come here. It seemed as if he could see every one of the millions of stars that were out there, and that they could see him. He smiled as he thought of all of those stars looking down upon him, and that maybe there was someone out there looking up at the stars like he was. Maybe even Melissa was……


Soren sat up and looked off into the ocean. It was calm tonight. It was almost as if the ocean wasn’t even there. However if one were to listen intently, they would hear the gentle sounds of the tide flowing in and out. Soren closed his eyes and listened, letting the calming presence of the ocean sooth him, and took a long intake of air through his nose, inviting in the salty smell of the waves.

When he opened his eyes again a small light could be seen far off in the ocean. Soren strained his eyes to try and make out where it was coming from, and where it was going. He stood completely still, trying to monitor the movements of the small light. He stared and stared, and finally concluded that it was a small lamp of some sort. There was no way that a lit lamp would just be floating in the ocean. Someone was holding it. How they found this place was beyond Soren, as it was small and easily overlooked by passers by. Why the man or woman would be coming here was even more of a mystery to Soren. He did not have any lamps burning, no fires, as far as this man or woman could tell, the cove probably looked completely deserted. Regardless of how or why this person was coming towards Soren, he did not like it. This cove was his. He picked up his ice blade and walked back to the huge cave. Soren would make it clear that they were not welcome.

[Storm Wolf]

Nicely done. It inspires me to post something. I hope I don't get another block like I did in Illuyad. Man that was annoying.

[Pencil Thief]

Thanks. How is yours coming? Have you started it yet?

[Storm Wolf]

Um, not good. I think RPB introductions give me a writer's block.

[Pencil Thief]

I like posting the introduction. It kinda makes me feel like I set up the rest of the fight. :shrug:

Anyways, I hope it starts to flow a little more for you.

[Storm Wolf]

Same here. I always post good intro's despite my blocks, but I always feel like I could do more if I didn't feel so distracted.

[Meathos]

X, your stuff isn't too complex. You just fail to describe things acutely. You try too hard to be flowery, or whatever. It makes things confusing.

Also, watch pronoun use.

[Pencil Thief]

Also, watch pronoun use.

Was that directed at X or me?

[Meathos]

Probably both of you, but specifically to X.

[Zen/Sin]

Hey. I feel completely NOOBZORZ asking this, but do I post a character sheet in here, or what? I've looked for a while, and I'm still confused...

[Panther]

I've been gone for a while, so disreguard this if it doesn't apply.

Are you even a member?

Secondly, we don't particularly believe in a "character sheet" on this site. As much as possible, we'd like to think that our works are original and the extra work required by both parties to feel out the other's character is important. You can't really surprise someone in a battle with something if you've got a full list of capabilites posted about your character to start with now can you?

So "character sheets" are a no-no. Unless you are a part of one of the very few clans here that believe in/require them.

If you're in one of those clans... Sucks for you.

All that aside and your question answered. Is there anything else?

[Pencil Thief]

Hey, X. Since you're busy with the Diablos tournament, do you wanna just call our fight off?

[Storm Wolf]

Moridin, I haven't really had a proper try at making an intro. It's hard because I haven't really got any form of idea in my head about how to start, whereas elsewhere I do (Like when Illuyad held its first RPB tourney. In the final match I was so prepared, I was thinking of both how it would start AND how it'd end...)

In here, I just haven't had anything remotely like that, so sorry dude...

[Pencil Thief]

The following is an intro I wrote for an RP with a friend. I would appreciate it if you guys could critique it. Thanks.

__________________________________________________ ______________________

Tim vs. Seya
Introduction


Shalen thought he saw a city coming up on the horizon several times, but this time it was real. It was not so much a city, as a small outpost in the large dessert. This was the first sign of life Shalen had come across in his two weeks traveling the desert. He was starting to wonder whether this job was worth it.

He dispelled these thoughts as he walked through the large entranceway into the outpost. It was not a pretty sight, but it didn’t bother Shalen. Buildings were old and dirty from the constant sandstorms, and shady characters lined the street. He laughed inwardly at that thought. He must look as shady as anyone, with his long black cloak, and hood covering his entire thin figure except for his saltwater blue eyes.

Regardless of how the people in this town looked, Shalen knew they had information. They would be able to tell him where his employer was. Shalen took a turn down a dirty alleyway. A single figure leaned against the wall. Shalen stopped in front of him.

“Yo, you got a problem?”

Shalen didn’t say anything.

“This ain’t just anyone’s alley to go walkin down punk!”

Shalen once again didn’t respond.

“Yo, man, you don’t get no attitude with me!”

The man took his hand out of his pocket, revealing a small knife, and charged Shalen. Shalen grabbed the man’s wrist, and bent it back, forcing the man to drop the knife to the ground. Shalen shoved the man back against the wall to clutch his now broken wrist.

Ten or so more men came out from the shadows. They formed a circle around Shalen. One fell, then another, thin needles piercing through their bodies. The rest of the men froze for a moment to look down at their fallen comrades, and then moved in on Shalen. Three more fell to the ground with needles in their bodies before any came within reach of him. Five were left.

They were more hesitant now that their numbers were halved, but they still had enough confidence in their numbers to continue. The first to attack Shalen threw a punch. Shalen grabbed the man’s fist, and squeezed. The man’s knuckles were audibly cracking. Shalen then gave a powerful knee to the man’s midsection, forcing him to his knees. As he did this the rest of the men just watched. But then they snapped back into reality, all of them attacking Shalen at once.
Shalen drew a dagger from the folds of his cloak, and embedded it into one of the men’s ribs. The man fell to the ground, coughing out blood. The three that were now left stole glances at each other, then ran in the opposite direction.

Shalen waited silently for a moment, then took off after the men. One was lagging behind the others. Shalen grabbed a single needle from a pouch hidden in his cloak, and held it between his middle and forefinger as he ran. When he came within reach of the closest man, he threw the needle. It pierced through the air, and landed sharply in the man’s leg. The man immediately fell to the ground, clutching his right leg. Shalen walked up to him. The man looked up at him in horror. The look on the man’s face was comical, and Shalen almost laughed out loud.

“If you can tell me what I need to know, you don’t have to worry about a thing.”
“Al-Alright.”

“I’m looking for a Mr. Ellis.”

“I-I don’t know any Mr. Ellis.” The man stuttered. He was sweating now.

“Hmm. That isn’t what I needed to know.” Shalen kicked the man’s wounded leg. He screamed out in pain.

“Alright, alright man! Just, why do you need to know where he is?”

“He’s hired me to do a job for him.”

“Alright, OK. Uh, he’s right down at the end of this street. On-on the left.”

Shalen turned and made his way out of the alley. The sun was now making its way to its highest point in the sky, about ten o’ clock. It was exceedingly hot, but Shalen couldn’t afford to take off his garbs. He would surely be recognized.

Shalen continued down and out of the alleyway, and onto the street in the direction the man had indicated. Merchants dressed in cloaks of their own sold their goods for money. Of course, none of their cloaks were the shade of gray that Shalen wore, and none of their garbs were marked with the seal of the assassin; a golden eye with various symbols surrounding it. Only fellow assassins would recognize the seal, but there were also people like Mr. Ellis, who had a reason to recognize it.

Shalen now stood at the home of Mr. Ellis. It was a normal sized home, but notably cleaner than the buildings surrounding it. Following the directions he received in the letter, Shalen knocked on the door exactly once. When an answer did not come, Shalen let himself in.

The inside of Mr. Ellis’ home led Shalen to conclude that Mr. Ellis could easily pay the amount he had asked for. The rooms were filled with nice, expensive-looking furniture.

“Please, come sit down.” Shalen followed the voice to a small study, where a man sat behind a desk. Shalen sat down.

“So nice of you to come.” The man looked at Shalen as if he expected an answer. He did not get one.

“Well I suppose we’ll cut right to the chase shall we?” Shalen gave a slight nod.

The man’s voice now became much more serious. “The man I want you to find is named Yuri. He will be hard to find, but some locals may recognize the name.” Shalen nodded.

“When you do find him, kill him and bring me back the weapon he wields. It is an amber blade. There is something about the blade that makes it special. For instance, if it is separated from him, it will reappear in his hand within seconds, which is why he must die.”

“And my payment?”

“Ha, ha! I knew you would ask! It’s how your kind works. I have it right here.” The man bent down and grabbed a pouch from under his desk, and threw it out onto the table. Shalen slit the brown cloth open with his knife, and gold coins poured out.

“I will leave immediately.” Shalen stood up and started to walk out the door.

“Wait.”

Shalen stopped.

“Be careful, Yuri is not just an ordinary kid.”

Shalen waited a moment longer, then continued out of the study, then out of the house and onto the street.

First thing’s first, Shalen thought. I have to find out where he is. Shalen saw a merchant out of the corner of his eye. He walked up to the small wagon where the man had set up shop.

“What can I do for you today sir?” the man asked in a thick accent.

“I need to know if you’ve done business with a man name Yuri in the past few days.”

“Ah, Yuri, Yuri…..” the man trailed off. “Ah, yes! Fine fellow, he bought some dried fruit, and salted meat. I believe he was looking for someone. Hm…..I can’t seem to remember the name-”

“Did he say where he was going?”
“Hm, he said something about heading east, further into the desert.”

“Thank you.” Shalen laid a silver coin on the wagon, and headed off to the eastern gate of town.

It was not a far walk, so he reached the exit in about a minute or so. Just as he was about to exit the outpost, the merchant came running up to him.

“I remembered where he was going.” the man panted. “He said he was off to search the ruins of Surven.”

Shalen smiled beneath the cloth that covered his mouth and flipped a gold coin to the man.

“You’ve been a big help. Thank you.”

Shalen continued out of the gate, and walked until the outpost was just a dot on the horizon. He quietly calculated how long it would take Yuri to get to the ruins. He decided he had no other choice. He had to fly.

Shalen threw off his cloak, revealing golden hawk-like wings sprouting from his shoulder blades. He stretched them out to their full length, allowing a sigh of relieve to escape his lips. Finally. he thought If I had kept them cooped up much longer, I don’t know what I would have done.

Shalen relaxed for a moment longer, then began to flap his wings. Sand spread out in all directions under the enormous pressure of his wing beats. Soon, Shalen’s bare feet were no longer touching the ground, and he rose into the air. He began going in the direction of the Surven ruins. He could not help but delight in flying. He even wasted some time by doing a few flips in the air, and rising high above the clouds so that he felt as though he could reach out and touch the sun.

Soon enough, the ruins came into view. Shalen could only just barely see it off in the distance. He looked down to survey the area he was in, and saw a single figure traveling in the same direction as Shalen. Shalen immediately rose above the clouds, but he thought that the figure may have gotten a glance of him before he disappeared from view.

Shalen flew above the clouds for a while longer, until he felt that it was safe enough to go back beneath the clouds without being seen by his target. When he could once again see the ground, there were no figures below him. He looked forward, to see the broken snow white pillars and buildings of Surven. He alighted down on the once holy ground, his bare chest sweating heavily from the exertion of flying. He instinctively reached down to just below his hips. His knives were still there, the shimmering silver of the blades hidden beneath their black sheathes. The sun was now almost at its highest point in the sky. By the time Shalen’s target arrived, it would be mid-day. Until then, Shalen waited.

[Medic!]

Hello, I'm new to the forums, and especially to RPBing, but I was wondering if I could get a mentor or someone to help me refine my stuff. I have a few things in Illuyad, but it pales in comparison to the stuff I've read here. Thanks in advance. :)

[Pencil Thief]

I'd be happy to help you out if you want, but I think you should start by joining the Diablos. Just post in the clan's thread asking to join.

[Underground Man]

pencil theif, he doesn't meet the minimum 200 post requirement to join Diablos, but I told him he could train in this topic if he wanted.

You're welcome to spar with him if you want to, I'll try to critique both of your's work.

[Medic!]

So, do I just post something? Are there any guidelines I should follow? I mean, besides the stuff already stated earlier (character sheets = bad, etc.).

[Panther]

Hot diggity! Someone actually read the thread ^_^

Well there are typically a set number of posts in each fight. The number to be determined by the fighters beforehand. But since you are just starting out, I'd suggest something small. A 1-1-1 or a 1-2-1. Those meaning 1(intro)-2(attack posts)-1(kill post)

Each fighter will have the same number of posts as the other in equal quantities

Now the only thing to do is pick who goes first and let it roll.

[Pencil Thief]

It's up to you who you would like to go first, but maybe you would like me to go first so you could get an idea of what to do?

Either way just let me know.

[Medic!]

Heh, sorry for the delayed response. I was hoping to get a critique of one of my own battle sequences from a story that I've been writing first, but if you want to go first, it's all yours. :)

[Pencil Thief]

It's completely up to you.

[Panther]

Pencil, go ahead and start the fight between the two of you.

He can post what he's already got and we'll look it over while you write yours. That'll give you an idea of where he stands as a writer too. Planning mi'lad, planning.

[Pencil Thief]

Alright then. I'll get started on it pretty soon.

[Medic!]

Sorry for yet another delayed response. Got in trouble for leaving a game disc out, so got grounded for 24 hrs. Yeah.

Anyway, here's my battle sequence.

NOTE: If some of the names sound familiar, they are. Since I've written this, I've thought of different names, but I needed working titles and whatnot, so yeah. Atma, Rikku, Kira= Names I stole. Will get around to replacing them eventually. I would have to go through almost 30-40 pages worth of material. Told you I've been working on a story! :P

NOTE NUMBER TWO: The amount of pages total actually used to be around 50, with each "chapter" being about 3-4 pages in length. That is, until I sized down and changed the font face. That's why it seems short for a "chapter."

NOTE NUMBER THREE -this is the last one, I promise-: Yes, the formating needs work. I purposely typed it like this in MS Word to save paper for when I printed out my pages. I'm just too lazy to go back and fix it. :P

Book I; Part IV
Evenfall

The blood red Demon of Twilight bared its fangs, and lunged at Rikku.
“Move!” shouted Larin, pushing her out of the way.
“Hey gruesome!” shouted Atma. “Have some of this!”

He shot a beam of holy energy at Castor that exploded into a shower of light waves.

After Atma had distracted Castor, Rikku countered with a spell of her own.
“You don’t want any of this…” she sighed. “Poor misguided monster…”
As she started to cast a spell, the ground started to up heave around her. Rocks started to float weightlessly, and the sky turned a profound shade of violet. “Venifictus!”
The sky above Castor crashed down around him, creating an eerie void where it once floated just seconds before.
“That’s not all… Prepare to see the mess you’ve just got yourself into.” yelled Rikku, smirking. “Slíthri!”
A blue crystal shower, much like the agility spell used earlier, fell down around Castor. Orbs of blue light escaped from them, and were absorbed into Castor. His movement slowed considerably. “Kira! He’s been subdued!” shouted Rikku. “It’s your turn!”
“Let me go first, I have a bit of an ace up my sleeve,” said Larin. “Atma! Are you ready for that move we’ve been practicing?”
“What… The big one…?” asked Atma. “That move needs a lot more practice! We could end up expelling all of our energy, or worse, blow ourselves up instead!”
“That’s a chance that I’ll take, Atma. Come on… we can do it!”
“…Okay,” replied Atma. “Let’s go.”

The duo stood back to back. Both Light and Dark energies were flowing around them as they chanted the spell. A swirling mass of energy formed above them and Castor.
“By Heaven…” started Atma.
“Or Hell…” finished Larin.
“You will have no mercy!” they said in unison. “Heaven’s Cataract!”
The energy mass above castor exploded into a swirling collection of pure destructive power, while the one above Atma and Larin sunk into the ground.
“Ready for part two?” asked Atma.
“All systems go!”

The sphere of power in the ground suddenly exploded, and sent a rift of fiery energy surging toward Castor, all while the Holy light and shadow stilled twisted around him. Upon contact, the blast of power caused a mass chain reaction, causing a mix of Dark and Holy energy to surge forth from around Castor, sending dust and ash into the air, blinding anyone who had their eyes open at the time. When the winds died and the dust settled, a giant crater about ninety feet in diameter was left, but Castor was nowhere to be found.
“Wow… We always disintegrated the boulders we practiced on, but that was kind of expected… But this… What happened?” gasped Atma.
“Heh heh… I supercharged it with this artifact,” explained Larin. “The Nightshade Crystal magnifies the power of magic by over triple! I… hrm… borrowed it from someone in the temple. It should come in handy-”
“For this fight only, Larin,” spoke Atma.
“…I’m still keeping it.”

Kira finally had the floor. Prism Blade in hand, he strode to the middle of the battleground. The only problem was that no one knew where Castor had disappeared to. Some onlookers actually thought the battle had been won and started cheering. This didn’t last long, for a blue beam of energy shot out of nowhere and struck Larin, knocking him to the ground.
“Larin!” screamed Rikku. “Larin! Are you okay? Say something!”
“Owww… What a waste of energy…”
“Lay still… I’ll heal you,” spoke Atma. “Where’s Castor? I’ll make him regret that…”

Another beam of energy struck Rikku, sending her crashing down as well. The stage had been set. It was now a duel between Kira and Castor. The winner would live, and the loser would die, simple as that. Knowing this, Kira tried talking to the Dark Servant.
“Castor… Why do you inflict pain and suffering? Why do you cause misery? Look around you. Look at the carnage you’ve caused, both here and in the past. Do you have a heart? A soul? Or are you empty and incapable of compassion? If your brother were to be the one injured, you would care…” Kira stared directly into Castor’s cold eyes. “…Wouldn’t you?”

There was a long silence. Castor seemed to be weighing the words that Kira had said. Kira hoped that he would come to understand what he had wrought, but he also kept in mind that this was a being compromised almost completely of darkness. Castor emitted a blue light that contrasted with his surroundings, casting an eerie glow on to the ground around him. He stood on his back legs, and became enveloped by a bright light. When he emerged from the glare, he looked almost human, besides the black wings that sprouted from his back. Dark plumage scattered around him, almost elegantly. He approached Kira, very calmly, but the look on his face kept Kira on guard.

“Yes, Kira. I would care,” spoke Castor. His voice was exactly like a human’s. “I would care that my brother was so weak that he was injured fighting weaklings like you!”

Castor once again started glowing, but this time, it was localized in the center of his torso. A blade appeared from the depths, and Castor took it and brandished it like a master swordsman. “I want to see the power that has awakened in you. I want you to hit me with it all! Let’s go!”

“You really want this?” scoffed Kira. “I guess if you really want to die. I accept your challenge!”

The battle raged intensely. Kira seemed to have the upper hand until Castor started to cast magic. In return, Kira started chaincasting Swordspells one after the next. Onlookers witnessed massive rifts that spanned at least sixty yards in length. Explosions appeared in random locations, as Castor seemed to be teleporting around the battlefield. Kira managed to strike Castor in a few critical places, but cuts and gashes covered Kira as well. As a last ditch effort, Kira started another Swordspell, but he had just come up with it three days prior to the attack. He hadn’t been able to fully test it’s abilities to the maximum. Yet, in his mind, he had no choice. He had to protect his home. Kira raised his sword and closed his eyes.

“What are you doing?” scoffed Castor. “Hoping I’ll go away?”

Silence was his reply. Kira continued to focus his power.

“Please… what is this…?” continued Castor. “This is a joke!”

A whirlwind soon formed around Kira. His blade began to glow a sinister black. An aura took form around Kira. Symbols of the Ancients began to encircle him as he continued to concentrate.

“This is no joke, Castor,” spoke Kira. “Behold the power of Light. Light that has been contaminated by Darkness.”
“No… No way…” gasped Larin. “Kira… you’ll destroy us all! Kira!”
“Yes… This is the same power used by Asmodeus, so many years ago. Behold! My sword has been contaminated by the power of Darkness, Castor. Your end is here.”

Kira struck the earth, opening a void so deep, it seemed that merely looking into it’s depths you could lose your soul. Soon, bursts of Light spewed out from the chasm, striking Castor and sending him paralyzed into the air. Kira was already waiting for him at the point of landing. Castor fell so hard into the earth, he left a small crater. He merely twitched, gasping for air as he reached for his sword, which had been abandoned when he flew through the atmosphere.

“Ready for part two?” asked Kira with a smile.

He let go of his sword, which hovered in front of him.

“A mark, a mission, a brand, a scar…”

As soon as the words left his lips, his sword shone with the light of one thousand suns. It rose higher and higher, then suddenly rocketed towards the earth with blinding speed. It struck Castor right where he first drew his blade.

“Gah… I never expected you to be so… skilled,” panted Castor. “But your hope ends here… And your meaningless existence with it!”

Amazingly, Castor rose to his feet and started walking toward his blade. He gingerly took it in his hand and brandished it like nothing had ever even happened, even while he seeped a dark liquid that was reminiscent of blood.

Castor’s sword began to glow a deep crimson, sending a dark aura around the blade. “Die!”

He stabbed the earth, sending a shockwave through the ground that pulsated in all directions. There was no avoiding his onslaught. Kira became enveloped in the blast, and was knocked into the air. Castor took advantage of this opportunity and he seemed to teleport to Kira’s location. When he reached Kira, he knocked him down with the hilt of his sword, sending him crashing down to the earth below.

“Hmph… you humans are all pathetic. All the same. Asmodeus’ grand design will soon come to fruition, and there won’t be a damn thing you can do to stop it!” spat Castor. “His vision is a great one. He wishes to ease the suffering of Illuminus. Don’t you see? To destroy, to heal Illuminus, he will save us all.”

“You’re all mad!” gasped Kira, struggling to get the words out. He had been severely wounded by Castor’s last attack.
“Illuminus is a land of suffering and sorrow. We are making the world better by easing that pain… Yes… all the worries and troubles of life are swept away by the gentle breeze of death. And soon you too will experience the sensation of all the cares of the world being lifted off your shoulders. Yes… sleep eternal will soon be yours.”
“No…”
“Don’t fight your fate. It will only bring you more… pain!” shouted Castor as he thrusted his blade through Kira’s abdomen.

“Kira!” screamed Rikku. “No!”
“Shut up. I was thinking of sparing you, but now you’re officially on my blacklist. Prepare to die!”

Just then, a bright light engulfed both of them. Castor realized that he was dissolving, and fast.
“Wh- what is this?! What's happening?! Why am I fading away?! This isn’t supposed to happen! Aaaarrrrrgggghhh!”

Kira’s scar glowed with the intensity of the sun. Castor was obliterated by the blast of light that came from the mark. All that was left was Castor’s sword, and that soon turned to ash as well. Atma and the others rushed over as soon as the light faded.

“Kira! Kira, oh Goddess… what have you done?” cried Rikku. “Atma! Hurry!”
“Altana almighty… we need your sister too. Someone go get her! Now!” shouted Atma. “Kira! Stay with us!”

Castor may have been dead, but at what cost?

[Medic!]

Forgive the double post, but if you read the previous one, you'll notice that there are some chunks of the plot missing. That's because they were in previous parts of the story (like the part about Kira's scar, or even who the characters are.) If anyone wants to read all of it, I'll post it in the mixed media forum (I think that's what it's called).

Hope you enjoyed it... that was truly my first real crack at RPBing about... 2 years ago... I think. It may not be recent, but that's about the level I operate at now. Plus, this is the longest thing I could find that was actually a battle.

[CrazyHobo]

Hey I would like some training I have gotten really rusty from when I wasn't on for a long time. But yeah I could use some mentoring because I was never good to begin with so I could use it.

[Xenephola]

Hello, I'm new to the forums, and especially to RPBing, but I was wondering if I could get a mentor or someone to help me refine my stuff. I have a few things in Illuyad, but it pales in comparison to the stuff I've read here. Thanks in advance. :)
I too, am new, but I have a lot of things written for it and think it would be good enough to be posted, but Im not sure exactly what all should be done.

[Meathos]

Try joining the clan before you start training here.

[The Crow]

Better yet. Try realizing this forum is DEAD.

I know it hurts me too, but we all just have to come and accept it...

[Xenephola]

Try joining the clan before you start training here.
I was in a RPBing Clan on another site for about six months, and like this one, it had started to slow down, and what fights there were never finished, and eventually the owner of the site got tired and shut the site down, and Ive been on gamewinners for a while, but never saw RPB on the forums until just recently.

[X]

Aight, in order for you to train here, in the "Diablos Training Grounds," you need to be a member of the Diablos. You can do this by signing up hurr:

http://forums.gamewinners.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7766527#post7766527

[Panther]

But for old times sake, I'll humor you all.

Go ahead an make an intro post and we'll see where your base skills are. We'll go from there.

Any setting, any time, anything goes for this first post.

[The Crow]

If Shawny's doing it I will to I guess...

[Panther]

You are such a trooper Bro. I'm so proud of you lol

[The Crow]

Haha, 1 Million strong... And that's just the Brotherhood.

[Panther]

You see... This is why we Vets are the way we are. Every time we decide to crawl out of the grave to do something productive, the other half of the equation just disa-damn-ppears =/

[X]

Half the time it's the other way, Shawn. Like what happened to our battle. :P

[The Crow]

Haha. You can't count on us vets at all.

[Panther]

I don't know what you're talking about at all X.

Must be that alzheimers again >.<

[Charizard's breath]

You want to go first or second, Crow?

Anyone want to judge

[Underground Man]

Anyone want to judge

I think I could do that... CB, I haven't judged a fight for you since you fought Darien Wanderer.

[The Crow]

I'll go first if you don't mind.

Loud clashes of iron echoed through a meadow, in a seemingly endless stalemate as soldiers slew enemies, and advanced to be slain by a comrade of the soldier they had just killed. The once dewy green field was now sticky with blood from a battle raging from the break of dawn; the cool air was now warm with the breaths of hundreds of thousands, many of which were now dead. The onslaught was between too groups, this was merely the front line of combat, the soldiers possessed no particular skill, and what drove them most was their will to survive, and even that saved few. It took until after noon for any one side to gather any type of advantage, but that was soon after ruined as the sky was blotted black as a belay of arrows cascaded down upon them, many soldiers hid under shields, but many soldiers fell regardless of the faction they were fighting for with arrows in their backs not knowing where the arrows were launched from. The soldiers fought on, only now fighting to survive, every time the sky went black the battles stopped, and when it cleared another hundred soldiers were dead. The battle field lay riddled with soldiers dead from arrows, blades, and spears in them, and other soldiers either fighting or scavenging for a new helmet, shield or weapon. They all knew they were expendable, yet they all fought valiantly, hoping for the glory of returning a hero, and hoping to be promoted beyond the front lines of combat. The arrows continued coming from either side, now carrying fire with them as well, the smell of sulfur and burning flesh and wood now filled the air, the flaming arrows steadily decreased, until the battlefield was returned to just the clanging of iron, the soldiers were as calm as they could be, both sides knowing a barrage of arrows could come down at anytime. A soldier rushed forward through the crowds of his comrades, his wild eyes furiously scouring the ground. He no longer had a helmet or shield, and his sword was broken in half. A loud crash was heard in front of him as one of his comrade’s shield was impaled by an enemy’s sword, just barely slicing through his throat. Then all stopped again, as the sky darkened, the running soldier looked to the sky, and with a look of fear now upon his face rushed toward his fallen ally. He dropped his broken sword and slid under his fellow’s tower shield just as a barrage of flaming spears riddled the battleground, one forcing its way through his protection, grazing his gauntlet. He pushed the shield away from him only to be greeted by his enemy with sword in the air ready to slice. His heart pounding still from the spear barely missing him he kicked hard, startling his foe, grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it in his face, and then rolled to his feet. His enemy’s hand was wiping his eyes from the dirt so the soldier seized the moment and tackled him to the ground, knocking off his helmet. Before his foe could do anything the soldier swung as hard as he could, connecting the edge of his gauntlet with his enemies face, then pummeled him with the other fist. His foe was now unconscious or dead, so he took the helmet and sword and ran to another group of soldiers; however he was met by two foes, evidently having the same plans to advance in the killing of their last foes. One of them lunged at him, but he dodged and countered only to be blocked by the other foes shield, the soldier threw the sword at the foe with a shield, knocking his sword from his hand, then the warrior grabbed the shield, and struggled for it until he saw the other opponent’s reflection in the others eyes, he narrowly moved avoiding the slice of blade, as it bounced off the rim of the shield, knocking the shield to the ground, the soldier grabbed his attackers arms and forced his blade into the now unarmed foes face, the soldier swooped down and grabbed the shield, bashed it into the side of the foe and then raised it high over his head, decapitating his bewildered foe with the pointed tip of the kite shield. He picked up a sword and continued towards another foe. He soon found himself in a skirmish with one of the enemy, they were fairly well matched, both obviously exhausted from the enormous battle that had been raging, finally the soldier uppercut his foe, sending his helm flying, and in the same motion swung the blade down cutting his foes head from the top of his head and between his eyes. With this victory he collapsed, catching himself with the sword his arm dropped, still grasping the shield in his hand. The world faded briefly to blackness and then back to normal, his heart booming in his ears, his lungs on fire, he was panting and again the world went black, he mouthed a short epitaph, “I am Tolsyn, a humble—” and he collapsed still breathing heavily.

there you go... does the rust show through?

[Charizard's breath]

Sorry. Got real busy. My post'll be up tomorrow, and it'll be plenty rusty, too.

[The Crow]

No problem, I don't really care for the 48 hour rule, you know how us vets go.

[Charizard's breath]

Before getting out of his cot that morning, Felix had contemplated deserting. The **** just wasn't worth it anymore. The stink was terrible. The armor was heavy and the weapons were annoying to march with. He hated the sound of the troops marching. It thudded through his skull even when he slept. He hated the bodies. Not the sight of them, or creating them, but dealing with them. It was busy work, and he wanted to just fight and sleep. No one had energy after a battle. Ridiculous. The worst of all, though, was the gruel. When he was young and his blue eyes still twinkled, he'd hated the bitter chunks in it. Now, it was tasteless. Felix had realized that he couldn't remember any other tastes to compare it to. There was nothing in his life but the army and the war. He only didn't because of what the young ****s in his platoon would think. "Two years to retirement, and now he's hanging. What a moron!" Screw them.

He didn't go into the battle in the first wave. At first, he'd been excited. It meant surviving enemy soldiers were tired, and that meant quicker kills. More importantly, he'd stay alive longer. But by now Felix knew that every wave lead to death. Those in back just had to wait their turn in line.

He hefted his spear unsteadily. It was his best weapon, but for some reason today it felt uncomfortable. Like the shaft hadn't been worn down perfectly right where he liked it. Dammit. Probably that piece of **** Leedar. He'd been talking about how his was messed up.

Someone to his right screamed a battle cry, and he saw that they were about to start the charge towards the enemy. He lowered his spear and muttered a shout to himself, more encouragement than raw emotion. He lowered his head and started to run. Before he was at an all-out sprint, he was already looking up, avoiding the crazy, bloodlust-infused enemies and heading towards the scared, nervous ones.

Leedar's useless spear shattered as it broke the spine of the first enemy it tore through. Felix growled and drew his sword, which was luckily still the one he'd went to sleep with. His sword arm cut to its left. Felix grimaced at the sound of iron on iron, and parried off the counterattack. He sucked in a breath and leaped forward over the his opponent's shoulder. The flesh tore easily and the blade lead the blood onto the face of the slain soldier's brother-in-arms. Both men were dead before they fell, and Felix snarled. He had a momentary reprieve, and looked around the battlefield. There would be plenty more time to kill. For now, he stepped back and caught his breath.


***************

Sorry it took so long. You can pretty much do whatever you want to my character, I'll work around it. Good luck, man. I decided to leave it up to you to see how we met. I wanted to make just an intro.

[The Crow]

That's cool man. I wanted to make it so you could find me if you wanted to, but I didn't want to limit you to already being a shadow on the horizon or something haha. I'll get something up soon.

[The Crow]

Tolsyn awakened to the smell of rotten meat cooking and a rough tapping of his helmet. He pushed himself up seeing a vulture, with wings open and hopping back, startled, it squawked loudly, and started pecking at Tolsyn. He slammed it with the flat of his shield knocking it to the ground, now quiet. Tolsyn felt great other than the fact that all around him were the bodies of the fallen scattered through out a once serene morning meadow whose skies now burned as red as the field was soaked. Tolsyn started wandering the battlefield, fully accepting that the place he was at now was indeed Hell itself. He stopped to examine himself in a fallen soldiers shining breastplate, his face spattered with blood and gritty with dirt, he blood had dripped down from his temple and dried now caked to his face like everything else, his green eyes barely showing through the battle worn face, he frowned and moved on, picking up any piece of armor or weaponry he deemed better than what he had.

Tolsyn stumbled upon another combatant, watching him thrust his blade through another soldier and stopping to catch is breath. The man turned around spotting Tolsyn, “You must be the last one…” Tolsyn looked at the man, gripping the hilt of his sword tighter and asked perplexedly “Am I… dead?” The other warrior answered quickly “Not yet.” and charged toward Tolsyn.

He braced himself and accepted his opponent’s sword with his and halted him with his shield then shoved the warrior backwards. Felix swung hard onto the shield creasing it through the middle. Tolsyn gasped and swung his sword only to have it dodged and felt the bite of Felix’s counter attack across his back. He swung and released his shield, the top of it catching his foe square in the chest. Tolsyn gripped the hilt of his blade with both hands now, and lunged toward Felix, who blocked the attack with his blade. Tolsyn swung upward striking Felix in the rib cage of his breastplate. Tolsyn was then kicked back by Felix, stumbling over a corpse he fell to the ground to be greeted by Felix swinging downward upon him; he rolled out of the way and scrambled to his feet then swung his blade toward Felix, who in turn dodged again. Tolsyn swung his left fist then jabbed with his blade, Felix dodged the fist but the blade stuck him right in the left forearm. Felix smiled momentarily at the clever attempt, and then swung his fist square in Tolsyn’s face. Blood trickled from his nose, and he wiped it with the back of his hand then gripped his hilt with both hands, parrying another attack from his rival, the clash of iron resounded through the battlefield.

I dunno, I kind of lost creativity.

[Panther]

+smacks+

You better find some creativity then lol

[The Crow]

It'll return for the next one... haha

But look who's talking, old man. :P

[Panther]

I have plenty of creativity. I just can't remember where I left it.

Damn alzheimer's =/

[The Crow]

Check your pockets, haha.

[Panther]

I don't have any o.O

I just came home from walking through the park in a diaper whilst cursing at small children and giving their parents the bird.

[Charizard's breath]

Felix kept smiling. Confidence was nine tenths of the battle, and if you didn't have it, you better fake it. The bite in his arm stung like hell, and it was making his arm much hotter than he would like it to be. The breeze, like everything else in the meadow, was dead, and the heat was already beginning to suffocate the warriors. His knee was acting up, too, and he knew that he didn't have long before his age would start to turn against him.

Worst of all, the kid was good. The sword dance continued between the two fighters. Neither knew exactly what they were doing, because taking the time to consider your actions meant certain death. Felix's arm knew to strike before he did, and his shield raised to deflect blows he wasn't yet aware of. His many years serving in the army had brought him plenty of pain and suffering, but with it, plenty of experience and intuition.

Tolsyn probed Felix's defense with his sword, attacking on every corner and constantly changing his stance to conceal every part of his attack that he could. He would duck down, but then stab right at the throat, making Felix's shield, which had been working hard a moment before to get down to cover his legs, have to shoot back up. Felix leaped back to dodge another thrust, and Tolsyn, seeing his chance, lunged forward to secure an easy kill. Felix smiled, but this time with real confidence. The young were always eager, and their excitable nature was their biggest flaw. They couldn't see the traps in front of their eyes. Since he was expecting Tolsyn's lunge, Felix side-stepped and lifted his sword.

The two tiny warriors yelled high-pitch screams as their swords crashed together. One of the two swords shattered, sending splinters through the air that made both fighters cover their faces.

"Are you kidding?" Felix said as he spat on the ground. "Take a thick branch. None of these twigs you're bringing out. I swing too hard for that."

"I have other weapons ready. Just watch," the other boy replied. As he spoke, he drew his dagger, which looked exactly like his sword, only much smaller. He darted in, hoping his speed would overcome Felix's power. Felix raised his sword arms high over his head so that he could smash his sword into the other boy's head. It was exactly the move his master had warned him not to do, and exactly the move he could never stop himself from doing. It cost him many fights, but this time, it would win him one.

The other warrior naturally knew what was coming. He jumped to the side to avoid the heavy blow, but it never came. Instead, Felix, now giggling, was slashing exactly where his opponent now was.

There were a flurry of blows, and after a second, Felix dropped to his knees, then to his back, moaning in pain. The other boy was unscathed besides the splinters in his hands. In that final moment, the boy had stabbed him half a dozen times with his dagger. Felix's slash had left him off-balance, and the alert opponent, who'd realized Felix's feint, took full advantage.

"Tricks," the boy said, "are tricky. If you successfully fool someone, odds are you're being fooled yourself. Remember, Felix, it doesn't matter at all how strong you are if everyone's smarter than you are."

Felix moaned again. He would have replied if he had the strength to talk, but his fiftieth consecutive loss to his brother left him without the energy to reply.

Tolsyn's off-balance move had doomed him, and Felix's sword arm was urging him to go for the kill, but a sudden memory shot through his head. His stomach reflexively tensed up, and he glanced suddenly at his opponent's face. The grin he saw, as full of confidence and certainty as his own had been, was proof once again that he had been out thought. Felix stepped back, and so avoided the massive swing Tolsyn took at his stomach that would have left him holding his intestines. Felix was breathing hard, but he managed to react quickly enough to the miss that he was able to kick his opponent, sending the man to the floor. Tolsyn dropped his sword, but before he had even landed, there was a dagger in his hand. The young were certainly quick.

Felix sighed. The battle was not going well.

*********************


How long do you want to do, Crow? 1-10-1 is old school, but it would take a while. If your creative juices aren't flowing, we can shorten it up.

[Panther]

For the sake of it actually finishing I'd shorten it. Given the current state of battles, 1-5-1 is pushing it lol.

[Charizard's breath]

I'd be fine with 1-3-1. We can always fight again.

[The Crow]

1-3-1 should be fine, I'll try to get something up. Creativity should be fine, just first attack is always kind of meh... haha

Not to add, i had no idea what your typical array of weapons were.

Hope you don't mind the easy replacement weapons or anything on the battle field. It's not really traditional, but it is realistic.

[The Crow]

Tolsyn gripped his dagger clearly knowing he had thrown Felix off guard. Had it not been for this side weapon the battle may have been ended by now. Tolsyn worked to get to his feet all the while eying Felix to stay on his guard. In one fluid motion Tolsyn threw his dagger toward his foes face, kicked a shield into the air, and rolled grabbing a sword on the ground, as he made it to his feet he awkwardly grabbed the falling shield, only to have Felix’s blade crashing down upon it, almost dropping the shield he swung his blade into his opponents shield, getting a better hold on his shield, which he thrust forward to stun his foe, however Felix broke this attempt tossing Tolsyn’s arm up into the air. He swung his blade downward, with just enough time for Tolsyn to get his sword in its path, which sent its point into the dirt with him still holding it. Felix slashed at Tolsyn, the attack deflected by his shield, Tolsyn then slashed upward pulling the blade out of the bloodstained ground of the battlefield, with an attack that would have gutted Felix if he hadn’t nimbly jumped backwards. Tolsyn beamed a confident smile, in a sure-footed battle stance. Felix also smiled. It was unclear to them who had the upper hand, but both were sure to fight like they had it.

They both lunged forward engaging in a tango of slashes, their macabre paralleled by each others skill in the blade. Their waltz ended as Felix ducked under a slash and jabbed Tolsyn in the pit of his arm. He hopped backward as his arm shot to the new wound and sent a look of frustration to his face, he then swung his shield striking Felix across the helm, sending his hand too his head to stop the ringing. Tolsyn took the opportunity to attack his stunned opponent; he took a step and then leapt, thrusting his blade downward. Felix dodged again sending his foe to the ground again, and as he pressed the point of his blade softly into the back of Tolsyn’s neck he felt a soft prick in his rib cage. He sighed, “Touché” he said as he withdrew his blade, and Tolsyn pulled back the dagger he threw earlier. Tolsyn enjoyed fighting people who fought honorably; the two clearly had been in positions of defeat, and neither of them wanted to end the battle at a draw. Tolsyn returned his dagger to his belt and stood up grasping his sword’s hilt. Both warriors shared a confident smirk, as their battle had just begun, both now knowing each others’ tactics and style, both of them just average soldiers fighting for their survival, even if it would inevitably lead to their demise with a second wave of soldiers.

This still isn't my best yet, I'm going to need some polish to get the rust haha...

[Panther]

Thou art no longer Tolsyn. I dub thee... Tin Man ^_^

[The Crow]

Sounds about right, at the moment... haha

[Panther]

Damn it Dash! Gramps says come on!

+looks around for a second+

I mean, I said Come on!... er... Damn it! Just come on!

+looks around again+

Who the hell took my walker?!!!!!11one

[The Crow]

I just took the tennis balls don't look at me!

[Charizard's breath]

Somewhere behind Felix, a trumpet sounded. He risked a quick glance backwards, and saw dust beginning to rise from where his reinforcements were marching in. Half a minute later, another trumpet sounded behind Tolsyn. The battle would continue. Felix couldn't believe it.

"The ground's already saturated. I don't know how much more blood it can drink," he said. As he did, he took a step to the side and saw the blood ooze into the space his foot had been in. Not all was absorbed. "Maybe they'll get here and decide it's not worth fighting. Then everyone can go home."

Tolsyn took advantage of his opponent's distracted mind to lunge forward. Felix swore and raised his sword up to block. The impact shook his arm bones and rattled his teeth, but like all pain, it helped him be sure he was still alive. Another blow came, and his teeth rattled again. With each massive swing Tolsyn took, Felix's next block came up a little slower. There was never quite enough time to dodge or roll away. The strength and vigor of youth allowed Tolysn to swing his blade over and over. It was much more brute force than finesse, but if it was effective, who could complain? Tolsyn twirled to add some velocity to his sword and swung as hard he could. Felix's sword went flying out of his hand. It landed with a clatter far away.

Without even a glance at where his weapon had fallen, Felix threw himself into his opponent. He understood that his only chance was to get inside the range of Tolsyn's sword. The leap caught his opponent by surprise, and the two warriors rolled across the ground. Felix ended up on top. He put all his weight on his opponent, hoping it would tire the other warrior out, and punched him hard in the face. Tolsyn dropped his sword and shield, useless in a brawl, and he needed both hands to cover his head. Felix swung again, hitting Tolsyn in the the hands, but still sending some kinetic energy and pain into his head.

Tolsyn thrust his right side up and twisted. Felix was