#Kojhin Oronir

[talesfromthegameff14]

Prompt #16: Jerk - Mahlvon Tribe

Feet padded almost silently through the woods, a pair of hunters following a deer who crashed through the underbrush in a panic to get away from the two miqo’te.  The stag’s stride grew more and more erratic as blood loss from the arrow in it’s thigh started catching up with it.  The two hunters didn’t try to catch up, preferring to simply keep the deer close enough to be just in sight while it ran itself out.

The stag summoned a burst of energy from somewhere, bolting forward and then to the side in an instinctual dance to avoid more arrows being shot at it.  Not that there were any, but there could be and avoiding them mattered.   One of the hunter’s swore as it pulled the stag out of sight and went to sprint forward only to be stopped by their mate’s hand. “Don’t.”  “What? It’s almost dead, why not?”, is hissed back softly so the sound didn’t carry. “Didn’t notice the way it ran?  Not worth dealing with the jerk that took over Finn’s cabin.”  “Oh hells...”, the hunter’s shoulders slumped and he cast an angry look towards the path the deer took.  “I hope he doesn’t get any of the meat, the bastard doesn’t deserve it.” A soft chuckle and a smack on the shoulder, “The forest will claim it as it should.  Common, we still gotta find supper.”  “Ugh....” [The Jerk, Aka Kojhin Oronir, belongs to the writer]

[eyesofsteelandsky]

FFxivWrite2020 Prompt 24: Beam

CW: Blood and violence, arena based combat and blue mage bullshit

Coming out of a mid-fall short translocation was something she could never shake off the disorientation from entirely, but practice had allowed the roe to aim herself and one of those massive blades at the hulk of xaela that had just sent her sprawling. One good gash from that blade and she could put this whole thing to bed. His winning streak against her, her year-long struggles upon the sands, and one last time raising her hand up as champion. One good blow.

As Brem’s blade is moments from digging it’s way to a victory carved out of the opposing champion, the man fires a concentrated burst of energy directly at her unprotected chest. The strike not only cuts every onze of momentum she had clean away, but actually propels her head-over-heels backwards through the air until her body crashes into the Game Master’s dais, crashing the wooden structure and most of what was on top of it down around her. A pair of fleeting seconds of blackness claim her, giving just the briefest moment before the pain starts flooding in from the rest of her body. Broken bones, half-healed gashes reopening, muscles torn and bruised; all of it became searingly apparent in one moment of violent awareness.

Standing was immediately out of the question, she knew her legs were useless at this point and even making the attempt would show it to everyone else. They might be too distracted fishing Kadour out of the rubble to notice it right away, but it was sure to get the fight called in the smug Oronir bastard’s favor. 

He. Cannot. Win.

Not again, not when there wasn’t any layer of excuse left to give. Clawing her way out of two proper fights and assault by an enraged guard captain wouldn’t be enough. If he wont this time, then he would have that trophy to hang above her head, intentionally or not. Coarse palms snatch the grips of her blades and drive them down into wood and sand to haul herself forward from the wreckage so she could set eyes upon the man again. A seething hate poured out of her expression, dripping as readily as the blood from her torn abdomen. He had done something very few had ever properly done in her long career in the arena or in the sky. He had made her more than simply defeated, but weak. The sort of weakness she had felt in Ishgardian chains.

He. Cannot. Win.

Crawling her way over to hack off his ankles wasn’t a viable plan by any means. And it wasn’t how she could let things end anyway. This is the tale of Bremwyda Abylnpfefwyn, and it was not going to feature such a pathetic finish. He was already approaching, likely knowing the win was his to walk away with at this point. He had got the fight he wanted, her at her best, with the twin blades. His excitement had been all too clear at the start of the fight and Oronir was prepared to claim his prize.

He. Cannot. Win.

As her blade dug into the sands properly outside of the ruined wooden structure, a mote or two of displaced aether catches her eye. Even with her own reserves taxed beyond reasonable health, and her body catching a disqualification that never quite finished getting voiced, she could feel the well of energy that had been sitting under their feet all day. Years of spilled blood, boasting egos, and hopeful cheering had been poured into the arena and down into the sands. A pool of violence, energy, and hopes left untapped by the long standing rules on aetherical combat. She was the Queen of these sands, their Champion. Who else had the right to call upon their bounty, to finish the story the way it was meant to be told?

He. Cannot. Win.

What’s left of her magical control goes delving into that well of bloodied aether, drawing it back into her broken and battered form greedily. The source is all too ready to give, flooding into the Sea Wolf as her gaze stays locked upon the figure still moving her way, ready to finish her. To show off her weakness. The energy is almost immediately overwhelming, going from feeling most of what’s left of her power seeping out of her to instead becoming a bloated tick of aether. More than she ever would have had naturally even at peak health and preparation, more than even her body had any right to handle. The roe could already feel the excess burning away at her, lighting the nerves that weren’t aflame from her wounds to join the chorus of pain.

He. Cannot. Win.

The aethertek eye set within her face plate focuses down on the man ready to snatch things out from under her, to make all the bodily trauma and the broken trust worthless with a final swing. She swiftly works through adjusting the shape of the aether flowing through it, building a funnel for the energy her body was brimming with, inverted from it’s normal purpose to serve as the peak of the arcane geometries for one last spell. From the outside there’s little hint of what’s to come other than a flash of intensity within the red glow, but as the shape of the spell falls into place the vacuum of aether created with it starts the violent expulsion from her. A violent torrent of over-filled power comes bursting from that forged orb as stream of levin bolts twisting around one another until they impact the xaela’s chest. The violet stream pours through his core and out the other side to impact the wall behind, causing a burst of light as it drives through the protective shielding and sunders a chunk of the arena walls. Through the entire ordeal the fires of excess aether don’t lessen with the departing of her body, if anything the magical searing gets worse from the focused assault. Every drop of what she had left was being wrung from her.

He. Cannot. Win.

Even as he fell as an unmoving husk, she could feel the snap in the shape of her spell. Not only had she pushed her body past it’s natural limits, she’d done the same for it’s synthetic ones. The last few crackles of energy flew from her metallic eye before the red glow gave out. The chalice of her spell had shattered, but it had lasted just long enough. With people already rushing to the Oronir’s aid, a smile pulled it’s way over the nearly dead giant’s lips. 

The price wasn’t important anymore, because she had won.

[egg-of-mankhad]

Finished fullbody commission of a friendo’s Snake in the Grass!

Ko-Fi | Commission Info | Carrd

[theprovinggrounds-blog]

The Proving Grounds XXV!

Ladies and gentlemen, citizens of Eorzea and parts both exotic and mundane, join us for a very special edition of the Proving Grounds as we celebrate our XXVth installment!  Come join us as our gladiators strip down to their gloriously gilded undergarments and fight to the near-death in a sandy, bloody pit of mostly regret!  We guarantee it'll be a fun way to spend your time!  For this edition of the games, things are getting changed up in celebration of our milestone event: A very special guest Gamemaster shall be presiding over the event, a gleaming Golden Dagger will be presented to the winner rather than a Rosewood Dagger- and only one of these is required to be called a Proving Grounds Champion.  Lastly, some of the games' usually iron-clad rules of engagement have been relaxed.  Absolutely anything goes for these XXVth games, folks!  We set the stage for these special games with what promises to be a barnburner between Erdenechimeg Kha and Eigengrau Hatasashi.  Erdenechimeg won a Rosewood Dagger on his very first games, defeating a pair of former winners along the way, while the talented dancer looks to return to the path of victory at the Kha's expense.  Our second match involves a veteran of the games, the enigmatic Kojhin Oronir- who's never met a fight he didn't want to pick- and a special guest gladiator, the personal champion of our Very Special Guest Gamesmaster, a mysterious warrior hailing from far off lands whose name is as shrouded in mystery as the rest of them! The third bout is between former winner Kindoron Tumet and the Proving Grounds very own proverbial bridesmaid C'novhi Tia.  Will the terrifying Tumet claim the Golden Dagger or will the tenacious Tia finally break through?  And rounding out the first round is a battle of previous winners, Rothgar Gunnarsvard and Delesta Dorel in a battle of unorthodox experience versus cagey street smarts.  Will either of these two seasoned veterans rise up and claim the Golden Dagger?  The bookmakers are saying 'Maybe'!  See you there!

[aveis-the-red]

Prompt #16: Jitters

Khagatai wasn’t ready to leave her side yet. Even if he had had half a thought to go Twi wouldn’t let it happen—he was still resting from his “fight” with Kojhin, and his darling lotus was too eager to see to his needs.

Truthfully, the thought of being away from her filled him with such panic it was nearly crippling. Even though there was nothing he could do for her right now the chance of her being alone and vulnerable was nauseating.

The ordeal troubled him more than he let on. Khagatai was practically haunted by his choice, and the Oronir’s words trampled through his skull like a constantly repeating orchestrion.

It was affecting his sleep, though he didn’t dare mention it. Twi had enough on her plate, she didn’t need to worry about him not sleeping either.

Everything woke him now, from Twi simply rolling over or the neighbor above her walking across the floor. He startles so bad he reaches for his sword, breaking out into cold sweats as he reaches to make sure Twi is still there.

That she’s safe.

But even as he lays there after realizing everything is okay his jittering heart reminds him of one thing:

He isn’t good enough.

[talesfromthegameff14]

Once to Hunt, Twice to Mourn, Thrice to Die - Part One

[Writing Music:  https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=3mbBbFH9fAg&feature=share] Ama’Aysu, no Nha’Aysu now, had spent the last several moons at the hunt.  It was the reason she changed her name and her role, no longer serving the Divine Mother in favor of serving the Night Warrior.  Calling the Wild Hunt, three times in one generation, was unheard of in the entire history of the Bhazkaran.  Twice even had never happened, but these were strange times foretold by the fall of Dalamud from the sky.  Anyone with eyes could see that the land wept from the taint of the Calamity still. 

The first Hunt was devastating to the tribe, leaving the ranks depleted greatly.  Then the second was called hot on the heels of the first, leaving only a small group that could heed the cry of duty.  That hunt had only one, minuscule hope for success.  So when the band of warriors, including the new one that held the touch of Nhama in his eyes, left no one expecting them to return.  Which was wise, for they had not.

When word came that Bardam’s Mettle had been corrupted the Oronir had been the first to arrive.  The Bhazkaran crept in behind them under the guise of helping clean up, but something resonated with the place that the Khatuns had felt in their very souls. It was that quiet, desperate plea that had tethered Nha-Aysu back to the place she hated.  It wasn’t for her healing, but her knowledge that they sought.  They wished for the huntress who knew of life outside the Steppes, the source of this beyond most of the tribe’s ken. 

This hunt suited the solitary woman, working from the traces in the Mettle with the strange dedication of beast and guardian alike, to find similar experiences beyond the grasslands.  A few hints here and there, something that feasted upon not just aether, but the very soul of a being.  To be devoured by this abomination was to be torn from the world to never return. 

It could not be allowed to live.

Traces of the beast were shown to her by Nhaama’s eye, gathered close to study and consume, until Nha’Aysu could feel the pull of the beast within her soul by Nhaama’s grace.

The path led many places, but instinct kept bringing her back to one question.  How did the Oronir know before anyone else?  The Uyagir said they found out about the beast from the Dorthal.  The Dorthal said that they didn’t know it went to the mettle and certainly hadn’t spoken to the Oronir about it.  The Humble Ones certainly weren’t going to be listened to by the Oronir if they had spoken to them, which they did not.

So how did they know?

The light of Nhaama led Nha’Aysu back to the Dawn Throne many a time, leaving the healer turned hunter gazing at the monolith in cautious wonder.  What did they know?  It was such a night when a glimmer of moonlight off of something metallic caught her eye.  A single figure walking away from the Throne armed for a hunt.  Nothing unusual, yet it seemed as if motes of moonlight followed him, something she could only see out of the corner of her eye and would disappear when she looked at him. 

Keeping her distance, the huntress watched the man walk away, eyes unfocusing as she sent a silent plea towards the heavens.  What is it you need me to see Mother of the Night?  The aether that showed the soul of the hunter was strong, but not entirely unusual. The Mark of the Beast was concerning, but he wasn’t the first she’d seen with it.

“Deeper”, the Mother whispered.

Stealing her courage, Nha’Aysu slipped into the trance that left her body helpless and stepped sideways into the hands of the Night Mother.  Walking along the silver streams of the Mother’s light she approached the man, leaving only the thinnest of threads to tether her soul to her vacant body.

“Deeper”, was whispered once more.

The unseen mist of the huntress’ soul swirled around the tall Oronir, causing a stirring of something malevolent and ravenous within the solitary hunter. Then it clicked, the similarity in aether patterns from the man that walked away to the echoes of what was left in the Mettle.  The man and Beast submerged within the hunger that her presence tugged at.  Fear propelled her inner-self back into a body where the heart hammered and a cold sweat had broken out along deep red skin. 

Mother Night, she found him. 

Breath racing from between parted lips that whispered a silent call that brought moonlight down upon the unknown figure that was just about out of her sight.  A request from one of the most blessed and cursed of Nhaama’s daughters given form.  The Night Mother saw all on the steppes when she was high in the sky.  When that one moved across the grasses the Bhazkaran would know.

Now, finally the hunt could be called.  It was a hollow triumph, Nha’Aysu only hoping that enough would survive this to dance for the ones who were gone, so the tales could be told for the tribe to remember. For any that fell in this fight may never walk the steppes again. 

[theprovinggrounds-blog]

The Proving Grounds XXVI - Beach Brawl!

The fish has all been fried, the chips all finished or tossed out to the gulls, and Eorzea prepares to match until the milder Autumn moons, but there is one last heat wave to take advantage of before all of that settles in! One last bloody hurrah for the sunny beaches as we go to paint that pristine sand crimson. That’s right, the Proving Ground’s Beachside Brawl is upon us! Break out your swimwear one more time, grab a fruity drink with seven umbrellas, and watch as some of the fighter roster’s finest slug it out in one of the most demanding tourneys cooked up! Because it’s not just a single brutal beating sending challengers home tonight, our losers will have a chance to prove themselves worthy of another shot at the dagger through a double elimination style tournament!

Headlining the first fight is the very first champion versus champion match in the history of the Proving Grounds! Freshly crowned as the first Golden Dagger champion, the well weathered Highlander showman Rothgar Gunnarsvard will be taking on the only remaining Ivory Dagger champion and the fighter with the most bouts under their belt, Bremwyda Abylnpfefwyb! Two titans of the games squaring off for the first time, bringing the weight of their titles to bear against each other is an intro match you do not want to miss!

The other half of our unfortunate souls who’ll be put through the ringer repeatedly this time around is made up by the masked Steppe warrior Kojhin Oronir and his quest for another bloody brawl, and his ‘Ghostly’ opponent Silam Kisuk who’s eager to have a rematch against the relentless force from the East. These two have clashed beautifully before, and the both of them have only had time to reflect on the ways they’d go about murdering one another more efficiently since then!

And of course, we’ll get to watch all four of these hardened veterans of the sands on a very different stage out in Eastern La Noscea, and they’ll be earning their chance to take their battered ass to task right around again to claw at another handful of glory. This one is going to be special, folks! Gather at the rear pavilion (( 36.5 , 25.5 )) in Eastern La Noscea on ((Saturday, September 7th)) at ((8 PM EST, 5 PM PST))! 

[theprovinggrounds-blog]

The growing heat of the approaching Summer months sets nearly as oppressively upon the brow as the rumblings on the Garlean borders, and opportunities to escape such thoughts grow rarer by the day. But worry not, good people of Eorzea, for distraction and relatively viewer-safe* violence among trained combatants have not faulted in the sweltering abyss! The Proving Grounds will be running it’s 24th tourney in all of the spectacle and glory it’s fans have come to expect! Come join us for one last bounty of bloodsport before our mid-year break, which is definitely unrelated to cleaning out the blood caked sand and selling it to void cultists to off-set stolen patron money!

The first matchup of the night has the thrill-seeking warrior of the Steppe Kojhin of the Oronir facing off against one of the more enigmatic new faces of the roster, Silam ‘The Ghost’ Kisuk! Both take to the arena with distinctive Eastern fighting styles, though very much different from one another. However, each were keen enough on challenging the other to set it up even before the selection ceremony, and we now reap the benefit of two souls hunting for their best possible battle!

Next we have long time fan, first time fighter Erdenechimeg of the Kha setting his excitable fists against the De’uden’s pet feral, Dagger the combative miqo’te! Even when given his pick of the litter, the man opted to challenge the near-beastman to his first venture into the sands. Will the most recent dagger winner take the next step towards championship and gnaw off the rookie’s leg in the process, or shall he find a way to quell the raging creature?

Third in the lineup is a rematch of one of the wilder Dagger matches of the Ivory Dagger era! C’novhi Tia will take sword and shield once again against the champion herself, Bremwyda Abylnpfefwyb! The literal flames of their last match up may have died that day, but the burns they left and the fire stoked in the pit of each gladiator’s heart is very much alive and smoldering in the both of them!

And last of the pre-lims we have eccentric tactics taking on more traditional fundamentals in a Highlander showdown! Rothgar’s unique take to the arena is nothing new to long-time ‘Grounds fans, but all the showmanship in the world may not be enough to get him past Katalin Hunter and her dedicated commitment to proper combat with her polearms.

Don’t find yourself left listening to others tell the tales of glory, come watch the victors claim their glory as it happens! Bring your friends, your kids, even your pets! It’s a blood sport for the whole family! This has been Pressed Ham encouraging you all to come take in the bounty of blood on ((Saturday, June 15th at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST)) in the 1st Ward of the Goblet, South of the Brimming heart! 

* The Proving Grounds, it’s Patrons, Fighters, and Staff are in no way liable as a whole for any pain, suffering, dismemberment, or death of crowd members. Viewer discretion is advised.

[aveis-the-red]

Prompt #3: Lost

( Note: This regards a certain event that is actually future dated and has yet to occur IC. ) “But your refusal to fight is offensive to both myself and your mate.” “If not for her affection towards you I'd slit your throat and leave you for dead like the worthless sham of a warrior you are."

It was just before dawn, and it was pouring. Twi was still asleep thankfully--they had both gone to bed far too late. Kojhin’s scheme weighed too heavily on both of them for different reasons. Khagatai’s sleep had been restless and unsatisfying, and so he found himself staring at the ceiling of Twi’s apartment. The twilight was sluggish to make way for the rising sun, given all the rain that had come over the Mists in the early morning hours.  Khagatai listened as the windows were pelted, trying to ignore the Oronir’s words that were ringing in his head.  There had been no winning in this situation. Not for him. If he had fought Kojhin and lost, it would have given him exactly what he wanted. If he had fought him and beaten him, Kojhin would -still- have gotten what he wanted.  A fight. That’s all he wanted. A gods-be-damned fight. 

So Khagatai had refused, and he ended up being beaten bloody. Kojhin didn’t get what he wanted, but it wasn’t a win for Khagatai. By standing up to his principles it simply gave the Oronir “proof” of what so many Xaela believed: that this Kha was weak and cowardly and would not fight for what he stood for. What Xaela refused to shed blood? What Xaela allowed himself to be wind up on the ground defeated without raising his blade to attack? What sort of man would let his mate get hurt?

Yet, if Khagatai had fought the other man regardless of a loss or win...he would have shamed himself. Giving into a manipulative ploy and letting violence win would have been a disappointment to his mother and grandfather’s memory. Then there would be the anger and guilt towards himself for not using his brain and letting his emotions get the best of him. He would have lost no matter what he did. I thought I had conquered this. I thought I was done struggling with my identity as Xaela and Kha and how we differed from others. But then why do I feel so weak? 

His hand moved to cover Twi’s and he gripped it tightly, shutting his eyes.

You told me you were proud of me, and that I’m strong. But I fear Kindoron and the others are right, Twi.  What will loving me get you? You’ve only gotten hurt by being with a Kha... The rain grew stronger.

[theprovinggrounds-blog]

The Proving Grounds XXI Promo

Citizens of Eorzea! Rejoice for the Proving Grounds have returned once again! Will we see a our first Rosewood dagger champion or will we see a new contender taking the win as we continue our search for our first champion of this brave new era! Our first fight sees the first of our dagger winners, Kindoron Tumet, facing off against the beautiful and deadly Eigengrau Hatasashi! We’ll see if beauty out does brawn or if might (and maybe a good bit of ego to boot) will take the win for the round! The next fight we see our second contender for champion and the winner of our last games, Rothgar Gunnarsvard facing the feral and furious fighter of the De’uden’s. Will we see Rothgar move on to make a run for his second dagger or will the untamed miqo’te surprise us all and make a play for his first win! After that we see our reigning queen of the sands Bremwyda Abylnpfefwyb facing off against the shining son of the sun from the Steppes, Kojhin Oronir! Will our verbose queen put the little sun in his place, or will Kojhin prove just how bright he can shine!

Finally, back from her long hiatus we have the self proclaimed sultana of the sapphire markets, Delesta Dorel, facing off against her one time patron, Arden Tide. Will the fiery redhead show the old man a thing or two about fighting on the sands or will Arden show Delesta he’s still got his own fire! We have a spectacular show laid out before us and it proves to be an exciting time for all involved! And there might just be a special surprise to keep the bloodshed going! Come join us ((Saturday, March 23th at 8 PM EDT / 5 PM PDT)) in the 1st Ward of the Goblet, South of the Brimming heart!

[theprovinggrounds-blog]

Proving Grounds XIX: Season Two

Citizens of Eorzea and beyond, rejoice as Heavensturn has passed and set the last year behind us and we can set our eyes forward to another glorious year! And what better way to properly start off a new year than with a new season of The Proving Grounds! New rules, new fighters, and of course, new gore and glory!

The next running of the games will see the last offering of an ivory dagger, a final triple dagger champion as the prize moves to a new series of blades. Only two rosewood daggers will be needed for future champions to claim their boon, and the first of these will be awarded to the tourney champion! We celebrate both the multitudes of blood already spilled upon the sands, and welcome the violent bounty of matches to come! And speaking of matches..

The very first bout of the new year will be against long time patron turned gladiator Arden Tide against the newest member of the De’uden stable, Dagger the wild miqo’te! It’s little secret that the highlander and everyone’s favorite Ishgardian nobles have been boiling over at the Grounds for months, and now they finally have a chance to settle the way it should be; on the arena floor for all to see and cheer on!

Next we have a pair of warriors of the Steppe who share a patron squaring off against one another, Kindoron of the Tumet against Kojhin of the Oronir! Perhaps the man’s looking to pick himself a favorite, or he’s just as eager to pit a couple of dangerous men against one another for the amusement of the masses. Either way we’re in for a proper treat of the special brand of violence imported from the Far East!

The third slot has another matching of au’ra men, though this time a former member of the guard Khal “The Pale Shark” Hatasashi is stepping out onto the sands to battle against the last month’s winner, the ever nimble and energetic Eigengrau of Mankhad! There’s no slouches on the guard staff to be sure, but now we’ll get to properly see if the Raen has what it takes to best one of the more accomplished Xaela on the roster!

And as a special match outside of the dagger tourney itself, we’re sending off the Ivory Daggers with one final match. The two souls who each have claim to a pair of daggers each will compete directly against one another to claim the last of their kind, the final Ivory Champion of the Proving Grounds. The former Dragoon of Ishgard and keeper of the golden waterfall of hair Garinn Armstrong and is unique split halberd will be set against the mountain of alabaster and her bloodthirsty twin-blades, Bremwyda Abylnpfefwyb in what is sure to be a brutal rematch for the height of glory!

We’re set for a night of old grudges, new rivalries, and champions! Everything the public has come to expect from the premier destination for raw bloodsport in all Eorzea! This has been Pressed Ham hoping you all make it out to join us on ((Saturday, January 26th at 8 PM EST / 5 PM PST)) in the 1st Ward of the Goblet, South of the Brimming heart!

[theprovinggrounds-blog]

Proving Grounds Proving XIX - Season II Recap

By the blessing of the Twelve, the Kami, and whatever other gods saw fit to watch, the second season of the Proving Grounds opened to a truly thunderous night of violence and passion! Long held rivalries boiled over from the patron stands into the arena, allies turned into foes settled matters in proper bloodsport, and two men tangled themselves into one writhing mass of murderous intent! And that’s not even touching on the championship settled as a life-long fued against an entire city-state! Two daggers were awarded on this emotional night, the last of the Ivory and the first of the Rosewood, ending one era of greatness while throwing open the gates to even more bountiful opportunities!

The new season started off immediately with a long awaited grudge match between Arden Tide, patron-turned-gladiator who had demanded the chance to bloody the newest member of the De’Uden roster, Dagger the feral miqo’te! One would think the wild man properly understood the heated rivalry of his backers against Arden and his wives, seeing as he didn’t even bother to wait to get introduced or have the fight called to start properly before he charged down the highlander and began an unrelenting assault. It looked for a time that the feline’s savagery would fully overwhelm his opponent, but when Arden began to give into his own instinct and rage and managed to get atop Dagger and battered his head until the miqo’te wasn’t left in any state to fight. Though a high Tide rolled in on the De’uden dreams this time out, there’s no doubt that the bad blood is far from settled.

The second match brought out both of the fighters of the rising star of the patron ranks, Kadour Astollias. Two Steppe Warriors, who had worked as a team in the last games, were pit against one another after that bitter loss. Kindoron of the Tumet, a fiery axe wielder came immediately into things throwing the blame and dishonor of their loss on his foe, Kojhin of the Oronir, who was more than ready to show his ‘friend’ the error of his ways. Passion and pride were nearly as overwhelming as the blows they raining down on one another, right along a great deal of tribal taunting, that if I’m being honest I definitely didn’t get. But they sure meant it! Though both through the very length of the entire fight brought on emotional flame that’s normally reserved for blood feuds and exotic mating rituals, it was Kindoron’s axe that got in the deciding swing, even if the Oronir he was fighting used his last breath before passing out from blood loss to fling a dagger into the other man’s shoulder.

And speaking of mating rituals, the last of the preliminary fights set between one of our hard working guards stepping up to the sands Khal Hatasachi and his unrelenting spear against the winner of last month’s games and seasoned veteran of the sands Eigengrau of Mankhad! Though through the fight blades cut deep and bones were broken between the two men, the undertones of reverberated with more sexual tension than Admiral Merlwyb doing a white glove inspection. In the end it was Hatasachi who finished with a hard slam of his spear into Eigengrau’s face, and earned himself a place in the finals!

Before moving on to the finals to give out the first rosewood dagger to herald in the new season, there was one matter left to settle from the year before. The last of the ivory daggers was up for grabs, a chance to grasp the glory, the boon, and the title of champion for themselves between the two fighters who had earned a pair of daggers each. Garinn Armstrong, longest tenured of the active fighting roster and proud son of Ishgard and one of their Dragoons took to the sands against a mountain of a woman who’s stood in almost every running of the games since she joined, and former prisoner of the man’s homeland, Bremwyda Abylnpfefwyb.

The pale titan started an unforgiving assault, both against the man himself with her blades and the whole of his city with her words. Vitriol and blood were flowing in equal measure, and though he tried to quell her with reason and his halberd both, the roe’s rage would not be contained so easily. Garinn pushed the sea wolf to the limits of consciousness while hammering away at her face, the half that ISN’T metal, but she was able snatch her victory by taking the man’s arm and snapping it in half backwards at the elbow bare handed, and started to throw her own punches until he blacked out. Before she claimed her dagger, and the boon of having an airship commissioned, Bremwyda got one last bit of revenge on Ishgard and the man symboling it; pulling off his helmet and slicing off the back of his mullet.

With a champion crowned and the prior season finally put to bed, it was on to the three-way final between Khal, Arden, and Kindoron, all seeking to be the first to hold a rosewood dagger! The insults came early and often as each of the three of them began to lay into one another, and as they found extra targets with their weapons, the hateful words swung wide into mothers and wives as well. Despite his confidence and a fine performance, Khal was the first to fall from the match under Kindoron’s assault. Arden withstood the brunt of his assault a while longer, and was able to make the xaela pay for his dagger in all the more blood for it, but in the end it was arrogant warrior of the Steppe who stood tall above both of his opponents, making good on his claims that he could battle two men and stand the victor, and now stands halfway to being the first Rosewood Champion of the Proving Grounds!

And so another running of the games has come to a close, with a new champion, new contenders, and fresh blood seeping into the sands. We invite you and your whole family to see the next games in person, hear the roar of the cheering crowds, watch the displays of athleticism, and feel the blood splash on your face if you get into the front rows! This has been Pressed Ham, and I speak for all of us at the Proving Grounds when I say we hope to see you there next time!