#toaboel2020

[vonvestra]

He's still so new to all of this: to Fodlan, to their traditions. But he can't help the bubbling sensation of excitement. ( And couldn't help but think that... Seliph and Ares would have a lot of fun with something like this, too. ) He'd snuck around to the Eagles' rear guard, targeting the one who seemed to be ordering most of the troops. With a battlecry, he breaks from the trees, training sword in hand, noonday sun glinting off ivory armor. ( leif hp: 3/3 ) ( roll: 5, hit )

The front line has moved out, Edelgard among them. From his place at the back, Hubert watches her and waits for his chance to clean up the leftovers. Pick off those who manage to escape from their battles by the skin of their teeth. A the crack of underbrush, barely audible over the din of battle, narrows his eyes and his focus shifts. Carefully honed senses pick up the presence of someone with the gall to make a rear attack and energy gathers quickly into his palm.

Leaves rustle, branches snap. A cry rends the area.

Dodge: 15, success | HP: 1/1

The shout gives the other student’s location away. Hubert pivots on his heel and steps to the left, out of the way of the falling sword (not even a real one, he realizes, but one of those made of wood from the training hall).

“Pathetic.”

Darkness grows from Leif’s shadow a split second before he hits the ground, deep purple sludge rising to snag at anything organic and pull it down into toxic mud.

Attack: 8, critical

[exalteye]

Claude's plan is simple: stay hidden in the brush and stay the hell away from the pointy end of Lucina's sword. He's left the commander's station to take a more active role in the fighting, trailing after Lucina as soon as he came across her. He quietly draws his bow, aiming low for her leg. They're not supposed to be killing anyone. Without hesitation, Claude fires. (Rolled: 2)

DODGE: ROLL 8 - FAIL ½ HP REMAINING

She’s taken up a defensive position on the battlefield, eyes flitting from person to person, lips pressed thin in concentration. She’s grown dull–glancing over the brush without a second thought, far more focused on the potential foes before her. It’s not until too late that she hears the snap of a bowstring, an arrow sailing towards her as she turns, the head piercing the flesh of her thigh. With a hiss, she broke off the shaft, tossing it to the side as she advanced on Claude.

She’d dealt with worse–even with the slight limp in her step, this wouldn’t be enough to stop her, sword ready to strike as she moved through the brush. Without warning, Lucina lunges, quick as a viper, closing the distance between them with ease.

ATTACK: ROLL 7 ( @boundlesshart )

[tobenobility]

Hubert doesn't say anything. Not at first. His crossed arms and raised chin say plenty by themselves, and he can feel the daggers from Ferdinand's eyes already. "The brilliant scion of House Aegir, bested by a nobody." He can't help the self-satisfied smirk that creeps across his lips. "And I recall a distinct lack of honor in the way you took down your first opponent as well." A caustic huff of a laugh. "It would appear that this nobility you're always going on about is only skin-deep."

To tell the truth, it actually wasn’t Hubert’s first quip that ruffled Ferdinand’s feathers, so to speak – the loss against the mage girl had stung, sure, but he had enough superiority over Hubert in this respect that taunting Ferdinand about that could only come off as laughably weak. It was the rest of what Hubert said that rose Ferdinand’s hackles… especially in public, in a crowded medical tent! Ferdinand’s mouth drew into a furious frown, and rapidly, he began to speak. At first on the defensive, “That was an accident! I had been aiming for his stomach, as a part of close combat, and he merely dodged in the wrong direction, that is all! I would never intentionally strike a man in such a dishonorable place!”, Ferdinand eventually went on the offensive, leaning towards Hubert and jabbing a finger in his direction. “Besides, am I to believe that you care about things such as nobility, or even basic honor and morality, Hubert? You, of all people? I would be surprised if you acted anything other than dishonorably in your match with Leif – but then again, perhaps it’s hard to compare us, yes? After all, you didn’t even win a single match, honorably or dishonorably.”

Once again, Ferdinand pointed aggressively at Hubert, his voice now raising. “No, Hubert… you judge things based on what you see as the most useful to Edelgard, yes? And yet you were eliminated right off the bat, weren’t you? I, meanwhile, seem to have won two battles to your none – and one of them a fair and honorable battle against the man who beat you, no less! In fact… You cannot be comparing yourself positively to me when you cannot measure up to me in either my terms or even your own, can you?” Ferdinand had a distinct sense at this moment, one he would later look back to regretfully, that he should be stopping with just that. But nettled as he was, called out, publically insulted, Ferdinand kept going. He was seeing red, and couldn’t slow down to meter himself... “You know, I got further than any of the other Fodlanians of the Black Eagles, no? If we’re measuring by usefulness to Edelgard, as you enjoy, then surely I’m the most useful of all the Black Eagles to her, above all the rest, and needless to say, miles above you!” 

[wolfhednn]

The battle has been long and harrowing, but Claude finally makes it to the central hill. He sneaks forward, hidden in the nearby brush before sneaking behind a nearby fence. The treasured ballista, a tried and true ticket to victory in this battle, is guarded by one last obstacle. Claude curses silently. Another swordsman that can easily cut him down... the gods do love their jokes, don't they?

Gritting his teeth, Claude keeps behind Felix’s peripheral vision, silently drawing his bow before he silently creeps up the wooden steps. He fires as soon as he has a clear shot of Felix’s legs. (roll 14, HP 1)

          honestly, the battle of the eagle and lion has already ruined itself for him. for such a highly anticipated day... it leaves a poor taste in his mouth — it’s said this is a treasured occasion, one to be remembered by all students who take part in it for the rest of their lives, the glory bestowed on the winning house of the year a trophy carried into class reunions for decades.

         if that’s true, then he’s had nothing to carry so far, bereft of suitable enemies and the challenge he’d come for. the fight is rounding its last bend, and from his vantage point atop the central hill, it’s easy to see the armies thinning, combatants on all sides going down one by one.

         even so, there’s a clear lead; yellow ribbons dominate the battlefield. and, by the soft creak of the ballista mound’s wooden steps behind him, one of them wants to try their luck against him.

DODGE : 18, success! ( felix’s hp : 2 / 2 )

         turning even as he leaps out of the arrow’s path, hearing it sing past, he finds none other than the house leader with bowstring drawn. the sight of him ignites something behind felix’s eyes like a forge. finally, a chance for the day to redeem itself. this should be promising.

         he moves quickly to close the distance, the flash of his wo dao a single fang in the gloaming.

ATTACK : 17, critical!

[hungrymage]

Coming over the hill he had used as cover, he spotted a student in the Golden Deer attire. Surveying his surroundings quickly so that he wouldn't be taken by surprise to his flank, he conjures up a spell of heat and flames, dancing in the air as it shot forward. [D20: rolled 17, critical hit.]

She tore a piece of bread off the roll in her hand. Battles were exciting and all, but who was the genius who decided to host a school wide event before they’d even eaten breakfast? 

That was unfair. The students had indeed eaten on their march to the field. Garreg Mach’s army rations tasted so much better than the gruel she’d been forced to eat back in Daein. Still, the apples and cheese left much to be desired. 

A bright ball of fire appears in the corner of her eye, just atop the hill to her right. Oh, right, the battle! 

[Roll: 13! Current HP: 1]

Ilyana sidesteps the roaring flames just in time. Stuffing the rest of the roll in her mouth, she opens up the tome clutched in her free hand and unleashes a thunder spell at the white haired mage. Honestly, people should know better than to interrupt a girl while she’s eating! 

[Roll: 9; hit lands!] 

[theofficersacademy]

Just as a horn announced the start of the historic Battle of the Eagle and Lion, so does a horn call for its end. Fighting throughout the field draws to its close as students feel their blood rush through their veins, their hearts pound, their limbs tremble from the difficult battles fought on this day. A few red and blue pendants still flutter in the wind...

But they dull in comparison to the cloth-of-gold banners that fly proudly against the blue sky, gleaming like coins in the early evening twilight.

  The Battle of the Eagle and Lion has officially concluded!

                                              And the winners are...

                                            The Golden Deer!

This concludes the Battle of the Eagle and Lion! You may view the winning bracket here. Thank you everyone who participated for making this successful; we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Please continue reading below for information about prizes.

— BOEL Prizes

There are two prizes for this mini-event. Please read the instructions below carefully! You do not have to message the masterlist to claim your rewards.

All event participants are awarded a free skill point. You may put this skill point wherever you choose. Please do remember to message the masterlist for any skill rank rewards if applicable.

All winning participants (students and faculty/staff supporters of the Golden Deer House) are awarded “Goddess’ Favor”. This may be added to your inventory. It does not have any mechanical effects or grant stat boosts. It is simply a bragging right and representation of your hard-won victory. Wear it with pride.

As always, let us know if you have any questions, and thank you again everyone for your participation and support!

- The House Leaders

[nobaettadr]

Ferdinand had expected to be more proud of himself for winning his first fight of the battle -- but the way his fight with Alm had closed left him feeling a bit ashamed of himself. Still, though, he wasn't exactly going to bow out of the battle for it! So, when he saw a second person, in Golden Deer colors, he pulled out an iron bow and a blunted arrow (which, though it would still *hurt*, wouldn't be killing anyone), eagerly shouted "Hello, there!" and then fired. (Roll: 8, no crit! HP: 2)

TANK BUILD : DC13, 3 HP

          if not for the greeting, he doubts he would be so fortunate. the jovial call primes him just enough to catch the whistle of an arrow from the same direction, and honed muscle memory pulls him into a roll before looking to identify his assailant or even thinking about it.

DODGE : 13, success! ( leif’s hp : 3 / 3 )

         he’s back up, sword in hand, with an exhilarated expression. eager to put the bad taste in his mouth from the dark mage behind him, he pushes powerfully off one foot into a fierce charge at his opponent cloaked in red, every bit as vehement as if this were a fight for his life, as if the wooden sword in his hand were tyrfing itself.

         ❝ may the better warrior win! ❞

ATTACK : 18, crit!

[displaced-tactician]

She ended up spotting a student immediately after Professor Sety walked off, so she quickly ducked behind the cover of the bushes again to help get a few shots off before the kid even knew what was coming- it was a little underhanded, perhaps, but so was true battle, and this was meant to be training after all, so she allowed herself it. Mozu breathed out softly, aiming true to hit Morgan dead in the shoulder. [2/2 HP, roll: 20, crit if hit!]

Morgan went into a more... self prepared area. Trees, shrubs, the works. When she was ready, she waited. Probably a little too conspicuously. But someone bought it. She saw an arrow pass her shoulder, barely nicking her jacket. From its trajectory she traced it back to some shrubs and a few trees.

[Defence Roll: 10 (Dodge)]

She noted that just above that area she had set up a heavy net with a few small logs, rocks, etc. If Morgan could release it, it might just fall on the opponent, if that’s where they were.

But how to make activating it.... inconspicuous? Morgan smiled and took a deep breath, remembering one of Prof. Hanneman’s demonstrations. His hand movements, absolutely ridiculous and wild. Maybe if she could emulate that..... she’d distract the opponent long enough to cast a Thoron at the net and have it fall on top of them, trapping and harming them.

Morgan took a deep breath and began wildly waving her arms in circular and random motions, before casting a Thoron towards the trap release.

[Attack Roll: 13 (Critial if it hits)]

After her mini-rave party and light show she turned and ran towards more traps.

She could just launch Thoron after Thoron, but where was the fun in that?

[thievingstalwart]

[Standard Build, 2 HP] Celica held no love for battle. Alas, she wished to support her friends, and so to battle she would march. She spots an 'enemy', one of the Deer, and does not hesitate to send a blast of fire his way. It would burn a bit... but she was sure he would prefer it to the sting of cold steel. (Roll: 1, Regular Hit for 1 Damage)

This battle was the perfect chance to finally get into the heat of things. Though, in Sothe’s case it ironically meant avoiding the sun. He kept to the shade and , kiding behind tree trunks and keeping his eyes peeled. With his complexion, it wasn’t going to be an easy fight, but, luckily, he was good enough at avoiding hits. 

Still Celica managed to catch him off-guard with her blast, though he had enough time to notice it and try to duck out of the way.

[Sothe rolls to Dodge: 11. Success!]

And he manages to do so. In the moments later, he figures that this meeting was probably as surprising to her as it was to him: the blast was a bit sloppy and there was no follow-up to it, just a blind attempt to hit. Well, to be frank it did hit something, specifically the leaves in the undergrowth. Hopefully this wouldn’t start a fire. Hopefully.

{Sothe rolls to Hit: 14. Crit!]

Now it was his turn. With a running start, he vanishes in the bushes, and just mere twenty or so seconds later reappears at her back, hoping to damage her casting arm. The Nohrian Dagger in hand, he hopes that the hit will make enough impact to make her spells less troublesome.

[HP: 1/1]

[gallantgautier]

Robin’s last match with Caspar was a complete disaster, but she needed to move on fast. Fortunately, in a nearby area, she spotted her next target. Not that she knew who this student was. Silently, she made her way through the forest, until she sufficiently close. Hoping to gain the element of surprise, she unsheathed her sword and went in to strike from behind. [Attack Roll. 11 Crit!]

Things... Weren’t looking good. Slowly but surely, the Lions diminish in numbers, not as much as the Eagles, from what he can see, but still much more than he would have liked.

But they’re not out yet.

One more charge, one last push, they can turn this around. Chastity carries him past a treeline as he searches for his next target. The only warning he gets is the faint sound of a blade arcing in the air behind him.

[Dodge roll: 13. Success!]

At the last second, Sylvain twists, catching the blow with his lance, a flick of his wrist, and he pushes his assailant off and away. A sneak attack huh? Can’t fault that strategy.

As Chastity puts some paces between them, he can finally see his opponent. He has no idea which house she belongs to, he’d remember a face that cute. Ah well, he’s not going to win by embarrassing her with flirting, if the ferocity of her attack is anything to go by. That’s a pity.

Only one thing for it then. Sylvain twirls his lance, blows the woman a kiss, and urges his mount into a charge. Employing the same strategy he did against Lorenz, he crouches low in the saddle, weapon held out to one side in an attempt to knock her down.

[Attack roll: 3. Regular damage if successful]

[Build: Tank. Current hp: 3/3]

[kitsuneiisms]

A new day dawns over Gronder field. With it brings a fresh eruption of chaos as new battles ring out across the grass. Refreshed, Inigo approaches this new fight with more caution than before. His new opponent stands out from the other Black Eagles. The ears and tail are hard to miss. Inigo blinks. A relative of Yarne, maybe? He raises his sword, wary of engaging now. He’d seen the carnage taguel wrought in a fight. Hit quick and get out fast then. [Attack roll: 19!]

After a long fight with Severa - and truthfully, Selkie hadn’t had that much fun in a while, to the point that she was grumpy and disappointed for the rest of the day when it had to end - Selkie found herself progressing onto the next round. A new day, a new battle - that was the motto back in the old army, wasn’t it? A fond new memory to share with Severa, especially now that they could look back on their fond moments with renewed vigor, knowing who their allies were.

Speaking of the old army…

“Oh, Laslow! Laslow, it’s great to see you -”

She stops, dead in her tracks. Right - the three of them changed their names again - or was it back? I can’t remember.

“Sorry, sorry - Inigo! Nice to see you, buddy! Hey, have you seen Severa? We fought yesterday, and it was sooooo fun! She was just as strong as I remembered from the old days - I haven’t had an even match in a while!”

Her eyes trailed down to his sword hand, and though she stops for a moment, her grin only grows wider. “So it’s our turn to fight then, huh? Just know that I won’t go easy on you - even if you were super nice to me, and gave me all the headpats I could want! That said, I’ll still take those when you lose, okay?”

[Dodge roll: 18. Miss!]

[HP: 2/2]

Selkie learned from her past fight with Severa - strapped to her back was not only her Flaming Axe, but her Shock Stick as well. For this matchup, she chose to start with the latter - yellow runes engraved along the hilt began to glow with arcane energy as her grip tightened around the hilt. Selkie chose to back away to start with - strategy can make or break a fight, Daddy always said! 

“Don’t underestimate me, okay Inigo? I may seem friendly…”

Yellow aether began to glow around both lance and wielder, energy accumulating, charging…

[Attack roll: 19! 1.5 potential damage.]

“But my bite is worse than my bark!”

Swinging one hand, outstretched, magic consumed her runes as a bolt of Thunder shot out, directly towards Inigo!

[damekingmaker-blog]

"Ah—" Forrest had been trying to do his best to stick to healing, but one way or another, he had ended up against Nanna. He paused to look over her, particularly at the wing in her hair. "That's such a darling hair accessory!" After a smile, Forrest sighed. "My apologies that our first meeting must be like this... but I do insist you tell me more about it afterwards." Brandishing his iron gauntlets, Forrest rushed in ready to punch, though not as quickly as he would like. (Roll: 7 *Hit!*)

HP: 2

The Blue Lions has no need of subpar healers. Nanna carves her place on the battlefield itself, sword in hand rather than a staff. She must forge a path for her classmates to take the center hill and command the ballista. One volunteer Alliance soldier is sent to the ground, and Nanna raises her sword to confront the next one. A familiar face greets her–his name is a mystery, but his looks are captivating even in the heat of battle.

What is this, a compliment on the battlefield? For a moment Nanna is caught off guard, but her instincts return to her when the Alliance student rushes towards her with those wicked gauntlets. 

Roll: 16, dodge!

Quick on her feet, Nanna sidesteps out of the way. “Most certainly!” She quips with a grin as she raises her sword.

Roll: 4, regular attack!

[boundlesshart]

[ Standard, 2 HP ] Celica returns to Gronder Field with a new sense of purpose. Her actions in the last battle had been an accident; a momentary loss of control. She just needed to learn from them, continue on, and give her all for her fallen comrades. The princess spots Lord Claude, and though she regretted meeting him under such circumstances, a battle was a battle—he needed to be dealt with. Celica charges him with blade in hand, striking at his arm once she was in range. (Roll: 5, 1 Damage)

Once Claude returns to the battlefield, the fighting begins to pick up again. He keeps to the wooded areas for cover–as far as he knows, there aren’t any other Golden Deer students in this part of the battlefield. A House Leader with half of Edelgard’s strength and a third of Dimitri’s constitution is easy pickings for an enemy soldier.

Roll: 19, dodge! HP 1/1

Case in point. The rustling brush is all the warning Claude needs to move out of the way of an attacker. He quickly pulls out his bow and an arrow from his quiver, drawing and aiming for his attacker–

“Celica!” Claude quickly looks down at her hands–they hold a blade, not magic. Good. “I heard that you’re the reason why there’s a little fire raging in another sector. Count Bergliez won’t be pleased, I’m sure.” A nice girl like Celica should be easily clouded by guilt, hopefully more prone to hesitation. Another glance at her hands. He can’t take any chances. “Go easy on me, ok? I got a lungful of smoke on my way here, so I’m not in peak condition.” He fires an arrow at her hands before he finishes his sentence, hoping to catch her off guard.

Roll: 5, regular hit

[tobenobility]

[Tank build — 3 HP] A brief twirl of his sword. He watches, and though he tells himself to wait, he cannot. Alm pushes off the balls of his feet and sprints towards Lord Ferdinand. He pushes off the ground again, sword raised over his head and a battle cry echoing through the air. He aims to end this battle in one swing. [Alm rolls to attack. 20. Critical success!]

Ferdinand’s attention was brought to Alm by the battle cry incoming – and once he saw the foreign king sprinting at him with ferocity in his eyes, Ferdinand grinned and pulled out the iron sword that he was himself using in this tournament (although it was wrapped – he was not exactly looking to take somebody’s head off). A sword deserved a sword, especially when it was such an opponent as Alm, King of Valentia. “A match of gentlemen!” crowed Ferdinand, and that’s when Alm came wheeling in with a brutal swing.

Dodge Roll: 15! Dodge!

Ferdinand was likely not the swordsman that Alm was, but he wasn’t a neophyte either, and he maneuvered the sword into a parry, tilting it so that the powerful blow eventually slipped away from him. And, of course, he took the opportunity to speak. “I am glad to get the opportunity to spar against you, Alm! Truly, you are one of the most worthy opponents that I could have hoped to get! This will be a veritable match of titans, yes?” And then Ferdinand actually did riposte with a thrust, since he wasn’t just here to talk, as much as he liked to.

Attack Roll: 8, no crit!

Ferdinand’s HP: 2/2!

[wolfhednn]

          ❝ they must be joking. ❞ the battle of the eagle and lion was intended to test his strength, not waste it idling on the sidelines like an invalid. others hungered for the victory of their house or strove for personal recognition; he simply wanted to sink his teeth into a worthy opponent.

          an aggravated flip of the blade in his hand returns it to its scabbard, sharp metallic of like resonance to the steel in his growl.

                                                            ❝ this is ridiculous. ❞

[hungrymage]

Ferdinand strode through the forest, his spirits buoyed into the stratosphere this time around. He was undefeated! Now he had another opponent to find... and in this case, it was a purple-haired mage, who... appeared to lunching. He hesitated and then, loudly... "Aha! A Golden Deer! She had better be careful! I am coming! I, a Black Eagle, to fight her!" After a pause, "Also, I am now shooting an arrow at her!" After a couple of seconds, a blunt arrow did come her way. Attack roll: 6, no crit!

No opponents had dropped in front of her in over an hour. So naturally, she assumed the battle was over. And this tree provided such nice cover from the sunlight! Not that she had much to feast upon at the moment. The bread and jerky she’d packed are a far cry from the typical fare she usually enjoyed. 

She thought that in coming to this academy, she would have left army rations behind. 

Oh. Her pouch was…empty? Ugh, perhaps she should head back to the Golden Deer camp–

A man’s voice broke through her repast. The battle was still going?!?! Who narrated their attacks? 

[Dodge roll: 18] 

Not hard to avoid an attack that was explicitly forwarned. She abandoned her empty snack pouch and ducked. The arrow sailed overhead, landing harmlessly in the grass. Ilyana stood, thunder forming in the air above Ferdinand. 

“You talk too much.” 

[Attack roll: 9!]