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 Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 5:53 pm
So. Breathing. That was hard. That was what Yin realized when he woke up, and then quickly realized that he was outside of the cave and some horsemen were standing a ways away. He really did not have the energy to get up so he just stayed where he was, focused on breathing. Listening to the ragged gasps and not sure that they really came from him. He heard Alexander emerge and worked to push himself up, relying on his arms to keep him upright, coughing a bit as the zomboil neared. "I think I fell asleep," he confessed. "Congratulations on making it through to the end." What he was desperately trying not to think about was that for the third time in relatively short period of time he had been gassed until he could not do anything anymore. It was not a good thing to focus on. "I believe it would," he paused for a moment to regain his breath, "be beneficial if I rested here for a minute." He paused to look up at Alexander curiously. Totally not catching his breath again. "Will you stay with me?" Once he had recovered in the fresh air they could be on their way, hopefully to something a bit less physically strenuous. Weapon CraftingWhile the Horsemen of War can summon their Clan weapon to them at any point, many take pride in mastering a variety of mundane weaponry as well, both combat and manufacture - no sense in limiting oneself to only one mode of battle, after all! Even 'decorative' weapons bear a brutal edge. The Crafters' Den is a sheltered platform halfway up a massive pine, with all the materials one might want, other than metal. The head Crafter, a sharp-eyed older Horsewoman, carefully watches all students under her care to ensure a.) nothing goes missing and b.) nobody gets stupid. "You can have enough to make one knife," she grumbles. "And don't waste it, either!" Can you impress her with your craftsmanship? ... Probably not. But it's worth a try. Phase One: Weapon Creation Create a weapon of War and test its mettle. If your craftsmanship is good, you may be victorious and gain the head Crafter's favor. For a minute or two, anyway. In your first post, roll 3d4 to determine what your knife is made of, how well it is made, and how it is decorated.First Dice: Material - 1: Wood (+1 point) - 2: Seashell (+2 points) - 3: Bone (+3 points) - 4: Stone (think flint or obsidian; +4 points) Second Dice: Craftsmanship - 1: You're in a bit of a hurry, so... (Shoddy: +1 point) - 2: You throw something together. It looks kinda close? (Mediocre: +2 points) - 3: You spend a bit of time on it, and come up with something okay. (Acceptable: +3 points) - 4: You throw yourself into your work with passion, paying close attention to detail! (Awesome: +4 points) Third Dice: Artistry - 1: It's a knife. Does it really matter if it's pretty or not? (Ugly: +1 point) - 2: You wrap the hilt in leather. Good enough. (Decent: +2 points) - 3: You wrap the hilt in leather and add a feather. Pretty! (Shiny: +3 points) - 4: You wrap the hilt in leather and add stylish strands of beads and feathering. That is one cool knife. (Stylish: +4 points) Roleplay out your knife's creation! At the end of your post, put the specifics of your knife's creation (i.e. Shoddy Stylish Wood Knife) along with the total score (the total of your dice roll).Phase Two: Weapon Testing In the Clan of War, there is no such thing as a decorative blade! Even weapons destined to hang on the walls of huts are finished to battle-ready quality. You must test your knife and prove its worth, attacking the simple leathery mannequin kept in the Den for that purpose. Take your knife's point score from the creation post. This is your knife's HP. You must now do battle until your knife breaks! The number of posts your knife survives determines the number of points you get. To Do Battle:Roll 2d4 in each post. The first dice indicates the number of damage your knife does to the test target (for RP flavor!). The second dice indicates the amount of damage your knife takes from the attack. Battle ends when your knife shatters. Aw. (And yes, this means you can't take it with you. Sorry!) Point Distribution [ Horsemen Points Distribution: ] (Select only one option based on your results) You win one point if: You finish your knife (with filled-out RP) and last one or two rounds of testing. You win two points if: You finish your knife (with filled-out RP) and last three or four rounds of testing. You win three points if: You finish your knife (with filled-out RP) and last over five rounds of testing.
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NeoSeussi rolled 3 4-sided dice:
1, 2, 1
Total: 4 (3-12)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:43 pm
Alex's eyes widened in surprise. Yin had..actually fallen asleep? Like the gas had made him pass out? The shock that came along with that new information quickly turned to a feeling of complete and utter shame. He had lost Yin in the smaller tunnels, and as a result, the other boil had gotten lost and had succumbed to the toxic gas. Now Yin was struggling to breathe, and Alex couldn't help but feel more then partially responsible for his current situation. And of course, Yin had to keep talking, which he probably shouldn't be doing.
"Shhhh." Alex attempted to hush the other boil, "Just breathe, okay? Relax, and breathe slowly. Just concentrate on that. I'm not going to leave." Oh jack how he wanted to reach out and hold Yin's hand at that moment, but with all of the horsemen standing around and watching, he just didn't think it was allowed. So instead, he gave the weremantis the most reassuring smile that he could.
"Yes, we'll find something else to do, as soon as you're feeling ready. Something less strenuous." He nodded along with the smiling, his fingers twitching from the need he felt to reach out, to be able to touch Yin, to comfort him even though it would probably do the exact opposite.
But he behaved himself, and he sat and waited, and when Yin's breathing had returned to normal and the other boil seemed like he was fit and ready to go, they departed together, on a search for something else to do that wouldn't leave one or both of them physically impaired.
When they came upon a training area for weapon crafting, Alex looked thoughtful for a moment, before turning towards it. He assumed Yin would follow, but who really knew. Weapons weren't really the weremantis's thing but the aspect of them still interested Alex, and he wouldn't have minded trying to learn how to actually make one. The Crafter's Den appeared to be somewhere up in a massive pine tree, so they had some climbing to do to get there. Once up on the platform, Alex eyed the materials curiously, and only taking the materials he thought he might need when the horsemen said it was okay to do so.
Then, finding a place to sit, he began attempting to put together his knife.
It was not as easy as it looked, and Alex's fingers felt inadaquate and clumsy as he attempted to forge his knife out of the piece of wood he had grabbed. It didn't look much like the one on display, but it wasn't completely different either. All and all, however, it was really quite...ugly.
Yes, Alex had created some kind of knife monstrosity, that wasn't even fit to peel a rotten apple. But he was still somehow proud of his creation, given it was his first time trying something like this. He glanced over towards Yin to see how the other boil was doing, and could immediately see that his looked much nicer, and more properly made. Well...in this case, maybe the weapons reflected the person who made them. Alex wasn't exactly very well put together either, and Yin was much nicer looking...or at least, that's how he felt anyways.
"Ready to test it out?" He asked, though he sounded fairly unsure on whether his was going to even last one round.
((Alex has a mediocre, ugly, wood knife! It's total score is 4))
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ramenli rolled 3 4-sided dice:
1, 4, 3
Total: 8 (3-12)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 9:48 pm
Yin relaxed, simply enjoying sitting in the company of his zomboil. Or perhaps it was the clean air that he appreciated. He could feel his body working to fight the poison, to get the purple cloud out of his lung and before long he was ready to go, standing and stretching before falling into agonizingly slow step next to Alexander.
Weapons making? Really? With an inward sigh he followed Alexander, deciding that perhaps there was something to be learned. And indeed, if they were making knives...well knives could be utilized for tools as well. Alexander was taking wood to work on his knife, so he took that material and a bit of leather as well when the sight of it reminded him of a certain cowboil. His hand was drawn to a feather almost before he knew it and he took that with him as he went to go work on his knife.
Though he had picked the flimsiest material he was determined to work it to its advantage. He carefully carved the wood, working with the grain of it and making sure that the blade was sound. He was about to use his claws to carve bits of detail that others may not have been able to incorporate. When he was finally, finally satisfied with his blade he wrapped the hilt with the leather and secured the feather to the end. It was a personal flair, and a bit ridiculous really, but it would do.
"Yes, I believe it will be good to test these," he agreed as he stood, eyeing the mannequin that seemed to be there for such a purpose.
Great Mantis he had an Awesome Shiny Wood Knife. Score = 8
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NeoSeussi rolled 2 4-sided dice:
3, 1
Total: 4 (2-8)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:08 pm
Well, Yin had agreed, so Alex thought he aught to get them started off. He hadn't really expected that his knife would even do well against the leather mannquin he was facing off against, but he slashed forward with the knife anyways, finding himself pleasantly surprised when the knife actually did more damage then he had expected.
Apparently the knife was like him in more ways then one! Appearances could often be deceiving, after all.
He stepped back away from the mannequin, inspecting the little damage that had been done to his knife in the process, but also allowing Yin a turn to step in and use his knife as well.
damage: 3
kinfe hp: 3/4
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ramenli rolled 2 4-sided dice:
2, 2
Total: 4 (2-8)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:10 pm
Yin allowed the zomboil to attack first, just like how he let him go through doors first. The knife felt clumsy in his hand as he moved forward to attack, and as the mannequin stopped his blow he could not be certain which had done more damage. Really, the tough hide of the mannequin had held up rather well.
He stepped back now, examining his knife much as Alexander was doing. There were scratches along the edge, but it seemed to be holding up.
Knife HP: 6/8
Damage:: 2
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NeoSeussi rolled 2 4-sided dice:
3, 4
Total: 7 (2-8)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:12 pm
Yin was taking a step back, so Alex went forward once more, attempting to stab at the mannequin this time rather then slash. The result was both pleasing and disappointing. It was pleasing in the fact that he managed to bury the knife nearly up to the hilt in the leather of the mannequin, which might have actually been more surprising then anything else the more he thought about it. It was quite disappointing when he tried to wrench the knife loose and it instead broke in half.
Making a face at the wooden hilt of knife still in his hand, Alex backed away, sitting down on the floor again in about the same place he had to actually create the knife to begin with, and waiting to see how well Yin's knife held up as he continued his mock attack.
Damage: 3
Knife HP: 0/4
Made it to round two: 1 horsemen point!
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ramenli rolled 2 4-sided dice:
3, 4
Total: 7 (2-8)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:13 pm
It was unfortunate that Alexander's knife had broken as it had, though Yin was also curious about stabbing the dummy. This time he rushed it again, slashing at the mannequin.
The odd force caused a quite audible crack when it hit and he winced slightly as he brought it up to examine. Yes, the wood had been severely damaged. but it was still in one piece, and he was going to keep attacking until it was in pieces.
Knife HP: 2/8
Damage: 3
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ramenli rolled 2 4-sided dice:
4, 1
Total: 5 (2-8)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:14 pm
Alexander's plan, to stab the mannequin, certainly seemed appealing. So he attacked, bringing the knife in to shove between where its ribs would be. It slid in easily, buried deeply and comfortably.
He withdrew it easily enough. Still holding together, if barely. He could still attack.
Knife HP: 1/8
Damage: 4
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ramenli rolled 2 4-sided dice:
3, 4
Total: 7 (2-8)
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Posted: Wed Apr 04, 2012 10:15 pm
He tried another slash, but at a different angle. He could feel his grip on the weapon and it was strong as he slammed it into the mannequin.
Almost too strong. The damage shattered the fragile wood and he was rewarded with several long splinters. More annoyed than injured he removed them, picking up the bits of wood that were large enough to clean them up. The leather and feather could possibly be reused, so he would return those before leaving.
"Shall we?" he asked Alexander when he was finished, they could certainly train more, but for now they deserved a break.
Knife HP: -3/8
Damage: 3
Survived to round 4, +2 Horsemen points
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:18 pm
Quote: The Stadium:There is a small stadium for young War Horsemen set up away from the larger training fields, several circles set out for pairs to spar against each other in. A rather rugged looking female stands, dark skinned, light haired, covered in scars and warpaint, her hair unevenly cut in the back to a short length and ridiculously long and braided in the front, wrapped around itself, several feathers tucked into both it and the dark stained fabric, bones from several different types of creatures weaved into jewelry she wears, her wings colored like a golden eagle. On one arm, she has several slashes of paint – what looks like hundreds, trailing down it. After staring too long she finally speaks up:
“There is one for each battle I have won.” She said simply, shifting the pole she held to her other hand before turning to show her other arm, which is spotted with paint of a different color – and much more numerous. “I have one for each battle I have lost as well. To become a true warrior, you must climb your way to the top from the very bottom, and the best place to start is practicing against those who may just be better than you.” She explained, before motioning to one of the circles and an individual that was practicing on their own.
“Go join them.” She says, “If you think you’re ready. If you win, you will be paired up with the winner of another spar. So on, and so forth. After five victories, a break will be allowed for the day.” She says, the only explanation she gives as she hands off a small staff.Mechanics There are 5 roundsRoll 2d8 each post First post is how hard you hit Second post is how hard the opponent hit You want to roll higher than your NPC opponent. If you roll a tie roll a tiebreaker between them (same as the above) Please fill in each of your posts with a small summary of how your spar went! It could be more than one hit, despite having only rolled one! Have fun with it! Horsemen Points Distribution [ Horsemen Points Distribution: ] (Select only one option based on your results) You win one point if you get to rounds 1 or 2! You win two points if you get to round 3, 4 or 5! You win all three points if you get to round 6 or higher! Alex had watched Yin as he continued to strike at the dummy, over and over again, his knife doing much more damage then Alex's had done. Instead of being upset or disappointed in himself, however, he just felt a sense of pride, seeing his boilfriend doing so well at something he probably didn't even enjoy doing. When he had finished, with the shattering of his knife, Alex pushed himself back up to his feet and wandered over, looking concerned at the splinters that Yin was pulling out of his hand. "Here, let me..." He started, and then stopped, glancing over his shoulder to the somewhat grumpy horsemen still in the room, glaring at them like they should just hurry up and leave already. If that one lone watcher hadn't been there, Alex might have taken Yin's hand in his own and used his fear to heal any small cuts or wounds the splinters may have caused. As it was, Yin had managed to pull them all out anyways, so he let it go, as much as he didn't want to. He nodded in response to Yin, following the other boil out and down the ladder once more until they were back on the forest floor. They seemed to have a mutual agreement, without even speaking, that they would start heading back the way they had come. When they started to pass the sparring grounds, however, Alex glanced towards it, frowning in thought. "I...Kind of want to try again." His loss earlier had not been enjoyable, and since then he just couldn't stop thinking about how nice it would have been if he could have been able to win. And he knew Yin could do better as well, they both could. "Do you think maybe we could..." He asked, turning to look down at Yin with a hopeful look as his voice trailed off. Yes, Alex actually wanted to spar. He wanted to do something physical even though it was something he usually despised. Yin should have died from shock on the spot.
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ramenli rolled 2 8-sided dice:
8, 2
Total: 10 (2-16)
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:31 pm
Alexander...Alexander desired to spar?
Yin's eyes lit up, flashing with youthful energy. "You truly desire to? You are not simply saying that?" He was finally, finally getting through to the zomboil.
All training.
All the time.
So he traipsed off to the training area and then to the closest circle.
This time it was a boil that entered his training circle. Yin could not help it. He grinned. A razor-tooth smile that just seemed to convey every thought that he had about the matter. In other words, you are mine.
And that was pretty much how the spar went. His enemy got a few pathetic swipes in, but Yin knew precisely what to do to control the spar. Light slaps were accented with harsher punches. To keep the boil on his toes he added in kicks and stomps, their circle a flurry of blows. It was clear early on who the victor was, but the fight was allowed to continue until he had the other boil face down, knee pressed to his back.
He stood and helped him to his feet before bowing, glancing over to see how Alexander's spar was faring.
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NeoSeussi rolled 2 8-sided dice:
7, 7
Total: 14 (2-16)
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:33 pm
Alexander couldn't help but grin down at the other boil. He was just so happy! And over Alex actually suggesting trying out the sparring grounds one more time. It was kind of amazing, really, how that one simple thing could bring so much joy to the weremantis's face. It actually almost inspired Alex to want to do this type of thing more often.
Sort of like how he tried to shower more often because of Yin as well. And made more of an effort not to be a complete slob (though his dorm room was the obvious exception to this rule).
Following along behind the other boil at a much slower pace, he found his own circle to face off against somebody in. His opponent?
The same ghoul from before.
She was smirking at him, because she already knew she could beat him, and quite easily. Well, Alex wasn't having any of that this time. He was going to put up a better fight, if he could!
Blow after blow was exchanged, and Alex actually managed to hold his own, blocking and ducking punches and getting in some good hits of his own that were returned in kind.
It seemed that this time they were more evenly matched, but he could see that she was frowning in concentration.
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NeoSeussi rolled 2 8-sided dice:
2, 6
Total: 8 (2-16)
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:34 pm
And then it was like she finally stopped holding back.
Her fists came flying at him faster, her feet swiping at him to try and knock him off of his feet. He couldn't keep up with her, his own movements becoming more slow and sluggish as the spar continued on.
He couldn't keep up. It was over. He fell down in defeat.
Round 1- 1 point
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ramenli rolled 2 8-sided dice:
7, 8
Total: 15 (2-16)
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2012 8:34 pm
Yin's eyes swept to the zomboil's spar, noting that so far he seemed to be holding his own. He actually seemed to have some form this time, and Yin could not help but feel a surge of pride when he saw him like that.
But it was time for his next battle. This was a ghoul, but he was not going to act the same as earlier. This was a ghoul, yes, but this was a spar. He bowed to her and slipped into a battle ready position.
The fight lasted a rather long time. They seemed evenly matched, but it was interesting to him. Every time she flared out her wings he tried to think of how that might be useful, watched as she used them to do simple things. Keep her balance, jump just a bit higher. Aiding her. But when push came to shove he was still holding back slightly and she caught him with a well-aimed kick that knocked him out of the ring. Defeated. He bowed to her and returned to Alexander. There was no shame in how that fight had ended.
Round 2, +1 Horsemen point!
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NeoSeussi rolled 2 8-sided dice:
8, 2
Total: 10 (2-16)
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2012 12:11 am
((gonna do one for fun and not points))
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