Round 2: Cooler Heads Prevail II (Darth Ophidia vs Abraxas vs Darth Mudrac)

[Darth Pyrrhus]

Location: Frozen cave, Hoth​

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[member="Darth Ophidia"] vs [member="Abraxas"] vs [member="Darth Mudrac"]​

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The remotely placed ice block that was Hoth was far from One Sith control. Now? The desolate world became the playground for one of the Sith's tournaments. It had been intended to serve as an arena for the first round of the tournament, though that fight had sadly been terminated before it began. The frozen cave demanded blood, and so, it was being brought back for Round 2.

The harsh conditions of the cold planet of glaciers and snowy wastes made it a tempting location. The three Sith Knights would find that more than merely their opponent threatened to take them down, should they lower their guard. The place seemed devoid of life, ensuring that the three Sith would remain uninterrupted for the duration of their little quarrel.

The duel itself would take place far below the surface, yet the location was no less unforgiving. Each combatant would find themselves inside of a box. The space was not for the claustrophobic, and it was completely dark inside, with no vision of the outside. At least it was moderately heated. They were left in isolation, before thrust into the frozen cave, ready or not. Neither had been informed where they were going beforehand. Without warning, one of the box's walls fell down, making the first cool introduction with their surroundings. Ahead of both, there'd be a tunnel complex, but it was a short one, and ultimately they all led to the same place.

At the end of the tunnel, there was a large, open cave. The cave was a mess of ice, rocks and icicles. It was an uneven surface for the most part, with rocks serving as minor hills and sharp distractions. Most of the flat areas were covered in ice, a result of two separate bodies of water that had frozen solid. And so, the stage was set. Three Knights had been dropped into the cave. Which one would walk out victorious?

Of course, given the nature of this particular duel, it would seem too kind to allow the opportunity to kick back and relax in the tunnel. So the tunnel had been set to collapse on itself, leaving only one way out: out into the open.

OOC Info

Spoiler

Official rules are here

Spoiler

OOC thread is here
For Round 2 we're adding a time-restriction rule. You will have 48 hours to respond to your duel's last post. If you miss this you will receive a warning and a reminder to post from your judge. You will be permitted two warnings. Should it occur again it will result in disqualification.
The posting order is fixed and will be set based on the order in which you post to this duel. Respect the posting order.
Have fun!

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Locked in a tight little box. Lucky for Ophidia, she was quite slender and flexible. While she quite disliked the confined space, she had come to wait like a beast in chains. Even before the box fell apart, she could feel that their surroundings were certainly cold. However, she was unaware of just how cold it was. In her right hand she held the hilt of her lightsabre. Her fingers caressed the metal cylinder affectionately. On her left wrist, she had the hidden blade of the Assassins. Unless one knew what to look for, it would appear as only a leathery bracer. To avoid drawing attention to her left hand, she had fixed a similar bracer to her right, but without the deadly attachment. Seeing as the bracers could hardly stop a vibroblade -even less so a lightsabre- they would not count as armour.

As the box opened, she felt the true magnitude of the cold that surrounded her. Shivers went through her body as she wrapped her arms around herself tightly. She made a sharp inhale of the cold air, giving the sensation of glass carving its way through her nose and lungs. Exhaling slowly, she gained control of her shivering and climbed out of the box to survey her surroundings. A small cavern way of ice, she could not see the end of it. It was dark, was it night or simply far underground? In any case, she did not want to play the waiting game. The cold was as much a danger as her opponent(s), and time was not her friend.

Taking a first step through the pathway, her force-presence dissipated to complete insignificance. The Rattataki assassin moved slowly, hardly a sound escaping her as she stepped carefully through the cave. If she could avoid detection, then perhaps she would gain the upper hand.

[member="Abraxas"], [member="Nulgath Zardai"], [member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Assimilus]

So this is what it felt like to be in a tomb.... Tight spaces were something Nulgath was subject too in one of his past lives but nevertheless he did not take joy in them. Opening the door of the box gently Nulgath raised both brows as a chilling wind nipped his face. " I see.." he muttered to himself and pushed the door open more so he could get out. His black baggy robes shifted as the cold breeze blew by. On his belt a simple shoto-saber and that was all. The Force was his greatest weapon and ally nothing else. It was best to prepare for combat, after all almost zero information was known about the area or his opponents, But he could assume the lesser was Csilla or Hoth.

Taking necessity in mind first Nulgath minimized his Force presence as he exhaled some, watching his breath fall like a mist the Epicanthix grinned slightly. Extending his hand toward the ground he began to focus on the mists of cold. Slowly it began to swirl about his person getting thicker and expanding. Till it looked like he was a icy dust devil of sorts, It was a form of cover he enjoyed using now and then. Was it perfect? No. After all Nulgath was infact wearing Black Robes and if examined closely one would be able to see a man in the swirling mists.

And so the Epicanthix began to explore the icy caverns, following the path that seemed to stick out the most. This was were he was meant to go. He could feel it in his gut.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Abraxas"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

He waited. Confined to a small space in total darkness with nothing else but his thoughts and the howling cold outside. His eyes concentrated and witnessed abnormalities akin to a mentality thoroughly lost within the spans of war and abuse. The abuse being a never-ending torrent of combat stimuli coursing through his most visible veins which were bulging through his flesh. Sickly was the skin, even more grotesque was the creature that was nestled within like a cocoon of disturbed fantasies and moral-less reality. Arbaxas looked up and forward through the darkness almost as if he could see through it, his gaze penetrating the very walls of this enclosed isolation. He stepped forward and crudely kicked open the door with his unnatural strength, witnessing the endless white that beset his ember eyes. The harsh winds consumed him like the maw of a beast as he walked on, the pure white of the ice and snow emphasizing his malformed mass of muscle and scarred skin.

The Butcher-King's genetic spawn did nothing to conceal himself in the Force, for he wanted to be found. As he stepped forward, the cold did nothing to him. His body already numbed and hardened, he felt something similar to being eager for a bloody challenge deep within his chest. Upon what seemed like aimless wandering, Abraxas found himself entering what appeared to be a cavern of sorts. He stopped.

Anticipation clung to him like a beggar pleading for credits, and he knew well to think that he wasn't alone. Continuing, he unsheathed his blade from his backside. A harness being the only thing on his body besides pants and greaves. The hiss of the great-sword against the scabbard echoed throughout the caverns themselves. Should anyone be near, they would know.

Abraxas carried on, ready for blood.

[member="Nulgath Zardai"]
[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Reaching the mouth of her cave-path, Darth Ophidia halted. She could feel the two others. One was certainly not hiding, rather he was telegraphing his arrival. The other was telegraphing less, but she could none the less feel his presence. When placing an Assassin between two brutes, it should be quite simple to predict her first thought: Let them fight each other. Perhaps she would, or perhaps they would expect such basic tactics and thwart her plan. Either way, she stuck to the shadows, her presence shrunken and her feet falling softly on the icy ground. Rather than stay where she was, she slipped into the larger cave and plastered herself up against one of the rocks. Her fingers clenched around the grip of her sabre while she observed.

In the moment, she cared less about the cold. Perhaps it was simply her idle state that had opened her to the sensation? Sure, it was still cold, but she would have to endure either way, why should it take a portion of her concentration? She did not allow it. The Rattataki needed all her mental faculties focused on the fight ahead.

[member="Abraxas"] [member="Darth Timorous"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

The smell of life was nearby. The scent of blood that coursed through veins was a giveaway to predator such as Abraxas. He took the time to look around, trying to pinpoint the origin of this vague beacon that called to him. His sword dragged against the icy ground of the cavern to cause more tension. He wanted to make a mental impression on his opponent(s) first before outright striking them. He wanted them to be afraid. The creation slowly paced himself onward inside the maw, keeping said blade dragging behind him. The cold was naught, and the acoustics of such a place did well to carry out Abraxas' message. Stuck with his own thoughts for now, he could feel his blade whisper to him.

It wanted to be fed, and he would fulfill its lust. There was a wreckage of twisted reality within this creature's mind, and science was to blame.

The continuous scraping of metal on ice would resonate throughout the cave, a ping to draw out those hiding.

Scrape... scrape... scrape...

[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Darth Mudrac"]
[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Assimilus]

The swirling mists made the Nulgath appear to travel faster than normal but this was an illusion. Getting closer a horrible noise came to his ear, a scraping against the ice that was extremely degrading on his nerves. The sound waves and very frequencies made him grit his teeth in anger. Looking at the end of his path Nulgath began to walk faster into the larger area, this was the battlefield here. Summoning a howling breeze down his tunnel to give the swirling mists around him more feel Nulgath paced toward the battle field of ice and frozen stone. Those watching would only see a medium sized icy wind devil make its way into the arena as if it was a product of nature.

Was he the first to arrive? He could not tell but perhaps it was time to see. Moving to his left in the swirling mists he commanded a single Doppelganger of himself to leave the small storm and active his Shoto saber as if he was ready for the challenge to come. The Doppelganger was perfect none would be able to tell that his was an illusion of the mind, because it wasn't one. The Doppelganger was more a projection of Nulgaths will. The puppet moved into the center of the Icy arena. The goal was to spring a trap and counter with deadly precision and that he would do.

Carefully the puppet master walked in the storm watching and waiting to see what would happen, while the scraping of metal and ice continued to grow louder.

[member="Abraxas"]
[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The scraping noise was rather irritating, but Ophidia did not let it distract her from her way. She was trained for this, to remain focused even when the alarms are blaring and the hounds are sniffing. It was part of what made her a Sith Assassin, and not just some simple hired killer. if anything, her presence shrunk further, as if she was holding her breath and sucking in her gut to allow a sensor to pass. She was a shadow on the ice and a winter's mist, the cracking of ice and the creeping frost.

Winds begun to howl down one of the corridors that led into the room, and with it came the sensation of their third fighter. One corner of Ophidia's mouth curled up in a brief smile. Perhaps this would be her chance for a clean strike. If one attacked the other, then perhaps her chance would present itself. The beast wanted to feed, and the demon in the wind walked in for a buffet. Anything other than a confrontation would be inevitable. Still, would they perhaps temporarily team up to search for the third party? Did they even know she existed, or were they too busy with each-other so far? It was impossible for her to know, she simply had to apply her skill to the best of her ability, and her ability was not something to take lightly when it came to the art of stealth.

[member="Darth Mudrac"]
[member="Abraxas"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

Things were beginning to irritate Abraxas as his search through the Force was growing quite narrow - but then something else arrived, an unnatural rush of wind and icy chill lightly kissing against the man of grotesque muscular physique. Blood vessels and veins pulsated with heavy corruption as he turned towards the source of the anomaly. Silent was the monstrosity as his permanent scowl was unshaken by the sudden happening of the wind, his gaze now fixated on the corridor it came from. His shoulders began to rise and fall more quickly with each breath as the Dark Side grew within him; his patience was that of a hair trigger by now. The creation picked up his great-sword and slammed it a couple times against the icy stone before himself, signaling whatever or whoever was present to show themselves.

As if that wasn't enough, the creature of flesh and cybernetics opened its horrid maw to unleash a soul-shattering scream that would fill the spacious room he waited in along with being carried down each corridor. His teeth blackened with corruption, and his pale and gaunt face seemed devoid of all manners of having a soul or even an ounce of humanity. The disgusting appearance of dark purple veins littered Abraxas' scalp as his anger and harbored wrath needed an outlet - a release. He needed to kill.

That was when he saw a figure finally approach. And he stared.

Abraxas read the man that stood a ways from him and understood that something was... off. The creation, using his left hand, unleashed a torrent of energy through the Force - an enhanced push made to do more than just knock someone over, rather, a method of probing for a response. With as brutish and close-quarters as Abraxas was, he wasn't a lumbering idiot that figured everything could be solved by hitting it. That would be a grave misunderstanding.


[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Darth Mudrac"]
[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Assimilus]

A challenger had arrived which only left one more to arrive. [member="Abraxas"] was very looking like a juggernaut of sorts and even sported a metal blade. Observing the brooding figure while in the swirling mists Nulgath smirked slightly as the man beat the ice with his weapon and then himself like a warrior would do. Two of challengers were here but the Epicanthix had the feeling there was one more hidden about. It his paranoia and intuition both he trusted equally and relied on.

While theorizing a plan of attack Nulgath considered the fact that this could all be a trap and whoever was caught off guard could struck down by this ghostly third challenger. It was only a theory at the moment but none of the less it was something Nulgath was considering doing later on. Great minds often did think alike and if he was planning this then the later was too. Suddenly lighting crackled and the Epicanthixs Doppelganger flew into an icy wall mimicking Nulgaths own scream of pain. This was interesting and yet also a spring for the trap. Purple eyes glew as the Doppelganger got up almost at a inhuman rate charred and mutated slightly by the lighting attack. The Doppelganger began to charge his hands with Light as if preparing for a massive energy attack, A ball of light formed and slowly grew but this was the flashy distraction.

In the mists Nulgath smirked and slowly concerted on the ground. Their was a slight rumble but only due to Light surging from beneath the ice, Large torrents of Light began to explode up from the ground toward [member="Abraxas"] suggesting a overly skilled user of Force Lighting was present. The distracting illusion of the attacked man would fade in the chaos leaving only confusion.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

The clanging of an abused weapon and the ear-splitting scream of a creature who only desired bloodshed rang through the icy cave-structures. Such tactics might have worked on unbloodied acolytes and undisciplined troops. For Darth Ophidia, it simply underlined the character of her opponent. It was, however, not a character she would underestimate. Caught in the open, he could become quite the hazard. All the hours she had spent on honing her stealth alongside her bladework, Abraxas had most likely devoted to the beautiful art of hurting things efficiently and with great effect.

A blast of crackling lightning, a scream, the fight had begun. Excellent. She would not interject yet. They had to be thoroughly locked in combat before she took her chance. As they were now, they could just as easily break off from each other and double up on her. That was something she would not risk, not yet anyhow. Rumbling? Light was cast about the room. Certainly there were some powerful techniques about to be thrown about. Two open fighters then? A juggernaut, and a what? One with a focus in the Force? It sounded like something right out of a holofiction.

Her fingers tightened and loosened around the hilt of her sabre as she waited, watched, sensed, and hid. She could almost feel the metal cylinder in her hand itch as it longed for action. It would taste blood, she would make sure of that. Patience.

[member="Abraxas"] [member="Darth Mudrac"] [member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

Things were already taking a turn for the most interesting. The ground before Abraxas had erupted into a rather strange spectacle of flashing lights that seemed to have a personality all on their own as they burst from the ground upward towards the creation; acting fast, Abraxas dashed to the right side to avoid the path of the advancing maneuver that the monstrosity had never witnessed before in all his times and trials of combat against Force Users. The sight of the false image of the opponent was a wise and clever strategy, but it was all for naught by now. The flashy display only furthered the wrath and anger the monstrosity held within, but there was no doubt this man had skill.

Abraxas focused on the ceiling above [member="Darth Mudrac"], visibly causing a disturbance within the ice as it cracked and groaned, ready to crumble and collapse on top of what the creation could only assume to be a sorcerer of types. Through the Force, he could tell he was Sith and that they belonged to the same kindred of political background and interest, but that meant little to nothing here. This was do or die, and now was the time to act. Finally, Abraxas could feel the icy wall begin to give in as he watched it slowly displace itself and detach from the ceiling, but who knew what such a trickster had in mind next.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Assimilus]

Watching the brute [member="Abraxas"] dash out of the way Nulgath smiled as he commanded the swirling mists around him to settle and be no more on the icy floor. Quickly the mist settles and slowly spread at their feet masking the ground they stood on. " Impressive.." he commented to [member="Abraxas"] as he let his hands rest as his sides. Finally the illusionist was out of hiding and there was no longer a need to hide his presence anymore. Letting go his his concealment and exhaling the Epicanthix blinked hard as his rather sinister aura came to life.

Unsettling was its best description and it shrouded Darth Mudrac as a whole. Almost immediately after doing so the icy ceiling began to shake and crack. Glancing up Nulgath began to side backwards some, it was not enough to dodge the attack but rather re-position himself for a better angle. The arena he shared was not just a battleground but also a weapon if he so willed it, With a specialty in force attacks Nulgath was very confident that he could out due this Juggernaut before him.

And so a single hand extended above his head, the force was commanded to shield Nulgath from the shards of ice that fell. Majority of the ice shattered as they bounced off the invisible shielding around Nulgath but some did not and remained floating by Nulgaths person. Extending both hands out Darth Mudrac smirked some. " Your better off attacking me head on, Brute. Such a telegraphed attack will not work against me!" he snapped and suddenly shocked the ice shards by him with force lightning. The energy crackled and surged all about the shards of ice as Nulgath raised the cluster above his head with the force. " Humor me..." he muttered and hurled the charged ice shards down toward [member="Abraxas"] with a sinister chuckle. The lightning strike to the shards of ice were not for cosmetic purposes, these shards were essentially lightning charged bombs ready to explode on contact with anything. With any luck this element would catch his opponent off guard.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Her opponents appeared to be locked in combat, and while the time was not perfect, she could only wait for so long. Darth Ophidia had to begin her preparations. Closing her eyes, she took control of light and bent it out of her way, effectively removing herself from visibility. This was an ability she had spent much time practising, seeing how vital it was to the success of her most delicate missions. By taking careful steps to ensure she could hide both her visual appearance and her presence, she hoped to be able to land a vital strike on her opponents. It was a tiring combination of abilities, be she could maintain it.

In the rumble of cracking and falling ice, she stood up and stepped carefully out from her hiding. The sabre she had formerly held so tightly was now in a firm, but relaxed grip. Her thumb resting near the activation button, but not pressing down on it. She did not need the blade to be activated just yet. As she now got a more clear view of the battlefield, she stepped carefully to her right. Through the careful training she had put into the art of stealth, she was able to move with relative quickness without making distinguishable sound. Especially when the crackling of lightning and smashing of ice filled the room with distracting sounds. To prevent footprints, she avoided the snow and kept her feet on ice and stone. It delayed her, but she had only one shot at this as she sneaked closer and closer to [member="Darth Mudrac"]'s back.

[member="Abraxas"]
[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]

 

[Darth Eversor]

Hoping the cascading chunks of ice would be the end of the rather irritating sorcerer, it would appear that he had other intentions. A protective bubble enveloped the cowardly prey from harm and only further added on to the disappointment with stereotypical retort. Amused? Abraxas wasn't. The comments the man spewed were either originated from confidence or the unknown; uncertainty was one hell of a thing, and it sometimes prompted people to do things they might never do because of an almost instinctual urge telling them not to, sadly, this Sith did not have that instinct. Instead he decided to use what remnants there were around the area as weapons to spite the creation. But it didn't stop there, the obviously seasoned practitioner of the Force dazzled the shards in what could be summed up to be little else than a opening performance for some dark and dank club blasting music. To put it bluntly, the man was more a walking show of wonders than a threat to Abraxas; however, the bark had yet to be matched by whatever bite lay in wait.

Bracing himself, Abraxas stabbed his blade into the thick icy sheet underneath his feet and countered a good few of the mystical, bedazzled shards by deflecting them back towards the caster. A couple of the chunks managed to bypass this maneuver however and struck the beast in the chest and upper leg. The discharge attached to the ice caused Abraxas to convulse slightly as blackened, corrupted blood oozed out of his wounds.

The beast simply looked to the sorcerer, grabbing his blade by the hilt and pulling it free. "Now it is your turn to humor me."

Abraxas began walking forwards in a casual yet intimidating manner. Blade at the ready.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]
[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]
[member="Darth Mudrac"]

 

[Darth Assimilus]

With the realization that his own attack had been deflected back at him the Epicanthixs expression grew serious as he knew the charged shards of ice could do some damage if any of them came in contact with him or the area around him. Crouching and suddenly leaping to right with force enhanced speed Nulgaths eyes followed the crystal shards heading towards his last location. A location that held a specific sneaky individual that had and still to this moment escaped Nulgaths awareness ( [member="Darth Ophidia"] ). Watching the charged ice shards fall and explode with lightning one by one Nulgath took in a deep breath of the frigid air.

" Tell me Brute, What is the opposite of a Lesson?" He sneered. Grabbing his Shoto saber in a under hand grip Nulgath took a rigid stance with the short saber as if the weapon was a combat knife of sorts. It was a style of his own and was not to be undermined as weak, there was alot of deception about it. Stepping toward [member="Abraxas"] from the side Darth Mudrac chuckled as he commanded the mist on the ground to stir once more and rise in the room. Soon the vision in the room was smoggy at best.

The maniacal laughter of the Sith sorceror echoed as his figure was eaten by the mists in the room. Nulgath quickly began to travel toward the unphased brute from head on. From behind a force Projection of Nulgath suddenly was conjured. The red shoto saber ignited from behind [member="Abraxas"] to throw him off guard, the projection was similar to before and could b harmed but it would not attack back and do damage. This was useful solely because it gave the illusion that Darth Mudrac could some how teleport.

The true Nulgath carefully began to move in toward his prey,saber not activated unlike the projection. With the hope the Brute would take the bait perhaps Nulgath could get a decent strike on the monsters lower leg area. Only time could tell.

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Just as Darth Ophidia was about to ignite her lightsabre, she felt the Force screaming within her. Danger was approaching. Her eyes widened as she saw [member="Darth Mudrac"] jump to the side to avoid the coming cluster of electrified ice-chunks. Warned by her danger-sense as she was, she was able to jump aside into a forward roll and avoid the brunt of the blast. However, she felt the blast knock the wind out of her, electricity burn the skin of her back, and shards of ice pierce the back of her robes. The wounds were superficial, but in combination they hurt. Not to mention: Her Force Cloak was gone.

Quick as she was, the Rattataki Assassin got to a knee stance while holding her still deactivated lightsabre. Her pale eyes surveyed the battlefield to establish the new positions of her opponents. She may have been brought into the light, but she was still a force to be reckoned with. Fortunately, a new cover was arising as fog spread throughout the room. The only problem was: She could not see particularly well in the fog. She cursed herself for not having pursued Force Sight previously, but took the chance to once more shrink her presence into nothingness as she moved in a circle to outflank [member="Abraxas"]. Unless, of course, the Brute had decided she was more choice prey.

[member="Darth Pyrrhus"]