DEATHMATCH

"DEATHMAAAAAAAAATCH!"
...screamed Nemean, her voice amplified to horrific, near-deafening levels. Her voice rang throughout Orion, reverberating, echoing, the announcement cascading off the Cliffs and resounding through the mouths of even the distant exit tunnels.

Following the sound would bring one to the Forum. The first thing one might notice was the distant heavy metal music thudding and clanging loudly, like falling pots and pans. Then the strong, warm scent of popcorn on the air. And as one drew closer, the full glory of the scene would greet the eyes: the snap and shiver of the massive, hanging banners--violet, with electric green (and glowing!) sigils on them in some unknown text; the small golems patrolling the stands; Nedies with his cart waiting along the worn stone benches. The sand of the pit floor was combed and clean: ready for blood to be spilled! The Collector already sat on a bench, munching popcorn from a striped box, waving idly at anyone who arrived.

"COME ON, FIGHTERS! COME ON, MEDICS!" Nemean shouted, just audible over the scream and thump of music. "GET DOWN BACKSTAGE--COME ON, COME ON--IT'S TIME FOR DEATHMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATCH! TO FUCKIN' START!"

"Backstage" was a secret, hidden room: a huge, dark space beneath the far end of the arena, a stone door from one side (now open) leading to the interior. Strung lights illuminated the darkness, and food and water was already waiting within--fresh meats, whole kills, piles of fruit. Nemean zipped in and out, updating the new arrivals. "NAME? GOT IT! Wait until you're called, then the other door opens and you come running out, all dramatic. Give everyone a show! Remember: NO MAGIC, and we fight TO THE DEATH!" At one end of the dim room, a golem stared at Nemean, its pink apron ruffling in the breeze. Nemean rolled her eyes. "FINE, OR surrender," she said, and huffed.

Tiny hands clapped sharply. "GET READY! We start in TEN! YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

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DEATHMATCH! is about to begin! Participants may (but do not need to) post their arrivals into this thread. Specific matchups will be posted here, with tags. Fight threads should be posted as new threads, then GM-tagged, and the titles should be "[DEATHMATCH] Fighter 1 x Fighter 2" for easy reference!

Fighters may arrive backstage and partake of food, drink and make any preparations. New Fighters may turn up within one week real time, but if opponents can't be found, they may be left out... very sad. EACH FIGHTER will be INTRODUCED however they introduced themselves to Nemean, possibly with a silly title tacked on, and are each expected to make a grand entrance from the back room into the arena before their fight!

Medics may also set up below, or in the stands above if preferred.

Audience members may settle themselves in the stands above, and help themselves to any of Nedies' food: popcorn, corn dogs, hot pretzels, sweet fizzy drinks, meat-on-a-stick, cotton candy, and hard liquor. Audience members are free to enter any fight thread to participate IC. Audience may also interfere however they like, but use of magic to disrupt a fight may result in a character's ejection from further participation. Feel free to throw food, garbage, rocks, fabulous bananas, and other items, though! In fact, if you don't, you're a TERRIBLE member of the audience. WRECK SHIT!!!


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ROUND 1
Twisted vs Erebos > Fight Link - Winner: Erebos
Pratap vs V-Labradorite-One > Fight Link - Winner: V-Labradorite-One
Terror vs Ultraviolet > Fight Link - Winner: Terror
Edric vs Catawampus > Fight Link - Winner: Catawampus
Firenze vs Merrow > Fight Link - Winner: Firenze (withdrawn)
Morganoth vs Sabor > Fight Link - Winner: Morganoth
The Sentinel vs Nemesis > Fight Link - Winner: The Sentinel
Agate Two-Three-Six vs Abaddon > Fight Link - Winner: Agate Two-Three-Six
Faceless vs Hunter > Fight Link - Winner: Hunter
Maximus vs Melinoe > Fight Link - Winner: Maximus (withdrawn)
Porkchop vs Vicktor > Fight Link - Winner: Vicktor (withdrawn)
V-Selenite-One vs Aspen > Fight Link - Winner: V-Selenite-One
Khavur vs Pollen > Fight Link - Winner: Pollen
Balder vs Aurelia > Fight Link - Winner: Aurelia (withdrawn)
Baokrish vs Mattheiu > Fight Link - Winner: Baokrish
Draconua vs Alrik > Fight Link - Winner: Draconua
Charon vs Kalama > Fight Link - Winner: Kalama
Effluvium vs Creosote > Fight Link - Winner: Creosote
Huma vs Wolfsbane > Fight Link - Winner: Wolfsbane
Galleon vs One > Fight Link - Winner: Galleon

ROUND 2

V-Labradorite-One vs Agate Two-Three-Six > Fight Link - Winner: V-Labradorite-One
Wolfsbane vs Erebos
Creosote vs Draconua > Fight Link - Winner: Draconua
Kalama vs Hunter > Fight Link - Winner: Hunter
Morganoth vs Pollen > Fight Link - Winner: Morganoth (withdrawn)
Galleon vs V-Selenite-One > Fight Link - Winner: Galleon
Catawampus vs The Sentinel > Fight Link - Winner: The Sentinel
Vakornol vs Baokrish > Fight Link

ROUND 3 - FINALS

Draconua vs Galleon > Fight Link - Winner: Draconua (withdrawn)
V-Labradorite-One vs Hunter > Fight Link - Winner: Hunter
The Sentinel vs Vakornol > Fight Link - Winner: The Sentinel

FINAL BATTLE

Hunter vs The Sentinel > Fight Link - CHAMPION:

DEATHMATCH!
(... OOC INFORMATION!)

Welcome to Deathmatch!!! Below you can find information on Scoring, IC Rules, Judging, Mechanics, Deaths, Rewards, Achievements, Brackets, and more!

Scoring

• Matches are maximum five rounds long.
• Age bonuses will be capped at +5.
• ONLY successful (barely+) attacks will be tallied into the score.

IC Rules

1. No magic is allowed. (If characters attempt to use 'invisible' magic, the NPCs may have detection rolled for them; it's possible to slip it past them! -but a failure to do so will result in elimination.) This includes the audience; those throwing magic into the ring will likely be ejected (unless it's really funny). Enchanted items are allowed.
2. The fights continue until death (see Deaths below), chrysalis, or surrender. (OOC, if characters have not hit this point by the end of Round 5, this will be solved on a case-by-case basis; some may be decided by the judges, or players may decide who surrenders, or a sixth "sudden death" round may be introduced with a deadly hazard, etc.)

Judging Winners

• Fights end early upon KO, submission, chrysalis, or death. In these cases, the match will go to the last combatant standing, and they will be declared a victor, with the other by forfeit. All participants will be awarded 50 magicka, win or lose, regardless of fight length.
• If no serious damage has been inflicted by rounds 4 or 5, arena hazards may be introduced to determine a winner.
• GM-played NPCs and characters will serve as fight judges. If there's a situation where there's no clear winner, or where the numerical winner should not win the fight, they will also serve as OOC mediators.
• In cases where the numerical winner is judged the IC loser (ex. by forfeit or early defeat), the IC winner will be considered the victor for purposes of progression and Activity Logs.
• The last man standing will be considered the Deathmatch winner, and first place. The loser of the final match will be considered Second place, and the losers of the two finalist rounds will be pitted against one another to draw Third.

Other Details

• The Audience members may choose at any time to roll to introduce hazards by way of throwing objects into the ring and so forth. In these cases, the GM may request for double-posts by fighters to address these (these will be clarified on a case-by-case basis).
• Arena hazards may also be introduced at other times, depending on how Nemean's feeling right then.
• In the event that a combatant doesn't turn up, or for odd numbers, Vakornol may step in as an opponent.
• This is an elimination-style tournament. Pairings are random.
• Players should commit to posting every three days to keep the event timely. If a character is not posted in a fight thread for two weeks, they will be disqualified. If a player takes over one week to post in a fight thread three times, that character will be disqualified. (Players will be checked with to ensure there aren't mitigating real life circumstances first!)

Deaths

Character Death will not be forced. However, it's welcomed, and characters dying in DEATHMATCH! will receive an additional achievement for their horribly Deceased account. That being said, characters may aim IC to bring about the deaths of their opponents! This can be solved by simply having the victim enter a chrysalis, to be dragged away, if the player doesn't want that character to die. (In the case of deaths, the dead body and gemstone will go to the winner of the fight!)

Rewards and Achievements

All participants (including audience and medics) will receive a DEATHMATCH! attendance achievement. All COMBAT participants will receive a special, unique Technique.

First, second and third place will be given additional rewards as follows (first and second place winners may choose additional second or third place rewards instead if preferred):

1. First place will be invited to Draco to be forced into a chrysalis beneath the Black Spire and reformed. The character will receive a free Mutation Slot they can design as they see fit, and will awaken fully Corrupted. (First place winners can also turn this down, and choose instead a duplicate of second or third place prizes.)

2. An immediate Corruption-themed mutation with features like spines, extra eyes, acidic/toxic glowing blood/eyes/mucus membranes, and ram's horns. (Players may design these and get them approved by GM.)

3. A GM-designed Valkhound's Oilstone to revive.

@Kalama @Baokrish (Pollen, Erebos) @Nemesis (Merrow, Agate Two-Three-Six, Hunter, Ultraviolet) @Edric (Aspen, Porkchop, Faceless) @Terror @Twisted (Matthieu) @Abaddon (The Sentinel) @Khavur (Balder, Pratap, Alrik, Catawampus) @Maximus (Charon, Morganoth) @Vicktor (Firenze, Sabor, Aurelia) @V-Labradorite-One (Melinoe) @Draconua (V-Selenite-One)

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas came in early.

Technically, he should have been trying to kill Nemean, but for some reason--some unknown reason--he was mostly pretending like nothing at all was wrong. He offered small and humorous remarks to her and to Vakornol--and to Draconua, an urging to 'when Nemean tells you to, just destroy!' followed by hearty laughter.

So anyway, here he was, stealing the Collector's popcorn with a "grin" and wandering off with it in hand, before returning with a second and taking a seat close by. He offered the new one out, at least, having wholly ignored Algol's palms-up baffled look of utter betrayal. After settling on the worn stone, he looked over the snapping, Chaos-hued banners, the pristine-swept dust of the arena, and the competitors as they at last began to shuffle in.

"I've urged some of mine to come," he called out, to Nemean; "we will see what happens!" and then, more quietly, to the Collector--"they will destroy any comers."

Massive jaws tipped back, and a salty wad of popcorn was tossed down the Leviathan's gullet.

Maximus, surprisingly, was one of the first to come. One might assume they were there as a medic, but they had something much more ambitious in mind.

They approached Vargas like an introvert would the only friend at a party, holding several corn dogs in one had and the largest cloud of cotton candy they'd managed to get. They seemed pleased with themselves, and in a much better mood than usual.

They lingered for just a moment, wondering if they could talk to Vargas (with a much better mindset than before), their eyes flicking up and down before they shoved some cotton candy into their mouth and gathered up their courage.

"Master Vargas!", they said, possibly a bit too loud and boisterous, "Erm... I'm guessing you won't be participating, but I'm... I'm going to join. And I am going to try my best to win."

Cocky? Maybe, but they were certainly feeling a little cocky. They had their spear, their new arm plates, and they'd been trained by Vargas himself! With all their training in Pegasus they were fit, too, with hard muscle made apparent under soft fur and skin. Their scars hadn't yet grown fur over them (if they ever would), but they thought they were cool, so whatever.

With newfound enthusiasm they puffed up their chest, their heart fluttering, "I politely request that you cheer for me."

And with that they shoved another hunk of cotton candy in their mouth, their fists clenched around their fists in excitement. If a few of the delicate popsicle sticks broke in their hands, then that was just more to show for their enthusiasm. Having a clear head did wonders.

Vanyel had the absolutely wonderful idea to put a few shots of whatever magical liquid (bourbon, he'd called it) into one of his soft drinks. Now he could get smashed and satisfy his sweet tooth.

As he sipped his drink he held a hot pretzel in the other hand and popcorn under one armpit, having gotten both a meal and a snack for the festivities.

”This is simply divine,” he said, taking a bite out of his pretzel and groaning, ”My dear Barnabus, you must try this.”

He looked over to his companion and offered his pretzel, sipping his soft drink idly as he looked over everyone currently here. A giant, kind of ugly monster with glowing green eyes, the Collector (ugh), Nemean herself, and plenty of others here to watch the blood bath.

Definitely a fantastic place for a date.

Vanyel had dressed his best that day. Tight leather pants, a shirt woven from silk hair plants, and of course a soft fur jacket overtop it all with a fluffy collar. His hair was braided beautifully with a long braid down his back, only two small strands of hair falling in front of his ears. Various beads decorated his locks, and clipped to his ears were various pieces of jewelry meant to accent his handsome face and sharp jaw. He looked... handsome.

All for his dear Barney, of course.

And for later, a bag on his back held quite a few overripe fruits fit for throwing.

@Barnabus

Porkchop didn't know what was going on! But there was a lot of yelling and noise, which seemed like his thing, AND he smelled food, which was DEFINITELY his thing!

He took the stairs 'backstage' three or four at a time, nosing through Nedies' collection of fair foods with pure and unadulterated delight. The piglet was only half-listening to Nemean's dramatic yelling; most of his energy was focused on amassing a dragon's hoard of pretzels and meats-on-sticks and casting suspicious glances at anyone who came too close. He did glean something about... fighting? Sure! He could do that! He'd fight EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM (holy shit was that the purple nose-flicker okay maybe not him--and he liked Maximus but he didn't think they'd try to take his food--) for these treats!

"PORKCHOP!" he announced enthusiastically as Nemean asked for his name. Then, less loudly (as he was now snarfing down several skewers of meat while doing his best not to get poked): "mmmfff'll CHOMP mfmf fmeefEIR ffmfPORK!"

Much like Porkchop, Faceless was mostly here for the food. Those mouthwatering scents--! It didn't understand any of the yelling, of course, but it saw that others were disappearing into the hole where the food-smells came from, and that the fairy-thing seemed fine with it, so off it went to follow everyone else's lead.

If its eyes could widen, they definitely would have at the sight of all the foods ripe for the taking. It almost couldn't believe what it was seeing, if that piglet over there wasn't making obnoxiously loud chewing sounds. Faceless didn't even feel disgusted; it was too happy.

Taking a quick glance around the concessions selection, Faceless snagged a mantis-armful of meats-on-sticks. They were small skewers, but it could only eat small amounts of food at a time anyway. The size of its stomach was horrifically mismatched with the number of mouths and teeth it had, and its neverending appetite.

Nemean's words were met with confusion, as it met all other words from people who didn't speak its odd alternative language. (Read: everyone else in the caves.) It had mostly kept to itself, and hadn't picked up enough language to understand. It did like the food, though, so it made a little shrugging gesture at the fairy and returned to nibbling on its meat skewers.

He had arrived alongside a few others, his veins pumping he was practically moving and grooving with some pep in his step. Sabor was more than excited to get this event started. Granted he felt perhaps the name Deathmatch was a little too much- he certainly had no intentions of killing his opponent. But he understood that that was totally well within the rules and well it was all about the theme and grandeur of this event!

Though he certainly hoped he wouldn't be the cause of another gembounds end. But he did hope to win perhaps a match or two. Now Sabor hadn't seen nor heard who his opponent would be, and if he did catch their name well...he had never heard of them before. Though to be fair he often kept himself in fairly remote areas of the caves, protecting his sibling and best friend who still slept within their chrysalis from one of the many sleeps that swept through the caves.

He would do his best to win and improve himself, for her. He would be the best protector out there if he could manage. Though- signing up for a deathmatch might not have been the best way to go about it. Regardless he gave his name to Nemean with a bow in greeting and his desired title. He was excited to start his round whenever it came.

"Sabor, the Golden Protector. Thank you"

Barnabus trailed alongside vanyel, effectively and happily being the taller man's arm candy, arm hooked into his if he'd allow it.

he hummed happily, taking the pretzel and feeding it into a mouth on his neck. "thank you, vanyel, how kind~" he cooed.

Barnabus hadn't really had another outfit, but he made sure to clean up effectively, not even mentioning the makeshift crystal jewelry. he basically looked as good as he usually did, which was in his opinion, very.

he also agreed Vanyel was quite handsome, if the fact when he'd first seen him all fancied up he'd legitimately lost his words says anything about his opinion. surveying the crowd, he huffed.

"such an... interesting crowd..." he said, glancing awkwardly at the pig currently scarfing down skewers. he shrugged his shoulders, sticking close to vanyel.

@Vanyel

"When I speak"
When I think

Vanyel was screwed. If it wasn't obvious before, the way he stared at Barnabus with his soft eyes, happily walking along with their arms linked together. His tail swung behind him happily as he watched the other try the pretzel, sighing happily.

”Mm, yes, interesting,” he said, too busy respectfully oogling his boyfriend (were they boyfriends?) to pay attention to much else.

He lead them to sit down and pressed himself into Barney's side, pretending to stretch in order to wrap an arm around the other's shoulders.

”If I'm honest,” he said, setting his drink and popcorn down to fiddle with Barnabus' shirt collar, as it had become rumpled when he set his shoulder around the other, ”I think I'm having a bit of tunnel vision. You look delightful.”

Maybe he ought to see where he could find a nice suit too, then they could match!

@Barnabus

He strode in slowly, halberd in hand, and piled in behind the others.

He was wordless, unlike Maximus--who requested that Vargas cheer for it. The Sentinel glanced at it askance, but thought nothing further of it. If he were pitted against it, he would do his best, but he held no emotional opinion either way.

The Sentinel was here to be tested. It was his goal to gain the rank of Proven, but he would need to do very well to manage that.

For now, he trailed down with the rest, into the hidden room; there, he drank a little bit of water, and then settled himself in to wait. He took stock of the other fighters, trying as best he could to note apparent strengths and weaknesses, so that he wouldn't have to stop and gauge them should he meet them in battle.

Would it help?

...He would see.