[D1, Early Evening] It's Time to Duel (Wampus Dorm Basement)

[Flession]

Every year, as a welcome to all the other classes, the Wampus House throws a small get together to celebrate the new year by showing off their skills, as well as to 'stretch their muscles' as it were from being away from proper magical useage for the summer. As such, they offer a friendly competition between the other houses in the guise of a informal tournament.

Refreshments are to be provided.

Rules:

Students pick another student to duel with and attempt to defeat a student. You may pick from any random student in the crowd willing to participate and attempt to duel them. With the exception of Healing, choose a appropriate combat skill and fight against a student skill level of the following skill levels:

The "I'm Just Here for the Free Snacks" Kid: Easy Difficulty (1 dice)
The "Just Want to Show My Stuff" Kid: Average Difficulty (2 Dice)
The "Do You Even Duel, Bro?" Kid: Hard (3 Dice)
Melissa Darling , Vice-Leader of the Dueling Club: Daunting (4 Dice)

"I Am Not Left Handed"
The student can attempt to show off their prowess in their dueling skills by adding a little bit of a flair to the experience by upgrading any amount of challenge dice (up to the difficulty itself). Any number of successes obtained by this will add a multiplier to the score by the number of challenge dice used. If a Despair is rolled, you do something so speculatively stupid while showing off, you end up causing a scene and embarrassing your House and will lose House Points for your respective House, the amount of which will be determined by the roll itself. You can, however, still win the competition.

Victory Conditions:
Defeating these challenges will score you either 1, 2, 3, or 4 points, depending on which student you defeated, with any multiplier added on as needed. In the case of a tie, the winner will be determined by the number of triumphs they rolled, followed by the number of successes, and then finally the number of advantages rolled.

Reward:
The student who wins the competition will receive 50 House Points for their House, granted by Violet Lockhart who is watching over the competition. In addition, the student who wins will be considered to have their popularity considered to be 1 higher when dealing with anyone in the Wampus House. This effect will last until the end of the Christmas holiday, as one cannot expect the attention span of a teen to remember such things after winter break. In addition, House Points will be rewarded for any creative displays along the way, as determined by Violet Lockhart.

[Arlington Wayne]

"Alright, sure. I'll give it a try. How about you? Let's have some fun."

Arlington took out his wand and began to draw a simple hex. He had barely completed the initial motion, before an unseen force stung his hand and knock his wand aside.

"Ow...." He shook his hand and put his wand away. "Thanks for the match. Good luck on the next. I'm going to get a drink, and some ice."

It went as expected, so he was neither surprised nor overly disappointed. But, it did make it clear that he'd need to study harder this year.

- - -
[D1, After School] It's Time to Duel (Wampus Dorm Basement), Jinxes and Hexes, Daunting, Unskilled: 3eA+4eD 0 successes, 1 threat

0 points

[Layla Smith]

Layla had found herself being nudged forward in the crowd, against her will, until she found herself in the duelling circle.

Oh god, I really didn't want to do this...

"Um...ok...you" she pointed at someone randomly, and heard a few chuckles from the crowd as a confident boy stepped up.

"Don't worry, I'll make this quick" the boy said as he took up his stance.

Layla took hers on the other side...and the duel began with Layla almost beating the student leader of the duelling club in one expertly placed curse. The boy spent a large part of the duel on the defensive, and had Layla known the duelling style better there was no doubts she would have won. However, in a moment of inexperience, she left herself open to being disarmed.

"Ow...thank you for the duel" she rubbed her hand.

"Guess they do train 'em well in Hogwarts. Good duel" the boy smiled, allowing Layla to collect her wand and leave to a chorus of approval for a damn good duel.

Maybe I'll be ok here... she thought to herself with a smile.

(Ooc:
D1 AS Wampus duelly event. 4 difficulty option. Curse/wp: 2eP+2eA+4eD 0 successes, 3 threat, 1 Triumph

[Cian]

A flair for the dramatic was, as always, Cian's downfall. They could see it in his approach, the form, the confidence but when it came down to it there was something more there that could only be seen in the glint of his eye. Unfortunately, in this encounter, this glint proved disastrous for his ability to succeed in the challenge he place himself up against.

Losing the duel, he flicked his head to the side and shrugged it off. Scoffing to himself.

Day 1, After School | John Mallory Duel: Jinx/Hex, Cunning [Gotta get fancy, gotta prove his stuff]: 2eP+2eA+2eC+2eD 2 failures, 1 threat, 1 Triumph


[Triumph for ?]

[Faith Cassidy]

"Healing is sort of my thing, but I'll try." Faith said with a small shrug. She liked the idea of dueling, she found it sort of fascinating, but she certainly wasn't as competitive as a lot of the other students. She hopped up onto the piste set up for the duel looking if anything like she may be rethinking her choice to go up there in the first place. Everyone else was dueling John Mallory, it was apparently the thing to do, so that was what she went with. After all, if she messed up royally, at least she lost to someone who was really, really good at it, instead of making a fool of herself against a student that had no idea what they were doing and creating the worst show of magic ever seen in Ilvermorny.

As the two squared off, John looked her up and down for a moment and shifted his feet slightly, holding his wand balanced carefully in his hand, arm across his body and down low in front of his left hip. Faith paused for just a moment as she raised her own wand. Something about it seemed a bit familiar, especially as he started moving. She moved her arm up in a sweep, flicking it down in a firm motion just as the shimmering spiral of blue got to her, a pale yellow sweep following along the trace of her wand and contacting what he had sent her way, diverting it down to the side.

They went like this for a bit, Faith having little chance to actually get a hit in because he was used to being on the offensive and clearly skilled; however her recognition of the many things throwing her way meant that he was making no real headway. She could feel her heart pounding, and both were getting a bit weary of this stalemate before Faith finally saw an opening. Again parrying something coming her way she riposted and finally got through, John's wand spinning out of his hand a little ways behind him.

Faith grinned, though mostly relieved that it was over, exclaiming "That was so much fun!" and hopping over to make sure John was okay and giving him a quick hug. All in all, it turned out pretty good.

(OOC:
D1, After School Big Duel Energy (Ag/CC): 2eP+1eA+4eD 2 successes, 3 threat

[Jerric Mason]

Jay Knew John, quite well in fact seeing as how Jay was a member of the dueling club and had practiced with John on many occasions. Jay was confident in his abilities but he also knew that John was a great duelist and Jay had no intention of letting his ego get the better of him. He squared off against the other student and watched him closely for a moment.

John made his first attack simple disarm Jay quickly brushed it aside with a flick again and again they circled each other John throwing jinxes and curses and flicking his wand this way and that. Sending magic flying off in various directions.

Then suddenly he saw it, there it was, his opening. John had left himself open just barely and Jay took advantage. He dashed in quick blocking one more curse. That caused John to panic and throw out two more spells one Jay dodged easily but the other caught him and his foot swelled up enough for him to lose his balance and then his wand went flying from his hand.

Jay smiled to John as the other student helped him to his feet "yup still a bit rusty but I'm sure I'll get you next time!"

D1 time to duel! Event boost from duelist upgrade from talent agi/cc daunting: 2eP+2eA+1eB+4eD 1 failure, 1 advantage

[Grace Wilkinson]

"Hey John! Hope summer was fine for you." Grace started off with a greeting, before brandishing her wand. "Let's see if you got rusty over all that relaxation." She pointed her wand, and was ready to throw a spell at her opponent.

"Locomotor Mort-ah!" before she could finish, her wand flew out from her hand. She sighed. "Well, it seems I should stick to transfiguration and potions then." She bowed gracefully, before picking up her wand from the floor.

OOC:
D1 Dueling, Curses/Willpower, John Mallory, Daunting: 3eA+4eD 1 failure, 1 threat

[Fitz Crowinshield]

Fitz was not a duelist. He made no bones about the fact, mostly shrugging his shoulders about the idea. But this little event was a yearly tradition, and you stood out if you didn't go. So, with a sigh, he took the stage, finding someone who looked similarly eager for this to be over.

Well, better try to make this memorable.

As wands were drawn, Fitz took a moment to fling a small cheap glass vial into the air, bringing his wand to bear on it. The plan had been to hit the vial with a curse, setting off an impressive and forboding bit of flames, crackling with electricity...mostly useless, but cool looking as the curse disabled his opponent without doing any real harm. And, to be fair, it look cool.

Just when his opponent hit it instead, and Fitz found his wand flying out of his hand.

"Well, good show.
He offers a quick bow and moves to get off the stage as soon as possible.

It's Time to Duel: Willpower (Curse), 2 difficulty, upgraded twice for showing off): 1eP+2eA+2eC 1 failure, 3 advantage


[Advantage for popularity boost?]

[Uru Miskwa'a]

Uru wasn't much for fighting, but she was for having fun. So while she wasn't the greatest duelist she tried her luck against a young man who seemed quite confident with himself. She put up a bit of a fight but was defeated easily enough to which she smiled and laughed off the failure and went looking for friends who were sure to say she did great...

[D1, After School] It's Time to Duel (Wampus Dorm Basement), Jinxes and Hexes, Hard, 2 upgrades: 1eP+2eA+2eC+1eD 1 failure

[Ondine Corbeau]

"Hey, you, kid." Ondine finally decided to care about the whole thing once she had finished predation on snacks. She entered the fray with a big mask on her head, impeding vision. In fact she seemed to be walking randomly, stumbling, as if drunk or unfolded, voicing grunts. What was in those snacks? "I'm talking to you, yes. Come on, let's enliven this otherwise dull gathering. You owe me for oversalting roll-ups."

She took out her wiggly wand after some jabs of wandless parries and as it started vibrating like a stoned snake in oscillator something happened: Mallory's cheeks started to swell up with something until cheese paste started streaming out of his ears and nostrils. It coated the floor to the point when Ondine herself slipped and landed on her bum, laughing from Mallory becoming a multilateral condiment distributor.

"Looks like you're full of cheese, mate. Don't put it in snacks though!"

D1, AC, Jinxes & Hexes. Mallory. 1 Upgrade for Style.: 3eA+1eC+3eD 4 successes, 3 threat

[Xanthe Vanderwyck]

Xanthe had never participated in these exercises before; there had been too many things that could go wrong. She would mess up, have her spell backfire on herself somehow and everyone would laugh at her. So while she'd watched the duels before, she'd always done so from a dark and quiet corner somewhere. It was thus quite the surprise when Xanthe stepped forward too, and then challenged John. He seemed the popular pick for kids trying to impress, and that is exactly what she was intending to do.

Here, in the dark, she wasn't feeling quite so lethargic. She was going to take this very seriously; her entire year could be made or broken by this moment, after all. The look of concentration on her face as she raised her wand in the traditional salute could, unfortunately, be interpreted as somewhat intimidating. Especially with her unnatural eyes. One could almost imagine she was about to drop some forbidden curse on her opponent.

Both duelists sprung into action; but Xanthe was just slightly quicker, wand thrust forward as she quickly uttered her first incantation.

"Infaustus!"

A green-ish mist enveloped John just as he finished his own incantation; a simple offensive spell meant to disorient one's opponent. Xanthe's casting of the Backfiring Jinx ensured that it was the dueling club's captain who was disoriented instead.

Taking her opponent entirely seriously, Xanthe did not waste the opportunity, and her wand swirled through the air in circles as she cast her second spell.

"Ventus Tria!"

A powerful jet of cyclone wind shot out from her wand and knocked her opponent *way* back, off the stage. She'd cast a much more powerful, and violent, version of the Ventus jinx. Normally more dangerous to objects in one's grasp than the person themselves, the Ventus Tria was obviously capable of inflicting serious harm...

...and that is exactly what had been accomplished. Serious injury to the Dueling Club's captain.

Something which had decidedly *not* been her intention. But the damage had been done; to both the captain and her image in the eyes of some. The first years attending probably had little doubt that she was an evil dark witch for what she'd just done, despite it being an accident.

Jinxes+Hexes / Cunning, boost from Duelist, 2 purple/2 challenge die; 1 red downgraded from Defensive Duelist: 3eP+1eB+1eC+3eD 1 success, 2 threat, 1 Despair


4 base points, +8 from 2 challenge dice, 12 total, and x deduction of house points?

[Sylvain Leloup]

Syl finished his small triangular sandwich before stepping up to the duelling platform

''Ready when you are Melissa'' he spoke calmly as he got his wand out

He did not seem to move agressively, or at all, simply standing still and relaxed. Breathing slowly and eyes half closed he almost looked like he was resting.

That is until Melissa got tired of the whole thing and launched her assault.

Sylvain reacted deftly and blocked her ray with his maple implement and with a ''Wapamon'' it was redirected at her. It took some effort and was not flashy but it was a win.

Duelling Melissa, counter curse: 2eP+1eA+4eD 1 success, 4 threat

[Mischa Primakov]

Despite being Wampus to the core, this was not his speciality. That wasn't going to stop him trying and he wasn't going to skimp on the opponent or the style.

"Melissa, if you would . . . "

A formal bow. Getting things off to a proper start.

As with anything else he did, Mischa did not stay still long during the duel and the effort he put into physical movement meant his wand control was . . . not sufficient.

If it had been a dance he would have defeated the entire room. But is was a duel and he was no longer holding his wand. Still he grinned at her as he acknowledged her victory.

"Maybe next time, or even at one of the dances!"


--
Duelling Melissa. Agi/Counter Curse unskilled. 1 upgrade for style. KITTEH CAN DO ANYTHING!: 3eA+1eC+3eD 2 failures, 1 threat

[Violet Lockhart]

After witnessing lots of duels, Violet waves her hand up and places her wand to her throat, echoing her voice so that all could hear her, and steps on top of the dueling stage. "Alright, first off, I want to thank everyone for coming out this evening to this little get together. One small incident aside, I am impressed with how well you've all come along since the last year I was here. This may be my second year here, but I'm glad to help you all continue to become fine wizards and witches. I hope that you all continue to practice your skills over the year, and the dueling team is always eager to help you all with that, of all skill levels."

She smiles and motions up. "So, let's get to why we are all here. The Champion of the evening. Despite her...attempts to show off for the evening, it's clear that there is only one winner, and she should get the credit for it. Everyone, give a round of applause to this year's champion, Xanthe Vanderwyck!"

A small round of applause occurs as a light shines on her, any hopes she may have had to be out of the spotlight utterly failing.

"50 points for Thunderbird for the win of this contests. Also, 20 points for Horned Snake, for the tireless effort Mister Mallory put on today. We hope for a speedy recovery and that the lessons of today will be remembered."

[Flession]

RESULTS:
Xanthe Vanderwyck: +1 Popularity with any Wampus for remainder of fall semester, -10 House Points for despair roll, +50 House points for win
Layla Smith: 10 House Points gained for Horned Serpent for Triumph roll
Cian: 10 House Pointed gained for Pukwudgie for Triumph roll
John Mallory (NPC): 20 House Points gained for Horned Serpent for high fortitude.