Corr
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You can lead a fool to knowledge but you can't make him think.
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Post by Corr on Jun 18, 2013 7:40:01 GMT -8
Korriban: Eternal Pyre The opponents find themselves on opposite sides of the Eternal Pyre, a monument that has seen the consumption of hundreds of Dark Lords and thousands of lesser Sith in a a fiery blaze upon its altar. Shaped as a ziggarat with stairs on all four faces leading up to the flat platform at the top, with sharp stone spears raising at the corners and an altar in the center. Fight well, for the loser's corpse is next to be fed to the flames.
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Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Jun 19, 2013 14:09:37 GMT -8
"Really?" Jud asked out loud. He knew the Whills could hear him, he knew that they were laughing. "Really?" He asked again before sighing and taking a step down towards the furnace that bellowed heat up the staircase towards him. He knew where he was instantly, the memories of centuries gone by wafting up to him in sulphide-laced wisps of vapor.
"The Eternal Pyre..." Jud breathed as he descended the final stair, entering through a archway into the blazing heart of the Valley of the Kings. It had been many many years since he'd been to this spot. Maybe that was the point? The Whills always seemed to put him into an ironic setting, or maybe it was just that he had been everywhere in his long life; who was to know? With a shrug the Venerable Sith let the notions of irony slip off his conscious like a shed skin, and focused on the matter at hand.
This was a test, another tournament of wits and strength... and for the first time ever - he had arrived early.
"Typical." Jud said with a chuckle as he crossed the short distance from where he had entered towards the arena's flat top. Once climbing his last set of stairs Jud bowed to the alter before taking a meditative seat on the smoldering earth, calming his mind and immersing himself within the potent energy of this location. He would have to be mindful of his surroundings and his exertion. The air was breathable, but it would only be a matter of time until the toxins in the air started to hinder performance. Add to that the heat, and there wasn't much doubt in the Old Sith's mind that this fight would have to be concluded rather quickly. He would have to choose when and where to use the Force and the energy of this place to his advantage; there wouldn't be much room for error.
With a huff Jud closed his eyes to meditate, feeling the sweat start to bead up on his brow. He never took down his hood or uncloaked himself. He just sat there, a dark smudge on one side of the arena, and waited patiently for his prey.
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Post by Zalgo on Jun 23, 2013 13:18:47 GMT -8
(OOC: I'd like to apologize, I was informed a little late that the battle had started and was too busy before to notice.)
Zalgo did not move from the spot he'd found himself in. He was in front of a rather large pillar near a lake of molten rock. Far be it from Zalgo to change positions before fully understanding the layout of the battlefield. He heard a man's questioning; perhaps his own existence. However, Zalgo knew the reason they were here, and regardless of the metaphysical questions his opponent was currently trying to answer, Zalgo's only mission was to destroy him.
With a small amount of concentration, Zalgo conjured a snake the color of ash as a hallucination of the Force, sending it towards the existentialist enemy. It would have no scouting effect, but you never know who has a phobia, or a case of curiosity.
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Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Jun 24, 2013 9:37:02 GMT -8
The Old Sith had sat, and sat. His meditative state allowing his consciousness to wander the grounds of the Eternal Pyre unabated. He sensed nothing, nothing at all apart from the darkness of this place. A frown creased his face, as he took down his hood and wiped his brow. "I suppose facing me was too much a challenge." Jud said aloud to his ghost opponent. The usual ring of amusement in his voice absent, only the thought of disappointment remained. Jud closed his eyes again and huffed, thinking on the fact that this may be the first tournament in which he'd have a no-show.
Then suddenly there was a twinge, a ripple through the Force.
At first Jud questioned what he had felt, but then it ebbed again, lingering at the edging of the arena and at the edges of his mind. A crude smile started across the Sith's face. Patience was a virtue, and his patience had delivered unto him a victim. How thoughtful of the Whills, not to stand him up. Jud remained seated, immobile, searching further into the chamber to pin-point his opponent. Jud followed a trail of Force energy; which was heading his way to a Force signature hidden behind an ornate pillar.
"There you are..." Jud said slyly with a smirk, as he opened his eyes, seeing an ashen snake nearing his seated position. The smirk turned into a wide grin as Jud made his way to his feet, dropping his cloak off his shoulder to the arena below. The snake neared, yet Jud didn't put on any sign of panic or acknowledgement, he just stretched out and then took the top tunic part of his clothing off, so that he was bare from the navel up. Only then after rolling his head around a couple of times did he acknowledge the advancing snake with a laugh, before stamping his left foot to the floor; like squashing a bug, causing the illusion to dissipate like a waft of smoke.
"Is that the extent of what I have to expect from you?" Jud questioned aloud, still laughing at the weak ploy. "Illusions only work on the weak." Jud continued as he looked towards the Pillar that his wayward opponent hide behind. "And... You will find, I'm anything but weak!"
No sooner had he uttered the sentence, Jud focused his pent up energies onto the pillar with a raise of his hand. The Force crush aimed at center-mass for a normal heighten biped. The crush itself had enough force behind it to splinter the ancient stonework into stone shrapnel, forcing a cloud of pulverized death out towards the person that lurked behind it. With the crush implemented, Jud stood his ground on the raised-arena. He had the high ground, and he wasn't daft enough to go chasing after a ghost.
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Post by Zalgo on Jun 25, 2013 20:10:54 GMT -8
Illusions may only cause fear and panic in the weak, that is certainly true. However, it is not fear Zalgo wanted. Illusions only affect those who are weak enough to let them influence them. Jud has already made a fatal error in judgement. Zalgo has pierced the veil of the sith's mind. It would not grant him control, nor total dominance, but the effort in which Zalgo would have to use to have any effect on the man.
Much as Jud had detected the Force energy Zalgo had used to create his snake, the cloaked illusionist could feel the darkside gathering around his hiding spot. It was time to move, and past time to act. Zalgo sprinted away from the pillar just before it exploded, diving behind a half ruined wall before gaining composure. He circled out into the open to face his opponent.
"If illusions only work on the weak, why do you think you are strong?" Zalgo hid no emotion behind his words, nor showed any in his face. This was not a fight of anger or aggression from him, he did not care enough to feel emotion. True illusions come only from the neutral mind; a mind that does not have the weakness that emotion brings; a mind that can absorb the darkest fears and spit them back without hesitation or second guessing. Zalgo's Mind.
"What is it that you fear?"
Zalgo reached into the Force again, this time deeper, and with some gumption. From within he revitalized his crushed snake, transforming it into a vine of pure blackness that wrapped around Jud's leg. It climbed and climbed, expanding around the man as it did. Jud would soon be shrouded in darkness. It would be easy enough to dispel, the visual illusions almost always are. However, Zalgo would not let down someone with such high expectations. Within the darkness came whispers; demons of laughter and torment that would irritate anyone in some way or another. Would Jud become angry and reckless after 20 minutes of their whispers, or would he succumb to the madness and fall to his knees in despair.
"I would dare you to listen to what they say, but only the strong display curiosity."
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Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Jun 25, 2013 23:09:09 GMT -8
"Impressive..." Jud said in a low murmur as he paced the lip of the arena, following the dark blur of his opponent from the utterly destroyed pillar.
"If illusions only work on the weak, why do you think you are strong?" Came the reply from the shadows of the ruins.
"Oh, a philosopher?" Jud said with a scoff. "I love to philosophize with my prey. Oh, yes yes..." Jud continued as he swept the ruins, picking the man out like a spark in the darkness; due to his Force signature.
"What is it that you fear?"
"Fear?" The Sith exclaimed with a chuckle. "I have nothing to fear, especially from you." Jud said with a dismissive wave of his hand as he felt the twinge of pressure being exerted on his mind from afar. A sinister smile crossed the Sith's face. "Oh, again? You think your tricks will actually work this time around?" Jud chuckled. Just because he had seen the serpent earlier didn't mean that his mind had been tampered with or weakened. Did it ever occur to the Sith's opponent that he was being played a fool? Jud figured - no - his quarry was oblivious to his true nature, and that sat with the Old Sith just fine.
"But enough of this prattling about." Jud finally said before fixating his gaze on the ruins. "Cockroaches like you can stay in the shadows all you want." Jud raised his hands again, focusing the Dark energies of the Pyre to him further. "They still get squashed."
Jud's hands came together in a thunderous clap; the concussion of which shook the eons old sediment from the ruins around him.. It was another Force crush; which advanced on two fronts towards it's intended target, effectively pinning his opponent in place. The ruins of a wall in front of him and two walls of Force fueled energy closing in on him from either side. Jud cackled as the terrain rippled and convulsed under his wrath. If the cockroach evaded this, he'd be more than intrigued. Hell, he might even go down to meet the man.
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Post by Zalgo on Jun 26, 2013 11:58:09 GMT -8
"We all have our fears. It is instinct. Instinct keeps you alive, and only the strong survive." The man did say he enjoyed a bout of philosophy. It was only Zalgo's duty to oblige. Zalgo felt the force ripple again, this time from multiple angles. Jud was clearly quite skilled in the Force and it's physical applications. Though how versed could he be in the intricate arts of the mind?
The attack was set free, and Zalgo was quite a bit out of place here. Between a wall and a hard place as it were, though the wall seemed softer. Zalgo leaped from his back foot, drawing his blood red saber in the process. He cut through the wall as he felt the Crush grab at his foot, nearly halting him in place. Upon regaining his composure, Zalgo certainly felt the bruise forming rather quickly. A deadly maneuver for certain, but sloppily done.
"Logically, only the weak are fearless as you." Now is when the battle would commence. Zalgo increased his efforts tenfold, building the energy within him and directing it to Jud's mind. If he were truly as strong as he believed, the man might strike Zalgo down before the complex ritual that was Force Insanity would finish. However, Zalgo had not met a being in the galaxy capable of fighting, let alone breathing, after the ability was complete. For now, though, Jud would simply feel his mind being slowly surrounded in dense fog. Not yet enough to affect his fighting or concentration, but enough to remind him of his impending doom.
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Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Jun 26, 2013 19:59:51 GMT -8
"We all have our fears. It is instinct. Instinct keeps you alive, and only the strong survive."
Jud unconsciously nodding his head in agreement. "Very true, very true..." He said mirthfully aloud, seeing that his opponent had evaded another attack. "You have no clue how right you are..." Jud finished, trailing off slightly as he thought of himself. Thought of the centuries of instincts he had picked up along the way. He was alive, and he was strong.
"Logically, only the weak are fearless as you."
"The weak ha-..." Jud began before feeling his mind being infiltrated again. The Venerable Sith raised an eyebrow at the man before him. "You. Really. Want. In. Don't. You?" He managed through clenched teeth, fighting the tendrils of the Sorcerer as they burrowed further and further into his psyche. Jud hadn't met a Force practitioner like this since the Sith Wars, and he had thought the art of pure mind-delving lost to the void of time, yet here he was staring at a man that was breaking down his highly trained mental barriers one by one. With a huff, Jud'dayus eased his concentration on the forceful mind-rape down, allowing the tendrils to drill further and further in. He had time - not much time - but time none the less. He had to act fast and concisely. This witch-mind (Zalgo) had made it perfectly clear that he had one intention, and that was to stay away from Jud until his mental undoings were completed. The Old Sith needed to take the fight to him, to belay his concentration, or better yet end it all together.
"Very well then...." Jud said before stepping off the arena and down a short staircase to be on the same level as his opponent. "That was your move, and a good one at that. I commend you in your efforts." Jud said with a smirk and a curt bow. "But like in all games." Jud looked at his opponent with a maniacal grin. "The next move is mine."
As he uttered the words, Jud was already at a sprint, closing the gap between the two with Force fueled agility. The Darkness of the Pyre would help hm, but it seemed to be amplifying his opponent's "skills" as well. The distance had been crossed and Jud was within his foe's striking range. Instead of slowing down and drawing his saber Jud suddenly dropped down at the last possible second, sliding on the earthen floor into his opponent's guard before drawing and igniting an ornate orange-bladed saber to his left hand. His forward leg (left) struck out in a low brutal kick to the shin of his opponent's front facing leg, before thrusting his left saber up at the man; using his planted rear leg to give him considerable force behind the thrust. Jud's right hand simultaneously reached out across his body to his left side, before calling a second saber to it. He ignited its orange blade and drew his right hand back towards the right side of his body; in a Sai tok slash across his foe's midsection. Depending on his foe's reaction, there was only one saber which could be parried, and barely at that. His second saber was still an immediate threat. Either option made the Sith smile, but he had more in store. Oh, much more, if it was truly needed.
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Post by Zalgo on Jun 27, 2013 11:20:11 GMT -8
"You only waste what little time you have left fighting a futile battle." Zalgo felt his opponent lower his mental defenses, choosing an all out style of battle to try and break the hold Zalgo had on his mind. As dangerous as Jud may be, Zalgo was neither arrogant nor ignorant enough to be drawn into the fight. Jumping off his front leg, he bounded backwards, away from the sliding opponent, over the ruined wall he'd come from before. Carefully scanning the area for a brief moment, Zalgo inferred that Jud would stop in front of or near enough to the wall, and he took a few more steps back.
"You may believe what you will about weakness or strength, about philosophy. However, all that matters is truth." Zalgo began pacing off to his right, never taking his eyes off Jud. The longer he could remain passive, slowly baiting his opponent, wearing him down, the longer he had to complete the ritual uninterrupted. Zalgo doubled his efforts against the sith, urging his mind to succumb to the darkness.
"I will take the truth away from you."
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Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Jun 27, 2013 15:09:34 GMT -8
"You only waste what little time you have left fighting a futile battle."
"Oh, do I?" Was all Jud said with a laugh, as he continued forward, pushing off his planted right leg to advance on his retreating opponent. "Seems to me that you're the one running away. All that concentrating, you poor poor man." Jud finished as the man gracefully jumped back over the wall he had been behind previously. The Old Sith smirked. "Cute." He said before disengaging his sabers, and allowing them to float back to his belt; for the time being.
"You may believe what you will about weakness or strength, about philosophy. However, all that matters is truth... I will take the truth away from you."
Jud said nothing, continuing to close the short distance between the two men. All the while honing in on the man's voice before unleashing a devastating Force push on the wall only inches in front of him. The wall was utterly eradicated, a masonic bomb exploding outwards from Jud's hurried advance, his velocity unyielding as he waded towards his opponent; using the debris of the destroyed wall as cover. What the wall didn't hit, Jud would... There was little else to go. The man was running out of ground and shadows to hide in. He would have to confront The Sith or die trying.
Jud felt a twinge again in his head. His opponent was getting desperate... he was rushing his incantations to disable the Sith. Good, was all Jud thought with a sly grin as he saw the silhouette of his prey through the cloud of stone shrapnel. He had time still, but it was counting down.
Without a moment's pause Jud threw out three open-palmed Force strikes in rapid succession with his right hand to different key locations on the bulk of the silhouette before him. The first two strikes were roughly-aimed for each collar bone; left and right. The final blow to the solar plexus. Effectively the pinpointed Force crushes were being used to permanently cripple the man from using his arms from this point on, or to be able to breath properly.
As the final palm-strike was completed Jud swung his right leg around in a sweeping motion, hoping to make contact with his opponent's leg(s). Following through with his sweeps momentum Jud pivoted on his rear left foot, bringing his left side around. His left hand grasped out and took a saber to it, igniting its orange blade and spinning it around in a 180 degree horizontal sweep (Sai tok) from right to left at waist-level, before the saber was abruptly diverted with a flick of Jud's wrist to corkscrew up and towards his opponent's head. When the trust was completed to the head, Jud's left saber arched down in a hacking motion to take out the arm or both arms that held his opponent's saber.
Jud's rear right hand extended out and took the remaining saber, bringing it to life with a snap-hiss sound. With Jud's forward left hand finishing with the thrust up towards his opponent's face, and the hacking motion to his opponent's saber arm(s). Jud stepped forward with his right foot, his right hand followed simultaneously thrusting out four jabs from his right hip towards his opponent's abdomen and lower chest. Each jab was meant to skewer a vital organ; the liver, the spleen, the stomach, and a lung.
"Seems like I'm poking holes in your theory... No?" Jud said in utter glee, before cackling maniacally as he continued his onslaught.
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Post by Zalgo on Jun 27, 2013 23:29:38 GMT -8
Zalgo was prepared for this. The man had certainly not lost as much speed as previously guessed, but his assault was still costing him quite a bit of energy. He must certainly be feeling the effects of Zalgo's Force Insanity starting, or at least the pressure to do something about it. I wouldn't matter soon enough.
As concentrated as Zalgo was, he was playing this as passively as he could. there was hardly a need for him to take his mind off the ritual, so long as his opponent attacked so wildly and aggressively. Zalgo heard the concussive force of the Push blowing the wall to shrapnel, and knew it was time to react again.
With effort this time, he jumped forward, the same direction he'd been pacing. Off to Jud's left now, he watched as the sith threw three blind attacks into the ground he previously occupied. Zalgo turned to face him, circling at a slow, but firm and steady pace, ready for more.
"You try to draw me into your battle, but you misunderstand the nature of combat. You cannot fight an enemy with no fight within him. Yes, I carry my saber but the utility and defense is what I find most useful."
Zalgo could feel his mental fingers caressing Jud's consciousness now. It wouldn't be long before the ritual was done and this man was no more.
"My terms are much easier on my body. I fear yours are too much of a gamble for me. I was never a betting man."
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Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase
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Post by Lord Jud'dayus: The Debase on Jun 28, 2013 9:18:32 GMT -8
Evasion...
Jud was sick to his stomach with the yellow streak his opponent was displaying. How unprofessional, how utterly inconsiderate Jud thought as his rage helped stoke the fire burning in him, to continue to fuel his body into action. This constant game of nexu and whomp rat was starting to grate on him. Add to the fact that somehow, despite Jud's meticulous setups and pinpoint strikes; the rat always seemed to escape... but no more. The rat wouldn't be able to run after this. No way, no how.
"You try to draw me into your battle, but you misunderstand the nature of combat. You cannot fight an enemy with no fight within him. Yes, I carry my saber but the utility and defense is what I find most useful."
"Ah, yes...drawing you in was exactly my idea." Jud spat after delivering the three palm-strikes Jud turned his body counter clockwise, meeting his foe face to face as he tried to slither away again. Without missing a beat Jud extended his right hand, clenching it into a fist. The Force immobilization being used to maximum effect at such a close range. The Old Sith's left hand came up and closed tightly - white knuckle tight - in a Force crush to the slowed moving figure. The crush was centered on the man's lower legs just below the knees. As with most of Jud's Force powers this fight, it was meant to cripple and maim more than kill. No, that would come next. The splintering of his opponent's tibias and fibulas were Jud's punctuating mark in this match, and hopefully the excruciating pain of which would take his opponent's mind off his work. Jud was at his apex of rage, and nothing short of his mind melting in his head would stop him from excising his anger out on his opponent.
Speaking of melting brains... The Sith's eyes started to cloud, like looking through a morning's mist. The pressure on his mind starting to ache slightly right behind his eyes. Jud's lips pursed, and he understood that the Sorcerer was also at the crescendo of his powers. There was little time to go, for either of them. One was physical, the other the mental.
"My terms are much easier on my body. I fear yours are too much of a gamble for me. I was never a betting man."
"I'll take that as a compliment..." Jud said as he continued his Force immobilization on the man, while he blinked away the murky wisps from his eye. He walked towards his opponent and ignited a saber in his right hand; to the side of his hip. "And my terms unfortunately aren't so easy on your body...As you can see." Jud said, slightly slurred, his mind ebbing faster than it had before. Jud raised the blade swiftly and with a curt flick of his wrist slashed at the man's exposed neck. The blade running clean through the meat, side to side. With the death stroke complete, the Sith staggered back slightly, releasing the Force hold he no longer needed to conserve whatever he had left strength-wise for fighting the clouds in his mind from taking his finale away.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2013 15:39:01 GMT -8
I hate having to judge matches like this, because there was a lot of good stuff here. We'll get that out of the way first.
Both duelists here did an excellent job of setting up the confrontation. Both wrote their characters well, and I enjoyed reading the interaction between the two. It was believable and made for good reading.
On a technical level, however, things weren't quite as peachy.
Zalgo, I commend you on your use of illusion and mind-screws at the expense of physical confrontation. It's rare to run into that sort of thing, and you were convincing in that role. Unfortunately, the way you handled the physical attacks wasn't quite as good. In most cases, simply jumping back a few feet or off to the side is simply not going to save you from a Force attack. Breaking line of sight helps, but they generally need a little bit more work to counter. Also, you came perilously close to calling hits at a few points. That's a pretty big no go in the GBA. Be more careful of your wording in the future.
That brings us to Jud. Your last post was, simply put, unacceptable. Not only did you call a hit, you called a death blow. That alone is grounds for disqualification, and it is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that you have indeed been disqualified from this tournament. Up until that point, you were doing fairly well. My only real advice, aside from not calling hits, is to be mindful of stringing together long combos. Your moves tended to be a bit overlong, and it would have been pretty easy for a more physical opponent to post-cut the everloving daylights out of you. It's always a good idea to plan a few moves ahead, but in my experience, plans never survive initial contact. Just something to keep in mind for the future.
Anyway, Zalgo advances. But just a heads up mate: if you don't show up within a reasonable time for the next match, you will be replaced with an alternate. I know you've been AFK for a couple of days, but with the abbreviated tournament format, we can't afford to wait overlong. Thanks guys, and best of luck in future matches.
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Corr Vhett - puts the "Laughter" in "Manslaughter"..... 
