faderift | [OPEN] Smoke and Mirrors: Perendale

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[OPEN] Smoke and Mirrors: Perendale

WHO: OPEN!
WHAT: The Inquisition's forces fight against the Venatori to prevent Corypheus from seizing power in Perendale.
WHEN: Early November.
WHERE: Perendale, Nevarra
NOTES: Violence.

On the edges of Corypheus' territory, Perendale is the site of a major Venatori offensive--a push by Corypheus' forces to take control of the city and push his influence further across Thedas. The Inquisition's forces have rallied to answer the Nevarran governor's desperate plea for support. The battle for Perendale will decide the fate of hundreds within the city's walls.

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Now, this is more like it. Skadi came for action and it seems she's finally going to see more of it. The Avvar woman is eager and restless at camp, checking and rechecking her supplies to see that all is accounted for and in peak condition. Either that, or she's often seen pacing and going through combat drills, keeping her muscles active and her wits sharp. This is also where her Spirit Warrior abilities can be witnessed, for those who haven't before. Around her well-muscled form is a cloak of arcane energy, the mark of one in touch with the Fade.

Once she's gotten that out of her system, Skadi will join those by the fire and settle down, offering a bottle to the nearest person. "Care for a swig? I've plenty to spare, thanks to Satinalia."

James is also walking around - but that is mostly to check in with most people he knows and make sure the troops - his own people and the Inquisition soldiers - are feeling confident and are ready for the battle on the morrow.

He turns only because he hears some 'ooohs' and 'aaaaahs', and he shifts through the crowd to see what the soldiers are staring at. A smirk passed his face, before he quietly shifted through the crowd and pulled his sword, silently saluting the spirit warrior with it. Then he arched an eyebrow, asking her silently if she wanted to spar, or was she content with having everyone gape at her.

Either way, he'll hang around afterwards to get a swig of wine.

That arched eyebrow is met with a sharp grin. "Bring it on, lowlander. Show me how you fight." She's not fought a templar before, though she's seen them in action on the training fields. Finding out one-on-one is more fun, though. At least her top half isn't relying on war paint alone this time, so hopefully distraction will be kept to a minimum. She readies her ice blade and stance, nodding.

He grins fiercely in turn, before taking his stance with his sword and shield. Sword poised above his head, he started to circle her, tapping his rings on his sword and shield. Frost slid over both, adding another edge and another layer of protection.

She flashes a smile at that, approving. "You surprise already, lowlander." Her own blade already counts as a frost weapon and though she doesn't have a shield, the Avvar warrior has studied blocking moves with it. Physical protection is light, but one thing she does have on her side is speed, so she'll be ready for him. Usually she's one for offense, but at the moment Skadi's curious to see his own technique.

"Well that is what us lowlanders are going for. Surprise, and a little bit of awe." He nodded his head, as he continued to circle her, looking for an opening. He waits until she swings wide, and moves forward, slamming at her exposed side with his shield, to draw her off balance. His grip on his blade has shifted, so he is using the flat side.

They aren't here to damage one another, after all. Just test one another's skills.

That shield slam is somewhat effective; Skadi has to readjust her stance and grip before she can do anything else. After that, though, she counters with an energetic swipe of her blade, likewise using the flat side. He showed her what his shield could do, now she wants to show him the power of a two-handed weapon in turn.

"I thought it was conversion. I've already gotten approached about that." Given her smirk, it's not difficult to guess how that went for those involved.

James pulled back a little, throwing up his shield just in time to block a serious slam from the broadsword. He can feel that shudder up through his teeth, and he lets out a grunt of approval. Flat of the blade as well -- they are just showing off for the troops, after all.

"You know, in the lowlands? We typically use words first before swords ..." He smirked as he countered her blade with his own longsword, batting it to the side so he could try slamming her with the shield again. "But we aren't adverse to it."

Showing off, passing the time, it's all good. Whether it's Skadi's training or that cloak of energy, she seems to evade that next shield-slam without undue strain, that purplish light shimmering around her. Keeping it up forever would be more hassle than benefit, but she'll take advantage of it for now.

"When those words are 'heathen wench', I have to say it's not very effective!" Skadi laughs lightly as she swings that broadsword in a swift, overhanded arc. Its speed is perhaps faster than it ought to be for a weapon of that size and weight, if you squint, but it could either be the weapon itself or her abilities. Either way, it's not overkill; an edge, nothing more.

He smirks again, taking a step back again because she clearly had a very effective method of defense and he didn't want to go for her cloak or push it too hard. The shield was tilted up, to catch that broadsword so he could shove it off, knowing that he was going to be battered down, and would need to stand his ground.

"If someone is saying that you are a heathen wench ... you could always just point them in my direction and I would show them what a mistake that was!"

"'Save me, Ser!' What, as though I can't save myself? I'm no fainting flower!" There's no real bite in her words, she's just having fun. That shield will definitely help James stand his ground, though Skadi won't make it easy for him. She brings that sword down with the the flat of the blade, but also with enough force to test him. When he shoves it off, she grins and backs up, circling.

Now that made him laugh, as he twisted around to the right, shield still up as he blocked again. Felt the jarring again right down to his teeth, but now she's backed up so that allowed him to go to shove back at her, and then went back to circling her in turn.

His blocking efforts are definitely felt, and Skadi appreciates the pushback. For whatever reason, few others have taken her up on her sparring offer, and she needs someone who gives as good as he gets. She keeps up the circling for a moment, then lunges to the side in hopes of smacking the flat of her blade where his shield isn't.

She is fast, he'll grant her that, and the blade bounces off his armor with a satisfying clang. However, it does allow him to spin on his heel to press his own sword flat against her arm with a good 'thwack' for good measure.

She definitely feels that, though it only prompts a grin from the Avvar warrior as they circle each other. "Not bad, not bad at all. You're already better than the other lowlanders I've danced with." She then leaps high -the benefit of not having heavy armor- and swings, trying to get him off-guard enough to get around that shield.

"Years of training do finally pay off." He smirked faintly, before he shoved his shield into her stomach as she starts to swing down, and slides himself under her.

"Aye, same!" It's fortunate that Skadi was watching his movements carefully and had good reflexes, or that shield maneuver would have taken all the air out of her lungs. As it is, she knows that's going to smart until a potion is taken. No more leaping, then, though she does swing her ice blade right after that. If an offense is relentless enough, it'll more than make up for that.

He feels that swat of the blade to his back, and yes, he stumbles. He takes a moment to get his bearings and hopefully get his sword up before she slams it back into him. A smirk rests on his lips still. "So who taught you? Your father? Your mother?"

She shakes her head, not elaborating on her father. "Mother's a skald, not a warrior. I learned from Bjorn, our arena trainer, and then went to another hold for the spirit warrior training. Prickly bastard, but it was worth it." Of course she doesn't let her guard down at any moment while talking, watchful for his next maneuver.

Milady's furry head rests on Malcolm's lap, snoozing the evening away, occasionally blinking blearily at all these potential friends before yawning and shifting back to sleep. Malcolm looks less content, staring hard in the dark in the direction of the city. But the Avvar woman makes for a good distraction. He's aware of her--hard to miss her, really, though also for being stablemaster.

"Cheers," he says by way of thanks before taking the offered swig. "Shame to fight so near the holidays, but war rarely takes a break."

Skadi's quick to smile as she holds her hands out to the flame. "Ah, but the timing is a good sign to my Avvar eyes. Hakkon Wintersbreath is the Lord of War and Winter, so we prefer to raid and wage war during the winter. It honors him, and our resistance to cold gives us the advantage. I'm happy to continue that tradition, just never thought I'd do it outside of the Frostbacks."

"I admit my knowledge of Avvar ways is severely limited. You don't send Seekers up into the mountains to deal with them, however much some of our number may have wanted to." Past tense; it's been nothing but himself, Aleron, and Cassandra for quite some time now. "And what I have heard of your ways is very strange to me. But the fighting prowess I've seen is not to be trifled with."

"Aye, I'm sure they did." From the wolfish grin Skadi flashes, that probably wouldn't have ended well for them. "I don't deny we can be fierce, whatever fighting form that takes. Many from my hold became berserkers, but I was more drawn to a different path. There's something that just felt right about touching the Land of Dreams to make myself a better warrior."

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[OPEN] Smoke and Mirrors: Perendale

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