352/WMAT B4 Karian vs. Ariah

WMAT B4 Karian vs. Ariah
Date of Scene:	05 August 2014
Location:	WMAT Arena - Northern Mountains
Synopsis:	WMAT quarter-finals match between Ariah and Karian Icefang.
Cast of Characters:	56, 62, Karian Icefang

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Karian Icefang has posed:
    Waiting once more, Karian stood tall against the background of the mountains. He had gotten this far in the tournement, and was determined to get to the end. On the side-lines was his ever present companion, the thunderwolf Ygdril. He adjusted the patch over his scarred right eye, keeping it hidden from view. "Allfather....grant me strength.....grant me victory this day, in your name."

Ariah (56) has posed:
     Not alone, perhaps, though it's likely her Shinki is watching in one of the seating areas. The pale-skinned vampiress is wrapped in snow white garments of her own, blending in with the snowy landscape and grey rocks. White, hooded cloak, the silver rune-staff in her gloved hands. She doesn't arrive in a flashy manner, no showmanship here, but she's gotten this far and didn't need it from match one. Boots crunch on ice and she, the already short magess, is completely dwarfed by the hulking Space Wolf. She's half his height, and shorter still, though the violet-tinged eyes meet his without fear or really any emotion at all. "I will face you, Karian. I am to be your opponent this day. Glory will find us both, no matter victory or defeat," she says in a cold but clearly respectful tone.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Dr. Vahlen sits in the observation booth, legs crossed over one another and a bemused expression. "While I do admit I am eager to see our friend in action, I do wonder what reasoning the Commander had to send me /personally/. Surely one of my aides would have been sufficient." she grouses, fidgeting with her Datapad as it rests in her lap.

    Dr. Shen, meanwhile is far more at ease, even smiling a little. "Oh cheer up Doctor, we've not had any incidents recently and you must admit, getting out of the lab for a while feels good."

    Vahlen concedes the point, then perks up. "Ah, it seems our combatants have taken the field. This will be most facinating I'm sure."
Shen chuckles. "I'm sure."

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian nods towards Ariah. "Aye....but I'm still going to win." He says. He takes off towards the vampiress after that. His speed aids in closing the distance and his fist, previously balled up, explodes forward with the intent to introduce itself to ariah's face.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     There's a simple nod from the vampiress, and she stands with her staff in both hands. She touches the end to the ground, forming an equilateral triangle with it and her toes. "Confidence," is all she says quietly, closing her eyes for a moment. She can hear the pounding footsteps of Karian's gait, his weight certainly being no clear indicator of how -fast- a man his size can move. Then she opens her eyes, a glow rushing down her arms, into her staff. The runes light up and a shell forms around her, the fist meeting the solid mana instead of her face. Cracks form as if one were punching reinforced glass and the woman flinches, runes winking out from the energy expenditure of absorbing the attack.

     Then it's her turn to move. The shield is suddenly gone, the energy sucked back into her staff, her body, and she rushes around Karian, the magic forming into a scythe's blade, pure blue-white extending from the tip of the staff as she swings for his legs. It's clear she intends to bring Goliath down, or at least try and slow him.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Dr. Vahlen huffs softly "Well, a rather brutish response. Karian simply rushes headlong at his opponent. Now my research into his armour and genetic augmentations tell me he can easily survive such a maneuver..."

    Dr. Shen cuts her off there. "You're being too analytical. Besides, it seems the mysterious Ariah has some tricks up her sleeves. That seems to be a kinetic barrier of some kind, it's blocked most of that sweeping punch but it does seem to have had some bleed through.

    Vahlen chuckles softly. "Now who is being analytical. Ariah turns that barrier into some kind of energy blade and seems to be going for the hamstrings. Let us hope the Wolflord's armour is as formidable as Ariah's barrier."

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian may be akin to goliath, but he's not as easy to take down. The scythe catching more armor then anything else. In response to that, the Wolf Lord draws his power sword and aims it towards Ariah. A light grin appears on his face, hinting he was enjoying the battle already. Once more he was off, the stomps again making his movements clear. But the angled sword strike at ariah was the main attraction now.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     Ariah seems to be having issues with armor with all of her competitors so far this tournament, and she allows herself a small frown beneath her hood. The sight of the power sword and Karian's broadcasted movements gives her time to adjust her staff's angle, refocusing the energy and soundly parrying the blade with a sound as her feet dig into the ground. Magical sparks fly from the impact, the metal and energy alike keeping the weapon from being simple hewn in half. Then she pulls back, shifting to the side again and attempting another magical weapon strike. Instead of a scythe, however, the end of the staff glows in the shape of a spear tip, and the witch thrusts the weapon up towards Karian's armored body.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Dr. Vahlen makes a sound. "Seems it is, but he should get that checked after the match, weakened armour is not a joking point, no matter what the troops think." a pause. "And we now see the first of the Wolflord's weapons, a sword sheathed in an energy field. Facinating technology I--"

    Dr. Shen clears his throat. "It doesn't seem to be very effective though... Ariah parries the strike, then turns her staff into some kind of magic spear, thrusting the glowing point up at Karian as he's left open... looks like neither one can get a solid strike in though."

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian notices the spear and rolls to the side, leaving his armor scratched. He grips the sword with both hands and swings it again, eye locked onto ariah's hands. "Mage, yes?" He asks in the midst of battle, as if reaffirming that fact.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     "And more," Ariah affirms, and answers perhaps a little vaguely. She can't get the staff back into position despite her speed, metal meeting metal but not hard enough as the power sword bites into flesh and cloak. She hisses, a sound of pain that's all too brief as blood wets the snow, red dotting the ground and blooming warm against her uniform. Perhaps to further answer the Wolf Lord's question, she swings the staff to sweep the sword aside, switching it to one hand as she opens the palm of the other, thrusting it towards Karian. More light rushes down her arm, glowing under her sleeve and exploding out from the focal point of that palm, sending a burst of light and concussive force to knock Karian back.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Dr. Vahlen smirks smugly. "Looks like you spoke too soon, Doctor... that looks like a very clean hit to me. And first blood goes to Karian!"

    Dr. Shen hmphs softly. "Indeed, but to get this far it will take far more than that to bring down this mysterious girl. She shifts her grip and uses her magic to fire some kind of energy beam! That looks like a solid hit as well!"

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian's hit and sent back a fair bit from the sheer force. "Not bad..." He says. He's tempted to pull out his bolt pistol and snap some shots off, but he was an honorable sort. He instead sheathes his power sword, and pulls the greataxe abstractum from his back. Loading all his strength, he leaps up and bring the axe down towards Ariah.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     Ariah isn't without her own firearm, the yellow-painted Hyperion SMG can be seen when she moves, though red seems to be smeared on it as it rubs against the gash in her uniform when the strap moves. The compliment earns a silent nod, but the witch isn't about to be distracted. She narrows her eyes at the weapon switch and stands firm, bringing her staff up in both hands, energy rushing into the runes on it and into her arms besides. The downward swing meets metal and magic, even if the witch's knees bend from sheer force behind the strike. Her arms look about to give way also but she pushes upwards, hard, and rushes Karian with a shoulder-tackle right to his center mass, showing there's a lot more speed and power behind her small frame than she's been making known.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Dr. Vahlen winces. "That must have hurt... but Karian is made of sterner stuff. He opts to use his axe now... I've wanted to examine that since he g--"

    Dr. Shen cuts her off again. "Focus, Doctor. He seems to have met a match for his strength though. Ariah shoves him back, then goes for a body charge!"

    Vahlen is confused. "How can such a slender person possess such power? I've not seen anything like it, even with our own genetic augmentation program."

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian arc's his eyebrow as he's suddenly shoulder-charged. But he takes the impact and tries to spin it to his advantage. He leans to grab poor ariah and in the same motion lift her up, and then slam her back into the ground. Clearly he's been watching wrestling.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     A gamble that didn't pay off, Karian clearly as sturdy and stable as he looks. The witch is smaller, and lighter, and the Marine's grip finds her easily. She's lifted and then slammed into the ground, bones making a sickening sound as they break, the ground cracking, and snow falling from the trees nearby. She coughs up a glob of blood but the violet in her eyes only flickers to be brighter and stronger. With both hands she seperates her staff, pulling the sword from within. The other half of the staff is first aimed for Karian's wrist, so she may direct the blade at his face with a follow-up slash.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Dr. Vahlen is speechless. Her radio only picking up dead air.

    Dr. Shen, meanwhile is audibly wincing. "Karian gets Ariah in a grapple, and slams her hard into the ground... bones break and she's coughing up blood, but it only seems to have made her angry. Ariah pulls a sword from inside her staff, and goes for the Wolflord, a two stage attack that seeks her opponent's face."

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian dodges the staff, but the sword nicks across his face. Another scar for his growing collection, he thought. The two stage attack pushes the wolf lord back, but also into range of his axe again. He hefts it onto his shoulder and again takes a swing, and again loads it with his considerable strength.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     Despite the crushing blows and the blood drawn, Ariah is not slowing down. She wields both sword and staff effectively in two hands, advancing on Karian as he brings his axe down again. Instead of attempting to parry, she shifts to the side, narrowly dodging the strike, sparks rising as metal grinds rune-engraved staff-half, peppering her and the snow as she gets in still closer. At knife-fight range she seeks to find a weakness or a gap in the Marine's armor, energy rushing along the staff and forming a second blade, both of which used to thrust at the Wolf Lord as she works to use her vampiric agility to blindside him.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Dr. Vahlen clears her throat. "It seems something has slowed the Wolflord down, his strike goes wide of the mark, leaving him open to his opponent's counter attack."

    Dr. Shen picks up. "A flurry of blows, stabs, slashes and strikes, testing the Marine's armour and looking for weakpoints.

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian narrows his good eye as he cut up and knicked all over. He shakes it off a bit, and draws his combat knife....which looks more like a machete. He uses it in an attempt to hook the staff down and bring over that axe, aiming it for ariah.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     It's brutal and close quarters, though the vampiress seems to be enjoying herself. It's difficult to tell as expressionless as she is. Even as her staff is knocked aside, she has enough strength to bring her sword up, keeping the massive axe from brutalizing her too terrible. Ariah can feel the warmth of blood soaking another part of her uniform, dapples of red staining her cloak, the hood still up. Her movements attempt to get herself behind the Wolf Lord, still focusing her mana into a blade on her staff, both weapons shining bright in the arena and on the snow as she chips away at armor while hunting for flesh.

Elise Leroy (62) has posed:
    Dr. Vahlen is about to speak when the insistent buzz of a communicator sounds. "Ja? Ja, ich verstehe. Ich bin auf dem Weg."(Yes? Yes, I understand. I'm on my way.) she clears her throat. "Unfortnuately that seems to be all the time I have. My associate and I are being called away. We will leave you with another commentator, but first."

    Dr. Shen finishes. "First, a word from our sponsors."

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian watches ariah's weaponry dig into him, but stands under the attack. He narrows that eye again and brings it down with the wrath of an angry demi-god. Despite it all, he was grinning. This was a great match, no matter the outcome.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     Ariah DID promise that glory would find them both, no matter the victor, but even she could not have anticipated just how well the Wolf Lord would fight. For all of his grin, she remains stoic, despite the blood that seems to have stopped flowing despite her deep wounds. Again she brings her weapons up, taking the blow of the axe and skidding on the ice, feeling her energy reserves sapped by the constant need for defensive action and the icy chill of the arena as well. She takes in a breath, then seals her blade into her staff, bringing the once-more unified weapon up in two hands. An orb of energy forms on the tip, and then into the ground she slams it like a hammer, sending a burst of not just concussive energy, but scalding heat towards Karian, the snow melting and winter plants wilting under the wave.

Karian Icefang has posed:
    "Heat and cold? Reminds me of home." Karian says. He wasn't wrong either, as Fenris was both a planet of fire and ice. In a way, he was most at home here. So while the flames licked and singed his face, hair, and armor, he kept moving forward. As he drew close, his axe flew out. But it was merely a distraction for the far quicker combat knife aimed for ariah.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     Ariah is beyond chatter for the moment, though she mentally notes that visiting Karian's homeworld is very low on her priorities if it's a land of hot and cold. Instead she has the feint to worry about, sweeping her staff towards it, only to take the knife right in the middle of her body. Her eyes widen and she coughs again, blood spilling around the short blade, the sticky warmth coating Karian's hand and letting him know he struck home. But she wrenches herself free and staggers back, the wound in her midsection closing after a few tense moments. Then her staff meets the ground once more, runes lighting up, flickering, before a cluster of small, explosive mana-missiles burst from the weapon, the seeker bolts swirling around Karian and bursting with light and force.

Karian Icefang has posed:
    KArian grimmaces as the seeker swarm bolts strike true against his armor. He looks and notes his chance. He goes into a full on bull rush, balling his fist. Anyone who knew him knew what was coming. His uppercut.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     Ariah takes a breath, her mana reserves running dangerously low. She feels the cold bringing her down as well, her fingertips holding tight to her staff as she stands. Her eyes widen as Karian charges, and the best she can do is brace inwardly. The fist hits true, sending the witch upwards into the air, almost clearing a portion of the nearby treeline. The echo of crunching bone can be heard from the hit, but up so high, she takes a long, deep breath of the cold, crisp air, for all the good it does her. Then down she goes.

     No magic, just gravity, aligning her body to get the least wind resistance and send her straight down towards the Wolf Lord. Her sword comes out, and she aims for the Space Marine's head.

Karian Icefang has posed:
    Karian drops from that hit, stunned for a moment. Yet, he still smiles. He stands and....offers his hand. "Well fought. If what I have seen says anything, you will win." He says, a good sport even in defeat.

Ariah (56) has posed:
     Ariah tumbles into the snow, pulling herself to her feet slowly after the strike hits. She looks up at the hulking marine, prepared for his return strike, and instead finds an open palm versus a closed fist. Her small hand meets his, and she accepts it, bowing her head graciously despite her bloodied body. "Well fought," she replies, breath slow and measured. "Your enemies must tremble at the sound of your footsteps. Even with the beasts of my world, I have never faced a man of your stature that still posessed such speed."