[SG Faire, Artists Crafters and Writers Guild] Tourney

[raitora]

 

 

 

I don't have the energy to write for these :V

 

enjoy

[Blackhoof]

Pherno panted as the Asha'man blocked his latest attack with a blast of blue fire. Smoke rose as the ground burned and the air itself was incinerated with a hissing noise like a monstrous snake. Pherno channeled Fire and flames curled around him like blazing tentacles, eager to strike at those who opposed him. Suddenly the tendrils of flame began lashing at the Asha'man, taking it in turns so that the poor channeler would be overwhelmed by the neverending assault.

 

 

Elsewhere, the Wind Elemental had begun attacking the strange, iron warrior, buffeting him with brutal, concentrated blasts of air powerful enough to flay skin from bone. But the warrior was still standing.

 

Edit: finally got the school scanner to upload, so i can add pictures now lol

[Blackhoof]

*chirp chirp*

[Red2111]

Reds ear twitches at the sound of a giant cricket. It stood there on 6 thin legs, tan in color with giant mandables. it's anteni twitched in a blur of motion as it interpreted the signles it was recieving. It was a giant Camel Cricket, the worse of it's species and dawned with the horro filled name "Hoppy Thing" from all that dispise and fear it in their homes.

 

 

(not my picture)

 

Yet this Hoppy Thing was larger than most, as it stood a story tall, it's stinger dripped with noxious fumes as it chirpped it's triumphant chirp, and it prepared to hop.

 

 

Red looked at the creature with great distaste and quickly went to scribbling in her parchment. The clouds parted and somethign shinning with a metallic gleam begain to desend from the heavens. it was a GIANT CAN OF RAID!!!!!!! The cricket became enraged, and at the same time had the look of a bug about to fly into a windsheid goign 70 mph. The giant beast began to back up, it's antena twitching nervously, as it looked for a way to escape; but the can kept on in it's deliberate pace, comming closer to the foul creature.

 

The Hoppy Thing's stinger hit a wall and it gulped,. knowing it was trapped; the can stopped it's advance and let loose it's arsenal of putried fumes which coated the exoskeleton of this 3 ton montrosity. I thin white coat of killing fumes covered the creature from pincher to mandable and the beast screamed as it sufficated. Toppling over as it's legs gave out, it continued to scream even as the death convulsions took it. The can gave it one last squirt of pesticide before ascending back into the heavens, and the creature stopped screaming as it's legs gave their last feeble kick.

 

 

Red surveyed the slaughter with staisfaction, those things had always given her the creeps.

 

[Blackhoof]

Pherno looked on in amusement as a giant cricket was unceremoniously sprayed by a large silver cylinder. What a foolish-looking device, Pherno thought contemptuously to himself. It was time to show someone else other than this wretched Asha'man what he could do. With a roar of effort, he threw a massive wall of flame at the black-clad lightfool, knocking his to the ground.

 

Turning to the nameless scribe, he withdrew the Encyclopaedia and began reading one of the entries. Specifically, the entry about the Del Goro Zar, a bloodthirsty swarm of sentient snakes that hunt as a pack through the jungles of Shara. They shared a combined consciousness, a hive-mind of sorts that allowed unparalleled coordination and unity. Pherno laughed and said "Let us see how well you deal with THIS, scribe!," as he sent the snakes to attack.

[ineedfourberfs]

The Wind Elemental towered above Rah, the stories-tall giant as fast as a whip and with all the force of a hurricane. Its form seemed to shift from space to space, its legs there only to satisfy some ancient anthropomorphic imperative. It charged towards him, speed impossible to judge as it surged and slowed in turn. Von Raahn fell back, lifting himself on a hastily-formed platform of power-wrought carbon, the midnight black disc beneath him razor thin but strong.

 

He looked not behind him as he sped backward, knocking soldiers and errant champions to either side, the edge of the platform slicing through legs and arms and anything unfortunate enough to be his path. The conjuaration before him, keen eyed and roaring, couldn't catch him, Von Raahn maintaining his distance on purpose. He studied it, as he hurtled around the battlefield.

 

It is obviously a construct of some advanced degree, he mused, appreciating the savagery of the thing. It was all force. The only reason it was visable was due to the grass and dust it collected in it's vortex, with ruddy patches of blood red coming and going as they made their way across the field. The occasional body was thrown up, sucked through a stomping leg and pulled upwards, only to be ejected with force from the whirlwind that was the creature. He was impressed. This thing could do some damage.

 

But what is binding it together, I wonder. With probes made of pure dark power, he felt at the monster, trying to find anything other than wind and air and detritus within it. The very nature of it made it difficult, the chaotic innards a hindrance to his search. But, at last, he found it; a complex cage of dark strings, with trails leading into each of its limbs, pulsating faintly with a black power. This must be a weave that they mentioned, studying it in his mind even as he watched. So kind of them to leave instructions for me. Now that he saw how the creature was made, and controlled, his course of action became clear.

 

He grinned. I am going to enjoy this.

 

Embracing the power granted to him by his dark master, he brought forth an inferno, igniting the black cage and all the threads with it. The oxygen fed the flames, resulting in a towering inferno many stories tall, giving off an intense heat that left bonfires in the beasts wake. They were granted a wide passge as they continued thier dance across the battlefield, the thing not even slowed by the fire that had taken within it.

 

Good. It is not a weak host.

 

Von Raahn slowed the platform, ultimately letting it disolve as he casually stepped onto the dirt, the elemental still coming at full pace for him. Within moments it was before him, raising a fist as large as a boulder in preparation to strike. Before it could however, Von Raahn broke into a sprint, and dived into the chest of the best, using the power to protect him from the flames and wind. He was inside it, supported by the howling gale that spun arund him. He extended the power into the cage, ripping some bars appart and replacing others, leaving some entirely alone. Within moments, he had control of the construct. He tapped in to the rudimentary mind, a simple set of instructions impelled upon the force with this One Power he had encountered. It was curious. It was as if the weaves were shortcuts to any given effect; rather than moving atoms of air as a group to create the wind, you wove in a pattern, and the universe responded. But that was a matter for another time.

 

The beast stood to attention, fire roaring around it, wind blowing embers away and catching alight the grassy field in patches. He turned it, using the eyes of the creature to see the distant hill where the owner of the book had called this thing into being. He made the beast smile. He hoped the Author could see from his vantage.

 

Still grinning, Von Raahn started the construct running, then flowing back through the melee, leaving charred corpses in his wake. What next, he thought, reishing the exchange.

[Blackhoof]

Pherno watched the Del Goro Zar surge towards the strange scribe with glee, who was oblivious to the incoming threat. Turning back to the rising Asha'man, he nearly started when he saw that the Wind Elemental was on fire. The beast had becoming a towering silhouette of flames against the ash-filled sky, more of a Fire Elemental now. Well, Pherno thought, stunned. At least it looks as if it destroyed that strange warrior. Indeed, the Elemental was not attacking or moving at all, merely hovering above the battlefield. Suddenly it smiled, and Pherno felt chills go up his spine. Wind Elementals never smiled, or showed ANY emotion.... right?

 

The being began walking towards him, and Pherno enhanced his voice with the Power to give the Wind Elemental new orders, and cried "O creature of myth and legend, you are bound to my word and my word only, and I hereby order you to DESTROY that asha'man!" The Wind Elemental's head turned to regard the subject of his master's ire, but quickly returned to approaching Pherno.

 

The Wind Elemental drew closer and closer, and Pherno realised that he no longer had control. He raised the book and flicked to a entry he knew should be able to beat this thing- he never summoned anything that could not be countered by anther of his summonings- and began reading. He usually spoke grandly and loud, but this time he spoke as fast as possible barely above a whisper.

 

"Earth Elementals are beings formed of pure rock and controlled by the spirit of the earth. Not only are they almost impossible to damage except with magic, they can regenerate their damaged bodies by drawing rock or dirt from the surrounding area, making them very difficult to kill. According to Elemental Lore, they warred with the Wind Elementals in the First Days for control of the Aether- the invisible realm that separates the Earth and the Sky- but the intervention of the Aetons prevented the world from being rent in two. This was fortunate for the Wind Elementals, as they certainly would have lost that war, given the fact the Earth Elementals were almost impossible to destroy due to their regenerative abilities."

 

That was all that needed to be said, however, and the ground shook in front of Pherno. great cracks began forming, and a monstrous fist made of rock and dirt emerged from the fissure. The hole widened and soon another fist and a head emerged as the Elemental crawled out of the bowels of the world.

(not my picture)

The Elemental was frightening in its size, as if a small mountain had woken up and started walking. It was a tall as the Wind Elemental, but far wider, as well. "Let us see if that treacherous fiend can withstand the fury of the earth!" Pherno cried, "Go, O beast of legend, and destroy your ancient enemy!"

 

The Earthly beast grunted and complied.

 

OOC: just so you know, the stuff in the book is obviously not true- it is various myths and legends compiled together in one place. the creatures also do not really exist, they are only called into existence by Pherno's shamelessly-stolen-from-Inkheart powers.

[Blackhoof]

Pherno smiled smugly as the Earth Elemental advanced on it's opposite number, and turned to face the Asha'man, just in time to block a blue fireball with a shield of air. The Dreadlord swore and began hurling a deluge of fireballs at the other channeler, but all pattered harmlessly against an invisible shield like horizontal rain drops falling onto the ground. The other channeler struck back, and Pherno found himself on the defensive, blocking or deflecting attack after attack.

 

With a blast of fire and air aimed at the ground, Pherno propelled himself backwards, landing safely onto a rock a few metres behind him. Couching on his perch, Pherno grinned evilly and his eyes bored into the lightfool he was fighting. Suddenly fire shot out of his eyes, massive waves of flame that started small and rapidly expanded like directional ripples in a pond.

 

The Asha'man looked shocked and was stunned for a moment, but a moment was all he had, for soon he disappeared within a blazing inferno.

 

After a few seconds, Pherno ceased his assault, and surveyed the damage he had caused. Two massive cones of charred ground extended outwards from the rock he was perched upon, barren blights of ash and embers, and for a moment Pherno thought the Asha'man was finally dead. Suddenly the air in the centre of the scorch mark distorted and rippled, and the Asha'man stood there, unscathed and without a single hair burnt off.

 

Pherno's brow furrowed in anger, and he grumbled "He must have used some sort of air-based shield that protects as well as hides him.... interesting." Leaping off the rock, arms wreathed in flame, Pherno's anger dissipated and now, he merely looked forward to the challenge this little tourney had given him. "Well, pathetic lightfool..." the Dreadlord began with a monstrous grin plastered on his face, "...bring it on."

[raitora]

[Blackhoof]

The Asha'man held out his arms, and blue flames gathered around his hands, spinning like whirlwinds. the fire increased in intensity, becoming shining beacons of intense sapphire, and with a roar, the channeler sent two beams of pure blue-white light at Pherno, so hot that the air hissed and sizzled as it was incinerated.

 

Pherno smiled, the blue light casting an eerie quality to his gaunt countenance. The Dreadlord beaced himself, holding out his arms as if to catch something, and a gateway formed in front of him, several metres wide and a yard tall. The beam went into the Skimming gate, dissapearing into the inky void that you travelled through when Skimming.

 

The attack continued for several more seconds, the Asha'man obviously not realising that his weave was not having an affect. When he finially finished, the beam faded, leaving a black afterimage in the eyes of any beholder. Pherno allowed the gateway to close, a smug smirk on his face as he saw the Asha'man's shock. "It is interesting," Pherno pondered out loud, "how no-one realises how effective gateways are as redirective shields." He laughed, and continued, "Once I opened a gateway that lead behind my attacker, and he was hit with his own fireball. You should have seen the look on his face, ha ha!"

 

The Asha'man panted, his arms hanging limp by his sides as he collapsed to his knees in exhastion. "That attack must have drained you horribly," Pherno said to his opponent. "You must be exhausted. A pity, really, I was SO hoping for this little 'contest' to entertain me for a little longer, but you are clearly incapable of fighting any longer." The pyromaniacal Dreadlord stalked towards his victim, watching shock turn into fear, and fear turn into defiance. "Now, I shall have to put you out of my misery." He raised one hand, and threads of flame danced and spun around his fingers like a mass of thin, razor-sharp worms.

 

Now Pherno stood less than a foot from the fallen lightfool, and when he pointed at his head, his finger was mere inches from the Asha'man's face, so he could see with horrifying clarity the little threads weaving and writhing around Pherno's hand. The threads gathered around his index finger, and Pherno prepared to launch a fireball execution-style at the lightfool, but he could not resist some last, parting words; Pherno was nothing if not dramatic. "You have been a worthy opponent, lightfool, but now it is your time to pass from this world. Do not worry- you shall go out with a flash.... of fire."

 

Suddenly there was a roar, and Pherno turned to see the massive, mountainous form of his Earth Elemental falling towards him, the triumphant Wind Elemental standing over it. The Dreadlord leapt out of the way, the fist of the Elemental narrowly missing him as it crashed into the ground, throwing the Asha'man away like an angry child would throw dolls.

 

when the dust settled, the Earth Elemental groaned and began to stand, but the Wind Elemental would have none of it- blowing a blast of superheated air straight into it's face. The face became a clear slate with frightening quickness, and the Wind Elemental showed no signs of slowing.

 

Pherno was furious- how dare that fiend not die when he wanted it to! He realised that he needed to do something quickly, and opened up the book to the ultimate creature, the thing that could defeat any creature.

[Blackhoof]

The Earth Elemental staggered to it's feet, a stream of rocks flying to it's face from the ground as if to a magnet, and soon it's face was fully reformed. With a monstrous roar, the beast drew back a fist and threw it into the midsection of the Wind Elemental. A sound like lightning zapped through the air and the Earth Elemental's fist was sent flying back with such force that it broke into pebbles, knocking the mountainous beast to it's knees. But this explosive force was not entirely one-sided, and out of the back of the Wind Elemental flew the iron warrior.

 

Pherno's lower jaw nearly fell off.

 

The Wind Elemental looked startled for a millisecond as concussive force ripped through it's flaming frame, and then it's face dissipated along with the rest of it's windy body, leaving nothing but a rain of debris and the eerie silence that follows a storm.

 

The iron warrior landed with a thud, sending out a shockwave as his heavyset form crashed into the ground. The Earth Elemental, seeing it's task complete and badly wounded, merely crumbled, returning to the earth from whence it came. Pherno began reading from the Encyclopaedia entry that would save him, reading as quickly as possible as the iron warrior staggered to his feet and began advancing on the Dreadlord.

 

Pherno channeled Fire for all he was worth and sent a continuous blast of flame at the advancing terror, but the figure merely held out a hand and the flames froze in mid air half-way to him. Pherno kept sending more flame towards the warrior, but it all froze and quickly faded as it got half-way there.

 

The warrior was a mere foot away from Pherno when he completed the summoning. The book flew to the ground between them, shaking like crazy and glowing with a black light, and a black vortex opened up from within it's pages. Suddenly a pillar of pure blackness and purple smoke shot out of the vortex, and continued until it was dozens of metres tall. An unearthly wind picked up, and Pherno had to root himself to the ground with the Power to avoid being knocked over. The column of blackness began reforming, until it resembled a ghastly man-shape of gigantic proportions.

 

Pherno had just summoned the Thiefstealer. According to legend, many years ago, a powerful spirit had resided in peace in a mountain, helping whoever beseeched it and answering many villagers prayers. But then, a group of foul thieves stole it's most prized possession,and from then on it became malevolent, hunting down thieves from all over the world in the vain hope of finding what was stolen from it. It took every thief it found to an inescapable prison where they would suffer for eternity for their sins, and would only release them if they revealed the location of that which it searched for. None ever knew.

 

The Thiefstealer turned it's single, bone-white eye to Pherno, and the Dreadlord proclaimed, "Take the warrior and the Asha'man, for they are the ones that stole my chances of victory in this tourney! While i fought them other champions have been competing and will soon win, i have no hope! Take them both, for they are thieves!"

 

The Thiefstealer turned to regard the iron warrior, who merely looked unimpressed, and the Asha'man who was still recovering from being knocked away by the crashing Earth Elemental. Ater a few tense seconds of inactivity, the Thiefstealer said, in a deep and wise voice that seemed to be heard in their very souls as much as their ears, "The victory was never yours to begin with, O summoner, so they did not steal it. I see no thief in front of me."

 

Pherno nearly exploded with rage, as he saw his one hope diminishing before his eyes. "I ORDER you to take the thief!"

 

The Thiefstealer turned to him and began shrinking bakc into the vortex, one of the great hands reaching for the Dreadlord.

 

"What... what is the meaning of this! Take THEM!" Pherno sputtered in indignation.

"They have stolen nothing, O summoner, but you, you have stolen much. You have stolen the homes you burned, the lives you wrecked, the lives of the people you killed, even the very book you summoned me with. YOU, are the thief here, summoner, NOT them."

 

By this time, the hand had nearly reached Pherno, and he turned to flee, but it was too late. The massive paw of the Thiefstealer closed around Pherno, lifting him into the air as the great spirit's body and other arm disappeared into the vortex. Pherno threw spears and balls of flame, but they disappeared into the blackness, he threw every weave he could think of at the Thiefstealer, but they all failed. Pherno cried out for the spirit to release him, to put him down, but it would not listen. He called for someone to help him, but the Asha'man and the warrior merely stood there ground, with a grim stare and a maniacal grin on their respective faces.

The Thiefstealer's hand grew closer and closer to the vortex, and Pherno grew more and more frantic, but to no avail, for he could not break free. With a final cry for mercy, the hand and Pherno vanished into the portal, and with a puff of black smoke, the vortex, the Thiefstealer and Pherno were gone.

[Elend]

Blackhoof appears to have won with something like 34 points o.O

 

I'd have figured Tora by a brief overview, but it seems Black surged towards the end.

 

Tora came in second with something like 21 points.

 

Grats guys. And awesome art :D

[raitora]

Nyehh, I got a bit lazy toward the end.

 

Grats Blackhoof!

[Blackhoof]

yay! i win! :D

 

good work tora, your really talented, even though i won by sheer spam lol. ;) i suppose quantity has a quality all of its own (if you will excuse the stalin quote)

 

did you like my death scene?