Boys Will Be Boys - Part I.

A matter of honor

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The Wilderness of Cyphrus is an endless sea of tall grass that rolls just like the oceans themselves. Geysers kiss the sky with their steamy breath, and mysterious craters create microworlds all their own. But above all danger lives here in the tall grass in the form of fierce wild creatures; elegant serpents that swim through the land like whales through the ocean and fierce packs of glassbeaks that hunt in packs which are only kept at bay by fires. Traverse it carefully, with a guide if possible, for those that venture alone endanger themselves in countless ways.

Boys Will Be Boys - Part I.

Postby Azmere on October 23rd, 2015, 2:27 am

9th of Winter, 505 AV

The shouts and cheers were mixed with drunken slurs and the occasional pot being shattered either on the ground or someone’s head. This was not unusual for the Diamond clan given the occasion. There was going to be an Honor Proving tonight and one that was years in the making. The new Ankal, though young, was highly regarded in the clan and he had a bone to pick. His younger half-brother had always been a thorn in his side and in the Ankal’s mind, a shame to his Pavilion.

When their father passed, Cassander issued the challenge to Azmere but was denied. Cassander was too young to take over as Ankal and the new head man refused the issue. However, that is when Azmere was asked to go stay with his grandfather to avoid any further conflict. As fate would have it, the two pavilions did business often and the stepbrothers often clashed despite efforts to keep them apart. Azmere had never feared Cassander but he always respected his older sibling. Cassander was strong in both mind and body and though he hid it well, Azmere knew his brother had a dark side.

The Ankal who took the place of Azmere’s father was killed by a Glassbeak six weeks ago. This left Cassander as the unanimous choice to take over the Moonbow pavilion. Azmere had been sent by his grandfather to collect a debt from the Moonbow and was met with resitance from its new Ankal, Cassander. When the younger brother made an effort to resolve the situation peacefully, he was ridiculed and threatened. Azmere did not care about the joke at his expense but he would not fail his mother’s father. His reputation for getting it done was hard-earned and he was not willing to let it go over something so trivial as sibling rivalry. So, like any self-respecting member of the Diamond clan, Azmere punched Cassander in the face and knocked him to the ground. He took the payment owed to the Stormblood pavilion and left on Hephiestian. No one disputed the payment being remitted but the manner in which it was taken was the reason [so everyone is being told] for tonight’s battle. The true reason was a lifetime of aggravation on both sides finally being put to a proper test.

The Diamond clan would occasionally gather for an ages-old tradition known as an Honor Proving. Two men or two women will square off in the center of a pavilion. It’s usually held on neutral ground but not always. The entire clan is invited to attend and there’s always several representatives from every pavilion within Diamond clan in attendance [if not the entirety of it]. Tonight was one of those ‘packed house’ occasions.

Cassander walked out of his tent with his body glistening in the flickering light of the torches. He had knotted ropes tied around his biceps, forearms, wrists, head and calves. He wore an ancient dress that looked something like the offspring of a grass skirt and a loin cloth. He raised his muscular arms in the air with clenched fists and gave out a fierce war cry. This brought a ruckus of cheers from the crowd and a large angry silence from one corner of the assembled mass. Cassander moved into the circle that had been decorated with grass wreaths. Arrows with overly extravagant fletchings were stuck in the ground in an assorted array that looked random. The trick behind the madness was a matching of constellations chosen by the elders of the clan. Ironically, one was the sign Cassander was born under. The second was the birth sign of Azmere and the third was the constellation for Zulrav.

Azmere sat in the stable with Hephiestian. He, too, was dressed in knotted braids and the old time battle dress. He had feathers and beads laced into his hair and henna tattoos to cover his scars. Well, they were on top of the scars at least. Azmere had grown into a finely built man but he lacked a few inches in both height and reach against Cassander. They were very much equals in strength. His advantage would come in heart and the wonderful gift of being underestimated. Hephiestian nudged Azmere in the shoulder to rouse him from his ponderous state. Azmere smirked and patted the creature’s neck. “I hear ya, buddy.” He studied the Strider as he rose to his feet. The chanting was beginning and that meant that Cassander was done showing off. Azmere pressed the bridge of his nose against Hephiestian’s cheek. “Luck in battle, boy.” The horse pfft’d and reared his head back as if to understand the comment.

The offender walked to the edge of the circle where his pavilion made a way for him to pass. He stood outside of it for a moment and lowered his head allowing his eyes to close. He knelt down on one knee and rested his elbow on the raised leg. He whispered a prayer to Zulrav, his god and inspiration. Feeling a light breeze against his cheek, Azmere rose to his feet with a wild look in his eyes. The members of the Stormblood clan began to stomp a beat on the ground and Azmere came alive.

He stomped his right foot in time with his kin while flashing wild looks, flicking his tongue and beginning to chant in Pre-Valterrian Pavi or at least the babble that spawned it. His voice seemed inhuman as shouts and growls formed phrases and taunts. This was all done while a perfectly choreographed dance ensued. Azmere never ceased the stomping of his leg but would occasionally switch legs. He slapped his arms and legs with quick strikes. He beat his fists against his chest and made violent gestures towards Cassander. The older members of the clan recognized the form as something passed down in only three families. It was a form of tribute to the gods that was delivered by warriors before going into battle. Cassander had only heard of this ritual. Surprise and jealousy were written all over his face mixed in with a bit of hatred.

Azmere continued to pound the ground and insinuate doing harm to Cassander all while looking extremely crazy and dangerous with a scarred face and neck. The most fearsome expression was when he opened his eyes wide. The reason it was so intimidating was the accident that marred him turned one of his bright blue eyes to the color of gold. The firelight almost demonized Azmere. Secretly, he enjoyed the dance and continued until the final action was to step into the circle while pulling his thumb against his neck and pointing at Cassander. With his final stomp, his clan ceased their participation and all went silent. Azmere grinned devilishly and after a moment, the entire clan erupted with cheers and loud shouts. Now the fun could begin.
Last edited by Azmere on November 8th, 2015, 9:20 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Boys Will Be Boys - Historical

Postby Azmere on October 25th, 2015, 2:40 pm

Cassander had reached a boiling point. The display put on by his bastard half-brother was almost too much. The older brother beat his fists against his chest one time and started an intentional stalk of Azmere. He crossed up to the middle of the ring and then began to circle to the left. Azmere began to close the distance as well and circled left trying to figure out what Cassander’s first move would be. They had fought many times and Azmere was confident that he knew what to expect. Cassander moved in a lowered stance that kept his knees bent and his hips low creating a very balanced position. Azmere matched this as it was typically a good way to start a wrestling match. Many in the crowd had already wagered in some form on this bout. Those who hadn’t gotten into the action yet were simply contemplating what to bet with whom.

Azmere feinted a lunge but maintained his distance. Cassander didn’t even react to the feint. He knew that Azmere always let him attack first. He was trying to figure out a way to force Azmere to lunge because he had a nice counter he wanted to employ. Cassander shook his head. He needed to focus on his opponent. The new Ankal smirked and whispered an insult to Azmere. While the hurtful words rolled off of Azmere’s shoulders, he saw the ‘tell’ in Cassander’s stance. His step brother always flexed his grip open then closed again before he made a move. Azmere caught this subtlety from the corner of his eye. The dark of night and shifting shadows resulting from the flickering flames would make catching these warnings much harder.

Cassander lunged forward. He dropped to his right knee and sent his right arm out to try and grab Azmere around his thigh. The younger brother knew this move well and was ready. He sprawled his legs backwards and dropped his chest onto Cassander’s shoulders. Azmere looped his left arm under Cassander’s right arm and hooked his other arm by going over Cassander’s other shoulder. This gave him an over/under control which he used to his advantage very quickly. Azmere planted his feet and felt Cassander try to back away from the trap he had fallen into. Azmere twisted his body applying torque to the hold he had on Cassander. This flipped the Ankal around but he had enough strength to avoid going to his back. His legs hit the sand but Cassander managed to reach back and hook Azmere’s leg which allowed him to avoid a quick pin.

Azmere used a slow, steady force to straighten his leg out behind him and break Cassander’s grasp. This was costly though because the reaction of Cassander losing his hold sent his shoulder forward and free of Azmere’s grasp. The brother’s separated violently and dust formed a cloud around them. The separation did not last long and they slammed against one another soon locked together in a struggle for control. Each had a hold of the back of the other’s neck with his right hand while fighting to shift the other's left arm out of the way. Cassander was yanking downward as if trying to force Azmere’s head and shoulders out away from his stable base. Azmere was just hanging on at this point. It was easy to maintain while standing and locked up. He would weather the tugging of Cassander for a few more turns and allow his elder brother to waste some of his energy.
Last edited by Azmere on November 7th, 2015, 5:34 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Boys Will Be Boys - Historical

Postby Azmere on November 7th, 2015, 5:10 am

Azmere tightened his grip on Cassander’s neck. The younger brother began to tense in anticipation of the downward yanks from big brother’s strong arms. Azmere progressively increased his resistance to the assault. The two hadn’t fought for some time. Only in a few rare instances from their past had Azmere ever bested Cassander. Needless to say, it was almost transparent how everyone expected this to go.

*+*+*+*+*

Quite some time ago…

“Good son. Now finish it.”

Their father’s voice echoed against the pavilion. Cassander had caught Azmere in a reverse headlock by snapping his head down and to the side. The eldest son was bigger and stronger than Azmere; the boy didn’t have a chance. Cassander leaned his head down to whisper his taunts. “Better luck next time, little bastard.” It was the name that cut deeper than any blade. Azmere was the Ankal’s second youngest of his third wife and there simply wasn’t enough respect to go around for the lad. The heir apparent straightened his back and continued on over. The sheer size difference enabled Cassander to fall back and drive Azmere’s skull into the dirt.

Not quite so long ago…

Azmere struggled against the bigger man. Asmodeus sat off to the side correcting and coaching both men. The older member of the Diamond clan was constantly trying to pull Azmere’s head down and forward. The continued resistance was making Azmere lose his center of gravity. As he felt his weight shift, the younger fighter maintained his grip on his opponent’s head and leapt forward and to the side in a vain takedown attempt. The elder hopped to his feet as his grandson was slung to the dirt.

“Very good, Kelak but you could react faster.” The old man shuffled closer to where Azmere had landed. “And you, boy, need to think in terms of leverage.”

“Leverage?” Azmere got up to his feet and dusted off. He moved his hands in a few quick signals displaying their clan’s dialect of Pavi. Asmodeus nodded and moved to stand beside his grandson. He was using his hands to explain what Azmere should do to counter being overwhelmed in a standing lock.

*+*+*+*+*

Cassander was preparing for one final snap which history has taught ends with Azmere being planted in the ground. He knew Azmere couldn’t continue to maintain his balance within the onslaught. Big brother pulled a switchback step while yanking Azmere towards him. Azmere was ready and allowed himself to be pulled forward but he took the opportunity to get a firm, braided hold on Cassander’s left arm. The Ankal was almost surprised his move had worked but he was too arrogant to realize what was happening.

While Cassander was pulling Azmere in with such certainty he missed what his opponent had done until it was too late. Azmere used the added momentum from Cassander’s pull to launch his body into the air. It wasn’t like how deer leap but how hunting cats fly along the grass to pounce on their prey. Azmere used the fluidity of flight to torque Cassander’s arm enabling him to bring his body closer to horizontal. His torso slammed into Cassander’s chest and face. Since Azmere was still holding his arm, the older brother could do nothing to defend himself. The pair crashed to the earth neat the edge of the ring. Azmere retightened his hold the left arm of his brother by utilizing both of his arms. Cassander’s head bounced off the ground once his shoulders made impact and this left him briefly stunned. Azmere arched his back and used his left leg to wedge underneath Cassander’s head. Azmere quickly snapped his right leg over his brother’s neck. He crossed his left ankle of his right and straightened his leg with a steady force. The scissor hold began to work quickly based on the evidence written all over Cassander’s darkening face.

Cassander used his free hand to pull at Azmere’s legs. He quickly realized this would not work and slammed his hand down on the ground twice. Cassander tapped out and the area erupted in shouts of joy mixed with cries of anguish over lost honor and poorly invested coin. Azmere released his step brother and scampered up to his feet and over to his pavilion for a quick celebration and some water. The Stormblood males did a quick chant in honor of Azmere taking the first round. Azmere’s inner child wanted to roar in triumph but the man he was becoming knew it only gets harder from here.

Word Count756
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Azmere
Seeker of the Lost
 
Posts: 651
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Boys Will Be Boys - Part I.

Postby Tribal on November 8th, 2015, 2:20 am

Image
G R A D E S

Azmere

Experience

  • Unarmed Combat: 1
  • Astronomy: 1
  • Zoology: 1
  • Observation: 2
  • Cosmetology: 1
  • Dancing: 1
  • Intimidation: 1
  • Wrestling: 2
  • Bodybuilding: 1
  • Endurance: 1

Lore

  • Cassander: Has a dark side
  • Cassander: The older brother
  • Azmere: Respects his grandfather
  • Moonbow: Honour proving
  • Moonbow: Intimidating dance
  • Azmere: The Bastard Son
  • Cassander's weaknesses
  • Wrestling: Using an opponent’s strength against them
  • Wrestling: A scissor hold

Notes

Even though this thread was last in the line-up for grading, I felt it was really important for me to cover a few things that concerned me. As tempting as it is to stray from the lore (which I know is extremely underdeveloped for individual clans (I apologise and sympathise with you), it’s important not to decide on cultural things such as trials and dances, especially taking them from other outside cultures (Maori in this instance with the haka). Drykas culture draws most of its influences from American Indians, that's not to say they get dressed up and dance around the fire and do everything Indian's are known for, but it was the original starting point for this race.

My other concern is the 'honour proving,' while I have no problem with certain pavilions having their own little customs, you can't say 'The Diamond Clan does this' if there is nothing in the lore to back it up, so I gave you the lore under the banner of the moonbow pavilion so in future perhaps you can say honour proving is something they as a pavilion do, rather than the Diamond Clan as a whole. Suggestions, of course, are always welcome for development in the city, but progress is slow as 90% of my time is being used to grade rather than develop and tell stories. When I manage to rope another ST into joining the area, or have a few more graders helping out, hopefully I will get on top of this issue; until then, just try to be careful with what you come up with or run it by me (I don't bite, promise.)

Other than those two things, I think you're a really fun writer and your threads thus far have been very interesting and pleasing to read and grade. Keep up the good work and enjoy the rewards.
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