Nightangel

RPGuild Ranked Tournament

I've decided I no longer have interest in competing in this tournament. Please remove me from the roster.

RPGuild Ranked Tournament

I feel like perhaps the concept on what qualifies as "Powered" might be a little too vague. To my mind, most of the characters I've seen would fall far above the level of what Innue described as "the mid to lower end of the second tier". I've always thought the idea of a tournament was to submit balanced characters and let the writing decide the victor, not to have a contest of who can think up the more powerful character.

Personally, I feel that some powers should just not be allowed in a tournament, such as gesture-less magic, telekenesis and similar uncounterable effects, and self healing.

D'Angelo VS Black Rose Killer (Shidenblades VS Nightangel at the Mountain Monastery, Ranked Match)

With Jahar's close proximity to his opponent and the sloped surface, his options were limited as Nicoli threw the cloud of sand toward him. Were it not for his Onyx Eye, he would likely have been forced to choose retreat, but its enhanced ability to see in the gloom allowed him to detect the glint of moonlight off of the glass particles as they left Nicoli's hand. Jahar's lips curled upward into a snarling smile and he sent another, larger surge of energy through his entire body. The fragile tiles beneath his feet cracked with a loud report from the pressure as he dashed through the cloud to press his advantage, moving a bit upward to his left to gain the advantage of slightly higher ground. He held his breath and closed his right eye against the glass while keeping his focus upon Nicoli with his open left.

What Jahar hadn't seen, of course, was the rust powder mixed with the glass. Jahar had dashed through the handful of powder before it had time to fully expand, but it still coated the right half of his torso, part of his face, and most of his right arm as he passed. While Jahar's gear had very little metal, given that there was not a great deal to strap down, what little he had was quite important. Immediately, the rust began working upon the metal buckles on the right side of his weapons harness, as well as those securing the straps of the bracer upon his right arm. The blade at his elbow, affixed to his bracer, also began immediately to be eaten away.

Jahar, unaware of this predicament, saw only an unarmed opponent and the chance for a kill. His khopesh was currently down at his right side following his parry, and he reached across with his left hand to once again grasp it in a two handed grip as he closed the short distance with incredible speed, the position of the blade similar to the Iron Gate stance both had earlier used. With a snarl, he would arc the blade in a vicious uppercut swing beginning from the lower right and intended to cleave Nicoli in two diagonally, both the speed of and the strength behind the attack were at more than three times Jahar's natural ability. An attack of this strength in Jahar's previous experience had been enough to slice through unenchanted steel armor as though it were cloth.

Unfortunately, the killer made a miscalculation in his footing on the unfamiliar terrain, ending his attack with his left foot forward to accommodate the brutal attack. Whether or not it struck Nicoli, the upswing of the attack would be enough to momentarily unbalance Jahar upon the slope, forcing him to immediately bring his right foot beneath him to recover. The move was near instantaneous, and would normally have posed almost no issue, but in this case he was a victim of poor circumstance.

In the midst of the attack, the rust powder had completed its work upon the metal buckles in Jahar's weapon harness and bracer, causing the right sheathe holding one of his twin Haladie daggers to simply fall to the tiles and begin to slide down toward the lip. In a cruel twist of fate, Jahar's right foot landed upon the sheathed dagger as he repositioned his weight and it slid out from beneath him, causing him to fall backward. Gravity would immediately begin its work and Jahar would begin to slide downward, his body parallel to the roof's edge. He attempted to slam his right elbow into the tiles, hoping to find purchase with the blade upon his elbow, but to his immense surprise it simply crumbled from the pressure, the rust having done its work there as well, as the friction of the tiles stripped away the bracer, no longer strapped to his forearm.

With a growled curse foul enough to make a sailor blush, the Blackvine would slide over the edge and, unable to change his position mid air, fall ten feet awkwardly to the sands below, the dagger in its sheathe landing a few feet away.

D'Angelo VS Black Rose Killer (Shidenblades VS Nightangel at the Mountain Monastery, Ranked Match)

Jahar watched warily as the man withdrew his hand from yet another pouch at his belt and flung it; instantly he knew that it wasn't targeted at him as it left Nicoli's hand, and so he kept his focus forward as the Veiled-One closed the distance. Finally he thought with savage satisfaction, just before his finely tuned senses picked up the sound of the shattering vial above him and to the left, followed by the telltale sizzle of acid.

When the first tile slid free and begin to rattle downward, Jahar realized his opponent's strategy. Clever. A simple retreat, by far the easiest and safest defense against most attacks, was now impossible. The sense of wariness he had felt upon the throwing of the vial melted back into enjoyment and amusement. As though he would back down now.

As the Veiled-One ran with a sure-footedness and confidence upon the uneven tiles that the dark killer actually admired, he would take several quick but careful steps forward to meet the attack. As Nicoli's thrust darted in, Jahar released his left hand from the khopesh and sent an instant surge of energy into the tattoos upon his right arm, shoulder and back. At the last moment he swept his sword in a counter clockwise arc before him, the surge of power in his muscles allowing him to maneuver the heavy sword as though it were light as a rapier. The khopesh would slam into Nicoli's longsword with another dull ring as the killer would try to force the lighter blade down and away to Jahar's right with a strength of over twice his normal level.

At the same time, he sent another similar surge of power into the muscles of his left arm and shoulder, though this time rather than strength his arm would be empowered with speed. Jahar's clawed hand would literally blur in motion to most normal eyes, moving several times faster than the speed of his earlier attacks, to strike out immediately after the parry at the exposed upper section of Nicoli's sword arm in a raking perpendicular slash from top to bottom. Unfortunately, he had been forced to lean in toward the roof to counterbalance the defensive khopesh swing, and so the blow would lack power despite its incredible speed. Normally he could have compensated with the aid of his tattoos, supernaturally increasing his strength, but he feared to sacrifice his footing while shifting any weight away from the slope of the roof. Still, with this particular weapon it hopefully would not matter.

Should Jahar's claws find purchase in Nicoli's arm, even with a simple set of scratches, the assassin would feel an inordinate amount of pain, as though a much greater wound had been inflicted. The pain was occasionally great enough to send lesser men into shock, though Jahar heavily doubted that would be the case here. Still, in a battle at this level, any distraction could be fatal, which was why Jahar pointedly avoided glancing at the tattooed flower upon his left hand, instead keeping his eyes upon the hand that lay near to Nicoli's belt. Had he looked, he would have seen the first petal begin to wither and shrivel. One way or another, the countdown had begun.

RPGuild Ranked Tournament

@Innue Wait....so you are saying no, injuries and such will not carry over between fights? I just want to make sure I'm reading this right.

RPGuild Ranked Tournament

Tourney? Sounds fun :)

I'll enter with Jahar.

Jahar al'Harradin

Name: Jahar al'Harradin
Aliases: the Black Rose Killer, the Blackvine
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Occupation: Killer for hire
Demeanor: Jahar is somewhat erratic in his behavior, seeming to have multiple sides to his nature. He as often projects an air of charming sophistication as one of a dangerous psychopath with a taste for killing. In combat, and especially when tapping into his strange abilities, he is utterly ruthless and without regard for anything but his current objective. The concepts of mercy and honor in battle are completely foreign to him.

Physical Appearance:

Hair: Dark brown, bordering on black. Generally worn cropped close to the head.
Facial Hair: None, though he often goes days without shaving, leaving noticeable stubble.
Eyes: Right eye is dark brown, left eye appears to have been replaced by an onyx gem
Build: Slender frame but well muscled
Height: 5'10"
Weight: 179 lbs
Distinguishing Features: In addition to his rather noticeable left eye, Jahar also has a rather intricate tattoo taking the form of twisting black vines. The tattoos stem from a central pattern of vines on his back near the spine, and reach out to cover his arms, legs, and torso. One vine stretches up his neck to the side of his face, curling around what appears to be a closed black rosebud inked onto and around the eyelid itself. Another of these closed rosebuds is inked on the back of his left hand, attached to its own tendril of vine.



Gear:

Tokens: Various pieces of Jahar's gear, including his bracers, shin guards, and various weapons, have been taken from fallen foes whom Jahar felt worthy of his respect. He has incorporated these strange items into his fighting style in a sort of ode to these warriors.

--Head: N/A
--Shoulders: Nondescript leather travelling cloak
--Torso: Weapons harness
---Underclothes: Simple black shirt
--Legs: Hardened leather shin guards covering from ankle to knee; each has a metal spike protruding upward from the knee guard.
---Underclothes: Simple black trousers
--Right Arm: Hardened leather bracer covering from wrist to elbow; has a metal spike protruding outward from the elbow guard.
--Left Arm: Twin of right arm.
--Primary Weapon: Varies, see below

Weapons:

Twin Haladie Daggers: If Jahar were to be said to have a primary weapon, it would be this pair of sinuously curved, triple bladed daggers which he was bequeathed early in his training. This particular set have been covered by a series of arcane runes that grant enhanced durability as well as a spell piercing enchantment. Any of the daggers' blades will pierce through most magical defenses as though they were nonexistent. He carries the daggers inside specially made sheathes that resemble triangular leather pouches, open on the long end, that hang at an angle from his hips, attached to the bottom of his weapon harness.



Urumi Sword: This particularly odd weapon appears to be a highly flexible sword, easily able to be coiled tightly without losing its shape when uncoiled. The three foot blade is kept in constant motion while wielded, able to quickly lash out and attack from difficult to predict angles. The Urumi is particularly difficult to block with either a weapon or shield, as its razor sharp blade will simply wrap over the blocking object, still inflicting slashing damage. The Urumi's scabbard serves as Jahar's belt, wrapped around his waist with the unassuming black leather wrapped hilt hanging off the right side when sheathed. Jahar took this particular Urumi from a skilled warrior who nearly killed him early in his career. While its design seems utilitarian, the weapon is heavily enchanted with air magic, allowing it to produce a 'windblade' effect, wherein focused air currents are projected from the end of the blade while in motion. This effectively adds six inches of reach to the weapon, and is particularly deadly due to the fact that this effect appears only as a slight distortion visually.



Tekko-Kagi Claw: This weapon is a set of four claws attached to a brace and handle, all forged from a dusky charcoal grey metal that is always cold to the touch. The brace sits against the back of the hand and wrist while the handle is gripped securely in the hand. The claws extend over the knuckles approximately four inches, and there is a crossbar affixed to the blades just in front of the knuckles, intended to protect against weapons trapped between the claws. Jahar's Tekko-Kagi was taken from an assassin who successfully caught him off guard and nearly slew him in his bed one night long ago. The weapon possesses a particularly insidious enchantment that causes unnatural levels of pain for anyone wounded by it.



Sunsword: This is the only one of Jahar's weapons that has anything resembling a name, though it is not a very clever one. The Sunsword is a large khopesh, made to be wielded in either one or two hands; it was forged from bronze, normally an inferior material, and is etched with a number of pictographic symbols that seem to depict worship of a sun deity. Perhaps because of some magic inherent in the symbols, or perhaps due to an unrelated enchantment, this bronze blade has several interesting properties. Despite the material, the blade is stronger and holds a better edge than steel. It also has the ability to absorb and store sunlight over a period of time, visible as a constant light reflecting from the dull bronze even in darkness, which can be released in a large blinding flash at the will of the wielder. The weapon was taken from the powerful shaman of a desert tribe that Jahar was sent to exterminate as one of his first real assignments.



Other Gear:

Onyx Eye: This gemstone was taken from yet another unsuccessful assassin sent by Jahar's former employer. It is a perfectly spherical black stone, made to be placed into an empty eye socket. The bearer can see through this gem just as though his eye were still intact, though it cannot process color, seeing instead in gradations of black and white. This produces a rather jarring effect to which the bearer must become accustomed, as the other eye still sees normally, causing a strange juxtaposition of vision. The advantage of the Onyx Eye is that it grants the ability to see in near total darkness, as it can process white light far better than any biological eye. This ability has no effect on magical darkness.

Amulet of Iron Skin: This amulet is crafted from silver, with what appears to be a simple small glass triangular pendant hanging from it. Jahar took the item from the corpse of the same man from whom he acquired the Onyx Eye. When worn, the amulet constantly absorbs a fractional amount of kinetic energy from the wearers every movement, storing it until it becomes fully charged. When so charged, the amulet allows the wearer to direct this excess of kinetic energy to particular places on his body in order to counter physical attacks that he is unable to dodge. The wearer must be aware of the attack for the amulet to counter it, and has a limited amount of energy. When fully charged, it can counter three minor attacks, such as the bolt from a hand crossbow or throwing daggers, or up to one fairly strong attack, such as a close range broad head arrow fired from a longbow or a sword thrust, before exhausting its well of energy. Jahar has found that charging the amulet generally requires around one day of normal activity.

Combat Abilities:

Combat Style: Even without the abilities granted by his strange tattoos, Jahar is a model of ruthless efficiency in combat. He eschews flashy tricks in favor of pure economy of motion. Jahar has mastered the various weapons that he carries, seamlessly employing them in various combinations depending on the strengths of his foe. Due to the dangerous nature of his tattoos, Jahar prefers not to employ them unless he is certain he can end a battle quickly or is pressed too hard, relying instead on his natural ability and training.

Abilities:

Weapon Masteries: Jahar employs a variety of exotic weapons with which he has trained extensively. When wielding his twin Haladie Daggers, Jahar is poetry in motion, as though he were born with the weapons in hand. Of his personal arsenal, these are the weapons with which he has trained the longest. However, he is nearly as well trained and deadly with each of the weapons he carries, particularly his Urumi, which is one of the more difficult weapons to wield in existence.

Hand to Hand: While no master, Jahar was trained in several forms of hand to hand combat, including various grappling and other martial techniques. He is able to easily defeat unskilled opponents without weapons if necessary and hold his own against those with more training.

Face in the Crowd: While his particularly distinctive appearance makes the use of this skill somewhat difficult, Jahar was originally trained to be a faceless bodyguard, unnoticed until needed. He still retains his knowledge of how to blend into a crowd and disappear or follow a target unnoticed through a busy street.

Exotic Weaponry: While not actually an ability, the very exotic nature of Jahar's weapons has served him well in combat. Few have ever heard of, much less seen, things such as his Haladie daggers or Urumi, already difficult weapons against which to defend. This often forces his opponents to learn quickly or die equally quickly.

Blackvine Tattoos: The product of decades of research by a very talented, and very corrupt mage, the Blackvine tattoos are truly unique. Viewed closely, the tattoos are inked in a series of gradations of black with stunning detail, forming intricate loops and whirls that stem from a central pattern along Jahar's spine. The vines spread to cover his arms and legs, with one particularly long vine that ends in a closed black rosebud upon the back of his left hand. Tendrils also curl from the central pattern from either side to nearly meet upon his chest and stomach. The uppermost vine is wrapped partially around Jahar's neck, climbing the left side of his face to curl around the eye, ending in another of the black rosebuds inked upon his eyelid and eye socket.

When activated by the bearer, the tattooed vines sprout small thorns which look to be dug into Jahar's skin at intervals, causing him real pain as though he had actually been punctured. The tattoos then begin to consume a small amount of Jahar's life essence in order to activate their true power: they begin to collect the ever present ambient magical energy from the surrounding atmosphere, the same energy that many mages use to fuel their magics. Jahar is then able to send bursts of raw magical power throughout the vines on his body, granting increased abilities far beyond those of a normal human.

The Blackvine tattoos are not without drawbacks, however, as the human body simply was not meant to handle this sort of raw magical power. When the tattoos are activated, along with the thorns, the two closed rosebuds on his eye and hand bloom into large black roses in the same intricate gradations of black as the vines. As Jahar draws upon his powers, the petals of both flowers begin to wilt and die one by one, representing the stress upon his body. The more power he uses, the faster the petals die. Jahar was told explicitly that should the entire flower wilt and die, the amount of raw energy coursing through him will almost certainly kill him. Once deactivated, the excess energy is expelled harmlessly over time, but Jahar is left in a highly fatigued state and cannot draw upon the powers again until fully recovered.

The abilities granted by the Blackvine Tattoos when activated are as follows:

--Strength: Jahar is able to channel energy to increase his strength by up to several factors of his natural ability. Even without aid of the tattoos, Jahar is already fairly strong, able to easily lift objects exceeding his own body weight, but with them his strength is truly prodigious. Jahar is not even certain how much stronger he can become, as both the factor by which he increases his strength and the duration he maintains it affect how quickly the flowers wilt. As a result he has been hesitant to test its limits; however, he regularly utilizes strength exceeding two or three times normal.

--Speed: Jahar is also able to channel energy to increase the speed of his movements, particularly in short bursts. This power is exceedingly difficult to control when used to increase running speed, as the mind's capability to process the environment does not increase in kind. Jahar does, however, often employ this ability for superhumanly fast lunges, strikes, dodges or retreats. Just as with the strength, both the factor by which he increases his speed and the duration he maintains it affect how quickly the flowers wilt.

--Durability: The Blackvine Tattoos also provide Jahar with a limited amount of enhanced durability, though it is not particularly useful as a deterrent to incoming attacks. More so, it is something of a reflexive use of the tattoo's abilities that is closely tied to his increases in strength, wherein the energy coursing through Jahar's body will protect him from damaging himself by overexerting his still very human body.

History:

Jahar al'Harradin was born to a prostitute in Cadishmar, a den of corruption far to the east, perched on the edge of a vast desert. He does not even know his own true name, as his mother abandoned him as soon as she deemed him old enough to fend for himself. This was at the age of seven. Jahar spent the next five years scrounging for survival, trying and not always succeeding at avoiding beatings or worse. At the age of twelve, Jahar's fate was changed for better or worse by the men that all street urchins in Cadishmar feared the most....the Snatchers.

For years, it had been said, the Snatchers had prowled the night streets of Cadishmar, taking urchins whom no one would miss. When they took Jahar, he awoke in a dungeon with a small group of other children who he soon learned had been snatched as well. They were told only that they would have a chance to fight for their lives against a boy their age, and that should they win, they would be set free and given a sum of coin that would feed them for a year or more. Jahar later learned that he had been taken to the home of a master Assassin, and that the children were part of a special training program he had put together for a pupil at the request of that pupil's very powerful father, Machiavelli Salvatore, a visiting dignitary from a powerful kingdom. The promised reward for victory was to ensure that the children fought with everything they had, but the main point was to turn Salvatore's son Nicoli into a merciless killer.

Jahar watched as each of his fellow captives fought bravely but were killed quickly by the terrifyingly calm young man until finally it was his own turn. He fared little better himself, and Nicoli dealt him a savage gut wound. Jahar, however, would not admit he was beaten and, having dropped the weapon he had been given, charged the other boy in a feral rage, clawing, biting and scratching. Somehow in his frenzy, he managed to wound the far better trained Nicoli, incurring the other boy's wrath. Just as he was about to strike Jahar down, however, Machiavelli himself, who happened to be observing at the time, stopped him, deciding that Jahar himself might prove useful.

Machiavelli, who held a powerful position as the adviser to a powerful King, was investing a great deal of time and effort into turning his son into his own personal assassin, and he had decided to use this savage young boy to help protect that investment. He gave the boy clothes, food a place to live, and even his name, Jahar. The boy took the name al'Harradin after the Harradin desert, on the border of which his home city stood. Jahar was to be a hidden bodyguard, unknown even to Nicoli himself, always watching nearby should need arise. He was taught to read and write and given a cursory education, taught how to feign culture so that he could follow his charge wherever he went. He was trained by ruthless masters in various combat arts as well as the art of blending and observing unnoticed, and he took to his training with single minded intent, seeing this as his only opportunity to escape his former life. For over two years he followed his charge, always increasing his own skills, never certain if Nicoli even knew he existed.

This continued until Nicoli was caught spying on the King of his own volition, when Jahar was fifteen, and was banished with no interference from his callous father. Machiavelli, not one to throw away a potentially useful tool, devised another use for Jahar. If Nicoli was not to be his weapon, then he would create a new, utterly loyal one out of Jahar. Machiavelli turned to a powerful magus with whom he often collaborated, offering him a chance to test his new creation, which he called the Blackvine Tattoos, designed to grant supernatural power to their bearer as well as complete control over the bearer by whomever knew the proper Commands.

The experiment at first proved a great success, creating in Jahar a seemingly unstoppable assassin, completely unable to act against the will of Machiavelli, who held the Command words. After the initial success, Machiavelli continued to develop his weapon, furthering his training in various weapon forms and other martial arts, while at the same time using him to eliminate anyone who stood in his way. Jahar was the perfect disposable killer, able to be thrown away should he ever become a liability.

However, Machiavelli failed to account for the changes that the sort of life he had made for Jahar might wreak upon a man's mind. Five years of countless murders and of having his will peeled away had warped the young man's perceptions until concepts of right and wrong were completely alien to him. There was only the killing, and the deep seething hatred of the man who had made him come to love it, Machiavelli Salvatore.

Had Jahar not been the first test subject, perhaps the problems that grew could have been avoided for Machiavelli, but as it was, neither he nor his magus colleague anticipated what happened. The tattoos had been designed specifically to grant control over Jahar, using what Machiavelli had gleaned of his psyche as a basis, but the man he was becoming was resembling less and less the man he had been. As a result, the control that Machiavelli exerted over him began to weaken. It began with something small; Jahar began to leave a sort of calling card with his victims even though he had not been ordered to do so, and later even after he had been ordered not to. The bodies would be found the next day, their left eye carved out and replaced by a rose blossom dipped in black ink. It was not long before the control slipped further and Jahar began to act further outside his orders. He would still carry out his objective, but now he would leave a wake of bodies in his passing. By the time Jahar was twenty, every time he was let off his chain, as Machiavelli came to think of it, the death counts grew.

Reluctantly, Machiavelli decided it was time to end his experiment and destroy his decreasingly useful weapon. He ordered Jahar into a room and discretely ordered his men to execute him. When Jahar discovered their intent only a few minutes later, something inside of him snapped, returning him to the same near feral state he had displayed as a boy against Nicoli. The last threads of control over his mind were completely severed, and he brutally killed his would be executioners with his bare hands. He then stalked through Machiavelli's compound in a blood frenzy, killing anyone with whom he made contact. Machiavelli himself, prepared for nearly any situation, easily escaped Jahar's wrath, but did not have the means at his disposal to kill or capture the young man before he fled into the city, possessed of free will for the first time in half a decade.

It took more than a year for Jahar al'Harradin to regain a part of his sense of self and begin to reconcile himself to the man he had become. It did not take him long to realize that, despite the inner revulsion he had once felt at the things he had been forced to do, killing had become almost a part of him. A hole in his soul that needed to be filled. It was not difficult to make the leap to becoming a killer for hire. In fact, his reputation as the Black Rose Killer actually aided him in finding work. His brutal methods were considered by many the perfect solution for times when a message needed to be sent to an enemy, and his work provided the outlet for his darker nature that he required.

Over the past eight years, however, the thrill of the kill has become less and less satisfying for Jahar in and of itself, leading him to seek out greater and more dangerous challengers. He has had no shortage of these. Bounty hunters who seek the large purse upon his head are common. Less common but always more interesting were the assassins, both those hired by various parties who would be happy to see the Blackvine dead and those who simply find his lack of subtlety repugnant. Even less common are the heroes, those who feel it is their duty to destroy evil in the world; these fights are always a favorite for Jahar. Part of him simply enjoys the level of focus that their conviction brings them; the better the fight, the more alive he feels. A smaller, but insistent part, however, the part of him that was nearly killed by Nicoli in a fighting pit so many years ago, holds out hope that one of these heroes will finally put a sword through his black heart.

By the way, do injuries and usage of abilities that require charging carry over from one fight to the next?

D'Angelo VS Black Rose Killer (Shidenblades VS Nightangel at the Mountain Monastery, Ranked Match)

Jahar simply let the man play his music and have his say, watching with glinting eyes, and the answering laugh was even more amused than before. "I think I'm finally starting to understand. The only thing different about the Veiled-Ones is their ridiculous pride. You want to tell yourself pretty lies about how you're a better class of killer? How your methods are somehow more noble than mine? Go ahead." The killer laughed derisively again. "Strip away the cute tricks, the whispered myths, and the delusions of superiority and what do you have? Someone who takes money to make corpses, the same as me." He gestured to the scattered, spittle covered coins still laying upon the raised platform behind him and shook his head with another disturbing smile, chuckling.

Then, suddenly, the smile fell from the killer's face, leaving only the hunger behind, and he scoffed. "You keep saying how much better you are, how you don't take me seriously, how you'll 'bring the Angels unto me', whatever the hell that means, but your actions tell a different tale, one of a man desperately clinging to his pretty title while grasping for any little advantage he can get."

The Veiled-One had proved far more cautious and less sure of his own abilities than Jahar had hoped, considering his organization's reputation. He was beginning to lose hope that he would get what he so desperately wanted from this fight; still, he yet believed the man was holding back the greater part of his ability, and that belief spurred him on. While Nicoli had been playing his flute, Jahar had taken the time to assess the rooftop on which he stood. The sloped tiles, designed to easily slough the rain from their surface, would certainly provide for somewhat treacherous footing, but other than the fact that the assassin currently held the high ground, Jahar did not think the disadvantage would be as great as his opponent assumed. The man seemed to be assuming a great deal about Jahar's level of training; he would likely be surprised if he knew the truth.

"If choosing the battleground means so very much to you, perhaps I've overestimated the Veiled-Ones." In the matter of an instant Jahar sent a small flood of power to his legs and torso, crouching only slightly to leap adroitly up to his left, landing gracefully on the smaller rooftop of the nearby permanent pavilion and streaking a few steps down its length. From there, he would use his enhanced strength to complete a series of two short leaps, the first allowing him to easily cross the gap to the top of one of the small pillars slightly below and to his left, pushing off to crest the remaining distance and land upon the same tiled roof upon which Nicoli stood, thirty feet toward the tower from the man's position. The entire maneuver would take less than two seconds with Jahar's enhanced strength, though he used only a fraction of that which he was capable. "But I'll oblige you if it means we can end this farce and get to it." he finished as he dropped into a fighting stance, his left leg partially crouched beneath him to accommodate the slope with his khopesh held in a two handed grip before him, blade pointed at Nicoli.

"Now, show me these Angels, assassin."

D'Angelo VS Black Rose Killer (Shidenblades VS Nightangel at the Mountain Monastery, Ranked Match)

Jahar widened his smile as the assassin took several steps back; he would easily have the seconds he needed for the tattoos to gather the requisite energy. This was what he had been waiting for, a chance to test the full breadth of his skills against one of the most feared contract killers in the realms. His long weeks of planning and waiting had come to this moment. All that remained was to see whether his suspicions were correct about the true skill of the man he fought. That D'Angelo had been holding back he was certain, likely taking the time to assess his strengths and weaknesses; it almost made Jahar laugh aloud...the man had no idea what he faced. He soon would, however, and Jahar would finally know whether this man was good enough to give him what he wanted, the Thrill of true life or death battle that was the only thing that made him feel alive again.

The dark killer prepared to lunge forward in an attack, following the assassin's swift retreat, but his smile froze on his face, eyes widening fractionally as the man darted his nimble fingers into the pouches upon his belt, flicking a pair of objects toward him. Jahar had faced a great many assassins and was familiar with some of the tricks they employed in their work, though he eschewed such tactics himself, preferring the visceral feel of a blade tearing through flesh. His mind whirled with the possibilities, none of them pleasant. With only a moment's hesitation brought by his interrupted plan of attack, Jahar instead took a series of short, swift bounds that carried him back and to his right, away from the impact of the thrown objects.

The adhesive gel struck the ground, covering the cobbles in a tarry substance, but the Blackvine did not even see it as the smoke pellet exploded and he was caught in the outer part of the cloud mid movement. Inwardly he cursed, assuming the worst and holding his breath against what he assumed was some sort of toxin as the grey smoke filled the air around him, stinging his eye for a moment before he cleared it to land upon the sand a few paces from the corner of the platform. He heard the sound of the grappling hook striking the roof tile on the other side of the smoke cloud and instinctively turned to face it, his sword held out before him. After a few moments he relaxed slightly and drew another breath, reasonably certain that he was far enough from the already dissipating cloud.

At that moment the storm of energy gathering inside of him reached a roaring crescendo, and Jahar could suddenly feel the enormous well of writhing, seething power filling the tattoos surrounding his body, ready and almost begging to be used. To him, as it always did, the power felt vast, infinite, and it very likely was as the tattoos continued to absorb ambient magic from his surroundings. Jahar knew from experience, however, that while he had a near infinite well from which to draw, his body could only handle so much of the raw energy before it would literally destroy him from the inside. Reflexively, he glanced at the flower blossom upon the back of his left hand. Of course, he had not yet utilized any of his power so all the petals were yet fully intact, but he still found it strangely reassuring.

As the smoke cleared, Jahar easily located the Veiled-One upon the rooftop with the aid of his Onyx Eye, fifty feet away from where he stood. A loud echoing laugh resounded about the arena, tinged with an edge of contempt. "Are we playing cat and mouse now? One might begin to think you're afraid of me, assassin." Jahar's tone was full of equal parts amusement and mockery as he began to walk casually across the sand toward Nicoli, letting his sword drop to his side in a one handed grip. "Try not to feel badly about it, most cowards are." If Nicoli did nothing in response, Jahar would come to a stop near the other side of the platform, twenty feet or so from the edge of the courtyard below the rooftop upon which the assassin stood. He assumed no stance, appearing completely relaxed as though clearly goading D'Angelo to attack.

RPGuild Ranking Headquarters!

I would also consider describing the process by which your character casts magic. This is just my opinion, but I find that spells without an accompanying gesture or command word, or at least some sort of tell, to be a bit unfair to opponents. Also, as Tuujaimaa suggested, it would be nice to see some clarification on the speed, range, and other factors of some of her spells.

D'Angelo VS Black Rose Killer (Shidenblades VS Nightangel at the Mountain Monastery, Ranked Match)

The blinding flare from the curved sword was bright enough that even through his closed eyelids Jahar felt a spike of pain lance through his head. Small retina burns danced before his vision as he opened them an instant later, though muted enough that he could see his opponent having similarly avoided the flare. His lips twisted into a disturbingly contented smile as he simply released his hold on Nicoli's sword and stepped back, his own blade held before him defensively in a two handed grip in case Nicoli simply attacked. His real eye glittered almost as brightly in the light of the blood moon as did his false one.

"You have no idea how many men have fallen to this sword's ability, simple as it is." It was clear from his tone that Jahar was unnervingly pleased with the outcome of the clash. "I think its safe to say that I finally have your full attention." As he spoke, so long as the flare did not affect Nicoli for the worse than it did Jahar, the Veiled-One would likely see the tattoos upon his face and left hand, the only places where his dark toned skin was visible, writhe and change over the course of a few seconds. Each vine grew dozens of small tattooed thorns, appearing to pierce the killer's skin anywhere the vines crawled. Most visible would be the blooming of the two black rosebuds upon his face and hand into beautifully inked flowers, each with intricate gradations of black that clearly defined the separate petals.

A small wince was all that showed on Jahar's face as the brief but intense pain of the tattooed thorns washed over nearly his entire body, but it was a familiar, welcome pain. He had been convinced by the last exchange; this man was truly excellent at his craft, able to read his opponents movements and react almost instantaneously to avoid danger. His defenses were impeccable, but he was clearly holding back in attempting to kill his opponent, likely held back by his desire to unravel some sort of imagined plot. That simply wouldn't do, not for today, not for the fruition of weeks of waiting. Patience had never been Jahar's area of strength, and he had decided to force his opponent's hand. The wash of power from the tattoos felt like vibrant liquid fire across his skin and in his veins, though there was no associated pain other than that of the thorns.

For D'Angelo, his charm would certainly sense the intense flare of magic as the darkly beautiful tattoos began to gather the ambient energy in the atmosphere, easily found most everywhere but especially so in areas such as this one which were mostly untouched by men. The process would take a few precious seconds before Jahar could begin to actually utilize his abilities, and so he was prepared to defend himself during the entire process, ready to buy himself the necessary time.