Artorias led the knights of the Hallows the short trek south from their borders and across the arid Fossil Ridge until he spied the rising emerald heights of the Lazuli Falls. He had been here before Ethne had claimed these lands some time ago, but it had been an age since he'd been to the sugar crystal caves hidden behind the azure falls that stood scenic in the distance. With a steely, resolute expression, the Lord of Cinder crossed the border into their neighboring pack, noting with surprise a change to the scent borders. He had fully expected the smell of Saga to be on Polaris' borders, but something was different. A male's scent he wasn't very familiar with was here, ringing a faint bell in his head. Had something happened to Polaris that he was unaware of?

Now more on guard than he had been when he'd been expecting this to be a friendly raid, Artorias turned his attention back to his wolves. Surely they would notice the change as well. "Whatever comes next, remember we match vigor with vigor. I do not want anyone doing permanent damage unless they respond with escalated violence. We all go home whole today, understood?" With his direction given, Artorias tipped his head and unleashed his battle howl loud and commanding over the lands. Polaris—or what had once been Polaris—would now know they were being invaded. Whether it remained friendly or not would be up to whoever responded to them. Until they showed up though, Artorias would continue his determined march towards the falls and the sugar caves within.

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Nova heard the rushing paws, rushing paws crossing their borders as if they were their house. How rude!

Cold eyes found the source of the noises, total strangers were invading them. How on earth would someone do this? Were they the raiders? Or different foes? Whatever it was she wasn't liking that, and she was ready to do something about it. So far she could see who seemed to be their alpha. Better leave him to her own leaders, for now she stood there ready to fight.

Purple eyes traveled through the approaching crowd searching for a good target. Time to make others know they weren't just any pack to sit down and watch without acting.

((Wearing a black Santa coat))

"speech"

code by Cloudy

Dusk was never one to beat around the bush. They were here to complete a task so, the sooner they began that task, the sooner they would finish it. Fiery eyes fell upon the first wolf from the opposing pack and Dusk had her target. Rolling her shoulders, the obsidian woman loped forward. Hackles raised and her thick coat bristled. Teeth flashed in a snarl and ears pulled back for safety's sake.

Once she was near enough, Dusk leaped forward, using her powerful bulk to create some momentum. She aimed to slam her chest into that of the other wolf, jaws going wide in the hopes of sinking them into the left side of her opponents neck. She wasn't trying to do lasting damage, but she was definitely not afraid to do so, should the situation require it.


"Dusk"

Dusk vs Nova for Dominance (Raid)
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1
Size: Large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Cat O' Nine Tails
Defensive Battle Accessory: Steel Armor
Companion 1: Groove-billed Ani, Male, Flying
Companion 2: House Cat, Female, Battle
*Companion 3: Canis Panther dog, Male, Battle
Mutation 1: Antlers - Defensive
Mutation 2: Stronger teeth/jaws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Retractable claws - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Knight

They were off on their way to raid the nearby pack. She knew little of them, then again she knew very little of anything outside of The Hallows since she spent majority of her time within its boundaries. It was simply what she preferred since moving here all that time ago. Especially with her mate growing so old. Still, Greed encouraged her to go out more and see the world again, with or without him, and while she knew it was inevitable that he'd pass onto the next plane, they obviously didn't know when that would happen. So with his encouragement, she had decided to participate in the raid. The silver fae crossed the pack boundary behind the group, pale lavender gaze taking in the sights. As Artorias led them, she listened to what he had to say. She didn't come here with the intent to harm, but she would if she had to. That being said, her gaze fell on the first wolf that came out to intercept them, but Dusk had taken charge of that one, and so Claire pressed on with the others in a bid to find what they came here for. "Speak

Nelu followed after the rest of the raiding party. The were to head to Vedia to secure sugar for the months ahead. In particular his mind went to the sweet treats that would be served at their holiday gatherings. This would also be a good opportunity for him to ease back into battle. This go around he sought primarily to observe, hanging back from the rest of the fighters. Nelu wanted to watch and assess his fellows, to learn from them and also see where he might be of use. He had enough experience at this point he felt comfortable letting those that wished more practice to claim fights first.

Speech // thought

Eltrys was beginning to find some hope that the pack, now his, was finding its feet. He was grateful they had been blessed with many days of peace while they were transitioning and recovering. He had already called the pack together to inform them of the changes. He told them that raids would be inevitable, it was the nature of these lands and they always needed to be prepared. He had set their expectations to match energy should any come knocking on their door...

A howl entered the sky, announcing that inevitable. Eltrys Immediately answered the call with his own across the sky!

"Vedia! Rise up, a storm has come! A Raid!" He calls out, his paws hammering the earth. He approaches the raiding party by leaping onto a massive fallen log and scans their opponents. His antlered helm and studded vest struck an imposing noble figure. He recognizes a few of them, namely the leader of the Hallows Artorias, and his student Ellara! But... what's this? Nova? She was already in a tussle with a dark opponent. She should have called out or waited to be called before approaching them! He'll deal with that later.

With a determined smile he sets his gaze on Artorias, the sword gleaming in the sunlight. What better way to test their unity as a pack than a raid?

He lowers his head and charges toward Artorias, dark paws eating the ground as he aims to brush the leader's shoulder and use his weight to body-check the larger blue and black wolf.




Eltrys vs Artorias for Dominance
Round x/?
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Face shield with antlers
Defensive Battle Accessory: leather vest and breastplate
Companion 1: Fossa, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Swallow-tailed Kite, Female - Flying
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Knight

Nova had her senses on full awareness with her surroundings, ready to take in any movement towards her.

Not afraid of tussles she was eager to fight, and remembering her lessons she was going to fight honorably unless they went for the dirty route first. But for now she wasn't going to go for severe damage to whoever she might fight today.

And like that when a dark furred wolf darted her way she embraced herself, planting her paws firmly into the ground to make of her a living wall, and wanting to use the woman's momentum against her she aimed to let her coated chest take all the impact hopping some of it came back to her opponent. The other's jaws went for her neck and Nova aimed to lower her neck hopping to redirect the bite anywhere away from her vital parts(You pick where). There she attempted to push forward aiming to ram herself into the smaller wolf's body. Hopping to run her off.

Nova vs Dusk for Dominance(Raid)
Round 1/2
Age: +1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Defensive Battle Accessory: Santa Coat
Companion 1: Cat, Female, Battle
Skills: Expert Fighter & Beginner Intellectual
Specialty:
Item: (remove if none)

"speech"

code by Cloudy

The other fae met Dusk head on, their chests slamming together. The colorful woman was larger, but Dusk knew that she was more skilled. She'd trained her entire life, after all.

As her opponent shifted to keep her throat away from Dusk's jaws, the dark fae instead slid her fangs into the thicker fur at the back of the woman's neck. It wasn't the throat, but she could still use it to her advantage. Planting her paws, Dusk pulled hard, attempting to jerk the fae towards her and affect her balance, then she pushed, slamming herself forward and hoping to topple the fae, leaving herself on top.


"Dusk"

Dusk vs Nova for Dominance (Raid)
Round 2/2
Age: Over 1
Size: Large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Cat O' Nine Tails
Defensive Battle Accessory: Steel Armor
Companion 1: Groove-billed Ani, Male, Flying
Companion 2: House Cat, Female, Battle
*Companion 3: Canis Panther dog, Male, Battle
Mutation 1: Antlers - Defensive
Mutation 2: Stronger teeth/jaws - Offensive
Mutation 3: Retractable claws - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Knight

Artorias led the way to their nearby Auster neighbor as they continued their work to become not only the healing refuge the Hallows was known for but also a power to be reckoned with. She noticed her husband's pause at the border and took note of the change of scents as well. It felt like hardly any time since they had learned of the change in the pack from Ethne to Polaris and now it seemed that it had changed hands yet again. It made her curious, but the change didn't change their plan or their goal for today. Artorias gave them his usual warning to only meet the force they were met with and nothing more and she nodded with agreement as she gave a glance around at their warriors to make sure everyone had heard. They had several of their children with them today–a couple of them along for their first raid–so she wanted to make sure they were paying attention. They moved ahead into the pack's territory and shortly after a couple of the opposing pack's wolves appeared ahead of them to try and slow their progress. Dusk and Artorias unsurprisingly took the first fights and she skirted around the edge of the skirmishes that broke out to keep an eye out for any possible opponents for herself.

"Briar Carpathius"

It didn't take long at all for them to make it to the border of their neighboring pack so he didn't have to wait too long to kick off this raid his dad had gathered them for. He was very excited even though he knew he probably wouldn't get to use his axe this time. Either way, he was just excited to get to participate and see what a real battle was like! They paused just long enough for his dad to remind them that they weren't here to cause damage and to only match whatever energy the other pack brought to the fight. He nodded with understanding and agreement. Of course he didn't want to actually hurt anybody if they didn't deserve it! They marched ahead and a couple wolves ran out to meet them, the pair clashing with Dusk and their dad. He eagerly looked around for someone to fight, but no one else had arrived so he had to be patient for a little bit longer it seemed.

"Solaire"

One by one the wolves of the Hallows intruded into the lands that had once belonged to Polaris. A male's call in response to his challenging howl took Artorias by surprise. This voice was clearly not Saga. So who was responding to him? His answer came in short order, as a dark wolf he didn't recognize appeared to observe them and was swiftly engaged by Dusk. Artorias nodded proudly to his eldest daughter and continued to lead his wolves in the advance. Then another wolf leapt upon a fallen log, donned in battle dress, summoning the group he called Vedia. Ah, so Polaris had fallen, or undergone yet another change. Another name, another face leading it. How disappointing. How long would this one last, he wondered?

Artorias sized up the other wolf he recognized from his brief meeting when Haydée had brought him with her during the spat with the Raiders. He never got the other brute's name. It hadn't been consequential at the time, but now he supposed that this wolf was to be his first opponent, alpha against alpha. Artorias stopped his advance and braced his paws on the ground, keen eyes of fire watching as his opponent charged straight for him. Artorias held his ground, waiting, waiting, timing his move... And then when he's too close to slow down, the Lord of Cinder drew his sword and aimed to lock the blade into the antlers on his foe's helm with a clatter of bone on steel.

The Vedis alpha was smaller than he was by over half a foot and lighter in weight by consequence. It made it easy for Artorias to push forward against his foe's strength, massive paws pushing into the earth as he surges back against Eltrys' charge. Powerful jaws gripped the hilt of his sword tight, doing his best to keep his sword locked into those antlers all the while in an attempt to keep Eltrys from being able to pull back and get any space between them. Years of combat had taught Artorias that in close quarters fights, size and strength often won out.

Artorias vs Eltrys for Dominance
Round 1/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Common raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

The collision sent pain and energy through her body, yet her bulk and her santa coat helped with some of the blow. But the woman didn't seem too affected by it, but Nova herself had her own level of experience and training. Mostly from raids and solo training more than being taught by others, but it didn't make her feel any less capable of standing on her own in a fight.

As she moved her head to avoid her enemy's jaws, the dark wolf managed to get the thicker fur of her neck, for then pulling towards her. Nova planted her own paws firmly wanting to counter her attempts to knock her off. As Dusk slammed herself into her, she aimed to turn and bite on the smaller wolf's scruff or anywhere near, feeling the blow but trying to brace herself.

Nova vs Dusk for Dominance(Raid)
Round 2/2
Age: +1
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Defensive Battle Accessory: Santa Coat
Companion 1: Cat, Female, Battle
Skills: Expert Fighter & Beginner Intellectual
Specialty:
Item: (remove if none)

"speech"

code by Cloudy

Hearing Artorias’ challenging howl was like a knife to Gavroche’s gut. The winged wolf moved to his paws, his ears pinned against his head as a whine left his lips. Surely he was mistaken? It couldn’t be the Hallows, the pack that had offered him and his grandmother aid when he was a boy. He had to be wrong. They wouldn’t come at them the same way the raiders had… would they? Was their pack now an enemy of all packs? Dusk hadn’t mentioned anything like that when he had visited last, but… He stirred, grabbing his collar and dagger. He had to be wrong. There was no way the Hallows were invading them. It was a misunderstanding…

…or maybe it was a nightmare.

Gavroche froze when he reached the battlefield. He wasn’t thinking, frozen as his wide eyes locked on Dusk in a fight with one of his siblings. It was like he couldn’t breathe. This was a nightmare, it had to be. A strong bump on his back was enough to shake Gav from his senses, ears pinned to his head, posture lowered in uncertainty as his companion called down to him. “You need to be focused!” The monkey told him as he moved beside the winged wolf. Dawn, his cat had hopped up alongside him as well, back arched as she growled. But though they were battle ready, Gavroche was still struggling to grasp what was going on.

“Why would the Hallows attack us…?” His gaze trailed back to Dusk and Nova, pain in his gaze. He didn’t want to see the wolves he cared about fighting…

"Speech," 'Thought.'

table coding by bunni ♥

The call for a raid sounded in the air, though surprisingly it came from a familiar voice. The Hallows had come to raid them. Saga knew little of the pack still, other than they were on friendly terms and they had helped her family on more than one occasion, she hadn't quite expected this. Still, perhaps it was for practice, or perhaps it was on friendly terms. Surely nothing like what the Raider wolves had brought to their doors. She had taken a well deserved and necessary break after Eltrys had taken over, and now it was time for her to get back into the game. Starting with this. She donned her gear and made her way there, hearing Eltrys' call for them as she made her way there. The giant bear hurried toward the action, and as she approached, spotted Eltrys tangled up with Artorias, and Nova with another. Gavroche was there too, not yet engaged in a fight, but she could tell he looked uneasy. A low rumble signaled her approach to him, and she slowed by his side for a moment as she gently nudged the much smaller wolf. "Easy Gav, they are not enemies. I don't believe they've come in the same way that the Raider wolves did. If they do turn out that way, Eltrys and I will handle it, hm?" Hopefully a little reassurance, but after last time, she could understand his worry and concern. With that, she set off again and hoped that he would be alright. Amber gaze found her first target, The Hallows Queen herself trying to skirt around those already engaged. Zeroing in on her, Saga charged toward her with a determined roar, her long claws tearing up the ground as she came barreling toward her like a freight train. All of the wolves she fought were significantly smaller than her, but she had trained to be as quick as she could be. That, coupled with her larger size and formidable strength, she aimed to bulldoze the smaller wolf and bowl her over, a heavy and large forepaw reaching out to swipe at the antlered wolf in a further effort to bat her down. Or at the very least, throw her off balance. Saga vs Briar for Dominance - Raid Round: 1/? Age: Over 1yr Size: Large species Build: Heavy Offensive Battle Accessory: Rhino helm Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather armor Companion 1: Mini Polar Bear, Female - Battle Companion 2: Mini Polar Bear, Male - Battle Mutation 1: Raptor Dewclaws - Agility Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual Specialty: Knight Saga

Ellara had been waiting for the moment. The call from Artorias rang loud and clear, and her heart responded in kind. She was ready. She moved swiftly from her position, muscles coiled and heart steady, stepping into the sunlight that glinted off her latte-pink and coffee-brown fur. Her striking pink eyes focused on the direction of the battle cry, feeling the tension in the air as the unfamiliar scent mixed with the familiar borders of Polaris.

This wasn’t the first time she had been in a raid, but the unfamiliar scent of the male added a layer of caution. Who was in charge now? What had changed? These thoughts, while necessary, were pushed aside as she steeled her focus.

Following Artorias’ lead, she positioned herself closer to the border, just far enough to maintain visibility and make the first move should the need arise. Her body tensed as she scanned the landscape, her gaze narrowing as she waited for any sign of an opponent.

Breathing evenly, Ellara silently readied herself, recalling the brief moments of peace that preceded every storm. With ears perked and muscles coiled, she awaited the challenger who would decide just how friendly or fierce this raid would become.

Ellara "Ella" Praetor

CODE BY SIN

The illness that had settled in her lungs had been a difficult one to shake but Haydée was finally on the mend. Still, her healing body required lots of rest and that was exactly what she was doing when Eltrys’s summons ripped through the air. Immediately she was awake, heart hammering in her chest as she vaguely wonders if the raiders had come to take another pound of her flesh. Scrambling to her paws, the small woman shrugs on her armor before she is off and racing to the battlefield.

By the times she arrives, fights have broken out and she feels winded so she pauses to scan the attacking wolves. Relief pulls at her features as she recognizes Artorias and she heaves a grateful sigh. Emerald gaze lands on a monochrome woman, much taller than her but shorter than most of the Hallows wolves. Sucking in a breath, she launches forward, barreling toward the imposing figure with little warning of her impending arrival.

Haydée aims to meet them head on, her small body low to the ground as she gallops across the distance, jaws opening as she closes in. Aiming a bite toward the woman’s ankle, she hopes to call their attention downward while she intends to continue running, hoping to create an opening that she can further exploit.



Haydée vs Claire for Dominance (Raid)
Round 1/?
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Extra small
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus Steel Bowie Knife
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather Brace/Vest
Companion 1: Male Northern Cardinal, 20" - Flying
Companion 2: Female Fossa, 30" - Battle
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Bard



"Haydée Kedieo"

Speech // thought

The Vedian Alpha saw his opponent brace for impact, orange eyes measuring the distance and speed of his approach. He was ready for anything and knew there would be a move between the space of his charge and his impact. The ring of steel spoke true as his antlers met the sword and Artorias pressed upon him with his greater stature. The Archdruid knew his weight was outmatched but his active mind had him letting Artorias press him back while Eltrys slid his antlers down the blade toward the tip. As he nearly got to the end he pushed against the earth with a reserve of energy and used the fulcrum of the blade to press upon the dire's teeth and hopefully snap the hilt away from the Lord of Cinder. The sword would slip out of his antlers and he would leap at the legs of the taller brute, aiming to hook and shove him to the ground.


Eltrys vs Artorias for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Face shield with antlers
Defensive Battle Accessory: leather vest and breastplate
Companion 1: Fossa, Male - Battle
Companion 2: Swallow-tailed Kite, Female - Flying
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Knight

Artorias felt Eltrys' strength give, the other alpha relenting some space as they clashed. The brutes growled and fought against each other's strength for some moments, and right when Artorias thought he had his opponent on the defensive, the Vedian alpha surged forward to use the leverage of his own sword against him. Artorias' powerful jaws clung tight to his weapon, but when an opportunity presented itself to use his opponent's own momentum against him, the Lord of Cinder took it. Artorias released his hold on his sword, letting Eltrys follow through to toss it aside and allowing Artorias an opening to lunge in their close quarters and aim to wrap his extraordinarily strong jaws around Eltrys' headdress, seeking to grasp the antlers at their base where they'd be no threat to him. Eltrys went for his legs which worked out fine for Artorias; it just meant the smaller male was beneath him when he twisted to try and throw Eltrys off his paws and onto his back with his raw strength.

Artorias vs Eltrys for Dominance
Round 2/2
Age: 1+ years
Size: Dire wolf
Build: Balanced
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel sword
Defensive Battle Accessory: Reinforced leather cuirass
Companion 1: Common raven, Male - Flying - Boosted
Companion 2: Silver cross fox - Battle - Boosted
*Companion 3: Common raven, Female - Flying
Mutation 1: Stronger teeth and jaws - Offensive
Mutation 2: Thicker fur - Defensive
Mutation 3: Enhanced vision - Perception
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Navigator
Specialty: Knight

"Artorias Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

As Briar awaited more of their opponents to come out of the woodwork to defend their home, she spotted a few shapes emerge from the trees and started to ready herself to meet them. However, before she could, a loud roar yanked her attention toward the approaching thunder of paws and she spun around to face the painted polar bear that was charging her way. She met Saga's advance with a little grin and ducked out of the way to avoid the woman's heavy swinging paw with agile movements, having to roll to her right to keep from being run over by her much larger opponent. Saga might have the obvious advantage when it came to size and weight, but Briar had trained with wolves larger than her for her entire life. The evasive maneuvers she made slowed her down a bit as she had to get back to her paws and reorient herself to face Saga once more, starting a dance of her focusing on being faster than Saga was strong. "Lets dance!" she called with a chuckle as she leapt in toward Saga, moving quickly and hopping from side to side to make it hard to guess where she might end up. She jumped in toward Saga's left elbow, nipping at her side and turning her head to jab her antlers into her side. She certainly didn't want to cause Saga any real damage, but perhaps just enough to discourage her from continuing the fight.

Briar vs Saga for Dominance (raid)
Round 1/1
Age: Over 1 year
Size: Large
Build: Light
Offensive Battle Accessory: Damascus steel dagger
Defensive Battle Accessory: Leather armor
Companion 1: Prairie falcon, Female - Battle - Boosted
Companion 2: Fox with antlers, Female - Battle
Mutation 1: Antlers (small) - Offensive
Mutation 2: Feline claws - Offensive
Skills: Master Fighter & Master Intellectual
Specialty: Bard

"Briar Carpathius"

She watched as fights broke out, and was alarmed with the sight of the polar bear. Of course, she knew this pack had one, but it still surprised her when she saw her come crashing through. The silver fae scanned the field as fights started up left and right, and she half wished that she had stayed back home. While Greed had taught her how to fight, she still wasn't exactly keen on it. Maybe something to speak to Artorias about later...

For a brief moment, her thought on the matter coupled with watching the others distracted her enough that she didn't see Haydee coming toward her. Not until she felt something on her ankle which caused her to yelp with surprise, her attention pulled downward before she saw a small body trying to race past. For a moment, she almost forgot she was here to fight, and so she hurried to scramble to action. She tried to follow the smaller wolf's movement, jaws seeking to grab wherever she could in an attempt to stop Haydee in her tracks!

Claire vs Haydee for Dominance - Raid
Round: 1/1
Age: Over 1yr
Size: Extra large
Build: Heavy
Companion 1: Goshawk, Female - Flying
Skills: Advanced Fighter & Expert Intellectual