>>3354982
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>>3354982
The sun hangs high overhead, surrounded by lines of errant cloudscript. You’re sitting by the edge of a canal in the middle of Imago, the surface of the water rippling as you idly tap your boot against it. It’s a hot day out but what else is new?
This is the street outside the small and humble home of Lanzo Croce, your former duelling instructor and public defender. Now that you live in Apokalypsis it’s bit more of a walk to get here than it once was but, right here and right now, it was one you chose to make.

And the reason why should be obvious. This particular canal, little-used at the best of times, has been cordoned off for the benefit of the small crowd of people assembled before the feet of your master. They’re holding wooden swords and are following his movements with baited breath. Lanzo makes a thrust and then demands the same of them, telling them to repeat it over and over again as he walks amidst their ranks and corrects their technique.
Lanzo is not a gentle teacher, even though you can tell that he is considerably restrained. He hasn’t raised a hand to anybody but under his strict regime and honest criticism, many would-be students have given up and left already.

It probably takes everyone a little getting used to. This is the first open swordplay instruction the City has ever known after all, the idea being that a whole class of poorer folk might be able to together pay a fee similar to giving a noble brat a private education. It’s a revolutionary idea, new, untested and a little bit awkward. And it’s yours.

And who are you, you might ask? There was once a time when you doubted the answer to this question but you are Sofia Pseudonym, public defender, unwilling tyrant, attempted champion of justice and half-learned housewife. Well...maybe not that last one.
You’ve been watching Lanzo and his students for the last hour. But what are you here to do?


>There is no ulterior motive. You simply want to make sure his very first session is going well.

>Draw your sword and challenge Lanzo to spar with you in front of his students! It’ll be an excellent demonstration to them.

>You’re here to complain to Lanzo about the tournament results. You need his help to find a way to train and get better!

>You’re here visiting with a friend.

>Other (Specify)

>>3354992
>>There is no ulterior motive. You simply want to make sure his very first session is going well.

>>3354992
>>There is no ulterior motive. You simply want to make sure his very first session is going well.

>>3354992
>>There is no ulterior motive. You simply want to make sure his very first session is going well.

>>3354992
>You’re here to complain to Lanzo about the tournament results. You need his help to find a way to train and get better!

We were robbed!

>>3355094
No we were not, we were stupid and it cost us.

Which is a pattern with our duels.

Vote called, writing.

>>3355096
Yeah but Sophia can't say that.

Sorry for the delay on this one.

>There is no ulterior motive. You simply want to make sure his very first session is going well.

You’re not really here for training, you’ve already gotten plenty from him. And this little session isn’t about you. The last thing it needs is you barging in on everything and becoming the centre of attention. No, you’re happy to just sit back and watch.
And it certainly doesn’t help that Lanzo has a very wide range of students. Some of them don’t even look half-bad. Not that that’s the reason you’ve stayed this long or anything! You’re here to ensure his first session is going well!

It was your idea after all.

“Which one?”
You jump a little as a quiet little voice sounds out right behind your back. Your hand going to the hilt of your sword, you turn around to see a woman looking past you. She’s about your height and has her strawberry blonde hair cut in an ear-length bob. Her outfit is…a little odd, a red and yellow checkered tabard and tunic obscuring much of her figure and a pair of tight leggings that do the exact opposite. She’s also wearing a pair of pointy soft shoes. There’s probably something wrong with that. You can’t trust anyone who wears pointy shoes.
She has a somewhat stupefied expression on her face, indicating that either there’s not much going on up inside her skull or that she’s simply very tired. Potentially both but the bags under her eyes imply the latter.
“Which one do you like?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Which one do you like the most?”
She speaks slowly in the way that drunks do, the over-enunciation where they do their best to make it sound like they’re not drunk and only confirm that they are. But she doesn’t look drunk.

“Eh?”

Ignoring your apparent confusion, she continues.
“The one in the top left of the first row there…”
She points to one of Lanzo’s students and, yes, one of the men you’d been staring at.
“What do you think of those deltoids? I’m personally a fan.”

“Oh.”
She’s just a freak. And remarkably open about it too. But...well, she’s not wrong. They do look good.

“But I like dorsal muscles too,” she says. “Especially when you can see them through their shirt. It’s very attractive, isn’t it?”

You are at a loss for words, a slight blush creeping up your cheeks. Why is she open about this?

“There’s nothing wrong with it. Personally my favourite is the serratus anterior. Can’t see any of those unfortunately but if they did, I bet they’d look pretty impressive.”

“What...is the serratus anterior?,” you finally manage to say.

“It’s the muscles along the side of the chest and under the arm. They’re often not visible but when they are…”
She has a little shiver.
“That’s when you know the real work is being done.”

“Okay.”

1/2

>>3355264

>”Uh...who are you? What are you doing here?”

>Oh, why not? You might as well indulge in her enthusiasm. You’re not a hypocrite.

>Slowly walk away from her and find another place to sit.

>”What’s with the clown getup?”

>”Are you interested in learning how to duel?”

>”I don’t want to talk to you. Get lost.”

>Other (Specify)

>>3355268
>>”What’s with the clown getup?”

>>3355268
>”Uh...who are you? What are you doing here?”
>Oh, why not? You might as well indulge in her enthusiasm. You’re not a hypocrite.
Sometimes anyway.

>>3355268
>”Uh...who are you? What are you doing here?”
>”Are you interested in learning how to duel?”

>>3355268
>”What’s with the clown getup?”

Rolled 6 (1d6)

Alright this tie has lasted long enough. I'm breaking it. Odds for asking about her clothes, evens for asking about her purpose.

>>3355345
You do know they aren't mutually exclusive right?

>>3355354
Fair point.

>>3355354
Sofia can only get 1 line out before she gets punched in the mouth.

>>3355264
>The last thing it needs is you barging in on everything and becoming the centre of attention

>It was your idea after all.
painful. This hurts, ouro

>Ask some questions.

You’re not particularly comfortable with discussing your interests so openly with a stranger and to be honest, you’re even less comfortable with a stranger disclosing said opinions unasked. You don’t even know each other! And yet she just walked up and started talking about what kind of muscles turned her on. There’s such a thing as too much knowledge, you know?
“Uh...who are you? What are you doing here?”

“My name’s Amore Dormire,” she says, her sleepy voice ringing her name together in a singsong fashion. “What’s yours?”

“Sofia Pseudonym. And really, Amore? That’s a fortunate name.”

“It is, isn’t it? But it would have been bad if my parents named me that and I grew up to be ugly. It’d be like what happened to my brother.”

“What do you mean?”

“I have three brothers and two sisters. We’re all named Amore Dormire. It can get a bit confusing.”


“...You don’t say.”
She says everything with the same tired delivery, it’s hard to tell if she’s trying to pull your leg or not.

“But a name like Sofia is good too. I can tell just by looking at you that it definitely suits you. Sofia Pseudonym...Pseudonym. So...Anonymous Wisdom? You’re like a note left behind by someone you’ve never met before or a graffiti in a public toilet.”

You rise as if you’d been struck and yet, your curse had done nothing. Which means that somehow, there had been no ill intent behind that statement. No intent to demean or deny or even to tell a painful truth. You meet her gray eyes with your own and see very little behind them. To Amore, public graffiti comes from a place of genuine and untainted wonder.
“That’s certainly a comparison you have made. So, in the interests of changing the subject to literally anything else, what’s with the clown getup?”

“Do you like it?”

“It’s a choice, that’s for sure. Any reason for it?”

“It’s my duelling outfit. It has to match my Ring.”
She yanks the collar of her tabard down just low enough for you to see the silver choker around her neck. Emblazoned upon it in black are a pair of theatrical masks, one laughing and the other sobbing.

“A Jester?”
Of all the Rings, the Jester Ring is almost certainly the most controversial. They’re the smallest and one of least repute and it’s easy to see why. They champion a duelling style all about losing control of themselves and becoming peerless fools. It’s often claimed that they deny the dignity of both their opponent and the duel itself but, unlike someone like Gloriana, the Jesters always deny these claims. This is their art, their sublime devotion to the duel through acts of simple mind. And there’s a real strength to their chaotic style and the other Rings have to respect that, even if they respect nothing else about them.

“Basically,” she says and offers nothing more.

“Is that why you’re here? Looking for something else to learn?”

1/2

>>3355446

“Maybe. Why are you here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Lanzo is my old instructor. I learned quite a lot from him. Why wouldn’t I want to watch his first session?”

“Why not indeed? Particularly with such pleasant looking meat.”

“...Yeah. Though I’m afraid I don’t know as much about that as you seem to.”

“I’m a deep masseuse in my side-job. Or maybe I’m a duellist in my side-job. It can be hard to balance. But…”
Something passes across her expression, a flicker of what you swear is regret.
“Are you really his student?”

“I was. What of it?”

“That’s a shame. I thought we were getting along well, Sofia.”

You don’t like where this is going.
“And?”

“And…”
She unslings a long slim bag from her shoulder and pulls from it a sabre still in its scabbard, one tied shut with a bundle of red ribbon.
“I’ve come here to destroy your master in front of all his newfound students.”


>”You can try.” Let her pass. Lanzo might be old and crippled but he can take care of himself.

>”Wait, why? Why?”

>Draw your own sword. “If you’re going to be fighting anyone, you’ll be fighting me.”

>Just punch her in the face.

>”I’d prefer if you didn’t.” Maybe you can force her into submission with your curse.

>Other (Specify)

>>3355449
>”Wait, why? Why?”

>>3355449
>>”Wait, why? Why?”
>Ask her to step outside
>Then punch her in the face.

>>3355449
>>”Wait, why? Why?”

>>3355449
>Draw your own sword. “If you’re going to be fighting anyone, you’ll be fighting me.”

Maybe we can drag the duel out long enough that Lanzo's lesson finished before she beats us.

>>3355449
>Could I borrow your saber for a bit? You wouldn't deny me a look, would you?

Vote called, writing.

>>3355467
Or if he notices we can drag the fight on long enough for her to showcase all her moves to him before we lose. Since he's our prediction style sensei that would help him immensely.

>>3355518
>>3355467
Or she can call up another duelist to duel us while she challenges lanzo

>>3355577
Have cell phones been shown to be a thing? She'll have to go get them personally, which also gives Lanzo time to finish.

>”Wait, why? Why?”

You step in front of her, as if to shield the class with your own body.
“Wait, hold on just a moment! Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why do that?”

She sighs.
“It’s just a job. I’m here to crush him and make him look like a fool in front of everyone.”

“And that’s what I’m asking why about! If it’s a job, whose hiring you?”

“Not hired exactly,” she says. “More like asked. A friend wants me to destroy his class and to make sure people don’t get the wrong idea about duelling. It’s not for them, you know?”

“No. I don’t know.”

“Oh. Well, that’s just him. And I said yeah because it seems fun enough.”

“Seems fun, huh?”
You’re starting to feel a little angry.

“Duelling is fun. Though he’s a cripple so I don’t think the outcome will be in much doubt.”
She gives you a little curtsy.
“Sorry. Sorry. Sorry.”

She will be.


>”Then fight me. If you can’t beat me, you’ve got no right doing anything else.”

>”Who?” Crush the information out of her.

>”That’s a nice looking sword. You wouldn’t say to no to me having a look at it, would you?” Take it off of her and don’t give it back.

>Okay, now you can punch her.

>Let her pass. But sabotage her to the best of your abilities.

>Other (Specify)

>>3355618
If she chooses a public duelist, she doesn't need to call anyone.

If she duels herself, and sets the time to 2 days later, she doesn't need to call anyone. Lanzo does not have that luxury in front of his students.

>>3355651
>”That’s a nice looking sword. You wouldn’t say to no to me having a look at it, would you?” Take it off of her and don’t give it back.
>Also, challenge her to a race. No prize or anything, but she DOES need to be where Sofia will end up if she wants the saber back.

>>3355651
>”Then fight me. If you can’t beat me, you’ve got no right doing anything else.”

>>3355652
It's not a formal challenge that goes to the Court, it's an unofficial duel. Our birthright will almost definitely make it work, since she can't say no. Way better chances than asking for her sword. That's a much more unreasonable request, and she might say yes but just refuse to hand it over.

>>3355651
>>3355706
this I guess.

Vote called, writing.

>Duel.

“Then fight me,” you say, drawing your own sabre before she can take a single step past you. “If you can’t beat me, you’ve got no right doing anything else.”

“But I can’t beat you.”
She blinks slowly but otherwise doesn’t seem to bother looking too confused about her own words.
“I mean, I don’t even want to defeat you. Since I can’t.”

“And nevertheless,” you say, smirking. “Are you going to turn down my offer?”

“No. You can beat me, I guess. I am here to fight.”

“Then what shall we use? This is just a spar, after all.”

She snorts as if the answer was obvious.
“What do we use? Our sabres of course.”
She follows that up with a prolonged yawn.
“Don’t worry, I won’t be capable of chopping off anything important and you’re too good of a person to do that to me.”

She unwraps the ribbon and frees her sword, drawing it as if it were a real duel. Black diamonds are etched into the forte. She bounces back and forth a little as she awaits your answer.


>Is she crazy? You’ll use wooden swords of course!

>If she’s willing than so are you! You won’t back down.

>>3355851

>Is she crazy? You’ll use wooden swords of course!
>Like I said just a spar, after all bad luck can happen to anyone.

>>3355851
>>If she’s willing than so are you! You won’t back down.

>>3355851
>>Is she crazy? You’ll use wooden swords of course!
No blades with our record.

Vote called, writing.

>Is she crazy? You’ll use wooden swords of course!

You have no need to prove anything. And it’s not like anyone can actually call you a coward. So with that in mind, you touch your sabre to hers and gently push it to the side.
“No. We’ll use wooden swords, they’ve got them in abundance here. And we’ll fight right where we’re standing. On the canal. Any objections?”

“I guess not. It’s the sensible thing to do.”
She resheathes her sword, wrapping the ribbon back around it in a complex knot.
“But is sensible always the same as fun?”

“Yes. Now let’s go. And remember, if you cannot beat me you’ve got no right to challenge anyone else today!”

“Yes,” she says dreamily. “The student before the master. But you’re stronger than that cripple, aren’t you?”

“Stop calling him a cripple!”

This is bad. You don’t know a damn thing about her fighting style! So what are you going to go with?

>Choose your loadout! You may select one Ability and six Techniques from the following list:

ABILITIES

>Professional Provocateur: [ABILITY]At the end of each round, if you have successfully performed a Trick and have not lost any Composure dice, the single lowest die in your opponent’s Technique Pool is moved to their Strike Pool. If there are no dice in your opponent’s Technique Pool, the lowest die in their Composure Pool is moved to their Technique Pool instead.

>Test Your Luck: [ABILITY]You’re a pro at games of chance and other such swindles, no matter how well they’re performed. Once per thread you may either reroll a single dice or automatically succeed at a game of chance.

>Phlegmatic Flask: [ABILITY]You are shielded by apathy. At the end of each full queue, move your single lowest Technique dice into your Composure Pool.

>Helpless Beauty: [ABILITY]You can’t help but be timid and vulnerable in a way that attracts all sorts of possessive attention that you can’t deny. It also means they let their guard down around you. When your Composure is Broken by an opponent’s attack, a retaliatory strike is made against that opponent with Strike dice equal to the Strike you just took. This retaliation cannot bleed the opponent and doesn’t trigger the effects of anything that counts attacks.

1/3

>>3355970
TECHNIQUES

>Brute Strike: [STRIKE]Siphon the lowest value dice from your Composure Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Tempered Counting Coup: [FLOURISH]Sofia cannot be defeated during this turn. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. Next time you use this in the same duel, upgrade it by 2 sides. This caps at d10 and if done again afterwards, resets back to d4.

>Gritted Teeth: [TRICK]Move the highest value die from your Technique Pool to your Composure Pool.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Unassailable Rookie: [STANCE]Once this Stance is active, all dice that your opponent rolls out of their Strike Pool take a -1 penalty to their final result. Can only be active while you have a d4 in your Composure Pool.

>Underhanded Deflection: [TRICK]Lower the sides of all the dice currently in your opponent’s Technique pool by 1.

>Crushing Grip: [STRIKE]Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage. If no Composure dice are destroyed as a result of this, whether through damage or through an ability, destroy the single highest value die in your opponent’s Technique Pool.

>Circle Guard: [TRICK]Your opponent cannot siphon dice into their Strike Pool this round. If they attempt to, destroy the single lowest die in their Technique Pool. This Technique cannot be used if your Technique Pool is empty.

>Skin Unthorned: [STANCE]Once this Stance is active, any Strike pool targeting you cannot roll d4s. They remain in the Strike Pool unrolled. Can only be active while you have a d6 in your Composure Pool.

>Flashing Steel: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage. Damage from this Technique is dealt first to your opponent’s Strike Pool, treating the dice within as if they were Composure dice for the purposes of destruction. The difference between the highest dice value in the Strike Pool and the damage rolled is then dealt to the Technique Pool in the same fashion. And if the damage continues to overflow, the remainder is inflicted upon the Composure Pool in the same way.

2/3

>>3355972

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Warped Perspectives: [STANCE]Once this Stance is active, at the end of each round, if a duellist chose a Trick they gain a stack of Big. If a duellist chose a Flourish, they gain a stack of Small. Big and Small stacks cancel each other out. For every stack of Big a duellist has, they have an effective +1 to the sides of all dice in all their dicepools. For every stack of Small a duellist has, they have an effective -1 to the sides of all dice in all their dicepools. Dice are still treated as their original sizes for the purposes of effects that target or require dice. Whether this Stance is active or not, stacks of either status are completely cleared by using a Strike. Is only active while you have a d4 in your Composure.

>>3355970
Phlem flask
Focused Blow
TCC
Elegance
Circle Guard
Still waters
Crushing Grip


Solid line up with options and a good win con. Given she’s a jester I expect plenty of tricks to make size a bad idea. Plus we lack open guard.

>>3355972
HB, TCC, GT, both CGs, SU, FB

Whoops.

>>3355999
Why SU?
Why GT?
Why HB?

Just out of curiousity. SU is only going to be good if she spans d4. If she doesn’t? We’re screwed.

GT is like Phlem but doesn’t auto proc. It’s not bad but ehhhh.

Hb is decent but some people won’t need it to screw us over.


And finally why only 1 Flourish? Sofia is her best when she ramps fast.

>>3355977
Backing >>3355984

>>3356027
GT TCC as a desperate loss recovery
SU because SW takes too long and doesn't last long enough.
HB as backup. Isn't as useless as PP and crippling to attacks as PF.
No Elegance because we don't know her kit.

Here's what's going to happen. You're going to spend 2 queues trying to dance around her moveset that you don't know, wasting moves and trying to predict 6 unknown techniques. She's going to strike on the third queue, high-roll, and win. If you bring PF, I guarantee you no one will vote in a moveset that will generate enough dice for a lethal blow before she does hers.

>>3355999
>>3356032
Also likely going to sleep soon. So I’d start off with a Tcc to start ramping it higher.

That or an elegance trick.

>>3356051
SU only lasts on a d6 and is the same speed as SW.

PF plus TCc can win us the day unless she has a tech to break it, which is rare.

Honestly we’re going to have to dance around her unknown techs anyways, Elegance was for when we do.

>>3356069
The last time you tried dancing around unknown techs, you lost against a duelist where you only had to use Crushing Grip once every other round to win.

>>3355972
Test Your Luck
>Skin Unthorned
>Focussed Blow
>TCC
>Gritted
>Crushing Grip
>Circle Guard

hit off 68.82.15.161

>>3356127
Close enough mine, I'll switch over.

>>3355977
I'll support >>3355984

Vote called, writing.

>Phlegmatic Flask
>Focused Blow
>Tempered Counting Coup
>Elegance
>Circle Guard
>Still Waters
>Crushing Grip

You wrap yourself in your trophies, Amore looking on with some bemusement as you pin a lock of Gloriana’s hair to your lapel. Marzio’s tasselled belt and Signore Albero’s scabbard follow it, both hanging by your waist. You toss her a curved wooden sword and claim one for yourself.
“Are you ready?”

Her eyes follow your movements with tired indifference.
“I guess we all have our rituals. And yes. It’s not quite like my sabre but I know how to fight with a practice stick.”

“Every duellist should be able to handle any sort of sabre.”
Hopefully people won’t think too much of this bout. To any outside observer, this could just be part of Lanzo’s class. A quick glance over your shoulder confirms to you that Lanzo himself is still distracted with his students. That’s good. You want to settle this without bothering him.
And to that end, you pull the flask out of your handbag and take a deep draught. The warm mucous fills your mouth and slides down your throat, forming a plug in your chest that drowns out all other humours.

The meaning fades from everything and it all becomes. Just. So. Boring. This girl thinks she’s some sort of hot shit just because of a gimmick. You’ll show her that it means nothing.

>Sofia’s Composure: 3d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d12

And because of that, you strike first.

It’s time for the opening blow! Choose one option from the following:

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Tempered Counting Coup: [FLOURISH]Sofia cannot be defeated during this turn. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. Next time you use this in the same duel, upgrade it by 2 sides. This caps at d10 and if done again afterwards, resets back to d4.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Circle Guard: [TRICK]Your opponent cannot siphon dice into their Strike Pool this round. If they attempt to, destroy the single lowest die in their Technique Pool. This Technique cannot be used if your Technique Pool is empty.

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Crushing Grip: [STRIKE]Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage. If no Composure dice are destroyed as a result of this, whether through damage or through an ability, destroy the single highest value die in your opponent’s Technique Pool.

>>3356309
>Elegance: Stance

Phlegm is going to eat anything else. I'll bet our opponent is going to set up either one of the rando stances, or something to slow us down.

>>3356385
Seconding

Vote called, writing.

>Elegance: Stance

You don’t have much of a clue about what she’s going to do first but if she’s going to do anything particularly weird like your last opponent did, now would be the time. So you should just advance with a feinted thrust with the aim of driving her to change her stance and just as she feels safe doing so, you’ll whip Marzio’s belt right into her face.\

>ELEGANCE: Stance

It all goes exactly as you predicted. How dull. She steps to the side to avoid your fake thrust and, now that she’s sure she’s evaded, she goes to prepare herself…

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 1d4

But even as she raises her sword and takes another step back, her eyes drift closed and her mouth drops open. And when her eyes open again they are completely blank. Even the faded spark of intellect previously seen flickering there has gone out.
She’s asleep. Asleep with her eyes open. Asleep with her sabre still in hand.

>Amore uses a Stance called Sweet Dreams!

>Sweet Dreams: [STANCE]You are subject to the ‘Asleep’ condition, a condition that prevents you from using Techniques, for as long as this Stance is active. At the end of each round, if neither duellist selected a Strike this round, add a d4 to your Technique Pool. While this Stance is active, this Technique transforms into Sleepwalker. This Stance breaks when you lose a Composure dice to damage.

>Sleepwalker: [TRICK]This Technique can be used while you are Asleep. Select a Technique from your movelist at random and activate it instead. If Sleepwalker selects itself, break any Stances you have active, shift all dice in your Technique Pool generated by Sweet Dreams into your Composure and transform this Technique back into Sweet Dreams.

Moving to your predictions, the tasselled belt swings out and, extending past the reach of your sabre, strikes Amore across the cheek. So even though she did something you didn’t expect, your prediction still played out perfectly. You should be able to capitalize on the advantage created by this.

>Elegance Prediction Bonus: 1d4

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4

And yet, the dozing Amore doesn’t seem to care. She moves strangely, a mix of hasty jerks to one side and the other and then as fluid as the canal beneath your feet just a moment later. Your little provocation hasn’t woken her up so how could it possibly have had an effect on her?

>Sweet Dreams No-Strike Bonus: 1d4

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 1d4.

“Are you fucking kidding me?,” you ask. A useless question. She’s not even aware of you anymore.

Amore keeps her wooden sword high, despite the thin string of drool now dangling from her open mouth.
“..Nnnrst.”

Maybe this duel could be interesting after all. But you doubt it.

>>3356573
The first queue has begun. Choose three Techniques:

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Tempered Counting Coup: [FLOURISH]Sofia cannot be defeated during this turn. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. Next time you use this in the same duel, upgrade it by 2 sides. This caps at d10 and if done again afterwards, resets back to d4.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Circle Guard: [TRICK]Your opponent cannot siphon dice into their Strike Pool this round. If they attempt to, destroy the single lowest die in their Technique Pool. This Technique cannot be used if your Technique Pool is empty.

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Crushing Grip: [STRIKE]Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage. If no Composure dice are destroyed as a result of this, whether through damage or through an ability, destroy the single highest value die in your opponent’s Technique Pool.

>>3356580
Hah, SU would be perfect here. Unless she has more tech gens.
Elegance, on the other hand, is useless now since we can't predict a die roll.

>CG
>TCC
>TCC
CG destroys her d4 and prevents genning another one, which guarantees she can't threaten us this queue. Then we just pump tech.

>>3356595
Instead of being perpetually smug, I'll vote for this

>>3356573
Also, I understand now why she was hired against Lanzo. His style is prediction based, and she's absolutely unpredictable.

Incidentally, no matter what Sleepwalker fetches up, it still requires an activation of Sleepwalker to achieve its effect.

>>3356654
Wait, so every Adore's technique is technically a Trick?

>>3356658
Yes. While she's asleep anyway.

>>3356660
Okay, this breaks my theory completely.

>>3356580
Can I change >>3356595 to
>CG
>El: Trick
>El: Trick?

>>3356664
Instead of being perpetually wrong, I'll vote for this

>>3356664
No wait, don't change it. No way they would've sent someone so predictable after Lanzo. There must be a trap here.

>>3356668
Fuck's sake, I'll just stay at CG El:trickx2

>>3356672
Pause, rearranging it to El:trickx2 CG. Less likely to break.

For the record, since you guys have voted for both Crushing Grip and Circle Guard to be present in your current movelist, could you specify what 'CG' is?

>>3356580
>Grip
>Ele: Trick
>Ele: Trick

that is a massive weakness to particular skillsets

>>3356677
Grip

I'll also switch to CrG El:Trickx2 after all. I don't want to wait for a tiebreaker.

>>3356676
Remember all her techniques are Trick-priority. CrG won't even take effect on her until the next queue.

>>3356677
Grip

>>3356679
What if sleepwalker hits itself on the first round?

>>3356682
She won't Strike this queue. Putting CrG last makes no difference except you don't guarantee a Elegance hit on Sleepwalker.

>>3356683
I think she only can use Sleepwalker while asleep, so she puts up Swx3 and if she wakes up, the rest transforms into Sweet Dreams.

>>3356677
Ouro, what's up with both you and Riset going for sleep-themed fights this time around?

Vote called, writing.

>>3356580
slight adjustment

Change >>3356679
to

>Ele: Trick
>Grip
>Ele: Trick

>>3356695
A little too late I'm afraid.

>Crushing Grip
>Elegance: Trick
>Elegance: Trick

Well then, if this is the gimmick that she’s going for, you’ve think you’ve got just the answer for it. You’ll rush in, take advantage of her unresponsive to grab hold of her and then, once you’ve got her in a bad position, you’ll pummel her down in a series of attacks meant to exploit the blind spots of her random movements.
In chaos can be found an absolute order. If all you do is something stupid and random every time, then you can be trusted on to do so. Unpredictability is predictability.

So then, you just need to draw her sword to the side and grab-

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects a Strike called Dope Slap!

>Dope Slap: [STRIKE] Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike pool for damage. If you destroyed no Composure dice, instead at the end of the turn transform Dope Slap into a copy of the Technique your opponent used this turn and transform their Technique into a copy of Dope Slap. Your opponent now has the Fool status effect applied to them.

You push her blade aside just as planned but instead of stumbling away, she launches into a near-perfect pirouette that ends with her free hand smacking right into the back of your head.
It doesn’t shock you. Nothing can shock you right now. But it does leave you feeling a little...lightheaded. What were you thinking about again?

>Sofia has been inflicted with the Fool status effect! Like most status effects inflicted by Techniques, it has no effect until a Technique specifies that it does.

>Roll 1d4 for Amore’s attack!

Oh wait hold on, she doesn't have any Strike dice so the d4 isn't rolled. Sorry guys. Turns out the one with the Fool status effect was me.

>>3356748
If we Dope Slap against Sleepwalker, will we have Sleepwalker or the technique it selected?

>>3356757
The Technique it selected. Technically she uses two Techniques a turn. Sleepwalker ->Random Technique.

>>3356763
Damn.

>>3356763
What about if Sleepwalker selects itself that round? Do we take Sleepwalker or Sweet Dreams?

>>3356771
You take both since they're the same Technique, just at different times.

>Dope Slap deals no damage!

You do your best to shake off your suddenly absent thoughts and, just as Amore is backing away from her attack, you reach up with your own off-hand and grab the one that struck you.

>CRUSHING GRIP.

It’s child’s play to yank her off-balance, the sleepwalking duellist nearly losing their balance and falling to the water from just alone. And now she’s nothing more than easy prey.

>Amore’s Technique Pool: Empty

So...why do you suddenly feel so stupid? It feels like a concussion of sorts but not quite. Like your brain’s rattled around inside your skull and even the humours aren’t enough to entirely drown it out.

>Sofia has forgotten Crushing Grip and learned Dope Slap!

>Amore has forgotten Dope Slap and learned Crushing Grip!

>Sweet Dreams does not activate!

But that’s not going to stop you. You still have the advantage, you still have her right where you want to. Your predictions are still accurate. You just need to remember what they are and you’ll win.

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects a Trick called Takes One To Know One!

>Takes One To Know One: [TRICK]Apply any status effects applied to you to your opponent. These status effects last for this round only.

You prepare to launch your planned barrage but as you do, your gaze can’t help but be drawn to Amore’s legs as she sways aimlessly back and forth. And maybe it’s because you’re already a little confused but before you know it, several seconds have passed and you’ve missed your chance.

>Sofia gains Asleep for the duration of the turn! Sofia cannot use any Technique! Elegance: Trick is cancelled!

>Sweet Dreams activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 1d4.

You need to stop. You need to think about this calmly. This is boring, remember? So why is this happening to you?

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Crushing Grip!

Amore takes advantage of your absent-mindedness and steps into range, swinging her sabre down in a vertical strike. You snap your own sword up to parry and the moment you do, she reaches out clumsily (and yet with impossible grace) and grabs your sword-arm by the wrist. With her now total control over your sword, she pushes you back and to the side. Your assault has been completely defused.

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 1d4.

But you can still track her movements. Your predictions are still correct, you’re just not reacting properly. And so, acting on the belief that she’ll circle in drunkenly from the left to take advantage of your disarray, you perfectly catch her sword with yours.

>ELEGANCE: Trick

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4.

With the debole of her blade scraping against the wood of your forte, you have the superior leverage. You push her aside and the moment her blade is down, you kick her in the gut hard enough to send her staggering.

>Elegance Prediction Bonus: 1d4.

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 3d4.

>Sweet Dreams does not activate!

1/2

>>3356818
And still she does not wake. And now, a blissful grin spreads across her face as slow as treacle. She’s not bothered at all.

>Amore’s Ability, Power Bottom, activates!

>Power Bottom[ABILITY]You’re adept at fighting from the disadvantage when the opponent has you in their control. You can receive whatever they give you and turn it into a source of strength. Whenever you end a queue with a status effect (such as Entangled, Fool, Broken, Rattle, Asleep, etc) applied to you, generate a d6 into your Technique Pool.

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 1d4, 1d6.

But you won’t be unsettled. Even if she’s clouded your head you’re not going to lose your cool. You’re not going to lose, period.

>Phlegmatic Flask activates!

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4

>Sofia’s Composure: 4d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d12

>>3356819
Yeesh. This will take some thinking.

>>3356819
Also, post Adore's Comp pls.

>Duel Status: https://pastebin.com/HZsGwfN3

It's time for the next queue. Please choose three of the following!

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Tempered Counting Coup: [FLOURISH]Sofia cannot be defeated during this turn. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. Next time you use this in the same duel, upgrade it by 2 sides. This caps at d10 and if done again afterwards, resets back to d4.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Circle Guard: [TRICK]Your opponent cannot siphon dice into their Strike Pool this round. If they attempt to, destroy the single lowest die in their Technique Pool. This Technique cannot be used if your Technique Pool is empty.

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Dope Slap: [STRIKE] Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike pool for damage. If you destroyed no Composure dice, instead transform Dope Slap into a copy of the Technique your opponent used this turn and transform their Technique into a copy of Dope Slap. Your opponent now has the Fool status effect applied to them.

As a side note, Amore's Ability was named that as a working title that I intended to change before going live but it ended up being so apt that for the life of me I couldn't figure out a better name. There's a similar story behind Catalina's Ability.

>>3356826
This isn't a proper duel so you didn't kiss blades. Neither of you know the other's Comp until you chip bits off of it.

>>3356830
>Still Waters
>Ele: Trick
>Ele: Trick

>>3356830
Dope slap, SW, El trick

Alternative queues:
El Trick, Dope Slap, SW, hope dope slap procs still waters. RNG, gaurunteed d4.

TCCx3, vulnerable to Takes One. Awful with Plegm. Chance to generate little dice.

El trickx2, DS, we can get a useless technique in return. More dice.

El trick, SW, El trick, weak to random flourish and strike, otherwise fine. Weak if no strikes.

>>3356830
Okay, bad news: we can't prevent Adore from gaining d6s. Even if we break her stance, she'll still enter it again, and at stance priority she will be able to do it even on the last turn of the queue.
This means that our only recourse is to get tech faster than her. But if we leave her stance alone she'll have 2d6+4d4 next queue, and that's devastating. The only Strike we have that won't waste our hard-earned dice is Dope Slap, but that is dangerous to use since we'll give it to her again, and the next time DP might steal something way worse than CrG, like our TCC or El.

Good news: unless her strike autobleeds, she'll have a real hard time bleeding us.
Bad news: her strike could autobleed for all we know.
Good news again: she can do nothing to counter TCC spam as far as we know.

Based on this I want to vote for
>SW
>El: Trick x2

Elx2 + FB would give us 6d6 with good chances to break her, but the possibility of eating a CrG drives me to vote conservatively.

>>3356881
SW won't proc off our own DS

Vote called, writing.

>>3356893
DS is to give her another strike to proceed our SW with.

>>3356914
I don't want to risk her DSing something important off us.

>Still Waters
>Elegance: Trick
>Elegance: Trick

Amore clumsily advances, still drooling as she does so. But her movements don’t make any sense. What is she even trying to do?

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!
>Sleepwalker selects a Trick called Emptyheaded Sway!

>Emptyheaded Sway: [TRICK]Do nothing. If you selected this Technique randomly, add a d4 to your Strike Pool. If your opponent has the Fool status effect, they will use a random Technique next turn and then lose the Fool status effect after having done so. If you have the Fool status effect, automatically Rattle your opponent. If your opponent has the Rattled status effect, destroy the single smallest dice in their Technique Pool. If you have the Rattled status effect, your opponent gains the Fool status effect. If you have the Broken status effect, generate a d4 into your Composure Pool. If your opponent has the Broken status effect, break any Stances you have at the end of the queue.

.>Amore’s Strike Pool: 1d4

>Sofia is a Fool so her next turn is randomised!

You don’t know how to respond to her movements. But you keep hold of your defensive stance, remember Marzio’s tendency to use his fraying nerve to his advantage. It’s this kind of paranoid defence that you need right now.

>STILL WATERS

>Sweet Dreams Activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d4, 1d6

That said, you can’t help but feel rather...dumb. Like your thoughts aren’t working right in your head. What are you supposed to do to predict her movements now? Your earlier guess was obviously wrong so it doesn’t even matter that you can’t remember it anymore.

No, you have the perfect plan to counter A-...Amara...Adore...the cute sleepy lady. You’re a genius.

>Sofia is a Fool. Due to Emptyheaded Sway, that means she selects Dope Slap instead of Elegance: Trick!

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!
>Sleepwalker selects a Strike called Fool’s Drunken Sway!

>Fool’s Drunken Sway: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool into your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage. If this Technique was selected randomly, your opponent is automatically Rattled.

But just as you are about to put your brilliant plan into motion, the Jester tries to poke you with her sword. But even if you can’t remember her name, you do remember how to block. Her thrust clashes against your iron defence, scraping down the side of your sword and getting caught on your guard.
Or so you hope.

>Due to Still Waters, all of Amore’s d4s stay in the Strike Pool!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: Empty
>Amore’s Strike Pool: 3d4

>Roll 1d6 for Amore’s attack!

Rolled 2 (1d6)

>>3356930

Man, this seems to be such a weird fight. I love it.

I'm somewhat miffed Phlegm was picked again.

>>3356939
Why in god's name do we keep picking Phlegm?

>>3356935
Noted. Writing.

>>3356930
Wow, we made her lose her only decent strike through sheer luck.

>>3356956
We got lucky on this, yes.
We still can get unlucky with her next DS though.

>>3356957
Well, we could try to give her something mostly useless for her, like our Elegance, if we are able to. the d4's from that will have a hard time biting into us, due to Still Waters.

>>3356962
Nah, Elegance is too good for us to give it away.

Well, Im still waking up, and don't think I've quite understood this fight 100% yet, but this seems like smooth sailing from here on out, yes? Continue gathering tech dice so that if she makes us do something random and it happens to be one of our strikes she gets hit hard, and otherwise she won't be able to do too much to stop us?

>2

You catch the descending sabre on your guard, locking it into place and trapping it. Just as planned. Even with the confusion she’s caused you, this duel ended up being rather boring after all.

>2 damage fails to destroy any of Sofia’s Composure dice!

Then she leans in, pushing your locked swords aside and stumbles bodily right into you. The top of her dipping head clips your chin and you hastily pull back, freeing your sword at the same time she does. You’re still stumbling however even though you’ve got no reason to. Why are you so confused?

>Sofia is now Rattled! Strike actions for the rest of this queue will be negated!

>Sofia’s attempt to use Dope Slap has been cancelled by the Rattle!

>Sofia has lost her Fool status.

And all of a sudden, the world returns to clarity just like that. You don’t get upset when you realised how you’ve been acting. Your humours won’t let you. Instead all you perceive with cold clarity is that, however she shook your head around when she struck it, it has finally worn off. But how did she manage that in the first place?

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Crushing Grip!

And before you can finish recovery, her seemingly random movements have carried her right into range once more. Closer than that actually. There’s less than a foot separating the two of you as she catches your sabre with hers and presses them both down. You don’t even have time to react before her off-hand grabs hold of your throat and squeezes it tight enough to send stars flickering in and out of your vision.

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 1d4

You shake your sabre free and swing it up in an attempt to bleed her outstretched hand as the world darkens around you...but she somehow moves at the exact right time to avoid it, pulling the distance into a squat to avoid the swing before leaping straight back across the canal.

Not the best outcome but it stops her from choking you out. And now that she’s on her back foot, you can finally take advantage of her shuffling movements.

>ELEGANCE: Trick

You lunge forward the moment you can catch her breath, taking advantage of her retreat to press her even further back. This time she doesn’t take you by surprise.

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4
>Elegance Prediction Bonus: 1d4
>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 3d4

But even as you press her, she’s quick enough to eventually disengage before you can press the advantage all the way to a bleed. She’s not even looking at you as she does it. And maybe, you think with the cold rationality only possible through phlegm, that’s part of her strength. Other duellists are burdened by decision, by the time it takes to think and then act. But while she’s sleepwalking Amore isn’t slowed down by thinking. She simply acts and as a result, is faster than anyone you’ve ever fought before.

1/2

>>3356968
We still haven't seen 2 of her moves, so don't get complacent.
Also, we don't have to wait for her to make us strike, we can do it ourselves.

>>3356971
>Amore’s ability, Power Bottom, activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 1d6
>Amore’s Strike Pool: 3d4

But your defense is still up and your resolve is unshaken. Thought cannot lose to unthought. You won’t even entertain the concept.

>Still Waters remains active!

>Phlegmatic Flask activates!

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4

>Sofia’s Composure: 5d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d12

>>3356973
Duel Status: https://pastebin.com/KESp0v60

It's time for the next queue. Choose three Techniques:

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Tempered Counting Coup: [FLOURISH]Sofia cannot be defeated during this turn. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. Next time you use this in the same duel, upgrade it by 2 sides. This caps at d10 and if done again afterwards, resets back to d4.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Circle Guard: [TRICK]Your opponent cannot siphon dice into their Strike Pool this round. If they attempt to, destroy the single lowest die in their Technique Pool. This Technique cannot be used if your Technique Pool is empty.

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Dope Slap: [STRIKE] Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike pool for damage. If you destroyed no Composure dice, instead transform Dope Slap into a copy of the Technique your opponent used this turn and transform their Technique into a copy of Dope Slap. Your opponent now has the Fool status effect applied to them.

>>3356971
Wait.
Dope Slap should've procced simultaneously with FDS. Or do all Sleepwalker choices work on Trick initiative?

>>3356976
Sleepwalker activates another Technique as part of its effect. So naturally this Technique happens at the priority of Sleepwalker since it's Sleepwalker's effect.
While Amore is asleep, all of her actions are at Trick priority.

Well, tits.

>>3356973
>Thought cannot lose to unthought. You won’t even entertain the concept.
>While Amore is asleep, all of her actions are at Trick priority.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8qg-XzHgUk

>>3356975
>El: Trick x3
SW is still up so we're protected for this queue. El spam is weak against a random FDS but we have nothing to counter it anyway. Let's just keep up the tech gen.

>>3356989
All human action in a duel passes through the three gates of Perception, Thought and then Action. To enact your will you must first perceive your opponent's own actions. Then you must think on what to do next. Only then does your thought translate to action.

So logically someone who can neither perceive or think is faster than anyone! And if that doesn't make sense well...Amore's sleepy self is too dumb to know that it doesn't make sense so she does it anyway.

>>3356996
Supporting, Can't really see anything else being done. Too bad we have Phlegm fucking up our now lukewarm tech generation, but what can you do. Lets just hope she doesn't randomly choose FDS the first round.

>>3357004
Well, our tech generation is actually very strong right now with 3 guaranteed Elegances. Elegance is better than TCC against PB and CrG as well. The main danger to our tech is TOtKO which makes us skip a turn, or a lucky FDS.

>>3356996
I'll back this up.

>>3357011
With the chances of all that happening, + our own brute strike against us, it doesn't really need Phlegm. We can definitly make it though, I just hope we can gather enough d4's to put a real dent in her when the inevitable random focused blow happens. If we reach 5d4's we would have a fifty fifty chance of breaking her assuming her composure has a max of d12's. I'd rather not count on it though.

>>3357022
We need 7d4 for a 98% chance to break d12

>>3357027
I guess it is all down to RNG now.

Vote called, writing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb8z2BMrd60

Sofia gotta stop using Phlegm.

Ouro is taking a long time. I hope he isn't describing our humiliating defeat.

>Elegance: Trick
>Elegance: Trick
>Elegance: Trick

You just have to match your movements to hers. And while that might seem impossible in her thoughtless state, nothing is truly patternless. As long as it arises from the human mind it will have a tint of bias. If you can foresee a puppet, you can foresee her. You just have to not let yourself get distract-

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Takes One To Knows One!

>Sofia gains the Asleep condition for a turn!

>Sofia cannot use Elegance: Trick this turn!

>Sweet Dreams activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 1d4, 1d6.

-ed.

You blink, tearing your eyes away from Amare’s strangely hypnotic sway. How much time did the two of you just lose? But that blink is all it takes for Amare to suddenly close the distance and step within your reach once more. Her strikes are wild but they’re fast enough that you can’t even take advantage of the openings. And as you pull all your focus into defense, she stumbles half a step forward and crushes your toes beneath a pointed shoe.

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Crushing Grip!

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 1d4

But despite her speed far oustripping yours, you more or less know what she’s going to do before she does it. And with that, you can overcome the gap between the two of you little by little.

>ELEGANCE: Trick

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4

She retreats once again, possibly forced back by you. And once again you follow her and deny her the safety she seeks.

>Elegance Prediction Bonus: 1d4

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 3d4

You hammer away at her defences, your mind working overtime to compensate. You have to land every strike perfectly but if you do so, your victory is all about assured. So it doesn’t matter how sleepy she looks or how loudly you yawn.

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Takes One To Know One.

You find yourself yawning too.

>Sofia gains the Asleep status for a turn!

>Sofia cannot use Elegance: Trick this turn!

>Sweet Dreams activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d4, 1d6.

>Amore’s Ability, Power Bottom, activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d4, 2d6.

>Amore’s Strike Pool: 3d4

>Still Waters remains active!

>Phlegmatic Flask activates!

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4.

>Sofia’s Composure: 6d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d12

...

“What are you two doing?”

You wake suddenly to find someone smacking you and Amore’s heads together. The pain clears out your head and your eyes open to see Amore awake and kneeling before you with her head clutched in her hands.
Standing before both of you is Lanzo, his students packing up and getting ready to depart behind him.
“I look over this way and I see you two both staring at each other and giggling.”

>DUEL SUSPENDED.

“She’s a Jester,” you say thickly. “She hit me in the head.”

1/2

>>3357096

“Ah,” he says, instantly understanding. “Don’t get me wrong, Sofia. You didn’t do anything bad. And there’s certainly no sin in sparring.”

“Woo,” Amore says before rising to her feet. “How did I do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well it’s not like I remember,” she says, looking just as tired as she was before. “Did you beat me?”

“I was going to,” you tell her, the phlegm still coursing through your system. “You’re not all that smart, are you?”

She gives a very slight pout.
“But I wanted to fight. Can we continue this later?”


>Yes. (The paused duel will later resume, with the state of both duellists exactly as it was)

>No. You have no particular desire to continue this fight.

>>3357088
I'd find it hard to believe we're dying this queue, since im fairly certain she doesn't have a way to gather more d6's until the end of the queue. We might get assblasted with a round 1 FDS tho, and then maybe something stupid like 2 CG's afterwards, which would sap all our tech dice together with phlegm.

>>3357098
>Yes. (The paused duel will later resume, with the state of both duellists exactly as it was)

See no reason otherwise, other then hurt pride when we quite possibly lose. If we win we might get a neat little trick instead.

Also seriously, fuck Phlegm lmao. As I said, lukewarm tech generation now.

>>3357098
Also, uh, what would be stopping us from just... not taking a chug of phlegm when we fight her again?

>>3357098

>No. You have no particular desire to continue this fight.

Disregarding her unknown moves, on each turn we have:
1/6 probability of 1d4 if CG
1/6 probability of 0d4 if TOtKO
1/6 probability of 0d4 and no dice for the whole queue if FDS
3/6 probability of 2d4

FDS makes it hard to calculate precisely, but without the effect of losing the subsequent moves this situation gives us an expected value of 1.1(6)d4 per turn, then lose 1d4 per queue from PF. But since FDS can shut down a whole queue if it comes on the first or the last turn, and since we have to renew SW periodically, I'd say statistically we _might_ have an edge, but it's a tiny one and the fight will be drawn-out and boring.

Btw, I'm going out in business so I won't be able to vote for a couple of hours.

>>3357121
Nothing.

>>3357121
>with the state of both duellists exactly as it was

>>3357127
That's what the option is saying, yes, though Ouro's answer seems to apply that if nothing else, we'll atleast be able to get rid of Phlegm, and maybe even change our moveset, although I doubt that considering having Dope Slap is probably part of "the state of both duelists".

>>3355984
>>3356032
>>3356211
Can we agree not to use Phlegm for this fight, if we end up continuing it?

>>3357147
Block all phlegm posters.
Report all phlegm posts.
Do not respond to phlegmers.

>>3357098
>>Yes. (The paused duel will later resume, with the state of both duellists exactly as it was)

We should fight as long as possible to give Lanzo a look at the techs

>>3357147
Remove phlegm, acquire ProPro

>>3357195
I'd rather have helpless beauty, I think. One of our main advantages currently is that she only generates anything more then a d4 once per queue, we don't need to give her random attacks more bite.

Hopefully though she'll break our d4's at least at some point, and not the other stuff, which would make us even harder for her to harm, buying us time to get lucky and build up our own tech, if it hasn't reached that point yet. Also since this isn't a proper duel there should be no chance of helpless beauty getting revealed to any future duelists we have to fight.

>>3357250
You want us to be molested by Lanzo and every single one of his students? HB is dangerous.

>>3357253
Hm, well, I'd like to think Lanzo can resist. After all, helpless doesn't mean that people can't resist

>>3357257
It only takes a single person out of all witnesses who doesn't resist, and we get molested.

Sorry for being absent like that. Vote called and writing.

Helpless beauty affects pretty girls, which happens to be every girl we've met. Lanzo, however, is male.

Also my plan to last long enough to let Lanzo finish his lesson succeeded, and we didn't even lose yet! Whoo!

Yes. (The paused duel will later resume, with the state of both duellists exactly as it was.)

You close your eyes, take a deep breath and feel the mucus rising up in your throat. You’re just about to ready to vomit it all back up soon. You’d rather not do that in front of everyone however so you just nod.
“Sure, I’m always ready for a fight.”

Amore nods too, mimicking your motion perfectly.
“I wish it had been a real duel. If it had been I’d be able to watch the memory of it at the Court.”

“Well r-”
You stop, bend over double and vomit up a massive wad of phlegm right into the canal in front of everyone. Great. Fantastic. And just like that, colour and proper feeling returns to the world.

“Are you alright?,” Amore asks. She doesn’t actually do anything to help.

But Lanzo does, your mentor helping to pull you back upright as you wipe humour from your lips.
“Of course she’s alright.”

“I’m doing just fine,” you say a little woozily. “...Uh, what were you saying?”

“I was saying that I wished it had been a real duel,” Amore says, as if nothing had happened at all. “If it had been, I’d be able to go to the Court of Swords to watch it. I’ve been told that I’m quite a good duellist you see and I really enjoy it but I’m never actually there for the duels themselves.”

“You seriously remember nothing?”

“Most people don’t remember what they do in their sleep. Most people don’t do anything in their sleep mind you but that’s just because they don’t apply themselves enough. When are we continuing our duel?”

“Hold on,” Lanzo says, his pale yellow eyes giving you both a quick once-over. “What’s the story here anyway?”


>”Just a friendly spar.” You’d rather not spoil Lanzo’s day by telling him that someone wants his new career to fail already. Plus then he might insist on fighting Amore himself.

>”Amore wants to defeat you and make you look like an old fool.” Might as well the truth.

>Other (Specify)

In addition, Amore has asked you a question. When are you continuing this fight of yours?

>Right now!

>In a few minutes. You’d like to talk a bit first, you’ve got some questions to ask.

>Quite a long way from now. Maybe if you keep putting it off you can delay it forever.

>Other (Specify)

>>3357492
>She came to ruin your lesson and I stopped her. Headpats please sensei!

>In a few minutes

>>3357492
>>”Amore wants to defeat you and make you look like an old fool.” Might as well the truth.

>>3357492
>>”Amore WAS ASKED to defeat you and make you look like an old fool.” Might as well the truth.

>In a few minutes. You’d like to talk a bit first, you’ve got some questions to ask.

File: sleep.jpg (114 KB, 577x515)

114 KB JPG

Sorry but it's 2am here and I'm about to pass out. Vote will remain open until I wake up and resume the session.

>>3357492
>”Amore WAS ASKED to defeat you and make you look like an old fool.” Might as well the truth.

>In a few minutes

>>3357152
I'm glad we have IDs so we can all forever remember who voted for Phlegm. Oh wait, they were phoneposters or never bothered to vote in the duel itself. What an absolute joke.

>>3357492
>”Amore WAS ASKED to defeat you and make you look like an old fool.” Might as well the truth.

>In a few minutes


>>3357834
I was asleep and then got sick. I’m coughing up copious amounts of actual phlegm. Stop being a vindictive douche.

>>3358397
Man who votes for phlegm later found killed by phlegm.

>>3358397
>Stop being a vindictive douche.
I refuse.

>>3357834
go away riz

I'm awake and calling the Vote. Writing.

Don't do phlegm kids.

Sorry for the delay.

>”Amore WAS ASKED to defeat you and make you look like an old fool.” Might as well the truth.
>In a few minutes. You’d like to talk a bit first, you’ve got some questions to ask

“Soon Amore, just give us a few minutes,” you say before turning to Lanzo. There’s no point hiding the truth. “We barely know each other. But Amore here was asked to defeat you in front of everyone and make you look like an old fool.”

He narrows his eyes but makes no other reaction as he looks at Amore.
“Is this true?”

“More or less,” she says, apparently too tired for shame. “You’re a cripple so I think it’d be pretty easy.”

His face sours and his hand drifts to the hilt of his sword.
“Is that so? Would you care to test that?”

“Sure! But I have to lose to Sofia first and then I won’t be able to. Because I promised her that I wouldn’t try anything if she beat me.”.

Lanzo just stares at the two of you for a moment and then sighs. His heart doesn’t sound in it.
“Well who am I to stop this? Have at it.”

“Well we’re not starting it up just yet,” you say. “I’ve got a few things to settle first. You fine waiting for a few minutes, Amore?”
She can only say yes.

“Seems fine. I need to rest anyway.”

But how will you spend those few minutes.


>Talking to Amore. You need to know more.

>Talking to Lanzo. You want to know how his class went!

>Interrogating Amore. No need to be subtle. She’s an enemy.

>Other (Specify)

>>3358650
>>Talking to Lanzo. You want to know how his class went!

>>3358650
>Talking to Lanzo. You want to know how his class went!

>>3358650
>Talking to Lanzo. You want to know how his class went!

>>3358650
>Talking to Lanzo. You want to know how his class went!

Vote called, writing.

If we do get the chance to change our techs too, I suggest dropping circle guard for UD. UD does all its shit first sentence, so it should not be able to be stopped, and with it we can push those two d6's down into Still Waters blocked territory. Other then that I don't think we can do anything, I'd say drop crushing grip for Gritted Teeth maybe, but we don't have that no more.

>>3358724
UD is awful though.

>>3358732
Maybe, but it's better then CG in this specific scenario. And as I said, UD will do its job, no matter what. All we would need is 1 UD first round the next queue to be 100% sure we aren't dying, which we could follow up with another UD if Still Waters isn't gone which it probably won't be considering the circumstances of the duel and we're certain of survival. Having a move that is gonna happen 100% of the time (as long as we do it just once and in the first round) might be invaluable for us now. Also it's the only way we can get those d6's down to manageable levels of we're unlucky and she doesn't do her damaging strike to let us bleed them off.

>>3358787
UD doesn't do nearly as much as you think it does. It's better to just build Elegance dice as quickly as possible. She gets a free d6 at the end of the queue most of the time, and her rolling d5s instead of d6s is basically nothing. UD isn't reducing her roll values by one, it reduces dice size. It is such an incredibly bad skill that does so little. If you're saying we UD twice to shrink her d6s into d4s, that risks Rattle killing our queue and our tech gen would be even worse. It's not a good move, anon.

>>3358803
No, I suggested 1 UD first round to reduce the two d6's to d5's, because 2d6 CAN break us, while 2d5's can't. Then at the start of the next queue if she still hasn't done her damaging strike and gained another d6 we can do 1 more UD, reduce those 2d5's to d4's and make them harmless(ish) and also reduce the 1d6 to d5's. The extra survivability in case that is the way it goes down is worth it in my opinion, especially because 2 fifths of the time elegance doesn't even process anyways because of her abilities.

Also shut the fuck up with the "UD doesn't do nearly as much as you think it does." Bullshit. I know exactly what it fuckings does.

Sorry for all these delays guys, I feel kinda sickly.

>>3358878
All is forgiven. Health before anything else.

UD is probably objectively the worst skill in Sofia's skillset. Choosing anything else is a net gain 99% of the time.

>>3358894
>>3358803
I'll post my analysis of this fight and the current dangers we face whenever Ouro gives us the chance to change things up, but this is one of those fights where, honestly, UD is one of the better moves due to how weird our opponent is. Y'all dismiss UD for being weak, but it frankly doesn't need to be stronger then it is for this fight. Also, if my analysis of the situasion is correct worst case we would only need to do 2 UD every 3 queues, aka 2/9 rounds, which would leave 7 out of 9 rounds for Elegance. And again, that would only be if we get into a shit situasion (which I'll explain later), otherwise chances are we won't have to use it much more then once or twice. However in return it would cut off one of the chances she has to kill us with, and currently this is a game of chance. Bah, I need caffeine, I dare not sleep lest I miss the whole fight.

>>3358894
I'm with >>3358930

2UD every 3 or so queues will neuter the attacks. More than that, remember that these dice can enter her composure. Dope Slap can rattle someone with a d0 in their composure.

>>3358974
Dope Slap Rattling is dumb.
Emptyheaded Sway can give us Fool, a second one can force us to use FB next turn, and she can use Dope Slap at the end to steal our Strike. Unlikely, but why would you give her the chance?

>>3358930
This is completely dependent on SW being up and her not negating our moves with Asleep or Rattle. I'm sure you've thought of this, but a queue without a Strike and a FDS when we Stance up demolishes your plan completely. The longer this duel goes on, the possibility of that happening only goes up.

>>3358995
So you'd rather never Dope Slap at all? I guess that's an option.

I'll just point out that there's more than a few moves that we can take advantage of if she takes them. our d4s are useless if she takes Still Waters, but making ANY of her random moves stances means she will constantly empty her tech pool into composure and spend more time switching stances than doing any actual fighting.

>Talking to Lanzo. You want to know how his class went!

Amore closes her eyes and starts to gently snore, to all appearances falling asleep while standing up. It makes it pretty tempting to mess with her but you don’t bother. She’s actually more dangerous now than when she was awake.

“She didn’t have to be so rude,” you say to Lanzo, walking a bit further down the canal away from her.

“It’s fine,” he says through gritted teeth. “There’s nothing of worth to be found arguing with a Jester. But...if they wanted to disgrace me, they chose the wrong kind of Jester.”

‘What do you mean?”

“The Jester Ring is split into two intermingling styles, like two sides to a coin. That’s what the two theater masks in their sigil refer to. They have two Ringleaders two, one for day and one for night. She’s clearly more influenced by their Night style than she is by their Day.”

“I assume you mean the, uh, sleeping situation?”

“Correct. That Ring is all about speed but how they achieve it can change a lot of their focus. Nightside Jesters achieve it through unconsciousness but as I’m sure you found out, there’s a means to predict even their unconscious movements. So if I was looking to undo me, I would have a chosen a Dayside Jester.”

‘What do they do?”

“They accelerate beyond even their own comprehension, making them truly chaotic. They can’t be predicted. I’m guessing that whoever sent her didn’t understand the distinction between the two styles.”

“So you’d be able to beat her easily then?”

He gives you a pained look.
“I wouldn't be so sure. Not anymore.”

“Ah.”
You cast about for a change in subject.
“So how did the class go? I saw a lot of dropouts.”

“To be expected. The ones who held on all the way through, they’re the ones with potential. I think some of them even have what it takes to join the profession.”

“Right. But that’s not the most important part. Did you enjoy yourself?”

He cracks a small smile.
“I was until that girl tried to crash the party. So what did you think of it all? Thinking of joining up yourself?”

“Hah! I hardly need it.”

“It wouldn’t do you any good anyway. You’ve always been a much more practical learner.”
By which he means the trophies.

“Yeah and it’s going pretty swell, I have to say.”

“It is a shame though. Not because of anything you’ve done, of course but still. It means that you might never get the chance to develop your own style.”

Huh. You hadn’t thought about that before. Plenty of duellists pick up unique techniques or even whole styles suited to themselves. But what is a Sofia move? And how would you even be able to attain it? You can’t literally fig-Or can you?
“Actually,” you say, “do you know of a way that I can duel myself? That might be interesting.”

He frowns.
“It might be possible. But it’s not going to be easy.”

1/2

>>3359034
>”Nah, don’t bother. Just a passing thought.”

>”I think I could learn a lot!”

>"Do you have any idea who might want to sabotage you?"

>"Amore's not that bad of a person, I don't think."

>Other (Specify)

>>3359034
>I think I could learn a lot!”
Ouro controlled Sofia could teach us how to play!

>>3359041
>>”I think I could learn a lot!”
>>"Do you have any idea who might want to sabotage you?"

>>3359034
>>”I think I could learn a lot!”

>>"Amore's not that bad of a person, I don't think. Sounds like she loves fighting, she just doesn't care about the consequences."

>>3359034
>"Do you have any idea who might want to sabotage you?"

>>3359047
>It ends up being the one duel we win

>>3359041
>>>"Do you have any idea who might want to sabotage you?"

Vote called, writing.

Also, because Im afraid I might drop dead from a lack of sleep and not wake up until the duel is finished, I'll break what I said and explain myself.

So, the way I see it there are currently two ways our sleepy friend can kill us:

1. One of her queues doesn't include a strike, and the next queue the first round while we try to set up Still Waters again she gets lucky and does her damaging strike, at which point we get fucked by the amount of d4's she has in her strike pool.

2. She doesnt do her damaging strike for long enough to build up enough d6's to threaten us, and then her strike comes, she doesnt get too unlucky and we die.

Number 1 will always be a looming threat, and a big one at that, but firstly there's little we can do to stop it other then, as anon has said, get her before she gets us. Still though, with some very rough headmaff, since she has two strikes (good job giving away crushing grip btw, that actually does help us quite a bit here) the chances of this happening is gonna be quite low, so we should if we arent spectacularly unlucky have several queue's to work with before luck catches up to us. (something like 6-10 queues before it has had a 50% chance of happening i think). Number 2 however is both currently a VERY real threat, since she already has 2d6, which could kill us if she does her strike this queue, but more importantly if she doesnt do it this queue she has 3d6 next queue, which is a slightly below 50% chance of breaking us, and if she doesnt strike again for a queue she'd be at 4d6, which most likely will break us. However, with UD we CAN deal with this threat, and quite handily so, whenever it rears its ugly head like now.

UD is a trick, and importantly it does all its shit in the first sentence. This means that none of her bullshit move cancelling or rattling bullshit touches it at all, since it will have done the deed before it can get fucked. Therefor, it is the surest move we can have atm, and we can trust it to do what it needs to do. (with a very slight exception which I wont bother saying now because im tired, but honestly it isnt worth worrying about.)

And what it needs to do is simple, make sure that she doesnt have enough dice over d4's to break us. Taking the example of next turn, lets assume we're not getting lucky and she wont strike this queue. If we do UD first round, followed by Elegance x2, no matter what happens afterwards her two d6's will turn into 2d5. This first of all makes sure she wont get lucky and break us this queue, but second of all it sets up us for the next queue.

In the next queue she'll now have 2d5 and a d6, (presuming Still Waters is in effect, because if it isnt we're busy trying to replace it and praying anyways), which we can then UD the first round, and even if she does her Strike the same round UD will still reduce the 2d5's to 2d4s first, and she wont be able to harm us anymore.

1/2(?)

>>3359111
Afterwards, we'll be safe for another 2 queues or so, after which we'll repeat the dance IF it becomes needed. I am quite certain the small reduction in Elegance is worth it to nullify this threat, so the only threat is option 1 and no more. Also this does grant us the option of getting lucky: She might do her FDS the same round we do UD, which both wont stop UD, but the following Rattle wont stop us from flourishing. Also, as I said before, we may very well not need to do it more then for the queues I predicted, or even less, just once, if she starts doing FDS more often, but having the option to deal with it if this becomes an issue again is well worth dropping CG I believe.

UD deflection will make sure option 2 doesnt come to pass, giving us a head start in this game of chance. Lets not make it harder on ourselves, drop CG and replace it with UD. We don't need more chances of dying now, we already have the big one, so lets keep it at that, hm?

2/2

Rolled 2, 3 = 5 (2d6)

>>3359129
Alright, you've won me over. We can guarantee ourselves an extra queue, but I don't know about 2 or more.

>>3359140
Rough headmaffs, as I said. Im fairly certain I got the timetable sorted just fine in my head, but I don't trust myself to explain it. I'll take a nap now, hopefully my alarms wake me up in an hour or two like I want them to. See you later lads, godspeed.

Also, before I go, I very much suggest not trying to drop off dope. We dont need more uncertainty in this fight. I think we might actually have the advantage with the UD trick I'm thinking off, so messing with it is just asking for a disaster.

File: Sofia_sword.jpg (20 KB, 1025x200)

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>”I think I could learn a lot!”
>"Do you have any idea who might want to sabotage you?"

“Yes, I think I could learn a lot.”
You’ll not bother asking his opinion on whether you could beat yourself in a duel. You don’t want to break anyone, much less him. But still, now that the issue has been raised, the idea of your own technique calls to you. What would it even be like?

“I could arrange something. But you might find it...uncomfortable.”

“Whatever it is, it won’t be an issue to me! Now do you have any idea who might want to sabotage you?”

“I do. Or rather, I might have too many. My career as a professional could be sometimes...controversial. Any professional with ambition makes enemies. But I left that all behind with this.”
He taps the stump of his leg, wobbling a bit as his phantom limb goes from invisible to nonexistent.
“I don’t know who’d be bitter enough to keep kicking me while I was down. Or if they were, they’d already found the chance to do it in the years between.”

“Amore said that the class was silly. That swordplay isn’t for people like them.”

“She’s certainly entitled to her opinion. It’s not a good one but she’s entitled to it. And she wants to fight me in front of them all? Like an exhibition match?”

“Yeah though I don’t even know what good it would do. It’s not like any of your students would quit because you’re not perfect. Where else would they even go?”

“I doubt the intent is destroying the class. If someone really is bitter enough for this, they probably just want to rub salt into the wound.”

“Aye. And, uh, for what it’s worth Lanzo, I don’t think Amore meant that stuff about you being a cripple. Or even what she said about your class. She’s a Jester so she was probably just saying bullshit to get a reaction.”

“There’s no functional difference. Whether she believes it or not is a distinction that only matters to her. But it doesn’t bother me, Sofia, truly. I think I’ve had ample time to come to terms with my lot in life. Now, I trust you to beat her into the ground. I’d rather not take the chance.”

“Oh, I will, I will. But I’ve got to swap a few things out first.”

1/2

>>3359228

>Choose your loadout! You may select one Ability and six Techniques from the following list:

ABILITIES

>Professional Provocateur: [ABILITY]At the end of each round, if you have successfully performed a Trick and have not lost any Composure dice, the single lowest die in your opponent’s Technique Pool is moved to their Strike Pool. If there are no dice in your opponent’s Technique Pool, the lowest die in their Composure Pool is moved to their Technique Pool instead.

>Test Your Luck: [ABILITY]You’re a pro at games of chance and other such swindles, no matter how well they’re performed. Once per thread you may either reroll a single dice or automatically succeed at a game of chance.

>Phlegmatic Flask: [ABILITY]You are shielded by apathy. At the end of each full queue, move your single lowest Technique dice into your Composure Pool.

>Helpless Beauty: [ABILITY]You can’t help but be timid and vulnerable in a way that attracts all sorts of possessive attention that you can’t deny. It also means they let their guard down around you. When your Composure is Broken by an opponent’s attack, a retaliatory strike is made against that opponent with Strike dice equal to the Strike you just took. This retaliation cannot bleed the opponent and doesn’t trigger the effects of anything that counts attacks.

TECHNIQUES

>Brute Strike: [STRIKE]Siphon the lowest value dice from your Composure Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Tempered Counting Coup: [FLOURISH]Sofia cannot be defeated during this turn. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. Next time you use this in the same duel, upgrade it by 2 sides. This caps at d10 and if done again afterwards, resets back to d4.

>Gritted Teeth: [TRICK]Move the highest value die from your Technique Pool to your Composure Pool.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Unassailable Rookie: [STANCE]Once this Stance is active, all dice that your opponent rolls out of their Strike Pool take a -1 penalty to their final result. Can only be active while you have a d4 in your Composure Pool.

>Underhanded Deflection: [TRICK]Lower the sides of all the dice currently in your opponent’s Technique pool by 1.

>Crushing Grip: [STRIKE]Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage. If no Composure dice are destroyed as a result of this, whether through damage or through an ability, destroy the single highest value die in your opponent’s Technique Pool.

2/3

>>3359238
>Circle Guard: [TRICK]Your opponent cannot siphon dice into their Strike Pool this round. If they attempt to, destroy the single lowest die in their Technique Pool. This Technique cannot be used if your Technique Pool is empty.

>Skin Unthorned: [STANCE]Once this Stance is active, any Strike pool targeting you cannot roll d4s. They remain in the Strike Pool unrolled. Can only be active while you have a d6 in your Composure Pool.

>Flashing Steel: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage. Damage from this Technique is dealt first to your opponent’s Strike Pool, treating the dice within as if they were Composure dice for the purposes of destruction. The difference between the highest dice value in the Strike Pool and the damage rolled is then dealt to the Technique Pool in the same fashion. And if the damage continues to overflow, the remainder is inflicted upon the Composure Pool in the same way.

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Warped Perspectives: [STANCE]Once this Stance is active, at the end of each round, if a duellist chose a Trick they gain a stack of Big. If a duellist chose a Flourish, they gain a stack of Small. Big and Small stacks cancel each other out. For every stack of Big a duellist has, they have an effective +1 to the sides of all dice in all their dicepools. For every stack of Small a duellist has, they have an effective -1 to the sides of all dice in all their dicepools. Dice are still treated as their original sizes for the purposes of effects that target or require dice. Whether this Stance is active or not, stacks of either status are completely cleared by using a Strike. Is only active while you have a d4 in your Composure.

A quick note that I forgot to do: You can't take Crushing Grip and you have to take Dope Slap. My bad.

Helpless vs Luck
>>Doped up
>Elegance
>TCC
>Gritted Teeth
>Still Waters (unthorned can't stop d3 or d2 from UD)
>Brute Strike?

>>3359275
whoops. I guess Brute Strike has to be replaced with UD?

File: fleksnek.png (13 KB, 400x400)

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I've got some stuff to do in town so I'll leave this vote open for a while.

>>3359275
We need FB to actually win.

There's a problem with what to take. We can remove TCC, GT, or Elegance. TCC and GT comes in a set, so either we lose our invincible win con or lower our tech gen.

>>3359238
HB, FB, El, Dope, UD, CiG, SW

I say we forget the TCC and GT set altogether. I think our best plan is to buy ourselves that extra queue with UD and generate dice with El as quickly as possible so we can finish this fast. If we need TCC and GT, we probably already lost.

>>3359314
If we take helpless, definitely bring gritted to counter any broken status from activating it.

>>3359325
Yeah, maybe
HB, FB, El, Dope, UD, GT, SW
Is better

>>3359243
I can get behind >>3359334

>>3359343
That's really gay. Leave my behind alone.

I'm back. Vote called and writing!

>Helpless Beauty
>Focussed Blow.
>Elegance
>Dope Slap
>Underhanded Deflection
>Gritted Teeth
>Still Waters

A few minutes later and you’re ready, wooden sabre back in hand and with a few alterations to your outfit. You’ve remade yourself and now, you’re ready to begin the fight anew. You hold your sword out in front of you as if you were about to declare the right to redress in a real duel.
“Are you ready?”

“Snrrrrughk.”
Amore hasn’t moved where she fell asleep, her own sword still tightly held before her. No wonder she looks so tired. She does more in her sleep than she does awake. You’re not sure how she ever finds the time to just rest.
But that’s not your problem!

“You will both resume on my mark,” Lanzo says, standing back away from the two of you. ‘But do you think she even understands that?”

“She probably won’t attack until I make my own move. So the only person who really needs to hear you declare the start is me.”
You pass your sabre from one hand to the other, cracking your knuckles as you do so. You then settle back into your usual en garde.
“It’s okay. I’m ready for her this time.”


“Then begin!”

>Sofia’s Composure: 6d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d12
>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4
>Sofia’s Strike Pool: Empty

>Amore’s Composure: Unknown
>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d4, 1d6
>Amore’s Strike Pool: 3d4

>Still Waters is still active!

>Sweet Dreams is still active!

The moment Lanzo declares the duel to have restarted, Amore’s eyes snap open to reveal a vacant stare. And as she does, her entire body tenses up and blurs forward like an unwound spring!

1/2

>>3359640
The queue begins once more! Choose three Techniques from the following:

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Underhanded Deflection: [TRICK]Lower the sides of all the dice currently in your opponent’s Technique pool by 1.

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Gritted Teeth: [TRICK]Move the highest value die from your Technique Pool to your Composure Pool.

>Dope Slap: [STRIKE] Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike pool for damage. If you destroyed no Composure dice, instead at the end of the turn transform Dope Slap into a copy of the Technique your opponent used this turn and transform their Technique into a copy of Dope Slap. Your opponent now has the Fool status effect applied to them.

>>3359643
UD, El trick x2

>>3359643
>El: Trick
>El: Trick
>El: Trick
since we're committed to not using Dope Slap, UD can wait until her second 1d6.

>>3359654
Have you read this? >>3359111

>>3359640
Wait, she does have 2d6 in her tech. Ouro, come on.

>>3359672
Oh, my bad! Thanks for catching that.

>>3359657
She only has 1d6 right now. Do you mean to spam the same queue the whole time? I guess it lowers the risk of being affected by Rattle.

>>3359672
oh.

>>3359643
well then.

switch >>3359654
to

>>3359650

Vote called, writing.

>>3359650
supporting

Thanks for holding down the fort while I was in the realm of the dead, anons. Can confirm that none of my alarms worked.

https://youtu.be/Aj7ecVrNdPU

>Underhanded Deflection
>Elegance: Trick
>Elegance: Trick

Already anticipating this, you advance to match her and for a brief moment the two of you clash as equals!

>UNDERHANDED DEFLECTION

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Crushing Grip!

You kick the water of the canal up as you parry her, spraying her right in the face! This has no seeming effect on her sleeping form but she stumbles on her next advance. And whether that was from your own efforts or her own unconscious chaos...you’ll take it.

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d3, 2d5

But even as you try to capitalize on her loss of position, she lashes out with a wild horizontal swing! You deflect it but as you do she pivots and grabs hold of your sword-arm once more! Both of your swords trapped pointing away from you, she drags you in close and...sniffs you.
“Mmmmrrn,” she moans softly

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 1d4.

So Sabino’s curse does work when they’re asleep. Neat. You extricate yourself and she does at the same time, taking some of your dignity with her.

But even though you no longer have the mass of phlegm within you, you can still follow much the same plan you had before. All you need to do is match her steps and not let her gain distance. You can predict her, you just have to look at her legs. Even she has tells.

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Takes One To Know One.

>Sofia is Asleep for a turn!

>Sofia cannot use Elegance: Trick!

>Sweet Dreams Activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d3, 1d4, 1d5

You look at her legs, examining them very closely for tells of her next movement. You do this for some time before you snap out of it and realise you should probably try to take advantage of it instead of just watching.

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Emptyheaded Sway!

She keeps her distance from you, circling around you in an ever-widening spiral that is hard to track and harder to follow. Her face is frozen into a look of vacant content.

>Amore’s Strike Pool: 4d4

But you don’t let her have it all her own way. With a quick dart to the side, you break out of her lazy spiral and even as she evades your sabre…

>ELEGANCE: Trick

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4

...her pointy shoe snags on your boot and you trip her up with a swift kick!

>Elegance Prediction Bonus: 1d4

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 3d4

She doesn’t fall but not even her blissful ignorance can protect her entirely as she stumbles off to the side, now a perfect target! But even as you try to press her advantage she pirouettes and, even faster than before, corrects her course!

>Sweet Dreams activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d3, 2d4, 1d5.

>Amore’s ability, Power Bottom, activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d3, 2d4, 1d5, 1d6.

But your focus remains strong!

>Still Waters is still active!

>>3359752
Duel Status: https://pastebin.com/H3aZiZ6V
(Fixes an issue in the combat log this queue where a 2d5 was incorrect referred to as a 1d5)

The next queue is now beginning! Please choose three Techniques:

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Underhanded Deflection: [TRICK]Lower the sides of all the dice currently in your opponent’s Technique pool by 1.

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Gritted Teeth: [TRICK]Move the highest value die from your Technique Pool to your Composure Pool.

>Dope Slap: [STRIKE] Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike pool for damage. If you destroyed no Composure dice, instead at the end of the turn transform Dope Slap into a copy of the Technique your opponent used this turn and transform their Technique into a copy of Dope Slap. Your opponent now has the Fool status effect applied to them.

>>3359752
>El Trick x3
Great, we're still in the game.

>>3359755
UD
El trick
El trick

We are currently risking getting a 2d5 1d6 strike, but that should fix it up.

Err, unless empty-headed sway made us a fool without telling us.

>>3359767
Still Waters is active. We can UD next turn.

>>3359767
It doesn't do that unless Amore herself is rattled.

>>3359767
Nevermind what the fuck happened? Ignore my post while I reread.

>>3359755
Ok, I'm not certain I understand why she lost a d5, but I trust Ouro isn't lying to us so I agree with
>>3359756
El trick x3

Vote called, writing.

Wait, hold the fuck up Ouro, is it actually 2d5 and 1d6? Because if that's the case I'm recalling my vote and do infact vote for
UD
El trick
El trick

>Elegance: Trick
>Elegance: Trick
>Elegance: Trick

You circle her writhing form, looking for the best opening.

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Takes One To Know One!

>Sofia is Asleep for a turn!

>Sofia cannot use Elegance: Trick!

>Sweet Dreams activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d3, 3d4, 2d5, 1d6

You keep looking for a while. It’s tactical, alright! You’re just trying to do your best not to be made a fool of again! And while you watch, Amore flickers into motion!

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Crushing Grip!

You pull the distance, her wooden sabre passing right over your head. You made a counter-attack but Amore catches your sabre with apparent ease, her off-hand closed over the forte. Mumbling in her sleep, she drags you forward with a quick pull and even as you grab the wrist of her sword-arm to prevent you from getting hit...she pulls your sabre back past her head and licks the hand holding it.

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 2d4

Sometimes you wonder if Sabino’s card is worth it. But in this case, it might just justify itself. After all...she’s in a real bad position now. You yank her to the side and while she recovers before you can free your blade, she can’t help but lose even more ground.

>ELEGANCE: Trick

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 3d4

>Elegance Prediction Bonus: 1d4

>Sofia’s Technique Pool: 4d4

But even so, she doesn’t seem too concerned. She’s more focussed on drooling than she is with you. Then you’ll just have to be sure to wake her up properly!

>Amore uses Sleepwalker!

>Sleepwalker selects Takes One To Know One!

>Sofia is Asleep for a turn!

>Sofia cannot use Elegance: Trick!

>Sweet Dreams activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d3, 4d4, 2d5, 1d6

>Amore’s ability, Power Bottom, activates!

>Amore’s Technique Pool: 2d3, 4d4, 2d5, 2d6

You’ll just do that any time now…

>Still Waters is still active!

>>3359812
Duel Status: https://pastebin.com/Xu4S1PyV

The next queue is now beginning! Please choose three Techniques:

>Focussed Blow: [STRIKE]Siphon all dice from your Technique Pool to your Strike Pool. Roll all dice in your Strike Pool to inflict damage.

>Elegance: [FLOURISH] Declare either Strike, Flourish, Trick or Stance. Generate a d4 into your Technique Pool. When your opponent makes their next move, if it is the same category of move as declared, generate a die of equal value to the lowest value dice in your Composure Pool.

>Underhanded Deflection: [TRICK]Lower the sides of all the dice currently in your opponent’s Technique pool by 1.

>Still Waters[STANCE]: When an opponent attempts a Strike, ignore all dice equal to or lower than the lowest value dice in your Composure pool; these dice remain in the opponent's strike pool. This stance is broken when the opponent makes no strikes in a queue.

>Gritted Teeth: [TRICK]Move the highest value die from your Technique Pool to your Composure Pool.

>Dope Slap: [STRIKE] Siphon no dice. Roll all dice in your Strike pool for damage. If you destroyed no Composure dice, instead at the end of the turn transform Dope Slap into a copy of the Technique your opponent used this turn and transform their Technique into a copy of Dope Slap. Your opponent now has the Fool status effect applied to them.

>>3359813
Alright, that almost went tits up.
UD
El trick
El trick

I'm never not trusting myself again.

>>3359812
Oh for fuck's sake, why is she hitting Takes One so often?
UD, El trick x2