Duel New Arrivals, New Challenge

[Karok]

Karok strutted through the gates of the Sith Covenant's Desevro Academy. Physically imposing and practically immovable, his presence alone sent a ripple of unease through the gathered acolytes finishing their studies and sparring. His voice was low, arrogant, and carried across the courtyard:
"I am Karok, and I am sith. Make your reparations to me now, and I might have a place for you in the new world order I will create. No Sith, no Order, can contain me. Jutrand, the so-called pinnacle of a Sith Academy, could not hold me. How do you think you all will fare?"

Without waiting for replies, the Gen'dai moved through the ranks, interrupting lessons, sparring, and issuing blunt challenges to anyone who met his gaze. By midday, two overconfident students had already fallen, easily bested by this alien's sheer strength and predatory instincts. Yet the courtyard buzzed with tension, the open challenge remained, and every acolyte wondered who would be foolish enough to face this New alien face next? Who would put him in his place?

Varin Mortifer

 

[Varin Mortifer]

Equipment: Cross guard hilt broadsword saber, Heavy Phrik Plated Armor, Heavy Mace​

One by one they fell. It seemed this Sith was eager to prove himself. Issuing challenges. His walk definitely measured with his talk. Varin’s visor reflected every move, every strike and every counter that was displayed and Varin catalogued it to memory. The overconfident Sith only challenged by other Sith who were more overconfident than he was. Varin chose to watch for a bit, measure him.

The final acolyte was struck down and Varin uncrossed his arms from his armored chest, Slowly he walked up, towering over the other students and staff alike all of them were silent as he walked up, they knew of his reputation, of his blood lust and of his merciless savage like fighting. He broke spirits then he broke the body. Up until now he had fought beginners, those where were hungry for a fight and not starving for a battle.

Varin was starving.

His metallic boot falls rung as he tackled each step upward to him, heat rolled off his back as the smoldering cloak-like cloud hugged his shoulders. He stopped in front of him, silent. The red glare of his visor staring down the challenger.

He could feel the slow thud in his chest. It was all he could hear as he stared down the new acolyte. Up until this point this acolyte had proven himself capable of breaking boards. This one would hit back.

He did not draw his saber, nor his heavy mace that was slung over his back. Just stared in silence. Daring him to claim the first attack.

Karok​

 

[Karok]

Thus far the competition was rather mediocre. Was to be expected though. It was considered unwise to reveal ones hand so soon within any Sith hierarchy. That was what Karok was taught at Jutrand at least. Jutrand Academy seemed to favor cunning and skullduggery. Teaching how unfair and brutal life could be for those that did not meld into top down hierarchy and political games. For those that did not form alliances and networks.

You must tether yourself to power.

Desevro Academy, thus far, felt like a slight contrast. Less political. More practical approaches. The young alien had an advantage in knowledge of how the system worked and in raw physicality. But Karok was no fool. There were nexus, acklays and rancors on the prowl. More cunning opponents that sized up their prey first before ambush.

By now a crowd or what could be its equivalent had formed in the academy court yard. Attention and stares.

Varin was starving.

His metallic boot falls rung as he tackled each step upward to him, heat rolled off his back as the smoldering cloak-like cloud hugged his shoulders. He stopped in front of him, silent. The red glare of his visor staring down the challenger.

He could feel the slow thud in his chest. It was all he could hear as he stared down the new acolyte. Up until this point this acolyte had proven himself capable of breaking boards. This one would hit back.

He did not draw his saber, nor his heavy mace that was slung over his back. Just stared in silence. Daring him to claim the first attack.

Karok pivoted on one heel seemingly sensing, no, feeling a new challenger draw closer. Sensory acuity growing more sharp in contrast and mimicking the rhythmic sensation of a slow thudding heart beat as if it was the Gen'dais own. The sensation came before perception focused on a towering armored figure.

It was quite a sight. Karok seemingly craning his neck to meet this new challengers visage. Height aside. This one was not like the rest. He didn't need to look away to gauge emergence of a new divergent pattern. From his peripheral the details of various acolyte attires set a new tone. Then there was the silence. Teeth cutting tension that lingered in the dry air and finally the background of collective heartbeats, Like tribal drums that thrummed progressively louder through the gen'dai's biology.

Karok tuned in and flashed a wicked grin of fascination. A single clawed finger extended toward Varin Mortifer in accusation. " I know your kind. The armor, the demeanor, all the trinkets. A pampered apprentice!!" Then suddenly he sprung! Shifting his center of gravity with surprising speed and breaking into a reeks charge. Right arm cocked back and a red fist primed to make impact with the upper breast plate. This was the same opening strike he used with the other challengers. Only difference was, they chose to dodge and give up their ground and dodge.

 

[Varin Mortifer]

The crowd had gathered after Varin ascended to meet this new arrival. This new blood. He would test him, and he would test him hard. The red glare of his helm looked down on him as he spoke. His pointed finger directed right at Varin. His eyes glared at his phrase. He was never pampered. He made sure he tasted suffering. But, his opponent did not know him. A slight he would forgive for now.

His gaze followed him. He watched the arm reel back for a heavy blow. Varin did not move. His stance slightly shifting to accommodate the blow but maintain his core balance. The fist struck the plate with a resounding CLANG that echoed over the heads of the watching acolytes and trainers alike. It was like striking a hull, dense and heavy. The worst part is it was unknown if it was his body or his armor that gave off the feeling of mass.

“That was for free...”

He spoke quietly before his massive armored boot came up to ram towards his sternum. He had fought many opponents, his usual routine was to poke and prod, learn as the fight transpired. Some people would call it playing with their opponents, he called it learning. Varin loved combat, he always felt like his true self when cornered or when he was coming in for his kill.

His back smoldered and spewed smoke that resembled a living cloak on his back. It hugged his shoulders and wrapped around his neck.

“Do not just play with me acolyte. Fight me.”

Again his stance shifted, his back foot grinding into the stone, the metal scraped carving wounds into the stone floor spitting up small sparks as he twisted his body to respond with a backwards elbow aimed for the top of the new blood's skull.

Karok​

 

[Karok]

His gaze followed him. He watched the arm reel back for a heavy blow. Varin did not move. His stance slightly shifting to accommodate the blow but maintain his core balance. The fist struck the plate with a resounding CLANG that echoed over the heads of the watching acolytes and trainers alike. It was like striking a hull, dense and heavy. The worst part is it was unknown if it was his body or his armor that gave off the feeling of mass.

“That was for free...”

The loud clang reverberated and instead of peaking the anticipation, it ended it. And then there was what the sith apprentice said next. That was for free? Karok couldn't help but glance away to the surrounding crowd. Already wagers were starting and the assumed turning of the tide was here. The aliens head protruded a vein of frustration. It wasn't that Karok couldn't damage Varin Mortifer , it was that he misjudged his opponent. Im losing the crowd. Even now I feel them ready for-

He wanted the attention. All of it.

Then a impact thudded against Karoks chest. A blow to where the sternum would of been, that caused the gen'dai to take a step back, heave and cough up thick saliva on the ground. It leaked from his maw in spades. For any other acolyte or humanoid with a centralized nervous system, the majority of which the academy seemed to consist of, the blow meant incapacitation. Knocking the wind out someone. A critical blow. Thus far Karok staggered back a step and hunched over and covered his chest with one hand.

But this was all theatrics. None would know the wiser and, perhaps, If Varin was keen enough he would of felt and noted the difference between striking a humaniod and Karok in the chest. The latter, the gen'dais biology, may of felt as if it had more give under that armorweave body suit. But that "give" also absorbed, would bounce back in momentum. Like kicking densely bundled durasteel cables. A notable contrast compared to striking beings that had flesh, bone and major organs.

Gen'dai had none those. Just muscle, tendons and nerves.

He spoke quietly before his massive armored boot came up to ram towards his sternum. He had fought many opponents, his usual routine was to poke and prod, learn as the fight transpired. Some people would call it playing with their opponents, he called it learning. Varin loved combat, he always felt like his true self when cornered or when he was coming in for his kill.

His back smoldered and spewed smoke that resembled a living cloak on his back. It hugged his shoulders and wrapped around his neck.

“Do not just play with me acolyte. Fight me.”

Again his stance shifted, his back foot grinding into the stone, the metal scraped carving wounds into the stone floor spitting up small sparks as he twisted his body to respond with a backwards elbow aimed for the top of the new blood's skull.

And while Varin smoldered, looming over Karok and spoke his absolution. Karok continued to cough and heave as if he had breath. But when the backwards elbow swiftly came in like a torpedo, the gen'dai motioned at the last minute with his left hand? A forceful and unorthodox block halting the elbows momentum. The gen'dais hand splitting down the middle between middle finger and ring finger. Fissuring down past the palm and into the forearm. Muscle coiled tendrils and tentacles with addition "fingers' splayed out further for leverage.

The gig was up! "GOOD! I WONT HOLD BACK!!" Attempting constrict Varins elbow with the grip of a rathtar, Karok blitz forward to close the gap of space. The Acolyte wanted to stay up close and personal! He wanted to bulldoze this pampered apprentice. This was where he shined! Leading with his free hand, the shape of which unraveled into coiled muscled tentacles and tendrils as well, they stretched forward extending reach, latching and wrapping around anything it could grip onto next for leverage. A belt, armor plates, the waist, a thigh. Anything would do! Inertia continued and with natural biological strength that surpassed a wookie Karok sought to lift Varin over head and slam his massive armored frame into adjacent crowding of sith overseers, acolytes and finally the dry earth below.

 

[Varin Mortifer]

The impact of his kick felt…off. Less resistance than your average body. It was strange, Karok seemed to be built solid, but it felt as if he was a bit more spongey than the others. At the same time, he seemed to reel back more violently than most. Perhaps he had misjudged him, perhaps he hit him too hard. It didn’t matter if he couldn’t take that hit he wouldn’t-

His arm had split down the middle grasping onto Varin’s arm. His gaze sharpened at the sudden violent block, then constriction. Varin’s head tilted to the side as the pressure built. It was getting tighter, the circulation was cut off for blood flow. It was not a good spot to be in.

Then Karok's other arm burst into more strands of muscle fibers as thick as cords, wrapped around his body. His gear soon swallowed up. He waited until a good bit of them wrapped around the back plate of his armor. The weight of the constriction caused his armor to groan, and creak as if he were trying to constrict him and bind him, then he began to lift. Varin was intrigued. This was the first time anyone had lifted him.

Varin’s back exploded in a violent blast of flame, the heat reaching the very back of the crowd that had gathered, the brightness was enough to temporarily blind those that were up closer and behind him. The tentacles that wrapped around his back shriveled into ash, the flames just reaching towards Karok's face.

Varin ripped himself from the compromised grip, landing towards his side he rolled over his shoulder to quickly get back to his feet. If he wanted to contest strength then that was fine with him.

With a yell he surged forward towards his opponent aiming to ram his shoulder into his chest to bulldoze him to the ground, another violent jet of flame bursting from his back accelerated his movement as he dashed towards him.

Karok​

 

[Karok]

Varin’s back exploded in a violent blast of flame, the heat reaching the very back of the crowd that had gathered, the brightness was enough to temporarily blind those that were up closer and behind him. The tentacles that wrapped around his back shriveled into ash, the flames just reaching towards Karok's face.

Varin ripped himself from the compromised grip, landing towards his side he rolled over his shoulder to quickly get back to his feet. If he wanted to contest strength then that was fine with him.

With a yell he surged forward towards his opponent aiming to ram his shoulder into his chest to bulldoze him to the ground, another violent jet of flame bursting from his back accelerated his movement as he dashed towards him.

For a moment, Karok felt a burst of victory. Domination. Then there was a flash and half of his world went dark. A tongue of fire searing its path over Karoks visage. Layers of the dense muscle that made up the gen'dais face, seemingly charred into black and yet at the same time awareness of more missing parts registered.

The air in the courtyard reeked the putrid taint of burning flesh. Acolytes, overseers and all manner of onlookers blinded to the details by a mirage of heat. Pain. Some backing away and others stepping closer. Sections of armorweave faintly glowed with heat from the blast and the burning acolyte let out a ferocious alien roar! This was where fight would end and a bloodlust began. Surpassing expectation or assumption, Karok endured, he recovered and retaliated! Regenerating new tissue as fast as it burned away. A new eye coming to open and burrow a rage at Varin Mortifer .But something was off, his movements became more primal and animalistic and within the Karoks sensory acuity faded briefly and then came back in. An existential pain that no other species would ever know. The removal of self. Psychological overwhelm through biology.

Giving into his anger instinct took control.

Karoks position shifted and the force thrummed. Both of his lightsabers came to hand and were activated with a snap-hiss. Two unstable sickle-blades, red as a gundarks eye and crackling with energy. Blitzing again to meet Varin head on, both sickle-bladed lightsabers crossed together with a clash and they were poised to rake and probe the sith apprentices armor in passing.

Apon impact with Varins metal shoulder though, any immediate observation escaped Karoks notice and the acolyte felt himself stagger back in a spin and then transition to get knocked to the ground with a thud. Immediately he aimed to recover and get his footing again.