Ramona - A Farshaw House Guard arrives, following Lisebet.

"Kiddo, I've gotta -- okay, okay, one more." Aleksei is on the edge of the dueling ring in clothing a bit different than he usually wears -- those kidskin leather pants don't look like they have any protective qualities at /all/ -- apparently humoring some final request from a toddler. He hoists Fitz up into his arms, giving him a few testing lifts, and then /tosses/ the boy up into the air. Fitz is giggling madly on the way down when Aleksei catches him and plops him back on the ground. "Okay, now you gotta go sit and watch with Keso." He kisses the top of Fitz's auburn hair and then sends him off with his teenaged assistant who /clearly/ doesn't think this is his job. Aleksei turns back to the ring, rolling his neck out slowly on his shoulders before he stretches his arms up overhead as his weight begins to shift from foot to foot.

Duarte has joined the Noble Seating.

Lisebet has been meandering about, enjoying a walk, and honestly has accidentally arrived here and now. That done, she notes the crowd and the activity and so her steps move to bring her over that way, on purpose now.

Leola gives Aleksei a faintly pained, good humored nod as she settles, gloved hands claspsed demurely, stood at the edge of the field as she looks about and makes a face "I'm not terribly surprised he's leaving it to the last minute" She notes to her Champion, and sucks in her cheek. A foot taps nervously.

Lucita steps into the area and makes her way over to some of the seating, a nod given the others in passing. She settles her cloak around her to block out the wintery cold. "I don't know if this is going to be a 'win-win' or a 'lose-lose' sort of duel. I want to wish them both luck!"

Appolonia moves with near purpose toward the noble seating, a glance given to the ring but no pause as the cold is enough to keep her moving right along. She takes the first seat she finds once she reaches the seating, giving a polite nod to those who are already seated there.

Appolonia has joined the Noble Seating.

Victus is coming through the proving grounds with a surprisingly jaunty step to him. The prospect of a duel between two fighters being one of the few gatherings to draw him out from the shadows! His furred collar is flecked with snow and frost, his coat covered in the winter's dust from his knees down. Most of his guardsmen break off to find seating of their own while the Prince and his feline companion settle into the noble seating. He's quick to abandon any sort of formal posture, resting his ankle atop his knee and letting his arms stretch to either side across his bench. His shifts from one shoulder to the other for the best view as well.

Jeffeth checked strength + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 44 higher.

"Oh, yes, I forgot." Karadoc's strolling in, humming lightly to himself. Not in any terrible rush. "Concerning the rather grievous nature of this slight," said with a wide, tilted smirk. "I thought it would be best to show up - and praise my Champion in the field of honorable combat. Or -- something." He shrugs, and takes a seat on a bench. "Go Jeffeth, do the thing."

Jeffeth checked dexterity + athletics at difficulty 15, rolling 38 higher.

In wanders Caith, a wee kitten in her arms. So floofy! So cute! Trailing behind her is a small parade of people plus on fat, sweater-wearing corgi. Stumps! Stumphrey waddles along, sniffing and licking at anything interesting he finds along the way. A rock? Lick it. A bit of food someone dropped? Eat it. A discarded rag? Sniff it. Someone's ankle? Lick it. Sloooorp. The Thrax princess as long since gotten herself settled in the noble seating while her dog is still snuffling around in the periphery. Oh! Something gross to eat? Don't mind if I do. Gobble gobble gobble. That will produce a most excellent fart later.

Carita looks to have come before the crush, wrapped in wintery blue, she smiles as Lucita as she notices her arrival. "I thought I might see you here."

Signe another spectator joining the arena grounds to observe the duel. Along with Atila, a very excitable husky, that cannot help himself but sniff at each leg they pass while on their way to the noble's seating. The Nightgold didn't appear to mind his curiosity, perhaps others would.

Signe has joined the Noble Seating.

Lisebet pauses, not yet going to the seating, standing where she can watch, out of the way. She's quiet, her cloak wrapped tightly around her, as she stands there, watching.

Karadoc coughs, loudly, behind his hand and corrects himself. "Oop -- sorry. Sir Bayweather, gods luck to you

Sir Jeffeth Bayweather arrives looking. Well.. He's looking like something.

The large knight strides onto the proving grounds with a light smile balanced on his features. A massive hammer rests over his equally massive shoulder. Wrist draped over the haft lazily. But that's not the thing that is really drawing the eye about Jeffeth, not today. It is the obnoxious over the top technicolored dreamcoat he wears. Just a sea of colors adorning the big man, with a ribbon strained to fit around one gargantuan bicep.

The big man saunters towards the ring, giving Aleksei a bright smile. And Fitz, a wary nod. Then the hammer is coming off his shoulder is hefted low, and then /tossed/ up into the air. While this DANGEROUS thing is happening, Jeffeth bends low and then springs up, doing a fast and tight backflip. He sticks the landing, sorta but is more distracted with the hammer coming back down at him, which he manages to catch swinging it down to carry through with the momentum.

Only then, does he bow to the crowd. Ta-da.

Fecundo comes in at a jog, perhaps thinking he is late for the duel. Looking into the rin and only seeing one participant, he makes his way to the Noble seating, taking his time now to find a decent spot to watch the activities.

Lucita looks over toward Victus as he settles into place and gives him a little bow from her seat and a grin. Her head tilts as she listens to Carita who joins the group at the seating, then eyes Jeffeth for a long moment before finally nodding.

Fecundo has joined the Noble Seating.

Karadoc has joined the Judges Desk.

Leola just rests her head in her hand a moment, shaking her head. And she murmurs to Aleksei "Terribly sorry I didn't get you a hair shirt or something to fit the mood of this whole thing. And for making Sir Bayweather have to wear that ... that rainbow" She gives a small chuckle, and then straightens, nodding formally to Aleksei "Thank you, for a relatively restrained showing. Still - for the eyes of all Arx, I thank you again" And she moves to join Karadoc, shaking her head

Leola has joined the Judges Desk.

Aleksei checked dexterity + performance at difficulty 15, rolling 36 higher.

Amari strolls onto the grounds as if she really hadn't intended to, but noticed all the people heading this way and was too curious to just stick to whatever errand she was on. A little detour to watch a duel couldn't hurt. So she finds her way to a seat in the noble section, smiling and bowing her head politely to those near where she settles in to watch.

Amari has joined the Noble Seating.

"Oh, it doesn't really matter if he's here," Aleksei reassures Leola as he stretches out. "I mean, it matters if you care, I guess! He ought to come." And then Karadoc is here! So that's settled. He looks over to Jeffeth and then promptly bursts out laughing, seeing that overcoat. "Good gods! Where did you get that?" As the defender of the right NOT to wear silk, his linen and kidskin is positively muted in comparison, but the pants /do/ seem expressly designed to hug every athletic curve of his backside. So that's something. His brows hike up at Jeffeth's display, and he cackles again, applauding loudly for him. "Good show! I don't know if I can do that." He just carelessly unsheathes his plain steel longsword, twirling it in his hand, and then giving a dramatic flourish that has it tossing and twisting in the air from one hand so that he can catch it with the other. He grins, wide and cheeky, and offers a flourishing salute to the crowd.

Placing her kitten delicately in her lap, Caith frees up her hands so that she can clap for Jeffeth. Is she clapping for the backflip or for that magnificent rainbow in the form of a coat? Yes. Both. The Thrax princess 'ooooooo's appreciatively and then picks up Cuddle Puddle, holding the wee kitty aloft so she can get a view of it all as well. "See?" she says to the little animal. "Mew! Mew! Mew!" Cuddle Puddle replies, squirming in her grasp.

Renault, the mustachioed Lycene, 2 House Velenosa Guards arrive, following Theo.

Jeffeth checked dexterity + performance at difficulty 15, rolling 11 higher.

"STOP TWIRLING AND HIT EACH OTHER." Comes Victus' call from the stands.

"He's just mad I didn't accept his offer of patronage," Aleksei comments loudly.

Theo has joined the Noble Seating.

From the bench that Karadoc finally settles in, he watches Jeffeth, grinning widely. Offering the knight rather raucous applause afterward, "Excellent showing, Sir! You look absolutely splendid in that coat." A beat, and glances aside, shouting. "I still want it back after this. It's my utter favorite!" So, he answers Aleksei's question, doesn't he? Still, he cheers for Aleksei too - in appreciation of the entertainment. Offering Leola, sitting beside him, a tilted smile. "Dame Allenatore. I leave all in your capable hands."

After Jeffeth's athletic display, the big man cants his head at Aleksei's twirling. He looks over to Aleksei's blade. Then back to his gigantic hammer. Then back to the blade. Then back to the hammer. A deep breath is taken. Jeffeth manages some basic twirls of the gargantuan hammer that has no business being twirled. It's not the most gorgeous thing, but the fact that no one gets their face smashed and no toes are hit, well that's impressive enough.

Jeffeth slams the head of the hammer into the frost covered grass after that, pointing to an addition to the hammer. A blade has been affixed to the end of the hammer's haft. Sort of a spike. "People didn't like me punching and kneeing Caspian in the face all the time." The big man explains to Aleksei, "So this is for first blood." He gives a light nod at the explanation before hefting the hammer up into both hands. A final wave is given to the crowd before squaring off with Aleksei. "Ready when you are."

A fight has broken out here. Use @spectate_combat to watch, or +fight to join.

Aleksei wields an unadorned steel longsword with a leather-wrapped hilt.

Two steps at a time, Theo makes his way up into the stands. The fight has, apparently, already started; really pushing the bounds of fashionably late. His gaze falls on Karadoc as the man eases down into a seat, and he offers a bright grin and a wiggle of his fingers as he strolls his way over. "Morning," he says, plopping down into a nearby seat and pulling a small flask from his coat.

"I think these two know what to do, Lord Saik" Leola says stiffly as she watches the two prepare their fight, sitting beside Karadoc and chattering to him in a calm tone, and then she shakes her head "I'm unsurprised it's your favorite. It's so very -you-, my lord"

Aleksei doesn't quite leap into the fray, but he starts circling Jeffeth in the early stages of the dance. He's light on his feet, especially out of armor, and his sword is near to dancing in his hand when they finally meet. Those early attacks mostly meet air or steel as they begin to test each other, but Aleksei is rolling away with a grunt when Jeffeth's hammer lands a solid touch that's surely going to be a nasty bruise in a few hours. No blood, though, and so he twists about on the ball of his foot, movements tight and precise, as he dances in again with a flourish of steel.

From the direction of the judging booth, someone (named Lord Karadoc Saik) just laughed. "Topaz," he decides with a smug smile, glancing aside at Leola, "You're an EXCELLENT protege, Dame."

The large man starts circling Aleksei in a return a big smile creeping up his lips. His eyes mostly focus on Aleksei, but it seems for a moment, he really has something he needs to explain to the crowd. Because over his shoulder he starts yelling to the crowd. "This is the first time we've fought! Outside of basic practice! Very exciting!" Now that the crowd has proper context, Jeffeth is looking back to Aleksei, smiling all the more broadly.

But when they engage, Jeffeth is completely focused. For his size, Jeffeth is quick, and he has the strength to move that huge hammer around faster than it probably should be. The haft is used as defense, placing his hands to use the hammer like a quarterstaff, deflecting Aleksei's early strikes as Jeffeth sends out some probes of his own. Mostly for nothing, until Jeffeth pulls in to the side and swings the head of his hammer directly at Aleksei's shoulder, kike one would thrust a spear. Landing a hit, if a light one, Jeffeth pulls back as well, giving Aleksei a nod and beginning to circle once more.

A messenger arrives, delivering a message to Signe before departing.

Signe checked dexterity + stealth at difficulty 15, rolling 1 higher.

Duarte checked perception at difficulty 15, rolling 5 higher.

It's the hammer that Aleksei seems to have trouble with: it's clear to see how the shifting parries of his steel would catch easier against a smaller weapon, but the hammer's reach is a bit too long, it's head a bit too big. Aleksei steps back, weight shifting as he tries to keep out of the way of it, but there's another glancing -- if unbloodied -- blow that leaves him sucking in a breath and shifting out of the way again. It's the next, though: he shifts around to try and block and parry it away, but his timing is off, or the reach is too much, and instead the spike of the hammer glides right over his upper arm to slice across his deltoid. Not deep or dangerous, but certainly enough for first blood.

The circling went on again for a little while before the two engaged once more. Jeffeth in his obnoxious swirling colors now pressing the attack. First a glancing blow with his hammer head and Jeffeth is throwing his weight around. As Aleksei reels from the second strike the big man swings his body in, bodychecking the smaller man to keep him off balance. As Aleksei stumbles back and is trying to parry, the large knight is reversing the grib and sending the bladed end of the hammer across the left side of Aleksei's right deltoid. Piercing flesh, Jeffeth immediately pulls back. He holds up the spike with the blood for Aleksei to see, then holds up the bloodied spike to the crowd at large.

Titania has joined the Noble Seating.

"I beg to differ, Dame Leola. That fucking hammer, the one right there - wielded by the as yet undefeated Champion Sir Jeffeth Bayweather, my multi-colored dream of a hero - that man and that hammer just drew first blood. And looked good doing it." Karadoc smiles lazily. "Topaz AND citrine," he decides. "Expect it soon."

Titania is a bit late but she slips in and watches from the back for a few moments then moves to take a seat at the noble seating to watch.

Amari spots blood, and well, that's that then. She stands after the most perfunctory little round of applause, gathers her cloak more tightly around herself and strolls off. Back to her errand.

Amari has left the Noble Seating.

Fecundo has been watching the duel intently and does applaud the win by Sir Jeffeth from where he sits. The applause is polite, but not extended and he rises after, intending to head out.

Lisebet just watches quietly, not saying anything. The show is admired, as she watches the duelists. Once it's over, she too moves to take her leave.

Austen arrives just in time at the duel to see it won by Jeffeth. He pauses, considering, offering a brief round of applause, and turns to go.

Leola stands as Jeffetj shows that off - looking a touch disgruntled at the duel's result - but she still smiles a touch, nodding first to the two duellists "Thank you, Champion Morgan, Sir Bayweather. Lord Karadoc, you're quite right - I should be more appreciative of your gifts. Thank you for the reminder"

Ooo! Ahh! Gasp! Caith followed along with every swing, miss and hit! In the end, Jeffeth is victorious and she lets out a cheer for him and Aleksei both. "Well done, Sir Jeffeth! Well done, Aleksei!" The princess places her kitten in her lap so she can applaud the two men, smiling radiantly as she does so. Where is Stumphrey? Oh, still waddling around somewhere eating whatever he can find on the ground. Probably farting as well. Fat corgis are gassy. Oof.