I'll generally make comments about any changes/my thoughts on how well you're doing first before I post. Feel free to respond back at the top of your posts or through a PM. First things first I will say that I would like for you to add your character sheet to your signature; it appears that you have the General DI topic there and not your character sheet. Please add this line in its stead:





The last guest who had shown his true temperament upon her grounds she had been sorely tempted to kick down the stairs. Idly fingers grasped the edge of the paper she held too tightly, crinkling the parchment; it mattered little as the information she needed had already been read. Long fingers coaxed it inwards to her palm where she crumpled it into a ball and hid it away into a pocket at her side.

The end of the summer season set the multitude of cherry blossoms to hang heavily, the limbs thick with the color. With the wild grasses below and the early evening sky above, it made for quite a bright palette. Edges of mountain framed the sun still in the sky yet, throwing occasional shadows here and there. As it was the middle of the great tournament she was a part of, she welcomed the reprieve and the chance to welcome new blood into the fine web of people she'd started to nickname as 'the greats'. Sutera couldn't help but hope that he was kinder than the last one who tested her patience.

To the left of the path kept the knee high grasses, something she welcomed for it hid things she found too distracting for the new ones who entered. To the right kept a winding pool that shined in the sunlight between the trees which stood guard. In stark and unnatural contrast, there was nothing to taint the surface of its wildness. The few grasses were just as tall, sure, but the water was clear and perfect despite the flowers were dangled threateningly just above.

It was a wild, magical place; it was her own place. But not even the samurai had a clue as to the true nature of it all. It was completely surrounded by mountainous rock except for the single staircase which led down. It was here she heard the footsteps of Morgoth approaching, the noise making her turn. It was first the hair and color of him that earned an inward smile, one that never graced her mouth. A drow. This was going to be fun. Her voice cast outwards like a net then, the woman with her weapon still sheathed at her side and standing some ten yards from the last step.

"Welcome, stranger."

Thank you for that lovely entrance NTW, I'll be glad to edit that for you and have done so. With out further delay, I'll get to it.

The Young drow woke at the foot of a spiral staircase where he could feel the pulse of life around him. With a sweeping glance he takes in the beautiful scenery not quite his taste but he could see the appeal. Look up at the sky he notes the mountain range seems to cause shadows along the battle field storage that knowledge away. He figure he might as well look for the reason for his presence.

Ascending the stairs slowly and as quietly as he could his hand settles on the soft leather handle of his faithful katana. His mind fell to the past playing in the gardens of the palace with Maverick. Their mother fretting over this thorn cut, bruise, scrape or your new bump. The boys played soldier among her many plant children. The memories were of a pleasant time long before she fell to the newest plague ravaging the townsfolk and castle alike.

A faint echo bringing him back to the world he heard the soft voice of a human,

"Welcome, stranger."

The echo clearly coming from the top of the stairs he advanced slow and reaches the top. He saw a woman well armored about ten yards back. Though she clearly was the only one around he wondered why she would summon him with out a weapon. He let a smile cross his lips,

"Thank you, for the peaceful greeting. The name is Morgoth outcast of the Underdark."

Hoping to avoid an aggressive tone to their first meeting he soften his eyes but still kept a keen watch on her arms she was geared very similarly to himself. Fighting himself would be hell so he'd like to stay on the mistress of this lands good side as long as possible.

Outcast.

The darkness of the world beneath seemed to steadily throw their own kind to the surface. Already she had witnessed such drow grow into powerful beings who were like a bonfire to the weak candles that drifted out at first. Even here was another candle, ready to either be extinguished or fanned into life by a meeting with one such as her. Of this she began to make sure he understood.

"You may call me Sutera Sasaki. I am here to test you. From here you will either be cast away as a failure or left to go on into the world and make a name for yourself."

Her words were plain and clear, a simple explanation for even the dullest minds. Sutera kept her intentions the same way; as the gentle wind played with and snapped the long black sash that tied most of her hair up into a ponytail, her left hand reached across her body and pulled free her katana from its sheath. Moving with the subtle grace of a woman long used to such actions, hawk eyes of gold stretched across the distance, watching him as he was given a moment to digest what she'd said. There was a small bit of curiosity connected to each new soul she invited into the land, the freshness of their eyes and minds a vastly new experience compared to the older ones she frequently came across.

The length of her katana rest comfortably at her side, the metal a dark grey, the guard raining down etchings and design for some inches. The other half stayed at her belt, white skirt obstructing it from view as her right foot moved back a step and the sections of the cloth swayed with the movement. For a moment she paused, giving a nod of her chin towards him, urging him to do as he see fit for the situation.

It seems the human was more patient than he'd anticipated unfortunately he'd have to make the first move. But, Maybe it's better this way. Morgoth tightened his loose grip on the hilt fluidly pulling up across his chest his sword now rest naturally in his right hand.

His smile returned as he know the blood shed that was yet to come and held back a laugh he knew little of his adversary but that hasn't been an issue in the past.

"As you wish so it shall be Sutera!"

Controlling his breathing, Morgoth flashed one last glance at the woman's choice of stance. That final look being all he needed. With the release of that breath he made his move. Charging the human he would attempt to take her measure early and end this to leave no doubts about her honor. He'd made those less respectful beg for their ends, she had earned a swift painless end.

He was hoping he wouldn't need to but he had planned ahead. As far as tracking the sky waiting for the mountain range to cast the shadows he knew would come. If he could draw her into the shadows he could force her to fight on his terms at least partially. He hoped that would be enough if his frontal assault wasn't enough.

Art of combat: attacking her from the right his strong side he felt confident his flourish would be the wealth of knowledge he need to help her see the light.
[x1 remaining]

Good attack - you'll learn more about tactics and such as you battle against others. You'll want to describe your attack in more detail for the future. I didn't know if you were thrusting at me for a stab or slashing, what area you were attacking. Also, from the nature of your really vague flourish, you'll want to describe more fully how you're incorporating it into the attack. Things things will get better in time!

One thing that you can fix now though would be to pick a speech color that's not blindingly bright ^.^ a darker green, perhaps?

His voice, eager and young burst across the distance between them with an excitement of battle she'd long learned to rein in. Blood burst into its rhythmic beat at her throat, fingers slightly throbbing with it as her weapon stayed precariously still. Morgoth's dash across ten yards gave her plenty of time to prepare herself in anyway she saw fit, eyes following his movements as she allowed him to get close.

Sutera's own weapon began to shine, the sun's reflection a heavenly gold against the normal dark sheen of the metal. Except when she moved it from that spot, the reflection and light stayed.

The block of his slash was done quickly, the katanas coming together for the moment where she stopped its advance towards her armored torso and immediately gave him ground. With her right side back and out of the way, their dominant hands were awkward in a left versus right; it became a disadvantage for him, especially with her history of using either hand. It'd been a simple thing for her left arm to cross her body, catch his katana and pivot lightly to keep them face to face. There was no doubting the strength he put into the attack, her muscles flexing to counter it, but she'd long seen it coming. A small step back was taken, the Rain Camellia pushing back against him until she did. It gave her room to fully extend it with a flick of her wrist without actually touching him with her blade unless he mindlessly advanced.

The light swept free from the blade and coalesced into a bright beam of golden light that soared the small distance between them for his chest. [Hikari Sori] Sutera expected nothing, another step back as she readied for the next attack that was to come in their dance.

-----
Hikari Sori - 2x left

I've learned from the best and plan to keep doing so! thanks for the input i'll put it to good use.

He knew that she'd put herself in a much better position than she'd left him in. Seeing her blade moving through the air he saw a light pass between them. Thinking quickly he decided that moving into the light would better his position and taking the chance could be well worth the risk. He felt a shock wave similar to that of getting hit with dust. His vision blurred and he realized that maybe taking that hit wasn't the best move.

Circling to the right or what he perceived as such Morgoth decided to attempt to push her away with another attack. Trying to gain some space to recover Morgoth spinning his blade curved it down in a forceful slashing in an S formation at his opponents torso. He hoped the close proximity would make his risk enough to hit her and unnerve her enough to force her back. [spinning blade x1 remaining]

Prepare yourself because that little light show couldn't hinder a warrior of my strength!

Hoping his bravado was not inveigh since he was still a little shaken from the attack. If the human push the assault he could be in trouble. The shadows at the edge of the wall looked like it moved about an inch. If he could drag this out just a little longer it might grow enough for him to get a little cover and bring her into his world.

Feel free to work on explaining your attacks more fully, especially your specials. I had to go back and read your special to make sure that it was supposed to be striking me twice. You didn't mention the second half of it in your post here.

Also, be sure to be patient. I, as the first poster, got the pleasure of setting the scene as early evening. Think 4-5 o'clock. The shadows wouldn't move so quickly, no matter how much you might want them to benefit you. If you do have a wish to design and designate things like that, you might want to look forward to creating the opening posts for your battles in the future.

The youth pushed forward right into her attack, taking the bright light that had extended forth instead of the hit from the blade itself. It was not a move the more cautious samurai would've taken. Without fear she found him pressing forward, their blades clashing once and the samurai finding herself forced to hastily step back to keep from getting hit in his second slash. [Trained Agility] Mentally she allowed herself a low whistle, physical lips doing nothing but masquerading as their thin line of normal concentration. If there was one thing she was good at, it was keeping that mask in place during even those times where she longed to let it slip. He had not yet earned a friend and so she remained his teacher.

The sway of her white sectioned skirt brushed easily against the leather covering her legs and the sheath strapped to her thigh. It was here that her right hand dropped, disappearing for a brief moment to glide a piece of metal easily into her grasp. He'd closed the distance between them already and come up on her right; Sutera pivoted and stepped back along the path the way he'd entered, the movement graceful and swift as she kept Morgoth in sight.

Another twirl of her skirt and her right hand was up and flinging an object towards his chest. The five inch piece of metal was solid and sure in its aim. If he managed to move quickly enough out of the disorientation she expected he was experiencing, she had plenty more where those came from.

My mistake should have been more specific with that one. I won't try to control the environment again I apologize.

Shaking his head he seems to have recovered his vision evening out only to see a metal object flying towards him. Morgoth knocking it aside with his blade [Vanguard Mentality] but it grazes his arm as he as it passes. Studying her new position Morgoth is beginning to realize how much faster she was. Her experience showed in her fluid movement and calm demeanor. He needed to be more careful and kept an eye on her as he ready himself for her next move.

Morgoth adjust his grip and tightened his breast plate. Everything would have to be held close and he'd have to be on point to make sure he didn't lose composure and charge in again. Her experience far out weighed his youth and strength when it comes down to endurance he hopes to still have the advantage.

He glaces down at where the metal had ripped his tunic there was a slight trickle of blood against the black cloth. He smiled a little remembering the fight with his father. The moment passing he refocused on Seutra. He hoped the attack had been enough to rattle her but nothing he'd done yet had made her face change in the slightest. Her eyes still calculating as ever her face a blank canvas of emotions never changing.

Your style is nearly flawless my lady. This is all i could have asked for and more in this new realm.

Now that you've got some of the basics of a battle going, try to add more description into your posts. You were cut and mentioned the fight with Morgoth's father. You could build upon that, explaining how that links to the present. Does that memory effect the character emotionally? Does it make him more careful or angry? You could mention how you're holding your weapon. He seems to be mentally defensive; does his stance reflect this? You've got five senses, an environment and even an opponent you could comment on. These are but a few ways you could add onto the structure you've made. Your next post, I task you with reading, slowly, over your post before submitting it. You'll catch mistakes that way and make your posts better. You don't want people stumbling over your post when they're deciding who to vote for. You even spelled my name wrong

Metal skated against metal as the drow nearly avoided being stabbed with one of her shuriken, sending it flying off elsewhere into the brush. The torn fabric she noted with a glance, a slight shake of her head discouraging the thick mess of her bangs from obscuring her vision. Silence fell upon them soon after, his hands going to fidget with armor and weapon as both kept their distance from the other. Easily the woman let her weight fall upon her left, the white skirt she wore shifting calmly.

His smile and voice came between them, stormy hues looking over her face in the same way many had in the past. It was a normal observance of most, even grating upon the nerves of those such as Nuncia. If her lack of outward emotions bothered Morgoth, however, he gave no sign of it.

His compliments were received with a small bow and rise of her head, high ponytail sliding over her shoulder with the movement before falling back into place. Sutera's voice was soft and quiet but cast out to him so he didn't miss a thing. "I stand between you and the world now; how shall you try to get past me?" It was a simple enough of a task. With the experiened samurai covered in armor and seemingly not winded by his attempts so far, he could continue showing his strengths and skills or run. Both spoke of his character in a way she felt would further define his life past this moment. Though other options were available, she sensed in the most basic of choices he'd most likely continue as they had so far. He was determined and lacked some skill, but that would come with time.

The memory jarred him back; Morgoth saw his father where he knew Sutera stood and began to shudder. The sweat ran down his arms. He hadn’t expected to have such vivid flash backs. His wound stung and he heard his father’s voice echoing,

“You’re not worthy of the air you breathe boy. You’ve yet to earn the right of passage because you’re weak, spineless yet another worm to grovel at my feet!”

At that moment the flood of emotions was too much he had to reply,

“Father you will die this night as the pain you brought upon this family will die with you!”

Morgoth's heart racing now, he realized he was shouting at a fragment of the past his father was but a nasty stain in his memory. To purge the shadow he must win the current battle. He’d learn in the past the only way rid himself of the patronizing shadow was to eliminate the obstacle before him. Shifting his head he opened his eyes again. The lady now just a lady again was speaking,

"I stand between you and the world now; how shall you try to get past me?"

Slowing his heart he evened his sword out in front of himself. Morgoth was beyond ready to end this fight it’s gone on to long but he knew not how. All he can do is try glancing about, he noticed they’d move closer to the wall he could see the glint of the metal he’d deflected sitting in a slightly shadowed bushy underbrush. This could be the chance he’d been waiting for. Deciding it’d be in his best interest to pull her back by the wall.

Morgoth dived for the low bush and the metal he knew lay within. [Agile moon] attempting to use the slight shadow and the brush to cover his movements; then picked up and threw the now identified shuriken back at its owner. As it flew through the air he shouted,

Face your own steel as the sins of the past come back to haunt you Sutera!

He set his sword angled to the right in front of himself to deflect a returned or new projectile. Morgoth sought validation once and was doing so again. The difference being now he knew he was worthy of the world he was being denied.