607635
[[I just received your concerns on my last post and I thought it would be more constructive to discuss them before I retcon it. I wrote most of it before passing out last night and touched it up just after regaining consciousness this afternoon/night.
Before we start, no matter what sort of agreement we come to I'm guaranteed to simplify it greatly.
I'm recommending we start by determining how high up they are since that will effect the rest of it.]]

610475
((That's the part I'm mainly confused about. First, how powerful is Impel, and how much magic would it take to impel not just Lofty, but the added weight of Ferris?))

610478
[[The power of impel is directly related to the mass of the object it is being used to affect and how much energy is put into it, which is also a dependent of mass. The mana drain is, base, about 1.5 times as much much energy as it would take to levitate the same object; so to propel something the size of the knives to lethal velocity is about as negligible as levitating a couple average books, while the drain from propelling something like a pony is significant. By putting more energy in the affected object will accelerate to higher velocities.
In this case I roughed out the drain to a bit more than twice what it would take to move just Lofty the same distance, which is large on it's own. It would be safe to assume the pinnacle of the arc would be no more than ten meters in altitude.]]

610478
[[Actually, while we're on the subject of impel, I feel I should clarify that when I said "less control" in the char. bio I was referring to it's differences from levitation. When levitating something you can change it's direction, mid travel, with no issues whatsoever, with impel, because of the velocities inherent, it is difficult to alter the course of the object by more than a couple degrees mid flight. Picking where to send it before applying impel is as simple as aiming it while still in levitation to account for aerodynamics and picking the vector from which the energy of impel will be applied. I decided against including that in the bio to keep it short and counter possible godmodding.]]

610528
((Okay, that said, I want to also point this out:

Ten meters is akin to about three stories, and with a grip that won't let go, plus the majority of control in the fall, means that Ferris will undoubtedly land on Lofty, and crash into the ground. With the bad leg, the impact will surely make that hurt a lot more, and really just seal the victory even more. There should be no feasible way to pull away from this.

Admittedly, he might move enough to get a glancing blow from the staff, but the fact that he's still clawing/twisting at Lofty's leg is really working against him. And a wooden staff to the head is going to hurt like hell, no matter where it hits. Especially after it's plowed into the ground. Plus, with Ferris' grip, that staff WILL hit something.))

610579
[[And now I've got an idea! Which seems to be much easier to come by and more coherent now that I'm fully conscious btw.
It scraps everything after "Damn, he had expected Ferris to let go," and will likely lead to one or two awesome sounding posts. Any problems with that?]]

610603
((In all seriousness, I'm considering that this should be a knockout blow, and request the judges to say what they think on it. Lofty has taken a good beating, his leg is gonna be broken or ripped off soon, and Ferris has barely a scratch on him. It might be a good idea to call this one.))

610623 [[I'm not giving up until 'till lofty is exhausted or unconscious, although the latter will probably come first. If it were to connect with his skull before all involved hit the ground it would most likely be a knockout, however, per contest rules, I have the opportunity to, at the very least, lessen the blow.]]

610644
((You also have to take into consideration the fact that the staff is in a position to take advantage of its reach, and will more than likely smack him in the noggin either way. Ferris' grip isn't going to slip, and he knows how to use his staff [In retrospect, I could've used a better phrasing]. The blow wouldn't be lessened enough to matter.))

610655
[[I Ferris swinging the staff from directly above his head, or at some angle from his shoulder?]]
[[EDITED]]

610662
((If it's from the shoulder, it's going to be a horizontal attack, and be virtually impossible to dodge. If it were from directly above, it could easily adjust to the recoil before they hit, and smack into Lofty. Again, virtually impossible to dodge. Not to mention the death-grip Ferris has on his leg.))

610674
[[My mistake thinking it was vertical, though, surprisingly, my current plan still works for that, with minimal modification. It's still virtually guaranteed to hit, just not as hard, and nowhere as vital.]]

610662>>610674

((I am not sure if I am supposed to post publicly like this as a judge, but from a martial arts point of view, everything that Nathan has been saying is accurate. Stache, your options are very limited in this situation. Sorry, but dem's da breaks.))

610700
[[I know very well at this point that I'm going to lose, I just want to make it good.]]

610703
((So, you just want to go out with a bang, then? I might have a compromise. I'll send it to you in a PM, to avoid cluttering the forums.))

607635>>607500>>601853>>602308
[[Following godmodding is with permission from 610717.]]
[[This is not a duel post.]]

As Ferris flipped Lofty to face him, the unicorn's horn flared, impelling him further into Ferris to deliver a right hook. The hoof connected with the Ferris' muzzle, but not before his staff struck Lofty's barrel, cracking a rib. The bulk of Lofty's mass slammed into Ferris despite the painful blow, sending them both into a dangerous tumble just as they reached the apex of their three story ascent and causing Ferris to lose his grip on the now recoiling staff.

Before momentum could separate them Lofty managed to wrap his left foreleg around Ferris' torso, and the diamond dog responded by twisting the unicorn's already dislocated leg. Angry now, and grimacing in pain, Lofty used his magic to stab a knife into the dog's right shoulder and punched him in the head again. Ferris reciprocated the punch, his left paw striking Lofty's own head. Lofty upped the ante, delivering a crushing kick to Ferris' scrotum with his uninjured hind leg, only to have him respond in kind. Both momentarily reeled before resuming the aerial ballet of determination and pain.

And so it went, the infamous mercenary and assassin and the naive monk trading punches, kicks, and headbutts almost blow for blow. Alas, gravity called, and their brawl could last for naught but a few seconds before the ground reclaimed its inhabitants from the air. Neither being able to gain enough of an advantage to control their tumbling fall or separate, they both slammed into the ground, hard. Unfortunately for Lofty, who had gone into the insane maneuver in far worse shape, he blacked out on impact.

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Several moments later Lofty wakes, his eyes slowly opening to find himself on his back near the wall of the arena and Ferris, bleeding from several places, leaning on his recently recovered staff, and generally looking like he'd gone through Tartarus, standing over him. Looking up at the diamond dog, Lofty asks, "guess I lost, huh?"

"Yes. Fight well though. Ferris honored," Ferris replies, genuine respect and gratitude evident in his voice.

Lofty was about to respond with similar sentiments, but it was at this point that his brain remembered that it could feel pain, and it felt a lot of pain. The only sound to escape his mouth a loud groan. Out of habit he reached into one of his coat pockets for the whiskey he kept there, his hoof, however returned with only the stem of a broken bottle. Groaning again, his eyes going from the broken bottle back to Ferris, a thought occurred to him. "I never really answered your question earlier, but if your want to know the story, I'll tell you," Lofty said through clenched teeth. "Just not now," he quickly amended, the pain of his injuries evident in his voice.

Seeing medics enter the arena out the corner of his eye, Lofty then proceeded to pass out.

[[I now bow out of this tournament. Please give a round of applause to Nathan Traveler for kicking my ass thoroughly enough that it was my only option. Good luck to you buddy.]]

610990
[[Well, unlike Dragonball Z we're not lazy enough to ignore gravity.]]

611004
[[You sir, just discovered the point.]]

611006
[[Plenty of time now that I'm not fighting, why not!]]

610930
Tired, exhausted, and otherwise weary, Ferris bowed once more to his opponent, and leaned heavily against the wall.

A good fight, he thought to himself, laughing weakly.