[IC] Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

[Psyker Landshark]

Renar Hagen

Just a little bit more. This waste of time would fall soon. Renar yanked his poleaxe out of the wooden serpent's body as his charge reached its apex, halting briefly atop the snake's head. No heartbeat here. Unfortunate, easy as that would be. Nevertheless, he prepared to jam the spearhead of his poleaxe into the serpentine wood that passed for a skull, if only to keep the construct further off balance.

Or at least he would have, if the snake didn't choose just then to rear up, leaving Renar scrambling to latch onto a spike of wood with his free hand. From this vantage point, he could see the serpent launching multitudes of magical orbs in the air. And to this, he...stayed exactly where he was. After all, it stood to reason that the creature wasn't stupid enough to hit itself with them.

Once the attacks died down and the dust settled, Renar looked towards the ground, taking note of both Fionn and Gertrude's spells both completing. Judging by the trajectory, neither were aiming for the upper section of the snake. Good. He'd stay up here, just in case either of them missed the heart. Renar slung his poleaxe up over his back and began to clamber upward, reaching the head of the snake once more in short order. From here, he drew his weapon again and plunged it into where one of the eye sockets was, watching intently to try to detect the movement of the heart should it try to flee up here.

[Eisenhorn]

Mentally noting Ser Caulder as fine enough, Rolan was focusing his attention on the unconscious Aessyr in his grasp right now, gentle as he was being. It didn't take long to be joined by the one who had asked for their help, who was quick to try and rouse her friend rather than allowing him to continue getting the worst of the grime and ichor off the unconscious one, and a sinking feeling in his gut began to mount. Rousting someone unconscious was the realm of smelling salts and the like, but anything in his kit was meant for a fully grown adult. Even treating a child was easier since one could reasonably estimate how much to reduce a treatment by, but an Aessyr that literally fit into the palm of his hand? A few drops at most, which even then seemed excessive, and he was about to answer Ser Gerard's request for her condition negatively when she started waking up, almost missed due to how slight it was. "Seems she is coming to, fortunately."

Given he was preoccupied with the two Aessyr, Rolan had to let the others handle watching for trouble or something else coming into the clearing to investigate the sound of combat and noise. The tearful reunion going on in his hands made him feel a touch awkward, he never was one for wearing one's heart on their sleeve, and it kind of left him unable to respond quickly should something come up. He didn't have the lack of heart to interrupt the two Aessyr, however, not at this juncture when there was no overt threat, or even anything he could sense hiding in the underbrush. Of course he was wrong, but at the appearance of the clearly fae hunter, his instinct was to move one of his hands to his blades, or satchel, but given the circumstances he made no such move. The hunter could have struck any one of them down should he have wanted to, and casually wielding a great bow as he did meant that armor might not have put up as much of a fight as one might hope.

Tall, well built, incredibly underdressed but that could be overlooked given the whole 'being a fae' fact. His tone commanded presence in the woods they were currently in, addressing them as children of men and speaking that he was hunting the abomination they slew. Convenient that he didn't reveal himself until after his prey was dead, but he wasn't going to attempt to puzzle out the thought process of a fae. Possibly waiting to see how they collectively responded to the Aessyr fished from the remains of the Gannek in case they proved hostile to the fae overall as well, that made sense from a certain perspective. A shared enemy did not make for allies, and landing a killing shot when the fight was up close and pitched as it was took a steady hand. Doubly so when trying to not injure swallowed fae, so he did not question or even bring up the wait to reveal himself until after the hunt was done. "We did as we were asked, free the Aessyr from the thing's guts. Hunting the creature down in the process makes the woods better for all parties with a vested interest in it's health."

@VitaVitaAR@HereComesTheSnow

[Crimson Paladin]

Fleuri Jodeau

As the serpent's upper body bloomed, Fleuri, having been situated just behind where the base of where it split apart, was struck by the expanding wood and knocked back towards the rear of the snake. He didn't seem to be injured, but it did knock him off his feet.

Never thought I'd get backhanded by a plant, he thought to himself as he pulled himself to his feet and and realigned his helmet's eye slit. He quickly realized that the blow was a stroke of good fortune, for it had knocked the knight away from the path of the magical projectiles being expelled towards those still in front of it.

The others were striking at the front, so Fleuri would attack the rear part. He lunged forward and swung his sword horizontally into the serpent's bark skin, intent on slicing through and leaving the creature with a long gash. If the heart wasn't where he struck, he hoped that he'd at least be able to discern which direction- forward or back- the heartbeat was coming from.

[HereComesTheSnow]

Gerard Segremors

@Eisenhorn@VitaVitaAR

"As he says." Gerard affirmed, tone even, measured. A big step in the right direction that this newcomer appeared before them openly, hiding neither his weapons nor his intent, as far as he could read— all points worth noting. Feeling how the air shifted and the trees sang when this gangly newcomer spoke, there was little doubt in Gerard's mind that, had this figure the intent, one or more of their number would be dead before they'd known their first battle had lured another to their midst. "We were met with a plea for help from one who was in need, and as Knights of the Iron Rose have a duty to answer."

He inclined his head and shoulders, sure to nod a little lower, if only just. He did not want to compromise his stance yet, nor was he in the presence of royalty or the Knight-Captain fully invoking Command— but there was the overwhelming sense that he was within another's territory, and, with nothing by way of food left to offer as he had Aithne... this was the respect he could show.

"I do apologize for the intrusion upon your Hunt, regardless."

Taking a few slow steps to his right, he slowly reached up to remove his helmet, revealing his wild coal locks, scarred face, and golden eyes most importantly to the new fae entity's view. Windows to the soul, mirrors to one's intent, the lupine knight would do what he could to return the courtesy of "showing himself".

By no accident, though, did he also end up between the tall, ethereally refined, antlered hunter and the rest of his peers. He couldn't simply say his goodbyes to all the fae present and have the knights be on their merry way, no matter how much he wanted to— and he really, really did. As glad as he was that everything so far had been a positive interaction, and that they had saved the second Aessyr, he still had little desire to involve himself with the dealings of the Fae of these woods any more than he needed to...

"You were hunting that beast. Might you hold wardenship over these woods, stranger?"

They were still here for a reason in the first place. The grey man bore himself with import in more than stature alone— his address of them, his stated desire, his resonance with the woods, all pointed to him being a key figure in the area. Not quite his image of a "Moonlit Queen", but even so...

"Our purpose in coming here was in response to a similar call for aid, before we were met with little Aithne," he explained, resting the helm in the crook of his elbow. "It is one of our kin who needs it, as it happens. The Duke Thedric of the keep at the Wood's feet, stricken by madness and mentioning a 'Moonlit Queen' repeatedly. If you've any insight on such matters, I thank you for sharing it."