Crimson Paladin

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Here's my CS

Cleric of Delphiti

Name: Augis

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance: Augis stands at around 5'9". Beneath his headdress, he has short hair and blue eyes.

Bio:
Augis was born in Dawn. His parents were hunters who one day never returned from a hunt, leaving the young Augis to survive by delivering messages and doing odd jobs. It was a difficult life for a child, but he managed to adapt. As he grew older there were opportunities for him to learn a trade such as hunting, fishing, or crafting, but he neglected these in favor of the only life he knew- being a courier. In his teenage years he moved up from carrying messages around town to traveling between settlements, spreading news, conveying messages, and occasionally delivering physical items. It was dangerous work spent far from home, but he didn't have much that was tying him to dawn, and didn't particularly care about the risk. After all, he had so far managed to keep himself out of trouble.

His luck would run out one day when he found himself surrounded by a pack of aggressive flightless birds while conveying some news between towns. He would have died there if it were not for a wandering cleric of Delphiti that happened upon them. The priest leapt into the fray, bashing in the birds' heads with a mace and then healing Augis' wounds. It was this near-death experience, this meeting with this most fascinating person, that inspired him to forsake the simple, easy path and to delve into the life of a devotee of Delphiti. He spent the next couple of years traveling with the priest and learning the ways of the goddess. It was a rather difficult endeavor even for one accustomed to hardship, but Augis endured and after several years was formally made a cleric.

When he returned home, he was a changed man almost indistinguishable from the delivery boy the people of Dawn once knew him as. He doesn't know if he'll stay in Dawn or if his service to Delphiti will take him elsewhere, but for the time being he settled into a role of assisting Akala, typically taking care of matters outside of the temple.

Goals:
Augis' goal is to serve the will of Delphiti, to carry out his duties to cultivate trials and heroism. The goddess has a goal, and it's his job to not only make it happen, but to help the others in their own journey. He's not too confident in his ability to do the latter, however- he may understand the basic concepts of heroism, but he fears he's too inexperienced, that any guidance would be "the blind leading the blind", so to speak.

Skills:
Adaptability: Humans, while they bear no special natural born talents, their limit for growth and power is near infinite should they choose to cultivate said power. They, in their finite lives will find it easier to learn new skills and adapt to new situations if they put their mind to it.

Cleric of Delphiti: Augis has been blessed with magics of healing, bolstering, and purification. As service to the goddess of trials and heroism requires one to face peril at times, he has become a decent fighter with a mace, and has enough strength and endurance to use it adeptly. While he is not a master in either martial nor magical skills, they synergize fairly well- as a fighter, he can augment his mace arm or close his wounds, and as a healer, he can use his mace to perform "preventative healing". He also possesses knowledge of basic religious rituals and lore.

Unyielding Spirit: To a cleric of the goddess of trials and heroism, every challenge is a trial being watched by the goddess, and for one's spirit to waver or be found wanting is a worse fate than death. When the magic of healing and bolstering fails, his will is such that he can push his body to its very limits, pushing through any pain, exhaustion, and injuries. His body can still fail, of course, and the strain on his body will immediately catch up to him once he perceives that the "trial" has concluded.

Inventory: Augis' belongings include his somewhat odd-looking priestly garb, a mace with the head in the shape of a full moon, and a scroll with religious texts written upon it. He also carries a few pieces of his old traveling equipment, consisting of a knife and tinderbox.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred

So that's what was making that rumbling, Ethelred thought as he passed the massive elder beast. It was unlike any creature he had ever seen before. He had heard tales of massive beasts that formerly inhabited Albion long ago, but this was the first he had ever seen of such an animal.

The beast looked like its snout had been cut off in the battle, and curved formation of ice was now protruding from what remained. Perhaps it was regenerating, similar to how Ethelred's armor regrew. In any case, it suggested the Elder Beast had a connection to ice, something that intrigued the frozen knight. He wondered why it was involved with the bandits at all. It wasn't unheard of for Elder Beasts to menace human settlements, but why would one do so alongside pillagers?

Ethelred was about to ride over to the queen and ask about the fallen beast, but something caught his attention. A fairy flew over the walls into the town. He needed to track the fey down before it could get into trouble. If it was an Unseelie, it'd be no doubt plotting how to inflict pain and suffering upon others. Even if it was a less malevolent variant of fae, it could still get into a lot of trouble. The knight rode into the town, determined to not lose the fairy's trail.

This town seems to be attracting all sort of troublemakers today.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred

That could've gone worse. I suppose, however, it also could've gone better.

The woman retreated upon hearing the horn, leaving Ethelred with a maimed, badly frozen bandit. Any hope of questioning them seemed moot now- the bandit was so deeply frozen that he probably wouldn't recover, and it'd be unlikely he could catch Cecilia even if he chased her on horseback.

According to Lugh, the young Tuatha squire, the battle was over, and the knights were being summoned in the strategy hall. Ethelred would guess that it had to do with the bandit attack, and how they'd be responding.

"Thank you, but, I don't need any help," Ethelred replied, placing his hand over his damaged pauldron, simultaneously relieved to be uninjured and disappointed that the blow wasn't enough to temporarily free a part of him from his crystalline carapace. "I'll be heading back now, but first, I have one other matter to attend," Ethelred stated, looking down at the frostbitten bandit.

"I'm afraid your ice burns are likely too far deep" he grimly told the bandit. "If you are spared, you'd probably suffer quite painfully before passing, so I promise to make it quick." Ethelred readied his lance. "When you're brought before Rifelshka, I wonder if she'll commend you for your loyalty, or punish you for your sins of banditry." With that, he plunged his weapon into the man's heart. Finishing off a downed, defeated foe was a rather unpleasant ordeal for Ethelred, but it was his responsibility to ensure his powers did not cause undue suffering to his foes.

With the bandit dealt with, the knight returned to his horse, which was no worse for wear, which was more than could be said for the bandit lying nearby, with a hoof-shaped mark on his forehead. Ethelred was in a merciful mood, and decided not to check if the fallen man was still breathing. Besides, surely the other knights had managed to take someone alive, right?

His business in the forest concluded, Ethelred rode back to the town. He'd normally offer the small Tuatha squire a ride, but he was still quite cold.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred

Ethelred's attempt to change the battlefield to his advantage worked. The thief-woman slipped on the ice and fell off her feet. This was his chance, he thought, to catch her.

At least it seemed so, until the last bandit grappled him from behind before he could rise back to the ground. It was, all things considered, immensely frustrating considering that he had only just managed to get the advantage over Cecilia. His lance was too long and awkward to strike at the man behind him. As a veteran knight, Ethelred was versed enough in unarmed combat that he could probably best this petty thug in wrestling, but he didn't have time to put that theory to the test. He needed to shake this assailant off now, before Cecilia lined up another shot!

At the same time, however, he didn't want to simply kill the man. He might be the only one of this band still alive besides their leader, and there was no guarantee that Ethelred could catch the slippery thief even if he did manage to defeat her.

Once again, the Frozen Knight invoked his powers over ice, while attempting to rise to his feet against the bandit's efforts. His armor seemed to become even colder. Any point in physical contact with him would rapidly draw heat away from the bandit in a supernatural manner, and even the bandit's clothing would provide only the briefest respite before the freezing reached his flesh. It was not something Ethelred did lightly- frostbite was a horrific affliction that not even Od's miraculous blood could fully mend- but right now, it was the weapon he needed.

As his powers took effect, the knight made an effort to throw the bandit off of him while his foe was hopefully distracted by the terrible pain of one's surface flesh being frozen. In truth, he hoped for both their sakes that the bandit was not disciplined, suicidal, or loyal enough to try and hold on. If he succeeded, he'd charge towards Cecilia, still intent on attempting to apprehend her.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred

This Cecilia woman proved much more agile than Ethelred had anticipated, jumping over him and firing an arrow into his shoulder. Unlike the previous arrows, this one managed to shatter the ice on his shoulder, and he very much felt the force behind it. He didn't feel like his flesh had been pierced, but it was clear he had to be careful because that bow of hers could penetrate his armor.

Meanwhile, Ethelred heard the sound of his horse's hooves striking someone and knocking them down outside of his field of view- it sounded like his horse had just struck one of the bandits, probably the spearman who had been menacing them. He wasn't sure of the bandit's state- he could simply have had the wind knocked out of him via a blow to the chest, or the hooves could've struck the man's head and killed him instantly. If so, that'd mean one less possible person to interrogate.

As soon as he could do so, Ethelred spun around to meet where he anticipated the woman's trajectory would take her, and then dropped to one knee. To Cecilia and the bandits, it probably looked like he had been weakened or injured by the arrow, but the truth was that this act was intended. He placed his hand on the ground and begun to channel his power of freezing. Frost rapidly spread out across the ground in a radial pattern as the ground and the air above it suddenly became much, much colder. He needed to hinder this woman's considerable mobility if he didn't want to be on the receiving end of armor-shattering arrow after arrow from outside the reach of his lance. He hoped that freezing the ground would hinder her footing, or, if she made the mistake of standing in place for too long, the freezing effect might make its way through the soles of her boots.

This meant he'd be turning his back to the bandit archer, but the minion was a mere afterthought compared to dealing with Cecilia.

@Rune_Alchemist

Dungeon Clearer! A Fantasy Adventurer RP

Léon Reverdin

They didn't manage to catch the goblins, but fortunately for both the paladin and cleric, they did not run into any traps either. It was evident judging on where they had found themselves, in a path branching off, that the temple was bigger than Léon had anticipated, and that they'd need to do quite a bit of exploring in this place.

With the adrenaline of the battle dissipating, the dread that this place emanated came back over the young cleric. How exactly does a temple end up buried underground like this? This strange, underground, desecrated place was like something out of a nightmare. At least he wasn't alone down here.

The cleric cast a small light spell to get a better look at their surroundings. The bones he saw at his feet looked human, but also quite old, old enough that they were evidently of no use to that goblin necromancer. Perhaps they were from people who discovered this place by accident years or decades ago, or perhaps even the original inhabitants.

"We'd better not split up," he advised the group. "The goblins could regroup, and there could be more out there, so it'll be safest if we stick together." It'd mean more time spent combing through these ruins, but even with the apprehension he felt, Léon wanted to be quite thorough in their search of this place. Given the age of this place, even seemingly innocuous objects could be considered coveted relics. It was also imperative that they be very careful when handling any ancient trinkets they find.

"Oh, and perhaps we should leave some sort of mark to help us find our way out of here?" he asked. "I don't know how big this place is, and I'd rather not get turned around in here in case we need to make a hasty exit."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

The mercenaries finally broke under the knights' assault, fleeing into the woods. The Iron Roses were victorious once again. With the darkening sky and the unknown question of what lay deeper in the woods, they wouldn't be able to pursue, but like he had noted before, the deaths of the Golden Boars weren't their objective. Either way, however, between their attempted infiltration of the fort, their attempt to kidnap a noble, and their attempt to kill several Iron Roses, they won't be welcome anywhere in Thaln anymore.

The next step would be to attend to the wounded, but it seemed that their order's attached healer, a boy named Martin, had already attended to that and retrieved Haelstadt's head. Seeing the headless knight becoming whole again gave Fleuri some concern. If they were to go up against something like that, he didn't think they had no way of putting them down. Between the necromancer in the tomb, the shard that could drive an entire garrison mad, and now with this, Fleuri was becoming increasingly worried that there were some foes in Thaln that the Iron Roses might lack the necessary skills and expertise to deal with.

Fleuri looked at Veileena, who was now being questioned by the other knights. They were entirely justified in doing so- it was the Iron Roses' duty as servants of the crown to find out whatever they could about this dangerous shard of a literal doomsday weapon. But, hypothetically, if Veileena got tired of the knights and decided to sic her undying bodyguard on them, Fleuri didn't think they'd be able to slay Haelstadt. They could probably win such a fight since it was evident that Veileena's mute black knight wasn't invulnerable, but Fleuri didn't like not knowing the full limits of such magic that could make someone able to keep someone alive even without a head.

"I'm fine, no wounds," Fleuri replied to Gerard's query. The perceptive former mercenary might note that Fleuri's tone was a bit worried, but the reason for his worry would not be evident.

The knight didn't participate in the questioning of Veileena or pester the Captain with his concerns, but stood back and looked around at the bodies of the fallen, hoping to find a fallen Golden Boar who was still breathing. He'd have to put his worries about the Order's capabilities into the back of his mind for now, because the situation at hand demanded that they keep their attention focused, in some way or form, on the very dire matter of the shard.

@HereComesTheSnow

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred

So, someone hired her. Most curious, Ethelred thought as this Cecilia woman rejected his offer to depart peacefully. He was not someone who reveled in killing, so it was a bit displeasing that they decided to fight, but a part of him knew that it was necessary. It was a sad fact that many bandits weren't going to give up their ways just even if they were offered an opportunity to live an honest life without worrying about going hungry. It was something he had seen all too often even back before having been frozen, and human nature had not changed one bit in the century since then.

Thus, Ethelred was going to have to kill them. Or rather, he would have to kill most of them- with the revelation that Cecilia had been hired, it would be wise to leave at least one of them alive to be questioned.

As soon as the woman mentioned that she had been paid and it was evident that the other bandits weren't going to walk away, Ethelred took the brief reprieve before combat resumed to begin dismounting from his horse. Given his opponent and the area they were in, this skirmish was one that he'd rather fight on foot, alongside his mount instead of atop it.

As the bandits advanced on Ethelred, it was clear that Cecilia was the biggest threat, with that bow of hers. He didn't want to test if it could get through his armor or find a path through his helmet slits- he needed to stop her from firing that arrow. He deflected the archer's poorly aimed arrow with his shield, then stepped towards the bandit with the axe. With speed and finesse that few would anticipate from a cavalry polearm, he thrust his lance forward, intent on skewering the man on its shaft. It went without saying that the knights wouldn't get a chance to question this particular bandit.

The gruesome impalement, assuming it succeeded, had another purpose. Summoning a bit more strength due to the weight of the still impaled on it, Ethelred would thrust forward and upward, freeing the probably not-quite-dead bandit from its tip and sending him flying right towards Cecilia, this unusual attack being meant to prevent her from getting a clear shot at the knight. He then then sprinted towards Cecilia, trusting in his horse to deal with the spear-wielding bandit trying to flank them. That bow of hers was bad news, and he needed to deal with her as quickly as possible.

@Rune_Alchemist

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred

Ethelred raised his shield, narrowly deflecting the arrow fired by the woman. There was considerable force the arrow as evidenced by the impact he could feel through the shield and the loud clang it made when it struck. If he had to guess, this markswoman was probably the one who shot him before with such precision, and the one calling the shots (literally) for this band of archers. She might pose a challenge, but the other bandits were as good as dead if the knight chose to attack.

He needed to get this fight over with quickly, because something had just entered the battle in the field, something that Ethelred had not caught a glimpse of. He had been able to hear it and feel the rumbling, though. Whatever it was, it sounded like a formidable foe.

Curiously, the woman before him didn't look like an ordinary brigand. She was well-dressed in fine, expensive-looking clothing, nothing like any of the other bandits that Ethelred had seen. Her bow, in addition to being of higher quality than the other bandits' bows, looked like it was magical.

Quite an unusual person to be mingling with brigands. She certainly isn't hurting for wealth. Perhaps she was a commander, but her words were those of a subordinate, not a leader. A lieutenant, perhaps.

Her words to him sounded more like a resignation to the imminent fight, rather than a serious attempt to parlay. At the same time, however, she didn't sound pleased, and judging by what Ethelred had overhead prior, she didn't want to be here. It might be dangerous to allow her to walk away, but if he could resolve this without violence, it'd leave more time to help the other knights with whatever he had felt and heard rumbling out into the field.

"You'd be surprised," Ethelred replied to the woman. "Contrary to my appearance, I am not cold-hearted. Thus I offer you and your friends a deal- run along. Depart from this battle. Go home and get pampered. Live to see another sunset." Ethelred stared at each of the other bandits, as if to emphasize this last part to them. To further drive home of how unwise it'd be to fight him, he channeled his powers of frost, causing a small layer of ice to form on the nearby leave, branches, and brush. If any of the bandits got closer, they'd notice the temperature had dropped measurably around the knight.

"The Queen is carrying out a great work here," he continued. "We are restoring order and driving back the curse. Those who become her subjects will prosper under her protection. Those who oppose her will fall. And when the battle is concluded, I strongly suggest that you reassess your choice in occupation, and consider the benefits of being the Queen's friend rather than her enemy."

Ethelred stared in the woman's direction, ready to charge if she reached for another arrow.

@Rune_Alchemist

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Novak

They were supposed to kill her on sight? This was a development that Novak didn't anticipate. He didn't realize before that the Hag was the enemy of the hunters. But if she and the old man were both voices of the Illuminator, why would they be opposed?

More importantly, Soyala came up again. He already knew that she was their leader, and the one that believed that Lazhira was eroding the seal. Now it was mentioned that she was the one who was in regular communication with the Illuminator, and she used this influence to direct them away from worrying about their directive to kill the Hag, and rather to recover the orbs- the very orbs that the Hag seemed to interested in retrieving.

Novak's eyes widened at the realization.

This Soyala...she's working for the Hag. She's manipulating the hunters for the Hag instead of the Old Man. Or...what if she is the Hag?

"Curious...the hag revealed to myself, Lazhira, and Narkissa that she is looking for the orb. If you ask either of them, they can confirm this." Novak spoke. "And it is she, who who claims to speak for the Illuminator, or at least his Old Man aspect, told you to not worry about the hag and focus on the orbs? She is the one who has directed you to target Lazhira as the possible culprit behind breaking the seal, correct? When I get the chance, I think it'd be...illuminating to speak to Soyala myself."

"But first," Novak resumed, "I would be grateful if you would show us the seal. Like I said, we too wish to see it preserved. And...I'm sorry for your friend," he said, looking at the headless corpse. "My companion did what she had to do to protect me, and I am very grateful, but I was hoping it would not end like...this."

@VitaVitaAR@Rune_Alchemist