Crimson Paladin

Heavens Torn Asunder

OK, thanks. So how far can we start from each other?

Heavens Torn Asunder

Should we all at least start in the same town?

Heavens Torn Asunder

Kitagaki Terumori

• Name: Kitagaki Terumori
• Age: 22
• Race: Human
• Appearance: Average height and build | Armored
• Personality: Terumori has been shaped by the province he grew up in. By the standards of where he comes from, he is a model samurai- honest, dedicated, and loyal to the Takasaki clan. He does not boast of his deeds, nor does he seek out validation and fame. By the standards of the rest of Tenkai, he's a backwoods samurai with a tenuous grasp of honor and etiquette. This is largely due to the nature of the province- because of the difficult terrain and comparatively small population of the region, Terumori believes that it is necessary to employ tactics that others might consider unscrupulous or dishonorable. At the same time, however, the challenges that his province faces has made him very appreciative of the humble peasants and traders that keep the region running, and won't abide anyone- be they bandits, youkai, or unscrupulous samurai- taking advantage of them.
• History: Terumori was the second son of the head of the Kitagaki clan, a samurai clan loyal to the Takasaki clan. Both brothers were trained to become highly capable samurai, but they proved quite different. While the older brother took much of the spotlight, becoming a personal retainer to the daimyo, Terumori preferred to keep a low profile. He took up the responsibility of enforcing order in the Gekkou region, a difficult and dangerous task due to the number of troublemakers that resided in the forests and mountains. Despite the challenges, he proved fairly successful in this task. He and his small task force proved more than a match for the bandits they encountered, killing or arresting many of them. On rarer occasions, he dealt with troublesome youkai, successfully defeating those whom he could not placate. Despite his victories, he tried to avoid letting word of his deeds get out, preferring to remain unsung and unheard.
  
  His insistence on keeping his deeds under wraps would eventually backfire on him, in a way. While traveling alone one day, he came across the scene of a samurai whom he had never seen before, killing a local farmer. Whether it was a robbery, a blow in revenge for being slighted, or simply the samurai testing out a weapon, Terumori didn't care- he attempted to arrest the samurai for the murder. If he had been more well-known, perhaps his foe would have gone quietly, but the samurai refused to believe that Terumori had any such authority, and a fight ensued. Terumori won, cutting the samurai down and confiscating his katana. He only later learned that the man he killed was from a wealthy, well-connected samurai clan, and that his death, if traced to Terumori, could cause a lot of trouble. While he had taken steps to ensure the body would not be found, his father nonetheless insisted that he leave the province and lay low for a while until it blows over.
• Abilities/Skills: The forests and mountainous terrain of Gekkou are ill-suited for cavalry or archery, and its samurai are trained accordingly to take full advantage of the terrain. As a result, while he is no shinobi, Terumori is a stealthy, nimble warrior who can maneuver with ease through the uneven terrain of his home province quickly and silently. His penchant for stealth and ambushes does not imply martial weakness, though- when pressed into open combat, he is a formidable and highly agile swordsman, as quick on his feet as he is with his katana. He is also an adept bowman at close to medium ranges, able to draw, nock, and fire a bow with considerable speed, although he never mastered hitting targets at long range.
• Other: He uses the katana that was confiscated from the samurai he killed. It bears the signature of an expert swordsmith and is consequently a superb sword, but if someone recognized it, they'd know that Terumori was involved in the samurai's disappearance. He's changed the tsuba and saya to avoid drawing attention, but someone already familiar with the weapon could still potentially recognize the blade.

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

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri sat at a desk in his room, writing a letter. With the sheer potential magnitude of the crisis at hand, Fleuri had felt the desire to catch up with a few old friends, while he still had the opportunity. He had already finished writing a letter to the paladin who mentored him, and was now writing one to a friend/rival from his tournament days. He wanted to be sure that he had the chance in case something bad happened, but there was more to it. In the context of this particular letter, the threat was solid proof to him that leaving his career as a tournament competitor and joining the Iron Roses was the right choice, and he wanted to assure his friend that he was confident in his decision.

Fleuri wouldn't actually say anything about the crisis or the mission- he didn't want word of this getting out to anyone who didn't need to know- but he felt that they ought to be assured of his confidence in his choice. He wasn't even sure if or when his friend would reply, but he knew the tournament schedules well enough that the letter should at least be able to find its recipient. If anything, he at least hope that it'd ensure that they'd stay in touch even after going their separate ways.

Once he had finished the letter to his satisfaction- something that took far more time than he had expected- he folded it up, dripped wax onto it, and pressed a seal with the House Jodeau signet ring. He set the letter to the side- he would take care of the delivery later. For now it'd be wise to get some training in. More than ever, it was important that they not shirk their efforts of martial improvement.

Fleuri made his way to the courtyard, where it looked like Tyaethe was about to begin a sparring match with Maritza. Fleuri grabbed a wooden sword and began to watch, curious to see how the serpentine knight would fare. He was curious to see how deft and mobile Maritza's snake body could be, and whether or not its mass would work to her advantage of disadvantage.

@Raineh Daze@FlappyTheSpybot

Heavens Torn Asunder

Here's my CS submission:

Kitagaki Terumori

• Name: Kitagaki Terumori
• Age: 22
• Race: Human
• Appearance: Average height and build | Armored
• Personality: Terumori has been shaped by the province he grew up in. By the standards of where he comes from, he is a model samurai- honest, dedicated, and loyal to the Takasaki clan. He does not boast of his deeds, nor does he seek out validation and fame. By the standards of the rest of Tenkai, he's a backwoods samurai with a tenuous grasp of honor and etiquette. This is largely due to the nature of the province- because of the difficult terrain and comparatively small population of the region, Terumori believes that it is necessary to employ tactics that others might consider unscrupulous or dishonorable. At the same time, however, the challenges that his province faces has made him very appreciative of the humble peasants and traders that keep the region running, and won't abide anyone- be they bandits, yokai, or unscrupulous samurai- taking advantage of them.
• History: Terumori was the second son of the head of the Kitagaki clan, a samurai clan loyal to the Takasaki clan. Both brothers were trained to become highly capable samurai, but they proved quite different. While the older brother took much of the spotlight, becoming a personal retainer to the daimyo, Terumori preferred to keep a low profile. He took up the responsibility of enforcing order in the Gekkou region, a difficult and dangerous task due to the number of troublemakers that resided in the forests and mountains. Despite the challenges, he proved fairly successful in this task. He and his small task force proved more than a match for the bandits they encountered, killing or arresting many of them. On rarer occasions, he dealt with troublesome yokai, successfully defeating those whom he could not placate. Despite his victories, he tried to avoid letting word of his deeds get out, preferring to remain unsung and unheard.
  
  His insistence on keeping his deeds under wraps would eventually backfire on him, in a way. While traveling alone one day, he came across the scene of a samurai whom he had never seen before, killing a local farmer. Whether it was a robbery, a blow in revenge for being slighted, or simply the samurai testing out a weapon, Terumori didn't care- he attempted to arrest the samurai for the murder. If he had been more well-known, perhaps his foe would have gone quietly, but the samurai refused to believe that Terumori had any such authority, and a fight ensued. Terumori won, cutting the samurai down and confiscating his katana. He only later learned that the man he killed was from a wealthy, well-connected samurai clan, and that his death, if traced to Terumori, could cause a lot of trouble. While he had taken steps to ensure the body would not be found, his father nonetheless insisted that he leave the province and lay low for a while until it blows over.
• Abilities/Skills: The forests and mountainous terrain of Gekkou are ill-suited for cavalry or archery, and its samurai are trained accordingly to take full advantage of the terrain. As a result, while he is no shinobi, Terumori is a stealthy, nimble warrior who can maneuver with ease through the uneven terrain of his home province quickly and silently. His penchant for stealth and ambushes does not imply martial weakness, though- when pressed into open combat, he is a formidable and highly agile swordsman, as quick on his feet as he is with his katana. He is also an adept bowman at close to medium ranges, able to draw, nock, and fire a bow with considerable speed, although he never mastered hitting targets at long range.
• Other:

He uses the katana that was confiscated from the samurai he killed. It bears the signature of an expert swordsmith and is consequently a superb sword, but if someone recognized it, they'd know that Terumori was involved in the samurai's disappearance. He's changed the tsuba and saya to avoid drawing attention, but someone already familiar with the weapon could still potentially recognize the blade.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

It was a very slight relief to Ethelred when the children described the fire-breathing beast as having its wings as part of its front arms, indicating it was a wyvern and not a full-blown dragon. Ethelred wasn't particularly knowledgeable on dragons, but he knew that they were lesser, smaller dragons whose front arms served as its wings.

Reinhardt's description confirmed what Ethelred knew, but also dropped a rather worrying fact about wyverns generally living in close proximity to "true" dragons. It sounded like they might still come into conflict with a real dragon. Regardless, they had to push on and find Elnith.

While their mission was to bring their fellow knight back, it was becoming increasingly likely that they come into conflict with this wyvern. Ethelred didn't mind this, however. After all, this monster needed to be put down before it could burn more villages, furthermore it deserved to die for the destruction and death it had already caused. He had never fought such a beast, but he expected that Reinhardt, as the descendent of a celebrated dragon-slayer, would have useful information on how to combat it.

The other potential issue was that they might come into conflict with the Harzel Knights. Ethelred hoped that they'd listen to reason and if not help them, at least stay out of their way and not obstruct Sorcha's group in their quest to kill a mutual foe. If, however, they stood in the way of retrieving Elnith, Ethelred was sufficiently agitated by recent events, particularly the loss of Od, that he would not hesitate to cut them down. After all, it'd only be a diplomatic incident if someone survived to report it.

"Reinhardt's right, your strength would be a great boon to us." Ethelred supported his companion. "We already lost one of our own on this mission, and we'd be most grateful if you were willing to lend your aid so that we do not lose another."

@Guy0fV4lor@Cu Chulainn@Rune_Alchemist

Prophetiae Adventum: Envoys of the Pantheon

Sir Aurelian Asellius

"I am Sir Aurelian Asellius, paladin and servant of Sol," Aurelian replied to the boisterous aasimar, removing his helmet. "We appreciate your generosity, Oriel." Her deed of buying everyone a around was definitely in line with her patron god Qhalus, Aurelian thought. While Aurelian followed a path that was very different and in most cases quite mutually exclusive with the ways of the god of hedonism, it did not mean that he had to reject their generosity when offered. If anything, it'd be a discourteous insult unfitting of a knight to refuse it.

The next envoy to show up was the envoy of Reemis, taking the form of a human woman wearing fine red clothing. She appeared to be a mage or a scholar, carrying a sword and book with her. She certainly didn't appear as Aurelian would've imagined the god of vengeance, even if the striking red colors of her clothes and eyes seemed fitting for Reemis. Other than what he observed, Aurelian know nothing about her, and she had not yet revealed her name.

The sixth envoy was the final one- Aurelian could feel no others pulling at him beyond these five. It was a human man in leather armor with a rapier and magiarm pistol. Was he perhaps from Nuniel like Aurelian? Or was he someone from the Twin Kingdoms who managed to obtain a magiarm pistol through trade or on the battlefield? The fact that the man was the envoy of the war goddess Astarte strongly suggested that he was a veteran of the war. Aurelian couldn't help but be curious as to what the young man's story was, what he did in that slow, brutal meat grinder of a conflict to be chosen as Astarte's envoy.

It was around this time that the tavern keeper, having taken note of the many curious guests in his establishment, had approached them with the suggestion to do some hired work. What particularly caught his attention was the dwarf's plea that the small folk needed some hired help, suggesting that the jobs were noble, worthwhile causes. When the knight took a closer look at the board, it was clear what sort of help the people needed- guard duty, investigating disappearance, and so on. If he had all the time in the world, there were a few that Aurelian would gladly do. However, there was one that stood out the most. It was not a job from a lowly farmer, it was a decree from the Marshal of Coris himself, seeking help to find a patrol that had gone missing along the Trifork River. Aurelian wasn't too surprised that the Marshal had posted such a simple request- even when the knight served Nuniel, he had heard of how Lord Dunham was a good and honorable man. Assuming the other envoys were on board, this could be both easy money and a good way to endear themselves to Coris, which could greatly help their mission in the long run.

Once the innkeeper was gone, the dragonborn spoke up, voicing his belief that it was no coincidence that they were brought here, that the gods had perhaps guided them to this exact job posting. Aurelian felt the same way, but there was another matter that had caught his attention.

That chipped horn...that armor....I've seen him before.

Now that he had a good look at the envoy of Anhur's face and armor, Aurelian recognized him as a foe whom he had fought to a standstill during the war. During one battle, he had found himself in combat with a formidable dragonborn cleric of Anhur, a scarred dragon-man with a distinctive broken horn, serving with a mercenary company. Aside from the battle where he had actually gotten killed, it had probably been the toughest fight of the knight's life. The dragonborn, enhanced by his magic and clearly very experienced in the art of swordplay, proved to be a far more formidable melee combatant than the paladin had anticipated of a cleric. In hindsight, it was fortunate that neither managed to kill the other in the battle, because it'd have made this reunion far more awkward.

"I'm afraid I was given no further information on our...directives than any of you," Aurelian replied, surmising that based on the dragonborn's words singling him out, the other envoys had been given the same vague instructions to find Sol. "But I agree with him, there has to be a reason why we were called to this specific location, and this may very well be the reason why. And whatever that reason may be, I do know that having the gratitude and favor of the Marshal would be very valuable."

"What do the rest of you think of this proposed course of action?" he asked, turning to each of the other four envoys.

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

Sorry to hear it. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

Prophetiae Adventum: Envoys of the Pantheon

Sir Aurelian Asellius

Aurelian rode up to a dockside tavern and came to a halt. Of all the places he could imagine being guided to, this humble drinking establishment was what he had anticipated. It was not a temple of the gods, nor a ruin of some lost holy site, nor a landmark of divine importance. However, as mundane and unremarkable this place was, the Envoy felt deep down that he had reached his destination. He also sense the presence of other Envoys, which only reinforced his assurance that he was in the right place.

The last few months had been quite formative. After merging with its host, the Envoy of Sol had needed time to discover himself, to adjust to his new life and to his altered personality. In truth, it wasn't a massive change, since as a paladin of Sol, Aurelian had already sought to uphold the sun god's creed, however imperfectly. However, there was one very notable element of the knight's mind that was changed- his loyalty and patriotism to Nuniel. The Envoy had no interest in taking any part in the war, because even if it wasn't tasked with serving a much higher cause, it found Nuniel's invasion to be grossly unjust. As a result, Aurelian found himself having to readjust to a non-military life, as well as deal with the consequences of desertion. He could not return to his family, and would have to carve out a living elsewhere.

Consequently, Aurelian had stayed outside of Nuniel, mostly keeping to the regions in between Brudel and Coris. He typically stayed in inns wherever he was, with no permanent place of residence. This time was spent re-learning what it meant to be a paladin, rediscovering himself through good works. Sometimes he spent time in holy places of Sol where he lent his meager healing abilities to purge disease and mend wounds from those who needed it. Other times he served as a hired caravan escort, helping people to arrive in their destination safely in this time of war. It was pretty simple work, nothing glamorous aside from fighting the occasional bandits, but it helped him regain his bearings and figure out who he was, and it allowed him to make a living while keeping a low profile during this vulnerable time.
By the time he had felt the compulsion that directed him to Coris, Aurelian had come to terms with his past, his present, and what lay ahead, ready to step up and perform his duties to the Pantheon.

Find Sol. Walk with the Ancients.

It was ironic, that the envoy of Sol knew nothing of what this message meant, and knew nothing of how to "find Sol". He had hoped that his time spent in Sol's holy places, or on the road seeking to uphold his creed would provide some revelation, but he remained just as bewildered by the message as the day he arose on the battlefield. Perhaps one of the other Envoys would have some idea. Were they given the same instructions, though? Were all of the Envoys tasked with finding Sol, or did they each have their own unique message? He looked forward to finding out the answers to these questions.

The journey to Coris proved uneventful. No mysterious supernatural forces tried to stop him, and despite the roads having become more dangerous due to the war, had had no run-in with bandits. Prior to arriving at this meeting spot, he had paid for a room at an inn, despite not being entirely sure if he'd be spending the night here. The only thing that might constitute "eventful" was hearing some preacher rambling about something a few blocks away as he headed to the meeting, although he hadn't gotten close enough to see who it was or what they were ranting about.

The paladin dismounted from his horse, and with a quick incantation, the barded destrier vanished into thin air, returning to the higher plane that it hailed from. It'd mean that he'd have to re-summon it once he was done here, but it saved him the trouble of finding a stable or someplace to tie it down. He stepped through the door, carefully as to not bump his helmet on the doorway. His ornate armor would make him stand out like a sore thumb, but for something as important as the Pantheon's summons, he felt the need to be prepared for anything.

It was an ordinary looking tavern, with the typical clientele for a dockside location like this. Most of them looked like sailors or boatmen or some sort, probably mostly fishermen, crewmembers from larger vessels, and dock workers. The namesake of the inn was a red snapper fish mounted above the bar; if Aurelian had to guess, the owner was perhaps a fisherman that saved enough money to buy a tavern. As the paladin looked around, his eyes came to rest on two people sitting at the bar that stood out from all the others.

It would appear that I am not the first one to arrive.

Aurelian could sense it, these were the fellow Envoys. Not that they'd have been difficult to single out even without the ability to sense them- they didn't exactly look like the rest of the people here. One of them was an armor-clad dragonborn, as heavily geared as Aurelian himself. The second one was what appeared to be an Aasimar woman, wearing fine-looking clothing and sitting next to the dragonborn.

Aurelian sat down at an empty chair at a table and turned it to face the exit. He could feel more of them coming this way, and he wanted to be ready to greet their arrival. If the Dragonborn and Aasimar turned in his direction, or if another whom he could sense as an envoy walked through the entrance, he'd lift his helmet and wave to them, silently signaling that he was here for the same reason as them. If a waiter or waitress happened to approach him, he would order a meal of ale and fish. After all, he was hungry, and didn't know how long this gathering might last.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred listened to the children describe the beast. The news of Elnith's appearance, and her evident victory over the attacker, was good news. They still needed to find her, of course, but this was the best lead they had yet. Most curious, however, was that Elnith mentioned Sorcha, Ethelred, and Reinhardt by name. It sounded like those three were those whom she expected would be sent, but why? Clearly, whatever she fought, she felt those three would be most suitable for the mission.

A knight of ice, the empowered descendent of a dragonslayer, and the reincarnation of the ancient king, those were the ones she named. What sort of foe would these three be have been expected to go up against? Ethelred thought back at everything they said about the beast, everything Vyrell had mentioned about it, and what information he could glean from the evidence around them.

[color=6ecff6][i]...Black as night...breathes fire...mouth full of teeth...blocked out the sun...able to move up and down Albion with incredible speed...vicious claws that attacked from above...and indiscriminately killed both humans and Fomorians. It took him a moment to think, but when it clicked, a terrible possibility dawned upon the Frozen Knight. If Ethelred were not trapped in his armor, assuming he still appeared entirely human underneath it, the color would surely have drained from his face at the possibility of what it could be.

This doesn't sound like a Fomorian. This sounds like a dragon.

Ethelred know the tales of the King and his knights. This particular situation reminded him of the tales of dragons that the old heroes had faced. The most notable, and most alarming in this context, was the tale of how the King slew the terrible Dragon of Black. Could this beast be not a Fomorian, but a dragon? Could it have some connection, perhaps descended from the Dragon of Black? Or perhaps it could be a far more terrifying idea- if the king was reincarnated, who else from the ancient days could potentially return?

On the other hand, the children said that Elnith managed to drive it off, and razing a few minor villages was hardly an act worthy of the infamous Dragon of Black. Even so, Ethelred needed to either confirm or rule out the possibility that it was indeed a dragon.

"Children, there's some very important things we need to know." Ethelred addressed them, the worry in his voice apparent. "First, this lady knight that saved you...Elnith, she's called...what happened to her. Second, this beast that attacked...this fire-breathing, black beast of claws and teeth...did it have wings?"

@Rune_Alchemist@Cu Chulainn@Guy0fV4lor