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3 yrs ago
If you want to play both Fallout 3 and New Vegas, I'd recommend trying out A Tale of Two Wastelands.
3 likes
3 yrs ago
You're a rock star
3 yrs ago
Unless the problem is in the air.
1 like
4 yrs ago
If they at least have the decency to say that they're leaving instead of simply ghosting the RP, that's good enough to me.
7 likes

Bio

I originally got into forum roleplaying on the official Bethesda Game Studios Forums in 2007 or 2008. When the forums were replaced with Bethesda.net, I was one of several close-knit Fallout RPers who came here.

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As the wyvern lunched towards him, the Frozen Knight dodged to the wyvern's blinded side. This foe might not be as strong as that large black wyvern, but it'd still require some strategy. It had already proven quite dangerous and quite resilient, and there were still two more of these beast to worry about.

Ethelred recalled the words of Elias back when they were traveling.

Sigurd the Dragonslayer; my great, great, great, great Grandfather– discovered and employed a great many methods on his hunts. He’d use anything from siege weapons, to traps, even poison… But what he found to be the most effective strategy; particularly on wyverns, was breaking their wings.

A Dragon suddenly deprived of something it’s instinctually used its entire life; no matter how wise, or cruel, or crafty it may be…quickly loses sight of this, and becomes little more than just another beast to be slain.


There was no time like the present to put this to the test, and what better way to pay respects to Elias than by trusting in his ancestor's wisdom? The next moment the wyvern's wings would beat downward, he'd aim his lance and thrust it squarely at its elbow. Ethelred was placing considerable trust in Elias' words by performing this attack, but it was the least he could do to honor his fallen companion.

"Elnith!" Ethelred shouted. "Go find your armor! I'll keep this one occupied!" Seeing the black veins appear on her, and hearing her ask him to stop her were both grim reminder that Elnith's curse was much more dire than his own. Ethelred's curse merely affected his physical form, but Elnith's curse assailed her mind. In her weakened condition, she might struggle to hold back whatever dark impulses her malediction brought down upon her, and Ethelred didn't want to risk Elnith's sanity in the fight.
Fleuri Jodeau


With the skirmish concluded and all of the bandits captured or killed, Fleuri turned to the corpses to carry out the captain's orders to "ease the suffering of the dying." In other words, they needed to deliver a coup de grace to any bandits too wounded to save. Fleuri looked about at the others. Some knights were going about it differently than others. Sir Gerard Segremors, a former mercenary from the same band as Lucas, was simply stabbing every corpse to make sure it was dead, and Lucas was following his lead. It was a rather crude method, but also quite thorough. Perhaps stabbing at every fallen bandit without looking closely at the faces of the fallen made the grim task easier to bear, the knight speculated.

Fleuri surveyed the bodies of the bandits that he had felled in the battle. Neither of them stood any risk of getting back up- one was decapitated, the other had been stabbed in the heart. Fleuri hadn't killed many people, but he understood the importance of ensuring that a killing blow did its job the first time. Compared to the undead that he had fought as a squire, living humans were downright fragile, even. This went both ways- he too was a mere mortal man, and could die just as quickly as these bandits.

This wasn't the first time he had gazed upon the aftermath of a battle. Long ago, he and his mentor had visited the immediate aftermath of some battles and skirmishes of the the War of the Red Flag. Compared to that, this particular scene was a far less grisly sight since the dead hadn't had any time to decay or be picked apart by scavengers. Still, it'd be wise for this mess to be cleaned up after this mission was over and the captives were rescued. This road needed to be safe, and unattended corpses could not only attract beasts, but also potentially accustom them to consuming human flesh.

With the bodies in his part of the woods taken care of, Fleuri opted to check on the other knights. Several of them were already questioning wounded bandits. Fleuri made his way to where Sir Gerard Segremors was currently questioning one of the brigands. Comapred to some of the others, he appeared to be taking a more heavy-handed approach to interrogation. Fleuri said nothing, simply silently watching. Interrogation was not a skill that he had learned in his career, so it might be worth observing what sort of questioning skills that the young mercenary-turned-knight could demonstrate. Given the great difference in their backgrounds, he suspected that there were quite a few things that he could learn from former mercenaries like Gerard.

@HereComesTheSnow


Ethelred watched in horror as the Harzel knight was attacked and thrown against a wall. His ally did not get up. The Frozen Knight tightened his grip on his lance, intent on making that wyvern pay. It was no doubt greatly fortuitous that this crisis gave him an opportunity to free Elnith, but he couldn't feel good about watching this knight die as a result.

In the short time I knew you, you seemed to be a reasonable and noble person. You will be avenged. Ethelred briefly wondered if the knight had been pained at seeing Elnith freed, or hurt at the realization that the Frozen Knight had betrayed his trust to break Harzelslack's prisoner out.

From the look of it, there were three wyverns, one at their level and two others targeting the ballistae. Pretty clever of them to attack the siege engines, more clever than he'd expect from a wyvern. The elf had already engaged them, striking one of them in the head, but the winged beast managed to send the warrior flying out of the castle. The elf was probably fine, given what Ethelred had seen of his acrobatic abilities, but it did mean that their ally was out of the fight. At least he managed to reunite Elnith with her sword on his way out.

"I'm afraid I cannot, a consequence of my own curse," Ethelred replied to Elnith. "But that just means more for you, I suppose." Ethelred saw it in her eye- the pitiable prisoner was gone, and in her place, the berserker knight was back. Seeing her reinvigorated lifted the Frozen Knight's spirits and filled him with confidence. Finally, something had gone right in this mess of a quest.

Ethelred charged at the wyvern, aiming his lance at the eye that the Harzelslack knight had stabbed. Assuming it struck true, Ethelred would then freeze it to the beast's flesh to prevent it from freeing itself. If the wyvern wasn't able to pull away from Ethelred's lance in time, the freezing would reach its brain and kill it, but the Frozen Knight didn't intend on waiting that long. Using his lance as a lever, he would attempt to yank the winged fiend's head to the side, exposing its neck to Elnith and giving her a clear shot with her sword.
Here's my CS submission:

Fleuri Jodeau


The overturned cart was indeed a trap. As soon as the captain got close, several ambushers leapt down from a tree, and others emerged from their hiding spots all around the knights. They were either overconfident or stupid, Fleuri surmised. They had the advantage of concealment yet chose to emerge and fight up close. Such a shock tactic might work well on unsuspecting travelers or unprepared soldiers, but the Iron Roses would not be so easily shaken. Against a strong, resolute, and prepared opponent, such a tactic would just make them easier to kill.

Fleuri readied his weapon, taking a moment to gauge his opponents that were closing in on his position. He wanted to take the brief moment before they closed the distance to gauge their armor, weapons, and anything else of note so that he'd be able to better combat them. Unfortunately, Sir Lucas had other ideas than waiting for the bandits to come to them, and dashed towards them.

"Lucas, wait, no!" Fleuri shouted, exasperated at the junior knight's reckless zeal. Such aggression devoid of any iota of forethought was something he was familiar with, and even guilty of back when he was a squire. All the more reason that he needed to do what his mentor once did for him, all those years ago- get in there and help.

Fleuri attempted to run after Lucas, but a burly man with a battleaxe stood before him, blocking the way. The junior knight had, in his impulsiveness, brushed a foe aside without incapacitating him, and was already at risk of getting surrounded, so it looked like Fleuri would have to deal with the axeman. Fleuri came to a halt and stepped back just as the bandit swung his axe, narrowly missing the knight. Before he could ready another swing, the knight thrust his greatsword, skewering the bandit right through the heart.

I do not have time for this, he thought to himself as he drove the sword deeper into the man's chest. Once the man crumpled to the ground, Fleuri pulled his sword out and resumed his pursuit of the younger knight, who had gotten himself into trouble. Lucas had lost his balance and fallen to the ground, and a bandit was standing over him, readying a blow.

"For Reon! For the Roses!" Fleuri shouted as he charged. The bandit had just enough time to look in Fleuri's direction before being cleanly beheaded by the knight's greatsword. The man's head went flying through the air, and the body fell down, lifeless. Lucas appeared to be unharmed, and hopefully wiser for the experience.

"I trust you'll be more careful in the future, Sir Lucas," Fleuri remarked as he glanced around looking for any other bandits that might be nearby. "Are you wounded?"

@Saiyan
Fleuri Jodeau


Fleuri heard the captain's orders to split and encircle. This told Fleuri two things- first, Fanilly believed they were close to the bandits, second, she had received some instruction in battlefield tactics. Still, they've have to wait and see how well she could command in the heat of battle. During the war, Fleuri had once been told that even a brilliantly laid battle plan could falter once combat actually began. This would be a pretty big deal for her, because as far as he knew it'd be her first time actually leading a battle, and how they performed during this battle would reflect on how the nobility of Thaln would judge her worthiness to be the captain of the Iron Roses, and her ability to hold onto the position.

Not being one for defensive fighting, Fleuri took up a position at the front of the knights' left flank. His two-handed sword and Reonite mindset favoring aggressive combat would suit him here much more than the center with the captain. It would be difficult to outmaneuver these bandits in the woods, but he figured Fanilly's goal was to catch them when they were all in their base. Thus once the base was found, it'd be imperative to move quickly to prevent them from being able to flee or regroup outside of the encirclement.

As they advanced, the knights spotted something in the middle of the road. Fleuri didn't get a good look because of the trees and brush in the way, but he saw an overturned cart. His first assumption was that this was a bandit trap for travelers and caravans- an overturned cart would force them to come to a halt and maneuver around it, and when they did, the bandits struck. The captain rushed ahead of her center group towards it, seemingly oblivious to the danger. Ordinarily, a group as heavily armed as the Iron Roses wouldn't be in any danger- any intelligent bandit would simply withdraw and opt not to spring the trap. However, they weren't dealing with ordinary brigands- they were up against fanatics and war veterans that might have ample tactical experience.

As several of the knights in the center followed Fanilly, Fleuri glanced around the woods surrounding him, looking for any signs of movement that might suggest an ambush or counter-encirclement. There wasn't much he could do for the captain at this point, the knights at the center would need to keep her safe. It'd truly be a tragedy if she were to perish in her very first battle, so soon after having been appointed to the position.
Fleuri Jodeau


Despite being neither at the very front or at the flanks, Fleuri was not difficult to discern among the procession of knights. He rode a few paces behind Lucas upon a caparisoned stallion, holding his lance upward. Both the caparison on his horse and the pennant upon his lance bore the colors and symbol of the Jodeau family- a black fleur-de-lis on a white background. This was not a mission where mounted combat would likely come into play, but he always preferred to be prepared. Perhaps it was also due to his diminished but lingering desire to stand out.

From what he knew about this mission, it was a worthwhile cause to put these bandits and their "king" down. They were more than just brigands, they were remnants of a traitor's army who refused to lay down their weapons when their cause was crushed. Now they prowled the woods, preying upon innocent people. Whether it was retribution against the people of Thaln for not supporting their traitorous cause, or simply ruthless acquisition of wealth and provisions, their predation upon the good people Thaln was evidence that their cause was just as unjust and twisted as it was five years ago.

"It won't be much longer that we will need to proceed on-foot," the Knight-Captain ordered.

Fleuri didn't envy Captain Fanilly and the burden of command she bore. To accept command at such a young age, especially after the impression left by her heroic predecessor, was a daunting task. Sixteen years seemed like quite a young age for someone to win their spurs commanding knights in a battle, but it wasn't Fleuri's place to question the Iron Roses' customs even if he didn't understand them. There were already many nobles that wanted the Iron Roses' traditions to be done away with, and in the face of such political opposition, the captain would to be supported by her knights.

As the brush got thicker, Fleuri did as the others did and dismounted, then drove his lance into the ground as a makeshift stake that could be used for tying his horse. He drew his greatsword and hefted it over his shoulder. It was a bit ironic, that only after he had let go of his lingering resentment and anger at not being able to participate in the war, after he made amends and set himself on the straight and narrow, that it'd all lead to him fighting the traitorous Cazt forces. This would be a mere mop-up compared to the decisive battles of the War of the Red Flag, but it was nonetheless important that these holdouts be stamped out.

The sorceress-knight Katerina wasted no time speaking up to Fanilly, offering suggestions on how to proceed. Fleuri hoped that the captain wouldn't be too overwhelmed with all the people telling her what to do and how to do it. For his part, he kept back, not wanting to make a scene or make things more difficult for Fanilly. Still, her boisterous talking was downright subtle compared to what came next- another one of the order's magic specialists, a feminine man named Hope, cast a spell and summoned a radiant, winged being.

If the bandits were nearby, they'd definitely notice that. At the same time, a 200-plus procession of knights wouldn't exactly be stealthy in any way. More concerning to Fleuri was whether the captain had ordered that- the notion of the mages using flashy magic without any input or go-ahead from the captain didn't sit well with him. It was their duty to follow Fanilly's orders, the last thing she needed at the precipice of a battle was for her own knights to undermine her authority. Still, he saw the logic of that summon. These woods were a prime spot for an ambush, and the bandits were probably familiar with the terrain, meaning it'd be imperative that the knights not go into this blind.

Fleuri walked up besides, Lucas, a young mercenary-turned knight. He and Gerard, another knight nearby, had originally been part of a mercenary band whose deeds of heroism earned them the opportunity to become Reonite knights. It was good, he thought, to see people of humble origin rise to become knights through valorous deeds. The nobility, diminished as it was and often grappling with the vices of entitlement and decadence, needed some fresh blood from time to time.

Lucas wasn't the only knight here of age similar to Fanilly. Serenity, another knight of an old noble bloodline, was also only 17. In fact, from what Fleuri had heard in the circles of high society, Serenity had been born under a full moon, which means she may have been a candidate for knight-captain. She was certainly far more confident in herself that Fanilly, and if Fleuri had to guess, her confidence and skill at her age suggested that she may have been raised to be a potential candidate. It wasn't unheard of for noble girls born under a full moon to be raised in hopes of becoming captain of the Iron Roses.

As curious as the other knights were, and as engaging as conversation might be, Fleuri kept silent and focused on the situation at hand. He did not want to be caught off-guard, and besides, actions spoke louder than words, thus it would be during battle that the knights would truly get to know each other. And that time was rapidly approaching.
Sir Aurelian Asellius


"Nothing has happened since you contacted us," Aurelian replied to Vyandar. "Judging from what the girl said, and what you found, I think we'll be lucky if we find enough to positively identify our missing scouts," he whispered, not wanting the girl to hear his grim assessment. Of course, giving half-elven, she probably overheard it all the same.

Aurelian was greatly relieved when the Dragonborn finally arrived. The revelation that the attackers were giant insects, and the evidence of blood and aftermath of acid in the field dimmed the chances of finding the girl's parents or the scouts alive. Depending on how ravenous these insects were, they might not even find enough to bury. On one hand, it meant that they could afford to wait to assemble to proceed onward, but it also cast a shadow over the paladin's mood, that it was likely too late to save anyone.

The wait gave him time to anticipate his opponents. There wasn't enough time to prepare spells, but fortunately most of his spells were still ready for use. For an hour he had picked up an ant off the ground and examined it, speculating that their foe would be somewhat similar. They'd probably be armed with massive mandibles and powerful acid, and protected by a hard exoskeleton, yet at the same time be unintelligent and driven by the simplest and basest of instincts. According to Vyandar's sending, there were at least several of them.

From the Dragonborn's information on the dead Nuniel soldiers, Aurelian was able to explain to his companions that the insignia on their uniforms marked them as being apart of part of the Nuniel Army's Forward Scouts and Reconnaissance unit. If they were snooping around in Coris, it was possible, the paladin surmised that Nuniel may be planning an offensive. At the same time, however, the insects' slaughter of the camp may have slowed down his former country's plans- a silver lining in this otherwise tragic sequence of events.

As the emissary of Sol prepared to set out to find and slay these creatures, he couldn't help but think of the half-elf girl. Once this was over, assuming that her parents had already been eaten, they should find the girl a new home. Perhaps she had family, or perhaps there might be a local farmer that knew her and was willing to take care of her. Whoever it was, it would need to be someone who wouldn't malign the girl for her mixed ancestry. He hoped that the people of Coris were more accepting of half-elves than those of Nuniel.

@Psyker Landshark@Click This
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