Crimson Paladin

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

"Yes, and they challenged us to pursue them," Ethelred added to Elnith's observation. "They might be trying to lure us into a trap. If so, we at least have some idea which direction to take to find their kin."

Ethelred looked down at the man. The battle was quite brief, and the monsters didn't manage to put up much of a fight. Instead they had opted to flee, treating the entire thing like a game. It one of the reason that Ethelred didn't want to immediately pursue- those little plant creatures were too cheerful and enthusiastic about the prospect of being chased.

The other reason was that they needed to help the Unseelie's victim.

"After, of course, we assist this man. Might someone with warmer hands help him to his feet?" he requested, looking down at the traveler. He was lucky that the knights had come along. Even the lowliest of the Unseelie were cruel beings that delighted in causing others' suffering. He was bashed up a bit, but looked like he should be able to still walk.

"We're knights of Queen Sorcha, come to deal with Unseelie activity in these woods," he answered, now addressing the man. "They've got the nearby village cowed with fear, and from what we've gathered, the fiends have been luring people into the woods with singing at night. Is there anything you can tell us about them that might help in rooting them out? And do you need help getting to safety?"

@Rune_Alchemist

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

Under normal circumstances, Argus would be pleased to see what little remained of his crew. However, it was clear by their menacing advance that they were not here to return to his command. Nay, these mindless corpses were looking for a fight. No doubt his death had caused his hold over them to slip away. Argus would need to rectify that.

"Mutiny, is it?" he shouted to the drenched skeletons. "You lot have forgotten your place- allow me to correct that! And Miss Cynthia- be careful to not damage them too gravely!"

Drawing upon the strength that had been returned to him upon drinking the vial of blood, Captain Fellborn channeled his powers of necromancy, attempting to reassert his control over the skeletons. He might not be able to control all of them in his current state, but just a few would be enough to turn the tide- and secure him a weapon without a fight.

"Strike your colors and submit, you rotted sea-dogs!" He focused on one skeleton in particular, brandishing a rusty sword. "You! Your captain has need of your weapon. Hand it over!"

@Rune_Alchemist

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Novak

"I'm not here to apprehend you, I just want to find out why the Krysa want me and my friends dead," Novak assured her, his voice increasingly frustrated. "That attack on that Krysa noble has turned them rabid, and they're not just going after you. They've put my caravan under siege for a crime we didn't even know of, let alone commit. If I don't somehow break them out or convince the Krysa of their innocence, everyone I've traveled with for as long as I can remember will die!"

He was done playing diplomatic or subtle. He was done being polite to this abrasive witch. At this point, there wasn't much else to do except clean as to exactly what he was here for and hope that she'd at least share something.

He couldn't compel any answer from her, of course. The witch did mention that she could use her magic in self-defense, and Novak had no intention of putting that to the test. If she refused to cooperate further, there wasn't much to do but leave before her definition of self-defense extended to ridding her home of unwelcome guests.

From what he could gather, the Krysa wanted this woman badly. She may be this person of interest that Lady Marushka was looking for, and was likely somehow involved in the assassination attempt. If this Yaga continued her refusal to share any information, it might be better for Novak to leave and leverage the information of her location and defenses with the Krysa, as risky as that may be.

It'd be best not to let the witch know that, though.

@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

"I am indeed familiar with your people's courtship customs, Lady Cteline," Fleuri gave his reply to Lein. "Perhaps this duel will help Sir Renar and Sir Felix obtain some mutual familial love, although I fear their enmity goes deeper than skepticism for each other's martial skill."

"Truly, it is a shame," he said as he watched the duel be announced. "They are both prestigious knights in service to the same crown. On the same side, as it were. The bonds of friendly rivalry are one thing, but it is rather tragic that they cannot feel joy at their brother's success."

Fleuri didn't mean to judge Renar for his anger at Felix. Given what he knew of the Bastard of Brias, it wasn't surprising. To be denied a noble title, to be raised alongside siblings who were afforded that privilege, to have such an unequal social dynamic through no fault of his own, it was no wonder that Renar clearly had a chip on his shoulder. And if Felix took after his father, a man who refused to grant a title to his own son simply because that son was the result of his own philandering, Fleuri wouldn't be surprised if the Crown Knight harbored a grudge against Renar for obtaining noble status through other means.

Fleuri liked a good duel, but he found nothing uplifting about watching two brothers seeking to spill one another's blood.

"Of course, Lady Cteline," Fleuri answered Lein's request. "I always have time to have a dance with an elegant stranger." To the rest of the ball, it'd appear to be the Flower of the North dancing with an exotic newcomer. To those who knew what was going on, it was two knights playing a silly, harmless game under a façade of courtly elegance. As for Fleuri's own part in it, just because he had rediscovered his faith in Reon and sought to move away from his irresponsible, selfish past didn't mean he had to be a stuffy stick in the mud.

@PigeonOfAstora

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

"Yes, we might be walking right into the heart of their territory," Ethelred replied to Elnith as they walked up to the woods. "With a little freezing, however, their home territory should become my home territory. I'll err, try to not freeze either of you."

It was good that Elnith was on board with the risky proposition of marching into the woods to take the fight to the Unseelie.

"As for your questionn, I've fought them before," he claimed. "Long ago, I thwarted the odd petty scheme by the Unseelie every now and then. Then there was when I slew the one that turned me into...this." Ethelred trailed off, worrying that he had cast a shadow over this conversation. "Since Sorcha freed me, I've crossed paths with them or their proxies on occasion."

Ethelred didn't normally bring up his curse in conversation. His feelings on it were mixed- despite the physical sensations that it denied him through his imprisonment within his icy armor, he couldn't deny that his new form granted considerable boons, giving this once-inconsequential hedge knight the power to serve as one of Sorcha's knights alongside the scions of heroes like Luna and Elias. It couldn't have been what that Unseelie had planned for him- it must have gone wrong somehow, perhaps when the creator of the curse perished at Ethelred's hand.

---

Later in the day, after hours of no sign of the Unseelie, the trio heard a shout. Ethelred followed the cry, expecting the others to be right behind him. He would need to remain cautious- it was already established that the Unseelie were luring the people away with singing, so it wouldn't be too far-fetched for them to feign a cry for help.

When he came to where the cry came from, he saw several vile plant creatures, a common Unseelie proxy from what he knew, toying with a human, mumbling something about a game.

"We need to save that man!" Ethelred spoke to the others.

Could it be a trap? Yes. Was it their duty to intervene regardless? Yes. With that in mind, Ethelred dismounted (not wanting to risk getting thrown from his horse by a maliciously placed root, which wasn't impossible given who they were up against) and charged the monsters, aiming to skewer one or two of them.

@Rune_Alchemist

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

"The Violet Witch herself, you say? All the cutting words in all the languages of the world cannot sink the flattery, nay, the honor of being returned to undeath by her grace," he assessed, as he looked down upon the vial she had given him.

The state of the world, as described by the maid, was a sad thing. This pitiful, broken world was not a place for a pirate. There would be no great trade and treasure fleets to plunder. There would be no infrastructure through which to carry myths of ghost ships far and wide. And even if there were, would such tales frighten someone who grew up in such a dark, broken world? And just how strong would they be? Had this dark new world made humans tougher and more resilient, or were they broken and struggling to survive on the scraps of the old world's rotting carcass?

Whatever the state, the tenets of Ichor would guide him. Despite what this maid was suggesting, Captain Fellborn took Ichor's commandments quite seriously in his career as a pirate.

"Aye, I accept your terms. Obtain the god-slaying blade, deliver it to you, and be discreet." Argus spoke, before taking the vial and imbibing the blood. He needed his strength back, and he needed his thirst slaked. "Lead the way, lass, but first...do you truly believe my brethren may get in the way?"

@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri wasn't surprised to hear Lein addressing him, remarking on the conversation between Renar and Felix. Sir Adeforth, the senior Crown Knight, had entered the conversation and wasted no time reprimanding his subordinate for arguing with his half-brother. However, when he looked over and glanced at the Hundi knight, the sight of Lein's choice of attire was so thoroughly unexpected it almost caused him to spit out his wine.

If he hadn't known better, he might have been fooled into believing that that he was looking at a lovely Hundi noblewoman.

Judging by his rather flirtatious words to Fleuri, his atrocious attempt at an Ithillin accent, the fact that he had never before presented himself as a woman, and the simple fact that this was Lein, it was quite clear that he was messing around, taking advantage of his youthful, androgynous appearance to pose as a noblewoman.

He couldn't deny Lein wore the look well, however.

After a moment of hesitation as to how to react, Fleuri's attention was turned to the conversation between Renar and Felix, which had just escalated to the point of Felix challenging his brother to a duel. It should be a rather worrisome development, but he found the bold audacity of it- for a Crown Knight to challenge his half-brother to a duel in the middle of a royal ball- quite inspiring. So inspiring, in fact, that it moved him to go along with Lein's game.

"Yes, those two brothers are quite a pair, would you think, lady...I don't think I've caught your name," he said, taking Lein's prosthetic, gloved hand, as if to offer some subtle confirmation of both his understanding of the Hundi's game and his willingness to play along.

@PigeonOfAstora

Epic of Beginnings - Dawns Cradle

Novak

"Alright, I'll come get her," Novak replied to the red-haired Yaga, quite pleased with Ayumi's actions. Not only did the fox prevent the mysterious and uncooperative Yaga from slamming the door on him, it also meant he'd be able to get a good look at both her and the interior of the cabin.

Could this be the "person of interest" that Lady Marushka was looking for, he thought as he stepped into the house. He looked all around him, ostensibly to locate Ayumi, taking close note of what she had set up in here. When he saw her, he'd move in to seemingly grab her, gesturing to the left with his eyes in hopes that she'd get the hint to evade him.

"Are you aware that the Krysa patrols are swarming this area?" he asked as he made a insincere attempt to grab Ayumi. "Or that the Tsarita herself has taken an interest in finding someone around here? Do you really think those wards of yours will keep them away forever?"

This woman may be be dangerous, especially if she thought for a moment that he might rat her out (pun intended) to the Krysa, but she did need Novak to come in to retrieve Ayumi. Regardless, he couldn't let his guard down, she clearly had some degree of magical power or knowledge.

@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Even as he walked away, Fleuri could hear Renar and his half-brother going at it. It was clear from the exchange that he could perceive they had a considerable sibling rivalry going on. It wasn't too surprising considering what he knew of Renar's upbringing. A bastard son of a noble, refused a noble title by his father, but still raised to serve.

All of the obligations of nobility with none of the privileges. The exact opposite of the problem that many nobles have.

Fleuri wondered how Lord Brias felt about Renar being inducted into the Iron Roses. Was he proud to see his sons entering into the crown's most prestigious knightly orders? Was he proud to see Renar gain the status of nobility through valor and strength of arms? Or was Lord Brias the type of aristocrat to scoff at the notion of a commoner being raised to a knight? After all, he did refuse to grant his own son noble status.

I hope they don't forget that they both serve the hosts of the party. The last thing we need is for relations between the Iron Roses and Crown Knights to become strained because of those two, he thought as he grabbed a plate and looked over the foods at the nearest table, trying to move his focus on what to eat for this evening. If things started to sound heated, he may feel obliged intervene.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred at least managed to get some answers as to what was going on- at night, the Unseelie used singing to lure people into the woods. The singing no doubt had a hypnotic or mesmerizing effect, and Ethelred wasn't entirely sure how if it'd have any effect on the knights.

As Elnith asked how to go about dealing with the Unseelie, Ethelred had to consider both options. If they stayed and waited, it'd be much easier to find the Unseelie- just follow the singing and smash whatever trap they had set for the peasants. If they kept a low profile until dark, they ought to be able to completely catch the Unseelie off-guard. On the other hand, the singing could potentially affect them too, and if any of the peasants were lured out, the knights may not have the chance to save them.

If they went hunting in the woods, they might be able to put an end to this thing before anyone else got hurt, but the fairies would have the home advantage, since they no doubt knew the terrain much better. Additionally, it might be much more difficult to actually find the culprits without a singing voice to home in on. Lugh could probably sense their corruption, but unless they had a bag full of stray cats, actually catching a fairy would be another story.

"I'm worried about that too. I fear I may be uniquely vulnerable because unlike you and Lugh, if that singing affects me, I cannot reach my ears to muffle them," he stated to Elnith, tapping the side of his helmet as to demonstrate.

"There's more to it than that, though," he spoke somewhat sadly. "During our previous mission, I witnessed several people being murdered by Fomorians. If I can avoid it, I'd prefer to avoid putting these people at risk. I say we spent what daylight hours we have left searching the woods for any whiff of the Unseelie corruption. If we find nothing by sunset, we'll head back here and prepare for whatever nightly trickery they have in store."

It was risky, but Ethelred believed that waiting and using these innocent villagers as bait would be highly unbecoming for one of Sorcha's knights. Their duty was to protect these people.

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