Crimson Paladin

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

It had been a week since the encounter with the Unseelie tree. He had continued to think about the creature's bizarre death, how it sped its own demise by helping to crack itself open. What it had done- hypnotizing humans and devouring them- was monstrous, but the way it spoke, it made him wonder about Unseelie and their nature. He never really had given much thought to the disturbingly playful banter of the corrupted fey- after all, it was surely just a facet of their twisted, sadistic personalities- but the tree creature's dying words were something he didn't think that he'd ever hear from them.

Were the Unseelie inherently evil, bound to an innate compulsion to be cruel and sadistic by the Betrayed God's curse? Did the curse only twist their bodies to match minds that were already warped enough to slay him? Or was it a learned thing? After all, during their adventures in the woods, Luna had apparently come into contact with a non-hostile Fomorian, a far cry from the malevolent creatures at Redwater, or the wicked creature held prisoner in the castle.

Ethelred wasn't intent on faltering in his resolve, however. Whether they were misguided or rotten to the core by their very nature, the Unseelie were an ongoing threat to the good people of Albion. If anything, it was a bit of a relief to know that Fio had captured the fairy from earlier and stuck her in a jar, because it not only kept her out of trouble, it'd keep her from getting hurt as a consequence. From what he had asked, the fairy's powers were quite miniscule, and its intentions quite petty.

Assuming he had permission from Fio, Ethelred would visit the fairy a few times during the week. Any attempts to bargain with the fairy. He didn't believe her, but he was willing to move the jar in or out of the shade if she complained about it being too hot or cold, or if she merely wanted a slight change in scenery. His reply to her pleas would be assurance that he didn't want her to get hurt, and with the way that things were going in Albion, she'd be safer in the jar for the time being. Beyond that, the fairy was Fio's prisoner and her responsibility, so he wouldn't do anything else with the jar and its occupant.

Ethelred walked through the door to the strategy room, having been notified of the queen's summons. In addition to the matter of whatever matter Queen Sorcha had called them here for, he also needed to speak to Fio about the trinket that the Unseelie had given him. Whether it was a genuine gift, a useless trinket, or a tiny curse, he was eager to find out, and he had entrusted it to the Sword Witch to discern its nature.

Lugh, Elnith, and Luana had already arrived. Lugh smelled like tomatoes, a sign that Luana's remedy was still ongoing. It was good, and a little surprising, that the druid had stuck around. If she was willing to stick around for the long run, it could be a great boon so them.

Ethelred said nothing as he arrived. He would silently await Fio to arrive and inform him what she learned, and for the other knights to arrive so that the briefing could begin.

@VitaVitaAR@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Roger Falkner and Shortclaw

There's is something strange about the ground down there.

From above, Roger could see splotches of terrain taking on a different color as they got closer to the bandits' hideout. They had been flying low to avoid detection, but it was still high enough to see a stark difference from the surrounding land.

It wasn't unusual to see land of different colors whenever they flew over farmland, but this was no freshly tilled field, ready for planting, and it was far too extensive to be the work of small burrowing animals. This was...well, he had no idea what it was. Even stranger, he glimpsed a few objects on the ground that looked a little like scarecrows. Surely the bandits couldn't actually be trying to work the land down there, especially in this rocky area, right?

It was a curious enough matter that Roger opted to take a closer look. He circled around, then signaled his mount to descend and land. The griffin slowed its flight and touched down on the suffiently large clearing of disturbed earth, bounding off the ground once before coming to a stop, causing Roger to bounce in his saddle. The first thing the rider did was take a few moments to glance around the area to ensure there was no trouble awaiting them.. He hadn't seen anyone when flying overhead, but it paid to be cautious. Shortclaw turned his head around as well, also on the lookout for trouble.

If he doesn't see anything, we should be clear. His eyes are keener than mine. As he looked around, he noticed one of the "scarecrows" he had thought he spotted.

That's no scarecrow, he thought to himself, uneasy at what he beheld. It was a crude, macabre effigy of some sort, crafted with bones and topped with a humanoid skull, creaking eerily as it rocked in the strong wind. Just what were these bandits doing out here, and why would they create such twisted totems? He already knew that these bandits were doing some strange and unsettling things, and the fact that they'd construct these things raised some questions as to just what they were up to.

In contrast to his increasingly uneasy rider, Shortclaw seemed completely unfazed and uninterested in the effigy, probably because there was no meat on the bones.

"Let's get back to the camp," Roger spoke, signaling the griffin to take flight. Shortclaw began to run forward and flap his wings, leapt into the air against the wind, and began gaining altitude. There wasn't much else to do here, so once they climbed above the treetops, Roger directed his mount back to the camp. He wasn't entirely sure what these strange effigies meant, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. Perhaps the Steel Princess or one of the Lions' more learned members, or one of the other scouts, would have a better idea.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

"Very well, I'll trust that you understand this this better than I do," he spoke to Luana. "There's no sense in sticking around here any longer, it's best we head back to the village to inform them of our victory, then return to Queen Sorcha. First, however, I'll need to recover my horse."

Luana had no magical solution to Lugh, but it sounded like she knew a remedy. Ethelred shrugged- with any luck, the druid knew exactly what she was doing. With no reason to stick around, it looked like it was time for them to depart. It's give him plenty of time to answer any questions Luana might have about him.

"Since you're curious about myself, I can tell you a little," he began. "I grew up in Ceolread Castle, near Redwater Point. We're didn't have much of a tradition of knighthood since our family only came to Albion some time after after the old king's fall, but my father had brought one into his service as a housecarl...err, household guard. Since I was young I always had a great interest in the knights of Albion, and my father was gracious enough to allow his subordinate to teach me their ways."

If Luana was familiar with the region, she'd know that Ceolread castle had been reduced ruin approximately four decades ago.

"I was just an ordinary man back then, with an ordinary horse and ordinary arms and armor." Ethelred said, gesturing at his armored frame. "I traveled the land as a knight-errant, until I ran afoul of a powerful Unseelie. They struck me with magic that froze me- and my horse- in ice, and I thought that was the end. Then, many, many years later, Queen Sorcha found me and freed me from the ice, where I found that I had been turned into a being of cold, fused with my now icy armor and unable to remove it. However, I still had my wits, and my horse, who had also been transformed. When I learned of the woman who freed me, and the cause she fought for, I joined up with her, and have been one of her knights ever since."

Ethelred couldn't help but wonder if the ice block he had been trapped in had also served as his cocoon as he transformed, just as the tree appears to have been for the Unseelie within. Did it protect him as he was slowly reshaped, just as the tree seemingly did for the Unseelie until it was broken open?

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Thanks to Vier's intervention, the warrior's axe never reached Fleuri. Unfortunately, this resulted in his fellow knight taking the blast, throwing him across the room. Fleuri wasn't sure how injured Vier was- that explosion might have merely knocked the wind out of him, or it could have shattered every bone in his chest.

We need to end this before anyone else gets hit with that attack.

The Barukstaed man had avoided Fleuri's attack, but his sword was still close to his neck. As he raised his axe, once again glowing in preparation for another explosion, it was immediately clear that Fleuri wouldn't have time for anything elaborate or risky. Instead, the knight stepped back out of the range of the axe, sliding the blade of his greatsword against the man's neck as he withdrew. He wouldn't have enough leverage to decapitate, but he hoped that there'd be at least sufficient force to inflict a fatal laceration.

Unless, of course, the Barukstaedian's neck was protected by mail (Between the tomb's lighting and his helmet, Fleuri couldn't quite discern whether it was), in which case, it would at most annoy him.

@Conscripts@Rune_Alchemist@Creative Chaos

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

Argus had not lost his touch when it came to scaring people. Perhaps this woman might not have deserved to be frightened in this manner, but he preferred that the mortals whom he dealt with feel at least a twinge of fear or unease. Better for everyone that way, he felt.

"I did not mean to startle you," he assured her. "I am clearly a bit rusty at making a proper entrance."

The woman identified herself as a healer and scholar. Her knowledge might prove useful, Argus surmised. Assuming, of course, that he could pay her. Just what sort of currency would these broken people use, anyway? Surely the precious coins and metals valued in the previous age would not hold the same worth to such a broken civilization.

"There is something of an arguably scholarly nature...that I would like to know," he proposed. "I have a specific interest in the the ship graveyard, and the malevolent force that commands the dead. Just what manner and form of payment might you request for such knowledge?"

@Rune_Alchemist

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Griffin Knight

Name: Roger Falkner

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance:
Armored
Unhelmeted
His mount, fully armored
Roger stands at 5'8" without his armor.

Personality:
Being intended as the first in a line of griffin knights, Roger has always felt pressure placed upon him. The strength to endure it, and the motivation to pursue it, has been thanks to his companionship with his griffin mount. Given the choice, he will forego most luxuries that his station might offer, such as a fancy meal or a warm bed, in favor of sharing a kill and curling up with his mount at night. In fact, being separated from his griffin causes him some degree of anxiety, partially due to his worries that his beast could get up to trouble- or at least become agitated- if left unsupervised.

Roger is ambivalent on the nobility. While there are indeed many brave and dutiful nobles, like the princess and his mother's family, he's also rather unimpressed with the silly notions that their lineage somehow makes them special. He may not be as prideful as his mount, but if some arrogant fop insults his family's lineage, they might lose a very expensive horse or two.

One thing that remains at the back of his mind is his worries about what will happen when his griffin finds a mate. Will it still be able to serve as his mount? Would their bond remain? It's not an immediate concern, but it's a worry that he cannot dispel.

Brief Backstory:
For many generations, the Falkner family were renowned across Velt as griffin breeders and tamers. For most of their history, they were not nobility, but were nonetheless quite well-off due to the price that a trained griffin could command. This situation changed when one of the family's sons married a knightess from a minor noble family of little means, raising the family to nobility.

Roger was the firstborn son of this union, and the first of the Falkner name to be born to nobility. He lived much of his early life at the family's mountain eyrie where his father taught him the family business of handling and riding griffins. He learned to handle these dangerous, prideful predators without getting injured, how to train them, and how to ride them across the skies. Meanwhile, his mother trained him in the ways of a knight, hoping that Roger would follow in her family's martial traditions. They hoped that they could raise him to become the family's first griffin knight.

At first, his parents expectations for him seemed lofty, even unreasonable, and Roger struggled. He might have never managed to live up to their hopes if it were not for the fledgling griffin that was chosen to be raised as his mount. The beast became his closest companion, and bonding with it made him all the more invested in becoming a griffin knight, and more capable of enduring the pressure.

When Roger was knighted, it sent a message to the aristocracy of Velt that the Falkners intended to usher in a new tradition of raising up not just griffins, but also knights to ride them. Many of the nobility, however, were skeptical of Roger's credentials and abilities as a knight, seeing him as the son of an upstart family with little martial tradition. However, because of the value of an airborne cavalryman and the trustworthy reputation of his family, he was able to secure a position serving under Velvetica Hraesleg, where his role was mostly relegated to relaying messages, reconnaissance, and, if his commander requested, transportation. This changed as Velvetica's unit began to take on more formidable foes, and during the attack on the orc warband, Roger and Shortclaw faced their foes' porcine cavalry and cut them down, their first real fight. Since then, as Velvetica's unit has stepped up its role, Roger and his griffin have assumed a more active combat role, flanking their enemies and tearing into their cavalry and war beasts.

Equipment:
Shortclaw
A male griffin, raised alongside Roger since it was old enough to leave its nest. More than just a mount, it is Roger's closest and most valued friend. It is a preening, prideful creature, and while it will not attack humans or horses unprovoked, it will react poorly to being restrained by anyone other than Roger- and even then it'll probably whine. As far as griffins go, it is in excellent physical condition and quite capable of inflicting lethal injuries with its beak and claws. After Roger joined the Lions, he has managed to train Shortclaw to allow the princess to touch it and climb onto its back, although he wouldn't want her to take the reins without him being present.

Armor and Barding
Roger's armor was designed for griffin riding in mind. It provides protection from both the cold winds when flying and the blades of enemies. His mount is also well-armored, clad in barding that bears a weight-reduction enchantment.

Spear
Roger's primary weapon is a long, winged spear, designed to strike foes from his perch atop his mount, and prevent skewered foes from getting closer.

Survival kit
It is important for a griffin knight to be prepared for the possibility of going down in the wilderness, and Roger is consequently equipped with a satchel of basic tools for wilderness survival, including a knife, bandages, a tinder box, a water skin, spare saddle straps, and a small metal pot.

Skills:
While Roger is inexperienced, his parents trained him well in the basic skills needed to be a griffin knight. He grew up around griffins, and the fact that he still has all of his fingers is a testament to his competence in handling them. While he is not nearly at his father's level in this area, he can nonetheless train griffins to be comfortable around humans and obey basic orders, and is quite comfortable riding them both on the ground and in the air. In addition to what his father taught him, he was trained by his mother in the ways of knighthood, and focused particularly in the art of fighting with spears.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

Here's my CS proposal.

Griffin Knight

Name: Roger Falkner

Age: 23

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance:
Armored
Unhelmeted
His mount, fully armored
Roger stands at 5'8" without his armor.

Personality:
Being intended as the first in a line of griffin knights, Roger has always felt pressure placed upon him. The strength to endure it, and the motivation to pursue it, has been thanks to his companionship with his griffin mount. Given the choice, he will forego most luxuries that his station might offer, such as a fancy meal or a warm bed, in favor of sharing a kill and curling up with his mount at night. In fact, being separated from his griffin causes him some degree of anxiety, partially due to his worries that his beast could get up to trouble- or at least become agitated- if left unsupervised.

Roger is ambivalent on the nobility. While there are indeed many brave and dutiful nobles, like the princess and his mother's family, he's also rather unimpressed with the silly notions that their lineage somehow makes them special. He may not be as prideful as his mount, but if some arrogant fop insults his family's lineage, they might lose a very expensive horse or two.

One thing that remains at the back of his mind is his worries about what will happen when his griffin finds a mate. Will it still be able to serve as his mount? Would their bond remain? It's not an immediate concern, but it's a worry that he cannot dispel.

Brief Backstory:
For many generations, the Falkner family were renowned across Velt as griffin breeders and tamers. For most of their history, they were not nobility, but were nonetheless quite well-off due to the price that a trained griffin could command. This situation changed when one of the family's sons married a knightess from a minor noble family of little means, raising the family to nobility.

Roger was the firstborn son of this union, and the first of the Falkner name to be born to nobility. He lived much of his early life at the family's mountain eyrie where his father taught him the family business of handling and riding griffins. He learned to handle these dangerous, prideful predators without getting injured, how to train them, and how to ride them across the skies. Meanwhile, his mother trained him in the ways of a knight, hoping that Roger would follow in her family's martial traditions. They hoped that they could raise him to become the family's first griffin knight.

At first, his parents expectations for him seemed lofty, even unreasonable, and Roger struggled. He might have never managed to live up to their hopes if it were not for the fledgling griffin that was chosen to be raised as his mount. The beast became his closest companion, and bonding with it made him all the more invested in becoming a griffin knight, and more capable of enduring the pressure.

When Roger was knighted, it sent a message to the aristocracy of Velt that the Falkners intended to usher in a new tradition of raising up not just griffins, but also knights to ride them. Many of the nobility, however, were skeptical of Roger's credentials and abilities as a knight, seeing him as the son of an upstart family with little martial tradition. However, because of the value of an airborne cavalryman and the trustworthy reputation of his family, he was able to secure a position serving under Velvetica Hraesleg, where his role was mostly relegated to relaying messages, reconnaissance, and, if his commander requested, transportation. This changed as Velvetica's unit began to take on more formidable foes, and during the attack on the orc warband, Roger and Shortclaw faced their foes' porcine cavalry and cut them down, their first real fight. Since then, as Velvetica's unit has stepped up its role, Roger and his griffin have assumed a more active combat role, flanking their enemies and tearing into their cavalry and war beasts.

Equipment:
Shortclaw
A male griffin, raised alongside Roger since it was old enough to leave its nest. More than just a mount, it is Roger's closest and most valued friend. It is a preening, prideful creature, and while it will not attack humans or horses unprovoked, it will react poorly to being restrained by anyone other than Roger- and even then it'll probably whine. As far as griffins go, it is in excellent physical condition and quite capable of inflicting lethal injuries with its beak and claws. After Roger joined the Lions, he has managed to train Shortclaw to allow the princess to touch it and climb onto its back, although he wouldn't want her to take the reins without him being present.

Armor and Barding
Roger's armor was designed for griffin riding in mind. It provides protection from both the cold winds when flying and the blades of enemies. His mount is also well-armored, clad in barding that bears a weight-reduction enchantment.

Spear
Roger's primary weapon is a long, winged spear, designed to strike foes from his perch atop his mount, and prevent skewered foes from getting closer.

Survival kit
It is important for a griffin knight to be prepared for the possibility of going down in the wilderness, and Roger is consequently equipped with a satchel of basic tools for wilderness survival, including a knife, bandages, a tinder box, a water skin, spare saddle straps, and a small metal pot.

Skills:
While Roger is inexperienced, his parents trained him well in the basic skills needed to be a griffin knight. Roger grew up around griffins, and the fact that he still has all of his fingers is a testament to his competence in handling them. While he is not nearly at his father's level in this area, he can nonetheless train griffins to be comfortable round humans and obey basic orders, and is quite comfortable riding them both on the ground and in the air. In addition to what his father taught him, he was trained by his mother in the ways of knighthood, and focused particularly in the art of fighting with spears.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

The Unseelie's demise was a victory, for sure. However, when it uttered an apology to its mother, Ethelred found himself taking and holding its emergent hand as it expired, somewhat touched by its sorrowful last words.

"If you loved her, perhaps the goddess will consider it when you are judged," he spoke softly, unsure if the Unseelie held on long enough to hear his words.

Following his foe's death and the retreat of the other Unseelie, he headed over to the others. Poor Lugh was dinged up a little and smelled awful, but that was the worst of it. Elnith had avoided injury, but the newcomer- the druid- had been unfortunate enough to be under the tree when it fell, yet seemed barely fazed by it. In fact, she was invigorated, and even willing to continue the fight despite having just taken a blow that could've killed a person. He certainly couldn't question her fortitude.

"Yes, I have questions," he responded. "It's not every day we meet someone whom being crushed under a tree doesn't even slow them down. Where are you from, and where did you learn your magic?"

Someone of her magical skills could be useful to Sorcha's cause, if she was willing. If not, she could still be a very useful contact and ally.

"And, err, I don't suppose you know any any magic that can get the smell out of Lugh, do you?"

@BrokenPromise

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

It didn't take Argus long to determine what this woman most likely was.

Judging by her her alchemical apparatus, her choice of clothing, her gaunt fingers, and the fact that she's out here in a forest full of beasts rather than within the safety of the village, she is probably a witch.

Anyone able to survive out here alone was potentially quite dangerous, and even the vampiric pirate captain found himself a bit uneasy at the sight of this woman. The safest thing to do would be to avoid her and instead head straight to the village.

However, Argus hadn't gotten where he was by taking the safest option available to him. Ever since he peeked into that suspicious crate, he had tempered his sense of discretion with an adventurous curiosity. Ships were meant to leave the safety of the harbor (although Argus had proven several times that not even a harbor is truly safe), and he would not have become a pirate if he had not been willing to take considerable risks.

With that in mind, he slowly strode into the camp, making no effort to conceal himself. He was prepared for a fight- and for a bite- but his goal was not to make trouble.

"Quite the surprise to find a learned woman like yourself out here away from the warmth of the village," he spoke, revealing his presence. "Forgive the incursion, I an Argus, a ship's captain driven to shore by a band of skeletal sea-dogs. Judging by your glassware, are you perhaps a traveling apothecary?"

With his elaborate captain's garb, was no way that he could pass as a humble sailor, or a humble anything for that matter, so there was no point in lying.

@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri leapt back as the axe came towards him, catapulting himself away from its glowing head. He had seen what that thing had done to stone, and it was imperative that he not let get hit by that thing when it glowed like that. When his feet returned to the ground, he stumbled for a moment, unbalanced by the frantic dodge.

If this was a one-on-one duel, it would have left him vulnerable to a follow-up attack, but the other two rushed in and ensured that the warrior would be occupied. Steffen charged and attempted to grapple the warrior, while Vier sought to deflect the axe and strike at the man's hands. It was fortunate that Fleuri had such faithful knight-brothers having his back. It reminded him of all the times his mentor had saved him.

As soon as he regained his footing, Fleuri moved forward and thrust his sword at the man's neck. With Steffen trying to hold him in place and Vier dealing with his axe, it was an opportune moment to attempt a lethal blow. He would not make a mistake like the fight against the griffin again- from now on, he would strive to fight as one with his brothers and sisters.

@Conscripts@Creative Chaos@Rune_Alchemist