Crimson Paladin

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

If Giles' assessment was correct, over half the village had been wiped out by this attack. The locals wouldn't be able to withstand something like this happening again. The vampires couldn't afford losing the rest of these people- even if the gorebats had accumulated a good quantity of blood from the dead, it was a limited supply that would run out eventually. They needed these people to stay alive.

He was also unsure what the deal was between Julene and Giles. It was quite evident that in hindsight, Giles' measures had not been enough to protect the town, and that Julene blamed him for this disaster. However, he knew next to nothing of the situation here, and whether Julene's accusations held water. Was this something that could have been foreseen a league away? Some fortifications- stakes, palisades, watch towers- would have saved lives, but even so probably would've only delayed the inevitable without the vampires' intervention.

At this point, it didn't matter. With the losses they took, hunkering down and hardening the town against future attacks wasn't feasible anymore. In his experience as a pirate, a weakened settlement like this would make a tempting target.

One option would be go go on the offensive, track down and butcher every beast and errant undead in the woods, but that could prove to be a slow undertaking for a small band of vampires.

"I know very little of your situation, or the state of this city," Argus stated. "Miss Akyasha, what do you think? Do you believe that the city would be any safer for these people?" Giles claimed that it was overrun with beasts and undead, but given what he had seen of these woods, was that really any different than here?

@Rune_Alchemist@Pyromania99

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

"Yes, this doesn't look like the work of a berserk madman," Fleuri spoke sadly, looking at the fort captain's corpse. "This was a calculated murder, and from the look of him, he died with his mind intact." Even being murdered in his bed could not take away the dead captain's apparent dignity, especially compared to the madness-fueled slaughter that his subordinates were subjected to.

Whomever did this, Fleuri hoped that the Roses would get the chance to bring them to justice. And whether by execution or in battle, they would not be afforded the same dignity in death.

"I'll check the man's desk," Fleuri volunteered. "There might be a journal or a log or some sort of paper trail alluding to what led up to this." The knight walked up to the desk and began to very carefully examine both it and the contents.

@The Otter@VitaVitaAR

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

The wyvern was temporarily stopped, but it wouldn't last long. The vines had already withered away as Lonan, fueled by Ethelred's powers, was able to cover it in a layer of ice. This should buy the soldiers enough time to seek shelter, and this might also present an opportunity to wound or kill it.

The Frozen Knight charged the wyvern just as Luana did, aiming for the beast's chest. Like the druid, he made no war cry- his weapons and powers would speak for him. His goal was to push his lance into its torso and damage its vital organs through either physical trauma or freezing. The more grievous its wounds, the slower it'd become.

He was unsure how well his lance would hold up against his foe's power of decay and death, though. He knew from experience that it could repair itself of being being chipped or nicked not unlike his armor, but he did not know its limitations. Even with this uncertainty, however, he couldn't hestitate- this thing needed to be stopped.

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

"Aye, without your summons, lass, these people would have fared far worse," Argus complimented the vampire nun. "As for myself, I am Argus, a sailor driven landward by the horrors in and under the seas." He wasn't sure if the woman's nature as a vampire was known, so he did not say anything that would reveal either her or him to be one. If she was leading these people to believe that she was simply a warrior-cleric of considerable power, he would not want to break the façade. Vampire matters were best left discussed away from the prying ears of humans.

Argus put his sword away he looked over the remaining villagers. It was fortunate that the nun was here to summon those gorebats, because killing all of those beasts before they could kill more people would have been a challenge for two vampires and a human. However, as much as he wanted to call this a victory, their job wasn't done yet. Those beasts were still out there, and they couldn't afford to let the monsters chip away at what remained of the population.

"These people may not be safe here," Argus noted to the nun. "Those beasts could come back to finish the job." The pirate couldn't offer any suggestions, though. Having just reawakened without an astrolabe, compass, map, or sextant, he had no knowledge of his current location nor knowledge of any potential safe haven.

@Pyromania99

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

Roger Falkner

The Lions were victorious over the dolls, and without taking casualties. Lirrah was sobbing, but she didn't look hurt- probably just shaken. The Witch didn't appear to begrudge them for it- in fact, she seemed entertained at the spectacle. This whole ordeal was probably just entertainment for her, Roger thought.

With the immediate danger concluded, the knight brought his spear up and hefted it over his shoulder.

As a prize for passing the test, the Witch produced another animated doll and bequeathed it to Velvetica. For his lack of magical knowledge, Roger could tell this one was quite different. Superficially it appeared like an actual doll that one might buy in an upscale shop. A great deal of effort had been put into the doll's details and outfit, especially compared to the expendable minions that now lay in pieces around the room. According to the Witch, this doll would assist them, although it wasn't clear just how it'd do that. Either way, Velvetica couldn't refuse the gift, not without offending the Witch.

It looks like the Lions have a new member for the time being.

The Witch departed using her magic, but not before giving the Lions the information they sought on the whereabouts of the prisoners. She didn't give any more information on the doll, but Gisela was able to scry the its purpose and abilities. According to her, it was a...magical detector of some sort.

There were still some questions that remained unanswered, but the most prudent ones- the fate of the necromancers, the purpose and capabilities of the Witch's gift, and the location of the necromancers' prisoners- had been answered. There was no more reason to stick around in the tomb.

"Commander, would you like for me to perform reconnaisance of the southeast, where the witch claimed the captives are?" he asked Velvetica. While he was outwardly taking it better than poor Lirrah, Roger was very eager to get away of this creepy place and back outside. Even without the witch and necromancers, some of these tombs were associated with some pretty ominous beings.

@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Before they could head inside, Tyaethe approached the pale woman whom Alette was sending them into the fort with. The vampire's senses and centuries of experience had caught onto some very curious peculiarities about this Abigail, and was bold enough to question her about it to her face.

Is Abigail undead? he silently asked himself as he listened to what Tyaethe had to say. He had crossed paths with undead before, even prior to the mission to the mausoleum, but he had never seen one like Abigail. She looked far more...lively...than the undead he was used to, not just in her movements and actions, but in her physical appearance- she was far too intact easy on the eyes, too...not uncanny...for a corpse that had been dead long enough to have such discoloration.

Most curious was the fact that Tyaethe, a centuries old undead herself, didn't seem entirely sure what Abigail was. If something intrigued and bewildered even her, of all people then it must be a mystery worth paying attention to, he thought.

Fleuri waited to see what Tyaethe would do, trusting in the vampire paladin to provide proper Reonite guidance for handling situations like this.

@Raineh Daze@The Otter@VitaVitaAR

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

Roger Falkner

The doll was weakened by their strikes, and another blow should be enough to finish the job. Velvetica ordered them to strike the final blow just as her sword powered down from an attack that had obliterated its waist. Meanwhile, it looked like the others had the smaller dolls taken care of.

Even with such grievous damage, however, the doll could still be dangerous. It likely did not feel any pain or peril from its dire position, and would not hesitate to make more attacks with its appropriated weapons. There would still be the matter of its immensely powerful creator, but she had told them to fight this thing- surely she wouldn't hold it against the Lions for doing what she asked of them. Besides, these dolls lack of fine detail further suggested to him that it was little more than a replaceable weapon to her- assuming, of course, that the witch's mind was less inhuman than her body.

The Steel Princess' sword was quite the impressive weapons, Roger thought as he moved to obey her command. The griffin knight stepped behind Urden and moved into position for a final blow. pulled his spear back, then swung it in a half-circular arc, building as much speed and momentum as he could before its head would crash into the front of the doll's cracked torso.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

A cursed black shard...could it have done all of this?

The thought of a single shard that could drive so many good soldiers to murderous madness was a disturbing one. Whether they went mad just by being unprotected in its proximity or if someone somehow used the shard to madden them? Whatever the case might be, Alette's attitude suggested that she was not worried about suffering the soldiers' fates, nor did the other party she mentioned.

Speaking of the other party...

Fleuri immediately recognized what the corpse's tattoo meant. He was not as familiar with mercenary companies as men like Gerard and Fionn, but he knew of the Golden Boars, perhaps the most infamous mercenary company on the continent. According to Alette, they were also here to collect the shard. But if they were here, that would suggest that there were multiple parties who knew about this shard while the Iron Roses had been in the dark. Despite their connections to the crown, the military, and the church, the existence of this disaster-bringing shard had somehow evaded their attention at the very same time that at least two opposing parties were hiring mercenaries to retrieve it and wage battle with each other in the kingdom's borders.

Some of the other knights were already seemingly eager for the opportunity to fight the Golden Boars. No surprise that former mercenaries like Gerard and Fionn seemed the most enthusiastic. They probably crossed paths with the Boars before, and probably were quite familiar with the wrongs that those immoral swords-for-hire were responsible for.

If the Golden Boars have made a move against the Kingdom of Thaln, it might just be the justification that the crown needed to put them out of business for good, Fleuri thought. He certainly wouldn't be against it- putting an end to this wicked mercenary company once and for all would be a worthwhile mission.

But what about who hired them, or who hired Alette? No mercenary with any self-respect would reveal their employer willy-nilly, especially for such a sensitive, secretive mission. However, it might be possible, Fleuri speculated, to arrange for Alette to be summoned before a court and compelled to name her benefactor, if she persisted in Thaln. However, that matter could wait. Investigating the scene as soon as possible took precedence, and Fionn had asked Fleuri to accompany his investigations. Perhaps the former soldier-of-fortune thought that his and Fleuri's contrasting upbringings might allow them to notice different things. Or maybe Fionn was just being sociable- he and Fleuri hadn't really interacted much.

"Good idea, Sir Fionn," he responded, putting away his sword. "If the captain had a journal or a log, or a correspondence, we might find some useful information there."

"But first, a question for the mercenary captain," he said, turning to Alette. "These disguised Golden Boars, they were alive and lucid when you and your company arrived here, right?"

@The Otter@VitaVitaAR

The Long Afternoon of the Mojave (A Fallout Roleplay)

Sentinel Derek Irving- Hidden Valley Bunker

Irving and Hardin stood near the exit door of the firing range and watched the Knights and Paladins practicing. A veritable light show of red lasers lit up from a variety of energy weapons pummeling the targets. With the promise of combat coming soon, the Brotherhood had to be ready. Even though the output of the weapons had been greatly reduced to slow ammunition consumption and put less strain on the targets, it was clear that these targets would need replacing soon.

"That's not an AER9, the cell is on the drum," Hardin berated a Knight who was struggling with reloading a Laser RCW. "You fumble a reload like that on the battlefield, and you're dead. And Paladin, don't concentrate all your fire on the chest piece, shift your aim for unarmored spots like the head and gut," he corrected a Paladin using a Gatling Laser."

Irving watched silently as the Head Paladin corrected them. They were just about out of time to prepare these boys and girls for battle, this was their last chance to get these mistakes fixed before real combat.

The door to the firing range opened as a scribe burst in. "Sentinel, Scribe Hoss has just radioed in from Freeside, it's about the NCR VIP."

Derek was relieved- ever since their grocers had been arrested by the NCR, they had been maintaining radio silence with their undercover man in New Vegas. Fortunately, it sounded like Hoss' cover- a humble radio repairman operating out of a small Radiation King store in Freeside- had not been blown. No real surprise- Irving knew Hoss as a cautious fellow who didn't like taking unnecessary risks or doing anything that might compromise his cover. It was also evident that Hoss was staying on top of things, since due to the radio silence, the Brotherhood had not been able to alert him to the incoming VIP.

"Head Paladin, keep an eye on things here, I'll look into this." The Sentinel followed the scribe back to the comms room, where a robed radio operator was awaiting them.

"Ah, Sentinel, Hoss just finished his message a few minutes ago. This is what he sent." He reached over to a holotape player and pressed play.

Dad, do you hear me? You receiving this? It's your son in Freeside.

Business is.zzzt...good. Had to make a few trips to the Strip since those folks don't like setting foot in Freeside unless they really have to.

Things have been interesting in Freeside today. A bigwig from California showed up in Freeside today. An ambassador, if you can believe it. NCR isn't too popular around here, and I hear talk that some local roughneck mercs tried to make trouble for him. No worries, though, the ambassador had escort with him, and one of the mercs got his head blown up for his trouble. Those Van Graffs and their plasma weapons...zzzt...sure aren't something you want to end up on the wrong side of.

I...err...probably shouldn't have told you that, I know how you worry about me. Relax, I'm doing well in Freeside- no trouble with the locals or NCR. Speaking of which, I got some radios that need fixing, so I'll sign off. Give mom my regards!

Irving pondered this news. From what he could gather from Hoss' message, the VIP was an NCR ambassador, making his way to the embassy on the Strip, escorted by Van Graff subordinates.

"We also picked up something else," the scribe revealed. "A signal on a frequency that could be picked upon any home radio, but the contents are...I don't know how to describe it, best if you hear it for yourself." The scribe seemed slightly spooked at the mention of it.

"Very well, scribe, put it on," Irving replied, somewhat confused. The scribe pressed a button, replaying the message.

Irving listened to the audio, his face slightly discomforted as it went on. As it stopped, he silently pondered for a minute, before relying.

"Keep tabs on that frequency, let me know if there's any more of these messages. In the meantime, we have other business to attend to."

With the revelation that an NCR ambassador had come to New Vegas, Irving saw an opportunity to propose a ceasefire- or at least convey the Brotherhood's willingness for peace- to the NCR. For all the warring against the NCR that he had participated in, for all the scars and marks that the war with the NCR left on Irving, he was in the Mojave to deal with a far more dire foe.

And if the NCR wasn't going to agree? Irving had plans ready for that possibility.

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

"That's some fine work, lass," Argus complimented the human. It had been a while since he had the pleasure of watching the aftermath of a monster eating an explosive.

The pirate and priestess had managed to grievously wound the beast, but it was the human and her bomb that put it down. Well, almost put it down- despite the gruesome damage that the explosive had caused, the beast was still clinging to life, still breathing. It'd probably expire from its injuries given enough time, but who knows how long that would take?

Argus wasn't sure how the rest of the village had fared- either the other beasts were too occupied devouring the inhabitants to bother interfering with the fight, or that priestess' gorebats had done their job and drained them dry. Once this thing was dispatched, they would need to look over the village and see how many had died, and how many had survived.

"Still breathing, are ye? Let us fix that," he spoke as he approached the beast, sword in hand. With his good arm, he brought the blade down on the beast's spine. Argus had spent enough time around bones and skeletons of all types to surmise that the beast's flexible, avian neck would probably be composed of comparatively smaller, more numerous neck-bones that should be easier to slice through than a more mammalian monster.

@Rune_Alchemist@Pyromania99