Crimson Paladin

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

Roger Falkner

"It'd be for us, Shortclaw prefers it raw," Roger clarified to the elf. "He shares his meals with me, you see, so what he eats, I've learned to eat." Not everyone was entirely comfortable with horses being used as meat due to their most familiar role as riding animals, but Roger saw it no differently than eating cattle. They were the natural part of a griffin's diet, after all.

Of course, the dietary needs and digestive capabilities of humans were a bit different from griffins, so it had always been necessary for Roger to learn new ways to prepare his portion of their shared meals and mix them in with other foods. In particular, he had taken an interest in adapting the noble cuisine recipes from his mother's side of the family for use with horse flesh. Between Lirrah and the Morathi, all of the ingredients needed to try it out were within reach.

The journey back to the camp took a lot longer on foot than it would have by flying, but this mission required both careful coordination with the other Lions as well some degree of stealth and subtlety. The duo set perched atop a hill where they could get a clear view of the horse enclosure and await Kayliss' sabotage. For several minutes that felt much longer for the anticipation-filled knight, he waited and watched. Trying to spot Kayliss out there was quite futile, but he kept a close watch on both the gate and the camp. If anything went wrong with her infiltration (as unlikely as that was) he should at least be able to perceive the resulting ruckus.

Finally, the gate swung open, with a figure that was assuredly Kayliss rising into view in front of it. The time had come to do their part. Roger signaled Shortclaw, and the griffin complied, leaping from the hill and taking flight. They flew low over the camp, and with another signal from Roger to specify their target, Shortclaw dove down upon an unfortunate Morathi horse. The griffin forced the horse to the ground before it could flee, gripping it with his talons and chomping down on its spine behind its head with his curved beak. For all of the combat techniques that Roger's father had taught Shortclaw, this killing blow was almost purely instinctual.

If this didn't send the rest of the horses into a mad panic, nothing would.

@VitaVitaAR@Octo@Psyker Landshark@Conscripts@Raineh Daze@Eisenhorn@The Otter

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

It had been a while since Fleuri had visited Cae Mayl. Not since shortly before he had joined the Roses, in fact.

The shrine was just as beautifully serene as he remembered. It showed no sign of desecration or vandalism, and according to Tyaethe, there was no whiff of corruption. If they weren't on such a dire mission, he'd be tempted to stay and pray for a bit.

Even if Tyaethe didn't sense any corruption, if the evidence that they pulled from the fort was any indication, there may be some evidence of someone having gone here, a trail that had not yet gone cold. Another possibility was that since corpse that contained the location had not lived to come to this location, perhaps their contact or contacts might still be lurking about, waiting nearby for their agent to arrive.

Fleuri had no magic and no skill at tracking, so the most he could do for now was to keep watch of the surrounding area and utter a silent prayer to Mayon.

Mayon, Goddess of the Moon, please watch over us and grant us your favor, that we may find the accursed shard and have the strength to stop these evildoers before they can bring harm to more of Thaln.

...and guide our captain that she may lead the order according to your will...

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred looked around the area where they had come to a stop. Judging by the dead plant life, the wyvern had definitely been here. That cave was probably its lair, which meant it could spring out of it at any moment. Best not to get too close...

"This is the monster's home territory, he's got the advantage here. So I say we reshape this place to favor us instead," he quietly suggested as he awaited Luana's reply.

It'd be convenient if they could trick it into hurling itself right into an ice spike or cluster of frozen stakes, but he was sure it wouldn't be that easy. However, if they were to freeze the ground so it couldn't get a grip, raise up plants to hinder where it can maneuver, that could put the flightless wyvern at a disadvantage.

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

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

Roger Falkner

Roger knew very little of the Morahti. He had heard of the term, and knew that it referred to a foreign warrior culture, but his education hadn't taught him anything else beyond that. Cadmon was evidently familiar with them, as he described them as a plains-dwelling warrior culture from Asharaad with a tradition of enslave those they take prisoner. That cast a vile enough portrayal, but Cadmon also pointed out that these Morahti bought these captives.

This left a rather large question unanswered for Roger- what were a large band of mercenaries doing in Velt so near the border? Had Ithillin hired them to cause trouble in hopes of being able to maintain some deniability? Could someone from Velt have hired them, either oblivious or unconcerned with their slaving habits? Perhaps the Lions might find evidence in their camp, because this sounded awfully suspicious to him.

Speaking of the camp, Velvetica already had a plan for these mercenaries. Surround them, release their hoses to prevent them from mounting up, and attack. Don't give them a chance to escape or fight on their terms. They might even manage to grab a snack for Shortclaw while they were at it.

"If you're going to stay behind, Lirrah, could you fetch some spices?" Roger addressed Nem, "This mission looks like it might present a good opportunity for me to try out a horse recipe."

@Octo@VitaVitaAR@The Otter@Eisenhorn

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

"It's complicated," Argus answered, somewhat hesitantly, a bit caught off-guard by the question, "But yes on both counts- my father was a sailor, and so was I. However, my ship was lost to some unseen horror out there, so it may be a while before I return to the sea." He didn't want to elaborate too much, lest he tip off his true, inhuman age, or the true nature of his nautical career to Gilles.

"Besides," he confided, to the headman, removing his hat, "There is much to be done ashore before I can think about heading back out there. I must get my strength back, perhaps ask Julene for help crafting a polearm, and look into whatever is going on with Alavaris."

There wasn't much potential for piracy in this ruined world, but this new world was ripe for exploring, if Argus lived long enough to get back his strength, his ship, and a new crew. Even if the stars and coastlines were the same, the vampire was curious to see what other races and groups had survived the world's end. For now, however, there were more important and immediate matters to address, such as ensuring the survival of these surviving humans, dealing with Alavaris, and fulfilling his bargains with the witch and the spearwoman.

"You mentioned your father possessed a flag. Did you ever see what it looked like when unfolded?" he asked. It was too bad that Julene had caused it to be destroyed, but he was curious what sort of flags were being flown in this new world.

@Rune_Alchemist

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

The druid had a point- this could be a trap. The wyvern had already proven itself to be equal parts cruel and pragmatic, so an ambush was definitely a possibility. At the same time, however, the wyvern was wounded. Ethelred wasn't sure how serious its wounds were or how quickly it could heal, but if it got away and didn't drop from its wounds, it would recover, then come back and murder more people for its twisted purpose.

"I agree with Luana," Ethelred spoke "It's injured, and if it has any fight left in it, that beast will want to battle us on its own terms. But we also don't want to give it a chance to attend to that chest wound I gave it."

Ordinarily, wounds made by Ethelred's lance didn't initially bleed because the freezing stopped the blood. However, with the way that wyvern's body decayed whatever it touched, its wound was probably already thawed out. With the way that thing rolled, it might cause it to bleed even more vigorously. However, Ethelred wasn't willing to leave it to chance- they had to put it down and make sure it was dead.

"Fortunately, unlike the previous wyverns we've faced, this one travels on the ground and should leave tracks unmistakable for anything else. And even if it doesn't...Luana," he turned to the druid, "Do you think you could track it by scent in one of your animal forms?"

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

"Certainly, Sir Fionn," Fleuri replied to his fellow knight's request. He'd help to lift the corpse up. "What an atrocity this was," he lamented.

The conspiracy against the princess seemed minor compared to what they were facing. A shard of Orodrunn, an entire fort driven mad and wiped out, this was nothing like he had expected to face in the Iron Roses. It was nothing like he had expected Thaln to face in his lifetime. This could be even worse of a threat to the kingdom than the War of the Red Flag.

"The fact that they used magic should narrow down our culprit a bit," Fleuri remarked to Fionn and Abigail. "I don't know much about curses, but I'm pretty sure that the average hired blade or cutthroat wouldn't be able to do this to someone. Let's hope those outside were able to find more clues."

@The Otter

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

Roger Falkner

The strange camp wasn't anything quite like Roger had seen before. He couldn't make out their words from this far away, but it sounded foreign. They definitely weren't Ithillane, although they were quite close to the border. Where had they come from, and how had they entered Velt? He hadn't spotted any prisoners, though, perhaps they were stashed away in those strange red tents.

Roger was tempted to fly lower to get a better look, but he couldn't afford to give himself away or give them an opening to shoot at him.

The number of horses was of some concern to Roger. Aside from the possibility that these foreign warriors were skilled horsemen, it also suggested that these foreigners wouldn't have too much trouble fleeing across the border if they wished. With how poor the relations with Ithillin were, with how aggressive their King Rathellion was, a border incident could spark a war, even if the Lions had very good reason for crossing over.

It was a shame that he could not see at night as well as Shortclaw. No doubt the griffin's eyes had seen far greater details of what was going on down there.

He needed to convey this information back to the Steel Princess as quickly as possible. Time was of the essence if they wanted to rescue their people. Roger signalled Shortclaw to return to base. The griffin banked and headed back in the direction of the tomb.

Upon returning to the necromancers' ruined base, they'd touch down in a clear landing spot near Velvetica.

"Commander, I've located the foreigners' camp, not far from the Ithillin border," he announced, not wanting to waste any time. "I've got no idea who they are or where they're from, but they've got strange red domed tents and a lot of horses, definitely not Ithillin's people. I didn't see the captives in there, though."

@VitaVitaAR

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

So Alavaris still stood, albeit overrun. Argus never cared for spending much time in the city during his time as a vampire, but in the current situation, it would make a good place to regroup, resupply, and perhaps search for the blade that Cynthia desired. With the blood gathered by the gorebats, he should have plenty of sustenance to fuel any efforts to fight back against the monsters that have overrun the city.

Unfortunately, it would be easier said than done, and there was still the much more imminent concern of the surviving villagers. As much as he didn't want to admit it, Gilles had a point- it could be difficult for just the two vampires to escort the entire band of human survivors to Alavaris safely. And that was assuming that they could be convinced to comply, because even after everything that had happened, they may find the familiarity of these dark woods to be less discomforting than the walls of the once-great vampire city.

For now, Argus saw no harm with accepting the village leader's hospitality. There were some things that he needed to sit down and take care of, such as penning new articles of piracy, and this would be a good time to do it. There was, however, one other matter that needed to be addressed.

"I would be grateful for your hospitality, Mister Gilles," Argus said, bowing, "But there is a dire matter to discuss- what will you do with your dead? There is grisly necromancy afoot, and you do not to risk your dead getting back up."

@Rune_Alchemist@Pyromania99

The Long Afternoon of the Mojave (A Fallout Roleplay)

Edit: Double post.