Crimson Paladin

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

Roger Falkner

Their attack was successful- the griffin's attack caused the horses to panic and flee. The horse beneath them wasn't nearly so lucky, its spine having been cleanly bitten through. Roger didn't pay too much attention to the dead horse, though- he was much more concerned with everything going around them.

The attack on the horse pen had been the signal for the rest of the Lions to attack. The others rushed in, cutting down any of the mercenaries in their way. With the Morathi caught as unprepared as they were, and without their mounts, they were quickly proving to be easy prey for Velvetica's forces.

Shortclaw raised his head from the dispatched horse, his beak dripping with equine viscera. The griffin placed its front talons on the horse pen to prop itself up, and seemingly scanned the area, glancing over everything going on around them. Despite the presence of plenty of Morathi around them, the griffin did not instinctually move to attack them, nor did Roger command or try to compel him to do so. Instead, they stayed put, looking around, staying vigilant in case an actual threat appeared, or in case they heard the sound of a Lion that needed help.

Roger was fairly sure that his mount was greatly enjoying this. The immensely proud beast got a kick out of seeing humans fleeing before him, especially those designated as enemies. The Falkners in fact considered it an essential lesson in training a griffin to ensure that they view fleeing, panicking, or surrendering humans as food for their massive ego rather than for their stomach. Otherwise, disaster could strike if the wrong person became frightened at the wrong time.

They weren't just doing this for fun, through. The two of them were keeping watch in case any of the mercenaries managed to regroup and begin to fight back. In the frenzy of a fight, especially one that was going well, it was all too easy to get caught up in the moment and get caught off-guard when a new threat emerges or something goes wrong. If something like that were to happen here, the griffin and rider would be ready to spring into action.

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

Memory Lane

"I've cast an illusion on the crate, there should be no more accidental discoveries. But why are you still playing this charade with him, Captain Gallow? Just kill this nosy sailor and be done with it!"

I knew someone on this ship couldn't trusted. It turned out to be the one person whom I was sure I could trust.

"I'm the one who runs this ship, not you. If I were to simply kill a subordinate without cause, it could inspire disloyalty or even mutiny. No, this must be done delicately, and the crew must approve."

Captain Gallow talked a lot about honor among rogues. He didn't actually believe a word of what he preached.

"Delicately? You could have just gutted him when he walked in here and told the crew that he attacked you."

"Do you truly think my crew to be that dull? The fact that we are having this conversation at all is proof that they're smarter than you think! If we want them to be on our side, we need to do this properly, in a manner that assures the rest of them that this one's death is just and warranted!"

The harbormasters thought he was being honest with them. The crew thought that he was being honest with them even as we helped him to deceive the harbormasters. I still wonder whether his officers believed he was being honest with them even as they helped him to deceive the crew.

A knock came at the door.

"Ah, that should be him, which means the pieces should be all in place. Now, my magical, well-compensing friend, you're about to see how dishonest thieves are handled on the Silver Swordbill..."

Fortunately, there was one person on the ship who kept his word to me...

Argus was in disbelief. All of his efforts to avoid frightening the humans with the knowledge of his true nature, and Kordelia just blurted it out. He had heard that the self-proclaimed "Princess" wasn't the sharpest cutlass in the armory, but he had hoped for just a little subtlety.

Aleksiya attempted to shut Kordelia up and cover for her oratory blunder. An admirable effort that might fool Gilles for a time, but only for a while. Sooner or later, the vampires would need to feed, and there would be no hope at hiding their true nature, or the motivation behind protecting these humans. And the longer the vampires conceal the truth, the more the truth will upset the mortals when it inevitably comes out. Such a perceived betrayal might compel them to fight back or escape, resulting in almost certain death for them.

The village headman, in particular, would surely take particular offense if they were to lie to him to his face after he explicitly requested the truth. Argus couldn't be sure if Gilles was a man of his word when he spoke of working together, but if he Any hope of a partnership or a mutual agreement would die.

Argus was no stranger to the power of fear. It was precisely for this reason that he feared the consequences of furthering this deception. These people were no doubt frightened and traumatized, having just watched their entire pitiful world turned upside down and their loved ones slaughtered by the beasts they wrongly believed they had some measure of safety from. He believed that this would be the optimal state of mind for them to learn the truth. Any earlier and they would have had enough confidence to resist. Any later and the reveal would come as an act of treachery.

Besides, in all of his piratical career, Argus was not one to fly false flags- when the []iSilent Swordbill[/i] appeared, her crew's intentions were worn plainly upon her mast.

"I appreciate the cover, Miss Aleksiya, but the longer the truth is delayed, the more damage it will inflict upon us all," he spoke to the vampire, then slowly turned back to Gilles, looking the mortal man square in the eyes.

"I agree, Mr. Gilles, if we are to work together, there must be some trust. It will inevitably come out, and it is best that it does so on our terms. I am more than a sailor. My strength, my inhuman power, it is because I am a vampire." he revealed.

The Long Afternoon of the Mojave (A Fallout Roleplay)

Head Paladin Edgar Hardin- Hidden Valley, After Midnight

The Head Paladin switched on his his T-51b helmet's headlamp as he stepped out of the bunker into the artificial nighttime sandstorm. Behind him was a procession of fifteen power armored Paladins wielding a variety of weapons, one field scribe, and three duraframe Eyebots. Hardin directed the group onward, trudging through nearly zero visibility even with their headlamps on, relying more on his helmet's HUD, bolstered by the Eyebots' sensors, than what he could actually see. In contrast to the powerful gauss rifle stowed on his back, Hardin led the procession with a humble recharger laser pistol in his hand, in case any of the mutated Bark Scorpions that frequented the valley were out and about tonight.

It wasn't common for the Head Paladin to head up to the surface, or for the Brotherhood to send this many troops up at a time. McNamara preferred to err on the side of caution and the Sentinel hadn't been much better. However, this was a very urgent matter and Hardin intended to see it done personally.

One of the captured Knights had escaped, and had contacted them using the Black Mountain radio equipment. The escapee didn't know if the NCR was still pursuing them, but if they were, Hardin was prepared to intercept and wipe them out. However, the knight had managed to reveal a very critical detail, one that demanded prompt attention- the Khans had rescued him.

The Brotherhood had largely ignored the Khans. Aside from their knowledge of chemistry, they were a low-tech group of minimal concern to the Brotherhood, and ever since Operation: Sunburst and the Bitter Springs Massacre, they didn't cross paths very much. Some might argue that their role in the chem trade constituted misuse of technology, but given the state of New Vegas, it really wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things. At the same time, however, the Khans' hostility against the NCR made them a windfall to the Brotherhood. Hardin was confident that this rescue was not planned, and was merely a fortuitous side effect of the gang's efforts to throw a wrench into their hated enemy's cogs. Still, savage and uncivilized as they were, the Sentinel believed they could be potentially useful allies of convenience against both the NCR and The Green.

The Brotherhood squad made their out of the sandstorm, and up the path to Black Mountain. It was fortunate that most people had made a habit of avoiding it even after the Super Mutants and that loon of a Nightkin had left. If the NCR were to examine the equipment closely enough, they might realize that the equipment was still being used. The Paladins kept a close watch on the surrounding area- even with the eyebots' sensors providing awareness beyond their own senses, they didn't want to risk walking into a trap- and Hardin still wasn't entirely sure this wasn't a trap.

As they neared the top, Hardin saw several marks light up on his HUD ahead. The Eyebots had detected something beyond the visual range of their headlamps. He signaled the Paladins to ready their weapons- he would not let himself be caught off-guard. He drew his gauss rifle and peered into its night-vision scope.

A man in a tatty prisoner's jumpsuit walked forward. Even beneath the grime, Hardin recognized him. It was Knight Keyes, one of the procurement specialists who had gone missing. Behind him, he could see several Great Khans lingering in the distance, weapons drawn.

"Don't shoot, it's me, Keyes," the man spoke. Hardin lowered his guard, and walked up to the approaching Knight.

"What was your temporary password, knight?" he asked bluntly.

"Give way your suspicions to the wisdom of thine Elder. Where he shows trust, so shall you," the knight whispered, keeping his answer out of the Khans' earshot.

"Welcome back, Knight Keyes!" Hardin spoke. "Jackson, Dietrich, take one of the Eyebots and bring Knight Keyes back for medical examination and debriefing. The rest of you, keep watch for any sign of NCR pursuers." He then turned to one of the Eyebots and directed it in the direction of the Khans, who were still up the slope. They had recovered the captive, and Hardin didn't even have to debase himself by interacting with the Khans. This had been a fulfilling mission.

---

Sentinel Derek Irving- Black Mountain, After Midnight

The Eyebot flew slowly towards the Khans, making little sound except for the gentle noise of its propulsion. As it got close, it suddenly began to speak in a surprisingly crisp and clear voice.

"I am Sentinel Irving of the Brotherhood of Steel, and I would like to extend my thanks to the Khans for this act. You may not have known it, but this was a high-value prisoner, and his rescue is of great benefit to our organization and a considerable setback for Colonel Abernathy and his superiors. As a token of my appreciation, please accept this Eyebot. It can make deliveries, serve as a highly perceptive sentry, or simply play the radio, and when needed, can serve as a line of communication with us. And feel free to subject it to your gang's initiation rites, because this particular model is quite durable."

With the Eyebot's offer, the rest of the Brotherhood squad would depart back to the bunker and disappear beneath the sands, where the captive could give his side of the story, and where the leadership could deliberate just where their current bargaining position stood with regards to Denver and the NCR Ambassador.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

There was going to be a lot to discuss the many revelations rising to the surface. About Veilena's role in this. About her hiring of these mercenaries to investigate these matters behind the crown's back. About the Mage's College secretly holding into a shard of Angoron. About her claim that the assassination attempt was just a distraction to steal the shard. In the face of a threat to the entire nation, the right hand of Thaln wasn't being made known what the left hand was doing.

However, those concerns would have to wait, because a much more pressing issue had reared its ugly head.

The Golden Boars.

The infamous mercenaries weren't alone- they had brought with them some supernatural support in the form of Curse Hounds. Fleuri had heard of them- summoned creatures, not quite as taboo as undead, but nonetheless associated with darker things. He recalled his mentor warning him long ago that these creatures could inflict curses with their bites.

Don't let them wound you, and strike to kill. Easy enough, Fleuri thought as he adjusted his helmet and readied his sword. He took up a defensive position around Lady Cazt, heeding the captain's orders to defend the girl.

The Golden Boars had picked the wrong fight. Between this and the fort, these already infamous mercenaries were now an explicit enemy of Thaln and for all the knights knew, accomplices of this terrible conspiracy. With that in mind, this probably wouldn't be the last time the Iron Roses would cross blades with the Boars.

The first hound to get within sword range of Fleuri would find its head split in two by a downward swing of his greatsword. As much as he preferred going on the offensive like Tyaethe was currently doing, his orders were to protect, and that is exactly what he would do.

Besides, he didn't have the luxury of a vampire's sheer durability, or the immunities that undeath conferred.

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred sprung into action as soon as Luana alerted them. Turning his gaze to where the druid had, he saw the incoming wyvern. It had not retreated in the cave- rather it had hidden itself nearby in order to ambush them.

Luana's guess regarding its intentions and strategy was on the mark. It had wanted to move the battlefield to someplace more familiar and more to its advantage.

The Frozen Knight moved to act. He spurred his icy horse forward, reading his lance to strike. With Luana trying to distract the wyvern with her plants, it'd be the ideal chance to strike. As he came within range, he thrust his lance forward, intending to strike the wyvern with his and his charging horse's combined momentum as he passed his foe.

He would need to be careful not to get any closer than he needed, lest he put him and his mount within reach of the wyvern's lethal claws.

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

By Ichor, could it really be?

Argus was visibly taken back by the bombshell of a revelation- that from the sound of it, Gilles' father possessed the Jolly Roger of the Silent Swordbill. But how? Exactly what had become of his ship during his long sleep of death?

It was a disappointment that Julene's blunder deprived Argus of the opportunity to recover his old flag, but he could always make another one. He would also need to find out more about Gilles' father and how he got his hands on the flag.

The pirate would have continued discussing this matter, but they were interrupted by a visit by two other vampires. Gilles identified the first one as Aleksiya, a name he knew well. She was Aleksiya the Rime-Winged Vermilion Angel, a Vampire Lord known for her potent powers over ice. The second introduced herself as "Princess" Kordelia, another Vampire Lord Argus knew of. As one of the first of the lords to fall against the Hundred Paladins, her demise had been an early sign of the mortals fighting back. Despite her having somewhat of a reputation for being supremely arrogant, Argus was pretty sure that Kordelia's insistence on animals and sweets was just playing a bit as part of her self-proclaimed "Princess" title.

"Aleksiya, Princess Kordelia," Argus addressed them. He didn't want to say more or imply to Gilles that he already knew who they were, and he assumed they would do the same.

@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR

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