Crimson Paladin

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

Roger Falkner and Shortclaw

These foreign mercenaries weren't breaking. It was chaos, but they weren't retreating or surrendering. They had lost the battle from the start, but they didn't care- they were going to fight to the finish.The knight recalled what he had heard- that these Morathi were slavers who looked down on anyone who surrendered. Assuming they weren't hypocrites, they'd fight to the death rather than commit an act of shame that they believed warranted enslavement. One cluster of Morathi in particular could be seen massing- both swordsmen and archers.

Very well, we can do it like that, he mused as he looked about from his saddle, signaling to his mount to target the clustered enemies.

Shortclaw had been taught to recognize the danger that an archer could present to even an apex predator. The beast's response to the command was to circle around a tent, keeping low to the ground and out of the archers' field of view. Roger was little more than a passenger at this point, but such was the nature of their partnership- the rider designated enemies to attack or places to go, and the griffin would take charge of getting there.

Just before they came back into view of the archers, a bright light briefly illuminated the ground, coming from near the clustered enemies. Either their Hundi mage had just incinerated them, or someone had just detonated one of Lirrah's alchemical concoctions. As they crept into view from around the tent, Roger saw that neither of those presumptions were correct- it had been one of Kayliss' bombs, and it looked like the rogue was taking advantage of their disorientation to kill as many as she could.

She could use some help.

Shortclaw pounced, coming down on top of one the archers, then gave a cry and beat his wings to unbalance the rest of them. The griffin clearly wanted to be noticed.

@Psyker Landshark

Bible of Ichor: Septet for the Dead

Captain Argus Fellborn

Gilles appeared to take the reveal well. Key word, appeared. It was too early to be sure how Gilles had taken the news, but Argus believed the headman might just be willing to go along with it. He'd wait until later to burden Gilles with the additional information of former occupation as a pirate- and the familiarity of his flag.

Perhaps it would be best revealed by crafting a new flag and showing Gilles. He could probably find the materials needed around here.

"Aye, I believe it be prudent to make preparations. If you would all excuse me, I must use this time to regain my strength. I have been fighting with little reprieve since making landfall," he spoke before beginning to walk away. "If another of my kind gives you trouble, do not hesitate to ask me to mediate."

He would have plenty of time to catch up with the other vampires, but his first order of business would be to fetch one of the gorebats and feed upon the stored blood. Depending on how thorough the gorebats were, fallen should sustain them for some time, giving the living a reprieve from being tithed and providing them some time to be eased into their new arrangements first.

The second matter would be to scope out the wounded to see if there were any villagers on death's door that might be willing to join his crew to forestall their end. He'd prefer to not enthrall this already small pool of mortals, but for those too wounded to make the journey, and for those whose wounds were too grievous to be saved, what did he have to lose?

Once they got to Alavaris, the pirate could focus on more long-term matters, such as catching up with the other vampires, rearming himself, press-ganging undead into his crew, studying Charlotte's necklace, and figuring out his next move. Between the spear-maid, the witch, and the villagers, there were many that desired something from the captain, and each of them could offer him something for his efforts. He wasn't entirely sure what Cynthia was offering, but the villagers could offer nourishment, and Charlotte was offering to help get his ship back.

@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

In contrast to the captain's orders, many of the knights rushed forward to go on the offensive against the Golden Boars. Fleuri saw the rationale- he himself generally felt that the best defense was a strong offense, and a counterattack like this would break their charge and demolish their momentum. However, the captain had ordered the knights to form a defensive perimeter to protect Veilena, not go rushing off into the fray.

With Tyaethe, it was understandable. She had centuries of experience, was a contemporary of Elionne, and had all the supernatural durability that came with being a vampire. From what Fleuri had observed, it was more or less expected that Tyaethe would use her own judgment in any battle. With the others however, such as Gerard and Fionn, it looked like they had just flagrantly disobeyed their captain's orders. Someone more versed in philosophy, tactics, and strategy could probably write entire texts discussing when and where it might be be justified to ignore an inexperienced 16-year-old's orders, but to Fleuri it just looked like they just didn't care for obeying the commands of their knightly order's leader.

At least Renar, unpleasant fellow that he was, had the sense to obey Fanilly, barking to Fleuri to cover their left flank while he'd cover their right. Fleuri didn't think that the Bastard of Brias, of all people, would be the one that'd have his back. A Curse-hound leapt over Renar's caltrops at Fleuri, only for the knight's greatsword to impale it right through the mouth. The beast swiftly disincorporated, freeing up the sword just as the human wave of Golden Boars closed in.

"I can do that," Fleuri responded to Renar as the first Boar came at him with a morningstar, while a second one came behind him readying a spear. The knight swung his sword downward, catching the weapon's head and diverting it down to the ground. He then gripped his sword's ricasso and smashed the crossguard right into the mercenary's face, stunning him. Just then, the second mercenary thrust his spear past his companion at the knight, only for Fleuri to dodge and catch the spear by the shaft with his left hand. With the weapon caught, Fleuri spun around, pulling the spear towards him and swinging his sword in a full circle, decapitating the off-balance spearman when it came back around.

The first mercenary, however, had managed to regain his senses quickly enough to duck under the swing, and as soon as the sword came over his head, he rushed at Fleuri, raising his morningstar high in an attempt to strike the knight's helmet before he could bring the blade back to him. Instead of blocking with the blade, however, Fleuri shifted both hands to the ricasso and caught the incoming morningstar on the hilt and crossguard. As this happened, the mercenary failed to notice Fleuri's right hand going down to the dagger hanging on the knight's belt. A split second later, he took a step forward and plunged the dagger into the man's neck.

"You clearly do not believe in a fair fight in battle," he spoke to Renar, sheathing his dagger and assuming a stance with his sword. "Neither do I."

@Psyker Landshark@VitaVitaAR

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

This wyvern wasn't giving up. In fact, it wasn't even slowing down. It leaped at Luana, unfazed by the increasing number of holes on its body.

He was a bit surprised that it focused on the druid and not the knight that had inflicted multiple wounds upon it. Whether it thought she'd be more easily felled, or if it viewed her druidic magic as the largest threat, or simply itself angered at being restrained and resisted at every turn, Ethelred weasn't sure what its motivation was. But he did know that he needed to act quickly, because her magic wouldn't hold it back forever.

He needed to strike where it be sure to do damage, and ideally where it was lethal. With the wyvern focused on Luana, he might have just a chance. The Frozen Knight rode slightly away, and once he felt he had enough distance to do this, he turned his mount around to face the wyvern. He then commanded his horse to charge. As it accelerated, he couched his lance beneath his shoulder and aimed it at the back of the wyvern's head and neck.

With Luana crouched and her spear braced, the wyvern was in between two sharp polearms ready to skewer it. If his blow hit hard enough, it could potentially knock the beast right into her weapon.

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

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