Eisenhorn

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

"Your concern is understood, Captain, but if we wait for the rest of the knights to finish with their indulging of madness we might be here all day. We will be careful, rest assured of that." Rolan was not keen on simply waiting for an undefined number of knights to become available to start combing the woods. Between piecing together the maddened rambling of the Duke, waiting on summoning of a Fae and whatever answers, or questions, that might provide, and not being well suited to politely gathering information meant that their skills were best suited to scouting ahead, to better direct any information found within the Duke's holdings towards the Fae if the time came. Since she had not simply ordered them to stay, Rolan treated her concern as a suggestion and added it to the mental list of things to keep track of while solving this latest concern.

@VitaVitaAR

---

Rolan listened as Ser Gerard began speaking on the folk stories of fae sign and how to identify it, starting from the thickest of the present wood and working from there. His knowledge of the fae territory was limited to what studies he had done prior to going to areas suspected of, or having, such a presence. It was decently rare before now, as most of his targets prior to joining the Captain's personal retinue were not so desperate as to flee to lands claimed by the Fae, and Rolan knew that there was more truth to folk tales and legend than more traditionally learned men might be willing to admit. Such things didn't get into generations of retelling without having some truth to them, after all, and it aligned with the fewer, but more pragmatic, cautions given when he was still learning to hunt as a child. "Smart that you grabbed a suitable offering then, should we find it necessary. My own rations and belongings are mostly lacking in the worthiness of being an offering. I have a jam, I suppose, but I am not keen on parting with that, not without time to prepare a replacement batch."

Rolan's efforts alongside Ser Gerard's along the more well worn paths of the wood watched for the signs he spoke of in addition to his normal tells and signs of passing individuals and the like. Ideally once they found signs of where the Fae claimed territory began they would report their findings back, before crossing over and inviting trouble that would require a response from their fellow knights.

@HereComesTheSnow

The Things We Fight For

"Wouldn't have to watch for your ass if it wasn't hanging out for the Aberrant to chase."

Howe's reply was calm and level, contrasting the intensity of the violence he was sending downrange into the oncoming threats. The arrival of a Constellation, shouted by the supporting forces, was well received. Howe altered his firing patterns to account for the gaps in her attacks, the empty space between each swing being met with 20mm and scything blasts of buckshot. Ammo reserves were depleting steadily, but not enough to worry him yet. He would worry when he ran out of options to fight with, which hardly ended when he ran out of ammunition. Sabine requested a burst of 20mm, the firing solution received and processed across the display, a quick glance between reloads of the shotgun confirmed they were good. Vickie, one would think almost begrudgingly, allowed the 20mm to swing and bark a precise burst of rounds on target, shredding the already wounded and beleaguered Jetsam while Howe continued engaging the incoming remains of the current batch of threats. It was during this brief gap in firepower that not only was the constellation wounded, but another Pawn leapt for Dunkirk during the same gap.

Only to meet the reinforced grasp of Vickie, catching it by the torso midleap and squeezing, crushing the life out of it before hurling it forcefully back into the remaining Pawns as they were torn apart by the return of the Constellation Commander. About time, and now that the violence had paused for a brief moment, Howe prepared to get moving when the presence of a new threat threw the entire plan into the dustbin. Walking Shrimp, Rook Class, Howe had a particular disdain for that particular breed of Aberrant, but what didn't add up was it arriving now, after months where it could have done so much more work. It was held in reserve, Howe was increasingly certain, to counter just this sort of maneuver. However, that could be mused on later, right now they had marching orders to keep moving. Problem, the infantry and other pilots were in bad shape and would not be able to keep up as they were. Listening to each pilot's reported issues, Howe began speaking firmly, a touch coldly, as he approached the mech with the damaged leg.

"If you can't see, fight unbuttoned, being blind will kill you even faster than being exposed, check your manipulators for jams, otherwise your going to have to fight up close. Richie, on my mark I want you to rev the broken leg's hip actuators like you were trying to jump, I'm going to hold the leg in place so you can maintain at least some limited mobility by warping the parts together, maintenance crew will hate me for it though. I can't do anything for your thrusters, but you'll be mobile. Get Kindred to salvage one of the down and out APC's radio kit to act as a patched in fix. Ready Richie? MARK!"

On his command, Howe jammed the damaged leg back up into the actuator well that normally held the leg in place and moved it smoothly. This was a patch he saw back on New Alexandria, where any mobility was better than none during the fighting withdraws as the planet died around them, the goal going from reclamation to withdraw, to survival and back to a mad escape that couldn't afford to stop moving. It would keep Richie moving, for what it was worth, and once it was done Howe maneuvered Vickie back towards those still able to move and fight under their own power. Then it was desperate survival, now it was desperate prevention, how little things changed. The Shrimp needed resolved, but right now Howe could not readily help with that. Wrong combat package for engaging the thing, and he lacked the maneuverability to meaningfully help engage the Rook. Given the circumstances, he was best kept here holding the line. Compared to the elements that could keep moving on the Princess, he was the slowest, the rest would be able to move significantly faster without having to wait for him.

"Commander, I'll hold here and buy as much time for repairs as possible. We'll see what happens from there, ideally catch up before things are decided."

With that Howe maneuvered his frame to the best spot to protect the most people as he could, noting the current damage reports from his own diagnostics. His armor had taken a beating, ammo was starting to reach the point where he might have to start worrying about repurposing weapons into bludgeons, reactor was looking good though so there was that. Making sure everything was topped off, Howe listened to the howling Aberrant that surrounded them, the sound of more moving in just deciding things for good as he watched the group head off. No, no now was the time for him to dig his heels in, metaphorically, and put himself squarely between the Aberrant and those who were compromised, and he turned off his outbound comms for a few moments reflection as hostiles closed in. Last stands were tricky things, especially buying time for other people to act. By the time you go down, you can't know whether or not your stand meant anything or not, had to hope or have faith, if you still believed in such things.

"Right then, let's see if the Aberrant take us seriously or not..."

With that Howe reactivated outbound comms and stood ready, armor damaged, munitions lower than anyone would like, but unbowed and in the best shape of all the Frames that stayed behind despite the previous engagements. If it was time for him to join the rest of New Alexandria, he'd make damn sure it would cost the Aberrant dearly. So dearly they couldn't divert to protect their Princess, even if he couldn't keep the Shrimp from engaging further. Let them come and see, then, let them come and see.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan glanced at the tap on his shoulder, Ser Gerard stating his intent to come along as well. Smart, going poking around possible fae boundaries alone was not the ideal situation, though he had no qualms doing so. Better than standing around pretending to follow what was being discussed in regards to the summoning and finer details of magic. He gave a brief nod towards Gerard as he explained his rational, agreeing on all points.

"Twice the hands, half the work. Certainly better than standing around waiting for the magically inclined to send us on an errand."

It sounded like, from the ramblings that the Captain had latched onto, all they had to do was find this Moonlit Queen's home. It was always easier said than done, and this time would be no different. But tracking and hunting, he was confident in his capabilities there more so than anything else he provided to the Roses talent wise. With a goal in mind, determine where the Fae territory began and, by extension, where to head once the summoning confirmed everything they wanted to confirm, Rolan made his way out of the room, catching brief mention of the Duke being left alone during the party. That was likely when this madness was placed into his mind, or otherwise inflicted on him. How it wasn't noticed before the morning was concerning but not much could be done for that. Leaving the rest of the Roses to their intents, Rolan would make for the edge of the woods to begin his search, Ser Gerard helping should he stay true to his word.

"Sooner we find the boundaries, the sooner we can get this figured out. Got a preference which way you would prefer to go first?"

Ser Gerard had the courtesy to offer to come along, so Rolan figured it was at least courteous to take his considerations into thought before simply beginning to make sweeping passes through the wood, heading progressively deeper while watching for fae sign or other indications of a boundary of some sort. His fellow knight might have a consideration he had not noticed, so all the better to check before they began searching in earnest.

@HereComesTheSnow

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan was listening to each piece of information in turn, though his original request for where the party had taken place fell on deaf ears. Or overwhelmed more likely, given Ser Aglan was forced to put up with the madness of the Duke. Genuine madness, deliberately inflicted if Gertrude's words were to be believed. Magic, either fey or daemonic, and given how close they were to such old woods he would bet on the former, if he were a man to wager on such things. He wasn't, mind, he was not a fan of gambling when all that was at stake was coin, let alone when it was the mental state of a person, even one he had very little dealings with beyond this maddened state. Relatively benign right now, but he had to consider how to incapacitate the man should he become more problematic. The numbing poisons he used should still work, the magic didn't seem to enhance him, just strike him sensibilities mad, so he could immobilize the man with relatively little effort if the need arose. He would hope it wouldn't, but that would not be for him to decide.

The focus seemed to be on the Fae as the culprit, or at least involved, fortunately the other knights had more dealings with them than Rolan did. As far as his understanding went, he had been taught the signs to look for and avoid when hunting growing up, one of the few things of worth his father had imparted, knowledge wise, as to not intrude on the courts of the Fae. He was confident he could likely identify the boundaries of such places in the surrounding woods. He had a feeling that nothing they could do would lift this madness so easily, which meant petitioning the Fae to remove it. It did not take a master intellect to know that would not be as easy as just asking, and they would likely want something in return. Summoning one to confirm the magic at play would not be a bad idea, but not something he could help with in the slightest. His train of thought was interrupted by a rather attractive mage, deep regal purple from head to toe, complimenting Gertrude on her identifying the likely sources of the madness magic. Great, she didn't need her ego stoked, though the mage couldn't have known that.

Rolan briefly considered whether being attractive was a requirement to serve in the king's court directly or just a bonus qualification, but put it aside for now. They weren't here to gawk at beautiful people, they had work to do. An interesting title got mentioned by the Duke, the Moonlit Queen, which the others latched onto rather quickly. Let them continue to entertain the mad Duke, Rolan turned his attention to the surroundings. If they could not be told where the party happened, the next best thing was determine where the boundaries of the Fae holdings were. Scouting was something he could absolutely do, and he really rather would not sit here and continue to idle, twiddle his thumbs, or join Tyaethe in puppy dog eyeing the Duke. He spoke as an aside to Ser Aglan, not interrupting the others in their approach of the mad Duke and his ravings, before turning to depart. "Once the others are done with their..."audience", do let them know I went to scout out where the boundaries of the suspected culprits behind this lay. Once they gather all they can from his ravings, not having to waste time looking for a destination would be preferred. Especially if we're looking for a "Moonlit Queen's" court."

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

"Seeking out pointers might not be a terrible idea, though I wouldn't fight from horseback if I could help it." Rolan had already several plans to abandon the horse should conflict come up abruptly, the only reason to not do so would be if a retreat was immediately in order. Even then, he suspected he had better odds making for the tree line and escaping through the woods, but that should not be needed. Before that train of thought could even start, however, Ser Renar interrupted, though for good reason it seemed.

"Ser Renar. It is fair to say I know a thing or three about alchemical mixtures, yes." Rolan met the quieter, lower tone with one of his own, recognizing an attempt at discretion when it was made. An interesting consideration, one that earned some respect from Rolan, more so than anything else. A safe concession to make that an untraceable poison, one that is wholly natural, would be too unlikely to be in play here. Especially one that simply struck the victim mad rather than dead. "I am inclined to agree, my concern is that all the mages and priests might overlook something mundane."

Ser Fionn made a broad question to everyone, though Tyaethe seemed to assume they would just be idling around while the Captain worked, investigated, and waited for orders. Oh no, he would not be idle simply because there was no combat to be had. Even if he could not cure the madness, he could look into how it came about. Gertrude continued to be herself, once again reminded that the part of him hoping she had not come back with them had been thoroughly disappointed, but she could banter and argue with the other practitioners of the magical arts. Ser Aglan was a tad younger than expected, but judging by the general peace and calm of those they passed, it was safe to assume that the madness of the Duke was a well kept secret right now. Hopefully seeing the madness first hand would give them a hint as to what caused it.

---

"I am at a genuine loss for words..."

To say Rolan was even more confused than before would be an understatement. The moment he laid eyes on the Duke and his antics, it was safe to rule out anything natural. He could make something that would leave someone delirious, probably, but not to this extent and certainly not for this long. That meant it was probably something magical in nature, which placed it much further outside his realm of debatable expertise. Ser Vier seemed concerned about something being slipped into drinks, which was a reasonable direction to look, however, anything he could think of in a drink would have worked out of the Duke's system by now. Fionn, Fionn started engaging the Duke in his own madness, causing Rolan to blink in disbelief at the display. No, no, he was not going to touch on that one at all, rather he stepped over to speak quietly with Ser Aglan to ask his own question while Tyaethe declared her intent to tend to the horses.

"Ser Aglan, where did this party take place, in specific? And has anyone else been stricken mad? I am hoping something was overlooked where the party took place, and since I assume we do not want word of this madness spreading, asking the other party goers would not be wise." Rolan intended to investigate where the party took place, since the secrecy around the Duke's madness meant he could not go asking the others present at the time what happened. It had to be better than standing around here watching a grown man parade around in a dress too small for him. Honestly, at least have the decency to have it properly fitted before madly dancing around in it.

The Things We Fight For

"I have to entertain myself somehow Sab, seeing how high of a debt you can build up certainly applies." At the mention of Sabine's last ration pack being with hungry hungry Constellation defeated any hope of claiming a pack of smokes from them a lost cause, and he dismissed it from his mind. Fortunately the medipen was used to alleviate the worst of the burn, though at the comment on being a stick in the mud he shrugged, almost idly, replying in kind. "If having an appropriate outlook in the situation is a stick in the mud, we can call it that, sure." Howe felt like something was off about Selene, watching her and Sabine go back and forth in regards to one night stands and crashing house parties. Neither of which were exactly familiarities to him, he preferred his funds go to drinking and not alimony, even with a certain pilot often footing the bills for the nights out. Especially, if he was being blunt, but that would be something to consider the next time shore leave was granted for drinking to the latest victory or defeat. Or he'd finally a fight that would leave him dead and it would all very suddenly not be his problem, not that he was about to go wandering the city waving a big 'shoot me' sign quite yet.

Hungry hungry Constellation introduced herself as Rudis, Howe immediately blanking on the name actually behind the callsign, he might remember it if they both got out of this alive. The remark on gifts got a cocked eyebrow from the pilot, wondering if this particular batch of Constellations had some fixation on gifts or it was a social expectation he had failed to clue in on this whole time. No, someone would have told him off by now if he was supposed to have a gift shop in Vickie, he had space in the co-pilot module half the time he could theoretically install one there. Assuming there was some tactical advantage to peddling cheap souvenirs to the Aberrant. "If I knew we needed to hand out gifts I'd have installed a gift shop. I'd wager anyone here is plenty bold, given no one is arguing about the impending death or glory thunder run on the Princess."

It turned out their illustrious leader had managed to secure a diversionary attack, powers that be be damned, and at the news of that Howe mounted up, clambering up to Vickie's cockpit while making an offhand remark. "Co-pilot's seat is open for the first Constellation to get up there if they want to hitch a ride before we make contact." Settling into the Frame, Howe had a moment's privacy, brief as it might be, to settle in with a low sigh. The cockpit was, to the eyes of many who peeked inside, heavily industrial. Brose Arsenal tradition, its a lot harder to break a heavy duty lever or switch panel than it was a fancy electronic touch screen. Most everything had several levels of redundancy, though she lacked the customization one might expect from a seasoned pilot. The only thing out of place was a coin on a string, a challenge coin from the last regiment to make it off New Alexandria, tied to the cover that protected the charges that would launch the cockpit, and co-pilot module if it was still attached, out the back of the Frame to relative safety. Or straight into an Aberrant's waiting maw, more likely, but Howe had tied that challenge coin to the cover for one simple reason. A constant reminder that you couldn't just punch out and flee your problems, that was how you got situations like New Alexandria. Having spent enough time, few as the seconds were, reminiscing on the challenge coin Howe brought Vickie from stand by to fully online. About time they got to give the Aberrant a bloody nose again.

---

The order to move out as the incoming barrage was intercepted and worked as a distraction was a welcome one, Howe moving himself to the lead of the pilots currently present. He had the armor and kit to make first contact with any non barrier threat, the clicking of the 20mm sweeping back and forth barely audible over the heavy, thoroughly unsubtle footfalls of the Frame as it moved forward, Howe scanning for contacts alongside everyone else that was operating as part of the task force moving in on the Princess. It was surprising how long it took to actually make contact with the Aberrant forces, nearly an hour by his estimate, but once the order came down to engage, Howe grinned to himself as he pressed forward, 20mm autocannon already opening up in a steady barrage of rounds being sent down into the incoming Legionairres. Howe positioned himself at the fore of the group, providing an anchoring point of the firing line. Close quarters weaponry, up armored, and more than willing to take a few hits for the other pilots, constellations, and infantry meant that was the best place for him. Picking his masses of Legionnaires carefully, he would fire off the Shotgun carefully, maximizing as much of the damage he could do with each shot as possible.

"Rabbit, your on AA duty, clear the skies! Damaged Frame, on me, cover my flanks and use me for cover. We're on infantry support." Howe spoke with a calm tone of voice, though he caught himself smiling as he brought the arm of his frame up, taking the worst of a strafing run by the Jetsam on the thickest of the additional armor, watching the indications show no damage he had to concern himself with. Nothing critical, and he maneuvered Vickie to better support the infantry, ammo feed on the 20mm steadily ticking downwards while he put the shotgun to good use, scything through ranks of the Legionnaires with each blast. Spying an opportunity, he disabled a safety measure on the shotgun and began slam firing, sweeping the shotgun back and forth across the incoming Legionnaires with precise motions. He aimed to maximize the damage he could do in the shortest span possible, 20mm making up for the minor gaps left by each blast of his shotgun that prevented overlapping buckshot.

Howe watched from the corner of his eyes as the power levels on Vickie's reactor surged to meet demand, a song in her own right, a voice long forgotten by the use of Aberrant Cores in everything. The roaring 20mm interrupted by the sheer booming volume of the shotgun announced to the infantry that Mech support had been able to peel off and reinforce their line. In the thickest part of the battle line was where Howe loved to be, and it was where Dunkirk would be easiest to see. Reaching down, an automated mechanism clunked loudly, detaching one of the several Frame sized Fragmentation Grenades the CQB package came equipped with. Now was a perfect time to introduce the Aberrant to an old trick. Rearing an arm back, the rhythmic thumping of the shotgun paused long enough for the grenade to be hurled towards the center of the swarm, far enough away to keep the infantry out of the fragmentation zone but well enough in the middle to maximize damage. If they got too close, or the firefight ran long enough to run low on shotgun ammo, the reinforced manipulators would work wonders making the Legionnaires pay dearly for every one of their lives. Assuming they could muster enough Aberrant carcasses to earn them, which remained to be seen.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan had spent the past five days in a, in retrospect, blur of preparation and training. If anything, the time spent in the Witch's realm had shown him he had a great deal to learn to even begin serving in a capacity suitable for the Captain's retinue, a crossbow and sharp eye alone would no longer suffice. He had selected a backsword from the armory, a lighter pattern of blade that suited his preferences towards a blade much more than the heavier options he had to him. Thus had begun his routine, early mornings seeing drilling himself with the sword in the training yard, mostly getting accustomed to the weapon as well as working out what worked and what didn't compared to knife fighting. After that he would spend available time between his regular duties regathering the alchemical tools and supplies he had used in the trials, mixing and preparing a broad variety of useful concoctions. A mix of the alchemist fire, caustic smoke vials, as well as more natural remedies for ailments and injuries. Without knowing what was coming, he had to pack a fairly utilitarian blend of concoctions ahead of time. Evenings saw him going through the library, studying various topics that had come up during the day that he was not as well learned on. Spending his time as such, when the order came down for the Roses to gather and mount up, Rolan was reminded of one singular fact.

---

Rolan detested riding long distances. He knew how to ride, barely, but if the moment for combat came he would dismount as soon as he could. When he travelled alone he often went on foot, maintaining a brisk march wherever he went unless it was absolutely paramount he make all due haste that horseback provided. Still, the ride gave him time to consider what was going on. The Lord of Brennan, struck suddenly mad. The realm of healers, sages, and the like, but they were still departing to investigate. Ideally to help, but investigation into the matter would occur all the same. He had to wonder what remedies had been attempted so far, thinking back to the evening he spent immersed in healer's tomes, reviewing and improving upon natural remedies that he already knew how to prepare. One had to wonder if faith and magic were not working, if something more simple might undercut the source of the madness. It might be worth looking into what was attempted so far, and from there puzzle out a solution that had not been attempted yet. With a bit of luck they might find something that, if not a cure, could at least stave off the worst of the madness.

The Captain's call snapped him out of his meandering thoughts, alerting Rolan that they were nearing their destination. Finally he could get off this horse and actually move about on his own two feet again. The sight of the walls of Brennan looming in the distance spoke of the importance of the location, and its guard, as it sat on a relatively clear path through Brennan Forest. A key defensive position, and a supplier of a great deal of timber to the rest of the kingdom. There was a very likely possibility his bolts, at minimum, were at least partially composed of wood harvested from this very forest. All the more reason to restore stability to the area, if for no other reason than the lord's mind should be his own. He had no dealings nor knowledge of the man at all, far above his station even as a knight, so he would have to reserve judgement until the man's mind was returned to him. "I'll be glad to be off the horse. Hopefully Ser Aglan will be able to tell us what has been tried so far, and see what we can do to help from there."

The Things We Fight For

Howe made a half hearted huff of annoyance when Sabine strutted over, ignoring her own burn injuries and snatching his cigarette away as she chimed in with her own outlook. After she took a drag, as she was talking he reached over and snatched it back, taking another drag on it while he considered the outlook of each person. Of course Sabine was all for the assault option, she enjoyed pushing combat to its limits. Trailing her in his slower mech usually left him in a good position to observe the damage she could do, and keep her flanks clear while pushing ahead when he can, and such a loud mouthed pilot being on a nominally stealthy mission was funny in its own way. All that aside, he did have something to say to her as she continued to insist on using him as someplace to lean, when she wasn't busy stealing his smokes. "That's another pack you owe me Sab, that's at least three now if I am being generous. Don't your rations come with a pack anyways?"

Another Constellation decided to make her presence and voice on the matter known, Howe frankly didn't keep close track of them beyond who was hitching a ride on his mech at any give time before they jumped out to get stuck in. That was one thing he begrudingly envied, being able to face the Aberrant face to face and put the things down up close and personal. He knew he was a better pilot than he ever was an infantryman but having to rely on others for the real threats got tedious after awhile. Especially around the more egotistical ones, but that wasn't the case here currently. Her suggestion was to attack but request additional forces launch a diversionary attack. Neat idea, but if they had the manpower to pull that off it would have been part of the plan already. "Worth a shot asking, but if the manpower was available to make diversionary attacks I suspect it would have been planned for already. We might just be the last ditch effort to keep another world from falling, so it goes."

The next Constellation, when she wasn't busy stuffing her mouth to an almost absurd degree by the looks of things, was the cocky type he had come to expect from their lot. Willing to see this through, hell or high water, was at least something that could be respected. Then again, all of this relied on each person volunteering being willing to do or die. Sabine he knew was at least willing to put herself in harms way, he knew that death had stopped being an enemy for himself for years now, but the others were unknowns. It was relatively easy to say that one was willing to go down swinging for a cause, stepping into the grave was another matter completely. He would have to wait and see how this all panned out before measuring the character of those who were agreeing to a near suicidal change of tactics. Nothing to particularly say to her though, and Howe wasn't too keen on unnecessary chatter at the moment.

Last of the Constellations to chime in, at least in their current gathering, was probably the most gentle in her initial approach. Also actually introduced herself as well, how about that, offering a ration bar to the hungry one and a medipen to Sabine. Nothing for him, but Howe didn't take that personally, probably didn't have anything worth a damn giving. Still, she was showing some common courtesy in introductions and the like, even if remembering her would rely on her surviving he could at least be polite. He was professional, but his tone and face were as set as when Sabine had wandered over. A nasty case of resting bitch face, as he was told it was, but made gambling easier. "Callsign is Dunkirk, a pleasure. Sab, actually use that please, last thing we need is a chaffing burn distracting you at a critical moment."

Finally the lead Constellation got her fill, the others all volunteering, to the last, for this do or die change to the plan. Shame a group like this hadn't been available on New Alexandria, maybe he would still have a homeworld if that was the case. No, that wasn't exactly fair, the senior staff had failed that time. Still, it seemed like they would be contacting the powers that be and begging for help. More time wasted sitting around and waiting to be discovered, and ruining what surprise they could yet muster. Still, he wasn't in charge and that was probably for the best. With nothing better to do, Howe finished his current smoke and stomped it out. He resisted the urge to light another, in case they decided to move out soon. More importantly, it would keep Sabine from stealing another. Part of him wondered if he should say something, but no doubt the more chatty among them would fill the silence soon enough. He didn't count the Constellation Commander's communication, that was background noise right now, instead he started doing a visual inventory of what they had available. Pilots and their frames, Constellations and supporting infantry, anything that might prove useful in a pinch he was going to keep a mental tally of.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan had nothing further to comment as further discussion was had between the knights. He had made his decision, honestly, and the blue of the magic fading as the Witch mentioned they would know when the compulsion was lifted. He didn't feel much different, but odds were he wouldn't unless he tried to speak on the matter to anyone else. Thrinax was sent off before the Dragonslayer arrived, noting that they should at least fight elsewhere. For his part, he had no interest in any further fighting and wasn't feeling particularly festive either. Settling down, he set out his kit and began reviewing what he had on hand, what he would need to reacquire once they returned to the world they knew far better, and what needed improved upon. His knife, old friend that it was, looked significantly worse for wear after just a few glancing blows from the daemoness. If he was going to not be afforded the luxury of being able to ensure a standoff distance, he had to have something more effective than a hunting knife. Once they returned he would have to discuss matters with those more seasoned in a melee to find a suitable blade to carry and begin learning. He understood the basics of swordplay, mind, but the basics would only protect him so far when pressed. Basics would not prevent a skilled opponent from overpowering him in short order, so he would have to add practice to his daily routine.

"It's a shame the supplies don't come with us, I'm going to have to spend a fair amount of time replenishing and adding to what I carry."

---

After the celebrations and fights concluded, sure enough, Rolan found himself back in his quarters. Despite the creeping dawn seemingly moments before, it was now dark and quiet. He sat up, checking himself over and confirming that, yes, all he had one him currently was what he had gone to bed wearing. Ensuring he was alone, he groaned quietly and buried his head in his hands, fingers running through his hair. For every advancement earned in alchemy and how much further he could have pressed his abilities with his crossbow, resting on a desk with the tools needed to maintain and upkeep the weapon, he had been reminded of his flaws as a member of the Roses. The Captain and Ser Renar had to abandon the assault on the mage to come to his aid, an effort that would have been better spent advancing on the summoner. He had nothing to even comment on Thrinax, the rest showing far more effective efforts overall, and was by and far thoroughly disappointed in his performance. He had much to learn and improve upon, condensed training time be damned, and he was on his feet and dressing himself. He wouldn't be able to sleep right now, even if he wanted to, so he might as well put these hours before the day began again to good use.

Much of the alchemical supplies he needed would not be readily available until he could make requisitions and inquiries, at least he suspected so, meaning Rolan was heading to the armory. He was going to see what was on hand, ideally pick out something that would suit his strengths and start getting in practice before his duties for the day called. Making his way to the armory he would begin browsing through the various weapons that would be available. Most likely a one handed sword, it was as close to what he was already familiar with, though if something else could be suitably rationalized he might consider it. He would have to pretty much go off feel alone, spending some time reviewing what his options were and what would feel right in his hand. Keeping a sharp ear listening for movement, Rolan would not be too surprised to hear others who had returned starting to move about early on their own, but for the time being kept to his task of finding a more suitable backup weapon than a knife. From there he could begin worrying about how to improve his ability to wield such a weapon beyond rudimentary basics, and maybe let the others focus on their tasks during a pitched combat.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan crossed his arms, brow furrowing in thought as the Witch first explained herself and the other Knights chimed in. A geas, magical compulsion, to not speak of who trained them here. Notably, he was free to speak about his own trainer, though he had never had any intention to speak on the matter at all. He was not terribly familiar with the magics behind the entire concept, but a compulsion on terrible penalty was certainly a drastic measure. He didn't necessarily disagree with it either, even as dissenting voices spoke up among the Roses. Some of what was learned here could no doubt be turned against the right person, it only made sound sense to ensure that such a thing could not come to pass. Of course, at least two spoke up in disagreement, and not with compelling arguments either.

Ser Gerard and Ser Fleuri were opposed to the enchantment, making arguments about the nobility of knighthood preventing them from violating the agreement. Not much stock in that, it was one of the legendary knights that had turn coated against the others, and if the legends can make mistakes and incorrect decisions, they certainly could. The With seemed to be thinking the same thing, saying about as much in response to their arguments, and making note of a far more drastic alternative. Agree to a mutual contract, or be forced under penalty of severe punishment. Not much of a choice, that, and he had better things to do than worry about accidentally violating the geas and being ruined for it. Ser Renar seemed to be inclined to reinforce that, and given the information that Rolan had available to him, there really wasn't much of a choice to be made here. Lesser of two evils, as one might say, and the lesser evil was simply to accept the geas and move on.

"I agree to the terms of your geas. As Ser Renar stated, I also have little reason to discuss what happened here, and better the less arduous option." Nevermind that the terms were even lighter on him since he really had not dealt with the Knights themselves, having sought out a different teacher who was not bound by the same restrictions. The trials being freely discussed as well could be information plenty for anyone who he needed to talk with, should it come up, but he could also simply not answer anyone pestering him about his improvements. No, he wasn't going to tempt the Witch into using a more forceful measure if he didn't have to. The amount of pitched fighting that had proceeded through the trials didn't need a more forceful spell from the Witch to wrap it all up.