Eisenhorn

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

At the feel of a hand on his shoulder, Ser Gerard's, Rolan shifted back and let him be the more readily diplomatic of the two of them. Likely of the four, given the response to the offered pastry, he started musing on the information given thus far. Large, long legs, gaping maw, incredibly dark in coloration. He would have kept attempting to match it to wildlife he knew existed in the woods but the next bit of information took him off that train of thought completely. The things very presence spoiled the air, and its impending arrival was foretold by something being off in the area. Whatever it was seemed to be poisoning its surroundings by existing, and that was before it went around devouring things whole. An unnatural being devouring a fae might change matters, something Dame Yael seemed to clue in on before the protests and assurances of aessyr cut her off. Rolan started going through his supplies, taking stock and considering the circumstances. Alchemist fire was out, torching the aessyr trapped within was as good as letting it digest, he wasn't certain the caustic smoke bombs would do much more than blind the knights and cover for the monster. The poultices and supplies he had for treating injuries and ailments weren't worth a damn in a fight, and given the lack of enchantments or the like on his weapons, effectively wounding, let alone killing, a monster could prove tricky if it was resilient to mundane means. If.

"Under ideal circumstances I would take time to study what we know about this thing to properly prepare, before considering hunting it down, but if we are to do this, time is not a luxury we have. If nothing else, having something that taints the very air and surroundings it passes through wandering the woods cannot be beneficial to anyone involved." Unless they benefited directly from such things being spread, but if that was the case curing the Duke's affliction would be far more complicated than he had initially thought, and that was after seeing the actual farce going on back in the keep. At no point, however, had he agreed to go hunt this thing down, though he would very much rather do so at this point. They had their original goals in mind, after all, and it wasn't like they had set out ready to hunt something unnatural devouring fairies and tainting it's surroundings. Right now he would have to hope, should they set out, that it was susceptible to mundane means of wounding it, otherwise they would have to withdraw and replan.

"Not solely my decision to make however. Someone should at least inform the Captain and the others what has been found out so far, should we pursue this beast." Rolan knew where he stood at this point in time, even though he was still waiting on the aessyr to even answer where the beast originally was struck in the first place. Might be waiting for an agreement to help before leading them off the path, but that was a risk no matter what. While he was inclined to agree with Dame Yael on the unlikely nature of the aessyr's friend, he didn't comment on it in front of the as of yet living aessyr. It wouldn't do them any good to distress her further than she already was.

@VitaVitaAR@HereComesTheSnow

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Rolan glanced back at the voice as the fae rolled in, seeing the palm sized aessyr flit out after complaining about them not being proper knights in shining armor, or something. Technically only one of their number met that description, the one that chimed in based on past experience most likely. He himself did not pretend to have as much dealings with them as the others present, deferring to their expertise on the matter while considering what was going on currently. Apparently her friend got eaten whole, home destroyed, and the rest scattered. Big beast was just about as vague as one could get. Big for such a small fae could have been anything, from wolf to bear to anything else, and that was just assuming naturally occurring creatures. Fae involvement could lead to who knows what moving around the woods, though this was about as good a lead as any that they had right now. He didn't bring up that, by this point, this Enfys had probably been digested. It wouldn't accomplish anything, not really, so rather he asked a rather simple question. It promised nothing, but would help narrow down what they might end up hunting down. Assuming they wouldn't be poaching on fae territory, or accused of such.

"Can you describe the beast any further than just 'monster'? This seems to be the best lead we have, though I am concerned about being accused of poaching on fae territory." Rolan was blunt and to the point after his question, already thinking on hunting down this 'monster'. Tracking a beast large enough to swallow a fae whole, small as they were, in such a way as to not immediately kill the poor thing did mean it had to at least be on the larger side. A larger wolf, perhaps, and he was already running through his mind the most expedient way to track the monster down. He'd have to aim for the head, not ideal as he preferred the heart, but he did not want to risk a stray shot, even by a few inches, possibly perforating the would be rescued fae within the thing's gullet. Depending on the details of the so called monster, he could plan a better approach to bringing it down in one swift strike. Cut the trapped fae clear, assuming it yet lived, and then clean the rest of the kill to be returned for use.

Just because they hunted it for other reasons didn't mean he would not let the rest of the beast, whatever it may be, go to waste. Hide, meat, bone, every part of the kill was of value. Enough fur and he might reline the inside of his cloak, it wouldn't hurt to get his cloak in a bit better shape. Fae might be outside his expertise beyond how to avoid them, but hunting was right where he was most confident in his capabilities. Still, he kept a careful watch on their surroundings as he listened and planned, as it wasn't on him to make the decision quite yet. Though the old instinct of slipping off on his own to sort out the problem was in the back of his mind again, especially since Ser Caulder was about as well suited for hunting as a combined war party, but he had stated he wouldn't go wandering off without good cause. Tempting as it was, this was not good cause, not yet.

@VitaVitaAR@HereComesTheSnow

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

@VitaVitaAR@HereComesTheSnow

"I'll not go roving alone without good cause. Slow going, but safety in numbers and all that." Rolan did not waste his energy with gestures, eyes already scanning their surroundings as they breached Brennan Forest properly. Dame Yael's suspected opinion of both Ser Gerard and himself was not lost on the hedge knight, though he was not exactly concerned with it even if it had been. The Captain insisted on a giant of a man in frankly overly gleaming armor that bordered on distracting, while lacking any ornate design beyond that. One almost wondered how long the man spent polishing the armor to get it to such a gleaming degree even in woods like these. Dame Yael, meanwhile, preferred a more practical armor that concealed much of who she was while remaining far more practical. Still far too much noise and metal for his tastes, but most knights did not need to worry about concealment and noise.

Once the search began in earnest, Rolan slowed his breathing and began focusing not on just what he could see, but what his other senses could tell him. Ser Gerard was sharp eyed enough alone that he felt confident in focusing on his other senses, not to disregard the additional two knights with them. He kept an eye out, but his intent was on the surrounding sounds, the noise of the wood, the feel in the air. Long years hunting had taught him that, if something strange was afoot, one of the first things to vanish was the sounds of wildlife. They would go to ground and hide first, robbing the wood of part of his natural sound, while the potential of the Fae meant that he had to take every sense into account rather than just what he could see. Cover enough of their possible signs of Fae and one was bound to slip through to their attention. Still, it was slow going, as a group tracking anything would go while maintaining a proper formation.

Of course, all the focus on listening and the like meant the sharp, abrupt scream for help was almost painfully clear. Rolan instinctively pulled his cloak around his left side, obscuring both knife, blade, and satchel packed full of his alchemical supplies. By design, he had ensured that his off hand could access any of them while obscured, to keep any observers guessing. His stance shifted, subtly, to one he could ready his crossbow off his shoulder at a moment's notice. No armor that he needed to worry about donning, so he could instead focus on Ser Gerard's instructions, naturally falling in line at the rear of their diamond formation. He turned his back on his fellow knights, turning to watch their flanks and rear instead. The three in front could keep a close eye on the one calling for help, but sparing one of them to watch their vulnerable flanks and rear while otherwise distracted would be wise.

"Following your lead Ser Gerard, keeping eyes and ears on our surroundings." Rolan spoke low and fast, barely loud enough for the others to hear him, ready to react to danger at a moment's notice. He did not spare thought or time to prayer, wasn't ever quite his style beyond showing due respect in a chapel on the odd times he passed through one. Rather he was considering the route back to safety, how to get there in a timely manner, various contingencies should this prove to not be what it appeared to be. The shouting could just be a distraction as well, little more than a ploy to get all eyes in the same direction so it would be easier to slip behind them, or in the midst of them even if all focus was elsewhere. Better at least one of them see the trouble coming before they get ambushed rather than the first warning of trouble was blades at their collective throats.

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.

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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."