ERode

Iris Ascendis

_@Nanaya

Wasn’t Hrunting the name of a sword?

Despite the almost embarrassingly audacious storefront, Otis strode in without hesitation, his only expression of discomfort coming from the twitching of his nose as he was struck by a veritable tidal wave of perfume. It would take a while for him to adapt to this, no doubt, but the pieces displayed were a worthy distraction. Certainly, this was a step above his own capabilities as a tailor. The fabrics were high-quality and the stitching so seamless that he had to work to find them. It would be interesting to stress-test the products as well, though that’d be overstepping the bounds of a customer that had not yet paid. Still, the Strigidae allowed his gaze to linger for only a moment longer, before settling them upon the eclectically-dressed goblin.

“I intend on repairing a dress,” Otis replied, unfolding the scorched and punctured remnants of Chloe’s attire. “And I intend on doing so alone, while maintaining as much of the original material as possible. If you sell fabric here, direct me to the aisle and offer me your recommendations. In order to avoid future incidents, I have plans of weaving fortifying essence into the dress itself, as well as water-and-fireproofing it using various alchemical compounds. Do you deal with such reagents as well?”

There was a slight pause, as he took a step back and gestured towards his own clothing: a collection of brown and tan garments with ethnic patterns woven into it with brightly colored threads.

“I make my own clothing, and have my own tastes. This dress, however, is for a half-elf that has, if nothing else, the pretensions of nobility, so if you could point me towards resources that I could take inspiration during the redesign process, that would be appreciated as well. Also, in terms of names, I am Otis Tan Arillo. You are Hrunting?”

Why Were We Reincarnated as Orcs?!

Ey Zeroth, mind going over what the reward is, so I can attach it as part of my post? Esfir's otherwise going to head off to the mountains to figure out the whole water situation.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Such pristine walls.

Such beautiful, untouched things.

She reached out with a hand, blue arcs crackling over her forearm.

What mark could she leave upon this?

…

Kreszenz Leichenberg had chosen to walk. The cost of a carriage was prohibitive if one’s starting destination was the very edges of the Forbidden Realm, and anonymity was, in theory, a better defense against bandit attacks than an armed escort. Her father had disagreed, of course, but her mother, the bluer-blooded Leichenberg, understood the desire for a child to see the world at her own leisure. She ought to experience the world before swearing the oath to protect it.

So the young daughter of a fallen House packed up her finer clothes, drew a cloak over her shoulders, plotted a course different than the one she had taken when her parents accompanied her to obtain her grimoire at the edges of the Common Realm, and allocated a month’s worth of rations to make her journey to Kikka.

In practicality, there were bandits desperate enough to attack even lone travellers. Of course, it was the season for Magic Knight prospectives to be heading towards Kikka, their pockets filled with travel funds. Perhaps those bandits had some reason after all, though Kreszenz didn’t dwell on it when she dropped a lightning bolt or three in their general direction.

That, perhaps, was the most excitement she got out of her journey. Maybe in the years to come she would look back fondly upon the days she spent crossing ravines or striding up switchbacks, the nights she spent upon crude mounts or by gurgling falls, but after having seen three villages and shared the road with a dozen other travellers before their paths diverged, Kreszenz found that they all blurred together. Just villages in desolate places, self-reliant but bland. A few held landmarks worth raising a brow over, but what of it? The Castle stood tall in the distance, a mountain all on its own. Her steps drew her ever closer to that grand fortification, where the future of the nation was decided far beyond the voices of the populace.

No wonder that in every village and town she had passed through, Kreszenz heard at least one loud-mouthed buffoon speaking ill of the Royals and the Aristocracy. Enemies within and without, yet those walls remained so pristine still, as if it hadn’t seen conflict since the inception of the Kingdom.

Kikka came to focus as she crested a hill.

At the base of the castle-town’s walls, there was someone in the drab clothes of a custodian, removing what stains others had left.

That explained it.

…

The crowds were almost overwhelming. A life spent in the far west and a month-long trek had meant that even at most, Kreszenz saw maybe thirty people in a place at a time. In Kikka though? There were hundreds, each of them shuffling along or picking fights or selling their wares or making friends. She could throw a rock up in the air and it’d land on two people, that was how many there were in a single street. The queues snaking up to the application tents were a hydra in reverse, dozens of lines merging into each other before they connected to only one of five tents, while the smell of cooked food, after weeks on nothing but hard bread, cheese, and river-water, was so enticing that she reckoned that she’d be able to gain an easy five pounds…if she had money to spare.

But, of course, she did not.

Her boots had worn down to the thickness of sandals. Her cloak smelled of earth and the tang of ozone. Her hair was in such need of washing that she had half the mind to save herself the trouble and cut it off. Deep in the recesses of her pack was coin and fine clothes, but those were for emergencies and the future, not to be squandered on frivolous displays of vanity. So Kreszenz kept her eyes forward, her face up, her strides long and purposeful, as she marched with the countenance of a noble even in the garbs of a vagrant, her gaze settling in with unnerving focus upon the officials in the distance, before gradually ‘resting’ in an expression of imperial disdain.

Far too much time passed before Kreszenz Leichenberg received her badge. She swore that the queue seemed to have traverse the width, rather than the length, of the line before she was at the front, but there was nothing for it now. The Exams awaited her and the chattering and cheering and brass band cacophony was making her nauseous, so she stormed for the portcullis without another word.

Or well, tried to.

Twenty paces in, and there were yet more imbecile children clogging up the streets, and Kreszenz was seriously beginning to consider taking to the rooftops instead.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Alright, child sufficiently bullied. Time to get out a post.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Imma go bully a child.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Go for this evening. No point in delaying what could be done immediately.

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

@ZerothYeah, I was looking at the picture and reading the wiki at the same time going ??? over the positions on the map vs the text.

Anyhow, I altered the Fear somewhat to communicate a bit more clearly the vibes I was going for. Basically still stems from the idea of not being the same person that she was when she started on her goals. Kinda like "wew, I want to be a benevolent conqueror of the continent, not just a regular ass conqueror of the continent!".

@Xaltwind Was originally going to make her super aristocratic but that was mostly a response to counteract all the peasants and criminals that were present when I first formulated the idea.

Dunno how much high-pitched ohohoho-ing she'll do, but I definitely need to get this in

Black Clover: Fool's Arcana

Kreszenz Leichenberg - The Symphony of Storms

Kreszenz.Leichenberg
Appearance | 16 y/o | 5'8/133lbs | Female | "Forward, forward! Deliver upon our foes a storm of steel!" PERSONALITY: | Such pride, such arrogance! Kreszenz Leichenberg has never known humility, even in defeat. Her chin lifts high, her nose even higher, as she looks down upon the world that she knows will be her own. This is the girl who has lived upon high mountains, high castles, high towers. Praised only as exceptional since childhood, her voice rings out as haughtily as her laughter, the pride that stiffens her spine becoming a lightning rod too that draws forth only conflict. Clover Kingdom has changed since the prominence of the Anti-Magic King, after all. The arrogance of nobility had no place in a society where others were encouraged to reach for summits beyond their station. In an environment where a common villager could seriously entertain dreams of becoming a Magic Knight, in an environment where the sacrifices of generations bearing the burden of rule were forgotten, where aristocrats learn to guard their tongue lest outrage overflows and becomes disobedience, Kreszenz remains adamant in her capabilities as a noble. If they swear their fealty to her, she will give their lives meaning. If they sought to reach beyond their means, she will be the adjudicator of their trial. It is perhaps owing to that same nobility of hers, that Kreszenz, for all that arrogance, all that pride, remains polarizing, rather than simply unbearable. For she is loyal to her own, and frank in her assessments. If one wishes to better themselves, then she will show them with brutal honesty just how far they must go. And if there are those who seek to harm what is hers? That is an offense worth waging war over. One would be hard-pressed indeed, to see Kreszenz Leichenberg as anything but a quintessential noble. | MAGIC: | Lightning Magic: Capable of wide-spread destruction delivered at blinding speeds, the Leichenberg Family's Lightning Magic evokes a symphonic storm. Bolts of lightning rain from the heavens, while finer alterations of electric force repels invaders or informs allies. What could the hordes accomplish indeed, when they've been brought to heel as an audience to the conductor's calamitous castigation? | SPELLS: SPELL LIST Canon: Heaven's Strike - Offensive - Lightning gathers upon the tip of Kreszenz's wand, before being released in a destructive blast. This can be continuously charged to increase the power of the spell or increase the amount of bolts released. Caesura: Polar Bindings - Restraining - Two orbs of electrical energy are shot out towards two separate objects or individuals, before a magnetic bond is formed between the two and the lighter of the objects is swiftly drawn towards the heavier of the objects. Though generally used to pin someone to a wall or a rock, can also be used to propel a weapon towards them instead. Forza: Inspiration and Aspiration - Communication - A halo of lightning manifests over Kreszenz's head and then shatters, releasing a wide-range electrical pulse in a large radius around her. Those that she recognizes as allies will receive the thoughts and images she has 'packaged' within the crown, while that same information will be just a scrambled burst of 'static' for anyone else. ABILITIES & SKILLS: SKILL LIST High Mana Capacity - Even amongst other nobles, Kreszenz is beloved by mana, possessing exceptional quantities of it within her body. With such power, naturally comes ambition and expectation. Battlefield Command - Kreszenz was taught at a young age that for the role she sought to attain, she would need to see others as tools, and to place such tools in the position which they would best perform. She acts decisively and commands boldly. Similarly, when failure strikes, she steps forth as the sole bearer of responsibility, for only cowards blame their tools. Noblesse Oblige - Her blood runs the blue of her lightning, and she possesses an overbearing confidence that no doubt can be seen as arrogance. Perhaps it is undeserved. Perhaps her audacity can be too much. But what of it? She is fearless and like lightning, has the propensity to appear in the presence of naked steel. GOALS & FEARS: | To become the Wizard King, usurp the Clover King, and unite the world under a single banner, for the purpose of crafting a prosperous and purposeful society. | | Kreszenz is entirely confident that she will accomplish her goal. Kreszenz is entirely certain that it will be worth it. But there are too many allegories of good intentions, grand ambitions. How many times, in seeking to be great, have aspirants forgotten to be good? She is certain and she is confident, and she will make the hard decisions when she needs to. A mountain of corpses, a throne made of the dead. War, waged with enough violence and vigor to consume the continent and force all under a singular banner. There were no such things as peaceful transitions. So how could she ensure that she could remain herself once the flames were pushed to smoulder? How could she ensure that she wields the methods, but not the manner, of a tyrant? That she doesn't fall to unsightly self-preservation? Kreszenz needs an equal. A staunch ally with an unwavering moral compass who could stop her from straying, but who would paradoxically understand the necessity of atrocity when it came down to it. But she is certain that such a convenient person does not exist. | .............................................................................	War was in their blood. House Leichenberg had earned their noble privilege through military accomplishments. Their noble blood ran as pure as any other who nestled in the Noble Realm, but their reputation remained that of backcountry hicks who could not live in proper society. All because they saw the protection of the realm as their divinely-mandated duty. All because they watched over the westernmost lands of the Forsaken Realm, taking on the mantle of the ones who would be the first to meet an invasion of enemy forces. And though they were outcasts in noble society, there on the frontiers of Clover Kingdom, they were beloved by their subjects. Blessed lightning descended from blue skies. With thunderous aplomb, the Magic Knights of House Leichenberg would arrive, cleaving through those that sought to harm the people of the kingdom! But one House, no matter how exceptional, how warlike, could have prepared for the Spade Kingdom. ... What is House Leichenberg, but a name in history books? Certainly, during the age of heroics brought forth by the Anti Magic King and his companions, there was not even a footnote spared for them. The Spade Kingdom's invasion had not been paused by the Leichenberg's heavenbound castigation, so they must have fallen in battle. They were never the type to engage in politics, and had been too bull-headed and uncompromising to be effective even if they did, so the impact of their disappearance did not register in high society. And what of the vagrants and peasants they sheltered in the Kingdom's frontier? The taxes that could be collected from them couldn't even be considered a drop in the bucket. If they were all wiped out, it was a tragedy, but only one that merited a flicker of sadness before one moved on with their lives. And so, one hundred and fifty years passed. A child was born and given a role. She lived on high mountains clustered by cloud, raised by remnants of a once-glorious lineage. She was beloved, even before she was exceptional. Though the House was gone, though their wealth was no more, stories passed down from generation to generation had embedded themselves in spine and soul, demanding that they stand proud of what they once were, what they still are. Demanding that they should rebuild. For a time, Kreszenz Leichenberg had believed that. But by the time she was 15, having traveled to the capital of Clover Kingdom from the very edges of the Kingdom and seen the gradation of wealth and privilege, the encroachment of corruption and misery, she formed ideas of her own. Rebellion and Devil-worship, embezzlement and discontent. Liechenberg had turned outwards, trusting the nobility of the land they protected. Kreszenz would not make that mistake.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

---

//Rhinecliff Estate
_{@Estylwen@Click This}

The Duke’s mien remained implacable at the appearance of Duchess Agustria and Viscount Skybound, but he did turn to one of the servants in attendance. A look was all that was needed for the maid to stride briskly off to retrieve another chair for the surprise guest, while Laurent himself moved to stand up to receive them.

By right, two of the three chairs were owed to the Duke and Duchess in attendance, but it was cruel to let two children stand while the adults sat and ate, especially when they both already looked like a couple of brats who accidentally broke a vase or a window. Honestly, what was dear Evelyn thinking? Laurent repressed a sigh. Then, the corner of his lips twitched into a smile as he caught Mirie’s eye.

A two-for-one show, then.

“What a devoted brother you are, Viscount Skybound,” he chuckled, leaning against the railing of the gazebo to reach up for one of the branches and pluck a ripe plum. Brushing away the dust with the sleeve of his jacket, he tossed it to the young lad. “Two days travel without the benefit of a carriage must have been exhausting, though I see that like any proper nobleman, you’ve nevertheless managed to remain presentable.”

He gave the boy a moment to try the fruit.

“Alas, if you sought your sister, I’m certain that the footman who had let you in would have informed you that she was in the guest room with me, or perhaps at the courtyard, like we are now. Which brings to mind a story I’ve heard of lately…”

Laurent lifted his head up, a jovial light glinting off the rim of his glasses, as if he was sharing trivial, comedic news. “Duchess Agustria, word is that a masterful thief has been plundering the homes of the aristocracy as of late, disdaining what measures we’ve taken to safeguard our estates. I don’t suppose any of the lords and ladies of that social gathering you’ve been at recently have spoke of such incidents?”

Symphony on High

[+]

22 y/o | Female | GEMINI | See-Through Bangs
Dai-Katana | Greatsword (2H) | Physical | STRONG PARRY
Holy Suit | DIVINE DOMAIN
Witch Hunt | Light | SACRED PROHIBITION
[Reveal (2), Purity (4)] Mana Burn (6), Magic Sense (4), Blink (4), Dispel (6), Damage (2), Stabilize (0), AoE (2), Shield (4), Full Extend (4)

DAMAGE: D | SPEED: C | SENTINEL: A | 750

PHYSICAL: D | ARCANE: C | CHAOS: D | 220

What did she see indeed?

It didn’t matter, not when everything ended before the apparition could even manifest. In the shadow of the colossus that dwelled within her dreams, Estelle was left with only the broken remains of Dante, a teenage girl who cried over his body, and Timekeeper.

Scratch that, Timekeeper bolted, leaving her there, alone, with this bullshit.

With all this bullshit, really.

What had the point of this mission even been? What were they even here for? Did this constitute as a success? Did Timekeeper get what he wanted? Did they just make even more enemies? Was she supposed to kill this monster-daughter now, because that was GEMINI protocol? The Knight of Tomorrow was reporting in to Dr. Moller over comms, the fires were dying out as a result of the assistance of the mage-bikers, and this whole thing was a mess from start to finish.

She never had to deal with this in the past. Never had to, back when she was just the guardian of a village, dealing with masses of malice that hardly possessed sentience. Then she had picked and chosen, realizing her limitations and maturing like an adult. Life became an endless set of trolley problems and compromises. And now, if she considered all this, considered what was bound to happen, the adult in Estelle, the Witch Hunter of GEMINI, would act immediately and cut this grieving monster down now, before sorrow turned to hatred and distilled into vengeance.

She made a thing though, of never drawing her sword.

And she was only twenty-two years old. A young adult.

…

Estelle knelt down beside Amanda, and gave her a consolatory hug. Allowed her to cry until there was a break in between her sobs, and then said, “Your friends are outside. They were looking for you.”

What was Dante hiding her from? The schoolgirls hadn’t seen her, so she hadn’t been sent away just because he saw Finn.

“Do you want to join them?”