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Kathryn Pyke Human, Fighter (Rune Knight), Level 05
HP: 43 / 49 Armor Class: 19 Conditions: N/A
Location: Coach House
Action: N/A
Bonus Action: N/A
Reaction: N/A |
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And what a month it was. To start things off, there was no clear winner to the snowball battle. What started out as a friendly game of snowballs in the cold weather seemed to turn into a warzone as the clumps of snow were dealt with more vigor as the battle progressed. And Maybe, just maybe, Kathryn got a little too into it. But alas, someone standing at 14 feet tall could make and throw some really big snowballs. It wouldn't be long until Kathryn and Kosara were half buried in the snow with Kat flat on her back after returning to normal size leaving a Kat sized hole in the snow in one of the few untouched areas of the battlefield. Otherwise, no surface was spared the carnage. Either tore up for ammunition, or struck by the destruction. Thankfully, the fields would be burned soon enough for a clean harvest. "
That was fun." Kathryn spoke up flat on her back, catching her breath, and a big grin on her face as she continued to sink into the giant Kat shaped hole. "
We should do this again at some point." Sitting up Kathryn would help Kosara out of whatever hole she landed in. Either under her own power, or caused by Kat getting a little too into the battle.
Once it was called to return back to the coach house, Kathryn found herself trying to stretch out the muscles in her back and shoulders. Though she had been more relaxed recently, she had been tense as hell. And so much physical activity on her person in uncommon methods have caused her to become uncomfortably sore. To her surprise, Kosara had offered to massage her to help relieve some of the physical stress stuck on her back. The cost? A piggyback ride back to the coach house. "
This seems like a ploy so you can feel up my muscles again?" Kathryn said with sarcastic suspicion. That was probably exactly it, but she had to admit that a professional massage sounded great... "
Fine, you got a deal." Kathryn said in an almost challenging tone. "
But first, we drink. Not wasted because you gotta do this well. And I want my works worth out of ya yeah?" Kathryn said with a confident smile as she drank from the brandy filled waterskin. Seeming as Kosara didn't want any of the "Cursed Brandy" Kathryn would take care to grab something to drink when they got back to the coach house. After more than a couple sips, Kathryn turned around and bent over. "
Alright my lady, shall we?" Kathryn offered waiting for Kosara to climb on her back. Once on and secure, she would book it full sprint back to the coach house! Kosara was thankfully not a 600lbs barrel. Much easier to job with on her back than her morning workout routine!
Barging into the coach house with some less than subtle drunken giggles Kat bent over as to not accidentally send Kosara's face into the door frame. Reaching behind the bar Kathryn would grab two random bottles of wine with a huge grin on her face, still unable to suppress the giggles before calling out to anyone in the main room to the coach house "
Kosara is gonna help me unwind a bit, please do not disturb!" The half giant sang sung as she did a couple spins before half dancing up the stairs. A kosara on her back, and two bottles of wine in her hands. Sadly, she would have to set down her tiefling friend before they could continue. "
I need to change into something more comfortable. So I'll take the wine and if you wanna grab what you need meet me back at my room in a couple minutes yeah?" Kathryn offered once Kosara was on her own two feet. Then, she'd rush back into her room tossing the bottles on her bed, and with expert speed removed the bits of armor from her person before changing into her comfort wear. When Kosara returned Kat had set up the room as best as she could, but alas she was no expert. "
I don't have a table, so I hope a bed will do well enough?" Kathryn asked a little unsure of the situation.
Kathryn had no idea how tense her body actually was. Not until Kosara pressed into the knots in her back causing such a rush of relief for Kathryn to call out more than once to the sudden drop of physical stress. "
OH GODS! Where did you learn that?" she'd ask her tiefling friend, giving her the best back massage of her life. Kathryn was far from the best patient though. She had trouble staying still despite laying comfortably in bed as Kosara got all the knots and pains out of her back, and she was so tense that even relaxing took effort! Every few moments Kathryn would let out a verbal release as her body became more and more relaxed. She had no idea just how wound up her body had become, and for the first time in years she could relax.
A couple hours after a mildly drunk and giggling Kathryn had originally burst through the door, she returned to the main pub room of the coach house. Hair frizzled, and as relaxed as a pile of slime sinking down a stairwell. "
Gods I haven't felt that good in years. Y'all should get some of what Kosara offered me. I swear it changes you." Kathryn said sounding like she was relaxed enough to sleep. Before letting out a very soft giggle of sorts still a little buzzed. Then taking rather large glass and filling it with the totally not cursed brandy, nursing it at a near proper rate before relaxing for the evening.
The next few weeks kept Kathryn rather busy. Between her morning workouts, daily training sessions with Lizbeth, and her book work, Kat had little other downtime. Kathryn still made Lizbeth work on endurance and strength training. But far less intensely than previously. Now they practiced with swords! The first day Kathryn found herself getting a little carried away with the sword play and after only a few practice swings, Kat had accidentally snapped her sword across Lizbeth's in an attempt to pin it against a tree. She would bring a lot more practice swords after that incident just in case. Kathryn had to regularly remind herself to not swing with the same might she would in battle, and for the most part it worked out well! Kathryn however was not one to show mercy to her student. During their duels she never let Lizbeth win. She didn't go out of her way to send her into the snow every day, but Kathryn wouldn't let her land a swing if she could prevent it. Many of their mock battles would go with letting Lizbeth take a few swings, and Kat blocking it with her mock sword. Giving verbal instructions on how to improve her odds of hitting Kat, Kathryn then explaining what she was doing to block Lizbeth, and warning Lizbeth when she was making an offensive move on her. The couple of times Lizbeth got a little too confident after blocking a few of Kathryn's swings the tall warrior simply gave the girl a smirk and said. "
Then let's step things up." And instead of standing still waiting for Lizbeth to strike her Kathryn would begin marching forward in the snow with ease using her simple height and strength advantage to traverse the terrain far easier than her student.
The more advanced training would be a huge step up. "
When it comes to defending yourself, you are primarily going to face two sorts of enemies. Shady bastards who are going to use every trick in the book to wear you down until they can get a strike in on to finish you, and brutes. Most people who get into the fighting business by choice do it because they already have some skill in it. Or are used to already being more powerful than everyone around them." Kathryn would speak up between strikes. No longer calling out her directions of attack, but going slow enough that if Lizbeth was to pay attention she would see them coming. But with each slow lumbering swing Kathryn took a step forward, forcing Lizbeth to take a step back and forcing her to constantly change her stance. "
Unfortunately for you most of these people will fit that second category. Fortunately for you, I am bigger than most of them. If you can hold your own against me most of the rest will be hard pressed to go toe to toe with you." Kathryn would say continuing to step over the snow as if it were barely a hindered. Now Kathryn's blocks from Lizbeth's attacks were getting closer to Lizbeth's person. "
Someone like me is going to use the fact that they are bigger, stronger, and heavier than you to push you into submission. Meaning you need to be faster than them, and know when to break away. Avoiding a blow is just as much of a skill as blocking on. Ducking, side stepping, disengaging to get a better vantage." As Kathryn spoke this, it would become apparent that Lizbeth had been backed into a pair of trees that had grown together to create a barrier that her only way out was now through Kathryn. At this, Kathryn would swing her wooden blade with considerably more force than her previous swings, this time watching as Lizbeth did a partial duck, and used her blade to guide Kathryn's sword the rest of the distance above the small girl's head. Kathryn watched as Lizbeth took the moment while she was ducked to slip to Kat's side and gain distance.
If this were a proper battle, Kathryn would have struck again. Probably to knock her flat on her face. But Lizbeth was doing so well using the advantages she did have against Kathryn. She wanted to reinforce those skills. She did take a swing at the young girl when she tried to gain distance. "
My reach is also better than yours. If you let me strike your back, I shall." That hit didn't hit with any force, but enough to tap the young bean's back and cause her to stumble. "
You need to work on your footwork. Most battles and duels wont let you stand still. But your stances are getting better. And your blocking is improving." Kathryn would show Lizbeth a few ways to help keep her footwork comparable to her stances so if forced to move, she can keep her swings and blocks effective. "
You're learning well. Keep working on your footwork, and your stances. And uh... sorry for the bruises. I tried my best to not hit you too hard..." Kathryn said a bit shy. "
Keep working on it, and we'll move onto some other weapons soon. Maybe throwing weapons, or shield works. Both very good skills to have." Kathryn said, rather proud of how well Lizbeth was learning a blade. "
Sword first. You gotta know the basics before we mix things up more." Kathryn wouldn't move onto real weapons for a bit still, nor metal training weapons. Lizbeth was still working on blocking, and Kathryn didn't want to cause too much more harm to the small girl if it was avoidable. Lizbeth so far has still been unable to land a hit on Kathryn. But she imagined she may someday before the winter is out if she keeps practicing. Kathryn was still not going to let her win. She wanted Lizbeth to earn that for herself. But she also wanted the girl to know she was doing rather well. It was a difficult balance.
If only Kathryn's teachings in her studies were as successful. She found herself struggling to read the books and texts from the goblin camp. Even worse, looking back through her notes and V's notes, it looked like Kat had mistranslated something early in her studies and it seemed to have a rippling effect to the rest of her translations from that point forward. It changed whole words! Whole sentences! it turned questions into comments, and comments into suggestions! Places into names, names into descriptive words. It crippled weeks worth of progress from a simple error made in a minor slip up that seemed to fit. It felt like a sabotage of the worst kind! "
MOTHER FUCKER!" Kathryn screamed so loud that anyone on the lot for the coach house could hear. Emphasized by the sheer force of Kathryn's fits striking the door out of anger, leaving a visible crack on both sides of the door, and a bloody hand for Kathryn. "
fuck..." Kathryn said to herself rather embarrassed and shamefully. In that moment of post door fisting clarity, the miss translation seemed to clear itself up! The change was subtle, but it also meant that most of her progress hadn't been lost! Just a few key aspects needed to be changed! After cleaning up her hand and talking with Master Urmdrus about fixing up the door she wrongfully took her anger out on Kathryn was able to fix up her mis translated notes rather quickly! It still took time to catch up to where she left off, but when she did a bunch of her old notes began making far more sense! Finally, a break in this tedious task.
After a string of very unpleasant dreams, Kathryn decided tonight was going to be a late night. The dreams were not memories, but they were unsettling none the less. She couldn't even make sense of them, she didn't even seem like herself in those dreams. But they were beginning to get to her. So she would stay up late tonight, and get mildly drunk to see if that could dull the dreams. Taking a hot bath a few hours before everyone else settled in, the half giant felt clean and rather womanly for a change. Had she not been in the mood to relax wearing her dress may be a valid option! But alas, this was no place for a ball. But she was clean, wearing comfortable garbs, and still had a sword hanging on her belt. That belt however sat over her shoulder to be easily set down so she didn't have to lug it around all night. The cider was a welcome change to things as well.
She however, could not stop thinking about the dream she had been having. It was foggy, and gone by the time she woke most nights. Especially at first. But now? Now she was beginning to recall it in the daytime like a much faded memory. It felt like she was an officer of a large commanding army. But... her words were not her own. Her actions were not her own. And around her? A sea of bones littered the ground. She didn't want to even imagine what could have put such a train of thought in her mind. But something had. Her own dark thoughts? A story she read? She couldn't recall a story like that immediately but surely it had to be that. Yes there were people she felt that wronged her, and needed to be punished. But that dream... That dream was that of death incarnate. With her own person seeming in the middle of it all.
Something to help take Kathryn's mind off of the rather unpleasant dreams, was that Master Urmdrus had finished some of his works! Gifting an assortment of arms and armor to various party members, and importantly Lizbeth's! And she even got her own shield! "
We'll have to work on fighting with shields soon then. I look forward to what you can do there dude!" Kathryn called out to the small bean. "
I do have to say, the warrior setup does suit you rather well." She called out to Lizbeth while she showed off her new kit. The whip was going to be an interesting one to work with. Yes Kat knew how to use one, but she wasn't too experienced with one. On top of that, she wasn't sure how to counter one that well either. Should Kat and Lizbeth get into proper weapons before the snow ends, Kathryn would have to adapt. But she herself would also get a chance to learn something new. Plus the reach on the whip may be better for Lizbeth in the long run. Though Kat's own kit wasn't ready yet, she still had her own chain mail set to work with. As well she knew she could defend herself rather easily should the time come. Plus seeing everyone else get super excited for their gifts was rather adorable to watch.
With studies going well enough, training with Lizbeth going smoothly, and no more doors beaten into submission, the rest of Kathryn's time was spent relaxing where she could. To her honest surprise, she even had a chance to enjoy the bath!!! And she would never admit to the amount of dirt and grim that came off her person with a proper bath. But to make sure she could enjoy it properly, she would soon take one with a lot less dirt and grim to follow. A nice hot bath in the nice super cold season, and being able to relax with wine and hot cider in her pajamas was something that she otherwise didn't get a chance to do. In this current moment, she found herself relaxing with some sweet wine she had heated up in a pot over the fire, pouring it into a nice mug while wrapped up in blankets and her new sleeping bag pajama with sleeves. It was... a crude outfit. But it was warm, modest, and it was somewhat protective as well as comfortable! What else could a girl want?
Watching the way V stumbled in and collapsed, Kathryn was a bit worried for the small woman. Kathryn had heard rumors on what had happened, but by the time she heard it was far too late for her to be super effective in helping. V however, was in the middle of it all. The woman despite her obvious fatigue seemed to be in a bit better spirits as she talked about how she had delivered a baby boy today! "
That is wonderful Victoria!" Kathryn spoke up in glee! But as V continued, she appeared to have her front crack more and more. Before finally breaking down. Soon, the half elf who had done her best was gone. Getting as much distance from her reality as possible. Kathryn hesitated. Apart of her wanted to follow, another part wanted to give her space. In the end, the former choice won out. Kathryn had heard too many stories of people who couldn't handle their worlds anymore wandering off into the cold to not be seen again until the snow melted. She also remembered how alone, scared, and broken she was after Ser Lucas passed. The only thing to give her company was the beer bought with their combined savings. She'd back off if needed, but she wanted to make sure that V knew she wasn't alone in all of this.
"
I'll be right back too." She called out to the room as she attempted to get on her boots. Wearing her sleeping bag with sleeves made it surprisingly hard to move with how much padding she had on. A joke could be made about her being a marshmallow in this moment, but there were more serious things to focus on. Boots on, sword belt over her shoulder, and a big soft hat, Kat was ready to assist! Well, almost. She grabbed the pot of heated wine, sealing the lid on top, and clipping a couple mugs to her sword belt.
The hike was slow going, thought Victoria's tracks were easy to follow, Kat didn't want to accidentally miss a turn and have to double back. The trail was easy to spot though. The watchtower that Kat had been too on her first morning here. It was a good isolated place, with a good view in all directions! The music she soon heard was the final confirmation of where she needed to go. No longer having to take it slow, she began marching through the snow with ease closing her distance to the tower rapidly. When Kathryn reached the base of the tower she could hear the music far more clearly. Even listening to V play, it reminded Kat of simpler times. She felt like a young girl again, watching a show with her parents and their friends. Though she couldn't see Victoria, she could hear every string, every beat, the music was something that was just... comforting in a time when little could be. Kathryn closed her eyes enjoying the moment. Taking in every beat as another moment patching up her happier memories. Giving them strength to see the light again over the less than good memories.
When the music began to quiet, Kathryn opened her eyes to see the moonlit tower standing before her. Maybe she even heard some echoing of V's music? Other locals maybe joining in on the melody? She couldn't be sure, but she knew it was peaceful. A taste of something better. Entering and climbing the tower, Kathryn found herself up top where Victoria was rather quickly. Doing her best to not surprise her bardic friend. While still part way through the hatch, setting down her belt and the pot of hot wine Kathryn spoke up softly to Victoria. "
I knew you were good, but my gods. That was something otherworldly." Kathryn spoke in a calm but warming tone. Like a sister attempting to comfort her sibling after a hard day. Making her presence known now, Kathryn stood the rest of the way up and out of the hatch before sitting down. Pouring the hot wine into both mugs she passed one over to Victoria. "
You've done a lot of good for these people. I hope you know that." Taking a sip of her own wine she held the flavor for a moment, before swallowing and letting out a comically large steam cloud. "
But if you ever need help, of any kind. We're here for you. Okay? If you need help in town, I'll clear my schedule. If you need help or support when you're back here, we can lend a hand. If you just want somewhere to escape for a few moments, we can help you there too. But you're not alone in this." Kathryn after taking a moment to let things sit in let out a soft but warm chuckle. "
I'm also not good at this sort of thing. And sometimes people just need space. I just wanted to check in on you. So if you want me to go I'll go and get myself plastered so Kosara can sober me up again." She said in a rather joking manner. But the offer was serious. She didn't want V to feel alone with what she was going through. Even if she wanted to be alone, knowing others were there for her could make a huge difference.
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