Conscripts

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Riverbloom, Outside Books and Cookies
Interactions: None
Mentions: None
Equipment: Longsword and Plate Armor

---

All the while, the town's livelihood was interrupted by a rather unsettling sight. The black tattoo engraved on the orc's forehead was a sign of trouble. This was no minority of the so-called 'honorable savages' that some would attribute to the respectable Nabarask tribe, this was the actual savages. Stories of countless atrocities conducted by the brutal raids by the Dugmahords still scarred this land, even as its intensity had dropped since the Dark Elves took over. In fact, among the Riverbloom Plaze goers on that day, it would not be any surprise if there was one who had first-hand experience of those raids. As a result, the gigantic orc lumbering through the street attracted an abundance of suspicious and outright hostile glances from all species alike. What could possibly be going through the heads of the orc, many wondered?

Apathy was the answer.

Barrock simply didn't give a single crap about what the others were thinking of him. He was focused on getting his equipment maintained, as well as cashing on the payment that his previous employer had given him. Normally, payment in perishable goods would simply be rejected outright by the orc, but he relented this time around, seeing the young lady fumbling over the most basic of a transaction and simply shelling out what she could, and also her problematic circumstances. The contract was discounted too, but whatever, he had the money. But there is a reason why he didn't like to hang around towns and cities.

"You. Yes you, you tusker!"

It's these asses.

"I'm sorry but there are women and children here. You will not hurt them!"

And of course, it's coming from a dark elf.

"Stop right there! I cannot allow you to destroy this town!"

The dark elf stood from a distance, with a straightened hand pointing straight at Barrock, who simply ignored it completely. He continued lumbering rather clumsily with a clear limp on every step, clad in armor and a long straight sword at his waist. His hand held onto the scabbard loosely, but a finger perpetually tapping on its handguard. His bloodshot red eyes occasionally glanced at the obnoxious elf before looking up to the street, paying him very little attention, just as much as he deserved.

"You pigs deaf?! I said stop!"

Outside the Books and Cookies bakery, the sight of an orc amidst the inhabitants was hard to miss. The dark elf deliberately side-stepped to stand in his way as Barrock headed in a different direction earlier. Once it was clear he was not going to avoid this asshole, the orc approached him slowly but surely, the finger on the handguard continued to tap.

"Y-You know, I can fight. I will cut you into pieces! W-With my ancestral sword here!"

His voice faltered as the orc neared, dwarfing even creatures like him, but he was desperate to keep up the appearance. Barrock stopped right within striking distance of the elf, and the finger on that handguard now pushed the sword slightly out of its sheathe. For a moment, his piercing gaze met the hulk of the self-righteous dark elf, the latter's knees visibly trembling from fear. Bystanders held their breath at the standoff. Some tried to grab the authorities. Some braced for the bloodshed that were guaranteed to spill.

And the orc simply walked away.

To the surprise of many, he just walked away. No blood on the ground, no heads rolled. Sighs of relief were exchanged.

"That's right, go back to your pen coward!"

And a cry of victory. But for all intents and purposes, the dark elf did not win that fight.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

⚘ Steffen Gravinir ⚘

---

The duel with Fleuri needless to say was quite enlightening. Not so much the ghostly thread that enabled Rui's arm, but it was still a fascinating solution to the handicap. That way, at least in combat, the girl would be able to fight at essentially full strength, with the added benefit of scamming arrogant opponents. That's the reason why Steffen was wary of any weirdly kitted opponent; they usually were really prepared in their niche, and more often than not would spend much more time perfecting that niche they chose. The thing that caught his attention the most would be that absurd move she did.

A ranged attack created out of thin air from a melee weapon.

For a moment, Steffen stood in silence as he reconstructed in his head the visual fragments of what just transpired a few seconds ago. In there, he could see a glimpse of the impeccable technique she employed. He wasn't sure if what ghostly energy powered that spectral arm, but seeing if it could be repeated with a real arm, the Ingvarr tried raising his arm up and swung the same motion slowly. Indeed, he sense that there were coordinations to be had between the muscles, one that would've been perfected through eons of practice. Even if it is a good deduction of the technique, it couldn't be replicated easily if not at all. An impressive display, he must say.

Tyaethe's arrival snapped Steffen back to his senses, and now he finally actually processed the full extent of the damage that Rui caused, or specifically the pain of having to patch that roof back up. Again. For like the fifth time this quarter.

While he let the vampire take on the explanation to Fleuri, Steffen took a step towards Rui, again with his hands raised, looking flustered.

"Madam Rui." He said, in nigh-perfect Veldt. "It's an enlightening demonstration, but we'd appreciate if you could direct it to our actual training equipment. A personal request, if you don't mind."

@Raineh Daze

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

Irian Sinewell

---

It may not look flashy, but the elf in the tree was as silent as any assassin, and just as good a killing machine as any. With consistency, Irian's targets fell one by one before they even had a chance to make a stand. It was almost unfair, given the cover of darkness and the absolutely dominant high ground he possessed, but he knew that if the situations were reversed, those cultists would have no qualm hugging the branch that supported them and gouge out his eyes with projectiles, not to mention the horrific things they would have done to their prisoners. That's why each shot he took was without any remorse or pity, if not much effort was put in at all.

Given the almost total chaos instilled in the cultists, his allies in the front appeared to have been given the privilege to a free-dance on them. And a lot of them had a rather 'crude' approach when it came to it. Irian would hesitate on the word barbaric, but it did bring up the image of the fearsome warriors of the north, of mountainous strength and fighting lust. But there were flowers amongst the swords and axes. One of the finest examples would be Velvetica. It really was a dance to her, moving in from enemy to enemy with no moves wasted. In a way, there was something to be in awe of in the Steel Princess's display.

Not being too concerned about the princess's bladework, he turned his attention to the other members of the Lions, who might be a bit more inclined to being surprise attacked. Him, Lirrah and the archers. Mostly taken cared of earlier. Istvan and Urden. There were few desperate attempts, and Irian spared a few arrows to their faces, a luckier fate than having to meet their axes and flails. Same went for Kayliss. The backline cultists, some of whom were trying to make a run for it. They were more challenging targets, and for a second he thought of using his magic for assistance, but the scaredy cats knocked the difficulty down, and thus he decided otherwise. His bow perked up as Irian estimated the distance with a glance of an eye, loosing an arrow right into a running cultist, felling him, hopefully for good.

At the same time, he eyed out if there were more dangerous opponent in the vicinity, especially close by. He would not enjoy the irony of being counter-ambushed after springing a textbook perfect ambush themselves.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

⚘ Steffen Gravinir ⚘

---

Seeing the bunny lady having some difficulties with the language, Steffen took a step back with a slow but understanding nod, letting Lein take the spotlight to do the translation for her. She spoke of her mission to observe the knights, and her regrets for not letting them know in advance, which wasn't necessarily true; Dame Tyaethe mentioned a letter already, hence why she even came to the Ingvarr to begin with. Maybe Rui was just being courteous about it though. The painting though...his eyes rolled around the upper corners. With what just happened, he questioned the motive behind that statement she just made.

"Don't worry. I'm certain Dame Tyaethe is aware." Steffen reassured the Knight-Captain and Serenity rather quickly. "And if not, I can always pass by her quarter later on."

In the next part Lein said though, his eyebrows lost their symmetry, one piquing up with curiosity. Steffen tapped his chin with his fingers before crossing his arms and looking, with his head slightly tilted, not at Rui but rather Lein conspicuously. But he ultimately said nothing about it and waited for the other's reactions.

@Raineh Daze@Crimson Paladin@ERode@VitaVitaAR@PigeonOfAstora

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

⚘ Steffen Gravinir ⚘

---

Having three individuals with the same exact dreams at the exact time were quite uncanny to hear, but having five would just be an obvious pattern. Not exactly exact though. Fleuri mentioned having dueled Florian, someone Steffen only saw in the dream as an audience to the carnage. But Volkstraad was something he had in common with Serenity, who also brought up a rather good point about the Knight-Witch.

"Indeed I believe we all saw pretty much the same thing last night." Steffen turned to Fleuri, with a sidestep to let the new members to gather around the group. "But not exactly though, Florian is merely a spectator. The memorable fight is with Erich. At least for me..." It was surprisingly heart-to-heart, and he had yet to contemplate the words the Demonbreaker had spoken to him. Not hiding anything...it was easier said than done.

"Looks like there are differences here and there. I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest that this is the work of someone else."

It wasn't the only strange topic in this room though. Lein weirdly today brought about a companion, this lady with a pair of bunny ears, and that was not the only thing worth the attention. She only had one arm, but a pair of curved swords of very clear Akitsushiman origin. The rough-looking exterior was reservoirs of gripping history, he could sense that. And for any self-respecting warrior out there, there should never be doubts about weird weapon choices.

"I hope your morning has been lovely thus far." Steffen took a step closer to the bunny-eared girl, his two hands cusped in front of him gently, giving off a non-confrontational and reserved front to him. "May I ask if you're from Dame Merilia, the Knight-Witch?"

@Raineh Daze@Crimson Paladin@ERode@VitaVitaAR@PigeonOfAstora

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

⚘ Steffen Gravinir ⚘

---

With a nod, Steffen headed over to swap his training weapon to a sword to match the two knight's choices of expertise. His return coincided with their talks regarding a dream they had the previous night. Things about fighting warriors of ancient past, and Merilia standing watch. All of which stood familiar to him. What he dreamt yesterday fits the description perfectly.

"Wait, you both dreamt of that yesterday?" The Ingvarr raised a finger of his. "Did you fight Erich at some point? Because I did, as Merilia and the other founding knights were watching."

@VitaVitaAR@ERode

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

Irian Sinewell

---

Seeing that the merchant was willing to share her share of the ration, Irian felt a little bit guilty asking for seconds. He made note to repay the favor later if possible, having had his share of rations of his own too. Or he could maybe forage for some fresh fruits for the entire camp later. It was much better than normal food more often than not. He also was going to make it clear of his relative deviance when it comes to Veltian cuisine, but the call to arms came a bit too soon for that. The elf gave his two-fingered salute to Lirrah before hopping back onto the tree he came from with two taps of his feet.

From the high vantage point was where his expertise unveiled in subtle ways. The remarkable silence and lack of movement made it impossible to detect from even closer distance, not to mention at the range these cultists were spotted. His bow and arrow at the ready, drawn only when the Steel princess gave the order. Irian opted out of a magical arrow for now, seeing that the glow would simply give his position away pretty clearly in the darkness.

In this low visibility environment, Lirrah's source of light proved invaluable for every archers in the backline, and Irian was no exception. His arrows followed the light source with precision. He could see one getting hit in the neck with one, the distance and angle made it quite likely it was his. Seeing more cultists creeping up into the light, the elf drew a few more arrows from his quiver, and placing two on his bow, each separated by his hand, reserved for two cloaked individuals trying to get in on the raiders a few feet apart from one another.

Dreaming Together With You - A Fading Memory Experiment

I'm preparing a flight home this week. It'll take a bit of time but once I get settled, I can begin posting.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

---

Ah, John expected as much. Glad to see the duke still had some restraint and capacity for reasons. And a good testament that remaining calm and collected in a situation like this was always a good thing. No need to get violent early on, even though if push came to shove, he absolutely can.

Seeing that she was back from her trance to reality, she looked like she was fine after all. Nothing particularly worrisome about her behavior, which relieved John quite a bit. And a pretty invitation to the play too. It would have been quite a bad look to refuse her offer, but the problem here was that the seat she was referring to was empty because the nobleman earlier had vacated it, and was now looking to have back. He couldn't just take that spot from the lad.

"Thank you, miss, but I've proven intrusive." John gestured towards the nobleman, stepping aside to let him sit down. "Would have loved to join otherwise."

Well, not exactly? It was a Caesonian play after all, and he was no fan of them, seeing them as no more than an extension of the degenerate over-sensationalized Caesonian Morning papers. It's been a while since he had seen a proper and artistic play from them.

John left the theatre afterwards, continuing his curiosity driven wandering for a while longer until a messenger approached him. This wasn't the guys from the Institute, so John was curious to who would be sending a letter to him of all people. Calbert was the only notable person to pop up in his mind, but the flowery envelope seemed to suggest otherwise. Upon opening, the beautiful handwriting gave it away, if her signature hadn't already.

---

5:45 pm

Despite the notable lack of excitement on John's part, he still took his time to prepare for the party. In fact, he even decided to get a change of attire, slightly. It was a newer and more modern fashion style for the Varians, but patterns remained simple and humble, a notable pride on their open-mindedness and egalitarian culture. On one of his collars was the signature pin of every Institute member, an honour he was willing to display to everyone. It seemed rather formal for a dinner under firework, but like he told Nahir, he was someone who would wear the same kind of clothes all over until the day he dies.

Sadie's park arrangement were very obvious to the eye even before he arrived at the park, the picnic blanket acted just like flowers from afar. It was a nice marker to follow, and John headed straight for there. It seemed like he was quite early to the dinner, as only the princess and her servants were around.

"Good evening, your Royal Highness. Thank you for the invitation." The doctor approached Sadie with a polite bow and a smile. "How has your day been treating you?"

@Potter

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

⚘ Steffen Gravinir ⚘

---

After Tyaethe left him for her room, Steffen finished his gardening work, quickly but not without care and consideration, making visual marks where he had the plants watered, and where he hadn't, so as to not drown nor thirst something to death by his own negligence. This meticulous work was rather trademark of most things that Steffen did, perhaps more so than others when it comes to administrative or mundane maintenance like this. He always found that a little weird, considering everybody else could be like this if they just apply the same principal from their usual combat training. Maintenance probably wasn't as glamorous though, everybody liked actions.

Speaking of actions, the Ingvarr decided he wanted to whip himself up into shape for once at the training ground after putting his other equipment away, having missed the bunny that Tyaethe was talking about by just a few minutes or a few corners away. Steffen turned away from the blacksmith area and headed for the storage and changed dress slightly to a more practical and simpler gambeson for the training. Under the warm sunlight, Steffen went through the assortment of weapons given to trainees, and found the bow to be his calling this time around. He could continue with more pole arm training and it would not be wasted time, but the bow was one of his weaker, least adept weapons, something he wanted to improve on to be as well-rounded as possible.

Taking shots at the target a few paces in front of him, with varying degrees of accuracy, Steffen tried recalling what he had read from the archery books and what much Lein told him about his bow handling, going trial and error all the way. It wasn't necessarily bad, but he felt a little lost. He was stuck in this state where he felt like he could handle the weapon, but he couldn't reach newer heights, that he had hit the plateau of skills which he obviously knew there were better displays out there. It was a frustrating feeling he wasn't strangers to, but often to break out of it, it required more than just discipline or more constant training. He needed a better foundation.

After a session, he went to retrieve the arrows back into the quiver, and that's when he noticed someone familiar: Dame Serenity and the Knight Captain herself. As surprising as it is, Steffen could recall only on one hand how many times he was in the same training arena as them, despite having been in the Knights for a while. A rather strange day today?

Upon seeing both of them eye-to-eye, Steffen greeted them with a friendly wave and headed over to them when they took their breaks.

"Good morning you two. I hope I'm not disturbing your training session."

@ERode@VitaVitaAR