Crimson Paladin

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri didn't have to go far to find his horse. It had withdrawn from the scene of the battle, but had not nearly as far from it as it could have gone. A side effect of the creature's training, most likely, he thought as he approached it. Fleuri briefly examined the horse to ensure it was uninjured from the battle. Fortunately, it seemed none of the bloodstains on the animal's scarlet caparison were its own blood. Satisfied with its condition, he sheathed his zweihander and climbed onto his mount. He wasn't sure how long it'd last in this dangerous line of work, but it had proven itself today.

As he returned, he noticed several knights, including Klaus clustered near the trees. Curious as to what they were doing, he took his reins and trotted his horse toward the knights' location.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri breathed a sigh of relief as he looked over the aftermath of the battle. The trolls had been felled, the surviving orcs had routed, and he didn't see any of the Iron Roses among the dead. His armor was splattered with blood from head to toe, but the important thing is that none of it was his blood. It was another successful mission in the order's long and glorious history, and further proof of the worthiness of its young captain. Tragically, it seemed that a number of the town guards had been killed, but fortunately the fiends had not made it into the city, he assessed as he looked up at the battered walls that had protected the city.

Now that the battle was over, the question in his mind was why and how this happened. The raiding party somehow slipped deep into Thaln undetected, yet they had foolishly opted to beat their heads against a fortified town not far from where the Iron Roses are headquartered. They certainly weren't greater fighters than a typical orc. Fleuri wasn't an expert on this sort of matter, but the seeming inconsistency in the orcs' competence suggested to him that they had help, he thought to himself as he listened to the captain address the knights.

So this magical attacker is indeed an enemy. Whoever they are, they probably had something to do with these orcs making it this far into Thaln. Trick these dumb brutes into making trouble, wait for us to respond, and then ambush us. But who? There were probably many evildoers who held a grudge against the Iron Roses. Perhaps someone knowledgeable in magical fields could narrow it down; surely there couldn't be a great many people capable of such a deadly spell, he guessed. Regardless, what was important was that the orcs were stopped, the people were safe, and it this was a trap, it had failed.

When the gates opened and the locals emerged to congratulate their saviors, Fleuri opted to step away from the crowd. As much as he craved attention, it was best if he didn't partake in it, not anymore. Not since he gave himself to Reon and to the Iron Roses. He needed to find his horse anyway- hopefully it hadn't been stolen or killed, because he didn't want to have to explain that he lost two horses in a row.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

With this troll down, Fleuri took another moment to look across the battlefield while he pulled his sword free. He could not spot the captain nor Tyaethe, but he did see several more trolls in the distance. Unable to keep up with Klaus on foot, he opted to head for that direction as he hefted his blood-stained sword over his shoulder.

He did not get far, unfortunately; a pair of orcs spotted and charged him, letting out inhuman warcries. When the closer one drew near, Fleuri skewered it on the end of his zweihander with all of his strength before the greenskin could get close enough to strike the knight with its own weapon. The momentum with which the orc charged forced Fleuri back several paces, but he regained control and tossed the his wounded foe to the side, freeing it from his blade just as the second orc closed in.

He swung his sword in an arc at the second one as it came within range, but the orc stopped just shy of the tip, narrowly evading injury, then charged forward before the knight could bring his massive sword back in the greenskin's direction. Fortunately, Fleuri was all too familiar with this window of vulnerability when swinging his zweihander, and had devised techniques to adapt to and deal with foes who sought to exploit it. In addition, his fixation on the recent sparring match with Tyaethe had brought these now rarely used techniques to the forefront of his mind. He sprung backwards with surprising agility, just narrowly avoiding his foe's crude cleaver-like weapon, and swiftly drew his dagger from its scabbard with his left hand. When the orc pressed its attack and swung again at the knight, Fleuri parried its blow, giving him the opportunity needed to decapitate his foe with his zweihander.

One mistake is all it takes, he mused as he slew his foe. One mistake, pressing a perceived opportunity a bit too far in the heat of the moment, was all it took for even a clever warrior to fail. It was something the knight knew all too well.

Just as he delivered the fatal counter-blow, something further into the battlefield lit up like lightning, and in the corner of his eye, he saw the strange beam flying at an unseen target. He had only enough time to notice the beam change direction and disintegrate a troll. What was that? he wondered. Was it one of ours? No, the mages were instructed to stay behind. Besides, he had never seen any of his fellow knights cast such a spell before- this had to be a third party. It had struck one of the trolls, but only after changing direction- if they had meant to hit one of those massive beasts, there would've been no need to pull off a trick shot. Then what was it's intended target? "Oh no," Fleuri muttered, as he came to a realization. If it was aimed at one of the Iron Roses, he reasoned, it must have been meant for either Fanilly or Tyaethe.

If this hypothesis was correct, than he could find at least one them further ahead where the beam had been. Once again, however, he found his way blocked by another orc raider. At this rate, I'm not going anywhere quickly, Fleuri lamented as he tightened his grip on his weapon.

Broken Oath - A Demon's Land Divided (Open for Business!)

Astaroth Quintus

Astaroth's timing had proven to be poor- just as he had attempted to speak with the candidate, others showed up as if out of nowhere and uncouthly confronted the candidate. Astaroth rolled his eyes in disapproval beneath his mask; they couldn't have made a worse first impression if they had deliberately tried. Have these fools ever encountered a demon of prestige in their entire lives? Even as a sorcerer's apprentice in the human lands, I knew better than to speak with such disrespect!

At the same time however, the candidate seemed to take it well, having handled the child's outburst quite diplomatically. It wasn't nearly enough to conclusively convey what sort of demon this Dengran Minsau was, but it cast a decent first impression upon Astaroth. He did not know enough about the candidate or about about nation-building to know if Dengran's promises were empty or not, but Astaroth was willing to give it a shot, just as his own master did for him.

"My lord, I am Astaroth Quintus, a sorerer and ritualist," he spoke up, bowing his head in respect. "I am not from Avici, but I have resided here long enough that I can guide you to what passes for a town hall." It wasn't exactly a feat to be able to navigate a town such as this, but he wanted to make himself useful to Dengran.

Broken Oath - A Demon's Land Divided (Open for Business!)

Astaroth Quintus

Within a dingy tavern, Astaroth Quintus sat, tankard in hand, working up the willpower to take another swig. He didn't exactly what he was drinking or where it came from, but it was vile. It was to be expected that decent drinks would be in short supply out here in the middle of uncivilized nowhere, but perhaps demons found it more palatable than humans.

Gathering his mental fortitude, he lifted it to his mask, opened a spacial rift on the surface his mask with the index finger of his free hand, and poured it through the weak disturbance, emerging on the inside of his mask into his mouth. He winced throughout, but managed to swallow it without gagging. Here he was, a master of forbidden magics, a manipulator of eldritch energies and the fabric of space, struggling to finish a tankard. He wasn't sure if this was the high or low point of his life. Perhaps it was simultaneously both.

Fortunately, before he could subject himself to the disgusting beverage any further, his attention was turned to the outside, where through a window he discerned a newcomer, a blond, human-looking fellow accompanied by a towering demoness. Astaroth almost immediately recognized the man as the one depicted in the sketches circulated through the town- the sketches depicting the demon king candidate that Avici was being handed over to. The sorcerer bolted out of his chair and made for the door. This was an opportunity he had been looking forward to- the opportunity to vie for a position in the new ruler's retinue. It was, in fact, the reason he had stayed in the town, scraping by as a hedge wizard. And now, when the candidate finally arrived, his inattention almost caused him to miss it.

He exited the tavern and made his way to the man, careful as to keep his distance from both the candidate and his giant companion. He was nervous and almost hesitated, but the prospect of failing in this endeavor (and perhaps a bit of alcohol) pushed him forward.

Good day sir," he began, "Are you...um...the Demon King's candidate that we have been expecting?" His introduction wasn't as smooth at it could be, but he at least didn't flub it up too badly.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Granted a brief reprieve from battle by the orcs' disorganization and the trolls' singleminded charge forward, Fleuri raised his visor to better scan the battlefield. He still could not spot the form of the Knight-Captain, however, and he could not afford to stand around doing nothing; he had to act. What would the Knight-Captain desire that he do in this situation?

She'd want me to not worry about her, and with the townspeople still safely behind the walls, she'd want me to aid my brothers and sisters, he silently concluded, just as he spotted Klaus battling a troll some distance away. She had maimed it quite handily, but it was still going, oblivious to what ought to be both unbearable pain and serious bodily distress. As you would command, Captain, he thought as he lowered his visor and tightened his grip on his zweihander.

"For Reon!" shouted Fleuri as he charged. Without his horse it took more time to close the distance, but he was deceptively fleet of foot even fully armored. The scarlet garbed knight rushed in from behind, swinging his sword horizontally into the back of one of the troll's knees. He preferred to strike killing blows as quickly as possible, but with the troll's great stature and hunched posture, there wasn't any place where he could decisively cut it down from behind, not without more strength than he could muster. And with the damage Klaus had already inflicted to the beast's arm, a grievous enough leg injury would leave it more or less immobile, and by extension, vulnerable to a killing blow.

"Klaus, finish it off!" he shouted to his sister-in-arms.

@Noodles

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

The orcs had been scattered, but the trolls- ten of them, from the look of it- had now turned their full attention to the attackers. At this point it was doubtful that they could actually turn the tide, but they could no doubt inflict considerable casualties among the knights if not swiftly dealt with. Fleuri had never fought such creatures before, but he knew enough of them- they were immensely strong and durable, simple-minded and probably non-sapient yet intelligent enough to be trained as war beasts by orcs. The orcs had probably drugged the trolls to remove the sensation of pain and any sense of self-preservation (not unlike the human bandits whom the Iron Roses had fought), meaning the beasts would fight until they were physically incapable of continuing.

I suppose we'll see soon enough if this horse was trained correctly, he thought as he eyed one of the beasts in the rapidly dimming lighting and formulated a plan of attack. He had only obtained this horse today, but it was likely he had nothing to fear- the martial traditions of the kingdom and the threats it faced ensured that any properly trained war horse would have been trained to not shy away from the often vile scents of creatures such as trolls- but it was always a bit of a leap of faith to actually put the training to the test.

Reon, guide my lance that I may strike true, Fleuri silently prayed, before kicking his horse into a canter, and then a gallop as he drew closer to the troll, aiming his lance at the troll's head. His horse's training proved sound, continuing along the path as it drew closer, providing a margin of relief to the knight. As he finally closed the distance, he struck the troll squarely in the head, his lance outraging the troll's fists. The considerable force of the collision caused the lance to break with a sharp audible crack, showering its wielder with fragments, but Fleuri had enough jousting experience to avoid being unhorsed by the impact. Still gripping half of his shattered weapon, he looked back as he turned his horse around to see the result of his blow. The troll was lying motionlessly on its back with the other half of Fleuri's lance, still bearing the knight's scarlet banner, jutting upward out of its head like a battle standard.

Relieved that he had prevailed in his charge, but a bit frustrated that his lance was of no use anymore, Fleuri scanned the battlefield as he trotted along, hoping to spot the captain, to no avail. What happened to her? Was she unhorsed? Upon reaching the walls of the town, he dismounted and drew his zweihander; he would have to continue the battle on foot.

Broken Oath - A Demon's Land Divided (Open for Business!)

Edit: Sorry, posted in the wrong place.

Broken Oath - A Demon's Land Divided (Open for Business!)

Name: Astaroth Quintus (formerly known as Zacharias)

Appearance:

Appearance

Credit to Jason Nguyen

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Age: 26

Personality: Astaroth Quintus rarely mingles with demons and is never seen without his mask; demons would see him as human, and humans would see him as being warped into something else. Despite being reserved and withdrawn, he is a bold risk-taker when it comes to obtaining knowledge- the more forbidden, the more alluring it is for him to get his claws on it. While he normally cares little for politics, he recognizes the glaring flaws of Tsukran's society, primarily its decadent and selfish rulers that are responsible for an endless war that has given demon society a burning hatred of humans. If Tsukran is to become his home, changes must be made.

A final detail of his personality is his insecurity; he feels unworthy of the name Astaroth, and remains unsure of why his master sacrificed himself to save him. It is a mystery to him, one worthy of his attention, if only to grant closure to the question that haunts him. And even if he doesn't find out why, he is determined to live up to the name and prove his master's faith in him was not misplaced.

Abilities: Astaroth Quintus is an expert in the fields of forbidden magic, primarily in the fields of the manipulation and channeling of raw eldritch energy, which he can use to deadly effect. Beyond its obvious use as a weapon, he has been taught to use this energy to manipulate the fabric of space, allowing him to create a variety of effects, such as blinking short distances, forming spacial barriers, levitating, or folding space around himself to appear invisible. He additionally possesses the knowledge to perform rituals to summon others, either astrally or physically, to his location provided he has something of them, such as a close personal possession or a lock of hair.

Beyond his knowledge, his body has been altered by frequent exposure to eldritch energies, giving him above-human resilience and quite likely an unnaturally increased lifespan. While he is no warrior, he is far from helpless in close combat- he can channel his eldritch power through the mutated claws on his fingers to tear at the fabric of the plane, moving through armor and flesh alike to tear into the vital organs within. Unfortunately, it also has also somewhat lessened his manual dexterity.

Equipment: His only consistent equipment is his attire, which completely conceals his altered human form, and a scroll providing the details of rituals.

History:

The sorcerer known as Astaroth Quintus was once Zacharias, a student of the arcane arts in the human lands. Tempted by the allure of forbidden knowledge, he sought out sources of magic that his superiors could not teach, and his rivals could not match. After extensive searching, he managed to obtain a grimoire authored by the infamous demon lord Astaroth. With the information in the book and his own research, he was able to use the book to summon Astaroth, and made a pact with the demon for knowledge. Unfortunately, early into his tutelage under the demon, Zacharias's actions were discovered, and with no other options, he allowed his demon patron to summon him away, bringing the human to Sanjiva.

As per the contract, Zacharias now belonged to Astaroth and had to serve him from that point on, although because the agreed tutelage had not ended, the demon was obliged to continue mentoring the young mage. Initially Zacharias felt cheated and was convinced the demon had orchestrated everything, but as time went on, his feelings changed. Astaroth protected Zacharias from other demons who were not so receptive to a human living in Tsukran, and while it was unclear what Astaroth's original goals were, in time he began treating Zacharias less like an indebted servant and more like an apprentice. During this time, Zacharias learned that his master was not the first to be known as Astaroth- it had been passed down from demon to demon, no two alike, but always bound to carry the responsibility of answering the summons of humans who had heard the name and sought to make deals.

Shortly before the contract's terms of arcane tutelage would end, Astaroth was called on to aid the war effort, and Zacharias followed his master to the battlefield, where they served as battlemages for the demon forces. Near the war's disastrous conclusion, Astaroth sacrificed himself to allow Zacharias to escape, claiming that there was nothing more to teach him, and naming him the new Astaroth- specifically, Astaroth Quintus, the fifth being to bear the name. Zacharias was free from servitude, but too warped by eldritch energy to return to human lands, yet still too human to be accepted in his former master's household. He thus went his own way, his travels eventually bringing him to the untamed province of Avici.

Broken Oath - A Demon's Land Divided (Open for Business!)

I've opted to withdraw my demon knight and submit a different character, a more magic-oriented fellow.

Astaroth Quintus

Name: Astaroth Quintus (formerly known as Zacharias)

Appearance:

Appearance

Credit to Jason Nguyen

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Age: 26

Personality: Astaroth Quintus rarely mingles with demons and is never seen without his mask; demons would see him as human, and humans would see him as being warped into something else. Despite being reserved and withdrawn, he is a bold risk-taker when it comes to obtaining knowledge- the more forbidden, the more alluring it is for him to get his claws on it. While he normally cares little for politics, he recognizes the glaring flaws of Tsukran's society, primarily its decadent and selfish rulers that are responsible for an endless war that has given demon society a burning hatred of humans. If he wishes for Tsukran to remain his home, he knows that change must happen.

A final detail of his personality is his insecurity; he feels unworthy of the name Astaroth, and remains unsure of why his master sacrificed himself to save him. It is a mystery to him, one worthy of his attention, if only to grant closure to the question that haunts him. And even if he doesn't find out why, he is determined to live up to the name and prove his master's faith in him was not misplaced.

Abilities: Astaroth Quintus is an expert in the fields of forbidden magic, primarily in the fields of the manipulation and channeling of raw eldritch energy, which he can use to deadly effect. Beyond its obvious use as a weapon, he has been taught to use this energy to manipulate the fabric of space, allowing him to create a variety of effects, such as blinking short distances, forming spacial barriers, levitating, or folding space around himself to appear invisible. He additionally possesses the knowledge to perform rituals to summon others, either astrally or physically, to his location provided he has something of them, such as a close personal possession or a lock of hair.

Beyond his knowledge, his body has been altered by frequent exposure to eldritch energies, giving him above-human resilience and quite likely an unnaturally increased lifespan. While he is no warrior, he is far from helpless in close combat- he can channel his eldritch power through the mutated claws on his fingers to tear at the fabric of the plane, moving through armor and flesh alike to tear into the vital organs within. Unfortunately, it also has also somewhat lessened his manual dexterity.

Equipment: His only consistent equipment is his attire, which completely conceals his altered human form, and a scroll providing the details of rituals.

History:

The sorcerer known as Astaroth Quintus was once Zacharias, a student of the arcane arts in the human lands. Tempted by the allure of forbidden knowledge, he sought out sources of magic that his superiors could not teach, and his rivals could not match. After extensive searching, he managed to obtain a grimoire authored by the infamous demon lord Astaroth. With the information in the book and his own research, he was able to use the book to summon Astaroth, and made a pact with the demon for knowledge. Unfortunately, early into his tutelage under the demon, Zacharias's actions were discovered, and with no other options, he allowed his demon patron to summon him away, bringing the human to Sanjiva.

As per the contract, Zacharias now belonged to Astaroth and had to serve him from that point on, although because the agreed tutelage had not ended, the demon was obliged to continue mentoring the young mage. Initially Zacharias felt cheated and was convinced the demon had orchestrated everything, but as time went on, his feelings changed. Astaroth protected Zacharias from other demons who were not so receptive to a human living in Tsukran, and while it was unclear what Astaroth's original goals were, in time he began treating Zacharias less like an indebted servant and more like an apprentice. During this time, Zacharias learned that his master was not the first to be known as Astaroth- it had been passed down from demon to demon, no two alike, but always bound to carry the responsibility of answering the summons of humans who had heard the name and sought to make deals.

During the most recent war, shortly before the contract's terms of arcane tutelage would end, Zacharias followed his master to war, where they served as battlemages for the demon army. During the disastrous end of the war, Astaroth sacrificed himself to allow Zacharias to escape, claiming that there was nothing more to teach him, and naming him the new Astaroth- specifically, Astaroth Quintus, the fifth being to bear the name. Zacharias was free from servitude, but too warped by eldritch energy to return to human lands, yet still too human to be accepted in his former master's household. He thus went his own way, his travels eventually bringing him to the untamed province of Avici.