Crimson Paladin

Silver and Blood: A Warhammer Roleplay

I'm interested in joining. I'll submit a character when I have the opportunity.

War Never Changes

Grand Zealot Richter- Megaton, Cathedral of Atom

Grand Zealot Richter walked through the hallowed halls of the holy cathedral, down the nave crafted from division-formed glass, past rows of steel benches, past the radium-painted banners of Atom's symbol lining the walls. No sound passed through these chambers except the Grand Zealot's footsteps and the soft whirring of an aircraft turbine that provided ventilation to the cathedral. To the ignorant, this holy place would no doubt seem crude with its scrap metal construction, but to His devotees, this was the holy of holies, where men and women came to contemplate the nature of Atom, and of Division. At the altar sat Megaton's namesake, the bomb from which the town had been born around. The Grand Zealot paused when he reached the altar, looking up at the holy avatar of Atom's glory. Once, it was nothing more than a reminder of the tragedy that once struck this nation, a hazard to be disposed of when the Enclave reasserted its rightful place as the rightful rulers of the Capital Wasteland. But that long ago, back when the Grand Zealot foolishly placed his faith in young, earthly powers, godless masters who sought only their own glorification. How foolish and unenlightened he was back then, he mused.

But he did not come to the cathedral to worship. He stepped past the altar into a doorway, leading into the office of Inquisitor Tektus. The Inquisitor sat behind a desk in a massive, impressive chair, almost more of a throne, his hand resting on a number of black-and-white photographs.

"Greetings, my faithful Grand Zealot," Tektus spoke. "Please, have a seat. There is much for us to discuss." Richter wordlessly sat in a chair- an old airliner sea- in front of the desk.

"I must commend you on the information you have provided on the so-called Adam's Air Force Base. What we have recovered has been an indispensible boon to our cause, Grand Zealot," the Inquisitor said, looking down at the photos. While the Children of Atom had gathered many useful items from the air force base, such as Vertibirds, weaponry, and a few suits of Hellfire Power Armor, the Inquisitor was no doubt referring to the Eyebots, which the Children had used to broadcast the Pontiff's words, but some of which the Inquisitor had modified for surveillance and scouting. "In particular, the Eyes of Atom have beheld new threats that may face our flock," he continued, handing the photographs to Richter.

The first photograph was of one of a group of soldiers entering a pre-war fort. "Those who call themselves the Free Commonwealth have been seen entering the Capital Wasteland and occupying this fort. Fort Independence, I believe it is called. They have yet attacked our flock, nor have they made any communication with us. We must find out why they have entered the Capital Wasteland, and if they have betrayed out good will, we must remove them."

"Yes, Inquisitor, I shall look into it." Richter replied. "Will that be all?"

"No," Tektus answered, shaking his head. "There is more, and I fear it is far more dire. Tell me, what do you know of this bunker?" He presented another photograph, this time depicting an entrance to a very familiar installation- guarded by what appeared to be power armored soldiers". Richter's eyes widened as he beheld the photo, as memories of his old life came flashing back.

"Grand Zealot, is something the matter," Tektus asked, tilting his head curiously. "Is this perhaps related to your old life, before I rescued you and brought you into our flock?"

"Yes, Inquisitor," Richter spoke, his normally calm demeanor visibly shaken. "This is Raven Rock, formerly the headquarters of the Enclave, before the Cult came to the Capital Wasteland. These soldiers, however, they are not Enclave. From the look of their power armor, I would guess the Brotherhood of Steel, and not the Midwestern branch. Are they here with the Midwestern Brotherhood?"

"I do not know, Grand Zealot," the Inquisitor answered, "Our guests have not informed us about this incursion. The Brotherhood of Steel maintained a presence in the Capital Wasteland before the Cult came, perhaps it these are the survivors of those dark days. I do not know their numbers, but this must be investigated thoroughly. You were formerly one of them, would you perhaps have knowledge of this Raven Rock, should we need to dislodge the Brotherhood?"

"I know the layout of the installation, Inquisitor. It was meant to ensure continuity government in the event of a nuclear war, meaning that its exterior will resist any attempts to inflict Division. It is large enough to house a sizable number of soldiers, scientists, and support personnel, as well as several Vertibirds. Additionally, it houses a ZAX supercomputer linked up to its defense and power systems. Should we need to remove the Brotherhood, it may be an option to initiate Division from within through the supercomputer, should it still function," Richter explained.

"An interesting option," Tektus concluded. "I trust you will not have trouble returning home after all these years."

"It is not longer my home. The Children of Atom are my family now," Richter responded, speaking with conviction. "I will not hesitate to carry out His will, whatever the cost."

"I am pleased with your conviction, Grand Zealot. That will be all. Investigate both of these incursions and report back to me. Take one of my Eyes so that their blasphemies may be recorded and our judgment may be sound."

Richter nodded, stood up, and exited the office. There was much to be done.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri approached Lilianna at the gates. He glanced around, not wanting to be eavesdropped on, but unsure as to what to look for. In all likelihood, he was probably being needlessly cautious.

"I apologize for dragging you here like this," Fleuri began, speaking softly as to not draw attention, "but I need to ask you something. Does this whole situation with the orcs and this dark lady with seem...suspicious to you? If the Dark Lady wanted the orcs to get into the city, why didn't she charmed a guard to open the gates, or simply blast the gates apart with magic? Instead, as far as we know, she clouds the earl's mind to ensure he can't lead a defense, then waits as the orcs try to smash their way in for several days, and then ambushes us when the orcs are on the brink of defeat. An ambush that, if I have my facts straight, was aimed at the Knight-Captain, fired from a vantage point that had been scouted out before the siege began."

Fleuri wasn't a mage or a strategist, and it was always possible that his limited understanding of magic failed to take into account the limitations of what magic could or could not do, or perhaps he did not understand the strategic implications of clouding the Earl's mind, but he knew better than to underestimate a foe, especially a magic user, or overestimate one's success.

"Don't get me wrong, we had no choice but to stop these orcs before they broke through into the city, because they certainly would have eventually done so if we had not intervened, but I fear that up until that ambush, everything was going exactly as our enemy intended it, and," he said, looking concerned, "that raiding the city may not have been this dark lady's goal."

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri's gambit had worked. He would no doubt be paying for it later, but for now he was free of both the children and Lilianna. Of course, he would still need to find something productive to do. If anything, his little stunt made it all the more urgent that he dispel the impression that he was intentionally slacking off. No doubt Lilianna was planning suitable payback right now.

Before he could depart, however, another child appeared, one who appeared to be a bit more distraught.

"... Hello! Sir Knights?" she said, a little awkwardly. It seemed like she knew the knights had duties to attend to. But, then again, from her perspective it did look as if the knights were spending their time entertaining a bunch of children... "My friend Mae, she can't find her puppy, so... if you're not busy... she didn't want to ask herself..."

Fleuri's heart sank. He wanted to help. Really, he did. But with Dame Belwiss nearby and already no doubt incensed by having been swarmed by children, it would be wise to not would prioritize finding a lost puppy over ensuring the city's safety. On the other hand, he wasn't sure how to contribute to the city's defense now that the orcs were routed. The only thing calling to him at the moment was this child.

Wait a minute, he thought as he looked at the child. Perhaps it was just the cute pointed hat she wore, but he remembered his concerns from earlier. Specifically, concerns about the siege.

"If I can help, I can, but first I have business with Dame Belwiss," he reassured her, kneeling down to her level. He then stood back up and turned back to Lilianna.

"When you have a moment, Lilianna, I urgently need to speak with you," he spoke, suddenly becoming far more serious. "I'll meet you at the front gate." He was no doubt amplifying his punishment, basically giving her a free opportunity to chew him out, but for the moment, that no longer mattered. With any luck, she'd be convinced by the sincerity of his tone to hear him out.

He turned back to the lone girl, his grim countenance disappearing as quickly as it had appeared, "If we get a chance, or in case we see anything, Where might we find your friend?"

@Raineh Daze
@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

"...then the Captain led us in a cavalry charge at the orcs and trolls. We cut the orcs down, and I broke my lance in a troll's skull," Fleuri narrated, the children hanging on his every word. Truth be told, things got confusing in the heat of the battle, so he would have to fill in the gaps, which in this case would probably mean embellishing a bit. It didn't matter, it's not like he needed to get every detail correct.

"What happened next? What did the Captain do?" one of the children asked.

"The Captain sought out the orc chief and engaged him in combat, while the rest of us set to work fighting off the trolls and orcs," The knight answered. "One by one the trolls began to fall, but then an evil mage fired a wicked spell at the Captain. But just before it reached our valiant leader, one of our mages redirected the magic beam into a troll, turning it to ash."

It was at this point that he noticed Lilianna standing there, staring daggers at him. His countenance immediately changed to that of concern.

"Dame Belwiss," he spoke shakily, "I did not see you there. As you can see, I'm...err...helping to keep garrison morale up," he explained. It was at this point that an idea popped into his head, an idea that he would probably regret later on.

"Children," he said, turning back to his audience, "This woman is Dame Belwiss, the Captain's trainer and teacher. If you want to know anything about the Captain, she's the one you want to ask."

@Raineh Daze

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri was not surprised that he would not be pursuing the sorceress- he was not a mage, nor did he have experience battling them.
On the other hand, he was unsure what to do in the meantime, as defending a city was not Fleuri's area of expertise. He had fought in enough melees to lead a squad of men-at-arms, perhaps, but organizing a siege defense was a bit beyond him. Consequently, when the knights were swarmed by excited children, he was without an excuse to leave, and before he knew it, he was surrounded.

"How many orcs did you kill, sir knight?"

"Did you kill any trolls?"

"How do I get to be an Iron Rose Knight when I grow up?"

"Can I see your sword?"

I suppose this is what I'll be doing, Fleuri resignedly concluded, looking down at all the curious little faces bombarding him with questions. I suppose it could be worse.

"Settle down, settle down everyone," he spoke up, quieting the group as he stepped back. "Gather round, I'll answer your questions, but one at a time, please."

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri tensed up as he saw the enchantment being dispelled, and let out a sigh of relief when the Earl seemed to have regained his senses. It was quite a stressful ordeal just to witness, and it was unclear whether his ignorance made him more or less fearful that should be warranted. Regardless, it seemed to have been sorted out without any messy results- aside, of course, from the damage that had already been done.

Normally, he'd be uncomfortable with standing before an Earl in dirty, blood-stained armor, he mused. But with everything that happened, he was simply relieved that the Earl was unharmed.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri cautiously backed away as Tiral's spell seemed to darken. He knew little of what was actually happening, but Tiral's reaction plus the ominousness of the crystal turning black told him all he needed to know. There was little else he could do besides remain vigilant and keep an eye out for more mundane threats. Pulling his gaze away from the black crystal, he glanced around the room, looking for anything that registered to him as suspicious or out of the ordinary. It was highly unlikely that he would notice anything, but it was still marginally more worthwhile than doing nothing, and either way, they could not afford to underestimate this Dark Lady.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri listened closely to what the Captain had learned. He glanced over at the Earl, whom Fanilly had spoken of as if he was not present. I wonder if he is capable of grasping that he has been enchanted. It must be quite a bewildering feeling to have one mind's clouded and be unable to realize it even as others address it in the same room.

From what he had just heard, this Dark Lady didn't just set up trap, but had also cast a spell on the Earl to make him completely unfit to lead the city's defense. In other words, she had meticulously planned this out prior to the siege.

Captain," he spoke up as soon as he had the opportunity, "The local fairies described a "Dark Lady" having scoped the area out for a good vantage point before the battle near where that spell was cast from. They also claimed to have seen her skulking around the Old Falthier ruins. Assuming our information is correct, this must be the same woman.

"And if I may, Captain," he continued, "This reeks of a set-up. If she wanted the orcs to make it into the city, why didn't she blast the gate or cast a spell on a gate guard? It sounds like she set the stage for a stalemate instead, putting as many people as possible in peril so that we- or you, specifically- would show up to save them, and charge right into the range of that magic attack."

The thought that this lady exploiting the Captain's dedication to protecting the people of Thaln made Fleuri's blood boil. They could not- they would not- give up protecting the people regardless of the peril involved, but these vile machinations needed to be stamped out as swiftly and decisively as possible, before more innocents were caught in the middle. Fleuri felt a twinge of helplessness knowing he was of little use against the arcane powers of their adversary. And he still had no idea who this enemy was, beyond the vague description of a dark sorceress.

@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

At the gates, Fleuri dismounted and walked into the city. According to the captain's healer cousin, they were to report to the castle, while it was a hassle to navigate through the still-congregated crowds, Fleuri, having visited the city before joining the Iron Roses, had little trouble finding the way leading to the castle.

The city hasn't changed much since I was last here, he mused, looking up at the castle. And thanks to us, it looks like it'll continue to be that way. It was a good feeling to stop and look upon the results of the Iron Roses' handiwork, to remind oneself that what mattered wasn't the corpses and blood-splattered battlefields they left behind them, but the people and settlements that were preserved in the process.