Crimson Paladin

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri was startled by the abrupt ambush, with a bandit boldly attacking the captain at the wagon and more emerging from the woods. He wasn't shaken, however; the captain had a plan, and this ambush was not going to thwart it. Hearing Fanilly's rallying cry, he turned and cantered to the left flank. The terrain further in was too wooded for fighting on horseback, but his horse would be useful for getting him into position as quickly as possible, and the attackers had made the mistake of emerging from the thicket instead of taking shelter within it.

The knight reached a suitable location from which to attack from, slowing to a stop. Fleuri discarded his lance and dismounted as soon as he reached the edge of the flank, drew his greatsword from a scabbard tied to the saddle, and briefly adjusted the fit of his helmet. He was ready. As the other knights closed in on the enemy, Fleuri rushed in as well. He circled around into the edge of the forest and charged into the bandits' flank, sword held high. There was no better way to destroy a foe's carefully laid plan and sow panic in their ranks than by hitting them where they didn't expect it. And from the look of this ambush, the bandits' plan was certainly not carefully laid.

Fleuri targeted a bandit at the edge of the enemy band, a man in leather armor, wielding a handaxe and crude wooden shield. "For Reon! For the Order!" he shouted as he charged, both to frighten his foe and to amp himself up for the battle ahead.

His target appeared to panic when he saw and heard Fleuri closing in, instinctively ducking and raising his shield to block the assault. It didn't do any good- the poor angle of the shield enabled the knight's greatsword to cut through it, fatally striking the bandit in the head through his leather skullcap with a sickening noise. The man crumpled to the ground, his left arm held aloft by the shield that was still stuck in his assailant's sword.

Fleuri placed his boot on the shield and pulled on his blood-stained sword, wrenching it free and turning to another bandit. If they were all as poor warriors as the dead man in front of him, this would be less of a battle and more of a slaughter. It was going to be a bloody evening, but by Reon, none of these murderers would be allowed to escape.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Despite being neither at the front or at the flanks, Fleuri was not difficult to discern among the procession of knights. He rode a few paces behind Narcissa upon a caparisoned stallion, holding his lance upward. Both the caparison on his horse and the pennant upon his lance bore the heraldic symbol of the Jodeau family- a black sun emblem consisting of twelve spokes or rays in between two concentric circles on a white background (derisively referred to by some nobles as the Jodeau Cobweb). This was not a mission where mounted combat would likely come into play, but he preferred to keep a cavalry lance on hand because his sword was of little use on horseback. Perhaps it was also due to his diminished but lingering desire to stand out.

From what he knew about this mission, it was a worthwhile cause to put these bandits and their "king" down. Nobody seemed to know anything about who this Jeremiah fellow was or where he came from, but he was clearly dangerous and murderously ruthless. Judging by the man's ability to organize brigands into a band capable of even defeating Thaln's soldiers, and his admittedly outlandish threats against the kingdom, Fleuri was willing to wager a guess that the man was a veteran of Phoran Cal's rebellion, perhaps a traitorous captain or knight-banneret.

"It won't be much longer that we will need to proceed on-foot," the Knight-Captain ordered.

Fleuri didn't envy Captain Fanilly and the burden of command she bore. To accept command at such a young age, especially after the impression left by her heroic predecessor, was a daunting task. Dame Forina and Dame Narcissa spoke out against rushing in, and suggested instead getting a closer look. On one hand, Fleuri felt, if they were already prepared, blindly attacking could be costly. On the other hand, there was no better way to destroy an enemy's plans than to hit them hard when and where they don't expect it.

He said nothing as he followed behind them. It was not his place to question the Captain's orders. Fanilly may be a child, but Fleuri trusted the in judgment of the goddesses to guide the Iron Roses. In time, with the proper guidance, mostly at the hands of the First and Youngest, Fanilly would hopefully grow into a great captain. For now, she needed the support of her knights in this difficult time.

Fleuri rode up beside Gerard Segremors, a knight who, like himself, was a faithful devotee of Reon, closely connected with Her church.

"Sir Segremors, what do you make of this? This so-called bandit king, I mean." From what Fleuri had heard, Gerard had rubbed shoulders with some arguably dubious folks before coming into the Church of Reon and the Iron Roses, and thus could perhaps offer a unique perspective on this banditry trouble.

@HereComesTheSnow

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

With the permission of the GM, I have made some additions to Fleuri's CS.

He missed out on the war because he was following a Reonite paladin around battling necromancers behind the scenes. The fact that nobody knows about it probably contributed to his glory-seeking attention whore phase.

War Never Changes

@Crusader Lord
Like other nation RPs, this one moves pretty slowly. It's still alive, as slow as it is, because it means a lot to us.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Name: Fleuri Jodeau

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance:

Unmasked. Fully Armored. Fleuri stands 5'10'' without his armor.

Personality:
The Jodeau family is known for its devotion to Reon, and originally, Fleuri was no exception. Tutored by priestesses and paladins, he was brought up to be honorable, selfless, and devoted. During his time as a tournament competitor, he cast many of these values off, becoming proud, materialistic and glory-seeking, desiring above all else to obtain the fame and wealth that his family no longer possessed. After being humbled by his near-death experience, he has returned to his old ways as a faithful worshiper of the sun goddess, along with a few pangs of guilt of having fallen so far. He still craves the thrill of tournament combat, and would not be above participating to aid the church again, but for now, he has more important duties.

Those who have met him can attest that Fleuri is a man of action. He is hot-blooded and quick to act or speak, but not necessarily foolish or impulsive- his experience fighting in tournaments taught him the importance of quick thinking and decisive action when windows of opportunity appear. When he speaks, he never makes claims he cannot back up and never makes promises that he does not believe he can keep.

Brief Backstory:
The Jodeau family is a once powerful, now minor noble family in northern Thaln. Over a century ago, its head at the time, Armand Jodeau, dedicated himself and his house wholly to Reon. As proof of his devotion, he gave most of his family's then-considerable land to the serfs that worked them, both to prove his lack of materialism and to demonstrate his devotion to the church's opposition to slavery. Armand would go on to serve a Paladin of Reon and later an Iron Rose Knight before embarking on a quest which he never returned from. Ever since then, the Jodeau family has remained close to the Church of Reon, both to honor Armand and because in their impoverished state, they have become reliant on the charity of the church.

Fleuri was the second child of the Jodeau family and was thus groomed to become a knight. His family had little in terms of wealth or holdings, but the church provided that which his family could not. Consequently, Fleuri received an education from Reonite priestesses and was trained in knightly combat by Reonite paladins. While the rebellion raged, Fleuri served as the squire of a paladin of Reon, battling necromancers that sought to capitalize on the bloodshed and death. As noble as it was, he was frustrated by the unsung nature of their behind-the-scenes quest while others were gaining fame and prestige on the battlefield. When he was knighted, shortly after the end of Phoran Cal's rebellion, he set out into the world to serve as a knight-errant, spreading the word of Reon.

During his travels, he began entering the tournaments in the lands he passed through, where, with many of Thaln's knights dead or disgraced as a result of the war, there was a shortage of contenders. Utilizing the training he had received from the Reonite paladins, Fleuri proved himself a capable tournament fighter, and as time went on, he became increasingly successful on the tourney grounds. At the same time however, he began to drift from his original purpose and turned his mind to fame and wealth. He stopped aiding those he passed, and began planning his journeys solely for the purpose of competing in tourneys.

While traveling to one such competition, he fell deathly ill from a fever and sought aid from the Church. As he laid there, tended to by the priestesses, all he could think about was how he had fallen from his path, more concerned with gold and glory than helping others, and now faced the prospect of dying before he could make amends and correct his mistakes. When he recovered, he attributed it to the will of the goddesses. He renewed his vows and vigil at the church, rededicating himself to fighting evil and aiding the innocent. Fleuri may not have died, but he was reborn.

During the next tournament, he fought harder than he ever had before, and when the dust settled, he was the last man standing in the infantry melee. Hailed as a champion, and standing on the precipice of fame and glory, he proved himself a changed man when he donated the prize to the church and soon afterward petitioned to join the Iron Rose Knights, following in his ancestor's footsteps. Since ending his tournament career, Fleuri has served the order faithfully.

Equipment:
Fleuri owns two suits of armor. The first is the suit he started out with and is normally seen wearing. It was originally a tarnished, battered hand-me-down, but he has added onto and improved it until very little of the original armor remains. The second is his tournament attire, a heavier and more protective suit that bears the livery of the Reonite church, rarely used outside of competitions. His primary weapon is a two-handed sword, his preference for which he picked up as a squire, having come to appreciate its effectiveness at dismembering undead. His other possessions include a dagger as a backup weapon and a gray warhorse for transportation and mounted combat.

Skills:
Fleuri has been trained in the use of a variety of knightly weapons, but he is most experienced and proficient in the wielding of greatswords. He employs an aggressive and surprisingly fast-paced fighting style not atypical for devotees of Reon, moving and attacking far more swiftly than his armor and heavy weapon would suggest. He is additionally skilled in horsemanship and in the use of a cavalry lance, owed to frequent travel and the many jousts he has participated in.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Here's my character submission, somewhat revamped from the old RP.

Name: Fleuri Jodeau

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance:

Unmasked

Fleuri stands 5'10" without his armor

Armored

Personality:

The Jodeau family is known for its devotion to Reon, and originally, Fleuri was no exception. Tutored by priestesses and paladins, he was brought up to be honorable, selfless, and devoted. During his time as a tournament competitor, he cast many of these values off, becoming proud, materialistic and glory-seeking, desiring above all else to obtain the fame and wealth that his family no longer possessed. After being humbled by his near-death experience, he has returned to his old ways as a faithful worshiper of the sun goddess, along with a few pangs of guilt of having fallen so far. He still craves the thrill of tournament combat, and would not be above participating to aid the church again, but for now, he has more important duties.

Those who have met him can attest that Fleuri is a man of action. He is hot-blooded and quick to act or speak, but not necessarily foolish or impulsive- his experience fighting in tournaments taught him the importance of quick thinking and decisive action when windows of opportunity appear. When he speaks, he never makes claims he cannot back up and never makes promises that he does not believe he can keep.

Brief Backstory:

The Jodeau family is a now-minor minor noble family in northern Thaln. Over a century ago, its head at the time, Armand Jodeau, dedicated himself and his house wholly to Reon. As proof of his devotion, he gave most of his family's then-considerable land to the serfs that worked them, both to prove his lack of materialism and to demonstrate his devotion to the church's opposition to slavery. Armand would go on to serve a Paladin of Reon and later an Iron Rose Knight before embarking on a quest which he never returned from. Ever since then, the Jodeau family has remained close to the Church of Reon, its members serving as priests and paladins.

Fleuri was the second child of the Jodeau family and was thus groomed to become a knight. His family had little in terms of wealth or holdings, but the church provided that which his family could not. Consequently, Fleuri received an education from Reonite priestesses and was trained in knightly combat by Reonite paladins. When he was knighted, shortly after the end of Phoran Cal's rebellion, he set out into the world to serve as a knight-errant, spreading the word of Reon.

During his travels, he began entering the tournaments in the lands he passed through, where, with many of Thaln's knights dead or disgraced as a result of the war, there was a shortage of contenders. Utilizing the training he had received from the Reonite paladins, Fleuri proved himself a capable tournament fighter, and as time went on, he became increasingly successful on the tourney grounds. At the same time however, he began to drift from his original purpose and turned his mind to fame and wealth. He stopped aiding those he passed, and began planning his journeys solely for the purpose of competing in tourneys.

While traveling to one such competition, he fell deathly ill from a fever and sought aid from the Church. As he laid there, tended to by the priestesses, all he could think about was how he had fallen from his path, more concerned with gold and glory than helping others, and now faced the prospect of dying before he could make amends and correct his mistakes. When he recovered, he attributed it to the will of the goddesses. He renewed his vows and vigil at the church, rededicating himself to fighting evil and aiding the innocent. Fleuri may not have died, but he was reborn.

During the next tournament, he fought harder than he ever had before, and when the dust settled, he was the last man standing in the infantry melee. Hailed as a champion, and standing on the precipice of fame and glory, he proved himself a changed man when he donated the prize to the church and soon afterward petitioned to join the Iron Rose Knights, following in his ancestor's footsteps. Since ending his tournament career, Fleuri has served the order faithfully.

Equipment: Fleuri owns two suits of armor. The first is the suit he started out with and is normally seen wearing. It was originally a tarnished, battered hand-me-down, but he has added onto and improved it until very little of the original armor remains. The second is his tournament attire, a heavier and more protective suit that bears the livery of the Reonite church, rarely used outside of competitions. He wields a Zweihänder and carries a dagger as a secondary weapon. He also owns a gray warhorse.

Skills: Fleuri has been trained in the use of a variety of knightly weapons, but he is most experienced and proficient in the wielding of greatswords. He employs an aggressive and surprisingly fast-paced fighting style not atypical for devotees of Reon, moving and attacking far more swiftly than his armor and heavy weapon would suggest. He is additionally skilled in horsemanship and in the use of a cavalry lance, owed to frequent travel and the many jousts he has participated in.

War Never Changes

Grand Zealot Richter- Point Lookout Forward Operating Base

Brian Richter stood before a table inside a crude command center built out of sheets of corrugated metal. A dimly humming work light illuminated a map of the region lying on the table, covered in a variety of markings. In the back of the room stood a radio station, manned by a robed technician. It was a far cry from the high tech facilities in Raven Rock, but it would suffice.

By now the forward operating base was thoroughly fortified. Walls surrounded the base, flying banners of Atom's glory that practically dared the Swampfolk to attack. Surrounding the walls was a ring of trenches and crudely crafted razor wire. Fortifications had not been neglected within the base either. A square of photonic resonance barriers, airlifted from Raven Rock, was place to protect the power generators and radio tower, a stark contrast to the low-tech scrap metal architecture of the rest of the base. Aside from an initial skirmish and a few subsequent hit-and-run probing attacks, the Swampfolk had kept their distance. Their caution would not save them.

"Calling all outposts. Calling all outposts. All outposts check in. Repeat, all outposts check in." spoke the radio operator.

"Outpost Radon checking in. All clear."

"Outpost Polonium checking in. All clear."

"Outpost Thorium checking in. All clear."

Richter ignored this and continued to focus on the map with what passed for his command staff.

"Reconnaissance has pinpointed a few possible Swampfolk hideouts. Shacks, camps, possible cave entrances," Richter spoke, explaining the situation. "I will need one kill team and two demolition teams ready before sundown." They knew from their experience battling the trappers of the Island how futile and costly it was to try and chase these folks through the wilderness that they grew up in. Atom's faithful would need to use tactics that half-mad trappers and hunters would not think of, using weapons that they were not familiar with.

"As you command, Grand Zealot," one of the Children of Atom spoke. "We shall have your teams ready before the appointed time."

"Good," Richter spoke. "If Atom favors us, we shall soon be pushing toward Point Lookout, where they host their wretched cathedral."

"Grand Zealot, if I may," one of the Zealot officers spoke up, "Why do we not simply use the Vessel to destroy the Cathedral? We need not be frugal with our missiles, not with the Glowing Sea site under our control."

"There are several reasons, sister," the Grand Zealot gently rebuked her, "first is that the Cathedral is merely a symbol of the infection. Destroying it would cause the Swampfolk to scatter and embed themselves even more deeply. Victory shall only come through throrough scouring of the land. The second reason is that it is, or was, a holy site to our allies in the Free Commonwealth. Destroying it would jeopardize our alliance and make our holy mission to cleanse these lands all the more difficult. The last reason is that Boston is under the control of the Institute, and if we were to transport missiles from the Glowing Sea, they would notice. By the orders of the High Inquisitor, we are not to draw the Institute's attention in any..."

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Outpost Radon, repeat this is Outpost Radon! We are under attack! Repeat, we are under attack! A dozen Swampfolk, maybe more, coming from all sides!"

---

Brother Carver- Outpost Radon

It had all happened so fast. One minute he was assuring command that all was well- because up until a minute ago, all was well- the next minute they were under attack. Swampfolk, the mutant cultists that infested the region.

At first Carver thought they might even be able to fend them off. The first three Swampfolk to charge in tripped the frag mines and were taken out. But more were coming, too many to kill, and there were no more mines to stop them. They needed help.

"Mayday! Mayday! This is Outpost Radon, repeat this is Outpost Radon!" Carver called on the radio. "We are under attack! Repeat, we are under attack! A dozen Swampfolk, maybe more, coming from all sides!"

One of the defenders in front of Carver took a bullet to the head and slumped down in front of the steel barricades. He heard another scream behind him. By Atom, it was actually happening. His brothers and sisters, dying around him. No goodbyes, just...gone.

"Outpost Radon, hold your ground," the radio operator instructed. "Stand fast, in Atom's name!"

One of the Swampfolk drew close and tried to scale the barricade, but was gunned down by Brother Nelson. "More on their way Carver! We need help now!"

"We can't, there's too many," Carver shouted, into the radio his voice shaky and desperate. "We're already down two men. Hurry, we need can't hold them back much longer!"

"Brother, this is Grand Zealot Richter. Hold your ground. Salvation is on the way."

Any relief of the Grand Zealot's words was extinguished when a shotgun blast struck Sister Edith, knocking her down less than two feet away from where Carver was. If the buckshot didn't kill her, the impact of her head on the base of the radio tower did. Seeing this caused him to lose any composure he had previously held on to. He didn't want this anymore, he wanted to go back to Megaton. He crawled under the end table, holding the radio tightly in his lap like a cherished possession.

"Grand Zealot! Please hurry! We're down to just two! They're closing in! Hurry, we're almost out of time. Hurry, Grand Zealot!" he replied, tearful and panicked.

"Brother, stay with me," Richter ordered over the radio. "Remember the words of Atom! Repeat after me, every eye shall be blind with his glory."

"Every...eye...shall be blind with his glory," he shakily spoke, as he began to resign to himself that this was the end. No reinforcements would be coming. Only intervention by Atom himself could save him now.

And it was on its way.

Two Swampfolk rushed the barricades. One sunk a woodsman's axe into Brother Nelson as he fumbled to reload his radium rifle. The other pointed a lever-action rifle at Carver, but it failed to fire, the gun's open tube having evidently been gummed up with underbrush debris.

"Every ear shall be stricken deaf to hear the thunder of his voice!" Richter spoke on the radio, before the first Swampfolk, a stout man with a hideously asymmetrical face, effortlessly flipped the table over and stood over him with his axe, still wet with Brother Nelson's blood. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see more Swampfolk closing in. The one in front of him grinned maliciously at the unarmed Carver, still tightly holding onto the ham radio. It was clear they intended to take him alive. Behind him, buried in the transmitter, Carver could hear the sound of a warhead arming.

Half-composing himself, he repeated Richter's words into the radio, "Every...ear shall be stricken deaf with the thunder of his... "

Carver never finished his sentence. His salvation had finally arrived. Back at the forward operating base, sentries beheld a small mushroom cloud rising in the distance, and raised their hands in praise of Atom.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP Potential Reboot

I'm willing to join the reboot.

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri shook his head. He wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but their quest was over. "I should head back. A knight's work is never done. You kids stay out of trouble, and Reon bless you.. And..." he said, looking at Rissia, "Who knows, perhaps you could become an Iron Rose someday."

He dusted himself off, sweeping the dirt off his Reonite livery, then walked out of there, leaving the girls with Klaus. He was unsure if his knight-sister would follow behind or continue interacting with the children. Regardless, he needed to check up on the others and find out if there have been any updates since the Captain left.

I wonder if the Captain is having any luck in those ruins...

Blades of Iron Roses: A fantasy Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri jolted in surprise as something fell onto his shoulders, but his alarm quickly subsided when he realized it was just the girl with the hat from earlier, taking her sort-of-praises in good humor. Judging from her cheerfulness, and to his relief, she didn't seem to be injured from landing on him. If she had missed her jump she could've hit the ground or even landed on the pommel of his zweihander. But why was she here? Did she know about where the puppy was all along? Was this just a game to these children?

"I'm glad you're pleased with us. The Iron Rose Knights are here to serve," he replied, gently lifting the child off his shoulders and putting her down. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to tell Sir Klaus and myself what exactly is going on now?" He wasn't really in any position to scold them for this, not when he was willingly running around to find a lost puppy, but he wanted to know what in Reon's name was going on.