Crimson Paladin

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

Roger Falkner

"What do you think he'll do when he runs out of spare sons and daughters to offer you?" Roger asked. For all he knew, this Baron might be offering his daughters to every border lord in Velt in hopes that someone would be foolish enough to be dragged into his scheme.

In the business of raising griffins, it was imperative to understand the importance of making good deals. Raising and training large apex predators was an time-consuming and resource-intensive investment, and the only reason that the Falkners had managed to keep it going for as long as they did was because they understood and appreciated the value of their work enough to not buckle when foolish or entitled nobles made unreasonably low offers.

Roger definitely did not envy Cadmon. For all his power and influence, the man was clearly drained by it. The responsibilities of running a fief bordering Ithillin (even if he could delegate it to others), the duty to Velvetica's father, the court intrigue that people like Baron Bridger were trying to drag people into, were all clearly eroding his spirit.

Hopefully, the company of his Least Griffin would help lighten the burden of Cadmon's duties.

@The Otter

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

"I'm not an expert on traps, I'll follow your lead and lend my power to improve on it," Ethelred chimed in. "I don't have a weapon suitable for felling trees, but I'll lend my ice to improve the lethality of any trap you can envision- and ensure that our target won't have decent footing when the time comes." The druid would know of traps far better than him.

Ethelred wasn't entirely sure about Sir Lonan's plan to act as bait. While he had great faith in the Harzel Knight's abilities, he was uncomfortable with Lonan making himself the target of this immensely swift, incredibly deadly monster. Nevertheless, he would support Lonan in any way he could.

"Since you're putting yourself in harm's way, Sir Lonan, you can use my shield," Ethelred spoke, offering the crystalline shield. "Don't worry about breaking it, I believe it can regrow just like my armor."

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Their coordinated blows worked. Lacerated by poleaxe and greatsword, the legs of the mutant gave way. Fleuri weaved behind the giant as it fell, avoiding the trajectory of its violent collision with the ground. For all the things that could be said about Sir Renar, Fleuri could not deny that the man knew how to coordinate in a fight.

The fight wasn't over, though. Even if its legs were too wounded for it to get back onto its feet, it remained wounded beast, flailing and frenzied. They needed to hit this abomination's vitals to put it down, but it would be dangerous to get within reach of its massive, swinging arms.

While Renar went around to strike at the head and neck, Fleuri would approach from the opposite side. As the giant tumbled down, Fleuri leapt onto its fallen body from behind and dashed along its spine, banking on the likelihood that its twisted, mutated arms would have trouble reaching directly behind its back. As Renar struck what ought to be a fatal blow to the neck, Fleuri raised his sword and buried it in the pitiful horrors' neck bones, attempting to sever its skull from its spine.

By Reon, you will be put to rest...

@Psyker Landshark@Raineh Daze@VitaVitaAR

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

Roger Falkner

Cadmon's talk of dowries and marriage deals reminded Roger just how foreign the aristocratic politicking was to him. He understood the concepts well enough- in this case, this Baron Bridger was trying to obtain Cadmon as a son-in-law. The mention of a meager dowry, and the multiple offers, indicated to Roger that this baron viewed marrying off his children as nothing more than a transaction.

It wasn't the same way with the Falkners or their beasts. Between their commoner status up until a few years ago, and the importance of not alienating potential clients, they had always managed to avoid getting entangled in political marriages and the political intrigue of the nobility. In fact, his parents' marriage was initially opposed by his mother's family, right up until his father proved himself in the eyes of his beloved's father. The Falkners' griffins themselves were the same way- they chose their own mates, mated for life, and trying to sway them away from their choice of mate was a dangerous exercise in futility.

Would this be the future of the Falkners, to be married off for alliances?

"And what does he want out of you, that he'd make such an offer so many times with so many of his children?" he stated. "I'm guessing it's a lot more than you'd be getting out of him."

@The Otter

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

Roger Falkner

With his hands both free, he was finally able to remove his helmet. Even though he wasn't in combat, it was part of his flight attire, shielding his head and face from the biting winds when flying.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Roger assured him as he put the box down and opened it up, allowing the least griffin within to come out. In his experience, griffins didn't like being boxed or caged, but because Sirona wouldn't go with an unfamiliar human like Roger, it was necessary to transport her in a container.

He couldn't fault Cadmon for keeping such a pet. As difficult as they usually were, griffins were majestic creatures, and a Least Griffin allowed one to bask in that majesty without the incredible maintenance and trouble that accompanied a full-sized griffin. They weren't just for show either, as they could be used for hunting very similar to falconry.

"Baron Bridger? I know who he is, but don't know him personally. Our family hasn't really been considered nobility long enough to become involved in noble politics," he answered Earl Cadmon's question. "Is he an acquantance of yours?

@The Otter

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

Fleuri followed Renar's lead, flanking the beast to the left, opposite the other knight. He agreed with both Renar and Fanilly's assessments- they needed to strike at the legs and bring these things down to the knights' level, put the mutants' vitals within reach of their weapons. They'd almost certainly shrug off any injury that didn't physically cripple or instantly kill them, and they were already no doubt much more durable than an ordinary human.

Judging from their lack of regard for their own companions, these abominations were probably little more than unintelligent war beasts at this point, humanity and intelligence subsumed behind horrific mutation and probably perpetual agony. They were not too dissimilar to the trolls in orc warbands, and he wouldn't be surprised if that was exactly what the Golden Boars had taken their inspiration from when they created these...things.

There was no doubt in his mind that killing these things would be a mercy.

With the mutant focusing on Renar, to no avail, Fleuri closed in and slashed his greatsword at its hamstrings- or at least where they should be assuming this thing still had somewhat human anatomy. The abomination probably wouldn't even notice the pain of the blow, but if its legs couldn't physically work any more, it'd come crashing down regardless of how it felt.

@Psyker Landshark@VitaVitaAR

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

"I see your point, Sir Lonan," Ethelred acknowledged. "We head back, and it'll give the thing an opportunity to ambush us."

This monster was proving a difficult foe. It was fast enough to be able to withdraw from a fight at any time with impunity, and then re-enter it in the blink of an eye. It could kill with a single scratch, and its wounds didn't seem to be slowing it down.

"The wyvern has a massive advantage in mobility. It knows it can jump in, try to kill one of us with but a scratch, withdraw just as quickly as it appeared, then repeat at its leisure," he assessed. "But for all its swiftness, it's ground-bound."

Ethelred stuck the tip of his lance into the ground and began to slowly freeze the ground around it, slowly enough that if the others asked him to stop, he could. "If we're stuck here, we might as well make the battlefield more suitable for us. Between your water, my ice, and Luana's plants, perhaps we could reshape the terrain to be more advantageous to us- or disadvantageous to our foe. If that thing can't get a good grip on the ground, it won't be nearly as mobile. And if we somehow knew which direction it'd be attacking from next, we could prepare a nasty trap."

As he awaited their feedback, Ethelred continued to look around, scanning the area for that beast. With the way it could jump in at a moment's notice, with the way it could kill with just a scratch, he could not let his guard down for even a moment.

@Rune_Alchemist@BrokenPromise

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

Roger Falkner and Shortclaw

The Morathi had fought hard and fought to the last man, but they with the element of surprise on the Lions' side, and the loss of their mounts, they lost this battle before it had begun. It didn't take long for the Lions to find and rescue the prisoners. With everything they could do having been done, Shortclaw returned to the horse pen and began to feed on the fallen horse. Roger was unsure what'd happen to the others, whether they'd be gathered up as spoils of war or left alone to form a feral herd. While he had less reverence for horses than most nobles, he acknowledged their usefulness, and a pack of trained war horses could be quite valuable.

As his mount tore into the carcass, Roger dismounted and began to assess where to take his cut. He'd have only a short window to prepare it before rigor mortis set in...

---

Shortclaw slowed his descent and gently touched down upon the watchtower. Roger dismounted a bit more cautiously than usual due to the relatively small size and considerable height of the griffin's makeshift roost- the last thing he wanted was to accidentally fall off the edge. The griffin immediately settled in for a nap, while Roger untied and unlatched a box from the saddle. He was lucky that Shortclaw hadn't decided to nap directly on top of the trapdoor this time, he thought as he began to climb down.

He had to be careful when going down the ladder with the box. It'd have been a lot easier if Shortclaw would've landed anywhere but the watchtower, but the griffin loved his high places.

Cadmon had requested news from his border fief, and as the Lions' Griffin Rider, Roger had been asked to convey the message and return with the reply. Ordinarily the business of ferrying small messages would be beneath the duo, but as a border lord, whatever news might come from Cadmon's lands was very relevant to the kingdom and to the Lions. Additionally, he hadn't just been sent for a message- he had also been tasked with retrieving Cadmon's pet Least Griffin. Perhaps the young lord wanted to participate in some falconry, or perhaps he simply missed the company of his pet. It wasn't unheard of for the Falkners to keep Least Griffins, even if they didn't typically train or breed them.

The griffin rider climbed down the tower, boxed passenger in tow. He made his way through the castle to where Cadmon's rooms were, and knocked on the door. If the young Earl wasn't here, Roger would head to the courtyard next.

"Are you there? It's Roger, I'm back with the news you requested. And your pet." As he spoke this, Roger pulled a sealed envelope out from within his armor.

@The Otter@VitaVitaAR

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

"As long as we're standing between them and the girl, they'll keep sending soldiers our way even with the other knights playing havoc up there," Fleuri replied, noting two more mercenaries coming at him. One carried a thrusting sword and buckler, the other with a one-handed hammer and shield. They were approaching at the same speed, clearly not wanting to face an Iron Rose one-at-a-time. A somewhat sensible and pragmatic approach, but not nearly sensible enough. "Their only measure of success here is getting the girl, regardless of how many men they have to spend to do it."

Fleuri had heard that some mercenaries, like Gerard's old company, supposedly gave extra pay to troops that'd take on the extra risk of fighting on the frontlines or being the first into the fray. He wondered if these Golden Boars were getting the same sort of extra pay to rush into certain death.

He didn't have any time to reflect on it now, however. He stepped back, positioning himself behind one of the fallen Boars that he had slain down a few moments ago. He swung his weapon upward at the warhammer-wielding boar, who manage to come to a stop and narrowly avoid running right into the tip of Fleuri's greatsword. The other one jumped over his dead colleague with his sword raised, aiming a thrust squarely for Fleuri's neck.

The Iron Rose deflected the incoming blade with one of his armored bracers, glancing it off harmlessly to his side. Then without skipping a beat, Fleuri tackled the swashbuckler mercenary, pushing his foe back and causing them to trip on the fallen Golden Boar behind him. No sooner had the swordsman fallen that the hammer-wielding mercenary came at Fleuri, attempting to bring the weapon's spike end down on the knight.

Since the dream, since the arrival of that foreign rabbit-woman, Fleuri had been training on improving the speed at which he could swing his sword, in hopes of being able to strike charging foes before they could strike him. Now was the time to put what he had been working on to the test. Returning both hands to his sword, he swung it at his foe's head in an attempt to decapitate them before they could bring their hammer down.

The blow was partially successful- Fleuri managed to strike first, almost without looking, but his blow had been a bit high, perhaps a tiny bit premature, and slashed the man in the face rather than finding his neck. The man dropped his hammer and screamed in agony, and even Fleuri didn't want to look too hard at the gruesome disfigurement he had just inflicted. It was almost certainly a fatal blow, but not immediately so. Clearly, Fleuri still had to work on his technique.

There was no time to waste, though. Fleuri stabbed the fallen swordsman in the chest as he struggled to pick himself up, then administered a mercy-killing to the other mercenary by stabbing him in the neck. It was just then that he noticed Haelstadt struggling, having been overwhelmed by their foes. He was in no position to intervene when Veilena's protector was decapitated. Gone in an instant, just like Sir Rickard.

Our defensive perimeter has just gotten smaller. If only the others had...wait...

To his shock shock, Haelstadt continued fighting and felling Golden Boars even with no head. Fleuri had no idea what sort of sorcery enabled this, even many forms of undead were unable to keep fighting after being beheaded. He wasn't going to worry about it now, though- if Fanilly and Tyaethe had concerns, they could wait until the end of the battle.

And the battle was not over yet, not by a long shot. Another wave of mercenaries emerged from behind the treeline. Most alarming was the quintet of monstrous, mutated men that were with them. One of them struck at Sir Fionn, but the other four were heading directly towards the perimeter, while other Golden Boars engaged and occupied the knights' vanguard.

According to what Clarice was saying, those mutants were filled to the brim with curses, twisting them into their unnatural forms. It left no doubt as to just how vile the Golden Boars were, to disfigure their own men into such monstrous curse-bearers.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about missing the fun this time, Sir Renar," Fleuri remarked as he readied himself.

@Psyker Landshark@VitaVitaAR

The Storm Cycle: Reclamation

Ethelred took her hand and pulled himself to his feet.

"Ugh, I didn't see that coming," he mumbled as he regained his bearings. He had been banged up a little by that tail whack, but didn't seem to be too hurt. Still, his horse seemed unhurt and his armor appeared intact.

That wyvern was tough. It wasn't even slowed down by the wounds that they had inflicted. Its powers of rot seemed to counteract freezing, and stabbing the monster only seemed to make it angry. If only they had someone like Elias, Sorcha, or Elnith with them...

Ethelred wanted to keep going. He wanted to stab that wyvern until it was unrecognizable, freeze it solid, and shatter it into pieces. But it was not within his power to do so. Luana might be right, they may very well be outmatched. That thing would take whatever they could throw at it, and sooner or later it'd get lucky and inflict a fatal scratch upon one of them. The druid, in particular, had come very close to sustaining a physical injury from its teeth. Still, it'd feel quite shameful to return to Sorcha and report that they had failed to complete her task.

The thought that he wasn't strong enough to do what she had expected of him stung him deeply. He had wrestled with such thoughts before- in particular, he had always worried that the only reason he was strong to be one of Sorcha's elite knights was because of the cruel but flawed Unseelie curse that he was afflicted with. Now, however, it was no longer enough.

Might it be possible to further develop his ice powers, though? Could he learn to further master his cursed form and push its limits? Perhaps Elnith, having lived with her curse her entire life, might have some insight.
Perhaps the fairies would know. Not necessarily that unlucky fairy-in-a-jar that their resident mage had captured, but someone had to have answers.

It was something to think about, but there were more immediate matters to focus on right now.

"What say you, Sir Lonan?" Ethelred asked, turning to the Harzelslack knight. "Do you also believe this foe is beyond our ability to slay?"

If they were going to stay, Ethelred still had an idea or two up his sleeve.

@BrokenPromise@Rune_Alchemist