Crimson Paladin

The Metian Institute: Project Gungnir

Regis Meynolt

It was easy enough for Regis to discern the obstacles in their way. A shut door, a malfunctioning keypad, and a fallen shelf all blocked access further into the ruin. The vehicle beneath the shelf in particular was of interest to him. Was this a machine shop? A garage? Or was the vehicle nothing more than a warehouse lift meant to move heavy objects around the facility?

If Regis had it his way, he'd spend all day here, carefully removing the layers of dust and examining everything in the room. However, he knew he hadn't been brought here to catalogue dusty machine parts, and one need only look at the half-collapsed, questionably stable structural state of the room to know that studying this room wasn't a priority to the Institute expedition.

Still, it didn't mean that he couldn't take some photos of this place. As Regis approached the shelf to assist Amalie, he took a moment to turn his viewport towards the machinery and the vehicle, lightly tapping his helmet to take a photograph. He also took photos of the precarious looking pillar and the vent- just in case.

Regis grabbed the shelf, attempting to drag it away from the door. He didn't expect it to be too difficult of a task, especially with Khalisa and Amalie assisting.

"I reckon I won't be of much use with that keypad in this state, wearing these bulky gloves," he remarked to Amalie. "I'll take a look at that vehicle instead."

The Metian Institute: Project Gungnir

Regis Meynolt

"Yes, Cellia's plans seems sound," Regis remarked to Amalie as he engaged a release latch on his helmet. "You I are best equipped to clear rubble and are best protected should a cave-in occur. Speaking of which, could you hold this for a second?" he asked as he removed his helmet and handed it to Amalie. With his head uncovered, he was able to put on one of the earpieces, albeit with some difficulty due to his suit's bulky gloves.

It would be slow work to clear and stabilize the collapsed passage, but unless they could get the massive door to open from the other side, this would be the most suitable route for moving heavy equipment.

"Much appreciated," he told Amalie as he took his helmet back and put it back on. "This suit can be a bit of a hassle at times."

The Metian Institute: Project Gungnir

Regis Meynolt

Regis followed Amalie to the bay, where his own suit was stored. His first step was checking the exterior of the suit, particularly the life support and power systems. The suit had no remote controls- powering it up was a matter of turning a small valve to unseal a panel, then turning several switches and knobs. After what happened with his first crew, Regis did not trust a suit that could potentially be remotely deactivated. As the switches were turned on, the hum of internal fans began whirring, and lights within the panel lit up.

Entering the suit was done by climbing into the top, where the helmet would normally be fastened on. He slipped in and eased his limbs into the appendages, flexing his arms and fingers to test the power assist. With everything seemingly operational, Regis reached down and picked up the helmet off of an adjacent table, its weight evident even behind the power-assisted suit. He placed it on his head, fidgeting with it until a click was heard as the suit's bolts engaged, tightly sealing it into place. Gauges and cathode tube displays lit up inside the helmet around the viewport, much of which provided data that was only useful when submerged.

Oxygen looks good, power is nominal, servos are working, seals are holding, Regis thought to himself as if he was preparing for another dive and not for a mountain hike. At this altitude, he considered it unlikely that they'd encounter any flooded sections of the ruins, but many of the suit's protective properties ought to still be useful.

---

For the most part, the suit performed quite well trudging through the deep snow. Having been designed to shield its wearer from the cold temperatures found on the seafloor, the frigid mountain air was of no consequence. However, the one considerable annoyance of the journey was snow buildup on the helmet's viewing port. The suit's large gloves could not reached through the window's protective grille to wipe away the snow, and as a result Regis' visibility was annoyingly reduced.

Naturally, the first thing he did when reaching the camp was to saunter over to a heater and hold his helmet up to it until the snow was thoroughly melted off. Once he could see again, he turned in the direction of Otelius.

"The entrance with the heavy mana...what sort of hazards as we looking at?" he asked, his voice transmitted through a speaker on the suit. "Monique mentioned that it caused some of our equipment to fail." Fortunately, even if his suit failed, his executables should permit him to lighten his suit enough to move it even without power, and to avoid suffocating if the air pump stopped working.

From the look of that catwalk, though, he'd probably need to lighten the suit just to walk down that path without bringing the whole walkway down.

The Metian Institute: Project Gungnir

Regis Meynolt

As Regis looked over the map on his datapad, he considered Monique's assessment of the entrances. The route to the left was a known- its path known, its danger known. The route to the right was an unknown. No scans, no clue as to what the mana interference might be concealing.

The scans had given a fairly detailed estimation of the interior of the ruin, however it was unclear what they'd find within.

He suspected that he would be assigned to the left passage. His executables were ideal for moving debris, and in a worst-case scenario, his exosuit- built to withstand immense water pressure- should easily withstand the weight of a cave-in and provide him with a long enough supply of air for Khalisa or Amalie to dig him out.

This was going to be a lot different than his last expedition. Much less chance of drowning, but judging by the type of artifacts they found so far, this was probably a military installation and some of the defenses could potentially still be active.

"By your best estimate so far, how old is this ruin? From what era does this place and its artifacts look like they're from?" Regis asked. The more they knew about this place going in, the more prepared they might be for whatever may lay within.

The Metian Institute: Project Gungnir

Regis

Name: Regis Meynolt

Age: 29

Gender: Male

Race/Place of Origin: Human/Orvalis

Appearance: Regis stands at 5'8"

Scripts or Executables:

Deluge: Said to be derived from Anat's great flood, this executable generates a large quantity of water in front of the caster and propels it forward as a powerful wave. The force of the water can knock down walls and damage hulls, and most people and beasts caught in its effect will be swept off their feet. However, in addition to the considerable collateral damage it can cause, the water can potentially rebound back in the caster's direction, and it can flood enclosed spaces with insufficient drainage. Because it has little utility outside of self-defense or above-water demolition, this was Regis' least-used executable.

Cetacean Adaptation A: This executable grants the executor a whale's ability to hold their breath for extended durations, over an hour for those who have mastered the executable. This allows Regis to free-dive for far longer than is normally possible for a human, and can extend diving times beyond even what a rebreather and self-contained breathing apparatus can accomplish. Furthermore, if his exosuit were to ever malfunction or sustain damage, this executable could provide precious proverbial breathing room.

Cetacean Adaptation B: This executable of Selene, when channeled through Anat, grants its executor the ability to echolocate as certain whales do. While it is more optimal for underwater, it works out of water as well. This executable was primarily used by Regis for navigating the interior of wrecks and underwater ruins.

Gravitational Point: This executable of Anat generates a stationary point in space generating gravitational force pulling objects towards it. The area of effect of the executable is a hemispherical area in front of the point with a radius of approximately 5 meters. Because it also reorients the gravitational orientation of fluids, buoyant objects will instead be repelled. Regis made heavy use of this executable for delicate excavation.

Gravitational Nullification: This executable allows Regis to temporarily nullify up to one ton of gravitational force on a selected object for three minutes. Ordinarily there remains at least enough weight to counteract the buoyancy of air, but when used underwater, this executable can be used to float objects to the surface. Consequently this proved to be an immensely useful power during Regis' salvaging days. On rare occasions, it also proved effective for dealing with troublesome aquatic life.

Equipment:

Regis' primary equipment is his diving dress, a heavy atmospheric diving suit. It is capable of withstanding considerable undersea pressure, and also offers surprising dexterity for its wielder. As is characteristic of Orvalis tech, it features a conspicuously opulent design. Its air tank and rebreather system allowing for several hours of operation underwater, and it features an aquatic propulsion and ballast system allowing the wearer to quickly move around underwater. When used ground, its sturdy high-pressure construction and power-assisted servos offer considerable protection against hazards, but its propulsion system does not function out of water. The helmet features a light source for navigating low-light or lightless conditions, a built-in recording camera for gathering data, and a two-way radio for communication.

The suit has been further modified to account for Regis' status as an executor. The gloves of the suit are attuned for casting executables, and the helmet can transmit sounds to the wearer for when Regis is using Cetacean Adaptation B to echolocate.

Academic Qualifications:
Discovery of the Scarab
Regis was a member of the treasure hunting team that discovered and salvaged the wreck of the Scarab, an early Dravenmarch ship that disappeared while transporting a large quantity of newly minted coins. During the recovery, Regis took photos of the wreck that revealed that its sinking was caused by its hull being torn open by something from below.

Site 14 Expedition
Regis privately funded and organized an expedition to Site 14, an recently discovered anomaly off the coast of the Antatus Sea that was suspected to be an underwater ruin. Regis' expedition made the discovery that it was a demon ruin dating back to the antediluvian part of the Mytheria Age, drowned by Anat's flood and still largely buried beneath the silt. Despite several setbacks, Regis' team found and recovered the mummified corpse of a demon within the ruins. The corpse was since donated to the Metian Institute.

History:
Regis was born to a family of fishermen in Orvalis. After one day when his father discovered a strange stone relic in his fishing net, Regis developed a fascination for what mysteries lay underwater. He became involved in the church of Anat where in addition to learning to channel the power of the sea god, he was able to extensively study the history of the earlier eras. After successfully resonating with Anat's divine frequency and gaining access to the god's magics, Regis found work with a crew of salvage divers, where he developed further skills pertaining to underwater exploration such as the use of diving suits and operation of submersibles, all while making a steady profit.

The team's biggest haul would be the discovery of the Scarab, a ship of the early Dravenmarch Empire that vanished while transporting a large load of newly minted coins. During the salvage operation, Regis took photos of the wreck, revealing the cause of its sinking to be a massive, clean gash through the outer hull- a curiosity given that it was nowhere near a reef when it went down. However, on the last day of the job, while Regis was on the seafloor taking pictures, tensions and disagreements over splitting the haul boiled over topside and when he was hauled out of the water, he found that the crew had become smaller and his share of the loot had become significantly larger.

With the considerable payout from the job, the surviving salvagers disbanded and went their separate ways. Regis, wishing to wade into archaeological work, published an article about the discovery of the ship and the evident cause of its sinking. He then decided to use his newfound wealth and reputation to purchase equipment and hire a team to carry out a research expedition of Site 14, an unexplored anomaly off the coast of the Antatus Sea believed to be an undersea ruin. Unfortunately, the expedition was fraught with setbacks. Regis' co-diver, in flagrant disregard for archaeological procedures, attempted to use demolition charges to create an entrance in a ruined building and was killed when the charges went off prematurely. A few days after Regis hired a replacement diver, the ship broke off from its anchor in rough seas and beached. After the ship was repaired, Regis had to sail back to port to hire a more competent boatswain. These setbacks proved costly and Regis would eventually run out of money, but not before he managed to thoroughly study the ruin and make the discovery of his lifetime- the mummified corpse of a demon preserved beneath the silt.

After the expedition, Regis published his research, which caught the attention of the Metian Institute. Seeking to improve his chances of admission into the prestigious organization, he donated the mummified demon corpse. His bid proved successful, and he was admitted.

The Metian Institute: Project Gungnir

Regis

Name: Regis Meynolt

Age: 29

Gender: Male

Race/Place of Origin: Human/Orvalis

Appearance: Regis stands at 5'8"

Scripts or Executables:

Deluge: Said to be derived from Anat's great flood, this executable generates a large quantity of water in front of the caster and propels it forward as a powerful wave. The force of the water can knock down walls and damage hulls, and most people and beasts caught in its effect will be swept off their feet. However, in addition to the considerable collateral damage it can cause, the water can potentially rebound back in the caster's direction, and it can flood enclosed spaces with insufficient drainage. Because it has little utility outside of self-defense or above-water demolition, this was Regis' least-used executable.

Cetacean Adaptation A: This executable grants the executor a whale's ability to hold their breath for extended durations, over an hour for those who have mastered the executable. This allows Regis to free-dive for far longer than is normally possible for a human, and can extend diving times beyond even what a rebreather and self-contained breathing apparatus can accomplish. Furthermore, if his exosuit were to ever malfunction or sustain damage, this executable could provide precious proverbial breathing room.

Cetacean Adaptation B: This executable of Selene, when channeled through Anat, grants its executor the ability to echolocate as certain whales do. While it is more optimal for underwater, it works out of water as well. This executable was primarily used by Regis for navigating the interior of wrecks and underwater ruins.

Gravitational Point: This executable of Anat generates a stationary point in space generating gravitational force pulling objects towards it. The area of effect of the executable is a hemispherical area in front of the point with a radius of approximately 5 meters. Because it also reorients the gravitational orientation of fluids, buoyant objects will instead be repelled. Regis made heavy use of this executable for delicate excavation.

Gravitational Nullification: This executable allows Regis to temporarily nullify up to one ton of gravitational force on a selected object for three minutes. Ordinarily there remains at least enough weight to counteract the buoyancy of air, but when used underwater, this executable can be used to float objects to the surface. Consequently this proved to be an immensely useful power during Regis' salvaging days. On rare occasions, it also proved effective for dealing with troublesome aquatic life.

Equipment:

Regis' primary equipment is his diving dress, a heavy atmospheric diving suit. It is capable of withstanding considerable undersea pressure, and also offers surprising dexterity for its wielder. As is characteristic of Orvalis tech, it features a conspicuously opulent design. Its air tank and rebreather system allowing for several hours of operation underwater, and it features an aquatic propulsion and ballast system allowing the wearer to quickly move around underwater. When used ground, its sturdy high-pressure construction and power-assisted servos offer considerable protection against hazards, but its propulsion system does not function out of water. The helmet features a light source for navigating low-light or lightless conditions, a built-in recording camera for gathering data, and a two-way radio for communication.

The suit has been further modified to account for Regis' status as an executor. The gloves of the suit are attuned for casting executables, and the helmet can transmit sounds to the wearer for when Regis is using Cetacean Adaptation B to echolocate.

Academic Qualifications:
Discovery of the Scarab
Regis was a member of the treasure hunting team that discovered and salvaged the wreck of the Scarab, an early Dravenmarch ship that disappeared while transporting a large quantity of newly minted coins. During the recovery, Regis took photos of the wreck that revealed that its sinking was caused by its hull being torn open by something from below.

Site 14 Expedition
Regis privately funded and organized an expedition to Site 14, an recently discovered anomaly off the coast of the Antatus Sea that was suspected to be an underwater ruin. Regis' expedition made the discovery that it was a demon ruin dating back to the antediluvian part of the Mytheria Age, drowned by Anat's flood and still largely buried beneath the silt. Despite several setbacks, Regis' team found and recovered the mummified corpse of a demon within the ruins. The corpse was since donated to the Metian Institute.

History:
Regis was born to a family of fishermen in Orvalis. After one day when his father discovered a strange stone relic in his fishing net, Regis developed a fascination for what mysteries lay underwater. He became involved in the church of Anat where in addition to learning to channel the power of the sea god, he was able to extensively study the history of the earlier eras. After successfully resonating with Anat's divine frequency and gaining access to the god's magics, Regis found work with a crew of salvage divers, where he developed further skills pertaining to underwater exploration such as the use of diving suits and operation of submersibles, all while making a steady profit.

The team's biggest haul would be the discovery of the Scarab, a ship of the early Dravenmarch Empire that vanished while transporting a large load of newly minted coins. During the salvage operation, Regis took photos of the wreck, revealing the cause of its sinking to be a massive, clean gash through the outer hull- a curiosity given that it was nowhere near a reef when it went down. However, on the last day of the job, while Regis was on the seafloor taking pictures, tensions and disagreements over splitting the haul boiled over topside and when he was hauled out of the water, he found that the crew had become smaller and his share of the loot had become significantly larger.

With the considerable payout from the job, the surviving salvagers disbanded and went their separate ways. Regis, wishing to wade into archaeological work, published an article about the discovery of the ship and the evident cause of its sinking. He then decided to use his newfound wealth and reputation to purchase equipment and hire a team to carry out a research expedition of Site 14, an unexplored anomaly off the coast of the Antatus Sea believed to be an undersea ruin. Unfortunately, the expedition was fraught with setbacks. Regis' co-diver, in flagrant disregard for archaeological procedures, attempted to use demolition charges to create an entrance in a ruined building and was killed when the charges went off prematurely. A few days after Regis hired a replacement diver, the ship broke off from its anchor in rough seas and beached. After the ship was repaired, Regis had to sail back to port to hire a more competent boatswain. These setbacks proved costly and Regis would eventually run out of money, but not before he managed to thoroughly study the ruin and make the discovery of his lifetime- the mummified corpse of a demon preserved beneath the silt.

After the expedition, Regis published his research, which caught the attention of the Metian Institute. Seeking to improve his chances of admission into the prestigious organization, he donated the mummified demon corpse. His bid proved successful, and he was admitted.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

The Moonlit Queen's answer was not something that Fleuri anticipated, nor was it one that he wanted to hear. Another shard of Angroron stolen, no doubt by the same thief that stole the one at the fort. Just one of these shards was incredibly dangerous- the theft of a second one suggested that somebody was gathering them.

Even with how little he knew of the arcane, Fleuri could recognize that turning an entire garrison of Thaln's soldiers against one another in a murderous frenzy, and now slipping into a fae realm, stealing from the fae ruler's treasury or reliquary, then escaping unnoticed, suggested that the culprit was an incredibly powerful wielder of magic. At the same time, however, his ignorance of magic meant that he would not be able to offer any useful advice on picking up the thief's trail.

"Your majesty," he finally spoke up, "When was the last time you or your servants saw the shard?" They would need to narrow down when the theft took place. If it were pinpointed as happening while the mortals were in the fae realm, they may have far more to worry about.

He wasn't going to be the one to press the Moonlit Queen on her end of the bargain. Others had already done so, and bringing it up too much might anger the already upset Moonlit Queen even further.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

This was not what Fleuri expected to hear. This Moonlit Queen was a fae of immeasurable power within her own plane, and she just had something disappear from beneath her nose. For anyone, pulling off such a heist- to steal a possession of a fae monarch within the very plane that they control- must be an incredible feat. Or perhaps it wasn't stolen at all, merely misplaced in an act of fae ficklness that subsequently slipped her mind.

Evidently for whatever power she commanded here, she wasn't all-seeing.

This was a dangerous situation. An upset fae was a volatile fae, and with the Moonlit Queen having already demonstrated her power against those who even faintly offended her, a misplaced word could cause one to become an outlet to her wrath. On the other hand, it also presented opportunity- to lend aid in her time of need could also potentially gain her favor. To be in this situation- in the presence of a powerful fae in a time of need, to have earned her confidence and largely unscathed- it was a once in a lifetime moment. No doubt some of the knights probably just wanted to get back to the Duke and finish this quest, and not take a detour to another fae quest. Fleuri felt the same way- but he hadn't gotten as far as he had by passing by opportunities.

Should they take what they had earned and quit while they were ahead, or should they take the path of further risk and further potential reward? Should they treat this as the Moonlit Queen's just desserts for what she did to the duke, or treat it as a wrong to be righted regardless of the victim's past? For both of these questions, Fleuri leaned towards the latter answer. As troublesome as the Moonlit Queen may be, she still didn't deserve to be burglarized.

Gertrude, wasting no time from her audacious and probably unwise proposition to make a contract with the Moonlit Queen, immediately moved to inform on her sister. Could the younger (but larger) sibling have done it, using the knights as a distraction to steal the object of her desire rather than taking the chance of them losing the wager?

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

There wasn't much for Fleuri to say. He had seen before the consequences of speaking out of turn in the Moonlit Queen's presence. Even if she was in a good mood to not curse them again, the wrong word could still potentially offender her enough to retract her reward- or, if her kind was supernaturally compelled to keep their word, cruelly twist it.

He wasn't sure what sort of reward the Moonlit Queen would give. It probably didn't matter much, since they would immediately be handing it over to the queen's sister as payment for gaining the knights access to the fae realm.

He continued to wait silently, hoping that those around him would have the good sense to not risk causing more problems.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Knight RP

Fleuri Jodeau

They finally did it. They actually defeated a Midnight Hunt, Fleuri thought. This wasn't just a victory, this was a monumental feat comparable to the deeds of the original Iron Roses.

The knight briefly glanced over himself to check for any wounds that might have gone unnoticed. Seeing none on himself nor on the captain, he moved to fetch the houndmaster's greataxe- it might not be his preferred type of weapn, but it'd make for a fine trophy. He wasn't the only one collecting trophies- Renar had acquired a new cloak, and it looked like he wasn't finished gathering trophies.

It seemed only fair that with the grossly uneven wager that they had been pressured into by the Moonlit Queen, that the Roses get something tangible out of this.

Speaking of the Moonlit Queen, Fleuri hadn't forgotten what her terms were- that the fallen knights become hers. He couldn't remember exactly if it still applied if the Roses defeated the Midnight Hunt, but it stood to reason that any deal with the fae would probably end up being interpreted in whatever manner was most advantageous to them.

Fanilly, Rolan, and Gertrude seemed none the worse for wear. Renar was calling for Gerard and Fionn, all of whom seemed unscathed. Tyaethe was currently being carried around by Fionn, quite the undignified continuation to what should be a triumphant victory on her part. Fleuri, after recovering the axe, moved to check up on Arken, Yael, and Caulder.