Cyrania

Kings & Killers: A Classic Fantasy Adventure (Chapter: 0) (COMPLETED)

Gwyneira Elfreda

Gwyneria eyed the king from her position as he talked with his guards and raised an eyebrow. Was all his fidgeting and such really because this Hilda woman wasn't there? The elf barely remembered being told to tell the girl that his highness was expecting her if seen. She hadn't gone out of her way to do that since she'd needed to check on her patients and then Cicero happened. But, she was reasonably certain she hadn't spotted a short, red-headed female in white robes around. What was she to the king, a healer for some secret aliament, a consort, a friend, a secret daughter? Was this king even married? She ought to know that last one. Gwyn was half-inclined to get close enough to maybe hear what the king was telling his guards to satisfy her curiosity and half rose from her seat, when she thought of Cicero.

She looked down onto that singular knight. Cicero, her proud patient that had been seriously wounded in his last two battles and might die if she wasn't quick enough to call the match if the referee kept not doing his job. Cicero, who had declared her a friend and entrusted his possessions to her safekeeping after less than a day of knowing each other. Friendships couldn't really be made that fast, could they? True friendships took time. She wasn't planning to stay in Alvion forever. She was only going to stay as long as it took to learn all there was here about magic. She'd be leaving and he'd be here and the passage of time apart would cause any friendship or camaraderie between them to fade away. She had seen it happen before just from being a being more interested in magic and books then any friends she'd tried to make before. Zviad had even taken to resenting her after she'd proven to be a magical prodigy. There was no way that what was between her and Cicero was anywhere close to true friendship or that what they had would last their eventual separation. Yet today, Cicero considered her his friend and was trusting her to be there to help him when needed. Gwyn wouldn't betray that trust and would stay here to support him and make sure he didn't get himself killed against the crazy dwarf.

She would also keep part of her attention on the king to see if there were further developments. And maybe later, she'd look up Hilda and ask her about what was going on. If she was his consort, maybe she was unwilling and this was her attempt to escape? Gwyneria shook her head. She couldn't let her imagination run away with her like that. Hilda was most likely at home sick or something and it had just been unfortunate timing. For now, she'd watch the tournament and the situation here while resting up for whatever injuries Cicero accumulated this time.

The Patriarch's Return

Sounds fun as long as they're not kamikaze slimes. Or at least not purely kamikaze slimes and have other options than to blow up the enemy.

Kings & Killers: A Classic Fantasy Adventure (Chapter: 0) (COMPLETED)

Later we can get to Gwyneria freaking out a bit about why he considers her a friend already.

Looking forward to the next post.

Kings & Killers: A Classic Fantasy Adventure (Chapter: 0) (COMPLETED)

Cicero Bladewalker & Gwyneria Elfreda

Once back at the cubicle and his room, Gwyn quickly hobbled her patient over to bed and sat him down. His wounds were going to need to be treated soon. His sword arm was practically dislocated. His knee was seriously bleeding. No telling how many other cuts and bruises there were under that armor. Oh, if only she’d moved quicker to prove the foul play. No time for that now. First thing was to gather a clean cloth and a bowl of water for cleansing the wounds. Fortunately, such things were available in the room and were prepared in under a minute. Second thing was to get a better look at the damage. She paused and looked at Cicero’s eyes. “I’m going to need to remove your armor and possibly your gambason. Your wounds are too serious for me to just treat like I did the gash from earlier. I need to have a better look.”

Cicero nodded. Doctor’s orders right? The adrenaline had worn off and he was starting to really feel the pain. He began to take off the various pieces of armor he could with his left arm. He had done it many times before, but it was much more difficult without a second hand. Cicero looked at the healer and cocked his head slightly, ”I..owe you. I couldn’t force myself to call him out on his cheating. That could have gotten me killed..” He looked away somewhat ashamed of his stupid pride. Cicero continued to take off what he could revealing his upper gambison and head. He used his good arm to begin unfastening his left leg armor. It revealed a deep wound that bled profusely. Cicero grimaced in pain.
Gwyn grimaced with him upon seeing the injury. She used heal to stop the bleeding through repairing the veins, then dipped the cloth into the water as she finished healing the rest of it. “While that was stupid of you, I can imagine how it could have been a feather in your cap to have defeated Frostmay even though he was cheating. The pleasure of achieving something that turned out to be unexpectedly dangerous is thrilling. You weren’t the only stupid one though.” She paused, making sure the knee was healing right before continuing her cleaning, grimacing as a minor headache started to form. “I ought to have acted sooner. I realized what was happening but didn’t immediately call it out since I wanted to make sure there was enough proof. I was worried that speaking too soon would make it seem like I was lying or make my proof be insufficient to prove guilt for either party or actually show that I was completely wrong in what I thought.”

Cicero began to wave off Gwyn’s words about her being stupid with his arm, but it happened to be the injured one. He grimaced again and stated, ”If you called it off too early they may have ejected you instead of him. You did the right thing..” He unbuttoned his gambison the best he could with one hand. It looked awkward as he did it. He looked at her expectantly, ”A little help?”

Gwyn smiled. “Of course.” Then she pulled off the rest of the gambison and inspected the right arm. It wasn’t bleeding like the other one at least, but still bad. She repeated the process she’d used for the knee injury while also making sure the arm was aligned right so it healed properly. She sighed. “This does reflect badly on my ability as a coach. Though I have gotten a look at your next competitor.”

Cicero watched her work with fascination. Despite the pain, feeling your wounds heal was exhilarating. He didn't expect to walk well on that leg or use his right arm well in combat today. However, under her care he felt he would make a full recovery. As an afterthought he asked, ”My next opponent you say?” He raised an eyebrow curiously.

”Yeah,” she said distractedly. The wounds were healed, but Gwyn wanted to see if she could get them good as new. The bruises needed some care however. She continued talking as she prepared her heal spell to handle them all at once. “He’s bigger than you but also heavily armored and uses a giant blade. His goal will probably be to knock you out with hard enough hits. As much as I hate to say it, you are probably going to have to take a bit after Frostmay’s example to win. Dodge the hits and aim for the weak spots. His armor had the same ones you did.” As she pulsed the heal throughout his body, dark spots appeared in her vision. The headache she’d been ignoring became a full on migraine. She raised a hand to relieve it and started to straighten herself out when a dizzy spell hit. ”Rats!” She exclaimed as she fell forward.

Cicero's eyes widened and he instinctively reached out and caught her with his good arm. She was light, comparatively to the 190 pound knight. He exclaimed out loud, ”Hey! Don't overdo it now!” She remained motionless as he pulled her close so that she would not fall. She was still breathing, he noticed. Cicero laid her on the the bed next to him. His wounds were much better though a little stiff. Cicero felt a little guilty that he was the one who taxed her energy so much. He spoke to her, ”Hey...are you alright?” She did not respond but continued breathing. Those spells must have really taken a lot out of her. He reached for his water flask nearby and attempted to wake her up by pouring some on her forehead. Cicero was no medic, but he did his best with what he knew.

The splash of water brought Gwyn to shocking wakefulness. She rose up before feeling the headache and remembering what had happened. She groaned as she rubbed her head. ”Sorry. I guess I overdid a bit there.” Internally, she was fuming. She ought to know her limits by now. Her instructors had constantly chidded her to remember them, and would she listen? No!! She tried to push herself up to a standing position.

Cicero did his best to push her upright. Getting some good drink in her would bring her back to full capacity. He replied, ”Magic seems to come with a high cost..the greater the effect the more strain. Would you agree?” He began to take his sword and shield, laying them against the wall. Cicero was tired after that last battle and needed to rest for a few hours before the next bout. He placed the upper portion of his armor on the floor after struggling to unfasten his left side. Then he sat down on his bed again with a sigh.

Gwyn stood and drank from her waterskin, pondering. How to best answer the question? “There may be a cost to magic,” she responded. “But magic is worth it!” She set down her waterskin and her persona seemed to light up. “I know there is bad that comes from magic and costs, but when it's used properly, for the sake of others or for magic’s sake itself, it’s wondrous and beautiful in all its forms! The shape of ice sculptures, the shimmering of light in its visible spell forms, the flames of fire in its resplendent colors of red, gold, and blue, all natural wonders shaped through magic to become more splendid. Masters of magic are able to cause water to fall where its dry, those near the doors of death to be brought back to life, plants to grow and become a forest or a farm or meadow where there was none before.” She had to restrain herself from showing off some light illusions to illustrate that aspect given the circumstances, but promised herself she was going to show him later. “In short, magic is worth the struggle and costs that it incurs and I shall do so even after I have completely mastered its use.”

Cicero listened thoughtfully as Gwyn poured out her feelings about magic and its uses. Most of his life, Cicero had been so focused on martial combat that he knew very little about the magic in the world. Gwyn seemed like the person that had a lot of wisdom on the topic. He was sure that she was on her way to becoming one of the lead scholars in her field of healing. At least as far as Cicero could speculate. When she mentioned, ”ice”, Cicero chuckled aloud. Only minutes before he had been dealing with that little gift from Frostmay. When she was finished Cicero nodded respectfully and smiled, ”You have a great passion for magic. So much so that I can almost say the same for myself!” He laughed aloud and continued, ”I can see its benefits as well as its negatives. But it seems to me, like any weapon or tool,” he glanced at his sword, ”they can be used for both good and ill. It is not so much the tool being the problem, but the individual using it.” Cicero took a long swig from his waterskin and sighed contentedly, ”I appreciate all your help. I'm going to rest now. You should probably do the same. I will see you in two hours before the next fight.” He gave her a thumbs up with his formerly injured arm.

Gwyn awkwardly returned the thumbs up and smiled. Well, he hadn’t outright mocked her dream or anything, may as well be polite. ”Right, see you then.” Then she went to the healer rest area for a good hour and a half nap.

The Patriarch's Return

Still here as well.

Kings & Killers: A Classic Fantasy Adventure (Chapter: 0) (COMPLETED)

Cicero Bladewalker&Gwyneria Elfreda

Cicero nodded, ”Excellent. Follow me.” He led her through the outer sidewalk. Past folks of all kinds; poor, middle-class, and some of the more wealthy in the city. Everyone was there for a purpose. Some to gather a fortune through bets. Most would leave with empty pockets. Others for the pure spectacle of it all. Then, of course, there were the workers and contestants in the actual matches. Regardless of why they came, all had a purpose.

After a few minutes they arrived at their destination. A quaint wagon cart with a sign that said, Beorn’s Roasts. Cicero stated, ”Here we are. It's a humble little place, but you won't find a better pork roast in the city.” He walked up to the window and ordered two medium sized roasts with fresh wine to go with it. Not too strong, but enough that they wouldn't get sick from drinking it. He paid 5 silvers for the dual meals.

Cicero waited a few minutes for their order to arrive and picked them up. He sat down at a small table behind the wagon cart. They had them set up near the shops throughout the arena. After placing their meals, stood near the seat with his back to the wall. Cicero motioned for her to have a seat and would sit down after her. Common chivalry.

Gwyn nodded and sat down. ”Thanks. I’ve never been to this sort of place before.”

”There are many quaint places like it. You just need to know where to look.” He began to carve into his meal with the provided utensils. He ate properly, but Gwyn could tell he was holding back from completely devouring his meal. Cicero took a sip of wine and swirled it in the glass. ”So..I've seen a man dressed in black garb. I believe he's a magic user since he disappeared after he spoke with me. Have you seen a man like him?”

Gwyn took a sip of her wine and pondered. ”What happened after he disappeared? With the various ways that any wizard can disappear, the spells can be used as much of an identifier as the man’s appearance, especially when combined. I could think of various classmates that liked the dark garb for dramatic effect. Was there a residual entry way as he left, a sudden puff of smoke, or a simple vanishing?” Then she took her own civilized bites from the pork roast.

Cicero listened to her and looked thoughtful as she finished. He waited a few seconds before responding, having taken another sip of wine, ”He simply disappeared. No smoke. No flashing lights. Just gone.” He leaned in closer and continued, almost whispering, ”You know what’s even more strange? After he had already gone, I heard his voice laughing saying something about being ‘perfect for it.’” Cicero leaned back and glanced around to make sure no one else was listening and resumed carving his roast. Cicero continued chewing as he listened.

”Hm,” she replied. “Well, there’s certainly some possible explanations. Either he truly teleported away then talked to you via telepathy or some form of vocal projection or he never actually left you in the first place.” Gwyn glanced around to make sure no one was watching before setting down her silverware and smiled. ”There was an aspect of light magic discovered that showed how light rays could be shaped not only to create illusions but to outright hide a person. For instance, now you see me.” A snap of her fingers and the invisible spell was cast, instantly hiding her form from view. ”Now you don’t.” Oh if only her eyes weren’t blocked by the spell to be able to see his reaction. ”Intriguing right?”

When Gwyn disappeared Cicero began choking on his food in surprise, ”Gak! Awk! The food was dislodged from his throat and he managed to swallow it without another incident. After clearing his throat with some wine he stated, ”I thought you were a healer, not some powerful mage.” He looked around nervously, ”Alright I get it. It could be an invisibility spell. If that's the case he could still be around..” Cicero did not like the thought. After Gwyn became visible again Cicero asked,”Is there any way to sense an invisibility spell?” He truly hoped there was.

At the sound of his coughing, Gwyn laughed and revealed herself. ”Did it look something like that? A beginner can easily be detected by the fuzziness of their bended light, but a true master can only be detected by scent, noise, and feel if they bump into you or vice-versa. Of course, that’s only what I’m familiar with. There’s more than I know about. Something that a library or a similar respiratory of knowledge might contain.” She leaned back. ”Any place like that in this city?”

Cicero raised an eyebrow as Gwyn laughed. He smiled at his own expense and listened as she asked about a place of wisdom within Alvion as well as the look of the disappearance from earlier. Cicero replied, ”It did look like that. As for information centers...there are a number of them, but I'm not too familiar myself. I studied the martial arts not the magical ones. Alvion is known for training some powerful mages, however. I would start at the Royal Alvion Library.” Then he continued eating, having almost finished his meal.

Gwyn nodded as she took another sip.”Yes, that sounds like the sort of place I was thinking of.” She paused, considering. He seemed a better city guide than the barkeep and definitely more knowledgeable. She squared her shoulders. Perhaps, after the fights, you might take me there? I really don’t know my way around here and it might lead to answers about your mystery man.”

Cicero smirked, ”If I survive I'd be happy to show you around.” Then he chuckled, ”Once I get through this tourney we can search the library. Things are moving in this city and I'm not exactly sure what's going on.” Then he looked her right in the eye, ”Perhaps we have been brought together for such a time as this.” He looked down at his food and drink. Then he finished his roast and gulped the last of his wine. ”Ahh...I am finished. If you are quite done we could get a view of the battlegrounds before my bout. The last person I asked to be my coach refused. Would you be interested for a share of the winnings? I realize you are not into the martial arts, but your observations could prove invaluable.”

Gwyn smiled as she finished her own meal. ”I’d be happy to help in any way I can. Though you might want to wait and see of what quality my observations are before you offer wages.”

Kings & Killers: A Classic Fantasy Adventure (Chapter: 0) (COMPLETED)

Sounds good. Congratulations on figuring out how to be co-gm.

Kings & Killers: A Classic Fantasy Adventure (Chapter: 0) (COMPLETED)

Gwyneira Elfreda

"Well that's good to hear." She started to try to figure out how to make the time before the match bearable. Then he thought that there was one more thing.

"Yes?"

When he outlined his request, Gwyn gulped. Refusing would seem rude, but she couldn't see how the eating could be anything but awkward. Unawkward social encounters, thy name was not Gwyneira Elfreda. But she hadn't had anything today other than that so called ale, and Bladewalker was offering. "If you're sure that you can do it without missing your first match, then I'll gladly accompany you. Though, you'll have to lead the way."

Kings & Killers: A Classic Fantasy Adventure (Chapter: 0) (COMPLETED)

Gwyneira Elfreda

Gwyn shrugged. "I'm just passing through," she replied. "I heard that the arena could use some healers and decided to check it out." The other man left, though it seems now he was trying to talk this client into doing something. Pity, his sickliness could have been a good time to see if her healing could work on illness.

She peered the knight up and down, trying to locate anything else that needed doing. Keeping busy had always been one way to avoid awkward conversations. Seeing nothing super obvious and knowing it was rude to magically check, she finally asked. "Do you have any other injuries that could use healing? Are you feeling off in any way? May as well try to get you to your peak before the match."

Kings & Killers: A Classic Fantasy Adventure (Chapter: 0) (COMPLETED)

Things have been working out. Though one question for the group.

Should healing be something Gwyn can simply start doing to a pc or should there be a chance for the pc to reject the healing?