Starlance

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

The situation was getting grim for a moment with Kareet going down, but truly only for a moment thanks to Kolvar. Vigdis had to wonder what that did to people’s mental health and the way war was fought, if they could get the injured back up this fast. Whatever the answer, she wasn’t going to complain about probably her favorite wizard getting right back up again.

Vigdis stopped shooting when Nellara ordered the charge, unwilling to point a weapon in the direction of her, Kareet and the troops, instead watching the carnage with morbid fascination. In space combat, many crews did not view it as a man-versus-man fight. Like pilots in the early days of flight, they often saw their war as a more noble one, machine versus machine, ship against ship. It wasn’t true of course, there were countless horrifying ways to die aboard even a regular seagoing vessel, nevermind a spaceship. Dying in horrible ways was simply a part of life and conflict across time and civilizations, as Nellara’s troops were now demonstrating.

”Shall we get off this boat?“ Vigdis made a suggestion to the assembly still on board, ”That black stuff is still eating it like it’s a rack of ribs and I don’t wanna be here when it comes apart altogether.” She still didn’t know if that was some creature in the river or just a result of a spell, both seeming like very real possibilities given the showing, but she did not care to find out first hand. At all. She also hoped they could get a second boat in somehow, because she was not looking forward to a multi-day mountain hike.

Kingdom of Threndel : Beginning of the End

The Dancing Bull Inn - Northwestern Threll - Poor District

Early morning

---

In a small private chamber, more of a cubbyhole than a full room, long before the rooster’s crow, the door opened with a creak, letting the warm glow of the rushlight in and illuminating the sleeping form of a pale-haired Elf. The light’s holder, an Elven woman just shy of 800, tip-toed over to the cot, apprehensive of her least favorite duty.
“Lady Myrrhis,” She whispered, gently nudging the knight’s shoulder. “Lady Myrrhis, it’s time to rise.”
The knight stirred, her neck competing with the cot’s creaking on account of an insufficiently stuffed straw mattress. A knight she may have been, but also one aware of her situation, one who heeded the advice of her purser to be frugal. “I’m awake, Mrs. Lathari.” She said in a tone of voice that clearly indicated otherwise. Despite the relation, Myrrhis couldn’t bring herself to refer to the woman by her first name. After all, she had been her minder and aide since birth, and her brother’s and mother’s before her. It would’ve been difficult, nay impossible not to show respect.
“The innkeeper has prepared some warm water.” The elder Elf continued as she set down a jug of it beside the cot, “He’ll be serving breakfast shortly.”

Half an hour later, the two Elves and two Humans were sitting around a table.
“Threll truly is a jewel of the continent, even at such a tumultuous time.” Gordon, her young squire commented.
“You may get more time to explore it yet. This matter may not end with a simple report.” She shared between bites, “Soldiers turned bandits are common after a prolonged conflict. A land full of warriors with no one to fight, often with few skills outside of fighting and no one except their comrades who understands what they’ve been through. But during one, it is a sign of exceptionally poor morale for an entire company to defect like this.” The problem was further compounded by the fact that the soldiers in question had been trained on how to find small bands of warriors in the countryside. The same tactics that had worked in Lannion were now known by these deserters, drawing out the search.
“Do you believe the Emperor will hold you accountable?” He asked.
“We shall find out soon. You will accompany me. It will do you good to visit the court. And you best be there anyhow, since if I am found at fault, then as my Squire you will also be executed.”
“Excuse me?!” He nearly choked on a spoonful of beans.
“I jest, Gordon. You’ve nothing to fear.” She shared with a smile, leading to a round of chuckles around the table.

Sapiliezen Hill - Northwestern Threll - Poor District

Later that morning

---

Despite the early rise, they’d been beaten to the palace by a few others. She bowed politely when the Emperor entered, Gordon following suit and then both settled in for the wait, an Elf in a plain black dress with a white and red sash around the waist and over her left shoulder and a young black-haired man in a blue doublet standing out a bit among the crowd.
“Some tea if you have any.” Myrrhis replied to the servant before going back to observing the squabbling nobles, ignoring being addressed incorrectly under the assumption no one told the man who she was. After all, she’d never been to Threll before and her summons and arrival were rather hasty.
“Observe.” She discreetly pointed the argument out to Gordon, “I would like to point out that regardless of who is seen first, we will all be delayed by arguing, whereas otherwise someone could already be speaking to the Emperor, but given our different standing, interrupting would be impolite.” She said just loud enough to be overheard by the squabbling group, circumventing the obstacle while still passing the suggestion along before quieting down again. “Self-respect and maintaining appearances are important, Gordon, but you must take care to never let them stand in the way of results.” ‘And a general of all people should know that, if no one else’ She thought, but kept that thought to herself.

Kingdom of Threndel : Beginning of the End

Myrrhis

Name: Myrrhis Nivellen

Race: High Elf

Gender: Female

Age: 149

Appearance

Standing at 201 cm (6'7") and weighing 76 kg (167 lbs), Myrrhis is a young High Elf with red eyes, a mane of white hair falling down to her waist and sports a lean build expected of a soldier, moving with grace natural to the Elves and carrying herself tall and proud. She normally speaks in a slow and measured manner with a pleasant, mellifluous voice, though is capable of achieving a good amount of volume and cadence if someone needs yelling at over the din of battle.
She’s adapted local fashion during her time in Threndel, favoring wide-brimmed hats and dresses in red, white and black colors.

From Threll: No
Myrrhis is a Yulian knight on loan to the Empire to help train their troops.

Skills and Training:

• Knight-Commander - From leading companies up to 100 strong in battle to commanding a city’s guard, Myrrhis is a capable leader who favors leading from the front, but she only has limited experience with large-scale battles. Her natural charisma and general wisdom of a century lived grant her some measure of leadership capability off the field, but it's hampered by her lack of managerial ability.
• Diplomatic - Although a mere knight herself, her father, mother and brother hold titles of some note and as such, she was raised to navigate the intricacies of noble courts. Despite the martial flair to her upbringing, a lesson her father had constantly stressed was the importance of de-escalation and diplomacy.
• Combat - Myrrhis is an accomplished warrior skilled with several types of weapons, but favoring a halberd and shield for formation fighting and paired swords for smaller skirmishes and everyday carry.

Downsides:

• Administration - Myrrhis is not very good at economics or general management, relying on a purser and quartermaster to manage day-to-day functioning of her entourage.
• Ranged combat - Although trained with a crossbow, she is of middling skill at best.

Magic: Sorcerer (Medium Grade)
Myrrhis specializes in Countermagic, detecting (She can sense long-duration spells and enchanted tiems within 20 m of her, unless blocked such as by a wall.), disrupting the casting of (She needs to see the caster.) and dispelling already existing spells.

Important Items:

• Armor - A set of plate gauntlets, vambraces, cuisses, greaves, spalders, gorget, bevor, a sallet helmet and a brigandine worn over a linen gambeson.
• Sorvann - Myrrhis’ beloved companion, a five year old Norriker stallion with white coat and black spots.

Wealth:
The Nivellens’ loyal service has been appropriately rewarded. As a third child and second daughter, Myrrhis does not have access to that wealth beyond what small, polite requests her relatives decide to grant.
With no lands of her own, most of her actual wealth is tied up in equipment, both hers and that of her squire and small entourage, putting her firmly on the poorer end of knighthood.

History:
The third child of Count Andoral Nivellen, beaten by her twin sister Avexis by less than 20 minutes. Unlike her brother Cailan, the heir apparent, or her sister, who married early and would go on to become a magus of some renown in the field of protective magic, no one much cared what Myrrhis did as long as it did not cast the family in a poor light. Having always idolized her father as a knight in shining armor straight out of tales of yore, Myrrhis sought to follow in his footsteps. With his blessing, she was sent to the court of her maternal grandfather, Baron Aunar Ameridian. Under his tutelage, Myrrhis worked up from Page through Squire, learning the arts of horsemanship, combat and proper manners. She even got to accompany her lord overseas, when he was summoned to relieve the Threndel garrison in the City of Light, before eventually returning home and being knighted in her own right at 50 years of age.

As a freshly-minted knight with nothing but her title to her name, she came to the service of Duke Aubin Corre of Godest and was put in charge of the town guard of Lannion. A small town situated on the intersection of three trade routes, the human Duke took the opportunity to put a knight of a long-lived species in charge, hoping to achieve long-term stability in that region. In addition to increased patrols outside the town limits to quell banditry, the guard implemented several measures to reduce smuggling under her charge, effective though unpopular among the merchants due to being strict. Thieves and bandits were not the only people wishing harm upon her land who were aware of the town’s significance, with several battles that Myrrhis and her contingent were called to take part in fought at or near the town over the years.

When young Emperor Armagie took the throne, a handful of knights were sent out to the Threndel Empire as a political gesture to show support of the new Emperor. Myrrhis requested to be allowed to go, wishing to once more see the land that enchanted her as a Squire and aid their ailing ally, even if the City of Light had fallen years before then. For young Duke Adoren, sending her was a simple way to get out of going himself, his opinion of Threndel having soured over the years. For Myrrhis, it was likewise a golden opportunity to garner renown to her name, or perhaps even gain some land in the Empire for her service if the stars aligned exceptionally right.

Myrrhis was sent to Yilaren, where she would work with the local garrison’s officers to train new soldiers for over two years. A surprise outcome of this arrangement was a squire, having taken a son of a prominent merchant under her wing in exchange for more funding for the garrison. She’s been summoned to Threll to give a report regarding a band of bandits, deserters from the city’s contingent preying on the traders leaving for the Empire’s other cities with crops or returning with money and other goods.

Kingdom of Threndel : Beginning of the End

@Jamesyco
"Myrrhis specializes in Countermagic, detecting (She can sense long-duration spells and enchanted items within 20 m of her, unless blocked such as by a wall.), disrupting the casting of (She needs to see the caster.) and dispelling already existing spells.
Dispelling runes and enchanted items is beyond her capability, as might be more powerful long-lasting spells."

That work?

Kingdom of Threndel : Beginning of the End

Okay, so I comitted The Dumb and only noticed the "...you will be people from around the remains of the empire. From it's heartland..." bit after having written most of the CS. I'm gonna leave it here in case it gets a pass. If not, yell at me and I'll get to editing.

Myrrhis

Name: Myrrhis Nivellen

Race: High Elf

Gender: Female

Age: 149

Appearance

Standing at 201 cm (6'7") and weighing 76 kg (167 lbs), Myrrhis is a young High Elf with red eyes, a mane of white hair falling down to her waist and sports a lean build expected of a soldier, moving with grace natural to the Elves and carrying herself tall and proud. She normally speaks in a slow and measured manner with a pleasant, mellifluous voice, though is capable of achieving a good amount of volume and cadence if someone needs yelling at over the din of battle.
She’s adapted local fashion during her time in Threndel, favoring wide-brimmed hats and dresses in red, white and black colors.

From Threll: No
Myrrhis is a Yulian knight on loan to the Empire to help train their troops.

Skills and Training:

• Knight-Commander - From leading companies up to 100 strong in battle to commanding a city’s guard, Myrrhis is a capable leader who favors leading from the front, but she only has limited experience with large-scale battles. Her natural charisma and general wisdom of a century lived grant her some measure of leadership capability off the field, but it's hampered by her lack of managerial ability.
• Diplomatic - Although a mere knight herself, her father, mother and brother hold titles of some note and as such, she was raised to navigate the intricacies of noble courts. Despite the martial flair to her upbringing, a lesson her father had constantly stressed was the importance of de-escalation and diplomacy.
• Combat - Myrrhis is an accomplished warrior skilled with several types of weapons, but favoring a halberd and shield for formation fighting and paired swords for smaller skirmishes and everyday carry.

Downsides:

• Administration - Myrrhis is not very good at economics or general management, relying on a purser and quartermaster to manage day-to-day functioning of her entourage.
• Ranged combat - Although trained with a crossbow, she is of middling skill at best.

Magic: Sorcerer (Medium Grade)
Myrrhis specializes in Countermagic, detecting (She can sense long-duration spells and enchanted tiems within 20 m of her, unless blocked such as by a wall.), disrupting the casting of (She needs to see the caster.) and dispelling already existing spells.

Important Items:

• Armor - A set of plate gauntlets, vambraces, cuisses, greaves, spalders, gorget, bevor, a sallet helmet and a brigandine worn over a linen gambeson.
• Sorvann - Myrrhis’ beloved companion, a five year old Norriker stallion with white coat and black spots.

Wealth: The Nivellens’ loyal service has been appropriately rewarded. As a third child and second daughter, Myrrhis does not have access to that wealth beyond what small, polite requests her relatives decide to grant.
With no lands of her own, most of her actual wealth is tied up in equipment, both hers and that of her squire and small entourage, putting her firmly on the poorer end of knighthood.

History:
The third child of Count Andoral Nivellen, beaten by her twin sister Avexis by less than 20 minutes. Unlike her brother Cailan, the heir apparent, or her sister, who married early and would go on to become a magus of some renown in the field of protective magic, no one much cared what Myrrhis did as long as it did not cast the family in a poor light. Having always idolized her father as a knight in shining armor straight out of tales of yore, Myrrhis sought to follow in his footsteps. With his blessing, she was sent to the court of her maternal grandfather, Baron Aunar Ameridian. Under his tutelage, Myrrhis worked up from Page through Squire, learning the arts of horsemanship, combat and proper manners. She even got to accompany her lord overseas, when he was summoned to relieve the Threndel garrison in the City of Light, before eventually returning home and being knighted in her own right at 50 years of age.

As a freshly-minted knight with nothing but her title to her name, she came to the service of Duke Aubin Corre of Godest and was put in charge of the town guard of Lannion. A small town situated on the intersection of three trade routes, the human Duke took the opportunity to put a knight of a long-lived species in charge, hoping to achieve long-term stability in that region. In addition to increased patrols outside the town limits to quell banditry, the guard implemented several measures to reduce smuggling under her charge, effective though unpopular among the merchants due to being strict. Thieves and bandits were not the only people wishing harm upon her land who were aware of the town’s significance, with several battles that Myrrhis and her contingent were called to take part in fought at or near the town over the years.

When young Emperor Armagie took the throne, a handful of knights were sent out to the Threndel Empire as a political gesture to show support of the new Emperor. Myrrhis requested to be allowed to go, wishing to once more see the land that enchanted her as a Squire and aid their ailing ally, even if the City of Light had fallen years before then. For young Duke Adoren, sending her was a simple way to get out of going himself, his opinion of Threndel having soured over the years. For Myrrhis, it was likewise a golden opportunity to garner renown to her name, or perhaps even gain some land in the Empire for her service if the stars aligned exceptionally right.

Myrrhis was sent to Yilaren, where she would work with the local garrison’s officers to train new soldiers for over two years. A surprise outcome of this arrangement was a squire, having taken a son of a prominent merchant under her wing in exchange for more funding for the garrison. She’s been summoned to Threll to give a report regarding a band of bandits, deserters from the city’s contingent preying on the traders leaving for the Empire’s other cities with crops or returning with money and other goods.

Kingdom of Threndel : Beginning of the End

Righty-ho, should have an Elven knight done by tomorrow.

Mechwarrior: Disposable Heroes

Back to the ‘mechs at hand. It made sense to focus on those, the aerojock would likely go home with no more ‘mechs to support. If they were exceptionally lucky, the Fire Witch would blow a gasket and maim the poor bastard, taking the Mechbuster out of the action for some time. Seemed in character for the Witch from what little Marit knew. She remained standing, quickly attaining lock on onto the Crusader at the edge of minimum range for her missiles when she noticed something. The speed and direction he was moving, if she moved over there, he’d be right in range for an easy shot with the lasers.

Marit spurred Archie forward as she switched firing groups, the boosted lasers hungry for the crusader’s blood when Steel Rain fired, striking the far end of the bridge with too much ordnance for it to be a miss. Ingrid and Tarak confirmed it, moving off the bridge. It was that time, apparently, and fast, lest the Fists grow wiser to their scheme. Adjusting left, she came to a halt beside Raven’s Shadow Hawk, making sure she wasn’t in the way of anyone and turned her crosshairs onto the close end of the bridge, Archie’s four lasers slicing across the ice and rock like scalpels to cut the bridge off. ”Summer’s over, have a nice fall.” She snickered to herself as she decided ‘fuck it’ and sent two LRM salvos to te far end of the bridge. The air immediately became drier as the last trigger was pulled, feeling like hot sandpaper in her nose and throat. ”Fuck, this was a mistake.” She whined, Archie offering the opposite of moral support as the cockpit temperature air gauge climbed past 40°C.

Kingdom of Threndel : Beginning of the End

Checking in.

What are the lifespans of Dwarves and Elves and roughly when did the City of Light fall?

Beginning of the End

Sounds great, count me in.

Lucid - Sci-Fi/Supernatural powers RP

Well this fell apart faster than an OceanGate sub. But at least people had the decency to say they're out, that's a luxury for this site.