Twisted Fate

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

No it's not you, I admit I've been a bit lax recently haha

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

Jahan was wary. Walking straight into a camp of brigands wouldn't have been his first choice of plan, but apparently that was the angle they were going for. Personally he would have gone for a stealthier approach, sneak in and take as many of them out as possible before anybody noticed and scare the rest into submission. He was, however, quite skilled at improvising - so he went along with it anyway.

“Surrounded? 'ave seen no such thing. Yer' full of it, ya twat.”

Jahan's hand went instinctively to the hilt of his sword, resting lightly on his hip. Combat - whilst probably the most fun option - was definitely inadvisable seeing as they were outnumbered by the opposing force. Diplomacy was the obvious choice, so he thought he might as well make an attempt of it.

"Please, gentlemen. Surely we don't need to resort to fighting?" He said, taking a few steps forward. He took his hand off the hilt of his weapon and raised them both in front of him, in a gesture of peace.

"You need to think logically here. If you reject our offer, it'll result in a fight which will in turn result in unwanted casualties on both sides. If, however, you accept our offer, you get a paying job in the service of the king himself. It's essentially what you're doing now, but with royal authority." He took another step forward, grinning slightly.

"Think about it. Which would you prefer, a small haul now - alongside injuries and potential deaths - or a job in an army, giving you free reign to kill and loot whilst getting paid for it?"

He cast a quick, anxious look at Haesteinn. He knew full well that he had oversold the freedom of their profession to these criminals, but it was the only way he could think of avoiding violence. After all, once they were pressed into service they would have to do as they were told, surely?

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

I'm working on a post now, sorry for the delay

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

I've done a quick intro post. Not my best work, as I've been a bit distracted today, but my other posts should be better.

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

You want to learn to fight? First rule, learn to fight dirty. Honor gets you killed, and is worth nothing to the dead. You need to be underhanded, ruthless. A handful of dirt in their eyes, a kick in the groin - do whatever you need to do to stay alive. You understand? In a real war nothing there are no rules. I've seen how the nobility fight, the so-called knights with their code of chivalry. They may try to fool you with their fancy armor and meaningless titles, but in the end they die just like any other man.

His father had once told him that when they used to speak - a time so long ago it seemed like a whole other life. Jahan supposed it was a whole other life, in some ways. A performer and a soldier would be regarded as completely different professions to the masses; the purpose of one being to frivolously entertain whilst the other risked their life on a daily basis. It seemed almost impossible to imagine one of the carefree travelling folk taking up arms for a cause, but that is what Jahan had done, regardless.

He had long sought a purpose in life, his desire to make a true difference was what had led him to join up with the Black Shields in the first place, and whilst some may long for the freedom of the open road, Jahan had only ever really wanted some kind of order in his chaotic life. So he joined an army, hoping that it would give him everything he had wanted in life. He wasn't stupid - he knew that it would be damn near impossible for a lowborn man to get enough recognition to join gain a commission of his own - but he also knew that he was more than up for the challenge. He had people skills, something that came naturally to someone of his birthright. He also had a considerable knack for combat, and whilst he didn't fight in the honorable style of a classically trained warrior you couldn't deny that he got results. After all, the point of combat was to walk away alive, surely? As long as you walked away and the other man didn't, that was all that mattered.

He had joined the regiment a few days ago now, and had set up a tent in a rough circle of other tents. Whilst he knew the importance of bonding with his fellow soldiers however, he hadn't made much of a concerted effort to get to know anybody. His particular religious beliefs were a bit of a sore topic in this part of the world, and so he had kept to himself as much as possible in an attempt to keep his secret. It wasn't that he was stupid enough to outright tell anybody that he didn't believe in their god, but he knew that it would only be a matter of time before somebody found out. People always did. So he spent a lot of his time alone, training the acrobatic skills that he had known since birth. It was unconventional, and it definitely turned a few heads, but it was the best way he could think of keeping in shape. And of course, at war, fitness was vital.

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

I'll be getting a post up today, I've just got a few things to sort out first.

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

I'm definitely still with this, it's the reason I keep checking the website haha.

Expanding Universe-Season 1

Am I still able to get in on this?

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

Character's up.

[MEDIEVAL, REALISM] Marches of Man: The Black Shields!

Jahan Gaalia

I do not believe in any god, I believe in only steel and skill.

Jahan has an athletically slim figure, built more around speed and endurance than brute strength. He is obviously toned, but doesn’t boast the muscle mass that other men seem so competitive about. He stands about 5’11” tall. His back is marked with a large amount of scars that he acquired during his early life – where he was whipped by his father whenever he misbehaved.

He typically wears his armour rather than any other clothing, as it is designed for maximum mobility in combat and as such is quite comfortable. His armour is made entirely out of leather and consists of boots, leggings, bracers and a sleeveless vest. Whilst it may seem impractical to most classically trained warriors, his particular combat style requires him to be quick, agile, and unencumbered – with access to his full range of motion.

More as an affectation and a reminder of his early life, he wears strips of cloth around his wrists, which were dyed bright red and blue when he first got them. After years of wear however, they are now tattered and faded – although the colours are still discernible.

【Full Name】

Jahan Gaalia

【Aliases】

Snakebite, Jester, Godless

【Age】

22

【Sex】

Male

【Sexuality】

Bisexual

【Religion】

Atheist – Jahan gave up on any delusions of God early on in his life, but keeps it hidden to avoid prosecution from the Monarchists.

【Family】

Jahan’s father is still alive, probably. He has no contact with him however, and aims to keep it that way.

【Birthplace】

Jahan was born into a family of acrobats in a travelling circus, and as such was born on the road.

【Societal standing】

Lowborn traveller

【Former employment】

Jahan followed in his parent’s footsteps for a time, working as an acrobat and entertainer from an early age until he was 17. At that age, he left his old life behind and became a sword for hire, often finding employment as a caravan guard.

【Rank and role】

Fresh recruit, holding no official rank or title within the Black Shields.

【Personality】

Jahan doesn’t go out of his way to make friends. He prefers, for the most part, to remain quiet and on his own. That isn’t to say he has no social graces however, and he doesn’t actively avoid conversation. When befriended, he can be witty and humorous, and is intensely loyal to people he considers himself to be close with.
He can be easily provoked, but is usually able to control himself – sticking with sarcastic retorts rather than resorting to anything physical. He does have a confidence bordering on quiet arrogance however, and is prone to believe that he can take near enough anyone in a fight if necessary.
He doesn’t follow any religion, claiming that it is his own skill that keeps him alive, not the will of some omnipotent being in the sky.

【History】

Jahan had a tough childhood, by most standards. His mother died during childbirth, and although his father never said it, Jahan knew he had always been quietly blamed for her death. His parents were acrobats in a circus that travelled around the various towns and villages in Broacien entertaining the people in return for coin and admiration, which meant that he had an active, and unstable early life. People loved the circus – until anything went wrong, when suddenly they would turn on the entertainers and blame them for damn near anything. They were an easy scapegoat, after all, they were the most likely candidates for any disruption to the normal routine.

He showed a natural aptitude for the acrobatic talents of his parents, and his father began showing him tricks as soon as he could walk. You earned your living in the circus, no matter how old you were, and the famed child acrobat drew in moderate crowds.

Misbehaviour was not tolerated, despite the apparently lax and carefree attitude, and the punishment for even the slightest transgression was the whip. Unfortunately for Jahan however, he had a natural inquisitiveness that meant he was often on the receiving end of that whip. He noticed that whilst his father was never outwardly hostile towards him, he was a lot harsher in terms of discipline than any of the other parents were to their children.

He was 17 when he decided to leave. His life on the road had taught him plenty about combat – bandits were drawn to the colourful caravans like moths to a flame, and every able-bodied member of the troupe was competent with a blade – and a combination of wanderlust beyond the performance routes and a dislike of the lifestyle led him to start a new life as a sword for hire. His extravagant and acrobatic fighting style managed to set him apart from most of the other mercenary’s, and he found plenty of work as a caravan guard. He knew that most people employed him as a novelty at first, but his obvious skill with a blade quickly earned his companions respect after a short time.

He still found the life dissatisfying however, as he felt he was missing a sense of purpose and direction. That’s why, when he found the letter about the Black Shields seeking new recruits, he packed up his meagre belongings and set out to sign up right away.

【Dreams, short term goals, and fears.】

He dreams of one day becoming a ranking officer within the Black Shields, and fulfilling his need for a purpose in life. His short term goals reflect this desire.

He fears failure and can’t stand the idea of disappointing the people he is fighting for.

【Skills】

His childhood means that he has a lot of experience with acrobatics and sleight-of-hand tricks, and he possesses a natural aptitude to showmanship. Apart from that, it is only his fighting skill that sets him apart from any average person.

【Martial prowess】

His combination of skill and showmanship means that he is a talented fighter. His style is based on tiring out his enemies until they make a mistake, and then taking full advantage of that mistake to often fatal effect.
The downside to this style is that he struggles against heavily armoured opponents. Whilst they tire easily, their lack of unexposed weak spots means that it is a lot harder for him to take advantage of any mistakes.

【Weaponry】

Jahan fights with a bastard sword – finding that it offers more versatility than either a longsword or a shortsword.

【Armor】

Leather armour designed for mobility. It’s lightweight, but also doesn’t offer anywhere near as much protection as any metal armour. He relies more on his agility to prevent him getting hit, rather than relying on his armour to block attacks.