Fantasy Armsmen (IC)

[Enkerzed]

ARMSMEN


RULES

• Do not post in this thread unless your character has been approved by me.​
• Do not control, kill or cause harm to anyone else's character without their EXPRESS permission.​
• Do not write anything OOC in this thread.​
• Do not post more than once per day.​
• Tag anyone who's character(s) you are interacting with.​

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Nessi Dovinique Shibbie

Nils walked with nervous steps as he followed the palace guards, sword in hand and surrounded by others like him who were similarly armed. Standing side by side along the length of the corridor were men in full plate armour, all armed with swords and halberds. No doubt there to keep the candidates in check.

Since their arrival at the palace, all they had been told so far was to equip themselves from the armoury with their weapon of choice and then to follow the guard to the throne room. There was barely anytime to so much as change clothes, all they had now was what they were wearing before their arrival and the weapons in their hands. Everything else had been confiscated at the entrance.

Despite being resigned to whatever fate had in store for him, Nils could feel his heart steadily beating faster as he looked around with his light green eyes surreptitiously moving from side to side. There were many unsavory looking characters among the candidates such as a black haired woman with tattoos, wielding a spear, and a bearded man with the rough and tumble bearing of a mercenary, carrying his own weapon with casual ease. Nils was shocked to see even a little girl among them with white hair, skinny as a beggar and a dagger in each hand.

​

"You are now entering the throne room," said the lead guard as he stopped by the oaken double doors at the end of the corridor. "Assemble before the throne and approach no further than twenty paces. You will kneel before the king once you have assembled. Make no menaces or else you will be cut down where you stand. Now follow my lead."

At that signal, the men on each side of the door opened them wide and Nils followed the guard into a wide open space larger than most houses he had ever seen. All around were dark red banners upon tall stone pillars, supporting a vaulted ceiling with lit chandeliers dangling from iron chains.

Each banner bore the royal sigil, a black dragon with a sword through its heart, and stretching all the way from the doors to the dais at the other end of the room was a long red carpet. It climbed up the steps of the dais and stopped only at the foot of a gilded throne, whereupon sat the ruler of the kingdom. Blood of the Hero, wielder of flame, kin and king slayer both. The usurper Prince Athis, now King of all Yorta.

"Kneel!" the guard commanded as he knelt himself.

Nils followed suit and once again looked around at all the other candidates around him, wondering what the king had in store for them all. Would they be made to fight each other? Worried by the thought, Nils tightened his grip on his sword as his heart beat like a drum in his chest.

"Welcome my friends," Athis spoke with a smile. "Today is an auspicious day, is it not?"​

 

[Dovinique]

CHARACTER SHEET
LOCATION
Prince Athis' Castle
INTERACTION
None
MENTION
Enkerzed Nessi Shibbie leonhardt231 Soviet Panda ​

The castle was far more marvelous than Yetoire could ever imagine. The gate, the walls, the pillars, everything was flawlessly constructed by skillful hands. Yetoire found herself in awe each time she got through new halls and room. Captivated by the castle's grandeur, Yetoire didn't pay enough attention to her fellow Armsmen candidates until all of them escorted to the armory. Along with her, several people, mostly men, were told to pick their own weapon. The girl picked twin daggers, small yet deadly just like she was. As she was done picking, she took some time to observe her future comrades.

There was this tall woman, taller than most women she ever saw. If Yetoire didn't notice her posture, she would certainly think that woman is a man. Shifting her golden eyes, she moved to other Armsmen, another 4 men. 2 of them were tall and muscular, compared to Yetoire, she could call them giants. The other two were rather slimmer but still with the towering body. If Yetoire stood among them, she would unquestionably be referred to as 'burden', but Yetoire was more than ready to prove it wrong.

After everyone finished, they once again escorted to another room. Yetoire's face might look as stiff as a stone, but that barely covered the sound of her beating heart. Instead of fear, the feeling was more inclined to concern. Was coming here was the right decision? Would stay low on the street was a better life choice? More and more questions fighting in her head, still no words could answer those nonstop questions. She shook her head lightly, trying to brush her mind away. Whatever would be, would be.

The last room she directed to seemed like the grand hall. By and by, the room amazed the slum girl. Her eyes savored each detail the room presented, drawing her attention to the extend she didn't bother listening to the guard. Thankfully someone nudged her as they were instructed to kneel, if not she might find her head no longer hers. As all of them were on their knee, the prince started to speak. His voice, as calm as the sea, was deep and dark, menacing like a lion hungry for dinner.

Yetoire smiled faintly, wasn't sure if that was a rhetorical question or not. Keeping one of her knees stayed on the ground, she raised her head a bit to take a view of the prince. She remained in her silence, waiting for more words from the prince for she knew saying something now would do her no good.

 

[Shibbie]

Enkerzed Nessi Dovinique leonhardt231 Soviet Panda

Bryggir had tried to make small talk with the guards as they lead him through the immense castle to his next destination, but he was only met with blank stares and reticence. He wasn't told much, not about where he was going or what tasks lay ahead. So he brushed it off, not letting it bother him as his eyes drifted around the inside of the castle walls, donned with glorious art and sculptures. The pillars seemed to reach to the sky, and he couldn't help but acknowledge the grandeur that surrounded him. 'Does seem a bit over kill, though,' He silently thought to himself, his eyes now settling towards what he assumed were his fellow Armsmen candidates.

Without much more time to think they were quickly shuffled into an armory while being instructed to choose how they would arm themselves. Bryggir lamented having to use a set of weapons beside his own, growing so used to his own tools that he felt out of place without them. To his surprise he was able to find an axe that felt closely similar to his own, the toe and heel of the blade stretching only a bit shorter than his own. It had what was once a fine cloth strapping wrapped the mahogany handle, now tattered with its past battles.

As he searched for his off weapon, Bryggir studied what he assumed would be his rivals. Only one seemed to be built similar to him, a blonde fellow unsuspecting. Other than that he noticed two woman, one only slightly shorter than himself covered with black tattoos that he didn't seem to recognize. A smaller girl was also among them, and he watched as she collected a set of small daggers. 'An assassin of sorts? ' Bryggir had seen plenty of men fall prey to those they underestimated due to size in his work, and he wasn't about to do the same. The other two men appeared as giants, both standing well over his own height which was already pretty tall. The taller of them looked like he could rip a man in half if he so pleased. It was almost perfectly timed as he picked up a small guache dagger that the guards had once again instructed them to follow. And once more they were to set down the labyrinth that was the castle.

Bryggir wasn't anxious - but excited. He wondered what was in store for him, and if his only set of skills would once again give him a meaningful role in life- a sense of purpose. He wasn't worried and had steeled himself that he would not fall to any of the challenges placed in front of him by the king for selection. Even if Athis was a bit sadistic as the rumors had disclosed him as, he had helped Yorta greatly with the tax cuts and had done more for the lower serfs than any king before him. Bryggir would be happy to protect any king who would do such as that.

He was lost in thought as the guards had been barking orders, but his attention was quickly regained as they passed through a set of large oaken doors into what could only be the throne room. It was like everything in the room was a guide to set all who entered to gaze upon a single point; the gilded throne, which was sat upon who Bryggir could only assume to be the now king himself. He only looked towards him briefly before once again looking around to gauge the other's reactions. He halted as one of the guards called to kneel, giving a quick nudge to the smaller woman who seemed to be in a trance from the brilliance of the throne room before going down to kneel himself. He followed Athis with his vision, only nodding as he spoke and waiting for what would come next.

 

[Nessi]

Iris Leona
Mentions: Enkerzed Dovinique
—-

Iris was very angry. Not only had her organization that took years to build up crumble before, but now she had to work for the prince. She didn’t really have a choice, because it was that or being hung in public for her crimes. The church would certainly love that. The ride to the castle was uncomfortable. It seemed they were aware of what Iris was able to do, and made sure to chain her arms and feet together. The shackles were heavy, and when they were taken off, they left red marks on Iris rather pristine skin.

Iris was pissed that she wasn’t able to keep her own spear. It was a beautiful spear, light and sharp, just how she liked it, and it matched her favorite cloths well. Iris inspected the spears in the armory. They were obviously quality weapons, the best that money could buy in bulk. But her own spear was much more elegant, and without a doubt, a lot more expensive. Iris sighed, and took a spear off of the rack. It would have to do, until she was able to steal her own weapon back.

Iris felt eyes on her, and turned her attention to a small girl that seemed to be studying her. Iris smiled at the small girl, knowing all to well that people who looked unsuspecting were often the most deadliest people.

When the group entered the throne room, Iris looked at the prince before bending her knee. She hated every moment of it, but knew the punishment of not respecting the King.

“Welcome my friends," Athis spoke with a smile. "Today is an auspicious day, is it not?"

Iris looked up when she heard the prince speak. “Today has been quite interesting to say the least, my king. Can I ask why I was dragged out of my home? Your men did a terrible job at explaining that to me.” Iris said. She was playing dumb of course, Iris wanted to see if the prince had anything to add.

 

[leonhardt231]

Lionel was silent as he was led into the castle, it was risky of him to come here and now there was no going back. The castle was bigger than he thought imaginable. From the gates to the halls to the roof. A size chosen purely for the purpose to impress others, and it did its job wonderfully. He was led with several others into an armory, looking at the others, he could tell that all of them have seen battle before in some way.

The large man with the tattoos seemed to have not only seen battle but bathed in it. A raider of the north if he had to guess, dangerous, and has experience worth its weight in gold. Then there was the other giant, a guardsmen if he had to guess by how he held his blade, used to taking orders and working in groups. He most likely dealt with battle a handful of times, but nothing on the full scale of war. Then there was another man, similar build to him but just tad bit bulkier. Judging from the scars, he was a fighter, either a mercenary or possibly a sailor of some kind. He was someone that may need more studying. Looking at the two women in the room, from appearance they seemed almost opposites. The shorter one was a mystery, she picked two daggers as her weapon, close-quarters combat but she didn't have the build to overwhelm people. Speed and stealth were her weapon the white hair and pretty face was sure to help as well. An assassin possibly or someone who had no other choice but to join the armsmen. Lastly the spear wielder, a woman much taller than the before with the weapon to match. A spear wielder and guessing by the chains she came in, someone who knows how to use it. A criminal, someone who's killed and most likely has friends in dark places. Someone to look out for, criminals especially women don't live long unless they weren't someone dangerous and her yellow eyes told everyone that she was.

Looking away, he reached for the rapier and brushed his hand against the handle before pausing. He pulled his hands away then moved to grab one of the many long swords in the room. Strapping it to his side with a dagger, he took one final look at the people in the people in the room. He liked a good spar, but knowing King Athis, he may very well have to kill them. If so, it was going to be a difficult fight, one he may die from. But he knew that ever since he left, with a deep breath Lionel left and followed the guard into the throne room. Bending down on one knee and looking down towards the floor and answered the prince. "It is indeed your grace."
Enkerzed
Nessi
Shibbie
Dovinique
Soviet Panda

 

[Soviet Panda]

He was a slave once more. They may call it whatever they like and put any honorific in front of it, but he knew what he was. He was not given much of a choice, it was to either hang by the neck or die in battle. He had simply chosen the one that might lead him to his revenge on that slimy bastard that had left him to die.

He did as the guards instructed and grabbed a weapon. The two handed axe felt much like the last in his hands, the only noticeable difference was perhaps the wood grain or the lack of blood stains. He took note of the other slaves that the king had gathered, once was almost as large as him, but he looked soft by comparison. One seemed to be a little girl, though she seemed more than comfortable with the daggers she picked up. The other woman was looking at her spear scornfully, but held it like someone that knew how to use it. And the quite confidence of the last two men hinted at their skills with their chosen weapons. He did not know why this king would want to gather such a crowd to him, perhaps it was to fight each other, that seemed the most likely to be honest.

Then he was escorted out of the armory and into a lavishly decorated throne room where none other than Athis sat. And though he knelt as ordered, it was all to obvious that he only did so as to not be killed. He did not bother answering the king, for it was not a question he cared to answer.

 

[Enkerzed]

leonhardt231 Nessi Soviet Panda

"It is indeed your grace."

Nils looked with surprise at the candidate who spoke, a blonde haired man armed with a longsword, and wondered if he should also say something similar. He wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to conduct himself around royalty, though he had dealt with nobles on many occasions in the past. Maybe it was better to say nothing at all, but then why did that other candidate speak so naturally as though it were expected? Nils was still pondering the finer details of court etiquette until the tattooed woman started talking, and the former guardsman's jaw practically fell from his face when he heard the way she was speaking.

"You are talking to the king!" huffed the palace guard who led the group, rounding on the woman in an instant. "Know your place!"

For a moment, Nils froze with tension as he looked up at the king, wondering how the monarch would respond to such an audacious outburst. To Nils's surprise however, the king did not seem offended at all. As a matter of fact, he was chuckling. Quietly at first and then louder into a full blown laugh when he couldn't quite restrain it anymore.

"Peace, Corbec," Athis said as he raised a hand, signalling the guard to let it be. "It's a fair question. One with an answer I'd like to share, but first... Arise. All of you, I want to take a good look at you all."

Standing up from his throne, the king continued as he walked down the steps of the dais, "You know, when I was a child I never had much ineterest in all the tales of my glorious ancestor and his oh so valiant knights. You may have heard of him, the Hero." Athis rolled his eyes as he said the name. "His real name was lost to history apparently, but personally I think that's just what he liked to call himself. Anyw-"

"Your grace, that's too close," Corbec interjected as Athis approached the tattooed woman, both of them standing eye to eye at the same height. "I must advise-"

The guard stopped short as Athis slowly turned towards him with a lazy smile and replied in a chilling tone, "I said peace. Corbec."

Stammering a bow, the guard backed away and Athis's bright demeanor returned as he continued speaking like nothing had happened, "Anyway, I was always more fascinated by tales of the commonfolk. From the capital to the borderlands, you all live so fiercely! Take you for example, Iris Leona. The Black Swan."

Nils instantly bristled as he heard the name, remembering all the comrades he had lost to the woman and her gang of bandits on the roads outside of the capital. So much misery had been wrought at the tip of her spear. If they were both still out there now, there might have come a time when they would eventually meet face to face and blade to blade. Perhaps that time might still come yet and sooner than expected, but why would the king choose a criminal like her to be an Armsman in the first place?

Fixing her with hard eyes, Nils made sure that the Black Swan would be first to fall if it came to it, but still he listened on as the king spoke, "You've been terrorizing my roads for quite a while I hear. It's a fortunate thing my father never bothered to do anything about it, else I might never have been able to see you in person. What a waste that would have been! And I heard you burned down a church too, who does that?"

Moving along the front of the group, Athis came to a halt in front of an axe wielding giant of a man and simply looked him up and down before marveling, "What a specimen you are! You must be the Northman. Tell me, if I bid you to, would you slaughter your own kind the next time they raid my borders?"

 

[Nessi]

Iris Leona
Mentions: Enkerzed

—-

Iris watched as the guard flared up when she spoke to the prince. Personally, she didn’t see anything wrong in the way she had addressed him, in fact, it was more respectful then how she talked to most people. Before she could interject, the king told him to relax, even laughing at the way Iris spoke to him. She frowned,Iris never liked being laughed at. She quickly put her smile back on, and did as she was commanded, standing to her full height.

Iris watched as the guard flared up one again, saying that the king was too close to her. It was true, all Iris had to do was take one step forward and thrust her spear through the Kings heart and he would be dead. Iris decided against it,if she killed Athis now, she would have the entire country looking for her head more then they already were.

“I must say, your majesty, this guard, the one you call Corbec, I do not care for him, he’s too loud... may I kill him once were done here?” Iris asked, and she meant every word she said. When she heard Athis refer to her as her nickname, she felt a prick of pride strike her heard. She was the black swan, beautiful, elegant and graceful... but also dangerous.

Iris one again felt eyes on her, but it wasn’t the small child this time, it was a man with dark hair, and a bit of a beard. It seemed like he had a run in with her, and wanted to get his revenge. But she didn’t get time to think about it for long because her train of thought went all over the place when Athis brought up the burning of the church.

“That place was no church, their was nothing holy about it. It was a slave house of orphans and bastard children like myself. I do not regret killing every single one of those nuns and sisters, and if given the opportunity,” Iris paused for a second, a Sinister grin forming on her face. “I’d do it again, and again, and again.”

 

[Soviet Panda]

Otrygg kneeled in silence, eyes locked forward, not even seeming to notice the other when she spoke. He did not care for her, she was no one to him. To him, the only thing they had in common was their bondage. And he had learned many times in the past to not grow close to people merely because they were in the same situation as yourself. He did take note of the hate that sparked in the other large man's eyes at the woman's name. If they were in deed to fight, might as well let him settle his grudge with her before his head parted from his shoulders.

Now standing shoulder to shoulder with the others, or near enough, he could clearly see the disparity between his height and some of the others. He truly was a giant among these Southlanders. He had been tall in the North as well, but this was quite frankly ridiculous. Why, he would bet that he could lift the smallest of their numbers with one arm, and easily wrap both his hands around her waist, let alone her neck. Height would be his advantage, and the fact that he was willing to take a few wounds in order to survive.

He almost missed the King's question when he asked it. Would he be willing to kill his his former kinsman? Why, of course he would. "I will. There are grudges to be settled with them." His accent was thick, almost making his words an unintelligible garble of noise. How this savage even knew their language was a mystery, but a boon none the less. It simply wouldn't do to have an Armsman that couldn't understand the orders they were given.

 

[Enkerzed]

Soviet Panda Nessi Shibbie Dovinique leonhardt231

"I will. There are grudges to be settled with them."

Athis's smile widened as he heard the Northman's reply. "Good, that's just what I like to hear. I will make sure that-"

“That place was no church, there was nothing holy about it," Iris interrupted, talking over Athis as he spoke.

Again, to Nils's surprise, the king showed no offence. Instead he only paused and listened as the Black Swan talked about her past, and his smile slowly vanished to be replaced by a look of... sympathy? Concern? For this monster? No excuse, Nils thought as he gritted his teeth, remembering looted wagons strewn about the roadside, surrounded by dead bodies of comrades, travellers, merchants... families. No good excuse at all.

With considerable effort, the former guardsman restrained himself from attacking the bandit right there and then as Athis replied to her, "I must confess, I did not know life in a church could be like that... oh well, back to the business at hand! And no, you may not kill Corbec. Much as he annoys me also and forgets I do not need a nanny anymore, it's thanks to him that you are all here right now. So there is much we owe him isn't there, Corbec?"

"Y-yes your grace," the palace guard stuttered nervously as Athis beamed a grin at him. "As you say."

"Oh I do say, my dear captain. Now, who else do we have here?"

As the king made his way over, Nils straightened his posture and kept his eyes firmly fixed ahead as though awaiting inspection at the barracks. A force of habit whenever in the presence of authority, but then he remembered that he wasn't a guardsman anymore and awkwardly lowered his gaze, still not quite sure how to conduct himself when the king stopped in front of him and said, "I gather this is the one recommended to us by that fool Oswen."

Nils stiffened upon hearing the name of the watch commander as Corbec replied, "Yes, your grace. Nils, from the road patrol."

"Hm, I can see why. He does look strong, but at the same time also... timid? I'm not sure I like that. Tell me, have you ever killed before?"

"Yes, your grace," Nils replied firmly, looking at the Black Swan as he continued, "Bandits mostly."

The king followed his gaze towards Iris then looked back at Nils with a thoroughly amused expression on his face. "Oh... oh, you do not like her at all, do you? She must have killed a lot of your friends. If I allowed it, you would attack her right now, wouldn't you?"

"Without hesitation. Your grace."

The king laughed out loud at this. "It seems you have some steel in you after all! Good, I like that. I like that a lot. Now, who else is there?"

Moving along, Athis opened his arms wide in a gesture of recognition as he approached the next candidate and Nils managed to tear his eyes away from the Black Swan as he heard the king say, "Ah, Snowtouched! I've hired your services a few times before in the past, you know. Well, I would hope not actually. Best to remain incognito when doing business in the city, you understand. Especially for one of my station, but in any case, I am very pleased with your work."

Clapping the mercenary on the shoulder, Athis continued his inspection of the candidates until he came to the white haired girl with dual daggers and the blonde haired swordsman, visibly slowing down as he approached the two. "Are these... are these two meant to be here?"

"Replacements, your grace," Corbec promptly replied. "Short notice."

"And their names?"

"... Uh. Forgive me, I do not know, your grace. It was very short notice."

Athis gave an exasperated sigh as he turned towards the two candidates. "Well, introduce yourselves then."

 

[Dovinique]

CHARACTER SHEET
LOCATION
Prince Athis' Castle
INTERACTION
Enkerzed
MENTION
Other Candidates​

Fully standing on her feet didn't give Yetoire significant differences, she was still the smallest one among other candidates. In silence, she carefully listening to each conversation the prince made, learning and absorbing every information she heard. Every candidate mentioned by the prince was a well-known figure, either because of their strength or crimes, leaving Yetoire and the other blonde fellow being unrecognized. Yetoire didn't mind, it's perfectly understandable, a thin feeble female with height no more than 5 feet would surely give out an aura of weakness. She might be affected by her concern before, but upon hearing the way that the prince asked for her profile, she was slightly provoked. No way she would let people belittle her, even Prince Athis himself.

"Yetoire Nysach, Your Grace," she cleared her parched throat, "I'm aware that you might be waiting for the giant mercenary with several years of fighting experiences as his background to be your unbeatable Armsmen. However, Your Grace, if a petite girl can take him down without a single scratch on her body, don't you think that size and experiences are no longer the matter?" A smile escaped her lips as Yetoire finished her question.

While straightening her body, she continued to introduce herself, "I probably don't have fancy nickname for people to remember. Yet, being unknown served its purpose. In the upcoming battles, pretty sure you won't only need muscles to slaughter your enemies. There will also be..." she paused, her lips curled foxily, "...enemies you want to removed secretly, am I right? I assume you will also need someone to do the dirty works behind the curtains and I gotta say, Your Grace, warriors like them..." her golden eyes flashed to other candidates before going back to the prince, "...aren't very fitting for that job, are they?"

Yetoire was fully known that her sentences might end up offending the prince or at least his terribly protective guards. Nevertheless, Yetoire felt she needed to state her capabilities before Prince Athis thought to get rid of her due to her size.

 

[leonhardt231]

Strange, he was a sudden addition but he did not think that it would be so quick that his name wouldn't be known. No matter, his skills should prove good enough to be recognized. It seems the small woman was in the same boat as he was and that he was right about his assumptions. He looked up to meet the prince's eyes and spoke clearly "Lionel your grace, I beat your men then held a sword to your their necks just for the honor of being here and serving you. And if you would have I am sure that you will be more than happy with what I can do. Whether it be fighting your wars or killing your rivals, I will gladly slaughter them all and their loved ones, if it means being an armsmen"

 

[Shibbie]

Enkerzed

Bryggir listened on as the black haired lady attempt to justify her actions against a church, vaguely recognizing her name as the Black Swan. He wasn't sure if he had every done business in her part of town. He wasn't surprised of the speculation of a church being used to slave orphans, he had heard of many such programs in the lower reaches of Yorta. He tried his hardest to listen to what the mammoth of a man said after Athis spoke, but he couldn't make sense of them from even the insignificant distance between them.

One by one Athis approached each of the candidates, stopping once more to the former road patrolman next to him before approaching Bryggir with arms wide. He was a bit thrown off by the kings confessions of hiring his service, but not surprised. Bryggir had certainly had his fair share of higher profile targets given from unsuspecting serfs that certainly couldn't afford his work. He also cursed in his mind slightly, wondering if the kings admission of previous acquaintance would paint a target on his back to the other candidates. " I can assure you that any work that reached me stayed anonymous, your Grace" Bryggir assured the king. "In any case, I look forward to offering my continued services and the chance to prove just how capable to you I am," A sheepish grin with a slight bloodlust stretched across his face as Athis clapped his shoulder.

Once more, the king moved on to the next armsmen. Not to much Bryggir's surprise, the smaller girl boasted herself as an assassin of sorts for taking the place of the original candidate, or at least using some sort of trickery. Followed by the blonde fellow, who talked up his own skills as Bryggir's eyes once again started drifting throughout the throne room. He was excited, and stunned by the group he was in. It seemed like it was going to be fun, at the very least.

 

[Enkerzed]

Soviet Panda Nessi Shibbie Dovinique leonhardt231

"... However, Your Grace, if a petite girl can take him down without a single scratch on her body, don't you think that size and experiences are no longer the matter?"

Athis raised an eyebrow as he said, "Who's she talking about, Corbec?"

"A mercenary by the name of Wallace, your grace," the captain replied. "Otherwise known as Mad-"

"Mad Dog Wallace! Yes, I remember now... shame, I was looking forward to that one."

When Yetoire continued introducing herself, Nils was surprised to hear her speaking so boldly. It seemed at odds with her fragile appearance, but the king apparently did not mind as his look of disappointment changed back to his increasingly familiar smile... Like a child presented with a new toy to play with. Nils shivered at the thought as Athis spoke, "You have a point, Yetoire. I think you may have some potential after all."

Then turning to the blonde haired swordsman. "And what of you?"

When Lionel made his introduction, Nils could only wonder what would make these two candidates so desperate to be here today. Unlike every other candidate so far, they had a choice and though they could have gone on to do anything else, they chose this. Chose to become Armsmen. Why? Nils shrugged as he decided it was not for him to know, but still it made him wonder what he would have done if given the choice.

No, I already decided, he thought as he watched the king nodding with approval at Lionel's words. Watched Bryggir looking around like some gleeful idiot, the Northman standing in stoic silence and the Black Swan, smiling cruelly. Wagons and bodies... anything was better than that.

"Well I don't know about you, Corbec," Athis said as he returned to the throne. "But I sense great potential in each and every one of them. I've decided I will make them all my Armsmen, here and now."

Nils let out a sigh of mixed relief and regret. Relief at not having to be forced to fight and regret at not being given the chance to take the Black Swan's head, but then he noticed the look of stunned silence on the guard captain's face and wondered why all the candidates had to be armed.

"Your grace, I must protest!" Corbec finally exclaimed when he could pick his jaw off from the floor. "The amount of blood you would need to-"

"Do not make me REPEAT MYSELF!"

Nils flinched as the king roared. Not only from the violent shift in tone from his previously cheerful manner, but also from the flames that erupted out of his mouth at the end of his shout. Is this the Hero's magic? Nils wondered in astonishment as he watched the flames curl up into the air. It was just like the stories.

When the king eventually calmed and composed himself, he was once more the picture of pleasantness as he continued, "My apologies for that. I hope I didn't startle any of you. Now, who would like to be first to receive my blessing?"

Nils looked around wondering who would be first to step up.

 

[Nessi]

Iris Leona
Mentions: @ everyone
---

Iris could feel the eyes of the guardsmen on her as he spoke to the king. Apparently, he was from the road patrol, which explained a lot of the hostility. She looked at Nils when he said that he killed mostly bandits. "Trust me guardsmen, the fact that your standing here with your head on your shoulders tells me that you've never had a run-in with me or my companions. And if you want to stay alive, you'll make sure to not cross me." She growled.

Once she had said her piece to Nils, Iris payed attention too the replacements that were brought in apparently. The small child, known as Yetoire, seemed to be an excellent assassin, just as Iris had expected. She mentally cursed herself for not finding the kid before this whole fiasco happened, she would have felt right at home with the other thieves, assassins, disgraced warriors, if you were an outcast, Iris would find use for you. The other, a blonde man with a slender build, seemed to be very comfortable with a sword.

"Well I don't know about you, Corbec," Athis said as he returned to the throne. "But I sense great potential in each and every one of them. I've decided I will make them all my Armsmen, here and now."

Iris was slightly disappointed when she heard this, she was looking forward to fighting Nils, but it would be better for her to not reveal what she was capable of just yet. Iris was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard Corbec speak once again. Iris was about to open her mouth to say something, but was immedatly shut up when she saw Athis spew flames from his mouth. This is it, the Hero's magic, the ability to summon flames Iris thought to herself. She felt no fear, in fact, she felt a strong want for it, a thirst for power like that.

"My apologies for that. I hope I didn't startle any of you. Now, who would like to be first to receive my blessing?" The King said. Iris looked around, it seemed like no one was going to step up, which was perfect for Iris. "Your Majesty," Iris started, walking towards the kings throne, "My spear is yours, please, give me your blessing." She said, kneeling a few feet away from him. She hated every moment of it, but understood that she had no other option but to submit.

 

[Enkerzed]

Nessi

"My spear is yours, please, give me your blessing."

"Of course," Nils muttered through gritted teeth, immediately regretting not taking the initiative as he glowered at the Black Swan's back. Seething over what she had said about not crossing her, Nils gripped the hilt of his sword so tightly that his knuckles showed white and for a moment, he considered striking her down now while he still had the chance, but then the king began to speak.

"And so you shall have it," he said, smiling once more. "Come, approach me with your hands cupped together, like so."

Athis demonstrated the gesture with one hand cradling the other without a gap to be seen between palms and fingers. Nils was not sure what to expect, but he had a sickening feeling that he was not going to like what the king was going to make all the candidates do, especially after Corbec mentioning the involvement of blood. Once again aware of the weapon in his hand, Nils resisted the urge to use it on the Black Swan's neck and asked what he had wanted to ask since entering the throne room, "Your grace, if I may. Why do we all need to be armed if there's no final test to overcome?"

"Ah yes, about that," the king replied. "Your services will be required immediately. That will be your test, but first you must all receive my blessing. Come Iris, let's not keep the others waiting."

 

[leonhardt231]

"By your will, your grace" Lionel will imitate King Athis' and cup his hands together. He has an inkling of what he may have to do, and while not pleasant will be worth it. The deeds of armsmen were well known for good reason.

 

[Dovinique]

CHARACTER SHEET
INTERACTION Enkerzed
MENTION Nessi leonhardt231 ​

Yetoire smiled briefly when The Prince finally acknowledged her, bowed her head a little before he moved on to the next candidate. She wouldn't be too cocky by confidently believe she would be accepted right away even though she did her best to convince Prince Athis. Such rumors were heard that Prince Athis was quite picky, yet he accepted all the candidates as Armsmen. This, of course, caused Corbec to complain just like what he had been doing from the start. She started to get annoyed by his nagging and would gladly put him in silence for good. But then, Prince Athis already did the favor. His voice swiftly changed as he snapped at Corbec, it was fierce as the growl of a beast of prey. Despite how his demeanor changed, her attention absorbed more by the flame coming out from his mouth, just like a dragon's anger.

"My apologies for that. I hope I didn't startle any of you. Now, who would like to be first to receive my blessing?" the prince asked, but for Yetoire it was more like an order. The tattooed woman boldly came forward, supposedly hungry for his power, but who wouldn't? Final test or whatever, Yetoire no longer care. What she knew now was her life would change entirely right after the moment she received his power.

After Iris and Lionel were done with the procedure. Yetoire offered herself as the next one, cupped her hands as she waited for the prince, "Your wish is my forever command, Your Grace."

 

[Nessi]

Iris Leona
Mentions: Enkerzed
---

Iris did as she was told, cupping her hands just like the king had told her to. She then realized what was most likely going to happen. Judging from how Corbec has reacted to the king saying that he was going to make all of them his armsmen. She was most likely going to have to drink the kings blood.
”I’m ready, my king.” She said. Iris had consumed many strange things during her travels around the country, but she had never drank blood, and she assumed no one would willingly do that. And yet here she was, getting ready to consume a considerable amount of it.

 

[Enkerzed]

Nessi leonhardt231 Dovinique Shibbie Soviet Panda

​

"I'm ready, my king."

"Oh... no you're not," Athis replied, chuckling darkly as he drew a wickedly curved knife from his belt. "But very soon you will be."

Without so much as a wince, the king sliced through the palm of his hand so deeply that it showed bone white before turning crimson and overflowing like too much wine being poured into a cup. Not letting a single drop go to waste, Athis held his hand over Iris's and squeezed until her palms were full to the brim with blood. Then with a magician's panache, he wiped his hand clean on the back of the other and held up his palm for all to see the wound healing in a matter of seconds.

"Would you look at that?" he said with mock wonder as the cut simply vanished without a trace. "Interesting isn't it? The Hero's magic protects me, even from myself. And this power can be yours too, there is just one thing you need to do. Drink."

Nils watched with mixed horror and amazement as one by one, the candidates climbed up the steps of the dais and came back down with blood on their mouths and hands. First after Iris was Lionel, then Yetoire and then the others. It was as though they were all taking part of some unholy ritual like the blood sacrifices from ancient times or the pagan North where such practices were still held. Nils had already guessed what might happen, but to see it before his very eyes was another matter altogether. Was this truly how an Armsman was made? The stories never mentioned anything about this.

When it was finally his turn, Nils tried to swallow the lump of revulsion he felt in his throat as he climbed the steps of the dais and cupped his hands together in front of the king.

"Nils, was it?" Athis said as held his hand over the former guardsman's.

Trying to ignore the unsettling warmness of blood spilling onto his palms, Nils looked up and was surprised to see the king's face as pale a ghost.

"Oh, don't look so shocked. The magic might be good for mending flesh, but I still only have as much blood as everyone else. Now drink."

"Yes, your grace," Nils replied as he looked down at the pool of blood cupped in his hands, hesitating for a moment before bringing it up to his mouth.

The moment it touched his lips, he fought the urge to gag and forced himself to drink until there were only stains left on his hands. It of course tasted like blood, no different from his own after a particularly fierce sparring session at the training grounds, but there was something more. A heady warmth spreading throughout his body like after a strong drink, yet instead of dulling his senses it only made them sharper. More focused. Then all of a sudden, Nils felt a surge of adrenaline kicking his heart into his mouth, making it beat faster and faster until it might burst, and in that moment it was as though he had been ripped from his body as he was no longer in the throne room, but was instead facing down the maw of a dragon.

Clash and crash and slash and dash!

Upon the heart a mortal gash.

Then falls a dragon, tyrant of old

And stands a hero, mighty and bold.
​

In reality, the entire experience only lasted a second or two, but to Nils it felt as though he was the Hero himself. Fighting ferociously against a dragon as sung in the legends. The moment he felt his sword thrust through the heart of the ancient beast was the moment he found himself standing in the throne room again, dazed and confused before realizing where he was. With a wry smile, Athis waved his hand at him and said, "Had a nice trip? You may go now."

As Nils rejoined the others, the king stood up from his throne, swaying slightly and leaning on the throne's armrest for support.

"Your grace," Corbec said as he started forward, but Athis held up his hand in a halting gesture and straightened himself as he addressed the candidates.

"From this day forth, you are Armsmen and this will be your first command. Kill whoever comes through that door."

"What?" Nils had time to say before a loud boom sounded in the distance. He had no idea what was happening and more questions were piling up in his mind with each passing minute, but nonetheless he turned to face the door with his sword held at the ready and he looked from side to side to see who was standing with him.

 

[Soviet Panda]

Otrygg stood in silence as the others in the group mewled about him. They all had their petty squabbles and insignificant reasons to be here, one wanted to kill the other because she took what she wanted, another was here because she had killed the last, and the last one hadn't killed anyone or took anything and was simply picked to be there. Well, if he were the self reflective sort, he was no better than them in that he had killed many people, taken many things, and was chosen to be here.

As Athis cut his hand, letting his blood flow and telling them to drink, he was reminded of some of the shamanistic rituals to become a totemic warrior. He himself had chosen the bear, him single handily hunting and slaughtering the beast before dragging it's carcass whole to the village to have it ritualistically bled dry and skinned. For all the noise some of these Southerners made about being so much more 'civilized' than him, at it's very core they were just as barbaric.

His large, cupped hands brimming with blood, he drank deeply. Suddenly, he was a proud warrior fighting a scaled monstrosity, the fires of the beast feeling like a summer breeze, the rending claws bouncing off his armor and his torn flesh and broken bones mending themselves almost instantly. And as soon as the vision was upon him, it left. Now with his hands and mouth, as well as his beard, stained red with blood he stood there, awaiting his first order.

He did not have to wait long, and the King let slip his hounds. The boom from behind him caused him to turn. And the inevitability of the enemy breaching the door caused him to charge. The doors would open and reveal to him his enemies, there was no doubt in his mind about it. He did not allow the thought of the doors not opening and him bouncing off them, looking like a fool as he did so.

 

[Dovinique]

CHARACTER SHEET
INTERACTION Everyone
MENTION None​

Seeing others drinking the blood seems easy, but not when she had to undergo the process. Though Yetoire had consumed various kind of things for survival, blood was a new sensation to her tongue. It was fishy, it was warm, it was undescribable disgusting. Each second taken to swallow the red liquid was hard to endure. After she finished it, Yetoire could feel her senses changing, shifting into somewhat sharper than it used to be. It was overwhelming, like everything shoved to her forcefully. Not long after that, Yetoire felt her body taken somewhere else. Instead of standing in the same room, she was now facing the mighty dragon, the one whose heart pierced by her kind. The history played out right in front of her eyes, the chanting, the voices, the blood, the roar, everything was as real as it got.

Yetoire came back to reality with shock lingering in her eyes. Her heart was beating like a war-drum, loud but pitched. She then bowed one more time before going back to her spot. After everyone was finished with the ritual, a big boom was heard right after Prince Athis' command. The small girl quickly observed her surrounding, taking every detail she could see. Her brain started to calculate the situation. It seemed that the castle was attacked by whoever it was and their current position was not giving them the advantages. They would be surrounded soon enough and if they fought barbarically, they would eventually drain their stamina.

"We should set an ambush," she said, breaking the silence surrounding them, "I know that we already have The Prince's power yet we will still tire ourselves if they keep coming continuously. There are pillars for us to hide, giving them ideas that no one here, make them slightly lowering their guard then... boom! Too bad, turns out there are 5 Armsmen hungry for their blood here."

While playing with her daggers, she pointed to the chandeliers, "I'll stay up there then strike them after you guys came out from the pillars. I'll take anyone who seems targeting you guys from behind. I'm not good at fighting one on one, so I'll keep myself at the distance as much as possible. When I see someone doing tricky move on you, I'll slit their throat in no time. In short, I'll watch your back while you guys do your war."

 

[Nessi]

Iris Leona
Mentions: Everyone
interactions: Enkerzed Dovinique
---

Iris was tempted to open her hands and allow the blood to drop to the floor. It felt just like regular blood, warm and sticky. Iris would be fine with it if she didn't have to drink it, just the mere thought of consuming the stuff made her want to gag. But she mustered up her courage and started drinking the blood. As soon as it hit her tongue she wanted to spit it out, but forced herself to swallow the little amount that she put into her mouth. She then downed the rest of the blood, resisting the urge to gag, and making sure every drop was down. All of a sudden, Iris was staring down at a mighty dragon, the ones told in stories. She watched as everything unfolded in front of her before returning back to reality.

"What did I...just witness..." Iris muttered to herself. From the looks of it, her fellow armsmen had experienced the same vision that she had. Iris felt a new surge of power that she never felt before. She felt like she could lift a mountain, and kill a 100 men with this new found strength. She was eager to test out this new strength, giving her spear a few test swings.

"From this day forth, you are Armsmen and this will be your first command. Kill whoever comes through that door."

At first, Iris was confused, but then she heard a loud boom in the distance. Iris propped her spear on her shoulder, and smiled. “This will be interesting, I’m excited to try out this new found strength~” Iris said. She then turned her attention to Yetoire, who pitched a plan to them that involved her stabbing their enemies in the back as they faced them head on. Iris walked closer to Yetoire, “You sure your not apart of my organization?” She joked, resisting the urge to give the girl some headpats. “I think it’s a splendid plan, I’ll get into place now” Iris said before making her way towards a pillar to hide behind.

 

[leonhardt231]

He gulped the blood down in one gulp, and prepared himself for the taste. It tasted like Iron just like any other but as the blood reached his stomach he felt an intense pain. A heat started to grow in his stomach and stretched to every part of his body. It was as if his blood was on fire and that he would melt at any second. Only for it to stop instantly the next moment. He wiped his mouth and thanked the King. Listening to the girls plan, it sounded like a good one and he no other one's in mind. "Good enough for me." Lionel moves behind a pillar drawing his sword in preparation for whats to come.

 

[Enkerzed]

Soviet Panda Dovinique Nessi leonhardt231

As Otrygg went charging towards the door, Athis called out, "Hold, Northman! I admire your enthusiasm, but we still have some time to prepare. Let's... let's ready ourselves first."

Then after that, the king collapsed onto his throne again, drained from the effort of standing.

"Your grace," Corbec replied as he rushed halfway up the steps of the dais, his face a picture of concern. "You've lost too much blood."

"I'll be fine, Corbec," Athis replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I have Armsmen to protect me now, so your services are no longer required."

"But... but your grace, I-"

"Leave. Consider that your final order."

For a few long seconds, the captain of the palace guard stood in stunned silence before finally acquiescing with a bow and leaving through the door he had led the candidates through only moments before. Nils felt sympathy for the man. He had seen it happen many times before, out with the old and in with the new, but even that felt rather cold and brusquely done. A quiet settled until Yetoire said, "We should set an ambush."

"Oh, what do you have in mind?" Athis asked as he rested his chin upon his knuckles, smiling contentedly despite his pale appearance.

When Yetoire finished laying out her plan, the king's smile grew into a full faced grin as he replied with a clap of his hands, "An excellent idea! I'd thank you to remember I'm not a prince anymore, but what an excellent idea! I shall be the bait then."

With a wave of his hands, Athis extinguished the candles on every chandelier hanging from the ceiling except for the one directly above the throne.

"Well what are you all waiting for then? Go hide yourselves."

"We have to fight like bandits?" Nils complained as he hid behind a pillar, next to Lionel and far away from the Black Swan. "Just who are we fighting anyway?"

Overhearing his words, the king replied, "Oh yes, I should probably have mentioned. You'll be fighting my dear sister, Sofia, and the Armsmen of King Hadain, my uncle."

What have I gotten myself into? Nils thought as he tried to swallow his nerves.

"Just out of curiosity," Athis continued. "Have any of you fought against a knight before?"