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In this world, is the destiny of mankind controlled by some transcendental entity or law? Is it like the hand of God hovering above? At least, it is true that man has no control, even over his own will.

Alas, they are certainly welcome to try and struggle to deviate from the laws of causality. Such is the case for a human mortal by the name of Vlad. A young male who would find himself at the crux of a story that would eclipse his mere mortal soul.

[...]

Being raised in Midland comes with several pros and cons: As the central part of the continent, it's made out to be a place where of order, peace and opportunities thanks to being a monarchy under the influence of the Holy See. Although in actuality, you know only a select few can indulge in the luxury of living in peace without struggling for money or dedicating their lives to protect the kingdom from it's Hundred Year War against the empire of Tudor.

Still, it's a place where people of several different backgrounds can come and go, and one would be hard pressed to find two people with the exact same stories to tell.

How would you describe your background as a resident of midland?

>[Noble] You were spoiled by the riches of aristocratic life, indulging in your family name's power to get by.
>[Commoner] Both your parents raised you as a farmer and as their only son, you've dealt with your responsibilities and took care of the family's business. A peaceful, if uneventful life.
>[Immigrant] Despite your father being a war prisioner, the kingdom took pity on your pregnant mother and allowed you both to live a miserable life at the slums. You have come to know the worst of Midland at the cost of the growing hatred for the nobles.
>[Astral] You were born an orphan with no knowledge of your parents, but with a strong afinity to spirits out of this physical plane. You are never alone but you're still not sure if the entities are friend or foe.
>>
>>5097216
>[Immigrant] Despite your father being a war prisioner, the kingdom took pity on your pregnant mother and allowed you both to live a miserable life at the slums. You have come to know the worst of Midland at the cost of the growing hatred for the nobles.
>>
>>5097216
>[Noble Astral] You were born a orphan, the last scion of your linage, with a strong afinity to spirits out of this physical plane. You are never alone but you're still not sure if the entities are friend or foe. This led to you focusing on worldly pleasures to get away from the madness, turning spoiled by the riches of aristocratic life, indulging in your family name's power to get by.
>>
>>5097216
>[Astral] You were born an orphan with no knowledge of your parents, but with a strong afinity to spirits out of this physical plane. You are never alone but you're still not sure if the entities are friend or foe.
Sounds neat
>>
>>5097216
>>[Noble] You were spoiled by the riches of aristocratic life, indulging in your family name's power to get by.
>>
>>5097220
>>5097224
>>5097228
>>5097230
I'll try and write a mix of Noble and Astral. This should be interesting.
>>
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Vlad Santana, or so would the nobles call you. Being the adopted son of the Santana family, your foster mother found you one day at an evening stroll towards the estate's chapel, praying for her infertility to be cured or else her soon to be husband would likely lose interest in her.

Like a true miracle, you've brought joy to the family's life and was raised by a Holy See member and a merchant's daughter. However, the preachings of God and it's faith never really went well with you, as the teachings of the holy scriptures went actively against some visions you've had.

Truth is, ever since you were young you felt as if you were able to see things differently than the average person. It was normal to see spirits or something akin to dust particles permeating around natural areas, as such, places like graveyards, churches and war sites have plagued your mind with horrid screams disturbing voices and arcane chants.

Knowing how your family would react to such claims, you always tried to keep it to yourself with those regards, be it drinking with the nobles, socializing as much as possible or playing around with substances to keep your mind away from the spiritual presences to unyielding results. Tried as you might, you always felt like there was someone, something, watching you. And not knowing wether that entity was friend or foe is something that kept you awake at night, as well as not having the liberty to express your thought without being treated like a madman or a heretic, knowing that would be a death sentence to you and your foster family.

On your 19th birthday, you were struck with the awful news of your parents going missing after being seen getting chased by enemy troops, and the thought kept eating away at you for an excedingly long time, and as your anxiety grew, so did your visions and hallucinations, you were stuck in your room and afraid of strangers for days, weeks, perhaps months, never setting foot outside the estate until a certain day came to change your life around.

"Young Master?" A familiar female voice knocks on your door. "A knight is waiting for you downstairs! He says he's from the band of the falcon."
You slowly approach the door before stopping at your mirror to check if the decline on your health has affected your constitution.

>I havent been eating well... [Scrawny]
>About as well as I could imagine [Average]
>Could use a few more medications [Addict]
>Damn, I should stop eating so much... [Out of shape]
>I feel like doing some push ups. [Muscular]
>>
>>5097273
>I feel like doing some push ups. [Muscular]
>>
>>5097273
>Could use a few more medications
>>
>>5097273
>I feel like doing some push ups. [Muscular]

Gymbro.
>>
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>>5097289
>>5097291
>>5097295
Locking on muscular then, gonna go to bed so dont be afraid of me dropping the quest, I was just dumb enough to start late at night. Merry Christmas
>>
>>5097273
>>Could use a few more medications [Addict]
>>
>>5097273
>I feel like doing some pushups.
>>
>>5097273
>I feel like doing some push ups. [Muscular]
Shredded mage quest inbound
>>
>>5097300
>I feel like doing some push ups. [Muscular]
Muscle wizard!
>>
>>5097273
>>I feel like doing some push ups. [Muscular]

Your fortune: Happy Festivus!
>>
>>5097273
>I feel like doing some push ups. [Muscular]
I cast FIST
>>
>>5097273
>I feel like doing some push ups. [Muscular]
stronk.
>>
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>>5097289
>>5097295
>>5097356
>>5097400
>>5097402
>>5097410
>>5097416
>>5097532
Despite the bad news,you've felt like keeping your body busy. Since you were growing weary of the spirits circling around your home, if push came to shove, you felt like you should at least be able to defend yourself, provided you can even punch an esper. Instead of getting addicted to food or alcohol, you went with the healthier approach of endorphins and spent most of your free time working out in your room. And despite not being sure if that would do well against a demonic foe, you were considerably bulkier than the average noble. Maybe a few push ups would do well.

"Band Of The Falcon?" You marched towards your door to respond to your maid. "What do they want?"
The group of mercenaries had been slowly turning the tides of the war in Midland's favor and gaining the king's trust. You've managed to overhear some news of the Band planning to retake the old castle of Doldrey back into our territory in what seemed to be the final battle against Tudor. Being a small army, they probably need all the help they can find, even if the nobles arent known for their battle prowess.

With your consent, the Maid opened the door and dressed you in your finest clothing, being the sole representer of the estate for now, you had to keep a good impression of the family. Even if your parent's disappearance made you acknowledge future responsibilities.

Going down the stairs you catch a glimpse of a tall, thin brown eyed man picking his nose across the hall, which upon being caught in the act, briskly brushed his hands at his armor and removed his helm.

"Finally, a richie that has some muscle on him. This guy looks like he can take a punch or two..." He muttered under his breath while observing your physique. "Morning, the name's Corkus." He catches himself thinking out loud and tries to fix his attitude with a sly grin.

>Nice to meet you, Corkus.
>[Shake his hand]
>What do you want with me?
>Bow!
>>
>>5097543
>What do you want with me?
>>
>>5097543
>[Shake his hand]
>What do you want with me?
>>
>>5097543
>[Shake his hand]
>What do you want with me?
>>
>>5097543
>Nice to meet you, Corkus.
>[Shake his hand]
>>
>>5097546
>>5097547
>>5097550
>>5097554
The man seems to be friendly enough, if a bit uneducated. No point in trying to look formal in front of him then. You extend your hand to Corkus, making him chuckle as he shakes your hand with his left. What hand did he use to pick his nose again? The right one? Hopefully it was the right one...

"What do you want with me, Corkus?" You cut straight to the point.
"Well, as you can see. I'm with the Band Of The Falcon." He proudly points to a golden emblem in his armor. "Our boss Griffith has been trying to recruit a few more men to help out on the fight at Doldrey's border a few days from now. Not a whole lot of luck so far, most of these snobs are too scared of losing their fortunes in battle. Pansies..."

Clearly he has some sort of disdain for nobles, but he seems to be holding it in for now.
"Anyway, the king told us to scout for recruits at a few places and your place was one of those spots. What do you say?"

Given the good reputation of the Band Of The Falcon with the royal family and what they've done to Midland, you would probably be in good terms with other nobles by joining the army and making a name for yourself instead of riding off your family name when their fate is unknown. Plus, despite being a bit rude, Corkus doesnt seem to be lying.

A fight to the death against a giant army of armored men though... You'd be lucky to even come out alive since you have no prior battle experience, let alone do something to be noticed among that giant crowd.

Some more info would probably be nice.

>Could you tell me more about your group?
>What's the situation at Doldrey's castle?
>Do you know if Tudor has any prisioners in the castle?
>Write-in
>>
>>5097564
>What's the situation at Doldrey's castle?
>>
>>5097564
>Could you tell me more about your group?
>What's the situation at Doldrey's castle?
>Do you know if Tudor has any prisioners in the castle?
>>
>>5097564
>>What's the situation at Doldrey's castle?
>>
>>5097573
This

>>5097564
>Write-in
What form of nobility are we? On one hand, it would infact look good for us. On the other, we're the sole representing noble of our house hold if I understand correctly. If we died, that would be the last of our parents lineage. Do we have regent, a trusted member to watch over the estate while we are gone? Do we even have any formal combat let alone fencing training? Boxing? Greek wrestling?
>>
How much of an aneurism do you think Vlad will have once he sees the behelit?
>>
>>5097585
Vlad's been trained in fencing so he knows how to use a sword, even if his performance is a bit mediocre. Your father has close enough ties with the royal family and the Holy See to look over the place without much worry, though you dont know any of them personally.

The battle's happening pretty soon so it should be fine to leave the place for a couple days provided you only stay in the band for the short term.
>>5097590
Oh this should be fun.
>>
all three have my vote. Vlad will have once he sees the behelit? smash it with a hammer
>>
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>>5097570
>>5097573
>>5097582
"Could you tell me more about your group? I never really heard at length about the Band Of The Falcon."
"Really? What kind of rock you've been living under? We've been fighting the good fight for more than a couple years now!" Corkus scoffs at your ignorance. "We started as a small group of bandits, but with our leader Griffith, we got as big as a private army thanks to his leadership. Not everybody there is as strong as me, of course. but we've got a few strong hitters there to carry the team. "

You're not that sure about that last part, but you'll let it slide for now.
"What about the situation at Doldrey's castle? Do you think you'll be able to win?"
"We better win, we've been pushing those Tudor freaks away ever since we've laid eyes on them. That border they're in was supposed to be the Kingdom's fortress against intruders on the mountainside, but now they've taken it for themselves and are using it as a military base for their strongest knights! With that and them having an army of 30.000 men against our 5.000, we'll need as much help as we can get."

Hearing the numbers out loud sends a jolt down your spine. 30.000 vs 5.000 men? That's suicide! Has the king gone mad? How are they supposed to win when a single man has to take care of at least 6 enemies to balance things out?
"Dont start biting your nails now." Corkus notices your fearful expression. "Even if it was down to 5 of us, I'd still go down fighting the good fight with Lord Griffith! We wouldnt be here today if we didnt trust his decisions, so no doubts that we'll be taking those idiots away from here!"

Such an unwavering loyalty too, what kind of a strategy can you even plan with field and number disadvantages?
"Do you know if they keep any prisioners in Tudor?" You ask without giving much detail, not wanting to share your family's disappearance to a footsoldier.
"Dunno, probably. Heard there's a noble there named Gennon that takes a liking to kids, but they take care of prisioners about as well as you expect. If it's a women, they'll have their way with them, if it's a man, they'll be war slaves. If they're rich, they'll torture them for ramson, if they're soldiers, they might be lucky enough to be recruited, but it's usually a quick beheading for them."

Seems like the only way to know if your parents are there or not is to go there yourself. Damn it, you can only hope that they're still alive and well. but the situation really doesnt look good.

"Well, that's all the info you're getting. So, are you in or not?"

>I'm in.
>Sorry, this is a bit too much for me.
>>
>>5097603
>I'm in
>>
>>5097603
>I'm in.
How many soldiers can we raise ?
>>
"I'm in." You proudly raise your head and agree to fight for your land.
"That's more like it. I'll give you a few minutes to say goodbye to your folks in there." Corkus stares at the two store building from the front yard. "Seems like it might take a while though. I'll be waiting outside. No need to worry about horses or armor, we'll hand those out to you when you get there. But if you got a weapon of choice, bring it with you." He waves away at you while making his way back towards the entrance.

Giving the news towards the head maid Giselle, she could hardly believe your decision.
"Young Master, are you sure you want to leave us? Joining a fight against the army of Doldrey could be deadly!"
"The fight's only going to last a day anyway, I just need to make sure you take care of the place for a week at most."
"That's not the issue here! Have you ever even drawn a sword before? You're going to fight expert mercenaries. If you wanted to help the Band for the sake of the kingdom, you could have offered our bodyguards"
"With how peaceful things are here? I doubt our bodyguards fight any more often than I do. Father has a small armoury in his room, right? Can I check the weapons he had there?" You walk around the corridor, thinking of the few times he offered you fencing lessons for self defense. You've never really held a sword to kill, but the military order of the Holy See had some serious fights when escorting clergy and your father always made sure to train in case of emergencies. Though you're not sure how he compared to a seasoned war veteran...

"This... This is too sudden! What made you want to join the Falcons in the first place?"

>My life here is too boring.
>I need to make a name for myself.
>I want to test my abilities.
>I could find my parents inside their castle.
>>
>>5097627
>I could find my parents inside their castle.
Boring is good.
Boring doesn't get you and your friends massacred by beings beyond your comprehension.
>>
>>5097627
>I could find my parents inside their castle.
>>
>>5097627
>I could find my parents inside their castle.
>>
>>5097627
>I could find my parents inside their castle.
>>
>>5097627
Do we know how to use a sword and shield at once? A heavy crossbow? Can we grip a sword by its blades end so we can Pick people in the head with the bommel and guard part?
https://youtu.be/2bdMfaymGlk
>>
>>5097627
>I could find my parents inside their castle.
I like the idea of our protag being down-to-earth and pragmatic despite his visions.
>>
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>>5097643
Dad taught you the basics with a rapier but not much else, however Vlad did like to see him practicing with different weapons as a young boy so he at least knows how to weild them by seeing his father dueling. The Santanas more than one type of weapon in their arsenal thanks to hiring the occasional extra guards so I'll give some room for improv when you get to choose a weapon.
>>
>>5097650
Swords are gay. Sometimes.
Give em a fistin.
https://youtu.be/tq0_ieIz1qg
>>
>>5097650
Could we train Vlad's clairvoyance so that he can see his adversary's future moves, Sanguinius style?
>>
>>5097627
>I need to make a name for myself.

I think this would also play a factor into this, but I agree with the sentiment that it's mainly for our parents
>>
>>5097629
>>5097633
>>5097638
>>5097641
>>5097646
"My parents, Giselle..." You stood firmly against the middle aged maid blocking the door. "The soldier said they keep prisioners inside the Doldrey castle. What if my parents are there?"
You've spent what felt like an eternity inside your room from the very thought of them being taken away. And you've felt like the biggest dead weight when you've realized you've spent most of your teenage years playing around on parties instead of making something out of yourself. You know you owe a lot to your parents and the mere thought of seeing them safe again motivated you to get out of your bed, and you cant let them down knowing that they could still be alive.

Giselle understood this well, seeing as she has been serving the house for as long as you were alive and knew how grateful you were to them despite the secrets you've kept, however she still wasnt sure on how to feel on the situation.
"Do you really think that Master Jacopo and Mistress Michelle would be there?"
"What other lead do I have? Even if they're dead. I just want to know what happened to them." Your voice cracks, being aware of the consequences if you failed, but still wanting closure nontheless.
"I'm not sure if that's something your parents would want you to do, but seeing the look in your eyes tells me I cant really change your mind, can I?" Giselle weeps.
"Don't worry, I'll come back in one piece, I promise. Havent been training day and night to lose to a random footsoldier."
The worker begrudginly opens the door to the patriarch's room. Inside, a large king sized bed and an extensive book collection invited your eyes to a cozy, but empty bedroom.

Next to the window stood a wide closet that displayed a few different weapons. What would be your weapon of choice?

>A thin rapier
>A curvy cutlass
>A large great axe
>A pointy spear
>A trusty bow and arrow
>An engraved wooden staff
>>
>>5097662
>A large great axe
Thad axemage inbound
>>
>>5097662
>A pointy spear
Spears are underrated.
>>
>>5097662
>a pair of ornate gauntlets and fore-guards
Reposting because of slight grammar error
>>
>>5097662
>A curvy cutlass
>An engraved wooden staff
>>
>>5097662
>A large great axe
>>
pointy spear give me the stabbing stick
>>
>>5097662
>A pointy spear
This is the most amateur-friendly weapon, just point and stab. Some of our rapier skills might even transfer.
>>
>>5097662
>>A pointy spear
can we get a short sword as a second weapon or a dagger ?
>>
>>5097662
>a curvy cutlass
We have some skills with swords so it'd be useful in the long run
>>
>>5097662
>A pointy spear

Our character is an inversion of his origin. Despite being a noble, he will wield a peasant's weapon, a spear. Despite being from the Astral, he is human.

Also, spears are just cool as hell to master.
>>
>>5097715
I prefer punching things, but you have me there. Spears are pretty good weapons if you're not against a seven foot tall muscle goliath. The shaft can be used for blocking, it's a ranged melee weapon you can use for stabbing.
Actually wouldnt a halberd in theory be better than a spear? You can stab and chop with it.
>>
>>5097726
Halberd would be a bit heavier though, so no crazy technique with that I think. But it would allow us to use our muscular build to chop enemies up.
>>
>>5097662
>Pole hammer

Spears are cool but I just dnon't feel like it
>>
>>5097731
If we over shoot the swing of a halberd and only hit them with the shaft, we could pull them in close using the axe blade as a hook, then kiss them with a fist.
>>
>>5097672
Support +1
I want to punch.
>>
>>5097662
>A thin rapier
It's what we trained with, has a sizeable reach, and strikes the image of a noble's son.
>>
>>5097662
>A pointy spear
>>
>>5097663
>>5097666
>>5097672
>>5097673
>>5097676
>>5097677
>>5097683
>>5097695
>>5097695
>>5097707
>>5097715
>>5097726
>>5097731
>>5097750
>>5097755
>>5097798
>>5097800
>>5097815
Spear won but I'll let you keep a small secondary weapon for backup

>A short dagger
>An Iron mallet
>A Small Handaxe
>>
>>5097819
>A Small Handaxe

Your fortune: You're on the nice list!
>>
>>5097819
>A Small Handaxe

Your fortune: Feliz Navidad!
>>
>>5097819
>A short dagger
>>
>>5097819
>A short dagger
>>
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A pointy silver spear invites your attention, being the tallest weapon inside that closet, taking it out of it's stand and leaving it next to your body, the spear easily talls over you, but the sturdy wooden shaft and the sharp blade at the end prove to be a failry light weighted weapon.
Your weapon of choice when playing on mockup duels tended to be the rapier, and given the nature of that weapon's fighting style. It allows you to go in for quick jabs and stabs while keeping your agility at the cost of being easily struck if you dont parry the oncoming attack. A spear in theory should work similarly to it, right? The extended range and the long pole makes it a lot more safer to parry attacks, giving you both blunting and piercing damage, who knows? Maybe you can even do some acrobatics with it once your master it's use.
Although, what would you even do against a strong opponent once he cut the distance between you and the spear? It would be wise to pick a secondary weapon or else you'd be naked amidst the battlefield. Luckily, you also notice a small handaxe and a short dagger staring back at you close to the shortest blades. You remember some servants using similar utensils for gardening and carving. If it's good enough to chop a block of wood, it can probably do some damage to an armoured knight.

With your primary weapon in hand, and the secondaries tied to your belt, you say your goodbyes to the mansion's servants and accompany Corkus on his way to the Falcon's Headquarters, which is apparently located a few hours outside the city's outskirts next to a forest field. The calm scenery, the gentle fall breeze and a longer contact with nature after a long time confined at your home gives you a sense of inner peace, making up for the uneventful travel as the sun sets.
You do remember how the espers got easier to see at night, but you've always been afraid of drawing too much attention to yourself if you went after your visages. maybe spending some time by yourself would give you some freedom to find out what those are.
"Here we are." The horse halts near a group of tents and nudges you to climb off the horse. "Wait here, Judeau will give you a tent and an armor your size. He points over to a blonde, jovial mercenary approaching the two of you.
"What, you only found one guy? Gaston got 5 new ones in half that time."
"Not my fault if you've sent me to the cowards alley! I don't know who wouldnt be interested in joining the Falcons with such a handsome knight at their side" Corkus boasts in earnest, but Judeau seems to react as if he got told a joke.
"Hah, good one!" The blond man laughs and looks over at you. "Well, one new soldier is better than zero. Welcome to the Band Of The Falcon. I'm Judeau! Hope you enjoy your stay here."

>Nice to meet you Judeau. I'm Vlad.
>Oh, I'm not staying. I'm just joining for the last fight.
>So what are we supposed to do until the fight starts?
>Is there anywhere I can train here?
>Write-in
>>
>>5097859
>Nice to meet you Judeau. I'm Vlad.
>Is there anywhere I can train here?
Would being an Astral help Vlad survive the eclipse if we end up helping them rescue Griffith?
>>
>>5097859
> Is there anywhere I can train here

We need to be getting bigger, we need to be putting on mass, these Tudors are sick, twisted freaks. We need to be able to take them 4, 5 on 1.
>>
>>5097866
If anything having astral ancestry would be like going into the eclipse with a "kick me" sign attatched to Vlad's face. Best CoA would probably be escape the eclipse or die trying
>>
>>5097859
>nice to meet you Judeau I'm vlad
>is their anywhere I can train here?
I gotta question how much can Vlad change the story. The eclipse will happen of course, but can we change the circumstances of it such as Griffith's condition or when and where?
>>
>Nice to meet you Judeau. I'm Vlad.
>Is there anywhere I can train here?
also take a quick look around see any spooky shit with our magic eyes
>>
>>5097859
>Nice to meet you Judeau. I'm Vlad.
>Is there anywhere I can train here?
Wait a second.
>out name is Vlad
>we're kinda magic and see magic things
>we're physically fit
>we have a spear
>inb4 become Vlad the impaler
>inb4 become a vampire

>>5097874
We're gonna need lots of fire bombs.
>>
>>5097866
>>5097869
>>5097887
>>5097900
>>5097904
"Nice to meet you Judeau, I'm Vlad." You return his warm welcome with a smile. Seems like there are a lot of different people in this army, but it's good to see that they're not all grumpy and strict.
"Vlad, eh?" Judeau ponders, recognizing your noble name. "Didn't think I'd be seeing an upstanding gentleman from Midland wearing a spear, doesnt really fit your muscular look either. How long have you been practicing with it?

"Well actually, this is my first time using it. I was hoping I could get some practice before fighting for real, is there anywhere I can train here?" you voice your inexperience, making Judeau look over at Corkus in disbelief.
"Three days before the final battle and that's all you can find?"
"Take it or leave it!, I'm sure not bringing him back home after how long it took to get here!" Corkus whines back at the blonde mercenary, giving water to his horse and cleaning his sword.
"It's alright. The whole place's a training ground, between sharpening the blades, drinking and talking with the other members of the band, there's not a whole lot to do in the camp other than train, unfortunately since we're close to nightfall, most of the group is probably worn out from working already. I think I can manage a volunteer if I try hard enough, you'd be amazed at how tireless some of the guys are here!" Judeau explains, wondering who would be a good sparring partner for you.

>I have no preferences. Choose whoever you want.
>Why dont you do it?
>Can I have a match with Corkus?
>Who's the strongest guy around here?
>We can leave it for tomorrow if it's too much trouble
>>
>>5097923
>Who's the strongest guy around here?
Why hello sir who surely wasn't born out of magic BS, would you like to kick my ass?
>>
>>5097929
Lmao this. This sounds funny.
>>
>>5097923
>I have no preferences choose whoever you want
This is our first time using a spear, let's at least fight someone who won't immediately mog us
>>
>>5097934
You make a fair point. This.
>>
>>5097929
>>5097931
If Vlad ends up sparring Guts you just know that magic shenanigans will happen. Best case scenario a connection is formed through our similar mysterious backgrounds. Worse case scenario we touch him and we get a vision of his horrid future, traumatizing us.
>>
>>5097941
My money is dad was a dead beat elf who did want to take care of a kid and we're a half human.
>>
>>5097941
And that is exactly why I chose him.
>>
>>5097944
Yea our magic origin is either vlad is descended from elves, or he could be inherently magical some way with a guardian spirit. Worst scenario is that Vlad is marked by the God Hand someway, it'd explain the being watched feeling.

>>5097945
Ugh fine, change my vote to
>who's the strongest guy around here?
>>
>>5097923
>>I have no preferences. Choose whoever you want.
>>
>>5097929
>>5097934
>>5097940
"I dont wanna bite off more than I can chew here, so I dont really have any preferences. Choose whoever you want, really."

"Alright then, I know how to fight with just about every weapon, so I could teach you a few tricks against certain match ups. Corkus, can you find some armor for him while I get ready?"
"What!? Oh, great..." Corkus whines, realizing he wasnt going to sleep early that night. "I hope you get a good beating after this one."

The sun finally sets, and after Corkus finds a good suit and helmet for you to use, he guides you uphill away from the campfire at the center of the tents. After some time, Judeau finally comes back with a few knives and twin short swords in his hands.

"I'll give you a few tips to start things off." Judeau happily takes stance. "Spears have a tactical advantage against other weapons like swords, axes or daggers due to their extended range, but since I have multiple throwing weapons, of smaller sizes, an opponent like me can still easily take you down if you let them close the distance. Just make sure you're pointing the blade at them and keeping your distance while holding your stance and the enemy will think twice before lunging at you. In case they do though, there are a few things you can do to break away or hit them, such as--"
Judeau's voice starts to get harder to hear as the wind's breeze and the rustling of the tree leaves grow as loud as a thunderstorm. He keeps talking as if nothing is going on though. Are you the only one hearing this?
Oh, here we go again...

The dust particles start dancing around the grass, gently floating upwards like snowflakes at a windy winter night, while they never took form before, it was usually a sign that you would start hearing things, but your hallucinations were never as distracting as this time...
The particles start taking form as they huddle together and circle towards your sparring foe, as if feeding him energy before the fight while Judeau keeps speaking with no reaction. Moreover, the windy noise starts to change to a more recognizable sound of the ocean waves as more spirits disperse towards the campfire below.
Why are you the only one seeing this?

>Ask to stop the fight.
>Inspect the white spirit hovering over Judeau.
>Try to listen to Judeau's voice over the noise.
>Hope the noise goes away before the fight starts.
>>
>>5097993
>try to listen to judeau's voice over the noise
I'm sure the hallucination is nothing to worry about
>>
>>5097993
>Inspect the white spirit hovering over Judeau.
>>
>>5097993
>Try to listen to Judeau's voice over the noise.
Pass through the noise or break it. Tips on fighting are useful, we can t lose them.
>>
>>5097993
> Try to listen to Judeau's voice over the noise
>>
>>5097993
>Inspect the white spirit hovering over Judeau.4vtng
>>
>>5097994
>>5097995
>>5098005
>>5098011
Now now, god damn it! This is important! This is not time to listen to eldritch screams or whatever those ghouls want to tell you, the more you acnowledge them, the powerful they get, so you have to remain resilient.

You shake your head rub your eyes as you try to regain your composure, and eventually the hallucinations go away. They always do.
"--dy."
"What was that?" You asked Judeau if he could repeat his statement.
"Come on, you gotta pay attention to what I'm saying!" Judeau puts you down for not paying attention. "The last part was, 'tell me when you're ready.'"
It doesnt look like he'll repeat anything further than that, so your best bet is to just roll with it for now...
"Ready!" You point the silver lance at Judeau and wait for him to come to you, initiating the duel against the jack of all trades.
"Hgn!" Judeau throws a knife at your shoulder, to which you barely managed to deflect with your shaft without losing balance. As soon as you shift your body weight back to more suitable position, you see a glimpse of Judeau slashing you across the chest.

Instinctively, you wince in pain and block upwards, only to realize you werent as late as you thought you would be. Judeau's attack came only a few seconds after you've felt it happening, making you ready to block the incoming attack before it happened. How does that work?
Paying closer attention, you see a white, transparent foot extend out of Judeau's body as he stands on top of your spear, and testing the waters a second time, you manage to block his real kick before he could even motion over to your stomach.

"You might have a shaky hand, but your movements are on point, rookie. You're a natural at this." Judeau compliments your abilities, not knowing you're following orders being shown to you in split seconds.
He starts getting fasters, trying to stab at your arms while you keep him at bay with your tilted spear. You're surprised at how much weight this thing can support without breaking.
Soon the white trails of Judeau's arms start blending together, making it damn near impossible to guess where he's attacking from.
You fling the stick to the ground, Slamming Judeau on the rocks with it as your arms start to give out from the cuts.

Part of you wants to stop the fight while you're both in good condition, but you feel like you'll start to understand what those white visions are if you keep at it for a while longer. Does it have something to do with your hallucinations?

>Switch to the offense, try to hit him with your spear.
>Screw it, tackle him while he's down.
>Keep your stance and wait for him to stand up.
>Try to copy his style and switch to your secondary weapons.
>Call it quits for now.
>Write in.
>>
>>5098028
>Write in.
I cast FIST!
>>
>>5098037
Support
>>
>>5098028
>Switch to the offense, try to hit him with your spear

Aggression! Keep up the pressure!
>>
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>>5098037
>>5098047
Your methods of attacking might be a bit dirry, but all is fair in love and war.
You punch Judeau straight in the forehead just as he was about to stand up, dropping back down and hitting his head on the floor a second time. Just to be sure, you manage to body slam him with all your weight on top of him. And given the few extra kilos you've put on of pure muscle mass, you assume you knocked the wind out of him.

Or so you thought, you can still feel him squirming under your weight, trying to reach to his pockets and kick his legs to reach the shortswords he dropped next to him.
"Ready to give up yet?" You hold him down in an improvised body lock, thinking you have this fight in the bag.

...Until you've heard the sound of a fire start.
"Those tricks might work when you're fighting one on one, but when you're at war, you need to be ready to fight people who'd rather lose their life than lose their battle!" He shows you a small bomb he managed to drop from his clothes when moving his legs up. He wasnt trying to get the blades, but rather use them to dristract you from what he was really doing.

You brace yourself for the upcoming explosion, closing your eyes and accepting your fate as the both of you would go down in a mock fight.
You wait for a few moments until noticing the miniature bomb didnt go off, though it being a dud didnt stop you from dropping your guard, nor did it stop Judeau from shoving you away from him as he stood back up.
"I guess we can call this one a draw." He offers his hand to help you stand back on your feet.
"Boo! You went too easy on him!" Corkus moans after seeing the match went against his expectations

>Yeah, that was a good fight, thanks.
>What do you think?
>Were you really planning on exploding us both?
>Try to sense more of those afterimages you felt during the fight.
>>
>>5098074
Thanks for going easy on me. I'll keep fist fighting for emergencies.
>Try to sense more of those afterimages you felt during the fight.
>>
>>5098074
>yea that was a good fight, thanks.
>try to sense more if those after images you felt during the fight
Well that went well, even got some respect from Judeau and Corkus is his usual self.
>>
>>5098074
>Yeah, that was a good fight, thanks.
>What do you think?
>Try to sense more of those afterimages you felt during the fight.
>>
>>5098085
>>5098087
"Yeah, that was a good fight Judeau, thanks!" You let your sparring partner help you up as you dust yourself off from the dirt that caught on your armor.
"Just so you know, I wouldn't really reccomend pulling that strategy on an enemy when we're at Doldrey's." Judeau evaluates your battle prowess. if you stop your fight to lay on top of an enemy, you're pretty much inviting yourself to get trampled by anyone on their size. Strength in numbers is a real thing, and since you got a spear on you, it would be wise to keep them at bay instead of inviting yourself to be blindsighted.
"Ok, I'll keep that in mind."
Truth be told, the only thing that kept you standing on that fight was the afterimages you saw before Judeau could properly retaliate. You're still trying to wrap your head on how that works, but it seemed as if your eyes could predict the movements of your opponent by...feeling their energy? You're aware of the concept of souls and ghosts since you've skimmed a few times at the holy scriptures, but they were always regarded as negative things, curses, witchcraft, paganism. So how come they're only taking form now in the eyes of an inquisitor's ancestor, while also being used by you, who has never practiced witchcraft?

You put some strain on your eyes to see if you can sense more of that so called life energy to prove your theory correct. You always had the impulse to supress those visions and voices when they came along, but maybe you've just been seeing them the wrong way this entire time, is it really as easy as just letting it happen?

You take a deep breath and focus on the smaller life forms around you, the crickets chirping every other second, the owls chanting in the distance, everywhere you look right now is filled with life, no matter how big or small, and that life needs to be kept by some sort of energy, right?
Correct! Your vision starts to darken, while the two mercenaries with you start to glow a white aura from inside their bodies. They seem to be doing the exact same thing as their bodies are, at the exact same time.

They dont seem to be jolting out of their bodies like last time though, maybe they work differently during fights.
"Hey, what are you wincing there for? Did Judeau kick you in the nuts or something?" Corkus pokes the back of your head, briefly taking you out of your focused state, Bummer.

Well at least you got some sort of lead on what those "hallucinations" you kept seeing are, now if only you could control them, maybe you could do something about those random brain interferences you keep having. Nature seems to play a big factor in how you feel it so maybe you'll have some time to work things out at a later date.
Corkus and Judeau are both staring at you, wondering why you are still spacing out. Should you even try to explain what happened?

>See if they understand what you're going through.
>Omit the truth
>>
>>5098106
>Omit the truth
We don't want to come off as weird. Maybe we could find some place to sit down, chew on a piece of dried meat, and meditate on this. On the outside people will just see us siting and eating, while on the inside we'll hopefully discover what the hell is going on.
>>
>>5098106
>Omit the truth
Judeau would try to be understanding of what we're going through. But, it'd be best not to say we have visions and stuff around Corkus. We all know Corkus will spread rumors and such
>>
>>5098112
Dude is kind of an ass sometimes. Sorry, most times.
>>
>>5098106
>>Omit the truth

"Ah sorry, i just felt something strange all of a sudden. My bad, really."
Then change argument
"So did your mercenary captain requested anything else beyond fighting men ? I could see about giving some supplies for your army, it would be no great quantity but it might aid you. My family has not much wealth, equipment or soldiers. Our lands are fairly small, and a levy would take out much needed hands in the fields. Our bodyguards are barely enough for my family and do a few patrols so I cannot give those either."
"Also i would be eager to learn this days Judeau, doing more than one spar would be good for me. Be against you or anyone else really. There is always something to learn."

We should probably spar whenever we can or just learn when possible. The siege isn't going to be an easy fight. And we need to get an armor, unless our father left his own at home.

>>5097869
That kind of improvment will require not a short time but several years, unless we put ourselves under an harsh training from the start. The tips of Judeau will probably keep us alive for now, even someone like Corkus isn't half bad for surviving for so long. If we are able to learn enough, we should combine it with using dirty tricks. When we are more experienced we can see about putting together what we have learn on the battlefield with our martial lessons has a noble
>>
>>5098116
+1
>>
>>5098116
+1 this too

>We should probably spar whenever we can or just learn when possible.
One or two more matches at most so we can at least watch out for the big flaws in our tactics and techniques. Anymore won't drastically improve our martial abilities unless we train for a couple weeks more. I at least want to see what these wisps are before we sleep.

>And we need to get an armor, unless our father left his own at home.
We brought our own weapons, and we've been given our own armor from their army.
>>
>>5098116
We got some armor from Judeau so we're good on that department, and his tips and our ability to see life energy will be essential in staying alive next battle.

Though we should spar more with our spear and learn how to injure and kill with it, specifically how to drive it into someone's armpits, neck, and stomach.Though we'll likely be shoulder to shoulder with our allies since we're using a spear, we shouldn't rely on them to kill for us.
>>
>>5098120
>>5098123

That's good then. Yes i fear that we can only do so much before the siege begins. If we had weeks or months though, that would be not bad at all.
And I definetly want to know how to better use that spear, we can't always count on being side by side with other soldiers. I wonder if we will be on foot or on horse, Griffith made no problems of spending money for improve his army during the story (as we can see all around the falcons camps they make in manga/anime). But we are also a noble so we might even ask for one. We will get a shield in any case, unless we are using a spear that needs both of our hands ?
How many battles we will have in the golden age section of timeline, or before eclipse. I hope many, timeskips are fine but going around has a mercenary company can be fun.
>>
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>>5098109
>>5098112
>>5098116
>>5098117
"Sorry, I just felt something strange all of a sudden. It's nothing to worry about, really." You brush their worries off with a smile, rubbing your arms together after feeling the strain they've been put on today.
"If you say so..." Judeau feels inquired to ask for more info, but drops the subject for now. "Unfortunately I couldnt find a tent for you, so you'll have to share it with another of our men when we go back down."
"That's fine, getting a good place to rest is enough for me. Again, I really appreciate you helping me get better with the spear, Judeau. Doing more than one spar would be good for me, Be against you or anyone else really. There is always something to learn."
"Just say the word and I'll give you a hand. You have potential Vlad, but wether you improve or not all comes down to hard work."
Judeau encourages your training sessions, despite not having a lot of time to get better with fighting, it's something you can improve over a year or so, provided you survive the takeover.
The three of you go back to the campfire, where plenty of mercenaries are still awake, drinking, playing dice games or just chatting with their mates. The morale here is high, and it's something that reminds you of your partying days.
"That reminds me, did your captain request anything else beyond fighting men? I could see about giving supplies for your army, it would be no great quantity but it might aid you." You take a bag out of your belt, counting how much pocket money you managed to bring from your estate, which amounted to a total of 50 golden coins.
"You call that a small quantity? That's enough to keep a family fed for half a year!" Corkus salivates after seeing your small fortune, but Judeau is quick to interrupt.
"Griffith is currently receiving funds from the King, so budgeting doesnt seem to be a problem for him. He's making sure evey soldier stays in good condition and with weapons and medicine to spare. There's a small village before we cross the river to Doldrey, so maybe you can buy something more to your liking there if nothing here really interests you."
"You could always treat us to a drink, too!"
Oh, Corkus...


>I'll try to talk with Griffith then.
>Think I'll just go to bed for now.
>We could just drink at the campfire.
>Is there anything else I should know?
>>
>>5098329
>I'll try to talk with Griffith then.
>>
>>5098329
>I'll try to talk with Griffith then.
Behelit epilepsy in 3, 2, 1...
>>
>>5098329
>I'll try to talk with Griffith then.
it calls
>>
>>5098329
>I'll try to talk with Griffith then
We'll definitely get a vision or hallucination, hopefully it doesn't eclipse vlad's focus of anything
>>
>>5098361
>hopefully it doesn't eclipse vlad's focus of anything
I see what you did.
>>
>>5098329
It's a village. Not much comes to mind for what we could buy.

>find somewhere isolated and quiet to focus on the Astral

What does everyone want to visit Grffifth?
>>
>>5098372
The pragmatic reason is that it pays to know your boss and make a good first impression. The only problem is avoiding a reputation for brown-nosing.
>>
>>5098377
Are you saying we should stick to the army well beyond our battle? Despite Griff sacrificing everyone to become one of the big five Apostates?
>>
>>5098372
People also wanna see if anything magical happens, like a vision, due to Griffiths destiny and the behelit in his possession
>>
>>5098381
Oh fuck oh god this cannot end well.
>>
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>>5098333
>>5098344
>>5098353
>>5098361
"I'll see if I can talk with Griffith then." You look around the tents to see if any of them look any different from each other, the leader of the falcons would probably be in a larger accomodation compared to his subordinates.
"Yeah, right. Griffith is currently planning on how to take Gennon's head off with his team, I doubt he'll have the free time to say hello to anyone that comes to his tent." Corkus denies the opportunity.
"Come on Corkus, don't be like that! It wasnt that long ago when Griffith personally came to every new member of the band to greet them and get to know them as equals. It's just hard to do that when your army grows past the low thousands." Judeau is quick to contest Corkus' claim. "His tent is just to the north of here. Right past the guys offering rum to the soldiers. As great as he is, Griffith is still human, he should be getting ready to rest right now."
"I'll make my visit quick then." You follow Judeau's directions with your eyes and prepare yourself to meet your boss.

From the way they make this guy out to be, he seems to be a very skilled strategist. Being the captain of a large army like this probably means he's one of the strongest people around here. Being confident in seiging Doldrey with such a minuscule army means he's either very confident in his resources, or that he's lost his mind.
Your chest feels very tight, maybe from the pressure of meeting someone of such high status between his peers. Is there really anything you can offer to him that he does not have?
After a brisk walk to his tent, you take a look inside his tent to see him taking notes at a map, sitting across a small table that went up to his knees. His appearance looks very soft and androgynous, very unlike the image of a great warlord you had in your head, but something about his appearance makes him oddly alluring, almost as if inviting you to observe his presence.

"Yes?" The white falcon speaks up, wanting to know the reason why you came to his temple without taking his eyes off his annotations.

>Kneel
>It's my first day here, and I thought I should get to know my boss.
>Sorry to bother you, Griffith.
>Sir Griffith,I am Vlad of the Santana Family.
>I would like to know if there's anything I could do to aid you financially in this journey.
>>
>>5098395
>It's my first day here, and I thought I should get to know my boss.
>>
>>5098395
>It's my first day here, and I thought I should get to know my boss.
>>
>>5098395
>Sir Griffith,I am Vlad of the Santana Family.
Then
>I would like to know if there's anything I could do to aid you financially in this journey.
>>
>>5098395
>Sir Griffith,I am Vlad of the Santana Family.
>I would like to know if there's anything I could do to aid you financially in this journey.
>>
>>5098395
>Sir Griffith,I am Vlad of the Santana Family.
>I would like to know if there's anything I could do to aid you financially in this journey
>>
>>5098408
>>5098410
>>5098415
Dude is getting financed by the king tho, and the siege is gonna happen on a few days from now. Is there really something we can do?
>>
>>5098429
They'd just being autists, ignore them.
>>
>>5098432
It just comes off as a little weird, plus I'm scared Griffith might try to squirrel out some of our family's wealth for his ambitious goals. We did say "anything" after all.
>>
>>5098429
>>5098432
My idea was that nobody turns down free money, especially when you can use it without justifying your expenses to the king.
Also, since he's busy planning the siege, it would be rude to interrupt his work just to say hello.
>>
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>>5098405
>>5098407
>>5098408
>>5098410
>>5098415
"Sir Griffith, I am Vlad of the Santana Family. I would like to know if there's anything I could do to aid you financially in this journey." You present your noble name to the white haired leader, to which he quizzically turns his head over, as your name seems to ring a bell on him.

"Santana... would you happen to be the son of Jacopo, funder of the Holy Iron Chain Knights?" He does know your father by name, though you did not know how close he was with the Holy See's militia.
"Yes, sir. Have you met my father before?"
"Not personally, no. But it's my duty as a royal knight to know the intricacies of his kingdom, from what army their church funds, to the lowest of the aristocrats."

He certainly seems to have done his homework, he probably knows more of the political intricacies of Midland and the nearby nations better than you do.
"Your family has done enough for me as is, Young Vlad. As the commander of an army for hire, we cannot afford to be greedy before providing results. If anything, I should be the one compensating the few courageous souls who are aiding me in this fight."
Griffith seems proud of his accomplishments as a tactician and commander, but still humble enough to not come off as boastful. Seems like giving him money is pretty useless for someone already being indirectly funded by you. What could his real interests be then?
"Tell me, for what goal motivated you to join us? It's not everyday I get a new soldier asking to pay me instead of me paying them."
"I understand taking Doldrey back into our territorry is an important mark in--"
"I dont mean your goals for the fight. But the ones for the future." Griffith cuts you off. "Surely you expect to live after our fight, and whatever compensation I give you is but a drop in the ocean of your family's fortune. What drives a man to come out of his comfortable home to embark in a journey greater than himself? Perhaps a dream of yours lies beyond the bloodiest of blades?"

Dream? Something that motivates you to fight? He speaks as if he expects you to know the deep philosophies of a fighter, when really you can count in one closed hand the times you've had to fight for your life.

Still, it doesnt mean you cant have any dreams of your own.

>I wish to keep living a comfortable life.
>I need to prove my worth to myself, and my parents.
>I want to protect the ones dear to me.
>There is a lot I dont know about the world, and I wish to change that.
>Now that I think about it, I dont think I have any big dreams.
>>
>>5098449
>I need to prove my worth to myself, and my parents.
>I want to protect the ones dear to me.
>There is a lot I dont know about the world, and I wish to change that.

Dream big or go home.
>>
>>5098449
>I need to prove my worth to myself, and my parents.
>There is a lot I dont know about the world, and I wish to change that.
>>
>>5098449
>>There is a lot I dont know about the world, and I wish to change that.
There's some real spooky shit out there...
>>
>>5098449
>I need to prove my worth to myself, and my parents.
>There is a lot I dont know about the world, and I wish to change that.
>>
>>5098449
>I need to prove my worth to myself, and my parents.
>There is a lot I dont know about the world, and I wish to change that.
>>
>>5098452
support
>>
>>5098452
+1 to this
>>
>>5098452
sure, +1
>>
>>5098449
>I need to prove my worth to myself and my parents
>>
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>>5098452
"I need to prove my worth. not only to myself, but to my parents as well." You reveal your aspirations to the army's chief. "I've been pampered for too long by my parents, to the point where I'm not even sure if I could really live by myself. I've lived a sheltered life, with not a lot to show for, so I wish to change that. By discovering more about our world, maybe I can use that to protect the ones dear to me, even if they've been protecting me for most of my lifetime."
"An interesting mix of answers. Perhaps a couple of ordinary goals could lead you to a greater cause." Griffith smiles in earnest."Though I mean no offense, I believe dreams should be a lot more concise, something that seems against all odds, if you will."

"Ok, what's your dream then?"
"I'm glad you asked." Griffith lifts his map and points to the castle illustrated in his drawings. "Ever since I was young, I wanted to be the owner of my own kingdom. But it wasnt until I formed the Band of the Falcon that I considered this to be a possibility. It was not an easy journey, there were many sacrifices to pave the way up to where I am now, as I'm sure there will be even after this day. Many lives were lost, but none of them were against their will. My soldier's goals pave the way to my dream, and in return, their hard earned work will build the walls of my castle. Though I was raised in the slums, I believe I owe it to those who were lost in the way to see my dream come to fruition."

Griffith rustles at something itching at his neck, to which your attention diverges into his collarbone. Suddenly, as if burning through his shirt, a red glow started to burst from an amulet that he carried alongside him.
The amulet seems to be a crimson necklace, it's face controting into an anguished expression, screaming and crying tears of blood as your head began to spin.
Your vision starts to fail you as you collapse on your knees, sweating as the white whisps you've seen before all started to be sucked into the egg, faces, body parts, animals, everything started to mash together and gurgle in a giant mass of blood and guts, spiraling further into the unknown void as the image of a heart started taking form in Griffith's chest.
Your body gives out before you could properly scream, and by the time you managed to shout, you seemed to be in another location entirely.

"Waaah! don't scare me like that!" A soldier jumps back from hearing your anguished scream. Seeing as how you are resting your head inside a house at night time, a quick talk to your caretaker makes you realize that your body had a strong reaction to Griffith's life energy, or whatever artifact he keeps with him. And that took you out of commission for most of the following day. Losing more time you could have spent training.

>See if there's anything wrong with your body.
>Look out the window to see where you're at.
>Search for Griffith and inquire about his necklace.
>Go outside and see if you find Judeau or Corkus.
>>
>>5098511
>go outside and see if you find Judeau or Corkus
Welp good to know seeing the behekit gave us a aneurysm
>>
>>5098515
Behelit*
>>
>>5098511
>Search for Griffith and inquire about his necklace.
>>
>>5098511
>Search for Griffith and inquire about his necklace.
>>
>>5098523
>>5098529
No what are you retards thinking!? If we go and see him again we'll pass out again wasting another day we could train.
>>
>>5098533
We only past out after Griffith started talking about his dream. We didn't even see the behelit, it was under his shirt.
>>
>>5098511
>>See if there's anything wrong with your body.
Just for make sure we are ok then
>Go outside and see if you find Judeau or Corkus.
>>
>>5098550
Yea we passed out cause we were in such close proximity to it. Do you want us to lose out on another day of training, or do you think we'll be immune to it this time.
>>
>>5098554
I do not think it works like that. We didn't see the afterimages before or after the fight with Judeau, we didn't see their auras until we focused on it and we didn't pass out the moment we started to talk with Griffith. It seems that while Vlad can have visions they aren't random. This leads me to belive that we can talk to Griffith as long as there isn't any new magic BS going on
>ibf Guts walks in
>>
>>5098565
yeah but it would be better if we do that not now. The battle that is coming, is not easy and we need to survive. Talking more can come later, we need to prepare.
Losing a day is already less than ideal.
>>
>>5098571
It is less than ideal, but I doubt that we will lose a day just because we asked about the behelit. We ask about it, he tells us the same thing he told Guts, maybe we see it open its eye and then we're free to train.
>>
>>5098583
It's not worth the risk getting near Griffith and the behelit again. Especially since a battle is happening soon. We need to focus on training
>>
>>5098515
>>5098523
>>5098529
>>5098553
This was unlike the visions you were seeing back when you fought Judeau, and certainly not as tame as the times you were at home and saw a few silhouettes around your window. That attack you had was something else entirely. Never before have you felt actual physical pain when seeing what you saw. You try to stand up, but the strain on your chest feels like you had a strong heart failure, your legs feel heavy and it takes some time to move at a regular speed, and every movement made it seem as you got run over by the royal carriage.

There has to be something about that necklace that triggered the flash of images that knocked you out cold, and while seeing Judeau's energy made you predict the near future, could that egg be showing you--
You bump your had on the back of a muscular man twice your size, making you lose your balance with the style and grace of a mime falling on a banana peel.

"Watch where you're going." The man looks back with an angry look, turning over to see you get back up. His body was massive, being twice as wide as you and with twice the muscle. The weapon he was carrying was too big to even call it a sword, it looked more like a slab of iron with a handle at the end. He probably needs all of that muscle to carry a blade as big as your lance left and right.

"Wait a minute, arent you that sick kid Pippin had to carry on our way here?" the giant seems ro recognise you from when you were unconscious. "It's too late to run away now, if you had something wrong with you, you should have considered that before joining on a death battle."

"I'm not sick, and I'm not running." You angrily respond back at the bulky mercenary. "I need to see Griffith again, there's something wrong about that necklace of his!"

The man looked as if he was about to call you a few names, but stopped himself after noticing some sense in your words. "You think so...? He's at a tavern with the old crew."
And that's all he really says, without pointing to any directions or giving more information. He turns back to where he was going and you decide to follow him on a whim, hoping that's the place he was going to.
Surely enough, it was. The familiar smell of booze invaded your nostrils
as you opened the door, and along with a few other people around the tables, you could see Judeau, Corkus and a third man sharing some rum with each other, carrying in his shoulders a small child that weirdly enough, had a hawk emblem on his shirt.

A few more tables to the front, stood a dark skinned girl with short hair, enjoying a large cup of coffee by herself. After recognizing the mercenary beside you with a "Hey, Guts!" he responded with a short smile.
At the center of the room, stood Griffith, still observing his annotations with a glass of water at his side, though this time he appeared to be finishing his paperwork, finally being able to relax.

>Talk to Griffith
>Relax with the boys.
>See if you can take a seat with "Guts".
>>
>>5098613
Fucks sake I was too late to vote. This can only end poorly.

>See if you can take a seat with "Guts".
>>
>>5098613
>see if you can take a seat with "guts"
Let's go
>>
>>5098613
>See if you can take a seat with "Guts".
>>
>>5098613
>Talk to Griffith
I wanna ask him about the necklace
>>
>>5098613
>>See if you can take a seat with "Guts".
>>
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>>5098618
>>5098627
>>5098636
Who in ther right mind would call their kid "Guts"? Maybe it's a nickname. He does have the face of someone who could crush someone's windpipe with his pinkie.
A girl in the band of the hawk is a sight for sore eyes, what with the sausage fest that armies tend to be. Can she really fight though?
The couple seems interesting enough to warrant your attention, maybe it could be a better alternative than risking an injury with that necklace so close before arriving at your destination.
"Are you following me?" Guts realizes you're still behind me after pulling up a seat next to the athletic girl across the table. "I thought you wanted to talk to Griffith."
"I uh... Guess the mood of the tavern changed my mind. If I get too drunk I might cause an accident so it's better to sit down at a table with no drunkards, right?"
Guts seems to accept your excuse in silence, wanting to take priority discussing some things with the female Falcon.

"So what's the plan?" She initiates the conversation reffering to how they'll fight against Tudor's army.
"I'll be taking center stage againt the Purple Rhino Knights. Big shocker, I know." Guts replies after ordering a beer mug. "For the group known for being 'Tudor's strongest army force', they sure like to run away a lot."
"After killing 100 of their men, it's no wonder they'll have their eyes on you."
"I dont know if splitting the army into two sounds like a good idea, if you ask me, I could take them all down with a troop to spare."
"Good thing you're not planning the assault, then. We already know you're strong, Guts. But you cant go around trying to kill yourself when we have plenty of men waiting for your orders."
"I'll try to comply this time."

He's killed over 100 men over the course of his career? Wow, seems like he's pretty experienced. No wonder Griffith is feeling so confident if that's the average mercenary we're dealing with.
"I heard this is where the leader of the Rhino Knights will be waiting, a guy named Boscogn. Killing him first would probably make them lose their morale, so try to give us the signal when you finish him off."
"Right, if he's anything like the rest of the Rhinos he'll go down without me even realising it."
It was by this time that you've realised that you've probably slept over the part where Griffith told everybody his plan for the battle earlier today.

>Order a drink.
>Ask them to repeat the plan.
>Offer to assist Guts.
>Offer to assist the girl.
>Offer to assist Griffith.
>Ask them who you'll be placed with.
>>
>>5098673
>Ask them to repeat the plan.
>Ask them who you'll be placed with.
>>
>>5098673
>order a drink
>ask then who you'll be placed with
We shouldn't bug them too much. Don't wanna seem like a annoying noble who pokes his nose everywhere
>>
>>5098679
But we do need to know what the plan is before the actual fight.
>>
>>5098673
>>Ask them to repeat the plan.
>>Ask them who you'll be placed with.
>>
>>5098679
There are probably rumors about what happened to us yesteday, it would make sense for us to ask honestly.
>>
>>5098673
Actually how many days of march are left before we arrive at the castle ? If we are close, it's probably just a few
>>
>>5098708
You have one more day and then the fight starts in the following afternoon, so the journey is around 3 days long. Could be faster but the army has a lot of cargo to carry.
>>
>>5098719
Okay thanks.
Yeah we definetly don t have time for go around or risking to sleep again.
Btw do we know how to use a horse ? Since we are a noble i imagine we do, that would be quite useful. Though going in the cavalry melee would be too big of a risk for us. Right now we are probably slighlty better than a levy or a common soldier. I wouldn't put us on the level of drilled men at arms or skirmishers (like archers or crossbowmen), not even mentioning knights. We look more like a noble of the social/cultural kind, with some lessons for combat and war. Which it s not bad, but not ideal for going right in to the fight.
>>
>>5098726
So far it seems the only edge we have is the ability of predicting people's movements, that's something we really need to invest more time in. The magic that is, not more combat sparing. I feel like theres more room to improve if we go down the magical practice than the martial one.
>>
>>5098726
Vlad knows how to ride a horse, yes. Everyone on the band has the right to a horse and a shield given the traverse they'll be on. The next post should clarify what's the safest and most dangerous route to fight on
>>
>>5098673
>Ask them to repeat the plan.
probably best to know the whole plan.

>Ask them who you'll be placed with.
>>
>>5098673
>Order a drink.
>Ask them to repeat the plan.
>Offer to assist the girl.
>>
>>5098729
Personally i am not a fun of spec too much, because it leaves a weak spot. But this isn't abiut spec this is the immediate battle.
I am not that incline to grasp on to magic, when we have little grasp on it and nothing else beside our sensation for help us. It comes in handy but this is a battle not a 1 Vs 1 fight, if we don t practice with our weapons now after just one spar we are asking to die. Battles can last hours upon hours, and continue on for days. With our weak hold on our magic ability we might be in danger by using it during the battle, especially if it make us tired.
>>
>>5098741
It's not that a matter of being our of practice. It's more of us needing weeks, if not months more of practice to increase our weapons skill by any significant margin, where as we can increase our familiarity with magic stuff because we had next to zero experience with it before.
Think of it like an RPG. It's easier to level up when starting at level 1, but as you progress it gets harder and longer (giggity) to level up.
>ex: magic level 1 -> 2 takes a few hours
>ex: melee level 10-11 takes a week
>>
>>5098677
>>5098679
>>5098694
"Excuse me, I wasn't there when the plan was explained to the group, could you please give me a rundown?" You ask the two mercenaries, with the girl gladly giving you a summary.

"Doldrey is a border surrounded by mountains, and a vast open wasteland stands between the main fortress and a shallow river that circles the place. The plan is to split the army into 2 large groups and 2 backup units. Gennon... knows Griffith, so it's fair to say he'll want to go after his head when he charges the main unit."

"What they don't know is that Griffith and the first 2000 soldiers will only attack first to break their formation. When they start sending in the elite knights, that's the signal for him to run away to the river, where the backup unit will be hiding in the mountains to take them head on, splitting their group in half while exhausting their leaders by outrunning him until Corkus, Judeau and Pippin join the first unit."

"I'll command the second unit, while Griffith baits the Doldrey army, we'll try to take care of what's left of their front base, if we're lucky enough we'll kill enough of them to split their attention between the two groups. That's when Casca's unit will come in from all the way back, it's going to take some time to get there since she'll have to pass by the mountains, but they probably wont be expecting someone to attack from outside the border instead of the inside." Guts completes the other half of the plan.

"Seems like a solid plan, where am I going to be placed in?" You ask after getting a grasp of their strategy.
"Honestly? Wherever you want, the plan's already formed without you so one more guy in any unit wouldnt do much difference."
Time to weigh your options.

>Bait the first wave of enemies with Griffith.
>Wait by the riverside with Corkus and Judeau.
>Fight the second wave with Guts.
>Raid the fortress with Casca.
>>
>>5098751
>Fight the second wave with Guts.
Go balls or go home.
>>
>>5098751
>Fight the second wave with Guts.
Or
>Raid the fortress with Casca.
Don't really mind which.
>>
>>5098751
>wait by the riverside with Corkus and Judeau
We know those guys better, not to mention it's the safest option. We could raid the fortress with Casca, but our fighting skill is pitiful and we'll likely get in the way.
>>
>>5098735
That s good.

>>5098743
Or i could think it like this
>With no pointers, ideas, no magical knowledge, no magical objects/books on the matter you have difficulties in grasping magic. Your sensation helps but you are alone, it is trial and error for now.
And I could also think like this for combat
>Your previous lessons and your recent spars, have help you in learning to use weapons. Being fit helps as well
This is all up in the air, so not important now.
Beyond that though it s not really becoming skilled with a weapon now. Surviving with it would be enough especially because we took a spear (that we never used before) and did one "spar" with it. A few minutes in total at best. That s not enough. At least a few hours so we know how to use a spear would be of help.
>>
>>5098758
If it weren't for the magic helping us during our sparing match, we probably would had lost instead of it ending in a draw, you gotta admit this.
>>
>>5098751
>Fight the second wave with Guts.
>>
>>5098760
I didn't say it did not carry us to begin with. Point is we don't know how to us our weapon of choice (not even counting the second) and our spar was too short, and it wasn't really a spar because you voted to throw a punch. Fighting dirty helps, but we didn't use our weapons that much in the spar. You have to admit we risk to die with not even some actual practice with our weapons, in a large battle. I would consider that as something important.

>>5098751
>>Wait by the riverside with Corkus and Judeau.
>>
>>5098751
>Fight the second wave with Guts.
Don't be a pussy.
>>
>>5098773
Frankly, the safest place we can be is guarding Guts's back.
>>
>>5098776
If we are behind all the time to Guts, since modern glue isn't invented yet that's not easy. Thing is even with Guts battle prowess: one a battle is chaotic and plans often need to be redone, two enemy soldiers will go for everyone else as well, three Guts can't be everywhere during a battle or help everyone and four Guts leaves plenty of corpses behind him and that can be a problem. Add some of his wild strikes with that blade and we better keep some safe distance.
>>
>>5098751
>>Fight the second wave with Guts.
Surely this cannot go wrong!
>>
>>5098751
>Raid the fortress with Casca.

I'm all for engaging in a significant amount of trolling. All we have to do is find and brutally murder Gennon before Griffith can get his revenge.
>>
>>5098755
>>5098756
>>5098761
>>5098774
>>5098784
"I'll fight the second wave with you." You nod to Guts as he appears to be taken aback by your choice, not too sure if you were bold or stupid for choosing the most dangerous route.

"Are you sure? The second wave will probably be the one with the most numbers... My team will mostly be hiding in the mountain side and waiting to get the castle when they're at their weakest, if you're looking for a safer route--"

"Let the kid throw himself to death, it's his decision." Guts disapproves in tone, though the words sound like he's mocking you. "I'm leading against their strongest force because Griffith knows I can take care of it, that goes the same with the best of my units. Even if you have some muscle on you, I can see it in your eyes that you don't have what it takes to kill an enemy soldier. I've dealt with a few of you nobles before. You get too cocky when you win a few matches and think you can take on anyone, not knowing there are people like us who fight to survive, not as a mere hobby."

"Maybe you're suicidal, and you're looking for a quick death while your condition hasnt gotten worse. If so, that's understandable, I won't stop you. But if you're thinking you can have what it takes to battle against the elite knights with the possibility of fainting at any time, I can guarantee you that you'll be the first one to die here."

On one hand, it seems Guts is calling you weak, he looks and sounds like the strongest man in the team, and if there's someone who can tell that you can suck here, it's probably him.
However, there's something about his attitude that differs him from the inviting auras of Judeau or even Griffith. He seems to be telling, in his own commoner name, that he's not going to look back if you fall off your horse, nor should you expect anybody to lend a hand unless it's the enemy's blade. He's trying to scare you off, but for good reason.

There's a lot more emotional intelligence in this man that meets the eye, and that's probably the only warning you'll get that you're nothing compared to him.
Guts waits for your rebuttal while Casca hopes that the situation doesnt devolve into an argument.

>You're right, I should stick with the emergency plan.(Casca)
>You're right, I should stick with the backup unit. (Judeau)
>But what if I can outrun them? (Griffith)
>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.
>>
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>>5098808
>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.
HARD MORE. EVERYTIME! Lets learn some speed magic.
>>
>>5098808
>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.
>>
>>5098808
>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.
>>
>>5098808
>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.
It would be so based if QM allowed immediate death as a possibility
>>
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>>5098831
Honestly I wouldn't hold him against him if he allowed that. We're going full autism right now. The big question is if the QM thinks there's a reasonable In Quest reason why we might be able to pull this bullshit off, or if we're going to die a brutal death. It's probably the latter.
>>
>>5098808
>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.
Kinda broken in that we have precognition when fighting regular humans.
>>
>>5098808
>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I won't weigh you down

Spirit, watcher, whatever you are, please guide us. Because we're either proving guts wrong. Or going to die trying.

Best case scenario we aren't useless and are actually able to take down a knight or two. Worst case scenario, die an embarrassment.
>>
>>5098836
The QM right now is probably shaking his head at our profound retardation and choice to be apart of Guts unit. Honestly I imagine Vlad will be supporting the other raiders, pinning them down with his spear so others can take the killing blow. Or some magic power activates and we get stronger, like the spirit watching vlad forcefully takes over his body so he doesn't die horribly.
>>
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>>5098836
Hey, I wouldn't QM if I gave up on a quest because I had to go on a direction I didn't agree with. It's just that asking for a save from the astral mommy is a bit too much to be asking this early on, so the chance of dying there is high, but not guaranteed if you play your cards right. As much as we want to see Vlad being a badass, this is a Berserk quest after all, something will fuck him up eventually. Might be his fault, might be something else.
>>
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>>5098852
You've convinced me.

>>5098808
>You're right, I should stick with the emergency plan.(Casca)
Casca is infiltrating the castle isn't she? There might be a chance we can encounter our parents.
>>
>>5098852
We didn't really get any time to establish our own character before getting swept along with the canon berserk crew so I wouldn't expect much investment in the MC compared to them. If the quest is barely a story about the MC then what's the point?
>>
>>5098852
QM can you please give us hints to survive the upcoming battle? I know you want to do something with the holy see, holy iron chain knights , and vlad later, I wanna see it happen too. But I don't trust my choice making skills or the other anons skills either. So please, give us hints so the quest doesn't end so soon.
>>
>>5098864
I know I'm begging for the QMs guidance here, but honestly I don't see any other future other than vlad being carried out of the battlefield dead, or at the very least horribly injured without the QMs guidance.
>>
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>>5098860
Fair enough, I thought jumping into familiar territory would make players more comfortable before developing more into original material, so I'll keep that in mind when developing the characters.
>>5098864
The basics of CQC should be essential against strong opponents, as well as knowing how to pick your fights
>>
>>5098877
So CQC essentials and picking fights will be necessary for survival. Alright should be doable, Vlad was able to fight Judeau to a draw (though mainly through magic powers). I guess I'm just worrying to much, at least that means I'm invested in the quest.
>>
>>5098808
>>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.
>>
>>5098808
>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.

“Guts, I'm literally a high Elf that can see the Astral realms and predict the future, what the fuck are you talking about.”

>>5098877

Will you utilize dice in this quest?
>>
>>5098808
>You're right, I should stick with the emergency plan.(Casca)
or
>You're right, I should stick with the backup unit. (Judeau)
we are untrained and nearly useless in combat we would just hold guts back (if we don't get insta gibbed and if he cared enough).
>>
>>5098908
to be honest, dice would be great (even if it's only for battle).
>>
Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>5098912
rolling for cock size
>>
I'll post the update tomorrow. Weekday updates should be a bit slower but since I'm getting used to how slow the board is idk if I'm updating too fast or too slow.
>>5098908
Depends on how people feel about dice here, I thought a random nat 1/100 would make things too easy to turn the narrative in it's head by making a troll/asspull reply but maybe that could be part of the fun. Maybe removing crits and revealing dice checks could mitigate that problem
>>5098915
kek
>>
Rolled 19, 74, 68 = 161 (3d100)

>>5098915
is that in centimetres or inches
>>5098917
in general, if you do dice I would suggest you ask for rolls after a decision is already made to prevent metagaming. also I would suggest the best of 3d100. Crits are part of the fun as long as you aren't SOM.
>>
>>5098917
>>5098920
That depends on if rolling high or low is good :6) I'll never tell
>>
Rolled 57, 48, 67 = 172 (3d100)

>>
>>5098808
>>I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont weigh you down.
Lmao if you all want to go there feel free. We have 0 knowledge on how long our ability works so this can be a good test for several Tudor lances to make us an human kebab.

>>5098864
It s quite simple the battle will be a bloody melee against elite knigths and trained men at arms. Surving will be stupidly hard. I suggest to not put all our eggs in one basket, meaning getting to know the basics on how to use our spear and axe (because we don't know now). As well the shield and remember how to ride an horse, since they will give us those two things as well. Afterwards invest all the rest of time in attempting to properly understand or improve our ability somehow. Then hope we roll good in most of the battle, and that the unit of Guts doesn't suffer too many losses because if it does we will have more foes on us at the same time.

>>5098870
Sometimes it can be just that. If this was a small battle it might not be that bad.

>>5098877
I will be surprised if we are able to do that, more importantly though things like 1vs1 fights don't happen all the time in battles. Guts against the captain of the knights is a special thing. Has far i remember we look like any other member of the falcons, we don t have our family heraldry above our armor, so we are less likely to be on a one Vs one fight.
>>
>>5098920
Alright, how does this sound?
>At least 1 hour voting period counting from the first reply. You can always ask for additional context for your choices.
I wanna give enough time for people to consider their options or discuss them before locking on them, also gives me some leeway not to be on the computer all the time.
>Rolls will be a best of 3 1d100 from each player, DCs are context sensitive but I'll let you know the numbers before asking for rolls. Only 1 and 100 count as crits and good crits override bad ones.

In retrospect I should probably have done this earlier, but I think I'm getting the hang of it.
>>
>>5098820
>>5098825
>>5098826
>>5098831
>>5098837
>>5098841
>>5098896
>>5098908
"I have a trick up my sleeve, I promise I wont let you down!" You affirm to Guts, thinking that your ability to sense people's energy might give you an edge against an experienced combatant, surely that unknown factor can turn the tides on a fight, right? You just need a little more time with it...

"Tch, suit yourself." Guts gives up on scaring you away from the position, focusing on his drink to see if he could let your audacious move slide.
Noticing the growing, uncomfortable silence around the table, you move away from the tavern without ordering a drink, still limping a bit from your spiritual exhaustion.

Fighting the elite army of the Purple Rhino Knights... Really, how could you say that with a straight face to the guy who was commanding the troop you're in? That part about getting way too confident with a few advantages struck a nerve with you, a sentence that kept repeating in your mind as you dragged yourself to bed.

"That was always the person you were."
Look at yourself, taking life for granted and making a fool out of yourself at parties, was it really worth it? You could have followed in your father's footsteps, learned how to weild a sword properly, maybe even turned into a proper scholar by paying more attention to your reading lessons. So what if you have a little quirk? Everyone keeps a secret from their parents. There was no need to be so subservient to a church you didnt believe in, so now that your parents are gone for the first time in your life, you're gonna act like a rebel and pretend you can solve everything like you're at home? Get real, maybe in your dreams you should be able to do it...

Wait, didnt Griffith say something about dreams before? How it should be a motivating aspiration of change now matter how much the odds are stacked against you? Maybe that was what he meant, the will to accomplish something grand, but not completely outside the realm of possibility.
However, wishing upon a star is not the way to go about it, no matter how much your body aches, no matter how much you hurt yourself, you need to make that last day before the fight count with all the training you can get! Not for you, but for the ones you hold dear.

At the dawn of the new day, you're one of the firsts to see the sun rise, and between the 3 meal breaks from the march, you had the opportunity to focus on improving your battle power.

>Practicing with your spear.
>Learning more about unarmed and short weaponed combat.
>Mastering your horseriding.
>Understanding how your life sensing powers function.
>>
>>5099186
>Practicing with your spear

We gotta get good with this. It's worth the time to acquire some basic proficiency with it.
>>
>>5099186
>Practicing with your spear.
>>
>>5099186
>Practicing with your spear.
>>
>>5099186
>Understanding how your life sensing powers function.
>>
>>5099186
>Practicing with your spear.
>Understanding how your life sensing powers function.

Vlad the Impaler with magical powers has to be the ultimate dark fantasy combo.
>>
>>5099186
>Practicing with your spear
Figure out how to poke our enemies.
>>
>>5099186
>Understanding how your life sensing powers

>>5099190
>>5099195
>>5099201
>>5099223
Dont we already know how to use a spear?
>>
>>5099186
>Understanding how your life sensing powers function.
>>
>>5099240
barley
>Understanding how your life sensing powers function.
>>
>>5099186
>practicing with your spear
If we can't even use our main weapon we might as well be dead
>>
>>5099186
>Practicing with your spear
>>
>>5099186
>Understanding how your life sensing powers function.

Our only advantage in a fight.
>>
>>5099190
>>5099195
>>5099201
>>5099207
>>5099208
>>5099223
>>5099240
>>5099245
>>5099253
>>5099299
>>5099306
>>5099338
We can do both if results go well, spiritual energy and physical training are two different skillsetst though, and since you're only trying to get what's happening with a passive ability instead of actively trying out magic, I'd say you can sneak an attempt at training once you're done with playing with the spear.

DCs are 45 for physical training, 60 for life sensing. Please roll a 2d100
>>
Rolled 89 (1d100)

>>5099437
looking forward to vlad jobbing it up hard
>>
Rolled 60 (1d100)

>>5099444
whoops, one more
>>
Rolled 22, 32 = 54 (2d100)

>>5099437
>>
Rolled 43, 45 = 88 (2d100)

>>5099437
here we goo
>>
>>5099444
okay, so 89 and 60. two passes (even if only barely).
>>
Rolled 89, 77 = 166 (2d100)

>>5099437
>>
>>5099444
>>5099446
nice. nice.

>>5099437
wait wait wait so is it first cum first roll, or best of three?
>>
>>5099480
Best of three, a hero is born
>>
>>5099480
See here >>5099154
>>
>>5099480
yeah we had anon two rolls
>>5099444
>>5099446
then
>>5099466
and then mine. you were slightly too slow although those are great rolls.
>>
Rolled 32, 25 = 57 (2d100)

>>5099437
Let's go
>>
>>5099444
>>5099446
>>5099466
The first thing you do as the morning comes is to practice with your spear. This time, you try and ask Judeau for how to properly attack with a spear, seeing as you two seemed to get along well last time and he seemed like a patient teacher.

In the early morning, you learn how to block from frontal, side and back attacks, always making sure to push your foe away with either the shaft or the pointy end of your weapon, you start to get more used to shifting your weight between your upper and lower body, retreating when being focused on your legs and holding your ground with repeated attacks at your torso, by the end of your session, you even learn how to hold the spear in one hand, showing it off by spinning it from your left arm to your right.
Good progress, but you're still no master. At noon, you inquire him for a few more lessons, but this time to learn how to be on the offensive.

Since we dont have any live soldiers to freely skewer, the mercenary improvises some targets for you to practice, like seeing if you can pierce a watermelon while standing 2 meters away from it (which according to him, should be enough strength to pierce through an enemy's head without his helm) And lifting a tree trunk off it's roots with the tip of your lance, both of which you suceed in doing. Turns out that if you manage to impale something into your shaft, their bodies can be used as crowd control, be it from the shock of seeing that you can lift one of their soldiers, but also because being hit by another human does a lot more damage than bonking them over the head.
"Aim for the chest, arms and chest, perfect for blindsighting and charged attacks if you're with a horse. If you have the advantage in range, the only problem you'll find is against broadsword weilders if they're fast enough, and shooting arrows from far away, also if you find yourself in a closed enviroment or a place where you cant fully extend your spear, draw a secondary immediately. Even if you havent used them, getting your primary weapon stuck in debris is a death sentence.
>>
>>5099619

Lastly, you try to get a better grasp of your visions at night. The local flora is drying up towards a rocky cliffside, but even if there's not enough nature around, you can still feel the life energy coming from your comrades.
Squinting your eyes again, you see several spirits inside the bodies of all the soldiers around you, they seem to be walking around, mimicking their movements and even hearing some of their thoughts when they pass by.
"I hope my wife's not too worried about me..."
"Damn, it's getting hot here. The heat inside the armor is gonna kill me!"
"We're gonna crush those bastards tomorrow!"

Things are finally making sense to you, by focusing on the life around you and taking time to observe their presense, not only can you see into their thoughts, but also their intent, their instinct, as the mind acts far faster than the body can react, by seeing directly through their souls, you can react accordingly by seeing what they will do even before they're aware of it.
Although, the longer you start to focus, the more that feeling of being watched from behind grows. At first, you tried to ignore it as mere intuition, but that was soon confirmed true when you felt the warm grasp of two gentle, supple hands clasping at your shoulder.

There is someone behind you right now, and you wonder what their intention is.

>Turn around.
>Touch the hands.
>Ask who's there.
>Break away from their touch.
>>
>>5099622
>Touch the hands.
>Ask who's there.
>>
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>>5099622
>Touch the hands.
>Ask who's there.
Ah fuck no. mom died, didn't she.
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>>5099622
>>Touch the hands.
>>Ask who's there.
>>
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>>5099622
>ask who's there
I wonder who it is
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>>5099651
Actually, I'm betting that it's Casca or Griffith.
>>
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>>5099663
Its a quiet night today uh
>>
>>5099482
>Guts rolls best of 10

>>5099622
>Touch the hands
>Ask who's there
Shitshitshit
>>
>>5099678
We're gonna get another vision aren't we? Hopefully it's a good one.
>>
>>5099622
>Touch the hands.
>Ask who's there.

>you felt the warm grasp of two gentle, supple hands clasping at your shoulder.

We are either about to witness horrors beyond Vlad's comprehension or have a pleasant conversation with an important character.
>>
>>5099627
>>5099651
>>5099657
>>5099678
"Who's there?"
The voice does not respond to your calling, remaining unidentified. You're afraid that if you break away your focus, you might lose your chance to finally know who has been spectating you for all this time.
By their's grip, you have a feeling that they're not clasping at you akin to a predator's claw, but rather doting on you, as if giving you a motherly embrace.

After meeting hands, the entity tugs with a startled reaction to your fingers, but after a moment of hesitation, they returns the gesture by tangling their fingers with your own.
"Vlad Santana, for too long we have been separated from our ties. Has your blood finally awakened your natural ability of feeling my Od?"

Od? Is she reffering to the life energy? What does she have to do with your powers?
"I am glad to know my efforts have not been in vain. Several times before, I have tried and failed to directly link our thoughts together, but given our distance, opening your Od to astral connections would likely come with interference from the Interstice... Though your human form has prevailed, you are still as sensitive to light and darkness as those of my kin."
A female voice speaks of several terms you never heard before, but you can assume she's the magical entity responsible for the previous "hallucinations" you've felt in your lifetime.

"My time with you is short, as they cannot detect my presence, but know this: You are not alone, nor will you ever be. Life does not end, nor does it begin, it merely mutates into different shapes and sizes. By virtue of being here, you are already taking part in the near infinite array of connections mortals are tied to by fate itself."

She speaks to you as somebody who's known you for your entire life, perhaps even further than that. And though you do not understand her terminology, she appears to offer some of her wisdom to you in your current predicament.

>Who are you?
>What is Od?
>Are you the one giving me my powers?
>Do you if my parents are well?
>Write-in
>>
>>5099757
>Write-in
Are you my mom?
>>
>>5099757
>>5099761
>Write in
>are we related?
>>
>>5099757
>Who are you?
>What is Od?
>Do you if my parents are well?

>>5099765
Kek. Would support if it wasn't meta,
>>
>>5099781
Yea that's way to meta. It'd be better if my choice was
>what is Od?
Or something
>>
>>5099757
>Who are you?
>Are we related?

>>5099781
>>5099816
>"Vlad Santana, for too long we have been separated from our ties. Has your blood finally awakened your natural ability of feeling my Od?"
>Though your human form has prevailed, you are still as sensitive to light and darkness as those of my kin."

It's not meta knowledge if she straight up implies we are of her kin.
>>
>>5099827
I mean yea she straight up implies kin relation. But outright asking if she is our kin could mess up the narrative later, or reveal something to soon.
>>
>>5099827
I prefer a slow burn to a narrative revelation like that personally. You don't blow your load in the first chapter after all.
>>
>>5099757
Tell me- why did that pendant affect me in such a drastic way? I've never felt anything like that.
>>
>>5099781
"My kin... Who are you? Are we related?" though some words still fly over your head, her implications of sharing your bloodline was one of the first things that called your attention.

"While the couple I've sent you to have done a splendid job raising you as their own, You are of mixed descent. Through my several requests to be transformed into a human by elven magic, it seems I have gained some affinity with their spells, my Od has been woven, and I am able to use their magic as my own, an ability that naturally would transfer to you... My son."
Son... her words give you a familiar sensation, an oddly soothing one...
"You've known your mother was infertile, and you've looked too similar to your foster parents to not raise suspicion from the ones outside your estate. But never once did you come to ask who left you on that chapel 19 years ago. It was something not even Michelle could answer, as she also did not know of that boy's biological mother, Sivir."

"Sivir... Do you know if my... parents are well?" You hesitate to call her mother, given as your whole world is being turned upside down, she does not seem to take offense to that."
"I can sense that Jacopo and Michelle are still alive, inside the castle of Doldrey. Many times, I have felt Jacopo's Od waver, I am afraid to say that he's likely been getting tortured in order to reveal the source of their income, and every time, he's refused to give out your location or your family name."

Father has been getting tortured? Unbelievable... Were the worsening of your hallucionations during your shut-in days her way of trying to contact you?
"You said his Od was wavering, what does that mean?"
"The Od is the life energy that connects everything between the physical, and the astral world. It goes beyond the concept of souls, as souls are created of a strong manifestation of several different Ods given a physical form. It is what keeps your heart beating, the wind flowing, and the fire burning. You seem to have developed some abilities of your own, but the Od's affinity is something that one has to learn on their own, as one does not guide the spirits, but rather let the spirits be their guide."

>Can you help me fight the Tudor Empire?
>Where are you right now?
>Why can't I see your face?
>Why did you leave?
>>
>>5099929
>Can you help me fight the Tudor Empire?
>Why did you leave?
>>
>>5099929
>Can you help me fight the Tudor Empire? To at least free Jacopo and Michelle? I own them that much.
>Will I be able to talk to you again?
>>
>>5099929
>>Can you help me fight the Tudor Empire?
Need something to help us survive the upcoming bloodbath.
>>
>>5099929
Ah so vlad is a elven half-breed, also
>can you help me fight the Tudor
>>5099935
Can we write in the option
>will I be able to talk to you again?
>>
>>5099929
>Can you help me fight the Tudor Empire?
Tell her about the necklace and ask why it affected us so strongly
>>
>>5099946
Naw vlad shouldn't ask her about the behelit, it could shatter the narrative. Sure we all know what the behelit is, but vlad doesn't. And if he learns it'll eventually cause Griffith to become a God and kill the band of the hawk, it could have disastrous results.

Though I imagine after this battle we'll just leave the band of the hawk
>>
>>5099948
Idk it seems like a relevant question from Vlads point of view, it was a unique vision and he just met his astral mother who is his only possible source of knowledge for his visions. It's almost more metagamey to willfully ignore that it happened and not question it at all
>>
>>5099953
Vlad has enough stuff to focus on, like fighting in the second wave with Guts (what were we thinking)! Thinking about how the eclipse will happen and kill all his new friends is something he shouldn't be thinking about, at least not right now.
>>
>>5099956
Also when the eclipse happens hopefully vlad is far away from Griffith, hell the QM said it'd be especially bad for vlad in that event.

Maybe instead he can have a vision of it happening and watching his friends die, and he's like dealing with holy see, or holy iron chain knight things.
>>
>>5099943
Support
>>
>>5099929
>can you help me fight the Tudor
Write in
>will I be able to talk to you again?
>>
>>5099948
Should we leave immediately after the battle ? I know we likely have to tend and aid our parents if they are alive after the end of the siege, but honestly that would take a few days of rest and the band will likely wait as well before moving again since they also need to rest and have wounded with them. A mercenary band like this one can be good for learning combat/war since several of his members are excellent fighters, and there would be plenty of combat experience to gain with the contracts they take. Though i am not sure we would be interested in being a member, we are a noble after all being a mercenary isn't something we really need since our family has already money. Still more money is always nice, it means we could buy well forged weapons and armor for us, an horse made for war and several other things.
At the same time going on our own road, could give us more time for do things alone (without any orders or a military camp routine to follow. Beside common sense when a man is traveling alone on the road) and without the eyes of the mercenaries on us, for example seeing about the library of our father if there is anything related to magic or finding useful books on the argument in nearby markets to our family land. There is also other possibilities for example the church contacts of our father, that should send someone to our home if they hear our parents where imprisoned by the Tudor or worse if they where killed. Or we could even attempt to begin a long journey and reach our biological mother, that wouldn't be easy but we would learn much on the way for sure.
>>
i suppose we could loot some money and equipment from the dead and defeated Tudor army after the end of the battle. Beside their army there is a whole order of their elite knights. They would have money and high quality equipment here for sure. And Griffith men shouldn't be able to pick clean the whole battlefield in a day too, and i imagine he would respect our own right to enemy loot after a battle. Especially since we are a noble of Midland, a minor one, but one all the same. If we speak good of him, it would help him greatly in the kingdom good reputation can be important as loot for him.
>>
>>5099929
>Can you help me fight the Tudor Empire?
>Write in: “But why, what is the point of all of this?”

Her agenda confuses me. She obviously knows the material world is a shithole, so why didn't she have us in the Astral. The most likely answer is destiny or an important mission, but honestly, I got no clue.
>>
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>>5099934
>>5099935
>>5099938
>>5099943
>>5099946
"Can you help me fight the Tudor Empire? To at least free Jacopo and Michelle? I owe them that much." You plead for guidance against tommorow's battle, but Sivir is sad to decline.

"That is a wish I cannot grant, our mere astral meeting is already something that goes against several rules of the Astral plane. Besides, I am merely borrowing power from a third party, a finite resource I cannot abuse."
You shake your head in disappointment, even with your newfound mother spectating over you, there is not much else she can do.
"However, there is something I can do to ease your pain."

The two hands phase through your shoulder and reach into your heart. Afterwards, your vision disconnects from the outside world, and as you try and look towards your body, you only see a flicker of white, representing your own Od, followed by several strings of red mist entering your body as you inhale and exhale. The white flame grows stronger, dispersing the evil intent away from your soul.

After Sivir pulls her wrist away from you, you feel as if nature itself is healing your body. The chest pain you've felt from passing out at Griffith's tent slowly goes away as the ground, the wind and the mountains have come to lend whatever life energy they had to make the strain your body has felt since that encounter go away, adding nature's life into your own as if you were one and the same.
You feel lighter, even more elastic than you've felt in a long time, as if your body has been rejuvenated, the pain from your joints and the exhaustion from training all day have completely disappeared, calming your physical and astral incarnations.

"Beware of astral wounds Vlad, as they are impossible to heal without the aid of magic, I would advise you to avoid any further encounters with the Egg Of The King if you value your life, your body is easily corruptable, as is any being with human thoughts and desires." Sivir lets go of your hands as her persence weakens with each word uttered.

"Wait! Will I get to see you again?" You turn around to get a glimpse at your mother's face, but only the stars welcome your eyes as they stare into the empty sky.
"We will surely meet once more, should you survive this trial. Farewell, my dear halfling. Grow stronger, and grow to protect what is sacred."
Her voice trails in echoes as you feel her presence going away. Even after several attempts, no connection is established. Despite being healed of whatever injuries you had, the revelations from Sivir trouble your mind, as the questions she raised will be left unanswered for an uknown of time.
>>
Going to be a busy next few days, so I think this is a good hook for when I come back next time, let me know how it's going so far and we'll see how Vlad's story continues. Bump limit and archiving shouldnt be an issue right now but maybe going too far in a single thread would make things too cluttered.
>>
>>5100271
Seems neato, shame I decided to check it out just as it's going on a (mini) hiatus. See ya then.
>>
>>5100271
It's going pretty good. Does this mean our boy is strong enough to stab a guy through, then toss him into someone, or does he need to work on his gains?
>>
>>5100271
I am enjoying how things are unfolding currently.
>>
>>5100271
Sound good see ya when you return
>>
>>5100271
The quest is excellent so far, and it's been quite enjoyable. I'm certainly looking forward to the holy see and holy iron chain knight shenanigans that have been foreshadowed. Also I know I'm thinking way to far ahead, but it'd be interesting to see Vlad meet up with Guts again at the tower of conviction. Not to mention Vlad interacting with Farnesse, or heaven forbid Mozgus.
>>5100391
Vlad is definitely strong enough to impale a man with his spear and swing them around. Only problem is that Vlad has never killed anyone before. That will be Vlad's biggest hurdle in the battle of Doldrey, killing another person and getting over it. Luckily Tudor's Purple Rhino Knights are in full armor, so vlad will have a much easier time dehumanizing them.
>>
>>5100492
Give Vlad a few months to train, eat his protein, and not coom. He'll be an unstoppable gorilla.
>>
>>5100390
>>5100461
Cool, glad to know you're having fun.
>>5100391
If Current Guts is a 10 and Schnoz is a 1, Vlad is sitting at a strong 3 in terms of combat prowess, precog might give him an advantage here and there but unless the dice grant you the power of Ultra Instinct you'd be lucky to beat a small army of Rickerts, let alone the Elite Knights, their armor is sturdy too so impaling them might be too fancy for someone who's just starting their kill count.
>>5100492
Farnese is gonna be awesome if we get there, a heretic paladin that's also the son of someone who's funding the Holy See? The parallels are already like fire and ice, she'll get off on burning Vlad alive maybe even more than Guts.
>>
>>5100391
Definetely work on those gains things have just started, but is a good start at least. We will need to learn how to use our secondary and unarmed later as well. Hopefully the band remains for a few days of rest so we can use the oppurtunity for boost our training. 1vs1 against Guts, and even the others.

>>5100492
Well thankfully things can go in quite a blur with cavalry charges, i don t even think he will see his first kill on his spear honestly just from the shear impact of a cav charge. Of course if he is able to kill someone, their armors are high quality. Problems might arise when he is in the thick of the melee, even if people are on horses things would have slow down and there will be plenty of blood and corpses around.


>>5100543
Add that we are son of a fae and a possible magician, the combination couldn't be worse unless we are even a demon worshipper lmao
>>
>>5100543
Considering the fact that we can read thoughts and intent, I say we tease the Holy See out of Farnese like there's no tomorrow.
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>>5100615
Being able to read thoughts and intent will be invaluable to us in regards to social combat. Vlad has partied before, so that must means he's some levels of social butterfly.
>>
>>5100615
Oh hell yes. If Guts hasn't recognized us by that point, he'll finally see that we cover his biggest hole - the lack of ability to clap back
>>
Imagine how fucked up Vlad will be if he's anywhere near the behelit when Griffith actually uses it. Honestly it might mess him up from any distance.
>>
>>5100543
>with God rolls Vlad could possibly take on a small army of Rickerts
That's a fantastic mental image thanks. And I suppose Vlad being a strong 3 (3.5 to 3.9 I guess) means he could take on a low ranking Purple Rhino Knight (such as a private) 1on1 and have a good chance of winning right?
>>5100595
The charge that ambushes the Rhino Knights will likely be were Vlad is most effective, as he may be able to kill a couple by ramming his spear through them due to high speeds. Though afterwards when it becomes a all out slog, Vlad should stick near the raiders and go into a support role. But we shouldn't stay near guts, cause he'll eventually fight Boscogn. And Boscogn is a murder machine.
>>5100788
The fifth eclipse will definitely fuck Vlad up whenever it happens, most likely mentally. Best case vlad gets a vision of it happening and he goes to his knees, worst case scenario he has a aneurysm.
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Just caught up, I look forward to seeing where causality brings this unfortunate soul.
I think it would be greatly worth suggesting the creation of traps in the forest.
It can't be anything grand, it should be simple and easy to implement in just a few hours. With a hundred men working at it, you could create a few hundred of these in a few hours, enough to seriously hamper the enemy during critical moments.
Even if it doesn't pass through armor (which it still might, since armor is generally weak to piercing) it'll trip up the enemies during critical moments.
>>
>>5101479
If we're really lucky, and the enemy is running, they might run so fast that when they sink their leg in they'll bend their further and break their legs. They'll be warry to advance and susceptible to heavy crossbow fire.
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Just coming in to say that we'll be back at January 1st, We'll see if we can get to at least the end of the fight by then.
>>5100615
>I say we tease the Holy See out of Farnese like there's no tomorrow.
If Vlad is there to get whipped along with Guts when the time comes I'll let you come up with some funny lines.
Enemies to lovers is one of my favorite romance tropes so provided there are no other candidates for the Vlad bowl I could consider it.
>>5101479
The fight's going to be at an open mountainside closed off by a river, the muddy flooring could surely be used for some traps but you'll have limited time to do it given everyone will charge at Guts' command. Doable, but suboptimal
>>5100799
Guts will likely drawn in most of the big shots Vlad can theoretically solo a good Rhino Knight with his hax powers but it's a capital If, add more than 5 targets and it turns into a very big maybe
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>>5101649
Oh, I must have been thinking of a much later battle. My apologies. I had the scene of guts fighting a shitload of people in a forest in my head.
Open mountainside closed off by a river...muddy flooring...hmm.
Punji definitely won't be optimal there.
Honestly, the best strategy for that one might be to have some planks laid out as a temporary bridge for our units to retreat past the river if need be, which we can pull back to deny the enemy an easy way of crossing. From there they have to either risk an enormous amount of potshots from ranged units, or go a different route. And if they go a different route, we could slide the temp-bridge back into place and come up to harass them once more. Just make sure that everyone has some good cover from the enemy's own ranged units to make sure we keep the advantage.
It's honestly the best we could do for guerilla tactics in such an open environment.
The risks involve: The temp bridge being destroyed with people on it, the enemy units predicting this tactic and bringing their own temp bridge (though setting it up would admittedly be hard on them with arrows and bolts flying at them), the enemy not taking the bait, or the enemy having enough ranged units of their own and bringing their own cover to turn it into a horrible stalemate.
Hmm...strategy is difficult.
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>>5101649
>not entering Casca in the Vlad bowl

Shame.
>>
>>5101873
Casca is taken, and Guts would turn Vlad into chunky salsa. Motherfuck kills demons for fun!
>>
>>5101649
For vlad to get whipped along with guts I suppose he'd have to meet up with him after the eclipse. And the time to do that would be immediately after the eclipse or when he comes back right before the to tower of conviction. Or Vlad is apart of the holy chain knights and tries to defend guts, leading to him being labeled a heretic and punished.
>>
>>5101649
nice just at the start of the year
>can theoretically solo a good Rhino Knight
honestly i am just glad we should be able to better survive now, more than kill anyone. Killing some knights and Tudor man at arms would be definitely great for combat experience, but surviving this battle is a reward on his own.


>>5101832
i don't think we have that much say in strategy at the moment, we could suggest it as an idea but they might have consider it before. Also with the plans already made i doubt they would change them. It's not a bad idea though.
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>>5102043
It's worth putting forth if Griffith hasn't considered it already, if nothing else.
Or as an exit strategy if things go tits up.
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>>5101832
>>5102043
>>5102056
I'm not sure what you guys are worrying about. The battle of Doldrey went extremely well got the Band of The Hawk, it was overwhelming victory
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>>5102070
The battle going well doesn't mean necessarily that it goes well for us too, beside the band had still losses. We will do rolls for our combat, we are also a warrior beginner and this will be our first real battle. We have choose one of the hardest options for the ones we could go for, this will not be easy.
>>
Do you think Vlad will need to pick up a better spear to stay competitive once everything goes to hell? If so, where or how would he get one?
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>>5103293
Gungnir
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>>5103293
I prefer a broad sword or any two handed sword over the spear.
>>
>>5103293
Well I think we would improve upon our equipment whenever we have the cash to do so, and if we are near a place we can do that. We certainly don't need to wait for the world to change for having better equipment lol.
City, castles and other human settlements for starter. Right now our equipment is something good for the rank and file if armies. In human settlements we pay in cash, and either buy equipment already made or pay more for custom ones made for us/our body measures. We just need to look around for a forge and done. Or, if we can permit ourselves that is, we ask in inns about the bests smiths of the land and then go to them for see their prices.

If not that well there is looting (battles and old places) and buying it from travelling merchants. We could attempt on our own if we want, by using magic as well. Or we go after rumor of legends and see if we are lucky, we could even go on an adventure in the forests and see if we find fae smiths or nature spirits ones.
We could also join mercenaries, an order or become a lord retinue for get good equipment free. The better the military formation, the better the equipment.
Last resort is asking anyone armed well we see, if they don t mind selling their equipment for some good old cash.
>>
And equipment likely needs maintenance and repairs, so higher quality will need more time and money/something valuable (I doubt fae or natural spirits are interested in cash, more if we do things for them or kill demons/evil stuff).

Cheaper equipment is easier to repair/maintain and find around. But also easier to break and if it s not well made it likely does little or nothing to tougher enemies.
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>>5103446
Anon did you forget that we're a noble? We can get some of the best armor in the kingdom if we wanted too. The reason why we didn't come with one was because we were never expected to go to war, and it takes a while to commission form fitting armor, at whole suit of it at least.

>>5103450
Again. We're a noble. We dont need to loot.
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>>5103474
Looting is a time honored tradition and should be respected. If mookie Mcgee is carrying around an item that wouldn't be out of place on a pedestal being worshiped for its quality you're god damn right it's getting nicked.

Nobles looting is a well documented occurrence in history too. Being a noble doesn't mean being a fucking snob about your pointy stick.
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>>5103474
No ?
I didn't ask the question about the equipment, i just offered all the possible answers to the one that asked for how to go about it.
I do plan for us to either go buy something already made or commision it. Or enter in the holy iron chain knights, since they are elites. Though I am not sure about that since we would need to not be open, about our use of magic (we could go even to the fae or nature early on).
Eh people loot all the time, especially if it"s something good. Nobles have even specific rights for it, spoils of war.
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>>5103480
A fairt point (ha!), but how much are we looting?
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>>5103496
A tasteful amount. We don't need to swipe everything shiny but family crests and exceptional gear? If we get the chance, yeah. Always swipe family stuff. If you murdered the last heir that shit becomes a collectible. If not you can always return it to the family like a good person. Eugh.
>>
As Guts inspired Artorrias I would like if we can make Vlad a Hunter-expy from Bloodborne, he already has some "insight" we need the skills regardless
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>>5104268
So attach a cannon to Vlad's arm and rub bone dust on it?
>>
Man, wish I had found this quest sooner so I coulda voted on the weapon choice. Still, can't argue against the spear.

>>5103293
Oh absolutely. Basic human made weapons just cannot match up to Apostles, so we most certainly need either our own Dragonslayer equivalent or a magic relic.
question is if Vlad can get stronk enough to handle a weapon comparable to Gut's metal slab.
Vald's magic powers will even the playing field a bit, of course... but at this stage we can't be sure what manner of spells he can even learn, so having a weapon that we don't have to replace after every single fight is just a bonus.
>>
>>5104671
Well, the good thing about a spear is that it's a fair deal sturdier than its equivalent sword, at least in use.
If someone sideswiped it, it might be roughly equal in terms of strength, but putting it into actual use? Well, you only thrust with spears, and that puts pressure across the entire length of it. Depending on the design of the spear, it'll either pierce clean through the enemy (unless you hit bone and DON'T glance off to the side of said bone) or get stuck in them and could then be used to hold the enemy back or direct their movements accordingly which is the case with boar spears or the boar spear's bigger and meaner older brother the bear spear.
That being said, I think for apostles the bear spear might be the best possible choice. Stops the spear from going too deep, sturdy as FUCK, easy to brace against the ground to hinder movements against even ungodly strong targets...
I suppose it could even be possible to make something even sturdier than the bear spear, intended for use in hunting things even stronger than grizzlies.

Now, that all being said, my personal favorite is actually the military fork. By design it won't go too deep, will stop the target from pushing down the shaft until it can fuck you up, and can be used to hook weapons and enemies alike to pull them wherever the fuck you want to pull them. The two hooks on the sides were mostly used for weapons, while that third hook jutting out was mostly used for dismounting horseback fighters.
>>
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Happy New Years, I'll start writing shortly. Get ready for the fight of Vlad's life (for now at least)
>>
>>5104724
Happy new years, and good morning! Didn't expect anyone else up at this early hour with me.
>>
>>5104724
>Get ready for the fight of Vlad's life (for now at least)
Oh boy. It's gonna get messy.

>>5104723
Hmm. Personally I think we need something more weighty than a military fork for anything close to an Apostle in size (because they all tend to be large to massive anyway) and that's not taking into account their supernatural toughness - even a stab to the brain isn't a guaranteed kill.

My personal choice would be something designed after a partisan/spontoon or a fauchard. pic related
(No idea how accurate this pic is, but it works as a reference for what the weapons I mentioned look like)
>>
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The fateful day has arrived.
The Band has pulled no punches today, not stopping for too long at meal breaks and not taking out their weapons for practice due to Griffith's order to preserve their energy, it was for all intents and purposes, a straight march towards the castle of Doldrey.

A few hours before reaching the battlefield, Casca's unit had to take a different trail in order to get in position for the ambush, prompting Griffith to say some parting words of motivation to their unit.

"It's time to take back what's our righteous territory! For a hundred years, the Tudor Empire has for long terrorized innocent townsfolk and countrymen. Before the sun even sets, we'll be able to supress their force and seize the castle, ensuring our victory in this century-long struggle! As you kill and as you be killed, remember that all of you are making history today, and each one of your efforts will be gratefully remembered by generations to come! It all ends NOW!"
Griffith raises his sword to the sky and the soldiers go wild in a mix array of chants and battle cries of their own, no doubt a speech that would bolster even the biggest of cowards in this army.

After Griffith's troop takes a few hundred steps forward, you're invited to mount on an armored horse of your own, your trusty spear in one hand and a sturdy shield in the other, you march along with around a thousand other men, being signaled by the red caped swordsman, Guts.

The enemy troops all look like ants as they huddle together in the horizon, but even at your distance you can tell that they're numerous and armed to the teeth. Provided Griffith takes care of all in the first layer of enemies, it's safe to say that every soldier will still take around 5 to 6 enemies down to make a net positive in this fight.
After the first few strikes, the struggle will soon get chaotic, and you'll need to think of what to do on the go.
Griffith's group halts 1000 steps away from the castle, contemplating the building as well as staring at his enemies, seeing as they are all awaiting for his initial charge, there is still some time to prepare before you're ordered to fight in the second wave.

>Get familiar with your horse.
>Check your equipment.
>Get a feel of everyone's Od.
>Set a few traps on a concentrated area.
>Watch the first fight and wait for your turn.
>>
>>5104747
>Check your equipment.
>Watch the first fight and wait for your turn.
I don't want no loose strap screwing us over
Don't think we should bother with traps. We'd have to dismount and in a battle of this scale we could cause friendly casualties with what few traps we could even make.
>>
>>5104747
>Get a feel of everyone's Od.
Being able to tell which of our allies might need help, being able to quickly tell if an approaching us is friend or foe, and even being able to (possible) predict the horse's behavior based on what we see its Od do.
The best all around choice imo.
>>
>>5104747
>>Get familiar with your horse.
>Watch the first fight and wait for your turn.
If the horse falls then we are fucked, better get some affection points from it before it inevitably dies
>>
>>5104747
>Check your equipment.
>Set a few traps on a concentrated area.
Lets be real, this horse is definitely gonna die, we can barely defend ourselves so no chance in hell is it gonna survive the battle, our only hope to even survive the battle is to make sure our equipment is good and set up an area with traps to fall back to and help us defend ourselves if we get overwhelmed by the enemy (which we most likely will).
>>
>>5104747
>Get a feel of everyone's Od.
>Watch the first fight and wait for your turn.
>>
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>>5104752
>>5104769
>>5104774
>>5104780
Feeling for Od from over 30 thousand men seems a lot more difficult than focusing on a few single targets or when you're by yourself, after a certain distance, it all starts to mesh together in a blur, making it hard to distinguish who's who, even on a dead looking enviroment such as this one. Might as well save your sensing abilities for when you're up and close then.

Taking one last look at your arsenal before the fight starts, you strap your shield alongside your left arm, and tightly grip your spear by the middle part of the shaft, also strapped to your leather belt is the two secondary weapons you've found at home, the handaxe and the dagger, should you fail to use your spear properly, you're still not completely out of options. Your armor is of medium weight, covering you from head to toe in it's metallic glory, with the emblem of the falcons to the left side of your chest to boot. The heat from this thing might be insufferable, but it should protect you against a few blows.

After making sure you werent missing anything, you shift your focus once again to Griffith and his motivating shouts of "CHAAAARGE!"
You manage to follow the lead mercenary with your eyes for a bit to see how he strikes his opponents.
While he has a narrow saber, he fights with exceptional swordsmanship. Parrying the attacks from heavier blades, he follows by shifting the weight of his opponents to easily turn the tides. While his time on the offense is short, he makes up for it by gracefully puncturing vital spots such as the chest, head and neck.
5...10...15...20... you start losing count at how many enemies Griffith has managed to dance around on, all his movements seem as coreographed as a feather following a wind current, pushing his horse and his units forward with each fallen rhino knight.

A cloud of dust briefly obscures your view as the moving of several thousand horses was weight to even shake the ground itself, but out of it soon came the first troop from your brigade, drifting west towards the direction of the river and being accompanied by the sound of a battle horn.
"NOW!" taking his queue, Guts charges head first into the smoke, capitalizing on the enemy's lack of vision as if it didnt hinder his own.

The second layer of the army would soon meet the Purple Rhino Knight Elites in a fiery clash....
>Wait for the dust to clear.
>Blindsight the enemy by sensing their Ods.
>Follow behind Guts as he clears the way.
>Rush with the other troops and provide support.
>>
>>5104827
>Blindsight the enemy by sensing their Ods.
>>
>>5104827
>Rush with the other troops and provide support.
Let's wait a bit more before using our Od sensing
>>
>>5104827
>Blindsight the enemy by sensing their Ods.
tactics
>>
>>5104827
>Rush with the other troops and provide support.
'other troops' aka meat shie- I mean, strength in numbers and whatnot
>>
>>5104827
>Blindsight the enemy by sensing their Ods.
>>
>>5104827
>Blindsight the enemy by sensing their Ods.
>>
>>5104840
>>5104846
>>5104854
>>5104859
Should be easy for Vlad to see them through the smoke, but killing big targets while you're charging will be down to luck.
And by luck I mean dice, roll me a 1d100. DC is 55.
>>
Rolled 56 (1d100)

>>5104866
hope I remember how this worked, been a while
>>
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Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>5104866
Parry this you fucking casuals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBdnti4_UUg
>>
Rolled 85 (1d100)

>>5104866
I'll take the third roll
>>
>>5104875
n I c e
>>
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>>5104869
>>5104872
>>5104875
How quickly the tide turns!
>>
>>5104875
>>5104879
Adrenaline is one helluva drug
>>
>>5104875
Good
>>
>>5104879
We just need to remember that overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer.
>>
>>5104875
Very cool.
>>
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>>5104875
>>
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>>5104869
>>5104872
>>5104875
Overtaken by a fiery sense of determination, you start to sense the Od of several different Rhino Knights, all with weapon in hands traversing slowly through the smoke.
Be it by horse or on foot, they are still threading carefully until they're able to see properly. With your Od sensing powers guiding you passively, you don't have the same disadvantage as any of the other fighters on this field.
This is your one opportunity to take them down, and you will not miss your chance to strike!
"RAAAAAAAARGH!!" Your horse rushes forward with full speed as you aim diagonally up towards the neck of your opponents in parallel to their line formation.

All you hear is a brief gasp of shock before The Rhinos get their limbs punctured, scratched and even detatched from their bodies. The impact from your blade and their coated guard is felt on your arms right up your bones. Still your lance never fails you as you hold it still and watch your enemies get knocked off their horses, either being trampled by cavalry, or with other mercs seizing the opportunity to hand them a killing blow.

Their Od diminishes as the dust clears. You don't bother looking back to count the numbers, but you're pretty sure you took care of a good few of them. As the equine halts to a stop, you see you've swarmed past the elites' formation, as they were still up in smoke and didnt bother going back to fight a single unit when several stand in front of them, you've effectively flew under their strongest's radar.

Alas, Guts and the other falcons are still quite a bit behind you and even if their third layer of footsoldiers is not as well equipped as you are, their numbers still prove to be intimidating.
Far in the distance, you manage to see another smoke of rising dust, indicating Griffith did manage to bait some enemies to follow him. But it was almost as if their enemies knew he was merely being a distraction, as they didnt send half of the Rhinos to pursuit him, but only about a third of their army.

The castle of Doldrey is still packed with soldiers close to the gates, with archers and catapults being rushed into action. Casca and her reinforcements are still too far away for you to feel their presence, so as the Tudor combatants close in on you from left and right, you still have to question yourself on what your next move will be.
With your previous display of strength intimidating the weak and inviting the strong to slowly approach your equine comrade, you can only hope your battle efficiency doesnt work in peaks and valleys, or your horse's for that matter.

>Charge back to the falcons while the smoke hasnt cleared yet, aiming for the elites while their backs are turned.
>Hold the line against the 2nd layer, waiting for the others to reach you while hoping the ranged attacks dont strike you before that.
>Circle around the elites and return to your party.
>Draw as much attention as possible, using your ranged weapon for crowd control.
>>
>>5104925
>Hold the line against the 2nd layer, waiting for the others to reach you while hoping the ranged attacks dont strike you before that

We've got good armor, and as long as we keep moving we should be okay.
>>
>>5104925
>Charge back to the falcons while the smoke hasnt cleared yet, aiming for the elites while their backs are turned.
>>
>>5104925
>Circle around the elites and return to your party.
Better not take unnecessary risks I say
>>
>>5104925
>>Hold the line against the 2nd layer, waiting for the others to reach you while hoping the ranged attacks dont strike you before that.
come hither
>>
>>5104925
>Charge back to the falcons while the smoke hasnt cleared yet, aiming for the elites while their backs are turned.
>>
>>5104925
>Charge back to the falcons while the smoke hasnt cleared yet, aiming for the elites while their backs are turned.
>>
>>5104925
>Hold the line against the 2nd layer, waiting for the others to reach you while hoping the ranged attacks dont strike you before that.
Not one step back!
>>
>>5104925
>Hold the line against the 2nd layer, waiting for the others to reach you while hoping the ranged attacks dont strike you before that.

Let s see how long we can stand
>>
>>5104925
>>Hold the line against the 2nd layer, waiting for the others to reach you while hoping the ranged attacks don't strike you before that.
HOLD MEN! HOOOOLD!!
>>
>>5104930
>>5104951
>>5104949
>>5104946
>>5104938
Roll to hold the line! Over 60 and you'll be unscathed.
>>
Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>5104960
First into the breach
>>
Rolled 45 (1d100)

>>5104960
>>
Rolled 98 (1d100)

>>5104960
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>5104960
BRACE
>>
>>5104963
Nice
>>
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Rolled 12 (1d100)

>>5104960
Trust in our pokey stick
>>
>>5104963
Damn son
>>
>>5104963
Damn anon, leave some pussy for the rest of us.
>>
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>>5104961
>>5104962
>>5104963
Very nice
>>
>>5104963
Based
We are stabbing and bashing like there is no tommorow
>>
>>5104963
Simply built different.
>>
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>>5104961
>>5104962
>>5104963
Making most of being the only one with a horse against the soldiers on foot, you gallop to whichever side the Rhinos were trying to corner you on and stab whoever's unfortunate enough to be standing against the end of your spear. These people dont seem to be nearly as tough the ones the Falcons seem to be fighting south of your position, their pattern of attacks being easily foreseen by their Ods giving away what they'll do next, and the flashes of light from the corner of your eyes indicated where

Whoever was naive enough to try an attack on your horse, they would quickly be on the receiving end of his horseshoe kicks. Focusing so hard on the enemies before you, you've failed to realise the horse had a spirit of his own. Whatever attack he deflected and dodged, he did it not for you, but for himself.
A prideful creature that went with the flow of your blows, but was still resourceful enough to cover your blind spots.

Gallop, skewer, retreat. Gallop, skewer, retreat. For whatever direction you seemed to choose, the equine seemed to go on prompt, without even so much pointing your head in that direction. Your Od seems to have a natural communicative competence to animals, to the point where the two of you were almost as well synched as if you were a single entity.
Whatever lack of experience you had seemed to be covered by his masterful repositioning and unfaltering neighing, enemy horsemen, thy name is Gunpowder, and whoever tries to land a blow on him would get their skull caved in by your shield.

The reinforcements have arrived from Griffith's and Casca's side, and while a few soldiers are starting to get closer, many have fallen behind as the vast majority of Rhino Knights have gathered in a circle to fight a single soldier, who was cutting through most of them like a stack of papers. You can safely assume that's the work of the 100 man slayer.
>>
>>5105020
We are getting this horsie the TOP SHELF ALFALFA. Throw in a few sugar cubes, veggies, and maybe a little meat.
>>
>>5105020
Gotta love a proper warhorse. No one wants to get the boot from a six hundred praaghound long dog.
>>
>>5105037
>praaghound
Am I having a stroke? I definitely typed "pound"
>>
>>5105020
You think Griffith would allow us to keep the horse? Even if not I'm sure we could like buy it or a replacement, being a horseman sounds cool.
>>
>>5105041
We are definitely buying this horse.
>>
>>5105041
Having a horse is useful in general. I am fine with buying it all from him, including the equipment, with some of the loot we take from the battlefield. Though I suspect Griffith might prefer us to remain if he hears we did very well in the battle, or could ask for political support while giving us everything for free.
>>
>>5105020
As the minutes pass by, you often look towards the catapults. They seems strategically positioned over the gates, so provided Casca reaches Doldrey from behind, that's the last place her and her troops will reach.
The boulders are placed onto the buckets and the arms have been pulled far back. While you dont think they'd be stupid enough to aim them at you when you're knee deep into a good chunk of their soldiers, there is the distinct possiblity of that happening if you case enough of a scene.
Taking a glance around you, you see a trail of bodies as the corpses grow their numbers around the battlefield. Your spear, once brown and silver, are now fully coated in red. With no doubt your armor and face not looking very different.

It would be a minor distraction to a normal man, but your deeper connections to the spirits prove to be a hindrance, as their ods shatter and disperse into thin air, their scent, their taste still remain on your hands. It wasnt too long ago that you were told that life was precious even in it's smallest incarnations, yet here you are, covered in crimson battle paint. Death is not a simple one and done occurance, and by being their harbinger, you'll have to live with the consequences.

You know the only options here are to kill or to be killed, yet you still cannot say that you're taking pleasure in what you are doing. The contrast between the peaceful life in your estate and the situation you're in to save your parents starts to kick in, and in order to clear your mind on why you're taking away the lives of soldiers, humans, family members on their own right, you need to establish at least a good coping mechanism to calm your nerves while all this bloodbath is going on, as everyone else here probably did.

>If I didnt kill them, someone else would have.
>True peace doesnt come from inaction.
>They had it coming when they invaded our kingdom.
>There are fates worse than dying. You are ending their lives, but not torturing them.
>>
>>5105045
Giving Griffith political support, no matter how small it is due to our family's relatively small stature, in exchange for the horse sounds fine to me... Hm, let us hope when Griffith falls out of the kings graces that his supporters aren't thrown to the wolfs.
>True peace doesnt come from inaction.
I think this option fits us best
>>
>>5105050
>True peace doesnt come from inaction.
>>
>>5105051
>>5105050
Forgot to make it so the reply is to the QMs post so i'm posting this just to be sure.
>>
>>5105050
>True peace doesnt come from inaction

You know who else rides a dope horse and kicks ass? Skull knight.
>>
>>5105050
>True peace doesnt come from inaction
>>
>>5105050
>True peace doesnt come from inaction.
>They had it coming when they invaded our kingdom.
>>
>>5105050
>True peace doesnt come from inaction.

Besides they are soldiers. Their work is war. What we can do is give them a swift kill, or making them surrender due to wounds or skill.

>>5105051
I am not sure about the king, he is quite vengeful and Griffith did something that ensured the ruler hate for him. Though even if we don't seem to be political active at the moment, we still have done enough social events to not be a stranger. So it might have an impact with what we do in the future.
>>
>>5105050
>True peace doesn't come from inaction.
True peace comes from eliminating all obstacles in our path, only then will nothing threaten to oppose us.
>>
>>5105050
>True peace doesnt come from inaction.
And
>they kidnapped and are torturing my parents. They deserve it.
>>
>>5105073
+1

Fucking kek. The Sigma Grindset will end up turning us into the sixth apostle.
>>
>>5105051
>>5105053
>>5105055
>>5105057
>>5105069
>>5105070
>>5105073
>>5105100
Think back to what Griffith said before starting his side of the fight:
'For a hundred years, the Tudor Empire has for long terrorized innocent townsfolk and countrymen. As you kill and as you be killed, remember that all of you are making history today, and each one of your efforts will be gratefully remembered by generations to come!'

Despite seeming hypocritical to raise an army to fight for peace at first glance, you realize that true peace cannot stem from inaction. All evil needs to triumph is for it's opposition to idly sit by while the weak cannot fend for themselves. And you already dealt with that conundrum when you decided to mount on Corkus' horse to fight for your kingdom. Acting on your beliefs, even if wrongfully so, shows that you're willing to fight for what you believe.

Everyone here, regardless of their side, is fighting towards peace, but peace also comes from establishing the presence of power, and that includes a select few to get their hands dirty, it's surely better than the bloody alternatives you can think of.

The whizzing of a stray arrow quickly ceases your rationalization, with several more being aimed between your eyes, you decide to block the array of fire coming from a knight's crossbow.
"Seems like Boscogn missed a few of you maggots. I was thinking of sniping that other guy with the big sword, but you've already proved to be a bit of a nuisance. Why don't you try to fight someone of your rank, coward?"
The elite seems to mistake you for a high rank officer. Though you certainly appreciate the compliment, fighting a crossbow weilder sounds dangerous, as you've finally found a weapon that can outrange you, a charge against him could be effective, but the huddled soldiers around him could take potshots at you and opening a good line of fire for him.
Count that with the inevitable arches from the castle and the catapults, and you've found yourself in quite a predicament.

> Face him head on in a frontal attack
> Impale someone and use him as a body shield against the arrows.
>Stall him while you reposition to be facing the castle, hoping for friendly fire from the archers.
>Throw your axe and daggers at him, hopefully killing him off.
>>
>>5105111
> Impale someone and use him as a body shield against the arrows.
Peak berserk
>>
>>5105111
> Face him head on in a frontal attack
Focus on our bond with the horse to coordinate dodges as we close distance. We gotta get them in our range since they're ranged attackers
>>
>>5105111
> Impale someone and use him as a body shield against the arrows
HAI YAI FORCES!
>>
>>5105111
>> Impale someone and use him as a body shield against the arrows.
"Said the man with the crossbow, to the one with the spear !"
"But sure, let me reach you so that you may eat your words, Tudor worm ! FOR MIDLAND AND SANTANA !"

With our shield and the corpse, we should avoid more hours. Darts are no joke, when we are near we can start to stab his men at arms and then him.
>>
>>5105111
> Impale someone and use him as a body shield against the arrows.
>>
>>5105125
*darts not hours
>>
>>5105111
> Impale someone and use him as a body shield against the arrows.

Vlad “the Impaler” Santana.
>>
>>5105111
> Impale someone and use him as a body shield against the arrows.

WE ARE VLAD THE IMPALER!

Also nice trips QM!
>>
>>5105111
>> Impale someone and use him as a body shield against the arrows
>>
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>>5105118
>>5105121
>>5105122
>>5105125
>>5105126
>>5105128
>>5105133
>>5105142
Another 60 DC, Roll!
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>5105143
YOLO
>>
Rolled 75 (1d100)

>>5105143
Got a bad feeling about this one
>>
Rolled 37 (1d100)

>>5105143
HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
>>
>>5105146
Good save anon.
>>
>>5105146
I got a good feeling about you though, high roller!
>>
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>>5105144
>>5105146
>>5105147
>>
Rolled 28 (1d100)

>>5105153
Testing my luck. Probably won't be able to get back until tomorrow.
>>
>>5105146
thanks !
well we can always return more near to the mercs ranks, safety in numbers and what not.
>>
>>5105146
“A based man in a cringe place can make all the difference in the world.”
>>
>>5105146
>Got a bad feeling about this one
Ironic.
>>
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>>5105144
>>5105146
>>5105147
"Said the man with the crossbow, to the one with the spear!" You pridefully respond back to the Rhino Elite. "But sure, let me reach you so that you may eat your words, Tudor worm ! FOR MIDLAND AND SANTANA !" You rush to the call to action as the enemy sneers at you, shooting over a dozen arrows straight at you.

Gunpowder stands up on his two hooves before galloping towards the projectiles, a decision he doesnt seem to agree with, but trusting you enough to be led by your command.

You will not let him down.
A poor sap thought it was a good idea to charge straight at you, and by nature of being outranged, you managed to pierce his chest with your lance and lift him to the height of your arms as he got impaled the attack.
"AAAAARGH!" The man seems to be screaming in agony as the darts corrode his body. Not only were they deadly on their own, but the archers here seem to imbue their projectiles with some sort of acid.

Pushing through the group and kocking them down with the blunt force of your human shield, you jump over the crossbow weilder in an amazing display of horseriding as you bash his temple with your arrow-filled shield.
Dropping the corpse of a man behind you as you've crossed over the Elite Knight, he stands up and tries to aim a cowardly shot at your horse, before the boulders from the catapults crush him and his allies to a pulp, which luckily enough, managed to block the incoming arrow rain from the few archers who aimed at you.

The falcons soon emerge at Doldrey's Castle, with Casca's platoon fighting a general on the top floors.
Guts' troop is now caught up with you, but as your chest starts to ache from breathing too hard, you realize you can only fight on adrenaline for so long before your body starts to complain.
Despite taking a considerable number of them, The soldiers still seem to endless spawn as the front gate opens, with no end to their troops in near sight.

>You've done enough, The Band's got this in the bag. They can take it from here
>This isn't over yet, it's time to look for your parents by yourself.
>>
>>5105208
>You've done enough, The Band's got this in the bag. They can take it from here
At least take a breather and let the horse rest too.
>>
>>5105208
>Take a rest and fall back behind the allied lines, looking for a good place to next employ Gunpowder's excellent charge
>>
>>5105208
>You've done enough, The Band's got this in the bag. They can take it from here.
Fall back for now, we aren't exactly in top fighting condition, besides we've already taken out a strong higher ranking officer and many low ranking grunts.

As much as I wanna fight, we must acknowledge our limits before we get ourselves killed, especially considering its just gonna get more difficult the more exhausted our body gets.
>>
>>5105208
>This isn't over yet, it's time to look for your parents by yourself.
>>
>>5105208
>Snag that elite knight's crossbow and his special bolts. You can let your body and horse rest in relative ease while still taking potshots at the enemy to give your allies some breathing room.
>>
>>5105227
+1 Sounds good.
>>
>>5105208
>Snag that elite knight's crossbow and his special bolts. You can let your body and horse rest in relative ease while still taking potshots at the enemy to give your allies some breathing room
>If they survived the catapult boulder that is.

We will fight alongside the mercs for now, with them with us we shouldn't fear to be attacked beside by Tudor archers and war machines. The fight for taking the castle could still be harsh, so be ready to put our hands on the spear again if needed.

>>5105227
good idea
>>
>>5105208
>Snag that elite knight's crossbow and his special bolts. You can let your body and horse rest in relative ease while still taking potshots at the enemy to give your allies some breathing room.
This sounds good but can we get the crossbow and acid bolts without getting out of Gunpowder? If we can like scoop them up with out lance then sure, if not then I suggest just searching for our parents.
>This isn't over yet, it's time to look for your parents by yourself.
>>
>>5105208
>This isn't over yet, it's time to look for your parents by yourself.
>>
>>5105208
>you've done enough, the bands got this one in the bag. They can take it from here
>>
>>5105227
>>5105209
I'd say you can do both decisions if you're planning on resting for a bit and there's not a rush to do it. Not like the elite's dead body is going anywhere.
DC is 40 on this one. Gimme some rolls.
>>
Rolled 52 (1d100)

>>5105289
>>
Rolled 17 (1d100)

>>5105289
>>
Rolled 20 (1d100)

>>5105289
Crossbow bolts are just crossbow launched spears.
>>
Rolled 74 (1d100)

>>5105289
Big money
>>
>>5105299
Damn we are just getting consistently great rolls today
>>
>>5105292
>>5105296
>>5105297
It's an alright pass, just dont expect anything fancy.
>>
>>5105322
That is fine, with the battle going so well for us it s good already.
>>
>>5105324
Vlad is literally tearing through the elite purple rhino knights lines despite no prior combat experience, hell we killed a elite officer by impaling his subordinate and using him as a shield. When the battle is over Vlad will get high praise from the band of the hawk, maybe he'll even get recognition from Guts sama.
>>
>>5105338
Praise is not what we need anon, what we need is to find our parents and then find our way in this cruel world. and not get eclipsed
>>
>>5105338
i meant for finding intact the crossbow and the darts, since the elite knight was crushed by a boulder. We are lucky for find both of them.
Praise is good (especially if we could have a spar with Guts something that can help our combat training no doubt, and even Guts own), but remember our objective here. And practice should fix our lack of combat experience with time, so it's not too bad.
>>
>>5105354
>>5105371
I mean yea getting our foster parents out safely and avoiding the eclipse are our number one priorities. But having a friendship with guts of some sort will likely allow greater options for the story later. And the eclipse is like a year away, we shouldn't worry to much.
>>
>>5105376
The tides of causality flow in strange ways anon
>>
>>5105376
That s good. Having is praise and then respect can be the start for a friendship, though it would need more time for become one. A few days aren't enough, but after we depart we would have certainly give them a good impression/image of us. Fighting side by side more than once would also reinforce that.
They might send us a letter for aid, after Griffith is rescued and the band escapes the capital. Though who knows if the messanger would reach us.

A more funny thing to what people will learn from our martial prowess in this battle, is the reaction of other nobles to us.
Depending on what we do, we might not even at our home at the time.
>>
>>5105419
*Depending on what we do, we might not even be at our home at the time.
>>
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>>5105292
>>5105296
>>5105297
Pulling in the brakes, you think that it wouldnt hurt to rest now that the main cavalry has both sides of the castle being captured, Gunpowder is sure to appreciate the break as you dismount him and slowly approach the boulders sent by the catapults.
Crounching down as the other soldiers push their force further from where you stood, you're surprised to see that the Purle Rhino's crossbow was still intact, though you can't really say the same for the rest of his body...
A few bolts are still inside the weapon, and though you try to fire a few at the purple armored enemies still idling at the castle, the recoil from it mixed with your bad aim proves it to be a waste of time, as they quickly drift off into the sky and down below. It was a bit presumptious to think that picking up a new weapon would mean you could automatically do something with it, but an attempt was made either way.

"BOSCOGN!" An enemy soldier cries out from behind your back as a horseman's head flies up to the sky. The commander of the Tudor's empire forces had been slain as his multiple allies backed away in shock.
"That can't be! The unbeatable Sir Boscogn! The general was said to be the mightiest knight of Tudor!"
"AAAAAAAAAH!" As if fighting for your attention, a war cry from the falcons was heard from the castle, their banners slowly but surely being raised around the fortress.

Standing at the outer towers, Casca smiled victorious, joyful at playing her part at ending the hundred year old war.

...Already? You expected for the fight to be prolonged for at least the rest of the day with numbers like these. How much time has even passed since you started swinging? Guess it goes to show how efficient Griffith's plan was, and how prepared his mercenaries were.
...Wait a minute, you are part of his mercenary group now, even if temporarily...

"They'll try to retreat by crossing the border and scramble at the inner gates. Hunt down the remaining enemies!" You hear a falcon repeating orders from Guts as before he ran inside our recaptured territory.

That should keep everyone busy for a few more hours. The orders seem easy enough, let them leave if they're outside your range, disarm the ones who have given up and end the lives of anyone who still bothers to oppose against their loss.

With the castle being overtaken, the remaining Tudors are going into panic after losing their high ranking men, and with Griffith most likely returning with reinforcements, things will be very chaotic inside that castle, but moderately stable while you're over here.

>See if you can find any more loot.
>Scare the fleeting enemies back to their country.
>Disarm the surrendered.
>Try to enter the castle and sense your parents' Od.
>>
>>5105512
>Try to enter the castle and sense your parents' Od

After a break, we should be okay against what's left in the castle, I'd imagine.
>>
>>5105512
>Try to enter the castle and sense your parents' Od.
The reason we have bothered to do any of this.
>>
>>5105512
>Try to enter the castle and sense your parents' Od.
It's why we came here after all
>>
>>5105512
>Try to enter the castle and sense your parents' Od.
>>
>>5105512
>try to enter the castle and sense your parents' Od

Yea what were you guys thinking trying to pick up the crossbow?
>>
>>5105512
>>Try to enter the castle and sense your parents' Od.

Join some og the mercenaries soldiers that are entering for be safe at the start
>>
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>>5105523
>>5105526
>>5105527
>>5105536
>>5105538
>>5105544
Finding them here wont be any trouble, but it's pretty crowded in there and our Vlad isnt exactly used to indoor fighting.
It might take a while to find there if you fail, but no pressure. 40 DC!
>>
Rolled 66 (1d100)

>>5105545
gimme back my chips you little shit!
>>
>>5105545
Let's do it!
>>
Rolled 2 (1d100)

>>5105554
Crap lemme try and roll again
>>
>>5105556
shieet
>>
Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>5105545
>>
>>5105562
It just ain't my day
>>
>>5105565
Based
>>
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>>5105565
7 dubs, nice!
>>
I have a bad feeling about this. It's too easy.
>>
>>5105565
Nice
>>
>>5105553
>>5105556
>>5105565
Sensing life energy has almost become second nature to you now, with your predictions of the flow of the crowd, you manage to avoid the most chaotic areas inside the fortress, while also looking for the less populated rooms.

The castle itself was very vast and full of needlessly long hallways, stairs and scouting towers. Were it not for the white silhouettes under your feet, you would not even think about this place having underground floors.

Seeing as war prisioners would probably have been secluded to a place away from general meetings, you eventually find a way down to the dungeons.

With the help of a few of the Falcons, you bring down the ironed door sealing the floor and enter with a couple other soldiers.
Your anxiety seems to creek itself back in as the smell of carcasses from men, women and child alike are found in the cells.

Tearing open the locks with your hand axe, you set the living group of prisioners free, not bothering to ask questions or accepting their gratitude before seeing where your foster parents are.
Given how most of the prisioners here were children, you expected them to be a bit more jovial, but with the rumors you heard about Gennon, the lack of life on their eyes as they aimlessly walk around their cells after being released, you start to feel less and less energized with each passing lock break.

The few adults who were there appeared to be either dead, tortured beyond physical or mental repair, or malnourished to the point where they had to be carried out of the fortress by other mercenaries.
Reaching the last cell, a couple of anorexic, middle aged adults seemed to be huddled up in a corner, unresponsive.
>>
>>5105671
The female prisioner had her eyes closed and head aimed towards the ceiling, whispering several religious prayers to whoever could hear it. You couldn't hear all the words, but you're pretty sure you've heard a structure of the holy scripture's writings. You could see the dried up tears marking her shriveled up cheekbones, with only a thin layer of skin proving that she wasnt completely shaped like her skeleton. Her hair, once a beautiful shade of brown, had dried up and withered like an unwatered plant, showing how badly she's aged as if the white strands on her head didnt make that painfully clear.

The man, poor bastard, managed to be in an even worse condition. His hair had completely fallen out, he was missing all the nails in his hands, safe for his toes, which were removed completely from his body, as well as his teeth. His feet was swollen and his gums were bleeding, the pained whimperings he uttered being the only proof that he was still alive. Covering his chin with one hand, clenching his other fist with anger, as if to mantain the last of his sanity by draining the anger out of his system.

Those two husks of people, disheveled of their honor and grace, were none other than Jacopo and Michelle Santana, your beloved Father and Mother respectively.
You tore away not at the lock, but all the rusty bars on their cell, dishing out all the anger you had for whoever did this to them. Sadly, your brash act of fury only made them cower harder in fear, before hearing the loud clangs of their cells being destroyed along with your hand axe.

Jacopo's eyes focus on you, still crawling over to Michelle to protect her from danger before noticing the symbol on your armor.
"The Band Of The Falcon...?" he stares agasp, considering the concept of freedom after such an arduous period of imprisionment.
His eyes appear to be working, at least. But he does not seem to recognize you.

>Mom, Dad, it's me.
>What have they done to you?
>Hug them both.
>You're free now. We're all going back home.
>>
>>5105691
>Mom, Dad, it's me.
>Hug them both.
>>
>>5105691
>Mom, Dad, it's me.

>We won. You're safe now.
>>
>>5105694
this

>>5105691
Nothing some therapy cn't fix for mom. Dad? If we can find his teeth we can make tentures, or take some teeth from the dead to make a pair for him. His hair will holefully grow back, but he'll probably never walk again unless we learn some healing magics.

>"The Band Of The Falcon...?" he stares agasp
I'm amazed he could still sound out the words without the lack of teeth.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZa0Yh6e7dw
Time to take them home
>>
>>5105691
>mom, dad it's me
Welp time to return back home a hero of the highest degree, with our family and new friends
>>
>>5105694
Support
>>
>>5105697
I think Earth would be a better song for this situation
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kLiRMorUV2g&list=PL9146BDACDA5C450A&index=8
>>
>>5105702
We should probably leave them with whatever medic teams are available or the medieval fantasy equivalent of a triage. While they're getting some food in them, we can go looting for gear and household symbols for brownie points or spite. After that we could go home.

Yeah, we should probably tell everyone that we're going home to take care of our parents, and possibly some of the captives if need be. If The band of the Hawks still want us to stay, perhaps we could tell them to send a messenger in a few weeks to let us think about it?

>>5105704
nice
>>
>>5105707
Actually now that ole mom and pop are in such bad states, we'll have to take over for them in taking care of the estate and holy see affairs.
>>
>>5105697
Sometimes there isn't a happy ending. Their conditions are severe and they may never truly fully recover. But I sure hope it all works out.
>>
>>5105691
>Mom, Dad, it's me.
remember to lift our helmet visor or jsut take the while thing off
I just woke up, surprised we're still going
>>
>>5105724
+1 show our face

>>5105691
Also remember to ask Guts if we can buy the horse, and question who trained the horse. He was extremely proficient in combat. I would like to meet his trainer.
Did we know the horse's name was Gunpowder, or did we learn through our Od connection?
>>
>>5105724
+1
>>
>>5105691
>Mom, Dad, it's me.
>Hug them both.
>Promise to make them pay for what they did a hundredfold in return.
>>
>>5105691
>Mom, Dad, it's me.
>Hug them both.

Put down our helmet instead, they can better see us, we can just take it later. Ask the other soldiers if they can help us bringing them to a medic, it should give us some alone time before they return.
Use a piece of cloth for clean them from filth after the hug is done btw.


>>5105707
>>5105727
I think the band should have some form of healers or medics, since Griffith is a competent leader. And I doubt they will be on the move anytime soon, the band likely need to rest and heal a few days before being on the march again.
This works out for us too, since we can't move immediatly with our parents in their current state it would harm them. They need to be stabilized and rest for gain some strength back.

While they rest, this leaves time for us to loot, negotiate for buy horse and equipment, and maybe some talking and spars with members of the band. When our parents are safe enough to be moved, we leave to home and buy the services of the best medics/healers in our family lands. While also reading our entire familiy library if necessary, for find any books about magic and healing. As well concentrating and see if we can learn how to heal with magic by trial and error.
We are also calling a good smith, for give our father some medieval prosthetics and metal teeths. We can use the loot for pay it all.
>>
>>5105694
>>5105724
>>5105920
"Mom...Dad... It's me." You remove your helmet to reveal your identity, hoping their mind is not too far gone.

"...Vlad!? VLAD!" Michelle is the first one to recognize you, opening her arms for a hug.
"Son...? What are you doing here?" Your father holds his chin in place, trying not to spill more blood as he speaks.
Fighting the urge to shed your tears, you crouch down and hug the frail couple. Their bodies feel cold and weak, as if you were holding a pair of scarecrows. It hurts horribly to see them in such a state, yet you sitll find solace in knowing that they're still alive.

"I've trained with the band of the falcon and the Tudor Empire is no more. We won, you're all safe now." Your voice cracking with the mix of your emotions.
"After all this time, our prayers have been answered, in the best way we could have thought of! Vlad, it was awful... We havent eaten more than a few breadcrumbs in weeks. Your father has been tortured for all of our stay here, being questioned of what lineage he was, where was his estate, how much money they could ramson from us. I've begged for him to speak so he wouldn't be in this state, but Jacopo refused to do so..." Your mother tries to speak for him, but a hand on her shoulder makes it clear that Jacopo wants to tell the story from his perspective.

"You know why I did that, Vlad? It's because no parent wants to outlive their son. Even if you grew up as a pampered boy in our household, never once did I raise my hand against you, or rush you into a career despite all of our options. I did that because I had faith that you could pave a path of your own. Your life is precious, son. And I wanted to make sure that no one could squander your potential to an early grave... Seeing you here only proves that my... our wishes have come true..."
Jacopo's energy seems to give out, as his head rests on your shoulder. He is still breathing, but even talking seems to be exhausting for the tortured patriarch.

As more soldiers find their way into the dungeon, you plead them to take your parents to a safe spot, escorting them to safety with Gunpowder as the surrendering of enemy forces proceeded into the night.
>>
>>5105956
As the sky grows dark, you take a rest next to a tent where they're treating the sick and wounded. Though you understand them ordering you not to interfere, the last you've heard of your parents was a few hours ago, and given how they could barely stand on their own, you're not sure if they will make it.

Fortunately, out of the tent comes Judeau, holding a bag of powder that you assumed to be medicine.
"Good news, Vlad. Your mother will make a full recovery. Her wounds are very superficial and the only thing that kept her from healing was the lack of food. A couple of days eating some good meals and she should be ok. Your father, however... wasn't as lucky... His feet are heavily infected, and even if he makes a full recovery, his toes being chopped off and left with their wounds open means he could probably never walk again..."

You stare off into the ground after hearing the news, were you too late on saving them? Was there any way to solve this without having your parents go through such misery? If only you've gotten out of your room sooner.
"Hey, don't beat yourself over this. Most mercenaries here didn't even have a chance to meet their fathers, let alone save them from certain death as war prisioners. The journey back to Midland will take a bit longer this time. We'll have to walk slower with our wounded and all, but if you're in a rush we could let you borrow a carriage with some of our medics. That should cut your time down by at least a day."

>Thanks for the offer. I'll escort them back to Midland myself.
>I'm in no rush, I'd rather stay here and let them heal with you.
>Sure, but I would like to do a few things before I leave (Write-in)
>>
>>5105964
>Sure, but I would like to do a few things before I leave (Write-in)
Confront Griffith about the necklace. We voted to do it earlier but backed out at the last second.
>>
>>5105964
>Thanks for the offer. I'll escort them back to Midland myself.
Get them back home as soon as possible. Jacopo might not walk again but the best possible medical attention will help him heal.

>>5105975
Aw heeeelll no, remember that Spirit Mom warned us about getting close to that thing >>5100236
>"Beware of astral wounds Vlad, as they are impossible to heal without the aid of magic, I would advise you to avoid any further encounters with the Egg Of The King if you value your life, your body is easily corruptable, as is any being with human thoughts and desires." Sivir lets go of your hands as her persence weakens with each word uttered.
That thing is actually dangerous for us to even be around
>>
>>5105964
>Thanks for the offer. I'll escort them back to Midland myself.

We will let them to rest for today and then go home, i recon they aren't ready now. Home should be better than a tent in a field. Hopefully we can do something for our father feet for avoid him not being able to walk again.
Thank Judeau for the aid and the help.

Ask him if we could buy the horse and the equipment from them, and how much would it cost. Afterwards get to looting anything we can see near us in the battlefield, and then just rest&sleep at our tent. We did enough today.
Tommorow morning before we go away we can do a spar with Gatsu maybe. Or perhaps another time, our family is too important.
>>
>>5105964
>Thanks for the offer. I'll escort them back to Midland myself.
Best to get them and ourselves the fuck out this hell hole before something bad eventually happens.
>>
>>5105964
>>Thanks for the offer. I'll escort them back to Midland myself.
Yeah I don't fuck with no Behelit, we can chat with Griffith trough like letters and such but if we can maybe not directly meet with him
>>
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>>5105975
>>5105977
>>5105982
>>5105990
>>5106010
"Thanks for the offer. I'll escort them back to Midland myself." You opt to stick with your family, as there is not much else to interest you here now that you've accomplished your mission.
"Fair enough. Your carriage will be ready tomorrow morning. I have to say, I didn't have a lot of faith in you when I first saw you arrive. I thought Corkus just hired a random noble that had it over his head because he despises rich types. But Guts' troops told me you managed to ride all the way over to the enemy's side and not only hold your ground, but take down an elite! And what, with only 2 days of actual training? I'd say you're a prodigy. It would be a shame not to have you around as a member of the band. Give it a few years and you could maybe fight evenly with Guts or Griffith."

"No thanks. I don't see myself being a mercenary on the long run." You politely refuse. "I appreciate the compliments, but with there were too many changes to my usual life in Midland to pursue this path. I do want to train more, but I only want to fight for my life if absolutely necessary." You ponder on the life changing discoveries of this short journey. Your magical powers, your astral mother and her identity, the future of the Santana family, it's a bit too much to process in a week, and you feel the need to carefully measure what your future decisions entail. Abandoning your parents at their time of need would also surely not feel right to you.

"I understand. Midland would surely need a strong fighter among their nobles. I would at least like to see you again when we arrive back to the King's castle. He'll surely ready a great welcoming party for us. It's only fair you get to cherish some of the glory after taking the risk of helping us out."

"I'll consider it." It's weird to think how you're one of the few nobles who bothered to fight for the band against the Tudors. Were they all expecting Griffith to lose?

>Ask for your payment.
>Ask where Gunpowder is.
>Ask how the fight was on his end.
>Ask what they do with the items found in the battlefield.
>>
>>5105964
>Thanks for the offer. I'll escort them back to Midland myself.

>>5105975
Nom we had a really bad stroke from that.
>>
>>5106012
>Ask how the fight was on his end.
>Ask for your payment.
>>
>>5106012
>Ask where Gunpowder is.
>Ask how the fight was on his end.
>Ask what they do with the items found in the battlefield.
Buy Gunpowder, shoot the shit with our merc friend, ask about family badges. All the things we discussed about. We're a noble so we dont really need payment, except possibly in the form of family crests so we can rub it in the face of the Tudor nobility. Maybe a really nice weapons?
Didnt Boscogn have a wicked polearm? May we have it as payment, or buy it?
>>
>>5106012
>>Ask where Gunpowder is.
>>Ask how the fight was on his end.
>>Ask what they do with the items found in the battlefield.
Yeah I support the guy above me
>>
>>5106012
>Ask how the fight was on his end.
>Ask where Gunpowder is.
>Ask for your payment.

I would be fine if we can get our equipment as payment, or if we can pay for it alongside the horse. Dagger, shield, armor, spear. Too bad the axe broke, so we need to buy a secondary.
We did loot that crossbow, so that is ours i recon.
>>
>>5106012
>Confront Griffith about the necklace.

If we can't do that, then:

>Tell Guts what we know about Griffith's necklace.

>>5106022
+1
>>
>>5106012
>Ask how the fight was on his end.
>Ask what they do with the items found in the battlefield.

>>5106022
>Didnt Boscogn have a wicked polearm?
He did, but it's a poleaxe or bardiche. Not sure how spear training translates to welding one of those.
>>
>>5106033
>anon doesn't realize we can commission a more custom form fitting set of armor than putting on a set half plate
>we're too rich
I do like your idea of the crossbow. Thing is huge though.

>>5106038
We literally cant approach him. Remember what happened last time? We are way too sensitive to his necklace as we are now. Perhaps through a little more training.

>>5106039
He did have a poleaxe. Hmmm, should we even get it?
>>
>>5106054
It's not necessarily the necklace that you should fear. It activated when the Behelit moved during his dreams spiel. You can hold a conversation with Griffith just fine, just don't try to sense Od around him unless you want a kick to your astral balls
>>
I just know we've seen enough to know that necklace is bad news. Not mentioning it to Griffith doesn't make much sense. We owe him for his help rescuing our parents.
>>
>>5106054
I want to keep it more as a memorial in our room, beside i want to have some equipment at hand right now. Never know what can happen.
Consider it extra safety before we buy new stuff.
>>
>>5106063
But we will be commissioning better grade stuff right?
>>
>>5106064
Well of course, if we have access to better stuff we should commision it, find it or any other option we want to go for. We do need to go to a smith in case our father need prosthetics. Also the metal teeths
At the moment i just don't want to return home in our noble clothing and the wagon.
>>
>>5106069
Metal, wood, or normal teeth dentures. Metal teeth might be too heavy for him. Metal feet prosthetics will probably work, but dad's gonna need a support cane for the rest of his life.
>>
>>5106061
Exactly. Vlad sensed its evil and was later told by an astral being that it is in fact evil. It's completely in character for him to try to save Griffith from it.

>>5106057
Thanks for clearing that up. Some anons were under an impression that we couldn't talk to him while he was wearing it.
>>
>>5106016
>>5106017
>>5106022
>>5106030
>>5106033
>>5106039
"So how was the fight on your end?"
"Eh, not very interesting for the most part. Had to stay with Corkus, Pippin and Rickert at the other side of the river. Pippin was the guy who took care of you when you fainted at Griffith's tent, but I dont think you had a chance to talk with him."

"Who's Rickert?"
"He's the youngest member of the group. Found him a bit before we met with Guts while he was still a little boy. Don't be fooled by his age though, he's got a few decisive kills under hils belt." Judeau slightly deviates from his main story.
"Anyway, it took a while for Griffith to approach the river, but as soon as he gave us the signal, we started our counterattack. We were larger in numbers, but there were a lot of hardhitters, fortunately when Casca overtook the fortress, they started giving up and running. A few of them tried to rebel after seeing Griffith beheading Gennon, but nothing a few bombs from my end couldn't deal with."

"Bombs, shortswords, knives, spears... you really are a jack of all trades huh, Judeau?"
"I guess, but still a master of none of those trades..." He sighs.
"Speaking of trades, how about the payment? Do I get any bonuses?" You half-jokingly ask the blonde mercenary.
"Heh, I'm sure this is just a drop in the ocean for a guy like you, but here you go." Judeau takes out a pouch from the side of his tent, counting to a total of 10 silver coins. "Anything else?"
"Yeah, I'd like to know a bit about Gunpowder..."
"So you manage to ride him? Whoa... Most mercenaries don't last a day with him. The horse just seems to have a mind of his own. Always jumping into danger and coming out unscathed, but not really caring to how his rider was. We were considering leaving him astray, but the sheer amount of horsepower he has was enough for him to stay. The guy who sold him to us said he was as much of a veteran as we are, but that probably made Gunpowder a bit too pretentious."
"How much do you want for him? I didnt have any problems taming Gunpowder. Maybe he took a liking to me?"
"Hm..." Judeau thinks of how much the black horse is worth. "Well, it's not like he has much use here anyway, 2 gold coins and he's yours!"
"Isn't that more than the payment I got?"
"Did you really think you wouldn't be scalped out of your money by a mercenary group?"
"Bastard..." You wince, but still accept the offer. Gunpowder seems trustworthy to be a partner for life, so a price wouldn't be something to worry.
>>
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>2 gold pieces for a horse
Now i don't know anything about what horses cost back in those days but that sounds like a steal for a noble

How do you all feel about getting an iron pole for training purposes? It'll be heavy and swinging it like a spear or polearm should work for full body training in some measure at least.
And when it gets too easy to swing we either get a heavier pole or tie wood to the pole like what Guts used to do. Pic related

>>5106073
It's hard to say, but do you think the Berserk universe is advanced enough for porcelain dentures? if not, then Jacopo might well go for dentures carved out of animal bone to better emulate natural teeth.
>>
>>5106088
Iron pole sounds like a good training idea.

Animal bone teeth also sound idea. I hope dad's injuries dont dissuade him from working on leg day. No feet or not, he needs to work on reclaiming his lost gains.
>>
>>5106076
I bet Gunpowder is picky about his mates. Should we find a warhorse mare for him, or is Gunpowder a geld?
>>
>>5106088
Berserk never really had a clear currency system so I'll try to improv one.
>30 bronze coins = 1 silver coin
>30 silver coins = 1 gold coin
Commoners and mercenaries are used to seeing silver and bronze, with only the upper classmen and nobles earning more than 100 gold coins a year. What you've dangled in front of Corkus and Judeau a few days prior was the equivalent of showing a lawyer's monthly earnings to a pack of hobos.
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>>5106073
I was thinking metal, but it might be too much. you make a good point. I know that there where good prosthetics for the medieval time and even before, and with the renaissance they became more complex.

>>5106075
How do we talk about it then ? Like how we say it to Griffith. Religious texts maybe ? I suppose we can just avoid to look at the thing and look at Griffith head.

>>5106088
Eh is fine, we can consider Judeau a friend after what he did for us. Though we might want to negotiate next time if we wish too.
Sound like a good idea to me, i was considering to begin to spar with our family bodyguards while under the experienced sight of our father. Beyond that carrying sacks of rocks and obstacles run in the forest.
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>>5106129
>i was considering to begin to spar with our family bodyguards while under the experienced sight of our father
We're gonna outpace the guards fast if they're as used to peace as was inferred at the start of the thread. We might have to journey to some tournaments to get proper opponents if it comes down to it.
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>>5106076
Placing Gunpowder in your carriage, he follows your movement with his eyes as you inspect his stoic expression. He no doubt feels like it's beneath him to carry the sickly from one place to another when he would rather be basking in the glory of the fights, you've shown him enough of a good time for the horse to let this one slide.
"And that takes care of it!" Judeau closes the door to the vehicle, inspecting the interior to see if there were any problems with it. "Anything else before we go to sleep?"

"Yes, I was wanting to know what the band does with the items found on the battlefield. Do you loot them all?"
"As much as we can possibly carry. Weapons are breaking and getting worn out all the time, so not having a blacksmith means we have to use all the resources we can. Whatever we have for leftovers, we keep it for spares or try to pawn at cities. The guys over at the capital have no idea how much these things are worth. As long as it looks fancy and has a few jewels on it, they'll buy it for as much as 20 golden coins a piece, so we tend to inflate the prices before we get to places like Wyndham."

"I see. Well, would you mind showing me were the goods are? I'd like to invest on some fortune of my own. Dad's money isnt infinite, and I'm sure he'd like to see me strive for the family."
"Sure, let's see what they have in there."

You approach a line of soldiers holding all sorts of jewelry, weaponry and precious items alike, gently placing them into chests and other large containers before taking a piece of their own.
"We usually limit ourselved to only one item per raid, but since you're certainly not a stranger to money, I'll let you buy anything of interest at a fair price."
"At a FAIR price?"

"...At a Reasonable price." Judeau opens a few chests to the end of the room, inside each chest laid a large collection of Tudor family banners, a stack of foreign books and currency, and a portion of small to medium sized weapons encrusted with diamonds, rubies and sapphires.

>The defeated family banners would look great on the dining hall
>Maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...
>The nobles will go crazy when they see these weapons.
>I suppose you could buy one of each.
>Go all in and buy the three chests from the falcons
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>>5106172
>>The defeated family banners would look great on the dining hall
You know, as a conversation piece.
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>>5106172
>Maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...

Here in my estate, just bought this new warhorse here. It’s fun to ride up here in the Midland hills. But you know what I like more than materialistic things? Knowledge.
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>>5106172
>The defeated family banners would look great on the dining hall
>Maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...
Maybe the books have some arcane knowledge.
Capcha 88HAG
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>>5106172
>Maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...
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>>5106172
>Maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...
The books could be potentially useful, it is important to break a mental sweat as well as a physical one. They could hold knowledge that could help us understand our od or the world.

The foreign currency we could exchange or maybe melt them down into precious metals, maybe even find some noble who collects coins from other places from the world.
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>>5106172
>The defeated family banners would look great on the dining hall
>Maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...
Books smarts is important after all.
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>>5106172
>The defeated family banners would look great on the dining hall
>Maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...
If these books actually contain any arcane knowledge we'd better keep them well secure, lest the Holy See crawls up our ass over it.
Though it doesn't even need to be arcane knowledge, anything the See condemns as wrongthink will be enough of an excuse
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>>5106161
True, but it's a start for us and it would also help them. We might want some changes for our lands.


>>5106172
>The defeated family banners would look great on the dining hall
>Maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...
>>
>>5106172
>maybe you could find a place to exchange the currency? These books look very old...

Let's read some arcane tomes men
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>>5106178
>>5106186
>>5106190
>>5106191
>>5106194
>>5106199
>>5106205
>>5106279
"I'll take the family banners and the book collection." You reach to your pouch and start counting the coins.

"Well I cant read, let alone read Tudorian so I'll have to take a guess at how much they're worth. How does 5 silver coins for a stack sound? I'll let you carry a fistful of their coins as a bonus."
"Sounds good to me. What about the crests? Those would look great huddled over on the dining hall."
"Can't say I know many Tudor families, but there are plenty of royal Midland families who have a hatred for their aristocrats after all these years, so their value must differ depending on which one you get. 1 gold coins and I'll let you pick 10."
"How about 2 for 20?"
"Deal." Judeau shakes your hand as you begin to understand the rules of haggling, sealing your items in a small chest and placing them inside your carriage when you're done with your purchase.

With all of that out of the way, you decide to take a breather next to Gunpowder as both of you stare into the stars. The familiar bonfire of the hawks is lit as they gather to celebrate their victory and honor their fallen. A mix of emotions you can easily relate to.
You havent been with Griffith and his falcons for long, but between your interactions with Judeau, Corkus, and even Guts himself, you feel as if a faint bond has formed with these mercenaries, once very detached from the values you stood for.

"Beware of the Egg Of The King."
Sivir's voice echoes in the inside of your head, as if she reminded you not to get too comfortable with these strangers. How could that be though, when for only one day, they have helped you feel more true to yourself than whatever company your fortune could buy in a ball?
You feel as if you have matured, proven yourself to be a real man, not only to your father, but to a crowd of strangers, all equally praising your efforts. You have found peace with the voices in your head, but between the questions related to your true origin, the source of your powers, and whatever that egg shaped artifact was, you feel not unlike the larvae transformed into butterflies by the unknown forces of nature. Granted new abilities, but still with a vast world left to explore, a world in which said butterflies will probably die before knowing all of it's secrets.

Knowledge is a valuable treasure, and there are still many things you lack awareness of, but given the invitation from Griffith to appear at Wyndham's royal castle, it seems you are not out of leads in your quest for more answers. Being guided by fate itself, you know in your heart that this will not the last time you will meet the White Falcon or his companions, though what discoveries they shall point you to are undisclosed to even the gods above.

>Golden Age Part 1 End.
>>
Feel like that's a good place to take a break as we end our Mini-Arc at Doldrey's. Updates will likely get slower when I get back to working but I'll always try to let you know when the quest will return. Don't really want to use twitter or discord to set dates so I'll either say it here or on qtg

If you have any questions or just want to throw ideas here I'll be listening every now and then so don't be shy. Thanks for playing!
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>>5106341
Good shit Becchi, thanks for running. Will keep an eye on this thread.
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>>5106341
Good stuff Becchi, hope to see things continue. Where would you place Vlad on the 1-10 scale of fighters now he’s survived the battle?
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>>5106341
Goof shit senpai. How will our parents recover? Will dad still be a strong man, or is he going to be a frail man? If I could I suggest he hit them gym, lack of feet or not.
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>>5106341
when you start up again are you just going to use this thread or make a new one.
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>>5106341
Good quest beechi, already looking forward to your next installment.
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>>5106341
Nice Becchi thanks for the quest. Hopefully see you soon.
A few questions about this

>Golden Age Part 1 End.
Will we follow how the manga story is sectioned ? Or it will become different ? Will there be timeskips if the story is sectioned ? Personally I don't mind them though, i am not sure. We will see.
Will we start next on our return at home ?

What can we do at our home betwenn training ideas, reading, using our magic, calling artisans like smiths and healers ? Could we organize what we do ? Roam around our family lands ? Hunt down bandits and outlaws ? Explore the forest for reinforce our connection ? I am sure we will make some space for go and see the hawks in the capital, but I am very interested in us and what we do. And what we can do. Would it possible to employ some formidable men ? Like taking a veteran man at arms at our service, or an huntsman. Not just for protect us even for learn from them
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>>5106341
Can we find the guy who sold Gunpowder?
Are you gonna time skip?
>>
I wonder if we could learn some magic, considering our innate affinity for spirits. If we could heal our dad, that would be a nice goal.
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>>5106653
It would be a nice idea, but in practice not something smart to go through with. The Holy See would brand us a heretic and burn us at the stake, or try to that is. Our parents might probably be thankful if they're not overly zealous about the religion, but I fear that someone working at our estate would snitch on us.
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>>5106667
Being the son of a fae is already enough, so it doesn't matter if we do it or no. We are not someone they would keep alive if they learn our true origin.
So we can continue magic on our own, in the wilds of our lands for example out of the sights of all. We have a fast horse and can justify with hunting or further martial training, both sounds like beliavable things a young noble would do (and one of them is something we would probably do, because we want to be able to be on the same level of other strong fighters).
Perhaps we will not heal that permanent wound of our father, but we can still learn useful things.
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>>5106349
Honestly I was expecting him to go a lot worse but his good use of Od sensing being turned into a passive ability should bump him up to a light 5. No doubt he could beat someone like Judeau or Corkus if he played his cards right, but be careful if (when) somebody finds a way to turn off his spidey sense because he's still not very skilled without it.
>>5106354
His feet weren't cut off, just his toes. He'll be bedridden for a while but provided he recovers he'll be able to stand with a little bit of effort. Toes are very imporant for balancing so sadly he wont be running or doing jumping jacks anytime soon. A few cruches should do him well.
>>5106363
Depends on how long I'll be off. Seems like the board has slowed down considerably from the last time I visited it but I don't plan on going away for more than 2 weeks. I work at home anyway so the only problem I'd have is if my workload is heavy during a specific month or if I need to let my retinas rest so they wont burn from too much reading. I'll try archiving the thread just in case.
>>5106381
>Will we follow how the manga story is sectioned?
Yes and no. Vlad isnt exactly best buddies with Guts or Griffith so it's only natural that they go their separate ways. I wanted to make him familiar with the big chess pieces before letting him have some adventures of his own to develop on his backstory, and only then Vlad would join a more seasoned Guts and get to help him out in his adventure. There's a good 2 years time between the Eclipse and the Tower of Conviction arc where Guts is just doing whatever, so I'd say Vlad can have some adventures on his own.
>Will there be timeskips if the story is sectioned?
Yep
>Will we start next on our return at home?
Yep

>>5106625
I guess I could elaborate on Gunpowder a bit more as we go along but for now Gunpowder's seller is just a random mook.
Frankly I was so sure the horse would be BTFO'd by a bad roll that I wouldn't even get to do an arc for him
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>>5106839
>ignor Vlad
>Horse Ark when
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>>5106839
Thanks for the answers i like the idea you are going for the story. I look forward to see Vlad become a great champion in this two years.
I have some plans for what to give him as a base before moving to our first adventure, but that is more an argument between players.
>but be careful if (when) somebody finds a way to turn off his spidey sense because he's still not very skilled without it.
Something to think of, but we don't want to rest idle so we should be able to find ways for deal with it. As well being good in combat even without our magical power.
What you think you could do with the Church of the falcon ? It's interesting that is both a force of great punishment, with his inquisition/zealots and also one with a more benevolent and quiet clergy. A faith with two sides.
For natural fae and spirits what you think of treemen's ?


//
So I was thinking of this plan for Vlad guys, at least for his return home :
We ensure our parents can recover and have good treatments. Meanwhile we take several of the duties of the family on our shoulders, for example protecting the people of our land. With the duration of the war, it likely made no shortage of deserters or desperate people, that is enough for bandits to form in groups.
So while we begin to deal with them, we also start our own practice, spars and training. If our father recovers enough he can begin to guide us thanks to his experience. When is enough, it would be time to have our guards improve too.
While we do this, we will start reading books, bought and the ones already at home, in our free time alongside meditation for understand and try our power. We can commision to a smith new equipment, and perhaps buy the services of some experienced men for have a personal retinue (and new characters to interact with).
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>>5106948
I'm not against the ideas. Perhaps when we meet up with the band of the hawk, what should we do with Griffith and Guts? Leta Guts walk away and continue as canon, and persuade Guts to stay?
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>>5107518
I am not quite sure, but I doubt we can convince him to stay. We have arguments. Vlad doesn't.
Since Vlad doesn't know much of them is kind of difficult for us to intervain, in something that personal between the two of them. Beside if we go to the capital is likely that we will use the occasion for our house, while as secondary we would pay visit to the the ones we know in the band. If we manage to see what happens, perhaps we can ask and see what's that about. Or just by talking. Depending when we go there, the assasination done by Guts might have happen and that is something quite important for both of them.
If we hear Guts is going away from the band, maybe we can offer him to be payed for sometime, as a merc in our service.
He isn't one that remains forever (especially after the band), even if Vlad would be one of the best clients he has seen. We could use that time for boost further our martial training, it would be something short like a month or less but still good.
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>>5107730
That could work. I'm still worried about Griff boy's fall, if he will or wont.
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>>5106839
May I trouble you, good sir, for the current state of Character Opinions after the end of Golden Age Part 1?
I'm mostly curious of how opinions may have changed from our performance.
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I'll try to start a good session by the start of next monday, updates will still be pretty on and off depending on my time though
>>5108699
Griffith had a feeling Vlad would be ok in the fight despite his little episode. A bit of a shame that Vlad wouldn't stay in the Band since he had potential, but it's something Griffith can live with.
Though your time with Judeau was short, he felt like he got a friend in Vlad, he wouldn't mind tutoring him for a few more lessons if he asked him to.
Corkus bet 5 silver coins that Vlad would lose his head in the first few minutes of his fight, now he owns 5 silver coins to Judeau. He'll probably come around and say "See? Of course he was one of the best fighters, I picked him myself!" But I doubt anyone would believe him on that.
Casca doesnt have a formed opinion of Vlad yet, but the way he acted at the tavern made her think he had a few things in common with Guts.
Guts has held that thought about Vlad having a trick up his sleeve, given how he has met an elf before, he thinks you might be cheating through your victories in some fashion.
Rickert, Pippin, Gaston and Zodd have taken a good look at Vlad, but since he hasnt directly interacted with any of them they can't comment much
His parents both see him as a noble at heart, despite not being of noble blood. Jacopo feels like it's time for Vlad to start learning the ways of the See should his wounds force him to retire
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>>5109196
>he thinks you might be cheating through your victories in some fashion.
Unbelievable, Jude himself taught us, and he's nothing but the most respectable and straightforward of fighters! And we were hand picked by the legendary Corkus!
I now see where Guts is coming from.
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>>5109196
Next time we see Judeau, we can see about learning those tricks. And putting to test what we have practiced and learned against his skill. Same for Guts.
Or anyone else for that matter. Its good that our parents see us in that light. I am not sure about us entering the See, it could be a serious risk for our life (even if it comes with benefits, access to knowledge and power. But even a noble can have access to that, and gain more of it). We might want to say our origin to our parents ....
>
Mr Z. has seen us ? Well that might be a problem. Thankfully we will not remain idle anymore.
Based Corkus.
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>>5109266
Maybe he thinks we employ such churlish tactics as the vile "Pocket sand"
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>>5109331
a weapon to truly surpass metal gear.
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>>5109196
>Guts has held that thought about Vlad having a trick up his sleeve, given how he has met an elf before, he thinks you might be cheating through your victories in some fashion.

>tfw the guy who does weird and underhanded shit all the time to get an edge and try to win thinks you're cheating
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>>5109196
>Corkus bet 5 silver coins that Vlad would lose his head in the first few minutes of his fight
Dammit Corkus, why are you such a jackass

>>5109400
Well he's not really wrong...
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>>5109196
What is our family's main source of income?
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>>5109859
Guts having literally inhuman strength is cheating then, no? Frankly when it comes down to it there is no cheating. Only who wins and who loses. Or in this case who lived and who died.
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>>5109400
Takes one to know one, as they say
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>>5109400
>>5110268
Kek
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>>5110077
Jacopo took Michelle's family knowledge on trading and invested in building fancy religious temples, chapels, mansions and graveyards, as well as deploying the best smiths money could buy to aid the Holy Iron Knight Chains on their crusades, if not employing local soldiers or even going there himself.

They are both very religious and well spoken by other nobles, even if Vlad's had a bit of a track record in embarrassing them at social gatherings.
They liked the Santanas, but not so much the Vlad Santana, hopefully the fun you've had in Tudor will change things around
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>>5110078
Difference is that Guts trained like a madman to reach his level of strength and swordmanship skill - while Vlad was born with a supernatural sense.
But you're not wrong, either. In any case, this is one of those debates that will break down into splitting hairs.
Personally I would say that the Dragonslayer Guts will wield is truly cheating because normal humans just cannot match a weapon like that with normal means

>>5110420
So Vlad has a reputation of being somewhat irresponsible, to put it lightly?
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>>5110729
He got drunk a lot and hit on the girls he found for the sake of escapism with varifying degrees os success. Scoring or not, it's not something their parents appreciated.
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>>5110729
>while Vlad was born with a supernatural sense.
That he still had to train in order for it to not feel like he was having a stroke. And even then it wouldn't save him from any of the real powerhouses in combat. I will split these fucking hairs goddammit reeeeeee
No kidding. Sword hits like a battering ram, how are you supposed to defend against that? And it's still fast as hell.
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>>5110741
How big is Vlad's peeped
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Good news bros, managed to clear my to-do list and my friend had to cancel the hangout, so we'll be back to regular schedule on the saturday since it's better than doing slow updates during weekdays, Prolly get more ground covered that way. Is vlad more likely to feel like partying hard or taking a breather and learning more about his options while his parents rest?

Also do you have any mental image of how Vlad looks as of yet? Aside from being bulky and having brown hair nothing really comes to mind for reference, would be interesting ifI could get some artist to comission some doodles of him.

>>5110920
It's still a lot less effort considering it took a day of training to learn precog vs Guts' lifetime of destroying his body for gains. It's the good old Inherited talent vs Hard work dilemma so as the black swordsman gets stronger and scales to top tier apostles later on, it's important for our black horseman not to fall behind or plateau.

>>5111170
Average, not elaborating any further.
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>>5111197
>taking a breather and learning more about his options while his parents rest
Probably this. When your adoptive parents were on the edge of death, it really puts things into perspective that they wont always be there.
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>>5111197
I have this image in my headof Vlad having like a softer rounder Guts like face with medium length wavy hair, because Vlad invokes medium/long wavy hair to me due to dracula from castlevania
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>>5111197
>It's still a lot less effort considering it took a day of training to learn precog vs Guts' lifetime of destroying his body for gains
And we'd still shit ourselves and have a seizure around demons or any of the bad touch bullshit out there. It's not like we took one day of training and became the absolute master of our power. Consider that Guts' physical power in no way impedes him under any circumstance. Whereas Vlad's spirit sight shenanigans would probably literally kill him when the egg hatches if he didn't train his brain beforehand.

It's not a matter of which is "earned". They're both something special to the person who has it. Not just anyone could get as ludicrously swole as Guts. But Guts' power isn't a double edged sword which justifies it taking longer to obtain. Vlad's power is just extraordinarily volatile which makes it more potent but also more prone to disaster.

Until Vlad actually puts in the time and effort to really get his power under control his ability to slap mooks around won't offset the coming shitshow. What a terrible night to have a curse.
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>>5111197
Does Vlad understand how to get SWOL or does he need to hire a nutritionist? Some days are dedicated to martial and fitness training, while others are dedicated to understanding his powers and reading books?
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>>5111197
>taking a breather and learning more about his options while his parents rest
definitely this.

>>5111410
i recon he understands some of it with him being fit. But nobles usually had retainers/servants for aid them in multiple things, it wouldn't be a nutritionist, more us asking our cook specific meals and having a veteran/skilled warrior putting us under an iron martial drilling. We could do it on our own, but someone with more experience would be better, an offer needs to be put around for the job (but we have the money to spare for this). We can also divide our time on what we do good idea.
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>>5111197
>black horseman
skull knight will send us a cease and desist letter
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>>5111197
My mental images of written characters have never been all that accurate.
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>>5111913
Oh that looks great! We prolly don't have a beard as fine as that right now but give it time and we will.
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>>5111913
I'll support except with brown hair. And maybe green eyes.
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Will start writing as soon as I wake up tomorrow, let's see what we can do then.
>>5111410
He's been eating pretty well in the 2 months he spent in his room. All he needs is a good training regime.

>>5111237
>>5111913
Dope, since I took Vlad's parents namesake from The House In Fata Morgana I thought he could look like a Young Jacopo, but a beard like that would look cool. There aren't enough bearded characters in Berserk
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>>5112150
That is also a good look for him, if we get an artfag to like combine these two it would be perf
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>>5112150
Agree about the beard thing, Vlad would suit one. Maybe later on we can decide to grow one. Berserk and beards sounds cool.
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>>5112150
DAMN actually Jacopo isn't a bad basis for his design. Of course he's probably way more muscular than Jacopo who was more of a leanish twink. At the very least I imagined him with a way bigger build, especially since he's a noble so he wouldn't have nutrition/food issues you'd expect a poor peasant to have.
I gotta be honest it doesn't really bode well for Vlad if we're already making comparisons to Jacopo the ultimate fuckup
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Military Waifu when?
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>>5112304
Never, disregard women, learn to impale your enemies and twirl them around as a bludgeon
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>>5112318
I can get behind that but we need to wear the pelisse of a noble not that shitty gambeson
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>>5112352
>wearing a frilly shirt instead of anything protective at all
It's like you want to get an atomic titty twister.
>>
Here's the only brown haired person in my entire collection.
Yes, I'm a white hair supremacist.
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>>5111197
Blonde, with greenish blue eyes, roguish good looks. I imagine later on it'll become supernatural platinum.
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>>5111913
Supporting, looks awesome. If we are going for Vlad “the impaler” Santana, he can have long brown hair and a properly maintained blonde beard. We should also keep the blue eyes since red ones would look ridiculous.
>>
Time to start again!
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>>5113015
excellent
I had to clear my browser history, bet my ID changed
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>>5113015
Grasses on, nothing will be wrong.
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>>5113015
Let's get it
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Wyndham, the capital localized dead center in the kingdom of Midland. A safe haven for only the best of the best to prosper, a comfortable place for commoners and nobles alike, segregation and all.

After separating from Griffith's army and rescuing your parents, you left them in care of two battle medics as Gunpowder guided the carriage and the 5 people inside back to the capital in only 2 days, arriving a day earlier than the falcons.

The servants were all estatic to find out that you have saved Jacopo and Michelle, but their expressions of gratitude soon turned into worry as they were informed of the state they were in.

"We'll give them the best medicine money can buy, but I don't expect your mother to be up and about until the following week. Try to let them rest as much as you can. They barely have enough energy to get out of bed."

Though you understand the request, it is easier said than done. as you decorate the Tudor family banners in the dining hall with another maid, an overwhelming sense of dread possesses you. Part of it is probably due to seeing your parents in pain, as the image of them starving to death in a rotten cell is one that hardly leaves your brain, but the time to process that feels minuscule with the progress you still have to do in other aspects of your life after the war is over.

There is not much you can do in the span of a single day, but you figure it's better to do something with your discoveries than idly watch people come and go inside your father's room as he groans and whimpers in his sad state of affairs.

>Inspect your father's book collection.
>Pawn the treasures you've looted from Doldrey.
>Look for the head maid.
>Train with your weapons at the garden.
>Try to contact Sivir.
>Something else.
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>>5113030
>Pawn the treasures you've looted from Doldrey.
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>>5113030
>Pawn the treasures you've looted from Doldrey.
I doubt we're going to find 'Magic 101: A guide for astral dummies' but it can't hurt to look
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>>5113030
>Look for the head maid.
We've been locked in our room for months IIRC, doubt we've taken care of any responsibilities our family has. And as Jacopo is currently not in any shape to work, it falls to us to sort everything out.
The head maid should know what needs to be done.
>>
>>5113030
>Look for the head maid.
Need to know what has been happening since we've been gone
>>
>>5113030
>Look for the head maid.

Looks like it’s time to get down to business
>>
>>5113030
>Look for the head maid.
She could give us the best information on what's been happening since we've been away would be good
>>
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>>5113033
>>5113034
>>5113035
>>5113037
>>5113039
>>5113047
Giselle was over by the laundry counter, cleaning the sheets and rags from the spots of blood and pus around them. Upon noticing your presence, she swiftly shoved the laundry inside the wooden basket, as if wanting to hide your worries in plain sight.

"Young Master! To what I owe you your presence?"
"I told you I was going to be back in a week at most. I was wondering if you had any news about how the estate was doing. It's been a long time coming, given how long I've been stalling, but I think it's time I at least get to know more about how our business is."
"Of course. Miss Michelle's market trades have been frozen ever since her kidnapping. Thankfully the food and beverages department does not depend on us, so we were still able to upkeep the estate with not much problem. I admit I might have made a few mistakes or overbought a few items, but nothing that should compromise your fortune."
"Anything else?"
"Yes... a few letters came from the upper echelon of the Holy See. A section of the group has been conspiring against Sir Griffith's victory. The thought of a group of homeless mercenaries climbing their way up to royalty is something that deeply angered some of them, and as such they all have voted against aiding the band of the falcon. Jacopo has been vehemently against their sabotage, as he believes the falcons are correlated with the falcon of light from the holy scriptures, and he has been losing his influence on their group ever since he objected to their plans. I imagine your vote of courage to save the Santanas would be appreciated by nobles as an act of courage, but deemed as a controversial move to the See."

The Falcon Of Light... you remember the name from being teached about the holy scriptures in your youth, but the details escape your mind as of now.

>What does Griffith have to do with The Falcon Of Light?
>Do you have a copy of the Holy Scriptures somewhere?
>Do you think we might be in danger?
>I don't regret helping the Falcons. I did what I had to.
>>
>>5113058
>Do you have a copy of the Holy Scriptures somewhere?
>Do you think we might be in danger?
>>
>>5113058
>Do you have a copy of the Holy Scriptures somewhere?
know thy enemy and all that.
>>
>>5113058
>Do you think we might be in danger?
>I don't regret helping the Falcons. I did what I had to.
>>
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>>5113073
>>5113079
>>5113086
"Do you think we might be in danger? What if the Tudors finding my parents was more than a mere coincidence?" You suspect of the Holy group selling out your parents for going against them.

"I'm not sure. Even if the See wasnt responsible for them being captured, they surely were in no rush to help them. Were it not for you saving them personally, I doubt they would have done anything about it."

Another uncertainty to add to the list...
"There has to be some other reason as to why they are so against Sir Griffith, Do you have a copy of the Holy Scriptures stashed somewhere? Maybe I could do some research on it."
"Your father's library probably has all the volumes, but given how the entire history of Midland is on the scriptures, there are many sections left unpublished to commoners so they don't learn about the kingdom's secrets. I'll look for the keys to his room after I'm done washing these sheets."

While you waited for Giselle to finish her chores, you ordered another servant to find a pawn shop that could better use those coins, medals and books from the losing country you fought.
"Sir! It will take some time to establish the value of your findings since these books are in Tudorian, but as soon as we find an interpreter, I'll be back with your money in hands."

This might take a while, but they'll probably overrate it like Judeau said.
Going back to your room, Giselle was seen lifting the last of a large collection of books onto a pile in the corner of your desk. Given how they were as thick as her arms, you're surprised the poor wooden frame hasn't bent yet.
Each volume is massive in size, and knowing the amount of parables, information and prophecies contained in those books is something that would take a lifetime to remember off the top of your head.

Though the only topic you care for right now is about the prophecy of the falcons, there probably is a large amount of information here that is worth reading should Jacopo ask you to aid him politically in the Holy See, though examining all these books would probably take you the entire rest of the day.
Which volume has what you are looking for?

>Book I: The Origin Of Midland
>Book II: Beliefs and Practices
>Book III: Vritannis and The Holy See
>Book IV: The War On Pagans
>You have plenty of time (Read all of them)
>>
>>5113058
>Do you have a copy of the Holy Scriptures somewhere?
>>
>>5113111
>You have plenty of time (Read all of them)
Gonna need to know this stuff anyway.
>>
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>>5113111
>You have plenty of time (Read all of them)
It's time to work out (in the library)
>>
>>5113111
>You have plenty of time (Read all of them)
Better to not half-ass this and read only a single one, better to read them all me thinks.
>>
>>5113111
>You have plenty of time (Read all of them)
Got to get them brain gains
>>
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>>5113124
>>5113125
>>5113127
Book I: The Origin Of Midland
Over 1000 years ago, the Kingdom of Midland was but a large composite of factions and tribes, constantly infighting for the sake of territory, power and prestige. The age of the warlords was a dark period for any unwilling to hold up a blade to fight for themselves. Bloodshed and cardinal sinnery ran amok at every facet of the astral plane, until a brave warrior rose to get rid of the rising anarchy that would lead its people to self destruction.
The Supreme Skull King Gaiseric, through his sheer power and force of will, brought order to the land by personally decimating his competitors, whoever survived his powerful attacks that took down an entire army were mercifully spared and asked to fight under the same banner, until all his enemies knew their places.
The kingdom of Midland was born, it's namesake coming from being at the epicenter of the physical world, finally united as one and treated as equals by an army commander that seemingly came from nowhere, was now naming Gaiseric as the first king, but that prosperity would soon fall as the Skull King would start indulging himself in feasts and orgies. Demanding higher and higher taxes and reducing the quality of life to the point where everyone outside his close friends group lived a few coins away from slavery.
Growing tired of such everlasting injustice, a sage imprisioned by the king grew to curse his name for the following decades, the hatred for Gaiseric being given power by the masses, which climaxed in an array of rituals and chantings to prepare for the king's divine punishment. In the span of a single night, a displeased god sent down 5 of his strongest angels to hear the needs of his people, taking down all of the kingdom in a single night by a natural calamity to which none were left alive.
Though the corpses and the destroyed city were buried under the new capital built by direct descendants of the Skull King, every noble is told to hear this story as a cautionary tale, knowing not to be blinded by greed or else face the wrath of the ancient gods.
>>
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>>5113189
Book II: Beliefs and Practices
There are several interpretations of the Holy Scriptures and how their fateful occurances were told by people even outside of Midland, but modern teachings have established that an all encompassing entity is the sole reason of our creation. A benevolent, just deity that only shows itself to the most devoted and in need. God reveres silence and peace, and does not forgive those who try to force their way into power, being among society or by trying to become like him.
Though tolerance is the teaching of the lord, that tolerance ceases when man should attempt to achieve godhood status, as the divine power is too pure to be used unaltered by the sinners of the world. And with every attempt, more demonic spawns shall be brought upon our world, growing stronger as they're led by the ones who learn arcane magic and master the control of evil for their selfish intents.
The Kushan Empire famously uses it's knowledge of arcane witchcraft to create eldritch fusions of demons, animals and everything inbetween to dominate the planet, sacrificing the innocent and the earthly resources given to us and justified by mere chaos. As followers of the Holy Scriptures, we shall die before engaging in the use of magic. It's a corruptable fuel of energy looked down upon by god itself, and the consequences of it's abuse shall be echoed over the entire planet.
>>
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>>5113218
Book III: Vritannis and The Holy See
Vritannis is the stronghold of several prominent nobles of the continent, built and owned by the Vandimion family, the main agents of the Holy See with millions of worth to their name, being responsible for fundings of several war armies as well as the international banking for all territories of their united dominions, those include Midland, Tudor, The Paneria Alliance, as well as the Dukedom of Morgar and Wallatoria to the east.

The Holy City houses the absolute highest of millionaires, with the Vandimion family alone having more fotrune than even several of their own nations. Being responsible for unifying the world into a single religion, their mission is one that is unanimously revered, if not by aligned ideology, by those who want to have a share of their uncountable fortune, to which they offer to even the poorest of mercenaries.

By tradition, the military of the Holy See, known as the Holy Iron Chain Knights will be led by a woman, who shall command the high ranking clergy to safety as they investigate supernatural occurances and combat the inhuman abominations set free by sinners and cursed alike. The taxing for said military is high, but priceless in stopping the apocalyptic prophecy of The Falcon Of Darkness.
>>
>>5113239
Book IV: The War On Pagans

The revelations say that when the sun dies five times, a red lake will appear to the west of the city with a name both new and old. It is proof that the fifth angel will alight. The angel is the Falcon of Darkness. The master of the sinful black sheep, the king of the blind white sheep. The one who shall call upon the world an age of darkness. The rise in paganist cultures and polytheism shows that the world is losing faith in it's old ways, and that evil is prevailing over good once more. With an undiscovered plane of existence created by mankind, The Falcon Of Darkness wil encourage his disciples to become angels like him, where the fused amalgamation of animals, demons and other entities will roam free as the world itself turns red.

Though our god is merciful, his tests are mysterious and his burdens are too great to atone. In a last attempt to reconcile with his creations, he shall give us a single emissary to clear up the dark skies. Born in the midst of this absolute tragedy, we will watch him crawl and struggle to cut down the wings of The Falcon Of Darkness, and as he watches him crawl, he will attach the now purified wings into his body. Prevailing as the Falcon Of Light after years in hiding, though should The Holy See mistake the one who fights demons for a demon of his own, his death shall instantly revoke the world of all it's hope.

Well that was long read, you can practically feel your eyes losing 10 years of use as you sat away on your chair and read those encyclopedias until the late hours of the night. You could tell several tales were biased, written by several different people that sometimes went against the narrative illustrated a few chapters prior, there is a semblance of truth on those books for what they're worth. No wonder people spent their lives interpreting and discussing the teachings contained in it for generations.

Maybe if you took interest in learning these scriptures earlier, you would have more time to connect them with the powers you have and what contradictions they show you when compared to the text, but as it stands, you feel like any more brainstorming would turn your braincells into mush.

"Young Master, a letter has arrived from Our Majesty himself." Giselle cautiously slides an invitation to the castle under your doorframe after stacking the books back to the library.

Dear Vlad Of The Santana Estate. It has come to our attention that you have fought amongst The Band Of The Falcon in a true display of bravery. As a way of thanking the brave fighters, as well as celebrating our victory in the fight against Tudor, we have prepared a feast to commemorate the arrival of our heroes, should your parents not be able to attend, feel cordially invited to the main castle for a party, and perhaps a few promotions to your family's position.
>>
>>5113292
A letter from Your Majesty inviting you to become a bigger political figure? It's like the leads are throwing themselves right at you.

>Attend the party by yourself.
>See if one of your parents can go with you.
>Excuse yourself from attending, with your parents out of commision surely they would understand your priorities.
>>
>>5113298
>Attend the party by yourself.
>>
>>5113298
>Attend the party by yourself.
What could possibly go wrong?
>>
>>5113298
>>Attend the party by yourself
>>
>>5113298
>Attend the party by yourself.
It would be foolish and maybe even dangerous to refuse an invitation from his majesty, and I doubt our parents are well enough to walk for a few minutes at a time. Best if we go in alone.
>>
>>5113298
>>Attend the party by yourself.
Time to become an important political ally to Griffith while also getting some notoriety.
>>
>>5113310
We should still tell our parent's about the party and the invitation. Perhaps we can chat up up some of Jacopo's closer noble acquaintances in his stead.
>>
>>5113324
That's a good idea. Our parents can even maybe give us some tips on the people who frequent these kinds of events. Who to avoid and who might assist us.
>>
>>5113324
I'll support that
>>
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>>5113301
>>5113302
>>5113305
>>5113310
>>5113319
Man, whoever said that noble life is super easy was...half right, yeah it's easy in some regards, but the pressure from representing your family in this new chapter of your lives feels staggering. You'd think the hard part would be over after turning about a dozen people into a shish kebab, but the only thing worse than being outmatched in strength, is to be outmarted in politics.

This was a long time coming, but you expected to at least have your dad around to show you the ropes and tell you what they'll negotiate on, but that's easier said than done when he can't even sit down without you helping him.

Still, it's only fair to inform them of your decisions in the following day. Jacopo tries to focus on your speech, but ends up falling asleep from his intense medication. Michelle however, manages to listen till the end and utter some words of advice.
"Mind your drinking, especially when near the nobles and the Falcons."
Great, the first words you hear from them in days and they think you'll be there to get drunk. Guess you'll just have to guess on who's friend or foe in there.

The servants prepare you the finest clothings in your wardrobe with your family banner engraved on your chest. As you arrive on the castle around the same time as the Falcons, you hear them being greeted by the entire hall as they take the scenery in.

The golden hall filled to the brim with chandeliers, tables of fruits, roasted lambs, sheeps and cattle alike. It's something that you've seen a couple times, but probably a parallel dimension to seasoned fighters like them.
You wave at them to see if they catch your presence, but instead you just end up drawing the attention of a group of young maidens, who rush to tug at your sides.

"Vlad! Oh, I can't believe our hero is finally here!"
"All the girls knew you would return with your parents safe and sound, but is it true that you dove into the enemy troops and killed an elite just to get closer to their castle?"
"I don't know why you're all acting so surprised. With that weapon he has on his pants, of course he would know his way with a spear."
Were you in any other circumstance, you would be happy to see these girls ogling at you for your merits and not Jacopo's, but right now there are more important matters at hand, you'll have plenty of time to party later.

>Rush over to the falcons and stick with them.
>Lose them in the crowd and look for the Holy See members.
>>
>>5113384
>Lose them in the crowd and look for the Holy See members.
>>
>>5113384
>>Lose them in the crowd and look for the Holy See members.
Once things have calmed down we can chat with the Falcons
>>
>>5113384
>Rush over to the falcons and stick with them.

Also lmao
>With that weapon he has on his pants, of course he would know his way with a spear."
>>
>>5113384
>>Rush over to the falcons and stick with them.
>>
>>5113423
>Support
>>
>>5113423
>Ladies this is Corkus, the biggest dick in the band!
>>
>>5113384
>Rush over to the falcons and stick with them.
>>
>>5113384
>Lose them in the crowd and look for the Holy See members.

Fuck i lost the start of the session. Do we still have time for do anything else at home after the feast ? We have just read from what I have seen.
>>
>>5113384 #
>Lose them in the crowd and look for the Holy See members
>>5113491
I think It takes a while before Guts leaves the band so there should be plenty of time to talk with everybody before shit hits the fan
>>
>>5113539
Eh no I am talking about that, I know about the feast. I am more concern about what we can do afterwards, if we have time at home for one or more activites
>>
>>5113404
>>5113417
>>5113491
>>5113539
"Hey Iris, is that Griffith looking at you?!" You make up a distraction for the girls.
"Huh?" They all try to contend the attention of the White Falcon, but Griffith wasn't even looking in their direction, having gone past them all with his group of friends.
By the time their necks turn back on you to call you out on your lies, you have already blended with the crowd, crouching under the tables to sneak your way past the Falcons and up to the stairs.

"There you are, boy." A familiar voice beckons over and invites you to stay among the nobles. A bearded man with a few bald spots on his head. His innofensive posture and the contrast with the muscular build for his age made it pretty quick to know who he was.
"Gallahad?" You greet your elder, known as your father's personal bodyguard during his younger days, now approaching retirement as the king's knight.
"So you've finally come to terms with the family business, huh? That was a great fight you put up there with the Tudors, no doubt the king will compensate you personally for your bravery. Personally I would have gone there myself, but I know age has caught up with me, and I'm not one to take many blows to the chest nowadays."

>Any idea what the king wants with me?
>Will the party start soon?
>I'm not familiar with everyone here, anyone I should be familiar with?
>About Griffith...
>(Write-in)
>>
>>5113655
>>I'm not familiar with everyone here, anyone I should be familiar with?
Help a guy out, also...
>Might I say your liver spots are looking immaculate.
>>
>>5113655
>I'm not familiar with everyone here, anyone I should be familiar with?
>About Griffith...
>>
>>5113655
Thank him first, and then inform him of our parents conditions if he doesn't know already. Then
>I'm not familiar with everyone here, anyone I should be familiar with?
And afterwards
>Any idea what the king wants with me ?
Since he is one of the knights of the king.

>Write in
If there is time, ask him how he entered in the service of our father has his personal bodyguard. Explain that we might need one or more for ourselves, for protect us and continue with our martial training.
>>
>>5113711
Support
>>
>>5113688
>>5113709
>>5113711
"Thanks, Gallahad. Don't think I'll ever get as good as you were in your prime though, Might I say your liver spots are looking immaculate. You say you're approaching 60 but you don't look a day over 52."
"Hah! I'll pretend I believe you." Gallahad chuckles in response. "I never thought working as a lumberjack in my teens would one day lead me here. I have to say I kinda miss walking around with that hunk of metal, but getting old means your back doesnt work like it used to, be sure to adjust your posture when sitting down, future Vlad will be grateful for it!"

So he's the owner of the great axe you found in your father's armory, seems like he's big friends with Jacopo since he left his trusty weapon of choice back home and all.
"I don't think you'll agree with me on this one since you're just starting out on the whole fighting thing, but a sword feels really light in comparison, it's less flashier, but there's beauty in it's simplicity."
Being done with the pleasantries, you inform him of Jacopo's condition as he got tortured by the forces at Doldrey's castle, and that you plan on taking his place in political positions until he gets better.
"I... see. I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully that old man still has some strength to spare on him. I'd hate to see him go down in such an awful way."
"Who are you calling old man, old man?" You lighthen the mood with a joke, not wanting to worry more than you already have. "I have to say, I havent been properly informed of the nobles here, is there anyone I should be familiar with? The king invited me personally, so I imagine there's something he wants with me."

"Well it's pretty rare to see an untrained noble like you do so well in a mercenary group, I bet he's going to either promote your family name or ask you on your career path. Our Majesty has kept close ties with Griffith for the past 3 years, any friend of Griffith would likely be his friend."
"So what's it gonna be? Are you going into politics and economics like your dad? I always thought you kept too much to yourself at home, maybe helping your mom out with the merchants would fit you well. Though maybe that's dreaming a bit too low... You do have talent on the battlefield, maybe you want to be a royal knight like me?"

>I'd like to travel around with my mother's merchants.
>I want to contribute to Midland's prosperity like my dad.
>Griffith inspired me to protect the innocent.
>I would like to know more about the Holy See in person.
>I haven't decide on that yet, actually.
>>
>>5113752
>Griffith inspired me to protect the innocent.
>>
>>5113752
>I want to contribute to Midland's prosperity like my dad.
>Griffith inspired me to protect the innocent.

Though travelling around would allow us to do much, and it would be best for adventures.
>>
>>5113752
>>I want to contribute to Midland's prosperity like my dad.
>>Griffith inspired me to protect the innocent.
Basically I want Vlad to become like a fighting noble, bandit trouble in his land? Deal with it personally.
>>
>>5113761
>>5113788
>>5113806
"Griffith inspired me to protect the innocent. Fight for those who are otherwise left to their own accord. The feeling of contributing to something greater than myself was always present when I went along on that journey, a feeling of partaking in a prosper goal to Midland, very much like my dad has done with his political influence. Protection and prosperity, those are the two goals I'll strive for." You raise an open hand to your chest as Gallahad raises his, feeling invigorated by your speech.

"That's what I like to hear! I'll admit you're starting a bit late into the life of a knight. But if your fight with the Tudors showed a glimpse of who you really are, it's no doubt you'll be recognized as a knight of Wyndham in under a year once you've reached your full potential. If you want someone to tutor you, you could always ask me for a hand, I might not be as young as those Falcon kids, but it's not like they're giving me any big missions these days. If anything, it'll be easier to vouch for you."

"I'm surprised you would rather be a Knight-errant than go straight to the holy see." A bald man with short stature appears behind Gallahad, clasping his hands with a neutral expression. "Could it be that you hold ill will towards the pontifical organization?"

"Good evening, Foss. Is the Royal Family ready to do their announcement." Gallahad greets the little midget. "Vlad, this is Minister Foss, he's been personally counseling the Queen for over a decade."
"Indeed. The Vandimion family is taking a bit too long to arrive, but given how they are our biggest sponsors on this ceremony, we cant have them miss the most important part of our night, can we? Since princess Charlotte is psyching herself to see Sir Griffith in person, I thought it would be fun to gossip around while we have the time." His eyes shift between the two of you before taking off his hat to greet you.

"Vlad Santana. Oh, what a tragedy your parents have met. Adding that to your unpopular decision of aiding Griffith when nobody outside of Your Majesty has put any faith in The Falcons, it seems you are trying to begin your days of chivalry on the right foot with the rising powers, a decision that will probably not go so well with some of our... more religious sponsors."
>>
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>>5113871
Foss seems to question your decision on vouching for Griffith, seen as Giselle informed of the not so hidden plan to conspire against Griffith's climb to noble status, he wants to know your reason on helping a lowly mercenary. Judging by his deceiving attitude, it's something he'll likely spread to other nobles.
Be weary of any traps questions he might set up.

"You already have more than many commoners would dream of, Young Santana. And after all you went through, one would assume a declining family name to look for union in popularity, not to outcast themselves to favor a King that hasnt even laid eyes upon you..."

>If it werent for Griffith, my parents would be dead and Tudor forces would still be in Midland. We all own him at least a few votes of confidence.
>I am not interested in The Band, they just happened to align with my mission.
>I don't hink he's the Falcon Of Darkness, if that's what you want to hear.
>If the Holy Knights have a problem with me, they can talk to me about it in person.
>What's it to you, Baldy?
>Write-in.
>>
>>5113875
>"His majesty invited me personally, Minister Foss. And the Band of the Falcon is a mercenary organization with a goodly, competent leader- look at how well they have served the kingdom. It would do us well to have such men amongst the nobility of the land."
>>
>>5113878
Support
>>
>>5113878
Yeah supporting this.
>>
>>5113875
>I am not interested in The Band, they just happened to align with my mission.
>I didn't know the Holy See has taken such interest in the affairs of such a lowly nobleman such as myself. I'll certainly have to learn more of the Holy See in person, if it isn't too troublesome?

Don't appear to care too much of Foss' schemes, and make us seem open to being persuaded. It'll keep the Holy See off our family's back while they are healing from their ordeal at least, and maybe they'll try and woo us instead of trying to stab us in the back politically.
>>
>>5113878
+ 1
>>
>>5113878
+1 to this
>>
>>5113985
Supporting this.
>>
>>5113878
While supporting this

>>5113875
>Write in
"I do not harbor any ill towards the See personally, but this is one of the paths i am pondering to take Minister Foss. At first in the battle i was even considering
to even join the band, but ultimately it does not serve much purpose. Perhaps if I can become as experienced as the members of the band or even as half of them, i could inspire other nobles to take a similar path to mine or to strive for become better under the service of the See. The nobility of Midland needs to be an example to the people and his first protectors."
When the minister is gone, or if he still there
"Thank you Sir Gallahad for your offer, i would be honored to have has a teacher the man that protected my father."
>>
>>5113878
"His majesty invited me personally, Minister Foss. And the Band of the Falcon is a mercenary organization with a goodly, competent leader. Look at how well they have served the kingdom. It would do us well to have such men amongst the nobility of the land. Wouldnt you agree?" You resist the urge to respond to his tone, instead resorting to trap him in a wall of non-arguments.

"Yes, but-" Foss tries to respond, but you brush him aside with a few more explanations of your moral code.
"I'll admit I was considering to even join the band, but I'd rather become as experience as them to inspire other nobles to be as virtuous. The nobility of Midland needs to be an example to the people and their first protectors, am I right?"

Another thing that came in handy when learning about your magical powers is that not only you can feel people's intent when they're fighting, but also when they're speaking. Battles are all in the mind, and knowing what people want from you from the getgo makes it incredibly easy to avoid confrontation as you dance them around with words. You're pretty sure you can hear Foss' inner thoughts when he gives up in exploiting your naivete.

"...I see where you're coming from, Young Santana. Perhaps I've misjudged your character." He nervously blurts out as he leaves, but what he actually meant to say was:
What a smug little brat, he gave me nothing to work with! So be it, I'll just tell the Queen he's neutral on our plan.
"Wow, first day in and you're already doing well on diplomacy. Did your father teach you anything before you came here?"
"It's all in here, Gallahad." You point a finger up to your head, subtly alluding to your astral powers.
"There they are!" A few people announce the entrance of the Vandimion family at the front door, a group of archbishops followed by two nights, and a young girl who couldn't be older than 16. By the way they're all so neatly dressed, you can't even guess which one is in command.

Regardless, it seems the announcement will finally be starting.
>Go downstairs and hear the King's speech with The Falcons.
>Greet the Vandimions and strike a conversation.
>>
>>5114250
>Greet the Vandimions and strike a conversation.
This will be fun.
>>
>>5114250
>Go downstairs and hear the King's speech with The Falcons.
>>
>>5114250
>>Go downstairs and hear the King's speech with The Falcons.
>>
>>5114250
>Greet the Vandimions and strike a conversation.
>>
>>5114250
>Go downstairs and hear the King's speech with The Falcons.
The King probably has something important to say, cant miss the thing we came here for
>>
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>>5114256
>>5114274
>>5114278
>>5114280
>>5114281
The Vandimions are surely important figures, but they're not going to give you anything right now. Plus Your Majesty's announcement is bound to be grand. Surely you'll be able to talk with the rich family later.

"First and foremost, we have good news for all of you. A special envoy from Tudor brought word that an armstice agreement has been signed with Midland." The King Of Midland arrives from the first floor as you approach The Falcons, The Queen and The Princess following suit.

"We thank from the bottom of our heart those who have endured this hundred year old war along with us. There are more than a few wanting to speak out against this treatment, hatred of Tudor among those who have lost friends and loved ones has no doubt persistend among 3 generations. We can understand these worries, however the rebuilding of both wearied kingdoms are far more urgent, and we must focus our strength into Midland's prosperity."

"As you all know, The Band Of The Hawk led by Count Griffith was crucial to recapture our territory. Were it not for their bold, unique brand of valor, our most fervent prayers since the days of two king's prior would never come to light. As such, we shall give Count Griffith and all of his commanders the highest noble entitlement, The White Title. They shall be known as The White Phoenix Knights, commanded by White Phoenix General Griffith.

"W-Wait, is he talking about us? We-- I, am going to be a noble?" Corkus visibly sweats in excitement, realizing how big the promotion in class the group has recieved.

"As for the brave soul who joined their fight without so much as fighting for himself beforehand, he shall be teached the way of the sword by whichever master he wishes. His future seems very bright, and he shall be recognized as a night within a few months of training."

Being recognized by The King as a potential knight is a big honor, and something you wished your parents were here to witness. The choice on who should train you is a tricky one, you know that The Falcons are behemoths on their own terms, but would that really translate to good teachings to absorb their skills?
With all the eyes of the crowd locked on you, you rest one knee on the floor and stare into the waxed floor as you call the name of your new master.

>Gallahad
>Griffith
>Guts
>Casca
>Judeau
>>
>>5114320
>Gallahad
as much as I would like guts or griffith to teach us, Gallahad is a:
>king's knight.
Maybe he can tell us some stuff about the king? Knowing our kings personality could be beneficial to gaining favor.
>Has a lifetimes worth of combat experience
Veteran of combat, very useful.
>Can teach us to use a sword masterfully
Knowing how to use multiple weapons such as the sword would be extremely useful, we might not always have our spear on us, and knowing how to use other tools could be a life saver.
>>
>>5114320
Is the lancer of legend Locus, otherwise known as the Moonlight Knight an option? He's a living legend, so surely we'd have heard of him I would think.
>>
>>5114320
>Griffith
I'm going with him because I know jack shit about berserk so I have no idea who would be best to teach.
>>
>>5114320
>Griffith

I LOVE THE ANTICHRIST
I LOVE THE ANTICHRIST
I LOVE THE ANTICHRIST
>>
>>5114383
>>5114385
Ironically you couldn't pick a WORSE fucking person considering what happens later.
>>5114320
>Guts
>>
>>5114320
>Griffith
Mostly to try and stop him from fucking the princess, maybe try and help him scape?
>>
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>>5114372
Locus is very well known throughout the land, yes. But since he wouldnt show his face in the story until much later on That and him being, you know, an apostle. let's just say that his current location is unknown due to his mission being far too taxing to stop everything and train a noble in Wyndham. If you want to meet him you should probably look for him in person at a later date.
>>
>>5114320
>Gallahad
would rather that we don't get an aneurism from the behelit again.
>>
>>5114401
Drrrat! In that case.
>>5114320
>Gallahad
A man of many techniques, with skill in equal measure to strength. Doubtlessly an excellent choice for one in need of both to use spears most effectively.
>>
>>5114320
>>Gallahad
He had tell us before that he would have been our teacher gladly, if we desired to became a knight. The ex-personal bodyguard of our father, sound like a good mentor/teacher. The fact that he is likely a skilled fighter and a veteran is just better.
Otherwise i would have gone for Guts or Jud'. I recon we can still learn something from both of them, if we spar.
>>
>>5114383
okay changing my vote to
>Gallahad
>>
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>>5114385
>>5114392
>>5114399
>>5114408
>>5114410
>>5114424
>>5114441
Looks like Gallahad won the majority vote, I'll try to fit in a spar with a member of the Falcons in Vlad's little training arc if you'd like. It does take a full month before Griffith segs the princess from now so a little time to meet them is very possible. Writing
>>
>>5114454
do we plan to help the hawks? what about griffith?
its destiny for him to become femto, so even if we help him escape or stop him from fucking the princess, he will still some other time fuck it up and choose to become femto.
>>
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>>5114454
"Gallahad!" The elderly knight is taken aback by hearing you actually accept being his tutor when so many younger knights next to you, but with the amount of claps and cheers offered by the guests and sponsors, it's not an offer he could refuse.

"I was deeply ashamed when I failed to see the end of the war by my own hands, but by training a newer, stronger generation of knights, I feel as if god himself is giving me a second chance, should I not live to see the day where Midland is the greatest nation in our continent, The Santanas will surely be there in my place." Gallahad treats you to a toast as he climbed down the stairs and approached you to whisper in your ear:

"Just so you know, you better make the most out of today, because by the end of our lessons, you're gonna wish you were training to be a baker." He playfully taps you on the shoulder, warning you that his training will be very intense.
"Like that will scare me off! But I'll definitely make the most out of today!" You raise a glass of wine to him and gracefully take a sip.

Now that you're done with the pleasantries, there's still some free time to talk with whoever you want as everyone starts grabbing the food and gulping on the alcohol. There are plenty of interesting faces here, but now that the main event is set and done, you could comfortably leave without losing too much information.

>Meet the Vandimions.
>Grab a meal and relax at the table.
>See if any of the falcons are busy.
>Have fun with the ladies.
>Leave, you've played your part already.
>>
>>5114485
>See if any of the falcons are busy.
>>
>>5114465
You can try to delay the inevitable, but at this point you've made it pretty clear that you favor Griffith to the others at the castle. Should your parents double down or backpedal on your decision is something they'll decide later
>>
>>5114454
>I'll try to fit in a spar with a member of the Falcons in Vlad's little training arc if you'd like
Yes.


>>5114465
I doubt we can convince him, is ambitions run deep and the egg is a corrupting influence on his mind.
Helping the Hawks in what way ? Right now they are okay. The tower escape you mean ?

>>5114485
>Meet the Vandimions
>>
>>5114485
>Meet the Vandimions.
then
>See if any of the falcons are busy.
>>
>>5114485
>Meet the Vandimions.
>>
>>5114485
>Meet the Vandimions.
We do still have the problem of the Holy See to deal with. That and actually meeting such an influential family outside of this is going to be tough if we don't try and seek them out now.
>>
>>5114485
>Making sure to avoid the area Griffith is in, relax at the table and try to feel out the Od of those present today. Perhaps you can learn a few interesting things about those who attend these things with your refined skill.
>>
>>5114485
>Meet the Vandimions.
Its very important to meet these people.

And if we still have time:
>Have fun with the ladies.
Vlad needs a break from politics and warfare, even if for just 1 night.
>>
>>5114498
I would also like a sparing session with a member of the falcons during the training arc.
>>
>>5114465
I wish there was some way to prevent him from becoming Femto.
>>
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>>5114498
>>5114504
>>5114505
The Vandimion Family is one that could easily buy the entirety of Midland if they wanted to, so it's an interesting sight to see them not only sponsor this ceremony, but to send the youngest Vandimion to the king's castle? Does she even know what she's doing? Hopefully she's been more educated in political teachings than you have, given the family's status they can't really afford any mistakes. Maybe that's what the bishops are here for.

The blonde girl stood still as a rock on her large chair, staring blankly in the air with a grumpy, unpleasant expression imprinted on her face.
"Lady Farnese, why dont you try to partake in a little dance with the other nobles? It seems to be something people your age should have fun doing." A spear weilder with a comically large mustache sees if she wants to distract herself.
"Serpico. Do you know how to dance?" She coldly responds to the skinny blonde knight on her left.
"Well, I dont think learning how to waltz was a priority back in the slums-"
"Then I couldn't care less about who's dancing in the halls. Why did you even bring me here? Father said I should be sent straight to the convent after what happened there!"
"You see, Lady Farnese. The peace treatment between Tudor and Midland has been a long time coming for our estate, as your brother is currently attending a meeting on their nation, it's equally important for us to show that we support pacifism in nations of our--"
"You bore me. Finish whatever negotiations you have with these peasants and be done with it. You, bring me more cherry juice!" She orders a random passerby to give her more of her childish drink, proving more than enough that while she does have extreme autority in this place due to her family name, she's by all means of the word: A total brat.

"Ah, would you be the new knight in training?" The mustached man looks over to you and avoids more direct confrontation with Farnese, who reclines on her seat and avoids looking in your general direction. "I am Azan of the Holy Iron Knight Chains, what brings you here?"

> Lady Farnese seems to be distressed, is there anything I could do to help?
> What happened in the convent?
> I would like to know more about your work, Azan.
> Her knight seems very composed, would Serpico be interested in a friendly duel?
> Read their energy with your Od sensing. See if you can get in their heads and know what's on their minds.
>>
>>5114574
You're in the wrong quest bucko
>LAW. OF. CASUALITY
>>5114575
>Her knight seems very composed, would Serpico be interested in a friendly duel?
>>
>>5114575
> Read their energy with your Od sensing. See if you can get in their heads and know what's on their minds.
>>
>>5114575
> Read their energy with your Od sensing. See if you can get in their heads and know what's on their minds.
>>
>>5114575
> Lady Farnese seems to be distressed, is there anything I could do to help?
and
> Read their energy with your Od sensing. See if you can get in their heads and know what's on their minds.
>>
>>5114575
> Her knight seems very composed, would Serpico be interested in a friendly duel?
> Read their energy with your Od sensing. See if you can get in their heads and know what's on their minds
>>
>>5114575
> Lady Farnese seems to be distressed, is there anything I could do to help?
> Read their energy with your Od sensing. See if you can get in their heads and know what's on their minds.
Od sensing is OP.
>>
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>>5114581
>>5114584
>>5114589
>>5114593
>>5114615
>>5114621
Reading 3 people's minds at once at a crowded area? Seems tricky, but doable.
Over 70 and you'll get the full story, anything under that will be bits and pieces of information.
Roll please.
>>
Rolled 8 (1d100)

>>5114630
Time to goooo
>>
Rolled 65 (1d100)

>>5114630
>>
Rolled 79 (1d100)

>>5114630
watch me crit bois.
>>
Not going :(
>>
>>5114634
The dice gods have smiled upon me this day. I am grateful.
>>
Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>5114630
I've been having shit luck today. lets see if it can be improved.
>>
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>>5114632
>>5114633
>>5114634
Making sure Griffith and his cursed Egg is nowhere in sight, you squint your vision and ignore the backdrop of the hall's curtains as projections of the past start forming in your head along with the three guests' own thoughts and feelings, the first one being Azan's relatively normal worries:
"Ah, I hope I get to do something as fantastic as being known as the bridge knight in my golden years."
The image of a knight not unlike Azan appears behind him, fighting about a hundred men by himself while leading a wounded man who wished to cross a bridge without being harmed. An impressive feat that rivals the tale of the Hundred Man Slayer Guts.

"I can't believe they didn't disown Farnese after what she did on the mansion. Then again, they'll probably try to brainwash her into a puppet of the Holy See when she starts commanding the Iron Chain Knights. Whatever happens to her, I'll be equally deserving of her fate."
The self flaggelant knight recalls to when Farnese set fire to a large portion of her estate, laughing maniacally as she tortured her pets, her servants, and even Serpico in protest of her father's commands.

Lastly, you turn over to Farnese, now staring daggers at you as the backdrop turns into a fiery hell. It's a deep rooted hatred that seeps deep into your soul, one that you havent felt in any of the combatants in the band. She's not thinking of the past, but imagining herself burning your body on a cross to pass the time.
"What the hell does this fool want? Stop staring at me! I bet he's one of the spies father told me to watch out for!"
What a lovely maiden indeed, if that's what she does for fun it's no wonder the other men ignore her.
"Speak." She finally acknowledges your presence and commands you to say something, or be gone.

>Would you be interested in a dance?
>I was hoping I could spar with your knight.
>Sorry, got lost in my thoughts there.
>Don't give me orders.
>It's nothing, I'll be going.
>>
>>5114690
>>Don't give me orders.
>>
>>5114690
>I was hoping I could spar with your knight.
Serpico has it rough
>>
>>5114690
>Would you be interested in a dance?
>>
I really, really want to quip that little girls who play with fire inevitably get raped by a horse burned but I know that would play out poorly.

>>5114690
>Would you be interested in a dance?
If she can step on our toes three times she can slap us. And we will deftly use our ability to not get our toes stepped on. Humiliate her with a good time. Or not. I don't care. This bitch crazy.
>>
>>5114690
Oh well better answer like a gentleman
>Sorry, got lost in my thoughts there.
and present ourselves. (Remember that we have just look at the three of them without saying a word).

Then say
>I was hoping I could spar with your knight.

It doesn't matter the time it can be arranged. I am not sure if we could spar at the feast.
>>
>>5114690
>"It's unbecoming of a Lady to give out orders in a ball, no? I came here to ask you if you would be interested in a dance, Farnese."
How about this?
>>
>>5114574
>see the name femto
>instantly think about femboy griffith
god damn it the internet has ruined me
>>
>>5114690
>Sorry, got lost in my thoughts there.
>I was hoping I could spar with your knight.
Bro it up with Serpico
>>
>>5114690
>Would you be interested in a dance?
>>
>>5114716
Somewhere out there is a guy who has PTSD every time he sees "fem" and screams about Griffith being a piece of shit.
>>
>>5114690
>Would you be interested in a dance?

Tease and get her all flustered.
>>
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>>5114701
>>5114704
>>5114709
>>5114713
>>5114719
>>5114723
Roll to see Vlad and his flashy dance moves.
No DC, this one's just for funsies.
>>
Rolled 77 (1d100)

>>5114731
Two left feet.
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>5114731
This one's for dad, who will never dance again
>>
Rolled 22 (1d100)

>>5114731
Time to spill our spaghetti
>>
>>5114732
>77

Only one 7 away from being divine!
>>
>>5114732
If we got an 88, would we have two right feet then?
>>
>>5114735
Truly fitting for a go with a godly girl.

>>5114738
More like two wrong feet hohoho
>>
Rolled 9 (1d100)

>>5114731
let me just put my hat in the ring.
>>
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>>5114732
>>5114733
>>5114734
Should be enough to woo the crowd, writing
>>
>>5114753
"A bit unbecoming of a Lady to give out orders in a ball, don't you think? I only came here to ask you if you'd be interested in a dance, Lady Farnese." You bow and extend your hand to see if she was educated in the hand-kissing ettiquete, but she merely stares at you kneeling at her presence, not wanting her fingers to go anywhere near your lips.

"Hey buddy, I don't think this is going to end well for you--" Serpico tries to prepare you for the upcoming outburst he probably expected her to give you, but she smiles in return.

"Sure, why not? This is what you all wanted me to do, right? Let's have a little dance. "She stands up from her seat and tugs at your arm, much to the surprise of Serpico and Azan, who cautiously follow behind to make sure she's not planning anything malicious.

"I'll give you one song, I don't know any complicated dance moves, try to kiss me or put your hand on the wrong spot and I'll shove both my heels up your you-know-here!" She adjusts her silk gloves and her round dress, making sure her hands stay clean after touching yours.

"One's song is all I need." You place one hand on her waist and guide her arm with another. How hard can it be to dance with this girl? The rythm of the other dancers at the ballroom suggests that this is just a classical rendition of the slow waltz. The rhtyhm of the harps is tender, and the singer makes sure to hold down on her low notes.

Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, turn clockwise. 3 more steps and turn counter-clockwise. Surely that's something anyone could follow.
She seems emotionally disconnected from the whole ordeal, even as you stare her dead in the eyes, you can tell she's not impressed by your graceful moves, moreso doing the deed to stop others from pestering her about not dancing.

"Is that Farnese dancing with Vlad? Oh, I'm so jealous!" One of the girls starts gossiping towards her group, making a small crowd take focus on the two of you.
It was not until she realized you were desired by several other women that her feisty persona took charge again.
She tries to step on your toes in an attempt to embarrass you, but her small feet are too easy to dodge, especially when you can predict her moves from a mile away without even having to sense her Od. Really, how predictable...

Farnese grits her teeth as her stomps become faster and stronger, the metal tap on the bottom of your shoe ironically turning your dodges into a teasingly rythmical tap dance.
She is desperately trying to gain control of the situation, and the way you casually avoid confrontation only makes her grow more furious.
"Aww, she's blushing!"
"Don't they look so cute together? Their moves are so well coreographed too!"
>>
>>5114802
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQSP8Tn-mdc
Fucking Farnesse.
>>
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>>5114802
Im picturing Vlad's face
>pic related
How will Farnese ever recover?
>>
>>5114802
With a low growl, the young Farnese throws caution to the wind and arches her chest forward, the white silhouette of Od around you indicating that she planned to hit you full force in the testicles. Unfortunately for her, the song is reaching it's climax, and it's time to show her what you're made of.

You gyrate her hips to redirect the force of her kick, quickly turning her body to the side as you hold her leg and lean her down in a finishing pose, embracing her and lifting her body so her head didn't hit the ballroom floor. To anyone looking, it seemed like you were performing a ballet move being practiced for days on end, and much to Farnese's contempt, no one even realized she was trying to hit you the entire time. With the music ending and several soft claps in your direction, Farnese angrily admitted defeat, a concession that only you and her were aware of.

"That... went better than expected..." Serpico scratches his head, realising he worried over nothing.
"I knew she was going to have fun, see?" You guide her hand back to Serpico's company, her cheeks flushing red in a mixture of anger and second-hand embarrassment.
"Let go of my hand! You disgust me..." She wiggles her arm away from you, the tone of insult in her voice made it seem like you just spat on her face.

See, that might have been what she said out loud, but what she actually meant to say was...
I HATE this man. Thinking he can get on my family's good side by wooing me... I'll have his head on a silver platter when my father gets to know about this.
...A lot worse, at least you can congratulate her on holding her anger?

>Thank you for your time, Farnese.
>You must have a lot of patience, Serpico.
>I hope I can get to meet the other Vandimions someday.
>Write-in.
>>
>>5114828
>>You must have a lot of patience, Serpico.
The fact that she thinks it's wooing means she is actively trying to not get wooed. Therefore we can determine that she liked it and is mad about it. This is infallible logic and she is a subconscious tsundere.

Now to chat with best boy.
>>
>>5114828
>Write-in.
>"Thank you for the lovely dance Lady Vandimions, you were as graceful and vibrant as a butterfly. I sincerely hope our paths cross again, it would be such a shame to never again see such a beautiful and elegant woman as yourself. I hope I can get to meet the other Vandimions someday, and they are at least half as brilliant as you are."
Vlad the maximum troll.
>>
>>5114828
>You must have a lot of patience, Serpico.
>>5114831
>she is a subconscious tsundere
No she's just fucking nuts.
>>
>>5114828
>Thank you for your time, Farnese.
I can't think of anything smooth right now but somebody will get whiped with extra fervor in the future.
>>
>>5114837
>No she's just fucking nuts.
Potato potato. No shit buddy her favorite game is "burn people alive in front of their family"
>>
>>5114828
>Thank you for your time, Farnese.
>You must have a lot of patience, Serpico.
>>
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>>5114836
>Support
>*smug intensifies*
>>
>>5114742
hohoho
>>5114802
>>5114828
I love this scene so much.
>It's been a wonderful time, miss Farnese.
Absolutely 100% honest here, definitely not straight-faced sarcasm.
Then, while we leave
>You must have a lot of patience, Serpico.
>>
>>5114828
>Thank you for indulging me, brief as it was. Too many people here hide their emotions, so I couldn't help but find myself drawn to the bright flames in your eyes. And it gave me some reprieve from the sycophants, so even though you despise me, I thank you genuinely.
Some hints, some compliments, and some things to make her feel conflicted.
The more internal conflict she has, the better.
This is how you troll in high society.
>>
>>5114836
+1, but change the last bit to
>I hope I can get to meet the other Vandimions someday, if they are at least half as vibrant as you are."
>>
>>5114841
berserk has been for almost 30 years, it's pretty famous in akun, is it really necessary to hide it behind a spoiler?
>>
>>5114836
Also supporting
>>
>>5114828
> What have I done wrong Lady Farnese? I thought you and I simply had a graceful and fun dance. But... I thank you for your time regardless, too many people here hide their emotions, so I couldn't help but find myself drawn to the bright flames in your eyes. And it gave me some reprieve from the sycophants, so even though you may despise me, I sincerely hope our paths will cross again.
When we leave
> You must have a lot of patience, Serpico.

>>5114848 How about this?
>>
>>5114854
>>5114855
changing vote to this
>>
>>5114851
>thinking the spoiler tag is actually used to hide spoilers
Nah brah we use that shit for sarcasm, jokes, just general tomfoolery and because fuck mobile users lmao.

Also akun is full of degenerates who would rather sit there and watch the horse go to town on her instead of trying to address the actual psychosis she suffers from. Buncha weirdos.
>>
>>5114855
supporting this instead
>>
>>5114855
supporting

Also curious on how our old pal Gunpowder is doing?
>>
>>5114855
>support
captcha rhnn0
>>
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>>5114862
>the horse incident
anon why
>>
>>5114867
>anon why
Because life is pain.
>>
>>5114867
You know why, i vote we film it and send it to her parents
>>
even if it makes sense in this situation with nobles this type of overly eloquent and verbose write ins still make me cringe every time
>>
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>>5114877
don´t worry we will be impaling them soon enough
>>
>>5114893
anon we only impale in self defense
>>
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>>5114855
"What have I done wrong, Lady Farnese? I thought we were simply having a graceful and fun dance." You place a hand under your chin and lovingly stare at the seethingly resentful girl. "Too many people here hide their emotions, so I just couldnt help but find myself drawn to the bright flames in your eyes."

Her anger shortly ceases to be the moment you mention the words "flames" and "eyes". The way you worded that phrase didn't pass her by, and all implies that it wasn't by mere coincidence that you said it to her face. A reaction that Serpico soon mimicked.

"You-- How did...?" She holds her breath, not wanting to reveal anything in case you weren't referring to her little accident in the Vandimion estate, but you continue to charm her with your words.
"Our dance gave me reprieve from the sycophants, so even though you despise me, I thank you genuinely. I hope I can meet the other Vandimions someday, if they are at least half as vibrant as you are."
Farnese clasps her glass of cherry juice and nearly spills it over your clothes, were it not for Serpico taking the drink away from her in a save.
"Your moves looked great, Mr. Santana. Better not to try your luck too hard on Lady Farnese, though." Serpico forces a grin, knowing very well about the bomb going off behind him.
"Sure, I also admire your patience as a knight, Serpico." You give the trio one more bow. "Would you perhaps be interested in setting up a duel between the two of us? Maybe Farnese would be less angry if she saw me losing to another knight."
"Oh, she would love to see that, but unfortunately this is our only stop in our journey to the convent. She'll be spending a few years there to become the new leader of the Holy Iron Chain Knights. It's about a year's worth of training there, and we'll be going on pilgrimages for the remaining years. The mission is confidential, but it's going to be hard to stay in one place for too long. The nobles sure talked well about you, so I'd be down otherwise."

"AAAAH!" A woman's scream is heard from the hall, not from Farnese, but rather from the opposite direction of where she stood. Though you haven't heard much of her voice, it seemed to be one very similar to Casca's.
>>
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>>5114914
"Griffith? GRIFFITH!" Casca hurried to the limp body of the White Knight, a wine glass broken to his right as the liquid spilled under him. Corkus, Judeau and Pippin soon rushed to aid him, seeing if he had simply choked too hard on his food, but as he refused to even cough or gurgle as his back and stomach were forcefully pushed, the band realized that their leader had been poisoned.

Several other nobles drop their glasses and rush to the exits, Princess Charlotte drops to her knees and holds her sobbing, seeing her love interest be killed in what should be a glorious night. Whatever light mood you brought with your dancing was soon replaced by panic.
"Guards! Seal the hall! Don't let anyone out!" Gallahad orders his subordinates to investage on who made an attempt on Griffith's life, as they still tried to confirm his death.

Azan and Serpico step forward, protecting Farnese of any possible invador, The royal family sweat like melting candles and your mind starts racing to who the culprit was.
Weirdly enough, Guts is nowhere to be found.

>Aid Gallahad in the investigation.
>Rationalize why Guts is not here.
>Check if Griffith is really dead with your Od Sensing.
>Remain still and let the guards do their part. You're innocent, afterall.
>>
>>5114938
>Check if Griffith is really dead with your Od Sensing.
then
>Aid Gallahad in the investigation.
>>
>>5114938
>Rationalize why Guts is not here.
>Check if Griffith is really dead with your Od Sensing.
>>
>>5114938
>Check if Griffith is really dead with your Od Sensing.
>Aid Gallahad in the investigation.
>>
>>5114938
>Check if Griffith is really dead with your Od Sensing.
>Aid Gallahad in the investigation.
Time for inspector Vlad Gadget.
>>
>>5114938
>>Aid Gallahad in the investigation.
While the instability of Middland will present opportunities We cannot allow Guts to murder the mayority of the royal family, and a dual with him in the middle of the night sounds kino as fuck
>>
>>5114938

>Aid Gallahad in the investigation
>Check if Griffith is really dead with your Od Sensing

if you're taking write-ins:
>Do a general Od-Sense on everyone in the room.
>>
>>5114938
>>Aid Gallahad in the investigation.
Let's NOT look at Griffith with his fucking aneurysm inducing necklace with our soul sight, eh?
>>
>>5114954
that is a very good point actually, that being said what's the range of the behelit, e.g will it mindfuck you if you scan it specifically or just griffith in general?
>>
>>5114968
Vlad did make a point to not look at Griffith with his god eyes on earlier in the party. I don't know. But I'd rather play it safe and assume looking too close to it will fuck with our head.

Wouldn't do to lose all of our plans because we fell over foaming at the mouth from a quick peak.
>>
>>5114954
why does everyone forget that? the god hand obviously stating don´t even look a this dude or you will die
>>
>>5114986
I mean I'm all for doing dumb shit but not when it'll hamper us in other ways. Don't need to seem like we're fighting a possession with the Holy See mucking about. And just looking absolutely miserable in front of the nobles. Very detrimental to our image.
>>
>>5114954
supporting this. Getting mindfucked by the behelit once was enough already
>>
Meanwhile, in Farnese Quest:
>God damn I can't believe we failed that malicious dancing roll, this is bullshit
>What the fuck, he just hinted at a LOT of stuff. Does he know what we did last thread?
>Wait, he hinted about emotions too. Does he know Serpico?
>And now Griffith is dead right after this dude got applauded for his involvement in the war effort? This is shifty as hell, right?
>Didn't we see him talking to the minister earlier? The same minister that's super anti-griffith?
>>
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>>5115010
>tfw in Farnesse quest were the Griffith to her Guts
>>
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>>5114940
>>5114942
>>5114954
You quickly ponder on Griffith being instantly killed by mere poison to be a possiblity. Life does not vanish, but merely changes its shape, perhaps his soul is still fighting for its life inside his body, a quick check of his Od would be--

As his aura turns red and your vision twirls once more, you remember that sensing Griffith's Od is impossible when that damn Egg of his is being worn, despite only checking it from a distance for a split second, it's power is still oppressive enough to leave you nauseated.

You take one step back and tumble towards a pillar, vomiting your drink from the previous hour as Azan holds you steady.
"My god! Has the enemy poisoned you too?"
"No... Its just, I--" You're cut off by another mouthful of bile rising up your throat, soiling the carpet once more with your puke.
"I need to find Sir Gallahad." You manage to recover enough oxygen to speak inbetween your gasps for air.
"On that condition? No sir, you need medical attention. Sit over here with Farnese, I'll be on the lookout when a guard passes by us." Serpico lifts you over his shoulder and places you by Farnese's side, the girl covering her nose from your soiled stench.

While not feeling as physically impaired as when the egg rumbled last time, it's odd is powerful enough to sucker punch the Od out of you by merely idling, sucking your energy like an open vortex with the results leaving you very strained. Not wanting to overexert yourself, you merely follow Gallahad with your eyes as he interrogates the servants one by one.
You have to save your energy and hope your body can return to it's previous state without having to look for Sivir, but one thing for sure that you managed to catch within your split second reaction:

Griffith's soul did not leave his body. His heart may not be beating, but the Od is still there. Could it be that the Egg is keeping him from dying?

>Stay still and wait for a guard to send you to the medical ward.
>Voice your worries to Farnese and the others.
>See if you can still walk over to the Falcons.
>Keep observing the room without your powers.
>>
>>5115034
>No one here save the king himself has the authority to order you around. Stagger your way to Gallahad anyways, to stubbornly help as best you can
>>
>>5115034
>See if you can still walk over to the Falcons.
We have to at least TRY to help them, even if we are feeling lightheaded and sickly. Could we possibly tell them griffiths soul is still in his body or maybe we could even tell Sir Gallahad that Foss and the queen might have something to do with this (Remember he mentioned something about a plot against griffith) and to keep an eye on Foss and the queen in particular.
>>
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>>5115038
>Supporting
>Farnese thinks we are stinky
>>
>>5115034
>>Keep observing the room without your powers.
Look for anyone watching/avoiding Galahad.

So much for getting anything done tonight. Fucking evil doom stone sucking all our juice.

>>5115045
I'm more worried about our maids maybe having to wash our vomit covered blouse. Poor lady having to deal with that filth. Farnesse probably smells like soot under the perfume anyway.
>>
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>>5115050
>Vlad disgusted by Farnese "hobby"
>We discover that Vlad get off impaling bodies
>mfw
>>
>>5115034
>Keep observing the room without your powers.
>>
>>5115045
Well you did just vomit 2 gallons of wine on the floor so your breath prolly doesnt smell all that great, I'm sure it's nothing personal.
>>
>>5115034
>Keep observing the room without your powers.
>>
>>5115062
>Farnesse and Vlad sit at a dinner arguing which is more despicable, impalement or incineration
>both agree that drowners are total assholes
>>
>>5115066
>2 gallons of wine
jesus fucking christ vlad do you know what an appropriate amount is for social drinking
everyone else here is going to die of thirst
how did they poison griffith's wine when vlad drank the kingdom out of it?
>>
>>5115073
While i know anons will go with the impalor act I want to pull a Basil and blind the whole fucking army
>>
>>5115077
Remember this is after mom told Vlad to hold back and he didn't go for the partying options.
Which means Vlad used to drink evem more when he was a noble neet.
>>
>>5115093
Oh that's a good one too. Well if nothing else, historical Vlad didn't JUST impale people. That was just his favorite method and the one he did the most. Of course we aren't a sadist so we couldn't be a preeminent torturer.

Unless those Kushan mongrels come over, should we even consider them as "people"? Ugh.
>>
>>5115100
A man named Vlad who impales people with his spear fighting a middle eastern looking horde? We were born for that war.
>>
>>5115111
Now all we need is to get captured by the Tur- I mean Kushanites and grow to hate them more than should be reasonable so we can stonewall them at the border so hard we become a national hero.

Art imitates life imitates art.

These comparisons might be a little on the nose. But I don't mind it if that's the way people want to take it. Wonder what Becchi thinks of all this.
>>
>>5115100
>They can´t pass your border if you build a wall from their bodies
>>
>>5115034
>>Keep observing the room without your powers.
>Ask someone to get you water to get the pile taste out of your mouth
>>
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>>5115068
>>5115065
>>5115050
If you can't use your powers now, so be it. But that still won't stop you from trying to understand what just happened. Suddenly the words of Michelle ring a familiar bell to your state of affairs.
"Mind your drinking, especially when near the nobles and the Falcons."
Your foster mother, who barely attended any meetings at the castle, already had a hunch that somebody there would make an attempt at Griffith's life. She wasn't telling you not to get drunk, but to keep an eye out for the traitor group, which apparently was already making their schemes before the battle for Doldrey was set.

Gallahad pulls his hair in frustration, not getting any results from interrogating any visitors, but what he failed to notice was The Queen of Midland being escorted to a different staircase than that of Charlotte and The King, exiting the castle with a small group of aristocrats, royal knights, and most noticeably, Minister Foss.

You turn your head over to explain your analysis to Farnese, but all she does is wave goodbye at you when a guard approaches you to send you to a medical ward.
"So long, Santana." She smiles in earnest for the first time on that night, happy to see you leaving.
Damn it, and just when you were starting to connect the dots...

The Wyndam officers do your best to take care of you and Griffith over the night, and while it does take a few days for you to be back to be in top condition, the nurses tell you that he simply rose up during midnight, made a few stretches and excused himself out of the ward, not a problem in sight.
Also in the following day, The Queen and her group that left the party earlier were found dead with several other ministers, burnt alive inside her apartments, with Foss being the only survivor of the fire. The week of her funeral postponed several activities on the land, your training included. While The King connected the attempt on Griffith with The Queen's death as the work of Tudor extremists or possibly a third party wanting to obstruct the peace treatment, the suspects found by Gallahad did not have enough info to explain the facts of the situation.

You did not want to indulge in rumors and hearsay, but you did feel like you had a clue on who the culprit was by the feel observations you took.

>Griffith faked his death to fool the conspirators and Guts too revenge without knowing of his plan.
>The Queen was the one who planned to poison Griffith, and he simply retaliated.
>Griffith should have died from that does, but the Egg made him cling to life and cursed his killers.
>The Tudor Empire was probably behind this.
>The Vandimions only visited the ceremony to ruin it, why else would they bring Farnese there?
>You don't have enough clues to pursue the case.
>Who cares? You should be focusing on your training.
>>
>>5115130
while I'm tempted to snitch because this fucker for ruining the whole kingdom for one man´s dream we need the training and the gainz if we want a chance
>Who cares? You should be focusing on your training.
>>
>>5115137
also what i think Vlad will look like in the future
>>
>>5115120
You give me too much credit with the Vlad comparisons, I only picked that name because Vlad sounds close enough to Blood to make this song work as his leitmotif
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3NJ1tmjs94
>>
>>5115130
>>You don't have enough clues to pursue the case.
So many threads, yet no end to them in sight. Ultimately it isn't our problem (yet) these games of politicking.

>>5115138
Vlad the chad in all his glory.

>>5115140
Happy coincidences are often the best kind.
>>
>>5115138
Yeah that's old man Vlad in like his late 30s/40s, yeah maybe we are going too much into the Impaler aspect but fuck it, Vlad's coolio
>You don't have enough clues to pursue the case.
>Who cares? You should be focusing on your training
We have a hunch at most so we should just leave it to the rest, also looking in nto things might not go so well for us
>>
>>5115150
>>5115130
Ah I forgot to link to the main post so I'll post this just to be clear
>>
>>5115140
they stack my man eventually we go full in impaling kushanites along our border or not at all
>>
>>5115130
>You don't have enough clues to pursue the case.
We could make theories. But they would be just that - mere theories, with how much evidence we were able to gather. Conclusions are never to be jumped to unwarranted.
>>
>>5115130
>The Queen was the one who planned to poison Griffith, and he simply retaliated.
>Griffith should have died from that does, but the Egg made him cling to life.
>You should be focusing on your training.
>>
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>>5115140
>>5115150
something like this then? the Belmont's have the best designs in castlevania imo
>>
>>5115159
You know, Trevor does fit like as the current version of Vlad, the picture with the beard from earlier is what I'd want Vlad to look like when he's a bit older and experienced.
>>5111913
This one, i really like this pic as Vlad
>>
>>5115171
And then the fucking Godhand plunges the world into darkness and Vlad ends up looking twnety years older from the stress of constantly having to fight back the mental anguish of it all. RIP good looks.
>>
>>5115178
>Eclipse occurs
>Vlad rolls Nat 1
>experiences every death and wounds including Casca's
>>
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>>5115183
Suicide is ALWAYS an option. So is hating Griffith even more than Guts does if we survive since we didn't simply see the pain and get mangled, we lived every single second of it all at once.

Man now THAT would be a fucking plot and a half.
>>
>>5115183
Well there goes our virginity, the ass kind
>>
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>>5115196
>>5115187
let´s include the baby that´s inside her while we are at it
>>
>>5115137
>>5115150
>>5115146
>>5115157
>>5115156
Surely there are many open ends to the case, and it's a shame that whoever killed the queen managed to get away with it, but if the entire capital can't find the culprit after a week's worth of investigating when everything happened right beneath their eyes, what can you do in your free time that could serve as evidence to catch the criminals?

Besides, your life is getting pretty busy as it is, what with the whole knight in training and all. You only had a few hours of your day to rest and talk to your parents due to the intense body training of Gallahad, his urge to teach you all kinds of obscure tricks and tips with just about every possible weapon that exists, some of which you didn't even see yourself using, but you're now glad to know how to use a ladle for bludgeoning heads should the thought ever come to mind.
"We can save the moral code for later, right now it's all about the grind!" He always told you when asked of his duties, probably to keep you focused and not to reveal much should you fail the test.

"Vlad, about the items you pawned before..." Giselle whispered in your ear one day that while the coins and books you took from Tudor were somewhat valuable, they were mostly history books and art diagrams, given that Tudor is also a country of The See, it's to be expected that you wouldn't find any magical artifacts in there.
It's still no problem, you saw it as an opportunity to get started on your own fortune, investing in your mother's trades as well as buying a good pair of dentures for your father, who was learning how to walk with his new wooden cane. You can feel he was never the same after the encounter in the dungeon, but seeing you grow into a man of your own (and the fact that you've put on quite a show at the ceremony) gave Jacopo enough grip to cling to life with a smile in his face.
>>
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>>5115203
Ah. I forgot about that.
>>
>>5115203
Christ

Well speaking of sexual displeasure you think Vlad's a masochist? Just so if we decide to go Varnese route it would involve some hella kinky sex, just asking.
>>
>>5115207
Investors soon came to praise your name, once seen as the son with no future, a manchild with no story to his name that gracefully took the reigns of his own fate and embraced his heritage in the name of peace, no doubt strengthening your father's relationship with the Holy See members after establishing good terms with the Vandimions themselves.

Even the attack on Griffith's life somehow came back to you, as Azan's claim of you being poisoned only made you seem like more of a victim for those resentful nobles on top of you that hated a voucher of the young Griffith just because you partied too hard in your younger days, like they never had fun in their lives.
While it was a dark period for the Royal Estate, The Vandimions rose up to the sky, much like the new White Phoenixes, who lived a life in luxury along with you as equals, enjoying a retirement that most of the commonwealth wouldn't see until their late 60s. You were the beacon of light coming from the dark, and for the next following month, you tried your best to keep that light as bright as a star.

As for your training with Gallahad, you had three clear priorities when training from Monday to Sunday.

>Being the best lance user in the land, knowing how to acrobatically battle with spears, harpoons and javelins.
>Mastering the way of the sword, testing every equipment until you found the best blade for a knight like yourself.
>Crushing your foes with bludgeoning weapons. Maces, Gauntlets, Flails, anything that could hit hard.
>What good is a soldier that can't fight with his fists? You've learned everything about unarmed combat, not wanting to be defenseless without your weapons.
>Aiming with long ranged weapons, bows, arrows, darts, and even cannon balls.
>Learning the entry level about all possible weapons and their uses, becoming a jack of all trades.
>Practicing your horseriding skills, becoming closer to Gunpowder in return.
>Experimenting with white magic, surely there's more to it than meets the eye.
>>
>>5115217
Vlad's a sadist if the Impaler meme is anything to go by.
>>
>>5115240
>>Being the best lance user in the land, knowing how to acrobatically battle with spears, harpoons and javelins.

>Practicing your horseriding skills, becoming closer to Gunpowder in return.

>Experimenting with white magic, surely there's more to it than meets the eye.

We haven't got the time to be fucking about with jack-of-all tradesmanship when we can be a absolute BAMF with spears. We can pick up whatever we need to later.
>>
>>5115240
>Being the best lance user in the land, knowing how to acrobatically battle with spears, harpoons and javelins.
>Practicing your horseriding skills, becoming closer to Gunpowder in return.
>Experimenting with white magic, surely there's more to it than meets the eye.
>>
>>5115240
>Mastering the way of the sword, testing every equipment until you found the best blade for a knight like yourself.
>Practicing your horseriding skills, becoming closer to Gunpowder in return.
>Experimenting with white magic, surely there's more to it than meets the eye.
>>
>>5115240
>Being the best lance user in the land, knowing how to acrobatically battle with spears, harpoons and javelins.
>What good is a soldier that can't fight with his fists? You've learned everything about unarmed combat, not wanting to be defenseless without your weapons.
>Experimenting with white magic, surely there's more to it than meets the eye.

There are a few good options here. Swords are a classic but spears are the true king of war. Yet a true man will never give up the power of his hands. Sorry Gunpowder.
>>
>>5115240
>>Being the best lance user in the land, knowing how to acrobatically battle with spears, harpoons and javelins.

>Practicing your horseriding skills, becoming closer to Gunpowder in return.

>Experimenting with white magic, surely there's more to it than meets the eye.

Good choices and maximizes our strength while reducing our weakness
>>
>>5115217
If I can be real about it, Vlad is probably insecure when it comes to actual romance.
Tonight was framed with the idea that it was all politics and elbow-rubbing. The only reason Vlad danced with Farnesse was because he could sense her actual thoughts and knew there wasn't anything to it.
Considering he has mostly been alone aside from his parents and butlers, he wouldn't know what to do if he was actually faced with romantic intention. He would also be more dependent on them and a bit clingy. Then there's the fact he could sense emotions and/or thoughts/intentions. That would make any relationship he had difficult if he knew their true thoughts.
>>
Being the best lance user in the land, knowing how to acrobatically battle with spears, harpoons and javelins.
we need some fatass with a hammer and we are set
>>
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>>5115245
>>5115248
>>5115250
>>5115251
>>5115252
I'll have 3d100! 1st for the pole dancing, 2nd for the horse, 3rd for magic.
This is the last post I'll do before going to bed so I better wake up to some good numbers.
ROLL!
>>
>>5115240
>Being the best lance user in the land, knowing how to acrobatically battle with spears, harpoons and javelins.
>Practicing your horseriding skills, becoming closer to Gunpowder in return.
>Experimenting with white magic, surely there's more to it than meets the eye.
>>
Rolled 63, 1, 14 = 78 (3d100)

>>5115266
let's go dice gods
>>
Rolled 91, 100, 78 = 269 (3d100)

>>5115266
>>
>>5115269
the gods are cruel
>>
Rolled 46, 78, 81 = 205 (3d100)

>>5115266

>>5115269
ni
>>5115271
wait hold on
>>
>>5115272
I defy that fate.
>>
>>5115271
the gods are fickle
>>
>>5115269
>>5115271
So we merge into the horse and become a Centaur.
>>
>>5115269
>>5115271
>>5115274
Looks like Vlad's real waifu was Gunpowder all this time. They might as well be partners for life with these rolls
>>
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>>5115269
>>5115271
>>
Rolled 72, 1, 54 = 127 (3d100)

>>5115266
have a good night man, been enjoying the fuck out of this thread
>>
inb4 something awful happens to gunpowder and we use astral bullshit to save him, giving him astral powers in the process
>>
>>5115287
hahahahahaha
Gunpowder only demands the extremes of the rolls
>>
>>5115281
I get the feeling that the moonlight hero might seek us out before we seek him out, should he learn of this. A man of noble heart with superb skills with the lance, who rides a horse that seems to be practically one with him in battle, and almost supernatural ability in said battles.
There will be comparisons made for sure.
…That being said, with said knight being an apostle, i must come to the conclusion that the moonlight knight has to wield a lance that can deal with the might of apostles. A worthy weapon to be certain.
>>
Rolled 73, 50, 95 = 218 (3d100)

>>5115266
Gunpowder is our true soulmate.
>>
>>5115290
>tfw we have angel horse to fight the rape horse in a 1v1 electric cage match of epic proportions this sunday sunday sunday
>>
>>5115312
this is the path to farnesse waifu

this and kushan corpses

mountains upon mountains of kushan corpses
>>
>>5115316
Do you have it in your heart to choke her though? She's down for that rough play.
>>
>>5115317
>implying we aren't nicknamed 'the Impaler'

Vlad loves giving it rough to his lovers.
>>
>>5115320
Now now battlefield behavior and bedroom behavior are two different things. Unless the bedroom is a battlefield I suppose. With the crazy that is Farnesse you may be onto something.
>>
>>5115269
>>5115271
What in gods name? Some fucking shit happens with Gunpowder all right
>>
>>5115326
He kicked us in the face.

It straightened our teeth.
>>
>>5115316
I can get behind that but remember to burn the corpses after the impalement, have to keep the wife happy
>>
>>5115332
>Papa Papa, How was I born?
>Well Vlad Junior, it all began when I stabbed a burning man through his skull and lifted him into the air like a banner ....
>>
>>5115282
Clearly Gunpowder is a mare
>inb4 classic medieval horse fucker
>>
>>5115130
>You don't have enough clues to pursue the case.
>>
>>5115433
>implying it isn't a bromance of the deepest variety
Hell he should even be best man at our wedding.
>>
>>5115266
well, if nothing else, these rolls are interesting lmao.
>>
>>5115138
I know vlad is cool, but let's not just copy and paste everything about him on this other vlad.

>>5115183
Unless we are there we should be fine. If we are there in the same field and roll a nat 1 we would be too incapacitated for do something or outright death.
And it would make sense since our Od sensing would be very overwhelmed,
remaining alive and even figthing would be out of the picture. That would be very unlikely with a nat 1.
Beside we could have different reasons for hate Griffith, not the ones Guts or the others have. Some valid for our character and with Griffith inevitable evil influence on the rest of the world, effecting nature as well and bringing demons/monsters everywhere, it would be enough. Our mother asked us to be a protector after all.
>>5115217
I don't think so he had plenty of girls at feasts and seems a chad in that department.
>>5115271
Nice rolls
>>
now that i think about it, since the protag might be a half elf, can we play into it? become a magic knight, go riding with our horse in the night, doing good deeds and defeating apostles? bonus points if we get a cool silver armour
>>
>>5115638
That's my plan at least, Vlad would keep doing his duties at the castle but occasionally rides around the world dealing with monsters and such while riding his majestic steed.
>>
>>5115638
>>5115661
I like the idea
>>
>>5115256
Ornstein certainly has his fashion down.
I could get behind us getting ourselves a cross spear like Ornstein's. The crossbar can give extra support, leverage and a host of other neat tricks.

>>5115638
>bonus points if we get a cool silver armour
Silver is over-rated, brass is the superior aesthetic and you know it.
And just think about it, we could be the Sunlight Knight to Locus' Moonlight Knight!!
>>
>>5115783
yeah, but silver comes with magic affinity, i dont know if it transfers the same in berserk world though
>>
>>5115269
>>5115271
>>5115274
The first thing to go was your inexperience with lances. Despite Gallahad not being the most profficient teacher with that sort of equipment, he instructed you how to properly aim a javelin when chucking it to an enemy, vaulting over objects and walls by throwing your pole into the grass and acrobatically jumping several meters taller than you ever could previously.
"Huh, so you like to train your upper body strength, huh? I got a little challenge for you then!" Gallahad took you to the arduous Wall Of Corpses, a 50 meter tall observary tower with several rock fissures that were used for only the bravest of climbers to try their luck reaching the top from the outer walls. It was very common to fail that challenge and fall to your death from the eroded surfaces and falling cinderblocks, but you went the smart route of only climbing a few meters a day and seeing how high you could make your initial jump before your arms gave out, making your rest by the first floor window.

By shoving your spears into sturdier parts of the tower and jumping between the holes, you developed great strength in your back muscles and became agile enough to balance yourself on your weapon's pole, leap from there and spin in the air to reposition horizontally and vertically. With moves like those, you managed to be the first one to climb the Wall Of Corpses in the last 10 years, and the first one to do repeatedly as a training measure. By the 5th time you did it, you felt like you could have a good future in the arts of mountain climbing.

Your training with Gunpowder was a complete no brainer, ever since your first encounter you felt like he was an extention of your battle presence, so every time you mounted him, he did your training for himself. Whenever you raced, he was the fastest, most agile, and the strongest horse compared to Gallahad's stallions, even when you raced in obstacle courses, he dared to throw you off on places you could slide by or jump over on top of him if it meant saving time on your runs. Gunpowder was finally meeting a soldier who would lead him on the grand adventure he deserved, and he would fight tooth and nail to stick it to the end.
>>
>>5115818
Seeing how the two of you were so intrinsically connected in spirit, you wondered if there was something you could do to use your magic to benefit Gunpowder should he ever get tired or injured in a fight. So when sensing Od on top of him when preparing for a jump you didn't think you would make, you felt a surge of energy going from his back to your feet and up your skeleton. It seems like he managed to transfer whatever stored energy he had in his body to you, thus rejuvenating your own and bolstering your jump as if you had the combined strength of a centaur.

This was very similar to the technique Sivir used on you when healing your astral wounds, so you imagined it had healing properties on top of sharing your energy with others. The Od Trasnfer you could use only seemed to heal minor injuries and flesh wounds, but when either you or Gunpowder where already in top condition, it didn't do anything other than slightly energize you.
Gunpowder was too prideful to give you energy all the time, or to accept help when he was confident he could still gallop for a few more hours, it wasnt a power you could abuse by sucking the life out of things like Griffith's Egg did with you, but an encounter of souls, a consensual equivalent exchange of power, absorbing the Od of living creatures to release them with yours, or draining your own source of power to develop a healing touch.

But if you could do that with the Od of living animals, what about the particles of Od that hanged around in the atmosphere?
As you charged your healing touch in the blade of your weapons, you noticed a piece of it could be imbued with light for a brief second. Wether or not that could be used for combat seemed to be a possibility for the future, but for now, all it did was serve it as a makeshift torch of white sparks.

Within a month of training, you were very close to beating Gallahad in your spars, and not depending too much on your precognition to earn your strikes.
"Good job, boy! Only a few more months from now and I'll try to send you on your pilgrimage mission. Training in the city is comfortable, but a real Knight needs to know how to survive on his own. They usually put you on training grounds good for hunting, but knowing you, you'll find it very easy to clear that mission."
"Try to find a nice spot for me, after The Wall Of Corpses, I could use some high ground."
"I could certainly try to. But first, I was wondering if you could satiate the curiosity of an old man..."

Gallahad was planning a few schemes behind the curtains, and waved at the distance to 3 figures approaching the castle. Those were the 3 main white phoenixes: Casca, Guts and Griffith.
"I never got to see how strong the Falcons were when they were active, so a duel between the two rising powers of Wyndham would be very interesting for me to see."

The trio seemed happy to be invited to a good fight, wondering who would be chosen for a one on one duel.
>Griffith
>Guts
>Casca
>>
>>5115848
>Casca
As much as I would like to get our ass beaten by Guts, we are never getting another chance to fight Casca.
>>
>Griffith
or
>Guts
either is fine, guts is strong but griffith is weaker now because of politics, if we defeat him he might train again and stop guts from leaving?
>>
>>5115848
>Guts
Don't mess with the behelit and Vlad ain't beating girls for his teacher.
We will probably lose but now we can actually fight Guts.
>>
>>5115853
anon, we are, she wont die. griffith is the last chance, because next is the femto stuff and before that it's him being a crippled.

And while casca is good, she is nowhere near guts or griffit
>>
>>5115848
>Griffith
Have no fear.
Though the shadow he casts is great,
Even the smallest flicker of light can keep the darkness at bay.
>>
>>5115858
Casca is going to get pregnant and than turn into a vegetable.
And we can't fight Griffith, because we are instantly going to lose because of the behelit.
>>
>>5115862
while i am with you anon, he counters our od sight, so guts is better for us
>>
>>5115863
Fair, changing my vote to only guts then>>5115855
>Guts
>>
>>5115848
>Guts
>>
>>5115848
>Guts
"This will be the most informative defeat yet I think"
>>
>>5115848
>Guts
A worthy challenger approaches!
>>
>>5115848
>Guts
If we somehow beat Griffith in a spar he will come for our ass and our people's when he becomes batman
>>
>>5115887
nah he isnt that butthurt about losing to guts, he is butthurt about losing guts and how little power he had over him, which it was his fault that guts went for a journey.
>>
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>>5115855
>>5115857
>>5115868
>>5115871
>>5115874
>>5115884
>>5115887
While Casca certainly has a great muscular physique for a woman, it doesnt feel very chivalrous to wrestle with a female knight, even if she is a veteran that singlehandedly seized the castle of Doldrey. Her fighting style seems very resourceful and naturally agile, and while that would feel like a good mirror match to what you've trained thus far, you feel like a stronger opponent would be more fitting for a learning experience.

Griffith is certainly out of the question. You're already not using your magical powers just due to him being here, so who knows what he would do should you turn the tides on the fight.
Guts seems like an unmovable fortress of dexterity, taking blows from either staffs or blades would do no effect on him until likely the 8th strike, but with the size of his sword, even parrying is a death sentence, with arms like those he could tear all your weapons in half and still slice your body in half.

A war of attrition isn't happening between the two of you, so a dive into the deep end will do.
"I don't think the noble life really fits me, it's all about meetings, glamour and political ass-kissing. Very different from the lifetime of warfare I've been raised in. But maybe fighting you would change my mind." Guts readies his gigantic sword as he steps forward, being estatic to finally get his hands dirty.
"Fighting me? What makes you say that?"
"I don't know, feels oddly suspicious on how you've been growing so strong after the first time we've met. Not to imply you haven't been training hard, but this progress you've been having is ridiculous for someone I saw fainting before my very own eyes for no particular reason. I remember you've said something about having a trick up your sleeve all those weeks ago, and today, I'm going to show you that tricks won't make you win every victory."

He's definitely onto something, but for how long did he have a hunch about you having magical powers? Can he also feel your intent? Maybe he also has connections to the supernatural, but that's going to be hard to notice inbetween your skirmishes.
The snow starts to fall as the first signs of winter arrive, the two of you taking your distances as you point your lance at Guts, who by all intents and purposes, has a two bladed spear that cuts from all angles but the hilt.
"Well? I'm waiting." The 100 man slayer provokes you to make a move, seeking the source of your trickery.
>Be on the offensive and attack first. Don't let him get a hit in.
>Observe how he fights while dodging his attacks.
>>
>>5115905
>Be on the offensive and attack first. Don't let him get a hit in.
This will be extremely painful. For us.
>>
>>5115905
>Observe how he fights while dodging his attacks.
We are outmatched in terms of strength and real combat experience, a head to head battle will only lead us to death. The best we can do is observe him for now until we can dodge better using our superior agility to dodge his 1 hit-death attacks.
>>
>>5115905
>Be on the offensive and attack first. Don't let him get a hit in.
When he goes to dodge or block, sense his Od. It will tell us HOW he dodges, or how he blocks, and allows us to subvert it. Our spear will be the needle that weaves between the threads of his defense.
>>
>>5115905
>>Be on the offensive and attack first. Don't let him get a hit in.
>>
>>5115914
No Od for us unfortunaly
>Griffith is certainly out of the question. You're already not using your magical powers just due to him being here
>>
>>5115905
>Be on the offensive and attack first. Don't let him get a hit in.
>>
>>5115905
>Be on the offensive and attack first. Don't let him get a hit in.
>>
>>5115905
>>Be on the offensive and attack first. Don't let him get a hit in.
ATTACK!
>>
>>5115905
>>Observe how he fights while dodging his attacks.
We need to look before attacking.
>>
>>5115905
>Observe how he fights while dodging his attacks
Let's not run into the walking palisade
>>
>>5115910
>>5115914
>>5115922
>>5115926
>>5115933
>>5115939
ROLL!
>>
>>5115848
>Casca
>>
Rolled 42 (1d100)

>>5115950
Okay
>>
Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>5115950
Time to die
>>
>>5115954
WHAT
>>
Rolled 18 (1d100)

>>5115954
YES
>>5115950
dice gods dont fail me
>>
>>5115954
It is indeed a good day to die. But not for us
>>
>>5115956
>>5115954
AWWWW YEAHHHHHHHHH, we got the best roll for the worst option. i bet we impress Guts,Casca and the lady boy
>>
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>>5115953
>>5115954
>>5115956
>>
>>5115954
lmao what the fuck
>>
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>>5115954
Did we go full fucking BOAR on him?
>>
>>5115969
we might have killed guts, i vote we impregnate casca, we obviusly have the superior supernatural genes
>>
>>5115954
Based spear knight
This spar will be fruitful indeed for us. And even for Guts
>>
>>5115954
>MY BROTHER! COME JOIN ME! TOGETHER WE WILL BE STRONGER!
>>
>>5115977
ohh this looks good for our eventual knight armor. at least for the starter one with zero magic.

I especially love the parts around the pants who protects the legs, does anybody know how its called that piece of armor?
>>
>>5115984
I think it's called a fauld. But I may be mixing it up with other pieces of armor.
>>
>>5115954
oooh boy, Guts about to get such a serving of Impaler he'll get flashbacks to Donovan

>>5115984
You mean the layered plates that hang from the waist and on the thighs? Dunno what they're called but that kinda armor is designed for horseback riding. So it very much does fit for Vlad
>>
>>5115954
Vlad has impaled.
>>
>>5115984
I don't know how is called sorry.
It looks very nice for our current set (that i imagine changed from the one the band of the falcons gave us for the battle of doldrey), but I imagine we would have something more noble looking, this is very simple.
As well something on the top of our helm, and a few other things like the colors+symbols of our house and other decorations probably.
>>
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>>5115995
>>5115993
>we are the second want who has penetrated guts´s with our pointed end.

Donovan would be so proud of us.
>>
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>>5115954
Why yes I use a polearms how could you tell?
>>
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You say too soon I say fuck you
>>
>>5115999
Simple is good. Simple is strong
Decorated armor is for nobles who flaunt their wealth. Brats, in other words.
And Vlad ain't no brat
>>
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>>5115984
I like the look of Eligor, but without the horns.
>>
>>5115999
Nice trips
something like this?
>>
>>5116014
red armor is good, but without the horns it isn't as good.

Now i don't remember if anons asked before, but does the santana house have a animal which acts as a symbol? like royalty are usually dragons and lions.
>>
>>5116014
Eligor would be dope
>>
>>5116023
>>5116023
Maybe antlers instead of horns? We are a half-elf.
>>
>>5116014
EEeeeuuuGhGH I despise those horns

>>5116020
The plate itself looks good but man do those colours offend my eyes
Fucking Pastel Knight baka

>>5116023
I don't think we've even seen a mention of the Santana House symbol.
>>
>>5116030
Shouldn't have anything you can easily grab on your helmet. That just makes it a showpiece.
>>
>>5116033
Less noble more impaly-impaly?
>>
>>5116020
Yes that looks good

>>5116013
It depends just how much decorated it is. I say we can strike on the middle road. Nothing that it can be used against us in battle, but enough for show our family colors/symbol

>>5116033
It has not be mention correct.
>>
>>5116035
Good point
>>5116033
Main reason I didn't want the horns. It only works for Eligor because he is suposed to be a daemon.
>>
>>5116036
This is a step in a better direction.
But to be honest I'm not sure if full plate is the correct choice for Vlad. The added weight could slow and weigh him down enough to make spear acrobatics a no-go.
>>
>>5116043
>Implying that Vlad isn't a gigachad that can do backflips in full plate
>>
>>5116033
Then can we choose it? or is that too meta?
>>
>>5116043
Then we get stronger and full plate isn't that heavy you can roll easily in that shit
>>
>>5116053
Nah full plate is exactly as heavy as it looks. It's just well distributed if worn correctly. Vlad is already wicked fucking strong though. Adding another forty ish pounds would be an adjustment but not impossible for the kind of flippy dippy acrobatics Vlad pulls off. It might still hamper mobility for straight vertical extensions of the arms though everything else should be fine.

If people still think it's too heavy or unwieldy could always settle for partial plate or swapping the torso with a cuirass and leaving everything else the same.
>>
>>5115953
>>5115954
>>5115959

Who does he think he is? Saying you haven't earned your way into victory just because you haven't spent your entire life in battle? Surely he speaks from a place of earnest, being born in the fields and with his best friend being the sword, but there are different philosophies for fighting, and they all come back to who can make the most out of their advantages. You might have gotten off on having supernatural powers and with part of your fortune, but this is a stigma you have worked to break, and you dont intend to be saved by white magic, this is a battle of might, speed and tactics.

"HYAAAAAH!" Your eyes spark in intense fury, rushing at Guts with a flurry of thrusts and pulls from your spear, blitzing him in speed and impeding the goliath from raising his sword, as the windup to move his blade was enough of a telltale sign to dodge his moves without needing the Od Sensing.
All the swordsman can do is hold his weapon in place and let you slowly chip away at him, and despite the girth of his sword blocking most of the damage, you did manage to strike his torso from hopping side to side and skewering him from different angles.

Guts increases his pace and tries to strike back, but you can easily duck under his sword and go a few steps back to outrange him by just a few centimeters, the only consistent target he could hit was your fingertips, which only took another extra step to move away from after the first scratch.
"Has Guts been slacking off on his tranining?" Griffith stares at the two combatants, confused as to why you seem to have the upper hand against the guy who beheaded Boscogn in a single strike.

"No, he's been praciting at noon and at midnight like always, he shouldn't be getting hit so easily! What training has Vlad even gone through?" Casca turns over to Gallahad, who hides a smile under his clasped hands.

"I just made him climb some walls. From the ground to the top, and then back to the ground floor again."

"GRRRR!" Guts has had enough of your blows, and spins around in place to see if his sword could hit you from any angle, something that you daringly decided to respond with jumping to him instead of distancing yourself, and dropkicking his right shoulder as he slowed his movements.

Guts falls down face first into the snow, a red blood imprint staining the field as the cuts on his body started to drip blood over his eyes.

"Your training has really paid off. So far I haven't seen anything out of the ordinary." Guts wipes the blood from his brow, dropping the training etiquette and adapting his style to the way he knows best: Hitting to kill.

He shuts his mouth and silently charges at you with a bloodthirsty stare. He's finally going all out and the next attack could very well decide who lives or dies today, provided if that's even Guts final attack, as he seems to be the type that fights the hardest when his life is in peril.
>>
>>5116033
>Fucking Pastel Knight baka
>>>baka
DAMN YOU AUTOFILTER

>>5116047
>>5116049
>>5116053
Hey if we can make it work for Vlad then go for it, I'm just voicing my thoughts here.
I *would* go searching the internet for fitting armor but I gotta sleep soon, so that's gotta wait
>>
>>5116072
>Stop the fight, this could get dangerous.
>Confront him head on.
>Go under him with a slide and hit him from behind.
>Block his strike by imbuing your Od onto the spear.
>Jump over and beat him over the head with the dull end of your weapon.
>>
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>>5116072
>Block his strike by imbuing your Od onto the spear.
THE SWORDKEK FEARS THE SPEARCHAD
>>
>>5116075
>Block his strike by imbuing your Od onto the spear.
or
>Jump over and beat him over the head with the dull end of your weapon.
>>
>>5116075
>>Go under him with a slide and hit him from behind.
We've already jumped once. Now let's get with the bamboozle and go low.
>>
>>5116072
>Jump over and beat him over the head with the dull end of your weapon.

>"Has Guts been slacking off on his tranining?"
KEK
>>
>>5116075
>>Block his strike by imbuing your Od onto the spear.
>>
>>5116075
>Jump over and beat him over the head with the dull end of your weapon.
Don't want to mess with Od when he is waiting it, and the funky necklace is nearby
>>
>>5116075
>Stop the fight, this could get dangerous
You guys know this is just a friendly spar right?
>>
>>5116033
I guess I could give you a nudge in the right direction.

The Santana family household symbol is based on a sculpture in the garden floors, the strinkingly beautiful image of a white pegasus fighting against a deep blue Kraken under the sea, though the finer details of his tentacles tragically grasping at the countless feathers of his equine foe were impossible to replicate, their emblem is simplified by the imprint of a winged horse flying over the waves of the ocean. The kraken symbolyzing the corruption of our world and something deep from unknown origins dragging the family into the sea, while the pegasus shows their undying resolve in pursuit of reaching for the skies, challenging the odds against their favor
>>
>>5116075
>Jump over and beat him over the head with the dull end of your weapon.
>>
>>5116075
>Feint a counterstrike, and aim to use your polearm to sweep his legs out from under him while you bodily dodge his strike.
>>
>>5116075
>Go under him with a slide and hit him from behind.

Let's rail Guts from behind ;)
>>
>>5116087
Well yeah, don't you and your friends casually bifurcate/impale one another?
>>
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>>5116088
A pegasus? We have an excuse to make our armor look like a winged hussar's now.
>>
>>5116072
>Go under him with a slide and hit him from behind.
swiggit swooty coming for that booty
>>
>Block his strike by imbuing your Od onto the spear.
This has the best benefits and the most risk, either we block it and get mana infusion for our weapons, which would let us kill monsters and apostles or we get chopped in half. Either way i think griffith might be able to pull our asses before we die.

Becchi, what are the reactions from the bystanders and guts of our martial prowess?
>>
>>5116075
>Jump over and beat him over the head with the dull end of your weapon.
I just want to bonk him, even if it's the second most impractical choice after confronting him head-on.
>>
>>5116106
Guts 100% wants to punch us in the face
>>
>>5116109
that makes me remember, we should watch out for guts´s dirty tricks, he is know to sucker punch people if he can
>>
>>5116075
>>Go under him with a slide and hit him from behind.

tell him that for us this is just a friendly spar. Just as a reminder no mocking.

>>5116088
Sounds like a nice symbol
>>
>>5116112
He's gonna go for a swing and pull it at the last second to grab our spear (kinky) and bodyslam us with the force of seven hundred orphans.

Remember when he was whaling on Griffith from mount position and somehow Griffith didn't need reconstructive surgery/a bodybag? Fucking egg cheating keeping him from a caved in skull. So unfair.
>>
>>5116106
Gallahad knew Vlad had it in him, these kids now nothing about the kingdom's old training schedules for the knights, and he made sure that Vlad tried them all, of course he'd be holding his own.

Casca thought this was just going to be a friendly sparring, but the hard hitting sounds of metal and the bloodied snow imply otherwise.

Griffith thinks Guts is merely playing with his food, letting Vlad into a false sense of security before giving you a piece of his real strength, which is what Guts intends to do.

If you could read Guts' mind right now, he'd be screaming 'bullshit'. Seems like he's taking this fight a bit too personally, though it's probably because he believes you have magic powers and he's trying his best to see them in action.
>>
>>5116075
>Jump over and beat him over the head with the dull end of your weapon.
Screw magic, this fight is mano-a-mano and nothing else.
>>
>>5116115
I wonder if Guts would feel bad if he killed us and he never saw some dank sorcery from us.
>>
>>5116115
then i change my vote to jumping over him, we are more agile than him. so i expect we have higher chances of success
>>
>>5116121
If you wanna change your vote you should link it properly. Easier to track than looking for IDs.
>>
>>5116126
right sorry about that
>>5116106 Changing this for this
>Jump over and beat him over the head with the dull end of your weapon.
>>
>>5116117
>>5116121
>>5116108
>>5116089
Guess we're jumping over Guts then.
Pass this 80 DC and I'm treating myself to some pizza when I get back from grocery shopping.
>>5116083
>>5116078
>>
Rolled 81 (1d100)

>>5116130
pray for me
>>
Rolled 4 (1d100)

>>5116130
Je Suis Monté!
I'm going to sleep so I hope my roll is good
>>
Rolled 100 (1d100)

>>5116130
We're about to get ragdolled ten meters through the air

>>5116136
ooooooooooo
>>
>>5116136
eh, got him, get ducked on angry boi.
Lets hope somebody else gets a nat 100
>>
>>5116138
HOLY SHIT! SO MANY 100'S!
>>
>>5116138
HOLY SHIT AGAIN
>>
>>5116138
SERIOUSLY WTF
>>
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>>5116138
Get ready for the fucking thunder, Guts. Like a goddamn lightning bolt from on high holy fucking shit
>>
>>5116138
OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH DOUBLE NAT 100 BABY. WE FUCKED GUTS IN THE ASS HARDER THAN DONOVAN.

ITS MOMMY FAE, SHE IS WATCHING OVER US.
>>
>>5116010
ANON YOU HAVE MORE WORK TO DO
>>
>>5116138
I am pissing my pants
>>
>>5116137
Well, looks like Monster Hutner Insect Glaive memes displease the Dice Gods

>>5116138
...Guts is gonna be on suicide watch after this spar what the fuuuuuck
>>
btw, this deserves a fucking trait or does becchi not use them?
>>
Rolled 40 (1d100)

>>5116130
>>
>>5116147
>...Guts is gonna be on suicide watch after this spar what the fuuuuuck

>he never used magic
>he just slapped my shit six ways to sunday with a pointy stick
>I should buy a boat..
>>
>>5116138
HOLY FUCKING SHIT! GUTS GOT BODIED!
>>
>tfw We killed guts so hard, becchi killed the quest because he doesn't know how to continue it.
>>
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>>5116138
>Three crits in a row
What in the astral fuck
Is this LAW OF CAUSALITY in action or some shit?
>>
>>5116136
Kek just one more roll
>>5116138
BLESSINGS DIRECTLY FROM OUR MOTHER AND THE PEGASUS OF OUR HOUSEHOLD !

>>5116149
I would say that this month of training has been very good for Vlad, improving greatly on the use of weapons, spear, battle acrobatics, magic, od sensing and horse riding. And also learning something new from the spar with Guts.
Beside that maybe a trait ? Idk
>>
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>>5116136
>>5116137
>>5116138
Well I'll be damned, more pizza for me.
Be back in a few hours, will probably give me some time to think about this
>>5116149
I've been thinking of implementing a basic trait system in case something gets lost inbetween threads or just for the sake of optimization, let me know if yall would appreciate it
>>
>>5116161
i would, but mostly because i am mentally retarde and i could use something to remember what the protagonist can use (which magic he is proficient in and weapons,etc)
>>
>>5116161
I would like it.
Do you have something even for keep in mind of equipment, money, holdings and tools ?
>>
>>5116161
Traits and attributes helps feel like the character has strengths and weaknesses in my opinion.
>>
>>5116161
If you feel up to it I'm sure it would be useful.
>>
>>5116158
If I remember my probability calculations, the odds of rolling 3d100 and getting a crit in either direction is 0.029%. And if we include the rolls that didn't count for the vote, It'd be around a 0.030% chance.
>>
>>5116158
More like the law of casuality, because we made a noob out of Guts
>>
Rolled 21 (1d100)

Rolling for penis size after this fight
>>
>>5116171
I'm sure he won't be completely out. But if he is it won't be for long. But damn is he going to have the mother of all headaches. Hopefully he doesn't unconsciously lash out at us with his killer instinct trying to keep him going.
>>
Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>5116174
Best outta 3 right?
>>
>>5116178
Well if he does and we get away with not being completely hospitalized we'll have a wicked scar to remind us about this fight!
And now I actually need to sleep, shoulda done it an hour ago. Work is gonna be suffering
>>
>>5116185
Good night and good luck bro.
>>
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>>5116138
dragoon tier
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>>5116190
its a little too gaudy? i dont really have better art but i think it deserves to be late stuff armor.
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>>5116193
>>
>>5116196
this i like more, it should be our divine armor when vlad is raised as a fae king.
>>
>>5116196
more colored version that the artist made
>>
Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>5116180
Best of 3 rite?
>>
>>5116138
how the fuck
>>
Rolled 76 (1d100)

>>5116200
>>5116174
>>5116180
Best of 5
>>
>>5116178
I agree he isn't going out of the fight. But for sure he has meet someone that knows how to use steel with Vlad, and can keep up with him. There will be talks of this spar for sure around the capital after is done, i imagine there is already a bigger group watching than Gallahad, Griffith and Casca. "The grim falcon mercenary against the noble pegasus knight". Bet some noble ladies will get wet at that, hehehe ;) ?
Plus it's experience for both warriors.

>>5116068
The problem with mundane (as in not magical, holy or demonic,) armor/weapons in Berserk is just how long it can resist hits before breaking. And with supernatural enemies it lasts only so much, heavy armor can resist more than something lighter but again not for long.
I am fine with plate or combination of plate and more light armor, we will see what is best for Vlad. Knigths do train for wearing even their armors if I remember correctly.
>>
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>>5116014
Just remembered another good design from smt, Berith, although he looks less cool than Eligor.
Not that it matters, I'm shilling for that Winged Hussar look now that we are the Pegasus.
>>
>>5116201
Sheer force of spear
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>>5116260
+1 for the winged hussar look, nothing quite fits together like a steely-eyed horse, sharp spears and wings.
>>
we should go for the orstein look and name ourselves the lion of santana
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>>5116382
FUCKING SECONDED!! I was actually thinking this myself. Anyone else??
>>
>>5116386
>>5116382
wich one though, the golden one or the old dragon slayer armour?
>>
>>5116392
It could be:
The old dragon slayer armor as we start out poor and then upgrade to the Golden One once we are richer and more well established,

Or:
We could start out with the standard golden armor set commissioned by our family and other nobility or whatever as a parting gift and as time goes on (especially post time skip when the world goes to shit) the armor can decay into a more grimey-black-badass looking variant like the old dragon slayer armour
>>
Alright I'm back. The pizza was great. I think I found a way to keep things going.

>>5116163
>>5116164
>>5116165
>>5116166
I'll start working on a little note to keep track of skills, items and proficiencies by the start of thread 2, should be good if this goes for about as long as we think it's going
>>
>>5116400
>thread 2
THIS QUEST WILL GO FOR A HUNDRED QUEST, AND NO LESS
>>
>>5116399
alright, i don't hate the dragon slayer armour, but i liked the artorias one.
I don't know why, but the way he is in the same pose as guts with his berserk armour makes him cooler.
>>
>>5116399
You know I never understood the appeal of gold. It's just not a good color to me. It has some nice qualities to it but kinda bleh looking. Brass is just gold+ in terms of aesthetic yet everyone sleeps on it. But steel is a fucking fantastic color, not too bright, not too dull. Guess I might be in the minority though.

>>5116400
Neato
>>
>>5116401
Just got to remember to avoid boats.
>>
>>5116407
no, i also prefer the dragon slayer armour than orstein armour, its the same in looks but the colour changes.
>>
>>5116400
what pizza did you get QM?
Alright with all this talk about Vlad's fit we've got to make a decision between:


>PVRE VLAD
Fully inspired from the OW(Original Wallachian)

>Winged Hussar/Pegasus man
Mounted (presumably with our boy Gunpowder), heavily armoured, spear in hand.


>Dragonslayer-slayer Vlad
Aforementioned glorious gold armour and accoutrements, also potential swordspear?

>>5116399
the grimestain idea is cool for sure, +1
>>
>>5116418
>Winged Hussar/Pegasus man
>>
>>5116407
Yeah dude I totally get what you mean. Personally I wouldn’t mind it because he comes from royalty and it fits the background and story, but if the dragon slayer armor was like a grey mixed with dark red not only would it be much cooler looking but it’d also fit in with gut’s berserker armor being black and Griffith’s falcon armor being white. It could fit like a holy trio!
>>
>>5116418
>Dragonslayer-slayer Vlad

Obv
>>
>>5116418
Mozzarella because I'm a basic bitch
>>5116401
>>5116409
Sure thing, whatever thread happens to be the boat thread I'll dedicate the entirety of it's stay to it ;^)
>>5116418
If you ever feel like an armor idea is too complex we could always save it for late game, It's pretty far out there but I was already thinking on what should be Vlad's equivalent of the berserker armor if he gets an upgrade later on
>>
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>>5116418
I will stay with hussar, it fits the symbol of our family, and is relatively simple while still looking good.
>>
>>5116431
speaking of never ending quest, qm will you post another update or was the last one your final one? sorry for bothering you,
>>
>>5116418
>Dragonslayer-slayer Vlad
Not taking this should be a crime
>>
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>>5116418
Here's an image of the impaler as well, because it's only fair that all contestents get representation.
>>
>>5116435
Nah we'll keep going for 3 to 4 more updates and then I'll end the session. I just have to get a few things done with my job and I'll think about finishing things up for this thread. Maybe something in a few hours or tomorrow morning.
>>
>>5116440
Honestly I think that works as a starting point. Simple, utilitarian but still with some fashion. Slap a helmet proper on there and it's cool. Then as we go on we can add fancy stuff and increased protection. Transition into hussar territory before finally settling and doubling down on protection once the demons come around and shit gets real making us into a proper dragonslayer.

Or we can just go balls deep. This is all my headcanon kek.

The REAL question is horse armor
>>
>>5116447
Begone Todd, I not buy the new version of Skyrim
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>>5116452
It's too late. I've already installed it on your smart sink.
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>>5116447
>spoiler

He will get the best armour possible.
>>
>>5116447
>Vlad gives Gunpowder a sword to use in his mouth when Vlad isn't riding
>>
>>5116460
>oh look that horse is carrying a sword, what a goofy animal
>oh god it cut my arm off
Friendship ended with Sif, Gunpowder is my boy
>>
>>5116460
>gunpowder's armour features boudicca spikes
>>
>Anime fainting disease
>Mysterious knowledge of people that goes deeper than it should
>known to have a ‘trick’ up his sleeve
>nobility
>Will beat ass anyways
Are we the badass sick dude archetype?
>>
>>5116505
In opposition to the tough as nails mega-orphan and unstoppably ambitious pretty boy? Close enough.
>>
>>5116447
You know? I really like this idea actually. But what do we look like again? I personally loved the japoco idea some anon said up above.
>>
>>5111913
>>5112150
>>5112160
>>5112662
>>5115138

>>5116523
These were the proposed looks IIRC. With the blondie having brown hair instead. What is confirmed is we are a lad and our hair is brown.
>>
>>5116523
I think we look like this >>5112150
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>>5116529
>>5116523
I prefer we go with the first one, Vlad looks like a noble and plus perisse are the uniform Hussars wore.
>>
>>5116136
>>5116137
>>5116138
Feigning a head on collision, you run up to Guts with your spear in hand, both Casca and Gallahad gasping as they watch the fight get more intense with each passing second.

A strike between two burly men hitting each other would surely end in at least one of them being severely injured, and while you did want to fight Guts at his full potential, that shouldn't come at the cost of your life, or his.

Which is exactly why you wont hit him when he gets within your range.
You leap over Guts' stature, as even when he lifts his gigantic sword to the skies, he still misses your neck just by the skin of your teeth, slashing your nose as gravity started to negate your ascencion.

Pulling your spear under your arm before he stuck too the ground, you leave the pointy blade under your armpit and hit the nape of Guts before he could turn around with the wooden end of the spear, a loud "THWACK!" sends him back to the floor a second time as his body goes limp with his neck sticking out. It seemed like he was finally down for the count.

"Guts... Lost?" Griffith's eyes shifted in shock, believing he still had a lot more to give. And frankly, he had a point, perhaps you struck him too hard in some important artery?
"Damn it! Why won't you show me your true colors!?" Guts lifted his body up from the floor once again, his anger rising with each following takedown, and his murdering intent following suit.
"I know you're hiding something from me, you can't hide behind your spear forever!" He tries once again to blindly rush you into an assault. You'd think the second in command of the Old Band Of The Hawk would be less predictable...

And sure enough, he took you by surprise by lifting a chunk of snow upwards with his sword, blindsighting you as you covered your eyes with your elbow, and by the time all was clear, the shadow of the anvil-size sword was already swinging down at your head.
All seemed lost as you pointed the center of your spear against the weapon, ready for it to break in half as guts sliced your head open, until...
>>
>>5116523
>>5116529
>>5116534
I forgot one lads.

Of course, it's the Belmont.
>>5115159
>>
>>5116569
kek Guts has ZERO chill man fuck. He could've just stopped and asked us at any time but he's so stubborn.
>>
>>5116569
The sparks that previously lit from you scratching your hand over your spear now coated your entire weapon with a white glow, shielding the biggest downside of a spear user: It's defensive capabilities.

Guts drops his entire weight on your hands, along with the tons his sword weighed, and though your arms stinged to the bone as you felt the mass of a mountain colliding on you, the spear stood firmly in place with your strengthening Od blessing the wisps of life still hanging on that piece of wood, now harder than steel.

"How could this be!? A wooden lance shouldn't be able to take this much blunt force applied to it!" Casca watches Guts repeatedly strike your weapon as he switched to the offense, each of his attacks sending you back a few inches and making him stagger from trying to destroy astral life with the brute force of a wall-busting impact.

Somehow, it seemed very likely that he'd do it eventually, your newfound ability can only tolerate so much, with the same applying to your poor lance, already starting to chip at the center.
You quickly realize that you've broken your unsaid rule of not using magic during your battle, but as you take a quick glance to Griffith before the eldritch horror of his necklace began, you realize that this was one type of ability that could be used without angering the Egg Of The King, and the coating of your spear was smooth enough that only those close to it could see it well.

That moment of distraction was enough for you to slightly drop your Od as Guts struck once more with all of his might, this time successfully breaking your spear, splinters and chucks of it flying into the snow as the wind shoved them over your faces.

This is it, he really is going to kill you.
Or is he?
Clasping your hands together, you decide to do the unthinkable and hold the sides of his sword before it managed to bludgeon your head. A split second reaction that largefully paid off, as the feigning Od you had from before started to overflow, making you hold his sword in place as the angle he held the blade made it rest across your forehead, inching and scratching it's way inside with every milimiter won by Guts.

The swordsman falls on top of you on the snowy dirt as you keep holding his weight upwards, impeding him from ending your life. You don't know if you did anything to provoke him or if that's just how he's used to fighting, but either way, it's a slow, losing battle.
>>
>>5116592
HNNNNNNNNNNNG HYPE HYPE HYPE
>>
>>5116592
I hope Guts will be considerate enough to not tell everyone we're a damn wizard since we were kind enough not to open his throat with the pointy end of our lance when we had the chance.

Such an uncouth fellow.

Holy fuck Guts really would have killed us if we didn't make our lance harder than a preteen in a lingerie shop, what a dick
>>
>>5116603
>Spoiler

Yeah men, FUCK Guts, we're the protag now

>Guts Berserk Quest
>"Dude, HOW THE FUCK ARE WE LOSING TO THIS NOBLE BITCH WE MEET A MONTH AGO? MOTHERFUCKER SCREAMED LIKE A BITCH AND FEINTED WTF"
>"WHAT THE FUCK IF WRONG WITH OUR ROLLS? HE SHOULD BE DEATH BY ROUND 3"
>"Anons, we've angered the gods. Our fate is sealed and we're doomed, where about to lose to this nobody"
>>
>>5116610
>becoming protag
WEAK, we need to become a pillar for guts and griffith to lean on so we can avert disaster. Their sworn friend and probably the first to die when they fall out
>>
>>5116592
"GUTS! STOP! YOU'RE GOING TO KILL HIM!" Casca shouts in a desperate attempt to plead Guts to come back to his senses. "This isn't a death battle anymore! What are you doing?"

The female Phoenix's voice appears to soothe Guts back to rational thoughts, slowly decreasing his push as he remembered that a sparring match should not be going that far.

He rolls over and leaves you be, feeling his right hand opening and closing with a mixed, guilty expression.
"Sorry I... don't know what came over me... It's just that, I had a feeling Vlad was doing... Something." His lack of knowledge in the Astral ways seems to make his speech incoherent to non magical users, even if he had a good lead. "Every time I felt that presence before, it seemed to be a sign of danger... Maybe I really was imagining things..."

"Hold on there, sonny. Are you accusing my boy Vlad here of cheating after you tried to kick dirt in his eye? The audacity of this sore loser..." Gallahad is the first to call you the victor, but Griffith seems to disagree.

"Guts is no slouch when it comes to fighting. Even in our merc days he trained alone, because no one else was a match for his swordsmanship. If anything, Vlad should be honored that Guts went all out instead of holding back, even if he didn't win."
"You call that a win? A duel ends when an opponent is incapacitated or thrown to the floor! and Guts fell twice!"
"It also ends when the opponents' weapon breaks from the impact."

"Give me a break, these two almost beheaded each other and you are arguing over who won? Are you out of your minds?!" Casca intervenes the conversation, frustrated to be the only voice of reason.
Helping you get up as the rest of the soldiers retold the events of the fight, Guts lifted your arm over his shoulder and carried your weakened body back to the White Phoenix's estate, no doubt a good serving of Hot Cocoa would break the ice between the two.

"So really, how did you win?" Guts whispers as he admits defeat, not a hint of shame or anger under his breath, but respect, finally witnessing your resolve in first person.
He still wants to know your secret, what a curious guy...

>Hard work, and a little bit of field analysis.
>By being better than you.
>I dont know what you're talking about.
>I could tell you in private.
>I eats me spinach.
>You see, I have these visions...
>>
>>5116621
>I could tell you in private.
>>
>>5116621
>I could tell you in private.
>Hard work, and a little bit of field analysis.

did we use our od abilities to see what he would do? or was it just the reflexive stuff?
>>
>>5116621
guts seems to have a general idea that there's something not normal about us. So I think he may be more receptive if we tell him about the visions we get soo
>I could tell you in private.
>>
>>5116621
>I eats me spinach.
A bit of levity before
>Hard work, and a little bit of field analysis.
And if he asks about the spear near the end.
>I could tell you in private.
>You see, I have these visions...
He earned this knowledge methinks.

>By being better than you.
Even if this is the plain truth bois!
>>
>>5116621
>I could tell you in private.
>>
>>5116621
>Well I hit you on the neck and there's a lot of blood in there, right?
>Hard work, and a little bit of field analysis.
>I could tell you in private.
Really we just decided we weren't going to be weak. Not really an option when you're trying to put so much weight on your own shoulders like we are.
>>
>>5116621
>Hard work, and a little bit of field analysis.
Technically we won without using Od, we only used our tricks when he tried to kill us
>I could tell you in private.
>>
>>5116621
>I could tell you in private.
>>
>>5116627
I think we weren't using the od sense because Griffith was right there.
>>
>>5116637
>>5116621
Adding
>Hard work, and a little bit of field analysis.
>>
>>5116633
This, and i'm basically supporting each vote for this kind of approach into being honest that we won with our ability but might tell him something in private
>>
>>5116621
>I eats me spinach.
>"Jokes aside, I could tell you over drinks. I'm parched."
Bros swapping fighting techniques over some booze, no magic-talks going on here no sirree.

>>5116447
You've sold me on the armor progression at least.
>>
>>5116644
I still think the ol' spinach stick will get a chuckle outta him, but I agree with the policy of honesty with Guts.
>>
>>5116629
+1
>>
>>5116648
Oh yeah, also count me in for the spinach joke
>>
>>5116633
+1
>>
>>5116627
You can use magic in front of Griffith, just not the Od sensing because the Behelit is pretty much a portal into the next dimensions that are solely made out of corrupted Ods and Ideas of Evil, staring into the 5th dimension on a 3rd dimensional plane is a bit too much of a shift for your human brain, and it starts to fry from the info overload
>>
>>5116621
>The first two times I downed you, it was a matter of reading your body. No matter how well trained you are, everyone has a tell for what they're about to do. They tense in certain ways, their muscles have a pattern when they clench which tells me how they'll attack or defend. The size of your sword only made it that much clearer to me, because you have to put far more effort into moving it than you would with a smaller weapon - and its heft let me use my greater mobility against you, to circle and to bleed you more with each cut, however shallow they were. As for what happened at the end...I could tell you in private.

I want to get this boy reading his enemies ASAP. Guts with superior predictive ability would be a true monster.
>>
>>5116675
THIS actually
>>
>>5116675
Supporting this
>>
>>5116675
+1
>>
>>5116647
>>5116675
+2
>>
>>5116637
>>5116642
Changing to support this
>>5116675
>>
>>5116647
>>5116675
Changing my vote to this combination.
>>
>>5116627
>>5116629
>>5116647
"I eats me spinach!" You give him a thumbs up and recieve a good snort from Guts, who expected you to hold your cards close to your chest.
"Whatever you say, Sailor Man." He holds his laughter in, not wanting to cough from his battle wounds. "If you're feeling afraid of telling me, I can guarantee you that watever you say, my lips will be sealed. I'm not one for gossip. You merely reminded me of somebody else."

"Publically, it was all hard work and a little bit of field analysis. If you want anything further from that, I'll have to tell you in private. Preferably over some drinks."

"I'll take you on that." Guts invites you to his room and keeps you company for the afternoon, as you ponder on how to best tell him what you can do.

It's been made clear to you now, that you never had the opportunity to be open and honest about your visions to another man. The fear of being ostracized by nobles and hung to a cross by the followers of the church made it impossible for you to be transparent, and that was a feeling that was starting to become overwhelming. It's time you tried to confide in somebody to ease your worries, else you'd go as insane as you thought you were before.

You start all the way from the beggining, from your foster origin, to your years of luxury, to your magical biological mother, to how you strategized to beat him today. It does take an awfully long amount of time, but never once Guts opens his mouth to mock you, tell you to hurry and get to the point or to quit making stuff up. He merely listens and nods, letting you expand on your history as you see fit. A great sense of comradery is born in this silence, and though you could just read his mind to know what he thinks of you, but his intent is worn on his sleeves and his emotional intelligence is greatly appreciated.
"So that's why you said you had a trick up your sleeve, I'll make sure to pick up on your movement reading abilities if I can train my eye enough, then. This is not the first time someone says that Griffith's necklace has some sort of strange energy coming from it, but I wouldn't know the first thing about the meaning of that phrase. That weird act of Od healing also rings a bell, believe it or not, I met an elf several years ago that could do the same thing."

>Why wouldn't I believe you? You've already earned my trust by not thinking I'm a madman.
>Who told you about the egg being dangerous?
>An elf? How did it look like?
>About the Queen's death...
>Write-in.
>>
>>5116731
>Why wouldn't I believe you? You've already earned my trust by not thinking I'm a madman.
>Thanks Guts for listening.. you are a better man than all the nobles I ever met.
Eeh maybe a bit of kindness will make Guys not go full edge lord with the child's he encounter in the future.
>>
>>5116745
+1
Cept the fairy one. Fuck the fairy one. Throw her into a wood chipper
>>
>>5116731
>Why wouldn't I believe you? You've already earned my trust by not thinking I'm a madman.
>Who told you about the egg being dangerous?
>An elf? How did it look like?
>About the Queen's death...

Give me all the info...
>>
>>5116731
>>Why wouldn't I believe you? You've already earned my trust by not thinking I'm a madman.
>>Who told you about the egg being dangerous?
>>
>>5116745
Support plus
>about the queen's death.
>>
>>5116731
>Why wouldn't I believe you? You've already earned my trust by not thinking I'm a madman.
>Who told you about the egg being dangerous?
>An elf? How did it look like?

>>5116749
you don't want to ask about the queen's death to the person that killed her. That's real impolite.
>>
>>5116731
>Write-in.

“Guts, I need your help to save Griffith. That necklace is a manifestation of pure evil, its magical properties harming Od sensitive people like me on sight. But if we work together, I'm certain we can find a way to steal and destroy it.”
>>
>>5116675
Wait a second. What if Guts is Vlad's brother?
>>
>>5116793
>Law Of Causality

Nuff said
>>
>>5116799
No impossible guts is a corpse baby and Vlad is a doorstep baby
>>
>>5116799
>So Sivir, we have two half elf kids here, where should we put them
>Put this one where he will be found by a noble family, raised in privilege, excess and love
>and the other one as well?
>Nah fuck him, shove him inside a hanging coprse, let the lil bastard find his own way in the world
>>
>>5116799
Thank you for gracing our lowly /qst/ thread M. Night Shyamalan.

>>5116745
Supporting + ask about the elves, share info

don't mention the queen, might backfire imo.
>>
>>5116800
That's out of character knowledge.
>>
>>5116804
Well I guess we know which one was the ugly baby
>>
>>5116731
>>5116770
Yeah I support this, honestly I do not care about the Queen and we are now just chatting with Guts so no need to get into politics.
>>
>>5116916
If we weren't sitting here chilling after nearly fucking dying it may be worth it to ask. She was still our queen. But the rules of friendship battle dictate that it is time to relax and enjoy beverages and so we shall.

If we really wanted to talk about it we'd find Foss though.
>>
>>5116745
support
>>
>>5116770
Supporting.

also, should we also tell guts we are a complete novice at magic and that there might be powerful sorcerers/wizards out there.
We at best are a novice mage knight
>>
>>5116935
Yeah, once we have recovered and not bonding we could talk about the Queen... But maybe things would be too late then
>>
>>5116966
It's probably already too late. But it couldn't hurt to follow up. We're still an unaffiliated party so far as the conspirators are concerned I'd wager. Whatever's left of them. Lot easier to talk to than someone whose already taken a side.
>>
>>5115977
I prefer this for starting point, and the "wings" of an hussar don t work everywhere we would go. Especially if we also go inside buildings or forests in our adventures.

>>5116731
>Why wouldn't I believe you? You've already earned my trust by not thinking I'm a madman.
>Who told you about the egg being dangerous?
>An elf? How did it look like?
Maybe show him some white light Od just for confirm we know how to use it.
And ask him to not tell people around, no one. This remains a secret between the two of us. Promise ? Good.


>>5116745
Now that s kind of too much including all the nobles we have ever encounter. It would include our family, and worthy people like Gallahad. Say most. Not all
>>
>>5117005
if you want to show off our magic, do something visible. the od stuff can't be seen by muggles.
>>
>>5117017
Maybe we should heal some of the wounds we delt to him earlier using our od?
>>
>>5117030
we still don't know how to manipulate the od which floats around us, till now we learned to heal small scratches if they allow us to donate the od which our body normally generates

So far, we can try to read his mind to probe him or or something, but it's kinda lame
>>
>>5116731
>Why wouldn't I believe you? You've already earned my trust by not thinking I'm a madman.
>Who told you about the egg being dangerous?
>An elf? How did it look like?
>>5117005
The simple solution would be to just make them detachable. It would also avoid having a place to be gripped in combat if we have to dismount.
>>
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>>5116745
>>5116749
>>5116757
>>5116770
"Why wouldn't I believe you? You've already earned my trust by not thinking I'm a madman." You happily exclaim your vote of confidence to Guts, who were he of similar character to the people you've grown up with, would have denounced you straight to the shackles. "Thanks a lot for listening... You are a better man than several nobles I've met already."

"I guess it's fitting, since I am now a noble myself." He stretches his arms and feels how the word 'noble' rolls off on his tongue. "Still feels weird to say that, even if it's been a month."
"Still, I'm surprised you found someone else who told you about the egg being dangerous, who was that?"
"I hope you can hold onto that previous thought, because this story will sound even crazier than the last. Are you familiar with Nosferatu Zodd The Immortal?" Guts mentions the known tale of Zodd, the legendary swordsman said to have killed thousands of adversaries on the battlefield, who went away periodically between a few generations, but if there ever was a stench of bloodshed around, at least one sighting of Zodd continuing his slaughter was said to happen.

"You have met him in person? But he hasnt been seen in over 300 years!" You ask, trying to predict what Guts would say.
"Yeah, and he's a real ugly freak. I first caught wind of him when my team was taking care of a Tudor stronghold, and after only a few minutes of entering the building, all 50 men that accompanied those troops were killed. You can imagine our worry when we've heard of so many people dying in so little time. I went inside, thinking they had some sort of weapon or explosives inside, but what I saw in there was... horrifying." Guts recalls in fear, a mood you've never really seen in him.

"A beast, with an animal's face for a head. Desecrating all of my soldiers like they were nothing. It was the first and only time I have been truly afraid of dying. His presence felt out of this world, something that the human eye should never be able to come across. But I couldn't turn tail and walk away after seeing what he did to my colleagues."

"You fought with Zodd himself?!"
"I somehow managed to get the upper hand on him despite his blows sending me flying back several times, but that's when the true fight began. He was able to transform into this winged, demonic form. Big enough for him to crush my entire body just by grasping me with one hand. I was already seeing my life flashing before my eyes as he told me how disappointed he was on me not being the ultimate fighter he wished to face, before trying to rip me in two. But then..."
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>>5117081
"Griffith came in to help, along with several others of his troop, unfortunately, that distraction cost us dozens of other soldiers, who were exploding in chunks just by Zodd waving his hand at them. The array of bolts they fired at his back and neck did nothing but anger him and soon we were left alone on that dark hell of a room. I could already few my bones entering my lungs just by trying to stand up, but when I saw Griffith trying to kill Zodd by himself, I knew that would not end well for us. I had no choice but to fight."

"We managed to snare him in a pincer attack, dodging both his attacks and slashing his arms from different angles. I made sure to cut deep into his torso while Griffith put enough force on his saber for his damn arm to come off. We thought the battle was settled, but all he did was roar and tail whip Griffith and I across the entire building. Didn't even feel his arm falling, because all he did was place it back in place with his good arm and the wound instantly regenerated, as if it was never there!"

"Unbelievable! How did you manage to escape from there?"
"Weirdly enough, he was the one who ran away. He was impressed by our human strength, and lamented that would have to kill us before aiming a punch at an unconscious Griffith. That's when he saw that Egg, busted open a door on the ceiling, and flied away. Warning me of my death when Griffith fails to pursue his dreams."

You finally understood where Guts got the rep from being the strongest swordsman in the band, and even how Griffith could still be able to lead by looking a lot less muscular. Despite losing the battle, they still fought a good fight with the strongest warrior to walk this earth. Or at least, the one to your knowledge.

"This is why I wanted to see what that magic of yours was capable of, even after that encounter, I could feel his presence and have been on the lookout for whatever supernatural entity comes our way, I know how dangerous they are now, and the fact that people doubt they even exist feels like they're hiding in plain sight."

>I don't think my powers work the same way as Zodd's.
>When did you last feel Zodd's presence?
>Why did he run from the Egg?
>Is that artifact cursed?
>Why would Griffith fail on his dream?
>What about the other time you saw a magical entity?
>>
>>5117090
>I don't think my powers work the same way as Zodd's.
>What about the other time you saw a magical entity?
>>
>>5117090
>I don't think my powers work the same way as Zodd's.

>What about the other time you saw a magical entity?
>>
>>5117094
>>What about the other time you saw a magical entity?
>>5117094
>I don't think my powers work the same way as Zodd's.
>When did you last feel Zodd's presence?

Explain a little, we have a theory that we might not be fully human. after hearing him explain the other magical being, ask him about the elf he knew.


Btw, becchi, if the mc is a halfling why does he look human? is it a magic spell his mother put on him for his human parents? will it fall off when the veil between the astral and the mundane falls off?
>>
>>5117096
All will be explained in due time, try asking Sivir about it next time she shows up, or else you'll be waiting on someone like Puck to explain to you what elves are
>>
>>5117096
personally I figured that because we only had our Od/ Magic powers revealed and actively used recently rather than throughout our whole life, his elfin traits faltered in comparison to his human side, but then again genetics doesn't care about magic use. Definitely would like to hear what Becchi has to say about it.

Also I just tested pos for the coof and am barred from wagecucking for a week, please stay active becchi, cause I really look forward to reading the updates on this thread, puts a smile on my face everytime.
>>
>>5117104
on that note can we get any inkling to when Sivir would be showing up next or do you intend to keep it a surprise?
>>
>>5117096
Is it really a theory when our mother told us we are a halfling?
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>>5117105
>>5117106
I'll drop a good hint on this next update I'm writing, hope you stay safe
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>>5117105
Get some rest and take the medicine anon, hopefully it will stay mild.
>>
>>5117090
>I don't think my powers work the same way as Zodd's.
>What about the other time you saw a magical entity?
>When did you last feel Zodd's presence?

>>5117017
Well maybe sending some Od in to our weapon then ? It s not exactly easy for us we have just started learning how to use/control this power, but it could work.

>>5117064
Could be an idea.
We need to consider which secondary we want to go for when fighting in close spaces. We could go for another one hand axe and our shield. Or maybe a sword.
Then again Guts usually just uses his sword even in close spaces. While combining attacks with the other weapons he has time to time (knifes, bombs ecc). We could just use our spear even there.

>>5117105
Stay safe anon
>>
>>5117130
Another idea I had would be to attach the wings to Gunpowder saddle instead of our back. We miss some of that winged hussar vibe, but adds to the Pegasus theme. And it also allows us to have a cool cape.
>>
>>5117139
That would be nice as well
And a cape is not bad either
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>>5117094
>>5117095
>>5117096
"I don't think my powers work the same way as Zodd's, I can't transform into a demon or grow wings. It has to be a different sort of magic, right?"

"Right, which brings me to my second lead. See, back when I was young, my father--"

Guts starts recounting another story, before flinching and feezing in place with sorrow in his expression. I seems like the past does not bring him any positive memories, and though you could probe his mind to find the answers, you respect him enough to think he has a right to his privacy. After patiently waiting, Guts recomposes himself and starts his story from a different point in time.

"Around 5 years ago, I got captured by a mercenary group and enlisted as a child soldier. After our loss, I was captured by some viscount that used forced laborers to build his castle. I tried to escape, but they beat me half to death after I fell down the cliffside and got shot by their arrows. Since I was too weak to work, the viscount wanted to use me as a training dummy for his son before he went to war, killing a sickly child just to say he had his first victory. I was freezing cold, and my injuries were starting to form an infection. I was absolutely going to die there, were it not for... a little flower that grew from the tiles of my cell."

"I ate a rat in order not to starve in there, and that's when I started seeing a spirit talking to me by the flower. I thought it was a mere hallucination, just like you did. A vision of my old, childish heart refusing to let go of my imagination as I died in the cold, showing me that I was still a soft hearted fool. But I swear in my life that I could see a small, childish spirit hopping around the flower, thanking me for killing the rat about to eat her plant. Though her language was very basic and infantile, I could hear her, talk back to her and even feel her touch."

"She went by the name of Chitch, replicating the sound of the rat. From what I've gathered, she used the power of the sun that came from the prison cell to use her magic. And though she was little in size, she redirected her heat into me and kept my body from freezing. With each leaf she took of her flower and placed it on me, my wounds started to close. I ignored my insanity and thanked her for it, saying that there was a field full of flowers like hers, and if I managed to escape that place, I could show her the way to freedom and leave her plant with her friends. She was so happy that she started putting every leaf she had on my wounds as I feel asleep. But when I woke up... She was gone. All my wounds were healed, but all her leaves got plucked."
>>
>>5117148
this is sad, and makes me wonder. when spirits die, what happen to them? also, do we tell guts from what little magic we know that she killed herself to save him? i think it would be too hard for him
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>>5117148
"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that..." You lower your head as you feel the sadness in his voice. You had no idea Guts' life was so rough.

"Relax, If I kept a list of all the bad things that happened in this life, Chitch wouldn't make it in. My recovery made me agile enough to escape the viscount and I even left what was left of her flowers on the field like I promised to. It was a happy ending. I didn't even put much thought about that until around a month ago, a few weeks before you joined us at Doldrey's."

"Casca brought me a weird ointment she got from Judeau to treat my injuries. Saying it was an elf powder that had healing properties similar to what I felt from Chitch. I was a mess after the last fight made me kill 100 men by myself while Casca retreated to find reinforcements, but after that powder stitched me together, all those cuts that would have taken weeks to heal were gone in an instant. I wasnt feeling a thing by the time our fight was starting, so maybe all good-willed spirits have these sorts of magical abilities."

Guts' account is very logical, and he seems estatic to confirm that you were both not losing your minds. But between the elf powder and the spirit plant, you could certainly narrow down your origins.
"Do you think my mother is an elf?"
"Nah, from what I've heard in stories elves are this big." Guts holds his index finger a few inches from his thumb, a size that couldn't be larger than a small spoon. "Chitch was also around that size, but maybe that was due to her flower already being very small. Either there's a race of human sized-elves, or spirits can grow bigger in size if their place of origin is strong."

"Did you have any other encounters with these creatures?"
"No, last time I heard from Zodd he was just watching me fight Boscogn from the sidelines. He even helped me when my sword broke, throwing me his cleaver so I could behead that damn Rhino and his horse. No idea on why he would do that. Maybe he's waiting for his 'prophecy' to come true."

>Have any others from the band seen something similar?
>Can I try healing your wounds?
>Is there anything else you can tell me?
>Thanks for the information Guts, that will be all.
>Do you think Griffith might fail in his dream?
>Write-in.
>>
>>5117173
>Sivir did say she plead to take a human form through elven magic, so they may be able to change their body
>Can I try healing your wounds?
>>
>>5117173
>Have any others from the band seen something similar?
>Can I try healing your wounds?
>Do you think Griffith might fail in his dream?
>Thanks for the information Guts, that will be all.


Becchi, do you have planned to archive this thread?
>>
>>5117181
The thread is already archived, I came here from there.
Might need to update it though.
>>
>>5117173
>Have any others from the band seen something similar?
>Can I try healing your wounds?
>Is there anything else you can tell me?
>>
>>5117173
>Can I try healing your wounds?
>Do you think Griffith might fail in his dream?
>Thanks for the information Guts, that will be all.
>>
>>5117179
>>5117181
>>5117193
>>5117199
Last roll of the session, so let's make it count.
Pass this one and Guts will be fully healed with one good succ.
>>
Rolled 11 (1d100)

>>5117206
Sluuurp the pain away
>>
Rolled 58 (1d100)

>>5117206
>inb4 we crit fail and fucking accidently cripple him or something
>>
>>5117206
be good i hope
>>
Rolled 92 (1d100)

>>5117206
Forgot the fucking roll reeeeee
>>
>>5117214
Based, thanks anon.
>>
>>5117214
Yeah boi! Take our 'Ointment' Guts and get healed.
>>
>>5117214
Noice
>>
>>5117214
>Guts takes Vlad 'spear' from behind
>He heals fully with a skip in his steps
>>
Rolled 96 (1d100)

>>5117206
>>
>>5117214
Based
>>
I think anons really think about it... But i'm sure it will be hella suspicious that from just a hour or so of fighting, Guts wounds are FULL healed
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>>5117243
just blame it on guts´s supernatural body.
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>>5117223
very cool
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>>5117245
He's just built different.
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>>5117243
>Guts where did all your wounds go?
>They were just tiny nicks. Don't worry about it.
>But I can't even see them!
>Make-up.
>What?
>Vlad helped me hide them with make-up.
hhhmmmmmm
>>
>>5117243
"elf powder"
simple as
>>
>>5117208
>>5117210
>>5117214
"Sivir did say she plead to take a human form through elven magic, so maybe they can change their bodies." You reply to Guts.

"Sure, but if you said that she can't use magic on her own, she could still be either of the two, or something else altogether." Your mother's identity lies somewhere between those two races, you're sure of it! But being unable to ask her at this point in time, all you have is more speculation.
"Is there anything else you could tell me? Maybe the other members have seen something similar."
"I wouldn't know, it's possible. I tend to keep it to myself, so even if I'm high up on the ranks, I wouldn't call myself a socialite. This little talk I had with you was more social interaction than I've had in the past few days, so maybe a more talkative guy like you can find more results. Be sure to close the door on your way out, ok? I'm worn out from today." Guts shoos you away as he limps over to his bed, wanting to rest after getting a wallop to the head earlier today.

"Are you feeling alright?" You ask, feeling responsible for his pain to a certain extent. "I could try healing your wounds."
"Don't overexert yourself, you took a few hits of your own there, and this sort of thing seems exhausting." He refuses, but you approach him anyway, rubbing your hands together to see if you could get some flow going.
"It won't take long." Your hands shine over the cuts on his shoulders and chest, sealing the holes made when you fought, effectively re-energizing him by letting him take your energy. By the time you are done with it, his skin is back to the way it was before, but you could feel yourself getting more worn out with each passing minute.

Guts flexes his muscles and gets a feel from the results, realizing he's as good as new while you're now the one needing to lay down.
"I told you it would tire you out, but at least nobody died this time, right?" Guts makes space for you on the bed as he stands up, letting you sit on the matress.
"Say, do you think Griffith might fail on the pursue of his dream? Seems awfully weird for Zodd to be so sure of his loss." You stare at the ceiling while you feel your body slowly recuperate itself, maybe some food would help...

"After being named White Knights by the King and outliving his conspirators? I doubt it, he's as close to his kingdom as he's ever been. Whatever curse comes his way, it stands no chance against his dream. Which is why I'll be taking my leave."
Guts walks towards the door and leans on it before you questioned his intentions.
"Where are you going?"
"...Away. I appreciate you healing my wounds, would have made the walk downstairs a lot harder on me, I even considered waiting a few days to get better, but thanks to you that won't be the case. Griffith and the Band don't really need me anymore, so I think it's time for me to leave. Pursue a dream of my own, one that would make him proud, and see me as his equal."

Golden Age Part 2: End.
>>
>>5117286
Oh shiiiiiiiiiittte. Rules of casualties?
Rules of casualties.

About the ability to imbue our weapons with our Od to make them more resilient. In addition to making them tougher, do they have any offensive capabilities? I can imagine we can do the same to our armor to make it tougher. Imbued gambers and leathers to absorb blunt trauma and potential bruises, the metal plated armor for mauls, arrows, and swords.
>>
>>5117304
even if we stop him today, there is still the queen´s death the king could use to try and betray griffith
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>>5117306
The one thing Griffith could had done to not get tortured, was to not fucked the princess. The man cant keep it in his pants.
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>>5117322
to be honest, he didnt fuck the princess for romance or any kind of lust. the dude coomed while thinking of guts, it was more him losing to guts and not feeling in control of everything, so he went after some easy coochi to feel in control again
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>>5117330
Can you imagine if Vlad ends up getting shortlisted to wed the princess for some reason or another before Griffith does the deed? Now you get a ruined arrangement and moral disgust.

Just how many ways do you think the stories can get tangled with tragedy here?
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Work will be keeping me busy for the next 2 weeks, hopefully I'll have enough time to charge my batteries and do some planning on where the story will go from there. Also saving those armor designs for when we inevitably turn Vlad into a knight. Thread 2 will have our little character sheet along with Vlad's proficiencies and ability lists because knowing how mages are built, he'll have tons of skills.

If you have any questions all you need to do is ask.
>>
>>5117348
So Vlad was about a 5 or so before. Where would you say he is now/how is he perceived?
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>>5117336
Getting fairy AIDS, of course
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>>5117348
I know shit of Berserk aside some memes and a vague idea about the history (and also seen the old anime until the battle against Zodd, in which I dropped because things)

Are there other forms of Magic? Or everything sums to White Od Magic and Red Od Magic? Are there even Arcane Magic which doesn't depends in Od?
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>>5117356
Well I guess we shouldn't fuck any fairies then.

>>5117348
Did word get around that Vlad managed to drop the absolute beast that is Guts? What did various people think about that?
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>>5117351
I'd give him a strong 7 to a light 8. Gallahad and a month's worth of rock climbing made our boy into a respectable entity, wonder how the 1 year timeskip is going to treat him.
Good thing you didn't roll 2 100s on Casca or else she'd be more fucked than when Guts lead her behind the tree.

>>5117366
It's mostly Od manipulation but really it's just a cute way of saying light/dark magic. There are elements of transfiguration, god summonings, astral projection and elemental spells, but it's not like you're going to learn all of that without finding a wizard first. Vlad is already growing a lot in this short amount of time so no need to rush.
>>5117369
It's still only been a day and you've fought him in a training area with 3 eyewitnesses, very important eyewitnesses, but none of them would go around spreading the word of Guts' defeat like that, it'd be too childish.
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>>5117366
When it comes down to it, ALL magic is Od magic. From the most vile black sorceries to the most benevolent white artes. Od is essentially a 'fundamental particle'. The 'quark' of spirituality.
At least, that's how I understand it.
>>
>>5117397
Gotta keep nice and sharp, getting rusty is a sin. Fitness is important.
>>
>>5117397
>It's still only been a day
I thought with the end of the part there'd be a tiny timeskip for recuperation. And really only Casca Griffith and Guts came? And here I thought Griffith would be incapable of escaping the sycophants undoubtedly flocking to him.

Galahad is totally going to brag to his knightly buddies that his student is a badass don't lie to me.
>>
>>5117243
Avoid others for some hours and rest in his room. That should resolve problems or rumors.

>>5117336
I don't think Vlad has any reason to be a good marriage for the royal family for now at least. He will become important for Midland with time though. In a sense Vlad existance might just changes enough things for the kingdom.
Especially the time period before the Kushan arrival, and then the Kushan invasion. Right now he is showing a good amount of growth being able to keep up with Guts. Though this is just speculations we will need to see.

>>5117348
Since we are in the capital we have access to his smiths and the royal library ? Would we be able to recruit some companions for our adventures ? Could we wander in a deep forest for find spirits or elves ?
What kind of enemies you have in mind beyond the one berserk usually shows ?

>>5117397
Just in a month? That s great honestly.
Does the king need Gallahad has a full guard after our training is done ? Wait the king will probably make us a knight isn't it ?
>>
>>5117423
>I don't think Vlad has any reason to be a good marriage for the royal family for now at least
Yeah that's why it's a "what-if" scenario. I was just funning. People seem to be set on going for burny mc crazy lady anyway.

Vlad has definitely been eating his veggies. His great diet is surely the secret to his wonderful growth rate.
>>
>>5117336
easy, just fuck griffith in the ass. no better way to avoid being a cuck than to fuck the one who cuckes you
>>
>>5117436
Ah the good ol fashioned "He who fucks my woman will become my property" mindset. A realer man we cannot find.
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>>5117434
>going for burny
i am not, honestly i don't care for waifus. i just want to do cool shit, like ride a horse through the night, shoot lighting of our spear and drive it in a dragon's eye.
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>>5117444
>like ride a horse through the night
Are you sure you don't want burny? She shares that same experience :^)
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>>5117434
I wouldn't mind the princess, but I do like miss mc crazy lady more kek
A great diet is the base for all champions of Midland !
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>>5117447
kek. no thanks, what i mean is the normal riding of horses, not the horse raping one.
>>
>>5117348
Thanks for running this quest becchi, its been one hell of a ride. I look forward for your next installment of this quest.
>>
>>5117423
>Avoid others for some hours and rest in his room. That should resolve problems or rumors.
>Two big burly men walk inside a room and stay there for an entire day, one walks out full of energy and the other one rests tired in his bed.
Oh I can see the rumors you want to spread

>Since we are in the capital we have access to his smiths and the royal library?
Yes, when your training is complete you'll have an armor and weapon of your own choosing
>Would we be able to recruit some companions for our adventures?
For now Gundpowerd and Gallahad are all I got, Guts traveling party is already gigantinc so I could imagine the cast bloat if Vlad gets one of his own.

>Could we wander in a deep forest for find spirits or elves?
I have a few bullet points in the works, still thinking if Vlad's pilgrimage mission to become a knight will be a long arc of it's own or several short stories, we'll be starting to deviate from the story's main perspectives which means I'll have to make stuff up and be original (god forbid) while still making sense and exploring stuff from the verse, so it's going to be food for thought. Finding a witch and discovering what happened to Vlad's biological father is def confirmed by this point though.

>What kind of enemies you have in mind beyond the one berserk usually shows?
I'll probably take something from Darkest Dungeon or Dark Souls, but there are plenty of races in Berserk that werent really fought before so a lot of room for cool fight scenarios at least.
I was thinking of something to do with harpies.

>>5117434
Honestly Berserk isnt really known for having hot single ladies in your area that dont get killed or raped or both so the options would always be small even if I start making original characters. Farnese just seems like a good pick storywise is all
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>>5117580
>story wise
not really, the only way she is a good pic is after she is saved by guts and mellows a little, i think it's impossible for her to actually "love" right now because of all the mental problems going through her head.

Like, farnesse who looks after mentally broken casca? she is wife material, but the one right now is crazy and specially violent.
>>
>>5117580
>Guts traveling party is already gigantinc so I could imagine the cast bloat if Vlad gets one of his own.
Well, soon those numbers will go way down so no worries
>>
>>5117580
>Honestly Berserk isnt really known for having hot single ladies in your area that dont get killed or raped or both
Very true. I guess we just have to beat the baddies to the punch then.

I can see us having two or three companions once a war breaks out if we come into command. A lieutenant type character wouldn't be bad to keep around. But too many characters would end up being hard to keep track of if we ever start encountering groups of other named characters to also have to have an eye on. The bloat really is real.

>>5117585
What, not up for fixing a broken brain? All you have to do is punch her in the face and tell her she needs a chill pill. This will absolutely not get you crucified and/or burned at the stake.
>>
>>5117580
>Oh I can see the rumors you want to spread
no please hahaha
More seriously if those wounds are seen completely healed or better than before, it can bring unwanted faith attention on Vlad. No need for that. So better be cautious

Yeah there is plenty of characters to be fair. I wouldn't want to see a party too big, maybe 2 or max 3 new chars. Though let just see where the story goes first. And well .... they could die. Berserk is an harsh world.
Good to know. Go for what you are comfortable. Making new stuff is not easy, so I might have ask for too much.
Ah that s some cool choices for foes. Harpies ? Not a bad idea either, a flying foe is always trouble. And if I remember correctly harpies or a type of them used their feathers sort of like blades. Like they throwed them down with their wings. I can't remember which hero faced them but there was a story like that. Unless i am wrong

>hot single ladies
Kek yeah there isn't much choice. Well Berserk is more about a few characters than the world at large sometimes. I am sure you can do something great Becchi. You write well. Good night
>>
What are you fellas hoping to see over the 1 year?
Personally, I'm hoping to encounter and interact with Locus or Grunbeld, the two most interesting (and least likely to randomly murder you) apostles and each legendary knights in their own regard, in their human guises.
Barring that, partaking in more war for honor and glory could be good, especially with us getting more and more skilled with the tools to succeed on such a front. Get ourselves our own legendary status on a few missions by slaughtering with grace.
I'm also hoping that Gallahad has more older rites that the knights of yore partook in to prove their worth. Something like the 77 rings challenge or similar - dangerous, perhaps even deadly tasks that will harden them into a true warrior.
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>>5117666
>FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY
FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY
>FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY

shitpost aside I would like lore about Vlad´s lands and see if there is ancient figures that were born there or perhaps if there were ever independent? who knows
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>>5117697
That could be pretty good.
Oh, and one thing I forgot in my own post. Our own healing artes drain us considerably and are (admittedly) quite unskilled, healing Guts of some non-threatening wounds is likely to put us out for a few days. I can see Vlad being motivated to improve his capability in such things so that he might heal his surrogate father of the wounds his torturer gave him. And perhaps to seek that specific torturer out for righteous vengeance.
>>
>>5117118
>>5117120
>>5117130


Thanks guys, hopefully it'll be over soon.

>>5117348
How much wealth is Vlad sitting on right now?

>>5117475
All good adventuring starts with a healthy breakfast, Anon.

>>5117666
Would like to see more farnesse interactions because I find them funny, and hoping to see vlad experiment more in infusing Od magic with his agile dex-based spear combat. Shit if he develops an affinity for lightning magic an ornstein build is a pretty logical way to go lol.

Also keen to see if Vlad is able to talk to Gunpowder through Od sensing, learning from a veteran of a different sort and building a strong partnership, along with granting the old stallion a few abilities of its own.

>>5117697
flaming pussy ftw
>>
>>5117666
>What are you fellas hoping to see over the 1 year?
Maybe a decent member of the Holy See, hohoho. Maybe some beasties of the legendary variety before they go full demontard. There are a lot of really cool creatures out there and it sucks that most of them are demons. Maybe we can spot a few before the Eclipse and they won't be so murdery. We could even start a sketchbook. Ah, hobbies.

The fuck even are Vlad's hobbies aside from the bad habits?
>>
>>5117977
Women
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>>5117979
I said outside of the bad habits.
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>>5117979
and drinking

>>5117987
idk man, maybe horseriding considering we have gunpowder now?
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>>5118008
>idk man, maybe horseriding considering we have gunpowder now?
Shit man. We'd have to get another horse for that. Gunpowder doesn't strike me as the "casual ride" type. Maybe we can pick up some frilly shit like poetry. An instrument? Painting.

We could always double down on the animal stuff and do falconry as well. A respected past time. Gather all the animal companions.

Or carving. Carving is calming. Many options.
>>
>>5117666
I want to kill an asshole apostate. I dont know if there are any good ones, but kill an asshole regardless.

>>5117697
>FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY
FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY
>FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY FLAMING PUSSY

>>5118023
Improving his martial abilities or learning how to do muny gud could be a hobby. Playing with expanding his Od powers seem entertaining enough.
>>
>>5118029
>Improving his martial abilities or learning how to do muny gud could be a hobby. Playing with expanding his Od powers seem entertaining enough.
These feel less like "I do this for fun" and more like "I do this because I must". Like the difference between a soldier of yesteryear and a HEMA practitioner of today. I guess we don't need a hobby. We do spend most of our time already. Still.
>>
>>5118023
Carving in the field, painting at home, hell yes to falconry.
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>>5118035
If you could pick a bird would it be a bigass raven/ really bigass crow, straight og falcon, eagle or a pygmy condor? Assuming you want it to be able to land on our arm or shoulder.

Falconry is so passe, real niggas walk around with pockets full of lizards
>>
>>5118032
LEARN HOW TO CAST FIREBALL

>>5118059
Something mythical and big enough to kill demons.
>>
>>5118059
Eagle, all American baby! Since this is Beserk though, bigass raven would be more appropriate. The crow/condor is reserved for Guts after the Eclipse.
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>>5118023
>>5118035
carving is pretty comfy yes

>>5118059
big ass owl, white wings fit with our family crest, plus wizard/magic allusion
>>
>>5118068
>LEARN HOW TO CAST FIREBALL
SHE'S NOT GONNA SUCK YOU OFF FOR THAT YOU KNOW

>>5118136
A fucking snow owl, here? In the midlands? At this time of year? Really?

I actually never would have considered an owl. And they're pretty cool killers, even. bretty gud choice
>>
>>5117928
I'll wait until he's out of town or living without his parents to think of an exact number, but let's just say plenty for now.
>>
>>5117697
Guess you can say she's hot
>>5118023
Carving is based, we can even paint the carvings as well for double the hobbies at once.
>>
>>5116043
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qzTwBQniLSc
>>
>>5118521
yeah, armor plate is really flexible.
>>
>>5118521
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa2irrYK09w
>>
Some hobbies to pick-up would be learning to play some wind instrument because some warrior being able to doot doot for good vibes in Berserk would be great.

Raising a White Owl would also be interesting, due to its symbolic meaning; Paranormal wisdom (Od sight), Perceptiveness, and Change/Transformation, in some cultures white owls are also seen as Heralds of Death and/or Magicians. Also, Barn Owl feathers reflect Moonlight to stun their prey, so maybe a leucistic/albino Barn Owl as a pet. It would also fit in thematically to us being a noble wielding a commoner's weapon, that owns a common barn owl with a noble appearance.

Warning: Word Vomit
Also, it would be pretty rad if the symbolism of Owls serve a narrative purpose eventually. Like how Guts and Griffith have the hawks that are pursuit predators, we've got the Owls that are ambush predators.

Or we develop a way to use our Owl as a familiar and use it as our eyes in the sky, maybe we get held hostage by the Turks/Kushan and somehow learn their magic for more Vlad Teppes imagery.

Or even cooler is that before the final climax, all that Od transferring between us and Gunpowder and the Owl merges them and we get a pegasus. Really make Guts think we're total bullshit.


Also, I'm disappointed nobody decided to use, "I stopped hitting the bottle so much." to give a partial explanation for how quickly we were improving in our skills. Basically, imply we were some kind of genius that was hampered by alcoholism.
>>
>>5118650
the only hawk is griffith, guts is more a dog/wolf best. everything else i like the owl as our animal representation, though i think a horse or something like that would fit more with hour house emblem (its a pegasus)
>>
>>5118650
>be me, a kickass demon who just ate like an entire orphanage after dealing with the militia defending the town
>hear some sorta flute clarinet kazoo thing in the distance
>I hate music
>go to smash the idiot playing
>suddenly a dude comes rushing at me at mach fucking twelve on a horse and severs my head with a spear
>die crying as an owl is staring straight at my soul
>>
>>5118625
believe it or not I used to work out to the music from that video haha

>>5118650
I mean I always interpreted the Owl as a twilight observer of sorts, watching from some off-place as these two hawks, one a battle-scarred dark condor and another a resplendent falcon of light claw at each other. Although seeing our combat progress and GODLY ROLLS as of late may lean more favour to the ambush hunt.

>I stopped hitting the bottle so much

"I'm sorry Guts, I can give up sleeping under a roof, fine maidens and all the other luxuries of nobility but I will NEVER give up BOOZING, and CRUISING."
>>
>>5118650
I mean, yeah, you're right, but i'm 100% that's already a rumor by itself. Like surely Ferness or even another conservative noble is already saying that, after all, we had a fame of being a troublesome guy when it's about drinking and going for ladies.

I mean, surely there was some mean comment about how we "drank all the wine of our land" and with nothing more to do we actually joined the Hawks for some free booze or gold for buying more. In this kind of things about politics it's normal that our enemies (or more like our fathers enemies) try to take all our credit and make us look bad, to subvert how their close friends see us, and little by little those kind of comments go from the nobles to their servants, and then the peasants.

Plus we surely did more than one scenes in those kinds of parties, so it might be a conclusion people came with itselfs
>>
>>5118650
A bard/Jester would be a nice addition to the cast, I'll consider it as well as a carving hobby.

I think the pegasus really is the best parallel you can make to Guts and Griffith as the beast of darkness is Guts' demonic fursona as an earth creature while The Falcon is an animal that symbolizes freedom in the skies. Since a Pegasus can soar over both terrains I think Vlad could serve as a balancing act between Guts and Griffith, making them wore more like a Freudian Trio (Guts being the Id, Vlad being the Ego and Griffith being the Superego) than the Yin/Yang dynamic than they have between each other.

Another reason is that I couldn't think of a cool water animal that rivaled the beast of darkness that Vlad could turn into to make the Earth Wind and Water Triad. Would be funny if his inner demons corrupted him into a whale though.
>>
>>5118967
>insulting the majestic whale

Go home Ahab, your kind ain't welcome around these parts.
>>
>>5118967
Vlad would obviously be a sailfish. With a sleek body, exceptional speed and a deadly weaponized nose the Sailfish is indeed the king of the sea. With a proud crest, even.
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>>5118967
>>5118979
I was thinking a Mantis Shrimp.

>Beautiful and pompous with a rainbow carapace, mirroring our noble upbriging

>can perceive 6x the colours that human beings can, allusion to Od sensing

>can shoot out arms at speeds fast enough to boil the water around it, similar to our own prowess with the spear.

>has a tendency to break aquarium shields, not related to quest/vlad just found it somewhat funny
>>
>>5118984
Ah but the sailfish is the fastest marine animal. And it has a fucking spear for a face that's rad. It's also not suffering from constant psychopathy and an inherent need to kill everything that moves nearby. Which really sounds tiring to deal with honestly.

Mantis shrimp are way too fucking hardcore. Both the fisty and the stabby version.
>>
>>5118657
I mean, we're adopted anyway, not matching our house emblem makes sense, plus our search for our origins seems important, it would probably factor into things more than which family raised us.
>>
>>5118992
Heritage is one thing, but you cannot deny the importance of the family that was there for you in spite of it.
>>
>>5118992
That would be a massive middle finger to our family man.
Elves are cool and all, but the Santana are the only family Vlad knows.
>>
Also, why does everybody seem dead-set on believing Sirvfir is elven. She just said she used Elven Magic to take Human Form and repeatedly referred to the Elfin as them and their and said she wasn't capable of using their magic until they transformed her. She could literally be any sapient astral creature.

>"While the couple I've sent you to have done a splendid job raising you as their own, You are of mixed descent. Through my several requests to be transformed into a human by elven magic, it seems I have gained some affinity with their spells, my Od has been woven, and I am able to use their magic as my own, an ability that naturally would transfer to you... My son."
>>
>>5119021
Don't give a fuck, Mommy may be a magical gas cloud for all I care, the Santanas are still my niggas.
>>
>>5118992
Our parents dis everything for Vlad, they didn't even give hum a beating or try to force him straighten up because they believed in him.
Abandoning the family is kind of a dick move.
>>
>>5119021
Probably because that's the stereotypical half-human changeling thing.
In old stories you'd have the fae replace children with fairy versions and in modern fantasy half-elves are common.
>>
>>5119004
>>5119016
I phrased it poorly. But it's not like we get a choice what kind of symbolism magic will make us appear as in visions. Vlad would probably want to be represented by a Pegasus, fate would have other plans.
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>>5119038
>>5119031

I never said he was going to abandon them, lmao. I just said his imagery might not be a pegasus due to his origins.
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>>5119051
Why would being a halfling prevent that?
If anything, it makes more sense for it to be a mythological creature as Vlad is inherently magical.
>>
>>5119043
Fate can go fuck itself. The struggle is real. Damn.

>>5119051
It was just poorly worded is all. Made it sound dismissive of the family. Though I do hope to get to know momma better eventually. Hopefully before the eclipse boots her into super hell or back to that fuckass island. Wherever she's from.
>>
But, since Bacchi threw in their 2 cents and their reasoning for the choice it makes sense. I was just explaining my reasoning for why he might be represented by something else, but we have WoG now.
>>
>>5118967
Pegasus works as water because in the myth Pegasus was the son of Poseidon.
>>
Bruh. I just realized, since Guts will leave almost immediately after we beat him, Griffiths might blame us for it, especially since we had a long private conversation with Guts that he isn't privy too soon after. He'll think Guts is going on some training journey to overcome the defeat or that we talked him into it.
>>
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>>5119127
>tfw we get a personal visit from godffith and his opening line is "You took something from me."
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>>5119078
Or we could go Hippocampus, as the ancient greeks would occasionally illustrate or make statues of them with wings. Kind of like a pegasus with a fish tail.
>>
Do you guys think we'll be able to effectively fight demons with our weapon reinforcement?
It could keep our weapons from breaking but I worry about having to maintain it for a long time.
>>
>>5119159
One thing to note is that weapons that get soaked in the blood of magic beings themselves become magic. It's what happened to the dragonslayer. So if we upgraded our weapon and kept it around for long enough fighting demons it could on its own become strong.

An alternative strategy in long drawn out fights is to only reinforce it when we are striking/blocking with it. Use it in short bursts to conserve strength.
>>
>>5119159
Would only need to activate it when right about to strike or blocking. That means precise timing to minimize expenditure and endurance training to the last longer.
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>>5119140
That's literally years and years away. We have plenty of time to train and get stronger, learn magic too.
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>>5119262
I will never not shit my pants in that scenario. I don't care if we're genuinely his equal. I'll still shit my pants. That's scary bro.
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>>5119264
What if he's wearing a silly hat?
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>>5119266
That means not only has he come for payback, but he's going to do a jig on our corpse for extra humiliation. He's not just there with a grudge, he's there with a salty runback grudge.

Beware the angry man in a funny hat.
>>
>>5118967
>>5118979
>>5118990
A sailfish, swordfish, or marlin as there called would be a excellent animal to represent Vlad. There fast and smart just like him, and have a almost mythical reputation. But the spear symbolism is a bit to on the nose.
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>>5119268
>But the spear symbolism is a bit to on the nose.
Ahhhh haha I see what you did there.
>>
>>5119140
wait are we even going to be there for the eclipse or just witness it from a very very far and safe distance?

>>5118990
>>5119268
fair enough, marlin it is
>>
>>5119272
>wait are we even going to be there for the eclipse or just witness it from a very very far and safe distance?
If it were up to me we wouldn't even be on the same continent. I really hope we aren't anywhere near it.
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>>5118967
A hippocamp is basically a water equivalent of a pegasus. They even have fish fin wings in some of their Ancient Art.
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>>5119272
It's a bit meta to plan around that but Vlad would be megafucked unless we develop some amazing defense against astral wounds.
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>>5119268
Come to think of it why would the symbolism be too canny? If you think about it, Griffith has his falcon/hawk and he literally gets wings. Guts' hound theme and his armor actually grows to have a dog face. Why wouldn't our theme have a prominent inspiration as well?
>>
>>5119268
>>5119301
But I don't want to be Aquaman!
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>>5119319
Well good, because Aquaman has a trident, not a spear.

And if you say "what's the difference" I'll have someone hit you with a glaive.
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>>5119320
A trident is a type of spear, and if you argue I'll run you through with my billhook.
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>>5119321
Yeah well a billhook is just a type of polearm. Two can play the game of categories. And if you don't like it I'll drop you on a guisarme.
>>
>finally read Berserk Quest
>it's on a hiatus
>Anons are having an autistic argument about spear semantics
Welp. That's about as expected. Great stuff, Becchi.

+1 the whittling and falconry/animal training hobbies, though.
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>>5119319
>>5119320
Why be aquaman when you can be Seaman?
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>>5119352
Here at berserk quest we spend time between updates bouncing around vague arguments on the absolute minutiae of our protag, and I am certain that in due course we will all have a discussion on Vlad's shoe size and whether he's a high orchestral or low folksong man.
>>
>>5119353
He's too strong. We couldn't live up to the hype.

>>5119352
You're just mad you can't go on and on about nice, long, smooth, hard shafts with an enlarged tip for hours and hours. You plebeian.
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>>5119360
>Vlad's shoe size
What is he, five ten? I'll assume 170 pounds. Give him probably a size 11 or a size 12. In US mens sizes, of course.
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>>5119352
I'm sorry that you can't be a bardiche botherer like the rest of us.
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>>5119363
I'll second you on the 11 Mens, he's certainly not a midget but from his fighting style and height he's not the biggest chap around.
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>>5119269
>>5119272
>>5119301
>>5119319
If we do get a Marlin to represent Vlad it would be excellent as it would make a earth, water, and air trio between Guts, Griffith, and him as the QM said. But how could we tie it in more than just the spear?
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>>5119379
They are relatively solitary fish, and they also like to jump. Also surprisingly nimble for their size. I mean there won't be a lot of history or stories around them. They're fish. And not exceedingly common enough for most coastal cultures to have talked a lot about in anything other than passing "looks cool".

I mean, outside of the "Old Man and the Sea" and Achilles' warriors being transformed into them by Thetis. I'm sure there's more out there but it would probably be obscure. You could twist the warriors being symbolic of Vlad's struggle to transform himself into a better man and warrior after he was subjected to grief (losing his parents) just like the warriors faced (when Achilles died). And the Old Man and the Sea has super strong religious undertones you may be able to twist and apply if you dug into it.

It's kind of reaching, though.
>>
>>5119379
>>5119394
When I say losing his parents I don't mean they died. You know what I mean kek.
>>
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So hey, I know most Anons (including myself) are pretty much set on Vlad using Ornstein's armor at some point. But personally I really like the idea of using the Iron Dragonslayer armour from DS3 post-Eclipse
Either Vlad gets his resplendent lion pate reforged or constant exposure to Apostles/other magic beasties warps it

>>5119262
It could be sooner than you think! There's a timeskip of a year after Griffith gets captured, so if he decides to give Vlad a spiritual visit after the Eclipse... well, in any case our boy is very likely getting mentally shaken up in the future.
>>
>>5119394
>>5119379
I was thinking due to Vlad's growing familiarity and use of the supernatural, essentially a kind of ethereal ocean in it of itself, with multiple layers and denizens, he forms a sort-of-inbetween from the "grounded" Guts who is firmly stuck in his baser gross instincts as a human warrior, no matter how empowered by magical or demonic fuckery, and the aloft Griffith whose ambition causes him to rest higher than all others, "flying" in a sense, but at the cost of not being able to truly be human again.

Vlad, being a fish and a particularly agile one at that, along with aforementioned jump would therefore form as a sort of middle ground similar to freud's ego, able to reconcile both his martial skills as a warrior and attachment to his base as a human while traversing through the ocean of spirits with a keen purpose, punching above unlike Griffith, but with the means to remain airborne considerably longer than Guts.
>>
>>5119413
constant exposure wearing down his armour sounded cool when I first heard it and I still second it, I think a cool way to go would be to have the dragonslayer armour you can buy from DS1 as your starting armour post-eclipse as a farewell gift from your parents, and then as you journey across Midland and interact with the arcane, the insane and the unknown it becomes corroded to resemble the Iron Dragonslayer's Armour.

Then perhaps when Guts' party meets Flora and aquires magic weapons Flora/Sivir could restore the armour to its original freshly-crafted state, complete with red plume.
>>
>>5119413
Oh man you know what that helmet reminds me of? The bio-raptors from Pitch Black. And they have funky vision which gets represented as splotchy fuzzy white shit like we do with Od vision. What a coincidence.

>>5119420
>essentially a kind of ethereal ocean in it of itself
We do very frequently see the astral projection of the little witch floating as if submerged so it's not an inelegant way of putting it.
>>
>>5119379
Marlins symbolize redemption and communion, basically the last supper ritual too.
In Tattoos they mean Power, Strength, and Endurance.

In the old man and the sea, the marlin symbolized a worthy opponent to Santiago. It also was so strong it pulled Santiago's boat and injured his hands when he tried to reel it in.

During the hunt, blue marlins will pass through a dense school of fish and inflict injuries with their spear. Dead or injured fish will float around and blue marlin will easily scoop them afterward. They are predominantly solitary animals, but are sometimes seen swimming around in pairs, and rarely in schools. Blue marlins rely on their eyesight to find food (Od Sight demon-hunting F-yeah). It hunts during the day (diurnal animal) and are migratory to avoid cold seasons. When hooked they make flashy acrobatic leaps to escape and are well-known for their jumping.


>We end up cutting lines through battlefields like a fish through water.
>Vlad is mostly a lone wanderer who goes where all the hot-blooded adventure is.
>Blitzing+Endurance Build.
>Will do team-ups with solo characters, but will rarely join a party permanently.
>If captured eventually makes dramatic escapes and is a huge struggle to keep monitored.
>(Santiago)'s More worthy Rival.
>Relies on Od Sight
So, so far so good with aligning him with a Marlin regarding imagery and behaviors.

If we're going for the physical descriptions of a marlin then; Blue marlins have elongated bodies, long tails, pronounced dorsal fins and sharp jaws. Which in a person translates to Tall and Lean, Long 'Tail', Great Back Muscles, and a Sharp/Chiseled Jawline.
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>>5119436
Look at this lad. Based.
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>>5119425
>The bio-raptors from Pitch Black
I'll be damned. The frontal profile IS surprisingly uncanny.
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If we want to go with a Marlin themed helmet like how the other two do the wolf and hawk. Then if I may recommend the helmet of this photo. Or something similar.
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>>5119445
I guess momma was an alien and dad was just really kinky.

>>5119446
Bonus points since that could still be used for a pegasus symbol, since sometimes pegasi are depicted as having horns like a unicorn. Depending on the fiction of course.
>>
>>5119394
>>5119420
>>5119436
I didn't realize Marlins had so much symbolism that could perfectly tie in with Vlad's character. I just thought they looked cool and their spike for a nose matched perfectly with his spear skills.
>>
Hm, Vlad probably never would use a Behelit for himself even if he found one due to the extreme reaction he had it to once, what the hell would even make him conciser doing the deal?
Just asking cuz this Marlin talk made me think his Apostle form maybe having some fish themes to it.
>>
>>5119436
Tudors knights usually have animals of the sea as their symbols on them or their armors, And tudors aren't well liked by him, it would remind him of them., and midland is like not exactly on a border with a sea. Cool ideas though.
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>>5119482
The only Tudor knights that had sea animal motifs were the Blue Whale Knights, with high ranking individuals like Adon and Samson having shark and angler motifs instead. And Vlad never encountered them, he only ever fought the Purple Rhino knights. So it'd be completely fine for Vlad to have armor with Marlin motifs.
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>>5119436
Also, regarding physiques like how I mentioned here based on the description of a marlin. I picture Vlad to have a physique like Zombieman, Garou, or Suiryu from OPM at 5'10, once he gets more into the groove of getting fit.

Guts probably has a physique like tank-top blackhole or tanktop tiger at 6'4, because there is no way he's that skinny under that armor and Miura has questionable anatomy, and Griffiths at 5'8 is like Flashy Flash, I was going to say Sonic, but that's too femboy-ish.

So the three protags in the appearance departments are basically; Griffiths is the androgynous pretty boy type, Guts is the scarred rough warrior type, and Vlad is the rakish playboy type right now, he might develop into a dashing knight after he gets his beard though.
>>
Am I still the only one that's surprised at the fact that Vlad can put away a gallon of wine on a slow night of drinking?
>>
>>5119490
Griffith is like the epitome of femboy. Didn't he use his body to get ahead at some point in the actual story? He's androgynous as fuck.

>>5119493
The only thing I can think when I hear that is "Ya boy pisses like a race horse goddamn.". I mean he has to, right? How the hell can you drink that much and not have to take constant piss breaks?
>>
>>5119480
Maybe his Od-eyes ends up syncing enough with the eclipse that he went on that wild ride too despite not being there, and he had no choice but to if he wanted to survive, kind of like how that earlier comment says we experience all the suffering and pain that happened in that moment. Our soul gets fractured and a bunch of Daimons merge and fill the gaps in exchange for us doing a task for them, which ends up having to do with the White Falcon. Like, Guts and Griffiths were destined to be the protagonist and antagonist, we're the deuteragonist hired on by forces outside of fate to lessen the collateral damage and improve Guts' chances.
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>>5119493
Not really. Alcoholics used to be much stronger back in the day. You know motherfuckers used to chug gin like it was light beer? Same with shit like whiskey, applejack, and moonshine. Only reason absinth wasn't was cause most of the people who drank it were artsy types,
>>
>>5119493
I know a bunch of soccer moms who pull off the same feat with box wine.
>>
>>5118650
I'm a big fan of the great eared nightjar as far as birds go
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>>5119485
i think there is more than one order of theirs that is sea themed. Also he would have likely heard of them since they were his enemies during the war.
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>>5119506
>box wine.
gross
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>>5119496
Yeah, I just checked Muira's art, and apparently, I should have went with my gut on Sonic, Sonic's even more muscular than Griffiths. My brain rationalized it as Griffith is war hero, ergo, probably has muscles, and is popular with women. I thought if he looked even girlier than Flashy Flash in a feudal martial setting, he wouldn't be getting as much feminine attention as he had been.
>>
>>5119573
>>5119496
i mean, griffith didnt seduce guts or something like that. it's more gay people who went after him, the one who went was some old pedo who liked little boys anyways
>>
>>5119493
>>5119502

no my boy is a certified booze cruiser for sure

>>5119506
>>5119549
Nothing quite like a fresh bag of goon mate.
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>>5119413
Ornstein's armor
It looks grandiose and powerful, something for one who calls himself a conqueror or a champion. In part if you look at it, it look like Gaseiric (can't remember the name) one. While looking very cool it's honestly something i would see on an apostle, or a ruler, since they usually like that type of detailed armor especially ones that mirror their demonic true forms and selfs. Much the same for the Iron Dragonslayer armor, if perhaps even darker. A noble armor even if with blood of foes, damage and dust on it should still look noble especially if it's user treats it with care after every battle.
Neither when looking upon them talks about "chivalry", "protecting the people" or a "last paladin". This armors demand attention and are fairly aggressive looking. They are in contrast with the idea of a noble knight, that comes to stand for keep the forces of darkness at bay. Noble as in spirit, not as a social class.
Also i find strange the idea of equipment warping, when Guts never had that with his own even with all his battles against demons. The berserk armor transformed on his own, and not one of his weapons changed into something crude or corrupt if we look at them.
>>
These are all of Vlad's skills for now. Whenever he gets more added to the pile I'll give you a little prompt, if it gets to big I'll make a little pastebin for it.

Skills and Abilities

Od Sensing: By being in tune with flow of od within his surroundings, Vlad can see the souls of living creatures around him. Sensing Od nearby a Behelit greatly reduces his stamina from having a sensitive astral spirit.

Precognition: The Od Sensing lets Vlad perceive the intent in people's minds before their bodies act upon them, making it easier for him to dodge, block and move around his opponents.

Od Transfer: Vlad can send his own life energy to other life forms, either energizing them or healing minor injuries. He can also do the opposite and take energy from people or store his own Od ward into them to reabsorb them later, though the pact has to be consensual for the soul bond to work. Due to the exhaustive nature of that ability, he can only use it once a day, or else consequences to his health should be expected

Weapon enforcement: Similarly to the Od Transfer, he can use the life force imbued in all objects and materials to make them more durable by placing his hands on his weapons and inbuing it with his life force, making it more durable for defensive maneuvers and sturdier for attacking.

Mind Reading: By feeling people's thoughts and intents, Vlad is able to probe on people's minds and understand their feelings in real time, seeing their memories play out should the person be recalling a past experience or trying to lie.


Equipment: Thanks to his training from Gallahad and personal field experience, Vlad is known for his signature weildery of the spear, being guided by the amazing speed of his trusty horse Gunpowder, his speed and precision strikes could prove to be deadly to even the most resilient of foes.

Money: 150 Gold Coins.

If you go through any notable training or improvement to abilities they'll be added during the post and in the following thread's profile for Vlad, i.e:

>Through the sorcerer's weeks of teachings, Vlad has learned the art of summoning, invoking a powerful gargoyle by drawing the right incantation circle. Results may vary on his condition.

>Schierke has teached Vlad on how to use astral projection and spare his mana pool from burning excessively when using spells. He should be able to see beyond his field of vision through his Od Sensing.

A little recap would also be cool for the OPs, let me know if this is good enough. I'll try to do a session on the 21st.

>>5119703
I imagine Vlad's armors will change over time in the sense that he could get a new one. Guts himself went through 3 armor designs so they could always be replaced by new, better equipment. Since he mostly fought naked and only used armor once when fighting with the band, his first commissioned piece will probably be on the simpler side, same as his weapon. Later on though...
>>
>>5119761
150 Gold god damn we are balling

It's plenty good becchi, I eagerly await the next session on the 21st
>>
>>5119761
Based.
I'm going all in on the Pegasus, Santanas forever!
>>
>>5119761
Would we have something for fighting skills as well ? Something like Spears Proficiency, Midland Knight Training or Horse riding ? Just for know otherwise it seems good. If there aren't is ok, though i would have imagine there would be difference from knowing how to use a weapon and not knowing how to use it.
While armors changed it was more a need for new equipment for him. And each are fitting on guts even thematically. Since Vlad wants to work towards ensuring peace&prosperity in Midland, and will become a knight, armors that are in theme with that would fit nicely. Because they can reflect better his ideas to others.
>>
>>5119761
Gargoyle summoning sounds cool, lets get that
>>
>>5119826
it was an example of how abilities would show up in Vlad's profile anon, not an actual upgrade.

That being said it is pretty cool yes.
>>
>>5119703
Guts' berserker armor was straight magic to begin with, though. And even though the appearance didn't change the weapon's quality did. Skull Knight makes a point of telling Guts about it.
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>>5119446
If we're going with Marlin-themed, then for the body armor I'd recommend this.
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>>5119761
Looking forward to the 21st!! see you then!
>>
>>5119703
I mean, Bacchi said pegasus for our house sigil, so something like this?
>>
>>5120028
I like the armor but I feel like a black/white color would be way too similar to guts/griffith
>>
>>5120030
I mean, someone could just edit it to have a different color.
>>
>>5120033
No codpiece 0/14 would not wear. Also

>riding heels but no spurs
shiiiieeeet

Honestly the only thing I'd change about it other than the big one being the color is the little wings on the helmet. I just feel the plumage is just perfect and it doesn't need the wings as well.
>>
>>5120023
Cool
>>5120028
Very nice both have nice details
>>
deas for Od manipulation/spells and abilities:

Spell Jamming: With Od sight we can tell when someone is casting something, be it white or black magic, with a well-timed strike of Od we can intercept their spell and either dissipate or cause it to backfire on them.

Animal Bond: A more advanced version of Od transferring, it will allow you to essentially hitch a ride on the mind of an animal and converse with them. Much like Od Transferring, you will need their consent to do such a thing, and for most that would require a strong bond. Unlike the Kushan Pishacha, due to the inherent communicative nature of it, the animal can not move in a way that they would not in nature, so no alligators running around holding spears, or horses walking on their hind-legs. This does not mean that a horse can not be made to deliver a letter, or a mouse can not steal a key and unlock a door, they're just limited to their natural range of motion and natural intelligence. If it's something they've never done before you will need to explain very well to them what you wish for them to do. Unlike Kushan Magic, due to its communicative nature, the caster does not need to be in a meditative state due to the animal being the one performing the task, unless the Caster is using the bond to look at the world through the animal's eyes as most people can not comprehend seeing the world through two sets of eyes well. Exceptionally skilled mages who can comprehend being in two places at once do not need to meditate to achieve Animal Sight.
There are also numerous side-effects to the Animal Bond Spell, as the animal will grow more intelligent with frequent use and in some cases, no longer need the bond to understand human speech and writing, and the caster will take on more of their behavioral traits, such as a woman slinking around with a cat-like walk and a penchant to stare and watch people, or a man walking to the rhythm of a canter, trot, or gallop and a preference for sugar cubes, or a man completely forgetting why heights are dangerous and gaining a tendency to horde shiny objects (Think skinchanging from ASOIAF).

Elven Powder: Due to your wingless nature you can not make powder from your wings, but your own (finger and toenails or hair) can be ground up and pulverized for the purpose, though you will need to consciously imbue them with your Od to achieve such an effect.
>>
>>5120269
Less intercept and more Disrupt the Flow of Od that causes their spell to either dissipate or backfire.

And the Elven Powder part is due to Vlad being able to use Elven Magic. It's also practical because it allows us to create a cache and have healing powder in storage to heal allies. How frequently we can do such a thing is up to Bacchi.
>>
>>5120269
>>5120278
Im just here to remind you of your fuck up in the Antipaladin thread. Please excuse me.
>>
>>5120280
Oof confirmation confirmed. Good work out there boss.
>>
>>5120023
Very cool
>>
>>5120269
Additional Ideas:
Sense Adjustment: Vlad's understanding of Od has allowed for him to be able to turn off one to two of his senses in exchange for enhancing all the rest. (Vision, Auditory, Olfactory, Gustatory, Tactile, Vestibular, Proprioception, and Od Sense.) For Example: Turning off taste and smell on the battlefield or Touch and Taste when being tortured, Od Sense when around a Behelit, etc.

Telepathy: A more advanced version of Mind-reading, allowing a 2-way non-verbal non-visual communication between people.
>>
>>5120281
Nope, that wasn't me, hahaha. Last I'll post with my trip.
>>
>>5120481
Nani?!
>>
>>5120491
The power of the dark gods are beyond mere mortals ...
>>
>>5120491
>>5120496
>>5120481
what happened with the anti paladín quest? i started reading it but i didn't have enough time this week to catch up
>>
>>5120573
I have no idea. I didn't even know it was a quest.
>>
>>5120573
It keeps going ? What you mean ?
>>
>>5120672
I think he is asking what the fuck up was.
>>
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>>5119823
Most likely I'll edit in aditional information for the sake of brevity, but seeing how you guys are already speculating on some things I'll get the pastebin ready, just had to remember the password from my old account. Midland Knight Training is still not over yet so I'll add it when you complete it. There's a bit of additional information in there so it should be good to check it out.
https://pastebin.com/QZJkmpvG

Also, I have a bit of free time today and tomorrow but not enough to run a session so I thought of doing a little flashback/epilogue for characters in different perspectives, mostly the ones I havent developed yet so you can get a sense of what will go on in the main story.

Which one of these sounds more interesting?

>Gallahad's glory years
>The Day Vlad was left in the Santana Household
>Vlad's teenage years
>How Michelle and Jacopo endured their torture
>The tragic love story of Sivir and Hedwyn
>Gunpowder's escape
>>
>>5120785
>Gallahad's glory years
>>
>>5120573
OP used the wrong dice for a morale roll, leading to the entire enemy force failing and being forced to kneel before the Black Stars.
>>5120785
>The tragic love story of Sivir and Hedwyn
>>
>>5120785
>The tragic love story of Sivir and Hedwyn
>>
>>5120785
Good good, wavy hairs on a knight are a great choice Becchi.
Also no worries for pastebin update it when you can, there is a lot of days before the next session anyway.
>Gallahad's glory years
>>
>Vlad's teenage years
>>
>>5120785
>Gunpowder's escape
>>
>>5120785
>The tragic love story of Sivir and Hedwyn
>>
>>5120785
>Gunpowder's escape
Gunpowder is obviously the main character, while Vlad is the accessory.
>>
>>5120785
>Hedwyn
or
>Vlad's teenage years
either fun or tragic story. probably our wizard papa
>>
>>5120785
>Gunpowder's escape
our waifu
>>
>>5120785
>>Vlad's teenage years
>Gunpowder's escape
these 2 sound good
>>
>>5120281 >>5120481 >>5120491 >>5120496 >>5120573 >>5120672 >>5120676 >>5120814
I don't know what you guys thought I was talking about. My original post was simply referring to the fact that >>5120269 this anon fucked up in the Antipaladin quest and made that long post in that thread instead of here.

>>5120785
Either
>Vlad's teenage years
or
>The Day Vlad was left in the Santana Household
>>
>>5121024
>I don't know what you guys thought I was talking about.
I was just shitposting in response my man.
>>
>>5120785
>The Day Vlad was left in the Santana Household
>Vlad's teenage years
>>
>>5121024
i just though anons did something stupid and killed a quest i was catching up
>>
>>5121024
i thought he was asking something else lel
that s funny
>>
>>5120785
Vlad teenage years
>>
>>5120861
>>5120852
>>5120899
>>5120931
>>5120934
>>5120948
>>5121024
>>5121045
>>5121097
And the winners are: Vlad's teenage years and Gunpowder's escape.

I would do 3 and add Sivir and her hubbie but I'll save that plot point for the future, don't want to spoil things too early outside a session. Time to know how our boy acted in peaceful days. Posting soon.
>>
>>5121151
i am pretty sure he was all about being as degenerate as he could, probably all party, flirting and going after fair maidens. That gunpowder´s scapade must have been crazy.

Also there is vlad's teen life, which i guess it was about being a whiny kid
>>
Vladimir was still having trouble sleeping as he took his parents back home from winning the fight at Doldrey's castle. Gunpowder was steadily traversing through a windy forest at night, both reminiscing about their pasts and the sequences of circumstances that made them be heroes that day.

"Mistress Michelle, what happened?" Giselle ran over to the Matriach of the Santana family, seeing her walk towards her son over at the chapel, who was hunched over and crying his eyes out.

"I don't know! I was only teaching him how to pray as we walked in and he started to contort on the floor and scream!" Michelle could only watch as her adopted son trembled on the ground, his eyes watering and his mouth failing to say any words.

"VLAD!VLADVLADVLADVLADVLADVLADVLADVLADVLADVLADVLAD..." An array of several demonic voices called to the boy inside of his mind, visions of gorey entrails coming out of desecrated corpses piercing the bodies of several people in a deep forest, turning the green scenery into a trail of undeads being gouged out of their limbs and left with nothing but their eye sockets, all screaming for his name as they were mutilated and absorbed into a larger mass fused into a single spot.

"Why does this always happen when you take him close to the chapel?" Giselle asks while attending to the 5 year old child, helping him focus on his breathing and soothing him with a shoulder massage, his conscience still not coming back to their world.

"He had a similar episode when he visited his grandmother's graveyard last year. It's always something to do with the religious objects." The mother explained to the maid.
"Do you think he might be..."
"No! Not in this house! God did not leave a cursed child inside of our home!" Michelle objected to Giselle's claims as she cradled the child, still unresponsive. "He must be afflicted with some sickness, that's all! I'm sure those ticks will stop once he grows to be a great knight like his father."

"Madam, you do know what the Holy See does with leprous children, right?" She remembers the church enforcing to stray away from the diseased, as they might bring curses and bad luck to those who intend to treat them in good will. "Would they allow a person who can't even go inside a temple to wear their armor?"

Michelle tears up as her son closes his eyes, exhausted from visions of the apocalypse.
"I know they wouldn't, I know! But I don't care about whatever condition afflicts him. He's all that I have!" She continued her son's crying as her tears fell over him, reminding herself of another conversation she previously held with Vlad.
>>
>>5121252
"Mom, can I have a young brother for my 5th birthday? A little sister would be fine too! All the kids at Dad's meetings have at least one sibling." The child asked pleadingly.
"I'm sorry Vlad. Mommy... can't have any children. Life was harsh before I found your father, a terrible drought damaged our crops and lands before you were born, and we merchants suffered the worse of it."

She thinks back to when her entire family was dehydrated and starving for weeks on end, having to share breadcrubs between each other as the soil dried up. Were it not for Jacopo marrying Michelle and reviving the business with his investments, she would have died along with her siblings. And though she lived through that suffering, the malnutrition permanently affected her womb, making the whole reason she became a Santana to be strained. Vlad was the child that saved her life when she found him at the estate, and in turn, she would save his.
"But it gets so lonely in here..."
"Look on the bright side, it's what makes you feel so special here!" She tickled the young Vlad to get him out of that crummy mood.

Vlad slowly opened his eyes again as his senses started to come back to him, realizing he had another episode in front of his mother.
"See?! He's ok!" Michelle shook the boy, reassuring herself more than the maid or her child. "Tell me Vlad, what happened to you?"

Overhearing part of the conversation as his consciousness faded, he knew what not to respond when pressured by his mother, seeing how pagans tended to be burned outside of Wyndam for using whatever flimsy excuse the nobles assumed to be magic.
"N-Nothing, Mom. I must have hit my head somewhere..." He lied through his teeth, but it was a lie that his mother wanted desperately to believe. Which in turn, became the truth. Though Giselle had learned of Vlad's condition, she became more understanding of Michelle's overbearing protection for the child, and tried to be as patient with him as possible.

That was, until problems started to arise.
>>
>>5121298
At his 17th birthday, Vlad was found drunk outside of his mind in a brothel, his clothes stained with booze and lipstick smeared all over his body. Only being escorted by the city guards back to his home along with 3 other prostitutes.

"Do you think this is acceptable behavior for a noble, Vlad?" Jacopo tried to scorn the teenager, who only laughed and hiccuped in response.
"What's the matter? He's already a man, he can make his own decisions. Wouldn't be the first time he comes there anyway..." The girls snarked back to the patriarch.
"Yeah, I was already knee deep in dick when I was 14."
"Fucking nobles... They like to play high and mighty because they don't need to sell their bodies for a living. You should be proud that your son's a good lay, not complain about his lack of virtue or purity."
"Heh, that's what you get for not letting me marry with Jasmin, things were going so well with her and I..." Vlad added a comment of his own, feeling angry at his father for not letting him stay with another girl at a noble's gathering.

"For God's sake, Vlad! You were groping each other in front of everyone in there! Do you know how much I had to plead for her family to not buy us out of home?"
"She asked me to! Sorry for my good looks, I guess..." He gulped another bottle of wine he had in his belt, until Jacopo angrily took it from his hands.
"You're starting to test my patience here, boy! Either get your act together and behave like a man or you won't live to see a drop of alcohol when life brings you down!"
"Yeah right, like any noble over here gets brought down by life! The only reason others think I'm 'shameful' is because I do in public what they all do in private. Pretty sure even the king has some lover to cheat on his wife with when he gets turned down. Let me have fun, Dad! Not like anything bad ever happens when you're around!"
>>
Jacopo was a few more minutes away from breaking that wine bottle on his son's head, but noticing his growing anger, he took a deep breath and turned his head over to the women from the brothel.
"I assume he already paid the three of you?"
"Yessir."
"Gave us a real good tip for the all nighter, too!"
"Either he's very generous, or doesnt know how much money that was worth."
Jacopo only facepalmed in dusgust.
"Don't report on them. If anyone asks, it was just a lookalike." He bribed the guards with 5 golden coins each and let the whores be escorted back to their workplace.
"Be sure to visit us again, Vladdy!" One of them waved goodbye before being pushed to the entrance.
"I'll try to!" Vlad laughs, happy to have the girl remember his name, much to the chagrin of Jacopo

"I wont be here for all of your life, Vlad. I hope you understand that one day, you'll have nothing left to live for when you cant pay your luxuries with my fortune. Go to your room and take a bath, I can smell your stench from over here!" Jacopo climbed up the stairs of his living room, slamming his door when entering his bedroom."

"That's right..." Vlad whined under his breath after he was left alone. "Hate me for being a vagabond... Not for being a demon." The short period he had without drinking was enough to bring him back to sobriety, as the visions and screams only grew louder when he was all by himself. With no women, no alcohol, and no strong social circle. Only the accursed flesh would call his name in earnest.

"VLADVLADVLADVLADVLADVLAD..."
Those Accursed Days: End.
>>
>>5121348
Jesus christ, our boy Vlad might be more fucked up than I thought...
It's like he was connecting to the Qliphoth itself. Perhaps even with recursive effects - the qliphoth reflects the darkness hidden in the deep recesses of human minds, and by viewing such wretched things it buried itself into vlad's mind. And as he tried to repress with his revelries, this only allowed it to reflect on his own fears of it more...
Note that once we accepted our powers, we haven't seen anything like that.
Still, something in the astral was calling him from the qliphoth, and I feel it wasn't just our true mother's attempts at reaching us.
>>
>>5121369
Twenty bucks says it was one of the hand trying to get another apostle. Playing the long con.

No matter what it is it's bad news that's for sure. Poor kid.
>>
>>5121385
That's probably where all that red Od his mom pulled out of him came from, let's just hope he doesn't fuck around with some shit using his Od sight again and get corrupted.

On a lighter note, at least we know Vlad will get proficiency bonuses when he sleeps with someone.
>>
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Will finish Gunpowder's little story tomorrow, it's a lot shorter in comparison but it should give you a hint on some points of interests to where Vlad's journey will lead to just like the previous writeup did.
>>
>>5121446
>Dammit Vladdy.
Best horse incoming
>>
>>5121446
Y'know becch it would be greatly appreciated if you drop more of these short stories if you find the time, would definitely help pass the time quicker until the next proper update

>>5121446
>seconding for our boy best horse
>>
>>5121680
while i agree, you have to remember that this are intermisión, wich take time to think and else.
So if they too much out of becchi i think a few at the end of the thread are enough.

Speaking of the intermisión, vlad´s parents might win the "BEST PARENTS OF THE CENTURY" for how they raised vlad. The patience of the father, and the love of the mother is something rarely seen in berserk world. Now this makes me angrier for the people who tortured them and makes me want to make them as proud as we can and take good care of them
>>
>>5121446
Gunpowder is the real waifu of this story.
>>
>>5121385
I wonder why though. They have already an absurd amount of power in their reality and even over the world. Maybe they want to take him out before he becomes a problem for their domination plans ? Honestly though with the start of an age of darkness, the world is basically in their hands. Resistance to them is little, sparse and most don't even know who is the real enemy. Some of the ones that know avoid to fight them too. What s one midland knight with the blood of elves in his veins for them ? Even guts is honestly someone they could overwhelm and kill, if they wish to. They don't lack in any kind of demons to throw, there are even human cultists around.


>>5121446
thanks for the little story nice one.

>>5121821
i think we are on a good road for make them proud, no need for whores and booze now when we have someone and something for fight for.
>>
>>5121905
>no need for whores and booze
hey hey, lets not shoot ourself, lets be a good knight but remember we are still a soldier at heart. we must partake in selfish needs sometimes
>>
>>5121680
Sure thing, I like to see you guys speculating on where these plot points are going. Can't really do more than a few at the end of threads when I'm out of time though, but at least it's something to show that we're not completely at a stand still. Posting Gundpowder's backstory soon
>>
>>5121930
ok though i believe we don't need to return to the excess of the past. We can find someone good for us without spending a fortune in a brothel and drink without collapsing in a street. The brothels will still have plenty of clients, and the rats of the streets will have other drunkards that will talk with them.
We can even learn to meditate for relax in a nice forest or field, being in peace in the middle of a green and fresh nature, with some fresh wind and a sunny day.
>>
>>5121935
So a question Becchi, did Vlad really never made any friends or aquaintaces at least ? Unless him being a womanizer kind of burned any possible bridge, until now at least. Plus all the nightmares. And all the drinking.
>>
>>5121947
>did Vlad really never made any friends or aquaintaces at least ?
...Do the brothel owners count?
>>
Vlad had just finished another session of rock climbing in the Wall Of Corpses, squeezing the calluses on his hands and feet as he panted, leaning on the observartion tower.
"Hey there, boy! You're early today. Want to train with me already?" He waved to his trusty stallion as he ran over to his owner, neighing Vlad to hurry up and quit resting when he's got a day's worth of horseriding to do.

"Always in a hurry, huh? Wonder what the hell made you this way." Vlad carresses Gunpowder's back before hopping on top of him, where the two would gallop up and down the plains overseeing the capital.

It was a scenery that made Gunpowder nostalgic of his younger days. Being born from 2 battle horses in a coliseum, he saw most animals his race being used as fighting vehicles for gladiators, who would fight for hours on end in equally exciting battles brought by Lord Barnham, a previous royal knight who abandoned the kingdom when he became a noble and offered an early retirement, wanting instead to create a space where soldiers could indulge themselves in fights without needing to be ordered by political figures.

Being a geld and having a diet and training solely made to fight to his death, Gunpowder had nothing to live for aside from a great spectacle inside the coliseum, but time and time again, all horses but him would be chosen by newcomers who wished to enter a fight, or the regulars who already had their favorites for tournaments. For the first 10 years of his life, Gunpowder felt as if he was never going to fight on his prime.

Alas, one day he was finally chosen by one of the announcers. A special occasion where someone dared to challenge Barnham himself for a duel, wanting his head in order to be the new owner of the Coliseum.

And it only took one gaze at his rider to realize he was a complete weakling. Another aristocrat, who had it way up in his head that he could fight a seasoned veteran and take the coliseum with him. Pathetic.

Feeling insulted, Gunpowder knocked and flung any human, animal and inbetween to escape that walking death sentence, running away from the coliseum and high velocity for what felt like days on end. Only screeching to a halt when his body couldn't let him run any faster, collapsing next to a farmland where he would be nursed back into full health.
>>
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>>5121961
"So you're really buying him from me?" The farmer asked to Judeau, who already gave the money in advance.

"I mean, just look at him. He knows how to water crops and carry a ton of cargo without even needing guidance from humans."
"Well the thing is, no matter how many years he spent here, we just never found somebody who could even ride him or teach him to do things. If he ever wants to help out, it's always on his own accord, never needing a human for it. Me? I think he's like that because he wants to find a worthy opponent. He's a veteran, he'd fit right in with you people."

"Well, I cant really complain when he's at the low price of 10 silver coins, and it's best to have more horses than you need than less... Sure, why not. I'll introduce him to the Falcons." Judeau shook hands with the farmer, inviting Gunpowder to fight with real mercenaries.
However, the pent up aggression he had from years of neglect showed themselves in battle, as more often than not, Gunpowder would run straight into danger and attack the enemy soldies himself by biting, trampling and crushing foes, while the battered corpse of his riders only flopped on top of him.

"What's wrong with his idiot? Had to dismount him mid combat because he wouldn't stop trying to make me get hit by the catapults!" Corkus angrily waved his hand at Gunpowder after the end of a mission, to which he only replied by blowing his nose in the mercenary's armor.

Gunpowder thought that if they couldn't stand a horse taking control mid-fight, it was because they didn't deserve to ride him in the first place, lacking basic understanding just because they couldn't percieve his language was a sign of weakness.
Gunpowder wanted to be the one to take out Lord Barnham back at the coliseum, and while he was ready, he had yet to find someone who could fight alongside him.

"Whoa, didn't knew you thought of me that way, I'm flattered!" Vlad reads into the memories of his horse, much to Gunpowder's shock. "Tell you what, when we finish our training next year, the first place we're going is this coliseum. This Barnham guy can't be too smart if he ignored you for so lon- Hey, HEY! What did I do?!"

Gunpowder angrily shook Vlad off his straps, almost making him fall from the horse while they were galloping, angry for his thoughts being invaded by the human. Regardless of Vlad's training or how well he would do for a measly amateur, the stallion would fight Barnham personally. With or without him.

Though for all his talk, Vlad indeed was the rider who lasted the longest with him. Maybe he was the fighter Gunpowder was looking for all along...

Gunpowder's Escape: End
>>
>>5121938
i was joking but seriously speaking i don't see why we can't do adventure as a knight and celebrate when we get the chance. specially if we get to make a small party of companions
>>
>>5121983
Wait, they can communicate?! I thought it was just vague feelings. This changes so much, does this mean Vlad can talk to other animals that way too?
>>
>>5121983
>Regardless of Vlad's training or how well he would do for a measly amateur, the stallion would fight Barnham personally.
Why does this make me think Gunpowder is gonna fight Barnham in a fist fight? But seriously that would be a sight to see, a horse versus a man.
>>
>>5121960
hahaha It depends, he might confuse them with the innkeepers. After all he has probably hear from both of them more than once the phrase :
"Ehi Vlad, the usual today or something special ?"

>>5121988
i am fine with celebrating as well, probably not in the old places though. I just don't want him to fall again in the habits.
>>
>>5121988
I personally thought Vlad would still party to a degree, not as intensely as he used to, probably bed a few tavern wenches or appreciative women, but I think it's mostly alcohol that he'll be severely cutting down on. I doubt he'll become a chivalrous knight, but instead do lone wanderer (well, Vlad and Gunpowder) demon-hunting shenanigans while he travels from tourney to tourney and occasionally does team-ups with Guts and other canon characters to prevent character bloat.
>>
>>5121938
Becchi said Vlad would probably pick up whittling and instrument playing as a past-time for his travels, so yeah, he does know how to relax.
>>
>>5121947
He liked to keep people at arm's length, so he didn't have friends that would last more than a few meetings. Anyone that got too close would make him uncomfortable by asking too many questions as he was afraid of triggering his visions when he was serious. If he couldn't be honest with his parents, it would be hard to trust people like them. He didn't do it for fun, but to escape. At least until withdrawal started seeping in and it became a habit. He's been mostly clean every since his parents disappeared though. A few glasses of wine at the king's ceremony doesnt really count, especially when he vomited most of it out his system thanks to the Behelit.

>>5121992
Notice how Gunpowder does not speak back to him. He merely saw into his mind just like he did with Farnese and started a one sided conversation. He can feel intent and emotion from all living creatures, maybe even apostles.
>>
>>5121998
Likely.
I am not sure on the lone wanderer, wanderer sure. I think he would still be a knight with some chivalry since he is being trained for be a knight. In part even for the new determination he has show, on what he wants to do with his life and Midland..

>>5121999
cool

>>5122007
A socializer but without anyone to count on. Even with the falcons he didn't really made any friendship, he could consider Guts and Judeau is first aquaintaces at best. Even if they only talked a few times so eh
>>
>>5122023
yeah, you're misunderstanding how I'm using the word Chivalry, I'm not saying he'll act like some knave, I'm just saying he likely won't abide by the Quixotic Chivalric Code of Conduct, especially since he's too mischievous to go full Gallant Honorable Knight.
>>
>>5121983
Shit, he's a geld? Guess we can't expect him to sire anymore warhorses.
>>
>>5121905
>I wonder why though.
Because they're arrogant, crazy, sadistic and probably a little bored, too.

Who can say. It could just be the collective evil of the eggs doing their shit, too. Our behelit is in our brain or some shit. Who knows.

The same question could be asked of the other apostles though. In the end the why is irrelevant. Only the what really matters.

>>5122259
Magic heal his balls. The broest thing you can do.
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>Me channeling my od to activate my healing touch to heal Gunpowders annihilated balls.
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>>5122340
>>
>>5122315
I still think it's accidentally peering into the qliphoth with compounding effects.
>>
>>5122340
Vlad Santana staring in: The horse balls Doctor.
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>>5122354
Could be. But to me I don't understand how that subconscious nastiness would know Vlad's name. Let alone try to invade his mind with such particular tenacity. Maybe it could be acting like a beacon or marking and he's just lit up for all the actual evil shit to see despite the worlds not being conjoined yet.
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>>5122370
Many astral beings born of the depravities and fears of man dwell in the Qliphoth. Any number of those legends and myths could be responsible. Though likely not any goblins or trolls, I would say.
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>>5122395
>yfw it is actually just an extraordinarily eloquent troll
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>>5122395
qt wizard girl, is there a sauce for her or is an invented character?
>>
>>5122427
As far as I can tell, it's a random character design from @yohan1754
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>>5122433
Shame, it has all the signs for waifu material.
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>>5122433
also thanks for answering me anon
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>>5122443
Fear not, I have many more maidens
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>>5122447
i take back what i said, these drawings are more for daughteru than waifu. i wonder if we will ever meet loli wizard and her master? they could teach us a few spells
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>>5122447
>spellcaster
>with the common sense to keep melee weapons
>including a backup like a knife
Well that's pretty hot on a spiritual level.
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>>5122447
https://imgur.com/a/LUw3iEc Behold! The book of Wives! Yes, I do have fully armored wives, because I'm not afraid of a challenge.
Now here's a picture of how I imagine gallahad.
>>
>>5122472
besides the armor, i also imaginé him being a fucking hulk of a old man. Though, ther armor should be plate
>>
>>5122370
Who knows, maybe he's got closer ties with the god hand than he thinks.
>>5122454
I don't think we'll spend more than a thread or two away from canon, but I already thought of a few events Vlad could do to learn magic. There are 2 years inbetween Golden Age and Conviction arcs so a lot of time to learn and train and look for stronger masters, human or astral.
>>
>>5122472
The penultimate one made me think of a genderbent Femto.
I hate myself for that.
>>
>>5122566
>Who knows, maybe he's got closer ties with the god hand than he thinks.
Well that isn't a happy thought.
>>
>>5122471
True enough, if we get a spellcaster I would like someone who knows how to stick 'em with the pointy end
>>
>>5121905
Vlad has lands and people, Guts doesn't, just saying if all goes to shit Vlad could create a shit fest in his area and create a domino effect, after all Fear only keeps people in line for so long
>>
https://imgur.com/a/aCEjLaR
And more, because I'm autistic and like to share but hate doing individual post uploads. This one focusing on bros before hoes.
>>
>>5122036
That's fine my bad.

>>5122315
Maybe they want him for a particular sacrifice ? A man with elf blood is kind of rare. Apostles i recon would hunt us for gain more power or for the thrill of it.

>>5122472
Nice Gallahad, personally I imagine him like this

>>5122632
I am not sure what he can do about it honestly. We can definetly try, but after the Kushan invasion, Midland and the rest of the continent are in a bad situation with the two worlds becoming one. Maybe he could build a rebellion or help it grow.
>>
>>5122721
Do we know the ratio of human:apostle population?
>>
Bruh, d-did our dad become an apostle after our mom died?
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>>5122801
I don't think either of our moms are dead though?
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>>5122801
Or is he fucking trapped in the Qiploth, like a corrupted Daimon.
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>>5122803
I mean our bio-mom is stuck in the astral. She can't come back to the physical world, she is kind of dead, at least functionally.
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>>5122806
I guess.
>>
I finally caught up with the story. Love it.
I regret that I missed out on the armor discussion :c
>>
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>>5127637
It's never to let to talk about fashion.
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>>5127784
Late, not let.
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>>5120023
I personally liked this Marlin-themed armor. It isn't overtly fashioned after a Marlin so we can add Pegasus references if we wanted to.
>>
>>5127637
No worries, only 2 more days and we'll be back in action. I'll probably have to leave the voting period extended when Vlad finds a blacksmith with how many armor and weapon designs are contending lmao
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Idea: for his knighting ceremony Vlad would get his first custom made armour set, he would base it on his family crest since he is very close to them right now. But he'd swap the horse (land) in the Pegasus for a sea-horse that is 'other-worldly (sea world) and use the marlin motif further reinforcing his own character in the design.

I imagine with the royal favour, the bro-hood with the White Phoenix Knights, and the Royal Blacksmith's worksmanship Vlad would get an armor like this.
Might design a lighter and/or more marlin style if y'all'd like.
>>
>>5127916
Awesome work, Anon
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>>5127916
That looks cool as fuck, you manage to mix all the armor suggestions into one.

Only problem is that it's so elaborate that it feels like something we would get later on, when the world goes to shit and it all becomes magical.
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>>5127916
Gunpowder is now able to impale people with his nose
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>>5127916
goddamn thats rad, Gunpowder would be cool
>>
>>5127916
Love the artwork on that one! The amount of details on it makes it look like something that would fit right in with Miura's love of complex character designs and compositions. Definitely putting
this one on the folder. Maybe later on Vlad could find a way to use his wings for more than just showing?

Also glad you're enjoying the quest despite it being out of sessions for now. Didn't think anyone would tune up now but I guess pauses are a good way to catch up.
>>
>>5127916
Pretty damn god job !
If you want maybe. Though it likely takes time so consider it, and for now i suggest to just enjoy the deserved praise.
Beside that people might like colors or other armors. One for Gallahad maybe. But we still don't know much of him maybe later on.

>I imagine with the royal favour, the bro-hood with the White Phoenix Knights, and the Royal Blacksmith's worksmanship Vlad would get an armor like this.

I also agree or something close at least. Same for weapons. Mostly because being directly under training of a royal knight is not something all knights have. It means the king favour for the Santana.
And an hero among the nobles is not something small.
>>
I want him to look like a Belmont plus original Vlad the Impaler with badass beard at some point. Eventually he can get >>5127916, but I want the Belmont style wandering noble
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BEHOLD! OUR FUTURE!
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>>5128555
For the Glory of the Santanas!
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>>5128585
This popped in my head was the new house battle cry, that is should we ever get to that level in the quest
the call: "SANTANA STANDS!"
the answer: "UNBOWED AND UNAFRAID"
>>
We've got some next level autists in this quest but I'm okay with it
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>>5128617
yes we do

was unsure about the motto so I just put Unbowed and Unafraid
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>>5128585
kek

>>5128696
nice
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>>5128696
amazing
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>>5128696
The drops of water here even give it that astral/starry look to it. What a happy accident there.
>>
>>5129996
Here's thread 2 folks. I'll probably fall asleep after the first few updates but I wanted to be early on our sessions



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