ORIENTATION ♔ while others have excuses, I have my reasons why

[everyredcent]

♬ Reasons Why - Nickel Creek

WHO || Christos, Aedan, open if people want to bang into them, just threadjack wherever.
WHAT || Christos meets with his squire
WHERE || Knight's HQ, Training Room
WHEN || Not really very long after the squiring party in April, super backdated b/c I suck
HOW || Actionspam

[ Ever get that eerie feeling

like you're being watched

by someone creepy.

The training room is mostly empty at this time of day, so Aedan gets some nice space to practice his swings today at the training dummies. Feel free to make some ~attacks~, which involve rolling a d20 and adding his melee bonus (base attack plus dex, thanks to weapon finesse).

Also roll a spot check... ]

Comments

[everyredcent]

Then we shouldn't have any problems. [ he lowers the rapier with a swish, continuing to pace around him in a circle ] Sir Christos La Krail.

[ex_noble101]

Sir Aedan Cousland.

[He realizes he'd only been squired, but apparently the differentiation between seasoned knight and inductee was minimal at best. Maybe he was expected to be more humble in that regard. Ah well.]

And no, I don't expect that we should.

[everyredcent]

Do you understand the goals of this organization?

[ex_noble101]

I'd like to think I knew for what cause I'd be pledging my loyalty before actually doing so.

[Which was more or less his smartass way of answering "yes." Wasn't every would-be squire screened before passing through to the next round?]

To defend this world from possible threats that may emerge from beyond the Veil, and protect those who mean to do no harm yet might be met with persecution just the same.

[everyredcent]

And how far are you willing to go to those ends?

[ex_noble101]

I assume that I'm expected to be willing to make the ultimate sacrifice should it come to that. I can't imagine anyone accepting such a position without realizing the dangers involved.

[everyredcent]

You underestimate the foolish and shortsighted nature of many of our recruits.

[ex_noble101]

This organization is similar to one I was part of prior to finding myself here. Perhaps not everyone has experienced a situation that required their life to be put at stake for a particular cause. A noble ideal and the harsh reality of what achieving that requires aren't always considered one and the same by those who don't know any better.

[everyredcent]

[ he halts his circular pacing, standing off to aedan's side ] Precisely. Which means when you're in the field, you'll be standing side by side with those who might not understand that necessity ... and have to be prepared to make up the slack.

[ex_noble101]

[And here he'd been trying to speak up on behalf of those who may not have lived through bloody battle before.]

Point taken.

[everyredcent]

Good. Then I won't repeat myself.

[ he moves to sheathe the rapier ] Has anyone spoke to you about the way the Knights operate?

[ex_noble101]

Only in regard to what I should expect as a squire.

[everyredcent]

You'll receive invitations to your mission briefings, which will be conducted by either the Knight in charge of the operation, or Wynn himself. Supplies may be requisitioned from the Hoard at any point, and arms and armor procured from the Hide.

[ a beat ] Unless no one has bothered to explain all of the Dragon's Anatomy to you yet, either.

[ex_noble101]

No doubt they didn't want to rob you of that privilege.

[everyredcent]

Hmph.

The Knights are split into sections, for ease of grouping on missions. For example, those who are more brawn than brain make up the Dragon's Hide, our resident cadre of thick necked warriors.

On the other end are the scholars with little to no magical affinity of their own, or those who do their best work in a laboratory. They go by the moniker 'Dragon's Hoard' and while they aren't much use in a fight, they can be invaluable in the field when dealing with ancient texts or some mechanical monstrosities.

[ex_noble101]

I see.

Which is the group that you've been sorted into?

[everyredcent]

Not everyone is so neatly categorized. Those who fall outside the conventional divisions operate as freelancers. Rather than reporting to a section head, we answer only to Wynn himself.

[ex_noble101]

That sounds almost preferable.

[everyredcent]

Then perhaps you should work to distinguish yourself as something outside the norm.

[ex_noble101]

I suppose it can't hurt having been squired to one such distinguished individual.

[Which may have come across as slightly facetious, though not so much that it would seem blatantly disrespectful.]

[everyredcent]

[ it's ok, aedan, he eats up even sarcastic praise proudly. ] No, it doesn't.

In the meantime, it's your responsibility to seek out ways to improve yourself while off missions. Combat or stealth training, learning languages, and of course, familiarizing yourself with the technology and history of this world.

[ex_noble101]

And here I'd been hoping it would all be included as part of the orientation process.

[Combat training was a no-brainer. It was familiarizing himself with the ways of the world that had him feeling somewhat overwhelmed.]

[everyredcent]

We make all our resources available, but our squires come from a wide range of lifestyles. Trying to implement a standardized orientation would be a fool's errand.

[ex_noble101]

I suppose that makes sense.

[If also making his life a little bit harder at the same time considering just how much of this world he needed to become familiar with. Ah well.]

And I'm sure you won't mind if I come to you with any unanswered questions I might have.

[Okay, yes, now he was just going out of his way to see how Christos would react.]

[everyredcent]

So long as they aren't foolish ones, it's my role to answer them.