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

[ex_noble101]

[Fighting against a training dummy struck him a little pointless for some reason, but the odd sensation of being watched was one seemed a lot more familiar. Perhaps he was meant to display his skillset for an as of yet unknown audience. Deciding not to disappoint, Aedan proceeded to draw his weapons and put a few of said training dummies out of commission in quick succession (attacks: nat 20, 23, 28).]

I'll go ahead and assume that performance was to your liking.

[That said, he turned toward the direction that he felt the mysterious stare might be coming from (spot: 19). He'd either look pretty boss or extremely overconfident depending on whether or not he'd been able to call whoever it was out from the shadows.]

[everyredcent]

[ indeed, he emerges from what few shadows are in the room, the same dark elf from the ceremony, his hood dropped back now and arms folded to affix aedan with a look of maximum judgment. again. he speaks in a dry, sardonic british accent, as if half-bored or irritated by the whole situation. ]

I've little interest in what scratches you can leave on a pole. [ grudgingly: ] You're trained, I'll give you that. Experienced even.

[ after a moment's pause, he acts, very bluntly: ] Precisely how many lives have you taken in battle?

[ex_noble101]

More than I'm able to recall.

[Though that could have had more to do with the fact that his memories had been made somewhat fuzzy than it did that he'd stopped counting the number of nameless darkspawn he dispatched during the Blight.]

[everyredcent]

Is it muscle memory then, or do you actually remember what sort of training you had?

[ex_noble101]

A bit of both, I'd imagine.

[Which was probably not the smartass sort of answer this man was hoping for.]

There was something of a war taking place where I came from, shortly before I found myself in this world. I know that I've trained to use a blade since I was very young, yet I don't recall the number of kills I've made, men or otherwise.

[everyredcent]

I confess there's something unusual about your form, for a soldier.

[ex_noble101]

I wasn't trained as your typical front line warrior, I admit. My specialty is subterfuge. Though I've had to adapt given certain circumstances.

[Namely, being left with no other choice than to assume command over the Grey Wardens within Ferelden. It left him more than capable as a front line fighter, whether he'd been trained for such a role or not.]

[everyredcent]

I'd suspected as much. Which is for the best, in my opinion, given that we already possess far too many knights in the Hide who think throwing all their strength into their blade and letting the sword do the work has anything to do with real fighting. [ he paces past him slowly ]

[ex_noble101]

[He's just going to keep his eye on this as of yet unnamed person who he can only assume is the one he's been squired to.]

Glad you approve.

[everyredcent]

[ It's smart of him to do so, too, because the moment he's beyond him, his cloak whips aside, and there's a flash of metal as he draws his blade with lightning fast speed, bringing it up to hover a few inches in front of Aedan's face before the other can even move to defend himself (atk ... 28). Even from that uncomfortable angle, it's clear that he's wielding a silver rapier. ]

Let's make one thing clear. I'll approve the day you can beat me.

[ex_noble101]

[Yeah whoops. It's all Aedan can do to pull his head back when it seems as though his face is about to be skewered on the rapier. After the brief moment of shock in response to the other man's quick movements, he appears to relax--even going so far to crack a smile despite the fact that there was a blade hovering mere inches from his face.]

Challenge accepted.

[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.