open ♔ june/july castle socialization

[wynn]

WHO || Everyone! [ota]
WHAT || Shenanigans.
WHERE || Anywhere in the castle, surrounding environs, London, etc!
WHEN || Any time after June 7th  
HOW || Actionspam

[ The castle can be a happening place, even on more mundane days. This log is for random interactions over the course of these few months. Because not everyone is into parties, ok.   

You are encouraged to start your own threads and tag around, and feel free to threadjack into any on-going threads that aren't specified as 'closed' in the subject lines since people can enter into rooms even in the middle of what's going on. WE ARE BIG ON THREAD-JACKING HERE. You can also specify 'single thread', meaning you want only one response for all participants, rather than multi-thread, where a number of different scenes/threads can be done as replies to the top prompt.]

On this log:

Rafael, Buffy, Des & Wynn | Closed
Frankie & Lis'sa | Closed
Taradiddle @ the desk
Lydia @ the desk
Abigail @ the desk 
Adam @ the desk
Bambi @ the desk
Rebekah @ the desk
Dawn @ the desk
Adi @ the desk 
Stiles @ the desk
Felicity @ the desk
Will @ the desk
Han @ the garage
Ric @ the bars.  all of them.  also dragon's hoard lab.
Team NYC | Closed
Lila @ the kitchen/castle grounds
Kate B. @ castle grounds / training room
Aedan @ training / woods / common areas
Frankie @ front desk / garage / various
Maxwell @  rec room / training room / castle bar / forest
Will @ firing range / pond / castle grounds
Sven @ the woods
Adam @ library / firing range / London
Jaime @ castle tavern / training room / stables
Hook @ castle grounds / bar
Jack & Christos @ the training room
Damon @ the castle bar / castle grounds / woods / London / library
Sean @ castle ground / jumping out a window
Des @ the woods
Kate @ training / shooting range / castle grounds
Vi @ her room / bathrooms / pantry / dragon's light wing / firing range
Francesca @ training room / bar
Francesca & Val'drin | Closed
Kenzi @ training room
Lila & Bambi | Closed
Spike @ training room
Lissa @ foyer / Dragon's light wing / garden
Andrew @ his birthday!
Buffy @ Rafael's room / firing range / training room / dining hall
Francesca, Will, & Max | Closed
Faith @ Kitchen / London bars
Abigail & Will | Closed
Des | Dragon's Light wing
Jackson | Train station / training room / garage
Klaus | Bar / garden

Comments

[trebond]

A full knight. [ She chuckles a bit, trying not to feel any slight in the question itself. There is no age differentiation here between the two, so it's easy to reason that she could be either. ] For more than two years now in Wynn's service. A great many more in Tortall, my home.

[alsohawkeye]

[ Not to mention the squires around who are definitely older than either of them. Kate nods, thoughtful. ] Were you a squire here before that, too? Or did you come straight in?

[trebond]

I was. Though squiredom in Wynn's knighthood is a great deal different than the years spent training in my own. I often wonder if it's why some of the more seasoned knights are so hesitant about what Wynn entrusts to those greener than themselves.

[ She leads Kate and the horse down the path beside the course at a slow pace, putting more focus on the explanation than the desire to get anywhere in particular. ]

[alsohawkeye]

[ Kate is in no hurry, nodding along. ] There does seem to be a pretty wide range of experience among the people I've met so far. But people having trouble trusting anyone younger than them with real responsibility is hardly surprising anyway, no matter how much experience and training they have. [ She says it matter-of-factly and without bitterness, but like someone who's been on the receiving end of that distrust plenty of times. ]

So how long have you been involved with the Knights in total?

[trebond]

Oh, not a great deal longer. Two and a half years, perhaps. [ She looks thoughtful, then shrugs. ] As I said: squiring in this knighthood is a great deal different than that of my world. In Tortall, it's six years spent between page- and squiredom before you may undergo the Ordeal. It's closer to months here.

[alsohawkeye]

[ The mention of 'the Ordeal' tugs one dark brow up in curiosity, but Kate files it away for later. ] That's good. And squires still go on missions, right? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad to have the opportunity to train with people here but I didn't give up my work in New York to come get benched. As I'm sure you didn't either, coming in with that sort of experience from Tortall.

[trebond]

They do. In a sense, squires are field-tested by their performance on missions. Of course, if you want to take a Knight-issue firearm with you on one, you do need to pass the proficiency test.

[alsohawkeye]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure I can do that. [ Time for a subject change! Before she starts sounding arrogant. More arrogant. ] So I take it you're from a world pretty different from this one?

[trebond]

Quite. This world is rather more dependent on its machines, I'd wager.

[alsohawkeye]

We do love our tech. So! [ They've probably reached wherever they're meant to be going, and Kate slows the horse still further, and spins the sword in her hand. ] Shall we?

[trebond]

[ yoooo course time.

There are 10 targets over the course of it! Ride check (DC 5) allows Kate to guide the horse with her knees as a free action while attacking or defending. There are no penalties for melee attacks while mounted. When attacking enemies on foot while mounted in melee combat, character receive a +1 to their melee attack bonus. If the horse moves more than 5 ft, characters with multiple attacks may only make a single mounted attack per round as it denies them a full round action to account for the time spent moving.

Ranged weapons used while a mount is running require a -8 penalty on the attack roll.

The course itself is designed primarily for melee combat. There are ten targets laid out through the course, none closer than ten feet apart. Five of these targets are at the appropriate height to be considered 'on foot,' five are more or less considered 'mounted.' Getting a horse to leap over a hurdle takes a ride check (DC 15). There are 3 hurdles on the course. ]

Ten targets. All wooden, so do remember you aren't actually meant to be killing them. [ Dealing nonlethal damage with a lethal weapon involves a -4 on the attack roll and is entirely optional, but must be declared in advance. ] She likes to cut it close on the hurdles, so don't be afraid to be stern with her. Any questions?

[alsohawkeye]

Not off the top of my head. I'm sure I'll come up with some once I'm out there. [ Kate flashes Alanna a grin, and shifts once in the saddle, eyeing the layout of the course before abruptly setting off. She has no difficulty steering the horse (not sure if that was meant to be one ride check or 10 but either way they were well over 5), and her first few strikes are decently placed (all her blows are nonlethal, as requested) if not particularly solid (12, 10, 11). They take the first hurdle easily (19), and build up some momentum, briefly looking pretty good through the next pair of targets (21, 20 total).

The second hurdle she cuts too close despite Alanna's warning, and Sunchaser balks, and they have to go around (13). It sets Kate up poorly for the next pair of mounted targets and she readjusts poorly, too, barely scraping even token contact (4, 7). The next on foot doesn't go better (5), and off-balance from the last two she overcompensates, misjudges her reach, and again comes very close to whiffing it.

The third hurdle is a near thing but they clear it (16) and she recovers to finish strong(er), scoring solid hits on both the final boards (16, 18). They slow, and she scratches Sunchaser's neck as they trot back to Alanna. Kate brushes hair off her forehead, and shrugs. ] Totally got away from me in the middle there.

[trebond]

She's not thoroughly trained.

[ Alanna reaches up to rub at Sundancer's mane, smiling. ]

Too much too quickly, and she has a difficult time. You've done quite well for yourself for a first attempt.

[ She actually looks thoroughly impressed, raising her gaze to Kate. ] Kate, was it?

[alsohawkeye]

Oh, I just meant the course. [ Kate's brows lift, and she smiles, shaking her head as she dismounts. ] That wasn't her fault, my timing was crap. [ She gives Sunchaser a reassuring pat or two, and offers the sword back to Alanna. Arms are stretched up over her head as she confirms. ] Kate. And thanks.

[trebond]

And you're to be squired on the first? Have you put any thought into who'll mentor you when you do?

[alsohawkeye]

[ Kate shrugs, and pulls the other elbow over her skull. ] No, not really. I didn't think we got to choose.

[trebond]

Perhaps not. Requests are sometimes considered, if made either by a knight or the squire in question.