In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
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A recent settlement of small garish-looking creatures has begun feeling overconfident and has started attacking the residents of Hapshass to steal their gold and silver. Help drive them away from the town.
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]Details
Minimum Number of Players: 1
[break]Minimum Word Count: 2000
[break]Location: Hapshass
[break]Special Requirements: NA
[attr="class","shadowsSub"]NPC Information
What NPCs are in this mission? Please fill out the template for any notable NPCs. While those you have to socially interact with during the mission are not required any enemy that is presented in the mission must be listed in here.
[break]Magic Element and Types: Earth | Attack Creation
[break]Combat Style: The goblins are a menace, and attack together in a swarm. Crafty little buggers, they will try to flank you, while having the rest of their group acting as a distraction. They use the earth element, making crude weapons out of them, ranged and melee.
Another day, another job, that was more or less the way in which Griswold had been working ever since he had joined the Crimson Lions but a mere few weeks ago. Spending most of his time either training or doing whatever chores needed doing around the headquarters, the life of a junior knight was not all that glamorous, nor did it need to be. In the past week, the knight had seen fit to touch up on his tracking skills a bit by following a pair of trolls back to their lair after they had supposedly subdued and kidnapped a man for unknown reasons. At the time, the knowledge he possessed regarding trolls had not been all that extensive, though it had been enough for him to at the very least find them and make an attempt at brokering some kind of deal which they could understand. Trolls were, after all, not all that bright.
Today however was going to be different. There would be no trolls today for him to broker a peace with, nor was it anything as glorious and praiseworthy as heading into a recently discovered Dungeon before any of the other nations or factions could pillage it. Today, he had been tasked with a mission that might have been a bit above his rank as a magic knight, but was still something he felt confident about. As had been the case with trolls, Griswold had grown up learning a lot about what he might be expecting out in the wilderness where he and his people had lived. Where he had learned mostly positive things about trolls, every single story he had been told with regards to goblins had been extremely negative. So negative in fact that if he were to meet one of them, the best thing he could do was to turn back and make a run for it as he was likely to be walking into an ambush.
Goblins were cunning like that.
What they lacked in strength or magical prowess, they made up for in sheer numbers, tactics and brutality. Usually being no taller than a garden gnome, the greenskins often looked defenseless, harmless even, though that was all a play for one or more of them to sneak up on you and bury a sharp object somewhere in the areas between one’s armor, or just straight into one’s vital spots. With many things still being unknown to him, such as how they managed to learn and plan so well, as well as what their reasons for attacking humans were, one thing was clear. They were malicious little monsters that had made the mistake of moving too far from their lair and having the audacity of attacking a town by the name of Hapshass.
As an outsider, Griswold knew very little about these places, though he knew that it was an important part of the country due to the Coral Peacocks having their base of operations here. Because of the fact that it had forests surrounding the town from all sides, it would be relatively hard to figure out where the little shits came from, or if they were watching the town at this very moment. Even if he had not exactly been known for his skill as a sensory mage, he had developed the skills required to be a tracker, as well as his enhanced senses that would pick up most scents and noises as they passed away from the village and into the forest. If they moved, if they as much as whispered among themselves in whatever foul language they spoke, he would certainly hear it. Standing on the outskirts of town, Griswold turned his attention to the person that had been assigned the same mission as him.
“If there was anything you wished to get out of the way before we get started, some kind of plan you wish to stick to, now’s the best time to do it. Once we enter into the forest to find these little homicidal tykes, the sound of conversation will certainly alert them to our coming, if they are not aware of it already.”
Post by Michail Ravencrest on Mar 14, 2021 18:29:23 GMT -5
Michail had decided. It was about time that he took this seriously. He didn't want to fall into the lower echelons of his own family. It wasn't that he thought he could compete with them, but he still had to prove to himself his own use to the family at large. He wasn't as powerful enough to be chosen by a spirit like Waylynn or Hania. He wasn't blessed with rare magic like Lydia. He was just an ordinary mage. Albeit nobility and thus blessed with higher magical aptitude than most.
To that end, he had taken a mission when he heard about one that a Crimson Lion was taking. Ordinarily, he wanted nothing to do with the Lions; not out of dislike or looking down on them, but anything he did would be reported to Lydia. She would hear about it with razor precision. And that was precisely why he tried avoiding it. But this wasn't really the time for that. He was falling behind and he needed to fix that. Ideally, as quickly as possible. There would be no other way he could reliably rise up through the ranks of the Silver Eagles, and eventually, take the captain seat himself.
The mission was a pretty simple one. A straight-up extermination of goblins. Nothing that the young Ravencrest wasn't willing to do. Culling of pests that harmed the general well-being of the masses was a Magic Knight's duty, and he was more than willing to put them in their place. Michail wasn't too familiar with the habits of such creatures, but he was confident that he could exterminate some goblins. And not just that, he wasn't doing it alone.
He was only a few minutes late to their meeting place. Not enough to chastise him for, but enough where it was slightly bothersome. This was mostly just the result of having to take a slight detour when traveling, something unexpected. Evidently, some sort of festival was happening in one of the towns he was going to need to traverse through and the entire area had been blocked off for that reason. He didn't really get it, but that was no big deal.
He arrived at the ordained meeting place where he took notice of the elven Lion before him. Michail's mantle neatly rested upon his shoulders, the proud emblem of the Silver Eagles poised right over his heart. He wore a pale yellow coat--almost white in color, underneath his mantle, with golden borders around the sleeves, cuffs, collar, and down past the chest point. This coat was layered in a way where it had the chest seemed separate from the rest of it, but it was all one piece. This coat was closed, and at the waist it split, showing off his white dress pants and expensive-looking black boots with a material that resembled fur where the shoelaces would go.
His blonde hair was impossibly arranged, yet defying all logic various bangs were spiked, yet fell downward. The back of his red hair was arranged to spike in the back, with a shorter bang falling to his left. A single blonde bang fell past his chin, but otherwise were arranged in a sort of pinwheel-like manner.
"A pleasure to meet you," Michail said when he arrived at the scene, offering a hand out to the other. "For formalities sake, I'm Michail Ravencrest."
He did not put emphasis on his family name as he normally would. He wanted to make sure that this Crimson Lion had nothing bad to say about him when reporting the mission, a report that would likely go straight to Lydia.
Of course, he wanted to make sure that he came up with some sort of strategy for finding and eliminating the goblins. "Well, I confess I don't know too much about them. But it's clear that they have an attraction to shiny things or at least shiny metals. Before I can work up any strategies, I must first ask what your specialties are with magic. It goes without saying that I can work as bait; I'm quite confident in my ability to fend off such vermin, and I won't pretend I'm 'blending in' but I'd rather not take any unnecessary risks. Knowing what your specialties are would make it much easier for me."
"As for my own specialties, I excel in long-range precision attacks meant to drive off multiple opponents from a distance. I am a rearguard most suited to playing support for a vanguard role."
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material. A material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for Hundreds of Years. Abilities:
Shaking the outstretched hand for a bit, he took his own back and returned it to his pocket. Not knowing a whole lot of nobles, he at least knew some of the last names that were integrated into the magic knights. So while he might not have been aware of just how rich they were, who they were or what they stood for, the fact that one of them had ventured into the common realm and went as far to shake the hand of a filthy commoner meant this one wasn’t all that bad. Or he was merely pretending not to be, which seemed to come as second nature to a lot of them; pretending to be kind while in reality being rotten to the core. Time would tell whether it was the former or the latter, though Griswold could not say that he cared a whole lot about that right now.
Having heard what the guy had to say, he thought about exactly what this meant for them. Goblins might have liked shiny trinkets, but there were things that they liked more than that, and they seemed to be quite ready to get it. Usually when they sent out scouts, it was because they had a force large enough to take a place out through means of trickery, stealth and cunning. If their scouts did not return, it meant that they had bounced off of something that got them killed, and would probably kill the rest of them too. Smart as they were, they were not the kind of creatures that had a death wish. So if there was a big chance that many of them would die, they would just bide their time and try again in a few weeks after their numbers had doubled, or after a few months when their numbers could wash an entire town away.
As such, Griswold doubted that they could trick them into doing anything by luring them into a trap with jewelry or fancy coins. No, they had to go about this differently. They needed to make sure they got a somewhat accurate take on the amount of scouts around, engage them and make sure at least one of them survived to tell the tale. If their leaders learned that magic knights stood in the way of their scouts, they might believe the town was currently packed with the kind of enemies that could eradicate their entire community. With a bit of luck, it might just keep them from attacking the place altogether and migrate somewhere else where their raids might be more successful. Not feeling all too good about that plan either as it might mean them moving into the forsaken realm, a place where they would be more or less unopposed, something needed to be done about the problem they faced at this moment.
“While I get what you’re saying Ravenman, the only Goblins we’ll be encountering are going to be scouts, and they’re not interested enough in trinkets to defy the plan of their leader. They’re here to test the defenses, and if said defenses can be circumvented or taken out, they will return to their lair and the attack will begin.”
Bringing his hand to his chin, he stroked his invisible beard and considered what kind of plan they should be going with. Whenever he faced an issue that spelled trouble, such as enemies that might overtake him either by force or by numbers, he’d approach them from above and attack from his broom. Judging by what Michail said about himself, it turned out they more or less shared a similar set of skills, though Griswold’s was most likely a whole lot less refined. If he flew overhead and attacked from above while Michail attacked from the rear, he was quite confident in the thought that they would be able to get rid of some Goblin scouts just fine. They were not exactly a species bred for single combat, so once their numbers started to dwindle and fear began setting in, there was not a doubt in his mind regarding how fast they would flee the scene. Or rather, the only doubt would be in exactly how fast on account of not knowing the top speed of your average Goblin.
“So my idea is simple. I fly in on my broom and get their attention while raining fire from above. While they come after me, you shoot them down from the rear until most of them are dead. No matter what happens, remember to leave at least one alive.”
Post by Michail Ravencrest on Mar 21, 2021 17:09:27 GMT -5
It was most certainly pretending. Inwardly, Michail felt a tinge of disgust at the mere display of 'respect' he was offering to the commoner. He was a Magic Knight, which meant that he had enough talent to hold his own. It meant that he was strong enough to receive acknowledgment for his own magic. And to that, there was respect, from one who used his magic for the betterment of Clover to another. But like with Charles, that was where that respect ended. He did not acknowledge Griswald nor Charles.
However, the elven-descendent was a Crimson Lion. Michail knew automatically that he could not show any form of disrespect. He would be forced to treat him with the same respect he would show Lydia. The difference was there was no fear of this one compared to the elder Ravencrest. But that was fine. That didn't matter at the end of the day, after all. All he had to do was play along nicely, and ensure the mission went smoothly. He was more than capable of working alongside others even if he did not acknowledge them.
Still, it was clear this commoner was more knowledgeable on the behavioral patterns of goblins than he was. Though there was one massive issue with his plan that caused Michail a bit of a chuckle; the blonde couldn't help but notice it at the very end there. "Your broom, eh?" he asked rhetorically. "I regret to inform you, but it seems you're missing it. That is quite a sound plan otherwise, I must admit. I suppose leaving one alive wouldn't be the worst idea, assuming that these goblins are playing mere recon."
Placing a hand under his chin, Michail nodded. "I've an idea. You see, I've recently managed to utilize Golem Creation as part of my repertoire of magic. One such golem happens to be capable of flight. You could use that to fly instead. I can create more of it as well, thus hiding your general location as you go for the barrage. While you're unleashing chaos that way, I add to the chaos with another golem, then pluck away the remaining goblins ... aside from the one, apparently. I trust there's no issue with that?" the Ravencrest nodded.
"But there is one condition I must ask of you."
Michail's eyes narrowed to the Crimson Lion. He would play nice, but he would not see his family name disrespected. "Ravencrest. If you want to get farther in life, I strongly encourage you get that name right. I, of course, would do nothing. But it is the head of the family who might do something if you mess up that name so thoroughly. And she is your Vice-Captain. Everyone knows it is best to avoid upsetting that woman."
It went without saying that the Ravencrest was quite upset with the Griswald; so much so, in fact, that he didn't even bother commenting on the fact that the elf hadn't even told him his own specialities.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material. A material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for Hundreds of Years. Abilities:
As someone who had no idea how Golem creation magic was even supposed to work, aside from figuring that it likely created some kind of doll or creature out of mud or rock or something, he figured that it would do well as a means of distraction. Claiming that he could make more than one, there was a chance that they could entirely circumvent having to actually fight them in the first place. Goblins were, after all, incredibly cunning creatures that could make the distinction between knowing when to fight and knowing when to make a run for it and escape with their lives. Due to the rate at which they could breed a whole new cohort in mere months, they had more to lose than to gain if they chose to fight a losing battle. It was for that reason that it was often better to kill a Goblin than to let one walk, though there was a clear reason why at least one of them was going to survive today.
“Alright, I like that. If I can ride one of them and fire down from a reasonable altitude, I’d suggest making as many of your golems as possible. If those greenskinned freaks believe they’re at a disadvantage, there’s a chance they won’t even try to attack and will try to get away intact. I imagine those odds will only rise once a couple of them are catching fire.”
Smirking at the thought of tricking Goblins and setting some of them on fire, it was in no way like it had been when he had been fighting to send a pack of wolves… packing. They were creatures that had been forced out of their original territory and were desperate for food, this being the main difference here. These goblins were not trying to just survive, they were trying to expand, and they were willing to plunder, pillage and murder just about anything in their path if it meant getting what they wanted. Still not being entirely sure whether the noble even believed these Goblins to be capable of any actual intelligent thought, it was quite clear that there were a lot more things that he was struggling with. Probably just a bunch of semantics, as that was what their kind seemed to worry about a whole lot more than the lives of those dwelling in the forsaken realm.
“You need to state a condition before helping me save the lives of however many might otherwise die? How noble of you. Fine, lets hear it.”
No sooner than having said those words did it come to light that it was, in fact, an issue regarding what Griswold personally believed to be no more than mere semantics. It was funny to him how someone from a noble family felt the need to address the matter that, if he wanted to get anywhere in life, he would do well not to play with words and remember the name Ravencrest. How could he not, they were just another noble family that likely had more money than they could spend in ten lifetimes, all while there were still plenty of people on the brink of starvation in the northern portion of the clover country. Bringing up that his vice-captain was also a member of the Ravencrest family, he just shrugged at the notion. Truth be told, the only people belonging to the Crimson Lions that he was aware of at this point was his captain for taking him into his squad in spite of not having a drop of noble blood in him.
Then there were the two Vermilion boys, Spike and Cubs that had accompanied him throughout the dungeon they had been assigned to checking out. Though those were not their real names, he had more or less forgotten what they were at this point in time, yet remembered the nicknames he had given them for simplicity. Barely being in the royal capital at all as he was always in the common or forsaken realm trying to help the people that actually struggled, he only knew of people such as his vice-captain by name. The way he saw things, he really had nothing to fear as there was nothing he couldn’t do as a mere commoner that he now did under the banner of the Crimson Lions. So if he were to be kicked out for toying around with someone’s last name, he welcomed the idea of being rid of such stuck-up snobs. Something he would not mind making clear, though now was likely not the time for such things.
“Alrighty, I will take it into consideration, though I won’t go as far as making any promises. So if that was to be your one “condition”, I suggest you get to prepping up those golems. It might be hard for you to hear, but I can tell they’re on the prowl.”
Post by Michail Ravencrest on Mar 25, 2021 22:59:15 GMT -5
Michail would not pretend to be an expert of any sort when it came to goblins. He simply believed himself stronger than they were, and for good reason. The day he had to acknowledge he was weaker than mere beasts was the day he killed himself most likely. He would never let himself do that. Mana Beasts were an exception and the circumstances of which were likely to change, but for mere creatures such as goblins, he was plenty confident in his own strength. They were likely smarter than normal species like wolf or bear, but Michail himself fancied himself a bit of a strategist himself.
It seemed his own plan had been acknowledged and agreed upon, a fact that the blonde seemed quite proud of. He practically puffed his chest out with pride upon hearing the words of the Crimson Lion. Though, of course, he did his best to not let his own arrogance show; not in front of a Crimson Lion. Not in front of one who could easily report him to Lydia, his cousin. He was most certainly not interested in suffering the wrath of that woman a second time.
"I'll ensure to block escape routes for all but the one with more golems, of course. And naturally, I'll pick off any who might still be around between your aerial assault and the golems who block off their escape. I trust there's no issue with that course of action."
Of course, Griswald felt the need to bring up an obvious fact. Michail's 'condition' was less a condition, and more a strongly worded piece of advice, even down to his wording. This particular Ravencrest would take no disrespect to his family name. They had accomplished far too much for a mere commoner to rub dirt on the name that effectively ran this country, royalty be damned. Between Jagen's predecessor being a member of their family and all that Lydia had managed to accomplish. The blonde saw little reason to give the elven-descended man any recognition whatsoever if he was going to slander the family name that embodied the might of Clover.
Griswald's shrug earned an irritated sigh from Michail, running a hand down his face. This was the problem when commoners had enough potential to join the Magic Knights. They thought it made them stronger than nobility. No, they were just enough. And it was the boy's elven heritage that had likely played a major role in anything at all. Without question, this Crimson Lion only was able to accomplish what he had because of genetics. While Michail would not pretend genetics were not important, the elven blood that ran through his veins was too minimal to matter; it gave him an edge against other commoners, sure. But against Nobility like himself? Likely not a chance.
Disrespect upon disrespect. Michail knew better than to let this escalate, so he simply said nothing other than his earlier irritated sigh. "But of course," Michail said, getting his focus back to the mission at hand. It was vital that he ready them now. "Blood Creation Magic: Hyper Mega Deluxe Crimson Bird!" he proudly called out.
Five birds, all of whom were larger than Michail and Griswald were with a massive six and a half foot wingspan manifested. Each was large enough for both of them to ride upon one, but Michail had little reason to. "As a heads up, the one transporting you won't be as fast as the others. You will notice that as you're moving about. I will keep an eye on them. My role is best monitoring the battlefield, and that includes friend and foe alike."
After he made the birds, five more golems appeared -- each one resembling a lion this time, but similarly made from blood. "One Raven will transport the elven man. Lions, you will seek out the goblins. You will not engage them until I give the order."
His eyes darted over to Griswald. "When you use your first spell upon them, I will give the order for these lions to strike upon the goblins. Are we ready to move out?"
Element: Blood[break] Rank: Junior[break] Size: Up to 2m[break] Mana Cost: 10 | 5[break] Type of Golem: Predator[break] Applicable Perks: Ease of Creation[break] Description: Blood Creation Magic: Hyper Mega Deluxe Crimson Bird and Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast were inspired by Michail when he saw the Black Bull's Chisana in action. He thought to himself, "I can do that, too." And so he went to work training so that he could create golems after the dungeon, refusing to be bested when it comes to producing quantity in magic, but also respecting the notion of letting others fight for him instead of having to do it himself. Something he oddly never considered before.[break][break]
The golem takes the form of a solidified raven, clad in blood instead of its usual black color. It seems that it constantly drips blood, thus giving away its position when flying, but Michail cares little for that. What he cares more about is that he can use these for distractive purposes while he himself remains hidden, allowing his enemy to fixate on the incoming quantity of enemies and thus allow for sneak attacks. Normally, a golem user would only be able to make additional golems per 10 [CON] they possess. However, due to Michai's talent for producing quantity over quality, he is able to ease up on this, instead being allowed to make more dependent on his own rank. As a Junior golem, he can never make more than five additional golems per usage of the spell, however. In addition, though these golems can be used for the purpose of travel, they cannot hold more than one person at a time, and their speed will be lowered to 5m/s for said purpose. It fights using its beak, talons, and other methods of fighting that would be typical of a bird, including picking up prey of up to 200 pounds a few feet off the ground and dropping them. In addition, it is able to send very limited amounts of data to the caster such as when its in combat, if it defeats an enemy, and if itself is defeated via telepathy to the caster.
Type
Power
Durability
Sensory
Range
Speed
Health
Predator
20
5
15
35m
9m/s
Junior
Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast
Element: Blood[break] Rank: Junior[break] Size: Up to 2m[break] Mana Cost: 10 | 5[break] Type of Golem: Predator[break] Applicable Perks: Ease of Creation[break] Description: Blood Creation Magic: Hyper Mega Deluxe Crimson Bird and Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast were inspired by Michail when he saw the Black Bull's Chisana in action. He thought to himself, "I can do that, too." And so he went to work training so that he could create golems after the dungeon, refusing to be bested when it comes to producing quantity in magic, but also respecting the notion of letting others fight for him instead of having to do it himself. Something he oddly never considered before.[break][break]
The golem takes the form of a solidified lion clad in blood instead of its usual color. It seems that it constantly drips blood, thus giving away its position when running, but Michail cares little for that. What he cares more about is that he can use these for distractive purposes while he himself remains hidden, allowing his enemy to fixate on the incoming quantity of enemies and thus allow for sneak attacks. Normally, a golem user would only be able to make additional golems per 10 [CON] they possess. However, due to Michail's talent for producing quantity over quality, he is able to ease up on this, instead being allowed to make more dependent on his own rank. As a Junior golem, he can never make more than five additional golems per usage of the spell, however. In addition, though these golems can be used for the purpose of travel, they cannot hold more than one person at a time, and their speed will be lowered to 5m/s for said purpose. It is capable of dealing [Junior] damage with it's claws, bites, and other methods of attack that are typical of lions. In addition, it is able to send very limited amounts of data to the caster such as when its in combat, if it defeats an enemy, and if itself is defeated via telepathy to the caster.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material. A material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for Hundreds of Years. Abilities:
“No issue at all, just make sure your bird can get me close enough to strafe those greenskins and see to it that they don’t escape too quickly. Remember, at least one of them has to get out. If more of them get away, that’s fine too as it saves us the trouble of having to bring them all down.”
Even though the idea of getting on top of a bird made out of blood magic seemed rather gross, there was very little he wouldn’t do if it meant saving those in need. So even if the people they were saving right now most likely had no idea of the fact that they were in fact being protected at this very moment, that did not change anything. Griswold was not the kind of person that needed the satisfaction of having the people he saved know who he was and praise his name. It was also why he never really went back to the Crimson Lions headquarters to report in person after every single job that got finished. He had much preferred to stay in the forsaken realm so that he could help in the rebuilding of Hage after many of the buildings there had been broken down or were still in the process of coming undone.
Regardless of how many times he went back to the headquarters, or to the royal capital in general for that matter, he imagined word would reach his higher ups when one of the people he had been sent out with did their reporting. At the end of the day, everything went up to the office of the wizard king anyway, so it wasn’t like his squad would not be getting the recognition for his good deeds and hard labor. And that was really all that mattered, that the job got done properly and that the people remained safe for a little while longer. Because as a deranged lunatic had made rather clear to him, there was no way for the magic knights to keep every single soul in the country safe from harm. So without further ado, he got on top of the bloody bird and had it carry him up a little bit off the ground so he could hear that his compatriot was going to monitor the battlefield and control his golems.
“I don’t think those little bastards are going to stay around for very long once they notice large predatory birds, cats and fire coming their way. This’ll be a piece of cake.”
With that, he let the bird take him further into the forest, flying just below the foliage and canopy of the upper trees so he could get a good look ahead of them and would not instantly be seen. All in all, it seemed like a rather sound strategy to have so many golems doing their work at boxing in their targets while raining fire down on them from the back of a large bird. But with every well thought out plan, there was always the risk of running into unexpected setbacks of varying scales. They could run into greater numbers than expected, find that they had managed to pick up civilians along the way to use as human shields, learn that these green rascals could utilize magic and spells of their own and much, much more. Luckily for him, as well as Michail and the rest of the town, this did not seem to be the case. For as soon as he crossed a certain distance into the forest, he saw several of the green imps scurrying along the forest floor.
Moving with great caution, they moved from tree to tree and used the foliage and shrubbery along the ground to cover their approach. Armed with crude shanks and spears made out of sticks and sharp stone tips, they did not really seem like much at first glance, though that was the tricky part. Underestimating them was what had allowed them to kill people who had not expected there to be more than one or two of them, only to find a shank forced down the back of their neck and get beaten to death by a roving band of greenskins that had kept their presence hidden. Figuring that Michail would know what he knew by now as he could seemingly monitor the place through the use of his golems, of which the bird was one, it started a dive towards the ground. Making use of this moment to do exactly as they had discussed, he pointed both of his hands towards two different goblins with his thumbs up and his middle and index finger pointed at them.
Soon after, small magic circles formed at the tips of his fingers as a total of six bolts of fire got shot downward at a rapid pace. With three coming down on either side, the bird that swept down angled its wings so as to take both itself and Griswold back up into the air and outside the range of their crude and somewhat barbaric weaponry. If he had been lucky, Griswold’s magic would have hit several targets as he could really only aim one bolt per salvo. The others were just an addition that made it easier for him to land a hit on moving or on multiple targets, which made them quite useful in this particular situation. Instead of hitting six targets with six bolts, the magic knight managed to hit one in the chest, one in the mouth and one in the foot. While none of those shots were directly lethal, setting some of them on fire was enough to sow some discord among their ranks.
Waiting for the bird to make a turn so that they could come around for another makeshift bombing run, he imagined this would be the perfect time for Michail to bring in his golems and start adding to the fear. For the moment, the scouting part was caught up in a wave of fear that shook their ability to coordinate properly as a result of this surprise attack. This meant that if the lions came in now, it would only further add to the confusion and fear, hopefully triggering their fight or flight responses early on. If they waited, chances were that they’d just turn their weapons on the lions and let violence take over, which was not the best outcome for this situation. Still, though it might have been somewhat early to say; so far, so good.
POWER 32 DURABILITY 0 SENSORY 10 STAMINA 30 CONTROL 20 MANA 100 (80)
Name of Spell: Firebolt Elemental Type: Fire Rank & Spell Type: Junior - Attack Creation Range & Speed: 25 meters - 10 m/s Mana Cost: 10 mp- 5 mp sustain Stats Effected: +4 to Power Applicable Perks: “Overpowered” Description: About as simple as the name suggests, it is a spell that requires Griswold to either point the palm of his hand or a finger of his choosing into a desired direction, using it as a conduit through which to unleash and direct his fire magic in the form of a small shot of flame. Capable of causing first degree burns/junior rank damage on impact, an additional bolt can be shot for every 10 control the user has.
Post by Michail Ravencrest on Mar 29, 2021 15:15:22 GMT -5
If that was all Michail had to do, he was confident enough in his own abilities to do just that. "Of course. We still should exterminate as many as we can. It never hurts to cull their numbers as a reminder to stay away. Otherwise, they may think it a mere empty threat -- or at least some others might. We can't have that either, now can we?" the Ravencrest asked rhetorically.
Michail's golems actually did not have that 'liquid' feel to them that one would expect from the magic. It actually felt solid. Clearly, it lacked the plumage of an actual raven, but it seemed great care was put into ensuring that it actually could be used for transport. Given that these were his primary means of flight right now, it only made sense that he would also use them for transportation. Thus, minimizing how 'gross' it was was vital for the mage. Still, as solid as his golems were, there was a limit to that. What was important was that it wasn't going to be oozing blood.
The Crimson Lion pointed out something he had already noted before, but Michail nodded. No doubt once the attack started they'd be running. But Michail wanted to make a point of exterminating all but one. He was pretty sure that he could accomplish just that. Michail made sure to not lose sight of Griswold as he took more due caution when manipulating those bird golems, but most importantly the one that the elf was on. This was a matter of putting his trust in a complete stranger whom he had only met for the first time. Most likely, the Lion didn't have a positive opinion of him as a result of being a commoner, as well as seemingly prioritizing his own family name over the lives of innocent people.
However, that also put pressure on Michail as well. For all the value he assigned in his name, there was just as much to uphold it. If he failed to ensure that he could live up to his word, then he smeared mud over the Ravencrest name. A name that he valued more than his own sense of self. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes while he was assisting the elf. Not just that, he had to keep his senses sharp to ensure his lion golems did not move too far out of their range. Otherwise, he would be one golem short. As much bragging as he was doing, this was incredibly taxing given how recently he had managed to start using golems. But he was positive he could do it, which was why he suggested it; after all, none knew his own limits better than he himself did.
Michail paid attention to the birds he had summoned as he moved along, waiting until he could get a visual from Griswold for the stop. He imagined that the birds-eye view would give him a much better view of things, and so he expected him to motion when he had a visual on the goblins. Of course, he happened to see them before any such cue was necessary. Given his golems speed fell when being used for transportation, they were moving at about the same speed. Michail stopped, waiting for the actual signal -- that was to say, Grisold's attack.
Right on cue, the fire struck the Greenskins from above. The cue was on. Michail set his lions into the mix amidst the fire and flames, making sure that they got in before the fire drew too much. Due to this open space, there was a minimal chance of the fire spreading, but if it did grow too much he would need to use his magic to quell it -- something he hoped he would not have to do. Besides, shots like those were precision-based -- there wasn't too much worry about the fire growing out of hand.
Three of the crimson lion golems pounced on goblins that Griswold had struck, their claws digging into them and ending them between the injuries they had sustained as a result of Griswold's attack -- even if those shots weren't lethal, they were enough to cause immense injury given the fragile bodies. The other three lions took advantage of the chaos by attempting to strike the goblins with paws or biting. The best that they were able to hope for, however, was just getting one hit in, while one other goblin managed to sidestep the giant creature entirely, crushing it with a weapon that had been made from the earth element Michail could tell. Well, if that was the case...
Three down. There was about sixteen as far as he could tell prior. Ideally, they could get away with killing about nine more. That would be enough to send a message. But Michail wished to be an overachiever. He'd aim for fifteen. All but one of the birds Michail had summoned went flying down into the battle, crashing into the three that had been wounded with the lions, with two more taking out the goblin that had managed to avoid the lion. This wasn't strictly a suicide attack, but at a certain point, it probably didn't look any different. He still had three of his lion golems as well as all of his bird golems.
Two of the goblins were about to make a clean getaway, but Michail wouldn't let them. "Blood Magic: The Crimson Standard!" Michail declared, as two spears were suddenly shot forth, driven clean into the fleeing goblins' backs as a flag suddenly grew out of the spear.
Michail was focused on the battle before him but especially with Griswold and maintaining that golem so that he wouldn't need to worry. He had no idea about the goblin that had managed to sneak up behind him...!
Element: Blood[break] Rank: Junior[break] Size: Up to 2m[break] Mana Cost: 10 | 5[break] Type of Golem: Predator[break] Applicable Perks: Ease of Creation[break] Description: Blood Creation Magic: Hyper Mega Deluxe Crimson Bird and Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast were inspired by Michail when he saw the Black Bull's Chisana in action. He thought to himself, "I can do that, too." And so he went to work training so that he could create golems after the dungeon, refusing to be bested when it comes to producing quantity in magic, but also respecting the notion of letting others fight for him instead of having to do it himself. Something he oddly never considered before.[break][break]
The golem takes the form of a solidified raven, clad in blood instead of its usual black color. It seems that it constantly drips blood, thus giving away its position when flying, but Michail cares little for that. What he cares more about is that he can use these for distractive purposes while he himself remains hidden, allowing his enemy to fixate on the incoming quantity of enemies and thus allow for sneak attacks. Normally, a golem user would only be able to make additional golems per 10 [CON] they possess. However, due to Michai's talent for producing quantity over quality, he is able to ease up on this, instead being allowed to make more dependent on his own rank. As a Junior golem, he can never make more than five additional golems per usage of the spell, however. In addition, though these golems can be used for the purpose of travel, they cannot hold more than one person at a time, and their speed will be lowered to 5m/s for said purpose. It fights using its beak, talons, and other methods of fighting that would be typical of a bird, including picking up prey of up to 200 pounds a few feet off the ground and dropping them. In addition, it is able to send very limited amounts of data to the caster such as when its in combat, if it defeats an enemy, and if itself is defeated via telepathy to the caster.
Type
Power
Durability
Sensory
Range
Speed
Health
Predator
20
5
15
35m
9m/s
Junior
Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast
Element: Blood[break] Rank: Junior[break] Size: Up to 2m[break] Mana Cost: 10 | 5[break] Type of Golem: Predator[break] Applicable Perks: Ease of Creation[break] Description: Blood Creation Magic: Hyper Mega Deluxe Crimson Bird and Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast were inspired by Michail when he saw the Black Bull's Chisana in action. He thought to himself, "I can do that, too." And so he went to work training so that he could create golems after the dungeon, refusing to be bested when it comes to producing quantity in magic, but also respecting the notion of letting others fight for him instead of having to do it himself. Something he oddly never considered before.[break][break]
The golem takes the form of a solidified lion clad in blood instead of its usual color. It seems that it constantly drips blood, thus giving away its position when running, but Michail cares little for that. What he cares more about is that he can use these for distractive purposes while he himself remains hidden, allowing his enemy to fixate on the incoming quantity of enemies and thus allow for sneak attacks. Normally, a golem user would only be able to make additional golems per 10 [CON] they possess. However, due to Michail's talent for producing quantity over quality, he is able to ease up on this, instead being allowed to make more dependent on his own rank. As a Junior golem, he can never make more than five additional golems per usage of the spell, however. In addition, though these golems can be used for the purpose of travel, they cannot hold more than one person at a time, and their speed will be lowered to 5m/s for said purpose. It is capable of dealing [Junior] damage with it's claws, bites, and other methods of attack that are typical of lions. In addition, it is able to send very limited amounts of data to the caster such as when its in combat, if it defeats an enemy, and if itself is defeated via telepathy to the caster.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material. A material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for Hundreds of Years. Abilities:
There was no getting around the fact, now that things had gotten to the point of killing, that Griswold had to take a moment to ponder on what he had unleashed. As a Shadesinger elf, he had always been taught not to go around killing if it could be helped in quite literally any other way. Growing up mostly vegetarian, he grew up with the belief that all life was worth something to someone or something else. As such, they only ate what they could magically grow on their fields and gardens. From time to time, they would get to eat meat when one of the hunters and huntresses tasked with protecting the settlement had come under attack by a truly vicious beast or when such a creature had decided that it would be a good idea to assault the settlement itself. Not believing in wasting good meat as the kill had already been made, it was something Griswold always looked forward to.
It wasn’t that he hated vegetables, fruits and mushrooms, it’s just that he wanted to be able to eat other stuff too. That said, no matter how much he wanted to eat meat, he had always respected the teachings of the elders because they probably knew best. Now, almost ten years later, here he was in the forest. On the back of a large bird, which had more or less been made out of blood, hunting down and killing Goblins with fire. There were only so many ways in which he could have looked at all this, either from the perspective of the hunters that were killing in order to protect their loved ones, or from the perspective of one who could not be bothered to sit down and have a discussion before resorting to violence. In a way, he was making himself guilty of both, yet of neither at the same time. Griswold was not killing out of love as he knew no one back in town, though he did not want to have any deaths on his conscience either.
Aside from that, he was aware that actually sitting down and talking to Goblins would likely get you a knife in the back of the spine when you weren’t watching your surroundings, having a “seemingly” nice conversation with one’s guard down. Because of the danger Goblins posed, there was nothing they could do aside from killing the vast majority of them. Even as he pondered on the matter while waiting for the bird to turn around for another attack, he watched as lions made out of blood ripped into the Goblins he had set on fire, tearing them limb from limb. All over the place, animalistic golems made from blood magic were attacking the little monsters, leaving only a few in his direct surroundings. Noticing that one of them was making a run for it, it seemed like that was to be the one that they had picked to be the bearer of bad news, returning to whatever lair it had come from to tell the tale of fire and blood.
“Good, we’re almost done here.”
Thinking to himself as he turned his attention to two stragglers, the bird finished turning for another strafing run that allowed Griswold to set the two not yet set upon by birds or lions ablaze. Knowing they would not outright die on the spot, there was nowhere they could run to in order to douse themselves. One way or another, they would die from their wounds or by being ripped apart by predatory golems, which was fine by him. Counting the corpses as he flew above the carnage, the magic knight was very much under the impression that this particular tribe of Goblins would think twice, maybe even three times before they ever planned another strike against Hapshass. With all of that taken care of, there was no longer a reason for him to stay behind and personally supervise the fight from the sky. It was time for him to go back to their rendezvous site.
“Feel free to reel your bird back in, there’s nothing more that needs doing out here. One of them has started his run back home, that’s all we needed.”
POWER 32 DURABILITY 0 SENSORY 10 STAMINA 30 CONTROL 20 MANA 100 (75)
Name of Spell: Firebolt Elemental Type: Fire Rank & Spell Type: Junior - Attack Creation Range & Speed: 25 meters - 10 m/s Mana Cost: 10 mp- 5 mp sustain Stats Effected: +4 to Power Applicable Perks: “Overpowered” Description: About as simple as the name suggests, it is a spell that requires Griswold to either point the palm of his hand or a finger of his choosing into a desired direction, using it as a conduit through which to unleash and direct his fire magic in the form of a small shot of flame. Capable of causing first degree burns/junior rank damage on impact, an additional bolt can be shot for every 10 control the user has.
Post by Michail Ravencrest on Apr 2, 2021 9:32:44 GMT -5
Unfortunately, Michail would not get any such backup. His own low sensory made it impossible for him to efficiently detect any threat, let alone when he was so focused on manipulating ten different golems, one of which was flying. The goblin managed to sneak up on him with minimal to no effort. With an earth dagger in hand, the green skin thrust it into Michail's back, but his mana skin prevented the dagger from going too deep.
The Ravencrest, of course, felt that stab. However, as it wasn't even close to lethal, it only resulted in him letting out a small grunt in surprise and slight pain. Mana skin didn't nullify damage, after all. It didn't offer a perfect shield, no matter how refined it was. What it did, however, was more than enough as Michail conjured up Blood Magic: Super Awesome Bloodblade. Two blades in all; one in hand, the other floating above himself. A single thrust from behind himself was enough to go straight through the goblins skin, though it did require sufficient force. As close as the goblin was to Michail, dodging was an impossibility. Death was the only choice given to it.
"Unsufferable vermin. How dare you have the gall to even strike me..." Michail spat out venomously, though not bothering to look back at the corpse. He knew he had struck lethal based on the goblin's reaction.
Instead, using the other sword that was suspended in the air, he shot it out towards one of the other creatures that were fleeing. He could tell that there was one goblin that had made a clean getaway. That was all he cared about. Of these sixteen, twelve had been killed. ...Thirteen now, really. Which meant all Michail needed was two more corpses to satiate himself. After being stabbed, he would absolutely ensure that he would crush these goblins aside from what had been agreed upon: the one remaining. Mobilizing his golems, he set the three remaining lions and four ravens to prey upon two more of the goblins.
Between the ravens and lions, Michail's golems were simply faster. Not by a significant degree, but enough to where it could be noticed. Felt. And the goblins knew that. Fast as they were, they were the prey for this Ravencrest and his golems as far as he was concerned. However, one just had a bit too much more advantage. One had already gotten away. He didn't need others to do so. The sword that was above him was shot out towards that fleeing goblin, skewering it before it really had much of a chance to respond. The other goblin was simply overwhelmed by his golems.
Fifteen dead. Wiping the bead of sweat off his face, Michail dispersed all of his golems besides the one that was currently carrying Griswold, carefully bringing it back down to the ground so that he could land safely. Though it didn't really matter if he jumped down once it got close enough to the ground. In any case, the moment that Griswold landed, the blonde dispersed the golem. There was no need to carry it further, after all. Griswold had told him to bring the bird back -- likely in the midst of the fleeing goblins, or maybe after.
It went without saying that this Ravencrest had a lot to work through all the same. He did not have the same values as Griswold, nor did he see a reason to. He assumed that Griswold hadn't continued his attack because he didn't see a point in it, and that was fine. Michail would not hold that against him. Perhaps a part of him knew that he had overdone it. Perhaps a part of him knew that he got carried away. Realistically as long as they killed three-fourths of these sixteen goblins, that would have been more than enough.
But for Michail, it wasn't. They were target practice. And more importantly, one had the gall to strike him from behind. That alone was a reason for this Magic Knight to feel they should have all died, but that one that did get away was too far gone for him to reasonably pursue. "Well, well! A job well done indeed!" he said with a giant grin before a hearty chuckle escaped his lips. He made sure to keep his back away from Griswold, not wishing to show his shame to the Crimson Lion.
Element: Blood Rank: Junior Size: Up to 2m Mana Cost: 10 | 5 Type of Golem: Predator Applicable Perks: Ease of Creation Description: Blood Creation Magic: Hyper Mega Deluxe Crimson Bird and Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast were inspired by Michail when he saw the Black Bull's Chisana in action. He thought to himself, "I can do that, too." And so he went to work training so that he could create golems after the dungeon, refusing to be bested when it comes to producing quantity in magic, but also respecting the notion of letting others fight for him instead of having to do it himself. Something he oddly never considered before.
The golem takes the form of a solidified raven, clad in blood instead of its usual black color. It seems that it constantly drips blood, thus giving away its position when flying, but Michail cares little for that. What he cares more about is that he can use these for distractive purposes while he himself remains hidden, allowing his enemy to fixate on the incoming quantity of enemies and thus allow for sneak attacks. Normally, a golem user would only be able to make additional golems per 10 [CON] they possess. However, due to Michai's talent for producing quantity over quality, he is able to ease up on this, instead being allowed to make more dependent on his own rank. As a Junior golem, he can never make more than five additional golems per usage of the spell, however. In addition, though these golems can be used for the purpose of travel, they cannot hold more than one person at a time, and their speed will be lowered to 5m/s for said purpose. It fights using its beak, talons, and other methods of fighting that would be typical of a bird, including picking up prey of up to 200 pounds a few feet off the ground and dropping them. In addition, it is able to send very limited amounts of data to the caster such as when its in combat, if it defeats an enemy, and if itself is defeated via telepathy to the caster.
Type
Power
Durability
Sensory
Range
Speed
Health
Predator
20
5
15
35m
9m/s
Junior
Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast
Element: Blood Rank: Junior Size: Up to 2m Mana Cost: 10 | 5 Type of Golem: Predator Applicable Perks: Ease of Creation Description: Blood Creation Magic: Hyper Mega Deluxe Crimson Bird and Blood Creation Magic: Super Cool Ultra Crimson Beast were inspired by Michail when he saw the Black Bull's Chisana in action. He thought to himself, "I can do that, too." And so he went to work training so that he could create golems after the dungeon, refusing to be bested when it comes to producing quantity in magic, but also respecting the notion of letting others fight for him instead of having to do it himself. Something he oddly never considered before.
The golem takes the form of a solidified lion clad in blood instead of its usual color. It seems that it constantly drips blood, thus giving away its position when running, but Michail cares little for that. What he cares more about is that he can use these for distractive purposes while he himself remains hidden, allowing his enemy to fixate on the incoming quantity of enemies and thus allow for sneak attacks. Normally, a golem user would only be able to make additional golems per 10 [CON] they possess. However, due to Michail's talent for producing quantity over quality, he is able to ease up on this, instead being allowed to make more dependent on his own rank. As a Junior golem, he can never make more than five additional golems per usage of the spell, however. In addition, though these golems can be used for the purpose of travel, they cannot hold more than one person at a time, and their speed will be lowered to 5m/s for said purpose. It is capable of dealing [Junior] damage with it's claws, bites, and other methods of attack that are typical of lions. In addition, it is able to send very limited amounts of data to the caster such as when its in combat, if it defeats an enemy, and if itself is defeated via telepathy to the caster.
Elemental Type: Blood Rank & Spell Type: Intermediate, Attack Creation Range & Speed: 40m, 25m/s Mana Cost: 20 | 10 Stats Effected: +4 POW Applicable Perks: Apex Predator, Quick Shot, Artillery Support Description: Blood Creation Magic: Really Awesome Bloodblade is Michail's "Plan B" for dealing with opponents, or also his "finishing" spell (or whatever the equalivent for a Junior ranked spell is). Visually, it as bare-bones as a sword could possibly be. The "hilt" is made to be wielded with one hand, with the pommel being reminiscent of a raven upon it. The crossguard is a completely horizontal surface without any details in it, roughly as wide as Michail's hand is when completely open, fingers stretched out. The sword itself is no different than any standard European sword, either, if not a bit on the thinner end of things. The swords have very minute ability to be controlled magically, in the sense it's a magical connection that can cause them to launch, but cannot be controlled currently once launched. However, they are suspended in the air by magic till he grabs them, and can still be grabbed with after the fact, as long as he keeps paying to sustain the Spell.
However, its lack of detail aside, the most impressive thing about this sword is, despite being made out of blood, it is fully solid. It can function as a sword (at least, when compared to other spells of the same rank). It is capable of dealing [Intermediate] damage upon making contact, and aim to pierce their targets.
Similarly to Very Very Crazy Arrow Go, he can craft as many of these swords for every 15 [CON] due to [Artillery Support]. By default, they will appear in front of him, eventually circling around him with the blades facing outward. All of the swords appear within arms reach and can be ejected at will. Unlike Very Very Crazy Arrow Go, the main purpose of this is to cause lacerations, weak as they might be for its rank.
After the dungeon and a certain witch's comment, Michail went to work on upgrading this specific spell, feeling immense guilt for not being able to save the citizen at the dungeons end so that he could become more reliable.
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material. A material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for Hundreds of Years. Abilities:
It had been quite some time since Griswold had been in the center of such slaughter, and even by those standards, this one was arguably worse. There had been the time where he had been forced to resort to killing various feral wolves that had lost their homes, making sure they would not come back again. If they did, he would need to kill all of them after all, and he felt plenty sorry for them not being able to hunt in their natural hunting grounds already. But that was not even the time he was referring to. Not too long ago, he had been around a person who quite proactively blew up a store for reasons that would forever remain a mystery, going as far as to drag the owner of the place outside and rip them in half. While being no stranger to death and killing, it had however been the first time he had witnessed it in this manner.
The killing of monsters, and creatures that got elevated to the status of monsters due to coming into contact with large amounts of natural mana, had always been something he had taken part in because it was needed. But this person had just torn someone they had killed in half, doing a macabre little dance with the remains before looking for the next person to fight and kill. Luckily for the civilians in town, that person had been Griswold, who had taken care of the problem for the most part. That was, until his vice-captain had shown up and handled the issue. Come to think of it, this was likely the same person Michail had spoken of before, which explained a bit about his reluctance around him. Truth be told, he could not really blame him as she was ridiculously strong and clearly not a person he could even hope to match up to for the time being.
Leaving the scene of carnage behind him as his bird flew back to where Michail called it back to, the scent of blood disappeared rather quickly, making place for the lovely blend of scents of the forest. At least, it did so for a little while. Once they returned to their point of origin, the bird swooped down low towards the floor before dispersing, dropping Griswold off roughly a meters above the ground. By that point in time, he had already noticed the dead goblin, as well as the damage it had sustained leading up to his death, or possibly even after. That, and there was the fact that the scent of blood had returned as he approached. Upon approaching him, Michail claimed that the job had been done, and that it had been done well. Whether he just liked the fact that they had been victorious in the execution of their plan or if there was maybe something more to it, it was strange to see him grin and chuckle like this.
“Yes, quite right. One of them is probably close to his lair by now, sharing the news and being punished for their failure. For such little guys, they are quite vicious, and not nearly as dumb as you might expect. To think one managed to sneak past me and all of those golems is proof of their… ingenuity.”
Looking over the dead body from where he was standing, he saw the crude weapon the goblin had wielded which looked more like a shiv than an actual knife. Noticing the slight amount of blood on the tip, Griswold wondered whether it was still there from previous fights or if something had happened here. Part of him wanted to believe the latter, as the grinning and chuckling did not seem to fit with the imagine he had in his mind of Michail. Prior to the fighting, he had been rather reserved and eager to tell him what to do, especially in relation to his family, the Ravencrests. From someone who had been so utterly incapable of taking a joke before, the grin and laughter sooner created some unease than the likely intended. Not entirely sure whether he should ask or not, there was really no way for him to figure out what had happened if the guy wasn’t willing to share. As such, he figured he’d take things into a different direction.
“So uh, with the threat averted and most of the greenskins sent home, I imagine you’re likely quite ready and willing to go back home to your fancy capital and go through the whole debriefing process. It’ll likely earn you a bit of praise, as I doubt you’re actually in it for the money. If that’s the case, feel free to go and do exactly that. If you do, I won’t need to return to the capital as I really do not want to.”
If it could be helped, Griswold would like to be able to both earn his paycheck, as well as stay in the poorer regions of the country where his help was actually both wanted and needed. Nobody really needed him in the royal capital, nor did an overly large portion of nobility want him there as a commoner. In those respects, one might say that he wanted to not be there almost as much as he was not wanted to be there, which worked out just great for the wandering mage. Before he would get any kind of struggle or backtalk, the best thing to do right now seemed to explain his reasoning for not wanting to go back there in a way that was so diluted and simple that even the dead goblin at their feet might understand it. Leaving out the part about how he hated most nobles, he stuck to the bits and pieces that actually mattered right now. If Michail saw fit to refuse and request he come back with him, Griswould could always throw that much in later.
“There are plenty of things to do out here, especially in the forsaken realm. Unfortunately, most of those pleas for help do not make it all the way to the royal capital, and many of those that do fail to do so in time. My presence is not required in the capital, but as a noble, yours just might be.”
Post by Michail Ravencrest on Apr 3, 2021 16:52:19 GMT -5
Unlike Griswold, this had been the first time for Michail. Though the other might not have experienced such slaughter before often, it was a sight that would leave a scar on his psyche most likely, no matter how big or small. For Michail, however? This sight meant nothing to him. He was no psychopath or psychopath. He did in fact value life. But human life. He did not see the value in the goblins' lives, nor did he see a reason to even consider the idea. He saw them as beasts who were a threat to innocent people who needed to be protected. As a Magic Knight and more importantly, as a Ravencrest -- he saw that as his duty.
Of course, this would have been a much different picture if he was having to kill bandits. In fact, it was likely that he would have even been able to kill a few. The man would have opted to instead render them unconscious if at all possible and detain them. If that was the case, he would have likely found himself in a kill-or-be-killed situation, no matter how stronger than them he might have been.
However, goblins? How could he not view them as lesser? He saw no reason to value them. Not just that, the sheer fact that they had the gall to even be in his presence close enough to strike. It was unsightly. Revolting. Nauseating. And that was why they deserved to die. They were mere beasts who simply existed to hurt. But he? He was a Magic Knight who sought to protect. His actions were just, and this slaughter just, too. Had he overdone it in his own eyes? Not even for a second did he believe such. The only reason he didn't actively pursue the goblin that fled earlier was that he was putting his trust in this Crimson Lion's knowledge, much in the same way he had to put his trust in Michail to properly manipulate that golem and keep him free from harm.
"Reprimanding their own for failure? Sheesh. Even with a degree of sapience, these creatures truly are just the absolute worst," Michail declared with disgust. "Not even my dear cousin would do something like that, rough as she might be. Though of course, she would punish stupidity."
Without even realizing it, his hand went to his scar, tracing over it as he let out a soft sigh. "Also, you're quite mistaken. The one that got away only did so because I permitted it. That was what we agreed upon, was it not? I would have needed to go out of my way to strike that one down, of course. I won't pretend it wouldn't have taken some effort. But if I wanted to, I could have seen to their extermination. All of them. They're only slightly more durable enemies than some I've fought thus far, and that's it."
Of course, Michail knew that Griswold was talking about the one that had snuck up on him. However, he refused to acknowledge it. The fact that he had been struck in any capacity irritated him, and it was obvious from the aura he was emitting that he absolutely did not want to talk about it. It was obvious that it was more harmful to his pride and ego than it was to his person in any capacity.
"You're correct in that assessment, erm... Gristhwald? Grimchild? Apologies, I'm quite horrid with names. It is my one fatal flaw, I'm afraid," the Eagle responded, keeping up his jovial nature. "I care little for praise, but it will earn me a bit of recognition, at least. A Magic Knight can only really rise through the rankings through missions and dungeons after all. And I do aspire to the level of Captain."
As he said that, his tone shifted a bit. It wasn't as jovial or holier-than-thou as he had been speaking before. However, there was uncertainty, however faint, when he spoke the words captain. Of course, Griswold wouldn't know the reason for that. And the reason for that was Michail didn't even know the reason.
Just what was it that he wanted to do? Michail had been struggling with this question for years. He did not know. He simply did what he felt was best for his family. What would be the most beneficial for his family? But he never once asked himself what it was that would be the most beneficial for himself. The idea was never something he entertained. And because of that, now at the crux of the most important part of his life, he found himself wondering "why don't I have any dreams for myself? What would I even do?"
The more he wondered and realized this, the more empty as a person he felt. And so, that once lax, even if condescending smile fell. "Well, I'd best get going. Successful mission, et cetera et cetera."
Rank & Element: Junior Class & Type: Accessory Magic Specializations: N/A Appearance & Lore: The Magic Knight Mantle is an Item in which Magic Knights wear to show the Squad that are in. Each Squad has a different color Mantle along with their own squad logo as well. When these items were built they were made out of a special material. A material that allows them to be unbreakable from any sort of attack, but does not block the wearer from any attacks. Magic Knights of the Clover Kingdom has worn these Mantles for Hundreds of Years. Abilities:
“...Yes.. Gristhwald Grimchild, expert in the field of all things goblin. I can excuse forgetfulness as it’s been a rather taxing endeavor we’ve undertaken here today. Truth be told, I could have gone a long time without ever having to go through something like this again. Killing is always a sad thing, more so if they are sentient enough to understand what is happening, though I guess that also makes them smart enough to know not to try and kill others.”
It was a rather difficult thing to think about like that, as there was really no way of making it all seem more relative. No matter how you would go about spinning the truth and making things seem less bad than they were, they had killed well over a dozen of the little greenskins here today. True, there was no way around it as Goblins were not the kind of creatures that would back down without a show of force, and even if that much were to be factored into the equation, they would likely just come back with greater numbers and more skilled individuals. As someone who was still getting over the fact that he had been forced to cull quite the large amount of wolves unfortunate enough to have their living space destroyed, one might imagine how this hit him slightly harder as these things could actually ponder on the meaning of death and dying.
“Anyways, as far as I am aware, and that is only because I wasn’t raised in your typical school… or in your case, by a private tutor most likely, Goblins are the kind of beings that punish failure with death. Their whole culture revolves around learning from the mistakes of others so as to not recreate the same mistake. And the fastest way to teach someone not to repeat a mistake is to kill them in front of everyone else.”
Because he had been raised in the Shadesinger enclave, back when it was actually still around, Griswold had been told a lot of things about the natural world, as well as the strange mutations and evolutions to it through the application of natural mana. Within the fringe, there was really no limit to the amount of creatures one might encounter that had been given strange new abilities. Creatures like an ordinary stag that had been given antlers capable of producing blasts of lightning, or bears that had grown defensive barbs and belched fire. Though those were just examples of some of the things that were out there, or potentially out there, no one really knew where Goblins had come from. Whenever they had been brought up, it was said that they were linked to the earth and were in some cases capable of molding earth mana in the form of magic, though this was a rather rare thing to witness.
So rare in fact, that only a single Shadesinger huntress had ever even encountered it. What was more widely accepted was the fact that Goblins and Trolls were distant relatives, as they too had a strong connection to earth mana and shared a kind of tribal way of life. Where Trolls had not developed their own language and instead spoke a broken form of the human tongue on par with that of a very young human child, the Goblins had actually developed a language that was their own, as well as possessing a firm grasp on the human language. It made sense that that was how nature had split things, giving the large brutes poor language skills, while the smaller race had been blessed with intelligence and cunning. Temporarily breaking his line of thought when Michail brought up the matter of how he had been wanting to become a Captain of his squad some day, a strange silence fell over them before the guy decided that it was time for him to head on back.
“In any case, you should go back to the capital and inform the wizard king’s office of what happened here today. It’ll get you one step closer to your Captain rank, and it’ll get me a bit of spending funds. For now, I’m going to go back and burn the bodies, as they deserve at least that much. If anyone needs me, I’ll be heading to Kikka to pick up my new broom before heading back to the forsaken realm. Good luck on the journey back home, Ravenboy.”
Though he could have asked what the issue was that came on after bringing up the notion of some day becoming a Captain, the elven mage imagined that that was truly none of his business. The way in which he had begun to understand this country was that nobles did not enjoy commoners meddling in their affairs, and so he refrained from doing so just this once. And with that, Griswold started wandering back into the treeline, slowly heading back to the site of all that carnage, of all that death. He was not lying when he said that he felt that even Goblins deserved a proper cremation, sending them on their way into the next life. If there even was such a thing as a next life. As an elf, it was a concept that had been taught to him repeatedly, though he had always been struggling with the idea, especially with the afterlife told of in the narrative of the church of clover. But regardless of that, it was still a task he wished to undertake before he could go back to his travels with a …. relatively clear conscience.
