Suikoman444
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Introduction Splash:
To become a knight means more than training in riding and armed combat. Far more than a fighter, a knight is a trusted warrior of a noble order. A knight's duty is to uphold their vows, sworn to exemplify the values of their kingdom to inspire its people.
«Scene: Verdant farmlands before a shining castle.»
Errant, fallen, and self-styled knights are common near Battleon, but knightly orders are few and far between. After the Monster King Dethrix Drakath assimilated most of the western orders into his reign, and Alteon's reclaimed Greenguard fell to a great cataclysm, only a few orders remain in touch with the East. Some held in renown... And one in infamy.
«Scene: A volanic, lava-scarred landscape before a dark castle.»
While other kingdoms were founded, Stormfallen emerged. The demonic kingdom is said to have emerged from Heck fifty years before the fall of Greenguard, altering the desert in their wake to form a near impassable wall to their rapidly-built domain. They appeared peaceful... for a time.
«Scene: The same verdant farmlands before are burnt as Demon Knights attack while mounted on fire-breathing salamanders.»
For years now, Demon Knight raids have marred the territories of the Western Expanse: The last safe domains before the horrors that now cover the Far West. Some lands have been conquered. Others, brutally razed. Whatever oath these legions claim to uphold, they have violently expanded their borders through clashes with another kingdom.
«Scene: Several Pria Knights of Rennd stand victorious against their Demon Knight enemies.»
Rennd, the eldest kingdom of the Western Expanse, and ally of Greenguard during Alteon's reign, stands in opposition to the demonic advance. Diplomacy has fallen apart, and their rivalry frequently breaks into war. While the stalwart and brave Pria Knights are a match for the fierce Demon Knights... They are outnumbered, and infighting noble houses spread them thin.
«Scene: The Frogzard Knights of Deren ride before the capital.»
Hoping to put an end to this war, another order has intervened in the Western Expanse. Serving King Tralin of Deren, the Frogzard Knights arrived to reinforce Rennd. Although they have not brought an entire army under their command, they fight as an elite unit that has surprised the Expanse with its feats. Known for the values of humility, wisdom, and adaptability, they have been sent by their king to put an end to the aggression.
«Scene: The 'Emoran Knights stand before the wall of Granemor.»
From the ashes of old Granemor, another force rises in response to the raids. Led by General Herous, the 'Emoran Knights are known for standing firm against overwhelming odds so that their people never need to flee again. They survive in a land of eternal twilight, and have been sent with a much more decisive purpose: To end the invasions once and for all.
«Scene returns to Rennd's farmlands.»
These are the stories spread by those with a passing interest in knighthood, and those who couldn't make it into one of the orders. You, however, are a cut above the dreamers and the tall tales. If you push yourself far enough, you could be the pride of any one of these orders... Perhaps you might even be the one to unravel the truth behind the rumors and bring peace to the Western Expanse.
«Sir Tathlin enters.»
«If you are not yet a Level 5 Fighter:»
Tathlin: Hello there. $player, is it? I've heard a little bit about you in my correspondence with Blackhawke. Once you've completed your Fighter training, you should consider training here!
Leave
Meet Blackhawke in Battleon! - Brings you to second floor of the inn
Otherwise:
Tathlin: Greetings, $player! I hope you are ready for some serious training!
Train as a Knight!
What is a Knight?
Tathlin: A Knight is an elite member of a noble order created or recognized by their kingdom. They generally swear fealty to their kingdom and lead its armies in times of war.
Tathlin: For example, I am the Head Knight of Rennd, which means I am sworn to serve Rennd and its king. I also manage an initiative to train promising warriors of allied kingdoms.
Tathlin: However, my first duty is to lead the Pria Knights who remain in active fighting duty. Those that the nobility isn't parading them about for their own pomp, at least.
Tathlin: We have Knights-Errant as well; ones sent out into the world to battle evil and quest for larger causes. I wager you might have the make of one, if you can endure my training.
Restore My Knighthood!
Tathlin: Consider it done. You will be hailed as a Knight once more!
Join Another Order! -
WARNING: You will be treated as if you hadn't yet chosen an order in the level 5 quest. Your levels will be preserved, but you will need to replay the choice. Are you sure?
Yes!
No!
Redo Basic Training!
WARNING: Your class level will be set to 0. This can only be reversed by going through the training quests again..
Yes! (selecting "Yes" option will drop your class level to 0)
No!
Basic Knight Class Shop!
Tathlin: Use this equipment well.
Train as a Knight!
Knight Level 0
Tathlin: Ah, here's the promising recruit I learned about from Blackhawke. I've been told that you're ready for far more committed training.
Tathlin: Now, I'm sure you've heard stories about how only some privileged lineages could enter their heirs into knightly orders, but modern knight orders are much more practical.
Tathlin: In fact, this training ground is sponsored by several kingdoms to refine promising warriors into knights with the freedom to choose their oath.
Tathlin: With such freedom comes a greater responsibility, however, and I put recruits of any walk of life through the same regime. Rigorous, unforgiving, and ennobling. Are you ready?
I'm ready!
I need more time to think about this. - Returns to Knight menu
Tathlin: Excellent! We will outfit you with basic gear for your training.
«Knight - Basic Training shop opens.»
Tathlin: Knights are extensively trained in a variety of martial weapons, and we go through our physical regime in different kinds of armor.
Tathlin: A knight must be prepared to stage or join a variety of strategies with little preparation, whether on their own or to complement any kind of allied force.
Tathlin: At the core of this training, we place a particular importance on the sword and shield. Every order has its own unique set as an identifying symbol, and for infantry skirmishes.
Tathlin: They are a versatile set that symbolizes a knight's commitment to protecting the helpless, and their might in striking back against evil.
$player: That makes sense, though I'm curious about how this varied weapon training covers being disarmed.
Tathlin: A valid concern. You'll learn how to react if it happens in combat, but we will make special preparations in case you're ever struck before you can reach for your weapons
Tathlin: As a knight, you must understand that you will make all manner of ignoble foes. From demonic raiders to all manner of cutthroat. This is how you will always be ready for them.
«Tathlin rises slightly into the air and summons his sword and shield.»
$player: Interesting. Did you just conjure those with a spell?
Tathlin: I'm no mage; but we commission enchanted equipment for recruits who prove themselves to have the right mettle for our training.
Tathlin: This enchantment is bonded to the armor's owner, summoning their sword and shield back to their hands as quickly as thinking about it.
Tathlin: Each kingdom will provide its own summoning trinket when recognizing a knight as worthy of their martial and magical disciplines.
Tathlin: As part of this training program, you can have a similar enchanted piece fitted into your armor, but I hope you will understand my need to test your mettle as if you were Pria.
Tathlin: Here in Rennd, our knights rely more on martial might than direct applications of magic, preferring to supplement our technique with enchanted gear.
Tathlin: That keeps our enchanters rather busy, and our court wizards, though renowned, are not friends of this program. Thus I make sure to test each prospective knight's character.
$player: I understand. You can't have just anyone wearing the symbols of the training program, and enchantment isn't easy. Is there anything I should know about those wizards?
Tathlin: Only that nobility of blood and deed are very different things. The highborn spend fortunes on establishing their magically talented heirs. It makes them a pushy kind of ambitious.
$player: Yikes. So that's how they cope with not getting to impose their children on knightly orders. So, how am I to prove myself? Embarrassing these court wizards?
Tathlin: I must insist that you take them seriously and do no such thing. Not without my supervision. No, I happen to have a quest that should serve as a test of your skill and mettle.
$player: What is it?
Tathlin: Earlier today, my knights rescued one of these magi after he was abducted by Demon Knights. At the time, my Pria Knights focused on the rescue operation and retreated.
Tathlin: Avar, an enchanter, was apparently under some form of magical compulsion, and they had to focus on dragging him out while leaving the main enemy force behind.
Tathlin: When he came to, he revealed that he was being forced to unseal a demonic artifact of interest to Stormfallen. The Eye of the Unholy, an amulet holding demonic secrets.
Tathlin: He claims these Demon Knights don't realize their importance of this relic, but that it won't be long before they clear the fortress after his efforts.
Tathlin: I know well the treachery of Demon Knights, but this is all very odd. However, it is true that only a small force was left behind. And if they're still trying to unearth the Eye...
Tathlin: ...Then this is a perfect opportunity for you. Eliminate the stragglers, and secure the artifact. We could gain insight into our enemy and keep it out of... other suspicious hands.
To Arms!
«Scene: A volcanic landscape.»
(thinking) $player: Tathlin is right, this is very suspicious. I can see how a small force could sneak around here with good timing, but why would an important artifact be here?
$player: (thinking) Still, while Avar coming out here in the first place is suspicious, kidnapping and forcing him to unseal some lost artifact is ruthless. I must be careful.
(Four battles, healing every two)
«In the distance, a black-colored building can be seen.»
$player: That must be the place!
(Two battles, full heal)
«In front of the building stands Lord Urgoth.»
Lord Urgoth: It seems the remnants of these traitors are being dispatched already. And by a trainee, at that? It seems I will bring the Queen the Eye *and* interesting news.
(Two battles against Demon Knights, full heal)
«You arrive at the entrance to the building. The Eye is on the ground beside the entrance.»
(thinking) $player: That must be the Eye. It looks like I caught them right as they dug it up.
Take the Eye!
«The Lord Urgoth appears after you take the Eye.»
Lord Urgoth: I'll be taking the Eye of Soth, if you don't mind. My Queen demands its recovery.
Not a chance!
BOSS BATTLE: Lord Urgoth
Full Heal
Lord Urgoth: You are talented, for such a novice knight. I'm not too arrogant to recognize a promising outsider. Your talent would be wasted serving Rennd.
Lord Urgoth: What possible use do you have for the Eye anyway, hm? Do you even know what it is, or are you just following orders?
I intend to keep it out of your hands!
Lord Urgoth: They haven't quite made a knight out of you yet, then. Or even your leaders don't realize what they're doing. Well, I shan't make their job easier. We'll meet again.
I intend to find the truth about it!
Lord Urgoth: Hah! That would be a first! You're definitely not of Pria yet, young knight. They've proven as dishonest as ever. Or perhaps you're just what they need to accept the truth.
Lord Urgoth: Though I would prefer you made a different choice... Well, I shan't make your leaders' job any easier, but I'll admit defeat and take my leave. We'll meet again.
«Urgoth leaves.»
...I'm surrounded. Fine.
Lord Urgoth: A surprisingly reasonable response. You ARE surrounded, and I doubt you could best me so soundly that I'd call off my Knights.
Lord Urgoth: Whether or not you meant to, you have paid Stormfallen a great service. I'd even dare to say you still served Rennd well, but none of you would believe me.
Lord Urgoth: Perhaps one day you will tire of the high and mighty warmongers you call knights.
Lord Urgoth: If you ever do, travel to Stormfallen alone. Tell any who would stop you that you cross by leave of Lord Urgoth.
Lord Urgoth: They will let you through or suffer my wrath. Regardless, we'll meet again.
«Scene fades. New Scene: You have returned to Rennd.»
If the artifact was recovered:
Tathlin: Excellent work, $player! You've secured the artifact and performed feats ANY knight would call impressive. Now, you say this Urgoth called it the Eye of Soth?
Tathlin: Curious. I'll have this artifact hidden for now and reach out to my contacts to find someone to uncover its secrets. This discrepancy about the name suggests a need for secrecy.
Tathlin: I'll let you know as soon as we find anything; you deserve to be kept up to date after your part in this. For now, you have more than earned your summoned armaments!
If the artifact was relinquished:
Tathlin: I apologize, $player. I misjudged the nature of this mission terribly, and did not expect you to be met with such a strange situation.
Tathlin: Now, you say this Urgoth called it the Eye of Soth... Curious. I'll have this affair hidden for now and reach out to someone other than Avar so they can look into this.
Tathlin: Now, even if you couldn't retrieve the artifact, you had to face several full-fledged Demon Knights in close quarters. That alone means you have more than earned your reward.
Congratulations! You are now a Level 1 Knight and have learned a new skill as a result of your training!
Knight Level 1
Tathlin: Now that you can manifest a shield and sword, we should begin your shield training.
Tathlin: Remember: A shield to defend the helpless, and a sword to strike back at evil.
Tathlin: Keep these principles in mind. These are not tools of ambition or tyranny. Now, are you ready for more training?
I'm ready!
I need more time to think about this. - Returns to Knight menu
Tathlin: Excellent! Take a moment to check your gear. We'll proceed when you're ready.
«Knight - Basic Training shop opens.»
$player: Sir Tathlin, before we start, there was something I wanted to ask you about the Demon Knights.
Tathlin: I've been dealing with them since inheriting my father's position, so you've come to the right man. What do you want to know about those brigands?
$player: I was just hoping you could tell me more about them. All I knew about them before facing them was stories, and something doesn't add up.
Tathlin: Much about the Demon Knights and their treachery is beyond sense. What do you have in mind?
$player: Well, there's this Urgoth we talked about. He was very calm, and didn't seem to mind that I'd just defeated his own people. I'm pretty sure he was there to beat them himself.
Tathlin: Infighting among the Demon Knights? I know they have violent ways to display power and status, but this is new. It could present an opportunity.
$player: It's not just infighting. He said Tyranna demanded the artifact's recovery. That makes it sound more like it was stolen than like it was being dug up. I know they're the enemy--
Tathlin: Let me make something very clear, $player.
«Scene shows a fight between a Pria Knight and a Demon Knight. The Demon Knight Shield Bashes the Pria Knight and flees.»
Tathlin: I'm sure the stories get wilder the further they spread from our borders, but I have never known Demon Knights to be anything less than vicious backstabbers.
Tathlin: My predecessors once spoke of exceptions, but every time I have met them on the field, I've clashed with nothing but honorless mongrels willing to brutally trample the fallen.
«The Demon Knight re-enters upon a Salamander, which then breathes fire, defeating the Pria Knight. Scene returns to reality.»
Tathlin: I've seen them raze farmlands after raiding for grain. I've stood in the ashes of the sick tents they ambushed. I've personally dug the victims from burnt homes, including MINE!
$player: ... I'm sorry if I made it sound like I doubted your pain.
Tathlin: ...No, no, forgive me. You're just trying to understand, and I couldn't ask you to take my word for it. But after seeing their crimson banners push our people back for years?
Tathlin: My heartfelt answer to the idea that Demon Knights are turning upon each other is: *Good.* If, by some miracle, a powerful Stormfallen noble is looking to rein this bloodshed in?
Tathlin: Then I'll happily break bread with them after I've crushed the bloodthirsty legions that make up the majority of their allies, and ended their Queen's arrogant silence.
$player: I don't mean to try to sway you either. I'll never stand by that kind of monstrous legion. It's just that all I've ever heard was tales of the bloodthirsty legions, and now we met...
Tathlin: ...Nothing short of a Demon Lord with more moderate tendencies, yes. I... Hm. A Lord of Stormfallen is bound to have command of certain forces, if not a legion of their own.
Tathlin: Listen, $player... I don't mean to sound as if I think all of the *people* of Stormfallen are nothing but monsters. It's just that, if anything, this makes things worse!
Tathlin: It makes it seem as if Tyranna does have SOME forces that carry themselves like Knights, but exclusively fields the most unhinged warlords against Rennd.
Tathlin: The Monster King ruled over good people, and he had many great knights, but he bent them all to terrible purposes. Perhaps Stormfallen will have such a revolution one day.
Tathlin: If that ever happens, I would demand that we welcome them with open arms as we did Alteon's reformed Greenguard. However, Rennd is in a state of emergency from this war.
Tathlin: So I can't afford to simply hold out hope. I must crush the Demon Knights for everything they're done. This is not just about war, but not allowing such terrible impunity.
Tathlin: At any rate, I've said enough for now. It's time for your next training session. I have prepared an attrition trial for you. You will fight two enemies in a row several times.
Tathlin: You must defeat at least three pairs without being left too battered at the end of each. We'll test how well you can handle being attacked before you can rest. Prepare yourself!
Fight!2 BATTLES
Full Heal
«If you are left with less than 33% of your total HP at the end of two battles:»
Tathlin: You need to focus more on protecting yourself and conserving your strength. Try again.
«If you have at least 33% of your total HP at the end of two battles:»
Tathlin: Excellent work!
Tathlin: Keep working, you're making progress.
«You get +1 point.»
«You repeat the above battles till you get three (3) points. Once you get 3 points:»
Tathlin: Excellent work!
«You enter.»
Tathlin: That's good! You're ready for the final test.
Tathlin: It's time to test your defensive prowess against me.Catch your breath, and I'll evaluate what you've learned.
BOSS BATTLE: Sir Tathlin
Full Heal
Tathlin: Good work. You've earned a rest, and I believe we've both learned something today.
Congratulations! You are now a Level 2 Knight and have learned a new skill as a result of your training!
Knight Level 2
Tathlin: Your shield training is almost a formality at this point; you're taking to our defensive techniques very well. Still, it's important to keep up practice to keep a fast shield arm.
Tathlin: Next up, we'll be practicing how to use your shield to throw your opponents out of balance. A well timed shield bash could even knock your foes on their backs.
Tathlin: Are you ready to practice your Shield Bash skills?
I'm ready!
I need more time to think about this. - Returns to Knight menu
Tathlin: Excellent! Take a moment to check your gear before we begin.
«Knight - Basic Training shop opens.»
$player: Sir Tathlin, there's something else I wanted to ask about earlier.
Tathlin: About the Demon Knight scourge, you mean? Go ahead. We have some time. And again, my apologies for how heated I got. An unchecked temper is unbecoming of a knight.
$player: It's nothing to apologize for. With everything you've lost, it's understandable. It's just that war is very different where I usually work. We're attacked a lot, but...
$player: I'm not used to the idea of a whole nation on the other side. I'd like to understand how this all started, and how it could be resolved.
Tathlin: Wouldn't we all... But it's only fair to tell you after getting you involved. Alright, let's talk on the way. This all happened before my time, but as history goes...
«Flashback: Rennd in the past»
Tathlin: It began during one of Rennd's brightest years. King Alexander was young, and had recently widowed, but even in his darkest moment, he sought a new light for the kingdom.
Tathlin: Instead of taking the traditional grieving retreat, he worked hard to pursue the kingdom's prosperity. With the desert to buffer us from Greenguard, he turned away from wars.
Tathlin: Pouring the kingdom's coffers into the health, sustenance, and safety of its people, not the lavish whims of the nobility. That was our finest time. Until the land opened.
«A portal opens in the fields of Rennd. Tyranna is ejected.»
Tathlin: They say that Tyranna escaped from Heck as if the very realm of demons spat her out. There was panic at the time, but it tempered into curiosity when nothing else came out.
Tathlin: The demoness claimed no hostility, and asked for but a word with our leaders. Envoys of the King and the court with her. After their meetings, she seemed to leave in peace.
«Scene changes. Tyranna has arrived at and built Stormfallen.»
Tathlin: As portals warped the land and Tyranna built the Stormfallen castle, Pria watched. More of her kind followed, pushing out its walls until it became a fiefdom.
Tathlin: As walls became borders, and the fiefdom a kingdom, Pria watched. As she raised forces and even humans flocked behind her border, we were only allowed to watch.
Tathlin: Year by year, the demonic army expanded the border of Stormfallen. At first, the smaller communities fell in line, accepting deals for protection from the horrors of the Far West.
«Scene shows Rennd's castle in flames. Demon Knights watch from afar.»
Tathlin: And then it was Rennd's turn. When Demon Knights escalated to violent conquest, we stepped in. The retaliation was vicious, and made it as far as the capital once.
Tathlin: Whatever demands of hers were denied on that fateful day, she held a grudge. Her forces swelled, and those craven Demon Knights stood at the front lines of that resentment.
Tathlin: There was no attempt at diplomacy. No warning, no messages. One day, their borders seemed settled, and outposts were built. The next, those bloodied banners marched.
Tathlin: A legion so bent on brutal conquest that the fact that we'd protect weaker communities from them was taken as the deepest offense.
Tathlin: That is the kind of enemy we're dealing with. Brutes who were willing to throw lives away on suicidal attacks through our lines just to light a burning path to the castle.
Tathlin: While we are not in an all out war at the moment, this is no truce. We take what skirmishes we must, as we each recover and prepare for the day we can wipe them out.
«Flashback ends.»
Tathlin: This brutality has lasted for decades now. It was well underway when my father fell and I was chosen to take his position. It has not wavered since.
Tathlin: So while I do not doubt your account of Urgoth, I trust you understand my perspective. I would need more than one exception to a pattern this long to expect peace.
$player: ...This is such a terrible situation.
Tathlin: Be prepared for many of those if you complete your training, $player. It's a knight's burden to safeguard the innocent from such horrors, and a knight's glory to end them.
$player: I can see how decades of war without the slightest common ground make peace seem like it'll only come at bladepoint. I wish there was an alternative, but it doesn't look like it.
Tathlin: Hold on to that wish. That piece of wisdom is the grindstone a knight's mettle is sharpened upon.
Tathlin: A sword is a lethal weapon, and you must be ready to wield it as such, but never lightly. You must strive for the wisdom to decide quickly, firmly, but knowing full well what you do.
Tathlin: It is a grim thing to ponder, but perhaps we have shed enough foul blood that sparing foes like this Urgoth will make them the exception and not the rule. One day.
Tathlin: Until then: A shield to defend the helpless, a sword to strike back against evil. We will stop the demons, but we must first find a way to throw them off balance. On that note.
$player: That's enough story time for now, then?
Tathlin: Indeed, my friend. Now, a shield bash isn't as simple as just smacking your foe. You could knock your foe silly with a buckler, but kite and heater shields are more cumbersome.
Tathlin: And then there are our enchanted shields, which are a little heavier. You will have to practice a variety of ways to unbalance your foe with them.
Tathlin: For instance, you could put your weight into leaning into an attack to stun your foe while they're still swinging. You could also surprise them by hitting them with the rim.
Tathlin: There are many techniques, but one thing is important to all of them: The ability to maintain a strong grip on your shield and a firm but ready arm stance throughout long bouts.
Tathlin: I will test your arm strength at the end of several duels. To build that strength, I'll require you to wield this shield.
$player: That's... That's just a big rock.
Tathlin: A knight must adapt to unexpected circumstances! Let's begin!
«You are equipped with the Rock Shield and remain unable to change shields in the battles that follow.»
2 BATTLES
Shield Bash
Have you mastered the heavy weight of this rock shield, or do you need more practice?
Difficulty: 76
Stat Used: Strength
«If you fail the roll in any way, you get a Full Heal and the following dialogue.»
Tathlin: You're not quite there yet. Rest up, then start again. You can do this!
«Repeat 2 BATTLES above and then the roll. Roll difficulty is reduced by five (5) each time you fail the roll. Failing the roll five (5) times forces you to restart the quest.»
«If you succeed the roll in any way, you get a Full Heal and the Rock Shield is unequipped. You gain access to the skill - Shield Bash - on your Knight Class skill set.»
Tathlin: Excellent work! A lesser trainee would have a limp arm at this point. Or a couple of dislocated joints. You must have had some impressive experience before coming here!
Tathlin: Now, enough exercise. Show me what you've learned!
1 BATTLE: Sir Tathlin
Full Heal
Tathlin: Good work today. You've earned a rest.
Congratulations! You are now a Level 3 Knight and have learned a new skill as a result of your training!
Level 3
Knight Level 3
Tathlin: I've met very few trainees who take to our techniques as quickly as you, $player. In fact, at the rate I keep having to shift you to more advanced training partners...
Tathlin: ...You're measuring up to some of the best in my order's history. That's no small feat! Pria prides itself on being the eldest surviving knightly order, and training smaller ones.
Tathlin: That's what our name means: To be first among knights, and prepare the next generation to be even better. And as you're proving to be just that, it's time for a new lesson.
I'm ready!
I need more time to think about this. - Returns to Knight menu
Tathlin: Excellent! Take a moment to check your gear before we begin.
«Knight - Basic Training shop opens.»
$player: While we get ready, I have another question. You mentioned that Stormfallen stopped expanding peacefully and very suddenly turned to war. How did you stop them?
Tathlin: We couldn't, at first. It's hard to admit, but Rennd's forces couldn't save everyone we set out to protect. We meant to not let the savage legion advance a single step further.
Tathlin: Their surprise attack on the capital was doomed from the start, but caused enough damage to hurt morale. We began losing ground until our allies intervened.
$player: Granemor and Deren, right?
Tathlin: Yes. Deren responded first, sending the Frogzard Knights to reinforce us while King Tralin tried to reason with Stormfallen. A moot endeavor, but I can't blame him for trying.
Tathlin: We have a little time, so I can tell you about the Frogzard Knights.
«Scene shows a Frogzard Knight in front of the capital of Deren.»
Tathlin: Deren is a kingdom in the island-continent of the same name, across the Egrian Ocean. It's ruled by King Tralin, known for his magical knowledge and commitment to peace.
Tathlin: It's an eclectic land, as they slowly integrate disparate human and Drakel cultures.
Tathlin: Drakel cities have very advanced technology, but lack the resources to maintain it, while humans have covered more natural resources but lost whole cities to the Network.
Tathlin: Their Frogzard Knights have been mocked for their mounts and name, but they exemplify the adaptability of a united people. They field elite, flexible, sharp-minded squads.
Tathlin: Their excellent ability to adapt to changing conditions let them carry out many surgical strikes, giving us time to push the front line back to beyond our protected communities.
«Scene returns to the present.»
Tathlin: However, it wasn't just their precise strikes that made his order so effective. Deren only sent the Knights, they didn't field a whole army for a full scale intervention.
Tathlin: What kept those elite squads alive was their ability to adjust when missions did NOT go their way. They excelled at forcing enemies to fight on their terms to wear them down.
Tathlin: Which takes us to the next technique you will learn. The leader of the Frogzard Knights, Sir Cerin himself, suggested it for our curriculum.
Tathlin: You will need to learn to bait your enemy into committing too much energy into attacks while conserving your own. In war, this could buy you time to retreat. In a duel...
$player: ...The time for a deadly strike.
Tathlin: Exactly. Patience and adaptability will let you find an opening, and the more you've worn your foe down, the more effective your retaliation will be.
Tathlin: You'll need to work on your endurance to outlast your foes and have a chance to execute the Blade of Retaliation. Prepare yourself!
2 BATTLES
Blade of Retaliation
Has your endurance reached acceptable levels, or do you need more practice?
Difficulty: 51
Stat Used: Endurance
«If you fail the roll in any way, you get a Full Heal and the following dialogue.»
Tathlin: You're not quite there yet. You need to *endure* the attrition or conserve as much stamina as you can get away with at the end of the battle.
«Repeat 2 BATTLES as above.»
«If you succeed the roll in any way, you get a Full Heal. You gain access to the skill - Blade of Retaliation - on your Knight Class skill set.»
Tathlin: Excellent work! You're getting the gist of it.
Tathlin: You've learned how to save your strength for a decisive strike after facing multiple foes. Now show me how you would wield it against a strong opponent!
1 BATTLE: Sir Tathlin
Full Heal
Tathlin: Remarkable. I'm certain Sir Cerin would be impressed by your progress. Go ahead and rest for now. I'm eager to see your continued progress.
Congratulations! You are now a Level 4 Knight and have learned a new skill as a result of your training!
Knight Level 4
Tathlin: $player! It's good to see you, but we'll have to postpone today's training. An urgent situation requires my full attention. I'm on my way to scramble teams of Pria Knights to...
Tathlin: ...Actually, come along. I believe I can trust you with this matter, and you may have a particular advantage for this mission.
Tathlin: An 'Emoran Knight known as Alric has gone missing in very strange circumstances. I just received a report that a band of Demon Knights likely abducted them.
I'm ready!
I need more time to think about this. - Returns to Knight menu
Tathlin: Excellent! Take a moment to check your gear before we head out.
«Knight - Basic Training shop opens.»
$player: So one of Granemor's knights has gone missing? What do their companions report?
Tathlin: That's where the oddity begins. This specific 'Emoran Knight was here as a consultant to the court regarding Granemor's magical developments, not as a combatant.
Tathlin: Shortly after your clash with Urgoth, Alric suddenly redeployed to lead a scouting force in the area and has not been seen since. Instead, I just got a report from our own scouts.
Tathlin: They found a single fleeing survivor from Alric's ruined camp. They were ambushed. We confirmed that everyone else but Alric was slain, while they remain missing.
Tathlin: Taking prisoners is not a common tactic for these barbarians, so I fear they may have sniffed out some information and intend to torture our ally for the rest of it.
$player: We can't let that happen! How can I help?
Tathlin: I'll do my best to organize stealthy search parties, but the area you explored is very open, they could flee or kill Alric if they spot us. I want you to scout it out ahead of us.
Tathlin: If you find Alric, get help if you can or intervene if you must. If you do... In order to get them out, you'll need to understand 'Emoran Knights and how to fight beside them.
«Scene: An 'Emoran Knight stands in front of Granemor.»
Tathlin: Granemor is a young city-state, but their help has been a vital part of our war effort for a simple reason: They specialize in withstanding onslaughts from brutal beasts.
Tathlin: As an order, the 'Emoran Knights are the cream of the crop among veteran soldiers with years of service in the defense of Granemor from the hordes of No Man's Land.
Tathlin: Do not be unnerved by their menacing powers. Years of fighting against dark forces have granted them enough of an understanding of such powers to develop their own.
Tathlin: However, they don't indulge as our fiendish enemies do, and it's not through martial might alone that soldiers rise to knighthood to be taught these dangerous magics.
Tathlin: It's the heart of a defender that makes an 'Emoran Knight. The will to stand by your brothers and sisters until the bitter end, to trust them with your life and be worthy of theirs.
«Scene returns to the present.»
Tathlin: So when an 'Emoran Knight weaves dark powers into their strikes, you have no reason to fear. We don't ask that you trust it blindly, of course. We had our own... curiosity.
Tathlin: However, their heroism in battle has proven to us that their power is well-earned and wielded with restraint. They would not be trusted near the Seat of Arcana otherwise.
Tathlin: Of course, this isn't about what privileged information Alric may have gleaned. Rennd has signed a pact of mutual protection with Granemor and Deren. We are brethren.
Tathlin: As such, we cannot let Alric suffer this fate. Now, we know Alric to have put up a fight and littered the camp with fallen raiders, so I expect it took several to subdue them.
$player: That means they'll probably need to hide somewhere and rest in shifts while someone keeps an eye on Alric. I will do my best to bring our 'Emoran ally back alive.
Tathlin: Be careful. Don't attack by yourself unless there are very few enemies or you're certain there's no other option. We do not need to lose two strong knights in one day.
«Scene: A volcanic landscape.»
(thinking) $player: There aren't many places here where a squad that took heavy losses could hide with a captured target.
(thinking) $player: It's a different story further ahead, though. There's no way they hid very close to here... But I think I see tracks going from cover to cover.
(thinking) $player: They could be moving between rests! That'd mean they were too hurt to get all the way back to reinforcements in one trip! I have time to catch up to them!
«You begin navigating around the area in search of the remains of the war party. Click on the arrows to maneuver yourself around. For each room (even if revisited), you will encounter 1 BATTLE. You are allotted 5 Rests to fully restore HP and MP.»
«After finding the Demons:»
Demon Knight: TO ARMS! We've been discovered!
«If you had chosen to give the Eye of Soth to Urgoth previously...»
$player: (Let's see if they buy this...) Stay your weapons! I cross by leave of Lord Urgoth!
Demon Knight: ... Did you say Urgoth? Blasted Obsidian Legion. What a bizarre obsession with making pets of Rennd's defectors.
$player: You heard me. And you know what he'll do to you if you stop me.
Demon Knight: We can't afford to get on his bad side, especially since he "found" the Eye of Soth. But if you pass through here, Pria will follow you and find us. We lose either way.
$player: Well, you made a mess of capturing that 'Emoran Knight. As long as you have a prisoner, Pria will give chase. If you kill Alric, they won't stop. Let me handle them.
«If you did not give the Eye of Soth to Urgoth previously...»
2 BATTLES: Demon Knight
Full Heal
2 BATTLES: Demon Knight
Full Heal
$player: You're too battered to face a frogzard, let alone an actual knight. I'm taking your prisoner. Step aside or I'll take your heads as well.
Demon Knight: Fool. You don't know what's going on. No wonder Urgoth was soft on you. You'd be right at home with his pompous legion, ignorantly waving a black banner around.
Demon Knight: We don't have a prisoner. Not anymore. See, 'Emoran Knights have such interesting magic. A lot like pact magic, but bringing out a sort of inner darkness instead...
«The 'Emoran Knight, now corrupted by demonic power, enters.»
Demon Knight: We were so curious about this that we decided to show them what other pacts can be forged in our homeland. We... encouraged them to make one to survive.
Demon Knight: Unfortunately, only one of them took our *polite suggestion*. We were taking them back as proof, but it seems they're in over their heads already.
Demon Knight: We might have been too... encouraging, and they made a pact with something much more violent and possessive than they can handle.
Demon Knight: Well, if at first you don't succeed... Leave a mortal to deal with it, then try and try again.
«They leave.»
1 BATTLE: Corrupted 'Emoran Knight
New Description: Tortured into accepting a demonic pact, this 'Emoran Knight is overwhelmed by the power of an aggressive entity!
Full Heal
«Scene: Rennd.»
Tathlin: This... This is horrifying! Beaten into accepting a demonic pact, and then driven insane by it! ...Too far. Even for such brutish hordes, this is too far! We can't abide by this!
Tathlin: To think Pria wished for peace, when first we saw those gates rise... And how are we repaid? This! Torture! Corrupting our allies! A rampant throng of armored BEASTS!
Tathlin: ... I should burn every last crimson banner and scatter them-- ... I... I apologize. Alric... It's unlikely they'll recover, but our friends will do their best. As for your heroism...
Tathlin: It's plain that you need no more simple training. In fact, you have attracted the attention of the Seat of Arcana - The circle of wizards attached to King Alexander's court.
Tathlin: They like to lure rising star knights to their own guards. For all my complaining, though, that they'd send envoys to your graduation is proof of your prominence! Are you ready?
Congratulations! You are now a Level 5 Knight and have learned a new skill as a result of your training!
New story by Lorekeeper.
< Message edited by Lorekeeper -- 4/13/2024 10:59:46 >
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