Marissa J. Calderon
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"I think you know my bestest cousin ever? His name is Rayl!"
Posts: 12
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Post by Marissa J. Calderon on Aug 25, 2010 18:38:53 GMT -6
Marissa had forgotten how hot the southern part of the continent could get; the years she had spent in Ilia and traveling through the northern parts of the continent had thickened her blood and it was causing her to sweat through her armor. She turned to Salina who was flying her pegasus just a breadth behind her own and shouted, "The second we land, I'm stripping out of this bloody uncomfortable armor!" Salina laughed as Marissa shot her back a mischievous grin.
The two had been flying for a couple of days now, having started out in Ilia, they had been sent to seek out and join the ranks of a certain Lance-Captain Daviau. This was to be their first assignment as they had both been knighted not but a week ago, and Marissa was looking forward to finally getting a chance to test her new-found skills in real combat.
She was also starting to get used to flying a pegasus. She had bought her mount Artemis immediately after meeting Salina and while initially she had been awkward at best while flying on her, the two were starting to get used to each other. Artemis seemed to share Marissa's fun-loving spirit and she was starting to grow rather fond of her.
It started to rain, at least temporarily relieving Marissa of her discomfort, but all the same she figured that it would probably be best to land soon in case a storm followed the rainclouds. She was about to turn and explain this to Salina, when in the distance she saw a fort stretched out in the horizon and what looked like Ilian flags flying. "This could be it," she shouted back.
As they got closer Marissa saw what looked like two groups of forces tensely standing off at the entrance of a camp, one group was flying Ilian flags, the other looked to be Etrurian, though it was impossible to be sure from this distance. They weren't fighting, but it appeared as though the two commanders were conversing. "I wonder what's going on down there?" Marissa shouted, trying to be heard over the pattering of the rain. "I bet those Ilian troops could tell where Captain Daviau is though, so we should probably go help if we can."
Before they got there though the stand off seemed to resolve itself, as both sides relaxed and the Ilians started to head towards the camp near the fort. The two commanders walked together and were joined by a boy and a pegasus knight and the four conversed for a while. Walking through the camp was a strangely familiar horse being led by a woman and a regal looking man wearing heroic looking armor. What a beautiful horse, she thought to herself, that must be an important man. He could be useful...
She waved a hand to signal to Salina to descend, then patted Artemis on the neck and began to swoop down. Artemis began to sink in the sky, and soaring just over the heads of the regal knight and his lady, Marissa guided her pegasus gently down onto the ground just in front of the group of four she had spotted earlier. She eased herself gracefully out of the saddle and leaped to the ground, parting her hair out of her face.
Turning to the blue-clad knight (who turned out to be a lady), she cleared her throat and said, "Pardon my intrusion ma'am, but I wonder if you can tell me...do you know the whereabouts of a Captain Daviau?"
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Evayl
The "Before" years
[M:0]
You're gonna need my help!
Posts: 56
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Post by Evayl on Aug 25, 2010 20:37:32 GMT -6
OOC: Credit to the song goes to Balthier/Gabbiano. Like, 100%. IC: The battle was over, and Evayl felt relieved. But she felt a bit more than that. It was strange. It was like her chest was heaving, but...was it pride? Yes. Evayl didn't know why she was proud, or anything like that, but she was. The urge overcoming her, Evayl left her spot and got on her borrowed horse. She arrived in the battlefield, or what remained of it. The fort. It had only been such a short time, but Evayl's memories of the place were bitter and unpleasant. But here it stood, conquered. Yes. This is what had caused her pride. It was raining, but that did little to dampen her spirits. Evayl was a singer, a performer, and she hadn't done either in such a long time. The battle was over, and now was as good a time as ever. She looked around and saw several people nearby. Evayl reached into her bag and felt relieved when her fingers brushed against her lute. It had not broken when the rider had thrown her from the wyvern, thankfully. She took it out and plucked at its strings. Evayl gave her horse a stroke, feeling angry that Mely was not in its place. But she flushed the resentment out and cleared her throat. "As the great knight drapes his final glare, The road we’ve gone was all but fair. As advance we do, to clear the day, Brings joy to all in many ways. The nightmare fought, and killed today, Brings hope to all, not a cloud of grey A clear blue sky, a cheery thought And all’s not lost, in fact we’ve brought Life to this place, one more time Who’s dead, not all, but the slime Ariston can’t seize the day, It’s up to us, no clouds of grey. Everything that’s been done here, Gives credit to all, a sight of cheer. And now as we leave, we must part ways And then begin another day."
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Aug 25, 2010 20:53:33 GMT -6
Marle's unit began to set up their tents quickly. it was obvious that many wanted out of the rain, but some welcomed it. They were like her, roasting in this southern land in their armor, and welcomed the rain much as Marle did. After awhile, Marle too, would grow tired of being soaked, and it added weight to her already heavy armor as it would catch in the protective padding. As everyone had now agreed to go inside, Marle gave one more smirk to Clair, and nodded. She had indeed done it, becoming a knight.
Just as Marle was about to be off with Richter, Mavick and Clair, she was stopped by the Pegasus Knight, who was asking for...her.. Marle was a little caught off guard by the question, but she smiled and gave a chuckle.
"You lot go on ahead, I'll come find you when I am done here.."
She spoke loud enough for Richter and his party to hear, and then turned her attention back onto Marissa, rubbing at her forehead s her hair was now rather soaked.
"I am She. You weren't part of my force...so I take it you came from Ilia. Is there something I can help you with?"
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Post by Richter Abend on Aug 25, 2010 23:13:34 GMT -6
Richter nodded to Marle and headed inside the fort, wringing the water out of his hair as he entered. The fort had high ceilings and a dirt floor, so he saw nothing wrong with starting up a fire. The Ilian unfastened his armor and placed it on a nearby crate. It was nice to have the heavier metal plating off of him, considering how sopping wet and bloody his clothes were. Richter motioned to one of his soldiers.
"Get me some wood. I'm going to get a fire going," he ordered. The soldier saluted and went of looking for lumber. Sitting down on a barrel, the rebel commander turned to his tactician.
"So, Mavick" he started, "being our grand tactician and all, what were your thoughts on the battle? Any questions, comments, or concerns?"
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Post by Guinevere von Altenburg on Aug 25, 2010 23:30:10 GMT -6
Guinevere smiled as Rayl lead her back to his tent. He was such a gentleman, leading her back with his arm around her like this. Plus, he had assured her the Commander wouldn't mind her leaving with him. It seemed like this kept getting better and better. If you had told her a month ago she'd be riding off with the famous Sir Rayl, she'd have called you crazy. But here it was, close to happening. Like a fairytale.
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Marissa J. Calderon
The "Before" years
[M:0]
"I think you know my bestest cousin ever? His name is Rayl!"
Posts: 12
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Post by Marissa J. Calderon on Aug 26, 2010 15:46:54 GMT -6
Marissa snapped to attention, slapping her fist against her chest in a traditional salute. She had pictured several different theories of what Captain Daviau might have looked like, but she had to admit to being caught off guard. "Well they told me what a peerless warrior you were, but they failed to mention how cute you were. Sorry, is that unprofessional? Captain! Pegasus Knight Marissa J. Calderon reporting for duty ma'am! I've been assigned to your squad effective immediately, I'm under your command now gorgeous." She said this flashing a genuinely friendly and mildly flirtatious smile. I think I'm going to like it here, she thought to herself.
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Mavick
Seer
Little Strategist
"The Darkness... It consumes me."
Posts: 208
Etruria Fame: -2
Sacae Fame: 1
Affinity: Dark
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Post by Mavick on Aug 26, 2010 23:57:51 GMT -6
Mavick shed his damp robe. What he wore under wasn't anything extravagant. It was the type of clothes one would expect any middle classed man, especially of the militant Ostia, to wear. He then took a seat on a crate. Much to his annoyance, his feet did not touch the ground.
"Well, my official report is still being written out. I've still got to organize the supplies, arrange the barracks and sick bay, take stock of the weapons, and then theres these new comers of yours I have to take into account. It's going to take all night." he lamented. "But for the most part, everything went well. The enemy was confused and, for the most part, too sick to fight. Sir Rayl's reinforcements were an added bonus. There is one thing that caught my eye, though. Some idiot with long pink hair decided to go and take on the enemy commander mano-o-mano." he commented, resting his right elbow on his leg and his head in his right hand. "Commander, I realise you had a personal vendetta against the man, and I find your willingness to charge in on the front lines to be very morale boosting, however, you are not a soldier anymore. You are a leader. And while Officer Feldsky and I can most certainly take care of the armies needs and strategies, I doubt either of us can imitate your charisma. No matter how brilliant my strategies may be, if our men are demoralized, it won't work." he explained. "In other words, do it again and I'll castrate you with Elder Magic. And Elder magic does not cut. It compressed and explodes." he warned with a wry smile. "So, whats the situation with the Illians? Are they allies, or enemies?"
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Marle Daviau
General
The Lance of the North
One word of encouragement, One person believing in me, It's all I need to become stronger.
Posts: 436
Illia Fame: 2
Affinity: Ice
OoC Alias: Marle
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Post by Marle Daviau on Aug 27, 2010 10:08:34 GMT -6
The salute was a little unnecessary during this rain, but Marle still understood why it was done. She was like that when she was still a recruit. At the mention of being cute, Marle's first response to the...complement, was to raise her eyebrow questioningly, figuring it to be some sort of joke. Because of this, she allowed the compliment to slide, until being called 'Gorgeous.' Marle couldn't help a flustered blush, but she kept herself punctual, but was...unsteady?
"Ah, well, Marissa, was it? It's good to have you with us. Please, go set up with the rest of the soldiers for camp, then...I have matters that need to be discussed here, we can talk more at length when I am done meeting with the commander here."
Nodding her head to the Pegasus Knight, she offered a friendly smile, and began to walk away towards where the rest were holed up. After walking a few paces, she was about to look over her shoulder, but decided not to, and began to lightly rub her forehead.
She's rather free with her words...
She had to ask around the fort a few times to figure out exactly what room Richter had gone into. Without personal escort, she walked into the room, catching only the few last words of Mavick before she rounded into the room, and looked rather surprised upon entering.
"There would be nothing to gain with the lot of you dead, being if my forces could win."
Marle gave a rather flat look to Mavick. He was like Arthis in so many ways she guessed, except about two feet too short. Slowly, she began to remove her heavy, waterlogged armor, and slump it down on a chair. The dirt floor did no justice for her wet boots, so she wanted to keep it free of the dirt. Her size substantially shrunk with the armor off. Stretching out her arms until her shoulders popped, she relaxed fully now.
"There would also be no gain in killing a family member. That would be a grievous sin indeed."
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Post by Richter Abend on Aug 27, 2010 10:21:54 GMT -6
"Exactly," answered Richter with a quick response. "There's no need to fret, Captain Daviau and I are cousins. We known each other since we were children. As important as duty is in Ilia, family is more so." Besides, he couldn't imagine that his stalwart cousin Marle, steadfast and honest ever since she was just a little girl running around with a bigger man's weapon, would be part of some elaborate scheme of deception to kill their company of rebel Etrurians. If that was the case, however, and Marle was placing her duty above his life, then Richter would not hesitate to do the same.
"As for your other concerns, I'm quite aware of my duties as company commander, Mavick," continued Richter coolly, "and though I may have been a bit rash today, I won't make any promises about staying out of battle, at least not completely." The commander leaned back on his sitting barrel and crossed his arms. "Besides, you can't deny, I was the most effective of our soldiers on the battlefield today. One who would not be so easily castrated." Richter raised an eyebrow, waiting for retort. He knew Mavick had the army in his best interests, if maybe for the wrong reasons, but while Richter may be a leader now, he would always be mercenary.
Mavick did make a good point, though. Now that people actually cared if he lived or died, Richter could no longer go carelessly throwing it away. Not as long as they still had a mission ahead of them.
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Mavick
Seer
Little Strategist
"The Darkness... It consumes me."
Posts: 208
Etruria Fame: -2
Sacae Fame: 1
Affinity: Dark
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Post by Mavick on Aug 27, 2010 11:49:51 GMT -6
Mavick shrugged. "No reason to be offended. Captain Abend wasn't exactly very clear on whether not you were a friend or foe." he pointed out. What, was she expecting an apology? Not on his brothers life. "And you might have a chance of winning. We just got finished with two consecutive battles, after all." he pointed out.
Mavick eyed Richter, and folded his arms over his chest. "As long as you understand the gravity of your situation. If you die, all the soldiers that died for your cause will have done so in vain. I think that's enough on your conscience to keep you from acting stupid." he replied. He then smirked. "And please. You've seen my brother. Compared to him, you're nothing I can't handle." he assured. "By the way, since you and Officer Feldsky are now at the top of our armies hierarchy, you should be outfitted appropriately. Some better armor for the both of you, a proper shield for you, some light armor for the Officers pegasus, things like that. It would certainly inspire the men. Perhaps learn about another weapon, it's always a good thing to have more than one field of expertise if you can, and you seem to have a strong enough grasp on combat to tackle a second one. Perhaps an axe, it's similar to a sword in terms of length and hacking capabilities, so it would be easier to get a good grasp of than a lance, and I really don't see you for the archery type, no offence." Mavick gave Richter a wry smile. He was obviously enjoying himself.
((I am the God of Plot! Worship me.))
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Post by Richter Abend on Aug 27, 2010 19:00:21 GMT -6
Richter chuckled quietly as Mavick so spoke. Why did it seem like the smaller one got, the more full of themselves they were? Was it some sort of personality compensation? He highly doubted Mavick would admit it, but then again that in and of itself kind of proved his point.
"Whatever you say, great tactician," replied the pink haired commander, shaking his head. "But on terms of equipment, I'd have to agree." Richter looked down at himself and his scratched, chipped armor. That, along with the dried blood, hardly presented an ideal military commander. "My armor plating is getting a bit worn. Also, next time I was thinking we could go for something a little more coverage." Richter pointed to his side. The wound was gone, but everyone remembered where the wound was. "My fighting style requires a full range of movement, so nothing as heavy as Marle's, but enough plating to keep knives out of my side."
The Ilian swordsman tugged on his beard: a sign that he had gone into thinking mode. "A shield sounds like a good idea, and if I learn how to use an axe, I'd be able to interchange my sword, an axe, or a shield depending on the situation." Richter admired versatility, but hadn't really had the time nor the resources to pick up another fighting discipline in recent years. Now that he was become more able as a fighter, learning how to use an axe shouldn't be all that difficult. The more versatile you were on the battlefield, the longer you lasted. "The versatility would give me the ability to better defend our weaker supporting units in the back." He gave Mavick a quick glance out of the corner of his eye, then looked over to Clair. "I think we should probably change our armor colors to something a little less Etrurian, don't you think?"
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Post by Salina Versailles on Aug 27, 2010 19:57:53 GMT -6
Salina flew below Marrissa in the rain, it felt good especially after being in the hot sun all day. She was tired of sweating and being uncomfortable. Marrissa had made a comment about stripping out of her armor when she landed. Salina just smiled, "Right there with you!" Eventually as they got closer Salina pulled on her Pegasus's reigns to go down. Salina landed and the dismounted with Marrissa.
Marrissa introduced herself to the person in command and then Salina came up behind her and then Salina introduced herself. "Salina Versailles reporting for duty!" Salina Also saluted with her fist across her chest and then continued after Marrissa. "Some place eh?"
OoC: Post is short because I had to catch up.
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Post by Clair Feldsky on Aug 27, 2010 20:43:16 GMT -6
Clair followed Mavick and Richter into the tent, and went about the same rituals they did, shedding the metal armor, and setting it in an out of the way corner, before finding a seat nearby. Mostly she just listened to what was being said. Mavick was right, even f she thought his way of phrasing it was... disrepectful. Richter was the center of the army. Without him they would crumble. The Commander also had a point though. He was the by far the best they had. They were a small army, and they couldn't count on recieving reinforcements, despite already having recieved aid from Lycia. Marle (who she was surprised to learn was Richter's cousin) had even offered to share what supplies they could spare, so in a way, Illia was helping too. She wondered if they could be convinced to join ranks with the Renegade Etrurians, and fight alongside.
Mavick was also right about the new armor. Her Etrurian made armor was of superb make, but she'd noticed a few things that could be better made about it. The weight, while bearable, sometimes made it feel a bit "tippy" while on Corona. It also was a bit more bulky than it should be. Maneuverability was important if she was to stay on her winged horse. It took a perfect match to get to the point where the armor no longer affected it wearer's balance. That was the ultimate goal of every pegasus knight; of every armored fighter.
Richter looked over to her. "I think we should probably change our armor colors to something a little less Etrurian, don't you think?"
"Definitely. The last thing we need is confusion on the battlefield... grey would be useful for anymore night attacks we do... As long as it's different from Etruria's white and black." Another thought crossed her mind then. "Illians often design their armor to be recognizable. It would be impractical not to have a standard uniform for a force this size, but if the different leaders in the army wore unique armor, we could rally easier."
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Marcus
Manakete
Dragon Reborn
Hell and back is a long way to go, but my journey's only begun.
Posts: 176
Profession: Wanderer
Affinity: Dark
Dragon Element: Lightning
Profile: Marcus
OoC Alias: Marc
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Post by Marcus on Aug 27, 2010 20:54:01 GMT -6
Marcus roamed the battlefield aimlessly for a bit, wondering what he could do. As he wandered the ruined fort that had served as his personal Hell for a couple of days, a familiar animal form appeared around the corner. "Hassan!," he called, dashing over to the secluded corner where his wolf-companion stood. His delusion simply growled in response and shook his head. "Hassan, where have you been? I haven't seen you since the battle began!
"Marcus, you've been very foolish lately. Just think, giving up your dragonstone, exposing yourself as a dragon, allowing yourself to be captured, killing innocents, and you almost got Richter killed! And didn't you say you were trying to hide your identity as a dragon, yet you go shouting your real name! Granted Marcus Fireheart isn't the greatest cover name ever, but Marchamut Odintounge is distinguishably dragonic! The wolf said with a snarl.
"Hassan what would you know, you're only a hallucination!" Marcus retorted. The wolf just rolled his eyes and dashed off into the fort. Marcus sighed and cased after the wolf. After frantically chasing him, the dragon finally gave up. He looked around and found himself standing in the prison. As he looked into the cell, he saw another familiar shape in the corner of the room. Reaching for the door, he found it locked. He jarred it and shook it for a few moments, until the frustration boiled over. He let loose his dragon form and smashed through the bars. Quickly transforming back, he rushed to the corner. His fears were realized as he rolled the body into his arms. His recent friend, Byron, lay in is arms dead, slain by an Etrurian spear. His anger boiled over at the Etrurians and he let a turmented yell. He let loose every curse he knew, shouting coomon curses out loud and spewing draconic curses in his head. He swore on that spot that he would get vengeance for the fallen, both the innocent Sacaens and for Byron. He would make those demons pay.
He made his way back out of the fort, grumbling the whole way. However, as he stepped out into the open air, he spotted a familiar head of pink hair. He moved closer, and when he got a glimpse of her face, his heart leaped for joy. "Fran!," he called out, running towards her.
(OOC: I have permission from Mikar to kill off Byron, as he's already gotten rid of him.)
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Post by Richter Abend on Aug 27, 2010 21:04:54 GMT -6
"I'd think red and gray would work well for the force at bulk," replied Richter. "Like you said, it's effective for night attacks, but the red is striking enough that we wouldn't confuse our soldiers on the battlefield. It also sends a statement. You combine white and black, the colors of the Prophet, to get gray, and then the red represents the blood shed in his name." Normally Richter wasn't the symbolic fashionista, but he was trying to think like a commander would. They needed colors that would reflect their cause.
"If we're going to be wearing our own colors, though..." The rebel commander looked around at the people in the room, mostly focusing on Clair. "...If we stick with the anti-Etrurian theme, I could wear red and black and you could wear red and white? That way we'd both be distinguishable from each other and the rest of the soldiers."
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