4 - 023: The Fourth Piece

[K Man]

Krysta, Girud, Galdren, Alton, Adelia, Mordorck, Garor and Yuri -

The crowd watches the ongoing battle with fervor. Breaths are held, eyes dart back and forth and still the whispers continue to dance upon the air.

"Why are they fighting?"

"What has one done to the other?"

But no one intervenes.

It appears this duel is honored and held high in everyone's eyes...a fair fight. So much so that as soon as Yuri even begins to make a move to intervene, his shot a cold glare from many a soul - including King Sturmguard and King Grandil, both of whom threaten repercussions if he does.

{Let me know if you want to continue Yuri, but essentially both Kings took a free action to deter you. I figured you'd want to obey.}

When the Kuo-Toan Chief is introduced to Sturmguard, the great human King does his best to tear his attention away from the duel.

He politely introduces himself as the King of Ravenshead and protectorate of its people. The Kuo-Toan counters, in crude common, with his title and ranking as well. When the King returns his attention to the duel, the Kuo-Toan seems to get angered by this. He turns, lowers his head and growls at Krysta in crude common.



"This your king? Why he ignore?"

You look back to King Sturmguard. He does seem to watch this duel as though he's got something personal to lose at stake....

{Do the rest of you want to do anything different or just watch?}

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Romar -

You bring your blade about, twisting it just a bit so that he'll feel the pain when it hits...he'll know just how much she meant to you. [Attack Rolls = 28/10] The first blow lands, striking the meat of the right shoulder. [Damage Roll = 6] The 'Faceless Knight' remains unwavering, pressing his attack harder than ever.

The Knight spins on his heels, a tricky move but an expert one. He brings his blade down in an arc across your chest before lunging with it seconds later. [Attack Rolls = 19/11] Thankfully, both blows are missed and you can hear a slight grunt from beneath the helm as the Knight over exerts himself just slightly....

The duel continues...

{Initiative: You, The Faceless Knight}

Map;

|*AKKSGA  **  ***   
|*            ***     
|             **  **
|  R           ***  *                   
| F           ***      
|*****Y** * ***
|***********                 

[/pre]

...Legend...
R = Romar
F = The "Faceless Knight" (37/51) (AC 21)
S = King Sturmguard
G = King Grandil
A = Advisor
K = Kuo-Toan Chief
K = Krysta
Y = Yuri
* = Citizen of Ravenshead
| = Castle Wall

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Looks like we need generals and such, to take control/lead certain aspects of this army. Also, numbers would also be helpful.

The Kuo-Toan leader obviously is in control of his own army. Not sure what it includes, but it should also help to have its contents spelled out.

King Grandil is obviously controlling the Constructs outside. Thousands?

Veya's Roc Riders are now Leaderless.... how many are left?

The Knights of the Purest Star are lead by Adolfo, numbers and are they mounted? I see knights as mounted warriors mainly, but either way.... Warhorses are always nice.

Allessia leads the forest animals and trees. Not sure if this can be spelled out, as she's lending a hand...

The Hidden City Clerics have no obvious leader? How may came? Do they cover all aspects of the alignment charts?

What type of soldiers does Sturmguard have as well?
Catapults?
Ranged Weaponry?
Did Delomme make any waepons to fortify the castle like he was instructed/asked to do when we left him?

Anything else that needs to be addressed? I am sure I forgot plenty.

- Where these addressed to me? If so, I can answer or were you brainstorming with others?

[Fangor the Fierce]

Addressed to you KMAN, the others can brainstorm as well.

As for the game....

Krysta looks at the Chief, then back at the duel. "This fight seems to be a duel, one of great importance. Although, two of our own turning their back on what the real issue in this world is not one to my liking. Something must be done..."

She turns to King Sturmguard, and simply says, "My apologies..."

Turning to the Faceless Knight and Romar, her cold eyes narrow, knowing this is not going to be an easy thing to do....

"Romar Belamor! Can you not see what you are doing? You're very actions, though you perceive them as noble, are tearing through the very souls of everyone here! Fighting and bickering among those we call allies, while the Master himself, along with Hirsuthe the damned sit outside, ready to swoop down and attack this place! There is a time and a place for duels, and this is not one of either! Look at the faces of the people around you! The same faces that look to us for guidance and support. Look how your every attack on the Faceless Knight, who has helped to keep them alive thus far, WITHOUT us being here turns their stomachs. How your every stirke plants that seed of doubt in their bodies and minds! A war at the very doorstep of this castle is about to emerge, and your anger and resolve could be better used against the Master."

She then moves near the battle, but does not interfere in its course, staring at Romar and the Faceless Knight. "There will be another day for this. The people need you both. WE need you both. Romar, honor your brothers passing by striking at the Master, instead of striking at an ally in war. This duel can finish another day."

[VemuKhaham]

Adrenaline streaming through his veins, Romar pushes forth towards the armored knight before him, driving him ever further into death with sweeps of his sword quick and sharp like lashes of a whip.

Krysta's speech hardly reaches him as he focuses on the battle, charging ever on... until his brothers are mentioned. Maros, Samos and Ludhèr. For a moment, Romar stepped back, as if he needed to re-establish balance. Maybe he was even pulled back to a time and place were he still really knew what he was fighting for.

For that moment, he let the fight slip from his mind. But then he knew that it all was too late by now. How could he step back at this moment, now that all the world, or at least the remainder of it, was watching how he was destroying their great hero? No, and his goals were just.

And so he shouts out for all to hear, regrettably so...

"The people be damned! If the Master comes then the Master comes, and none, least of all Romar Belamor or the Faceless Knight, could stop his advance! I learned that lesson long ago in Carealal!"

Romar sighs, just beginning to warm up for his devastating rant:

"Don't you dare speak of my brothers, Krysta! DON'T! The words you speak were once those that I embraced, coming from a brave man in Carealal. His name was Fredegar, and he is now dead! No, better yet! He is now marching against our very walls! I recon I will have a pleasant rendez-vous with him any time soon! And so with my brothers, cause they wanted to go to war as well! And you know what, they are dead also! All three of them. And the best thing of all is that my father warned them not to go, never to enter a war, for it brought only dead and destruction. We should have listened to him! He was the wisest man on the earth. So, that was the day that Carealal fell, and this will be the day that Ravenshead will fall. It is no different, there is no reason for me to believe that now your words are those that I should listen to as I listened to Fredegar then. Up until now, I have only learned more and more that my father's words were the wiser!

Krysta, your words might appeal to the witless, the unknowing, those who have never experienced this before, but they have lost their effect on me! And therefore, I now fight a fight that I can win!"

Such were his toughts as Krysta spoke her genuous concerns about this wrong fight. And after his rant was over, he returned to the fight at hand, battering the knight's armor with blows of his sword.

---

Longsword +10/+5, 1d8+3, 19-20/x2
AC: 20
HP: 52/59

Oh, and don't have mercy on Romar. I was told not to restrain myself by Kman, so I won't expect it from anyone in return. I can't tell you guys this enough, I almost feel guilty for Romar being such an ass.

[GeneralMHB]

(OOC: KMan, I sent you a PM. Yuri will halt his action, but he has more important concerns. I'll adjust after you reply back, but for now, I'm gonna run with this.)

Yuri hears Romar's rantings of a deranged lunatic. It is apparent that he has lost all hope. But why?

[glow=green,2,300]The last thing he loved so much is dead, and now he blames the Knight.[/glow]

Veya is dead... what happened?

[glow=green,2,300]Suicide. Romar insisted that they fight, knowing purely well the consequences that will come with it.[/glow]

This still makes no sense. An army approaches from the North bent on burning this kingdom to the ground.

[glow=green,2,300]Not everything is black and white. This madness must stop Yuri.[/glow]

I can do nothing. The King will have reprecussions on me. I cannot allow the madness to spread.

[glow=green,2,300]Let me try something....[/glow]

(OOC: I will add more to this after the PM is answered.)

---

Seeing that it is not possible to stop the duel, Yuri moves to Krysta and the others. He makes a clear and present warning of the danger approaching to the Kings.

My lords, there is an army of undead bent on destoying the city. Please, this duel must stop. Why do you insist on it to continue?! This is not a matter of honor, it is a matter of insanity!

If the Kings are not interested in Yuri's pleas, he turns to Krysta and the others.

We must mount our defenses for the city, with or without these two. I can stop the duel myself, but I fear reprecussions. I will lead the Hidden City's forces. Why is the King so interested in this fight when he has an army of Appocalypse right at his door?

Regardless, the city must be defended, at all costs.

(OOC: It's sad that Romar had to come down to all this. Yuri really did enjoy his company and his friendship. He's really gonna miss him )

[Japic]

Umm, yah... Romar's flipped his lid. Girud will be more than happy to kick his ass for how retarded he's being right now. Romar has one of the strangest senses of 'honor' that I've ever seen...

Killing a man for accidentally finding love with an ex lover isn't his fault. The only reason that she jumped in the first place it because Romar was being the asshat. If he'd walked in and forgave and forgot, the world would have gone on... but no; he's a selfish prick. I have to admit that I don't follow your reasoning for this Vemu, but its your choice to make. I'm just afraid of what will happen to us when we interfere...

---

As the foolish duel and comically long speaches (in 6 seconds) continue Girud begins to doubt Romar's sanity. These people, these witnesses look up to us, we are among the greatest heroes this city has. Even old faceless was worth his weight in adamantine for this cities morale. They could NOT kill eachother; the city needed both.

"Honor be damned you fools! The Master comes, we need your blades!"

He's gearing up to interfere if this foolishness doesn't end.