Post by Kenway on Feb 10, 2019 6:08:26 GMT -6
The Knight Trials for Damir Highblood and Ikon, The Battle Forged
Attending:
Sir Aidan, Knight
Sir Kenway, Knight
Damir Highblood, Knight-Initiate
Ikon, Knight-Initiate
Siara, Knight-Initiate (Recruit)
After a busy and sucessful morning of tossing fabled fishing nets and slaying Levithan's the available members of the Order stood on the dock as I looked them over. Sir Aidan and I would soon be making a perilous journey and it did not sit well with me that their would be no one who had been knighted left should something befall us. I eyed Ikon, who has been with us for some time now, and has become a true friend and companion. I still do not know much of his kind or their origins but he has proven himself in battle and in deed to be an ideal candidate for knighthood.
Next to him stood Damir Highblood. Having been with us for a few weeks there was much still to learn of the man's past. But his deeds reflected well on him, his drive to be a knight was clearl to anyone who ahd met him. He was a trained warrior, a paladin, but he showed great humility and honor. He was generous, adding a rare dye tub to Castle Hell Gate and never saying a word. And he had completed the task I had set before him of investigatingthe shrines, but more on that later.
I called them forward, first confirming that Damir felt the Order was a good fit for him, and with a slight nod from Sir Aidan I asked them both if they felt ready for their trials. With both expressingthat they were indeed ready we left the dock and returned to hell gate to prepare. They would head into the Abyss and try to lead us to the Balrog's lair, if sucessful, claiming it's heart as their trophy.
Myrien had worked harder then anyone during the net toss and was excused so she could get some rest but the new recruit Siara had come along. A brave one indeed, first day in the order and already heading into the Abyss!
After making preperations we set off over land to the entrance to the Underworld. As is quickly becoming routine we cleared the gazers and other beasts from around the watch towers before stepping into the Underworld and once again being confronted by Cultists, hell hounds and imps. The five of us quickly cleared the entrance of the hostiles and made our way through the monster infested halls without incident. Stopping when we reached the pair of minotaur statues guarding the entrance to the spiral stairs that lead down to the Abyss.
Ikon and Damir lead the way down with the rest of us following closely. It was Damir's first time in the Abyss but he had heard tales and read reports. He seemed fine, eager even. Ikon also seemed eager for his trials. Being far more familiar with the Abyss he often took the lead. We followed our usual path and all went well into we reached the rocky maze right before the broken ruins of the gargoyle's city. Here things had changed. Usually the apporach to the city was guarded by various gargoyles but this time we were met by some sort of acid slime, and a poisonous, vaporus beast much like a fetid essence as well as two strange creatures walking upright like a man, but much larger, and with strange horned heads.
Up to this point we had done well but I blame myself for the failure in team work that followed. Our tactics are different in the Abyss, where we are Always out numbered, perhaps I had not prepared everyone properly or perhaps our early sucess had caused us to let our guard down but either way we were not prepared for these new guardians and one by one we were knocked down, or knocked out. Scattered, which is never good down there, it took some time to restore ourselves and to finally put down all of the creatures we had run into.
After that humbling experience we approached the city ruins a bit more cautiously. The city was as it always is, teeming with every sort of gargoyle imaginable. Fighting our way through is one long drawn out fight. Every step a battle, the corpses of our foes piled, literally, around us. I was a little disappointed as we first ventured in that the group did not show more discipline. More patrols in the future until it is clear on how we move as a group. No one charging ahead. Tight battle formations. Letting our foes come to us.
Eventually we fell into a rythmn and trudged our way through the first half of the city. Again we ran into yet another surprise. The area Sir Aidan and I refer to as the gazebo is a round chamber with a huge symbo taking up the entire floor. There is a narrow jagged path leading to and from this strange room that is suspended above a great ravine. Normally there are balrons and gargoyles in the room but this trip we discovered a strange adversary the likes of which I have not seen before. Damir referred to is as the slasher of veils, how he knew what it was I do not know, but that is not important. We engaged the beast, the creature seemed to take very little damage at first, but then after a time it quickly and strangely seemed upon the verge of collapse, we harried it along the path and managed to finish it. As odd an encounter as I have yet had in the abyss.
Clearing the path on the other side of the gazebo we were quickly set upon by gargoyles yet again. We were working well together though and quickly cleared the other half of the city and making our way to the large patch of grass with an ankh at it's head. We took rest here briefly before setting off again on the last leg of our quest. We marched along side a flowing lava river and past more ruins for a time before eventually running into a Elder Black Dragon right as the path narrowed and we needed to cross the lava.Aidan, Ikon and Gregor (formerly Kegan) had fought a elder crimson dragon in this very spot during Gregor's trials. This foe we had partially expected, and though it was no easy fight, we were eventually able to defeat it, as well as a bone dragon and a few other creatures. From that point we moved briskly, Ikon having been along for Gregor's trials realized the Balrog was near and lead us past more ruins, including the remains of what looked to have been a huge bridge at one point.
We made our way along a ever narrowing path that twisted and turned, fighting giant lava serpents and hell hounds along the way. We came around one bend to see a broken bridge. Standing at the edge we could make out hulking shapes on the other side of the broken span. The horned heads and large wings letting us know that there were at the very least daemons awaiting us. Again we followed a snall, narrow and twisitng rock path that lead to the Balrog and it's minions. The end sometimes feels anticlimatic after tha harrowing trip through the length of the abyss. Ikon and Damir fell upon the red Balrog as the rest of us fought the other beasts present in the lair. They quickly dispatched it, Damir holding aloft the trophy, as we cleared the rest of the lair of its occupants. The five of us stood in a half circle and took a moment to appreciate the long trek we had just made. The trial is not about defeating the balrog and claiming it's heart. The trial is about making the journey as a team. Be it two, or three, or five. You must rely upon your brothers and sisters to make it to the end, together, to attain your goal.
Well done! It was not a easy task, nor should it be. But we accomplished what we set out to do and we now have two more Knights in our Order! Congratualtions to Sir Damir Highblood and to Sir Ikon, of the Order of the Knights Vigilant.
*Sketches*
*Signed*
Sir Kenway
Attending:
Sir Aidan, Knight
Sir Kenway, Knight
Damir Highblood, Knight-Initiate
Ikon, Knight-Initiate
Siara, Knight-Initiate (Recruit)
After a busy and sucessful morning of tossing fabled fishing nets and slaying Levithan's the available members of the Order stood on the dock as I looked them over. Sir Aidan and I would soon be making a perilous journey and it did not sit well with me that their would be no one who had been knighted left should something befall us. I eyed Ikon, who has been with us for some time now, and has become a true friend and companion. I still do not know much of his kind or their origins but he has proven himself in battle and in deed to be an ideal candidate for knighthood.
Next to him stood Damir Highblood. Having been with us for a few weeks there was much still to learn of the man's past. But his deeds reflected well on him, his drive to be a knight was clearl to anyone who ahd met him. He was a trained warrior, a paladin, but he showed great humility and honor. He was generous, adding a rare dye tub to Castle Hell Gate and never saying a word. And he had completed the task I had set before him of investigatingthe shrines, but more on that later.
I called them forward, first confirming that Damir felt the Order was a good fit for him, and with a slight nod from Sir Aidan I asked them both if they felt ready for their trials. With both expressingthat they were indeed ready we left the dock and returned to hell gate to prepare. They would head into the Abyss and try to lead us to the Balrog's lair, if sucessful, claiming it's heart as their trophy.
Myrien had worked harder then anyone during the net toss and was excused so she could get some rest but the new recruit Siara had come along. A brave one indeed, first day in the order and already heading into the Abyss!
After making preperations we set off over land to the entrance to the Underworld. As is quickly becoming routine we cleared the gazers and other beasts from around the watch towers before stepping into the Underworld and once again being confronted by Cultists, hell hounds and imps. The five of us quickly cleared the entrance of the hostiles and made our way through the monster infested halls without incident. Stopping when we reached the pair of minotaur statues guarding the entrance to the spiral stairs that lead down to the Abyss.
Ikon and Damir lead the way down with the rest of us following closely. It was Damir's first time in the Abyss but he had heard tales and read reports. He seemed fine, eager even. Ikon also seemed eager for his trials. Being far more familiar with the Abyss he often took the lead. We followed our usual path and all went well into we reached the rocky maze right before the broken ruins of the gargoyle's city. Here things had changed. Usually the apporach to the city was guarded by various gargoyles but this time we were met by some sort of acid slime, and a poisonous, vaporus beast much like a fetid essence as well as two strange creatures walking upright like a man, but much larger, and with strange horned heads.
Up to this point we had done well but I blame myself for the failure in team work that followed. Our tactics are different in the Abyss, where we are Always out numbered, perhaps I had not prepared everyone properly or perhaps our early sucess had caused us to let our guard down but either way we were not prepared for these new guardians and one by one we were knocked down, or knocked out. Scattered, which is never good down there, it took some time to restore ourselves and to finally put down all of the creatures we had run into.
After that humbling experience we approached the city ruins a bit more cautiously. The city was as it always is, teeming with every sort of gargoyle imaginable. Fighting our way through is one long drawn out fight. Every step a battle, the corpses of our foes piled, literally, around us. I was a little disappointed as we first ventured in that the group did not show more discipline. More patrols in the future until it is clear on how we move as a group. No one charging ahead. Tight battle formations. Letting our foes come to us.
Eventually we fell into a rythmn and trudged our way through the first half of the city. Again we ran into yet another surprise. The area Sir Aidan and I refer to as the gazebo is a round chamber with a huge symbo taking up the entire floor. There is a narrow jagged path leading to and from this strange room that is suspended above a great ravine. Normally there are balrons and gargoyles in the room but this trip we discovered a strange adversary the likes of which I have not seen before. Damir referred to is as the slasher of veils, how he knew what it was I do not know, but that is not important. We engaged the beast, the creature seemed to take very little damage at first, but then after a time it quickly and strangely seemed upon the verge of collapse, we harried it along the path and managed to finish it. As odd an encounter as I have yet had in the abyss.
Clearing the path on the other side of the gazebo we were quickly set upon by gargoyles yet again. We were working well together though and quickly cleared the other half of the city and making our way to the large patch of grass with an ankh at it's head. We took rest here briefly before setting off again on the last leg of our quest. We marched along side a flowing lava river and past more ruins for a time before eventually running into a Elder Black Dragon right as the path narrowed and we needed to cross the lava.Aidan, Ikon and Gregor (formerly Kegan) had fought a elder crimson dragon in this very spot during Gregor's trials. This foe we had partially expected, and though it was no easy fight, we were eventually able to defeat it, as well as a bone dragon and a few other creatures. From that point we moved briskly, Ikon having been along for Gregor's trials realized the Balrog was near and lead us past more ruins, including the remains of what looked to have been a huge bridge at one point.
We made our way along a ever narrowing path that twisted and turned, fighting giant lava serpents and hell hounds along the way. We came around one bend to see a broken bridge. Standing at the edge we could make out hulking shapes on the other side of the broken span. The horned heads and large wings letting us know that there were at the very least daemons awaiting us. Again we followed a snall, narrow and twisitng rock path that lead to the Balrog and it's minions. The end sometimes feels anticlimatic after tha harrowing trip through the length of the abyss. Ikon and Damir fell upon the red Balrog as the rest of us fought the other beasts present in the lair. They quickly dispatched it, Damir holding aloft the trophy, as we cleared the rest of the lair of its occupants. The five of us stood in a half circle and took a moment to appreciate the long trek we had just made. The trial is not about defeating the balrog and claiming it's heart. The trial is about making the journey as a team. Be it two, or three, or five. You must rely upon your brothers and sisters to make it to the end, together, to attain your goal.
Well done! It was not a easy task, nor should it be. But we accomplished what we set out to do and we now have two more Knights in our Order! Congratualtions to Sir Damir Highblood and to Sir Ikon, of the Order of the Knights Vigilant.
*Sketches*
*Signed*
Sir Kenway