• Solo • A Tale of Two Temples: Raskalarn

81st of Zi'da 718

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Praetorum
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Posts: 1425
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 11:08 am
Race: Ithecal
Profession: Mercenary
Renown: 1020
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A Tale of Two Temples: Raskalarn





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81st of Zi'da, Arc 718

The Shookspear celebration yesterday had been a good excuse to put this off, but Praetorum had known he would have to do this ever since he had first stepped into the city and seen the building, standing as proud and imposing as the empress herself. So he stood now, before the doors of Raskalarn's temple, steeling himself to enter as he should have trials ago. Taking in a deep breath, he stepped forwards, and pushed open the doors, striding in with as much confidence as he could muster.

The interior was glorious, a wide, open space with fine weapons and armor lining the walls, each item unique and clearly custom made for some warrior. But his eyes were immediately drawn to the center, where a large sparring ring, nearly an arena, was currently in use. The ring was encircled by stone chairs, with a single golden one sitting empty at the head, and several people were seated around the ring, watching the battle in progress.

Praetorum stepped closer, eyes fixed on the combatants. Both were priests, it seemed, each bearing the golden crown that signified Raskalarn's favor. One was an Ithecal, a Paltharnum woman who wielded a scimitar in each hand, while the other was human, a large bearded man armed with a greatsword. Again and again their weapons clashed, forcing each other back and forth along the battleground. Neither seemed to have the advantage over the other, but both were clearly unwilling to back down.

As quietly as he could manage, Praetorum took a seat among the spectators, holding his scythe loosely at his side. A quick look showed that the audience was mostly other priests, with a handful of others scattered around. Some glanced at him as he sat; most ignored him, focused entirely on the fight before them.

Praetorum did his best to focus as well, aware even before he sat down of what the seats were meant to do; he'd seen similar setups in others of Raskalarn's temples before. Designed to test one's self discipline, the chairs were massively uncomfortable to sit on, which was why he had left his plate armor behind; there was no point to the test if he wore a protective layer.

Forcing himself to keep still, Praetorum kept his eyes on the combatants, trying to ignore the pricks of cold stone against his hide. He couldn't imagine what this would be like for a human or wyvarnth, with their pitiably thin skin.
word count: 423
Let's play 'What's Weird About Prae'

Head

  • A fiery rune shines under his right eye
  • A firey glow in the back of his mouth

Arms

  • A ring of blue runes floats over each of Prae's wrists
  • A silver shield marks the back of his right hand
  • A ring of light around his left forearm

Misc

  • His tail is about eight feet long, usually knotted around his waist
  • His body temperature is uncomfortably high

Surroundings

  • Wind gusts with every step he takes
  • The area around him is slightly more static-y than normal
User avatar
Praetorum
Approved Character
Posts: 1425
Joined: Sun Jan 20, 2019 11:08 am
Race: Ithecal
Profession: Mercenary
Renown: 1020
Character Sheet
Character Wiki
Plot Notes
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Point Bank Thread
Storybook
Wealth Tier: Tier 5

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Re: A Tale of Two Temples: Raskalarn


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It took some time for the first match to be decided, but eventually the Paltharnum emerged victorious, her tail sweeping her opponent off his feet while her spinning blades tore his weapon from his grip. By the time the pair bowed to each other, and yielded the floor to the next pair of combatants, the prickling in Praetorum's hide had become an irritating itch all along his back and thighs. Holding as still as he could as the next battle began, he tried to distract himself from the sensation by focusing on the minutia of the fight in front of him, trying to predict each blow and understand the thought process behind each step. 


A fight was as much a clash of minds as of muscles, his mother used to tell him. A feint, a sidestep, a properly timed retreat; something so simple could turn the tide of a fight in an instant, and no one would know that like Raskalarn's most faithful. So he devoted the entirety of his attention to analyzing each movement, every exchange, every shift of attention or weight. 

One of Raskalarn's acolytes, a young Lotharro with a deep scar across his throat, held his sickles with a confidence that bordered on arrogant; he would step just into reach, wordlessly taunting his opponent as they circled each other. His challenger, a Yari wielding a heavy warhammer, seemed to be falling for it, swinging at him, only for the Lotharro to dance out of the way, and get a swipe in while he was off balance from attacking. The Yari was growing more and more frustrated with each blow that failed to connect, Praetorum realized after a while, and was beginning to make mistakes, chasing after the Lotharro to try and get a blow in, rather than trying to figure out how to win the battle. 


He was trying to close the distance between them, apparently without realizing that his warhammers longer length meant that he should be keeping his distance, so the shorter sickles couldn't reach him. If he backed the Lotharro up against the wall... easier said than done, he supposed, watching the Lotharro weave between strikes. The man's agility was damn impressive. 


The Yari's swings were growing wider too it seemed, like he was starting to lose control of his weapon. Conserving energy was an important part of fighting too; Praetorum often made that mistake himself, getting too caught up in the moment to keep a reserve, only to find himself near exhaustion at inopportune moments. 


"A copper for your thoughts, Shield Bearer?" Starting, Praetorum glanced to his left, finding an acolyte had settled in the chair by his side without his noticing. A human woman, perhaps four or five arcs younger than he was, and unmarked. Her tone was polite, but there was a challenge in the way she leaned towards him, and the barest traces of a sneer in her eyes.

He met her gaze without hostility, and smiled. "Only that it's been some time since I had the opportunity to sit in a temple of the Empress. It's good to see that Yaralon has such a fine one."


He could see his response had thrown her, as had his accent, very distinctly of the Eternal Empire. But she recovered admirably, and gestured at where the fight was coming to its conclusion. "Is that so? Care for a spar, then?"


Praetorum looked at her, clad in scale mail, with a heater shield on one arm, and a longsword in the other, then looked down at himself, wearing only a tunic and breeches, and with only his scythe at his side. It was still worth considering, he supposed. Defeat taught as much as victory, as his Quinctus used to say. But the acolyte seemed to take it as a polite refusal, chuckling as she sat back. "Some other time, I supposed." She studied him curiously as a new pair took the arena floor, then extended her hand. "Kathalie, Acolyte of Raskalarn." 


He shook it carefully, his hand dwarfing hers by quite a bit. "Praetorum. Mercenary and Shield Bearer. I'd be honored to spar with you, once I'm more appropriately armored."


\She smiled, at that, flashing her teeth. "I'll hold you to that."
word count: 720
Let's play 'What's Weird About Prae'

Head

  • A fiery rune shines under his right eye
  • A firey glow in the back of his mouth

Arms

  • A ring of blue runes floats over each of Prae's wrists
  • A silver shield marks the back of his right hand
  • A ring of light around his left forearm

Misc

  • His tail is about eight feet long, usually knotted around his waist
  • His body temperature is uncomfortably high

Surroundings

  • Wind gusts with every step he takes
  • The area around him is slightly more static-y than normal
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Aegis
Prophet of Old
Posts: 2378
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:04 pm
Race: Prophet
Renown: 0
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Re: A Tale of Two Temples: Raskalarn

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Thread Review
This was an enjoyable thread, and didn't need to be action packed to be fun to follow. I enjoyed seeing Prae follow the combat. I'm left wondering a bit on how such an Ithecal, with their tails, sit comfortable on stone seats. It was an amusing mental image. Well done.

Word Count: 1167
Review Request Link: viewtopic.php?f=242&t=16103&start=150#p109849
Praetorum
  • Skill Points - 10
  • Renown - 0
  • Skill Knowledges
    1. Discipline: Deliberately removing a protective layer to test ones self
    2. Discipline: Analyzing a fight to ignore physical discomfort
    3. Discipline: Keeping still when everything itches
    4. Tactics: Coaxing an enemy into overextending themselves
    5. Tactics: Considering the reach of weapons when deciding how to move
    6. Rhetoric: Giving an unexpected response to diffuse hostility
  • Non-Skill Knowledges
    1. Yaralon Location - Raskalarn's Temple
    2. Kathalie - Acolyte at Raskalarn's Temple
  • Items and Other Rewards
Player 2
  • Skill Points -
  • Renown -
  • Skill Knowledges
  • Non-Skill Knowledges
  • Items and Other Rewards


Final Notes


If you have any questions, please PM me.

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word count: 188
User avatar
Aegis
Prophet of Old
Posts: 2378
Joined: Thu Jan 11, 2018 5:04 pm
Race: Prophet
Renown: 0
Plot Notes
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Wealth Tier: Tier 1

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Miscellaneous

Re: A Tale of Two Temples: Raskalarn

This completed thread has been reviewed by a Yaralon mod.

The following things need added to the Lore:

The following things are optional to be developed upon:

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