Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 19, 2023 9:39:13 GMT -7
Monsters.
The revelation that they weren't fighting people at all, but rather, creatures compelled to harm humans by some outside force, shifted a lot of Yasmin's priorities.
Though she still refused to admit that golden prick, or, as she'd later found out, Jeforan, had a point. There had to be a better way to treat newcomers to the world and she would make that change.
Right now she didn't have that luxury, though, she needed power. The stubborn side of the otherwise timid girl refused to lose to this fucked up world with it's backwards priorities.
Whatever the shadow of a memory of knowing many gods meant about her past, right now it leant her the skills to very quickly begin building a connection with the new local gods- All of them, the other three in secret, in her private time.
But, most prominantly thanks to the resources and tutelege she was given, Lumiaris. Something about a deity of light and the sun leading a wider pantheon of other gods did feel familiar and right to her.
Gaining magic from that relationship was new, which had interesting implications... but the intellectual side of that was also relatively easy to wrap her mind around, particularly with the religious side of it coming more easily, so her tutors on that side of the guild saw her as a quiet but talented student.
Combat, on the other hand, was challenging. The armour was warm, which would have been comforting, but it was in a humid and stuffy way that just ruined the effect. It also restricted her movements, and as much as the other students claimed the weight distributed itself when the armour was worn, so it was never an issue for them, it always seemed to slow her movements and make her muscles ache. Using a sword was also unintuitive for her. The more defensive stuff was fine, but when it came to attacking she always forgot to check that the blade of the sword was aligned with the attack, and footwork was also challenging with some of the limitations on how her prosthetic leg moved, though thankfully with it armoured, that wasn't visible, so nobody tried to go easy on her because of it.
Shields were thankfully much easier to handle, just put the piece of wood in between yourself and whatever's trying to stab you. That was reassuring, at least, even if the shield she'd been given was clearly in need of some maintenance.
So, by this time in the week, she found herself out in the training field more often than not, outside the regular routine, trying to practise what she'd been taught, or slowly losing in training spars against other trainees because despite her defensive skill, she's struggling to counterattack.
This morning, technically a period of free time where she could do whatever, she'd left the armour behind, heading to the training field without it and planning to just train with the sword and shield on their own, just to reduce the number of things she needed to learn all at once.
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Post by Wolfie on May 19, 2023 10:20:10 GMT -7
The training field. Nym had decided it would be good practice to return to it once more. She'd had no issues, even coming to blows with Jeforan. Sure, she lost every single time - but she could hold her own longer than most others in the training. Perhaps that was saying something. The sword and shield had come naturally to her, and the armour she wore - glistening against the sun, regardless of all its dents and signs of wear - felt like a second skin on her body. She wasn't entirely sure how, but she new that wielding the sword and standing in combat was like a second nature to her - as if she were born into it, had lived in it for years past.
Not that I remember any of it. It's like...a fog, hovering over the mind. Perhaps that was why she had given up her free time to come out here, to focus on her movements and reactions. She moved through the forms easily, drawing the sword up and back, before slashing outwards with it in a single motion that spoke of fluidity. Jeforan had commented on her forms the day prior, suggesting that she had a real chance of making a name for herself - not that it mattered. Nym was here to survive, which meant she was here to learn to wield the sword. She had no intentions of becoming famous, unless it somehow made surviving easier. I wonder how Izumi and Lukas are doing.
She imagined their own pains, their own struggles in the training. Nym had an excellent form when it came to the combative side of the Paladin's skill sets. Where she faltered - if only slightly - was on the magical capacity. She'd never failed to cast one of the healing spells taught to the Paladins, but she could always feel something, just on the very edge of her consciousness, holding her back. It felt like she was trying to swim through water, while dragging an anchor behind her. It doesn't feel as natural as the sword and shield. It's...different, as if I'm not used to it. Maybe where I come from, there's no magic? The thought was a fleeting one, but somehow felt right. As if she had never experienced magic before; learning it anew without experience. Muscle memory, versus new teachings...
She stopped her forms to glance across the field. Another girl had arrived, this one darker skinned and somehow familiar to Nym. She'd seen her around before, even taken a few moments to watch her in her training - at least, so long as Jeforan wasn't keeping an eye on her. The girl had shown real skill when it came to mastering the magical abilities, and even the defensive shielding of a Paladin. Her form with the blade, though...she might as well be given a club, or a stick... Nym winced at the thought. She hadn't meant to be so condescending, even in her own mind. The other had clearly been struggling - had clearly been putting all her efforts into the training. Maybe...
She moved across the field towards the newcomer, raising her left hand - sword still held firmly - in a wave. Smiling, she nodded towards the field before speaking up, her voice holding a friendly tone. "Looking to hit the training field? If you're up for it, we could do a bit of sparring? I wouldn't mind the practice!"
Nym's Statblock Nym | Paladin | LP: 10 | EP: 2 | STR: 3 | RFX: 1 | END: 2 | CON: 10 | DEF: 1 | COMP: 1 | FORM: 2 | AWA: 1 | ALL: 1 | FAL: 1 | CRCN: 1 Wielding: Worn Longsword (+1 STR), Well-kept Breastplate (+4 CON), Well-kept Shield (+3 CON) Skills: Block (R1), Punishment (R1), Paladin's Cure (R1)
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 19, 2023 11:07:54 GMT -7
Yasmin is normally fairly shy, sure, but there's a whole extra layer to why she struggles to respond when the beautiful knight lady, her armour in perfect condition, and her movements relaxed and casual even under all that weight, approaches her of all people and offers to help her train by sparring together.
She does manage to wave in return, passing the sword from her dominant left hand to her right, which is holding her shield, in order to do so... but words are significantly harder, and her brain scatters in all different directions, causing her to start the sentence three or four times before she finally decides on what to actually say. "That would be a huge help... T-thanks." Putting her sword back into her dominant hand, she eventually manages to focus on her training rather than other distractions and settle into a defensive stance.
"I'm ready whenever you are."
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Post by Wolfie on May 19, 2023 11:51:10 GMT -7
The girl had seemed hesitant at first, as if unsure of whether they should be sparring, or perhaps worried about...what? There's nothing to be worried about. Nym had shifted her stance as she waited to see what the other would do, wondering if the girl was concerned about being broken and battered. Nym knew she could never do what Jeforan did to the trainees - she could still feel some bruises beneath her armour from where he had slammed into her right side. Although, I guess we could still get hurt, couldn't we?
She calmed herself, taking a deep breath as she took a mirroring stance across from the girl. She brought her shield up in front of her, levelling the longsword out along the top edge - resting it on a small curve of the corner of the shield, the tip pointed directly at the girl. She watched, waiting a few seconds to see what the girl would do. From everything I've seen, she likes to go on the defensive...to wait to attack. Maybe a comfort thing? Well, let's get this started then.
"My name is Nym, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet you." The breath after her last syllable, Nym lunged forward, bringing her longsword up a few degrees before swinging it around and to her left, hoping to catch the girl off guard. She didn't expect to strike a hit to start with, but anything to rattle the girl would be a good lesson - especially if it created an opening that could be used later on.
Combat
Nym | Paladin | LP: 10 | EP: 2 | STR: 3 | RFX: 1 | END: 2 | CON: 10 | DEF: 1 | COMP: 1 | FORM: 2 | AWA: 1 | ALL: 1 | FAL: 1 | CRCN: 1 Wielding: Worn Longsword (+1 STR), Well-kept Breastplate (+4 CON), Well-kept Shield (+3 CON) Skills: Block (R1), Punishment (R1), Paladin's Cure (R1)
Yasmin (She/They) | Paladin | Life: 4 | EP: 2 | Str: 3 (+1) | Rflx: 0 | End: 2 | Con: 3 (+2) | Def: 2 | Comp: 1 | Form: 2 | Awa: 1 | Allure: 1 | Lie: 0 | Intim: 0 Wielding: Worn Plate Armour (+1 Con), Cracked Shield (+1 Con), Worn Longsword (+1 Str) Skills: Block 1, Paladin's Cure 1, Punishment 1
Nym attempts a basic attack against Yasmin: Ðæmhaïn Wølƒ Request: [1d50 + 1 3] Roll: [34 36] Result: 35 37 Reason: Basic attack against Yasmin | post/227 Nym hits for 1 damage!
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 19, 2023 12:27:14 GMT -7
Yasmin blushes slightly, though it's hard to spot even in the clear morning light thanks to her skin tone, and replies "L-likewise, my name is Yasmin"
That slight distraction is already more than enough for Nym to close the gap, and even with just the rough training she's already had, Yasmin can tell she's not going to interpose the shield in time, so instead she moves the shield after taking the hit, knocking Nym's own sword out of the way and attempting to thrust towards one of the gaps in the armour covering that arm, since the shield would have passively protected most of Nym during that opening.
And, surprising Yasmin perhaps more than Nym, it makes contact. The chain armour underneath the plates meant it'd only cause Nym bruises, unlike the very much open and bleeding cut on her own arm, but Yasmin had been able to hit a far more sensitive area, so it balances out.
A slight grin begins to form, as she notices just how much difference losing the armour had made. Her footwork wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but being a lot lighter on her feet does allow her to compensate for the fact that one of them is not designed for this at all, letting her actually take advantage of openings like that.
Now to actually use the sword like a sword and not just a heavy spear.
Combat
Nym | Paladin | LP: 8 | EP: 2 | STR: 3 | RFX: 1 | END: 2 | CON: 10 | DEF: 1 | COMP: 1 | FORM: 2 | AWA: 1 | ALL: 1 | FAL: 1 | CRCN: 1 Wielding: Worn Longsword (+1 STR), Well-kept Breastplate (+4 CON), Well-kept Shield (+3 CON) Skills: Block (R1), Punishment (R1), Paladin's Cure (R1)
Yasmin | Paladin | Life: 3 | EP: 2 | Str: 3 (+1) | Rflx: 0 | End: 2 | Con: 3 (+1) | Def: 2 | Comp: 1 | Form: 2 | Awa: 1 | Allure: 1 | Lie: 0 | Intim: 0 Wielding: Cracked Shield (+1 Con), Worn Longsword (+1 Str) Skills: Block 1, Paladin's Cure 1, Punishment 1[/font]
Yasmin attempts a basic attack against Nym: [1d50+4] Roll: [32] Result: 36 Yasmin hits for 2 damage!
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Post by Wolfie on May 19, 2023 13:01:10 GMT -7
Nym smiled as the blade slammed into her own arm, a retaliatory strike that was impressive, all things considered. The girl was moving more carefree, able to bound and respond as if a weight had been removed from her body. Maybe that's it...maybe the armour is a weight. She's rather small, all things considered. Maybe she doesn't have the muscle mass to carry herself, and move like she should, with the armour on? Hindrance, possibly... Nym was already moving, even as her thoughts danced around her head. She forced herself off to the girl's right, trying to make Yasmin turn in response.
"Nice! Alright, how about you try breaking through defences a bit? You need to...use your sword, like it's an extension of yourself. You're not holding it, you're flowing your own arm into the strike. Using it as if it's a part of yourself." She locked herself into place, bringing her shield up and in front of her while digging her left foot into the ground behind her to balance her counterweight. She let her own sword shift slightly, putting it outwards away from herself, but bracing the shield with her left hand from behind. "Now, try breaking through and giving me a good wack!" Combat
Nym | Paladin | LP: 8 | EP: 1 | STR: 3 | RFX: 1 | END: 2 | CON: 10 | DEF: 1 | COMP: 1 | FORM: 2 | AWA: 1 | ALL: 1 | FAL: 1 | CRCN: 1 Wielding: Worn Longsword (+1 STR), Well-kept Breastplate (+4 CON), Well-kept Shield (+3 CON) Skills: Block (R1), Punishment (R1), Paladin's Cure (R1)
Yasmin (She/They) | Paladin | Life: 4 | EP: 2 | Str: 3 (+1) | Rflx: 0 | End: 2 | Con: 3 (+2) | Def: 2 | Comp: 1 | Form: 2 | Awa: 1 | Allure: 1 | Lie: 0 | Intim: 0 Wielding: Worn Plate Armour (+1 Con), Cracked Shield (+1 Con), Worn Longsword (+1 Str) Skills: Block 1, Paladin's Cure 1, Punishment 1
Nym activates block: Ðæmhaïn Wølƒ Request: [1d50 + 5] Roll: [32] Result: 37 Reason: Block | DC 40 | post/230 Fail!
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 19, 2023 13:56:55 GMT -7
The praise nearly gets to Yasmin's head, particularly considering who it's coming from, she gets the feeling this was an extremely rare experience in both her lives... but the opening that distraction left wasn't taken, and instead she's presented with a challenge. Nym's defenses were already far better than the other trainees, and she was focusing on it entirely.
Taking a step back and analysing the situation, Yasmin notices that Nym's shield could react pretty quickly to cover any angle on the right side of her body, but with her not actively using the sword at the moment, that presents an obvious weakness. One that's so obvious it could be anticipated by the clearly far more experienced fighter, though.
So, Yasmin comes to her plan.
They close the distance in a couple steps and feint towards Nym's sword arm, but twist the strike at the last minute to try and catch her shield arm's shoulder as Nym moves the shield to cover it. In practise she kind of botched it though, the follow-through was way too slow, judging by Nym's previous reaction speeds it should not have connected the way it did, but something about the way she'd dug in gave Yasmin just enough of an opening to slip through anyway.
They did actually align the blade properly this time, now that they had the chance to focus only on that one thing, potentially bruising her shoulder through the armour and making it easier to land a clean strike in the future.
"Oh~! T-that's... a lot better. Thanks, that really helped."
Combat
Nym | Paladin | LP: 6 | EP: 1 | STR: 3 | RFX: 1 | END: 2 | CON: 10 | DEF: 1 | COMP: 1 | FORM: 2 | AWA: 1 | ALL: 1 | FAL: 1 | CRCN: 1 Wielding: Worn Longsword (+1 STR), Well-kept Breastplate (+4 CON), Well-kept Shield (+3 CON) Skills: Block (R1), Punishment (R1), Paladin's Cure (R1)
Yasmin | Paladin | Life: 3 | EP: 2 | Str: 3 (+1) | Rflx: 0 | End: 2 | Con: 3 (+1) | Def: 2 | Comp: 1 | Form: 2 | Awa: 1 | Allure: 1 | Lie: 0 | Intim: 0 Wielding: Cracked Shield (+1 Con), Worn Longsword (+1 Str) Skills: Block 1, Paladin's Cure 1, Punishment 1[/font]
Yasmin attempts a basic attack against Nym: [1d50+4] Roll: [7] Result: 11 Yasmin (barely) hits for 2 damage!
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Post by Wolfie on May 20, 2023 14:22:34 GMT -7
Nym gave a small chime of laughter in response to the thanks she had gotten. The attack had been obvious, albeit there was nothing Nym could do in the moment. She'd set herself hard enough to limit the strikes of a more manoeuvrable opponent - a lesson she would never forget. Instead, she unburdened herself from her position, bring the sword up before her in a salute, before taking her stance once more. She let her shield hang slightly to her side - not far enough down to be out of use, but well out of the way of any strikes she might decide to take. The longsword in her left hand hung towards the ground lightly; providing an opening in her front that only an inexperienced fighter would take for granted.
She watched as Yasmin reset herself, pulling back from the attack and into a ready stance once more, waiting to meet Nym as the purple-haired Paladin considered her angle. She knew that she couldn't waste time, that she needed to focus on the fight and its outcome in the end. Decided to test herself and her opponent's capabilities, she pushed off to her left, forcing herself into a small dance as she let her blade glide through the air - never quite coming close enough to contact with Yasmin, but appearing as though each strike would land given the chance, before dashing away in a separate direction as it closed in.
"Ready? Punishment!"She suddenly leapt forward, bringing her blade upwards in a quick twirl, allowing it to ride the edge of Yasmin's shield, before pulling outwards slightly to dislodged it. Before Yasmin could react fully, Nym suddenly drove the blade inwards, letting it slam into the girl's torso - not piercing the torso itself, but riding along its side with the flat of the blade. For good measure, she pulled it out to the side, before slamming it in against the girl's side hard enough to leave a bruise.
Now face to face with Yasmin, she smiled down at the girl - no gloating in her expression, but a simple look of pure ecstatic excitement at the rush of the fight. "Hi. Nice to see you...so close." Combat
Nym | Paladin | LP: 6 | EP: 0 | STR: 3 | RFX: 1 | END: 2 | CON: 10 | DEF: 1 | COMP: 1 | FORM: 2 | AWA: 1 | ALL: 1 | FAL: 1 | CRCN: 1 Wielding: Worn Longsword (+1 STR), Well-kept Breastplate (+4 CON), Well-kept Shield (+3 CON) Skills: Block (R1), Punishment (R1), Paladin's Cure (R1)
Yasmin (She/They) | Paladin | Life: 0 (1) | EP: 2 | Str: 3 (+1) | Rflx: 0 | End: 2 | Con: 3 (+2) | Def: 2 | Comp: 1 | Form: 2 | Awa: 1 | Allure: 1 | Lie: 0 | Intim: 0 Wielding: Worn Plate Armour (+1 Con), Cracked Shield (+1 Con), Worn Longsword (+1 Str) Skills: Block 1, Paladin's Cure 1, Punishment 1
Nym uses Punishment: Ðæmhaïn Wølƒ Request: [1d50 + 3] Roll: [48] Result: 51 Reason: Punishment | Nym | post/237 Nym hits for 3 damage!
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 20, 2023 15:38:30 GMT -7
The strike was faster than anything Yasmin had ever seen, slipping right past her shield and giving her a couple serious bruises in the side. She couldn't help but return the smile, impressed by the show of skill far beyond what she could do with a sword... And she was even careful enough not to actually cut her...
Her mind hadn't even processed the pain of the side that'll definitely be bruised in the morning, when it went blank for a completely different reason, though.
Combat brain hadn't registered just how close Nym was, but when she drew attention to it with her words, Yasmin immediately blushed bright enough for it to definitely be noticeable and stammered out a reply. "H-hi! Yeah, it's very nice, um.. let me heal those for you-"
Between the pain and the flurry of confusing emotions, there is absolutely no chance of her actually focusing enough to call on the goddess of light in any capacity, though she does manage to at least draw forth a few tiny glimmers of light which quickly scatter and fade rather than forming any sort of actual spell.
Gods why am I acting like such an idiot all of a sudden....
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Post by Wolfie on May 23, 2023 20:37:14 GMT -7
Nym's smile expanded further as she saw the suddenly flustered expression of Yasmin's reaction. She had pulled herself in close to the tanned girl, far closer than she had needed to do in order to pull off the strike itself. She had seen the opportunity - an opening that was far too obvious to the purpe-haired girl to pass up.
Now, however, as Yasmin stammered and sputtered in her healing magic, Nym couldn't help but wonder if she'd gone too far with her dance. "She does seem extremely flustered now...maybe I went a bit too far? I mean, I got into her personal space. Like, very personal space. She considered apologising for her actions, trying to make it up to the girl, before she realised that might only make it worse. Instead, she decided to take the focus away - to try and change the topic a bit, and maybe provide some guidance that would be useful.
"Your defence is really good. It's hard to get past your shield, unless you're shaken up or focusing on your attack. That's your major downfall - it's why I could slip through so easily. You create an opening in your defences when you prepare to attack." She pulled herself back into a fighting stance, bringing her shield in close before pulling her blade level alongside the shield; held perpendicular to the ground with the point facing Yasmin. Carefully, she moved her blade up and down alongside the shield, angling it as though she were deflecting an opponents strike, before suddenly lashing forwards with it as if stabbing a target. "You don't need to be as flourishing as I do, sometimes simple movements like these - movements which can balance defending and attacking - are all you need. Anything fancier and...well, then you're just showing off."
She gave a wink after her words, accenting the humorous tone she had tried to add to her final statements. Truth be told, she had shared a more basic set of forms with the girl - forms which felt natural to Nym, but which appeared slightly better than the more open style that Yasmin was attempting. There was one other thing that Nym had noticed, and she pointed her sword toward's Yasmin's whole side, adding her final thoughts. "You also favour one side, you shouldn't do that. Your defence relies on your whole, same with your attack. Standing strong is great for blocking attacks, but if you want to attack...you need to be able move fluidly, to shift your stance and adjust with your target..."
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 23, 2023 21:02:29 GMT -7
For a shadow of a moment one part of Yasmin is disappointed that the closeness was over, but that thought was quickly pushed aside.
The change in topics definitely helps her cool back off and breathe, focusing back on how to improve.
The advice for not leaving openings in their own attacks made sense, they'd started being able to pick up on those themself, but they hadn't really factored the other person having that same knowledge in yet- The downside of mostly sparring against either novices or people far, far, far above her skill bracket.
The latter line does get a small chuckle from Yasminl "You're that good, huh? Well it does look really cool, so, um..." Fuuuuuuccckkk where the heck was I going with THAT
"Anyway, the issue with favouring one leg is mostly ankle mobility. There is some movement in the prosthetic, but only forwards and backwards based on where I put my weight, there's still no muscles there below the knee... so I have to shift things around that, doing a lot more with my right leg to compensate for some of the issues on my left. I know it isn't perfect, but... I've seen nothing like the techniques that must've gone into making this leg while I've been here, and even they hadn't figured out anything better."
That is... a lot more detailed of an understanding than she'd actually figured out in the past few days, but she'd just kind of kept talking. Well, thanks for some of the heads-ups there, past self. No wonder her good leg was so often sore after a workout.
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Post by Wolfie on May 24, 2023 9:23:17 GMT -7
Nym cocked her head at the girl's first outburst, but she had moved on before Nym could react in earnest. She had glanced towards the prosthetic as Yasmin mentioned it - no judgement, a simple look of calculation and consideration on her face as she seemed to think about it. She listened quietly, waiting a few seconds before adding her own commentary.
"Well, what about using that to your advantage? You've got what is essentially a piece of yourself that can be locked in place - used as a balancing point in a way, like...well, think of it like a spinning top, sort of thing. You could use your centre of gravity to enhance your attacks, and your reach. That being said, it could be risky..." Nym stopped and placed a finger on the side of her jaw, her eyes going distant as she thought about the possibilities. There was a risk in the manoeuvre that Nym felt might be a bit beyond the payoff, at least until Yasmin had mastered it. Instead, she looked the girl over again, considering alternatives. She wanted to find a way to place the defensive solidity that Yasmin had, into a semi-aggressive counteract, but her mind was coming up short at first. "Hm...I wonder if you could play that defensive stance against an opponent somehow...maybe...force them into an opening...?"
She was almost certain that there was a way to play the limited mobility that afflicted Yasmin into an advantage, but the more she considered, the more she found her idea of using the rigidness into an acrobatic attempt the best possible outcome. Dangerous, but highly effective if she could catch her enemy off guard. She was just about to say as much, when a though occurred to her. "How do you move it in the armour?"
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 24, 2023 10:02:45 GMT -7
Yasmin takes the advice given, shifts her stance a little, and pushes off with her right leg to go into a lunge, trusting the prosthetic on her left leg to adjust to how she lands on it without risking her falling over, stabbing the sword into the empty air.
"Hmm... Left a lot of openings that time, but something like that might work if I can patch that up..."
Another idea hits her a moment later; "Or I could just hit them with the shield, force an opening for the sword without leaving one myself. Options to figure out once I have the basics down is good."
The mention of the armour causes her expression to sour slightly; "The stuff they gave us for signing up? Yeah the ankle is basically locked in place like I'm standing up straight. It's not the only or even the biggest problem with it, though. I preferred sparring just now without any of that... but obviously that isn't safe. I'm probably just going to have to focus on saving up for a set of new armour, something I can move freely in."
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Post by Wolfie on May 24, 2023 12:35:30 GMT -7
She laughed as Yasmin suddenly moved into a fighting position, trying out the idea that Nym had given her. The movements were without flourish, and appeared uncontrollable - at least, less controllable than Nym was hoping it would be. She shook her head in response, giving a soft sigh before commenting on it aloud. "Yeah...I mean it needs work if you're going to actually use it...but it's not something I would say is super beneficial. Worth a try, at least right?"
Nym nodded at the idea of using the shield as a bludgeoning weapon to create an opening. It was something she often did in her own combat styles - but she felt leaving the idea as something original may provide Yasmin with a morale boost. "Yeah, using the shield to make an opening would play to your strengths too! Hold your ground, wait for the opening - and then attack quickly!"
The sour expression only made Nym laugh more. She could tell that Yasmin was truly disgusted with the heavy plate armour - and as she explained her reasoning, Nym couldn't help but nod in understanding - still giggling, but understanding nonetheless. She considered the options for a while, before shrugging slightly and giving her own opinion on the matter. "I mean, plate is very important for a Paladin, seeing as we're meant to take a brutal beating...but, what about looking into something more flexible specifically for your legs? I've heard there's some reinforced leather pants that others wear...maybe you could combine the plate metal breastplate, with something like leather greaves, or leather pants? I mean..."
She pointed her longsword towards the prosthetic, nodding at the same time before continuing her train of thought. "...it's not like you really need it covered in metal casing, right? Anything that's going to break through the armour is going to obliterate that, and having the mobility to avoid the attack may be more beneficial, no?"
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 24, 2023 13:05:34 GMT -7
"From what I've heard, learning anything beyond the basics is already pricey, so doing that with any form of technique might have to wait until I can actually bring in some silver."
The discussion of what a paladin's objective is in a fight leaves Yasmin quietly thoughtful for a few moments. It's a fairly dark and morbid reality of this world, where injuries can be wiped away in a moment. Speaking of which; "You know what'd be great if we're supposed to play that role? The ability to cast healing spells on ourselves. Apparently the leaders of the guild weren't able to convince the priests to let us learn that particular trick, but it would've been useful." Then she chuckles "Though, no amount of magical or natural healing fixes the prosthetic if it breaks. If I lose that leg that's just... it. The next best alternative from what I've seen around town is a stick. The leg I have now is practically irreplacable. So no matter which guild I ended up with, unless someone figures out a spell to repair objects, my whole strategy would still be warped around keeping that leg safe."
Taking a moment to think, she sighs; "So long as they're not attacking anyone else, it's fine regardless of how we make sure the opponent's attacks are useless, yeah? I guess I'll just have to figure out a partially different way of doing that, relying more on my shield, and mobility where that on it's own can't manage."
Something she's casually mentioned earlier in that sentence keeps nagging at her and she blinks as she realises it; "Wait... All these spells had to come from somewhere, right? Maybe when I get a better grasp of magic, I could attempt to create that spell to repair things. It's at least a hobby to keep me preoccupied in my downtime."
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Post by Wolfie on May 24, 2023 13:30:51 GMT -7
Nym leaned backwards slightly, having taken a seat as Yasmin was giving her ideas and thoughts on various topics - everything from their sparring, to the idea of spellcasting - skills that they had, and would continue to learn, as Paladins. She couldn't help but say aloud a thought that had passed through her mind as Yasmin spoke about the worries of her leg, and how irreplaceable it was. "Well, if you need to keep it safe, I guess I'll just have to stay at your side and make sure no one gets close to it. Which I guess means you'll have to stick to me a bit, right? Nice and closely."
Her grin likely went unnoticed as Yasmin carried on in her thoughts, moving on to the topic of recreating the prosthetic magically. Nym liked the idea of that, but wondered if it wasn't a bit beyond the expectations of a Paladin. They were meant to be a brunt force to stop any enemies before them - maybe not quite as powerful as a warrior, but something between the supportive Priests, and the brute force of the Warriors - an edge to the field that was flexible, and dangerous. She cocked her head as she stared at Yasmin, before asking her question.
"I don't think Paladins will have that sort of magic...maybe you could find a Mage who could do that? Or...I mean, if you're thinking of making the spell yourself...which it sounds like...are you thinking of leaving the Paladin guild to join the Mages?" There was no judgement in her voice, a simple tone of questioning - as if she was trying to get down to the bottom of a riddle that was sitting before her. The grin never wavered - that welcoming, polite expression on her face. As if trying to reassure Yasmin, she added to her original statement. "If you are, then I'll just have to make sure to stay out of your line of fire, right? Paladin Mage. That must be a dangerous combination, somehow..."
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 24, 2023 13:44:29 GMT -7
Yasmin blushes slightly as she sits down nearby; "That... would certainly work..." but ultimately she's just too scared of this being a joke or trick to try and take the chance. "But, we have everyone else to protect too, right?"
She relaxes a little more as the topic of magic is discussed, clearly more comfortable with the territory.
"Priests have all sorts of stuff that's useful on a day to day basis and that's the same kind of magic, yeah? It's definitely more involved in the topic than paladins usually get, but I'm not exactly your average paladin."
She considers the other possibility raised for a moment but eventually shakes her head "I haven't even finished the initial training, I'm nowhere near considering decisions like that. I also do rather like the gods... Even if I find it kind of weird the paladins and priests both just focus on Lumiaris and ignore the others."
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Post by Wolfie on May 24, 2023 14:40:35 GMT -7
There was a hesitation to Yasmin's response. Nym worried for a few seconds that she had somehow upset the other - was I too forward in my jokes? - before Yasmin spoke up again. Nym couldn't argue that their purpose was to protect all the others, but she felt it was unfair to leave the protection only to those who didn't wear the heavy armours, and weapons that the Paladins wore. I mean, we need a bit of protecting too, right? It's us who are on the frontlines, defending everyone. So it only seems fair.
Before she could bring the argument up, though, Yasmin was back on the topic of magic. Nym had to admit the girl seemed more comfortable in that realm - and she wondered for a few seconds why Yasmin hadn't joined the Mages originally. Her answer, or at least sort of an answer, was given when Yasmin explained how she had liked the gods - before questioning why Paladins and Priests only focused on one god.
"Well, I mean I don't think they hate the other gods, maybe? I look at it kind of like..." She shrugged, trying to find the right words to explain what she thought about the whole situation. She would be lying if she didn't admit that she had considered it before, but she'd made it make sense in her head. The hard part was explaining it aloud to another, who couldn't hear her thoughts. "...like they specialise in it, I guess? Like, no one says you can't acknowledge the other gods - that would be silly, wouldn't it? - but like...Lumiaris is the God of Light, and as such focuses on healing and protecting and stuff...which is kind of what Paladins and Priests do right? So it makes sense that they'd only focus on that...I mean, you don't hear about Skullhell providing healing, do you?"
It wasn't the best explanation, Nym knew that. But she had felt it was the best way that she could explain it to anyone else. It had always felt to her, that the focus on the single god was just like combat practice - you learn to get good with one weapon, mastering it, before attempting to get that same mastery with another weapon. And some of those people just chose to remain with that one weapon, after mastering it.
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Elf
Volunteer Soldier Trainee
Posts: 40
Character Name: Yasmin
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Post by Elf on May 24, 2023 15:11:57 GMT -7
Yasmin considers the very pragmatic angle Nym holds on the matter for a few moments, but due to her own viewing of relationships with the gods as a similar thing to interpersonal relationships rather than as tools to be used, she eventually shakes her head slightly, then tries to think of a way to express her own conclusions."But if you turn that around, Paladins and priests can only heal because the only one of the gods they get power from is Lumiaris. I guess now that's hard to fix, particularly since the Dread Knights are... apparently very protective of their secrets... it just feels weird to me that it was like that to begin with. Particularly since they come in two closely connected pairs. Also I keep feeling like there should be more than that... can't actually remember why, though, so I think that's a remnant of my old life, before here."
She isn't quite satisfied by that just yet, so she adds; "Like, I get some people having a particular deity that they have a closer relationship with than the others, but most people here seem... completely dismissive of the other three? It's weird. I'm glad they're not actively hostile, though, I'd be in a bit of trouble if they were. The hunters if you ask the wrong kinds of questions about the other of the Great Wolves, though, that was... scary, but I did manage to clear things up."
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Post by Wolfie on May 25, 2023 9:53:47 GMT -7
Nym giggled at the idea of angry Hunters, arguing over the various Wolf-Deities that they worshipped. The image was rather bemusing to her, in the sense of seeing two individuals growling at one another as they tried to state their own deity's benefits over the other. Not that she had expected that to truly be the case, but the imagery nonetheless had appeared in her head - and she'd reacted accordingly.
"Sorry...just imaging two Hunters growling at one another...funny image, in my head." She tried apologising between her giggles, before attempting a more serious tone. "I mean...yeah. I don't think anyone here really...forcing the idea of one god upon another else. Maybe in the sense of the Priests and Paladins, or the Dread Knights...maybe, definitely the Dread Knights...but there's nothing that says we can't all work together, right? I mean, that's gotta be some sort of acceptance. Sort of."
It wasn't perfect, but in Nym's mind she had to question if anything was ever perfect. Still, the conversation seemed important to Yasmin, and Nym didn't want to upset the other. Sitting silent for a few seconds, she considered changing the topic, before blurting an idea aloud. "The Dark God doesn't really sound like someone who would heal though, does he? I mean, Skullhell. Wants dead people around him. Or her. I never actually...anyways, wants dead people. Not really someone I would go to, to ask for healing, right?"
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