Seonid

This just keeps getting better

A Paladin sounds excellent. As far as associating with the Raven, that is rather easy. The short reason is because each Paladin has their own insignia, based on their House rather than a specific religious Paladin symbol. It is a simple thing to make the Raven one of the symbols. Consider it canon. The long reason requires more explanation. But hey, when have I needed an excuse to post a wall of text in this thread? The Court of the Gods To understand the role that Paladins play in the politics of this religion, we've got to understand a few things about the religion itself. The pantheon is called the Tribunal, so the religion can strictly be called the religion of the Tribunal. However, the central point of worship is in the sacred city of Al'Lidne, which is called the Court of the Gods. The religion is often referred to by this name as well. The two terms are nearly interchangeable. The Tribunal consists of seven high gods, and quite a few lesser ones. The Seven are: Taris, the king of the gods, the Stormcaller, Nalathea the Virgin, Argon the Warrior, Hurisen the Lawgiver, but also the Lady of Gifts, Khurdan the Maker, Jerad the Wise, and Miranda, who is simultaneously the life-giving one (for both the land and the people), the Lover (she is consort to Taris), and Mistress of Death. Important minor gods include: Lin Hei, the messenger of the gods, and also the god of revelation and seeing, often called the Fateweaver, Yann and Garyth, god of the fields and lord of winter, respectively, and Kira, lady of the hearth. The Court of the Gods is the temple district of the city of Al'Lidne. It holds the central temples of six of the seven members of the Tribunal (the main or central temple of Nalathea is in Lilytan), and around 30 temples to various minor gods and goddesses. The high priest of the temple of Taris is the head of the religion, and together with the high priests/priestesses of the rest of the Seven, makes up the highest governing body - also called the Tribunal. The Court of the Gods is also the home of various military orders dedicated to various gods, as well as the Legion of the Sacred Temple - the most powerful and versatile of the military orders sworn to the service of the Tribunal. It is officially tasked with the protection of the temple, but has often been expanded to be an significant offensive power. However, the days when the Legion could march all the way from Al'Lidne to Alcorazim unopposed, or lay siege to Corento to bring back just one heretic priest, are long gone. For operations outside of places where the Tribunal has recognized authority, the order of the Paladins is utilized. The Order is divided into twelve houses, which are counted as noble houses in the eastern kingdoms. A person not a member of one of the houses who wishes to join the order must renounce their own familial ties and be adopted into one of the twelve houses. Careful breeding has resulted in a set of communities that have high prevalences of the magic-using gene. These individuals are groomed to eventually become Paladins, while non-magic users end up serving in other capacities in the Order. * * * * * It's late now, and I've got a lot to do tomorrow. Tomorrow evening after work, however, I should be able to post another installment. This one will be focused on the organization of the Order, and how it tends to function. It will also discuss Squires as well as detailing the responsibilities of a full Paladin.

Ranger ran. His moment of hesitation before, shock at seeing a sparking unicorn of all things, had nearly cost him his life. The beast was much too close to try pulling out either of his weapons, and his machete would be laughable before that shining horn. This would have been a good time to have been grateful for keeping up his high-school track conditioning. If, in fact, he had ever done that. The sound of hooves, already too close for comfort, grew even closer. He tripped over an exposed root, tumbling to the ground. Rolling instinctively, he barely managed to make it out of the way before the razor-sharp hooves trampled the turf where he had been. The beast flashed past him, slowing slightly to turn in a wide circle, maneuvering around the scraggly pines with an almost effortless grace. It would only be a matter of seconds before it came back. The air popped next to his ear, and he jumped. Guardian was there, giving him a disapproving scowl. He opened his mouth to defend himself, but she spoke to quickly. "What the Calamity do you think you are doing, nearly getting yourself killed? You have no right to be..." She trailed off, eyes widening in shock. "Is that what I think it is?" Gratified at her reaction, Ranger nodded. "Yep. but whoever described unicorns as nice never met this one. So, if you'd be so kind as to get us out of here before we experience how sharp that horn is first-hand, I'd be much obliged." A moment later, the familiar walls of their appropriated apartment appeared around him. Paladin turned to meet him, his right arm ending in a bloody stump just below the elbow. The countertop was covered with blood. I didn't see that happen. Wonder how he lost it. Quickly he filled both of them in on the car in the forest, and the belligerent man with the little girl that he had met there. "The Dalles." Paladin's voice was thoughtful. "As it seems we are finished here, it might be a viable location for our next target." "But what about Hammer? We're leaving an Epic behind!?" Guardian's voice trembled just a little, as if she were still in shock from the unicorn. Well, it hadn't been that traumatizing. They had both made it out with little trouble. He shook his head. "He must be dead. Ringmaster was controlling the new Epic, the one that called himself Miner. He'd have had to get rid of one of the other Epics he controlled to make room for that, and Hammer is the only one accounted for. Besides, if he still had Hammer available, do you think he wouldn't have been there, waiting for us? No, this town is clean. We shall move on to cleanse the filth out of The Dalles." Paladin's eyes were strangely distant. He turned to Ranger again. "With my...injury, I won't be able to ride on my own. You'll have to carry me." Sparks, I hadn't even thought of that. But it made sense. "Alright. Shall we leave in the morning? Give your arm a chance to heal up a little bit?" "We leave now!" Paladin's voice had grown suddenly angry. "My arm will heal on its own time, and the dark gods move while we wait! get ready. We move out in ten minutes." * * * * * * Will watched quietly from his hiding place as the car stopped at the bend in the road in the growing twilight. It was still traversable, but the three miles or so of cracked and broken roadway was not something any driver would want to try in the dark. Which was why he had chosen this place for an ambush. He smiled as he watched the occupants get out of the car, walking a little ways into the forest to set up camp. An older man and a small little girl. This would be fun.

Now that's a twist. You'd probably have to check with mail-mi, because Reader is his character. But if he's OK with it (and if the Bunker is in a position that makes sense for the pandas to get to), that could be quite a twist. Quick question: Is there any reason Panda is targeting Reader specifically? How much intelligence does Panda have on the city, and how much of that has been disseminated to various of his under-lieutenants? What are his immediate objectives (I know that the long-term ones involve finding a safe place for his pandas, but what is he hoping to accomplish in the next few hours, in the next few days, weeks, months, etc...)?

Well, I have a couple of posts I could make but I'm waiting for other folks to post first. You know, the double posting stigma and all that. If nobody's posted by Monday, I might add something more.

Lightsong is just amazing. Maybe a Lightsong/Remington ticket for 2016? And, for when we get around to Astoria, I've enhanced the Lizard's powers a little bit in order to compete. The Lizard:

Quite nice. I now have a message from the Captain's Office in my sig, not just the header. Thanks! In other news, whose turn is it in The Dalles? I'm going to try and post relatively frequently until I get my characters caught up to there.

Whoops! Codes to follow: Paladin:

First, the Panda Pony is awesome!!! Second, Kobold, is there any chance that I could get Paladin's page out of David's notebook? I'm still struggling with a quote for him, though... Thirdly, I now fully intend on bringing Arvin Weeks into The Dalles on a dragon, incinerating a whole rank of pandas as he comes. I just have to get him there... The dragon will make more sense in a post or two.

This is still excellent. I happen to be sitting on the edge of my seat waiting for more.

The car was hidden in a small stand of trees, about a quarter mile outside of town. Ari laughed happily the moment she saw it. "I've never driven in a car before! Do we actually get to drive in it?" A tension seemed to have dropped from her since their conversation on the road, and her face seemed less worried. That was a blessing. Arvin smiled reassuringly. "Yes we do. In fact, we get to drive in it for a long time. You might be bored of it by the time we get home." "I could never be bored of driving in a car! That would be like getting bored of sunshine! Only boring people would get bored of that." Arvin couldn't help himself, and he laughed uproariously. Her comment made a perverse sort of sense. He was going to have to get used to this again. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a voice spoke. "Interesting thing, finding a car like this one in a place like that. You almost might think that someone didn't want folks to know it was here." The voice came from a man who leaned against the side of the car. Arvin could have sworn he hadn't been there a moment ago. He had a hawkish nose, and wore a brown leather jacket over what looked like military fatigues. Almost unconsciously, Arvin moved to place himself between the stranger and Ari, cursing himself for leaving his gun behind. Not that there had been a chance to grab it, of course. The stranger had a longbow and a sniper rifle slung across his back, and what looked like a machete in one hand, point resting on the ground, spinning idly. "You might. And you might be right if you thought it. Who are you and what are you doing here?" The stranger laughed a little. "The name's Ranger. And I'm just interested, justifiably I'd presume, in who would hide a car such as this and what they were doing here in Madras. A reasonable question, I feel." Ranger. That sounds like an Epic name. This could get ugly fast. "Well, I'm sorry to leave your curiosity unsatisfied, but my daughter and I were on our way out, and we don't have time to answer stranger's questions." "Hmm. That sounds right uncharitable, that does. Are you really in such a hurry to get back to The Dalles?" The stranger's smile grew wider, as if he knew that his statement would catch them off guard. Arvin was experienced enough not to show his shock, but it took effort. "Now why on earth would you think that was our destination?" "Oh...that's only where the registration is from, the GPS is set there to home, and all of the phone numbers in the car phone have area codes registered to The Dalles. A rather simple proposition, really." In the face of that, the likelihood of a peaceful ending to this was growing slimmer by the minute. But there was room for one last try. "Get in the car, Ari. We're not going to listen to this snoop any longer." As he led her to the car, he noticed her shaking. The fear was back, and it hadn't even been fifteen minutes. He could have shot the man for just that alone. The stranger moved to put his hand on the door, preventing them from opening it. "Now, that's just downright impolite. I'd suggest you answer my questions. They are more important than you may realize." He moved to put his hand on Ari's shoulder. "I promise, I don't mean you any harm." Ari jumped when he touched her. Arvin moved to take the man's hand off, but stopped in shock. A white something was coming through the trees. He recognized it from the jail. A unicorn again. What is going on here? But he knew enough to get them out of the way. The stranger heard the galloping hooves just in time and rolled out of the way. The unicorn turned around to charge at him again. Arvin hurried Ari to the car, then jumped in the driver's seat. Regardless of where it had come from, he was going to use the distraction.

Re: Panda army... In order. And I haven't even gotten the Paladin/Weeks timeline in sync with the rest of The Dalles yet. I'm 4 posts out from any of them actually showing up. Looks like I need to get another Ranger post up, to bring that number down to 3. I'm thinking, depending on how long it takes me to catch up, that Paladin and crew are two days earlier than the rest of the thread. It's sunset now in Madras, so that will leave one day of travel (especially because I will need 24 hours to kill), so by evening in the Dalles time, everyone will have met up.

Even a TL;DR of What Happened in Oregon would require another TL;DR of its own to be even close to manageable. More likely, we need multiple nested levels of TL;DRs culminating in the final summary: Awesomeness happened. But I will attempt to paint the broad contours of the Oregon storyline for you. So Nathan Sperry is about to have the worst night of his life (also, completely coincidentally, his last), when Dr. Funtimes shows up. Finding that Fortuity's preparations to murder the aforementioned Mr. Sperry lacked any semblance of fun, she promptly turned his gun into a hamster and his fedora into a murderous fedora monster. Then, being bored, she decided to take Nathan with her to Portland. Meanwhile, Sightline, himself an Epic, is murdering other Epics by teleporting them to significantly high distances and watching the splat at the end. Nobody has thought to point out to him the inconsistency in his policies. After finding that the Epic Corpsemaker just doesn't die after splatting, he decides instead to teleport him inside the wall of his own headquarters, leaving him there. Dr. Funtimes arrives on the scene, with Nathan in tow, and decides that Corpsemaker's former headquarters would be much more fun as a bouncy castle. So she makes it one. Meanwhile, Nighthound shows up in Thoughttown, formerly part of Portland, and millions of voices cry out in terror, then vanish. Obi-Wan Kenobi senses a great disturbance in the Force, even though he is in an entirely different universe and fandom, and is separated by Nighthound by vast millennia. No, that does not express the sheer abject monstrosity that is Nighthound. How about this: Millions of suns burn out in horror that their light will someday fall on the paths that Nighthound once walked. A little better. You get the point. There are no redeeming qualities about Nighthound. Altermind, a High Illusion Epic, is ruling over Thoughttown with wisdom and caprice. Or at least caprice. Mandatory intelligence levels, enforced by banishment, the whole nine yards. He does not take kindly to Nighthound's incursion. Nighthound moves to another part of Portland instead, where he tries to kill Voidgaze, just for fun. She resurrects, and is not pleased. Meanwhile, Lightwards, self-proclaimed Emporer of Light, decides he needs more followers. Not confident enough to find them in the normal way, he decides to randomly kill vanilla humans and raise them as zombies, on the grounds that nobody can have too many adoring zombie followers. He promptly orders one of his zombies to think, leading her to run away. Funtimes, Nathan, and Corpsemaker all show up at the bouncy castle, meeting Electro, Voidgaze, and Scorch (one of Altermind's Epics). They all try to kill each other. Scorch promptly joins Corpsemaker, along with Electro, Funtimes teleports away, and Voidgaze gets out somehow. Funtimes meets up with Lightwards and Nighthound, and an Epic battle ensues, resulting in a car being transformed into a party tank, and then a jet, Nighthound taking more punishment than humanly possible, and Lightwards trying to stay out of it. Then they stop fighting and decide to become a team. Corpsemaker attacks an armory, killing a bunch of powerful Epics just to prove that he's more powerful. Funtimes and Lightwards and Nighthound all attack the Museum of Natural History, where Lightwards proves that he can make dinosaur zombies as well as human ones. He proclaims Portland his Empire, eviscerating several people to make his point. Remington, Revolution, Sam, and the Unicyclist all join up with Funtimes, who by this point has decided that Nathan should be called Traveller, and that he will pretend to have her teleportation powers. Various side plots happen. Dozens of minor Epics show up and align with one of the three sides: Altermind, Lightwards, and Corpsemaker. Tensions rise. Corpsemaker gets mechs. Chicago Joe gets drunk. Buildings get blown up. Nighthound gets a Carnotaurus, and an (unwilling) girlfriend. Funtimes decides that Nathan is her boyfriend. Nathan decides to roll with it. They meet Nighthound's sister Lucentia. Nobody ends up happy. Sam gives high epics sass. Voidgaze joins up with Altermind, and meets Big Al. There is a moment of overwhelming cuteness, overshadowed only by the force of horror that is Nighthound. More shipping happens. Altermind and Lightwards ally against Corpsemaker. Lucentia joins Lightwards. The Reckoners show up, get betrayed, and then get roped into a rebellion. Lightwards sends Backtrack to The Dalles to find dirt on Remington, then goes and zombifies one of Sam's family friends. Meanwhile, in Madras, Paladin and his crew attack the Epic gang led by Ringmaster. Crowds are burned, crying girls are killed, and flying epics are used as ballistic weapons. Arvin Weeks rescues a little girl named Ari. The Miner survives and runs to the kingdom ruled by Ironmonger. Meanwhile, in The Dalles, Quicksilver attacks a command post belonging to the city's mayor, Vondra. Backtrack sees into the mind of Koschei the Deathless (now dead). Millions more suns extinguish themselves rather than have to face the awfulness. The night sky is running out of stars now. Backtrack is captured, and interrogated by Reader. He has a bad day. You should feel sorry for him. Meanwhile, in Portland, the city waits only for the drop of a pin to set off the climactic battle that will destroy the city. Will you be that pin? This was done from memory - if anyone feels I've missed something important, feel free to add an addendum! Or chastise me. That works too. But you should still post the addendum.

She's got to be Which is a totally mangled Anglicization of her Persian name (with some funny diacritic markings in there), but it's the same person. Kudos for the story.

There will be stalkings and assassinations, and imperial ambitions. And more fantasies about whack-a-mole. Maybe this time with Lightwards.

I'm a fan of it. I just don't have enough time to give good feedback. But I'll pop in to say that I really enjoy this.

Oh I will. In fact, I'm going to change the thread title as well. Hopefully that will let other interested parties know who might not have been following this thread.

Hmm...I doubt there would be a Higher Being that was once a panda, but there could certainly be one that manifests as a panda (either because it likes it, or because its followers expect it, or both) if it makes an appearance in the physical realm. I'm still a little hazy on the political details of the Outer Realms. The followers of this being would likely belong to the far north, either Nessei (unlikely but possible), Shogadu, or Senlii (if so, it would be an underground religion, to avoid Imperial suppression). Cultural details will be forthcoming, but expect vaguely Asian.

Ok. So, first update: I just finished my first day at my new job, and looking at it, I don't think I'm going to have time to run the RP until the semester is over. Sorry about the delay, but we are going to have to postpone this thing until mid-Dec. I think an arbitrary date of Dec. 15th will work just fine. I will periodically update with worldbuilding info and I'll still try to respond to questions, but there isn't enough time to commit to running the RP until then. (After Dec. 15, I'm good timewise all the way until at least next August, and hopefully farther.) About Panda Priests - certain branches of the Senlii or Shogadu people do reverence animals, viewing them as either representations of powerful spirits or symbols of honored ancestors (depending on which of their worship systems is dominant). Pandas could definitely fit on the list. What exactly are you thinking about with panda worship/a Panda Priest?

In 1375, a Paladin might have a pistol. He'd be the only Paladin to do so, and he'd have to be a bit of a maverick to do so (Paladins consider their weapons holy, with good reason, and generally don't consider using other folks'), but it is at the edge of the realm of possibility. Inquisitors would be more likely, as their hunt for secret heresies often takes them far afield from the lands controlled by the Martyr and into contact with people who might have new weapons like this. By 1400, a Paladin with a pistol would be no more noteworthy than a Paladin with a crossbow. Unorthodox? Sure. Weird? Not really.

Some Inquisitors can wield magic, but not all. Unlike the Order of the Paladins, where a familiar bond is a prerequisite, Inquisitors are chosen for their loyalty. Those who have the gene are tested for and trained, but the Inquisition is much too large to be able to fill their ranks with magic-users only. The Paladin Order (still coming up with the in-world name or names of the order(s) - a Paladin would introduce him/herself as "I am [name], Paladin of the Order of [name];" there are potentially more than one order of Paladins) fill their ranks wholly with magic users, but they have access to several populations who are far higher than normal in terms of magic users. As far as how widespread magic is in the population: not at all. I think I mentioned before that the frequency of expression of the gene for magic is about 1 in 10,000 in the general population. Not all of the people who have the gene learn about it and are able to train it, of course, and not all of those who do learn about it decide to do anything with it. In the minds of the average person (including the nobility, so this isn't just the commoners), the only positive association with magic is with religion. Magic users outside of religion (or of a religion different than the one that the person belongs to) are viewed in a highly negative light, except for in certain communities focused around the magic itself. The Magi at Lushbeck are an example of such a group, but they were mobbed and driven out around 1307, so this serves as an illustration both ways. Most religious magic is Type II-a, with a very few incidences of Type I (generally less than four or five on the planet at any given time, and sometimes as low as none). Type II-b is almost never associated with religion generally (although the groups that teach it and explore it are generally religious or quasi-religious in nature, these groups/religions tend to be exclusionary, non-evangelizing, and often are perceived as fringe and other. None of the major religions - The Church of the Martyr, the Court of the Gods, worship of the Life-bringer, and the religion of the Prophet - dabble in Type II-b magic, and several of them condemn it), and is limited either to self-taught individuals or to the small communities who have grown up around it (again, such as the Magi of Lushbeck). Just as a general note, the trend of history on the continent is towards decreasing tolerance of magic. The loss of tolerance in religious matters won't come for a couple of centuries past the times we're interested in, but the revolt against the Inquisition in 1424-25 sets the stage for the slow disappearance of religious dominance in political matters. Eventually, even religious use of magic is persecuted by the culture and disappears. By the time the planet reaches the Space Age (roughly 1800-1900 or so, although they've adopted a new calendar by then, counting the volcanic eruption in 1423 as year 0), magic has not been practiced openly for so long that any belief in it is considered incredulous, and historical accounts regarding magic are treated as the result of ancient superstition. Underground use of magic may persist, however, in close-knit and hidden communities even through the Space Age and beyond. Both are pretty bad-chull. Go with either one suits your fancy. If you do have pistols, then they'll be among the first pistols ever seen on the continent. So there's shock value there, and the smug satisfaction that comes of owning almost the only weapon of a type that has ever been built.

Weapon evolution is rather a large topic. I'll give details on what I suspect is the topic of most immediate interest: Gunpowder. Also, I'll lay out a basic overview of how weapons in Menkor (and the related kingdoms) are distributed. It should be noted that this overview really only applies to Menkor and its neighbors - other more exotic places will have some unique weaponry associated with them. Development of Gunpowder: Weapons in Menkor: About the Inquisition of the Church of the Martyr - agents of the Inquisition often attempt to blend in with the local populace, the better to ferret out heterodoxy, heresy, and apostasy. There is an Inquisitorial uniform - the colors are white with a black cross (the sign of the church of the martyr is a stylized flame, but the black cross symbolizes the twin goals of the Inquisition, the vertical bar representing their duty of strictly making sure that the communication between heaven and earth was not tainted by heterodox or heretical practice, and the horizontal bar represents the duty of standing as a line between the Church and mortal threats both internal and external; the black cross is a descendant of the sign of the High God Taris, in the Court of the Gods. The cross is officially one that equally quarters the background, but it is often seen in a stylized fashion on soldiers of the Inquisition) - that is worn whenever official duty calls for it. The Inquisitorial soldiery generally wears a white tabard with the Black Cross over whatever armor they are otherwise wearing (in 1375, generally some form of partial plate or plate and leather), but the Inquisitors themselves are much more heavily armored (in their official gear). An Inquisitor in his full uniform (circa 1375) would wear a long white robe over padded under-armour. His legs and arms would be given some sort of flexible armor, like metal scales, to be worn under the robes. Over the robe would be a heavy breastplate with pauldrons (shoulder plates), and also plated gauntlets, as well as a closed helmet. As far as weapons go, they would carry a halberd, about 7 feet long with a heavy axe-head on it and a long spike on the tip. For secondary weapons, they carry a heavy mace (both spiked and non-spiked variants are common) or a one-handed warhammer. After about 1385 or so, black powder pistols are standard equipment as well (although individual Inquisitors may have gotten their hands on a pistol or two as early as 1375). A Paladin of the Court of the Gods would be like a knight in full plate armor. He generally fights mounted, with lance and kingsword (and sometimes crossbow - there are a few mavericks), and his horse is fully armored with plate barding as well. He or she is supported by a number of squires sworn to his service, who generally fight mounted as well, with swords and crossbows. Many Paladins and their squires have picked up some sort of weaponry designed to penetrate plate armor (preferably the type that can be used from horseback). Although the Paladins do not wear a specific insignia, their extraordinarily distinctive plate armor is an immediate identifier that they are something more than just another lord with money to throw around. Not to mention their magic.

The world twisted and turned around Paladin, vision turning white as light enveloped him. With a thump of exploding air, the light vanished again, revealing the familiar walls of their apartment and the broken plate-glass window in the hall. Paladin shivered, remembering Torch falling from the sky, fire flaring higher and higher, while he stood frozen, unable to respond. It was the first time that his precognition had shown him his own inevitable death. Only the platform's inexplicable lurch had saved them, breaking Ringmaster's hold on their minds and allowing Guardian to teleport them to safety. Ranger's voice came through his headset, wirelessly connected to the mobile over his heart. "We have a confirmed impact. I'll go over and check to make sure, but it looks like all of the primary targets have been eliminated." That was a lucky break. Providential, even. On further reflection, it was likely a sign. The bright power that had guided his steps had not failed him in his hour of need, but had provided the means to escape at the last moment. He felt a surge of confidence. With such a power behind him, they couldn't fail! They would make the world safe again, safe from Epics, safe from the cult, safe from the power of the Dark Gods. And he would be the leader to usher in this era of peace. Almost, he began to drift off into a blissful daydream. But now was not the time. There was work to be done. His chief concern right now had to be himself. The good of the world could wait for an hour or two. He took off his overshirt, examining his injured arm. The flesh was gray, and it seemed unresponsive. He poked it with his finger, trying to judge his sense of touch. He cursed. There was no response. The outburst seemed to jolt Guardian out of her shock. She immediately came over to him. "Let me see that." She began poking and prodding, but it could have been a lump of beef at a butcher's shop for all he could feel it. "The girl's knife was different," Guardian was saying. "It passed straight through solid material, even flesh. Nothing was damaged except for nerves. She got me in the leg. Without my regeneration, I'd still be unable to walk." "I see. Can it be fixed?" Her look was answer enough. "Well then, it will have to go." "What?!" Guardian's voice raised ever so slightly. "You heard me. It will have to go. If it can't be healed, it's a liability. Dead wood. Not pulling its own weight, dragging me backwards." He walked over to the counter, using his left hand to pick up his useless arm and place it on the smooth marble. "Now. Cut it off." Guardian's eyes went wide. "No, I couldn't...I mean I can't...I mean..." "I don't have time for your excuses, woman. Pick up your sword and cut it off. I refuse to be saddled with a weakness." His voice was cold as ice. Reluctantly, she raised her sword above her head, bringing it down again in one swift motion. He could have sworn that she averted her eyes as it bit into flesh. Calamity! He had to hold back from cursing like a sailor. Guardian stumbled backward, face white, covering her eyes. The pain was excruciating, but that was expected. And the lump of useless flesh no longer hung from his elbow. He grunted, but managed to keep from screaming. "Well, woman?" His voice held a small hint of a sneer. "Are you going to just let me bleed to death?" As she scrambled to begin putting together a tourniquet, Paladin began to smile to himself. The loss of the right arm was a blow, to be sure, but it forced him to become proficient with his left. Few people were prepared for a left-handed swordsman in this day and age. With luck, and the attention of providence that he surely had, he could turn the loss of his arm into a devastating advantage on the battlefield. Even a setback like this served eventually to work towards his ultimate goal. * * * * * * * * Arvin slowed his pace as the jail disappeared behind the burned-out hulks of a residential district. The little girl showed no signs of tiring, and it would do no good to run right into danger while trying to escape it. The streets were deserted. The Dalles had looked a lot like this, everyone gone in hiding, or dead. After...his thoughts trailed off. He couldn't face it. Not again. But his thoughts seemed determined to betray him to a surge of guilt and shame. Images rose in his mind, faster than he could suppress them. The elementary school where he had once taught. The classroom. Colors. The deep purple of a regal cloak. The bright red of fresh blood. That unforgettable metallic tang in the air. Screams. Always the screams. It was the girl who snapped him out of it. "Are we stopping here? I don't see anywhere to hide?" He hadn't realized he had stopped walking. It took visible effort for him to pay attention, but he managed. Slowly, his mind became his own again. "No, we aren't stopping here for long. I just need to catch my breath a little." Her young face grew thoughtful. "You old folks need to catch your breath a lot. My daddy always used to do that when he went on a walk with me." Arvin found himself smiling at the little girl's chatter. "Does your daddy live around here?" Her face fell. "Not anymore. He died-ed when the bad metal man came here. My mommy was very sad then. She was sick and then the metal man took her away." She looked like she was about to start crying. Sparks, this is awkward. He hadn't really interacted with children for almost two years. He had a vague idea that he should comfort her, but no idea how to go about it. The silence hung in the air like a stifling blanket. He had to say something. "So...what's your name?" The girl smiled, as if she was grateful for the change of subject. "My name's Ari, because it's short for Ariana but I always wanted to be called Elsa because when I saw Frozen, I just loved Elsa and I wanted to be just like her. Did you see Frozen?" The words tumbled out in a rush. And just like that, the ice was broken. Arvin could feel the tension snap. He breathed a sigh of relief. "I did, actually. It was my daughter's favorite movie." That brought another wave of memories that he had no strength to deal with right now. He found himself blinking back tears just at the thought. He was grateful again when Ari started chattering again. "Oh! Well I just love the movie because of the snow and the magic and the castle. And Elsa. She's my favorite princess..." She continued to talk as they started moving again. After her third time going over her favorite part of the movie, the part when Elsa got a new dress, she finally started to wind down. Arvin seized the chance to speak. "Well, Ari, how do you feel about going to a place where we can watch Frozen together? It's a place that will be safe from the bad metal man, too." It was the truth, from a certain point of view. They would be safe as long as she was there. Assuming his beliefs were correct. "Ooh! That would be fun! And we could make popcorn, and have candy, and...oh!...do you have apple trees, mister? I love apples. And then we could pick apples and look at the flowers!" Her voice trailed off a little, and she looked at him shyly. "Mister?" "Yes, Ari?" "Well, um...never mind." It was a familiar situation with children, and he found himself smiling. "It's OK. You don't have to be embarrassed. What's up?" "I was just wondering..." She was obviously uncomfortable now. Then she got a look of determination on her face. "Mister, could you be my new daddy?" The question stopped him dead in his tracks. Can I do this? Can I really make myself vulnerable like that again? But almost immediately the thought came back. But I can't just leave her alone. Not now. Vondra will use her, and use her up if he needs to to save the place from Ironmonger. I need to be there to protect her. And I might as well start today. For all of the shock that the question brought, there was only one answer he could give. "Yes, Ari, I can be your new daddy, if you want. We can be our own little family." She laughed out loud at that, and then ran away, yelling "Look at me, mister!'" She skipped ahead happily to go and pick a dandelion puffball, and strangely, Arvin felt his heart lighten in a way that it hadn't for more years than he'd like to remember. He had a purpose again.