A True Knight's Determination

Ser Artaghh would gaze wistfully off the side of the great mountain of Dawn, puffing away a steady cloud of minty smoke from his corn cob pipe into the distant, frosty glacial winds of the northern tundras beyond the mountain tops that border Dawn. It had been a difficult week, they'd lost young Annie and Katt, two girls far too young to have reached their grave by Huang's hand of all people. Artaghh had looked forward to them annoying him into his old age, not being at their funerals. Gripping the handle of his Nyeshk great axe, Artagh would swiftly heave his great axe into the nearby sheer stone, cleaving with a handful of viciously strong, yet neat precise hacks of his axe a fifty ton block of stone with which to train. Cleaving to hand holds into the stone with a swift hack of his axe, Artagh would nod to Batt as he grabbed some adhesive and the mithril training chains he'd acquired from Geenz five years prior.
(Artaghh)


Artaghh says, "We're not gonna let any more folk die."

Artaghh says, "Time'ta break my limits."

Batt says, "I hope not."
Batt gives him a firm nod.
(Batt)


Artaghh says, "I'm goin'ta fin' the peak'a energy magic."

Batt says, "I feel the same about my own training."

Artaghh says, "An' I'm goin'ta break it."

Artaghh says, "This next exercise will be simple, bu' my hardest."

Batt asks, "How so?"

Artaghh says, "Goin'ta do one legged axe chop leg hops wit' fifty tons a stone on my back until I can't do it anymore. No limit, no stopping, jus' me shroud fuelin' the burn."
Batt raises a brow and tilts his head.
(Batt)


Artaghh says, "Laps aroun' the mountain on one leg."

Batt says, "Sounds tough."

Artaghh says, "Aye, bu' I go' me rabbit potions."

Batt says, "Heh, good shit."

Artaghh says, "I'm a bi' less clunky than I used'ta be."
Batt ups his chin gently.
(Batt)


Batt says, "A'right, well."

Batt says, "Good luck to ya Artaghh."

Batt says, "I'm gonna hit the hay."
Augatu Shino has exited Daylight Hall.


Artaghh says, "Aye, good tidin's to ya."


Augatu Shino asks, "Aye, a little to restless in the Dawn for you right now?"
Yiranda Rosier has enchanted the Dark Plain Dress!

Artaghh says, "Nah, jus' 'like'ta mountain airl"

Augatu Shino says, "I'll admit, it is rather fresh but at the same time it is thin. I'm just glad I wasn't born with weak lungs or I wouldn't exactly be very cut out for the profession I've chosen."


A small hearty laugh would compliment his statement as he looked toward Artaghh, feeling a small sense of comradery coming from him.
(Augatu Shino)


Artaghh says, "Anywho, this be where I train."

Artaghh says, "Got'a keep pushin' me'self, goin fer'a weighted jog'a sorts."

Augatu Shino asks, "Pushing yourself for what though? I know you're a knight therefore you have some duty to protect.. but where did that want to protect even come from?"

Artaghh says, "My oath."

Artaghh says, "The one I made to Dawn six years ago to protect it's people, long before I was knighted."

Augatu Shino asks, "Are you sure it's to the land and not say.. a particular person?"

Artaghh asks, "Why woul' it be a particular person?"

Artaghh says, "My loyalty is'ta all the people of Dawn, the oath I swore was to protect them to the best of my ability."

Artaghh says, "In life and death."

Artaghh says, "An' I've never regretted swearing it."

Augatu Shino says, "I can't ssee a reason why anyone who is loyal to protecting what they care for most would regret taking such an oath.. Although.. I remember my ma telling me a fairy tale about chivalry and oaths and this one particular knight.."

Artaghh says, "Those tales are wha' led me to becomin'a knight."

Artaghh says, "It was me dream as a wee boy."

Artaghh says, "A knight in shin' armor, noble, brave, honorable, strong, an' above all just."
Augatu would let out a small chuckle as he put his hand through his hood, scratching the back of his head and behind his ear lightly as he began to speak again.
(Augatu Shino)


Augatu Shino says, "I guess I have the same ideals as well coming from those fairy tales, I just go about it a different way. I want to protect all life and make sure it lives in whatever form of harmony I can get it into. That's sometimes why I visit place to place, to see what kind of task I've given myself even if it's a nigh impossible one."

Artaghh says, "Dawn gave me a home, so I owe'm my loyalty."

Artaghh says, "Tha's pretty much the whole'a it."

Augatu Shino says, "I guess the same would go for me if I still had a home myself.."

Augatu Shino says, "But that just makes me not want to linger in one place too often nowadays."

Artaghh says, "Continue ye' path."

Artaghh says, "Wanderin' is a fealty of sorts in itself."

Artaghh says, "Ye' are sworn to wanderlust an' adventure."

Artaghh says, "An' tha' is a worthy callin'."

Augatu Shino says, "Well, not adventure.."
Artaghh says, "Nonsense."


Artaghh says, "Ye' are halfway to adventure already."

Augatu Shino says, "I wander to create peace."

Augatu Shino says, "That's my true calling."

Artaghh asks, "Peaceful adventuring spreads peace, aye?"


Augatu Shino says, "Not exactly.."


Artaghh says, "Then make it exactly."

Artaghh says, "Ye' are yer own overseer."

Augatu Shino says, "That is true.. but just as I'm the overseer of myself I can only suggest my opinions to others I can't force it."


Artaghh says, "Tha's where charisma comes in."

Artaghh says, "Ye' ge' better'a talkin'ta folk, they'll listen'ya ideas."

Artaghh says, "When they like ya, they'll tend'ta go along wit'it even if ye' are doin' somethin' stranger 'er silly"

Augatu Shino says, "I guess you're right. If I can get the favor of others and learn how to control the tongue of a snake, I guess I might become closer to the end goal."

Artaghh says, "Practice makes perfect."

Artaghh says, "Go'ta town square, ask folks abou' themselves."

Artaghh says, "Dunnae be pushy a'course."

Artaghh says, "Bu' jus' benign things."

Artaghh says, "Their lives."

Artaghh says, "Good'ta learn folks tells."

Augatu Shino asks, "Aye, be a good neighbor essentially?"

Artaghh says, "Exactly, such is the path'ta bein' a man."

Augatu Shino asks, "I see. You were in the mines, what type of ore did you need by chance?"

Artaghh says, "None anymore."

Artaghh says, "I'm set, lass helped out. Anywho, I'm headin' up'ta mountain fer' me trainin, ye' shoul' go try it out in the square."

Leaving the young adventurer behind with a nod, Artaghh would heave his fifty tons of stones over his shoulders and begin trodding off in preparation for the many training session at hand. As described to Batt, he would perform axe chops with each one legged hop as he made laps around the mountain until he simply couldn't continue. He knew when that final, true point of exhaustion was reached was when the energy shroud was most potent, and the research he'd gotten to do while learning to read on mana circuits and pathways of energy within the human physiology allowed far better visualization than the knight had ever been able to manifest before. After so many years of active training in the flowing blue light of the shroud, it felt like a second skin, an extension of his limit breaking human potential. King Arthur called for an island under the rule of one throne, and Ser Artaghh would become strong enough to make that happen.

Leaping with a heave of his great Nyeshk axe as the fifty tons was lugged into the air by the sheer muscle mass of the bald knight, Artaghh would hop steadily along the trail of the mountain with steadfast determination to become strong enough to avenge those that had fallen to Huang. Too many young people who'd barely reached the height of their youth died while an old, nearly thirty mass of craggy pores and scar tissue like Artaghh got to live. He wouldn't give anything less than his best. As he continued around and around the mountain, the one eyed axeman would bar out a hoarse, mournful sailor's jig about things lost.

Artaghh exclaims, "Ota year was five hundred fifty eight!"

"Ota year was five hundred fifty eight!
How I wish I was in Sarradia now
A letter’a marque came from’ta lord
To’da scummiest vessel ye've ever seen
God damn them all! I WAS TOLD we'd cruise’ta seas for dragon gold
We'd fire no bows, shed no hairs
But I'm a broken man on a Gehennan pier"

Artaghh would proceed with vigor along his path, swinging cleanly with his axe with each determined, weighted hop along the mountain path, mulling upon his oath to Dawn as the blue, flaming shroud of mana grew and grew with the increasing burden of exhaustion that fell upon the well seasoned knight. It wouldn't be good training if it didn't strain him to his limits, after all. With a bar of laughter, he'd prepare to deliver the next portion of the chorus, slapping along with the clanks of his mithril sabatons and the clap of his large, calloused palms against the mithril cuirass that covered his chest.
(Artaghh)

Oh, Ol’ Krast Osigost cried’ta town
How I wish I was’ near Sarradia now
For twenty brave fools, all farmers who
Would make for him the Kaor's crew
God damn’em all! I’was told we'd cruise’ta seas ferr DRAGON GOLD!
We'd fire no bows, share no beers,
But I'ma broken man on’a Gehennan pier
The last of Morgan's Privateers
"

Ser Artaghh would heave on with agility that defied the mass of muscle that was his frame, and certainly the fifty tons of stone strapped to his back by mithril bindings. When the young crafter had granted him a variety of free potions for his display of knightly virtue and chivalry, he'd felt as if he'd finally broken a new limit on his personal speed and swiftness by fully completing the regimen of thirty rabbit's foot potions. Snot dripping from the mashed nose of the peasant knight, he would heave in exertion with each slash as afterten laps, he finally switched from his right leg to his left one. Veins protruded from his forehead, arms, and legs as more and more strain was placed on the muscles, the blue shroud of mana burning ever on in manly stoic energy.
(Artaghh)

"The Kaor’s sloop was’a sickenin’ sigh’!
How I wish’ae was’n Sarradia now!
She'd a list to the port and her sails in rags
And the cook in the scuppers with the staggers and jags
God damn them all! I was told
We'd cruise’ta sea fer Dragon gold
We'd cast no spells, shed no tears
Bu’ I'ma broken man on’a Gehennan pier
The last’a Krast's Privateers"

Though Ser Artaghh knew more of the verses, his exhaustion had caught up to him. No longer able to continue singing as the laps went on, he would whistle along to the tune of the old shanty with a bark of pained laughter. Proceeding forth with each weighted swing, his blue flame of energy would shine with glinting vigor off the mithril sheen of his plate armor, creating a near idylicc visage of a knight in shining armor even as the peasant felt like he was about to collapse.

 Yet, the further he pushed, the more he felt that he was finally in control of the pathways that lined his physiology. By precisely flowing mana to the muscles he required in the exact moment of a mighty cleave, slash, or vicious lunge, he could enhance the efficiency and push the limits of the individual part to their peak, and break any previous limiters on his muscles in a display of fearless manhood and unshaking determination. After two days straight of hopping, Artaghh finally collapsed at the edge of the frigid cliff, the cold tundra air blowing blisteringly chilly in the great heights above Dawn. Yet, as Artaghh slowly pushed himself to his feet after unstrapping the mass of granite from his back, he nodded with certainty as he felt the soreness spread throughout his body with the dissipation of adrenaline. He had finally gotten a true grasp on manipulating his energy and mana flow to a key. And all an achievement in ignorance, Artaghh couldn't expect anything else from his peasant self.