1/20 Tower of the Shield

Tanya Weiss says, "However, I do not fear this position."
Tanya Weiss says, "Rather- my ambition will lead the Ardent Shields to a brighter future."
Elias Berios says, "Aha-- I can respect that."
Dun says, "A future bright, but for who? Ohohoho. "
Tanya Weiss says, "The Ardent Shields, and Theria, Clown."
Dun exclaims, "Ohohohoho, the sun rises high on Theria, let not those shields blind you before you can see it!"
Dun was a clown with hands ready to throw, as the gods intended.
(Dun)
Rosalette smells a clown...
(Rosalette)
Tanya Weiss asks, "Are you a clown of equal ambition?"

Dun would hop from foot to foot with merry cheer as he hovered dangerously upon the edge of the cliffside, appearing to dance artfully and eccentrically upon the edge with an ambient clank of his black boots. The jester seemed in good, holiday cheer as he performed contently, hopping back and forth before at last landing with an artful, questionably clanky flip before Tanya with an ambient cackle and an artful bow.

"Ohohohohoho, I am Dun the Dim, Dim the Dun, a clown without peer. All but one. I have arrived to throw pies and give hands, and I'm all out of pies. Do you trust a trickster to such an ambition, that I would not build up the tower only to watch it fall that much harder?"
(Dun)
It was a real life clown! As what he said so himself but she was truly curious...

"What clown doesn't have pies! meaning...." She thought for a moment pondering the right word to find within her smol little brain of a kitsune.

"You're a faker, fake, fake, fake clown! mhm!" She nodded twice agreeing with herself.

"Unless? You show me a trick like one of those wooosh and flashy thingys? or whatever clowns do?" She tilted her head she hadn't really met a clown that was as committed as this person was.
(Rosalette)

Give hands? Tanya smiled at the clown's display of acrobatics. At the very least, he could provide entertainment and morale to the Ardent Shields.

"You are right about one thing, I do not trust people with wit at the same level as mine. I do concede that you're a bit sharper than you put yourself out as. However, I think that all people with ambition would find themselves a home at Ardent Shield."

A smug smirk at the clown, before continuing.

"What do you say? You could perform at parties."
(Tanya Weiss)

Disturbing...

Peering over his shoulder! A clown... He'd freeze in utter confusion at this-- FOOL! CLOWN! HARLEQUIN! JESTER! "Dun the dim . . buy yerself a few pies before continuing to disgrace yourself!" Shunning the clown, before turning away.

A clown?!

Where was the pompous attitude? The extravagant wear? Wait. That's a noble.
(Elias Berios)
A clown in poverty my dear! Pies aren't cheap, and times are tough, a man cannot throw all his pies if he desires to eat!"

Dun would offer a cheerful chuckle as he hopped from foot to foot, glancing over the small kitsune with an idle hum as he tapped the chin of his mask. They desired a trick, a ruse, an entertaining spectacle?

Very well.

"Why, what big ears you have, I wonder..."

The clown would thrust his calloused palm behind Rosalette's ear, retrieving with a sleight of hand an ivory flower the same tone as the snow. Patting the girl upon the head, he would tuck it behind her ear before turning to the other conversisers.

"Much better. Now, to matters of business! I am a wise fool, the most dangerous kind. Who are you?"

The clown's attention was now on Tanya.
(Dun)
The Kitsune was actually perplexed!

He really just pulled a flower from behind her ear out of no where such power and such clownery it was almost impossible to figure out how he did such a thing. However her ears lower upon his touch with the pat on her head.

"Woahhhh its a real clown!" She accept the ivory flower within her grasp and sticks it through her hair for it to linger there for a while. However she didn't think that this clown was dangerous at all. For now she settles to look off at the cliffs downward dozing off.


(Rosalette)
Rosalette says, "Thank you mister dun, dun of clowns."

With a flick of her hair, she side-steps the insulting man in front of him, tapping the earth a few times to rise up to Dun's height. She was a short woman, and her mastery in Metal and Earth was enough to command the very ground around her to rise up.

"I am Tanya Weiss, leader and purveyor of the Ardent Shields. We are one of the original mercenary companies in Theria; my father was the one to create it. With his unfortunate passing, however, I am now it's leader."

Her gaze is steely, yet her complexion is palicid and amicable. Observant, and scheming.

"We take the brightest and greatest of those in Theria to defend the nation and thrust ourselves higher in social standing. Joining with the Shields requires a passion and dedication to their own work to grow, and thrive."

There is a slight lean forward, with a smile.

"I've seen your tricks, and believe that a spot is open for you. Do you have what it takes to truly shine? If so, then we are in business."
(Tanya Weiss)
DeSean he looks over to Dun, noting that all of his gear is enchanted, which means....he'd be sure to give the clown a free pie later for making this trip far less boring.
(DeSean Juular)
Dun would bow theatrically to Tanya with a nod, hopping from boot to boot with merry cheer as he listened in on the mercenary leader's words. The clown in truth had come for such a reason after all, the merit of throwing hands was one worthy of spreading cheer. While Tanya was quite short, it appeared that in spite of the jovial tone of the jester, he was quite tall and bulky. It only added to the strangeness of his demeanor.

"Purveying violence, leading laughter, what cheer, what cheer! Do the burdens of the father weigh so heavily upon your shoulders that your legs crumple, or are you truly that short?"

The clown would cackle, turning towards and his sass before revealing that no true clown was ever entirely unarmed, revealing a cherry pie he would proceed to immediately throw with immense kinetic force at Elias' head before continuing to speak.

"Dun defend? Thrust to protect? What strange circumstance, what fun. I shallconsider it, in truth, but what are these shields if not swords with rust? What violence comes from defense?"
(Dun)

Get pied Elias.
(Dun)
 Elias-- likely got blindsided by a cherry-flavored pie; with only a few seconds to defend himself!
(Elias Berios)
"Have you even been hit in the face with a shield, Dun?"

A short cackle, at both his comments on her height and the pie impacting Elias' face. The speed it was thrown; this was no ordinary clown.

"Truly, my height's a mystery. My parents were both relatively tall, so I have no idea. But, the Shields both attack and defend. Someone like you- I think you would be a perfect addition to the Ardent Shields. What do you say?"

A hand extends towards Dun with an innocent smile. She knew a trick would come of this...

but from where?
(Tanya Weiss)

She watched as that person really just got pied easily. She cracks up a small smile that breaks into a giggle only momentarily. "Pffft woow what a powerful clown he is."

This clown was very amusing and probably the best of the best. This was something she wouldn't forget. What clown really didn't keep pies on them truly?
(Rosalette)
Whispering and introductions were abruptly cut tragically short-... glancing forward ONLY to receive a spit-second warning before PIED! The intense kinetic force caused him to tumble back-..

What clown is THAT strong?

Standing up from the impact, a hand rose to wipe the pie from his brow--..

"Well... You did 'ave a pie after all."

CURSE HIS CALLOUS WORDS!
(Elias Berios)

Dun had successfully pied the only rival to his clown antics in the local area, establishing fool dominance effortlessly as he hopped from sabaton to sabaton with mirthful cheer. It was a flawless maneuver, an effortless jest that had smote the nonbeliever in the name of comedy. Truly, there was no better calling the clown had seen in all his days.

"I have never been hit in the face, young Tanya. Clowns are faceless by nature, they cannot be harmed as long as the façade is maintained. As long as it is a comedy, it cannot be a tragedy."

The clown would nod sagely, his tone oddly lucid and monotone as he spoke before returning once more to his merry cheer and wily antics. Tapping the chin of his mask for a time, Dun would nod firmly as he gave Tanya a thumbs up.

"As long as you lead me to the next big show, and violence follows? I will accept your proposition, if only to see where someone as short as you goes. Perhaps you will, in the end, stand tall."
(Dun)
Tanya Weiss says, "Very well, Dun. Welcome to the Ardent Shields. "
Tanya Weiss says, "Dun, your job will be... hmm."
Tanya Weiss says, "I think you'd do best as my personal guardian, my right hand. You have the presence and I need a second in command. A Tower of the Shields.
Dun says, "A clown as a shield, a fool's sword. Very well."

-Later on, after defeating Tanya and establishing clown dominance.
Tanya Weiss says, "Oof.....that's why you're a tower Dun.
Dun say, "I try, I try. But for now I depart."

The clown would make his way through the frigid depths of Theria's stony bowels before at last shutting the door on his dank, chilly apartment, tossing his mask to the ground as he took deep, steady breathes while looking at his hands. Task hadn't felt quite this alive in years, he'd thrown hands with just about everyone that had come up for a challenge, and with relentless clown force showed them the strength of his fists.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Id was taunting him for enjoying violence so much, and the shadow of the clown upon his psyche felt as if it stretched greater by the day. But the commander could not deny the power of the fool's visage, it had brought him far within Theria in a short time indeed. Through strength of fists, boldness, and fearless display, Task now found himself second in command of one of Theria's big three, entrusted with the shifts that shuffled at the great gate and bodyguarding Tanya herself. A place at the council meetings, a hand in the fate of Theria.

He was acquiring influence in the city. But for what? When he'd started, somewhere in the back of his mind, he still said it trying to gather information. But now he had the opportunity to gain a foothold in this city as the clown, this lawless land. Here he could bring justice to those the laws he'd once clung so tightly to in Osrona would forbid. Somewhere along the way, Task realized that the city watch was a false arm of the law. The cloaks were warm, but the order had final say.

Benchwarmers. Cowards. Fools. Blamed for the city's problems. How many insults had Task swallowed to his pride because the city's system was rigid, and the laws protected all that which he resented most. When had his own sense of justice found itself so far away from the crown's rulings. The commander had only one eye, but it had seen far, far too much, and perhaps this was why justice was blind.

In this city without law, he had begun to find himself. Slipping the mask back on, the clown looked at his hands for a time as if they were a foreigner's, raising his knuckles to stare at them for a time. Id had once told him that any who used her way for violence would be hunted by the school, but it had only been her and him in the end. She was long gone, and him the bearer of its will. Perhaps it was his duty, then, to reforge it stronger than ever before.

The city awaited, it was time to put on a show.