King's Mulligan [Interactive Project]

[ThreadLurkingComorant]

 You use your headhunting skills to help yourself gauge the situation.

The foe in front of you has a nervous disposition and will be easily rattled if you make any fast movements. It's quite smart when it comes to combat despite its appearance.

In the state it’s in it’d be easy to take out but it’s very aware making attempts at preemptive strikes a little flimsy. You will absolutely need to coordinate to kill or capture it without issue.

You know it has some otherworldly properties when it’s startled, you’ve had to deal with these before.

You pull out your bestiary.

Tiles: Could you give me a moment?

Gallows: You’re going to cast something?

Tiles: I’m going to refresh on the details of it.

Gallows: Oh?

Tiles: Mm. Been a bit since I’ve had to deal with a spellbuckler myself.

Gallows: Aren’t you a knight?

Tiles: I am.

Gallows: Then this should be easy, no

Tiles: Mm… this one’s rather big though. They usually don’t get the chance to grow that large back home?

Gallows: Ah, from out of town yes?

Tiles: Mmhmm. Come from Coins.

Gallows: Ah, the trade town.  I hear it’s nice there.

Tiles: Used to be. It has a large tourist scene and the crown has been doubling down on it by pushing out the local residents to make more spots that appeal to those on vacation. It’s a bit of a issue there.

Gallows: Mm, heard some about that. Grandparents used to live there, came from overseas and all. They moved over to Swords when it became too expensive but… you know how it is there. Difficult for me to get to see them much these days.

Tiles: Ah. Crown still hasn’t forgiven Swords for pivoting the last uprising.

Gallows:  Don’t think it ever will. The entire Saint Gums revolution became too close to comfort for them and they ended up losing their lines of metal production for a long time as a result. If they were to ease up again they’d be incredibly vulnerable.

Tiles: It’s a very valuable asset to them in this upcoming war.

Gallows: You by any chance participating already?

Tiles: Mm… my knight family was pretty prominent in efforts there before… well.

Gallows: Before the king strong armed all of them to join, retire, or die.

Tiles: Mm. Our family of course refused. They took action immediately. Burned things down.

Gallows: So you are of the Tiles family, yes? I mean I figured, you knights love to wear your titles..

Tiles: Mm.

Gallows:  Do you have a real name?

Tiles: Of course.

Gallows: And um…

Tiles: You’re asking quite a lot right now if you want to know.

Gallows: Ah, sorry. I just wonder…

Tiles: Mm… I am in your debt however and I don’t have elsewhere to go though so I’m in the market for a rebel faction in need of more muscle. Perhaps I will tell you eventually?

Gallows: Of course, take your time with that. Why do knights do such things?

Tiles: To immortalize the idea of a hero who exists generation after generation. The idea that the people will always have a champion watching over them. In our culture we believe that those who truly believe inherent the souls of their predecessor, a common spirit.

Gallows: What happens when a knight family dies out?

Tiles: Then we pray such noble arms are never needed again. Unfortunately that’s rarely the case… and honestly something I’m dreading.

Gallows: Ah… so..

Tiles: I am the last of my family. Aside from those who showed cowardice in the moment of truth, there’s nothing left.  I carry the weight of many alone.



Gallows: I’m sorry, I can’t even imagine…

Tiles: You have nothing to apologize for. Are you keeping an eye on the creature?

Gallows: Mm, have been. It hasn’t blinked…

You find the page.

Tiles. We must be quick. If we make it feel threatened it’ll shift the world in a way nobody will particularly like.

Gallows: Mm, of course. It could turn big, make us into living sludge, set the place on fire… I don’t want to deal with one like this.

Tiles: A word of advice my father gave me is that if you pummel it quickly enough it won’t be able to react in time.Weaker ones also have a tendency to lose their effective range if trapped in a cloth or leather bag.

Gallows: Really?

Tiles: Their magic doesn’t cast far. We have anything like that?

Gallows: There’s a rucksack. One of us could shove it in.

Tiles: Mm. Between you, me, and the demon you can spawn I think we could handle this.

Gallows: Mm. I suppose we’ll have to figure out who’s trapping it if we’re planning to capture it.

Tiles: We also need to decide who’s going to keep it staggered… The bagging requires a sleight of hand.

Gallows: There’s also a few toys and broken tools if you feel like scrapbooking to make our odds better but you’ll need to sneak around. A Bunbud?
 

Tiles: That would be beneficial… I don’t have mushrooms, however.

Gallows: Could get one from the yard. Been meaning to get rid of those.

Tiles: Have to ponder if it’ll sit still long enough for that… 

Gallows: Mm, I don't like the face it's making.

Tiles: What a odd worm...