Please thank Reinald so fucking much. Also, do you mind ignoring the following text from the plan, as I would have removed it from the plan if I'd known that. Also, does it eat a Secondary Action to test fire? I've been assuming so, but does it actually do so?
Reinald will discuss when to do stuff with you and it won't take an action, I don't think. Or, well, not as a general rule anyway. It might this time, but if so that would probably wind up locked in. When going on the road to the tourney, Reinald would like you to have a Finale available to use if needed. That does mean he'd advise you to keep enough Zeal free to do that, but it also means he'll be organizing it pre-tourney.
[X] Plan WHATS IN THE BOX
-[X] [Focus Action] Poke Reinald about Hordebreaker Finale ideas (get them added to our list of known possible), any basic rotes/meditations he thinks we should grab, and any issues he has with our build. We know our skills are kinda low at points, but we plan to raise them after the tourney. Also, can he look into sorting out a way we can test fire the Clever Deflection + GKB counter finale we are working on this turn so that we can get it to Refined, preferably the turn after the tourney as we have some plans for our current Zeal up until the tourney.
-[X] [Secondary Action] Go out, do minor good deeds in the area
-[X] [Secondary Action] Talk with the local squires, exchange letters with our friends in the other parts of the country
-[X] [Chancellery] "To Smite the Wicked"
-[X] Training and Zeal (60 Training, 126 Zeal)
–[X] Spend 27 Training on Mastering GKB
–[X] Spend 8 Training on Hordebreaker Rank 3 -> 4
–[X] Spend 8 Training on Ground Shape Rank 3 -> 4
–[X] Spend 6 Training on Refining Blinding Beam
–[X] Spend 6 Training on Refining Bouncing Leap
–[X] Spend 5 Training on Superlative Counter Finale from Not Existing -> Rough (2/6)
–[X] Spend 114 Zeal on Decade advancement, 0 Beads (60/74) -> 10 Beads/4th Decade. USE THE BOX! 12 Zeal Remaining
With the King's well wishes and challenge set before her, Audrey's path forward was clear! To seize the Fourth Decade by the dawn of the following year, and see what path forward he had in store for her!
"It's a good strategy" Sir Vieux agreed when she discussed her training plan, rubbing his chin as he considered her needs. "I still can't help you much with your Hama, even if I've gotten a better grasp on how it works over the years–but the rest? I agree, pushing to the Fourth Decade will be the single greatest advancement you can make in the short term–your body and mind are already at or above the standard expected of a young Knight–but now that you've gotten the basics down, you'll want to advance to the Fourth Decade and see where you'll be lingering for the next ten, fifteen years."
Audrey blinked, tilting her head quizzically at his remark. "I've gotten a decent grasp of how quickly advancement is–and the gap from the Fourth to the Fifth Decade isn't that large–is this another of those details you're not allowed to elaborate on early?"
Sir Vieux thinks on that for a moment. "I suppose it's no great secret." He admits. "The Fourth Decade is the first step in which you can truly begin developing your Tabernacle. You can technically start from any moment that you've set the foundations of your Temple down–but there's no real point to doing so until the Fourth Decade." He rolls his eyes. "There's some debate over it, putting off your work on the place you're supposed to store the Sacraments feels like a mistake in the eyes of some scholars–but at the end of the day, a Knight can't fully step away from secular concerns–and as far as anyone knows, the Tabernacle has no real effect sooner than the Fourth, while being a bottomless abyss that you pour Zeal into just to get the privilege of spending more Zeal through it."
Audrey's brow furrowed at her master's description. "That doesn't seem to be the whole story, it wouldn't share a name with the House of God if it was, would it?"
Reinald grinned at that. "You're right, the Tabernacle from a Cultivation Perspective is an engine of purification, able to concentrate Zeal into a more efficient form. The formal name for it is… Well, 'Purified Zeal', but most just call it Piety." He gestures forward to Audrey, letting her take the lead now that he's introduced the idea.
Naturally, Audrey Eotenslaga would not be found wanting! She had all the pieces she needed to determine the implications of this remark–Purified Zeal–a more 'Efficient' Form… Produced in the Tabernacle…
"It's the parable of the bread and fish, isn't it?" Audrey asked, red-slashed eyes sparkling with interest. "Producing enough to feed many with what should have been a single meal. It's just like Communion, isn't it?"
Sir Vieux nodded. "You've got the idea behind it down! Yes, Purified Zeal is a way of concentrating Zeal so that you get more out of each piece of it than you would in its liquid state. You store the original substance in a chamber of your Tabernacle, and over time, it crystallizes into a solid form. That 'Piety' is about three times more efficient than Zeal in its liquid form. Put three units of Zeal in to become Piety, and you get the equivalent of nine units of Zeal back."
Audrey's eyes widened at that. "That's Miraculous!" She exclaimed. "What's the catch? God may be able to work such great deeds, but Men aren't quite so perfect."
Reinald smirked. "Always looking for the catch, aren't you? But you're right, the Tabernacle is capable of concentrating Zeal, yes, but it can only store and process so much at once, and the final window for constructing it is in the Fourth Decade–afterward, it becomes impossible to further improve on it without exceptionally rare opportunities. We usually measure a Tabernacle's capacity on a rating from nine to one, counting down–why it's done that way–I have no idea. Most Knights worthy of their spurs try to ensure that they're somewhere in the middle reaches before stepping into the Fifth Decade–but it's a constant balancing act between expanding your Tabernacle and advancing your Cultivation as a whole–being able to condense an entire river of Zeal over a year doesn't help you much if you get your head cut off by a Norseman who's killed more people than you've ever met while you were loafing around in the Fourth Decade, will it?"
Audrey's nose wrinkles at the thought. "Blech, I don't like the idea–but I am truly exceptional, I shouldn't settle myself with just a standard Tabernacle…" Her eyes narrow, and she takes a moment to size her Master up. "What level is your own? Surely it's not ordinary to have reached your present level?"
Reinald Vieux nods. "I had a few good opportunities and worked hard while I was a hedge Knight back in the day, and managed to squeak a Third Grade Tabernacle out." He confirmed. "It's done plenty to help my advancement though–the final three grades are like night and day compared to the ones that come before it–both in expense to achieve them and in their capacity. I can count the Knights on this island who can match or exceed it on a single hand."
"I shouldn't satisfy myself with any less than, as your student." Audrey sagely confirmed. "The student must surpass their teacher, is it not?"
Reinald lets out a bark of laughter, his hand reaching out and patting Audrey's head despite her best efforts. "Just don't let things get out of hand! Piety is great, but it does have its limitations–it can't be used to strengthen your Soma, Psyche, or Pneuma–or whatever it develops into." He lectures. "Something to do with the crystalized Zeal not lasting long outside of your Tabernacle. This is also why it can't be traded around like Zeal in its liquid form can, it'll sublimate the instant it makes contact with the outside world–though it'll last long enough for immediate use if you want to fuel powerful Rotes or other similar tricks. You'll need the stuff for some work in your Temple as you advance, but ultimately, it's a trade-off between advancing as a Knight and easing your progression in the higher Decades. Most people settle in the middle reaches exactly because that's the point where it can cover your needs–and rely on the assistance of their patrons to cover their cultivation needs, the upper-level Cores just let you progress faster, absent direct support–it's a choice to be made, not a checklist to be marked off."
Audrey narrowed her eyes, and crossed her arms before her, clearly not yielding the point–she was Audrey Eotenslaga, and the idea of settling for merely 'Average' was abhorrent to her!
Reinald shook his head, dismissing the topic in his mind. "So, that aside, you wanted some recommendations for what we should work on in your last few years under my tutelage? There are several things I can think of–you've been letting your studies in mathematics and economics lapse in the past few years for instance, and I strongly recommend you get those up to scratch before it's too late. I can recommend some supplementary books to brush up on…"
0~0~0
Reinald Vieux has made several recommendations of what Audrey should focus on in your last few years of training with him. Chief among them is your poor Administration score–it will likely make you a laughingstock if it remains as it is now. It should be raised at least once–and preferably twice before you leave his tutelage. Honestly, your non-combat abilities need work in general, and you should try to get most of them up at least one more step before you leave.
Audrey's horsemanship skills also need work–she's managed so far because she's not gotten into a pitched battle, and Bradamante can cover for her lack of experience in the saddle, but she will most assuredly feel it when she gets in a fight. Ideally, it shouldn't be more than two steps below her Combat Score to avoid penalties. Three steps down and there are minor penalties, four or more, and those penalties become severe.
Audrey will benefit a fair amount from Scouting thanks to her Cloak of Invisibility, and raising that could be a good idea. Her Diplomacy and Tactics are also at a respectable level, but it never hurts to improve on them, though they're secondary priorities at the moment.
As for Prayers, Audrey's core combat strategy seems to be fine, she has all the tools she needs to engage in–and win–ordinary battles. She should work on getting a Finale to Refined before the two of you depart next year–but he'll make arrangements to get someone to practice on. He'll be able to help you with one additional one before you become a Knight, but that should probably wait until after the Tournament. What she needs most of all are more non-combat options–for gathering information, and making a good impression–just fleshing out her toolkit so she has options for most expected encounters that don't involve bloodshed.
In terms of actual combat options though… He discourages Audrey from picking up any further Meditations right now–or any Rotes with a high expense, as she's already at a position where her core combat strategy risks her running out of Fervour in a lengthy battle, and that's going to remain true even at the Fourth Decade–though only barely so. An exception might be made for something situational like an attention-drawing Meditation. She should consider developing an inexpensive "Filler" technique and getting it to a point where it's at least cheaper than a Black Scratch. That technique she should keep as her dedicated Anti-Armour option, rather than focusing on making it more efficient in the future...if she intends to fight Knights with it, she'd likely want to increase her mastery of it. You'll likely get better results doing so.
Furthermore, get Hard-Fall up to Rank 5, It's a good Martial Style with a wide range of applicability, you can't go wrong with it, and some Martial Style at 5 is expected.
On the topic of Hordebreaker… He agrees that branching into some Area of Effect techniques would be a wise idea eventually–here are a few ideas he's aware of that may help you out.
Reaper's March: A Meditation intended for use when outnumbered, the Reaper's March is a special combat stance that allows for striking at multiple targets with a single blow. Reinald doesn't recommend you study it until you can sort out your cost overrun, but when you're fighting Norsemen in the battle line–this is an excellent technique to have on hand.
Sacred Circle: A Hordebreaker Finale intended to buy space in a heated engagement–developed to take full advantage of a Knight's durability and aptitude at drawing attention to punish the foe for getting sloppy. Sacred Circle is exceptionally weak by the standards of most Finales, overcome by virtually anything that can interdict one. However, where it excels is in how it is treated as an individual attack on each foe within range–scuppering the efforts of commanders to cover for their subordinates. Of course, in higher-level engagements, you need to worry about the survivors retaliating with their Finales. There's a follow-up technique called "Embracing the Void" that you can (And should!) gain proficiency with afterward, which is a purely defensive Finale that allows you to nullify any Finales used on you to protect against Sacred Circle. It's an expensive combination, but if you've tucked enough Zeal away for a rainy day, there are few better ways to force an opening in the front line while baiting out the enemy's resources–especially with Fyrdsman giving you the ability to exempt your allies from the backwash of your technique.
Formation-Shattering Charge: A Hordebreaker Finale that Reinald personally doesn't know, but he's heard about. These sorts of lance-charge techniques are fairly common in the Martial Styles that exist around Charlemagne's old Empire–from retrofitting if nothing else. By using Zeal to accelerate to a dizzying speed, one can concentrate a tremendous quantity of force in the tip of their lance, discharging it on contact with the front line. It trades off the capacity to end a fight instantly in exchange for completely shattering the enemy formation–which if you're working as part of a battle line, will give your allies plenty of chances to pick favorable battles. Reinald doesn't truck with it himself, but he knows the technique well enough to teach it if you insist.
Furthermore, you can always come up with something original–Audrey is familiar enough with the core principles of Hordebreaker at this point to develop an original technique. Its themes, in addition to simply fighting against superior numbers, include the ebb and flow of the wind, either through using it to blow through and scatter an untended harvest, or taking advantage of the void left when it flees an area. It excels at overcoming superior enemy numbers but has few options against elite combatants.
0~0~0
Beyond Reinald's tutelage, Audrey spent her remaining time continuing to develop her budding network of contacts. Margh's quest seemed to have hit something of a snag, with the 'Sorcerer' learning to strike at night, when he was 'Merely' a talented fighter instead of the veritable engine of glory that he was when the sun was at its zenith. It was–in Audrey's opinion–likely that whoever their instructor happened to be, was teaching him to expand his toolkit in the same way Reinald was encouraging her to do the same.
Mildred seemed to have finally outgrown the need to engage Troll-Men–a feat that she had made very clear that she would prefer never to have to do again. 'They don't even keep anything valuable!' Her missive complained. 'It's all just food, but the food's gone within hours of the attack and then there's a hundred more Troll-Men, somehow! I counted it! They're producing more than they're eating! How is that happening!' Since then, she's mostly been buckling down with her final act of training–her Master was working at teaching her a secret technique that would make her invincible to her peers if she could crack it.
'It's pretty tough though.' She admits. 'Hama's not supposed to work that way, but I'm making good progress, and I hope to be able to show it off soon.' Audrey wondered what it was that could make Hama operate strangely in that fashion–but it would be the pinnacle of rudeness to question her on the matter, she certainly didn't describe the fine details of Hordebreaker or Severance in distant correspondence after all!
She even spent a little time getting out into the fields and villages of the area on her routine patrols! It wasn't like she had any urgent matters going on–and she would admit in hindsight that it was deeply educational to see how the regular folk of the two Kingdoms went about their business. They all had their own needs and requirements–and if Audrey Eotenslaga was to be an excellent steward, she needed to anticipate these in advance!
Something to mull over in the next few years, she supposed New Idea: What do regular folks need to thrive?
0~0~0
Fervour flows through the soul in a manner akin to a rushing flood. It washes through every hall, filling every crevice, until there is no room left for anything else—just the same as always.
A glow rises from the collected fervor, just the same as always, and yet…
Rather than fade away to leave condensed Zeal in its place, the glow intensifies, and Zeal surges. Crevices fill, solidified with a mortar of Zeal. Hallways shine, glimmering in the light of Zeal.
Strength fills the limbs as power greets the soul.
Click!
Audrey Eotenslaga, Squire of the Fourth Decade, opens her eyes to see a now-opened box before her.
Shining spurs greet her gaze, recognition of her efforts in the service of Wessex.
Sir Audrey Eotenslaga, Knight of the Fourth Decade, cracks a wide grin.
0~0~0
QUEST COMPLETED:
Be-Knighted
Audrey Eotenslaga received her spurs directly from the hands of King Alfred the Great. While you'll still be posing as a Squire for a few more years while his bureaucracy figures out where to put you and so you're not suffering from incomplete training–a gift from the King for your diligence you've won the trust of the Kingdom–this is no small feat indeed
Rewards:
A Knight's Fee (Pending)
Receive Knight's Spurs - these will remove the penalty to mounted combat for Horsemanship being three less than Combat, though not those for it being four less.
0~0~0
Make a plan for this turn as usual, though the tournament will eat up a lot of your time this year:
[ ] Example Plan
-[X] [Focus Action] The Tournament
-[X] [Secondary Action] Training Superlative Counter
-[ ] [Secondary Action] Insert Action Choice Here
-[ ] [Chancellery] Pick one available Idea
-[ ] Training and Zeal (61 Training, 127 Zeal)
–[ ] Spend 61 Training (19 at most may be spent on Feats and Shapes, 4 must be spent on Refining Superlative Counter at least 4 must be spent on Light Revelation or associated Prayers)
–[ ] Spend 0-127 Zeal on whatever you desire
Additionally, now that you've reached the Fourth Decade, you've gained an opportunity to acquire a new Armor Blessing! Some of these are carried over from before, others are new, choose wisely!
[ ][BLESSING] Bond of War: The unity between Knight and Companions allows for unmatched coordination, how much better could you be if you could extend this to your allies? The Bond of War allows for this, letting you link with (Decade) allies, smoothing coordination between them all and making it easier to combine your strengths
[ ][BLESSING] Beacon of Radiance: It is not enough to merely stand on the field of battle, you must be the center of attention! Makes you easier to notice when you are not actively concealing yourself, and makes you look more dangerous of a target--drawing attacks to you... And by extension, away from more vulnerable allies. Also has a modest boost to your social efforts when in armor
[ ][BLESSING] Dragonslayer: You have faced the Dragon in your heart and driven it to flight--mere external threats are nothing compared to that. Has a similar effect to Litany of Resolve, but requires no Capacity or Fervour to maintain. Does stack with Litany of Resolve, making you virtually impervious to mental influence, though this still only has limited effect against reasonable suggestions.
[ ][BLESSING] Mastery of the Blade: You are the Blade, and the Blade is you--extends the benefits of Knightly Armor to your readied weapon, making it capable of resisting (Though not piercing and otherwise damaging) Steel, and renders you nearly immune to being disarmed or your weapon broken.
0~0~0
AN: Enjoy the Mystery Box!
Also, we suddenly hit our donation goal for the Tip Jar!
I've already commissioned an artist (The wonderful @BKNK.SHOP ) for the project, though I certainly wouldn't object to a little extra to help defray some of the administrative costs and just generally give me a little extra pocket money. I'll figure out a new goal soon, this sort of hit sooner than expected.
Hmm, is there some way to use Eotenslaga with Hordebreaker to like, identify the enemy lynchpins? Figure out the most important enemy to kill (in terms of morale, contribution etc) and then Kill That Guy in Particular? Not sure if that's a Finale, a Rote or what.
-As noted above, Horsemanship needs to be within a few points of Combat or there are penalties to fighting while mounted. This was actually mentioned during character creation, but hasn't come up before. You're actually fine for now due to the spurs, but if you raise Combat you basically need to raise Horsemanship as well.
-The Tabernacle rules are still a work in progress, mostly in terms of specific costs for each level. Audrey would probably be inclined to focus on raising stats and skills anyway for now, so hold off a minute on Tabernacle stuff. As long as you aren't investing Zeal into Decade before making one there's no actual losses or inefficiencies.
I hope this letter finds you well, or at least in good spirits.
In any case, I have taken it upon myself to look into your competition in the upcoming North Sea Internationals as well as the location of the arena itself; Bornholm.
Attached are a selection of dossiers containing all the information I was able to gather. Unfortunately, even my information network only goes so far and so only a small portion of your competition is listed. My apologies for this mishap, I will endeavor to improve my spy networks across the North Sea.
Godspeed,
Atter
A young boy at the tender age of four, Egil has already been blooded on the field of battle. Gifted with a sharp tongue and an even sharper intellect, Egil is known to be a prodigy in the Norse art of Skaldry.
It is said that Egil has developed some manner of 'battle runes', yet I was unable to discover what that might entail.
Egil is the grandson of the Nightwolf, one of the strongest warriors to ever live and inspiration to Berserks all across the Norse world. He possesses a bloodline not dissimilar to a Seat of Gawain.
A young boy of only six years of age, Gunnar Hamundarsson is already the size of some grown men. He is blessed with otherworldly strength, natural talent, and enough patience to outlast a monk.
While Gunnar is as willing to fight as any Norse child, he is not known to start fights, only finish them. Perhaps you can use that to your advantage?
Hall Rikardsson is the son of Rikard Rockstrong, himself the son of Hall Water-Watcher. All three are said to possess the Watchman's Eye, a Vestige of tremendous power that allows the user to, as the name implies, 'serve as the best possible watchman'. An antsy boy, Hall is quite jumpy and prone to overreaction.
Hall possesses the Martial Styles of Cliffside Crest and Stoker State. It is said that he may or may not know Sword-Stepping, though this is unconfirmed.
The son of one of Wessex's most trusted mercenaries, Farbjorn Farbjornsson is the spitting image of his father, Farbjorn of the Iron Teeth, who studied under the legendary Bram Ironjaw himself.
Farbjorn possesses the ability to turn his skin into an iron-like substance, rendering most blows ineffective. He also is a Grade 2 Berserk, meaning that you should take care to be blessed before engaging him in battle.
All who dwell in Wessex know the name of Jarn, for it was he who sank the ships carrying much in the way of high-quality weapons and equipment from the mainland. Weapons and equipment that was already paid for. If you noticed the lacking markets of Wessex during the tournament, he is to blame.
Sten is Jarn's son, a boy of little renown yet oddly still invited to this tournament. If you wish to earn yourself a favor from the Wessex Court, embarrass him.
Bornholm is an island off the coast of Denmark. It is notable for having one of Europe's strongest cultivators as its ruler, Bram Ironjaw, who commands iron as if it were his own limbs.
Though a Steelfather, Ironjaw is known for gleefully suffering wound after wound to bared flesh. It is likely that he will demand you fight him before he allows you entrance into his home.
If you can draw his blood, you will earn his favor. Try to do so.
0~0~0
AN: As it may have something of an effect on your Armor Blessing choices, here's a few dossiers that Atter prepared for you on some of your competition.
Bornholm is an island off the coast of Denmark. It is notable for having one of Europe's strongest cultivators as its ruler, Bram Ironjaw, who commands iron as if it were his own limbs.
Just a note, Bond of War stacks with the Companion Bond, question came up in the Discord and I want to make sure this misconception doesn't get spread.
It's just not the most efficient choice by default, because it's marginal benefits at that point--aside from letting Crowley get involved in your multiple-attack shenanigans. But it's not useless if it's just you and your gang causing problems.
[X][BLESSING] Mastery of the Blade: You are the Blade, and the Blade is you--extends the benefits of Knightly Armor to your readied weapon, making it capable of resisting (Though not piercing and otherwise damaging) Steel, and renders you nearly immune to being disarmed or your weapon broken.
If we're stabbing a Steelfather to get in in the first place, we probably want the Boon to stop our fancy magic sword from snapping like a toothpick. Also, convenient for dealing with the trickier Norse.
Edit: have been convinced of the awesomeness of Dragonslayer, so approval voting it.
[X][BLESSING] Dragonslayer: You have faced the Dragon in your heart and driven it to flight--mere external threats are nothing compared to that. Has a similar effect to Litany of Resolve, but requires no Capacity or Fervour to maintain. Does stack with Litany of Resolve, making you virtually impervious to mental influence, though this still only has limited effect against reasonable suggestions.
If we're stabbing a Steelfather to get in in the first place, we probably want the Boon to stop our fancy magic sword from snapping like a toothpick. Also, convenient for dealing with the trickier Norse.
Hitting something made of Steel rarely breaks your weapon. That's not how it works...the Steel is undamaged, but only damages the item under very specific circumstances.
If you want Mastery of the Blade, it's a good choice, but not for this reason.
[X][BLESSING] Mastery of the Blade: You are the Blade, and the Blade is you--extends the benefits of Knightly Armor to your readied weapon, making it capable of resisting (Though not piercing and otherwise damaging) Steel, and renders you nearly immune to being disarmed or your weapon broken.
It would be a pretty awkward conversation with her family, explaining that a 4 year old broke the family heirloom.
EDIT: Seems we don't really need to worry about the sword breaking, and we have Pulling the Web if she gets disarmed so I'll grab Dragonslayer
[X][BLESSING] Dragonslayer: You have faced the Dragon in your heart and driven it to flight--mere external threats are nothing compared to that. Has a similar effect to Litany of Resolve, but requires no Capacity or Fervour to maintain. Does stack with Litany of Resolve, making you virtually impervious to mental influence, though this still only has limited effect against reasonable suggestions.
[X][BLESSING] Dragonslayer: You have faced the Dragon in your heart and driven it to flight--mere external threats are nothing compared to that. Has a similar effect to Litany of Resolve, but requires no Capacity or Fervour to maintain. Does stack with Litany of Resolve, making you virtually impervious to mental influence, though this still only has limited effect against reasonable suggestions.
Not because I think it is the most powerful mechanically, but because narratively this is what I want to have engraved into Audrey's armour.
[X][BLESSING] Dragonslayer: You have faced the Dragon in your heart and driven it to flight--mere external threats are nothing compared to that. Has a similar effect to Litany of Resolve, but requires no Capacity or Fervour to maintain. Does stack with Litany of Resolve, making you virtually impervious to mental influence, though this still only has limited effect against reasonable suggestions.
Hitting something made of Steel rarely breaks your weapon. That's not how it works...the Steel is undamaged, but only damages the item under very specific circumstances.
If you want Mastery of the Blade, it's a good choice, but not for this reason.
oh, cool. I'm kinda interested in seeing if we can get our Knightly Armour Boons to do something neat when applied to our Sword, but the unbreakability and Disarm Resistance are plenty valuable to me too.
He's a paragon Skald spec from a top tier bloodline--one arguably stronger than Volsung. For all intents and purposes, he might as well be playing with Console Commands.
Steel would arguably be a downside to him because he can't fuck around with it.
[X][BLESSING] Beacon of Radiance: It is not enough to merely stand on the field of battle, you must be the center of attention! Makes you easier to notice when you are not actively concealing yourself, and makes you look more dangerous of a target--drawing attacks to you... And by extension, away from more vulnerable allies. Also has a modest boost to your social efforts when in armor
Helps us keep our companions alive and fill our doctrinal role in Alfred's army. The little social buff is icing on the cake.
oh, cool. I'm kinda interested in seeing if we can get our Knightly Armour Boons to do something neat when applied to our Sword, but the unbreakability and Disarm Resistance are plenty valuable to me too.
[X][BLESSING] Dragonslayer: You have faced the Dragon in your heart and driven it to flight--mere external threats are nothing compared to that. Has a similar effect to Litany of Resolve, but requires no Capacity or Fervour to maintain. Does stack with Litany of Resolve, making you virtually impervious to mental influence, though this still only has limited effect against reasonable suggestions.
Like this one better for the narrative
[X] Plan: Tournament Prep
[X] Plan Bash out basics - athletics and scouting version
Because there is a bit of confusion, here are the rules of the North Sea Tournament (which is held in Bornholm, an island very much not in the North Sea, because when Ironjaw wants something, you don't say no)
North Sea Tournament Rules:
-Rounds end by submission, knockout, or otherwise ensuring your opponent cannot continue.
-While you should not aim to kill your opponent, accidental death is acceptable
-In the case of a tie, depending on the circumstances, either mutual disqualification or a second round is scheduled at a later time.
-Contestants may be disqualified at any time, for any reason, at the behest of the tournament's host, Bram Ironjaw.
Note: You are allowed to bring your Companions. There aren't any rules against it, after all.
Also Note: These rules are the only rules.
So pumping Combat up to 7 and all of our non-combat skills to 4 minimum takes 124 zeal if I did the math right. That's obviously a problem if we want enough zeal for the tourney.
[X][BLESSING] Mastery of the Blade: You are the Blade, and the Blade is you--extends the benefits of Knightly Armor to your readied weapon, making it capable of resisting (Though not piercing and otherwise damaging) Steel, and renders you nearly immune to being disarmed or your weapon broken.
Edit: Is it worth grabbing an Offensive Finale like Severing Stroke to use on Bram Ironjaw in a bid to draw blood and earn his favor? Or is it unlikely that will involve Finales?
