Armor Testing
"I'm ready, Eike. Hit me as hard as you can."
You were standing in your training hall, resplendent in your new armor. You'd had it fitted at the Bright College, but you hadn't had a chance to really put it through its paces until now. (You'd been told it could block anything short of a cannonball, but what did that mean in practice?) Your Aethyric Armor had been cast, the Armor of von Tarnus somehow locking the spell in place around itself, and you had Eike standing ready with a practice sw-
You felt a tap through the breastplate. You could see Eike recovering from a full-force thrust, but all you'd felt was a tap. You had her strike at your side, your back, your vambraces, your greaves - tap tap tap tap. No harm done, and no force to push or bruise you either. She eventually acquiesced to switching to her real sword, but to no effect. No matter how hard she hit you. Finally, as her sword swung at your helmet, you reached out with your gauntlet and grabbed it.
-In an instant its talons are out of Deathfang's neck and catching Branulhune in mid-air, and though daemonic ichor spills forth, it manages to arrest the swing of the runic blade.-
You used her surprise to yank the sword out of her hands, and called an end to the exercise. You pulled off your gauntlet to see your calloused but unharmed hand underneath. Ultimately, there were no bruises on your body; not so much as a single sign that you should have taken multiple mortal wounds.
"This... requires further testing." You concluded.
A half dozen of Sozic's best (along with Sozic herself) stood in the fighting pit, exhausted. First there had been duels, then group fights, until finally you'd faced a coordinated assault with nets and rope. But you never grew tired during combat, and so you stood where some of the best of the Undumgi had failed to topple you.
"I should do more testing." You remark to yourself.
You stood at the entrance to the Underway to Karak Drazh, just outside of the maximum range of the grapecannon and ballistas behind you. Your presence here alone is all the challenge you need make, and soon enough a charge of orcs comes to take your head.
Hours later, you finally retreated back down the tunnel. Not because you had to - you are neither tired nor injured. But you've cast Aethyric Armor so many times that you'd started to sense your steady grasp on the familiar spell slipping. And while Black Crag had countless hordes to replace the ones you'd slain, the piles of orc corpses you've left behind would be quite the feast for the We today.
"Gonna need more testing."
You were hidden in the innermost sanctum of the Iron Orc's citadel, listening in as their General discussed strategy with his Lieutenants, and all you could feel was disappointment. Was this it?
It had been difficult to pierce the enchantment hiding their compound, but despite the Iron Orc's military-like organization, it was easy to sneak through the rest of their security. They were quite dangerous, to be sure: Orcish strength paired with Chaos-runed armor and iron discipline. Their general even more so, a towering edifice of metal, muscle, and demonic enchantment. But you'd faced stronger opponents (and actual demons) during the Karag Dum Expedition. You realized, quite startlingly, that here was compound's entire leadership in one room - and you could take them. So you did.
During a momentary distraction as the Lieutenants argued over meat rations, you sliced the General's neck, then stabbed through his heart. You would've bisected his head as well, just to be sure, but it was then that the Lieutenants fell upon you.
They did not live long enough to raise the alarm.
As the afternoon sun fell into twilight, you walked down down the mountain to retrieve your sheep.
"I didn't really get much testing done that time."
A small army of skeletons surrounded you, as one of the last Necromancers stupid enough to remain in Sylvania monologued at you from across the crypt.
But it was only a small army, with no artillery or heavy hitters of any kind.
"I need better testing."
A Druchii assassin was behind you, dagger pointed at your gorget. You didn't bother to turn from the pair of Druchii dueling you, as you managed to maneuver your hands through one's guard and strike with Branulhune. The dagger skittered off of you, and only then did you turn around and ensure the assassin did not get in a second strike. A shadow warrior finished off the last, before you could manage to do so.
"I need more testing."
You were hidden in the second best hiding spot above a Skaven encampment. It was nostalgic, really, just like back before the Battle of the Caldera. You were deciding upon your approach when out of the shadows a sword appeared at your neck. Your sword.
"Many-many stories have reached Eshin's ears. An unstoppable quiet-quiet man-thing in armor that only her own sword could breach. But you are not the only one who knows a trick-secret of space-time, and now your sword is mine."
You looked down at the sword threatening your life, then back up at where the unseen voice was speaking.
"Look again. That's my decoy sword."
There was a silence of befuddlement, as the other assassin tilted the sword to examine the one rune upon it. And then Branithune, your training sword, clattered to the ground.
"So-so it is." Came a faint voice from outside sword-point reach. "Next time, I will take your real sword. But perhaps next time you will spot-find me before I do so, yes?"
You had no time to reply, as the sudden crash of metal on rock had alerted the guards.
"Maybe I should pause further testing." You muttered.
