Posts from Black Ice

Joseph Octavian

Biography
Joseph was born in Helligate, the son of a retired veteran warrior and a dancer who performed at festive events. From a young age, he was a strong boy and loved active games, often engaging in playful stick fights with his peers. These playful fights sometimes ended in bruises, resulting in punishment from his parents. Despite this, his father was always his idol, and Joseph idolized General Metzger, never missing an opportunity to observe any public events in which he participated. It's no surprise that, as soon as he reached the appropriate age, Joseph enrolled in a military academy.
Joseph's fate took a sharp turn at the age of 15 during an important exam at the academy. During a sparring match between future warriors, an officer from the army, dressed in ornate clothing and adorned with numerous medals, observed with great interest. As Joseph's fight with his opponent moved closer to the platform where the officer was seated (as each wanted to showcase themselves in the best possible light before the important guest), something inexplicable happened. A reddish glow emanated from the point of contact between the specially blunted steel swords, igniting the platform and the officer's clothing. Fortunately, for him, everything ended well, and the official explanation was a spark that occurred by chance. However, few, including Joseph himself, believed this. The Order began to take an interest in the boy.
Joseph himself tried to understand what was wrong with him. In his free time, he visited libraries, where he learned to read passably within half a year, but this only exacerbated the situation with the Order. And then, when Joseph pulled a bucket of ice instead of water from the well, everything became clear. Taking into account his successes in military affairs, and with the help of his father, Joseph was not imprisoned but sent to an academy, where he spent the next 12 years.

At the academy, Joseph did not stand out, having somewhat reconciled himself to his fate as a mage. However, he always sought a chance to return to the normal world, and this chance presented itself after the death of the King and the Empire's active expansion into his homeland. Joseph requested to serve in the Order, and his request was granted.

Joseph joined the Order quite recently. He understands that he cannot do much alone against the Empire in Helligate, so he tries to learn as much as possible about the Ataraxians and their emissaries. However, his education at the academy made Joseph very curious, and he made studying magic as a whole one of his life goals. Joseph dreams of learning about the origin of magic, both in himself and in this world, and he also dreams of learning to control life magic. He sometimes acts rashly if he believes that his actions will allow him to learn something new.

Skills
Shield III (10)
I (2) Allows the use of shields.
II (4) Significantly increases the chance of blocking an enemy attack.
III (4) After deflecting an attack, a counter-attack with the shield is performed, paralyzing the enemy (does not work against opponents using ranged weapons).
Magic II (9)
I (4) +1 to magic, +1 to intelligence.
II (5) +1 to magic, +1 to intelligence.
Magic Shield (2)
Secret Magic - Illusion (2)
Elemental Magic - Arrow (1)
Elemental Effect - Water (1)

He is ready to travel extensively in search of answers and therefore carries only the essentials: a bottle of water, a flint, two torches, a bottle of oil, and a rope.
He is armed with a long sword and shield and wears chainmail. He tries to record all new knowledge in a diary when he has time.

-------------------------------------------

Joseph walked through the castle corridors, engrossed in studying the facts he had recently recorded in his diary.
However, Joseph felt that something nearby was distracting him. He stopped and looked around. The corridor, ending in a staircase, was busy and interesting. Here were almost all the races of the nine kingdoms... aha, there it is. Joseph noticed an angel talking to a dark-skinned elf. An angel and an elf of the moon? What a strange couple! Interestingly, a guest from the east also seemed to be participating in their dialogue.
As Joseph began to listen to their conversation, his attention was once again diverted. The Grand Master himself rushed down the stairs. The Master stopped abruptly near the strange trio and exchanged a few words with each of the participants. Joseph could hear something about a meeting near the repository in fifteen minutes.
"It seems like an urgent matter," Joseph thought with curiosity, and after flipping through his diary for a few minutes, he headed towards the repository.

thank you for waiting

— By the way, Thorvar, we should probably get someone else, like that... Creep-Skool, or whatever his name is. He's a suspicious type, that's for sure. Nothing is known about him. I'm starting to think he might be a mage.

--No, I don't think so... If there are doubts about Sirkhan, then this one is definitely a mage. No, I'm not saying that it's impossible to fight side by side with mages, but if there's a choice, I won't. He'll betray you at the first opportunity...

Well, hello there," said Sirkhan, shaking David's hand, "Don't worry, I haven't changed my mind. And Thorvar... Is that the bearded guy from the White Lands?

--I'm here. Come on, comrade, let's fight.

Well hello,” said Sirkhan and shook David’s hand, “Don’t worry, I haven’t changed my mind. And Thorvar… Is that the bearded man from the White Lands?

“Oh yes. And believe me, his beard isn't his main virtue. Now we are heading to Waimond Lancaster; along the way, we will find Thorvar, so you can get acquainted more closely. He is a great joker and quick-witted, and if you saw how he hits 180 on the target... And now I am not talking about darts at all. They say he has 180 arrows with him, and after training, the target looks like a sea urchin, hehe.

With these words, David walked towards the room of the chief scout.

Thorvar 60! ... Another 60! ... 180 Thorvar! :D

Added 3 minutes later

this mage definitely does

— Ah, in that case, let’s do without him. So, shall we head to Lancaster?

Twenty minutes had passed. An unusually large crowd had gathered at the entrance to the Dungeon vault. The Grand Master stood at the door, with the First Warden beside him. Nearby, arranged in a semicircle, were Lugus, Theohar, Aurora, Nerghuy, Mariette, two unknown individuals, and Joseph, who had just arrived.
Richard once again described the situation to those who were not aware of what was happening, and then continued the briefing.
- Jonas Schneider is definitely planning something terrible. Unfortunately, I know him too well not to be sure of it. If his plans are realized, then perhaps even the events in Helligate will seem insignificant in comparison. The King of Vaironia, where we are heading, is not known for his willingness to cooperate with anyone, but it is quite possible that I will be able to convince him to return the Atraxian Blade and help us eliminate Jonas. - The Grand Master turned around and inserted an ornate key into the vault door lock. - I hope he respects the memory of his ancestors. - Richard said quietly as he entered. A few minutes later, he returned with some long object, wrapped in gray cloth, as if it were a baby.
Without delay, the group mounted their horses and set off.

So, basically, you're on your way. You can chat or do whatever you want while you're traveling. I'm going to sleep.

— Oh, if that's the case, then we'll do without it. So, are we heading to Lancaster?

--Yes, let's go. Come on, Sirkhan.

First, I read "maf definitely."
--Hello, Torvar. Although Damien's abilities could prove invaluable, I don't entirely trust a man who constantly hides behind masks. Let's go.

Thus, they returned to Lancaster's office. After a brief consultation...
--So, we're all here... Is there anyone else we need to look for?

Theohar had time to carefully examine his companions.
"-Two warriors, a rogue, an angel, and a paladin... Hmm, it could have been worse. It's better to stay away from these barbarians for now." - the mage pondered, glancing sideways at Ner'gai and Mariette. "-We can't ruin the mission because of a scuffle with a bunch of lazy natives. ... The rogue doesn't seem very happy with his role in the mission. This is the one I met in the master's office. The angel... did she want to take an easy stroll? Hmm, a complete waste of such valuable healing skills. She's much more useful here... The paladin... Yes, it seems to be the same barbarian, but apparently also a mage... Not bad, he seems to be the only one here who looks reasonable."

"An emissary's assassination! What luck that I happened to be in the right place at the right time to get assigned to this mission. Any information could prove useful in my investigation," thought Joseph, searching through his diary for any scraps of information about emissaries that he had collected previously.
"Comrades, who among you has been to Vaironia? What can you tell me?" Joseph asked aloud.

Aurora surveyed her companions. The group looked quite good, although a bit diverse. Unfortunately, the girl wasn't close to any of them, and she didn't even know some of their names properly, but there was no reason to worry – the angel knew that the order didn't accept just anyone, and in case of trouble, the group would definitely act cohesively and efficiently.
Hearing the hellknight's question, she spoke up.
- Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to visit it yet. But the rumors about this country are quite unpleasant.

"Yes, damn it, this paladin from that pathetic Helikayt." Theochar had an idea. "It's even worse than if he were a barbarian, like those others. Although, it will be amusing to see him now that their vaunted kingdom is crumbling at the seams." "A vile land, this Vaironia," the mage said aloud. "What news is there from the great and invincible Helikayt?" he asked Joseph with a hint of mockery in his voice.

"Comrades, who among you has been to Vaironia? What can you tell me?", asked Joseph aloud.

- I lived there, - replied Lugus. - Nothing special, just a country like any other, only the king is quite a character. Probably the worst king you can imagine. I've heard a lot about him, and I'm not happy about having to meet him.

-Yes, damn it, this paladin from the pathetic Helikight." - Theochar had an idea. -It's even worse than if he were a barbarian, like those others. Although, it will be fun to watch him now that their vaunted state is crumbling at the seams."
-A vile country, this Vaironia. - the mage said aloud. -What's the news from the great and invincible Helikight? - he said to Joseph with a slight mockery in his voice.

Joseph glanced at Theochar and remained silent for a while.
I haven't been home in a long time," he said after a long pause. -I heard that King Friedrich von Helikight is strong and, I'm sure, will cope with these minor problems.

In the port of Eisgard, there were many ships, mostly trading vessels, whose holds were overflowing with all sorts of contraband. As long as the city paid its taxes and didn't meddle with magic, the Order didn't interfere with their business. At the same time, no state could intervene in the affairs of the city within the neutral territory protected by the Order, so it was a paradise for smugglers. But Ferus needed more than that; he was looking for an Order ship that would take him to the Academy. It wasn't difficult to find; it was an old, battered but very reliable ship that had seen many storms and survived them. The captain turned out to be a Vaironian named Befor, a frivolous fool, but friendly and quite pleasant. Upon learning that Ferus had arrived on behalf of the Order, the old man ordered his assistant to gather free sailors who had scattered around the city. Apparently, this ship hadn't been sailing much lately.
They reached the isolated island, of course, not in one day. Much time passed before land appeared on the horizon.
There was no harbor on the island, so Captain Befor ordered the anchor to be dropped, informing Ferus that they would wait for his return. He reached the shore in a boat. The sea was calm, and only a light, pleasant breeze stirred the leaves of the trees. The nature of the island was indescribably beautiful, and it seemed surprising that such a wonderful place was used as a prison for sorcerers. The emissary had three things to accomplish his mission: the Emperor's blessing, Atelstan's instructions, and a map of the island that Befor gave him.

— Tutor's Hut
This should be the last place you expect to meet a colleague of Atelstan, since the road to the academy takes about an hour on foot, and the tutor must always be near his students. Nevertheless, the current head of the Academy lives here and spends most of his time isolated from everyone else.

— Academy
Some call this place a prison for sorcerers, others call it their only salvation. Opinions differ, but the truth is that they spend most of their lives here, and most leave the island only after death. Many, however, consider this a very good place; at least here, sorcerers can freely study their art and live quite freely.

— Guard Fortress
The Order tries not to put too much pressure on the academy's students, but it is clear that leaving them unsupervised, even on an isolated island, is impossible. There has always been a large number of guards in case the sorcerers want to gain freedom and leave the island, although recently their numbers have decreased significantly, and now there are so few members of the Order in the fortress that you could count them on the fingers of two hands.

When the trio reached the office of the chief scout, he had just returned from somewhere – the Grand Master and First Warden had gone on a mission. And as much as I would have liked to stretch my legs with them, I didn't go. Someone has to keep an eye on you lot; otherwise, everything will fall apart. The chief scout commented, now the highest-ranking person in the order in the absence of Richard and Hartmann. Returning to your assignment… Waimond repeated to David and Thorvar what he told Sirkhan, and then continued. We have no confirmation that Dalingr’s wife is involved in these disappearances, but it is the most likely scenario out of all possibilities. Start with her. Since Narve and I were comrades in misfortune in the past, I would like things to end without bloodshed... The scout paused for a moment and laughed. A vampire case without blood, ha-ha-ha... In any case, if you can't resolve the problem peacefully, do whatever you think is necessary, but keep in mind that even though Dalingr's hands are crippled, and he probably won't be able to hold even a glass of wine, he was still second at the previous Tournaments of Nine and lost only to Metzger in the final battle, so don't underestimate him. Not to mention that we also don't know about his wife's abilities. Just as a reminder, your task is to stop the people from disappearing. You are dismissed.