| “ | No. I’m part of her very being! I could never betray her! No matter what might happen... Ranni... She needs me...
— Blaidd
|
” |
Blaidd is the shadow of Ranni the Witch, a being created to both be her loyal retainer and keep her in line should she decide to rebel against the Greater Will. He served her for years, growing close enough to be like siblings. He assisted Ranni in the Night of the Black Knives, where she orchestrated the death of her body and survival of her soul. He continues to serve loyally alongside her war councilor, Iji, and the mage Selvius.
Eventually, a Tarnished warrior enters her service, and Blaidd teams up with them to find the lost city of Nokron. In doing so, they are forced to confront and kill Starscourge Radhan, Ranni's biological brother who was using gravity magic to hold back the stars. After fighting and killing the shell he had become, Iji then imprisoned Blaidd in an Evergaol. He eventually breaks free, either on his own or aided by his Tarnished companion, and tries to return to Ranni's service.
As he does, the Greater Will drives him mad, trying to force him to attack his liege. He manages to retain some small shreds of his sanity, and instead defends her tower against anyone who approaches. The Tarnished is forced to kill him, putting him out of his misery.
Battle vs Siegfried Schtauffen (New Timeline) (by Leolab)[]
The Azure Knight swings his sword on a hilltop, cleaving through a score of men in one blow. He growls and flexes his right hand, twisted from its former shape into a massive claw with three digits. These peons were hardly enough to whet his appetite, let alone satisfy his hunger. The creaking of boots interrupts his brooding, and he turns to face a new challenger.
The man, one eye closed, wears black armor covered by a cloak. He takes an impassive look around him before unlimbering the mass on his back. It was a sword, though to call it that would make a mockery of the term. Massive, thick, heavy, and far too rough, it could more accurately be called a heap of raw iron. The man remains impassive as he takes a stance, pointing the metallic lump directly at his foe.
Nightmare chortles, the massive blade in his own hand singing in his mind. The thrill of a fierce battle already hums inside him, the violent bloodlust quickening his pulse. He takes a stance, ready to face a worthy foe at last, when he hears the sound of a twig breaking.
Siegfried’s eyes burst open, gasping as the vivid dream fades from memory. He glances at his own sword, Requiem, which while not a twin of the blade the mysterious man held was very similar. He calms down quickly, feeling a sense of security that the events of his dream were but that: a vision which would never come true.
He stills his thoughts, noticing something off. He could hear the dying stream far behind him, which wasn’t unusual for an abandoned clearing in the woods. What was strange was that there were no other sounds, not even the rustling of animals. He hears the soft thud of metal on earth and grabs his blade. Someone was out there; whether a traveler at night or a vengeful victim of Nightmare’s was left to see.
“Hail, traveler,” a voice comes from the night, as a massive man melts out of the shadowed trees, “I am newly come to this land, and quite lost.”
Siegfried hisses and readies Requiem as the man’s shape becomes clearer, revealing his head to be that of a wolf. Neither a traveler nor a vengeful shade, then, but a Malfested. The twisted remains of a man exposed to Soul Edge’s energies.
“Oi, I know not what I did to provoke your ire, but…”
“Enough, Malfested,” Siegfried says, “Yet another of my sins. Be still, and I can give you a quick rest.”
“I’d think attacking a traveler is a greater sin,” Blaidd says, drawing his own blade, “But I know not about your customs.”
Siegfried ignores the plea for reason and charges in, his sword trailing behind him. He leaps, aiming a great overhand chop at his foe. Blaidd leaps to the side, bouncing off a tree and slicing through the air. Siegfried stays low, sweeping his sword up as the half-wolf passes over his head. His foe does an impossible twist in midair, landing on another tree. He jumps down, sword glowing white.
The German rolls out of the way as Blaidd slams his sword into the ground, only to get caught up in the blast as the concentrated cold magic explodes. He’s sent flying into the clearing, and barely manages to roll to his feet as he hears his foe snarling and running towards him. A wild swing forces Blaidd to crouch, the half-wolf stabbing forward as he rises. Siegfried sidesteps the blow, lashing out with his foot to regain his balance. His eyes widen as he loses sight of his foe, switching to Chief Hold as fast as possible.
This saves his life, the steel of Requiem blocking the Royal Greatsword as it slams into his back. He turns into Base Hold, blocking a low slash, and braces his hand on his sword as he charges forward, the massive chunk of steel ramming into Blaidd and knocking him back. The half-wolf parries his foe’s next blow, only to be sent reeling with a pommel strike. Siegfried finds his next blow blocked again, and ducks under the riposte as he drops his sword.
He grabs his foe by the ankles, throwing him overhead. Blaidd yelps in surprise as he flips through the air, but lands on his feet as Siegfried kicks his sword back up. He sprints in again, his thirst for battle unslaked, only to be pushed out again as Siegfried activates Soul Charge. He lands on his feet, leaping back as hie foe parts the ground with a jumping slash.
A series of pokes and slashes drive him back on the defensive, pushing him out the other side of the clearing and behind his foe’s tent. He bounces between the slightly closer trees, dodging a blow that slices through several. He lands on the ground and charges forward, weaving around another swing from Siegfried and stabbing backwards with his sword as he passes. He grins as he hears the rending of steel, only for the smile to fall as he turns. The cut was shallow, but his foe was now glowing with an eerie blue light.
He charges in, this time leaping to get behind his foe, but the blue light bursts around Siegfried, sending Blaidd flying back and crashing onto a wooden bridge. The sound of a dying stream trickles below as he rolls to his feet, parrying another stab from Siegfried. He ducks under yet another stab, only for Siegfried to slam his sword down and to the side. Blaidd jumps over the steel, and Siegfried brings the flat of his sword up and tilts it, sending the half-wolf off the side of the bridge.
Blaidd charges his sword with cold magic as he falls the few feet to the dry riverbed, unleashing it in an explosion that shatters the bridge’s supports. It collapses, sending Siegfried down and onto the raised Royal Greatsword, impaling him. Blaidd slides the dead man off his sword before throwing his head back and howling in victory, releasing the thrill of the fight in a cacophony of bestial noise. He breathes out, having calmed himself, and climbs out of the riverbed. The hostile traveler may yet have had some useful items in his tent.
Expert's Opinion[]
Despite Siegfried having better defensive options, Blaidd's agility allowed him to get around them. That and his voters' thirst for rebuttals.