The classic image of the shining knight charging into battle makes for a compelling hero, but not every chivalrous hero takes charge. To celebrate another Brogust, it's battle of knights who gladly play second fiddle and shine from the side for it! Prince Caspian, the young prince of Narnia who sought the aid of the mythological High Kings and Queens of Narnia to reunite his kingdom, forging new alliances between his Telmarine people and the Old Narnians! Horace Altman, the orphan from Redmont who slew the rebel knight Morgarath and became the knightly king-consort in his adventures with the Araluen Ranger Corps! These two young men will cross blades in a duel of honor and mettle, but when dust settles only one can be...
THE DEADLIEST WARRIOR!!!
Caspian[]
| “ | Two days ago, I didn't believe in the existence of talking animals... of dwarves or... or centaurs. Yet here you are, in strengths and numbers that we Telmarines could never have imagined. Whether this horn is magic or not, it brought us together... and together, we have a chance to take back what is ours!
— Caspian
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” |
The only child of the late king Caspian the ninth and heir to his uncle King Miraz, Prince Caspian was raised on stories of talking animals and mythical Narnians by his nurse Cornelius, even as such stories were forbidden by his uncle in the castle. When Miraz's wife gave birth to a baby son, Miraz realized there was no use for Caspian anymore, and attempted to have the young prince assassinated. Cornelius, realizing this, gifts Caspian the horn of Queen Susan, one of Narnia's Great Queens, and helps him flee the castle. Caspian is chased into the woods, where he discovers the existence of real Old Narnians, who rescue him from his pursuers after he blows the horn. Inspired by their resilience and vowing to restore his throne, Caspian begins an open rebellion against Miraz as the king attempts to go into the forest and destroy the Old Narnians for good.
While stealing weapons from Miraz's forces, Caspian and his troops come upon the Pevensie siblings, who have returned to Narnia to answer the horn's call. Caspian butts head with former High King Peter Pevensie near instantly, as treacherous Narnians attempt to goad Caspian into summoning the White Witch. After this treachery is dealt with, Caspian and the Narnians fortify their position at Aslan's Howl, an ancient temple within the Narnian forest. When Miraz and his forces arrive, Peter attempts to duel Miraz to prevent further bloodshed; though Peter wins the duel, both he and Caspian choose to spare Miraz's life. Battle begins when one of Miraz's advisors kills him and says the Narnians broke the through. Caspian and the Narnians launch one valiant last stand, before Lucy Pevensie and Aslan arrive to save the day. With Caspian ascending his place as the rightful ruler of Narnia, he vows to lead his country as the Pevensies did before, for all Narnians. Equipment:
- Main Hand - Longsword: The primary weapon of Narnians were longswords, made with a straight blade and fine dwarven forged steel. Caspian himself was gifted a longsword by the Seven Brothers of the Shuddering Woods, said to be of superb quality. Caspian could use his sword with one or two hands, and the sword had a blade length of approximately 3 feet.
- Off Hand - Dagger: Caspian occasionally wielded a small dagger with a guard on it alongside his sword, using it either as an off-hand weapon or accurately throwing it as a ranged weapon, capable of hitting the eye of a soldier in combat with another during a hectic army battle.
- Armor - Brigandine: Caspian wore fine armor into battle, consisting of a leather jerkin with metal studs over the torso and gauntlets, greaves, and pauldrons of fine Narnian steel.
Horace Altman[]
| “ | That's what we have Rangers for. They climb up sheer rock walls and crawl along narrow, slippery ledges. I'm a trained warrior, and I'm far too valuable to risk such shenanigans.
— Horace Altman
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” |
One of the five orphans taken in by Castle Redmont, Horace Altman took out his frustrations with the world on his fellow orphan Will, a scrawnier and sarcastic child. When Horace and the other orphans came of age, Horace was allowed to join the Battleschool, where he ironically found himself a victim of bullies himself, though the harsh training regimen and Horace's natural skill let him go through it. After Will, who had since become a Ranger, helped Horace deal with his bullies, the pair became best friends and close companions, with Horace joining Will on many of his Ranger assignments. During the second coup attempt of Lord Morgarath, a knight who had been exiled 15 years ago, Horace met Morgarath and challenged the older knight to single combat; to the shock of all, Horace killed Morgarath, earning him a legendary reputation as a knight of the Araluen Kingdom.
Despite this victory, Horace learned that Will and their friend "Evelyn", who was the disguised daughter of Araluen's king Cassandra, had been taken captive by Skandian mercenaries. Horace and Will's mentor Halt traveled north, arriving just in time to aid Will's efforts to repel an invasion of Skandia by an army of nomadic Temujai raiders. He goes on adventures with Will for many years across the world, eventually falling in love with Cassandra and becoming prince-consort of Araluen. Equipment:
- Main Hand - Broadsword: Horace's primary weapon is a broadsword, a large steel blade with a long handle allowing it to be effectively wielded in two-hands. Horace is both skilled and strong enough to wield his broadsword one-handed or two-handed, as well as on horseback or on foot.
- Off-Hand - Domed Shield: A simple round metal shield with an oak leaf emblem on it, a symbol to reflect his friendship with the Ranger Corps.
- Armor - Chainmail: Since Horace travels frequently and discretely, he rarely wears the full armor of a knight. Instead, Horace wears a simple chain mail shirt to protect him, protecting his torso and arms while retaining flexibility and speed.
X-Factors[]
X-Factor - Caspian / Horace Altman
Training - 75 / 70
Caspian was raised since birth as the future heir to the Narnian throne, and thus received the finest training one could. His tutors not only made sure he was a skilled swordsman and horsemanship, but history, strategy, and tactics. When he was unexpectedly thrust from prince to rebel in a matter of nights, Caspian's training let him lead an effective guerrilla campaign against the Telmarines for weeks until the Pevensies' return to Narnia. Horace's tutelage as a student of the Battleschool taught him the basics of tactics and combat, as well as refining the natural swordsmanship skill he had been born with. Even before graduating, Horace was able to best Morgarath, an experienced and vicious knight, in open battle, and picked up techniques wherever he could.
Experience - 65 / 80
Caspian lived a sheltered life until his uncle's attempt on his life, but quickly acclimated to life as a rebel prince. With the aid of the Narnian rebels in the woods, Caspian waged an effective campaign against the Telmarines until the Pevensies arrived. That being said, once the High Kings and Queens of Narnia did arrive, Caspian was quickly returned to the throne, only partaking in one pitched battle before ascending to his rightful place. Horace is young and raised during peacetimes, but since he became a knight he's seen an unprecedented level of battle. He's fought Morgarath and his monsterous armies, knights from Araluen and Gallican knights and bandits, Temujai horse archers, and Skandian raiders, and won through each of them.
Intelligence - 75 / 60
Caspian's training wasn't just fighting, but in war and strategy as well. He was quick to identify how to slow down and harass the Telmarine military, and understood the importance of asymmetrical warfare due to his forces' disadvantages. On a micro level, Caspian proved an intelligent and insightful leader, recognizing his personality flaws and quickly improving them. Horace isn't an idiot, as his training at Battleschool gave him a grasp of small-unit tactics that made in invaluable as a field commander when plans inevitably fall apart in a pitched battle. That being said, Horace is notably thick-headed and oblivious to his social surroundings, and any planning beyond what's right in front of him he defers to Will, Halt, or basically anyone.
Physicality - 70 / 85
Healthy, wealthy living makes Caspian a fit warrior in good shape, but he possesses no notable feats or deficits in his physicality. He's strong and agile enough to wield a sword against Telmarine soldiers, but going beyond the good is the barrier of his physical prowess. Even as a preteen, Horace was notoriously strong and tough, able to wear full plate with ease and wield a broadsword in a single hand. He's deceptively agile as well, with people's assumptions about his large size and his dopey personality hiding an ability to dodge with ease or burst into a tackle.
Notes[]
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Both warriors have been competing in a tournament. This is the final round of the tournament, where each warrior will begin on horseback and duel until the other surrenders or dies.
Battle[]
In a vast field in DFederal's 1 Percenter district, Robert Baratheon looks down in contemplation at the sweet release that is his wine cup. The blistering heat, the constant noise of drunken tourney patrons, and the aching pain in his feet were the best and worst parts of a day of festivities. He had the best seat in the house, an elevated platform with a table and now empty plates looking over the dirt arena where the afternoon's duel would take place.
His latest conquest, a comely red-headed lass who was a member of their Irish host's little group of rebels, coughed to get his attention again. "Luv, why don't I get ya a glass of that fancy rice whiskey that Ned brought? Let you finish up business with the lads?"
Robert groaned, before nodding and shooing her away. "Get me a proper meal, too. I don't give a fuck what that Stark bastard says about 'im, Thanos raises the best goat I ever ate." Satisfied, Robert stood up and looked at his guests. Though "union boss" didn't have the same prestige that "king" did, Robert preferred his current job. When every other week a kaiju stepped on a hospital or a religious nut blew up an apartment complex, construction paid well. He hadn't picked up a hammer once in the last couple years, but worker after worker paid him a nice little chunk of their paycheck all because the Users took a liking to him. Thus, here he was in a field, hosting a grand tourney, and listening to a trio of ass-kissers begging him to spend dues on useless campaigns instead of whores and booze.
"Alright ya shits, I'm getting tired of you two lickin' my balls. Give it to me straight - why should we give you access to our coffers and our leg breakers?"
His first guest, a gentle smirk on his face as he sips from his own glass and wipes a flick of blond hair from his face. "For one, Lannister will be pissed that we've got the funds to help us cut off his milquetoast half-measure pitches." Robert wheezed out a laugh, muttering "I like the sound of that." Olivert smirks and continues, "Plus, you've a reputation to maintain. Workers want better lives without having to kill to get them, and that's what we're about."
A hearty laugh comes from Robert's second guest, as he pushes up his glasses and crosses his arm. "Cut out that chicken shit wimp dick nonsense. Robert, you're the strong man. I can respect a king that got his throne by smashing apart some blond prince's chest with a hammer. You back me and my boys, I'll personally kick down the door of any damn worker in this city that so much as looks at the no box on your cards. You want contracts? Fuck it, I'll have my boys blow a hole in goddamn Cfp's building and make that user say sorry for getting your boots dirty."
Robert's third guest, a young man with blue hair and skin, started to speak, before Armstrong promptly grabbed him by the collar and chucked him out of the booth, causing the teenager to land in the dirt below. "How many times he gotta say it, twerp? He's telling Tyrion to kick rocks."
The former King of the Seven Kingdoms laughed, patting Armstrong on the back. "I got to say, I like you both. When the tourney's done, meet me at my office tomorrow. We'll shake hands and write checks there." With the matter tabled for now, Robert stood up and roared out to his loyal workers - plus any warrior bloodthirsty enough to pay for a premium ticket - for his speech.
"What the fuck are you waiting for? These bastards ain't sittin' in the summer heat getting piss drunk just to get a tan. Start the damn duel!"