Melkire

Zhi x Raz. I don't care that Jager is canon for Zhi or that Raz bats for the other team. ...also I heard there was an Askier x Roen fanclub. Where do I sign up?

*drags Flame storage chest a.k.a. footlocker right out the front door* Nopenopenopenopenopenope....

Those images are made for laughs and should not be taken seriously, as they only approximate the flow for a class to point out sheer stupidity (see: SCH, with Eos being the healer). Case in point, the Monk chart advocates using Arm of the Destroyer for AoE DPS. trololololo

I see a lot of general advice in this thread so far (which is good! especially if you're being overgeared, which ain't fun!) but not many actual tips for WAR tanking. WAR-NING: likely to be more of a guide. Fuggit, let's go. Golden Rule of WAR (may also apply to PLDs, refer to others on that): Given similar gear levels, a WAR should never lose aggro once a hate/enmity lead has established; if aggro is lost, the WAR has done something wrong. The reason this is the case is because, as a WAR, you have many good tools (and in the case of Overpower and Steel Cyclone, incontrovertibly superior tools) for establishing, maintaining, and building said lead. Something to understand about enmity: it's a race where early leads count for far more than you'd expect them to. That's why the rule of thumb is, after pulling with Hawk/Provoke/whatever, to either Steel Cyclone or Overpower at least two to three times. That's why you see bad WARs getting by just by spamming Overpower on trash pulls: 1-2-3 Butcher's Block Combo: Standard fare, nothing special. Standard tank M.O. is to tab-target/cycle target through the enemy list. Heavy Swing just delays the inevitable, Skull Sunder keeps you even most of the time if not pulling ahead, and Butcher's Block just gives you a huge boost in enmity on your target thereby letting you pull ahead. Overpower: A WAR's bread and butter for establishing, building, and maintaining aggro on multiple targets. Frontal AoE cone, but it'll run you dry soon... unless you have a Bard singing Army's Paeon for you, in which case you can pull entire dungeons between bosses without pausing for TP. Pop Unchained or Berserk and it hits harder. Again, rule of thumb: Overpower twice or three times when you're getting started on a trash pull or when picking up bunched-up adds. Throw one in every once in a while between combos if needed. Flash: Flash deserves a mention because, while we don't get the Blind and Bind bonuses that PLDs get, Flash is on an entirely different resource than TP. Flash uses MP. WARs don't use MP for ANYTHING ELSE. This means you have three or four Flashes to mix in whenever you need them to hold aggro (you won't be building aggro with this). Benefits: using it mid-combo doesn't break the combo, and using it on sleeping enemies doesn't wake them up, meaning you can beat your healer down the enmity list so that sleeping enemies don't go for them when they wake up. Flash has enough utility for WAR that it's worth crossclassing for most content that isn't Insert-Primal-Fight-Here. Maim: The Storm's Path / Storm's Eye Combos: Infinitely better combos than their contemporary, Riot Blade, on PLD. Maim is already great, and ideally you want to keep that buff up on yourself at all times: the more damage that goes into your attacks, the more enmity you're building. Storm's Eye follows the same concept: applies a debuff to a single target that weakens their resistance to slash damage, meaning you and PLDs hit them harder... which means you're doing more damage, which means more enmity being built. Storm's Path is great too, single debuff on a target that keeps them from hitting as hard and you can keep 100% uptime going on a boss if you know what you're doing. So. One self-buff in Maim, and two debuffs in the Storm combos. USE THEM. They're part of what gives WAR its edge. Defiance and Wrath: This mechanic is fairly easy to understand. Defiance is a no-brainer: you gain more max health, healers get a multiplier when healing you, and in exchange for losing DPS you gain an enmity multiplier than more than makes up for the loss from downgraded damage. Wrath is simple enough too: the more stacks you have, the more often you crit, and therefore the more damage you do more often. Hit five stacks of Wrath, and you can pop Unchained to remove your DPS limiter (yay~! base damage AND enmity multiplier!), Inner Beast for a hard-hitting self-healing attack that gives you some serious Damage Reduction, or Steel Cyclone for ENMITYYYYYY. Wrath needs to be built, however. Skull Sunder, Butcher's Block, Maim, Storm's Path, Storm's Eye, Berserk, and Vengeance all give one stack per use. Infuriate instantly puts you at five stacks. Steel Cyclone: You hit everything around you with some serious potency. It's an AoE that gets an enmity bonus. AND ignores the Defiance DPS penalty. The best part? Once you're 50, you can pop Infuriate to give yourself an instant 5 stacks of Wrath... meaning that you can use Steel Cyclone at will so long as you have Infuriate. You can lead with this, build up to it by target-cycling your BB combo, or double-cast it by building up to 5 stacks of Wrath, popping Cyclone, then using Infuriate and using Cyclone AGAIN. Fracture: Only truly worth it on a MRD/WAR, since you get 30s duration. It counts as damage, which means it contributes ever so slightly to enmity. It's not a priority, but every little bit can help (WARNING: DON'T USE THIS FOR ENMITY PURPOSES. IT'S A DAMAGE SKILL, USE IT FOR DAMAGE. A LITTLE MORE ENMITY IS JUST ICING ON THE CAKE). Unchained and Berserk: The real reasons a WAR should NEVER lose aggro to a near-equally-geared DPS. As previously mentioned, Unchained removes the 25% DPS penalty from Defiance for a short while, giving you your DPS back on top of your now-boosted enmity. Berserk just gives you boosted attack power. Couple these together (and maybe pop Internal Release if you've cross-classed it), start going into Butcher's Block combos (get Storm's Eye up before popping Unchained/Berserk if you can), build back up to Wrath V for the increased crit chance and suddenly you gain enmity faster than anything else in the game bar a Medica II -spamming White Mage. Silver Rule of WAR: PLDs pop a CD (cooldown) or two and they get the listed effects; WARs mix and match their CDs to achieve a desired effect, whether that be MASSIVE ENMITY BUILDING or HAHAHAHA I AM PRACTICALLY INVINCIBLE FOR 15 SECONDS. Example: Vengeance not only gives you 30% DR (damage reduction) and a Wrath stack, it also redirects a portion of incoming physical damage (read: autoattacks, mostly) back at the source. That means if a bunch of mobs are wailing on you and you pop Vengeance, you are suddenly effectively wailing back on the mobs. So... have a large group of trash? Couple Vengeance with, yup, Bloodbath and suddenly... you're mitigating their damage more than 30% because you're effectively healing off the damage you're dealing to each and every mob. Now... throw Unchained + Berserk + Overpower (another nifty combination) into the mix, and suddenly you're healing THAT MUCH MORE. Pop a cross-classed Second Wind while you're at it and you've got a large heal (yes, Berserk ups the heal on SW by upping your attack power) at your beck and call. So. Optional in parans. (Infuriate) -> Bloodbath -> Start Overpowering -> Vengeance -> (Unchained) -> Berserk -> (Second Wind) -> OP, OP, OP until Bloodbath runs out. Add defensive CDs like Foresight when and where appropriate. Inner Beast: Hard-hitting 300 potency that ignores the 25% dps penalty from Defiance, heals for 100% of damage dealt, and gives you 20% damage reduction for 10 seconds. Coupled with Storm's Path and Vengeance? Holyyyyy sheeeeeet son, you're, like, the Juggernaut. Best part? Cycling through your BB and Storm combos, you can have Inner Beast ready for use roughly every 18 seconds, discounting Infuriate. This thing is core. This thing is why hardcore PvE folks take WARs as Main Tanks against hard-hitting content like Twintania's Death Sentence. With Storm's Path, every 18 seconds you have 30% Damage Reduction for 6 seconds. That's roughly 18 seconds of 30% DR for every minute-and-six-seconds. Start drooling. Holmgang: So. Bloodbath lets us RIP AND TEAR and eat huge guts to get healthy again (WAR is kinda about managing HP gain/loss compared to PLD's preventing HP loss). Holmgang lets us take fatal punches to the face like the glorious berzerkers we are and keep right on trucking. Six seconds that you can't move. Six seconds that your target is bound in place. Six seconds that you can't BE moved (screw you, Landslide!). Six seconds of effective invincibility where you literally cannot go under 1 health point. You don't even need Benediction or spammed Lustrates from your healers to get you back up: done right, assuming you saved some CDs, you can pop stuff like Inner Beast, Foresight, Vengeance, Thrill of Battle, etc. to get yourself enough of a cushion to more or less COME BACK FROM THE DEAD. Hallowed Ground is pansy by comparison (we still <3 you, Pally friends). Thrill of Battle: Ya wanna survive Meteor? This thing effectively boosts both current and max hp for a significant duration, meaning it also acts as a self-heal of sorts. Also acts as a health buffer if you use it while topped off. Not as exciting as everything else... but hey. Mercy Stroke: Just as clutch as Holmgang. Last-hit something with this, and you get a significant chunk of health back as a self-heal. Couple with Unchained and Berserk if you need to hit REALLY hard to insure you get the last hit instead of your damage dealers. Off GCD Instant skill, meaning you can slip it between weaponskills... meaning you can snag some health off that trash that's about to die while target-cycling. If you're not worried about getting health back or you're vs. a boss, just cast this whenever it's up and your target is low on HP for a DPS increase. I'm sure I've forgotten a ton of stuff I could be talking about... but that'll get you going. WAR's more complex IMO than its counterpart tank in PLD.

Osric Melkire swung the front door open. He staggered inside, spun around, grabbed the inside handle, leaned back, backpedaled, and pulled the door closed. Slammed it. Hard. He reeled his way over to the lobby desk, his hair singed. He smelled like burning. The midlander started sifting through various drawers, inboxes, folders, parchments and more. His eyes were out of focus, and he muttered curses under his breath as he went about his business. "Ruttin' bastard melted m'patas... equipment request form... where's the equipment request form...." He blinked as he picked up a note, read it over, and snorted. He dropped it back onto the desktop and continued to rifle through a veritable mountain of paperwork. "Ah, here we go... quill, where's a qu- oh. Inkwell... right. Okay. 'Dear Quartermaster Who Never Furnished Me with a Sergeant's Uniform: Go Suck Morbol Toxin.' Aye, that'll do...." He finished filling out the required fields, inked his signature across the bottom, dropped the quill, and headed right back out the door, all in a rush. He'd come to like those patas, gods damn it. Ruttin' Ifrit. Ruttin' bastard.

Which variation of the armguards is that, Berrod? I know for a fact that it's not Goatskin, Raptorskin, or either of those two's Aetherial iterations.... (inb4 it actually IS aetherial goatskin)

That's what we have aunties for. AND BOY OH BOY DO WE HAVE A LOT OF THOSE.

Newsflash: each and every person I listed is psychologically damaged. HARD. Damaging psychological is within reach for all of them. ;D

WHO IS THIS BRASS BLADE AND WHY HAVE I NOT MET HIM HE SPENDS MOST OF HIS TIME THESE DAYS PVP'ING INSTEAD OF RP'ING, THAT F***!

I feel sorry for her potential boyfriends. She's about to have a small army of heavily armed and armored uncles. Including but not limited to: A professional assassin who specializes in all things poisonous; A former terrorist who specializes in all things explosive; A Brass Blade and a traitor to the cause (HAIL LALA); Ul'dah's very own Batman; The protégé of Raging Behemoth, Eorzea's Manliest Man; Hydaelyn's own Mr. Blonde; and of course, Raging Behemoth, Eorzea's Manliest Man.

Verad. DUH.

You should turn your attention to ruining their relationship at love on the sands this saturday. *walks around the thread and starts handing out copies of "Thanalan Thanksgiving: A Study in Amalj'aa Stuffing" by Natalie Mcbeef*

C: .... W: .... C: .... W: ...so Natalie lent me this - C: - Amalj'aa porn and I thought - W: - maybe you'd like to - C: - look at it - Both: - together........ oh gods you too?!

Dare I ask WHICH OF YOUR CHARACTERS? LOL.

Where does he get all those wonderful quotes...? Well, don't just stand there. COME AND ASK ME!

Berrod, Oscare, and Warren all get into a hot tub..... DAMMIT OSRIC!! You also don't get to summon me without a misquote! Do you bite your thumb at me, ma'am? EDIT: Franz, isn't your character still a half-magitek freakshow? Or was that like a backpack or something? I imagine that thing'd short out in the water and electrify everyone but Porkchop to death.

Berrod, Oscare, and Warren all get into a hot tub.....

Its not my sub, its my internet. I got behind on bills so I'm catching up is all. Ah. That makes more sense. Let us know if you need help. And like Merc said... there's always forum RP in the meantime. :chocobo: :cactuar:

*wonders why Erik won't accept a measly $15 USD from his FC mates* :frustrated: ...yes I am publicly shaming you. Because I care. :love:

[align=center]It's over.[/align] [align=center]The proof delivered, testimony given, the body immolated.[/align] [align=center]The world didn't burn.[/align] [align=center]Just two thousand innocents and one tormented soul.[/align] [align=center]Gods forgive me.[/align] [align=center]Because I won't forgive myself. [/align] [align=center] [/align]

Zachary Evans - dependable, noble, good - was clearly agitated as made his way over to the former sergeant and held out the head to him. The gladiator deliberately avoided meeting anyone's gaze. "Here." Osric glanced over and scowled. That's what you are to these people, came the familiar silken voice of the Whore, behind it the rumbling of the Beast. Each and every time, they come to you. And for what? To clean up whatever mess they've made for themselves. Here and now you stand due to their carelessness, his and hers. You warned them, and they didn't listen. Now that the rest have, they refuse to deal with the afterbirth of their labor. And why? Because you're the one who sullies himself so that others don't have to. That's who he is, came the familiar cadence of the Soldier, behind it the silence that belied the stoic resolve and unbending will of the Man. Who we are. That's our duty, and we see it through. "Right," he growled, as he parted from his beloved and took the head by the hair. He walked past the Garlean highlander, who muttered something under his breath, and knelt beside the body. "Are we done here?" came Zachary's voice. "I need to get back to Carteneau." Osric pulled the glass jar close, unscrewed the lid, slipped the head inside, and sealed the jar back up again. "...we're done." "Just, make sure you burn that son of a bitch, Osric." Sizha'to again. "Please." Osric, listen. Saravena needs rescuing. Osric, help. Roen's been kidnapped. Osric, please. Osric, Osric, Osric... I never asked for this, bellowed the youthful voice of the Boy, behind him the fears and terrors of the Gutterborn. I could have had it easy! Could've left my family t'rot, could've made my fortune carving shites up in Limsa, could've looked out for number one! He chose differently! He cared, and now we suffer for it! I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS! "Kahn'a," he called, and it was a wonder his voice didn't crack right then and there. "I hear you." "The body needs to go to Erik. Tell him to burn it." "With fucking pleasure." "Why? Why does it need to go to him?" "Because, Sizzie...." Why do I do this? "...because I'd rather not cause you all pain. I'm a selfish arse that way." "You're a little too gods damned late for that." And there it was, out in the open. He'd chosen love over friendship, had gone to radical lengths, and now he'd pay for it. He'd burn in the hells for it. "...I know. Sorry about stabbing you." Od'hilkas growled from somewhere behind him, and Osric flinched. There came the sound of clenched leather; he paid it no mind, instead staring at the face in the jar for a moment before standing and turning around... Natalie and Franz had left. Bartolomeo and Zachary were only just taking their leave. That left only Kahn'a, Sizha'to, and... and... and Kiht? "The least you could do is make sure that body is fucked up beyond all recognition. I'll accept your apology once you've done that." And with that came the squelch and rattle of chainmail and plate armor as the male took off. "Zha'to, wait!" And there went Kahn'a. Love over friendship... they kept to the same principle, and yet they blamed him for following it through to the end. Why do I do this? He scowled again and turned to the Keeper female. The woman who should have understood, the woman who'd been collared just as he had been... by more than just the metal choker around his neck. "Alright, Kiht. Out with it. I'm tired of tryin' t'make amends. Just... out with it." She walked up to him. Pulled her mask off, revealing her own scowl. Her arm moved, and she slapped Osric across the face. He took it. What was the point in doing otherwise? He deserved it. "...I'd explain, but I don't think you'd care to listen." Kiht Jakkya quivered, shook with barely contained anger. "...why. Why are you free when Roen is in jail?" He blinked. "Roen is in jail...? Since when?!" "You did not know? She is in jail for charges of desertion." Kiht's eyes welled up with tears, and behind them lurked blame, judgment, condemnation. She wanted to know why he was free when Roen was not. He didn't have the heart to tell her. He was too overwhelmed by his own failure. Roen had not escaped. After the high price and toll she and others had paid... she had not escaped. Her suffering had been for naught. Askier's, for naught. His own efforts had been for naught. Why do I do this? "...shite!" He paced back and forth across the width of Highbridge, agitated beyond reason. "Who has her? Blades, Flames, 'sworn?" "Sultansworn...." Kiht grit her teeth, seething in her own frustration. "What is wrong with the Ul'dahn justice system?" "People like Natalie, that's what... how in the hells did they even find her?" "She turned herself in!" "...she wha- Gods." Kiht averted her gaze. "I... it was stupid, but she trusts the 'sworn." "...Crofte. It must have been Crofte." He turned to attend to what Kahn'a had not. He reached inside the burlap sack and pulled out a body bag. Into the sack went the jar, and into the bag went the body. He tucked the former under his arm and threw the latter over his shoulder, then turned back, walked back. "I got as far as the Sultansworn prison on Hustings. There was a female paladin with red hair." "...that'd be Crofte. Kanaria... time to go." His beloved's eyes were still transfixed on the spot where Jin'li had fallen... but she glanced up at the sound of his voice, and answered, "Yes, Ser." He pivoted back to Kiht... and spotted someone over her shoulder. "Buttons." Leilani Belle's eyes shifted from her sister to her sister's partner. "Hmm?" "That really you?" Buttons glanced down at herself, gave herself a quick inspection, then looked back up. "Might as well ask my spoon, Ossy." "I'd rather not upset Mr. Scoopers by doubting him." Kiht turned to regard the other female just as Kanaria stepped forward and answered, "that's the real Buttons...." Osric sighed with relief, then turned again to regard Kiht. "Talk to Erik. He'll vouch for me." Silence. Long, hard, cold silence. "Very well," she finally responded. "I will indeed talk to Erik. He has either lost his mind or has a good reason I do not know about..." There it was again. The doubt. Always now, they were doubting him. Once they had trusted him... never again. Why do I do this? He glanced over at Kanaria... and found the thief who had stolen his heart in a heavy embrace with her sister. Then, finally, at last, there came an answer... and the answer came in two parts... "You will be a force, saving the women of others, and never be seen. You will be a shadow." Erik Mynhier - ...Erik had spoken of the Red Wings as an impurity, and impurities as the source of a jewel's strength... but, while valid, that was only a partial answer. Gems needed protecting. Sapphires, emeralds, rubies... diamonds... - and from within, a voice he had not heard in years. A voice he had locked away, had hidden from the world in order to keep it safe. The voice of a child. His own voice, from when he had been young and innocent and full of hopes and dreams. I want t'be a knight, Da, just like in Tabby's books, and fight dragons and save princesses! I want to be a hero! He set his jaw and looked over at Kiht one last time. He reached inside a belt pouch for the small shards of aetheryte crystal he always carried with him lately... and stopped. He didn't need them anymore. He could feel it. Feel the crystal he had attuned with, so long ago. He could feel it calling him... calling him... He pulled out a shard anyroad, for the sake of appearances, and crushed it in his hand. A portal opened up behind him, behind the sisters, and he gave Kiht a sad smile. "I am the rough, Kiht. And I've found my faith." They went home.

Only if I'm Batman and you're th'Robbin.

*drums and sumo call from Pokemon Stadium's Lickitung minigame* XYDANE!

((This thread closed to all but those who were present at Jin'li's death.)) They approached him together. "Ser," Osric said as he dropped a burlap sack before his feet. Jin'li Epinoch stared at them with blank eyes, blood oozing from his nose as his left hand shuddered, the gunblade held tight. "The lovers wish a return to service? This male would know what is in this sack." "Adin's gift. Rema's is Master Kanaria." He bowed to the male he had come to hate so deeply... and yet... "Nothing is impossible. There's always a way." Jin'li twitched, his one remaining ear flicking back and forth. "What is this? There are no more masters." "Begging your pardon, ser, but I had it from your own mouth. You only ever call yourself humble before a master, ser." "Mm." Kanaria Galanodel bit down gently on her lower lip as she took a step forward toward the Garlean, lavender eyes focused on the Miqo'te. Osric knelt before her as she passed him by. "Jin'li...." "There are no more masters," Jin'li said flatly as he lifted his gunblade up and aimed it at Kanaria. "The Lady is kind, but is not a master, else I would have killed her. This male could never hurt the Lady Kanaria. Do not make me hurt you, Lady." There was almost a plea in Jin'li's voice, his tone not entirely devoid of emotion as his blank expression faltered for a moment. "Do not make this free male call you master. Please." Osric shifted in place, feet finding purchase on the stones of Highbridge as he inhaled slowly, as he gathered himself in his center and prepared to let go.... A burst. It's a burst. From everywhere, all at once. That's what he said. That's what I felt, practicing all night long. Kanaria swallowed hard before she shook her head. "I would never have you do that... you know that... just... just put the gun down, please...." "Lady Kanaria, please, just take my gift and walk away. This male does not wish to harm-" Jin'li coughed violently, coughed up blood. He dropped to one knee, whimpering as he shuddered. "No... just one more hour," he gasped, staring down at the stone of the bridge. "I just need one more hour, Althyk. One more-" the shuddering stopped and the male gasped painfully as he rose to his feet, his right hand reaching into his coat, pulling out a jar and tossing it to Osric. The midlander caught the jar one-handed as he lifted the burlap sack from the floor and tossed it to Jin'li in turn. "This male's final, kind gift to the lovers." Osric drowned out the rest with his own thoughts: the Garlean had gone mad. He hurled the "gift" aside, just as Epinoch glanced inside the burlap sack and blinked. "This male does not understand... an empty jar?" "Simple enough, ser. You listen to the Lady... or you go into the jar, just as Rema did." Kanaria shook her head again, lavender eyes still on the runt of the litter. "Please don't do this... stand down. I- I don't want to see your head in that jar." Her eyes filled with worry, brimmed with tears. Jin'li Epinoch, a humble slave-servant, stared at the jar... then at Kanaria. He stepped forward, spun the gunblade around in his hand, shoved the handle and trigger into hers as he pressed the barrel of his gun to his forehead. "Then kill me. Pull that trigger and let this male sleep at last." Osric sighed, tensed muscles unwinding as he released his hold on his aether. He walked up to Kanaria and covered her hand with his, their index fingers slipping over the trigger as he whispered to her... "He's done suffering. Let him rest. Together. We'll do it together." The woman gasped as her fingers curled around the handle, her index finger hovering lightly over the trigger, barely touching it. "But..." Sorrow filled her eyes as the tears started flowing. "I... of course." She took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, her quaking finger easing the trigger back as she started to look away... "Pull." So he did. He pulled the trigger together with her, and the gunblade roared with a flash. The albino's eyes never left Kanaria's face. His black eyes were on her lavender ones when the gun erupted, sending the bullet straight into his broken mind. Jin'li flew backwards, blood oozing from his forehead as the bullet exited the back of his skull. The miqo'te's body slammed onto the stone. The black eyes stared up at the sky, unseeing, a content smile pressed onto his lips as a single tear rolled down from his lifeless eyes. Free. The body shuddered, the soul departed, and there was only the blackness of the void The others, the ones behind them, those they'd brought along - friends, family, acquaintances - spun around at the thundering bark of gunfire. Osric took the gunblade from Kanaria's hand, tossed it to the side, and held her tight, rocking her gently back and forth. "Franz," he called. Natalie Mcbeef walked over, kicked the body a single time, then drew her sword and poked it repeatedly. Osric blinked, let Kanaria go, and walked over to shove the other woman back. "This man killed thousands of people," Natalie snarled. "The man is dead." Bartolomeo Filangieri, slowly marching up the bridge towards them. "There is no need to defile his corpse." Osric pulled a knife and handed it to Franz hilt first. "I need to insure he's dead," Nat retorted. "You already said he could regenerate his wounds." "We do this right." "Excuse me?" asked the large Garlean thug. Nat paused. "...ah. Of course, you're right." "Head. Jar. Nat... I'm taking the body back to Erik." "Bring fire, and be done with his corpse!" came a call from behind them. Kahn'a Od'hilkas. Osric ignored that, and continued to stare at Natalie. "Don't push me on this." He turned back and took Kanaria in his arms again. Zachary Evans came forward, looked down, picked up the gunblade, and inspected it as though he'd rather be looking at the dead body. "I'd suggest you leave the blade alone," said Franz. "Jin'li did bleed on it." Zachary turned to look at Franz before sniffing. He tossed the blade over the edge of the bridge, watching it fall as he leaned against the railing. Nat took Franz by the shoulder. "Oy... let's let them handle it. Osric isn't going to be as soft on him as I feared. Nothing more for us to do here, Franz." "Osric," called another voice. Chalahko, the free paladin. "I once stabbed that son of a bitch through his chest. He needs to be burned." "Vials won't do him any good if his head isn't attached, Sizha'to." Natalie again. "We're headed back.... make a clean job of it, Osric." He nodded after her as she walked off, then glanced up at Franz... "My job was to simply have the two of you meet," said the big man. "That's over. I merely stayed to observe." "...it can't be me. Bart?" "...so be it. I shall do it." "Someone else will need to make the first cut." Franz. "I can finish it from there." "What do you intend to do with his head," Sizha'to asked flatly. "It will go with the body. They'll be delivered to Erik. We'll explain things to him. There'll be a pyre, I'm sure." "Whining and complaining about who will do it," growled Zachary as he turned around. "Quit dawdling and move!" He took his axe off his back and walked over to stand over the miqo'te... "N-no, w-wait..." Kanaria pulled free of Osric's arms and moved quickly around him, dropping down to Jin'li's side. Her hand rested on his coat, fingers curling to take something into them as she whispered softly, as her other hand closed his eyes. "...alright, Zac. Give her a moment." Bartolomeo stared. "Seems the gladiator insists." Zachary surprisingly planted the axe blade in the solid stone of the bridge before returning to the railing. "...love?" Kanaria's fingers brushed several strands of hair out of Jin'li's face before she rose up. "You're free," she whispered, before turning to Osric and stepping into him, her left hand and right cheek against his chest... "Alright, Zac. Make it quick." Filangieri eyed the corpse for a few long moments before marching on... "May the Twelve guide him in the next world." Zachary Evans walked back to the axe, wrenched it free from the stone with one strong tug, raised it over his head with the same movement. For a moment, he actually hesitated... before bringing the axe down with an echoing yell. The lovers looked away.

[align=center]To Strive, to Seek...[/align] [align=center] [/align]