>>5723247The Old Paladin picks up speed surprisingly quickly, and across a surprisingly short distance. You allow your nictitating membranes to flick across your field of vision momentarily, catching a brief but revealing glimpse of the man’s aura. You recognize the telltale shimmer across his bio-mystical enemies: he is casting a spell.
“<LINEBREAK>--augh!”
>19 vs 5Whatever spell the human meant to cast is shattered with a decisive strike of your khopesh. You break his concentration, and its distinctive antimagical abilities shatter defensive spells and indent holy armour. Sir Ewald is blocked, elderly knees buckled. With a kick, you force him back, and you advance upon him again with a grin you hope—and by his expression, suspect—is menacing.
“Lie down and die, Paladin,” you boast. “I was made for thisss fight. Born, bred, and raisssed for it.”
You advances again, but you step back, allow his attack to whiff, and kick his knee from the side and forcing him to kneel. The sight fills you with dark pleasure. You feel it in your bones, in your boiling blood—as you did when you faced the Green Knight, Sir Chase, Paladin Prince Alexos. This fight—you, against a Paladin of the Holy order of Hawksong—carries greater risk for you than most, but it is also the most thrilling. More than hunting and slaying great and terrible beasts THIS is what you were meant to do.
The man’s eyes flit to his sword, but as he lunges for it you move into place, slashing widely with your sword and forcing him to stumble back and half-crawl away from your advance. His pitiful ceremonial dagger stands no chance against your reach. His fear blossoms like his spilling blood, and it takes everything you have not to roar in mad laughter.
>8: failure to reclaim weapon or injure you>Bonus vs. Sir Ewald: you have Hexed him>Sir Ewald: 3/4 HP>Theral: 5/5 HPYou are not Long Wang. You are THERAL, the DRAGONBORN ANTIPALADIN!
What will you do?
>Give into your most savage instincts, and butcher the old fool [+attack, +corruption, -self control, -human empathy]>Temper your bloodlust, and show restraint [no attack bonus, no corruption +self control, +human empathy]>Switch strategies from hexblade swordsmanship to something else [what?]>Negotiate from a position of strength [specify terms]>Write-in 