Mercenary Training Thread: Endless Despair

[Tainted Bushido]

This thread is open to the members of Taka's Mercenary Group. Those who have an interest of joining the group are welcome to post. Due to my once a week posting availability, you have about one week to get in your response, no questions. If you lag out twice, you will be kicked from the Dojo and have to wait for the next training thread to restart your application.

"Is everything ready?"

The words echoed through the room as five men stood at the front of the Dojo. Having been through conflict these men had formed a close bond, one that bordered on family. The dojo Doors were open as they always were, yet this time, instead of William's monster hunters dominating the time of the Sensei within, they were open to the members of the other fighting team. The bald man of the group, by the name of Hoturi nodded to the other man, who was dressed in a brown kimono, his white hair tied back into a ponytail. His face was left exposed to the air, showing the black streaks of skin that slashed it, almost as if someone had taken claws and used his face to sharpen then. An eye was a milky white, though the warrior seemed no less put off by the fact.

The others knew better than to assume he couldn’t see out of it.

Another man, with milky eyes looked dully at the other four before he chuckled and spoke, “If only I got to see the looks on their faces when you put them through the numbers.”

The other two laughed lightly, before the warrior with white hair raised an eyebrow and silenced them with the look. Though they had been training hard under Hoturi, they knew better than to fool around, the Dojo was not the place for such antics, and they gave both Hoturi, and their leader the deferred respect they required to learn here. They soon waited as people began to file in, the newest rejects of the Monster Hunting Squad, who would soon find the doors barred to them, if they had no respect for their betters.

The man in brown moved to the head of the Dojo, the sensei watching coolly from the side as the other two men with sight flanked their leader. As one they all knelt upon the mats. The leader moved over the other men slowly, his eyes taking each one in, before he spoke, his voice stern, “My name is Taka. I am a Ronin of Akashima, and am outcast from that land. Should I ever return it would be on pain of death. However, I carry within me the pride of my heritage, and my homeland. I am the leader of the Ixian Knight’s Mercenary Group, and I will not stand for foolish games of pride.”

“I am Lucas Brigs, I started out as a blacksmith’s apprentice. Now, I fight alongside General Taka, and I am proud of that fact. I will not stand for people undercutting his authority,” The man on his right, a brown hair man of modest size. He wore the traditional leather vest over a white collared shirt most men wore. His pants were a linen cloth that held nothing special. Different than the others, was the fact that like the others of the group of five, his boots were resting beside the doors, waiting for their owner to reclaim them.

“I am Axel Erikson, I was a caravan guard in Fallien before I joined Taka’s band. There is no other man I would rather stand with, and I am proud to call him my leader. Don’t even think of wasting his time, I will kick your scrawny asses right out of here,” Axel said soon after Lucas. The former blacksmith smirked at the comment and nodded appreciatively. Axel was a blond haired man, who kept his hair short. Due to the nature of his hair cut, it protruded up in a spiked fashion, which seemed to show off how cool it kept him. His clothing was lighter than Lucas’ and while the cool air of Radasanth was much below the temperatures of Fallien, if he was uncomfortable, he didn’t show it.

From the side lines, a voice cleared itself, and all eyes turned to the blind man who conspicuously wore twin guns. He stepped forward, his bare feet padding lightly on the mats that made up the dojo. Coming to a stop near the three at the front he dropped to his knees like the others had and smirked before he spoke up, “I’m Oreo Jones, the Blind Gunman. I am also a member of the Mercenary Squad, and I have run with many Gangs. Out of all of them, I’d say Taka’s gang is the best to run with. I also wouldn’t think of muttering any disparaging remarks about the leaders here, I’ll hear you from a mile off.”

“Very good gentlemen,” The bald monk stepped forward smiling to each of the students before he stepped behind Taka and firmly placed his hands on Taka’s shoulders. The other members chuckled, knowing how uncomfortable touch made the general, but also knew he had asked for this to occur. After so stern an opening, they needed a bit of levity before explaining just what was to happen, “My name is Hoturi. Only Hoturi, much like our General is only Taka. If I catch wind of anyone of you throwing around his old family name, you will deal with Taka. This man I have been teaching for almost two years now, and I only consider him a passing swordsman.”

A few chuckles and giggles escaped the crowd that was watching the introduction at the start of the lessons. Hoturi gave them their time to point and laugh, especially after hearing about how good Taka was supposed to be. It was then, that Hoturi dropped the next line, perfectly, “He could still wipe the floor with all of you, and might break a sweat only if roughly half of you were former members of the Coronian Guard. This man would last a couple of minutes with the likes of Seth Dahlios and Letho Ravenheart. You people, are most likely the cannon fodder they throw at him before he reaches them in a real battle.”

“The rest of these men, I have been training for going on five months. They could easily dispatch a few of you, but they would break a sweat, only because they don’t have Taka’s seven years of training in addition to the two with me. Believe me when I say, the next month will be the hardest month of training you will ever have. You will be training alongside these men, and you will give them the respect they are due. They have faced the enemy and have lived to return and tell you about what happened. If you feel at all reservations about what I am going to put you through, by all means, go bother Tagaz, I hear he needs a good laugh.”

The students went quiet, even as the veterans, Taka included chuckled at the comment. Hoturi turned to Taka and nodded firmly letting Taka have the floor again, before the ronin stood up and stepped forward. He pointed at his feet, then to the gathered group of would-be adventurers, “The first rule of this dojo is that you are not to step upon the mats with your boots, sandals, or other forms of footwear. I do not care how large the pile gets, you are to line the mats with footwear and step onto the mats with your bare feet. Once you have done so, one at a time, you will step forward, and tell us your name, and the path of life you took to get here. You will then kneel on the mat and await further instruction.”

[Arai]

Arai listened to the men standing before him. None looked all that intimidating, but he knew that looks can be deceiving. He was a fine example of that himself. Although, looking at the other initiatives Arai didn't see anyone special among them for the time being.

The one with the hair similarly colored to his own intrigued him--Taka he called himself. Even looking past the black marks on his face, there was something slightly off putting about him that Arai couldn't quite put his finger on. Being a half demon usually made it easier to sense evil presences, but this feeling was something else. For the time being he'd leave it alone until the perfect time to confront him about it.

The bald man, Hoturi, started talking and made a little joke at Taka's expense. He then followed it up with how fine of a swordsman he is compared to a few names Arai only heard briefly about. They meant nothing to Arai, but he surely didn't appreciate being called fodder. Luckily Arai knew when to be humble, and this was such a time. No one name drops without having some kind of reasoning behind it.

Upon hearing the first rule Arai removed his shoes as instructed. It wasn't too much to ask, and for his feet to be removed from their confinement was all too welcome. He placed them in front of him and stepped over them and onto the mat. Being the first one to step forth put him on the spot, but he didn't mind it too much. He approached about a foot from Taka, who up close Arai noticed was a little bit shorter than himself, and just a bit smaller. Despite that, judging from the look in the man's eyes at this distance, he could see he might be quite a formidable opponent should it ever come down to it.

"My name is Arai Kaosu." He says as he maked eye contact with all standing before him out of respect; even the one who called himself "The Blind Gunman". "For years I've walked this land, taking on small jobs here and there. Fighting foe after foe, but never really finding what I seek. I seek a home, and perhaps a unit that I could one day call friends, or even family. And...the extra money doesn't hurt either."

He said this last line with a smirk, enjoying the few chuckles it got from the recruits. He stepped back one pace, took a knee, and then awaited the next order.

[Tainted Bushido]

Taka looked as a few people came forward following instructions. More than one or two scoffed at the idea, and a few walked out on the basis of taking off their boots, wondering just how the hell it was supposed to make them better sword fighters. Taka watched each person leave, and felt his burden lighten, if they were so arrogant as to be unable to follow even a simple order, then they had no place by his side. The ones that scoffed, he would have to either work into his group, and force them to understand their place, or run off by giving them the hellish training and Eastern guard had gone through for years.

"The only fact of the past that I keep with me, is that I was once a member of the Eastern Guard, charged with protecting Yanbo Harbor in Akashima. I trained for years with the Katana, until it became an extension of my will, and even now, I seek to hone my skills even further. Our training will be twofold, we will trained with the sword and bow, and until you grasp the basics of both, you will continue to train. We do not have time to make you into fighters the likes of the Eastern guard, we can only hope by drilling into you the basics, that we can give you a chance at survival on the battle field. One you have master the basic techniques of the sword, you may begin training with any weapon you feel comfortable with. Those of you who have brought your own weapons that are not the blade, will need to talk to us after this first class. We will see where we can fit you into our squads, and you will most likely be helping to train and test your fellows," The explanation was long, but both of the men at Taka's side nodded, even as Oreo seemed to get a small smirk across his face.

He then looked to each man, "I'm not so vain as to assume all of you are untrained with the sword. I am also not so vain as to force you to use the sword. I am however, more dedicated than ever to making sure my men survive encounters with the enemy." He then gestured to a paper on the wall, it remained in silent vigil watching and judging over the many who entered. A few students strained to position themselves to see the paper before Taka continued to explain, "We are in a war. Already casualties have hit us, with my group being reduced to the four of us. I will accept the burden for not preparing us properly. I will not make that mistake again. The four of us, when rebuilding this unit, made a vow, that for every name on that list, ten men shall fall. If one of you falls in battle, you will be avenged tenfold as well. That means each of you has come to me with a debt, a debt that will be paid in blood by the end of this war."

He looked at Brigs and Erikson before he smirked and spoke, "Each of you, will go through a one minute spar with one of us. Hoturi-sensei will watch over us and after the minute will pass judgment, Use whatever weapon you feel comfortable with, from the rack over against the wall." The Ronin gestured to the far right wall, where two racks of weapons, made entirely of wood rested. He then looked back to his would be mercenaries before he spoke, "I said these words once before, I will say it again. We are not bloodthirsty savages. You will hold back and be reserved. You will learn to control your strikes, such that you could tap your opponents with your strikes solidly, rather than swinging your weapons around like wild beasts. If any of you harbor greed, I would suggest you hide it from me, for nothing gains my ire more than the sin of Desire."

The men at his side quickly moved, Oreo Jones taking his position beside Hoturi, while Taka Brigs and Erikson took up bokkens from the rack of weapons. Wooden swords in hand, they looked over the students before pointing to one and giving the order for them to go select their weapon, and fight them. Taka looked upon his gather recruits before he spied a man. His eyes slowly came to study the man before he spoke, "Arai Kaosu is it? You are with me. Go select a wooden form of your weapon."

[Arai]

If patience was a virtue as the Monks of the Citadel say, then Arai was a saint amongst most of these applicants. Upon hearing the first rule the room saw its first deserters. They gathered up their equipment and exited the dojo, never even looking back.

"Heh, they must have some banged up feet." Arai said quietly to himself, smiling as he watched several men and women leave.

Arai turned his attention back to his front. He was the first to step forth, but soon after others followed suit; some hesitant, others seemingly reluctant, but in the end there was a decent number of recruits still remaining unabashed and ready for the next lesson.

He listened to the long-winded speech, resisting the urge to draw one of his daggers and fiddle with it. Drawing a weapon at this time would not only show that he at times has bad nerves, but it could possibly get him killed as well. And no nervous habit was worth that risk.

He was most intrigued by the idea of learning the skill of archery. Adding long-range attacks to his repertoire outside of his magic was a good idea as any. Swords he knew he would have no real problem with. He was used to dual wielding, which is considered by most to be a harder technique to learn than the single and two-handed grip.

The others began pairing up as the white-haired man addressed him directly.

"Ha. What are the odds?" Arai thought to himself.

Arai went to the wall and grabbed one of the wooden training swords. He gave it a few test swings in his dominant left hand, getting a feeling for the weight of the weapon. In his other hand he took up a kodachi.

Arai returned to his declared opponent for sparring, and bowed before him before taking a low stance--sliding his left foot forward and holding up the weapons, one in the front and the other at the back of him.

"Ready when you are, sensei Taka." Arai stated, eager for the duel.

[Tainted Bushido]

“Taka…” Hoturi spoke up as the Ronin looked over his shoulder to his sensei. The ronin had a confused look on his face until Hoturi tossed a sword the size of a wakizashi. Taka instinctively caught it before with a practiced swing he dropped into the first stance of the Storm’s Eye Style. Looking over the form of his would be opponent he saw the man drop into a stance of his own. His eyes trying to penetrate the ronin’s own. Taka narrowed his eyes only briefly, before he began to focus, and moved, the entire action fluidly, brining the two men into conflict. Wood clashed against wood as Taka fainted and parried blows, moving with a fluid grace that belied the inner storm. He was a whirlwind of blows, countering one before pressing the advantage and countering with his own. The man was at least skilled enough not to overextend too badly, but more than once a bad parry had forced Taka’s blade to slide down, only to barely be deflected back.

Both men came to a stop as they faced off against each other. The Ronin sizing up his opponent once more, while Arai seemed to be doing an assessment of the situation. Moving slowly Taka lowered himself into the final stance of the Storm’s Eye, looking deeply into his opponent’s eyes, his blades curling about his body as a protective shield. Both remained transfixed on the other before Arai attacked, and Taka acted swiftly. The blow was evaded immediately and both blades came to hit solidly against the back of his opponent, sending him to the ground. Hoturi immediately called the point before he spoke, “Arai Kaosu, you know enough of the twin blades to make me wonder how well you could do if you had learned a bit more. You won’t need basic lessons, what do you think Taka?”

“I think we have our first gunso,” Taka replied. The Ronin was sitting on a bench his hair forming a curtain before him as he rested, being exhausted from the Kata he had just preformed. He carefully brushed the ahir from his face before he looked up at Arai. “If you take me up on the offer, you will be in charge of a few of these men, you will report directly to my chui, Jones-san, Brigs-san, and Erikson-san. Feel free to rest a bit, and then you can take over testng a few of the others, though I ask you to only use two blades when they also dual wield. I feel you might overwhelm others if you were to fight at your fullest from the get go.”

Hoturi laughed before he patted Taka on the back, “You certainly gave our General a thorough workout, I haven’t seen him work this hard since he fought William Arcus. I think you’ll be useful in reminding Taka he needs to expose himself to more styles in order to grow better.”

[Arai]

Arai came out the loser in the quick sparring match. He hadn't really expected to win but he did expect better of himself. The man--Taka--moved like water, flowing from one move to the next. Even when Arai got a few good parries in Taka was always able to counter the follow-up. The last strike was so swift that Arai didn't even see it coming.

He could learn a bit from this man and his master. Perhaps Arai did need more formal training. He mostly taught himself in his younger days and never really had the opportunity to apprentice under a master of any sort. His unorthodox style usually helped him prevail over those taught to fight against the traditional styles.

"But this man..." Arai thought as he looked over his tuckered out combatant. The last movement he used to win the bout seemed to taken the wind out of his sails a bit. Which made Arai wonder if he had avoided the blow, would he have possibly won. In fights one move is usually the difference between life and death, or in this case, between bragging rights and a loss of pride.

Hoturi praised Arai's skill after Taka, who was now perched on a bench, gave him a position of instruction among the other recruits. With that proclamation Arai knew that he as good as in The Ixian Knights.

"As you say boss." Arai said while giving a quick salute. "Though may I make an inquiry?" He looked at Hoturi as he spoke. "If I limit myself to one sword...would I not be limiting our recruits to the same exposure like your honored disciple here?"

He hoped he wasn't out of line, but he was pretty sure that fighting against opponents of different skills and abilities was the best way to become a better fighter.

[Tainted Bushido]

"Normally you would be right, but for right now we need to see if they know the basics. Once we have determined that, we can begin the training in earnest. Don't worry, you will get your chance to go all out yet-" Horuti began before Taka spoke up.

"He is of course right," Hoturi looked to the Ronin with a look of confusion before Taka elaborated, "Arai Kaosu, you have set the bar for the others. The men I currently command earned their spots under fire, and so shall the rest. Arai, you will test the others from here out, if they cannot fair well against you, then they will be in the beginner class. Those in the beginner class, can feel free to apply for membership in the Mercenary Company next time we hold open trials. We cannot let our desperation for bodies water down the ability to do our job. We will need fighters, the rest can be worked on between missions."

The other two men nodded as they carefully stepped off the mats before Erikson shot out, "You heard the General, if you were told you had more training to do, you can try again next month when we look to increase our ranks. Hoturi can of course teach you, as can Tagaz. I suggest you practice hard, if this guy can wind Taka, you're going to need to step up your game."

Hoturi looked at Taka before he laughed and spoke up, "You realize it's going to be hard to teach him anything when he keeps insisting his way is right because it works."

"I am merely the student, I have utter faith in my Sensei," Taka responded before he spoke to Arai, "Gunso Kaosu, continue the testing, we will give you time to rest when you grow weary."

Hoturi snorted before he spoke, "Kaosu, get to work, I'll be sure to shout pointers to you when you're done with each fight."

[Arai]

Hoturi answered Arai's question and then commissioned him to train a few of the remaining soldiers. Also giving him the title of Gunso, which made Arai swell with pride. He was accepted, and that made a great deal to him. While he had never had a title before, this also had another meaning. Having wandered these lands, he never had a place where he felt he belonged--aside from the Citadel.

He walked along the line of the recruits who weren't already selected by the other masters. He spotted two hopefuls and called them up. A man, dark as Arai, but as bald as Hoturi; and a fair-skinned women with long red hair tied in a ponytail stepped up with a fierce look in their eyes. The man is dressed in a simple black monk robe with socks and sandals on his feet. On his arms and shins he wear gold plated steel guards with a golden dragon engraved on each piece. The woman, is dressed in a sunset orange light gladiator armor, with her face, arms, and upper legs uncovered.

"Names?" He asked them. Standing before them with his hands laced behind his back--trying and keep his restless fingers busy so that he doesn't divulge in his habit. His daggers called out to him, but he remained focused.

"Miranda Ursulana." Said the crimson haired beauty.

"Just Vargas please." Said the taller black male. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise. The name is Arai Kaosu, and I shall be testing the two of you. You may approach the weapon rack and choose a weapon of choice."

Miranda goes and grabs a staff and returns to the front of Arai. Arai raised an eyebrow at Vargas.

"What about you? He asked him.

Vargas waved and said. "Don't need one." He pulled up his fists. "These are the only weapons I need."

"Well alright then!" Arai said with a smile. "And to make this interesting, both of you come at me at once. The rules: One minute, the first hit is a point."

The two look at each other in surprise for a second then back at Arai. The three moved to a more open area of the dojo away. They bowed at Arai who returned the gesture, then they immediately move to surround Arai. The three dance a wild tango of strikes. Vargas, light on his heels send, his feet and hands in a tornado of blows which Arai deftly blocked or deflected. Though before he could retaliate Miranda would come in with strikes of her own, keeping Arai purely on the defensive. He decided to even the odds and brought the second sword into play which he had tucked into his belt buckle. He began to bring the fight back to them and they backed off and changed their tactics.

"They're acting as a team and this is the first time they're fought together?" Arai thought. Alright let's end this thing.

They both came at him from the front. He pushed aside a palm thrust from Vargas aimed at his head, and a low strike from Miranda. Then he aimed the wooden blades at their throats. Surprise then registered on Arai's face as the two recovered from his parries quicker than he had anticipated. They all stopped at once. Arai had the two swords at each of their necks. Vargas's fingers from a spear hand strike stopped a mere centimeter from his throat, and Miranda's staff stopped just about as far from Arai's temple. The three stood in their deadlock for an excruciating few seconds before Arai spoke up.

"How about we call that a draw?"

Arai looked over at Hoturi who confirmed that time had elapsed. He was relieved, because he wasn't sure how much more he could take. Fighting them both at once might have been a more hefty challenge than he had anticipated. He bowed to the two fighters and spoke once more. Arai takes squats on the floor, still a little tuckered out from the bout. Vargas and Miranda do the same, showing signs of fatigue themselves.

"I'll have to say that they did exceptionally well. They'd make very good contributions to the team. What say you Hoturi? Taka?"

[Tainted Bushido]

“I’ll say you were a fool to not judge your foes before you decided to fight. I’ll also say that you will need a bit of training to reign in that pride of yours, you have ten men to kill before you yourself can die. If two is the best you can do, you need to work harder,” Hoturi replied firmly.

Taka nodded softly before he spoke up, “Ursulana-san, Vargas-san, you shall join our ranks under Gunso Kaosu, I shall have you keep him honest in his practicing.”

Hoturi meanwhile was appraising the monk before he sighed softly and shrugged, “I cannot say I have ever met you Vargas, but welcome brother monk.” The large man shook hands with the sensei before Hoturi gestured to the benches, where the others who had passed muster sat. Taka, having recovered his wind stood up, his long hair flowing about him, even as he carefully shrugged off his hakama, and exposed his blackened skin to the air. Taka looked upon the scant few that had made it into the Mercenary companies ranks.

“Only eight of us now, we have work to do then if we’re to make up the force of thirty we once were. Continue to train under Hoturi, take his advice and guidance to heart. I do not say this lightly, his words carry the weight of experience behind him. While I am your leader he is as much an advisor and confidant as I am. His words will guide you to the battle field, where I will bring out into and out of. Mercenaries stand.”

Once the entirety of the company had stood he spoke firmly, “You are now under my command. You will act with proper respect and deference to the other eight generals at all times. You will not however take orders from anyone other than me or our leader Sei Orlouge. If anyone issues an order that countermands anything I have told you to do, you will refuse immediately and with proper etiquette. We are mercenaries that does not make us barbarians. Is that clear?”

Erikson, Briggs, and Jones immediately called out “Yes sir!”

Taka eyed the men before him, before he stood and spoke, his voice firm, “You are dismissed for meal. After you have finished your meal and cleaned up, return here for squad training. Some of you will be working with me, and some working within your unit. We will be doing this in the evenings until such time as I am satisfied. Until then you are under my care, and while I will give you the morning for anything you wish, your evenings and nights belong to me. Earn them back, and I shall take only a day of your time each week. Fail to keep up with your training and there will be repercussions. Dismissed.”

Taka waited as everyone filed out, Erikson being one of the first to run off. The man from Fallien was always the hungry sort, eager to grab food when he could. With the way he acted and rushed around, Taka could understand his hunger, even when still he seemed to be a dynamo of barely contained energy. How the man managed to fire crossbow bolts with the accuracy he had seen was beyond the Ronin’s ken, but he was certain that if there was nothing wrong with the Mercenary’s ability to fight, he would not begrudge the man his habits.

Briggs stuck around as he usually did and gave the polite conversation. Comments were issued and filed away about the new candidates, and concerns were addressed with an open air that taka had insisted on forming between the men. Even Jones had filled in his concerns. In the end all three men eventually left Hoturi to his dojo, who even now was lighting a sandalwood incense stick to begin evening meditations.

The Mercenaries were bloody but unbowed.

[Arai]

Arai took the criticism and listened to the words carefully. He did underestimate his opponents and let his pride get the better of him. And if he wanted to locate and best his brother, Kurai, in combat, he knew he would have to do a lot better. There's been news circulating that someone fitting Arai's description was running amok with a new group that's been formed. He has even been challenged by friends and family that lost loved ones in the conflicts--and Arai knew it wasn't he that did it.

If there was ever a place to improve, it was here.

Taka welcomed Arai's sparring partners to the group under his command. And he listened with everyone else at Taka's speech. He had heard of this Sei Orlouge in his travels, and he had been meaning to meet with the undisputed leader of the Ixian Knights. Perhaps a future endeavor he would pursue.

As the group is dismissed for food Arai is nearly bum-rushed by Gunso Axel to the door. He steps aside and lets the man with the ravenous eyes through. Taka stayed behind, his bare upper body showing black skin.

So it's not just his face that bears the marks? So is it some kind of rune, or birth defect? Arai thought to himself.

Something about the marks looked unnatural, but for the time being Arai would leave it alone. There would be other times to question his semi-leader on the issue. Perhaps once he's gotten in better company with him.

Sometime while he was deep in thought, Vargas and Miranda came to his side.

"Wonder what's eating him?" said Miranda playfully, referring the fast moving, spike-haired blond man who'd just run past.

"More like wonder what he's going to eat." replied Arai. "We'd better make haste or there won't be any left judging from the look on his face." He laughed heartily and replaced the wooden weapons back on the rack on his way out the door.

"Looks like we're a team now." said Vargas.

Arai drapes an arm over the taller man's shoulder, and grins. "Yup, I got you two little birdies under my wings. Got to teach you how to fly."

Vargas's face remains expressionless as he said. "If I recall correctly, I believe you called our duel a draw."

Arai's smile faded a little. "Well I was going easy as instructed. You just don't know..."

"Oh, cut the bullshit. We had you." Miranda chimed in, jabbing Arai in his ribs with an elbow.

The three continued arguing lightheartedly all the way to the meal station, held in another part of the dojo. Arai could tell that these two--and this group he joined--would be powerful allies indeed.

He had a family again.

[Silence Sei]

As requested, a light coating of comments here and there for seasoning. BAM!

Story (6/10):

Continuity (4/10): Arai, I don’t feel like I really know your character much at all. I mean, he’s a mercenary, and he was training with the mercenary group, but you had a full palette to make up a story of how Arai got put into the Merc division, If you needed help, you could have PMed any Ixian captain and we would have been glad to give you information on NPCs within the knights.

Setting (6/10) You both did well on expressing what the training area looked like, though some more details and use of the setting would have been preferred. :

Creativity (5/10):

Character (6/10): Looking at this thread, I saw no real development until the end, and even then it was just enough to net you an average score. Arai, incorporating the new NPCs into the group was a good idea, as it helped your scores here.

Interaction (7/10):

Strategy (6/10):

Mechanics (5/10): There were some grammar and spelling errors on both your parts, but nothing to warrant a bad score, though nothing to warrant a good one either.

Clarity (8/10) Thread was very understandable and a quick read.:

Wildcard (7/10): I liked this thread, and I look forward to seeing how Arai is going to handle the two soldiers under his regiment.

Total: 55/100

Tainted gets 1200 exp, 50 GP

Arai gets 800 exp, 50 GP

Sorry for the delay fellas. ACB, MvC3, and a plethora of others have taken up a good chunk of my time. I’m trying to get back into the swing of things now though.

[Silence Sei]

Exp-GP Added.

TB leveled.