#im so excited to finally be talkin bout the paladin's backstory

[marv3l-drag0ns]

Paladin writing! This is part 1/3 probably, and part 4 will be the Paladin presenting the item to the Host at the @the-bone-shop

The Paladin bounced as it left the bone shop. Host was definitely an abrasive character, but gifts were important, especially for small businesses. The Paladin was determined to find one of Host’s enemies, or at least some entity that irritated them.

The goat skull on its back thumped heavily against their scales, reminding them of what they were planning on preparing for. The raccoon speaker was clearly a failure- the Paladin lacked the knowledge needed for runes, and this amateurish item was on its last legs.

The Paladin ran off to try and find its campsite. It didn’t need to eat, drink, or sleep, but recuperation and a base of operations was helpful, especially for magic item construction. It was, however, a long journey, which is why it tried to only visit the Bone Shop if it was necessary. Deer-Wings- or Cryptkeeper, if Host was to be believed- was lovely, but it did not merit the travel. Diving into its cloak, the Paladin withdrew a set of greaves, specially modified for its legs. It did not wear the greaves much, as it would often leave whatever passed for muscles under its scales aching and in need of attention, but it was a good way to race back and forth. It cut the travel time from half a week to half of a day. Equipping them hurt, as the thorns that adorned their maybe-calves were difficult to work around, but the Paladin did not need pain, so it ignored it. They resumed running. The Paladin had chosen a grotto right at the foot of a cliff, which was clear and had many of the basic ingredients for mending or magework. The Paladin had set up many more permanent utilities, such as a workbench, water refinery, and storage system, but it was not used to staying in one place and therefore was unable to think of this as a headquarters, much less a home.

The Paladin kneeled by its storage, which was more of a glorified shelf. It was wrapped in leather strips, with various bags the Paladin had made hanging from knots in the wood it hadn’t broken off. There was a large basket on the ground half-full of stones, many of which were black, more than half representing Condensed Voidsea. The Paladin had assembled on a beach full of marble-sized spheres of Voidsea, and harbored a deep connection to the small stones. It had tried to use them as a focus and ground one up to make a sealant for its first experiment, but it had ended up sealing the dog skull shut. The Paladin reached into its cloak and drew out the new rocks it had purchased, placing the black ones into the basket and setting the aquamarine on the shelf. Hopefully, a more diluted Voidsea sealant would work to provide the self, and the aquamarine would be a better conduct for speech.

Not letting itself get distracted, the Paladin swung off the goat skull and let it rest in the grass. Goats were held sacred in a few cities near the Voidsea, both for their value as sustenance but also for the horns that grew from their heads. Voidsea Goats often had traces of crystalized Voidsea in their horns, which manifested itself in odd ways that depended on the goat. Hopefully the Paladin’s own horns, which it had ground down in order to blend in better (it shuddered to remember that time), would be mirrored in the skull and further help the item.

However, that quest would have to wait. The more time the Paladin waited to give Host its gift, the more likely was Host to think it was rude. Rudeness was heavily frowned upon and would result in less songquartz to mend itself. Rudeness was not tolerated.

The Paladin sorted its purchases, then stood and shuffled over to its workbench. There, it shook out it’s cloak, seeing the various items it kept on itself land on the heavy wood. Various pieces of enchanted armor, the Paladin’s axe, sword, and knife, and various enchanted jewels, rings, and bracelets. The Paladin would not adventure without them, knowing that any item that it could carry would be useful. It kept the greaves on, but slipped a chilled hand in between the metal and scales to try and soothe the irritation. It stared at the seeking bracelet, before tying it around their ankle. Equipping a combination of attack and location items, the Paladin finally retied their bags that lay against their cloak. It was time to hunt.