Symm Paxos's Story

Symm walked through the streets of Strondport, admiring the many stalls and storefronts. Items from all over the galaxy were available to purchase here. Although not a particularly famous city, Strondport had its charm. Dusk was just beginning to settle and many of the store owners were gathering things to be put away or cleaning. It had been a nearly a decade since Symm was last in the city and he noted that while much had changed, it still felt familiar and welcoming. Symm made his way through the crowded streets towards the castle that served as the town's unofficial center. Built atop a small hill overlooking the river and port, the castle was the seat of House Paxos, and the Barony of Strondport.

Arriving at the base of the castle in front of the main entrance a sentry looked down from the parapets and challenged him.

"Who goes there?" Announced the sentry in a wringing tone.

"Symm Paxos." He replied.

The sentry stood still for a moment, seemingly measuring the young man. After a moment an older man approached from the nearest guard tower and looked down.

"My how you have grown Symm. Welcome home!"

The main doors creaked open revealing the main hall and central stairway leading up to the living quarters. To the sides were the hallways to the kitchens, garrison, dining hall, library, and meeting chamber. Symm smiled as he took it all in, remembering his childhood. Time had blunted the bad and sharpened the good. As the memories came flooding back he half expected to see his father coming down the stairs to welcome him home. Instead the older man appeared from a side door to the castle parapets wearing the robes of a steward.

"Good to see you my boy! Ahem...Baron Paxos."

"Good to see you to, Gerasmos." Symm replied. "I look forward to speaking with you on the changes to the barony while I was away. Our conversations need to be brief however. I am on furlough from the Don Agorra for only a couple of days and return to duty at Baleon Orta soon."

Symm started up the stairs carrying his gear bag, still wearing his armor with sword hanging at his side and shield strapped to his back.

"Let me get someone to take your gear and help you out of that armor." Said Gerasmos.

"No need. I am Don Agorra now, I can handle my own gear. Thanks anyway."

Symm marched up the stairs and down the hall to the living quarters, he found himself standing in front of the door to his old room without thinking. Then he took a step back, and headed further down the hallway towards his father's room. He was Baron now and he might as well act like it. The door to the master bedroom opened slowly, Symm entered the room and lay his gear bag down by the dresser and sat on the large bed. He began removing his armor. This was going to take some getting use to, but nothing for it. Once the armor was removed Symm went back to his old room and brought in some clothes and a few personal items. After getting dressed in simple shirt and pants with leather vest Symm made his way downstairs to the meeting chamber where he was sure the Steward would be waiting for him, ready to give him an update on the state of the barony.

"So how are things Gerasmos? My father always trusted your judgement and ability. I assume things have been managed satisfactorily in my absence?" Symm asked.

"Well your father certainly left things in good shape. And the shipping industry has only expanded since you left. Taxes have been pouring into the coffers for years now. We have built up quite a surplus." Gerasmos replied.

"Good to know. There is no telling how long I may be away for this time. I'm glad to leave the barony in such capable hands."

"So you have only a couple of days? I suppose it makes sense. Everyone has heard about the princess' kidnapping. I suppose much if not all of the military will be rallied." Said Gerasmos solemnly.

"I suppose so. It's impossible to know what exactly will be required to successfully secure the princess' freedom."

"Your father would be proud to see you now. A full member of the Don Agorra, trained in the use of Vaubanic sword and shield, sigilcraft at your beckon call."

"Thank you." Was all Symm managed to say.

"Well, you should get some rest, try and enjoy your downtime a bit while your here as well. You will serve Asylia soon enough." Gerasmos said somberly.

"Your right." Symm replied. "Time to get some sleep. Then tomorrow I think I will walk the waterfront and go see if the height markings of my brother and I on the old tree in riverfront park are still there."

"Good night Baron." Gerasmos said.

"Good night Gerasmos." Symm said as he exited the meeting chamber. It had been a long day.

The Unglauss was an enormous ship. It had taken Symm some time to find his quarters and only then with the help of a couple of the ship's personnel. Still, he couldn't believe his luck. To be assigned under Admiral Thauce, the tip of the spear in the hunt for the princess. It was a great honor to serve Asylia aboard the Unglauss.

Symm sat in his bunk practicing the hand gestures for various forms of sigilcraft, trying for easy speed of movement. Symm then practiced focusing his mind in the necessary manner without the hand gestures. Alternating back and forth so as not to accidentally cast something. His instructors had said he had a gift for sigilcraft, a skill the Symm wanted to keep sharp. Soon he might be called upon to do battle with the Kingdom's enemies and he wanted to be ready.

Abruptly he felt a subtle change in the way the ship moved, the Unglauss must have arrived at its destination. Symm hoped off his bunk and entered the hallway. Only the graceful execution of combat paired with sigilcraft made a Dragon a truly dangerous opponent. Symm made his way to the training area. Practicing his combat skills was the next logical step in being fully prepared for what lay ahead.

The crew of the ship was in overdrive. Sorcerers and Scryers, Soldiers and sailors, all running about the place as they prepared for the operation. It was the very definition of Ordered Chaos, and a clear sign of Admiral Thauce's Command style.


"Paxos, Symm Paxos?" A female dragon barked out amidst the chaos, approaching her fellow warrior.

Her equipment, far more extravagant and weaponized than other dragons, Depicted her status as a Knight, meaning they hailed from one of the noble families of Asylia. Her slight yet noticeable accent placed her origin somewhere in the deserts of Siettum, meaning that she was either of the Lanura Family, or the Maki.

Irrelevant in either case, as far as any of the dragons are concerned. After the Singing Rites, all dragons are of equal standing.

"Admiral Thauce said you would be with my unit, I'm Melana Cassardi. Let's go, sparring rooms this way." She said to him, before turning and marching along the walkway.

"Thanks for the heads up." Symm replied as he broke into stride behind her. He was happy to see that others were thinking the same way as him. A little sparring was exactly what was called for.

Melana Cassardi seemed very straightforward in speech and demeanor. Symm followed her brisk, headlong march down the corridor. Others seemed to instinctively make way for her.

Nice to know that he had been assigned to a unit. That definitely improved his odds of making an impact on the mission. Knowing someone who knew their way around this enormous ship would certainly help as well. The sparring rooms would probably be full of Dragons and Templars sharpening their skills for the upcoming mission. This could very well be his last chance to get some training in before things got too hectic.

Finally turning a corner and making their way through large double doors the two Dragons entered one of several large sparring rooms. The room was a cacophony of boisterous yells and expletives. Two Templars were going at it in the center ring bare knuckled. Both had sustained several protrusions and cuts to the face. It was easy to tell that money was changing hands and that a large betting pool had emerged surrounding the fight. Normally such acts were frowned upon by officers but rarely broken up because of the effect on morale. Soldiers enjoyed blowing off steam, not just the people involved in the fight but all onlookers as well. Not to mention the extra scratch to be made by betting on the outcome. Symm found himself suddenly curious about what Dragon Cassardi would make of the scene. He slowly moved towards the ring and took a position where he had a clear view of both fighters.

Cassardi glanced over both fighters before stepping into the ring proper. She dove under the punch one threw, turned him round and shoved him into one side, the other she backed into and shoved with her shoulder.

"This match is a draw, the next one starts now. Any of you willing to make bets, place them now." She then turned to Symm and waved him over, before drawing her sword and shield. Fully equipped and armed, she intended to fully explore his capabilities and ensure she had full understanding of what he was able to do.

Most of the templars in the room knew Cassardi by reputation, but definitely not by association. Dragons, as a rule, were solitary in nature, grouping together only with others of their kind, and only to fulfill their duties. You rarely found a dragon hanging out with fellows at the tavern, or playing sport with each other as you would in the other battle groups. Dragons stood apart, and a member of nobility would even more so. For all these reasons and others besides, the templars knew of Melana Cassardi only by a reputation she had earned among them. She was fierce, loyal, and ferocious, all things that made her a prized warrior under Admiral Ilia Thauce, who was herself renowned for her efficiency and skill.

"Bare your Teeth, Dragon." She said, voice barely above a whisper, to Symm.

So this is what she had in mind when she sought him out. Well, he had been on his way to do some sparring, might as well spar with the best. Symm looked Dragon Cassardi dead in the eyes as he drew his sword from its scabbard and got his shield in place. He slowly made his way through the crowd to the center ring. Upon entering the ring he started to pace slightly back and forth before settling into a balanced stance. Cassardi looked all too ready, and dangerous. He would need to proceed carefully, he didn't want to become over aggressive and give her an opening.

Symm felt he would have a better chance by reacting to her than attempting to dominate early on. So he placed his shield out in front of him with his sword resting on top, ready to strike, and moved towards Cassardi, slowly. He was careful to keep his weight balanced in case he needed to break open his defense and move suddenly. Hopefully this conservative opening would convince Cassardi to make the first real move.

A slight, simple twitch in Cassardi's brow was the only thing that gave away her next move. And that was hidden behind her helmet.

In the span of a moment, Cassardi had bent and launched herself across the intervening space, barely leaving the ground as her body rotated, using her shoulders as an axis, before twisting and placing itself directly behind Symm.

Her movements seemed explosive, but smooth, as she brought her shield to impact against her opponents back, in an attempt to shove him out into the midst of the ring.

She was fast. Really fast. Symm barely had time to brace before Cassardi's shield hit him in the back. Symm stumbled forward slightly towards the center of the ring before regaining his footing. Luckily he had been well balanced before her shield struck and he recovered quickly. Without turning around he shifted his weight to his right foot and swung his sword around towards Cassardi's midsection, spinning as he did so in an attempt to face her again. He assumed that she would probably block this strike so he didn't put all his momentum into it, keeping his weight back. As soon as the sword struck he would rebalance and restore his defense.

Cassardi turned and ducked under Symm's blade, then smacked the flat of her own against it, driving it further and harder towards the floor, before whipping her weapon's tip up and under his chin.

The whole sequence would happen so fast that even the more veteran members of the Templars wouldn't have been able to track what had happened until it had.

"In battle the only thing you can control is yourself and your weapons, and thus they are the only thing you can rely on. Do not assume or rely on your opponent to do what you expect them to do, and NEVER plan around their abilities or actions."

With that she would drop her weapon's tip from him, move back to the edge of the ring, and ready her stance. "Again."

Symm wasted no time and lunged at Cassardi. He reversed his grip on his sword and brought it down hard in a stabbing motion towards Cassardi's feet while simultaneously ramming at Cassardi's shield with his own.

Cassardi responded to Symm's aggressive engagement with redirection. She stepped to one side at the moment his shield impacted hers, using the momentum from the strike to spin on the ball of her left foot, dancing out of the way of his sword strike while bringing her short spear towards his back.

Her intention was to make use of his momentum and drive him forward, throwing him off balance and onto his stomach. The action would be short, simple, and straight forward.