Zack Fair and Black Knight…
(I’m sure Zack would Win…)
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Chapter 4 is out!
New hunter, new scene, new encounter. I don’t think Khezu will be happy about how he gets treated in this one. He got so hurt I had to tick a new archive warning!
Anyway let me know if it’s wrong in some way, or if there’s some crappiness I can fix. The next chapter will follow another character in another kind of encounter.
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montante flow for when you’re stuck in the middle of a four-way crossroads trying not to die. do NOT try this unless you’re in the middle of a four-way crossroads. if you pull this shit in a narrow alley or god forbid an open field and get stabbed, don’t come crying to me
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And here comes the final quest for MH Wilds! This is as hard as I expected, having to face multiple arc-tempered monsters in a row is not for the faint-hearted. Nevertheless, with the right team and hunter friends on your side, this quest is definitely not unwinnable. I’m excited for the MH Wilds expansion, please be soon. :)
P.S. This is a hot take - I still like the “Platinum trophy” nameplate better than the “The proof of hero” one.
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When one thinks about what it takes to be a saint of the Church, many things come to mind. Unwavering faith, kindness, a career of aid and compassion. These are folk who devote their entire lives to the golden faith and live by its every word. Yet, this does not mean that all saints were the same, restricted by the tight rules of their order. No, the saints are quite different from each other, for they are still human all the same. Their own personalities and traits, their own likes and dislikes. And some who walked the path of gold in a different way. Because people often believe pacifism and the avoiding of violence is one of the cardinal rules of sainthood, yet that is not true. Indeed, most saints don’t partake in battles and are not known to carry weapons. But for some saints, it is upon the field of battle that they are found and it is amidst the violence that their miracles occur. The name of Saint Erennsis reminds everyone of that.
Erennsis was a mercenary at the beginning of this tale, one who wandered the lands in search of battles and work. A swordsman that walked alone, who took any job that put a roof over his head and food onto his plate. Many would think little of him, just another cutthroat looking to fill his purse, yet when a battle was called for, he was something else. His way with the sword was legendary, his moves swift and precise. His body and blade were one, flowing through the fight, dodging blows with ease while his own strikes were rare but critical. Folks claim he could take down ten men with only five hits from his sword, and such battles didn’t always end in death. Erennsis always offered his opponent a way out, a chance for them to sheath their blade and end the fight. If his job could be completed without taking a life, he would do his best to avoid such a bloody end. Many of his foes, stunned by how thoroughly they had been beaten, would take his offer and surrender, but not all of them. Those that refused would be slain, and those who betrayed his kindness would face the same end. If a bandit promised to stop raiding caravans in exchange for their life but then sinned again, Erennsis would be back and there would be no restraint this time. There were times foes clung to the idea that Erennsis did not kill, and they sought to take advantage of this naive belief. These fools learned quickly of their mistake, though they would not live to repeat it.
The swordsman was famous for his skills with the blade, but what made him stick out more was how little he benefited from it. A warrior of his caliber would sit at the top of any army, and be showered with riches and glory by any lord that had the honor of employing him. He could have his own legion, or work purely for nobles that would pay mountains of coin for his skills. Yet, Erennsis never sought such luxuries, it was said that a heavy purse offered to him would actually reduce the chances he took a job. He didn’t want riches, he barely wanted to work for nobility. The most he seemed to want was something to eat or a place to sleep, practically working for bowls of soup! And to the commonfolk who often employed him, that was an absolute bargain. Erennsis seemed to work purely for the simple man, helping farmers, random travelers and poor villages. He would hear their woes and then take on a job fit for five men, all for a cot and dinner. And despite how the people would beg him to stay and offer so much more, he would eventually hit the road once more and wander back out into the wilds.
Erennsis would play this role for years, becoming a legend out there in the wilds. No one was really sure what the point of it all was, what he was hoping to achieve. It seemed dismal living for a man his skill, yet he seemed content. The legends would claim that Erennsis would one day save a traveling preacher of the Church from raiders, as they had attacked the man of gold for the supplies he carried. Erennsis would learn that this simple fellow was carrying goods for an ailing village, food and medicine from the Church to help the suffering masses. Erennsis would escort him the rest of the way, ensuring the villagers got their much needed supplies. It was said that during the ride to the settlement, the two got to talking about their lives and beliefs, with the preacher inquiring about Erennsis’ choices. The swordsman said little, but the preacher seemed to understand the silence. He saw the tired look in the man’s eyes, the way he begrudgingly talked about his battles. He was a master sick of his trade, long done with the art of death. So the preacher offered him something else, the chance to help more people with his blade. The Church needed fighters, but not for war, instead for protection. For serving the people and saving lives. The preacher talked about the many supply caravans that needed a guardian to ensure they got to their recipients. Faithful processions and loyal pilgrims that could use a protector. Erennsis was doing fine work out here, but as a single man, he could only do so much. The two talked long about this, and eventually Erennsis agreed to accompany his partner back to the holy city.
It was there that he could see how his sword could be put to use, how he could wield both book and blade to aid the masses. There was good he could do for this world, and the Church would happily provide what he needed to do it. Erennsis would stick with his preacher friend to learn more about the faith and its teachings, eventually becoming a priest in his own way. Though he would don the golden robes, he would still carry a blade, for a fighter he still was. He would escort food and faithful across the lands, ensuring safety and peaceful deliveries. Besieged towns would see him come to their aid, and even desperate raiders would see an offered hand of redemption by the man who beat them down. The preacher he had come with would now be a very close companion, and the two would travel often to spread the golden faith. As the years stretched on, Erennsis would begin to teach other fighters of the Church his ways, eventually helping in the establishment of the Golden Guard. He only cared about teaching others who wanted to protect, his lessons rarely calling for a killing blow. His moves were about self preservation and warding off danger, how to protect yourself and everyone around you. Depictions of these training sessions always show him with his blade in its sheath, as that was the way he dispensed his knowledge. Many of the early Golden Guard would have their own personal tallies of how many times they were whacked by Erennsis’ blade, the blunt reminder of blind spots and shoddy strategy.
In time, Erennsis would gain the title of saint, for his countless contributions to the faith and for the many lives he had saved. He would become a symbol for warriors and guards, who prayed to him for guidance and strength. His name would be evoked in the heat of battle so that one could protect and ward away evil, and it would also be said during training bouts with the hopes that a valuable lesson could be learned. Notable warriors of the Church would be given the blessed chance to meet him, and he would impart his wisdom and gifts. There would even be a type of training sword made in the image of his sheathed blade, a blunt tool that could never kill, only teach. Saint Erennsis was a great blessing for the people and soldiers of the golden faith, but no warrior lives forever.
[[MORE]]Erennsis would be one of the shorter lived saints, as he constantly refused ambrosia and other such rites. Due to his status as a saint, he was offered blessings that his humble preacher partner did not have access to. Of course, one would imagine he had the clout to demand his partner be allowed the same privileges, but he never made that argument. Instead, he simply chose to live just the same as his dear companion, promising to follow shortly behind when the time came to bury his partner. He would receive a divine burial, and Erennsis wanted a part of him to join him when the time came. Half of his essence would be laid to rest with his partner, but the other would be granted a different honor.
When it came to immortalizing Saint Erennsis, he knew what he wanted. He called for his organa and flesh to be buried with his partner, but his bones would go to the divine forges of the Church. Erennsis wanted these pieces to be forged into a golden weapon for the Church, so that a part of him would always act as its guardian. Such a task was a monumental one, which meant there was only one bileforger that could pull it off: Brigitt, the Saint of the Forge. She who was the greatest bileforger of all the Church, and also a dear friend to the departed saint. She had the talent to create a divine blade from Erennsis’ bones. Legends say she worked her forge for days to create this masterpiece, the design guided by a voice within the flames and by the sparks that burned her skin. At last, she would emerge from her workshop with a massive blade forged in the image of her dear friend, one that bore more than just his likeness. To the astonishment of the crowd, the sword would float from her hands and rise into the air. A part of Saint Erennsis still lived.
The mighty blade would be placed in a shrine dedicated to Erennsis, a golden altar that held it high. Here was where guardians and swordsmen would travel to visit the great relic, making their vows before it and praying for wisdom. Warriors who were retiring from battle would bring their swords to the saint, setting them before the altar with a promise and prayer. Eventually, the blades offered to him would be arranged into an incredible display, a wreath of swords that had been given up in the pursuit of peace. Saint Erennsis would stand watch over all, the giant blade a monument of protection and duty.
Some may wonder the point of a giant sword that has no user, but they forget that Saint Erennsis is both weapon and wielder. In fact, it is said that no one can pick him up, the sword impossibly heavy for any that try to carry it. But when he wants to, it floats upon the air, light as a feather. The weapon is alive, and acts when it wants to. The thing is, such opportunities are incredibly rare. The first time he chose to move was when Saint Brigitt passed, the floating blade being her sole pallbearer as her body was carried through the streets. He does awaken in times of need, when the city he resides in is in great danger. However, he does not fight for every moment of violence, as his involvements are rare. Some say he only comes out when the odds are too great against the Church, as any other threat should be handled by warriors and guards. He does not want people to rely on his support, thus he leaves the reasonable battles to those who have sworn to such duties. But when a great threat comes, the divine blade rises from its stand and soars into battle. It sends foes flying with wide swings, and smashes siege weapons to pieces. Swords of golden light rain down upon attackers, more often scaring them than actually killing. Those who press their luck, though, will see he still will kill if he feels it necessary. One attack upon the city had the saint cleave through the heavens to obliterate the enemy leader in a single strike, causing the offending army to immediately retreat, a great battle ended before it even started. Countless lives were saved that day, on both sides!
The most recent awakening of Saint Erennsis was against a terrible foe indeed, for Karcitr had appeared near the city in pursuit of a commander of the Church. The arrival of the mad hunter had Erennsis leap immediately into action, flying from his shrine and straight into the battle. The golden blade clashed with the tortured weapon, driving it away from Karcitr and into the skies. As the two dueled above, the city’s forces spilled forth to assault the warrior. The battle was hard fought and though many casualties were incurred, Karcitr was forced to retreat. The weary blade would return to its shrine, and the people would be grateful for its divine protection. Some wonder if Karcitr may come back to this place to fight Saint Erennsis once more, a fear in the hearts of a quite a few. But with the mighty blows rained down upon the hunter that day, and the wounds he received from this duel, the hope is that it will be a good long while before he tries that again.
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I! CAN’T! STOOOOOOP!
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The final monster for the MH Wilds base game was released a couple of days ago and Gogmazios is a really fun hunt - easier than Omega Planetes but still challenging.
The support hunters specially Fabius are really cool in this one. Hoping to see other ace hunters from the older games in the expansion.
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you might be stronger than just me, but you’re not stronger than me and a sword!
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When you want to sword someone, but they’re all the way over there…
(Good news, to avoid confusion, me and the arrow guy have been retroactively merged into a single entity!)
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I had some leftover pumpkins…
(Some of these are based on real techniques, but they are all applied inadvisable here!)
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“Dante, the King in Black”
C0mm for REVENANT on X/twitter!
His OC ‘Dante’ wearing his trusty frenemy 'Unforgiven’, the living dragon armor!
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Inktober Greatsword Concept: Going to be working on a couple of different projects for the October art prompts these will be rough drafts and I will hopefully finish with color soon 😅.
