oathshackledbird | Eachdraidh Quest/Boon Log

Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Lancer)
The Soaring Hunter
Knight of the Amber Congregation
Commander of the Red Hand
Spear of Leathann (Knight-Captain)
Shield of the Cothromach
Champion of Redgate

AGE: Looks to be in his mid-twenties. Actually is a hero who lived in Ancient Ireland around 2000 years ago.

HOME: Lagertha's Tower, Garnet Court Territory. He also has a residence near his training ground on the Island of Leathann.

LANGUAGE: Ancient Gaelic-native, English and Japanese-taught by the Grail.

OCCUPATION: Knight, teacher, commander, peacekeeper.

POWER LIMITS: The only very minor limits have been placed on his powers. His curse cannot affect certain NPCs and neither his spears nor his armor can be summoned in any Throne Room. (However, said items do not vanish if they are already summoned when he enters.) Spirit Form also does not work in any Throne Room.

Boons

BOON: October 2014

a golden ring that shines when a fellow Amber Court member is in immediate danger and allows Diarmuid to teleport to their aid.
An invitation to join the Golden Cadre (which he accepted) and the golden cloak that all knights of the Cadre wear. When they were sent back in time, this appointment transferred so that he is now considered a knight of the Amber Court.

BOON: November 2014

a magic ring that allows him to summon and manipulate fire. (After much practice...)

BOON: December 2014

a hungry male Bandersnatch cub he names Oscar.

BOON: January 2015

Court builders/mages have been appointed to build a personalized training area for Diarmuid on the grounds of Caer Glaem. When they were sent back in time, his training grounds came with him and ended up on the island of Leathann.
The Aelfenguard he trained sent him a barrel of fine ale and a durable/elegant drinking tankard with "Drabwurld's Best Teacher" inscribed on it in Gaelic.

BOON: February 2015

Diarmuid's Golden Cadre (now Amber Court) cloak has been enchanted to allow one hour of invisibility a day. It can be used by anyone and is not limited to Diarmuid.

BOON: March/April 2015

During the day, for a few minutes at a time, Diarmuid can see through the eyes of his goshawk, Ogma.

BOON: May/June 2015

Without restriction as to when or how long, Diarmuid may now take the form of a hawk.

BOON: July/August 2015

Diarmuid is given a set of ancient pages torn from a book that teach him the song of power, The Coming Dawn. All who hear it will be at peace, dramatically reduced of worry, stress, anxiety, and anger for up to a day.

BOON: Month/Year

Purity of our hearts. Strength of our limbs. Action to match our speech.

While those who don't know better might confuse these mottoes for those of the Golden Cadre, they are, in fact, the mottoes of the Fianna. The very same Fianna that Diarmuid swore his life and heart to so many years ago. The group which he fought with, lived with, and viewed as his family. They very same people who he refused to fight once he was on the run with Grainne because they were his family whether they wanted his life or not. The men and women who were doing what he wanted to be doing--remaining loyal to their lord.

To be honest, actually, Diarmuid was remaining loyal in a way. Yes, he was taking his lord's bride away, but if he had not done that, then not only would his lord not wake up from the sleep spell Grainne had placed on him, but the High-King and many of Diarmuid's fellows in the Fianna would not wake up either. What else could he do? Either he took his lord's bride or he left his lord and may others to die.

In the end, there was really no choice and Diarmuid ran with Grainne. However, a year later, something he thought would never happen, did. His lord forgive him and let he and Grainne settle down. They had a family and he ran the largest and most successful homestead (equivalent to a town or city now) in Ireland.

Not all was as it seemed though, and in the end, Fionn never really forgave Diarmuid for what he did. Diarmuid realized this as he lay dying on a hillside and Fionn refused to heal him. Still, Diarmuid did not regret his choices. He was happy with his life and his family...though he did wish some things would have gone differently.

That wish was what brought him to the modern day. Called back into the world to fight in the 4th Holy Grail War, Diarmuid looked forward to fulfilling that wish. However, that wish was put on hold...or was it?

A knight is sworn to valour. My heart knows only virtue. My blade defends the helpless. My might upholds the weak. My word speaks only truth. My wrath undoes the wicked.

The new world that Diarmuid finds himself drawn into is familiar in so many ways. The beliefs, the creatures, the lore. The people are different, but... Actually, not even all the people are different. His wife is here. A version of his lord is here as well. Can it be here that Diarmuid is meant to fulfill his wish? Especially since he has already found his way into the Golden Cadre which reminds him in so many ways of the Fianna from back home?

Or is this just a cruel dream?

In either event, he will give his all to finding the answers even if that all includes being sent back in time. His wife and his master might be gone from this world now, but Diarmuid has found a new family and will do everything he can to make sure they can stay together and live the happy, safe lives they have fought so hard to earn. The Seelie and Unseelie Courts may no longer exist, but in reality, the war has only just begun...

^Quest 1: October 2014--The Lost Moon

First the stars fell from the sky. Now the moon has done the same and is being held in a cave protected by Unseelie forces. The High-King has told all that the High-Queen will not awaken from her magically induced sleep unless the moon is returned to the sky. Even worse, all Seelie aligned people are at half power while the moon is out of the sky and the Unseelie have their powers doubled. Regaining the moon is imperative, but can it be done with the Seelie weakened as they are?

Links:

Preparing for battle: Talking to Seras, Meeting with Team Lancer.
Fighting for the moon: Battle against Saber Alter, Battle against Grell.
Discussing progress with fellow Seelie: Talking with Sir Integra Hellsing, Talking with Luke, Talking with Korra.
Reclaiming the moon: Talking Luke into returning the moon.

Quest 2: November 2014--In Defense of Cothromach

Several enemy encampments have been found around the city of Cothromach. What is their purpose and what will be needed to drive them away so the inhabitants of the city can continue to live in peace? A large battle apparently, as a good number of the enemy forces turn into fire elementals with one goal in mind: burning their way into the city!

Links:

Preparing for battle: Cu Chulainn announces his find and calls for others to come and assist him.
Defending Cothromach: Battling the enemy, Talking and fighting with Lancelot, and Talking and fighting with John Grimm.
Post Battle of Cothromach: Requesting a place to train the Aelfengard from Lady Stark and Talking with Flora.
Reward: As a result of his efforts, Lady Sansa gives him a cloak pin that will guarantee good treatment whenever he is in the Cothromach and the title 'Shield of the Cothromach.'

*Quest 3: November 2014--Training the Aelfengard

The last thing Diarmuid expects after the battle ends at Cothromach is to be approached by some of the elves from Aelfengard who fought with them. Impressed by his battle skill, they would like him to train them in how to use some of the weapons more traditional to a knight. That shouldn't be too hard since they already are skilled with longbow and longknife use, right?

Diarmuid's classes will also be open to others who might want to join in, but he might end up having more on his hands than he thought just with training the elves!

Links:

Training Montage!

^Quest 4: November 2014--The Uprising Dead

The Black Shuck warned them. Rebury the bones of the dead who were not buried with the honors they deserved or there will be consequences. Though people tried to find all the bones, in the end not all were found and from them rise dark shades that take the form of demon dogs. These dogs, when nearby, bring to life the deepest fears of those around them. Fighting spirits is one thing, but fighting one's own fears at the same time?

Links:

Plans are made to look for bones: Discussing it with Flora.
Fighting the hounds: Open log and Saving Grainne.
Comforting others: Talking with Merida.

^Quest 5: December 2014--The Hunt for the White Hart

It is a yearly tradition. The White Hart, brother of the Black Shuck, allows himself to be caught and killed. Everyone is told to go out and hunt him without fear for he will always return to life afterward. The whole thing is a potent reminder of the cycle of life.

And woe to the hunters out there who really don't know what they are doing because they might find themselves much smaller...and fuzzier. The White Hart apparently has a sense of humor...

Links:

*Quest 6: December 2014--To Hunt a Fox

Rumors say that he was once an Unseelie shardbearer. Whether or not those rumors are true doesn't really matter, because what Reynard the Fox is now is chaos. He is a man who only wishes to grab power and will do whatever he needs to in order to get it. Kidnapping, murder, trickery, magic, and anything else that comes to his mind. Nothing is safe or sacred.

And everything has a breaking point.

After the Fox's last attacks on Redgate and those who dared to against him, that breaking point has finally been reached. Will the daring and complex plan that the shardbearers of both courts have put together work or will the Fox escape with his life once again?

Links:

Recruitment: The Call, Meeting with Alyosha.
Preparation: Meeting with Team Hunt.
The Hunt: Team Hunt is on the Move and Team Sigil prepares the trap/Springing the trap.
Aftermath: Returning to Redgate.
Reward: As a result of the blood he spilled defending the city, Lord Saralegui gives him the title of 'Champion of Redgate.'
Special Note: Diarmuid's sigil (Physical) will be left with Saber Alter's two sigils. Saber will take them and bury them as deep in one of Redgate's old blood granite mines as she can and then force it to collapse in on them so that it looks much like many of the other old, disused mines do. They will stay there until the new blood granite vault is ready (or until someone comes to take them out). Saber will be keeping a close eye on them in the meantime. After the battle, all three sigils were safely moved to a location only Saber knows.

^Quest 7: January 2015--War on the Horizon

Despite everyone's best efforts to calm the fighting and work together, the Monarchs have set out proclamations that make it clear that all out war is near: Train your fellows. Spy on the enemy. Build our defenses. The last thing Diarmuid wants is fighting, especially after what he learned from Alyosha, but as a member of the Golden Cadre, it will be noticed if he doesn't do something. His solution? He loves teaching others and so he will focus his efforts on training others and maybe, just maybe, he can teach them ways to avoid killing people and possibly destroying that person's world in the process...

Links:

Preparing for the worst: Keeping hope for the best and Better safe than sorry.

+Quest 8: January 2015--Light Exists even in Darkest Shadow

With full war coming and nothing anyone can do to stop it, preparations must be made, and one of those preparations is to get those who are not fighting out of harm's way as much as possible. In addition to training, Diarmuid takes a quest from Waver to see a group of Seelie aligned natives and shardbearers down to the Hidden Falls which Maleficent has opened up as a refuge. The path is long and not only does he have to deal with the possibility of attacks, he also has to deal with the tension that exists between shardbearers and natives. Can he get them there safely and maybe help promote some healing as well?

Links:

Preparation: Waver gives him his quest, Talking with Maleficent. (Note: There was a handwaved conversation where Diarmuid gets some information and permission to use Elven boats from Thranduil.)
The Journey: Quest Log.

^Quest 9: February 2015--Wrath of the Jabberwhelp

It is finally here. War. Seelie forces and Unseelie forces clash while a group of hand picked Seelie soldiers--including Diarmuid--go with Tarz and High-King Ridire to attack Caer Scima directly. Their attack is a success--perhaps too much of one as from the ruined castle arises the Jabberwhelp, freed from whatever cage that held him. He wastes no time heading for Caer Glaem and attacking it. Can the beast be stopped? And what off the battle between Seelie and Unseelie forces? Will anything even be left once the fighters finish their clash?

And what of Diarmuid's efforts to try and keep as many people as possible from dying during this foolish battle? Is it all going to be in vain?

Links:

Attacking Caer Scima: Open Thread, Meeting Thrall, Running into Alyosha, Fighting with Kaldur, Meeting Elizabeth of York.

The Front Line Battle, Part Two: Open Thread, Meeting Faolan, Getting Kayneth to safety after he fights Saber.

^Quest 10: March/April 2015--The Wings of Winter & The Song of the Harp

Note: Boons are now being done every two months and require participation in both months' events.

The Wings of Winter

The new king of the birds, the Roc has never liked shardbearers and after the battles that so scarred the land, he is now striking out by sending severe wintry weather across the land. All birds start acting up as well and attempt to flee their 'captivity.' While helping to defrost animals and save soldiers, Diarmuid learns better control over his fire ring. (Finally!)

Links:

Defrosting animals with Merida
Saving soldiers with Cullen

The Song of the Harp

Strange harp music has started playing all throughout the Drabwurld and those who hear it start feeling random emotions and sometimes very strong ones at that. What do they have to do to stop this strange music? Diarmuid is not affected, but thanks to those around him he has quite the interesting time...

Links:

Two's a dance and three's a party
When a king comes a courtin'...

+Quest 11: June 2015 (TS)--CSI: Daonna

When several shardbearers are found hung in Daonna, it is clear that the anti-shardbearer sentiment has reached a dangerous new level. At Waver's request, Diarmuid goes to Daonna to see what he can find out about the murders. However, this proves far from easy. Most everyone in the city--especially the officials--look like they would rather kill Diarmuid than tell him anything. With the murder scene long since cleaned up, where can Diarmuid turn to find clues?

Thankfully, several people who he knows were in the city around the time of the hangings and several more show up--some at his request, others because they have heard what happened and want to look into it themselves--while he is investigating. Between them and with Lén's help, Diarmuid will find several very important bits of information that lead them right back to an old enemy...

The Cult of the Fox.

Links:

CSI: Daonna
Special Note: This quest moves Diarmuid to influence level 4 and earns him the title 'Maskhunter.'

^Quest 12: May/June 2015--The Ride of the Dullahan & The Silver Sickness

The Ride of the Dullahan

Once the monarchs returned from...wherever they disappeared to for about a year, everyone knew it would only be a matter of time before another attack occurred. No one could have guessed that the attack would take the form of Dullahan created from Unseelie themselves who had been declared traitors to their court. Dullahan cannot be killed, but that doesn't mean they are without weakness, and fortunately for the Seelie, these Dullahan share the same weakness as those from Diarmuid's homeland.

Gold.

Hopefully, the Seelie can find or make enough of it to drive away the Dullahan before the White Citadel is completely lost to the Unseelie...

Links:

The Silver Sickness

No one knows where it came from or why it targeted those who it did, but people are slowly starting to turn into solid silver statues. The silvering starts in small patches, but those patches grow and grow unless a cure is found. The problem is, there are many suggested cures and hardly any of the cures seem to work for more than one person.

Is there a way to stop this terrible sickness before everyone in both courts become nothing more than pretty lawn ornamentation?

Links:

+Quest 13: June 2015--To Raise a Fire God

When Mt Verla was lost to the Void, so too was lost all the fire magic in the Drabwurld. However, by some miracle a shardbearer by the name of Leo and some of his allies managed to create a new god of fire and with that bring fire magic back into the world. The fire god, named Kaio, is young, though, and has little chance of surviving the hinted at upcoming GodsWar without growing much stronger than he is now.

At Flora's request, Diarmuid attempts to help strengthen Kaio, first by building shrines to spread word about the young god and then by creating a song to be sung by traveling bards.

Hopefully, it will be enough...

Links:

Sing a Song of Smoke and Fire

+Quest 14: July 2015--In Search of Knowledge

Avatars. Ever since the Seelie lost their High-King after his was killed, everything Avatar has been on Diarmuid's mind. He is not the only one, either. That is why, when Faolan directs him to the University to look into what information it might have on Avatars, Diarmuid is more than willing to go. Not only will he be able to learn more about something he has been very curious about, he will also have the chance to look into finding some information on the mysterious 'Mother' Grell asked him about at the beginning of the month.

NOTE: As a reward for completing this quest, Faolan gives Diarmuid a mirror that allows him to access the spymaster's personal secure network.

Links:

Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing

^Quest 15: July/August 2015--The Awakening & The Turning Tide

The Awakening:

It began with a decree from the Black Shuck: Give my heralds' back their voices or else. And so, Diarmuid finds himself traveling throughout the Drabwurld helping various Banshees find the things they have lost so that they may once again cry out for the dead. It is something he never would have guessed he would be doing, but one does not ignore the Black Shuck when he makes his will known. Besides, there may be a chance to help his king get the curse that was placed on him by the Black Shuck lifted and if there is anything Diarmuid can do to help with that, he has every intention of doing it. No matter how uneasy it makes him...

The Turning Tide:

Again all out battle looms, and again people start scrambling to prepare. This time is it harder for Diarmuid to do so not only because of how much he has drifted away from his own court, but because he has also just found out that his kindness was taken advantage of by one from the Unseelie Court who he was willing to teach shard training too. Now, unsure about training anyone besides those he is closest to, Diarmuid chooses to focus on training himself and preparing weapons for those who will be fighting.

Oh, and gathering as many as he can into the Red Hand because of the courts are starting to kick things into high gear, then those of the neutral side needs to do so as well...

+Quest 16: August 2015--Trouble at the Pool of Souls

As if the looming battle isn't enough to deal with, rumors that someone or something is causing a bad enough disturbance at the Pool of Souls that the local dryads and naiads are very upset are also circulating. When the rumors reach Faolan, he calls on Diarmuid and asks him to look into what is causing so much trouble in a place of healing. With no idea what he is walking into, Diarmuid gathers those closest to him and sets out to deal with whatever trouble might be waiting for them there.

He has no idea he is about to come face to face with a familiar old enemy: The Cult of the Fox.

Links:

Trouble at the Pool of Souls: Part 1
Trouble at the Pool of Souls: Part 2

Quest 17: Month/Year

Quest description and links.

Quest 18: Month/Year

Quest description and links.

Quest 19: Month/Year

Quest description and links.

Quest 20: Month/Year

Quest description and links.

^ Quests marked this way are quests that awarded boons.
* Quests marked this way are quests that awarded influence ranks.
+ Quests marked this way are quests that give part credit to influence ranks.