Greetings to you who have stumbled upon the ever dashing Fandral. Please, if you feel so inclined, gift a humble romantic with the pleasure of your company and perhaps a good tale.
[Independent RP blog.]
[Feel free to RP]
Asgard has grown tiresome; are there none of you willing to liven the mood? Perhaps we can travel across a realm or two. This sword of mine needs swinging.
The Arming Sword
The arming sword (also sometimes called a knight’s or knightly sword) is a type of European sword with a single handed cruciform hilt and straight double edged blade of around 27 to 32 inches (69 to 81 cm). In common use from the 11th to 16th centuries. It is a common weapon in period artwork, and there are many surviving examples in museums.
The arming sword was the standard military sword of the medieval knight. The term came into use to differentiate the standard single handed sword from other recently developed types such as the war sword and great sword. It is so called because it was worn with armour.
It was typically used with a shield or buckler; however, there are many texts and pictures depicting effective arming sword combat without the benefit of a shield. According to medieval texts, in the absence of a shield the empty (normally left) hand could be used for grabbing or grappling opponents. The arming sword was overall a light, versatile weapon capable of both cut and thrust combat, and normally boasted excellent balance.
After the longsword came to predominate, the arming sword was retained as a common sidearm but came to be referred to as a shortsword, later evolving into the cut and thrust swords of the Renaissance. Although a variety of designs fall under the heading of ‘arming sword’, they are characterized as having single-handed cruciform hilts and straight double-edged blades designed for both cutting and thrusting.
Arming swords correspond to Oakeshott types XI, XII and XIII. The type is a development of the High Middle Ages, first apparent in the Norman swords of the 11th century. As such they are a continuation of the early medieval “Viking sword”, which ultimately derive from the spatha of Late Antiquity and the Migration Period.
These arming swords stand in contrast to what Oakeshott calls the ‘great swords’ in reference to their longer and broader blades, and calls the hand-and-half swords in reference to their longer grip, namely the subtypes XIIa and XIIIa that were in use simultaneously with the arming swords in the latter part of the High Middle Ages, c. 1250-1350.
He notes these subtypes as the progenitors of the later two-handed longswords of the Late Middle Ages, in use c. 1350-1550. For this reason, scholars occasionally refer to these greatswords improperly and anachronistically as ‘longswords’. By contrast, the arming sword will evolve into the later ‘shortsword’ worn as a sidearm while wielding the two-handed longsword.
Info source: Wikipedia
Photo Source: Sword Buyers Guide (Photo: sword designed by Christian Fletcher)
((Just busy with my first semester of college and life.
Fandral still lives! And he will return soon enough.))
Victory or Valhalla, the RP group I was a part of, went their separate ways.
Fandral will continue to be active, he is simply now independent. Past plot has been disregarded. So, be aware of that.
A new start, everyone.
<3 Thanks for sticking with him.
wat
Fandral apparently thinks the hired dancers aren’t good enough and decides to dance for Thor himself.
“Oh, well…” He grinned. “It’s not such a simple thing. Not when those I would woo are so predisposed to frowning at me.” He shrugged and patted her hand. “But I have you on my arm this very moment, and you are more than enough, and twice as beautiful.”
“That is a very sweet thing to say.” She smirked and turned her head towards him. How adorable. He had no idea what he was bringing upon himself by attracting her notice. “Women who frown have entirely too much time at their disposal. A man such as yourself should not trifle with such spoiled little debutantes. Or wait!” A dramatic gasp and she touched her chest in false dismay. “Do not tell me you have an inclination towards brutal warrior types.”
He bristled, removing his hand to swipe through his hair. He frowned. “No. I mean, yes, or no, hm. I enjoy women of all types,” he finally said. He shrugged and replaced his hand where it had been before, only this time threading his fingers through hers. Meeting her eyes pointedly, he said, “I prefer a fair mix, to be honest. A bit of maiden, a bit of warrior, a bit of sorceress.” He raised a brow and pursed his lips merrily.
Lorelei would always respond well to being treated as a lady should, so she linked her arm with his and let him take the lead. For once, she wanted to feel that a man actually took notice of her and she knew that Fandral did indeed.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea. Have you any place in mind?” Her tone was casual, but sultry; worries all but forgotten in his presence.
“Perhaps…one of the quiet taverns? More of a pub really, they serve food as well.” Perhaps they would have lunch out. It had been a long time since he’d ever been with a woman just to be with her. He was tired of hunting women…perhaps it made all the difference when they returned his advances.
She nodded an agreement, silently considering toning down the coquetry—but that notion was swiftly abandoned. He was handsome and charming. Loki could rot in Hel—if only for just this one day.
“I can scarcely believe that you do not have at least one woman on each arm right now, milord. Tell me the truth. You tire of them, don’t you?”
“Oh, well…” He grinned. “It’s not such a simple thing. Not when those I would woo are so predisposed to frowning at me.” He shrugged and patted her hand. “But I have you on my arm this very moment, and you are more than enough, and twice as beautiful.”
Fandral came up short, uttering a half gasp he would swear to anyone who witnessed hadnothappened. One brow arched of its own accord as he looked down to see Lorelei, her bag dropped as purposefully at his feet as he could figure. He smiled a bit, a little suspicious, but glad…perhaps the day would turn to his favor.
He crouched to pick up the velvet bag at his feet, rising to hand it back to her. When his fingers brushed hers, his smile grew wider.
“Lovely Lorelei, what are you doing out in the wallows of Asgard’s streets?”
Lorelei greeted him with a pleased chuckle and she graciously took the bag from his hand, noting his reaction to the brief touch of their fingers. The first touch between two people with even a slight attraction to one another was always a thrilling moment.
“Thank you, Fandral. This is a most welcome surprise. As fate would have it, I was just thinking that I could use some company. Before I knew it, you were in my path.”
Was this really happening? The moment his thoughts wandered to that of entertaining of woman’s presence, here she was. It seemed almost planned, but he shrugged the thought aside, and decided he would be happy to receive what company he was being offered.
“Then shall we walk and find a more comfortable place to talk?” he asked, offering his arm.
Lorelei would always respond well to being treated as a lady should, so she linked her arm with his and let him take the lead. For once, she wanted to feel that a man actually took notice of her and she knew that Fandral did indeed.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea. Have you any place in mind?” Her tone was casual, but sultry; worries all but forgotten in his presence.
“Perhaps…one of the quiet taverns? More of a pub really, they serve food as well.” Perhaps they would have lunch out. It had been a long time since he’d ever been with a woman just to be with her. He was tired of hunting women…perhaps it made all the difference when they returned his advances.
