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Volpes, of Steady Hand

In the months and years following his recruitment to the cause, Captain Azurium brought his experience as a guardsman and soldier to bear, training all those in Volpes’s fold in the arts of combat and self-defense. The fox himself, blueprint for all that would one day join him, was no exception to this rule.

As he learn the arts of war, Volpes quickly began to realize that his strength and reflexes gave him an edge even over armed and armored opponents in close-quarters combat. Carrying and wielding a weapon would also get in the way of his own “natural” gifts. Yet, that still posed a problem when it came to enemies who could safely stay out of range.

Thus, in order to close the gap, he took up archery. No ordinary bow would be able to handle the strain of his draw strength. Taking advantage of his budding network of connections, he had one custom-built for a man of his size and power.

Even after all that came before, it was only when feeling the tension in his arms chest, and back, and the release, followed by a bullseye, that the titan among men could finally begin to see his ambitions made manifest. The steady hand of an alchemist, combined with his improved senses, were perfectly suited to the weapon. And he knew his forces, in turn, would possess those same gifts.

This piece from Deriaz back in December of 2021, was a proof of concept to see whether or not it would look “correct” for Volpes to wield a bow, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well it all fit together. In real life, I practice archery in my spare time, so I thought it would be nice to incorporate it into my characters.

Tempting as it would be to give Volpes a crossbow, in truth the bow is probably a better fit since it allows a man of his strength and steady hands to make better use those natural gifts. And I appreciate the extra details of the adornments on the weapon, demonstrating that despite standing up for the poor, Volpes still has access to expert craftspeople who can make weapons of that quality.

Indeed, I couldn’t be happier with the piece.