Fantasy [Closed] A nation in havoc

[Duke of Doge]

A cold wind blew through the group. Nia pulled up her hood in response. "Right... well. Is there anything any of you want to tell the King? I am always looking to help out my citizens. The process to get a message to the my father is a pain. It's not everyday you get to talk to a princess. So if there is anything you'd like to tell me, about anything, let me know." She told them all.
Rhaine TheCountryWarrior Caffeine Freak (ok)

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan nodded. "Same guy." He looked to the present Royalty. "Oh no I'm just sightseeing." Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak Rhaine

 

[Rhaine]

As usual, Ru only chanced a direct look at someone when she was certain their eyes weren't on her. She gave a slight nod at Samuel's response, though she knew he hadn't seen it. Truth. Ruilethal knew something of its pursuit. She dropped her gaze as Nia and Dan began to speak once more, and she listened on.

She was reminded that she stood in the presence of royalty, and she held close to the cloak that billowed over her slim form. A message to the King? Inside, Ru was bursting. Something in her face almost took on intensity. She wished to speak so badly, but whatever she had meant caught in her throat and almost made her dizzy. She was tired of fighting. She had done it in Fenwood. She didn't want to get involved here. In the deeper part of her mind, she took in her own silence with bitterness. The word coward came to mind. Small shoulders bowed in defeat, Ru brushed such thoughts away. She had purpose here. She may have been alone, but she was happy, wasn't she? She wasn't going to speak up or stand out and jeopardize what she had.

Time had passed so quickly with the buzz of conversation. Though it was shrouded behind cloud, Ru knew the sun had made its steady crawl.

"Pardon. I must go now. I sing in a nearby tavern, and I'm afraid I cannot afford to be late." She gave a polite, slight curtsy, giving each of them a shy glance and a nod. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Princess Nia, Mr. Weiss, Dan."

Caffeine Freak Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia waved off Ru "break a leg" she said with a smile. Before soon letting out a deep breath as she rubbed the back of her neck, turning her attention to the other two. "So, if you're not from Dalania, where are you from?" She asked
Caffeine Freak Rhaine TheCountryWarrior

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

"I'm from the Askary Republic. I'm here to sightsee." Duke of Doge Rhaine Caffeine Freak

 

[FireMaiden]

The tavern was loud, a large place filled with sweaty men all pushed together, being loud. Among the crowd, one of the few women who wasn't a wench serving drinks, was Zephyra. Drinking her third glass of whiskey, cause the ale wasn't strong enough, she was watching a group arm wrestling. It was all the on the left side of the table who won, and large man, like many of the others. Yet he looked a little younger, like he was new to his group of friends. But he was string just like them, equipped with a battle axe and sword. Ah, of course, he was a mercenary.

And now, the woman decided that it would be a wonderfully idea to out him in his place. She downed the rest of her ale, and stood, walking over to the table. Though she had to dodge the hand of drunken...warriors? She could hardly call them that. A warrior would blow their money on the hard stuff, not the weak ass drinks that did nothing for a buzz. Anyway, as the winner, the same young man it had been, boasted his most recent victory, Zephyra sat down in the seat across from him. This got his attention.

"Shouldn't you be serving drinks?" He chuckled, leaning towards her. She just looked at him with a cocked eyebrow, "Shouldn't you be home with mommy?" She said, cocking her head a little to one side. The mercenary glared at her, "What do you want? Me?" "I doubt you could handle anything I could give you. So, down boy. Im here to win this contwsybya got going on." Thia caused him, and the others around to stare at her for a minute, before theybstarted laughing. "Oh really?" She nodded, setting her arm up.

He stared at it, like he was wondering if she actually meant it, but never the less, he chuckled and got ready. One of the wenches, who had been starting the little matches, came over. Placing her hands on theirs, she counted down from three. As soon as she hit one, Zephyra began to win. It was obvious the guy was struggling, as his arm began it's decent, and then hit the table with a thud. They stopped laughing after this. And the guy, kept trying to beat her, but she kept winning. It was pathetic really, he didn't know how to win it loose with any honor of dignity.

They eventually gave up, after they found out she was a Half-Elf. Ended up calling her a cheating bitch, spit in her face, and left. Good thing they didn't notice their pockets were a bit lighter. Her next drinks were on them. Since she wandered up to the bar,sitting down next to a few other grumpy looking people, and ordered some scotch.

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel watched as Ru swept from the garden. Turning back to the queen, he gave a swift but polite "Thank you for your time, Princess." before hurrying after where Ru had set off - trying to keep the clinking resonating from within his waistcoat to a minimum.

As he began to catch up to her, Sam opened his mouth to call out, but for whatever reason decided against it. Instead opting to stay a healthy distance behind as they weaved through the crowds. It's not stalking. Sam reassured himself, I'm thirsty anyway..

When he spotted the tavern which she entered, Samuel slipped into a nearby bank to relive himself of his samples before following in after her.

The musty air was thick with the scent of ethanol and sweat, and Samuel tried to not let it get to him that he was the skinniest person there. A group of mercenaries shoved past him on the way to the door, muttering strings of curses. Sighing, Sam straightened himself back up and continued over to the bar. Pulling up a stool, he called over the commotion, "You got anything with fermented sugar cane in it?" In response, the bartender held up a bottle of rum pointedly. "Yeah, that'll do." He nodded.
The bartender instead settled the drink back drown and braced a muscled forearm on the counter.
"You old enough to be in here, kid?" She sniffed at him.
Sam casually twisted in his seat to observe the younger (although much larger) group of warrior's sons chugging back ale. Turning back, he replied, "Do you really care?"
The bartender just shrugged, taking the silver from his extended hand before pouring him a shot. Sam murmured a thank you - trying to ignore the predatory glances he was receiving.

Rhaine FireMaiden

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia watched as everyone left, just as soon as they arrived. She sighed looking down at her feet as she idly kicked at the dirt. "You can go now too. Father wont let me go into town anyway" she told Dan.
TheCountryWarrior

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan shrugged. "Fine by me. Take care Your Highness." He turned around and followed the others to the tavern. The tavern seemed normal for a tavern in a capital city: large interior, a bar, a couple guys passed out, some toasts from groups that must have been celebrating something. However some things seemed out of place. Quite noticeable was an Elf? or a half elf? he never could tell the difference. And an Alchemist getting a drink. He sat down next to Sam at the bar. "I'll have what he's having." He managed to get the Bartenders attention over the rush of voices. After receiving his drink, he turned to Sam with a smirk. "So... stalking the songbird. Hey, I don't blame you, she looked nice."
Duke of Doge Caffeine Freak Rhaine FireMaiden

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Sam choked on his shot. "S-Stalking? Why, I- hold on a second, didn't you follow me to find this tavern?" Sam arched an eyebrow. "I mean I'm pretty handsome I guess but I never assumed you would swing that way." He shot back, returning his own smirk.
The bartender rolled back over, refilling Sam's glass. Another silver piece found itself on the table. "Leave the bottle." He muttered. With a nod, the bartender sauntered off with the coin. "I envy Princess Nia," He started up out of the blue. "Her family's probably got their own private brewery. She'll never have to see the inside of... a place like this." Sam gave a subtle backward nod.

Rhaine TheCountryWarrior

Duke of Doge

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan returned the smirk. "Don't oversell yourself. I simply used you to find this place, since I knew you would stalk the Songbird back to her place of employment. And I was thirsty." After Sam's musing on the privileges of Royalty. "Well they don't get the satisfaction of winning a bar fight!" Caffeine Freak Duke of Doge Rhaine FireMaiden

 

[Rhaine]

As Ru entered the tavern, she met a heavy wall of heat that forced a sigh from her lips. Taking a moment to adjust to her new surroundings, Ru unfastened her cloak and slipped it off her shoulders. She hurried on, her gaze downcast as usual. She didn't have trouble making it to the bar. Everyone was so much taller than her, warriors and mercenaries alike, she could have just as well been walking through a forest, dodging oak trees.

She slipped behind the bar, casting her eyes to the bartender with a slight worried shake of her head. "Am I late? I'm so sorr-" The bartender cut her off, looking her over for only a moment. "Don't fuss, doll. It doesn't suit you. You're on time. Cass only just now ended her shift." The bartender nodded in the other girl's direction. The human girl who sang during the day was gathering her things from the far wall where they performed, heading back in their direction. Ru gave a nod, relief kissing her brow and easing over her shoulders.

She shortly slipped into the back room behind the bar, setting her satchel to the side and preparing herself to perform. It was her most social event of the day. People often requested songs of her, and even when they weren't speaking to her, it felt something like interaction. They were listening, even when engaged in some other task. She was heard. Ru gave a soft, hidden smile, pulling her hair over her ears and brushing at the skirt of the plain dress she wore before slipping back out to the bar. Cass moved by her on her way out, handing over the lute she held. The instrument looked normal in Cass' arms, but a tad bulky in Ru's. Still, she was used to it.

She took her place by the far wall, her fingers slipping over the strings in thought. A quiet beat passed before she began her song of choice. It was a lilting sort of ballad, a story of a young hero, much the same as a hundred different ones with different names. She had a smooth, fragile sort of voice without rasp or grit. It cut through the buzz cleanly, though she never sung very loud. She cast her eyes out to the room, lips bending over the notes even as she took in the people in her vicinity further.

Is that... Mr. Weiss? And Dan?

The two men were seated at the bar, and despite her surprise, she did not falter. Her only reaction was a slight perk to her dark brow, but it might have been an expression having to do with the song. She watched them steadily with searching, green gaze. It was a pleasant surprise, but one she had not expected in the least.

Caffeine Freak TheCountryWarrior FireMaiden Duke of Doge

 

[Caffeine Freak]

"Well they don't get the satisfaction of winning a bar fight!"

Sam rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, "Yeah, like I've won any." He raised his glass to his mouth, and nearly choked for the second time as his gaze hitched on Ru cradling a lute at the front.
I sing in a nearby tavern, he knew that she would be performing already - but for some reason, the reality of it was only hitting him now.

Then she began to sing.

It took a little effort to keep his jaw from dropping as Samuel surveyed the room, somehow more calm and less hostile - like a spell had been cast over the commotion. He even managed to loosen up in his stool a little, feeling the glances from the tavern's occupants sliding off him. It was about that time when Ru's focus seemed to catch onto Dan and him. Noticing the sudden attention, Samuel gave an quick wave, the other hand edging toward his glass.

Rhaine TheCountryWarrior

Duke of Doge

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan laughed. "Ha! Neither have I!" He looked over and listened to the song played by the same girl they met earlier. As her eyes met the two guys on their stools Dan raised his glass and nodded in a salute. Caffeine Freak Duke of Doge Rhaine FireMaiden

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia watched as the people dispersed. Sighing as she turned back to the castle. It would probably be a while before she would be able to be herself again. Once inside the castle, she went back to being the perfect princess, well behaved, well dressed, well educated. A energetic, happy, fun loving personality like her own was not well received in government.

Nia entered the castle, and went to her next tutoring session: Taxes, economics, and math. 'Kill me' she thought dramatically as she took her seat. 'At least I can read and write, most people can't... I guess thats a plus'

 

[Rhaine]

Ru continued on, coming to the few final verses. Her fingers lived easily over the strings. She had been trained to play and sing since she was a child, and now it took little more than the slight concentration of thought.

As Samuel and Dan met her gaze, she flushed, resisting the urge to look away. They waved and saluted subsequently, and a small, delighted smile broke out over her features as she sang, bringing out life in her eyes. She gave a small nod to them in further acknowledgment. It was nice to have someone she knew in the crowd listening, aside from the regulars that often frequented the tavern. She felt like she was really playing for someone.

As the song came to a close on a light note, a man in the crowd called out to her, requesting a song, gruffly referring to her as Elf. Ru only bowed her head as she was taught, and began to play the song that had been requested. She was compliant and gracious, and didn't mind when people didn't ask nicely, when their tone curled hard over that word. It was part of the job, and she almost never gave it a second thought.

She remembered a time when it had bothered her. When she had first left Fenwood, she had been taken aback by some of her treatment at the hands of humans. Now, she fit the comfortable picture those people desired. She was small, unthreatening, and submissive in temperament. She didn't talk back or speak too sharply. She sang, she healed, and she hardly thought of what she had left behind, save for in the thick of the night when it was quiet. Still, her short meeting with Samuel had stirred something of her old self in her. He was a rebel in his community. He broke ground and strove to change things. She wanted to be like that, truly, though it didn't show on the outside.

Caffeine Freak TheCountryWarrior FireMaiden Duke of Doge

 

[FireMaiden]

(Guys...Zephyra isn't even in Dalalina. I've been waiting for CabalAnomicPotato to post.)

 

[Caffeine Freak]

[Actually missed that in the OOC, but I don't think it changes anything]

Samuel listened intently, swaying to the soft rhythm of the lute. When he reached for his glass again, however, he realized he might not be swaying voluntarily. "Three shots..." He murmured, lazily tracing numbers mid air with a finger "Three ounces... eighty proof rum... one point eight gallons of blood..." The numbers danced about in his head until he reached a conclusion. "Yeah.. I'm going to pass out. Hold my stuff, please." He slid Dan his coin pouch before collapsing into his arms on the counter.

Rhaine TheCountryWarrior

[Last post for tonight. [[night here, anyway]] See y'all in a few hours]

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Dan grabbed the items passed to him by the fast declining Sam. "Heh. Lightweight." He kept listening to the music. Caffeine Freak Rhaine

 

[Duke of Doge]

(So Nia's kinda stuck in the castle until nightfall when she can sneak out. So post without me, or we can do a time skip. Up to you guys)

 

[Rhaine]

(So Nia's kinda stuck in the castle until nightfall when she can sneak out. So post without me, or we can do a time skip. Up to you guys)

((A time skip to night time is fine by me.))

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

Riding his snarling boar within the cobble paved streets, the people of the empire would part and begin to walk faster, while the guards would remain tense. It amazed Sirius at how feeble the people looked, owning an entire empire seemed like work, but not even the guards were intimadating. Alas, as he made his way to an alley in the street, a place he could lay his boar to rest, he could see the guards on the roofs and strolling down the streets, "because looks aren't everything" he said to himself, adjusting his armor and walking into the bar he had ended up by. There was no telling how long he would have to stay in the city before the meeting would commense, so relaxing wasn't out of the question, and pushing by a couple of people heading out of the bar, he made his way in. In what would soon be the Capitol of the new land he and his people sought, there was only one bar, and it was different from he walked into, the bar his people had was filled with beer, laughter, and a various activities (such as throwing your axe at the target for money, and the tradition of arm wrestling to prove strength), and although the bar had these things, there were plenty more people, and plenty more activities....some of the Sexual nature. Sirius didn't bother with the stares and whatnot he recieved, and rather sat down right at the bar stools....although still nervous about drinking at such a time, he decided to go without beer. "Water, water is all I require" he said, exchanging the required currency, and sipping on the water, tired from the journey, he would be ready to leave soon.

FireMaiden
(Well just assume we're in the city of ratembar)

 

[Duke of Doge]

CabalAnomicPotato
(Yo, just info about the city your in. Ratenbar is really, really shitty. Most of the city is a huge slum, largely unpaved roads, rundown buildings and the like. Its a city of theives, scoundrels, assassins, mercenarys, corrupt guards, and orphans. It is also home to the largest theives guild in the world, called "The Black Hand"

I'll give info about other cities/towns/guilds as the need arises, I wasn't expecting anyone to go anywhere so soon, thats why there isn't info on it in the main post with all the lore.)
FireMaiden

 

[FireMaiden]

Zephyra's victory was short lived. The boy she had bested returned with more of his friends. "Oi! Yer the bitch that stole his winnings!" The orc growled, shoving her shoulder. This sent her drink all over the counter, making her sigh. "I didn't steal anything. I won." "Things like you don't win." His response got a small rise out of his friends. Where as Zephyra just stood.

The orcs face promptly met her fist. There was a crack, as she broke his nose, and sent him stumbling back. "Things like me also don't like things like you," She growled. It only took a matter of seconds for the boy she beat to lunge at her, but she dodged, and sent him over the counter. "Great," The woman muttered once she saw the others start towards her. Bar fights were fun, but not really her thing. Especially since she was there looking for work. "Guess I'll have to knock some sense into all of ya." CabalAnomicPotato

 

[CabalAnomicPotato]

Sirius was sipping on his water, but stopped quite suprised as another orc entered the bar. The orc didn't seem to be wearing anything from his own clan, nor a clan he recalled seeing, which confused him at first, but what really got him was when the orc started harassing a lady not too far from where he was sitting, then all hell broke loose as the guys this orc walked in with started attacking as well; this orc was muscle for hire. Now, not only was the fact that the orc was fighting for petty coin revolting, but seeing the two men gang up on the one woman, it didn't set right with him, and he'd had enough. Standing up and walking from behind the orc, he seemed to be readying an attack, but Sirius swung a hard elbow into his unprotected head, which sent him sprawling onto the grown, "this is pathetic, and you are a discrace to out kind" Sirius said, not paying attention to the woman or the man, but rather waiting for the orc to rise, "I will not participate in this petty bar fight, stand and follow me outside, where we will fight with steel, or walk away" he finished.
FireMaiden