The Queen's Madness (Open)

[Sluggodile]

Black Lightning Grepher

Dai's bleary eyes forced themselves open- a motion made nigh impossible by the crust on his eyes. Forcing his eyes to cooperate, he blinked as many times as he needed to clear his eyes of the obstacle. Thankfully, it took him no more than a minute to finish the task. Stretching his arms to the sky, and loosening his absurdly tight muscles which'd all but locked him into the sitting position that he'd forced himself into last night, he prepared to leave the dank, smelly alleyway that he'd slept in last night. Why? Simple. He had no money to pay for his rest last night, and since Erikur retired early (thankfully he'd paid for Dai's meal) he was forced to find... other accommodations. It wasn't as if he cared. He'd spent many a night standing, and since he rarely took off his armor, he was used to absurd stiffness. He always fought stiff, despite the idiocy attached to such a thing, because there wasn't a way he could fight loose. He'd even altered his style to fit it, despite the pain attributed to it.


However, when the first scream reached his ears, he knew his pain compared not to the pain that was being administered to the scream's owner. After a few minutes more of stretching, another scream reached his ears. It appeared someone was being tortured. Possibly even publicly. Good. Those screams would most likely lead him close to the castle. That, coupled with his good sense of direction would hopefully lead him to where he needed to be: at the Queen's castle. Nodding to himself, he stood, his armor clanking obtusely against itself, waking a nearby homeless man, who grunted at Dai in an intelligible language something that was most likely an obscenity. Unimportant. As his grey eyes scanned the morning sky for the familiar spires of a castle, he quickly recognized it as the same direction from which the screams were from. "Convenient." He grunted. Turning to face the homeless man, he apologized and thanked him for his company, before turning and disappearing into the inner throes of the city.

- - - - - -



​

It didn't take Dai long to reach the cowering crowd of people who either watched in horror at the brutality of the torture going on before them, or turned away as to not have the image of men being crippled being burned into their skulls. At first, he was surprised to see how many people were here, but after a few moments of trying to move the people aside to get closer to the horrific action, he realized the two men being flayed were apparently attempted rapists. Oh well. Not his problem, and not his business. He may have been a knight, but others' rights and wrongs didn't really matter to him, unless it mattered to his master, and of course as a wandering blade he had no master. Even still, he couldn't help but feel in the deepest part of himself a sense of disgust towards the men, though that same part wondered if this form of punishment was right. Another part wondered if it was enough.


After a few short moments of shoving, and getting plenty of angry looks and angry words directed towards him, he made it to the front of the crowd, standing as close as the rest of the people around him dared to. It was then he finally got a good look at the scene, and even a hardened knight such as himself had a hard time fully stomaching what he was seeing. Those men-- though in this instance they seemed more like beasts-- tied in a manner that made their backs prime targets were howling like wolves do to the moon, with enough blood running down their backs to dye an ocean red. Their faces should've been red with strain from how much they screamed, but they were blanched-- the cause obvious enough-- with sweat streaming down their faces in rivers. They would most likely barely survive this encounter. A normal man wouldn't.


And a normal man couldn't wield that whip, either, Dai thought as his eyes drifted past the men and to the weapon causing them such agony. This whip was unlike any he'd seen before. It was large-- almost comically so-- with rope as thick around as his wrist, and with leather so tightly bound and brown that it looked like the skin of a horse in its prime-- strained to the point of breaking thanks to the burgeoning muscle underneath. The heads were the worst part. Roses of steel, whose colour shone bright as the moon at first, but then as beautiful as a rose when the job was finished. Whomever had such a weapon designed was a savant of torture. In a sick way, its design was awe-inspiring to Dai, but he mostly found its design disturbing. He also found the ogre wielding it disturbing.


Dai was unsure if the man wielding the whip truly was an ogre, but his size was too humongous to be human. He easily stood two heads taller than himself when on the tips of his armor's toes, and he was twice as wide. Whilst Dai was built to be quick and efficient in battle-- one of the front line men, if you would, though with more bulk to him than what met the eye-- this beast was built to sack castles. He seemed to be much less a man, and more so a force of nature. While Dai was formidable in his own right, this man was so physically intimidated that, if it weren't for Dai's not fully stable mind, even he'd be intimidated by him. Even so, Dai did not feel a hint of intimidation from him. He'd long since learned that appearances meant nothing. After all, the only thing that truly mattered was how he handled a blade.


Even so, by his own logic, he still should've had some fear for Asavar. The way that man so gracefully swung his whip would make the hardest of knights buckle. Of course, Dai did not. Asavar was not his enemy. In fact, one day they may even be allies, should his trek have been worth it. After all, he was not here to free these despicable men, whose punishment was well deserved.


He was here to speak with the Queen.


@Veyd Sahvoz (Mentioned) @Cosmo

 

[Veyd Sahvoz]

Erikur Cetrix

​

Erikur's walk to the palace had come to an end at long last as he saw a crowd just outside of it, followed along with shouts of what he presumed pain. So like any man he walked towards the source of this, squeezing in between some and shoving a couple people out of his way to see what was going on and now he had wished he hadn't been so hasty trying to see what was happening because the sight in front of him was, what some would say, horrific. Men were being whipped by a large man obviously showing no mercy. Erikur could only guess at what the giant man was. Punishments shown in front of the public...That would definitely be traumatizing to a child if any were there, he had hoped no such child would have to watch such a thing. He himself had seen worse and already desensitized, mostly from past encounters. Looking around at the lot of people crowding around he wondered if Dai had already made it here himself and if so where would he be? While looking around the front of the crowd where the people closest to the torturer stood he couldn't mistake the silver and blue colour of Dai's armor, having seen him just the other night. With the sun out he couldn't really use shadow walking to get to him so he just shoved his way through the crowd to get to him.


Walking closer and closer to him he finally reached Dai tapping his shoulder to notify him. He wanted to leave this sight, it made him feel some little form of pity for these men but there was nothing he could do so he did nothing to stop it. If he were to do something there was a good chance the same thing might happen to him. "So castle next then?" He asked Dai, keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword as he looked around for the gates of the palace. The sooner they were in the better.


@C O I S E

 

[Sluggodile]

Black Lightning Grepher

Dai stared on for a bit longer after Erikur joined him, almost in a trance at the sight of such a horrible scene. It was terrible. Disgusting. And yet oddly gripping and in a sick way, fascinating. Dai wasn't sure what part of him was drawn to such a scene, but it certainly was quite the scene. Still, he had places to be, and people to speak with. However, in the back of his mind, he was reluctant he wouldn't get to see how such a scene would end. After all, he might be doing such a thing later on in his life. After all, once his abilities were made public, he wouldn't put it past royalty to use smiting to make an example out of someone.





"The castle, then." Dai muttered, turning from the scene, and taking the lead. He knew his way, and he couldn't let his morbid curiosity stay him from his destiny. His bulk helped a few people have a few seconds of reprieve from the horrifying scene, though the time was over much too soon for most. Thankfully for Dai, the castle gates weren't so far from the torturous scene, so he didn't have far to walk-- as his joints were screaming at him to stop. He'd need to do more vigorous stretching later. For now, he needed to be let inside. Thankfully, it seemed the guard had no plans on stopping him-- they were far too engrossed in the scene unfolding none too far from them to stop the pair. However, Dai barely made it into the square before someone called out after them.





"You! Halt!" The guardsman called, him dashing up to Dai with his hand on the hilt of his blade. Dai, seeing this, rested his own free hand on the pommel of his blade-- however, he had no plans on drawing it. He had a feeling this would happen to him. "Did you honestly think you could just walk in here calm-like with what you did yesterday?!" Dai remained silent as he looked down at the guard. He let out a sigh, and shook his head.





"No. It would be illogical for me to assume such. I was simply hoping you'd forgive and forget."





"You're ten different kinds of stupid if you honestly thought that your transgression would be so quickly forgiven. Or forgotten, for that matter!" Holding his palm out expectantly, he glared at Dai's helmet's visor. "Blade and shield. You're coming with me until this mess is sorted out." Dai stared on, before sighing and turning to Erikur.





"And this, scho-- ...Erikur, is where we part." Slowly removing his sword and shield, he placed them within the guard's care, but not before reminding him that his sword WOULD go missing, and chances are, by the time he realized it, it'd be back in its owner's care. The guard scoffed, took out a long length of rope, and tightly bound The Blackblood Knight's hands. After making sure they were extra, uncomfortably tight, he turned to Erikur, giving him an incredulous look, before speaking up.





"You're free to go. Do as you wish, but don't cause trouble, got it? Don't be like this lughead. Speaking of-- move it!" Shoving into Dai's back, he got the knight moving, headed off to a holding cell until the issue could be resolved. Dai had no complaints. Thinking back to yesterday, what he had done was idiotic. Though he doubted that he'd killed the man, there was a very good chance that he'd been burned, severely at that. He'd probably get some kind of punishment. So long as they didn't expect him to remove his helmet and armor willingly, though, no blood would be spilled. He was a knight, after all. Removing any piece of armor from him without his consent was the same as declaring that you'd end his life. And he took death threats very, very seriously.


Notes

Next post will be about the cell itself. For now, this is all I'm going to be able to post.





@Veyd Sahvoz @Cosmo

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

[border]Aurora Norok

Aura would allow herself to be lead by Joran, their hands and arms linked quite securely. She kept pace with the man rather easily, as it was much easier to with him than it was with the rather large Asavar. At the idea of him, her face grew in a deep red shade as the night came back to her. Damn it..Damn it all. Asavar has seen everything. Even things no one else had seen. Great..The worst of it was that he had seen her back and possibly all of her..assets. The thought made her rather uncomfortable, but surely she wouldn't have to worry about the giant man asking questions..right? He didn't seem like the question type..so maybe he would just idly deal with what he saw and never ask her about it. Yeah. There was that hope.


She almost didn't hear Joran thanks to her inner most ramblings and worry about Asavar, but his question only sent her into more of a panic. Joran thought..she was..c-courting him? The thought hadn't crossed her mind..actually she was pretty sure Asavar didn't even like her. Why would he? Aura wasn't beautiful..she wasn't a sight like most other women. No. She was merely a blind woman with a harsh past that always caught up to her. "What brings about this question?" She responded, deciding to answer is question with a question instead. Joran wanted to play the question game again..and this time Aura was fully awake. She could dodge his questions, tell him very vague things. No one needed to know about her. No one needed to remember her. And if Asavar did like her..well then..he'd certainly have to show it better because after last night..and that morning..she was certain he didn't. Though she was still waltzing around the castle with his cloak around her. That was her spoils until he came and got it from her. If he was man enough to~.

@KillThemAll[/border][border][/border]​

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[awriternamedian]

"Emmony, if you go back in there you know the cook is going to hit you with something," Allan said without looking up from the table he was cleaning. Emmony huffed, turning away from the kitchen door and making her way back through the tavern. He touched her arm as she passed, stopping her. "How are you doing today? Have you recovered from your vision yesterday?" She still hadn't told him what she'd Seen that was so bad that it would leave her shaking the rest of the day, that would give her nightmares all throughout the night.


She smiled vaguely at him, chest aching slightly at the memory of it. "I'm alright. I'm a little on edge, but other than that yes, I'm recovered." She wasn't, and he knew it, but he released her arm anyways. She'd open up to him when and if she was ready. He wouldn't push, not about this. There was no way he could fathom how it felt to have these things in her head, to be feeling them and affected by them.


At the sound of someone coming down the stairs, his bright eyes swung over, a smile growing as he saw Amunet. He recaptured Emmony's arm, leading her gently towards the other woman. "It is lovely to see you again my friend," he greeted Amunet, bowing slightly. "I thought you might like to meet my sister Emmony."


Emmony perked up slightly and smiled. "You must be Amunet," she said. "My brother has told me much about you. Are you enjoying your stay here so far?"


@LadyArdent (I got tired of having nothing to do lol.)

 

[KillThemAll]

Joran Stronham


Knight of the Queen's Guard


"The Steel Wolf"

"Just curiosity, don't answer if you don't want to. I only


think it'd be good for him. That boy is dedicated to a


Queen that doesn't care for him, and I'd rather force him


out of Draede then see him die for the woman," he grumbled


quietly, carefully eyeing nearby servants and guards. Eavesdropping


was your sharpest knife in the back when it came to getting


rid of your enemies. Everyone had something to say about the


Queen, and almost all of it was negative in nature. If said


publicly, it was a sure death sentence.


The older knight sighed as he guided Aurora like a rider


guides his steed, winding through crowds and the chaos


if the dining hall. Nobles argued, soldiers argued, guards


and servants argued, everyone seemed to disagree with


anyone who wasn't themselves. Joran was used to this,


but figured the chaos of dropped plates of food and the


horrendous noise of the crowd must be tantalizing for Lady


Aurora


The angst built on the previous day was simply being drained from


the Castle's inhabitants.


A hurried servant slammed into Joran in an attempt to escape


the work of the kitchens. The Queen's Guard grabbed the brown-haired


oaf with his freehand and threw the lad back where he came from,


groaning in agitation as he did his best to keep Aurora safe from the


rowdy riot (which was slowly, but surely, being shut down by the Castle Guard.)


As they reached an ocean's worth of wine marking the ground in a puddle,


Joran would turn and stop Aura, carefully and gently moving to lift the


Seer up without warning. Even if he gave one, it'd be impossible to hear.




@xEmoBunnehx
​

 

[Sluggodile]

Black Lightning Grepher

Even though the guard and he had argued over his right to keep his armor, Dai had pulled his final stop saying he wouldn't willingly stay in a rat-infested sewer of a dungeon without at least having something to cover his lower half. He lived in this suit of armor, and didn't feel the need to wear much more than a bit of chain mail that draped over his shoulders, and down the top half of his body. The least he deserved was a bit of dignity to mask his assets from the prying eye, though thankfully there were few of those down here.


'Here' was, of course, the castle dungeons. A place as dank and, surprisingly, more dirty than the alleyway he'd slept in last night. Its stacked stones were-- like most castles-- cold and grey, and untouched from the day they'd been interred into the earth. Untouched, that is, in a positive way. Erosion, water damage, mysterious stains and more decorated Dai's cramped cell, which was barely large enough for himself, his pissbucket, and the blanket he called his 'bed'. He didn't want to know where those stains came from, but the coppery scent drifting up from them confirmed what he figured. This place was a cesspool of disease. One night in here, and he'd come out with more than just his sentence biting away at his already short lifeline. A frown grew deep within the recesses of his helmet's shadow as he rested in the middle of the cell, staring at the cracked stone between his feet. Though his sword had not yet appeared within his line of sight, he knew that in a few moments, it would appear once again within the confines of his cell. Unfortunately, that was simply how the blade worked. Now, his shield... that was an entirely different matter. Getting THAT back would be a pain.


As these thoughts and more crossed his mind, a new guard stepped up to replace the previous one that'd watched his cell. Not one for conversation. Dai slowly lowered his head to stare between his feet once more, and lay in wait for the guard that'd brought him here. To think that he'd have to remove his armor after so long with it on... He clenched his fist tight in frustration. Well, he had none to blame but himself. His idiotic actions brought him to this shame, so he'd have to bear with it. Even if it meant removing his much-beloved armor.

 

[Rui]

Aster returned from the market. Upon doing so, she saw a large crowd. She wondered what exactly was going on, when she saw two familiar faces.


Oh god.


She watched the whipping, if it could really be called that, with a face of horror and concern.


She hadn't wished this for them, especially not by Asavar's hand, or by that frightening weapon.


I'll come back for them. Perhaps I'll be permitted to offer them bread, or clean the wounds. Maybe bring something to ease the pain...?


She knew her way around herbs and medicinal substances fairly well, thanks to her upbringing in the palace, and her many visits to the infirmary for her injuries. She pitied the men, despite the awful thing they'd tried to do to her, she felt this wasn't just. She bit her lip and averted her gaze. She ruffled through her basket, which was constantly at her side, and donned her veil.


For once, it was helpful.


With that, she disappeared into the crowd, heading back the palace.


Mentioned: @Cosmo

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

[border]Aurora Norok

At Joran's answer she would chuckle softly. "I'm well aware of his past and his obsession with her." She answered back to him with a small smirk. Aura was very aware of Asavar's love and dedication to the Queen. It was rather..unhealthy..but not the worst case of obsession she had ever seen. Asavar was no where near the level of His obsession..the one who always seemed to haunt her dreams and cause hell wherever she went. At the thought of him, Aura's smirk would immediately die out. That man..she had been ruining for roughly six years now..would he ever give up? No..he wouldn't. She knew that well.


The only thing that brought her back to reality was the sound of shattering plates, this making her stick to Joran's side much more..tightly. She couldn't have her feet getting destroyed..she needed them. "Though.. I think you're right. He could use someone to pull him out of that.." She admitted, curious to see if she could actually just..change his mind about her rather than having to court him. Though..she did wonder if the giant actually liked her. He'd given her his cloak..the one she was still wearing..the one she sneakily slept with and walked the halls with last night. Did a woman wearing a man's cloak in this land mean something? Was it a token of affection? So many curious questions..but should she dare ask Joran?


Aura was going to actually ask him something, but was stopped when the man picked her up. Aura;s face quickly contorted in fear the minute her feet were off the ground. She held tightly to Joran, a vise grip on him as he had found one of her weaknesses. Heights. Or..her version of it. Aura was 'blind' without her feet, and this was the third time that someone had picked her up while she was here. Was it some kind of custom to pick up a blind woman?! Or did they really not know that she 'saw' with her feet? "J..Joran..wh-what are you d-doing?"

@KillThemAll[/border][border][/border]​

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[Veyd Sahvoz]

Erikur Cetrix

That was definitely something. So Dai had attempted to gain entrance to the Castle before then and this time he did the exact same likely knowing what would happen, like Erikur had partially suspected. It was pointless to try something a second time knowing what would happen, Dai must've been quite desperate or he was deliberately trying to get himself locked away. Well there wasn't much Erikur could do now, he would've drawn his sword had this not been a guard in a new place he'd been so he calmly nodded at Dai and turned the other way like the guard had told him. He figured that the knight might have a reason for doing this and if, or when, the time came that they crossed paths again he would gladly have a drink with the man. Hopefully he wouldn't be the one paying next time. Farewell Grepher. He thought and walked on past the horrific scene of punishment in front. For now...





Walking on through Draede he checked out a few shops and what not before heading back to the Tavern where he had been last night, Queen's Madness, maybe get some breakfast and a drink himself perhaps have that second scone while relaxing for a while. He might have to ask around the tavern for directions to a book store or library, there was never a time in his life where he didn't browse through a places literature. It was fascinating to read stories and ancient tales, tomes of arcane arts, fiction, and his favorite being philosophy. There was never such thing as too many books, only not enough books because one would spend his whole life reading every book he could and even then wouldn't have gone through every written text. Erikur read for the sake of knowledge like every scholar but the only problem was he had no idea where anything was, the reason he thought to go back to the Tavern and ask the workers' there while also having the most important meal of the day.


The mage had just entered the tavern and he saw a couple people behind the counter in the tavern area who, no doubt, likely were workers here and were just the people he was wanting to speak with. He walked up to them(?) and placed his hands on the counter asking "I'm sorry to bother you but would you know where I could possibly find a library here?"


(Mentioned- @ianbabyyy)

 

[KillThemAll]

Joran Stronham


Knight of the Queen's Guard


"The Steel Wolf"


Joran would naturally smirk as Aurora clinged on to him like a cat would


attach itself to its owner while being forced into a bath. He was just close


enough to hear her as she spoke nervously, asking him what his intentions


were with absolute terror in her shrill voice.


"There's a puddle of wine that we can't avoid, and I figured you wouldn't be able


to hear my warning over this noise," he'd explain as he proceeded through the puddle,


supporting Aurora's body as he ensured she wouldn't touch the scarlet sea below.


His armor wouldn't stain, but surely Aurora's would, and he'd be damned if he


let the woman step in it bare.


The knight managed to carry her across, gently moving to set her


down as a they reached a few feet of distance from the puddle.


He let out a hefty sigh as he lowered her, letting out a blush as he


did so. Joran figured that he must appear like a tired old man to


the Seer, which greatly embarrassed him, even if the young woman was


just a recently met acquaintance, he was sure she wouldn't want


such a shadow of a legend for a mentor.


They were now close to the kitchens, certainly close enough for


to take in the wafts of boiling stew and fresh doughy bread existing the


many scorching ovens in the bustling center of culinary craft. The stew


was of various onions and soft vegetables accompanied by a bubbling hot


oak-brown broth, which didn't fail to engulf the cuts of royal beef that


floated within. On the side of each bowl were three slides of the fresh loafs,


all which absorbed the soup like edible sponges. The food offered was more


than most indulged in within Lathien's many hamlets and slums.


(So short)

@xEmoBunnehx​

 

[LadyArdent]

Amunet was in better spirits for the day. Stepping off of the staircase as she took a couple steps forward to the fire. Before this could happen a familiar voice caught her attention. Allan called to her along with someone who was his sister. Offering a genuine smile yet she felt something was a little off.


Emmony gave off that feeling, but she didn't want to pry. It sort of had the feeling carried off from yesterday. The woman was much more composed so she didn't feel any tension. Noticing the woman had something about her eyes as before yesterday she wouldn't ask about that either. The woman smiled unafraid now that Allan knee the truth. She spoke softly," Hello Allan, and oh my I've beard much about you too. It's a pleasure to finally meet you Emmony. My stay is actually very pleasant. Allan has been a gracious host."



​

@ianbabyyy

 

[KhalZhavvorsa]

[border]Aurora Norok

Aura didn't dare let up on her grip of him, actually she probably held him harder. God this was the worst and it seemed to last forever for the poor Seer. The moment her feet touched the ground, she let out a long breath that she'd been holding, that keeping her from hearing Joran's sigh. After doing so, she'd look to the man with her lips pressed into a hard line. "Is it some custom to pick up a blind woman here? Do you and Asavar just think it's funny?!" She demanded, not realizing she had said Asavar's real name and not his title. Luckily though, he wasn't around to hear her.


And then suddenly, heavily smells of food she'd never tasted or smelled before hit her. Oh fuck did it smell good...really fucking good in here. Aura's mouth watered and the scents she was picking up, and she could swear she would droll right now were it not for the fact that she was with Joran. Man..this Queen had some good chefs. They seemed to know what they were doing and it only made Aura want to chow down faster. Her stomach growled loudly, like an angry bear seeking to maul it's food. (So basically.. Asavar on a bad day c


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@KillThemAll[/border]

 

[KillThemAll]

Joran Stronham


Knight of the Queen's Guard


"The Steel Wolf"


The knight chuckled, eyeing the heavenly woman indulge in the wonderful


scents of the Royal Kitchen as he looked back at the dreadful red puddle


It had caused the brutal beating of a castle servant by an angry guard, whose


night clothes were stained by the initial splash of alcohol.


Joran ignored the petty argument and continued leading Lady Aura towards


the desirable food as he thought up a reply. With a mused sigh, he'd speak.


"I've been with that lad since he was shorter than me. Maybe I rubbed off

on him, maybe everyone wants to carry you. One thing is for certain, you look


like a starving Wolf and I'm not getting in the way. Do you still need my aid?

It's fine, if so," he'd kindly gesture, his stomach already filled with the dish


he was given by the gifted servant lad earlier in the morning. That, and Ser Stronham


didn't want to look like a glutton.


The pair would eventually reach the serving counter, a meter tall opening to the kitchens


serving as a barrier between the outstretched and protruding counter where food could be


given out in an orderly fashion.


The counter itself was made of a gleaming ivory, a historical reminder of the long-dead ivory


trade between House Boote and Lathien's Royal Family. The Bootes were exiled by Joran's family,


House Stronham, when the former were caught indulging in the outlawed slave trade the East


was famous for.


Of course, the slavery of men was illegal. Elves? Not so much, but it was certainly frowned upon by


the Northernmost houses within Whytewynd's territory.


The walls were painted artistically, portraying various historical events. The Flaming Sea, when


the devious and clever King Traten set an invading fleet of Northern raiders aflame by detonating


the many caskets of oil the Lathien Whaling Company had stored in Draede.


And...the 'Rape of the Mad Queen'? Asavar would certainly be furious if he saw the splendid graffiti,


which Joran was sure had been the cause of the morning's increased rowdiness. Sadly, it was Joran's


duty to see that his Commander was well informed.



​

@xEmoBunnehx
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[KhalZhavvorsa]

[border]Aurora Norok

Aura could only laugh at Joran's words. Though one thing struck he as odd..Asavar was..tall? Aura had pictured him as short..and rather..wide. Was that wrong? How tall was the man? "He..is tall?" Aura tilted her head to the right as she followed behind Joran. "I..I thought he was..rather..wide." She said, now very confused as to why Asavar's vibrations were much heavier than everyone else. She knew he wore armor..so that had to be one of the reasons, but she didn't think it was that heavy. She wondered what else about him she had gotten wrong. What did the man look like? So many questions.


In all honesty, Aura didn't want Joran to leave her side. She was in an unknown place that was filled with guards and other people she did not know..and some had already made comments about her..so it was best if they just stuck together..even if Joran found her company rather..bland. Though, he was right about something..she was starving. Traveling light weight meant that she didn't really..carry food. All Aura has was her staff and dagger...no bag or anything else. So..it had been a few days since she had eaten anything.


Aura could smell the food near by, thing making her wander up to the counter. Up close the smell was even more divine..and rich. Oh fuck yeah. She didn't care how gluttonous she looked when she ate this..she would love it. Every. Single. Second of it. She wanted food now, but again she had no idea what she was doing..the woman had never been in a dinning hall before she so really had no idea what was going on or what to do other than smell the food and wait for it like an eager child on Christmas.

@KillThemAll[/border][border][/border]​

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[Sluggodile]

Black Lightning Grepher

Within his cell, Dai lay. He'd gotten tired of sitting there, staring at the cracked spot between his feet, so he'd retired to his "bed". Of course, he couldn't sleep. His body worked on a tight schedule, and forcing himself to sleep would be impossible. The only way to sleep for him, would be to let nature have its way. So, of course, he stared up at the ceiling silently, his chest rising and falling within the confines of his armor. For some reason, he found his mind's intangible tentacles spreading out across the courtyard of the castle, snaking their way into every orifice of the building, searching it out. Much of the ancient building was a mystery to his mind-- these areas were shrouded in a deep mist coloured black like pitch.


However, the rest of the castle was lively. Quite full of guardsmen, servants, the like. Not unlike many other castles he'd visited. But there were some subtle differences that, to the naked eye, were not visible. The constant fearful undertones, the feeling of being watched at every moment, and the thought of rebellion was completely quashed here. At this, he made a grunting noise. He tried to always be impartial, but the idea that open thought was crushed here concerned him. Of course, he wouldn't want one to insult his master, but one of the few things he remembered his father teaching him long ago was that a happy man was a free one-- one who was free in all aspects. That, of course, meant he'd never be a happy man. He'd accepted that long ago, though, or so he felt. After all, in a way, he was a slave to his desire to know more. More about himself, more about the odd land which he'd woken up in so long ago, and more about the people around him.





"Guardsman." He grunted, sitting up with a little effort. "What is this castle like? And the people within it, as well?"


"And why does a prisoner such as yourself wan'a know?" He muttered back, a dull overtone coating his voice-- his boredom coming to a head. "'tain't like you're getting outta here any time soon. What with Asavar off doin' 'em public humiliations an' all that." It was odd for a guardsman to not refer to his superior with some kind of title, but Dai supposed this guard had a reason to do so.





"So that behemoth-- the one flogging those two rapists-- is this 'Asavar'?" He questioned monotonously, his own voice's melancholy matching the guard's.





"'ndeed." He returned, sighing, and leaning on the bars of Dai's cell. For some time, the pair were silent. Their small talk having gotten them nowhere. "Why'd you do it, anyways? You know what you did to him, don't you?"


"No: tell me."


"Well, for one he's not going to be able to work for sum time. Burns, lacerations, an' worst of all, you done paralyzed his right arm." Dai sighed at this, his shoulders sinking. So he figured. How long had he gone without food anyways? "On top of that, he must've gone slightly mad from all'o'dat lightnin'. Mention'n sumfink about your being this 'Blackblood Knight'. Doomed soul or sumfink like dat." Dai shivered. It seemed his blade's curse was growing stronger. He supposed that time he'd gone without eating had weakened his resolve, and thus allowed whatever was within Arclight to grow. "Not to mention dat 'e 'as a fam'ly t'care fer. Ye screwed 'm."





"So you say. Yourself?"





"New 'ere. Just joined up as part'o the guardsman. Squire under me old man. Helluva guy. Lil' rough 'round the edges, but good 'nough man." The younger guard blinked, before shooting Dai a suspicious glance. "Oi, why d'you wan'know?" Dai was silent for a long time, him just staring at the younger man, who slowly grew more and more uncomfortable with the silence. Just when the awkwardness had hit its apex, Dai spoke up.





"Because I'm me. And Dai Grepher, a lost soul with no mind about him wishes to understand the unknown, so his mind can expand." Dai spoke in third person to exemplify his points, and try and explain himself better to the guard. He always felt he could speak more honestly about himself when he spoke in third person, despite how pretentious it came off to some people. "Logic is the sole thing that appeals to him. And with this hole in his mind-- in his memory, to be specific-- his entire world is illogical. These circumstances are unacceptable to him, do you understand? And when the circumstances are unacceptable, humans change them. Thus why I speak with you now." Dai's voice had grown slightly less monotonous as he spoke with the younger guard, who seemed baffled with his style of external monologue. The younger guard shook himself, and loosed a confused chuckle.





"You're'n odd one, Dai Grepher."





"Knight Dai Grepher." Dai corrected, holding up a finger. This caused the guardsman to chuckle again. "Yourself?"





"Josef."





"Guardsman Josef. Tell me more about the man I maimed yesterday."

 

[KillThemAll]

Joran Stronham


Knight of the Queen's Guard


"The Steel Wolf"




Ser Stronham noticed Aurora's inability to work the counter, as it was


clearly her first time doing so. The experienced knight would step in and


take off his insignia, sliding it under the counter so that the Kitchen workers


could see. Almost immediately, food was being placed beneath the opening.


Joran carefully took and dispensed the food in front of Aurora, setting the plate


of bread down and then the bowl of stew, which he figured he might have to


carry for the blind lady. It was rather hot, and it wouldn't be the first time he's


witnessed one burning their tongue on scalding hot provisions.


"It's yours," Joran murmured, taking his badge of honor back. As the warrior


pinned it onto his armour, he'd begin to think of what Aurora had spoken of. Suddenly,


it made more sense. Perhaps she didn't even know he was Draxxan, let alone what


a Draxxan was? He wouldn't doubt it, many of the commoners didn't even know,


some suggesting that Asavar was a sophisticated hill giant, perhaps one who was tamed


by the Queen. Others simply suggested Asavar was some sort of exaggerated Highborne,


but the rather swift counter to that would be that no Highborne would serve the Mad Queen.


"You see, Ser Asavar isn't human. A Draxxan, actually. Think of an ogre, but much more

human. He's both wide and rather tall. They feel more emotions than a growing lady, too.

So, you could imagine how much more difficult it is to change his mind about things," the


old Queen's Guard would murmur as he eyed the crowds behind them, grateful that the rioting


and rowdiness had quickly died down in the dining hall. After all, if it had persisted, he was


sure the Majesty would have it dealt with in a rather unpleasant manner. Blood had been spilled in


almost every part of the castle, but he'd rather it be in the courtyards than the Dining Hall.


(Sorry it's so short, gotta fly~)

@xEmoBunnehx​

 

[awriternamedian]

"And it is a pleasure to meet you as well." Emmony frowned playfully, saying "I do hope my brother hasn't been telling horrendous lies about me. I promise, whatever he may have said about me, it probably isn't true." The frown turned into a grin as Allan shook his head, releasing his sister's arm and taking a step to the side. "I'd very much like to talk with you a bit," she requested, reaching her hand towards the woman. "Allan tells me we may have a mutual interest, and so I thought it might be nice if we could get to know each other a bit."


And by get to know, she meant Seeing into the woman's past. Not intrusively of course. It would be something akin to flipping quickly through a book, looking for mentions of a certain thing. In this case, anything that may pertain to the castle. It was the reason Emmony met every person who was brought into the rebellion. In having her peek through every person's past, they were able to screen for spies and other such people they didn't want to pass sensitive information to. They'd managed to weed out a couple of undesirables with this method.


Over at the bar, a worker chuckled at the man's question. He looked up from the mugs he was cleaning to give him a wry smile. "Sorry mate, you'll not be seein' much in the way of libraries in this part o' the city. You'll need to try an upper district." He paused for a moment, scratching his head, before pointing towards Allan. "That there be the owner of the tavern, Allan. He's got a decent library here, sure he could be persuaded to let you at it."


@LadyArdent @Veyd Sahvoz

 

[LadyArdent]

She kept smiling at Emmony as she spoke. The woman was pleasant, and straight to the pint. Amunet didn't miss a beat with what the truth was. The mutual interest of that being the rebellion. She was just persuaded to join the cause last night.


The woman is true to her word, and she wouldn't go against these people at any cost. Reaching for her hand gently as she would follow in step with her wherever Emmony desired to go. Amunet doesn't had a clue as to what she is, but there is something different about her.


Good luck with finding out about her past because Amunet couldn't even remember herself. She hasn't been able too since her making. She spoke softly once more, "Oh no he hasn't said anything out of character. Just that you both run this place, and you are a pleasant woman. This mutual interest oh yes we do. I'd love to discuss that with you."


Amunet wouldn't know Emmony's true intentions. They weren't anything wrong at all. To her she believes they would discuss her part in the cause and what she could do to help. So we hope that this has another good outcome for Amunet.

@ianbabyyy
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[KhalZhavvorsa]

[border]Aurora Norok

Aura could feel the heat from the plates that had been placed in front of her. Carefully, she picked them both up, being sure not to drop anything from either, as she really wanted to eat this..now, but she'd have to wait until they were back at the table. Once both plates were securely in her hands, she turned towards Joran. "Thank you." She said and started to walk back to where the tables were, inwardly hoping the wine had been cleaned up.


Or f course, with the way Aura was expertly holding the plates, one might could guess she had done a similar task in the past, and their guess would be correct. She had indeed done something like this, actually exactly like this, only the plates were much more..hot. Thus one of the reasons Aura had calloused fingertips, though she ever intended on anyone finding out about her past..if she could help it.


When Joran had told her of what Asavar was, she could only stop and turn toward him with a sly grin. "That would explain a lot, though..I wouldn't say it's too hard to change his mind. I'm still here, and will be for a month." She said with a decent bit of cockiness. Aura was proud of herself now that she had learned the man was stubborn. She wasn't sure why his emotions were so intense before, but now she knew..and she also knew that for some reason..she could change the giant's mind. Or at least she did last night. Maybe it was just luck..or maybe he wasn't that stubborn. Either way she'd done it, and was proud. However, she couldn't help but wonder about his intense emotions..in his past they had really affected her..to the point of a breakdown..is that what he went through everyday? Emotions so intense he doesn't know which one to feel more? Or was he able to control them since he was used to it for so long? Aura didn't know, though she was curious to know just how tall the man was. "So..how tall is he?" She asked with a tilted head.

@KillThemAll[/border][border][/border]​

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[Sultan of Swat]

Tired. Always Tired.


It's the same thought and feeling that rushes through Finn's head. The grass beneath him was the same old dirty lump of brownish green that was his bed. He never got enough sleep. He sat up, his head and neck sore and red from the bag of coins he was laying on. He was behind a fence, just against it. It wasn't so hidden, but some people were just so empty minded that they didn't even notice. He was that insignificant. His blonde hair fell straight on his face. His baggy pants and shirt were the same old dirty. His idea of a shower was a dip in the nearby lake. He did just that. The water was chilly, more than usual. He dunked his head in, and the rest of his body followed. He let out a yawn. "Another day, another thing to steal. That old guy nearby seemed easy. But there are so many people walking by." He thought of all the ways he can snag a piece. He rarely had a solid meal, and he was skinny to the point of seeing his rib cage. He stepped out of the lake, and went back to his pile of coins and his darts. Man, if he could just afford some real poison darts, that would be SWEET! He put the two pouches on his pants, and took his leave. Time to steal some bread.

 

[Mitchs98]

Miziki Kurone

Miziki had stayed up a fair bit later than usual, and as such had slept in the following morning. She was slowly getting the hang of working here, though she was still very much her normal clumsy self. If she were honest she was surprised that Emmony had let her continue working there seeing as how big of a reliability she was. Not that she was complaining, far from it, it just surprised her was all. Nevertheless she soon woke up and decided to make her way downstairs. She found herself a table isolated off to the side and brought her satchel onto it to see how much money she had. Maybe she'd go into town and buy Emmony a small gift for putting up with her and offering her a place to stay. It was only fair, right? But the problem was finding something to get a blind girl. What exactly would she want?

 

[Sultan of Swat]

Finn approached the tiny crowd in front of the old man's bread stand. He gave his usual smirk, and stood along the line. He dropped his bag on the ground opened. People are so stupid and oblivious! Look at them! They can't even take note of what I'm doing! He quickly knocked over some of the bread, and two loaves landed in his bag. "Oh dear sir! I am SO sorry. Here, let me help." Although Finn was stealing, he was shocked he was the only person helping the old man. Bunch of good for nothings. Standing around there while this guy with a shitty back is picking up scraps. He gave the man the last bit of bread, and gave him a smile. In surprise, the old man gave him another loaf on the house for his help. Finn smiled, and took his leave. He felt guilty, but he did what he had to do.

 

[KillThemAll]

Joran Stronham


Knight of the Queen's Guard


"The Steel Wolf"




"If you manage to change any Draxxan's mind and learn swordsmanship while blind, I'll


make you a rich woman," Joran mused as he carefully placed his left hand on Aura's shoulder,


leading the young woman back to where they were seated. The old warrior peered into the now


lesser crowd, thankful that they were gone, along with the troublesome puddle of wine, too.


He'd tilt his head as Lady Aura began to speak once more, asking him of what height Asavar stood


at. Ser Stronham would think for a moment, continuing their walk towards the wayward benches with


care. The Queen's Guard would nod before looking over at Aurora.


"He's nearly at two and a half meters, I only stand at one and four-fifths. That's nearly eight feet


and six foot and an inch in Imperial," the Steel Wolf would murmur as they drew close to the benches,


now moving with little to no resistance. All around, those who had come earlier were dispensing, going off


to do their assigned duties or simply to find entertainment elsewhere. Nurses, servants, guards, nobles,


they left the dining hall all the same, leaving only the later subscribers within the hall. It was still crowded,


but much less chaotic, and only half so the numbers previously. It was truly a relief.




They'd eventually reach the benches, Joran carefully guiding Aurora down towards the carved stone. Many of


the soldiers who had taken seats at their long-table were now gone, likely off to meagerly conduct their patrols or


train their sword-arms.

@xEmoBunnehx
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[KhalZhavvorsa]

[border]Aurora Norok

Aura giggled at Joran's words. "Have faith in me, Joran. I'll do both and within a month." She smirked, confident she could and would do it. Aura had faith in herself to learn how to use a sword, and do it proficiently enough to kill that bastard of a man in cold blood. She had searched far and wide for someone who was gutsy enough to teach her the way of the sword, and honestly..she had never expected to find anyone..but Joran accepted her offer.. for just one little reading. Surely there was more she could do to pay him back for this? Joran had no idea how much learning this meant to her, and if she had to spend all night and day just to get it perfect..then she would. Aura would learn this..no matter how hard it was.


As they made their way toward the table from before, Aura was still very curious how tall Asavar just was. She thought him to be quite short, but from the way Joran implied earlier..she was very wrong. When Joran finally did tell her, Aura nearly dropped her plates. He was..seven..feet..tall?! What! What man can grow to be that big!? How was it even possib-..Aura's face suddenly grew very red as she remembered their first meeting..Aura had nearly..touched.. Oh no. No..nonononononono... No wonder heacts weird around her! The woman nearly fondled his balls the day they met.


Aura would facepalm right now if she could. That was ridiculously embarrassing and there was no way Asavar was comfortable with that..but it was too late to apologize..so..did she just get over it..or..say sorry when it was already far too late? Oh fuck. Once the two of them were sitting once more, Aura looked to Joran for a moment. "I..Is he really that tall?" She asked in disbelief. If he really was...then he was the first person she'd ever met who was like that. After her question, Aura then felt around for her food, her head going back in it;s direction before her hand met with bread and she lifted it to her mouth and took a bite.


Holy. Shit. This could of been the worst bread that the chefs believed they made, but to Aura...it was beyond a delicacy. She had never tasted anything that wasn't stale, burnt, expired, or growing mold. This..this was the food Aura had dreamed of..and it was so much better than she had pictured it. Just from that one bite Aura was so very curious to know what everything else tasted like in comparison.

@KillThemAll[/border][border][/border]​

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