The Forsaken Septenary || Original Medieval RP || IC Thread

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Academy on Armor Island, Montarra
Speaking With: Anna and all those in the Arena

Donovan listened to her report as he opened the mail she had brought him. Several letters regarding deliveries and economics, and two addressed to him personally from other members of his organization. He read them briefly and nodded after he had cracked the encryptions. “You don’t need to curtsy by the way.” He said as he read the short letter from one of his contacts in Rochford.

Kelevra was ready for the Trial it seemed, well that was good. “Join me for the Placement Trial.” He rose from his desk and headed to the Arena with Anna at his side and slightly behind. As they passed through the hallways he pulled a servant aside and said, “Tell the Lead Matron the Headmaster demands her presence in the viewing platform of the Arena.” The servant nodded and headed off to convey his instructions.

When he arrived he found the boy Prince prepared with his blunted weapons. He looked confident, but there was a wariness about him that Donovan could plainly see. The Lead Matron came up on his side and stood next to him, clearly trying to convey they were on equal footing. Quite a few instructors had come to watch this Placement, ones he wanted to convey a message to.

Without warning he lashed out with his hand and grabbed the Lead Matron by the throat while simultaneously stabbing her with a dagger. As blood spilled onto the platform he looked around at the people gathered and spoke. “I will not tolerate insubordination. This whore attempted to undermine my authority, she is being removed from her position. I am here to restore the standards that are expected of this school and will do so. Rest assured, any wrong doing or resistance will be punished severely. This is your one and only warning.” He saw shocked faces everywhere and a few instructors removed themselves from his sight. He squeezed his hand on her throat and crushed her larynx. He tossed her body over the side and the Arena servants carried the body away.

Without missing a beat he gestured with a hand and a horn was sounded, “Begin the Placement Trial.”

[Diandra Moon]

Location: Hackathorn
Company: Astaroth and Morgan

Verity had taken time to give Vaughn a parting hug and wish the new couple well…Well, as well as she could without outright lying…And Astaroth had announced they would be leaving without an escort. It was good to be away from everyone and not have them watching her like she was going to sprout fangs and wings and jump on them like some mythical creature to rape them and suck their blood…Before it had been amusing…Now it wasn’t so much.

After they had ridden for a good long while, they slowed down and she grinned. “What makes you think that you aren’t already being called Royal Consort behind your back?” She chuckled. “Hackathorn doesn’t have Royal Consorts. I think that is only an Elysian thing…”[//color] She thought it was a good idea, kept men from getting all grabby for what a woman had aside from her…Curves…But she wasn’t about to say it out loud to another male. Might take offense on some twisted male ego way of thinking level.

She looked up at the sky and found herself yearning for the crazy girl she had been not so long ago…A simpler life…All she had to do was protect her family and through that, the people of Hackathorn, but now… “Vorlander Solaris sent me a letter. He’s handing all his accounts in Hackathorn over to me to use to help replenish the vaults…It won’t replace everything, but it’ll keep the workers paid for a few exn the table…I’ll use some of it to invest…I know a few low investments with high yields I can put it towards.” She felt her annoyance rise, but it wasn’t at Astaroth. “I want to kick Victor’s stupid face in for leaving this mess for me to deal with…” She didn’t allow the guilt to rise up like it threatened.

“He shouldn’t have tried to stop the thieves himself. He should have set a trap for them…” That’s what she would have done…Let them get into the vaults and closed the doors behind them, sealing them and throwing away the keys to unseal it for a few days, making them think they would be left in there forever to rot…Then she’d have let them out and whipped their asses. Victor always jumped into things and looked where it got him…

“So, were you wanting me away from the escort for any reason in particular? I did happen to notice a few oaks on our way through before.” She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Riding south from Seaside, Hackathorn
Speaking With: Verity

Astaroth let her vent about her brother, she needed to be able to voice these things outside of prying ears. He did agree with her, the King had been hasty, and he had paid for his haste… Still, Verity was doing a good job in his opinion.

Her comment about Oaks made him smile and he laughed, “Oh really? Do we need to defile more trees in the name of the Queen?” he winked at her and then slowed his horse to a trot. “Where are we going by the way? Back to the castle or is there somewhere else we need to go?”

He honestly didn’t care where they went, but he was curious if he was going to have to continue riding. He didn’t mind it much, but his legs were beginning to get chaffed after all this time. He also wondered how his cottage back in Elysia was, he had been away for longer than he had expected. He wasn’t complaining though.

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: The Academy
Speaking With: None

Kelevra kept his eye on the body as it was dragged away, and there was a new hatred for the Baron that he hadn't felt before. The man killed without a second thought, and that didn't warrant respect. It wasn't until there was a pounding of footsteps growing louder as the seven opponents charged him that he turned his attention away from where the body had been carried off to. It was intimidating, a group of people running at him, wanting nobodies blood but his.

He was the target of seven people, and they were all coming at once, so Kelevra stabbed one scimitar into the ground to free his hand up. He grabbed a dagger and chucked it at a mean looking kid with scars across his bald scalp, striking him directly in the mouth and sending a couple teeth into the back of his throat. He collapsed and began coughing, trying to prevent himself from choking on his own teeth.

Kelevra grabbed his other sword from the dirt and ran at the next opponent, a girl a little older then him, wielding a spear. Kelevra had no intention of inflicting pain on a woman, and that wasn't something the Baron would ever break him of. So he swatted the point of her spear to the side and pushed her over, then rolled up between the legs of his next target, a burly man wielding a war axe. Kelevra hit the man in the crotch with the pommel of his sword, and when the man doubled over, Kelevra knocked hims out with a knee to the face.

Then there was a sudden burn as Kelevra took a blow to his back. He dropped to the ground and rolled away, quickly hopping to his feet to face the enemy that had landed a hit on him. It was the girl again. Kelevra threw his sword at her and struck her in the shins. It was not fatal, and he hated himself for it, but it took her out of the fight. He grabbed an axe from his belt and swung at the next enemy, a long-haired man who seemed to favor swords. Kelevra's axe cracked against his skull and he dropped unconscious.

That was four out of seven down. Kelevra had a choice to make. The next enemy swung for his face with a warhammer, but Kelevra dodged backward and threw his axe at him, hitting him square in the chest and sending the air from his lungs. At the moment of impact, Kelevra grabbed his other axe and slammed it into the man's head, effectively knocking him out.

"Two more... That means I'm in third." Kelevra looked at the other two. They were waiting for him to strike, waiting for an opportunity to strike him... So he cursed himself and gave him the chance. He rolled over to the first person he had taken out of the fight and picked him up off the ground and stuck his fingers down his throat.

The other two launched at him and slammed their blunted weapons into his head. Kelevra's vision blurred, and before he passed out, he showed the assembled crowd that he was holding three teeth. He may have lost, but he'd done it on purpose, and he had done saving someone's life. People would remember that.

[Diandra Moon]

Location: Hackathorn
Company: Astaroth and Morgan

“Always.” She answered about the trees with a grin.

“Have I ridden you too hard?” She smiled and lifted her chin slightly. [color-crimson]“There’s an inn about two miles up the road if you can make it that far. Like I said, I’m used to a lot of hard riding. Sometimes it was the only way to get out of reach of the guards before I could lose them before Victor realized that my leaving in high dudgeon meant I’d be back when I decided.” She could honestly go until well past nightfall, or the horse decided it’d had enough, but she wouldn’t do that to Astaroth.

“After that, I have to go back to the castle…” She didn’t sound happy about it. Her life had suddenly gotten full of the responsible things she’d done her damned best to avoid…Political games…Problems…Putzes…She just wanted to disappear, but she couldn’t…She’d failed in protecting Victor…She’d saved Vesper, but…She knew she couldn’t blame herself…Victor was the older brother. He was the King. He was supposed to make intelligent decisions.

“I know you have a life back in Elysia, Astaroth. I’d love to see the house you told me about…But…” She gave a look around them. “I have things I have to do here. Until Victor wakes up at least.” And her eyes said no one had better say he might never wake up. She wouldn’t have any of it.

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Academy on Armor Island, Montarra
Speaking With: Kelevra

He watched the fight with great interest, the boy certainly did have talent. As he was knocked out he saw the boy had saved a life, a turn of events he hadn’t expected. He flicked his hand to the medical staff who carried him on a stretcher to the medical wing. After a few moments an analyst came up to him and handed him their analysis of the fight, they were suggesting he be placed in the third best team. Personally Donovan could see Kelevra took the fall at the end of the fight, the Prince could have made it into the top team if he wanted. Going to save that slave's life had been both a distraction, and a clear sign he wouldn't kill.

Donovan read it once and then headed to the medical wing with Anna in tow and waited for Kelevra to wake up. He instructed Anna to wait outside in the ante chamber and then headed into the recovery room. The prince’s head was bandaged and his worst bruises were being treated with some sort of ointment. “Wake him.” They used smelling salts to awaken him and then helped him up into a sitting position as he was groggy.

Donovan had the report of the fight in front of him and read it out to him after a moment, “Show’s planning in his movements. Cautious in technique. Considerate of human life. Recommend placement into third ranked team.” He laid the report on the bed Kelevra was in and looked at him.

“ Normally I’d go with the analysts review and place you on the team they recommend. But, I’m not so sure about you. Tell me how you thought the trial went.” He was tempted to put Kelevra in the top ranked team and see what happened, the other teams would eat him alive. This was a test for the boy, would he be honest and tell the truth, or would he lie.

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Brissol, Montarra
Speaking With: Rosalda Lawrence

Eliias stepped into the room of the former king and walked straight to the desk, hoping to find a journal or diary. There wasn't much to be seen, save for a few old journals that were dated back to last year. Eliias gave them a quick look, skimming through to see if he might find mention of any plans that would require time enough that would still be going on today. But there wasn't anything that stood out. Nevertheless, Eliias would give all of these another look later on. He would read them thoroughly and see what his king had been up to.

"My Queen." Eliias interrupted what she was doing as he flipped open the page of a leather bound diary he had found beside Peter's bed. A note had fallen out of it, and Eliias was quick to pick it up and read it, marking the page it had fallen from with his thumb. He read it out loud.

"Victor, my friend.

"I wish to join our families as one. I would like to propose an alliance, based on our old friendship, and the unity of marriage. I would consider it a great blessing if you would consider a marriage between your brother, Vesper, and my sister Rosalda.

"I intend to meet with you at your home soon, to discuss this further.

Your Friend,
King Peter Lawrence of Montarra."

Eliias handed the letter to Rosalda so that she could read it for herself, and then looked at the page in the journal it had fallen from. "His journal says that Victor did not give him an immediate answer when they met, but it was still under consideration."

[Sweet Little Riddle]

Current Location: Brissol, Montarra
Currently Speaking: Eliias Crowley

She had picked up one of the old leather bound journals and opened at a random place, as journals usually had randomization of thoughts, it was best to start looking for the most recent ones towards the back, never the less, she found a passage in her brother's writing in which caught her eye:
My sister asked me the strangest question this morning when I took a walk with her down the orchard. It happened so long ago that I cannot remember the question, and all I can remember is that I gave her a very basic answer. It's this sort of thing that begins to worry me about my plans with Victor, to further my plans for a complete alliance with his kingdom... Her brow furrowed, and she looked up when she heard Eliias' voice, and stared at him as he read.

And her grief turned into rage. Hateful rage.

"He...he had this planned," She said, her voice losing all warmth, a touch of disgust in her tone as her eyes ripped back to the journal. "This was written months before his visit to Hackathorne, when he was considering an alliance with them," She said, throwing the journal onto the desk with force, and her nostrils flaring with anger. He dared give her away like this? He dared to trade her like some prized horse, raised for show? After she had voiced so much against arranged marriages!? She did not even know this Vesper, and yet, he would have her married him.

"Did you know of this?" She turned back to Eliias, her gaze as hard and cold as her voice, her finger pointing the journal.

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: The Academy
Speaking With: Donovan DeVries

"I was told it was a simple test, to understand where I was meant to be placed. I made a guy choke on his own teeth for almost a minute, and I wasn't sure he would last much longer. So I saved him." Kelevra spoke what he was thinking at the time he had taken the fall, because he wasn't sure how much he should tell the Baron. He wasn't sure how far he should trust him. "I wasn't about to let someone die just so we could find out what team I belong on."

But there was more to it than that. Kelevra knew, but the Baron didn't. He wasn't sure whether or not initiative would be rewarded or beaten out of him, but he was brave enough to take a chance. "I made some friends already, and I wish to be placed on their team. They're the third ranked, according to them." Kelevra tried to remember the listing he had seen above the arena, the one that showed the name of what appeared to be the top ten ranked teams. "Shadow Reign, I believe they're called."

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Brissol, Montarra
Speaking With: Rosalda Lawrence

"I swear, I had no knowledge of this. I would have protested against it." And that was the truth. Eliias would not marry the queen of to any Kingdom, Hackathorn least of all. His plan for Rosalda had always been to stay in Montarra and share in the glory that he would bring to their kingdom. "Months ago, I was in Rochford. Your brother sent me to the wedding between King Rock and Queen Morrigan in his stead, and from there, I went to conduct business in Elysia and Noveria.

"I was far from Montarra and the only contact I had with the King were updates on my location, so he would know where to look if I did not return. I promise you, I would never have condoned this." It was easy to see that Peter had been looking out for the best interest of their kingdom, but he had been doing so in the wrong way. Hackathorn was a step backward. They were the kingdom of knowledge, but Victor was an impulsive fool that rarely put knowledge to good use. That was always obvious to Eliias. A union between Montarra and Hackthorn would have ended in disaster.

And Eliias wanted only the absolute best for Montarra.

[Hack Thornias]

Current Location: Academy on Armor Island, Montarra
Speaking With: Anna and all those in the Arena

Donovan looked at him and then nodded smiling slightly, “Good. Telling the truth when it suits you. You’re learning already.” He took the report again and took a Quill and signed the bottom of the report and then put it back. “Take this to the medic when you are discharged. They will take you to your new quarters. Teams live, sleep, train, and learn together.”

He stood and then after a moment decided to tell Kelevra a few more things, “The boy you saved will make a full recovery, minus his teeth of course. And the woman you saw me kill deserved it, she was whoring out students for profit and for her favorite Arena winners. I don’t kill unless it is necessary. One day you may need to learn that lesson.” He had learned it the hard way, he had killed without compulsion, without tact, without restraint when he was younger. His capture in Valryte and years in the underworld had taught him restraint.

He began to leave the room and over his shoulder said, “Sleep well tonight Prince. Tomorrow the real work starts.” Anna fell into step behind him as they left and he looked at her, “Rest up Anna. Be at my office three hours past sunrise.”

He dismissed her and then went to his office to rest and to finish reading several reports. He still had quite a bit of paperwork to finish before he could sleep however. “No rest for the wicked, which means I’ll never sleep.” He muttered to himself as he read a proposition for a new test from the Arena master.

[Sweet Little Riddle]

Current Location: Brissol, Montarra
Currently Speaking: Eliias Crowley

"Perhaps your disapproval is why he kept you away," She said bitterly, throwing a glare to the journals. Rosalda was breathing heavily, her mind reeling. She could recall the conversation she had with Peter about this entire subject, about the arranged marriages. Rose had told him point blank that if she had to choose between an arranged marriage or throwing herself off the highest tower, and surviving, yet, left at the base to slowly die, she would happily throw herself off the tower. And yet...Peter had left, and he told her she'd never have to worry about doing something like that.

Liar.

She turned away from Eliias, snatching up another journal and glaring down at it. "Well, obviously it seemed that my brother's idea was to keep with the alliance in Hackathorn." She said softly. "But, I won't keep to it. Not the way he wants to. Hackathorn is a risk factor. We start looking elsewhere for alliances. Send the cure over to Hackathorn as a sign of good will, but, we will remain distant towards them politically until we can figure out where they stand." She said, her voice firm."It is obvious my brother foolishly had eyes for Hackthorn and no one else."

She looked at him. "Feel free to look at my brother's journals. Though, I'll say they're of better use as kindling rather than reading material,"

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Brissol, Montarra
Speaking With: Rosalda Lawrence

"Lady Rose," Eliias grabbed a few journals and placed them into an open chest so he could carry them all out easily. "Your brother was not the wisest king. He was a man that let his heart lead him. He loved you a great deal, and he loved Victor as well. He let that love for his friend cloud his judgement and he made a poor call, but I would hope you would not let this taint his memory. It would not have happened, Rose. You would not have married anyone in Hackathorn.

"I'd have sooner married you myself than let that happen." Eliias didn't fully realize the gravity of what he had said, and he swept passed the queen and to the door, chest full of journals cradled in his arms, before stopping and turning back to look at her. "We should go. I'll read over the journals and let you know if I find anything else that concerns you.

"In the mean time, perhaps it would be wise to start planning your coronation."

[Sweet Little Riddle]

Current Location: Brissol, Montarra
Currently Speaking: Eliias Crowley

"...It's the fact that he would even think of doing this," She said softly, before looking up at him. Her brow furrowed as she listened to him. He'd have married her before she married someone in Hackathorn? Well. That couldn't have been as bad...but, it did not have to happen now. She still had her freedom, and her brother had none. His had been taken from him, and he hadn't a chance to fight for it. Not like she would have should he have ever brought the subject up. She would have fought until her last breath against that marriage. He didn't stand a chance.

When he mentioned the coronation, she made a face, but nodded. Honestly, it was just seen to her as busy work, and she had no idea where to start...but, that was nothing. Some people in the castle had done two coronation in their lifetime, and perhaps...well...Aunt Freyja was usually good with this sort of thing, wasn't she? Perhaps it would not be so bad to request her help...but the gowns her aunt would try to force her in.

Guh. If her inner organs could cry, they probably would have been at the thought of what monstrosities that she would have in store for her.

After a moment's pause, she looked at him. "Yes...yes you're right," She said quietly, her gaze turning back to him. There was no warmth in them. That was gone. There was no warmth left in this damned kingdom, this damned city, this damned throne. And she knew if she did not get out soon, she would turn cold as the stones around her.

[Kelevra Black]

Current Location: Brissol, Montarra
Speaking With: Iago Cassio

Reid, with records in hand, wandered into Iago's study and found the man working away at something that Reid currently had no interest in. Iago was Reid's least favorite person in the castle. There was something about the man that just gnawed away at Reid's last nerve. Perhaps it was the way he looked at women, or perhaps it was his strange sense of confidence... The way he carried himself like he was a god living among mere mortals, it made Reid hate him.

... Or perhaps it was jealousy, since Reid was a shy and awkward man who didn't have the confidence to talk to women he thought were attractive, and instead spent his time laboring over financial records and getting better acquainted with investment dealers instead of with people that wouldn't treat him like a business opportunity.

"Master Cassio, I was looking over the records, and I noticed that quite a large sum of gold was pulled from the vaults in order to fund your research. Now, the king signed off on this, but he did not give a description of what your work would entail. It's safe to say he didn't know what you were working on, and therefor signed off on it because our dear Master Crowley advised it...

"I don't care what it was. All I care about is the signature... I'm here to mention that Queen Rosalda may not be as nonchalant as Peter was, and it is my duty to report this strange investment to her. So I suggest that you be ready to answer to her."

Reid noticed that the gold had been pulled from the vault several months ago, and the research had ended right around the time of King Rock and Lady Morrigan's wedding, around the time the plague erupted in Hackathorn, and around the time that Iago had disappeared for nearly a week. He wasn't sure what was happening... At the moment he did not care. He cared only about the coin, and why his records were lacking specificity.