The High Tower Mages [A LITERATE Fantasy RP] N//A

[MellowliciousMellowlicious]

INTRO

Welcome to the magical kingdom of Eucharisté! A place where Royalty rules the people.
At least, that is what the citizens believe. . .

The High Tower Mages is a Literate roleplay that I created. It all is fantasy related with magic and some different available races. I have some very strict rules with characters and such in here, so make sure you read EVERYTHING! Thanks, and hope you enjoy it!

This thread is a continuation of an old one. Due to a huge time skip and such, we decided it would be easier to just start up a new thread considering the changes we went through as it is. The old thread can be found here.

Unfortunately due to lack of posting for a long period of time, this roleplay is no longer accepting new members. Current members are attempting to wrap up the storyline for a simple ending to the storyline rather than simply killing the roleplay.

. Intro . Story . Rules . Races . Villages . Profile Skeletons . White & Black List . Other Info & Updates .

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STORY

Prologue

The kingdom of Eucharisté was once quite peaceful. It was ruled by five powerful mages, each masters of a certain element. They were know to the citizens as the "High Tower Mages." Peace had been maintained by these mages for many years until new ones came forth to replace the old, and found that their differing opinions made things complicated. In an attempt to resolve this problem, a royal family was formed. The mages claimed to have "stepped down" and allow a new ruler to take control. This began the ruling of the Volonte family. Although the citizens believed the royal family to now be in charge, that was not the case. The mages used the king as a means to help avoid disagreements in their ruling, feeling that one ruler was better than five. Ultimately, the king became their "puppet." This system has been going on for centuries and appeared to have been working quite well. But, eventually someone was going to find out, and the mages feared for that day, worried of how the kingdom would react.

Chapter One

After centuries of mages coming and going and the royal family remaining "in power," things began to slowly go downhill. What started it all was the murder of the Light Mage, Sakura. This was the first time it had happened, which created a shock to the others. Typically a mage died due to old age, illness, or sometimes in battle (though that was a rare occasion on its own). Not wanting word to get out to the citizens of the murder, the mages planned an idea on how to stage her death. As they worked on this plan, another surprise occurred; the sudden death of their current king, Gideon. With his death, the son, Giuliano would be next in line for the throne, who was a threat to the mages, knowing all too well he would be a hard one to keep as a puppet. The newly appointed Light Mage (previously an apprentice until the murder), Zotikos, managed to alter the Prince's appearance and wipe his memory clean. The mages returned to their plan of covering up Sakura's murder, though now including the Prince as well. They staged a fire in a section of the castle, however things went horribly out of control. The Fire Mage, Alexandros, lost control of the fire elemental he had summoned to make it look as if Sakura and Giuliano had perished in it. This brought suspicions to the royal guard. On top of that, assassins had appeared to grow more bold and attempted to infiltrate the castle. The next few years were spent with the mages attempting to mend their mistakes and get the kingdom back to normal. Well, at least as close to 'normal' as it was going to get.

Chapter Two

Twenty years have passed since the incident and things have started to return to how they used to be, with some differences. The Princess, Lisabeth, was forced to take the throne as Queen after the death of her father and brother. Taking the place of king, and in turn marrying Lisabeth, was former head guard, Cyrus Deniz. Taking his place as head guard was Ascheriit, who was also the personal guard to Lisabeth. After the marriage and coronation and such, the mages made sure to approach Cyrus and fill him in on how things worked in the castle.
After a while, the mages felt that there was too much risk remaining in their tower, fearing that a war could easily break out inside the castle walls if Cyrus were to turn on them. So they created a new tower in the merchant town of Coralea and moved there. Of course, they made many trips to the castle, the current dark mage's teleportation made travel quite easy, and spoke with Cyrus often. Since then things had appeared to have calmed down, the mages still feared that their secret may get out, and if that were to happen, who knows what the villagers will do. . .

. Intro . Story . Rules . Races . Villages . Profile Skeletons . White & Black List . Other Info & Updates .

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RULES

Here are some important rules I would like you to follow. Please read them all and keep watching them, because you never know when I might change something! Also included in these rules are some small ‘notes’ about the characters. Just some things you should know about the different Profiles you can make.

~ Be LITERATE!! I will not tolerate illiterate Roleplayers. It’s really annoying to try and have a nice RP and it gets ruined because the people in it don’t know how to properly post.
~ Be respectful to other fellow Gaians. We all have feelings, so words do hurt us. We will treat you nicely if you treat us nicely. Simple concept.
~ NO advertising for quests or such without permission first.
~ NO godmodding. It’s just stupid.
~ When speaking Out Of Context (OOC), use [[These]], {{These}}, or ((These)).
~ Only use Third Person. Which means all thoughts are italicized and all spoken words are “quoted”.
~ Enjoy yourselves! This RP is meant to have fun. I don’t want to have to yell at people constantly.
~ Keep OOC chat to a bare minimum. If you wish to chat a lot with someone, feel free to do so in the OOC Thread!
~ If you decide you cannot continue in the RP, or you are doing something like quitting Gaia completely, tell me!! I am tired of messaging inactive people and then they tell me. I would like to know in the beginning.

~Character Notes~

Alright, so I just want to explain some things about the profiles before I move on to the other stuff. First off; All mages are human. There will be no other Races mixed in. The same goes for the Royal Family (King, Queen, etc). They must be only human (Yes, the current king is somewhat inhuman, but there is reasoning to that, so I have allowed it). The mages ruled that guards were to be strictly non-magic humans, however after Cyrus took over, that rule was removed after some convincing to the mages, therefore guards can be other races. As for magic; The mages would be considered the most powerful magic-users in Eucharisté. Each mage has control over one particular element. Absolutely no one in the Royal Family is allowed magic. The mages have to maintain their power, which is why they made sure no one was able to use/learn magic. Guards are allowed small magic, as in nothing overly powerful. And finally, villagers can be any race, preferably half-breeds, and like guards are allowed small magic powers. Nothing too extreme.

. Intro . Story . Rules . Races . Villages . Profile Skeletons . White & Black List . Other Info & Updates .

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RACES

As I explained earlier, only the villagers have different races among them.
The Mages are all human and when they created the Royal Family, they kept them human as well, with no magic or such.
Here of the different races I have made available. If you come up with another one that is not overly powerful, then feel free to PM me. Also, I would prefer half breeds if you come up with races, though full breeds are allowed as well. I just find full breeds to be considered more powerful, is all.

Kitsune
Neko
Half Demon
Half Angel
Half Bat
Faerie
Elf
Half-Elf
Vampire
Werewolf

. Intro . Story . Rules . Races . Villages . Profile Skeletons . White & Black List . Other Info & Updates .

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VILLAGES

There are six villages total in Eucharisté. Here I will tell you what the villages are and what races of villagers tend to reside in them.
Kingdom Map

Noratia ~ Large town where the Palace is located. (Mostly humans)
Coralea ~ Large Marketplace (Mostly humans)
Manaro ~ Forest Town (Faeries, Elves, Half-Elves, Occasional Human)
Primerel ~ Small Village. Very holy and saintly. (Mostly Half Angels and Humans)
Vanorii ~ Small Village. Very dark and corrupt. (Mostly Half Demons, Half Bats, and Humans)

There are other nations surrounding Eucharisté, and I have no problem if you wish to create a foreigner. We already have a couple nations that have been created, so I do not mind other nations to be made for the sake of your character. They would still be classified as "villagers" though.

. Intro . Story . Rules . Races . Villages . Profile Skeletons . White & Black List . Other Info & Updates .

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PROFILE SKELETONS

All Profiles will be posted in the Profile Thread, so keep an eye out for new characters!

And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for! It’s time to choose what profile you wish to go for! Now, I have a special rule when it comes to Profiles.
You must PM me the profile.
You may have as many chacters as you can handle. Please don't create six characters and only use two or three of them. I have been able to keep track of five or more characters, so it's not hard. If you don't think you can, then don't make that many.
Alrighty, here we go!!



~The High Tower Mages~

There are Five Elements/Practices that can be chosen for the Five Mages. The ones taken will have the name of the mage beside it.

Fire ~ Fino H. Venelest
Former Fire Mage ~ Alexandros Vandemere
Water/Ice ~ Meer Atotar
Earth ~ Lok'Ryaha Gamarung
Dark Magic ~ Anna-Maria Prinella
Dark Apprentice ~ Available!
Light Magic ~ Zotikos Astor

When describing your magic in the Profile, please be as descriptive as possible. Also, when placing the IMG code in, try to make sure that the picture is not much larger than the skeleton itself, and make sure the pic does not stretch the page.
The Mages are not average humans. They are able to live longer due to their magic. They may appear in their 30’s, but really be hundreds of years old. Please keep that in mind.
For apprentices, there will only be one allowed for the Dark Mage, due to all the other mages being previous apprentices only recently stepping in to their position.


Skeleton

[imgright]Character URL Here[/imgright]
[size=11]I was born with the name [i][color=COLOR]Full Name[/color][/i], but everyone just calls me [i][color=COLOR]Nickname(s)[/color][/i].
By looking at me, some say I am [i][color=COLOR]Appeared Age[/color][/i], but I really am [i][color=COLOR]Actual Age[/color][/i].
One quick glance in the mirror should tell you I am a [i][color=COLOR]Gender[/color][/i].
Not like you should care, but I prefer [i][color=COLOR]Sexual Preference[/color][/i].
[i][color=COLOR]Love Interest[/color][/i] currently catches my eye.
I am very well known for how I am able to [i][color=COLOR]Magic Abilities[/color][/i].
[APPRENTICE ONLY] I study under the instruction of [i][color=COLOR]Mage[/color][/i].
Take one hard look at me and you will see [i][color=COLOR]Appearance Description[/color][/i]
Once you get to know me, you will find that I am [i][color=COLOR]Personality[/color][/i].
Some history you might like to know about me is [i][color=COLOR]Background[/color][/i].
You also might like to know that [i][color=COLOR]Extra Information[/color][/i].
Remove my mask and you will find [i][color=COLOR]Username[/color][/i].[/size]

~The Royal Family~

There are not many roles needed for the royal family, but they do need to be covered. Taken positions will have the name of the character beside it. There is no limit to the number of guards added. They will be added below with the rest. Also keep in mind that if you wish to be the Prince or Princess, they must be between the ages 5 and 18. The King and Queen have only been together for roughly 20 years, so we cannot have a child that is older than that time span.

King ~ Cyrus Deniz Volonte
Queen ~ Lisabeth Marie Volonte
Prince ~ Available
Princess ~ Danal Kiella Volonte
Head Guard ~ Ascheriit Jalanne
Palace Guards ~ Bella Marie Singleton; Faith Erin Singleton

Remember that the Royal Family has no magic and are all human. If you want some one in the group to have magic, you must clear it with me. Be as descriptive as possible. In the skeleton, when you get to the position, if you wish to be a palace guard, you must choose the second option. All the rest choose the first.
(i.e. “I am known as the King of Eucharisté” for Royal family, and “I am known as a Palace Guard of the Royal Family" )

Skeleton

[imgright]Character URL Here[/imgright]
[size=11]I was born with the name [i][color=COLOR]Full Name[/color][/i], but everyone just calls me [i][color=COLOR]Nickname(s)[/color][/i].
By looking at me, some say I am [i][color=COLOR]Appeared Age[/color][/i], but I really am [i][color=COLOR]Actual Age[/color][/i].
One quick glance in the mirror should tell you I am a [i][color=COLOR]Gender[/color][/i].
Not like you should care, but I prefer [i][color=COLOR]Sexual Preference[/color][/i].
[i][color=COLOR]Love Interest[/color][/i] currently catches my eye.
I am known as the/a [i][color=COLOR]Position[/color][/i] of Eucharisté/the Royal Family.
Take one hard look at me and you will see [i][color=COLOR]Appearance Description[/color][/i]
Once you get to know me, you will find that I am [i][color=COLOR]Personality[/color][/i].
Some history you might like to know about me is [i][color=COLOR]Background[/color][/i].
You also might like to know that [i][color=COLOR]Extra Information[/color][/i].
Remove my mask and you will find [i][color=COLOR]Username[/color][/i].[/size]

~The Villagers~

There is nothing special needed for villagers. They are only of different races. Be descriptive, please.

Villagers ~ Valen Carreau; Alexander Lewis; Aneko Coldbane; Kael; Temujin; Jade Nicolas; Cain Hilton Nicolas; Tyr Ilisti; Neil Vale; Evelyn Julian Ellis; Cirella Charenne

Skeleton

[imgright]Character URL Here[/imgright]
[size=11]I was born with the name [i][color=COLOR]Full Name[/color][/i], but everyone just calls me [i][color=COLOR]Nickname(s)[/color][/i].
By looking at me, some say I am [i][color=COLOR]Appeared Age[/color][/i], but I really am [i][color=COLOR]Actual Age[/color][/i].
One quick glance in the mirror should tell you I am a [i][color=COLOR]Gender[/color][/i].
Not like you should care, but I prefer [i][color=COLOR]Sexual Preference[/color][/i].
[i][color=COLOR]Love Interest[/color][/i] currently catches my eye.
As you can tell, I am a [i][color=COLOR]Race[/color][/i].
The Village I reside in is [i][color=COLOR]Village[/color][/i]
Take one hard look at me and you will see [i][color=COLOR]Appearance Description[/color][/i]
Once you get to know me, you will find that I am [i][color=COLOR]Personality[/color][/i].
Some history you might like to know about me is [i][color=COLOR]Background[/color][/i].
You also might like to know that [i][color=COLOR]Extra Information[/color][/i].
Remove my mask and you will find [i][color=COLOR]Username[/color][/i].[/size]

. Intro . Story . Rules . Races . Villages . Profile Skeletons . White & Black List . Other Info & Updates .

[MellowliciousMellowlicious]

WHITE & BLACK LIST

Here is where I will post if a person is really good or bad.



~White List~

Lazos, Starlord1212, and Hazel Eyes 5 for all your help in getting things set up! And for sticking around so long. Thanks guys!



~Black List~

<None>

. Intro . Story . Rules . Races . Villages . Profile Skeletons . White & Black List . Other Info & Updates .

[MellowliciousMellowlicious]

OTHER INFO & UPDATES

I will add any important information here when it comes up.

~ September 4th, 2011 ~
I am pleased to announce that the roleplay is officially RE-opened! After a couple weeks of discussing what to do to revive the roleplay, things have been figured out and a new thread has been opened with the updated storyline. I hope to see some new faces around here very soon!

~ December 8th, 2011 ~
So I got bored and created a banner for the roleplay. If you're interested in putting it in your signature, It is posted below with the code!

[url=http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/barton-town/the-high-tower-mages-a-literate-fantasy-rp-o-a/t.74512527_1/?sequence=1][img]http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b288/Love_Bird_2009/HighTowerBanner.jpg[/img][/url]

. Intro . Story . Rules . Races . Villages . Profile Skeletons . White & Black List . Other Info & Updates .

[MellowliciousMellowlicious]

This Roleplay is Officially RE-OPENED!!

[Starlord1212]

Ascheriit Jalanne

"This world is so much more
interesting then my own."

It was typically said that the Head Guard of Eucharisté never slept. While in most cases, like the former Head Guard Cyrus Deniz, it was simply a 'rumor' born from respect for a man who seemed to be everywhere at once, in Ascheriit's case it was a statement of fact. Born between a half angel father and a pureblood mother, Ascheriit exemplified every trait of a pureblooded angel - powerful magic and astral wings, an almost non-existant aging process, inhuman physical prowess, and a body that required neither sleep nor sustenance. However that was not to say Ascheriit's human blood was not significant - it was simply so thin that the only thing he inherited from it was an unusual adaptability to dark magic and demonic corruption. Oddly enough this small human side, so small as to be entirely undetected in his ordinary life, had ended up saving his life.

I wonder if I should try to disguise my red eye... I know some of the newer guards are a bit afraid of it still. I can't expect every human to be as open-minded as Cyrus after all.. Ascheriit mused to himself, having retreated back to his room at the dawn of a new day to bathe and dress himself in a clean uniform. Standing in front of a full-sized mirror, Ascheriit had a clear view of his growth in the past twenty years. Or rather his lack of growth. Over the past twenty years Ascheriit had grown no more then a few inches and showed no obvious signs of even beginning puberty... and he was over forty years old. It didn't bother him tremendously - on the contrary he was grateful for the fact that, as an angel, he would literally never pass his 'prime' - but it would be nice to look a bit more his age, at least in terms of human standards. He briefly ran a finger down the long scar in the center of his chest, where Cyrus had so long ago almost killed him, or at least his possessed self, in self defense. Though I suppose human standards need not apply to me at all. His brief moment of introspection complete, Ascheriit suited up in his standard white uniform - that hadn't changed in twenty years - did his morning stretches (he was remarkably flexible with almost a contortionists ability to bend his body) and proceeded out into the hallways to begin his rounds, his enchanted rapier at his side and a tremendous amount of ink and parchment concealed throughout his person and in his sleeves.

Since he never slept describing Ascheriit as a 'morning person' would be an understatement. Though he took some time off each morning to paint, or simply watch, the sunrise he began his morning routine only a few minutes after the sun had appeared in the sky. His first stop was, as always, Lisabeth's chamber. Though, he thought with a wry smile, it was Cyrus's chamber now too. While Ascheriit had adopted the manners befitting his station and that of Lisabeth and Cyrus's he had never been able to truly think of Lisabeth as Queen and Cyrus as King... they were simply as close to a little sister and a best friend as Ascheriit had ever known.

"I'd advise you not to underestimate me.
You won't have a second chance if you do."

╔═══════════════════════╗

Location: Noratia Castle
With: No one
Thinking: Hunger really is an unpleasant sensation...
Feeling: Content with the status quo

╚═══════════════════════╝

[Lazos]

The crossroads of history are never comfortable locales, yet I fear this is where we now stand. All that look back on these days will see them either as a great triumph or an opportunity squandered.
Cyrus Deniz Volonte

The king of Eucharisté never had required all that much sleep, even as a guard. No... perhaps that was not quite correct. He was quite capable of getting plenty of it, but matters were seldom so relaxed to allow it, and he had a tendency to, as it was sometimes put, 'work himself to death'. Or the point of exhaustion, at the very least. Still, while he had been trying to get better about that sort of thing, there had been times when that had come in handy over these last two decades. For one, it was a strange thing, trying to be both a king and a father at once, but he made every effort to be there for them, to be a part of their childhoods just as much is Lisabeth. He had not been entirely successful, of course; the affairs of state were many, and there had even been a few conflicts over the years which had required him to act as commander personally, drawing him away from home for weeks at a time. But despite all of that, he would have liked to think he did a good job, overall.

What was more, even despite the crippling inertia of the mages, his reign had seen more done than had been accomplished in the last few centuries, at least from a certain perspective. The nonsensical racial restrictions on the royal guard, which he had the taken steps to subvert even as their captain, were now entirely gone, at least on paper. The same with that infuriating practice of slavery; indeed, even obvious moral implications aside, they tended to be far, far too easily turned to ill purposes by any promising freedom, a promise which often came at all too high a cost. True, there was still some strife surrounding this -- Ascheriit's forces had certainly not gone for lack of things to do over the years -- but overall, things were improving. What was more, the forests, if not precisely safe, were certainly better than they once were. True, he had not been able to bring himself to wipe out the trolls, which would likely cause great short-term strife anyhow, but they had been encouraged to stay away from the roads by the expanded military and system of fortifications. Overall, things... weren't bad. At least, not on the surface.

He'd gotten a letter several hours ago, under cover of night, from a half-bat courier serving the intelligence forces of House Deniz, and now sat back at his desk in the quarters he and his queen now shared. Those forces would still answer to him, as would those he had inherited from the Giuliano, even though he had been building his own contacts over the years as well, and occasionally delivered letters in the ancient script of his own bloodline with happenings in his former home. The mages, it seemed, were slowly taking more and more power in Coralea, and despite his efforts, his brother was simply not the governor his late grandmother had been. It had, of course, been gradual, but the guards there had served the same line for nearly a millennium; transitions were coming painfully. It opened up old wounds, old questions, as it always did.

It was a sign, he supposed, that history was perhaps not quite done with him and those others who inhabited this time, not yet.

Hah. Like he didn't know that one already.

For the sake of those I protect, and all those to come, may we have the wisdom to choose the greater path.

[Starlord1212]

Ascheriit Jalanne

"This world is so much more
interesting then my own."

It did not take Ascheriit long to reach the King and Queen's room - a small benefit for living so close to the pair. While he had staunchly opposed moving into Cyrus's old room, the Head Guard's room, in favor of his large but out of the way abode in the far corner of the castle's northeast tower Cyrus had insisted enough that he had been forced to make the transition. And while he still disliked all the unwanted attention having a room people actually knew about brought, after a bit of time Ascheriit had begrudgingly admitted that there were certain benefits to being in a more central location in the castle. After all it was much easier to know what was going on in the castle once he had stopped trying to avoid the castle in the first place.

But when Ascheriit finally did reach the large doors leading into the King and Queen's private chamber he paused. Ascheriit was not so inconsiderate as to enter a married couple's room in the morning without knocking - in fact he had long ago put a system in place to know whether it was... safe... for him to interrupt at all. But after checking all available signals on the outside of the pairs room Ascheriit found that it was 'clear' for him to knock.

Ascheriit had also mastered the art of knocking to a certain degree during the past twenty years. Lisabeth, while becoming a ruler in her own right, was sometimes accustomed to sleeping in - a habit Ascheriit had observed his entire career. And while the King's suite was large and consisted of bedroom, private studies, and a entrance 'lounge' of sorts he had found a certain 'optimal' knock that Cyrus's attentive ears could keenly pick up without disturbing Lisabeth too tremendously, should she choose to sleep in.

"I'd advise you not to underestimate me.
You won't have a second chance if you do."

╔═══════════════════════╗

Location: Noratia Castle
With: No one
Thinking: Hunger really is an unpleasant sensation...
Feeling: Content with the status quo

╚═══════════════════════╝

((I totally decided on your room layout (at least vaguely) on my own. Let me know if I should edit it. It just seems too weird for Ascheriit to wander into a potentially sleeping Lisabeth even if he does think of her as a little sister and has almost certainly woken her up before.))

[MellowliciousMellowlicious]

•°o Lisabeth Marie Volonte o°•
"Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail."

»» Sleeping in appeared to be a habit that was difficult for the current Queen of Eucharisté to break, although she did try her best to drag herself out of bed. This morning, Lisabeth managed to wake up somewhat early. As she sat up in her bed, she noticed Cyrus was absent. Of course, she hardly ever saw the man sleep anymore. She always went to bed before him and whenever she awoke, he was already up and about. Stretching for a moment, she got out of the bed and went to dress herself for the day. She dressed herself in one of her elaborate dresses, though she did not care to wear them. Lisabeth had always been one to prefer wearing something comfortable, such as pants and a shirt, but it was not fitting for a Queen as she had been taught, so she did not wear it. Fixing up her hair and pinning it up in a half ponytail so as to keep the hair out of her eyes, she took a quick look in the mirror. Although she was definitely much older, it looked almost as if she hardly aged, looking ten years younger. However just looking at her, one could easily see how much she had matured over the years. The snobbish, bratty expression she often wore was replaced with a kinder one. Satisfied with how she looked, the young Queen exitted the bedroom and moved into the private studies, spotting Cyrus seated at a desk nearby. She smiled as she watched him for a moment before greeting him with a somewhat cheerful, "'Morning." She had found herself getting along with her husband much better as the years went on, considering when they first married, she could hardly stand the man. Now she actually respected him much more, especially after everything he had accomplished in their kingdom.
The sound of knocking on their door attracted her attention, which brought a wide smile to her lips. Judging by the time, Lisabeth had a good idea as to who it was. Letting Cyrus remain at his desk to take care of whatever it was he was busy with, she made her way to their small foyer and opened the door to reveal exactly who she thought was there. Moving to the side, she gave the man room to walk in. "Good Morning, Ascheriit!" ««

"Failure is another steppingstone to greatness."

╔═══════════════════════╗

Location: Noratia Castle; Quarters
With: Cyrus and Ascheriit
Thinking: Does that man ever sleep anymore?
Feeling: Ready for a new day

╚═══════════════════════╝

[[ I like the layout, Starlord. I wondered myself if their quarters would be all one room or not, but I like having it sort of separated. ]]

[Starlord1212]

Ascheriit Jalanne

"This world is so much more
interesting then my own."

Ascheriit was surprised to see Lisabeth up so early though his composure was such that only a fraction of a single eyebrow was raised. While it was not unheard of it was a somewhat surprising occurrence and, in Ascheriit's eyes, a pleasant surprise. Having felt no emotion whatsoever for about half of his life, Ascheriit was very good at controlling his expressions and, without a moments hesitation, gave Lisabeth a half-teasing, half-all-too-serious bow. "Good Morning, Milady Lisabeth. Forgive me for disturbing you but I need to give my evening report." Very formal, very proper, the very model of guardsmen etiquette.

Of course that was before he stepped through the door and lightly closed the door behind him. Over the past twenty years Lisabeth had, with great hardship, managed to convince Ascheriit to speak to her and Cyrus informally, at least when they were in the private. And while Ascheriit still enjoyed to put on airs, if only to tease Lisabeth from time to time, he was actually much more relaxed around the pair of them then he might otherwise let on. "Of course if my Queen were to order to relax for a few minutes, I would have no other choice but to sit down and ask what her plans are for the next week. After all, it just so happens that I accidentally double booked my schedules for this next week and suddenly have almost an entire afternoons free time." He shrugged his shoulders, an expression of mock helplessness crossing his face, "But for the life of me I can't think of anyone I would want to spend the time with. Unless the Royal Family were too suddenly double book their schedules as well..." He finished with a wry grin, "But what are the chances the Royal Family would have an afternoon off at the same time that most of the Royal Guard have off too?"

"I'd advise you not to underestimate me.
You won't have a second chance if you do."

╔═══════════════════════╗

Location: Noratia Castle: Kings Quarters
With: No one
Thinking: Of course I'd probably have to assign Bella and Faith to guard the King, even if he's simply lounging in the garden. After all, gardens are very dangerous places.
Feeling: Content with the status quo

╚═══════════════════════╝

[Lazos]

The crossroads of history are never comfortable locales, yet I fear this is where we now stand. All that look back on these days will see them either as a great triumph or an opportunity squandered.
Cyrus Deniz Volonte

Cyrus smiled, returning his bride's greeting as she came in. He was well aware of their varying sleeping habits, and did, on occasion, speculate that perhaps her increased rest was responsible for her seeming to age more... well he was going to say slowly, but this was almost a sort of stasis. Not that he minded, of course. Besides, though the first few years had been... trying, to put it modestly... she'd become quite a the queen, and things had been patched together quite nicely as the ages passed.

He had, in fact, heard the knock himself, but considering Liz was already headed towards the entrance, there was little sense in preventing the queen from dealing with their visitors. Upon hearing who it was, though, as well as he proposal, he quickly rose from his chair, his look becoming less introspective and more wily. "For the royal heirs? Quite good, I'd say. I may have a certain level of influence over their tutors in such matters." Of that, he was certain. While he was certainly not lax on his children's learning -- he had long since insisted they receive the same training that Lisabeth once had, with a bit of his own thrown in where he though it would be of use -- days when all five of them could get together at once were rare enough that he'd be willing to give the later tutors a holiday. And yet, "as for myself..." Desires of his heart aside, he actually had to consider that one, running over what he had scheduled for this afternoon, making sure that he did not insult some foreign diplomat or somesuch by refusing to meet for several more days.. Then, looking down at the letter still clutched in his hand, his gaze became somewhat unfocused, a strange mix between immediate happiness and long-term concern filling his mind. "Mmm. Yes, I only had one appointment for this afternoon, but it has been, shall we say, postponed." He was originally planning to meet with a delegation from Coralea regarding the river route south -- a monthly status report, really -- but under the current circumstances, his family had elected to keep them within the city for the time being. The mages would likely scarcely notice at any rate, what with them easily having direct access to the markets.

The look was fleeting, however, the mood quickly banished to the back of his mind. If these days really were numbered, then perhaps he should enjoy this time with his family while he could, no? "So, what might you have had in mind, Ascheriit?"

For the sake of those I protect, and all those to come, may we have the wisdom to choose the greater path.

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Location: Noratia Castle; Quarters
With: Liz and Ascheriit
Thinking: Perhaps enjoying myself for an afternoon wouldn't be such a bad idea.
Feeling: Somewhat concerned, but for the moment, happy.

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((Works for me as well.))