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 Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:23 pm
Placement of Regions: (subject to change)
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxMalettaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxGamasxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
ArthiusxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxFaneliaxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxIzoratxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxLamayaxxxxxxxxxxx Fire Emblem: Stone of Calamity The continent of Sumaria enjoys an age of peace. It is a time of prosperity for many nations and their citizens. For many, this era is a time of happiness, perhaps an indication that man has learned much from the strife of their blood-stained past of war and conflict. For some, however, it is a time of waiting - waiting for opportunities to begin such conflict. All that is needed for the flames of calamity to be lit once more is a slight push...for man has learned nothing.
Maletta, Land of the Never-Ending Winter, ruled by the wise and beautiful Queen Isadora.
Gamas, Land of the Ever-Shifting Sands, ruled by the gruff but fair Emperor Demuth.
Lamaya, Land of the Endless Savannah, led by the honest and nomadic female Chief Veran.
Fanelia, Nation of Limitless Might, ruled by the stalwart and powerful Emperor Gradius.
Arthius, Nation of Infinite Knowledge, ruled by the scholarly and just King Kennon.
Izorat, Nation of Boundless Aspirations, ruled by the young and talented Queen Celestine.
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Posted: Fri Dec 09, 2011 9:24 pm
~Fire Emblem: Stone of Calamity~ The RP itself will be action/adventure, similar to the games. Also, semi-lit to literate.
I realize that this introduction post has many grammatical and spelling errors. To be quite frank, i'm just too lazy to fix it up since it hasn't garnered much interest thus far. I will adjust everything needed if this seems okay.
Beginning -
Emperor Gradius had a lot of things. Money, power, the finest sustenance the continent of Sumaria had to offer, and all the women he could want. The problem? He was a power-hungry fool, even with his dominant position over many millions of people in his own country. Fanelia was without a doubt the strongest nation in the world - it couldn't topple every other region simultaneously, but it could certainly conquer any one or two given a fair amount of time. However, there arose the next 'problem' - there was no just cause for war. Therefore, if it were to be declared, all would unite against him (save for the nation of Maletta, which would remain neutral). Few, namely his finest Generals, knew of his ambitions. Yet, any of his vassals might just be able to sense it by gazing upon his unhappy and brooding visage whenever his eyes fell on the enormous tapestry containing a detailed map of the world above the entrance to the throne room.
And so this is where it all begins - with one human who already has everything in the world and wants more. Surely, thought Kaoru, that humanity would learn something from their disgusting history. Neither he nor Kei understood why humans had to find some allegedly 'royal' life form that did nothing but think of ways to get his people killed in mindless conflict to bow their heads to. Of course, this is why they'd come to Gradius in the first place...because he was such a life form.
"So, what you seek lies in either Arthius or Izorat?" asked the Emperor, recalling past conversation on this matter. He'd only meet these enigmatic twins recently, although he'd quickly found that he couldn't help but believe everything they had said about themselves. The two spoke with such conviction, such undeniable reason. That and the fact that they'd slipped past even the royal guard to reach him - in his own sleeping quarters! - was evidence enough. After that, he'd simply cleared out the throne room in the nighttime and watched in muted fascination as the two cloaked children appeared without any precursor whatsoever to their entrance.
"The stone is from ancient times... we are unable to be certain," Kei answered tonelessly," but we sense that the energy waves are emanating from that direction of the world."
"Lost in the Ending War, was it not? Tell me, what brings you two little creatures here to seek it now? And why not go search for it yourselves?"
Kaoru spoke next, alternating speech with his sister as usual," Fortunate circumstances allow us to stand here before you and offer domination of the human world in exchange for a small favor on your part - I hardly think it is relevant where we came from."
"Oh? Well then, I hope you understand if I call in the guards to execute two intruders - both of whom are powerless to stop me without the object in their possession."
The twosome exchanged glances and each removed one glove from their respective hands. Kaoru's was the right glove, and Kei's was the left. Bringing their pale spidery fingers together, the hands were instantaneously replaced by two claws, miniature versions of the ones held by the dragons that had plagued humanity up until the Ending War so long ago. Gradius grunted upon seeing this, regretting his earlier comment. He was reminded that he couldn't quite claim power over them just yet, even if they lacked their dragon stone.
"Even in these despicable bodies... we can still end your life. There are others in this world like you, fool Emperor - do not forget that," hissed Kei. Her voice somehow dripped with venom despite its lack of emotion.
"Hmph... I see...well then, how do you propose we begin this? I've already explained why Fanelia cannot conquer the world."
"We are aware of this. The Crimson Talon has already been dispatched to provide us with a catalyst. They will kill the ruler of Arthius, and then one agent will allow himself to be captured for the sole purpose of interrogation - and he shall reveal Izorat's involvement. The result will be a war of attrition - "
"- of which Fanelia shall intervene, is that right?" finished the Emperor.
The twins nodded.
Gradius sat back and thought for a moment," So... this agent will condemn himself willingly?"
"If he wishes his loved ones to live, then that is correct," answered Kei.
"...And the other nations will have no reason to intervene?"
"That is also correct - aside from Maletta and her mercenaries, there is no cause to interrupt a justified war in the westernmost part of the continent," deadpanned Kaoru, appearing quite annoyed that he had to explain this.
"Hmph. Well, the Talon has always proven faithful at the highest imaginable price... but how did you two dig your clutches into them with no such money?"
"That would be our affair, I think," replied Kei, pulling out a scrolled-up paper and tossing it at the Emperor. Gradius caught it and looked at the twins oddly before unbundling it. It was all right there - the pledge of the Crimson Talon to Fanelia's service, using the twins as a medium. It was signed by what was most certainly the leader of the Talon's signature.
Kaoru replaced his glove and then bowed to the Emperor," This is where we end for tonight. Be prepared to send your generals into motion, Gradius."
As Kaoru finished speaking, Kei did the same with her glove and bowed," We hope you will give us your full cooperation in the trying times to come, the incentive of course being the power you so crave."
The twins turned on their heels and then disappeared.
--
Black-scaled wings cleaved soundlessly through the night sky, their owner a fairly large wyvern unhindered by its two riders. Both were men fully clad in black and gray to match the cloudy, moonless night. The first rider had meditated in darkness for the sole purpose of preparing for the night's mission while the second had been busy saying his goodbyes to those precious to him, which didn't really include a lot of his colleagues.
Though Jehryn, this second rider, would go down in history for the evil deed he was about to commit, his only thoughts were of pain and hatred, misery and hopelessness. He was the best for this - yes, they knew that all too well. Among the top three assassins of the Crimson Talon, he was the weakest. However, he was the only one who had been foolish enough to raise a family... he would never regret marrying his beloved and having children, but he certainly regretted the fact that they were the means which to exploit him.
"Hey. I feel sorry for you," said the first rider uncomfortably, attempting to convey his sympathies. It didn't give Jehryn much comfort, but it was nice to know at least the fellow that was taking him to his deathbed was trying to make him feel better.
"...Time?" he asked, struggling to keep his voice from cracking.
The rider shifted uncomfortably," ...Sorry, we're here."
Jehryn glanced below him and saw the outline of Arthius Castle. He could already sense his partner was scanning the towers for a suitable entry point. The wyvern, also instinctively reverting to its training, slowed its pace and beat its wings as calmly as possible. Jehryn began to tense up and prepared to jump.
"There," whispered the man to his wyvern. Somehow, the creature understood and flew towards one of the four towers surrounding the castle. Unexpectedly, there was a man on guard there, despite the peaceful times and seemingly low alertness level of the military forces. Fortunately, the wyvern was so skillfully guided and so blended into its environment that even if the man were looking directly at it, he might not hear or see anything until it was too late.
Approaching from behind, the wyvern silently pulled up behind the watcher, who was holding a torch in hand. As expected of Arthius, it was a mage instead of a spearman. It was all the same to Jehryn, however. He took one of the daggers in his sash out without making a single sound and jumped off the wyvern, making a perfect landing on the stone tower. The guard heard this, but had no time to react. Jehryn activated the Rune Blade that was his dagger and sucked the unsuspecting man's life force while bolting forward, a second, different dagger in his other hand. The mage was just about to shout out in alarm before the Rune Blade's effect let up for a split second, prompting him to begin gathering his bearings and forming a counteroffensive to whatever had gripped him. However, Jehryn had already bridged the gap between them and sunk his blade into the man's neck, making a quick and skillful incision on the spinal cord. The assassin stopped the man's falling body and grabbed the torch at the same time. He laid the corpse down and carefully placed the still-burning torch on the edge of the tower, making sure it would stay lit for a while. Hopefully, it would look as if the man had put it down or something.
When he was finished, Jehryn looked to the stairwell and descended speedily, not bothering to check if his wyvern rider companion had left - he already knew the guy was long gone.
Naturally, there were few guards patrolling on the inside. He bypassed several Armor Knights on watch, none of which needed dealing with until he reached a crucial junction between him and the part of the castle he needed to get to. Two Armor Knights in a very well-lit hallway... there was some trouble. He could draw them into the darkness with a suspicious noise and take them out with the Rune Blade, but he would risk them instead going to alert the entire castle. This would have been an acceptable result for the intents and purposes of the Plan, so long as he was able to kill King Kennon before he was apprehended. However, Jehryn had made his own small addition to the Plan, and this required being completely undetected. He didn't know when the corpse on the tower would be found, so he had to work especially fast.
After a brief moment of thought, he took out his Light Brand in addition to his already drawn Rune Blade. Jehryn pointed the Light Brand to the ground ahead of him and discharged it, creating a slight flash. The Knights reacted instantly - one went to check it out and the other stayed in place and prepared to alert the Castle should it be an intruder. Instead of going after the one investigating the flash, he sidestepped the Knight and stepped into the candle-lit hallway. He brought up the Light Brand again and shot the Knight with it, injuring but not killing him. Quickly, he turned around to the now startled second Knight and activated the Rune Blade to keep him from calling out. The first Knight was making some noise, but was instantly silenced as Jehryn dropped the Light Brand and took a second Rune Blade to take care of him. Both of them struggled and clanked as much as they could, but eventually expired. Jehryn didn't bother checking them and instead extinguished each candle as quickly as possible. This mess wouldn't go unnoticed for long, so he had to move even faster. He picked up the Light Brand and replaced it on his sash, but kept the two Rune Blades out.
He'd memorized the Castle's layout and knew the pathways to take. There was only one other scuffle involving a curious maid and a Killing Edge, which did little for Jehryn's conscience but ensured he'd stay undetected a bit longer. Finally, he reached the King's bedchambers.
One mage on guard, and the fool was talking to another one of the maid's. This was a simple one. He took one Rune Blade and almost instantly killed the maid girl (again, this did nothing for his conscience), and took the other one and held the surprised mage in place until he could get in close. He dropped the Rune Blade that collapsed the maid and took a Killing Edge, sinking it into the mage's throat. The Rune Blade working on the mage sucked out whatever was left of the man's life force even as the Killing Edge finished him. He didn't bother hiding the bodies anymore, instead hurriedly picking the lock on the door and casting glances behind him. Hopefully, Kennon would be both inside and off-guard. If he wasn't inside, this would all be for naught. And if he was on-guard, Jehryn could expect to fight a losing battle with the Sagely King.
The door opened after what seemed like ages and Jehryn stormed in. Miraculously, Kennon was there, and at his desk. The King rose to his feet in alarm as Jehryn hurriedly shut the door and activated his Rune Blade once more. Kennon had a natural resistance to the weapon, but it was enough to keep him silent until he got close. He got behind Kennon and brought the blade to his throat, putting an end to the King's struggle as he warily looked at the blade and realized his position.
"What is the meaning of this?" murmured the King," who sent you...why?"
Jehryn ignored him. "I have some words for you, and I trust your reputation of intelligence will give you the means to use them well. I have been sent to kill you as part of a grand plot to bring war. My employers wish for the stone...do you understand?"
Kennon's eyes widened."What? Who will stand to gain from any of this? The stone is useless without the means to use it."
"I will tell you more, but sit down," said Jehyrn in a peculiar tone, a mixture of soothing and coldness. Perplexed, but with little choice regarding an alternative response, Kennon allowed himself to be guided at knifepoint to his chair. He dared not look down to his papers for fear of cutting himself on the assassin's knife, but still noticed as Jehryn removed it only to place it at the base of his neck.
"What, then?"
"I am allowing you to write a letter of farewell to your family and your kingdom," said Jehryn simply," and I am also allowing you to add whatever else you wish to add. Do you understand?"
Kennon narrowed his eyes, even if the assassin could not see it. However, Jehryn got the message.
"You will seal it into an envelope when it is finished, and I will not look at it...do you understand?"
The King was surprised again - it was almost as if the assassin was inviting him to place a magical seal on the envelope.
Wordlessly, he nodded.
"Good, good... now quickly..." muttered Jehryn. Kennon looked around his desk and gathered a piece of loose parchment and a quill. Immediately, he began to write. Jehryn made a show of not looking at it, which the King could choose whether or not to believe. Without his tomes, the Sage King was powerless to resist. However, escape was secondary to the knowledge that the stone was in danger... which meant that the worst possible scenario could very well already be in motion. Kennon wrote quickly to his children, and made a small note to his wife. He paused a moment, and then briefly apologized to all of Arthius. But the most important part of the letter was neither to his family nor his people - it was to his most trusted knight, Sir Renvald. When he had finished this, he put the quill down and placed the parchment into an envelope. Murmuring a minor incantation, he sealed it so that even the greenest magic users could unlock it.
"Place it where it'll be seen," instructed Jehryn. Kennon looked around for a moment, then hurriedly cleared his entire desk of all objects with a heavy sweeping gesture of his hand, placing the one envelope on top of it.
"Now... I have some last words to share with you," said the assassin.
"Oh?" replied the King bitterly.
"The Plan... is for me to get captured and reveal this assassination as Izorat's doing. The Nation of Boundless Aspirations... a small nation of great wealth - this would be convincing enough, would it not? There is also a document on me... a contract, specifically revealing their involvement, as well as my word."
Kennon understandably became angry," War? For the stone? Izorat would-?"
"No, Fanelia... do you understand?"
Kennon did, but readily supplied another question," What do you have to gain from this?"
"Nothing but the continued existence of my loved ones, I'm afraid."
That's when the letter suddenly made sense - as well as the fact that Jehryn was revealing all of this now.
"You..." started Kennon before stopping again. Jehryn had started to cut into his throat.
"...I'm sorry."
With a single ruthless motion, Jehryn sliced through Kennon's jugular. A gushing fountain of red liquid began to spray over the desk, coating the envelope Kennon had just written.
'Celia...I...' the King's thoughts ended there as Jehryn used the Rune Blade to finish the deed. Kennon slumped over headfirst onto the table he'd so leisurely been reading on moments before.
Jehryn gave a shuddering sigh and pushed the King's body aside, sitting in the chair himself. He took off the veil over his face and brought his bloodstained hands to his exposed skin, beginning to feel burning tears welling up inside of him. He did not weep for the King - no, he wouldn't be a very good assassin if he cried over every little kill. It was his own situation that he lamented, his own world that had just crashed down around him.
Not long after, a mysterious person was caught in Arthius Castle. He put up no fight, but was laughing and crying maniacally as he was dragged away by the guards. A document was recovered from his person and immediately circulated to all that it concerned - including the military. The King's farewell letter, once unsealed, found its way to Renvald's hand, who publicized all but the portion that was addressed to him...
RPG VX version of these events (made when I was just starting out, I can definetly do better than this should the situation arise):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywU0SX2buBg
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