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 Posted: Mon May 29, 2017 11:02 pm
Despite the foreboding name, Xerseis land is less of a labyrinth and more of a unique set of caves carved out of dark rock. All of the tunnels within have been painstakingly reinforced to ensure its survival during stormy weather and to prevent the tumults of the earth from moving it. The grounds are above. The housing and home is beneath the ground, the only entrance marked by a series of stones and a strong metal gate.
However, once within, one finds that it is lit by crystals and fae-lights. No fires burn here, though magic has its place to keep the food properly prepared. The kitchen itself is housed above ground, and most meals are enjoyed outside. However, in the colder months, the family retreats underground and most meals are roasted at the hands of those skilled in heat and fire.
Undoubtedly a beautiful estate. Undoubtedly one that has not been changed for a very long time indeed.
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Posted: Wed Jun 07, 2017 8:54 pm
✺Forgotten Son Outfit EC: 100 Literal, eh? Dixon could respect that, to a degree, especially in so lofty and obscure a thing as nobility often was (even without the bulk of the politics;
mind, that all actions of the peerage were political endeavors), but after an hour's worth of trying to figure out the entrance to this estate on which his favor rested today as one distinct ray breaking the storm the count,
Lord Titanus of Ethe--Titania Proper, he was accustomed to contest with anyone willing to challenge the importance of his bloodline in the Epsilonian milieu--found himself lacking in jaw strength and hot just above the knees; those would not, as it was seen by the help who found him, stop him from stamping and cursing in frustration. To his defense, the man did think he was alone. Mishaps aside,
the misgivings about the count were countered like clockwork each time--should we enumerate the times in which Dixon's charm has, if you like, saved itself? Not: this should suffice: practice makes perfect--when Dixon was caught with his fists in imploding knots that would somehow end in a civilised, but impassioned, talk of the current state of states. It was for these reasons, as each of the incidents began to be filed as something to remember rather than something wished to be forgotten, that the count was serendipitously becoming one of the premiere political commentators of the day; no doubt,
he reassured himself, straightening out,
conversation with the help spilling into the chamber of Lord Xerseis, a factor in the calling of today's meeting.
"Hail, Good Lord Xerseis!" Joined the count cheerfully. He saw no reason why this couldn't start on a happy note. His aura, as he bowed and smiled his salutation, was cleansed of its orange in favor of regal yellows and greens.
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Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 11:23 am
Gone's the wisdom
Of a thousand years
A world in fire and chains and fear
The lord of the estate was aware he was going to have a guest, and anticipating his arrival, he found himself pacing in his library, a book braced on his arm that he had brought with him from Lionis. While he wasn't able to spend a great deal of time in the Emperor's presence, what he learned while he was there spoke many volumes. He had tasked a watch to keep an eye out for the bold phoenix. Unfortunately, he remembered at the wrong moment that the lad was a little easy to distract, and it was an hour after the count had landed that he was finally rescued by one of the guards and led inside.
Inside, the count would be led to the library, an impressive set of shelves and walls, some sets made of wood, towers that held scrolls, tomes, and books, and shelves carved from the walls that contained volumes more. His family were collectors of these fine relics, these stories and histories. Some were as old as to be the first written accounts of oral traditions.
Nevertheless, despite the interest he had in the book, it was secondary to the bold phoenix that caused a storm whenever he so chose. The lord set the number of the page to mind and marked it with a simple ribbon so that he could resume his reading and politely set the book aside.
"And to you, Count Titanus." The dragon inclined his head in a welcoming bow. That he was here meant that he was able to find the entrance well enough. "Your journey was pleasurable, I trust?"
Leads me to a place so far
Deep down it lies my secret vision
I better keep it safe
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Posted: Thu Jun 08, 2017 4:34 pm
✺Forgotten Son Outfit EC: 100
"Ehm--" the count had to recover from this verbal stumble quickly; he'd found his way here, yes, but that wasn't as pleasurable as the Duke had so casually, confidently concluded-- "I can only say I'm impressed by the painstaking lengths gone to"--to say that he was flustered might have been more accurate; the stamping way in which he struggled in vain was the mode of eroding confidence; from there the count had already begun, he feared, perhaps in some primeval portion of his brain which was alive, as you guess, in the burning whirr of tightening air around his fists, his determined eyes, his...--that he had already made himself subservient to this dragon of the dark persuasion: for display: the modulation of noble talks--" secure your privacy. Indeed, as one needn't enjoy the harvest of the cactus to enjoy the nectar within, I find any encumberments have vanished at the sight of this sanctuary. You must tell me how you find the time!"
Decent save. His aura was still much the same, though now it harbored a pocket of blue somewhere around the count's left hip. It should be noted, while the tide, if you will, is out, the modes of sighting the phoenix's moody output: if one were to have any kind of extrasensory capabilities, they would most likely be able to spot the behind-the-curtains show with the trivial wonderment of children given telescopes for their eighth birthdays or the cheeky dowagers at the opera house with their spy-glass amusement with the behinds of rich-poor actors; the less inclined would only witness such a thing when the phoenix used his ability to tear through the sky like a rocket, comet, whatever, or, perhaps more likely, when the man lost his cool (admitting that the latter would typically produce a limited palette, notwithstanding the intensity of such displays...).
He had been quite busy, though. Part of him was very interested to see just how much the Duke concerned himself with the affairs of Ethe.
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Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 5:20 pm
Gone's the wisdom
Of a thousand years
A world in fire and chains and fear
The lord found the honest emotions of the count refreshing, and quite something else altogether. It made him easily approachable, and undoubtedly was the very thing that won his friends and reputation, though it seemed likely to dissuade some of the fancied elite from taking him seriously. Such an individual was never one to be ignored.
"Perhaps one day I will share a few secrets of my sanctuary." The lord chuckled. However, he felt that the poor man across from him had been quite upset. The grounds had a tendency to do that to people, especially on their first visit.
"Your cadence is appreciated here, Count Titanus. There is no need to hide behind a veil of control if it does not suit your nerves." He was very proud of the security of his estate, and of how obscure it was. "Might we get you something to eat? A drink, perhaps?"
Leads me to a place so far
Deep down it lies my secret vision
I better keep it safe
OoC: I'm so sorry!!!
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Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2017 7:58 pm
✺Forgotten Son Outfit EC: 100
Veil? You mean...
"Ah... Right." Dixon couldn't help laughing. It was often the most available rejoinder in a person's sight. "I'd no sooner trouble you from your liquor than leave, my lord, but I would lie in saying I do not fancy some toast..." Yet another appendage picked up in the past few--oh, who am I kidding? The count had his whole life been humble in sup.
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"Many a night on the field," continued the count, now elbows away from the duke at a table. The toast was fantastic, by the way. "I thought to myself: aye, this is really it, eh? Wake up tomorrow with sky streaming over my head, idyllic reality: the river Bellris be underneath me as I begin to rot!" Flicking his wrist, "Right. You'd see me, sifting through it: if that be the case, then the river really was my damnation... it only looks like heaven alright?--probably to quitters."
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Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 5:31 pm
Gone's the wisdom
Of a thousand years
A world in fire and chains and fear
With flask in his own hand, the dragon was casually reclined in his own chair, just settled at the table and in conversation with the rather animated fellow. With a few drinks, he was all energy and quaint story, but at the same time, there was still youth about him that was contagious, yet. Was this the source of his charisma? Well, in either case, he could tell a story.
Ali smiled and swirled the contents of his flask. "But you're here instead. Long way from the river."
The dragon smiled and cast his golden eyes over to the phoenix just across from him. He didn't strike this dragon as someone who was the picture of Ethe's phoneix.... Once, almost a decade ago, he was in court when a phoenix lord came to visit. The man had regality and cold composure, and at his side were knights of equal calm. Since that time, Ethe struck him as aloof, almost holier-than-thou who prized composure and control above all else.
But this count seemed to be very much alive. His emotions radiated from him, much like the fire Ethe was prized for. All of it was very intriguing. It seemed to encourage the dragon to like this man.
"What kept you going? Grit? Hope?"
Leads me to a place so far
Deep down it lies my secret vision
I better keep it safe
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Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 7:41 pm
✺Forgotten Son Outfit EC: 100
The count seemed somewhat defeated by this question; he could do nothing but scoff for a moment, searching, nodding knowingly to himself as he found his toast again. "Suppose so," he began, spreading some preserves on. "Words like those, rich, innit?" He laughed. "I'd really sound like somebody important if I said I relied on 'grit' to get me through, eh? Less of a trial begging pity and more of a braggart's chest-beating proclamation, I'd say."
"Hope is no better," continued the count, eyes alight. "If I claim some superior hope, then everything else my men accomplish is awash. No," he glinted, "I don't think anything kept me going at all--I just went, day by day." He gave it up, taking a bite with a shrug, his crunching seeming like some second-hand chuckling.
"Suppose that doesn't make any sense. Oh well. At least I'm working with the people most like me. Day after day, chipping and pulling away the old Ethe to reveal a new one? --Aye, sounds like a grand time, don'it?" Here he leaned up, seeking some kind of confidence. "And between us, old boy, I'm right sick of politics. I'd rather just leave things as they are--I've thought about it many a time, how the world wouldn't change if people stopped trying to change it." He sat back again. "But here I am, in the company of the rising Duke Xerseis, no doubt with at least a grain of the poison. HA."
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Posted: Mon Jun 12, 2017 9:20 pm
Gone's the wisdom
Of a thousand years
A world in fire and chains and fear
Working with people most like himself. The noble before him didn't connect with the others of his blood? Or was he simply born and raised among those who worked with their hands? How curious... How did he see himself?
It was also interesting to hear how the phoenix was sick of politics. Was he here because of those politics? Sharing a drink with a dragon of Phobos? The dragon's smile suggested that he appreciated the candor of the phoenix.
"Some appreciate the pride of their heroes. Encourages them to believe in their power." The dragon lifted the drink to his lips, using the savory drink to create a pause in the dialogue. "If you enjoy the work, there must be something you're getting out of it. What is it for you?"
The dragon drank again from the flask, the smile still in his eyes.
Leads me to a place so far
Deep down it lies my secret vision
I better keep it safe
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 1:30 pm
✺Forgotten Son Outfit EC: 100 He would never do such a thing just for the pride--even if that was what his people might enjoy. He might prove,
in feeling this way, that selfishness and selflessness are inexorably linked.
"What's in it for me..." He repeated to himself, letting the idea turn over in his mind a couple times before: "I'd have to say--You know," he interrupted himself, waving a piece of toast at some unseen shelf, "you might know about it already--I mean, it figures: I grew up in the country, earned my living in the city--you know, all that; so when you ask me why I work--at anything, really--I'm afraid I'd have to challenge you to tell me why I should not work. I'm afraid, my lord, it is simply something I do," he concluded, pleased with himself. "I work because there is work to be done. I simply won't have a place looking shabby--and I won't stand for being accused of slacking."
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:04 pm
Gone's the wisdom
Of a thousand years
A world in fire and chains and fear
Then curiously, the man's pride was tied to his work. Productivity, perhaps? Born in the country.. this did suggest that his heart was tied to his land. He seemed to value honesty and work. He valued people, perhaps?
The dragon considered the counter question. A reason not to work? The lord lowered his drink to the table. "You mistake me. I ask because it is necessary and I have seen many, many men who complain when it comes to work. Too many are lazy, disappointing slobs who presume more than they are owed."
The dragon shrugged and leaned back, quite at ease. "You asked me about my interest. ... Simply put, times are changing again. I do not want to miss a chance to influence the tides this time. This is a time for action, Count Titanus."
Leads me to a place so far
Deep down it lies my secret vision
I better keep it safe
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 3:27 pm
✺Forgotten Son Outfit EC: 100 Dion raised his toast to that--toasted, innit?--and assented rather than acquiesced to his host's claim, that the bulk of workers were loafers. He made note of this point especially: how it was that complaining was such a bothersome thing for those who did not share in the heavy lifting; he would have to move along, laughing, before he changed his mind on the issue.
"You'd think we could bottle the essence, this hard worker, eh?" Offered the count with not a second thought. "Might take the guilt out of enjoying one's accomplishments. I'd tell you as many stories of jealously in a heartbeat... They all go back to work in the morning, however: some strange way to show motivation."
"Yes..." Dixon seemed to become more serious. His aura shifted entirely from its greens and yellows and oranges to a striated blue and violet; it was that for only a moment, then it softened to a calmer crimson. "Things are beginning to move quickly. I'd be lying if I said the action isn't exhilarating." He regarded the man before him as more than a bar-bud now. "I can respect that. Also," he admitted, "I'm under the impression you haven't been waiting for permission; you're a man who is at the front of the storm--we say that in Etelan. Means our ambitions, emotions, what have you, never count on the opinions of others to go on: the effects of a storm are simply the wake of that wanton stirring." While the count did have a roundabout way of speaking, he was always ready to understand business. Needless to say, he used that raw feeling from his Etelonian brothers to read people as best he could.
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 4:34 pm
Gone's the wisdom
Of a thousand years
A world in fire and chains and fear
It was in the dragon's experience also that those who complained the most generally had the least amount to do. Those who worked their hardest and raised a voice usually did not complain, but were of the mindset that allowed them to voice their situation. Many were quiet, yes, and too many complained. The count just across from him did not strike him as one of these folk. It wasn't as much that the essence of a hard worker could be bottled... unfortunately, the model of raising a perfect worker was not a known art. Frustrating, but it couldn't be helped for as long as people were not perfectly predictable.
Ali listened and felt the shift in the air, the aura he could not see nevertheless radiated unique temperature to his scales. The phoenix began to analyze him, to scrutinize him in turn. It was well received. This phrase from Ethe was one he could enjoy. At the front of a storm. While he felt that he would be too noticeable if he tried the tactic literally, there was power in the imagery. His appreciation of this was expressed in his face.
"A fascinating saying, sir." He moved the bottle they were drinking from closer to them, so that he could refill the count's glass, if they intended to finish this bottle together. "We have been waiting long enough for the world to change for the benefit of someone other than the select few. I am ready for a storm. Are you?"
Leads me to a place so far
Deep down it lies my secret vision
I better keep it safe
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Posted: Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:41 pm
✺Forgotten Son Outfit EC: 100
"I suppose I am," smiled the count, tipping his glass to rest against his face. "It seems now as though I've been searching for one, way I've been carrying on." He was a little apprehensive about drinking, but he didn't show it. Just paced himself as best he could; he remembered the whole time how hard it had been in the time after the eruption, the time when he first saw Roland Bellris and his precious Athena.
"Pray, what is it you have in mind?"
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Posted: Wed Jun 14, 2017 2:23 pm
Gone's the wisdom
Of a thousand years
A world in fire and chains and fear
The dragon's smiled shifted somewhat as his mind focused in on what various ideas he had, and what passed for plans with him. He braced himself on the table and squarely looked to the count who sat just across from him.
"The empire needs stronger leadership. Businesses are suffering as a result of this weakness, though it is disguised behind brutish apathy and conceit. Where the kingdoms themselves are weak, its people are going to be weak, and there can nothing good come from the flimsy disregard for what it means to be a child of the land." He would not reveal all his reasons, or perhaps the motivation that inspired his step into the light. It wasn't needed here.
"The empire needs a change. Fools of nobility, with no experience, wisdom, or prudence cannot be allowed to maintain their power. I believe it is high time for a proper purging war, one that would clean and set the stage for a new era that is desperately needed for all citizens of the empire, and who would wish to see any semblance of growth in the future to come. As things currently stand, we all will see wars of desperation that devolve into madness. I cannot tolerate this."
The dragon's smile was lost as he considered the consequences and sealed his determination. "I have knowledge, men and resources, and I feel that you are driven to a change, for your pursuit of a brighter day. If our aims are the same, I lend my aid and resources."
Leads me to a place so far
Deep down it lies my secret vision
I better keep it safe
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