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 Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:44 pm
 ▶ When I'm free, when my sun has set ▷ Release my soul forever, I'll have no regretxxxxxxxxx
▶ ▷ ◀ ◁ ▶ ▷ ◀ ◁ ▶ ▷ ◀ ◁ xxxxxxxx
 Keirnan was faced with a choice to make. The princess had stormed off, obviously upset with the red headed warrior, as well as with Keirnan himself. He felt the need to go after her and to comfort her. He knew very well what happened to people who let negative emotions build, it was not pretty. On the other hand, he had already told the warrior that he would assist in this journey to defeat the one he called Xard. There was no way of knowing whether or not he would be of any use in fighting this demon, but he did know that he could help Maelona. The potentially good of all against the certain good of a single person. He sighed, these were the decisions that he hated making. He wanted to help her, but helping all of humanity was far more important. He would only hope that someone would find her and talk to her, Keirnan would seek out the princess later, when this was all over. Make sure that she was alright.
Instead he followed Jack as the warrior began to enter the castle. This would not be easy, nothing was ever easy, there was a large chance that he would end up regretting this situation, well having the choice to at least. Keirnan tried not to regret anything every experience taught something, though not all lessons were positive. He could not help but feel that the others expected this to be quick, something out of the stories that he had been reading. They would find the bad guy and dispatch of him in a few minutes and then all go on with their lives. Keirnan doubted that this was what was going to happen. They were pitting themselves against a demon longer than recorded history. It was doubtful that they were the first group to try and get rid of him. He would be wise, be cautious. It was likely that he already knew the group was there, all possible actions had been planned out and counter strategies prepared. This was like a giant game of chess, though far more serious, one that they could not loose.
He closed his eyes, using his ears to follow. He slowed his breathing, controlling the expansion and retractions of his lungs. A breath in, let his body become full of energy, a breath out and let everything settle into a state of calm. In…Out…In…Out. Keirnan repeated this process until his mind and body were both completely void of everything but the sounds of the footsteps. It had been such a long time since he had meditated, he forgot how freeing the calm was. It was like he was asleep, but exponentially more aware. He could sense all movement around him, here the slightest of sounds. Meditation served two purposes, it prepared the mind for contemplation, and it prepared the self for a battle. Keirnan was more fond of the former than the later, he did not like fighting, it worked against the healing that he did. But he learned to defend, and that is what he was doing, defending humanity.
They approached the Dining Hall. Though Keirnan had never been to before, the room was easily identifiable. There were only two places that would be filled with both the sound of people and the smell of food, and this room lacked the heat to be a kitchen. He opened his eyes and entered the room, gazing about. There were royalty here, he could recognize some of them from pictures that he had seen, before most of them had ascended to the title. Those nobles that were not identifiable were picked from the group based on both their clothing and the way that they composed themselves. Most people of wealth had a way that they held their body, one that spoke of pride and superiority, but often lacked many things that their servants had. The monk had not opinion of nobles, he knew that social classes were a cause of many the dispute, but he chose not to get involved. He had transcended the need for such regulations, he had the rare understanding that every being in this room was equal, each with their own excellence. Perhaps one day they would have the same understanding.
It seemed that the red warrior had found the demon. Keirnan followed behind as the warrior approached a purple furred cat man. Was this Xard, the being of great power, it seemed possible, but something was wrong. His eyes closed slightly as he observed his surroundings. Their presence had not gone without notice, one of the nobles, A wizened man who held himself like one much younger approached, placing a barrier between the warrior and the cat. He could speak up and explain what was going on, but he did not know himself.
He looked at Jack. "Are you certain this is him?" He questioned, his voice was soft, an oral representation of the serenity that was held within. "You spoke of one with great evil, this man does not show that, not unless you count lust and desire as great evil." He continued to study the body language of the cat. It was plausible that he was mistaken, but it was very unlikely. It was hard to fully disguise ones true intentions, ones body always betrayed ones words. It was possible that the demon was clever enough to hide himself in such a way, but there was still doubt in the monks mind. He would stay back, until he was certain that this was their foe.
▶ ▷ ◀ ◁ ▶ ▷ ◀ ◁ ▶ ▷ ◀ ◁ xxxxxxxx To be free ◀ xxxxxxxxxxxxx
◤xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◥
OOC:
◣xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◢
Kingdom:Patience
Rank: Monk
Location:Dining Hall
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Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:05 pm
Baldassare Caravaggio di Bacchius Kingdom: Lust Rank: Priest Location: Dining hall, not understanding a challenge. Baldassare laughed excitedly at the fun interview as his attendant finished massaging Ileana and, kissing her playfully on the neck, moved on to giving Trey a massage as well: he looked rather tense to her, and her place was to comfort those people her priest fraternized with. As the cream and strawberries were placed by them, he stared at the bowls momentarily and twitched his whiskers. He'd never seen cream set out in a bowl, as he was used to it being in a cup mixed with honey wine, being a drink rather than a soup. He decided that it was apparently an inventive manner of plating and snatched up a strawberry with one claw, dipping it into the cream and pretending it to be a delicacy, bland as it seemed to him without alcohol.* "Ah, yes, it's-a common-a for-a me, however-a..." He paused, looking somewhat sheepish. "I must-a admitta that I no-a get away fromma da Temple-a much. I never even-a meet-a mia own royal-a family. I come here-a to spread-a the word after a hundred-a years offa waiting for-a the girls in their forest-a ceremonies to find me. I bathe-a for-a the grace offa Bacchus, every-a day."Another loud snarling of his stomach heralded his hunger pangs again after his long trip. Had he really forgotten to order food other than the simple appetizer set before him? He called out to the nearest waiter, then went back to the conversation. Laetitia simply smiled at his easily distracted antics and continued working out the kinks in Trey's neck. She looked about for her next "target," providing they were still here, and decided on the girl near them (Autumn), as she seemed rather stressful. "Wait...so who'se-a dead? Maybe you-a wanna me to say a few wordse, no? I woulda be honored. Perhaps-a we could-a even have a whole-a servi..."His whiskers twitched. Something was happening. Laetitia immediately stopped her massage and clutched the thyrsus like a child would a blanket, but Baldassare didn't seem very worried. His attendant felt the quiver hidden under her fox furs...she hoped she wouldn't have to retrieve any arrows for him to nock. "Oh! Another-a show? What'sa Zzzard?" The cat-man didn't just not seem worried, he didn't seem to understand what was going on around him. He looked about with great interest, trying to figure out what a "Zard" was and what it might look like. He began to applaud the warrior with the fiery hair, giving a nice, toothy grin to everyone. This was so much fun! He even got to see an interesting illusory show before him when someone else ran up to him. His questions were confusing, though. "Ah...no-a, sir, butta I-a like-a you clothes. They-a suitta you well. Who-a issa this interesting-a actor with-a the sword? I must-a compliment your illusion-y tricks and hissa emotional acting. Very-a nice, you all know-a how to entertain well!"
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Posted: Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:57 pm
♬ Ίτ'ȿ ʟΊӃЄ ɱμȘΊϹ τѺ ɱУ ЄɑɌȘ... ♫ Ҭɑηтяɑ ♪ Kingdom: Humility Rank: Priestess [In Training] Location: Forest
Tantra frowned, "The things people will do these days." She shook her head. "Humans are just sinking lower and lower." She let out a sigh, before remember her wings were hidden once again. She allowed them to spring to life, casting the faintest green glow around them. "I'll see what I can also do. While there is not much I can do I at least will lend you an ear if you so need it, and a home within this forest if you need to hide." She patted the tree they were all huddled around, "There are places within this forest no man or woman has yet to explore, and the forest can show me the way to those places." Her eyes scanned the forest, it was full of dangerous animals and all kinds of things that would make living her impossible for humans without the gift to talk to the forest. If she was going to help hide the human, she would have to stay and protect her.
She let out a sigh, "I don't think the Lord of this land cares much for our well being, we seem to just be good for his amusement, and I'm sure he finds your predicament hilarious." She shook her head silently. "There is not much you can do if they do not believe you, they have it set in their minds that you are an impostor, that their child was killed and buried. There is not much that will change their mind unless they learn to see past what they think is correct, which is hard for humans to do." She would never fully understand just why humans were so stupid.
She let out a deep breath before returning her gaze out to the wilderness. This poor girl just might be completely screwed. She found it completely incomprehensible that a father could not recognize his own child, could not feel her. She knew that if she ever gave birth to a child, she would know it was hers even if she hadn't seen it in a hundred years.
...βʯʈ Ίʈ ȘЄЄɱȘ ѺɳʟУ Ί Ϲɑɳ ΗЄɑɌ...♬ 
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:57 am
Kingdom and Title:Wrath; Heir
Location/Situation: Solarium; being somewhat sociable with two of Envy I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow.
- William Blake Lincoln watched as Evony reassured her brother why she did not mention the encounter she had had with the man from Patience, but said nothing. He hoped Nathaniel would not reprimand her, and was glad to see that he didn’t. She was probably frightened, so to him it was understandable that she would not have wanted to think about the situation. The blond heir chuckled slightly at Nathaniel’s remark about Patience doing badly in their war, not only because he considered virtuous kingdoms horrible fighters, but he knew that Wrath’s own military was second only to Envy’s. Well, at least while Father and Mother ran things. They each had their own respective ‘special forces’ as it were, and those two groups (Obsidian Knights and the Valkyries) often took command of the rest of the armies, but had much too differencing methods to be concise. Though Lincoln did not wish for any strife between Wrath and Envy, he wished for his own kingdom’s military to take control of the title of ‘best’, eventually.
Oh no, no strife at all. Nathaniel’s look softened just by a hair, but it was enough for Lincoln to see more of Evony in those eyes, only on something that was actually sexually fascinating. He didn’t have long to stare inconspicuously though, as Evony made her commentaries about her parents. It almost sounded as if Evony was either shy of the information, or perhaps embarrassed? So he gave her a slight nod, as if he too had similar family members. On the Wrathian side, the ‘odd’ ones were usually more peculiar that flighty, but Lincoln figured that at least he had an understanding of the oddities that were family, on occasion.
Hearing about the “welfare” of people of Envy amused Lincoln, though he did not show it. He was not a cruel man in the sense of how he considered those below him, but he had been taught that they were different creatures, such as his family being represented by snow leopards, and the non-nobles were more like housecats. Similar to the point that the more ferocious predator could understand the other, but they were not of the same cloth. Lincoln would never send troops of his own to a suicidal run, but he felt he would not be so concerned about them as Nathaniel sounded, other than he would not want soldiers lost when they had all ready been trained and equipped at expense of the crown. That little fact might possibly come in handy, as at least it did not detract anything for him to know it.
Evony’s sweet chime-like laughter at his story delighted Lincoln, which he showed by giving her another smile, for what storyteller does not enjoy an appreciative audience? Upon looking back towards Nathaniel as he continued, his sharp green eyes caught the slightest twitch of movement of the other heir’s hand. Well done, he thought to himself. It would be best to not add too much, or else he might sound like a cloth merchant, desperate either to sell or buy, which he certainly did not feel like. No, it was going to have to be a slow hinting of it all, or else Nathaniel might think he was the one with the upper hand. But in a way, Lincoln did regret that perhaps that was the truth, for he was bothering to go to all this trouble because there was something he wanted. But never mind thinking about that now, there was someone else here.
Lincoln drained his teacup (delicious!) before taking a turn to observe the young lady who’d entered. He gave her a calm, non-hostile look, for this was a public place, and they had not been discussing anything which another kingdom might use against them. Evony made simple introductions of herself and her brother, then Nathaniel commented he recognized the green-haired lady. Giving her a slight nod of acknowledgment (she might have been a royal, but by her clothing, for sure she was at least a noble, which Lincoln respected), he introduced himself as he calmly set down his teacup on its small saucer. “I am Lincoln Masterson of Wrath.” Short and simple, enough to trigger fear if she was an enemy, or to dissuade any worry if she was not. He did not wish to leave the company of these two, but supposed he might be asked to. It would not be any trouble though, as he had both joined Evony for her tea, which he knew she enjoyed, and he had renewed a relationship with Nathaniel, so they could speak of serious things at another time if necessary. He did hope he could stay however, being that he also did not have any family to go see (and several of his siblings had been sent home for different reasons; and he had no knowledge that his cousin Corrine or uncle Nolan were here) anytime soon.
The heir relaxed in his chair, keeping his left arm up, resting on the table, while his right arm was laying on his lap. The bandage that had been wrapped around his upper arm was moreso to keep the newly magicked bone to heal, until he could go to the healer for another session, than for the wounded flesh around it. But connected to the way Evony helped him 'live', a few small shadows of blood began to seep to the surface of the white bandage, unnoticed by the blond despite his normally acute sense of smell when it came to the crimson substance of others.
Sport begets tumultuous strife and wrath,
and wrath begets fierce quarrels and war to the death.
- Horace
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:05 am
Kingdom and Title: Veritas; head gardener
Location/Situation, and Form: Gardens to Dining hall; werehuman to wolf now; GREATER GOOD *Hot Fuzz reference*  [Art by Maniac. Click on image for larger pic. Please do not copy; I commissioned artist for this art.]
In the animal it is pure, in man it is led
astray by his reason and intelligence.
~ Denis Diderot
Sokar paused while they entered the castle, taking off his clothes. He could see there was no more talking to be done, at lest not by him. He didn’t mind though, this form, if it wasn’t going to be used to pull weeds or plants seedlings, was pointless. There was nothing scandalous about his striping, as his thick fur hid anything that would need to be covered, and he felt no need for modesty personally. The only reason he’d tried to wear clothing today moreso than usual (it was something he did only occasionally) was because the butler had asked him to, so as not offend any royal sensibilities since they to be visited en masse by several royals for a bit.
The wrehuman morphed into a true wolf, making a grunt of pain, but otherwise holding the rest in. Changed, he was still a large creature, only this time he could stand his full height, doing so proudly that the tips of his ears were about sternum height on the men. R suddenly took off, and Sokar’s natural prey drive kicked in, as he followed behind him quickly, though his four legs handled it as an easy run rather than a full sprint. It wasn’t until they were close to the dining hall that Sokar felt the presence of something. It was like R’s arm, like that extra scent on so many other people. But here at closer proximity, he could feel the strength of it. Yellow eyes narrowed, Sokar leaped in as Jack forced open the doors, only for a second wondering if this was going to piss off the butler. Good.
He looked around for the cause of his natural unease, weak a reaction as it might have been compared to a natural animal. He honed in on poor framed Baldassare as well, lowering his upper body as he slinked towards the priest, but going around a different way than R in the dining hall. The priest was now prey, and Sokar cornered him like any wolf would, lessening his chanced of escape. He paid no attention to the other guests, though the occasional one might have reacted fearfully or with hatred at this wolf present among them as he walked past them with a predator’s arrogance. One day it’ll be your turn to be hunted his body language seemed to warn them.
Having gotten to another side of the Hubris table, yellow eyes glaring at Baldassare, Sokar listened to R’s challenge, and then another man acted as if he didn’t want this attack to continue, one with a lot of magic about his person. Keirnan added his question, wanting to be sure before anything happened. Sokar merely kept his eyes on the prize, being at a different angle than the somewhat blocked R (at least he assumed that magic barrier was only in that direction, from the slight glint he’d caught and the feel in the air). All R would have to do was to tell him or otherwise indicate to continue, and Sokar would spring on this cat-man that felt very much like a demon, and tear him apart. There were claws to contend with, but Sokar was hunting with this smaller pack, and would suffer anything to kill the prey.
A part of him, that human part he tried to deny as his curse, tried to tell him to wait, to calm. That something was not right, though all the pieces fit. But he was a wolf, and he would not waste time ‘investigating’ as humans did. No, instead he would merely react to what happened, as quickly as possible. He did not growl at the cat-man (so as to not betray his obvious plan to Haven or whoever else might wish to stop them, as he felt they did not sense the demon), but he bared his fangs silently, a promise to sink them into purple fur and red flesh.
The unnatural - that too is natural.
~Goethe
The Oneiric Oracle's Conclusion: Oh poor Baldassare. Doesn’t realize he *thisclose* to getting killed. Adorable how optimistic he is in all this, haha!
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:17 am
May the good fortune be with you May your guiding light be strong Kingdom: Prudence Title: Princess Location: room to dining hall going to breakfast 
Danae was glad to be free from the short leash when the urn was found in the catacombs. She spent the last three days avoiding the cat like creature with a measured success. The cat man she was engaged with had yet to come in her presence since the bond had dissipated. The young elf had found a training room in the castle that had racks of practice weapons. The room had all types of weapons although Danae was interested in the practice dummies that were present. She spent much of the last three days attempting to learn how to control her abilities. After several mishaps over the first day or two she was successful in making a stone do what she wanted it to do. She had set up some training dummies and had been trying to fling rocks at it for hours that day. The other attempts the rock had rose from the floor and then limply wavered before falling to the ground. These attempts showed promise as she had actually done this while she was calm. Danae figured that the path to controlling it completely would take dedication. She hoped she would have some help along the way.
The morning her parents arrived she had been roused by a young servant girl and given the message that they had arrived and were in the dining hall with her brother. This announcement had startled her into being fully alert. She wondered why they were here. If previous experiences were anything to go by this would be a disaster. Danae decided she might as well get up as the sun was shining through. She was pleasantly surprised that the servants had drawn a hot bath for her. She stripped out of her shift and put one foot in the tub testing the steaming water before sinking into the almost scalding water. She let her self soak in the water before washing herself with a soap that had a scent of roses imbibed in it. Once her skin was pruned up she called the servant in to help dress her with an emerald dress. She didn’t want to look sloppy in the presence of her parents even if they had always treated her as if she did not exist. The servant girl tied the back of her dress and brushed her hair making her presentable. “I think that will do.” She said to the maid.
Danae took one last look in the mirror admiring the dress and smiled. The hallways were empty as she made her way to the dining hall. The sound of her shoes echoed until she arrived. She looked in the dining hall and saw several people. The young elf hesitated as she saw her parents and taking a deep breath to get her courage up she walked in.
_______________
Build a stairway to Heaven
With a prince or a vagabond
And may you never love in vain
And in my heart you will remain
Forever young, forever young
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 1:27 pm
x Location: Entrance Hall to Dining Hall.
In the city, unprepared
Run and hide, stand and stare
Building's crumble in my head
Wave a flag, raise the dead
Erik's patience was fast shriveling as he awaited the arrival of his children, his display of anger only prevalent in the slight thinning his lips took upon themselves; He sent his wife a wary glance, unwilling to show his strife quite so publicly, but knowing well that she had the insight to sense it regardless. All was not well with this place, and the feeling only etched itself deeper when a familiar figure strode casually past- a far too familiar figure.
In the name of the Gods! What was she doing in this place? She, Asmoda, the fallen knight; the disgrace to all of the Virtuous kingdoms...and his most shameful secret! Who had been so foolish as to allow her passage here, where she might taint the minds of those who would assume the thrones of each respective kingdom?! Erik's eyebrows knitted, and he was only just able to keep his rage, and his worry, from seeping into his pupils and making a permanent home there. Fedora knew nothing of it; should never know anything of it...of his past...encounters with that woman. He had to do everything in his power to keep it as such.
Ah, the face of his eldest son was almost a welcome thing now- almost...for he strode in not a moment after, looking displeased...alone.
"And where is your bride to be, Nikolai?" The King's voice held venom to it, his hatred for the boy all but clear in every look and word he shoved his way, "You can't mean to tell me that you've left her to herself in this place? That you didn't even think to escort her here to meet us, as would be proper?" The man lifted his gaze from his son and scoffed openly, "I suppose I should expect as much from you. And your siblings, Nikolai? Have you any idea as to their whereabouts?"
Annnd there it was, almost sooner than he'd expected; the tongue lashing, the disappointment, the shame. Blah, blah, blah. Nikolai nearly mirrored his father's expression in knitting his brows, a fact which he'd never like to admit to- that he bore such a strong resemblance to the man he hated so vehemently. He rose slowly out of his bow to them, acquiring the same, disinterested look which he was used to wearing amidst their presence,
"I'm afraid...I've not seen them about today." Maybe they wisened up and ran off when they caught wind of your intent to visit. I certainly tried to... He thought, brandishing a lackluster shrug at them as he finished the statement. The prince fought the urge to throw a look his "brother's" way, just to see if he still remained by his side- his being quiet was usually a hint to the contrary, but in the presence of these people, one could never be sure on just how Demetri would act; the case was the same when he'd been alive...and Nikolai knew that all too well.
"No Nikolai, of course you don't. How daft of me to expect you to be at all responsible whilst you are away from our homelands...when you don't even bother to act as such when in the presence of your own court." Erik's eyes narrowed maliciously at the boy, who stayed silent under the weight of his words- waiting, it seemed, for him to move on,
"I grow tired of standing in this place. Nikolai, show some initiative and take us to a place where we might dine- or are you incapable of that, as well?"
Nikolai was filtering a small bout of air inconspicuously from between his lips; it was all he could do not to sigh outwardly, and make his exasperation with them quite so lucid; such acts, he'd learned long ago, only tended to fuel the fire.
"Yes father, mother. The Dining Hall is right this way, if you'll follow me...I'm certain that Milani will join us there, as well as Danae and Gregoir." Gods, he could only hope- wait...was he actually hoping that Milani would join them?
Something about his parents clearly made him mentally ill- well, moreso than he already believed himself to be.
The group made the slow trek to the dining hall, Nikolai trying all the while to tune out any more statements which his parents might choose to throw his way...but it was all starting to ware on him a bit; being away from them from so long had left him out of practice, it seemed.
They strode together into the dining hall soon thereafter, Nikolai doing his best to ignore all that was going on...though, from the looks of it, there were other royals present for the day. And on top of that, some red-haired man was yelling at a...purple cat thing. This place was just oodles of fun, wasn't it?
"How vile..." He heard his father mutter, the words likely meant for only his wife to hear. The prince tried to choose a set of seats which were placed just a touch further off from those inciting chaos, pulling out a chair for his mother to sit- fighting the urge to roll his eyes at her whilst doing so.
When all was done, he sat down himself, just in time to catch Danae entering the room. Erik looked up at her, eyes giving way to no true emotions,
"Daughter...you're late. But it is of little importance- come, sit." The King waved his daughter to sit, showing little interest in her presence there- though his preference did seem to lean far more in her direction than in Nikolai's.
That done, he waited for Fedora to speak...for someone to serve them, and for the others which they waited on to arrive. He could only hope that the fallen knight would choose to make herself scarce...and did so vehemently. Money fuels the fires of war
Only love worth dying for
Together when the sky falls through
A flash of red, I'll fuse with you Everyone I come across, in cages they bought
They think of me and my wandering, but I'm never what they thought
I've got my indignation, but I'm pure in all my thoughts
I'm alive...
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Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 6:26 pm
  ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄ Princess of Humility || In the forest || Wearing This || Weapon ▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ Opposite reactions from her proposal was not expected. It seemed Theoran thought she should try and find the person who cast the spell on 'her' and get his, or her, diary, which Madelyne knew would be impossible. Where would she ever start in searching for the person? There were no leads, and she didn't remember who had been in the caravan all those years ago. That fact probably didn't matter; the traitor had most likely been in the fake caravan with his victim. Madelyne did not let her disappointment in his idea show.
"Thank you, Theoran," she said, deciding not to mention whether she would attempt such a difficult task, or not. "Your kindness is most appreciated." She then looked at Tantra, who provided a completely different outlook on the situation.
Tantra appeared to be more reasonable about everything. Madelyne found her words, though not comforting like Theoran had tried to come across, very to the point. She was right; if her family chose not to believe her, then what could possibly change their minds? A piece of paper was barely proof. Anyone could forge a birth certificate. As for Lord Veritas... The fact that he found the catacombs amusing showed he'd find this quite humorous, just like the young priestess thought.
What am I supposed to do then? Madelyne wondered, anguished. I cannot hide in the forest, like Tantra offered to assist me in. I am of royal blood; I will appear before my family, should they send for me. What happens after that is unclear... That will most likely lead to my demise without evidence of their kinship to me. She suddenly wished she was alone, so tears could once again spill over. Everything seems so hopeless! I am dead without proof...
After a moment of brooding, Madelyne finally spoke, "Thank you as well, Tantra, but I will not hide. I must face whatever fate has in store for me." Her words showed more confidence than she held. "Who knows? Perhaps Lord Veritas has more generosity than even he would admit." She gave a slight smile at the thought, trying to lighten the mood, despite her just wanting to curl up against a tree and cry.
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 12:02 am
◤xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◥
☠ - - - Λƥøłłσ "Ƨǻȋȵț" Ἇṯḻṻ§ - - - ☠
◣xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◢
ƨɑϲʀәʠ ≪ ≪ ≪ ⋘ The Royal Shield ⋙ ≫ ≫ ≫ ƨɑȋȵț
Kingdom: [ Veritas' ] Rank: [ Royal Shield ] Location: [ Dining hall, shame I don't have a drink. Guess this isn't a time for reckless desires. ]
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 Following the red-haired man into Veritas' castle, he made a note of the halls as they passed. Since coming here, he had gathered that the God who resided in these halls had a love for the new, as displayed by the halls that were never the same way twice. Taking one path could've lead you to the library one day, then lead you to the entrance or garden the next. It was a funny little thing, but as far as he knew the halls weren't due to change around for a little while. Hopefully, just long enough for them to end this. Having a map of this place was all but impossible, but for the time being, knowing what lead where would come in handy. "Normal means huh? This wouldn't be the first time I've fought an evil like this..." As soon as he said that, the young wanderer nearly lost himself in his mind, locked in his thoughts. Funny. He said this wasn't the first time he'd fought an evil such as this, and yet, it smelled so much of his hand in the plot. It was impossible, he knew that much to be true. Lodiab was dead and gone, whatever evil supposedly passed with him.
"Snap out of it man, we've got a job to do." Kahler said as he shook the young man's shoulder lightly. Right, right. It will have to wait for later, as other things too. As R spoke, he couldn't help but sigh. "I apologize R, but I'm no man of the cloth. I don't pray to a God for something that a man can make happen with his own hands." It was true, his call-sign and closest thing to a nickname was "the Saint." A Saint was, as he recalled, a holy man of some much followed religion from the past. It was ironic though, this Saint was a worldly man, cut from a different cloth than those who saw fit to pay tribute to some omnipotent being. The way he saw it, if they were truly omnipotent, be they a God or not, then they certainly didn't need his sign of approval. As it stood though, there was a job to be done and people to defend, whether he lost his life in the process wasn't of much consequence to him. Just so long as he fulfilled his duty, it all ended the same to him.
Apollo took his place out of sight as R burst through the doors to the dining hall, calling out his opponent. He gripped Gospel tightly as he prepared for the inevitable bloodshed. But, it all seemed...wrong. Not only was it far too easy, but it just felt wrong. "Uhm, buddy, this kitty is supposed to be the omnipotent super wizard thing that's going to kill us all?" Kahler said as he leaned closer to Apollo with a look of confusion upon his face. "...A cat?" Saying that more to himself, it did make sense he supposed. It didn't feel right, and what was more unexpected than a cat being their target? Well...this was R's show, he'd stay ready until Kahler gave the signal and he was to move in for the fight. Wouldn't want to end up hurting some noble after all, that would likely end up quite badly for him. The last thing he needed was a bounty on his head by some kingdom he was likely to revisit unintentionally...
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 2:24 am
-- Location - Dining Hall then to a...old Church? --
|1364|
-- Heir of Humility --
|Now here we stand with their blood on our hands| |We fought so hard now can we understand| 
Ryan was quickly remembering why he tended to avoid the Dining Hall when it was packed full of people. It was loud and he did his best to shut out everything and attempt to keep his thoughts on the people he was dining with. Oh how he longed for solitude again instead being in this room with all the spoiled royals. Especially fortitude how the hell did Haven ever come from such awful people? How could the king and queen of fortitude a virtuous kingdom have such unvirtuous rulers? The country would certainly be better off without that dreadful woman's screeching. Not to mention poor Lorelei having to sit through all the insults and everything else. If not for Haven being there to defend her Ryan might very well have jumped up to defend her himself. Such an action would probably not go over very well but the queen was lucky to have Lorelei as future queen of fortitude. Closing his eyes and wiping such thoughts out of his head he blocked out everyone that wasn't currently talking to him or one of the others he was dining with.
Sara was currently seated next to him and after hearing Dorian's reply to his question Ryan just nodded his head in acknowledgment. "Of course sorry for intruding. It's not really my place or business." Putting a polite smile on his face Ryan nodded to Sara next. "That is good to hear milady." Looking at his betrothed he had to stop from looking at her suspiciously. She was being quite nice and completely unlike most of the behavior he had seen from her. Therefore the natural conclusion was she was pretending for some reason. Likely her own benefit. However Ryan couldn't have cared less how she presented herself to his father since he was positive that if he told his father how she was he would be believed over her. Then again he didn't have any intention of letting the cat out of the bag for the moment figuring it best not to worry his father with such a minuscule thing as his happiness. Nodding in agreement (lord it was becoming a habit wasn't it?) to what Sara and his father said concerning the Jesters Ryan remained silent. Best to let his family talk to Sara and get to know her.
At the mention of his conduct around Sara Ryan raised an eyebrow to his father feeling the need to speak up in case Sara didn't feel like being truthful. "I have been a perfect gentleman as you have taught me Father." That was entirely true not that he expected his father would think otherwise. Not long after his comment the woman claiming to be his deceased sister showed up and he offered her a few choice words. Opening his eyes after looking towards Sara he caught her sticking her tongue out at him. Was she really such a heartless woman to be teasing him at a time like this? Keeping disgust from filling his features he allowed another thought to take hold. Perhaps she was specifically trying to keep the situation light as a way to help him deal with it. It was unlikely but it led him to at least think his betrothed was anything other than a spoiled brat of a girl. Staring at the banshee for a few minutes without any particular emotion on his face he turned back towards the impostor and stared her down as she replied to his words.
The words the redhead offered were almost too good to be true and had Ryan already decided not to believe her and put himself through it again he might have believed her. However fearing his anger getting the best of him again Ryan remained silent and let his father do all the talking and straighten things out for the time being. He just didn't have the strength for such a thing right now. Too much had happened as of late for him to want anything more than to crawl back into bed. He craved the comforting presence of his sister and regretting having not sat next to her. His appetite was long gone by now and he didn't even wish to remain in this room anymore. Quickly Ryan was wishing he had never come to this castle and that he never had to return to this depressing excuse for a dining hall. Hearing his father and sister finish things off then watching the impostor stick to her story and leave Ryan sighed. Though words his father had spoke concerning consulting Veritas and the memory of the catacombs caused him to speak again.
"Yeah like he will provide any type of assistance the lord of this castle cares nothing for his guests aside from how they may entertain him. We are all nothing more than mere playthings to him. Even if the girl was Madelyne he might very well tell you otherwise just for the personal satisfaction of knowing you had your own daughter killed." Not at all liking the bitterness in his tone Ryan closed his eyes and let out a deep calming breath. "Sorry for my anger and outburst Father I just cannot go through this again only to find another impostor. I don't really have much of an appetite anymore either. Therefore I am excusing myself from the table. I need a little time to think. I will come back to talk to you some more a little later Father. Sorry." Standing up Ryan bowed to the others which were now minus Dorian it seemed. "Sorry my dear sister and Lady Sara enjoy your meal." And with that said Ryan took his leave from the Dining Hall pushing the doors open without any trouble.
Walking in silence and with his gaze on the floor Ryan didn't much care where he was going and let his footsteps carry him towards the east side of the castle and outside. Walking some more he found himself in the shadow of a large building and looked up to find a church with a cemetery beside it. Pausing at the rusted doors of the church Ryan put his hands on them then slowly pushed one open hearing the creaking of it's hinges as it was nearly rusted off and walked inside. After he was inside he left the door open to provide some much needed light in the room. Looking around Ryan was in awe at how rundown the place looked. The scent of dust and age assaulted his nostrils and it was very clear that this place had seemingly not even been visited in a long time. Though upon closer examination he could faintly make out footprints made recently. The dust had accumulated over the years and begun to recover the prints however and his footprints were clearly seen in the dust. The door itself upon opening at lifted a good deal of dust into the air that caused Ryan to sneeze.
Walking on with little purpose behind his steps Ryan looking at the pews through here and there as if some powerful forces had once been engaged in combat here. Walking up to the altar he looked up at the statue of some god either long forgotten or now deceased. Given the young appearance of the god it could very well be a young Veritas. After all why else would he have a church at his castle if it was not one of his own. Running his hands along the altar he looked at the dust clinging to his fingers and sighed. At the right hand side of the room was a door likely leading down to the catacombs which held deceased priests. Ryan had to wonder exactly how long it had been since someone had worshiped here. The whole place had an eerie feel to it however at the same time it was peaceful. Taking a little water out of his vial and rinsing off a spot on one of the pews Ryan took a seat. Looking around the place Ryan let himself relax for the moment. It seemed to be easy to do in this place for some reason.
|We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days| |Through the fire and flames we carry on|
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 10:25 pm
 ∮The Countess∮ I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined Searching for Nikolai Flawless. It was expected of her, so as she made her way to the dining hall, in search of the man who should be at her arm during these visitations, who should appear to be at peace with their betrothal, and treating her as she was – his future queen. She cajoled through the halls lithely, her slippered feet giving no sound to the cadence in her step. No matter the turmoil that churned her insides, her blue-green eyes stared ahead, ignoring for now the shivers that this castle gave her. Ignoring the moans that were still so defined in her head, the young woman drew in a sharp breath as she smoothed out a wrinkle that wasn't really present in her skirt. All of her life, the Countess had been groomed as the first choice for queen of Prudence, and while the circumstances were much different than what had originally been planned, Milani remained true to all that had been instilled upon her.
Of course, her steps brought her to a busy and well populated room, many things transgressing through. With a twinge of anxiety to be all that they expected, the countess swept some of the hair from her gaze, which fell exactly on the man she'd been looking for – Nikolai Bascov. In an instant that her blood broiled within her veins, giving way to a pinkish color for her flesh. She should have known, that just because his parents were here, he'd not remember the dogmas of propriety, and that she would be escorting herself in bad tasted.
Inwardly, she was more than peeved that her fiance wouldn't think his actions through. Outwardly, she was the serene woman that the kingdom knew her as. Genteel, sweet, quiet. Quickly, Milani devised a reason as to why she hadn't been with Nikolai upon Erik and Fedora's arrival, and as she made her way over, Fedora's eyes lightened in color. “Milani DeWinters, darling girl... You look as radiant as any in our kingdom.”
Milani curtsied, bowed her head in reverence at the queen's greeting. “Lady Bascov, it's a pleasure. I will apologize for Nikolai and I not greeting you at the same time; when your carriage arrived I was still in the throws of sleep, no matter how much noise Nikolai made in efforts to rouse me from my dreams.” He'd better be thankful for this later. But it was to cover her a** as much as his. While few in the castle who'd been witness to Milani and Nikolai's venomous fights would be like to forget the incidences, the last thing that the King and Queen needed to see was that their son feud with his fiance.
There was a moment of hesitation as she stepped to be beside Nikolai, taking the seat open for her. Had he actually thought to reserve her a place at the table? The entire idea left her befuddled. Surely not. “Did your travels go well?” Milani asked conversationally, her posture perfect while under the queen's scrutinizing stare.
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned ∮Milani DeWinters∮
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 10:31 pm
 Theoran Lynth Kingdom: Avarice Rank: Sellsword Location: The Forest. Theoran nodded in a way as if to say the thanks was not needed, but he did not voice it. What held his tongue were his thoughts about Veritas. He could quite intentionally send Madelyne in the wrong direction for the exact same reason as sending her in the right direction, but what other choice was there other than accept the punishment dealt unjustly. There was not a doubt in his mind that The Princess was who she said she was, after all, what reason would she have to convince a sellsword in employment of an opposing Kingdom. If only there was a way to directly prove she shared the Royal blood, but unfortunately all blood looks the same. I'm sure that, he began at last, one way or another, Veritas will grant you the assistance you need to prove your identity. He lied, of course. If anything he believed Veritas would enjoy watching Lady Madelyne struggle futilely against the tides of dishonesty, ignorance, and acceptance of loss. The only thing worse than pompous royalty, he now realised, were pompous Gods.
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 10:31 pm
  Fedora Bascov, speaking to her disgraceful daughter
Fedora tilted her glass back far enough to get a generous sip of her wine as she stared at the disgrace of a daughter. Truly, the demeanor of the girl was a pity; because Fedora would have liked to have had a bond with the girl, and raise her to be the proper princess that Prudence deserved. But other things had gotten in the way of Fedora keeping a steady hand on her daughter; all of her energies had gone to the favored royal child – her beloved first born. “Danae, darling.” The queen of Prudence purred, eyes lulling in a way that those truly of Prudence couldn't rightly master because of the stillness in their veins. Prudence was a cold kingdom for most; Fedora found it satisfying. “Sit up straight. One will think that your tutors failed you in the ways of etiquette.” Her lips were terse as she made the commands, her own poise the epitome of perfection.
Slowly, the princess' mother turned to face Nikolai and Milani, and she found herself pretending that her son was Dmitri once again, finding no difference in the countenance of her remaining son. “Perhaps,” she stated idly, her voice indicating that she was still speaking to Danae, even though her gaze had focused elsewhere. “It is best that the Countess DeWinters would have ascertained the throne before you, dear daughter. She's much more befitting of what the queen of our great nation should be.” Milani had been trained her whole life on how to walk, what to say, how to dress... how to be a queen, because it was the Marchioness' and the Marquess' dream to see their flesh and blood seated at the throne. She'd been groomed since the day of her birth because they knew well that she'd be the perfect candidate for Dmitri's betrothal. And how right they were. Too bad her virtue would be wasted on her slob of a son, Nikolai.
Milani was the only saving grace to the fact that the lesser of the twins would one day be king.
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Posted: Sat Jan 08, 2011 11:10 pm
♬ Ίτ'ȿ ʟΊӃЄ ɱμȘΊϹ τѺ ɱУ ЄɑɌȘ... ♫ Ҭɑηтяɑ ♪ Kingdom: Humility Rank: Priestess [In Training] Location:
Tantra let out a deep breath and continued to stare into the forest. A sudden thought sparked and her head turned to look at the princess. "Kirkis." She looked over towards Theoran. "He's the head butler, he must be close with Varitas... you could try him."
She stood up and fixed her clothes, which she had forgotten about. She wasn't sure if the princess had even noticed how outlandish and ungirly the clothing was. She fluttered her wings gently and began to climb the tree. "He must at least have an idea, or he could put in a good word for you. There has to be a way to prove your point."
...βʯʈ Ίʈ ȘЄЄɱȘ ѺɳʟУ Ί Ϲɑɳ ΗЄɑɌ...♬
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Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 10:56 am
 Jack Rohaun
Kingdom of Interest: Avarice
Occupation: Mercenary/Daemon Hunter
Location: The Garden, the entry hall, then to the dining hall.
Mood: DeterminedJack's fury rose from being refused his target. The mage prince, Haven Green, had deemed the mercenary's hostility towards the cat creature with demonic aura unwarranted. His wild eyes looked around for his allies. They too seemed to doubt "R's" accusations given the appearance of their omnipotent dark sage, all except Sokar whom was ready to tear the cat apart. This frustrated the daemon hunter, they had to be warned.
"Do not be fooled! This demon is a master of disguise! He will take any form that will bring him closer to power! Prince Haven Green, if I could assure no casualties, I would, but this Daemon revels in death and destruction! If he wills there to be genocide around him, it shall happen," said Jack with ever growing tension within his heart. None of them could see except for him, so they could not understand the danger they were in, if it was truly Xard that is. The longer they prolonged the matter, the longer the cat skin wearing monster had to form a plan or cast a spell to doom them all."Come on, Jackie! Just do it! This barrier cannot hold us! If these people wish to stand in your way, then they are already Xard's pawns! Just kill them to get them out of the way! Their souls will give us the power to strike down our destined meal! KILL THEM! KILL THEM! KILL THEM!" beckoned Ra in Jack's head. Given the hunter's emotional state, Ra's words seemed the most logical choice. And if Jack did give into those feelings, Ra would have a body to control for a time. "Now stand aside!" yelled the hunter. He would cut anyone in his way down now. He gave his warning. If he was still refused, then he would place them in league with the evil he sought. Royalty, servants, it did not matter. Every man and woman was the same to him when Xard was concerned. They were all obstacles in his way of his prize and the salvation of many worlds.
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