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 Posted: Thu Jan 29, 2015 1:36 pm
This Quest is for Saraf who is striving to become a Swordsman.
OOC
||. The quest prompt must be answered with a 2000 word reply (can be more).
||. Respond to the prompt given with an adventure of your own creation as long as it meets the requirements of the specific tasks.
||. NPCs may be used as long as they advance the quest in an interesting manner.
||. You cannot include any playable characters other than the quest taker.
||. Your responses will be graded on a letter grade scale. A grade of D or F will result in repeating the quest process, C or better will result in passing and possible rewards.
||. Questions about quests can be asked here.
IC
Saraf had been home alone when the call came. An Oban soldier just a little older than Saraf with a familiar face - one of the faces from the war - knocked on the front door. He came with a summons to the court, though there was no hint as to what it could be about.
Once at the palace though, it would be clear that the summons was to question Saraf about his new... house guest. Rumors had flown all over Oba that the family had taken in a young shifter boy, and it seemed to most that they were holding a slave in their house. Many were furious, though most were envious, and the attention had been brought to the king's ears. Something like this could not go on any longer.
Quest Tasks
||. The king has summoned Saraf to the courts under accusations that his family is still holding slaves.
||. Saraf must convince the king that the boy with his family is not a slave, and that he has not broken the treaty with the other members of Tendaji.
||. The quest should start with his summons to the court.
||. Once at the court he will be asked to explain. While the king is understanding, he will not be able to just take Saraf's word for it and will be forced to order a search of Saraf's home for evidence that the young boy was a slave.
||. The quest will end with the king finding Saraf innocent, but Saraf will also find that the young boy is gone from his home for what seems like for good.
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Posted: Fri Jan 30, 2015 4:33 pm
Part One: The Summons
Saraf had just barely seen his mother and Issaly off, the two of the heading out to visit the boy's sick brother, when there was a knock on the door. He'd only made it half way down the hallway when he heard the sound, something that caused him to turn to face the door with a confused look on his face. He shook his head then started toward the door, "I wonder if they forgot something? Probably her key to the house if she has to knock to get back in." He couldn't help but to chuckle as he went. He really did love the woman but she could be rather forgetful at times he thought to himself as he moved to open the door for the two that he thought he would find there. As he did so his smile faltered a little as he found himself looking the one who was standing there, not his mother but instead it was a soldier, one he'd seen before during war times.
Regaining his composure quickly Saraf gave the man a smile and a nod, "Can I help you?" He asked, wondering what had brought the man to his home today. He looked a bit serious so he found himself more then a little curious as to what had brought the solider here. Perhaps those in charge were going to finally see to his request for a chance at being more then just a foot soldier in the Oban army? Hard to say though, the man's expression wasn't giving all that much away.
"Saraf Ismat, you are being summoned to court. If you would get ready and come with me." He said, his voice leaving no room for any sort of argument. His voice, his expression, and his stance, all of it was rather serious and stern, something that didn't sit well with Saraf in the least bit.
There was a moment where the prentice stood there, stock still, before finally asking, "If I might ask what this is about?" The soldier said nothing in response, merely standing there, waiting for Saraf to get ready. Not a good sign he thought to himself as he moved to fetch his shoes, pulling them on, before he moved leave a note for his mother in case she got back before he did. He didn't want for her to worry, to think he'd wandered off or something. So long as she knew where he was then she'd stay calm. He'd go with the soldier to court, figure out what it was that they needed him for, and the he'd come back. If he was lucky he would get back before they did or else the two of them might make a mess of the kitchen he thought to himself.
Giving a sigh as he set the letter where he hoped they would see it upon their return and turned to the soldier who was to be his escort, "Shall we?" He asked of the man, giving him a smile. It wasn't long before the two of them were heading out, at a quick pace, toward court. The sooner he got there the better, especially when he knew that left on their own that his mother and Issaly would likely make a mess... and just imagine if his brother was able to return with them. That wasn't something he looked forward to, three against one, him having to be the mature one who said 'no' to certain ideas that his mother came up with when it came to her Shifter pets. He didn't want to be mean and pray to Essd that the older one stayed in the hospital a little longer but he wasn't looking forward to being out numbered by Shifters in his own house.
His mind jumped between various thought processes as he walked along, staying silent because the solider himself wasn't really saying anything. It wasn't until they finally reached their destination that the man spoke up again, giving him directions to where exactly Saraf needed to go and that he was to wait there until he was summoned. More waiting he thought to himself, sighing as he headed to the room that he was to wait in. The moment he stepped inside his thoughts started to whirl once more, trying to figure out what it was that had caused him to be called here. There was that part of him that really wanted to believe that he was here due to his desire to be a part of the army in a more permanent, and ranked, manner. He didn't think he'd be so lucky though, surely if it was a good thing the soldier who escorted him here wouldn't have appeared as though Saraf was heading toward his execution.
What felt like an eternity later someone was arriving, calling out his name, leading him along once more before he found himself in front of a lot of important people, the king included. It was something that had him looking around a moment, eyes wide, a chill going up his spine as he took in the manner in which some of them were whispering behind their hands. Another bad sign he thought to himself.
As he came to stand before the others the man before him, the most powerful on in the kingdom asked in a rather displeased and demanding tone, "Saraf Ismat, what is this I hear about your family keeping slaves?"
(( Word Count: 908 ))
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 3:16 pm
Part Two: Chatting with the King
Saraf wasn't sure how long he stood there in silences, eyes wide, mouth moving without sound coming out. Keeping slaves? What? They weren't keeping slaves anymore, not since the stupid law passed that they weren't allowed to do so any longer. His mind started whirling for a moment before it seemed to click what was going on. It was because of Issaly and his brother, wasn't it? He knew that his mother taking in that little stray cat was going to come back and bite them in the backside, he knew it but it wasn't something that he had been able to talk her out of. She'd been so excited over taking Issaly in, having another youngling in the house to raise, even if he wasn't Oban.
A sighing sound escaped from his lips before he finally spoke up, "If you're referring to Shifters it's not like that." He said, wondering how exactly he was supposed explain this one in a manner that they would actually believe. He didn't want to lay all the blame at his mother's feet either, instead wanting to look after her, keep her safe from people that might accuse her of doing something devious or illegal when it was far from that. After a moment of thought he finally said, "It's actually pretty simple, our family took Issaly in after the war. My mother seems intent upon raising him as her own if she gets her way." A claim that had people once more whispering behind their hands. It was obvious that they likely didn't believe him but he would need to make them understand, wouldn't he?
The King lifted a hand, silencing the whispers before he asked, "What of the older brother, Isaris, was it?" He glanced toward his adviser to make sure he got the name right before he looked back at Saraf once more, awaiting his explanation.
"Isaris was... a surprise. After Issaly came to stay with us he made mention of having a sick brother. A message was sent to the place that Issaly had come from and Isaris was moved from there to the hospital where they could take care of him. I wasn't sure what he had and I didn't want to see it brought into our house if it was some sort of strange Shifter illness that might spread to my family." He said, hands clasping behind his back as he tried to keep himself calm despite how on edge he was feeling at the moment.
Saraf ground his teeth for a moment, waiting until he was able to get his emotions in check before he continued, "I have yet to meet him personally as he's still staying there. Once they are certain that what he has is what they think it is, something genetic but not contagious, then he will probably move in as well. As to what we will do with him I can't say. We took him in because Issaly requested it, I suppose we can always offer him a job or send him back to Jauhar, whichever he'd prefer." He hoped the guy would just pack up and leave to be honest, it would make things a lot easier and calmer back home... though he somehow doubted that Isaris would just leave without his little brother. Saraf knew his mother wouldn't want to see the boys just wander off when one was little and one was sickly. If anything they were going to be stuck with them for who knew how long, until Issaly was grown up or both of them decided to go back to their homeland.
Sighing a bit he said, "I know it looks back but it's really nothing akin to what you might be thinking. I mean my mother spends her time playing with Issaly, making a mess of the kitchen trying to make cookies, she brings him to visit his brother in the hospital. She's treating him as one of her own, nothing else." Sure, Saraf bossed the kid around at first but nowadays he mostly just let them do whatever so long as they didn't make that big of a mess.
Silence reigned as the king spoke quietly with his advisers before he finally gave his ruling, "I would like to believe what you're saying Saraf Ismat, to believe you when you say that you merely took the Shifters in and are taking care of them. There is no proof though one way or the other, merely your word. Given that it is the word of a soldier loyal to Oba, one who fought in the war, I will give you a chance to prove yourself." Motioning at a few guards he ordered them, "Go with Saraf to his house, searched the place, make sure that what he says is true. If it turns out that he is telling the truth we will let the matter rest."
Saraf found himself dismissed, heading for home with two soldiers to either side of him, the lot of them heading back toward his place. The idea of these men going through his home, flipping it upside down in their search for evidence. He could only hope that his mother and Issaly stayed away during the search since he didn't want the soldiers to upset either of them.
(( Word Count: 881 ))
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 11:25 pm
Part Three: Final Judgement and a Mother's Tears
Saraf was furious, though he was trying to do his best to keep from reacting in that manner though, as he watched the soldiers go tromping through his house. They were opening all the doors, looking behind shelves, under rugs, basically searching for any sort of hiding places that they might be keeping extra slaves or something. As if he'd allow his family to do something that might compromise his chances at becoming a member of the Oban army he thought to himself in a rather displeased manner. He really shouldn't have let them stay here... but he'd never been able to win an argument with his mother. No, they were just cute little kids, they wouldn't cause problems, they need help he thought to himself in a sarcastic tone of voice.
Dragged out of his thoughts when he heard a crashing sound Saraf went running toward the sound, looking into the sitting room, and then gave a gurgling sound. He wanted to yell at them but he couldn't, he had to relax, had to calm down, couldn't take a swing at the king's guard even as they set about breaking things. It was just another mess on a long list of messes he'd have to clean up once this foolish search was over. If it wasn't for the fact that the kid was so small and helpless he'd be tempted to give him a swift kick in the backside for causing him all of these issues! The only thing that kept him from completely flipping out at the moment was the fact that his mother wasn't home. The idea of having people wandering through the house while she was here, that was something that just didn't sit well with Saraf.
Now that he thought about it though wasn't it getting late? Shouldn't she be home by now? Something must have come up with Isaris. His condition might have gotten better, maybe worse, something that would keep her longer. Either they were still hovering over the boy, fretting over his condition or else they were preparing to bring him back here because he was on the mend. Saraf really couldn't say which scenario he'd prefer at this point.
He found himself debating on this for a moment before he heard a soldier calling out, "Hey! I found something down here!" It was a declaration that caused him to jerk his head to one side, looking in the direction that the other soldiers were now heading, before he moved to follow suit. What did they find? This was the direction the bed rooms were located? What of interest could possibly be down here? He couldn't really say, not until he reached the doorway that the others were gathered around and it clicked, "Ahh, Issaly's room." He murmured, starring into it a moment, taking in the bright colors of the bedding and curtains, the various toys scattered about and clothing located in the dresser and closet.
It was then that it clicked, why this was important, and he turned to look at the soldiers, "You see? Who buys all this stuff for a slave?" He asked of them in a demanding tone. He'd had some misgivings over the money his mother had been spending on the Shifter youngling but now that he was faced with this situation he realized it might actually be what saved them. A slave wouldn't have been given such things as expensive toys and clothing, he wouldn't be given a room of his own in the same area as the rest of the family, he and his brother would have been kept in slave quarters that were far more minimal. Crossing his arms over his chest he asked, "This proves it, right? The fact that the kid was taken in, all but adopted by our family, not enslaved or kept as a pet."
The soldiers exchanged looks, then moved into the room to search it a bit, just to make sure, but there really wasn't anything to be found that wasn't out in the open save for the clothing and some extra blankets that were tucked away in case Issaly needed them. After a moment more the guard who called the others into the room finally said, "I think we have seen all we need to see. We will report back to the king and he will give his final judgement. Come along Saraf Ismat, the king and his decision await you." Once again, no room for argument, meaning he'd have to clean up later. He hoped that Issaly and his mother refrained from stepping on the shard of whatever the soldiers had broken in the sitting room he thought to himself as he hurried along with the group, eager to get this over with.
*****
After everything that the soldiers had seen was reported back to the king the final judgement that Saraf had been fretting over was finally delivered to him. He and his family had been found innocent of the crime of keeping slaves and he was told that he was free to go. Not that it was so easy though, they meant to send a soldier by from time to time, to check in, to make sure that they were in fact keeping up with the care of Issaly and his brother. It seemed that, while the king liked what he'd heard he wanted to be certain, just to make sure that there wasn't an incident between Saraf's family and the Shifter's as a whole. Lifting a hand he rubbed it against his bad eye for a moment, then sighed. As if he could care less what those savages thought... but he didn't mean to push his luck where the king was concerned.
If home visit were important to the man, to prove that they were behaving, so be it. Maybe next time the soliders came by they would refrain from breaking things he thought to himself idly, walking toward home at a slow pace, wanting nothing more then get home, get cleaned up, and just fall into bed. The day had been far more exhausting then he'd expected it to be. Here he'd thought that it would be a day off since his mother and Issaly had gone to visit with Isaris, how wrong he'd been.
Saraf stretched his arms up over his head, giving a great yawn, before he crossed them behind his head, "Eesh, that was not what I was expecting would happen when I dreamed about being summoned to court before the king." This had better not come back to bite him in the backside when it came to his dream of one day being a ranked officer in the Oban Military he thought to himself. He'd done everything he could up to this point to make sure that he'd be able to achieve his dream, up to and including marching off to war. He hoped that a mistake like this one wouldn't ruin all of his hard work or else he wasn't sure what he'd do next.
He was approaching his place when he heard his name being cried out by his mother a moment before the woman was throwing herself against his chest, sobbing, something that had him going stock still. He starred down at her a moment before reacting by wrapping his arms around her and asked, "Mother? What is it? What happened? Are you alright?" If anyone had hurt her he'd kill them he thought, his protective instincts and anger rising quickly.
The woman sniffled, looking up at him, and between heaving sobs said, "Their gone... Saraf... someone took Issaly and Isaris away!" The only words she was able to get out before she buried her face against his chest again, clinging to his shirt.
It was a declaration that sent mixed emotions through him before he gave a sigh, resigning himself to the fact that he wasn't going to get that rest he was hoping for, "Come on, mother, let's get you inside and then I will go and search for them." He said, giving her a squeeze before leading the way. He wasn't sure what she meant by someone taking them away but they'd better pray to whatever Gods they believed in that they he didn't find them. Nobody made his mother cry and got away with it.
(( Word Count: 1388 ))
(( Total Word Count: 3177 ))
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Posted: Sat Jan 31, 2015 11:32 pm
All ready to be read over! ^_^ <3 The aftermath of this quest should be interesting to see play out, thanks for the fun prompt! <3
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Posted: Mon Feb 02, 2015 11:28 am
Class Quest Result
Pass!
Saraf has passed and received a rank of Swordsman!
Congratulations Saraf!
Orpheus Solon Saraf may choose 1 shop item (not including fairgrounds) as a reward for his quest. PM Suhuba with your choice.
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