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Eliodorus nods, noting the names. It'll be interesting to see which turn out to be enemies and which might be allies. --- Eliodorus smiles mirthlessly, inclining his head to Dustan. "A pleasure, sodalis." But the look in his eyes, for a moment, is cold and angry. Dustan's challenge is accepted. It is a challenge that makes little sense, though. Eliodorus has done nothing to provoke Vendetta, so surely the man is trying to abuse the tradition to provoke him. And still - it can't be denied. Only a cowardly, dishonorable lout refuses Vendetta. He will have to learn more and respond, but even more he will need to learn how Dustan benefits here, what his purpose is. There must be some ulterior motive. He will need to have Alexia set up a spy network quickly.
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Oct 18, 2014 18:14
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Almudena raised an eyebrow skeptically, "War will come again, as it has since the time of Old Egypt. The kingdoms of today are built upon the bones of the kingdoms that came before. This land is our cradle; our beginning was here, and I have no doubt that when our end comes, it shall also be our casket." The old maga's hard demeanor broke, and with a heavy sigh and a sad, sympathetic look, she she continued, "Though you might wish it, you cannot hope to bring peace to these lands. All we can hope to do is weather the storms. That, my sodales, is your purpose here: the Suhhar Sulayman has great influence in the Moslem realms, and friendship, or at least peace, with them might allow our Order to survive in the Levant." "Preseden lies halfway between Acre and Nazareth; two days travel for a caravan, or a day's ride. Both Acre and Nazareth are heavily fortified, though Preseden lies outside of sortie distance from either. The estate itself is sufficiently fortified to deter casual attack, but it cannot resist a dedicated assault," she said, distancing herself again. Almudena paused, brow wrinkling, "The continued abandonment of Preseden worries me. As you say, it is a rich and fine estate, and it does lie along an important road, and it should have been claimed by one or more knightly orders during the past thirty years. I strongly suspect magical defenses remain, though I cannot guess as to their nature." "I'm afraid I did not know the previous inhabitants well. I had only resided in the tribunal a decade or so when the the kingdom fell, and Preseden with it. Lysander the Quaesitor was the senior magus; he survived the fall, but has since succumbed to Final Twilight. He was a master of astological magic, and was the parens of Saturnina of Arx Terminus, though I understand that their relationship was chilly at best. Stark of Prague, a Verditus, was killed in an attempted defense of the covenant. He was interested in automata, as I recall. Lambert de Flambeau disappeared during the same defense. His ultimate fate is unknown, but he is believed to have been killed as well. Amesha Azardokht, of Merinita, survived and fled to Alexandria. She was interested in the... peculiar nature of the Jinn. Osgar of Bonisagus also survived, but was later killed by a laboratory accident in the Stonehenge Tribunal. He was studying some form of folk magic, I believe." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dunstan turned to the Jerbitons with a tight lipped smile. "To speak honestly, I'd rather not be here," he said, as several other guests glare at him, "My sodale Samson usually attends such things, but he is busy with more important affairs at the moment," he continued, as de Montaigu's lips drew tight at his guest's rudeness. "So you are to be our Order's sycophants to the infidels then?" the magus said with a small snarl, as several guests whispered meaningfully around him. fool of sound fucked around with this message at 23:16 on Oct 19, 2014 |
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Oct 19, 2014 18:09
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Orlaith Orlaith continues to just let the conversation go along without her. She seems far more interested in her squirrel than on the conversation at hand. ------ Meanwhile, or perhaps later on, at the keep, Orlaith has been... mostly just listening to the conversation, focusing far more on eating the food than anything else. She still has her squirrel to her - who brings a squirrel with them to a feast at a royal keep? A magus does, apparently. She shoots Dustan a slight scowl over her hunk of bread. "Are you trying to give yourself a bad reputation?" she asks him. "Surely you must realise 'I don't want to be hear' isn't the best thing to say to endear yourself to a group at a social gathering. What would this Samson think, if he knew you said such things?" There's a slight pause. "Not send you to any more of these functions, I suppose. Which probably wouldn't be a bad thing from your perspective..." she has to admit, after a moment's thought.
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Oct 19, 2014 18:43
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Victorion Victorion says nothing, but in his heart, he can't believe Almuneda's gloomy prophecy. Is the Kingdom then doomed, and the Order's only choice to beg the Muslim rulers of the land permission to stay? Such a thing is hard to credit. the Kingdom's neighbors were strong, no doubt, but Victorion doubts that the Christian kings of France, of England and the Empire would really allow the Kingdom to fall; let the holy places be defiled. No harm in planning for the worst, certainly, but if one suspects the worst, one invites it, in his experience, and is is not Victorion's nature to sit by and watch light fade and darkness and evil overwhelm. ______________________________ Victorion smiles slightly at Dunstan's comments and Orlaith's response. "Now, now, I, for one admire Master Dunstan's directness and plain speech. We are here to provide whatever assistance we can to our fellow covenants, and discover what we can of the infidel mages, for their practices are different than ours, and it is surely wise to discover what we can about those with whom we must contend. At least, I have always thought it so, Master Dunstan.
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Oct 19, 2014 19:54
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Alexia Alexia, who's been wandering and looking, comes up to the seated Eliodorus and hops on his lap, and then from there to his shoulder, where she starts nuzzling his neck with her face, trying to seem inconspicuous (or as inconspicuous as a cat can be when it's nuzzling someone's neck), and whispers to him, Armed men, without. Knights maybe, waiting for a signal.
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Oct 19, 2014 21:54
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Demetrios "Ideally, we will be able to discern what is going on at Preseden and ensure it is not able to harm others. It seems a pleasant enough spot," Demetrios responds easily. "As for the Holy Land, I have no doubt that it will continue to be fought over bitterly. Since the Arabs swept from the desert and put the Romans to the sword, the only reality this land has known is war. We will not resolve that, but perhaps we can make some small difference, at least for the Hermetic folk of the Holy Land." He shrugs. "We owe it to the Order to try, even if some do not wish to be helped." -------------------------------------- Demetrios nods to his fellow Jerbiton. "Indeed. We will never, I suspect, be friends with the Moslems, but we need not necessarily fight them here and now. Diplomacy is fought just as surely as a battle, and more subtly. If nothing else, our embassy will help us learn more about a group of practitioners little studied in the West." He cocks his head thoughtfully. "Friend Verditius, have you fought against the Suhhar Sulayman? From what I have heard, your covenant has shouldered the burden of protecting the foothold of the Order here." Quorum fucked around with this message at 15:58 on Oct 20, 2014 |
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Oct 20, 2014 15:35
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Eliodorus "You say this Stark was killed in defense of his covenant - by who? Who would dare?" House Verditius may fight amongst its own, but when one is taken from the outside, that's an entirely different story. --- Eliodorus says nothing to his housemate, petting Alexia's head as she hops up onto him. A queen must have guards, but they would not be waiting in ambush... "I do hope you had no trouble getting here, Master Dunstan. I have heard that it can be quite dangerous of late." Knights...but there are several orders here. Who could be planning ambush, and why?
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Oct 20, 2014 16:03
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Nadya It's not the quarrels of the Crusaders and Mahometans that Nadya is worried about... "That... Was my plan, Lady Almudena. To be honest it's just a matter of time before a second Saladin rises from the desert tribes and brings the Christian Kingdoms down like castles of sand." She turns to the other Magi, her eyes shining with expectation. "I am assuming that making rapprochement one of our priorities is not a problem?" --- What a bunch of boorish imbeciles! It seems that everyone on these Holy Lands have made it their mission to humiliate and demean the Covenant, and Nadya is getting quite tired of this. "Watch your tongue if you value having her on your mouth, Verditus." Irene Oooh, now this was a fun party to come! To see the Magi bicker to and fro like that and pull this kind of childish trick. Irene smiles while eating a haunch of lamb, imagining when it will be Demetrios' turn to be the victim of a cruel prank.
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Oct 21, 2014 01:33
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Marduk Marduk simply keeps up with the conversation, ready to note down anything of intrest. ------------------ Rahirin At the mention of the Suhhar Sulayman, Rahirin almost instantly turned towards that conversation, Listening intensely to anything about them. He had old friends among that order, some whose bones were long since dust, and he had old enemies of that orders, some of whom he had left as bones to be picked by the desert wind. Whatever war this Order of Hermes had with them might well be either gainfull luck or a curse for his kind.
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Oct 21, 2014 01:51
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"The Suhhar Sulayman, master Verditius," the old maga said with a small smirk, "Eleven magi were killed during the fall of Jerusalem, struck down by the sahir and their allies. More than twice that number where driven off." Almudena turned her dark eyes towards Nadya, "I believe that would be advisable, lady Bjornaer. And while were are on the subject of your plans and duties, I have scheduled your special confirmation tribunal in two seasons time, to be convened in the council manor here in Acre. In theory, no magi save myself should be aware of your presence or assignment, though your encounter with the knights tells us that secrecy has failed, as it so often does." "I strongly suggest that you establish a defensible position at Preseden by that time, in as many ways as is feasible; an Aegis, fortifications, a strong degree of self-sufficiency, and an advantageous position with the local mundanes. It may be nothing but paranoia, but I would not depend on the magi of the Levant to not move against you once your purpose is revealed." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Lord de Montaigu licked his lips, watching the magi carefully, eyes occasionally flicking towards the door. The buzz of conversation had quieted, replaced by the hum of tension. In the quiet, Dunstan snarled, "You think I will stand idly by and say nothing as you come to undermine our purpose here? My sodales and I have fought, and some of us have died, to preserve our Order and the rule of Christ in these lands, and now you are here to spite our sacrifice, to sell us out to the Saracen lords!"
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Oct 21, 2014 04:55
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Victorion Victorion remains silent. _______________________________________________________ "And what is your purpose, Master Dunstan?", Victorion asks quietly. If it is to preserve the Order and and a Christian Kingdom, then you should support our work. If the forces of the Saracens move against us now, aided by their foreign magics, how long will the Kingdom last? It seems to me, that to survive, Jerusalem needs peace, for a time. Time enough to build up stores, time to bring more men from France, and Italy, and the lands of the Germans, to strengthen walls, and to let them turn against each other. And we need time to understand what foreign magics they use, and how to counter it. If we have any hope of preserving ourselves, it is in our unity and their division.
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Oct 21, 2014 05:23
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Demetrios "Wise advice, honored quaesitor. We must have both walls and allies before we find ourselves assailed." The magus pursed his lips. "By anyone. I believe I can offer my assistance with securing the former." ---------------------------------------- "For everything there is a season, friend Dunstan, and a time for everything under heaven," remarked Demetrios, his Latin practiced, clearly quoting from memory. "A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up." He took a sip of his wine, masking his slight grimace at the taste. "This kingdom deserves time to heal. It has recently weathered a great storm, and with the leadership of Her Majesty and her loyal knights," and here he raised his goblet in a slight toast to the girl on the throne, "it will survive-- and thrive-- to see many more. As, I sincerely hope, will our own Order's presence in these lands." "Ah, but we are not united," he murmured to Irene and Nadya in Greek. "That proved our undoing twenty years ago." Quorum fucked around with this message at 06:07 on Oct 21, 2014 |
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Oct 21, 2014 06:01
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Eliodorus "I see. Well...once we get diplomacy handled, the topic of specific vengeance can be broached. Wouldn't want to start a war over it, after all." Eliodorus smiles. "But that death shouldn't go unanswered. There's honor to think about." --- Eliodorus looks up from his meal, turning to Dunstan. "Honestly? No, I don't think you'll stand idly by. You seem more like the type to be proactive, Master Dunstan. He shakes his head. "In fact, I would say you are the type who, if you didn't like our responses, would tell the men outside to kill us on our way out. It is us they're here for, yes? It wouldn't be our amazing host, after all. Whose knights are they?" Let him stew on that - and find a way to answer without admitting to a High Crime.
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Oct 22, 2014 01:16
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Nadya "Yes, a safe haven is the first and foremost priority. I shall assist on getting us guardian beasts, Master Jerbiton." Considering that most of the local folk are mostly Moslem natives, Jews and the small minority of Levantine Christians, having the covenfolk to assist foreigners like them might be a challenge -------- The Russian Maga's eyes widen upon hearing Eliodorus' words. While it could be a bluff of his, she had no way to know for sure if Dunstan actually prepared an ambush for them. "W-what?!" Irene Oh? Irene lifts an eyebrow at Demetrios. It seems that according to his words, the disunity of the Frangoi on this Kingdom is much like of her own family before the onslaught of the Latins. "Are you having a problem with that pompous idiot, cousin? Perhaps I could break his jaw so he could stop flapping his gums around so carelessly."
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Oct 22, 2014 01:28
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Almudena snorted derisively, "Well, I wouldn't dream of telling you how best to go about your task, master Verditius." The old maga stood up slowly, leaning heavily on her ivory cane. "If you have no further concerns, it is time to move to the tribunal manor. No doubt your servants are wondering just what has happened to you," she said with a mischievous look. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Lord de Montaigu choked on his wine, eyes bulging. "What are you accusing me of!?" Dunstan said, rising to his feet, fists clenched. "Oh dear," said Pierre de Montaigu, "your guest couldn't mean your knights, could he cousin? The ones waiting just outside?" the ugly little man said with a vicious gleam in his eye. "Surely the Grandmaster of the holy Knights of Saint John wouldn't order such a thing, nor would his esteemed guest! Especially not towards these wonderful persons who have donated so generously to your cause," he said, face breaking into a cruel smile. "I think that you and your guest should beg the queen's leave, Guerin," said a new voice. The quiet knight at the queen's side spoke softly, but nevertheless his voice carried an edge the brought the attention of the entire long table. His hair had faded to a ashy blonde, and his hard eyes were a steel grey. He wore no adornment of any sort, and the open neck of his loose tunic showed the top of a massive tattooed crucifix, running from his neck to, presumably, his groin. The Lord de Montaigu stuttered briefly, before nodding. He called over a servant, and took two parcels from him. Handing one to Dunstan, the pair approached the bewildered girl at the head of the table, kneeling before her to present their gifts: a flower pendant of polished agate from Guerin, and a small crystal glas bottle from Dunstan. She young queen gave the two men a nervous smile, noding and turning her hand in a gesture of dismissal. The pair quickly and silently left the room. As the door close behind them, conversation hesitantly started again at the table. The grey-eyed knight who spoke earlier turned his eyes to the magi, nodding gently at them. Pierre grinned at them smugly. [Anyone with an Etiquette score knows that excusing themselves now would show humility and forgiveness towards the dismissed men by effectively offering to take a share of the blame, albeit a smaller one. On the other hand, staying would profess total innocence, though it might be seen as rude. In either case, it is appropriate to present the queen with your gift before leaving.] [At this time, tattooing is seen as a pagan tradition, and it is strange that a Christian knight would openly display a tattoo. If you an appropriate Levant or France related Area Lore, you may recognize this man, so let me know in the chat.]
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Oct 22, 2014 20:10
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Orlaith at the Keep Orlaith watches the goings on with a slight lopsided grin. She actually finds this sort of thing entertaining, although... After a moment, she places her hands on the table, and stands. "I must apologise deeply for the commotion my sodales and I have unwittingly contributed to," she says, smoothly, as she makes her way around the table and towards the Queen's seat. "Before I take my leave, however..." Her hands come together, the magus making sure to be very obvious that she's casting something. Don't want to catch the Queen (or her bodyguards, more importantly) by surprise. She incants in Latin, something about species conforming to her will? Then she reaches out to gently poke the knight by the Queen's side. Suddenly, his hair turned a vibrant, neon pink, with violet stripes. It looks thoroughly unnatural, with a slight metallic sheen to it. Orlaith grins a little bit, and makes a flourishing bow. "...I promise next time I'll have something a little more exciting planned," she says, in a voice quieter than she used for her theatrics. "I do pride myself in being an excellent showman, but I didn't have a lot of time to prepare for this meeting..." She gives the Queen a slightly embarassed smile, before turning on the balls of her feet. "Farewell!" she calls, before heading out. [Casting Disguise of the Transformed Image - Stamina 1 + Muto 6 + Imaginem 9 = +16]
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Oct 22, 2014 21:08
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Eliodorus "Oh, it's hardly important right now. Matters of honor with outsiders are less important than getting things done and handled to a level where we don't spark wars and can deal with interpersonal affairs. After all, once we make friends with the group, we can afford individuals as enemies - but not before." Eliodorus values honor, but he's a very pragmatic man at the base of things. At least when it comes to his desires and goals. "Just idle musing. I agree, we should get to the manor. And from there to our covenant - I must get my lab in array." --- Eliodorus gives Dunstan a small smile as he and his mundane ally beat their retreat. This has gone quite well, really. An opportunity seized - and a far greater blow dealt in the Vendetta than the childish prank Dunstan used to start it. He bows his head to the odd, grey-eyed knight. A strange man, with those tattoos - only pagans and Criamon have those. (Some would say that this was redundant.) "I do wish we had not had to deal with that. It is unworthy in the company of our noble queen." He reaches out, to put his hand on the table - a signal for Alexia to walk down it towards the Queen. "For now, the only gift I can offer is that you be friends with my cat here, my Alexia. She is a princess of cats, fit to be the friend of a queen." True, all that. And he is Alexia's human, as she is his cat, so she shouldn't be insulted by that. "But my true gift to you is this: come summer, I will have for you a rocking-horse, unrivalled by any you have ever seen. I am an artist, a craftsman, and so I must beg you grant me time to make this for you, and your pardon for making you wait." He sees no reason to leave. Being rude to Dunstan is a bonus, not a problem.
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Oct 23, 2014 01:50
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Rahirin Having followed the upheaval and accusations closely, Rahirin steped from his chair and approached a servant, asking him to find a table or clear one already in the hall. As soon as the servant did so, he approached the queen and bowed deeply before her and the old knight, adressing the queen with a respectfull and honored tone of voice. "Honored queen, I appologise deeply for whatever involvement I or my master has had in this incident, and will I beg my leave. Before that, however, I wish to present a gift on behalf of my master, Marduk of Tytlatus, whom I represent." With that, he spreads out both his arms in a single, grand move, gesturing at the cleared table. On it, a huge myriad of sweets and pastries appeared; many many plates of baklawa and other pastries, as well as various forms of candy and candied fruits, sugared and honeyed beverages and other sweet and wonderous things. "With that duty to my master obliged, I wish to beg my leave, Your majesty.
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Oct 24, 2014 01:30
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Alexia Alexia jumps down onto the floor and walks over to the queen, rubbing against her skirts and purring. Then, without prompting, she jumps up onto the girl's lap and lies down, urging the Queen to pet her, if she's so inclined (and, if she's so inclined, scratch Alexia's neck ever so gently) Victorion No doubt, Victorion says to the woman. What of the natives of Preseden?, he asks, as a thought occurs to him. "How will they react to our coming? ____________________________________________________ Victorion, next to present a gift, stands and bows to the queen. Your Highness, he says, I have no earthly treasure for you. For, as you know, all the things of this world, no matter how precious or beautiful, must fade away. So, what I give you is transient, like all the things of this world. Only God is eternal, Highness. That, and love. The love of a man for a maid, of a parent for his child, and of God for the world. I give you, my lady, a song of love. Then, taking out his psaltrey, which he had stowed under his chair, he walks up to the queen and starts to sing... On a green hill there stood a young shepherd. Young shepherd Marcel watching his sheep They grazed up and down the hill on the green grass and the bees buzzing filled the air. On the hill was a rosebush recent in bloom and on it the bees paid attendance Oh, inconstant flower, all the bees pay you homage all come into your bower, you can not choose. Unto the hill came a young milkmaid Young milkmaid Miren, gracious Basque maiden Where are your cows, why have you left them? Their udders are full and they need milking. Barefoot she ran on the green grasses Quick young Marcel spotted the maid But dear Marcel, she is but a young lady The girl has not seen over fifteen winters. And sweet Maria, why do you wander? Who is the young man that your eyes do see He has lived only sixteen summers and the boy is simple and shy On a single hillside, the sheep are grazing The bees are going into the flower The milkmaid has found her cows and milked them and the warm summer breeze disturbs the grass. (Casting Notes of A Delightful Sound to improve the performance...It's a MuIm 10 spell, and my Casting Score is 17, so... Also, using Performance Magic to cast it. My music is 4, +1 for singing specialty, Presence is 3, Communication is 2, so either 5+3 or 5+2 Don't know if I need a separate music roll to impress with the song)
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Oct 24, 2014 02:54
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Almudena shook her head, moving towards the door, "There are no natives to Preseden, as such. There are a number of villages and farms nearby, but the estate itself is completely abandoned. I've had my servants recruit a number of covenfolk for you, both from Acre and the villages around the covenant; I've left instruction with Abd al-Hafiz on how to contact them. Those, along with the servants Durenmar is providing, should be sufficient to become self-sustaining in short order." Opening the door and gesturing towards it, she continued "It will take your servants several days to purchase and transport the necessary materials and supplies to support and repair the estate. I suggest that you and a small group travel ahead to ensure that any dangers at the covenant are neutralized before the mundanes arrive." "Remember that once we leave this inn, you must expect to be watched as long as you remain in the city. Guard your tongues, the old maga said with a harsh whisper, the closing door punctuating her warning. [Scene ends] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Orlaith's casting: 16-12+8 = 12; cast successfully, gain 1 fatigue level) (Victorion's casting: 17-12+5 = 10; cast successfully) (Victorion's performance: 10+3+(6x2) = 25; attracts the attention of the heavenly chorus, is smote for being better than them) Isabella giggled wildly at the grey-eyed knight, suddenly sporting unnaturally shaded hair. She pet Alexia over-enthusiastically as she watched the singing Victorion intently. It wasn't clear just how much the young queen understood of the Latin speaking magi, but she seemed quite pleased with her gifts regardless. The grey-eyed knight watched the girl with a soft smile and softer eyes then, suddenly, his brow wrinkled as dread crawled across his face. The child had begun to shimmer with a warm, golden light. Sparks and bubbles bounced and sprung from her giggling form. Whispered exclaimations echoed from around the long table, but the little queen didn't seem to notice. The grey-eyed knight turned to the magi, panic in his eyes. [The queen's Gift has mainfested]
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Oct 25, 2014 16:48
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Eliodorus Eliodorus watches cheerfully...until the Queen shimmers and aprks. Then his grin fades quickly, and he looks at the gray-eyed knight. Panic - yes, that makes sense. But panic why - did he hide this and know of it? Or is he terrified of the Queen now? Either way, this is a disaster. The girl has potential - and normally that would be good. But Eliodorus is a Sicilian, and Sicily's new emperor has been the talk of the island. This girl is a queen - and far, far worse than that... He pinches the bridge of his nose. "Well, this is...interesting." At least Dunstan has left.
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Oct 25, 2014 17:53
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The Probated Plutonis posted:Nadya
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Oct 26, 2014 01:31
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Victorion Victorion is taken aback by the light surrounding the Queen. He knows what this is. Catching himself, he looks quickly to see if Nadya's gift has distracted the rest of the crowd, and then, fearing it has not, says, loudly enough so that everyone can hear, Your Highness, I hope you have liked my song and were not too surprised with the show at the end, with the light and bubbles. If it would please you, I and my companions would like to meet privately with you and your Lord Father regarding my song and some other matters that may be of interest to you, if Your Highness would be so kind as to grant us a private audience. Epicurius fucked around with this message at 05:31 on Oct 26, 2014 |
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Oct 26, 2014 02:35
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Demetrios stands in his term and bows respectfully before the Queen, his eyes narrowed and carefully fixed upon her. This was... not good at all. "Your Majesty. My gift is simple, for I am a simple man. I have brought to you one of my favorite books." He produced the book, a leatherbound tome with gilt pages. "It is called the Alexiad, and it was written by a very wise and powerful princess of my country. It's about the Crusades which created your very kingdom, and it has some very good stories in it. The illuminations are some of my favorites as well. They're so good, in fact, they almost appear to move if you look closely enough. Try to find Anna's cat; it likes to move around and hide on different pages."
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Oct 27, 2014 00:06
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"A fine jest, sir magus," the grey-eyed knight said with a deep-throated chuckle that was echoed by rather more nervous laughter from around the long table. Queen Isabella beamed widely at the presented gifts, her eyes falling particularly long onto the book. "Father, she said in French, "may I have Philibert teach me from this instead of the dreary Bible?" The grey-eyed knight's smile drew tight as he replied, not quite concealing the sharpness in his voice, "You may learn from both," he said in the same language, suddenly turning towards the magi, "And of course we would be happy to grant you an audience after dinner," he finished in a voice that would brook no disobedience. "For now," he spoke to the room at large, "let us return to our meal. Long live the the kingdom of God!" he cheered, raising his goblet in a toast. [Scene ends] ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Speak quickly sorcerers, said the grey-eyed Sir John, a deadly edge to his voice, "what have you done to my daughter? He glanced over to the young queen, happily petting her new bird, paternal terror clear in his eyes. Nadya peered at the engraved seashell pensively for several moments, then placed it in a thick, fur-lined pouch at the sound of the knight's voice. [Any magi who chose not to leave or chose to stay after seeing the Queen's display are present. All companions and grogs have either left or are waiting outside.] ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "...and the Master Mason was suddenly very interested when I told him that the church was being commissioned by the Order of Hermes. He offered to build a fine church, fitted stonework, glass windows, marble altar, fully furnished and consecrated, for only sixty-five librae, as a favor to the Order. That's just over half of what he was demanding previously. I'm not sure what he wants you from you, but he seemed quite excited," Abd al-Hafiz said to the gathered magi as servants bustled about, trying to make the dusty and unaired rooms more livable. The magi had arraigned themselves in the common lounge outside of their private chambers in one of the larger wings of the council manor. In the distance they could hear the high-pitched voices of Fiora and Prokopios demanding perfection for their masters. The chamberlain had done well to keep the permanent staff out of the occupied wing, ensuring that only the servants that the magi had brought with them could work in their bedchambers. "In, ah, somewhat worse news," the handsome man continued, "our initial supplies are going to take several day to procure, and are going to be quite expensive. The crusaders are placing great demand on many craftsmen and merchants, and so they can all but name their prices. Provisions, in particular, are a problem. I can purchase less, of course, but that might put us in a dangerous situation if we can't begin growing our own food at Preseden as quickly as we hope." [Any magi and companions other than Guy and Musa may be present, as are any appropriate grogs]
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Oct 27, 2014 01:16
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Victorion Victorion goes down on one knee before the Regent. "My Lord, we did naught but entertain your daughter with baubles and simple tricks. What happened to her has another cause. God has granted some men and women with an ability that our order calls "The Gift". It is the ability to learn and do magic, no more, no less, and it oft shows itself first in childhood. It is the duty of our Order to find such children and train them in magic and its laws, to protect them, and to protect others from them. If she is truly Gifted, she shall continue to manifest these powers. I trust this was not the first time a thing like this occurred?", he asks, glancing over the girl playing with her shell. "If she were to become a Maga", he warns, "It would come with a price. Our Order forbids us from holding office or positions of power over those who are not Magi. If she were to become a Maga, she could not be Queen", he warns.
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Oct 27, 2014 01:29
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Rahirin Rahirin, though he had planned to leave once given leave to do so, had not been granted leave in the tummult following the manifestation of the queen's gift. The sudden display intigued him, however, and he knew that Marduk would be unhappy if he had not stayed around to advice the regent after the dinner. He had seen similar displays before, and might be of some help - and if so, Marduk would probably reward him. It was one of the few things that made Marduk diffrent from most summoners; while he comported himself with all the promp and arrogance of most mystics, he dealt fairly and rewarded generously. Not, perhaps, as generous with the Vis as some of the suhhar Sulayman, but in many other aspects. Therefore, Rahirin stayed, to keep the magi company and to learn more of the queen's sudden Gift. After the dinner, Rahirin joined the magi, the queen, and the pricnce regent, yet stayed in the background, knowing that his nature as a Djinn might easily make him suspect. He waited until Victorion had spoken before he, himself, took the words, weighing his words carefully. "Yet, being a Magus of the Order of Hermes is not the only thing made possible by the gift. Unchanging mutability is given to the magic of mortal men, and given training, or the will of the God by whom you are governed, she may well become a magus as those who stand before you, or she may become a healer, a theurge, a shapeshifter, or many other things, or she may wed her magic to your god, or she may become something alltogether new." --------------------------------------- Marduk Marduk furrowed his brow at the talk of provisions, and as the man stopped speaking, he took the word. "My magic may supply us with food for a few weeks, perhaps, giving us time to stock up on provisions for a while, in case our self-sufficiency is delayed. It would be unwise to rely on such spells for longer than that, however. Magnusth fucked around with this message at 02:53 on Oct 27, 2014 |
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Oct 27, 2014 02:47
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Hakim, at the Manor "...That man," Hakim muses to himself, still thinking about the feast at the fort. "Did you notice, masters? The radiance surrounding the knight at the Queen's side was more befitting an imam than a mere knight. I wouldn't be surprised if no one but a Caliph shone more brightly..." He sounds... slightly in awe of the Queen's father, honestly. This may explain why he said absolutely nothing at the feast. That, or the fact that he only speaks Arabic. Speaking of which, it's likely only half the room has any idea what he's saying, and he's having trouble following the conversation. Orlaith, also at the Manor "We could always send Padraig out hunting, if supplies become too scarce," Orlaith joked good-naturedly, nudging the giant of a man slightly with her elbow. Not that he can understand a word she says until she translates for him under her breath. Along with the general gist of the conversation so far. "Magically produced food can only really sustain us so long, although I should hope it won't be that long until we can start growing and rearing our own." Yuki Akuma fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Oct 28, 2014 |
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Oct 28, 2014 01:19
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Eliodorus "Training by the Order takes fifteen years under a master. I, for one, feel unready to take on students. But overall..." Eliodorus pauses. "Hm - she's never had problems with people reacting poorly to her, has she? Normally the Gift is...ostracizing. No doubt you find anything I'm telling you suspicious, even if you know you have no reason to. You naturally dislike me. That is the Gift. But in some, it is...gentle, it does not do this. That would make it easier to hide." He shrugs. "And I think it would be best to hide it, lest she become a pawn in the plots of some of our Order. You can already see from dinner that there are some who are willing to go so far." -- At the manor Padraig gives Orlaith a brief, confused look before she translates, then he laughs, nodding. He can do that! "Could earn some money doing tricks." Eliodorus, meanwhile, scoffs. "Vis is worth more than silver. To create food that would give us any value at all, we'd need to use vis to make it. No, if food is an issue, it needs a more permanent and mundane solution. Hunting game will do for a time, at least, but...perhaps..." He pauses. "Ah, but it would take me time and effort to create items that would improve our buyers' persuasiveness enough to be worth doing. We need something more short-term, but which does not trade a tax on our vis for a tax on our silver. Are there no bandits we could rob of their own supplies?" Mors Rattus fucked around with this message at 01:23 on Oct 28, 2014 |
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Oct 28, 2014 01:19
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Victorion "Queen she may be, Gifted in the Art she may be, but you are still her father, and Regent of the Kingdom. It is to you that the decision falls, My Lord. We can answer all your questions as best we can, and no doubt you will have many, but in the end, you must decide what is to happen to Her Highness."
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Oct 28, 2014 01:26
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Marduk Marduk shighed and shook his head in response to Elidorus. "I had no plans to waste our Vis; I can easily summon Rahirin again, and have him conjure food to feed us; the food created by the djinn is both tasteful and nourishing, and they need no Vis to create it. However, such magically conjured food is still not a very long term-solution. But it might give us time to create a lasting, mundane solution."
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Oct 28, 2014 01:41
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Eliodorus "Ah, well, in that case I withdraw my objection. Useful trick, that." Eliodorus nods, smiling. "It seems like a good plan."
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Oct 28, 2014 01:43
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The Manor Abd al-Hafiz The handsome young Arab stiffened slightly, but nodded. "The mere conjuration of food from the air is an abominable shortcut compared with the fine culinary arts, but as an emergency measure, it should suffice. I will be sparing in the purchase of supplies here in Acre, so as to avoid spending more silver than necessary to fatten these schemers." Demetrios "I am most interested in the Queen's father, John of Brienne. If he glowed as brightly as the boy says, then it seems likely he is invested with holy power. That may be helpful in keeping the girl safe; she is already of interest to far too many parties." The Greek magus shook his head in frustration.
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Oct 28, 2014 17:12
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The Probated Plutonis posted:Nadya
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Oct 29, 2014 02:20
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John of Brienne's eyes narrowed as the magi made their explanations, "This is the first time I've been made aware of any sort of happenings about my daughter, and now you are trying to convince me to simply hand her over to your Order, or worse, the Saracens? You must understand that I have strong reason to suspect trickery," he said, with a voice like permafrost. "Her abdication is absolutely out of the question. The Kingdom has no heir apparent; a succession war would shatter this land irreparably, and leave us easy prey to to infidels. And-I-Will-Never-Allow-That-To-Happen!" he snarled, slamming a closed fist to his tattooed chest. "So I suggest, magi, that you-" The grey eyed knight turned on Nadya in a fury, "What did you say? he hissed, "Explain yourself. Now!" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Manor is open RP between you guys; you don't need to abide by the conversation 'round' structure for scenes where there are no storyguide NPCs present. I suggest you figure out what and who you want to bring with you to clean out the covenant of any defenses or other threats, and make a decision on the church you've commissioned.]
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Oct 29, 2014 04:28
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At the Castle Demetrios The Greek magus interjected smoothly. "The gift of premonition comes occasionally to some of us. Glimpses of futures that may be, together with-- if God favors us-- the wisdom to avoid those we find less than favorable. Such as this. Your lordship, know that you are the Queen's guardian, and we will defer in all matters to you." He spread his arms, inclining his head humbly. "Know also that our primary interest is peace. Peace in the Levant aids all of us. If the Queen's Gift, if it be so, became widely known, it would have wide-reaching consequences. But if you begin acting now, you can avert disaster, and perhaps ameliorate some of the worst possibilities. In this we would aid you, if we can." He took a deep breath, his dark eyes fixed upon the Latin regent. "Her Highness will not, of course, have to leave Acre, though I do recommend that her condition be monitored closely; if she shows signs of any further blatant magical displays such as the one in the banquet hall, it may become necessary to take further action. I have a great deal of experience both with noble children and with the fledglings of the Gentle Gift; my House, Jerbiton, works closely with both on a regular basis. I would like to offer my services as a tutor; her Highness has already expressed interest in the book I brought, and I have many more such. It has always been fashionable for highborn children of the West to employ a Greek tutor, and if she is to rule a land as diverse as this, I can teach her many skills she may find useful. Rhetoric, logic, natural philosophy, theology, and Greek among them." He paused for a moment and shifted his gaze to the girl, still playing with her bird. "And, of course, I am well-versed in the education of the magically Gifted. If there is a way to steer a course between the shoals of abdication and magical catastrophe, my sodales and I will find it. Chaos in the Kingdom of Jerusalem aids none of us, and we are as dismayed as you to find that the balance of power hangs upon a thread."
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Oct 29, 2014 05:33
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Eliodorus Eliodorus claps Demetrios n the shoulder. "You're a braver man than I if you'd take her as your apprentice. Present and claim her at Tribunal, see how well that goes. Your lordship, your daughter becoming a magus is a political nightmare for us, as well. I, personally, want nothing more than to keep you strong and stable and to do my own work and studies. None of us want to see a war here. And taking her into the Order would start one if not done with perfect care. No, I'd not train your daughter in our ways for all the silver you could offer." He shakes his head "But the Gift must be focused somehow, to prevent...turbulence. A Gifted child will do magic, whether she wills it or not. Stress and emotion will bring it out without some way of shaping it, and this uncontrolled, turbulent magic is dangerous to everyone. I say we'd be best off finding some lesser magic for her to learn. Something useful but not strong enough for the Order to claim. Hedge magic may be beneath our power, but it may provide a solution...if an appropriate and acceptable teacher can be found."
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Oct 29, 2014 05:52
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Demetrios Demetrios shook his head. "No. She cannot become an apprentice. That would be... ill-advised, on numerous levels. But she does require guidance. We will work out a solution, if a solution exists-- my sodalis suggests one, that she be taught a different magic, one she can wield without bringing down the wrath of our Order. Unfortunately for her and for you, your lordship, the Gift cannot be removed, and even seeking to stunt it is a grave crime. But redirecting it, that could be possible."
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Oct 29, 2014 06:48
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At the Manor Abd al-Hafiz "Smugglers and the like are rarely ever a better option than legitimate businessmen, no matter how much price gouging is going on. But I will look into it, honorable maga. It may be that one of them is willing to sell us supplies for less in exchange for the ear of the great and terrible sorcerers or some such." The handsome cook flashed a crooked grin.
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Oct 29, 2014 14:11
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Victorion My Lord Regent, it is as Demetrios has said. We wish no harm to your daughter, only to help her, in whatever way you will let us. We do not seek to threaten her or to usurp your authority in any way. Indeed, we wish only to see her grow up wise, and good, and rule the Kingdom well. As Demetrios has said, there are minor magics your daughter might learn without joining the Order. Or, we may be able to suppress the Gift. Such things have been tried before, and while such a thing violates our Code if used against another in the Order, we are free to do so for one who is not a member. You have but to tell us what you wish, and we will try to carry it out.
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Oct 30, 2014 01:39
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