Mini-Event: Unrest in the East - Now Active!

Last edited by Azlanek on Sat Oct 01, 2011 10:56 am; edited 2 times in total

Unrest in the East

The power struggle in the north had finally been overcome. Things were slowly getting back to normal. The people began to recover and started to repair whatever damage the fighting had done to their lives and their homes. Even the situation in the worn out city of Ravenstern seemed to be getting better with every caravan entering the city, bringing food, medicine and supplies to the markets that had laid barren during the siege. The valiant knights, who had fought so hard in the defence of the kingdom, had earned their rest and made their way home, waiting for the next time the realm would call upon their services.

They did not need to wait long. Within a fortnight, troubling events took place in the east, threatening to throw Pendor's delicate state of affairs off balance once again.

His Grace, the Duke of Laria became subject of an assassination attempt. A small group of unknown villains sneaked past the defences of Deloria Castle and made their way towards the duke's chambers. Only by chance the assassins were spotted and their attack repelled by the duke's men. The soldiers paid dearly for the safety of their lord. A dozen men lost their lives that night and so great was the skill of the assailants that they still managed to escape unrecognised into the darkness. Even more troubling; the duke's men were killed by Noldor arrows!

Duke Alamar tried to contain the situation, but somehow word of these events got into the streets and set in motion the accursed mill of rumours. Within days all the land heard about the incident in one form or another, the known facts twisted and bloated beyond recognition by the cursed blathering of simple minded fools:

''The Noldor tried to assassinate the duke! They have broken the kings peace and betrayed his friendship. Their heads will role for this!''

''They where there to steal the duke's daughter, they say. What fiends! Only a monster could even think about abducting a lady as fair as Lady Neldar.''

''Flying horses! That is how they entered the castle. How else would they have avoided detection by the duke's guards?''

''They were not there to kill the duke. They sought to replace him! With their vile magic they could have put an unholy changeling in his place. No one would have been the wiser, but we all would have suffered for it in the future!''

The duke had the all the blathermouths and agitators that he could find imprisoned, but the rumours were still at large. The situation was delicate. The people were both frightened and angry and the alliance with the Noldor was still young and fragile. That a reply from the Noldor was yet to be heard only helped in fuelling the rising hostility in the kingdom. If the truth about the attackers was not revealed soon, so the duke feared, someone would make a grave mistake and shatter the peace the king has worked so hard to establish. Time was of the essence.

Fearing that the assassins, whoever they were, might return to finish what they had started, his Grace sent word to the king, requesting his liege's assistance. The duke asked for protection for himself, but foremost his wife and daughter, as well as help in uncovering the identity of those responsible.

The King did not take this plea lightly and tasked his very own bodyguards, the Order of the Griffon with protecting his loyal vassal and his family. At the same time word was sent to Caranthir, the Righteous Ranger. He and his Order of the Silvermist were put in charge of the investigation. Their ties to the Noldor should ensure that truth would be revealed swiftly and without unnecessary bloodshed.

Unfortunately, these two were not the only knightly orders that were expected in town. Sir Robert Morbren, a knight of the Ebony Gauntlet, had been killed in the streets of Laria in the very same night in which Deloria castle had been attacked. He had been found the next morning in an abandoned alley, killed by a projectile that had pierced his throat. By the time the cityguard found the body, the lowlifes of the city had already looted from him what they could; weapons, money, jewellery, even his teeth. It must have been a gruesome sight indeed. People hope that the Ebony Gauntlet will refrain from coming to Laria in search of revenge. Few believe it, though.

The duke has called for a meeting in three days time. By then the majority of the order's delegations should have arrived safely in the city. At the duke's behest the Griffins have been granted quarters in Deloria castle, while the Silvermists will naturally be hosted by their new brethren in their old chapter house, known as the Clarion Hall. No one knows about the Gauntlet.

Sir Azrael walked to the chamber without saying a word. He took his place quickly and sat down, waiting for others to arrive. Since he was among the first in the chamber, he couldn't start a conversation with anyone. With a sigh he took a small notebook, a quill and an ink bottle out of his pocket and started to scribble down something.

Sir Caranthir walked into the chamber, silently studying the place. He walked over to his seat and sat down quietly, lost in thought.

Page Posts : 47 Join date : 2011-08-22 Age : 27

Sir Orlando entered the chambers with a smirk on his face, as he was always ready for a mission, and felt this one to be especially exciting. He waved over to Sir Azrael, but refrained from breaking the silence in the room by shouting out a greeting. He then made his way over to Sir Azrael, and sat down next to him. He peered over small notebook to take a glance at what he was writing, then whispered:

"How goes it friend? I don't suppose you mind me sitting down next to you, eh?"

Sir Aldric walks in shaking his head in disbelief at what he had heard. He sees his Grandmaster and sits next to him. He whispered to Caranthir:

What do you think really happened, Caranthir?

OOC: I gtg be back tomorrow :/

Iskar enters the room, a worried expression on his face. He greets those present with a slight bow, then sits down on Caranthir's other side. He leans over to the other two rangers.

Do you know whether Quigfen is in town?

Sir Kamos, the Griffons second command, entered the hall with two other Griffon Knights and looked around. Upon getting his bearing within the hall he walked over to the Silvermist Rangers to shake hands and exchange welcomes before taking his own seat with the other Griffons.

Voice of the Nobility Posts : 661 Join date : 2011-08-19

Sir Darlion of Pendor, Grandmaster of the Order of the Griffons, and newly appointed Duke of Sarleon entered the metting hall, grim as he always was when there was serious business to conduct. Behind him, a dozen Griffons entered, which he turned to immediately after entering the room.

"You are to report to your posts immediately, a second group shall relieve you in a few hours. Stay vigilent men, the Duke wants his family kept safe."

In response, the Griffons placed their fists over their hearts in salute before departing. Sir Darlion then turned his attention to the men gathered and offered a nod of recognition before taking his place at the table. It appeared he was content to wait to be spoken to, or perhaps he was just anxious for things to begin.

Whatever the case, the newly-made Duke seemed to have nothing to say immediately.

Sir Azrael just shook his head and closed his notebook.
"Be my guest. This mystery has started to get on my nerves and I might have use for some witty comments."

Sir Azrael looked at Sir Orlando and asked.
"I have been wondering, how does it feel for you to be a regular knight again?"

Page Posts : 47 Join date : 2011-08-22 Age : 27

Sir Orlando glanced back up at Sir Azrael and quietly stated.

"Well sir, simply put, I have missed following orders and the such, taking on tough missions.. Being in the midst of battle, fighting as just another troop in the fray! I could do the same as 'Second-In-Command', but that wasn't my duty as much as giving orders was, and enforcing those given by Sir Darlion. I suppose that's why I got the position in the first place. As a regular soldier, I would always follow orders, and make sure everyone else did as well, which would be the role of the 'Second-In-Command'. When finally given that position, at heart I was still a regular soldier, which is why I'm here now as just that. I can't say it wasn't lucky for you though, that I followed you and we captured that woman. She was an important character, but who knows what would have happened if you were left all alone in that alley unconscious."

On that note, Sir Orlando gave him a friendly smile, then sat back in his chair waiting for the meeting to begin.

Sir Azrael allowed a small smile to his face.
"Well, we wouldn't have followed that woman had you not deserted from the main battle, which also caused your demotion. Besides, any honor gained from capturing her would go to you since I only managed to get unconscious and a great headache. It should also probably be noted that I wouldn't have been knocked unconscious if this 'triple desertion', as I call it, hadn't happened. Then again, it would have meant death for two of King's closest companions. Ayways, good for you sir!"
Sir Azarel cheerily added. It was quite remarkable how easily Sir Orlando could lighten the mood.

Knight Posts : 121 Join date : 2011-08-19

I entered through the castle gate, paying little attention to my surroundings. Even so, I could feel some peoples fearful gaze on me. I walked down the streets for a while, heading towards the castle, when I saw the tavern and headed over. When I entered, most of the people stopped talking, even the more then a little tipsy drunkards. Their gazes didn't bother me to much, although I figured that getting information from people with full armor on would be pretty hard without bashing a few heads around, which isn't my way of doing things. I motioned towards the bartender, who rushed over, disregarding the single Fierdsvain warrior who was nearly bawling for another drink. Beer and idiocy go together, which is why I don't drink. Much.

"I'd like to rent a room for four," I said curtly. The bartender nodded, pointing at the door to the second floor. He babbled on, talking about how honored he was to have me and so on. I noticed he didn't even ask for a price. I must be more intimidating then I thought. "...and here's 40 denars for the room. Seems you forgot to ask, which is rare for someone in your line of work." I couldn't help but smile at his face. I went upstairs, tossing my things inside before locking it with the key he had given me.

~~~

The guards tried to stop me from entering, asking me my name and a few other things. With an exasperated sigh, I unbuckled my sword belt and threw it over to the captain, which he put besides a small stack of longbows. The Noldor lovers were here already. Damnit. Well, no use in thinking over that. I wasn't going to be bothered with anything else, so I just shouldered past the guards, which isn't hard when your wearing as much armor as someone like me, and entered the room. The place was elaborate, and I noticed that the Silvermists and the Griffins were here already.

I didn't much enjoy the company of neither, but the Griffins weren't so infatuated with tree-rats that it became hard to resist backhanding the lot. Come to think of it, doing that to a Silvermist, would probably put more sense in whatever empty chasm their minds resided in. Pulling up a chair, I sat near Sir Kamos. He didn't look half bad...

// This was a fun one to right. First person is funner to write for me.

Voice of the Nobility Posts : 661 Join date : 2011-08-19

"There were over a dozen men, many under direct orders from me. Not much of a triple desertion."

Sir Darlion added dryly. It was not often the Grandmaster engaged in tableside talk, let alone about a mission, but in the end like any of the other Grandmasters, he was Human. Social interaction was only natural.

However, the moment passed as quickly as it came and another Griffon, one of the men who departed earlier returned and whispered something in the Grandmaster's ear. The two had a short exchange before the Griffon saluted his grandmaster and departed to the same direction he came from.

This is going to be a long day. The Grandmaster thought.

However, his thoughts were interupted as a representative from the Ebony Gauntlet entered the hall and took a seat by Kamos. The Grandmaster gave the Gauntlet a nod of greeting, but didn't offer a word of hello. Much like he did when he first entered.

One could say that most days the Griffon's Grandmaster had a stiff upper lip.

As Mat Cauthan entered Iskar gave a slight nod as greeting. Soon after scout commander Cairngrove entered and informed the Silvermists about Quigfen's whereabouts then stood waiting for further orders.
Iskar beckoned a scribe to hand him parchment and a quill, then wrote down some words and, after showing them to Caranthir who reacted by nodding, signed the orders and handed them to Cairngrove. The latter saluted and strode out of the hall again.

Sir Kamos couldn't help but notice the Ebony Gauntlet member next to him. He had never had a chance to speak to one outside of courtly discussions, it may prove interesting.

"You know I've never had a chance to really talk to an Ebony Gauntlet member. I only know your reputation as indomitable foot knights and your outspoken stance against the Noldor. So I am curious about what motivates the individual knight in your order and of your close combat fighting technique as well. If we have time of course."

Voice of the Nobility Posts : 75 Join date : 2011-10-02

Sir Ibram clattered his way into the hall, stopping only to check in with the guards and share a jest before pressing on, his boisterous laugh echoing before him like a red carpet before he himself arrived. His caustic eyes danced about the hall, one hand rested atop the pommel of his sword in a half-hearted manner, the other brushing back the blood-red of his cloak.

"I'll be damned," he snorts wryly, his high-born voice loud enough for all to hear. "Silvermist and Ebony in the same room and not a missing limb in sight." He looks dimissively from the rangers to the ebony knight seated near his comrades, his arrogant, rolling gait bringing him ever closer to them. "Though you don't have your sword... I say, that's the point of the Gauntlet in your name, is it not? When you drop your sword, you bloody well use your plated fist." Not a particularly fine joke, he nevertheless belts out his amusement, throwing his weight down onto a nearby high-backed chair beside his order-kin, brushing his plated leg over the side of its arm lazily, a surly look wrenching itself across the well-pedigreed veneer of his features as he mutters something meant only for his grandmaster and the second-in-command of his order.

"If the assassins tried to murder the duke, why the devil was I not granted leave to stay with the King? Who's to say he's not next? If anything happens to our liege lord in my- our absence, those lackluster army louts or whoever was left in our stead will suffer, my lords."

Voice of the Nobility Posts : 661 Join date : 2011-08-19

Sir Darlion gave Ibram a long look before speaking, having already expected this question from the knight.

"You are one of the finest men in charge of guarding the king. By having you here, we show Duke Aldemar just how seriously we took up his request for protection for his family, and the king's willingness to send his finest men to assist his vassal. The knights left at the palace are more than capable of doing their job, and if I did not trust them to do their duty they would not be my knights. The king is in good hands, it is the Duke who needs the Griffons this moment."

Finished with his reply to Sir Ibram, the Grandmaster turned to the other knights present.

"Has there been any new word yet about the situation which may not have reached us on our ride here?"

Kamos leans in away from the Ebony Knight for a moment.

"The people around here have been extremely tight lipped about the issue, probably a measure to keep the peasants calm.
Regardless there is very little news. I did hear a lovely tale about flying Noldor horses however if you'd like to hear it."

Knight Posts : 121 Join date : 2011-08-19

I gave the Griffin an amused look. "I feel like using this bloody Gauntlet to knock some sense it a nearby knights head. On some ground though, your right. If done correctly, punching a tree-rat can give the most satisfying crunch. I could use you as an example if you want...?" With a chuckle, I turned to Sir Kamos.

"We all have our personal motives for apposing the Noldor. I was tortured for some time by them before I escaped for them. Others from our knighthood have their reasons for fighting. What motivates me would probably motivate many others. Revenge. Ironic, how they take some as lapdogs to do their every wish, while they kill others." I paused with a searching glance before going on.

"Most of our order fights with sword and shield, crossbow and bolt. I differ from most with this, I use a great-sword and if needed, a long-sword, but I don't use a shield. I was a gladiator in the Empire, so I have never used a shield. If you would like sometime, you can come to our camp to spar..." I continue on, giving him directions on where the camp was.

I sat back in the chair. "On the topic of flying horses, I also heard that they were going to replace him with a changeling. The tales that the drunk man can come up with amaze me in every way, " I laughed, "besides, the Noldor wouldn't need flying horses.Their ego is big enough to let them float." With a laugh, I stretched my leg out. "When will the Duke be here? I have some business to discuss with the low-lifes of Laria."

Voice of the Nobility Posts : 75 Join date : 2011-10-02

His ego suitably groomed by the grandmaster, the trumped-up knight falls into a morose, impatient idling. He turns his attention to the vaulted ceiling of the hall, sniffing drearily in dismissal at the notion of horses capable of flight. A faint puce of scarlet flushes his neck at the ebony knight's retort, leaning forward from his slouch ever so slightly.

"Careful, knight. You might find the gauntlet quickly seperated from you, along with the rest of your arm. Never fear however, sir, for we know how much the carrion peasants fear and respect your kind and surely would give you a head-start at fetching it before they tear it off themselves to pawn it." He purses his lips, his chest heaving giddily before yet another bellowing array of laughter upheaves itself from his red-raw throat, the clatter and rustle of his armour conjoining themselves with the uproar.

Smacking his mailed fist down atop the arm of his chair not draped with a leg to stall his laughter, he looks about the room for servants and such. "I say, wine, Sir Darlion, Sir Kamos? "

Upon hearing Mat's words Iskar sighed, but then smiled indulgently, scribbled something on a piece of paper and handed it to Caranthir.

Knight Posts : 121 Join date : 2011-08-19

"I never knew Sir Darlion hired jesters for his entertainment. For your sake, I hope you improve your jokes in the following days." I shook my head. Some people didn't seem to let up when it was smarter to stop.

OOC: I was just poking fun back at you, but it seems that its to late to go back on it. I cannot do a RP without somebody hating me...

Voice of the Nobility Posts : 75 Join date : 2011-10-02

OOC: Hate you? I'm not my character, silly. I think you're awesome, so keep on truckin'.

Knight Posts : 121 Join date : 2011-08-19

OOC: Never-mind. Continue one!

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