OK Guys lets do this!!!!Also, Lucien does not take part in the second or third paragraph, just read on later to find out what he does.
Bunduk, Wladek, Ivanna, Lucien, Lumia (Juno, Ozone, yvarobin, Mane, lolIKnow)
All of you, for various reasons, have come to the City of Springcliff, capital of the Republic of Springcliff, to fight the sudden Praetorian agression.
Wandering the streets after arriving, you all are approached by a man in a blue cloak and short, silver hair. He notes that your stride tells him that you're a fighter, and wishes you luck against the Praetorians. Before you can respond, you find him to be gone, and a slip of paper in your hand. Its message reads so:
Hello knight, soldier, mercenary or patriot! You have been selected for a task of great importance, and one that will promise greater rewards than any others will be receiving. If you are interested in gaining work quickly at a high rate of pay, or doing your utmost to help fight the currently unopposed Praetorian Agression, show this to the barkeep at the Roasting Boar, the Tavern just two streets east of Capitol Way and Lake Street. We hope that you will accept this request, for your benefit as well as those of all citizens of every nation.
For your own reasons, you all head to that tavern, and find your way in to find a man of obvious high birth dressed in black sitting at a table, with someone in a well-decorated Springcliff military uniform immediately behind him. When all five of you enter, the latter begins:
"Well, the time draws late, and while more numbers would always be better, the time draws late, and the four of you will do. Welcome, one and all. I am Major General Steindler, commander of Springcliff's Fifth Cavalry Brigade, and this is Prince Lucien Abend. I will skip with the formalities and get right to business, since we are running behind: I need a group of soldiers to deal with the numerous scouting squads and platoons that Praetoria is sending out of their occupied territory of Klaratine. You will be placed under the command of Prince Lucien, who, because of his kingdom's current overrun status, can act outside of our normal command structure. This is a very important task, and I pray you godspeed. With that, Godspeed, I must be off for our General Staff Meeting. Goodbye"
The massive man leaves out of a door immediately behind him, somehow squeezing through with his massive frame. You all are left together, only with a map of targets on the table, some supplies to be disguised as merchants, some weapons, and each other.
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Lucien Abend
The raven haired prince sipped from his drink as the older man across the table continued to speak. It was a recommendation from the waitress and it had an foreign taste, different from what he was used to in his home country but good nonetheless. The general outlined the details of his mission. It was a simple one, he was take a command of a handful of soldiers and investigate the scouts of Praetoria’s soldiers stationed just outside of Springcliff’s borders.
He would normally be irritated that he could not immediately get the soldiers and supplies he needs to liberate his home country, Aurvandil, but alas it was an improvement over the other countries he passed by who continued to stand by their neutrality. He found himself more irritated at the nobles who disillusioned themselves that they would be safe from war as long as they said those words. Springcliff at least heeded his warnings and prepared their armies for the inevitable attack.
Slowly others took a seat from the table after speaking with the barkeep. The General Steindler stood silent as more came. Was he waiting, hoping for more volunteers? Lucien sat in silent unrest, in stark contrast from the hustle and bustle of the tavern, was this how Springcliff operates? By sending volunteers and mercenaries?
Only four seats were filled by various members, the prince quickly took notice of one woman, bearing the uniform of Klarantine, another victim of Praetoria’s madness. His heart felt at ease, was it because there was another soldier who lost their country and wishes to see it free? Or perhaps it was because he found a camaraderie in a war that only creates suffering? His thoughts were interrupted when the general stood up to explain the group their mission and swiftly left.
Should the noble feel stunned that the general left only a handful of men with no common ground as the vanguard for Springcliff? Or is this a way for the higher ups to appease a prince’s unreasonable demands? Lucien stood up and glanced at each person who will now fight beside with, taking a deep bow he began, “Evening comrades. Whether it was fate or coincidence that brought it together matters not. For now we share the common goal of protecting Springcliff and its sister nations from the tyranny of Praetoria. Let us take this time to introduce ourselves to each other as I am asking absurdly for you to entrust your lives unto me as we take the vanguard in the upcoming battle. I am the First Prince of Aurvandil, Lucien Abend, and know that I too shall fight beside each one of you.”
The prince shook off his restless feelings as the first step in freeing his country starts now.
Ivanna was the next to introduce herself.
"Hello everyone. I'm Ivanna, a soldier from Klaratine. I am the head tactician of our military. I am a Pegasus knight. My tactics helped in resisting the sieges of Praetoria but unfortunately, we weren't able to hold for long. We were able to hold them off for a month before their invasion became successful. Seeing that everything is done for, I fled to Saiph with a promise that I will liberate our land. I arrived here after applying for a job as a caravan guard on an expedition bound here."
Ivanna has found people to help liberate her homeland, but she knows this is not enough. She could not imagine how five soldiers would be able to fight a large army. She saw the army herself. Now that the Praetorians are guarding the now invaded land, there could be more of them. Even a well planned strike would do nothing. No, she should not rush in freeing her homeland. They should think about this carefully. She wished that there were more people who came in this meeting.
thanks! I'm beginning to understand the mechanics.
Quotes for OOC explanations if I got that right, so here goes:
Raysen (my "main") is an enemy (with his own portrait and a luck stat) of your "Springcliff Vanguard" or however you want to call yourself. All of my other characters are scattered across the continent for you to search and try to recruit, though few are willing to join initially. I will mainly be playing my second character here, the cleric Mika, until the others are "unlocked" so to speak. She too received the call in form of a slip of paper, but is still not quite willing to join an army yet...By the way, changes in perspective will be denoted when they become neccessary, but since it is only Mika at the beginning with only the occasional and obvious jump to Raysen when you fight him, there are no such denotations needed as of yet.
Mika wandered through the streets of Springcliff, contemplating the message she just received. "So Springcliff is calling to arms to oppose the invasion now... maybe I should have run to Strafsburg after all. Now it is probably to late and they would stop me to force me to fight because I carry a sword. Fight in a war that does not concern me. Or any of us."
Her face darkened. "I bet it is a war for personal profit again. Nobody did Praetoria any wrong and they still decided to just start a war. And then Kothor joined them too! Just when we thought we could finally settle down for a little peace. The house I found is probably requisitioned by now too. And then when we left they-"
Her thoughts were interrupted when she suddenly found herself in front of the Roasting Boar Tavern from the message. Still unsure of whether to enter or not she was startled by a huge man almost running into her while hurriedly exiting the building. Mika then settled for sitting down outside of it, right next to the entrance, watching the other patrons.
Bunduk
Sitting to the right of the girl who called herself "Ivanna", Bunduk had opted to listen to the others first before introducing himself. The Jelkalan watched the four who were seated with him, gauging their personalities and their motives. One thing he had learned in his short time as a mercenary is to watch his back at all times. So far though, his impressions of the group were pretty good. If nothing else, the noble who was with them was obviously not the typical "stick-up-his-rear" lord whom Bunduk would receive missions from once in a while.
Excusing himself for a moment, Bunduk went to the barkeep and ordered a mug of Kalratine ale (which is known for being "lighter" than most ales). As he waited for the barkeep to come back, he saw a young, brown-haired lass seated right outside the entrance. He took note of her forlorn look and attire: long, flowing robes that would mark a Cleric. He also noticed that the girl was clutching a sword in one hand and a note not unlike what he and the others had received in another.
After thanking the barkeep and paying for his mug, he went over to the lass. He took notice of her timid, yet inquiring look as he approached. She said "Y-yes? Can I-i help you?" to which the man took out his slip of paper and showed it to her, much to the young woman's surprise. "Looks like you're in the same boat as I am, I'll show you to the others. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you." he said. He was about to show her the way when she said "W-who are you?" to which he replied: "The name is Bunduk, nice to meet you."
Springcliff.
A bastion of hope in these dark times, and the first baby-step in Lumia's quest to find her lost friend. The trade caravan she traveled with took a lot longer than she had first anticipated. A mere 5 days had turned into 2 full weeks by the end of their journey; a mix of outdated Rynoan maps, fear of bandit attacks, and plain bad luck had kept the group off the main roads and onto the river crossings instead. She had heard tell from a couple of soldiers back in Rynoa that Springcliff had beautiful rolling hills, and she left earlier than expected to enjoy them. She couldn't help but sigh at the lost chance.
After the caravan entered the bustling city, Lumia parted ways with her countrymen and delved deeper into the bowels of Spingcliff. As Lumia traversed the busy streets, she couldn't help but think that Springcliff wasn't too much different from Rynoa minus one fact: there are far less soldiers on patrol here. Thoughts about her family, comrades, and country had occupied her mind just long enough for her to bump into a suspicious-looking man with silver hair and a blue cloak. After exchanging apologies and pleasantries, the man noted that she looked like a capable warrior, and with a wry smile, he disappeared before Lumia could even respond. However, the only remnant of the strange man, an unassuming piece of paper, now had her full attention.
"Knights, soldiers, mercenaries, or patriots? This 'Springcliff Alliance' seems like nothing more than a rag-tag group of fighters," Lumia thought as she perused through the call to action. After reading the flier, she decided it would be best if she just went straight to the Roasting Boar. She believed that most of her questions would be answered there...
Well, there she was sitting among a grand total of 4 other "soldiers." She tried to keep a calm exterior while General Steindler spoke. However, she couldn't help but grind her teeth at the fact that only 4 other people showed up. "Do these people not care about the Praetorian advances?" she fathomed angrily. There was one thing to place her hope in though; the four that did show up all looked like seasoned fighters. Her anger subsided when the General left them in an uncomfortable atmosphere. She was about to introduce herself when the aforementioned Prince Lucien Abend got up and spoke. His speech was both efficient and reassuring; she can place her trust in him.
Lumia opted to introduce herself last after the prince went, and the introduction itself was short and sweet. She explained that she was a knight-errant of Rynoa and that her reason for coming out to Springcliff was for glory and nothing else. After relaying the liesfacts, she pounded her fist unto the table, and yelled, "A round for everyone!" The announcement was met with a mighty roar (mostly from the drunkest of the rabble), and a song of praise was raised in Lumia's honor.
"Well," she thought, "this shouldn't be too bad, right?"
If you're referring to the "lack of soldiers" in Springcliff thought, it's more of a state of affairs thing. Is two weeks too much of a time gap? I was trying to comment on the state of affairs in Rynoa before Lumia left with the trade caravan.
If you're actually referrencing something else in my response, then I need to look it over again and fix any continuity issues. (I finished it at 4 AM this morning; delirium was taking over xD )
She got most of her information beforehand from Rynoa's wonderful spy corps. (I really didn't do them much justice)
Lucien Abend
The already loud tavern became almost deafening as the young lady, who introduced herself as Lumia Dusk, offered a round of drinks. Nostalgia washed over the prince as he watched the scene before him, remembering the times he stopped by taverns with his fellow knights on patrols much to the dismay of the head knight.
The raven haired man looked at each of his comrades, all with their own history, hopes, and dreams. He is responsible for their lives, to ensure that they make it back safely but at the same time he must force them to risk their lives and fight for his behalf. Lucien stared at his drink, the soldiers he had slain, and his fellow brethren who had fallen beside him still laid fresh on his mind. The mercenary who called himself Bunduk reentered the building, accompanied by a blonde haired maiden whose appearance conflicts the sword she carries.
Despite the chaos, the noble managed to take notice of a small envelope laying inconspicuously on the floor. He walked across the room to pick it up; it was small, white, and elegant, sealed with blood red wax with nothing written on it detailing who its from or to whom it was meant for. The group has already received their orders, what else could this note entail? Throwing any further reasoning away Lucien opened the letter.
Moved Juno's and KannaRei's characters back into the tavern, if you didn't want me to do that let me know and I'll edit it out.
Bunduk
Walking back towards the table with Mika in tow, Bunduk couldn't help but notice the ruckus in the tavern. He asked the person to his right, an inebriated farmhand, who told him that Lumia had ordered a round of drinks for the whole tavern. He chuckled to himself, approving the action of the "knight errant" (as Wladek had described her). 'At least that'll take care of any eavesdroppers' he mused to himself as he looked to Mika who was looking quite intimidated in the midst of such odd company. He set down his empty mug on a random table and leaned towards Mika.
"Don't worry, the lot seems trustworthy in my books. They don't seem like the type to stab us in the back" he whispered to her. The lass could only nod at his statement, trying her hardest to look unperturbed. 'I hope' Bunduk added as an afterthought, he had been wrong before. He then noticed the noble, Lucien, as the man was opening an envelope.
(OOC: Forgive me for the late reply, my Internet was failing on me.)
As she looked around the madhouse that was once the Roasting Boar, Lumia remembered something Hanna once said. Those words held a fragile "truth"; one that is easily broken. However, she was indeed "astonished" at how lively the place was compared to before.
Some time had passed since she ordered the round for the entire tavern. For reasons unknown, she found herself sitting at the bar with yet another mug of ale in her left hand. It was both strange and intriguing watching how people interact with one another; she noticed Bunduk, who had walked outside before introducing himself, now walking through the tavern with a new face. She held a frightened demeanor, but from what Lumia gathered from Bunduk so far suggested that the girl was in good company. After they sat down at the original table, Lumia also noticed that the prince had gotten up from his seat. "Where was he going?" she thought. Prince Lucien picked up what looked like a white envelope from the ground; interesting.
What secrets did that mysterious, white envelope hold? Maybe she could speculate with her new comrades. What a way to break the ice, right? She drained her mug of the rest of its frothy contents, paid the barkeep, and got up from her seat.
She walked over to where the rest (minus Lucien) were seated...
Violette flushes red. Embarrassed, she tries her best to concentrate on what may be waiting for them in Springcliff and how she should prepare herself. However, not a minute has passed when an undertone voice spoke, ‘hey, so boss… when do we betray the lady again?’ In response for his impatience, their so-called leader delivered a heavy blow on his arm. It was obvious from reading the underling’s face that the hit was excruciatingly unbearable.
Violette pondered for a moment; she needed to warn the Pegasus rider, but at the same time not alert the men accompanying her. The men outnumbered the two women, doing something reckless would only endanger them both. With fast wit and quick thinking the thief dashed passing the men and next to the noble, “Wow!” she exclaimed, “What a beautiful steed you have! Do you mind telling me where you are from and about this fascinating animal?” She could hear the men behind them groan, as if they’ve heard this a thousand times and walked a bit away leaving the two women alone. ”Perfect, just what I wanted.”
Thank you Mane for helping me by proofreading! >w<
Elise Eindride
“Is something the matter?” The noble girl asked, dismounting off of her Pegasus as she held his reigns in her right hand. The men quickly dismissed any reason for her to feel like there was something wrong, so she merely turned back around and continued to pet Marchen quietly as she guided him slightly away. “Maybe I’m being just paranoid, what do you think Mar?” She muttered towards her precious friend. The admirable steed replied with a shake of the head and a low neigh. She couldn’t help but laugh, “Possibly! We both don’t like archers, that explains-“ She was cut off when she noticed a young woman of her physic approach her excitedly.
Elise meekly glanced around, hearing the men groan and leave the area where the two were, instantly lifting the tension from the situation. As soon s they departed, she revealed a warm smile and extended her free hand towards the female, “I’m Elise Eindride from Sharatan, this guy here is my trustworthy ally, Marchen! I like calling him Mar for short though. He likes eating carrots and is a big softie for brushings.” She stated her steed shook his head as if he was scolding her for revealing too much. The silver haired maiden furrow her brow at him, “Don’t be rude!” He turned away from her with a loud grunt. “Don’t mind him too much, what brings you here?” She smiled brilliantly at the olive eyed woman before her. Multiple people have approached her today, but there was something different about her. She seemed to be so vibrant and full of energy that Elise couldn’t help but respond with the same vigor, even though she was one of the few people she’s encountered outside of her home country. The pure white Pegasus remained close to the noble girl’s side as she was socializing with the unknown girl.
Because you guys only post all at once when I am asleep I have to do stuff between the scenes again. Mika introduced herself by name and profession to Bunduk before they went inside. Also Mane: Mika's hair is brown, even if it looks only dark blonde on the pic.
Scary people everywhere! That was Mika's first thought when she enetered the tavern alongside the guy who introduced himself as Bunduk. His reassurances that the members of this group seemed trustworthy to him did not help either, for she was not sure if she could place her trust in him either. He did remind her of someone though. Someone she had not seen for weeks now and wished to see again as soon as possible. Maybe she could travel with these people to search for him herself. With the war going on he is bound to be out there somewhere fighting and looking for a good challenge. If she could help this group to survive long enough to become famous maybe he will come look for them and find her too... now she only had to find a way to be allowed to join them. After a quick glance over the assumed members she already had an idea.
"H-hey, Mr. Bunduk.", she began, trying to sound cordial. "there s-seems to be no healer in your g-group. If you want I c-could travel with you for a w-while." So far so good, now to try and make it sound less awkward and more spontaneous. "I was thinking about t-travelling for a bit anyway and this way I could h-help you too."
...did she really just say that she wanted to take a vacation trip through the dawn of a war?
Bunduk
Bunduk’s eyebrows lifted, it’s not every day that a cleric walks up to your group and asks you if she could join, especially not a cute one like the girl beside him. “Well that’s fortunate; we were in need of a healer ourselves.” He then walked up to the table their group occupied, the occupants looking at him. “I almost forgot to introduce myself, the name’s Bunduk and this young lass is Mika. ” He then proceeded to help the timid young healer introduce herself to the group, who greeted the girl with quite a bit of cheer. It was then that the Suthian noticed Lucien opening an envelope. His curiosity getting the better of him, he decided to take a look.
Bunduk got a good view of what was written in the letter as Lucien held it in his hands. He frowned, annoyed that things have developed so quickly. He then looked to Lucien as the latter acknowledged his presence. The Suthian then told the noble: “We should set out at once, if we’re fast enough then we can intercept that war band within the next three days.” The noble nodded, taking note of his suggestion. Bunduk reached for his bag of bolts (which he then fastened to his side) and his crossbrow, cradling the familiar weight in his hands.
He told the young noble and Mika that he was going to head outside. The brown haired girl nodded, going back to her conversation with Ivanna and Lumia. He headed outside to see if the weather was favorable and was just a few steps outside the inn’s entrance when he looked up at the sky. He then went back into the inn, telling Lucien of the weather as well as taking a sack of the supplies with him. Hefting it over his shoulder, he waited for the others to move out.
Ivanna
She approached the room where the supplies are placed. As a tactician she wants to make herself useful by making plans. Her plans on the invasion at Kalratine are effective, but this time, it's different. They are only few in number. Her plans will depend a lot on the supplies they have.
With a deep breath, she entered the supply room.
Lucien Abend
Lucien frowned. The warfront is progressing faster than anticipated, leaving them no time for leisure. “Make haste everyone, we set out immediately! When prepared, proceed to the front gate and wait for further instructions!” he roared, causing the room to go silent before returning to its usual livelihood, once they found out the prince wasn’t talking to them. It seems that even though he’s a foreign noble his words still carry some weight. However he could not announce the reason for the sudden deployment, the crimsoned eyed man could not risk causing panic amongst the civilians by saying the Praetorian forces have already entered Springcliff borders.
The prince followed the female knight towards the rear door, where the general said the merchants and provisions were located. Seeing the young lady, he gave a polite bow before moving towards the “merchants” giving them orders to leave with the final member of the group. Lucien took two lances from the caravan, a worned out iron lance that has seen much blood, and Reginleif, a beautifully crafted weapon and family heirloom.
As he pulled a stallion out of the stable the prince also found Wladek already prepared for leave. “I have received news of Praetorian forces moving faster than expected. I will ride out first and meet you all at the front gate of Springcliff; after everyone is present we leave at once.” With that he quickly left to the rendezvous point, unable to contain his eagerness. He could not pinpoint where this feeling was stemming from, was it because this is the first step in liberating Aurvandil? Or was it despite the blood and gore of the battlefield he now has a chance to pay the Praetorians back in full?
@Kanna sorry about the hair color mix up, I'll keep that in mind in future posts.
Violette
A sudden strong wisp of air shook the thief as her evergreen eyes glance over the group of archers and their boss seeing them grow more anxious. Time is short. “Listen to me carefully Elise… The men who you are traveling with are plotting a distasteful scheme that certainly involves you. You may not trust me right now since we’ve just met but please consider my plan of action in case something menacing does occur” offered Violette. “If what I’ve heard is correct, we’ll have to prepare for any form of hostile advance from their group. Because of the archers, it may be best to try and keep your Pegasus on ground at all times with his wings tightly hugged on his sides. This will prevent his wings from being impaled. Ride him all the way through if you can. It is clear that we are outnumbered but I will do my best to insure that we make for a smooth escape if a fight should arouse so sudden” whispered the concerned thief to the noble.
The sound of resilient galloping hooves broke through the quiet soothing wind. This sound grew closer and nearer towards their direction. Luck has arrived. Within sight, a group of travelers are heading their way for the two young weary women. “Quick Elise! Mount your Pegasus and keep a sharp eye as we request for their aid” hurried Violette.
Elise Eindride
After a long pause, she finally spoke, “Okay Violette, I’m ready.” She swiftly mounted herself onto Marchen and told him to tuck in his wings closely towards his body, which he complied to quickly, sensing the tenseness of his companion’s words. Her ruby colored eyes timidly glanced over to where the archers were. After Violette’s wise observation and information, she noticed that the gazes they gave her were not cold gazes from being exposed to war for so long, they were staring at their next target. Her head quickly whipped around when the clattering hooves started to become louder and louder. “I’m guessing we’ll have to act casually right? I wouldn’t want Marchen to get hurt if we start to run.” She whispered to the clever woman beside her, who nodded in response. The two women started towards the group across the field from them very causally, as if they were still conversing playfully.
“Miss Eindride,” The rugged man called to her in a deep and intimidating tone of voice, “Where are you going?” The silver haired woman gulped as she turned to face him and give him the most believable smile she could, “I’m just going to ask that group over there if they know anything about the recruitment to fight back against the Praetorian aggression. I won’t wander off!” She called back to the man as he nodded and went back to muttering something towards his archers. The maiden let out a breath of relief as Violette and herself finally approached the large group full of different occupations. Her ruby colored eyes fell upon the grand noble who was leading the party, with his elegant posture and stern expression; she could have sworn she had locked glances with a king.
After she caught herself staring at everyone, she quickly snapped back into reality. “Please excuse me for intruding, but… this young woman kindly informed me that my so called escorts had intentions of harming me. I’m confined to the ground thanks to the large number of archers and she won’t be able to combat them all by herself…” Elise clutched the reigns in her hands, “I don’t want her to be harmed because of me, or my Pegasus either. Will you be kind enough to lend me some aid? I-If you need any sort of award then I’ll try to compensate for it!” She quickly added, in case that her request was too much to work with, or if she was dealing with an unkind lord or king. She uneasily glanced at Violette, hoping that they’ll get some aid for the sticky situation she was thrown into.