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May 5, 2024 04:43
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- AJ_Impy
- Jun 17, 2007
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SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
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Yam Slacker
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Pour encourager les autres.
We are in agreement.
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Jul 26, 2023 23:56
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- Omniphile
- Apr 5, 2010
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Love? Justice? Pah! I'll crush them all!
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Three books in is a bit late for us to pretend to have sprouted a conscience, so agree.
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Jul 27, 2023 03:03
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- Natty Ninefingers
- Feb 17, 2011
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"For once, I think we're in agreement."
Yup, this.
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Jul 27, 2023 04:55
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- Lord Cyrahzax
- Oct 11, 2012
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"For once, I think we're in agreement."
quote:Garret leans back in her seat and almost smiles. "Now, that I had not expected. It's a rare moment when one might be seen to argue against the privileges and immunities of one's own kind."
Your eyebrow rises. "Is that what I'm doing? I merely meant to state that a crime ought to beget punishment, and that I could think of no offence more in demand of the severest penalty than high treason."
The other officer's eyes sparkle with a grim amusement. "And when have you ever heard of any of us receiving a sentence like that? Banishment, or a revocation of estates perhaps, a headsman in the greatest case of extremity, but to be hanged like a common thief?" She shakes her head. "You know as well as I that custom renders gentlemen of the blood immune to such penalties, and Lords of the Cortes doubly so. The amount of clemency one is eligible for rises with one's station. That has always been the natural order of things—" Her voice twists those last words into something almost like a parody.
"—at least, that is, until now."
You nod. Garret has a point. Under normal circumstances, it would have been unthinkable to send two dozen Lords of the Cortes to the gallows, traitors or no. But with so many of the Queen's opponents fled or themselves under arrest, the Queen only had to convince the small fraction of the chamber remaining to vote with her and pass sentence.
"I still don't know if it was a wise thing to do," you muse. "The Queen has expended a great deal of effort to kill men she could have exchanged or brought to her side, and for what profit? It certainly hasn't bound her allies to her more closely; indeed, it may well have done the opposite."
"Such a thing was hardly done for our benefit," Garret replies before waving towards the window, towards the foot of the scaffold, where a small crowd of men, women, and children in the clothes of servants and labourers gather to peer at the head. "Imagine you're one of them. Imagine that your entire life, you've seen gentlemen of the blood get away with offences that might have gotten a carpenter or bookbinder hanged. Now imagine seeing that: Lords of the Cortes hanging from a crossbeam on the Queen's order. What do you think it must be like for such people, to see a lord's impunity stripped away from them at last?"
"I suspect they would think it felt like justice."
"I don't know. I'm not one of them."
"Perhaps they would be disgusted to see the natural order so upended."
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Jul 27, 2023 17:10
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- Frozenen
- Nov 6, 2022
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"I suspect they would think it felt like justice."
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Jul 27, 2023 17:36
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- Gun Jam
- Apr 11, 2015
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"I suspect they would think it felt like justice."
Ain't that lacking in empathy.
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Jul 27, 2023 17:56
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- BraveLittleToaster
- May 5, 2019
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"I suspect they would think it felt like justice."
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Jul 27, 2023 18:33
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- sullat
- Jan 9, 2012
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Don't know
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Jul 28, 2023 06:07
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- Lord Cyrahzax
- Oct 11, 2012
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"I suspect they would think it felt like justice."
quote:Garret nods. "I suspect so as well."
You nod, though you're not sure whether you should smile or frown. "Justice, all but embroidered with the Queen's name."
"In the war that's coming, she shall need the common people to take up arms and fill the ranks of her armies, perhaps even more than she'll need those like us to lead them," your subordinate declares, her eyes still fixed upon the very same article she speaks of, still gathered at the foot of the now-receding scaffold. "She'll need them to do so in numbers which may well be beyond anything we could conceive of now, and for that she'll need their unqualified and unwavering support." She turns to you, her eyes filled with an almost disquieting earnestness. "If winning their support means upending the order we've grown so accustomed to, then we may have no choice but to do so."
"I fear such a thing may lead to unwelcome consequences."
"Well, it's a damned sight better than losing, isn't it?"
"All things must conform to necessity; perhaps such an upending is overdue."
"You've put a suspicious amount of thought into this, Captain."
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Jul 28, 2023 14:54
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- BraveLittleToaster
- May 5, 2019
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"All things must conform to necessity; perhaps such an upending is overdue."
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Jul 28, 2023 18:42
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- AJ_Impy
- Jun 17, 2007
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SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
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Yam Slacker
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An upending is overdue.
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Jul 29, 2023 02:04
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- sullat
- Jan 9, 2012
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You put a suspicious amount of thought into this
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Jul 29, 2023 03:13
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- Frozenen
- Nov 6, 2022
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"All things must conform to necessity; perhaps such an upending is overdue."
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Jul 29, 2023 09:29
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- Lord Cyrahzax
- Oct 11, 2012
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"All things must conform to necessity; perhaps such an upending is overdue."
quote:You don't consider yourself a particularly unstable man, chasing change for the sake of change, but what exactly has the old system led you to? In Antar, you saw it elevate unqualified and inexperienced men into positions they weren't suited for, so that they might lead an ill-organised army to victory only because the enemy was even more ill-ordered. In peace, you've seen it fail to resolve every crisis the realm has found itself in, allowing the very institutions which were meant to steer the ship of state to dissolve into self-interested chicanery, in-fighting, and now, civil war.
Yes, perhaps it is the time for something new, something better.
"Frankly, I'm not sure I like the idea all that much myself," Garret admits. "When one discards one's hand, the new cards aren't always better than the old—but at this point, I daresay I'm willing to take the chance."
You nod. Given all that you've seen these past few years, you suppose you're willing to take the chance, too.
quote:Liveried footmen are waiting for you at the main doors of the Northern Keep, ready to escort you inside. Yet you don't even pass the entry hall before you find yourself encountering a perhaps unexpected figure, clad in a blood-red riding habit and accompanied by a cloud of vanilla perfume.
"My Lord Somewhere Awful, Captain Garret…" Lady Katarina d'al Cazarosta—Countess Leoniscourt now—eyes both of you as you approach with a careful, appraising look. "I would say that this is a surprise, but really, we all know it isn't."
"My Lady, it is a pleasure to see you again."
"Were you the one who really called us here?"
"If you two are plotting something, keep me out of it."
I know this has been going kind of slowly, I'll try and update again tonight if we get a decisive vote here.
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Jul 29, 2023 15:32
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- Lord Cyrahzax
- Oct 11, 2012
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Well, it's a unanimous vote:
"My Lady, it is a pleasure to see you again."
quote:The Countess' eyebrow rises. "A lie, I suspect, but a small one, and bourne of courtesy rather than malice." She offers you her hand. "I shall allow it."
"Do you know why we are here?" Garret asks before you can offer a reply of your own.
"I know why you are here, Captain," the Countess replies. "As for the answer in regard to your chief, however, I fear you will have to apply to mine."
You resist the urge to openly shrug. "Then I shall leave the two of you to your plotting, and be on my way."
"Plotting?" The Countess eyes you suspiciously. "Why, what could one possibly mean by that?"
"Two ladies of the Queen's circle in the same room," you answer coolly. "I know precisely what I mean by recognising that."
The Countess fixes Garret with a sharp look. "He knows?"
Your subordinate actually does shrug then. "Exigencies of the service," she replies off-handedly, as if admitting to no more than losing half a crown at Tassenswerd.
For a moment, the Countess seems about to leave it at that. But then she takes a sharp breath. "Very well, if you're aware of that much already, then I suppose I must give you my news as well. No doubt, given your previous connections, you'll imagine that you have a right to know regardless."
Your eyes narrow in suspicion. "Previous connections? What in creation are you talking about?"
The Countess takes a reluctant breath. "It's about Ellie—Countess Welles. Wulfram has her."
"Is she in any danger?"
"And nobody saw fit to tell me?"
"How could the Queen have let her fall into the hands of the enemy?"
"Surely some manner of exchange might be arranged?"
"Why then, a rescue must be mounted at once!"
I'm not sure if these are free questions or not, vote on one and if they are, I'll just post the rest then.
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Jul 30, 2023 03:20
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- Arcturas
- Mar 30, 2011
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Is she in danger?
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Jul 30, 2023 05:32
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- sullat
- Jan 9, 2012
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They are not free questions.
Rescue!
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Jul 30, 2023 05:33
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- Regallion
- Nov 11, 2012
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"Why then, a rescue must be mounted at once!"
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Jul 30, 2023 08:53
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- AJ_Impy
- Jun 17, 2007
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SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
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Yam Slacker
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Rescue. At least for the appearance of things. Our side's overall chances rest on one individual and she isn't it.
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Jul 30, 2023 12:02
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- Lord Cyrahzax
- Oct 11, 2012
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"Why then, a rescue must be mounted at once!"
quote:The Countess' eyebrow rises. "And how, pray tell, would you intend to accomplish that?"
"She must be held somewhere, surely?" you reply, perhaps a little more vehemently than you intended. "So we must find out where. A small group of well-trained fighting men might enter, deliver her from captivity, and be gone, if they act quickly enough and with sufficient vigour."
"Shes being held in the base at the Northern Pillars, behind two battalions of Marines, several rings of water batteries, and the whole of the Northern Fleet," the Countess answers flatly. "Perhaps there are men capable of getting through such defences and out again, but as far as I know, they're all on the other side of the country, or now with the enemy. Until you conceive of a way to make do without them, a rescue may be ruled as impossible."
You endeavour to keep your frustration from showing. It's a wretched feeling to know that one of your dear friends is in the hands of the enemy, doubly so that one of her intimates seems intent upon refusing to provide any useful information as to her circumstances, or any meaningful advice on how to relieve them. You suppose you could press the Countess further, in an attempt to acquire the intelligence you should wish through deceit or rhetoric or sheer persistence, but you suspect that you won't get far when the lady herself is already so ill-disposed towards you.
And even if you do, it doesn't change the bare facts: Lady Welles is in Wulframite hands, beyond your reach, with all of her knowledge and secrets at risk, even if her life has been guaranteed. Nothing can assuage your anxieties in that regard, until the lady herself is delivered from captivity.
In the meantime, you can only carry on: a pair of Grenadiers are standing a discreet distance away, far enough to be out of earshot, but close enough for you to recognise that they're quite plainly waiting on you.
So, you say your farewells and leave the Countess and Captain Garret behind before continuing onwards, deeper into the Northern Keep.
quote:Your escort takes you beyond a new series of doors, through a side corridor, past three more pairs of guards, and down the now half-familiar route to the Privy Council chamber.
The Queen is waiting for you there, alone, dressed much as she was when last you saw her; in the uniform of a Grenadier officer. This time, however, she wears not the rank insignia of a colonel at her collar, but the diamond-studded crowns of the General-Royal—a rank reserved solely for the sovereigns of the Unified Kingdom.
It's a subtle statement, but it's one you cannot ignore: the last time you spoke, it was as a soldier to a superior officer. This time, she means to address you as sovereign to subject, not to seek counsel but to command, to judge, perhaps to reward…
Or to punish.
quote:"My Lord Somewhere Awful," she begins, her voice as controlled and imperious as ever. "We regret that we've yet the opportunity to congratulate you on the most glorious victory you won in our name."
Your spurs jangle as you snap to attention, as a junior officer reporting to a superior. "I thank you for your praise, Majesty," you reply. You suppose the less said about the losses which you had to take to secure such a victory, the better.
The Queen offers you a tight-lipped smile. "Such praise is, I think, well-warranted: you took up arms to deliver us from direct peril. You drove a determined foe from a fortified position and made safe our capital from its enemies. If any doubted the position of your loyalties before, your actions will ensure that they won't do so again."
You resist the urge to narrow your eyes in suspicion. You've been a soldier and a Lord of the Cortes long enough to know more or less where this is going.
"I am, as ever, at your disposal, Majesty," you begin, hoping to move straight to the matter at hand. "What would you require of me?"
"First of all, as commanding officer of the regiment you now lead," the Queen replies. "I trust you will not object to that appointment?"
"With respect, Majesty, the Duke of Cunaris leads the regiment, not I."
"Surely there are better candidates for such a position?"
"It will be as you command, Majesty."
quote:
As of the Winter of the 618 of the Old Imperial Era:
Sir Alaric d'al Sancroix, Baron Somewhere Awful
Lieutenant-colonel, Royal Dragoons
Age: 46
Current Funds: 400 Crown
Debts: 20203 Crown
Bi-Annual Income (Personal): 270 Crown
Bi-Annual Estate Revenues: 714 Crown
Bi-Annual Estate Expenses: 425 Crown
Bi-Annual Interest Payments: 404 Crown
Total Net Income (Next Six Months): 155 Crown
Soldiering: 20%
Charisma: 46%
Intellect: 55%
Reputation: 47%
Health: 20%
Idealism: 59%Cynicism: 41%
Ruthlessness: 78%Mercy: 22%
You are a Knight of the Red, having the right to wear Bane-hardened armour and wield a Bane-runed sword.
You can speak, read, and write the Antari language.
You are spoken well of within the Royalist Faction.
Your known Royalist loyalties have made you somewhat unwelcome among the Wulframite Faction.
You have some small amount of pull at Grenadier Square.
Alaric's performance in battle did buff his reputation and Royalist bona fides a good bit.
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Jul 31, 2023 00:27
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- killer_robot
- Aug 26, 2006
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Grimey Drawer
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Which one will help us war crime the queen better?
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Jul 31, 2023 04:21
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- AJ_Impy
- Jun 17, 2007
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SWORD OF SMATTAS. CAN YOU NOT HEAR A WORLD CRY OUT FOR JUSTICE? WHEN WILL YOU DELIVER IT?
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Yam Slacker
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It will be as you command, your Majesty. De facto to De jure. Cunaris was broken by the loss of his family, and the treason of his son-in-law.
Which one will help us war crime the queen better?
Having a higher rank and getting her to drop her guard around us, I'd say. Opposing her will would get her hackles up, so going along or now means better warcrime potential later.
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Jul 31, 2023 14:42
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- Lord Cyrahzax
- Oct 11, 2012
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"It will be as you command, Majesty."
quote:"Very good," the Queen replies, curtly, matter-of-factly, as if in the end, you could have offered no other reply. "Before we go on, we should like to inform you that we intend a number of changes regarding the nature of the regiment."
"Changes?" What does the Queen mean by that? What could she intend by offering you formal command of the regiment, only to make some new decree regarding its structure?
"We are given to understand that your regiment possesses a reputation," the Queen continues, as if ignoring your question entirely. "At the beginning of the war in Antar, that reputation was a feeble one, of a regiment barely worthy to be considered cavalry at all, untested in battle, unsuitable for any useful purpose. Have we understood correctly?"
"You have, Majesty," you reply reluctantly. "But that reputation has been much enhanced over the years."
The Queen nods. "Yes, we are aware of that too. It was the Dragoons which held the left flank at such cost at Blogia, who stormed the breach at Kharangia, who held the flank against Prince Khorobirit's army. At the crucial moment, when treason roused itself about us, it was your regiment which rode to our rescue and preserved the Crown, even though the man who was meant to lead you had abdicated his position." She favours you with a smile, thin-lipped as ever, but warm and sincere all the same. "The service which you and your men gave our predecessor was exemplary. The service you rendered unto us, vital. It deserves to be rewarded better than to languish in a spot in the middle of the order of precedence, under the colonelcy of a man who has proven unworthy of its illustrious deeds."
She steps forward then, her voice swelling to fill the whole of the room, as if she were addressing not only you, but the whole of your regiment besides. "From this moment onwards, you shall be the Queen's Own Dragoon Guards: first in precedence among the regiments of horse, and second overall behind the Grenadiers."
In truth, you weren't expecting that. Some re-organisation or shift in the order of precedence, but to have Cunaris replaced as Colonel by the Queen herself? To be named a Guards regiment? Of the same calibre as the Grenadiers, and the Takaran Imperial Life Guards, and the Kian Imperial Household Regiments besides? Saints above.
The Queen, you suspect, has taken note of at least some of your shock, for when she turns back to you, that grin has blossomed into a look of utmost satisfaction.
"So what do you think of that, my lord?"
"I assure you, the regiment shall make itself worthy of such an honour."
"Does this mean you'll trust us with the thickest of the fighting?"
"Will such an honour come with supplies? Pay? Reinforcements?"
Honestly didn't think Alaric would get the rep for this
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Jul 31, 2023 14:47
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- Adbot
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ADBOT LOVES YOU
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Jul 26, 2023 22:36
