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Author Topic: You are King III: Spring 938 AAL  (Read 131138 times)

Iituem

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #45 on: July 08, 2012, 05:34:56 pm »

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Amid the revelries of the feast a man approached the king's table dressed in brightly coloured red and orange clothes, wearing the traditional cap of the fool.  He was busy juggling variously coloured balls, but mid-juggle gestured to the increasingly inebriated musician to play.  After a few bars of the shaky tune, the fool began to sing.

Now pray hear a tale of a court of passed Wind,
A Heath full of nobles, graceful and sinned,
To pray that the new king may e'er keep his seat,
And his seat may keep him, for so much he might eat.

And may heirs be forthcoming, for he's hairs on his chest,
And that the fine girls of the piers know best!
But his dog days are o'er, ne'er a bitch to be seen,
For he'd best stay his hounding 'til he finds him a Queen.

Now more than just Albert is fond of the woods,
For Prince Richard's own consorts have taken the moods
To follow him gaily behind some old tree,
And there they go 'hunting' with old-fashioned glee.

But Richard's bagged more than a few fresh young hinds,
And his greatest new boast shall prey hard on our minds.
A mighty white stag, whose great horns he did take!
Such a pity his kill cannot match a Drake.

And speaking of men cast 'neath shadow's dear kilt,
Attending the King is the great Schwerzshilt,
Such a stony reception for this House's past,
But the King welcomes him to his hall to break fast.

A bastard arrow and an old lion-hound,
A blue bear, a salt-fish a-prowling the Sound,
All singing the praises of their beloved King,
Their ambition be damned, 'tis a dangerous thing.

And so we sing farewell to our Age of Steel,
And welcome one Gold, may its bonds prove as real
As the collars that held the once-great Hounds at bay,
May our King prove that strong at the end of the day.


The fool caught his balls and bowed to the royal table, an overly elaborate bow that had gone out of fashion decades ago made even more elaborate for effect.

"If I have offended, my job is well done,
But was aught that I spoke not the truth?
I beg Royal pardon for an ignoble House,
That my words might not grate but might soothe.

I come here the last of the House of Touchstone,
To beg, and to borrow, and steal
The greatly puffed thoughts of greatly puffed men,
And to show my dear King what is real.

For every good fool needs his license,
For not all are so touched by the Gods,
For someone must breach what cannot be broke
To these noble - and ignoble - sods!

And so I request your good pardon,
Your grace and forgiveness, yes, too.
I present myself humble; I bring you no wisdom,
No wisdom but that of the Fool."
« Last Edit: July 08, 2012, 05:37:33 pm by Iituem »
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Let's Play Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magic Obscura! - The adventures of Jack Hunt, gentleman rogue.

No slaughtering every man, woman and child we see just to teleport to the moon.

knightedskull

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #46 on: July 08, 2012, 05:47:04 pm »

Zeddrous face turned serious and after replying an irongrip with another.
"Ah, we are not so different you and me.   My family was only givin' a title through the war, and even after 10 years of service as a Baron, my father was left with only my mother."
Zeddrous cleared his throat before continueing.
" I, personally, hold no grudge for the dishonour of my family and I hope to prove my worth to the majesty and regain some honour through service."

Zeddrous lets go of the shake and turns his head towards the direction that the loud tale told by the fool came from.
"What in the world was that?"
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Shootandrun

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #47 on: July 08, 2012, 05:51:37 pm »

When the song was over, Richard laughed loudly in that deep voice of his, and when his friends saw that he had laughed they knew they could, too. Soon enough the hall was covered in laughter, and a problem was averted.

"A good song, jester! What is your name, fool, and where do you get your stories?"
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Ardas

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #48 on: July 08, 2012, 05:57:26 pm »

"I will be honoured to serve as your treasurer, Your Grace. I look forward to the meeting tomorrow."

It was as if the gods were giving away presents on this day. Becoming the master of royal treasury just like that! Albert put a lot of trust in the men around him, and Edgard was surprised how easy it was for him to do so. Perhaps his mother's touch sheilded him from the dishonesty and disloyalty of the outer world. He had to learn much yet. But he did not commit a mistake by trusting Edgard. Mistakes were not part of festivities.

Ah, and there he goes of, to that lovely courtier of his. There was nothing wrong with that, many people had mistresses. However, kings had to ensure legitimate succession, so maybe a lowborn was not the best choice. after all, Albert was still a bachelor, and every comte and marquis will try to shove their relative in front of Albert to earn that bit more of power. Edgard looked forward to the commotion and those silly "bride wars" that sometimes exploded amongst lower nobles when  a bachelor king was around.

The brilliant entrance of the fool quickly enchanted Edgard, who could not resist joining others in laughs.
« Last Edit: July 08, 2012, 06:00:19 pm by Ardas »
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Dwarmin

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #49 on: July 08, 2012, 06:12:30 pm »

Albert laughed, slapping his knee.

"I see the quality of Jesters have not diminished, even if our musicians have become unexpectedly melancholy tonight." He said, stepping off the stage, laying the guitar to the side gently.

"As my brother says-Speak as you will, Fool. All the worlds a stage, and you've taken the center tonight, certainly. You have my pardon for your well meaning jests, and welcome to my Halls."
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Iituem

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #50 on: July 08, 2012, 06:16:19 pm »

"Fust of Touchstone, Highness, for I am first,
First to feel hunger, first to feel thirst,
So I thank you for this feast,
For the mead, the cheese and the geese,
For now at last I feel some peace,
For I am ripe fit to burst!

My stories come from the birds of the air,
From the ground and the rivers too,
For there are always those who sing like canaries,
Gossips and aunts and e'en nobles fairest.
From those on the land and those at the sea,
Like the rivers, I find stories just flow to me.
For have not walls ears, and has not the ground?
Best remember that those that you step on hear sounds.

Hard then it is a secret to keep,
For those to whom the bald truth makes them weep,
At the end of the day, though, when all has been said...
I've known pier girls too, and I've slept in that bed."


The jester winked and gave a mock courtly flourish with one hand, then turned a touch more respectfully to the King.

"And most gracious thanks, oh King of the Heath,
Again for the bread 'pon which I've cut my teeth.
Though I find now I hunger for a greater mission,
So I ask; has your kingship an open position,
For one to tell tricks, to watch and to laugh
At all that this court might yet bring to pass?"
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Let's Play Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magic Obscura! - The adventures of Jack Hunt, gentleman rogue.

No slaughtering every man, woman and child we see just to teleport to the moon.

Dragor23

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #51 on: July 08, 2012, 06:19:02 pm »

"A jester." said Theor in a monotone voice. "A fool, who pleases the king and noblemen with his dickery, his insulting poems. He has the fool's license and no one has the right to harm him." Well, the poem WAS good. But the Blackshield can't laugh about it. He returend to the feast, he had enough from the fresh and cold air. Maybe he would find out how the jester got the information that Theor was bullied as kid... Or was it just a coincidence? But right now the jester was talking with the king... Crud.
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knightedskull

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #52 on: July 08, 2012, 06:51:03 pm »

"... and no one has the right to harm him."  Muttered Zeddrous under his breath.
He did not like Fools and would never be the fool of or for a fool.
Their entire existence is built on riddles, half-truths, and half-insults.   Most people think them mad but that doesn't mean they can't be sane ever....you just need to crack them.
And you couldn't hurt them.

Though he has givin' me an opportunity to properly thank the King or greet the prince.

Zeddrous goes back inside and bypasses the crowd of laughter, also avoiding the Fool, and approached Prince Richard after he received the fools answer.

"Congratulations Prince Richard.   I am Zeddrous Litchenmire.   You wouldn't know my name or family but I swore fealty to your king brother and wish to let you know that my services are yours as well should you have need for me.    I hear you're an accomplished huntsmen along the side.   Have any hunting stories to tell?"


Zeddrous said with a friendly smile.
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Dwarmin

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #53 on: July 08, 2012, 07:17:30 pm »

"Well...one of those pier girls with more wit than her years would suggest, once said to me, that Men and Women plan, and the Gods Laugh at us.

I replied, perhaps the best we can do is laugh with them. Consider yourself hired, Jester."
The King replied, amiably enough.

The King heard some grumbling in the audience-which was to be expected, and admired. A Jester who didn't sting with his barbs wasn't much of one.

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Dwarmin's fell gaze has fallen upon you. Sadly, Your life and your quest end here, at this sig.

"The hats never coming off."

Deep Waters

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #54 on: July 08, 2012, 09:44:40 pm »

Kylila makes her way through the crowded streets of Stormstead, weaving through the gaps between people when she can find them and making one when she can't, her gait swift and purposeful. She shivers slightly and draws her cloak about her as she walks, hood up to keep herself warm. Used to the roiling heat of the southern realms, the former knight found Adran's climate comparatively freezing, even in the milder spring seasons. The simple but thick woolen cloak, bought yesterday morning in the marketplace for a paltry amount of coin, was the only item of clothing that kept in warmth. Even her Ampyrian armor, made of well-oiled leather and steel, was designed to let out heat so as to prevent heatstroke during combat in the deserts and jungles of her homeland, not to keep her warm in the strange, shifting temperatures of the north.

'Back in the deserts, we did not have to worry about the clime changing from day-to-day or hour-to-hour,' Kylila thinks morosely, adjusting her cloak to wrap more fully about her, 'Hot during day, cold during night. That was it. None of this four seasons bullshit.'

Finally, the Ampyrian slows as she reaches an old, dilapidated wooden building, her ears catching raucous laughter and wild carousing from within its confines. She comes to a stop in front of an ancient wooden door whose thickness suggested sturdiness in spite of its obvious age, stained in spots and smelling faintly of vomit. Kylila frowns dubiously, looking up at the sign hanging above it- a board of wood chipped with age, a corner of it stripped off, decorated with an stylized leaping hound whose strong, skillfully-engraved form was deeply at odds with the appearance of the establishment it represented.

After a few moments of hesitation, Kylila lets out a resigned sigh, and then a deep breath- which she immediately chokes upon. She whips around and takes a few steps away, inhaling and exhaling the fresh air with desperation. Finally, she takes one last, deep inhalation, turns around, and walks determinedly into the tavern. She scans the tavern, making a face at its current condition: citizens of all shapes and sizes were partying with bacchanalian abandonment, the majority of them drunk, the rest passed out in their chairs, in their stools, on the dirty, wooden floor, against the walls below massive mounted bucks' antlers- everywhere. There were pools of vomit sprinkled in strategic locations throughout the bar, a not-insignificant number of them beside the face of a passed-out reveler.

Kylila focuses her attention on a corner, finding her target as swiftly as if she'd already known where he was, and starts to make her way there, shoving the occasional drunkard out of her way, doing her best to hold her breath the entire way. When she finally gets there, she collapses into a chair next to a blond, dour-looking man, the majority of his face covered in bandages, and puts her hand over her mouth and nose before taking a deep breath. Then, she mutters towards the blond man, smooth, Ampyrian-accented voice muffled by her fingers, "Why in all the freezing hells of Alaziz did you want to meet here?"
« Last Edit: July 09, 2012, 09:13:04 pm by Deep Waters »
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[23:14:34] <GameMaster> And so (...) a one-armed dwarf and a mage wearing a blanket walk into a tomb.
[23:14:42] <GameMaster> Sadly, that isn't a joke.

[20:42:03] <HailFire> our wizard tower just got smoked by projectile cats from space

filiusenox

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #55 on: July 08, 2012, 10:05:18 pm »

Rusty takes another sip of...something vaguely alcoholic from his glass, before he responds to the woman, his single eye drifting over her frame.

"Full of loud idiots. Good place to talk about what we're goin' ta' do next." he murmurs over, taking a deep drink afterwards. "Plus I needed a strong drink."

His fingers continue to tap on the table, before they rise up to scratch at the flesh under the bandages, and to flick the blond bangs from his face with an annoyed grunt.

 "Glad you showed up." he finally admits, tone begrudging and weary.
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King_of_the_weasels

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #56 on: July 08, 2012, 11:34:20 pm »

Cyril enjoys the revelry for the rest of the night.

Wait til morning.
« Last Edit: July 09, 2012, 12:38:00 pm by King_of_the_weasels »
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Tiruin

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #57 on: July 09, 2012, 07:27:50 am »

The laughter. The joy.

Renart hadn't felt so alive in years. This coronation was a splendid occasion, uniquely performed with the gaiety and regality befitting of the new King. Unlike his predecessor, this one was open and resembled the qualities of a true leader, a promising one. The other nobles, for there were too many to name, made an impression on the Prince, one that he hoped would make.

Garbed in a pure white surcoat coupled with it's matching aketon, along with a grey cloak pinned at the shoulder by a gilded broach representing the Northwatch, he kept in strict compliance with the laws of the state, wearing the ceremonial garb as was necessary.

The way King Albert conversed with the nobility and the newly appointed Jester gave him confidence, that the unity of the country would prevail, that perhaps the eyes of the people would turn to the other states in time and not against each other. Perhaps it was time to speak for himself, having been silent for most of the merriment.

Renart stood up and adjusted the hilt and scabbard of his sword aside - beneath his cloak, as he moved by the sidelines and past the crowd until addressing the King, giving a bow from the neck as was needed. The wine he took was just enough to raise his spirits, but not enough to loosen himself.

"Greetings, your Royal Highness. I am Renart Lionel, Marquis of the Northwatch. My blade and arm are yours to command, Sire," Renart glanced at the Scepter for a moment, "and I pledge once more my fief and land under your rule.

"I apologize for my scant visits to the kingdom, but the borderlines must be held in the name of the realm.

"May your reign be long and prosperous, and may your guiding hand lead us once more. The Gods are smiling on us tonight, I can tell."


He finished with a grin, for the atmosphere was like a temple, serene and yet filled with wonder and aspiration.
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Deep Waters

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #58 on: July 09, 2012, 11:27:42 am »

"Yes, well," Kylila coughs into her hand and shifts uncomfortably, her dusky skin hiding her slight blush, "Binding Ampyrian oaths and all that."

The knight errant continues quickly, her voice growing businesslike, though still muffled by the fingers she holds over her mouth and nose, "I managed to steal a lot of their supplies while they were busy celebrating the success of their little mutiny," She murmurs with a hint of contempt, "It should last us for several weeks if we ration it, should we decide to leave in search of better opportunities. The horses were a little more difficult; thankfully, Ra'id was apparently feeling unusually cooperative today and Asalah was as calm and quiet as always. The crown, of course, was the hardest one of all. Radshor- you know him, loud, obnoxious, led the mutiny- was keeping it as a souvenir. Taking it out to brag about his 'victory'. Idiot had no idea what it really was, but I still had to steal it right out from under his nose."

The former knightess pauses to take a deep breath, before continuing, "I left everything in a cove near the city ports. It should all be safe until we can decide where to go from here."
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[23:14:34] <GameMaster> And so (...) a one-armed dwarf and a mage wearing a blanket walk into a tomb.
[23:14:42] <GameMaster> Sadly, that isn't a joke.

[20:42:03] <HailFire> our wizard tower just got smoked by projectile cats from space

filiusenox

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Re: You are King III
« Reply #59 on: July 09, 2012, 11:57:15 am »

The man's fingers cease their rhythmic tapping upon mention of the crown, quickly curling into a fist, the eye narrowing for a few seconds, before he exhales slowly, his fingers uncurling and resuming the tapping.

"Old Radshor, eh?" he asks casually, his eye finding the contents of his glass as he gives it a swirl, draining it in one fluid motion and holding the cup up by the bottom, waiting for it to catch the attention of the serving maid, "Saved that bastard's life from a hanging...Can't believe he's the one that led it." then his fingers give two taps on the table and he looks over to Kylila.

When the young, flat-chested woman finally shows up he passes a gold coin to her, "One whatever-the-hell you gave me last time, a big glass mind you, love, and one spiced, warm wine, with honey. Clean cups please.", he watches her as she walks away, gaze fixated on her rear before it drifts back to the center of the table

When she returns with the drinks and swiftly leaves thereafter, he picks the topic back up along with his glass, "Think we need to work as sellswords for a bit, Kylila. Make a business and get some money to live on from it. Then we can work on what we'll do next after we make sure we won't starve to death in some slums."
« Last Edit: July 09, 2012, 12:17:00 pm by filiusenox »
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"No, I'm being obstinate for the sake of I hate you."
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