Question Talsamar as to the whereabouts of all mages known to him. If he refuses to tell use all methods of torture possible (hacking off of fingers, flaying, needles into the eyes...the whole nine yards). Take my time with that. If he refuses to answer close him away in a cubicle were he cannot stand nor lie and has to sit in an uncomfortable position. Torture him till he breaks.
No matter what have him publically flayed, then hacked to pieces, which will be distributed among the families of the victims for their own rituals.
[1] The man says nothing as he's brutalized, his eyes boring into the King even as he's tortured and maimed. [6] And after a few days, he finally does break, starting to sob abruptly and the torturer removes the gag. He lists out quite a few mages, and the guard jots them down.
[1][6,4,5] Then the mage abruptly speaks a word, a
single word in a language that causes his tongue to burn and his ears and eyes to bleed. The guard recoils as an alien dread sweeps over him, the temperature dropping in the cell, the mage's wounds starting to bleed once more. The well cast curse sought out it's victim without pause and Talasam slumps in his chair. His final words were whispered with a twisted tongue.
"You've already placed the blade against your throat, King."The king [3] feels nothing. A small headache forms, but nothing else happens.
[5] The death of the Mage that ended up killing their family members, and the public humiliation of his body brings a sick sense of peace to the grieving families that lost their children, husbands, and wives to the monsters.
[2-1] The public seems less pleased, stating that the King is soft for letting him die before he's flayed. Indeed, it seems rumors have spread about the king's apparent attempt at 'entertainment', namely, demons and magic. Many taverns have hushed conversations about how the king may be a madman, using those powers to entertain a hall full of drunk men.
King Logan holds open Court. All who have requests for the King are invited.
[5] It seems all is well in your kingdom. The civil war took a brutal toll on the serfs and thralls, and many homes and buildings were destroyed. But, a rich lumber merchant has donated many tonnes of timber to help the construction effort. The wood is low quality, but wonderful for use in building.
[4] Rumors, however, arise, about the forest's apparent encroachment and dark things stirring in the cold forests of the kingdom's borders.
[6] A diplomat from a neighboring, small country arrives, asking to meet with the king or his diplomat. He's apparently from a place called Amius and is their representative and diplomat. He's a stout young man, with a wolf pelt is draped over one shoulder.
Action: Communicate back to my lands-I have bounties placed on all Mages in my lands to be brought in ALIVE and mostly UNHARMED. Dead mages earn no money. There is a strict time limit on this-eventually, they are left to their fates.
These are communicated to professional bounty hunters and not the rabble. This is done quietly, with all possible swiftness. Those captured are held in cells and treated fairly awaiting my arrival, but any non-magic using family or friends that accompany them is given warm warm beds and good food. Make sure the following letter is copied and handed out to those we take into custody prior to arrest, if possible.
[5-3] No true Mages are found within your lands, and the few that are drug into your cells are old women with knowledge of herbalism and a tendency for being hermits. They know nothing of any true magic, besides the magic of healing and folk superstitions.
[6] They drone on and on about how they could have just been hired for exceptionally cheap prices if the duchess wanted something, seeming quite indignant about being removed from their houses to be thrown into a cold cell.
[5] However, one has apparently heard rumors from the palace, about what happened and states she knows a few things about the monsters that attacked, or atleast where to find information about them. Whether she's speaking the truth or not is hard to tell. [5] She's a sturdy woman, slightly younger than the others and bearing burn scars all up and down her sinewy arms.
Valerian Vingarde is granted the Position of Captain of the Guard.
King Logan creates the Inquisition. A Institution which is tasked with the Capturing and Training of Mages as well as using them for the good of the Kingdom. They are also tasked with fighting Rogue Mages, Traitors and Supernatural Beasts.
Jarod the Bastard is granted the Position of Grand Inquisitor aswell as 3 Parcels of Land.
[5] The creation of the Inquisition is met with cheers and applause. The north and east forests are particularly dark these days. Rumors of beasts and monsters on the prowl are growing, and strange shadows glimpsed at night. The Inquisition raises hopes that these will be dealt with, and the dark forests drove back.
[5] The Guard is very well-run when Vingarde gets the position. The former guard captain, a young blond man bowing out with a small smile and congratulating the new captain cheerfully. He doesn't turn over his armor or sword, stating both are heirlooms from his line, but doesn't put up any fuss as he's sent packing. [3] There's a few easily handled issues, but most of the paperwork seems done for him before he arrives and the guards are already on semi-efficient schedules. There's a few too many tavern patrols, but otherwise it all seems in order.
[6][6][6] In fact, there's hardly any criminals walking the streets, and the cells contain a few criminals, but...for the most part, it seems crime is exceptionally low in the capital. Almost non-existent, it would seem. Only a few pickpockets and a single murderer awaiting execution are being held and most bear bruises and marks of harsh beatings, but no major damage is done to them. [+1 capital city morale]
Raoul gets out of the infirmary, and heads back to the Duchy of Ceadan.
[4]
"Sir? I have a request to make of you or an offer to give you." the young guard pauses, before continuing,
"May I travel with you to your duchy? I hear foul beasts are aprowl there, and I'm sure the king will hand over my position to another, soon enough. I never supported him in the war and served under his brother.". He shifts in his armor, seeming uncomfortable, fiddling with the sword on his belt.
[5]Regardless, you head home. The trip is calm and relaxing, the kind springs day wonderful for you to travel in. You arrive at your lands and find the peasants are working the fields, planting their crops while a few men and women with green feathery earrings drift along, chatting and helping out where need be.
[5] The city is ahum with commerce, people working hard on their crafts to sell and barter, trading wheat and vegetables and all sorts of things with one another.
[1] Then you arrive at the castle. And your youngest sister emerges from the mansion to greet you. She quickly informs you that a number of people have been attacked and killed. Each bear heavy mutilation and are barely distinguishable. [5] A militia has been formed in the outlying villlages, especially near the forest. She suspects it's wargs, coming down from the north to hunt.
Valerian spends some time on exploring and memorizing the castle layout and structure.
[3-1] You drift around the castle and manage to get lost a number of times, almost always pointed in the right direction by one of the many guards that drift around the castle. They seem to try and patrol every room of the castle, baring the king's personal quarters, but there is always at least two standing by that door. The rest wander the castle on the schedule given to them by the previous captain and changes in shift are constant and sporadically placed.
[5-1] Not a single one of them mocks you for losing your way, and a few volunteer, without sarcasm or malicious intent, to help you explore and memorize if you so choose.
Search the shadier area of town and try to locate one of the more influential criminals in the area, stick to the shadows as much as possible to avoid detection. ( +1 Stealth. )
[1+1] You fail to locate a single criminal. Guards are quick to snatch up and apply vicious beatings to most of the pickpockets or muggers you find or drag them off to jail for a while, depending on how old they are and how much they attempted to steal or if they hurt anyone. You manage to find a mugger, and follow him, but a burly guard jumps him and beats the ever living shit out of him with a cosh, then begins to drag him away to the jails.
[2+1] You manage to hide in the shadows before the guard notices you, and, to your credit, he doesn't. He seems intent on searching the criminal for any weapons and then getting his job over with.
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Topic: You are King: Chronicles of Nocte - IC Thread (Read 18966 times)