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[Ghazkull]

HAH.

his laugh contained not the least shred of humour.

Don't give me the fault Mage, don't even dare to blame it on the masses. You are the only one at fault. You chose what to conjure up. People would have been entertained enough if you would have floated some things, or let a table vanish from sight. Simple tricks. Instead you were arrogant in your power and conjured up daemons.

No mage, i am not responsible for what happened up there, it was and is you alone. With power comes responsibility as some rancid saying goes. And you were not responsible. And no i don't want an excuse for anything. You brought this upon yourself. When i asked you to entertain my guests you could have improved the lot of your kind much by taking the fear from the people. Instead you thought it would be wise to be ambitious even though you KNEW that you couldn't correctly control the powers.

Obviously you and many others have a fatal lack of constraint and control over your powers. I will see to rectify this. But to you Mage. I am still not sure what to do with you.

Aral what are your thoughts on this?

Logan's sick grin immediately faded as he turned towards the Duchess, when he looked at her it was his usual scowl when he wasn't in private.

[Dwarmin]

Araline thought but a moment.

Her tones were clipped and ice cold-no emotion, no mercy.

"This man should suffer and die for his ineptitude.

If a mundane sword juggler killed someone in the crowd with an errant throw, I would say the same to him. His death will be public-as slow as our fell arts can provide, and bitterly gratifying to those wounded. A part of his hewn body should be sent to each one of the aggrieved families for their own rituals-as with our oldest traditions. That is my judgement.

That said, he can still be of use to us before that-one does not cast away a tool until it has expended all it's use. I think he will gain no redemption, but maybe the Nine-Hells that await him will be slightly cooler if he agrees to what I propose...

What do you think of this, King Logan. This man, he knows many of his magickal-kin, names and locations and faces-perhaps people he cares about enough to give a small chance at life. I'm sure he has those he loves.

Let him give them to us, contact them if he can and we shall collect them if they do not resist, detain them. Perhaps we can protect some, and find a better use for them-secret servants, closely watched-those we can trust. Some will be sacrificed to the hounds, I have no doubt. But maybe not all. There will be few left soon, and as much as I do not like to say it, we just saw a potent demonstration of their potential power. We would be fools to cast that potential away entirely.

Say-If you truly wish to atone wizard, would you with your last breath repent all you have done, and urge your kind to surrender to King Logans justice-and to be judged? To serve him?

The alternative is to leave them to the mob, or the wilds...which is hardly better than killing them yourself. This is only my reckoning of the matter, which matters little to me in any case."

[Ghazkull]

A single approving nod from Logan.

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.

[adwarf]

Talasam looked up at the King then turned away slightly, facing away from everyone in the room and began a death curse upon Logan, he would be subject to a life of misery for the tyrant and oppressor he is. If all Talasam could do for his kind was this then he'd be glad to die here cursing a man who might seek to be the greatest enemy of mages ...

Cast a death curse upon Logan to suffer a life of misery, hide it as best I can but if found out finish before I can be interrupted then bite off my tongue if I yet live afterwards.

[Ardas]

Valerian quickly noticed that the mage is trying to incapacitate himself. His quick reflexes kicked in however and the muscles sprung to life to stick the cloth back in his mouth to stop him from biting his tongue off.

Valerian moves in quickly to stick cloth back in Talsam's mouth as soon as Araline finishes talking (+1 to agility)

---------------------
Valerian quickly moves in [3] and silences the mage with the cloth before he gets talking again. He then swiftly takes him away and puts him back in his cell before returning to the king.

"My lord, your men shall handle the rest of the work, for I am no torturer. I am at your command and await your decision of my position within your court."
 

[Ghazkull]

Good Work, Valerian. Yes you are no longer needed. What follows now is no work for a knight.

---------------------------------------------------------

The Next Day in the Throneroom

The first day of his rule had begun with torture and blood. Great. Deep rings were below Logan's eyes as he held Open Court for all bidders to come.
But first the Issue of the Mage had to be cleared. As the Throneroom filled with noble and commoner alike, Valerian, Jarod and the Chronicler were given places up front.


King Logan holds open Court. All who have requests for the King are invited.

[Brood]

Mathias dressed in heavy black leather armor from head to toe entered the throne room and catching the looks on the guards faces approached the king keeping his hands in plain sight.

Coming within 50 feet of the king Mathias dropped to one knee and bowed his head his bodyguard matching his pose 5 feet behind him and waited for permission to speak.

[Dwarmin]

Araline had shaken her head as the Mage was re-gagged. He apparently wasn't going to talk of his own free will.

So many more would have to die now.

Such a waste, she thought.

She spoke one last time. Unlike before, her words betrayed a slight emotion. She did not like to waste resources. There was no logic, no profit in this suffering, and what was to come. Not only Mages...but their families.

Mostly, it was anger at the mans selfishness. What he was forcing Logan to do. She did not want Logan to have to be like this-Araline had once seen his good side, his kindness and mercy-what little of it remained, and tonight would kill yet another portion of that. All that would be left was ruin.

She had approached the prisoner one last time, putting a hand on his chin, gently. Some dark and cruel part of her thought he should savor the feel, the closeness of a woman-this one last time.

"It is like that? Maybe you deserve whats about to come. I gave you the smallest chance to make something good from this, and you have thrown it away. A life of service for your kin, not of slavery. Safe from the mobs, and no longer hunted.

And you reject us out of spite, proving all the worst we have to say to you. I pity your kind, do you know that? There is no profit for anyone in their deaths.

...but you have made your choice, as do we all.

Enjoy Logans hospitality, anyway. He has long practiced this. Something of a artisan, he is. I hope you die screaming."

With that, she swept away from the room in a rush of her cloak. Maybe something could be done.

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.

--To the Magick User holding this

I, Duchesse Araline, hereby grant you the safety of my authority. Allow yourself to be accompanied to my keep, where you will be detained until I arrive to question you. And family or friends you have will also be kept safe, in whatever luxury I provide. I hope you come willingly, and allow others of your kind to do the same.

You know what has happened in the Kings Hall, or will soon. If you do not surrender to authority, you will be slain or hunted. I wish to spare you for another end.

Prove to me you can be reasoned with. Allow mercy, and I will try to protect you.

That is all that can be said.

<Logerhain family seal here, a spear wrapped in a bundle of sticks.>

...

After a night of frantic letter writing and heavy drinking, Araline passed out at her desk-exhaustion, horror, and depression over-weighing her good senses.

That she was not given a place in the front of the Kings court the next day was something of a pleasant surprise. Given what she was attempting to do...

[micelus]

The Chronicler allowed others to petition the king; it would imprudent to demand first audience, especially in a foreign land.

Once a certain amount of people had met with the king, Korolle performed a combined bow and chest-tap and then began speaking.

"Yesterday your grace, as I hope you remember, I asked you for official patronage. I wish to offer my services to your grace for an indefinite amount of time. As a Chronicler my lord, I am able to provide much information to you and your court...within reason. Furthermore, I can aid in diplomacy with other nobles, courts, cities or councils, if required. I ask for only simple lodgings and enough materials to record my Chronicle."

[Ghazkull]

Morning
The Throneroom was filled to the brim with people either curious what happened yesterday night or wanting to know how the King dealt with it.

My people. Most of you know what happened last night. On the Eve of our Victory in the Civil War, i asked a mage to entertain my guests. In his foolish ambitions he conjured up daemons to do his bidding. Daemons who attacked us. In the ensuing battle 21 Named Men and Nobles died and 11 more were injured gravely. The Mage has sinc ebeen apprehended and is currently still interrogated in the Dungeons.

When we have gotten the answers we want he will pay for his arrogance. He will be publicly executed and the families of the Victims will be given his mortal remains to do with as they wish.
This "Incident" has shown me that the Mages are dangerous even more so untrained and that they cannot be left to their own devices.
Thus i have decided to create a new Institution: The King's Inquisition.

This Inquisition will deal with the threat of Mages and trian them in their abilities so that they may repent for their evils in the service of the kingdom and redeem themselves in your eyes my fellow Noctians. Furthermore the Inquisition will deal with any other supernatural threat and any traitor to the kingdom.

To fulfill their tasks the Inquisition will be given three parcels of land with which the Inquisition will finance itself and maintain a force able to battle Witch, Daemon and Traitor alike.
In the light of last evenings happenings Jarod the Bastard, Knight of the Third will be raised into the position of Grand Inquisitor and will lead the Inquisition from now on.

Furthermore Knight Valerian Vingarde, will be granted the position Captain of the Kingsguard and awarded with 3 Parcels of Land to maintain the King's Personal Guard.

Finally Duchess Araline Logherhain will be granted the Position of King's Hand which is accompanied by a Fief of 1 Parcel.




Late Morning

Ah yes, the Chronicler from the South. I am indeed in need of people who have travelled the World. Your wishes shall be granted. Prepare a room for the man and give him writing utensils. In return you will serve me as Foreign Advisor and Diplomat.

Logan grants The Chronicler the Position of Foreign Advisor and Diplomat.

----------------------------
Late Midday

It was late in the day when Mathias was allowed to speak before the King. Logan was shifting uncomfortably in the throne, his scowl replaced with a look of annoyance from the masses of minor legal problems he had been pestered with over the day.

Well what is it Commoner? Speak up! The day was long and im tired of petty Grievances between peasants.

---------------------------------

The Chronicler is granted the Position of Foreign Advisor and Diplomat
Valerian Vingarde is granted the Position of Captain of the Guard aswell as 3 Parcels of Land.
King Logan creates the Inquisiton. 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.
Duchess Araline is granted the Position of King's Hand aswell as another Parcel of Land.

[Brood]

" I do not bring any grievance before you my lord, in fact I bring just the opposite, I come to offer my services to you.

I am skilled at remaining unseen and have some modest ability with both daggers and crossbows as well, I would like to offer my skills to you to serve you in whatever way you see fit though I would prefer something that allows me to travel and will test all my skills. "

[Ghazkull]

Logan scowled for a while, eyeing the man before him silently. Thoughtfully he stroked the red dent in the throne before answering.


Well then Carl, meet with the Grand Inquisitor, a guard will lead you to his bed. He is currently stricken with injuries but he is your new superior, the Inquisition will propably need someone with your skill set.

[Brood]

" Thank you my lord, I swear on my blade I shall not fail you or prove false the trust you have placed in me. "


Bowing again to the king Mathias then turned and followed one of the guards to the Grand Inquisitors room, entering he bowed before him before approaching.

" The king has granted me a place with the Inquisition and informed me I shall be serving under you, my blades, my eyes and my ears are yours Grand Inquisitor what would you have me do.

My name is Mathias. "

[Dwarmin]

Lady Araline had given Logan her knee in turn after being awarded the Title of Kings Hand. For her faults, she had cleaned up well after the previous night and dressed exquisitely in her usual resplendence, though marks of lack of sleep around her eyes were difficult to hide.

"You have my gratitude for this, King Logan. Know that I will always be here for you." She said to him, trying not to smile at the whatever predictably crude insinuations people would inevitably draw from an idle comment. She had learned long ago they would talk no matter what she did or said. It was a burden of her position, one she did not entirely disfavor.

Some prostration, she knew, was necessary. By the Old Laws, one who knelt had to be given leave to rise by the King in proper court.

That being thought, Araline found it difficult to bow to anyone. That was the way of the world, though. She waited patiently for his annunciation to rise, feeling a painful creak building in her spine.

In her traitor thoughts, Araline believed if she ever actually betrayed Logan, it would probably be because of that creak...

[Taricus]

"Well, sir, you were knocked out by a drunkard who has been removed from his post for insubordination and drinking on the job..." a young man helps you sit up...or makes you sit up. "He threw you into a prison, and then, after a brief argument and a beat-down- of the guard, of course, sir!- you've been taken to the infirmary." he gestures around him, showing, surprisingly few men and women resting in one form or another, body parts swaddled with blood bandages. "We once more would like to apologize for this...travesty of assaulting your good self, sir. I do hope it won't reflect poorly on the palace guard."

"Well, the bastard responsible got what he deserved for it, so no harm done. I'd have much rather not come here in the first place to that brute's coronation, but duty dictated that I do so. No matter, so long as the mage gets what's coming to him everything is fine.

Still, as I probably indicated, I'd much rather leave this place sooner rather than later. Preferably now, if you will excuse me.

Raoul gets out of the infirmary, and heads back to the Duchy of Ceadan.