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[Sirus]

OOC thread is here!

FEF: Scum of the Empire

Prologue: The Reprieve

Castle Konrad, Western Diodormant. Two people, dressed in finery, speak in low voices as the sun dips below the horizon.

"My love...are you certain that this plan of yours is necessary?"

"Dearest, I wish it wasn't. Unfortunately, we simply don't have the soldiers available to undertake a mission like this."

"But to rely on these traitors...they're the lowest of the low, love. If they betray you--"

"We'll cross that bridge if we get to it. The fact remains that they're the only chance we have of retaking Castle Eastland."

"...very well. Get them ready. I want them on their way by midnight."




In the courtyard of Castle Konrad, there lies a squat structure made of stone brick. The only entrance into this building is through a stout wooden door bound in iron, secured with a lock of dwarven manufacture. A large hooded man sits on a bench just beside the door, sharpening an equally large axe with a whetstone. The man is happy. His axe might get to finally see some use in the morning. Maybe sooner, if the building's occupants somehow manage to contrive an escape attempt.

Inside the building lounge ten prisoners. Brought together from all corners of the Empire, shuffled about by chance and circumstance until they wound up here, of all places. Surrounded by strangers. Listening to the sound of the sharpening axe outside. Knowing that the end is just about at hand.

Everyone is in!

[Lucus Casius]

: "Tch.  And not even a last request or final meal offered.  I suppose I should be insulted, if I weren't terrified out of my wits.  Some of my wits."

The man sighed, staring down at the back of his hand as he leaned against the damp wall of the prison.

: "Still, at least the prison's mostly rat free, and the straw is... passable.  If I need to die, I'd at least like my severed head to be clean."

[Chevaleresse]

Gawen paced back and forth, slowly but deliberately. Her pace might have been faster, but she was trying to retain some semblance of dignity. She stopped for a moment when one of the men in the room spoke.

"I just wish that they would get the gods-damned thing over with. I can hear the lowborn bastard out there, he's taunting us."

[SeriousConcentrate]

The woman squatting near the western wall looked at the man when he spoke.

"Slabosti. Give me sword, let me fight. Truslivoye der'mo."

She picked up a loose chunk of masonry in her gauntleted left hand and flung it against the southwestern corner.

"Bastards do not have courage to give me varrior's death."

[Gaterhyme]

Yara was huddled in a small heap on the ground, hugging her knees, not saying anything much at all.

Not even the sound of stones shattering against the wall made her look up for more than a moment. It was just more white noise added to their death knell that went on and on outside.

[Sutoratosu Akira]

"Bastard is probably enjoying making us wait..." Al sat against the back wall, trying- and failing miserably -to meditate as a coin idly spun in his hand, as if by it's own power. It had been... dreadfully long since he'd actually taken the time to calm his thoughts, and as his mind remained as muddled as it'd ever been, the rust showed, badly. It certainly didn't help that his last drink had been...he actually couldn't remember.
      But calming his thoughts was what he desperately needed to do. There'd only be one opportunity- when they took em all out sooner or later to lob their heads off -and even then, he was smart enough to know the odds of succeeding were slim to none. Even so, causing a stir in his last moments would still be better than dying on his knees like a dog.
"Hmph, maybe I'll even send this coin through his ugly mug as a thank you...tip the executioner, why don't I?"

[Chevaleresse]

"Normally I would say to save your rage for the ones responsible for putting you here, but that lowborn scum is probably the type to enjoy his duties here." The pacing picked up speed.

[Lucus Casius]

Somewhat cheered that the sullen folk he was stuck in prison with before his inevitable death were at least responding, he gave the others a genial shrug.

: "Yes, well, not terribly much incentive to give you a fair fight, I suppose.  Still!  At least they're planning to give everyone a blade.  Why, I imagine it almost makes one feel like a noble.  For all of three seconds."

: "Better than burning at the stake, at the very least..."

He gave another sigh, scratching a nail on the wall.  Lacking his tomes, it wasn't as though there was anything he could do to fight it.  And it wasn't as though he had the survival skills to get by on his own for long.  Pity that wasn't something he'd studied.

: "...Though I'll admit, not how I was planning to spend my last moments.  Not that I'm complaining about the company, of course.  But the knowledge of imminent decapitation is a bit of a downer."

[Gaterhyme]

"Shut up," Yara finally said, her voice rapidly rising in volume once she found it. "Who wants to hear about how we're gonna die, huh? Who cares about lowborn this, lowborn that? We should just gut him with our bare hands the first chance we get!"

"There are ten of us and one of him. Screw him!"

[Aurorix]

Aaron let out a sigh sitting against the northern wall. He wanted some time of silence before death but with the grindstone on the other prisoners ruckus none was had. He looked at the women who threw the stone into the corner, with a bit of distaste in his expression. He decided to speak his mind a bit.


"Look you're not getting your 'warrior's death' chained up in this cell. So why not sit down and die with some dignity." He then hears the purple haired girl speak up with the idea of ganging up on the executioner. He turned his head to her and spoke condescendingly. "What do you propose we do after he kill him, Hmmm? You think ten chained fugitives, who lack weaponry, can take out armed guards that'll be waiting for us after? The answer is no."

[Lucus Casius]

: "And the shouting.  Not a fan of that, either."

: "Still, why not?  In fact, let's go do it n-"

He walked a few steps, then seemed to realize something.

: "Ah, yes, that's right.  There's a locked door.  Such a pity."

: "Oh!  And, as our friend pointed out, the rest of the guards.  I forgot about them.  And their weapons.  And their military training."

[Chevaleresse]

"If it were a noble execution it would be by sword. It seems I'm not to get even that right in this hole." She shook her head. "I should have known coming to this gods-forsaken country was a mistake."

She stopped and turned when the blonde man spoke.

"So you'd rather take your demise lying down? A courageous type, you are," the woman bit off sarcastically.

[Gaterhyme]

"Don't you dare talk down to me."

She was brimming with impotent fury, tears at the corner of her eyes.

"You think you're better than me? Think you're so smart? You wanna just lay down and die?"

"Screw you too, then."

[Lucus Casius]

: "Now, now.  Let's not be testy.  We're all in this together, after all.  Think of it as an entirely pointless bonding opportunity."

The man leaned back against the wall and sank down, resting his arms on his knees.

: "Hm.  Perhaps speaking was a poor idea."

[SeriousConcentrate]

"Da, little one. Ve still have claws, have fangs. Ve die fighting if ve die at all today."

After speaking to Yara, Wolf turned to the men.

"No honor in submitting. One dies on her feet or not at all."