A knock at the door did not disturb Williams, that was until there was talking. He saw the soldiers come in and speak to Corvinus, soldiers and royal guards the whole show. William was not pleased about this picture, it wasn't something he particularly wanted to wake up too. The guards allowed them to get ready so of course William obliged by not washing, no grooming and putting on the same clothes he had on from the day before. Making sure that the blood and tears were visible. As the other finished getting ready he followed Corvinus and Alta as they walked to the castle.
The streets were still scared from the night before, hell not even all the bodies have been moved nor blood scribed from the roads, even some things were still on fire. It was hell, or at least what happens after hell visits the earth. "My it's a lot bleaker now you have to see it, no more shrouds or shadows…" he said with a more saddened tone.
Once they approached the castle grounds the royal guards stopped and asked for their weapons, as they stopped at each of them the guards sent some poor younger lad who barely passed as a guard, William removed his shield and his Bastard sword. He politely shoved his equipment at the boy, knocking him over in the process, William said jokingly. "Careful boy, I know it's heavy but don't you dare drop it again, it's worth more than you." The other guards, who were obviously not too happy about that action, scolded William. As the guards finished shackling up Corvinus William smirked, thinking the only one who should have had his hands shackled were his. "Well let's get this over with."
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Aug 5, 2021 8:15:18 GMT
It was no surprise to Alta when the door opened and knights poured into the room, though he had expected a harsh arrest rather than a formal invitation. He watched as Corvinus tossed the parchment aside, and shrugged at his comment. Having nothing to his name but what hung from his belt, the raider at least checked to make sure everything was there- a small pouch of gold for emergencies, a hand axe, his sword, and his pipe and tobacco, respectively. There was another pouch that hung from his belt, and a few squeezes told him that the poison he had wished to tip his arrows with was still there. He untied it and put it in a dark corner of the room, "I do not believe this is necessary any more," he muttered to himself with a chuckle before following his companions outside.
The sun may have shined, but the mist that clung to the cobbled roads they treaded only added to the scene they moved through. The bodies, the blood soaking the stone, the twisted faces of the dead, some showing that they knew not what had happened in their last moments of life. He watched as a wiry man in ragged clothes picked a small girl from the street and lazily threw her in one of the carts. Alta's hands clenched to fists, but the guards that escorted them stopped him from doing anything stupid. William's words broke through to him, and the Breslaucan nodded in response, "I agree, brother, but I cannot help but wonder how much worse it would have been had we not helped even a bit more. Still, seeing things like this only makes you feel like you have not done enough," he spat at the ground, gritting his teeth as he wiped the loose saliva from his beard, "Even the warriors that thirsted for none but blood in my homeland would weep at this sight. If any proof was needed that the Cathedral must burn, it is this."
Arriving at the castle, Alta unbuckled the scabbard of his blade and pulled his handaxe and handed it to a nearby knight with a hearty shove. The man grunted at the force, and he moved to say something, but a shake of the head from one of the captains made him stop. Alta only smiled, "You would not win anyway, boy," he chided. As the shackles were closed over Corvinus's wrists, all the raider could do was shrug, and agree with William. Get this over with, they would indeed. However, as they were marched through the gates and into the castle, a hint of uneasiness hung in the air. The images from last night re-entered his mind. He still thought of it as nothing important, but the timeline made sense. They were known to hate the Cathedral. There was a possibility that they had watched the events of the previous night. This of course was not the first time the false holy men had forcefully taken a city, but to make a move on Telarin of all places was mindboggling. Of course, if a city such as this fell to the them, nothing would stop them short of the Curse itself, for they were far too focused on internal politics to take on such a threat to all life. Even Breslauca and her sister nations had called temporary cease-fire at times when the Abyssal Creatures had become to troublesome to ignore.
All of Alta's doubts however, were wiped from his mind, when he went to look at William, and he caught a glimpse in the deepest shadows- a figure in a black cloak, clutching holy symbols in a silvered gauntlet. As his eyes fell upon them, the other gauntlet broke from the cloak, forming a circle with a pointed finger, and making a fist. All of the color drained from Alta's face as he took two quick steps to get to Corvinus's ear. As they entered the great hall of the fortress, a forced breath escaped from his lips, and carried words with it. "Mage.... The Circle Watches Us."
He fell back in line with William, "Do nothing rash, brother. These nobles are the least of our worries for now."
Turning his ear to listen to Alta, Corvinus nodded solemnly as they were led up through the fortress. Everything was on high alert, with more guards stationed on the walls and at various doors and gateways, as if already expecting a retaliation from the Cathedral. Leading them through a side door and into the castle proper, they winded through a few corridors before them reached the Great Hall. As the captain moved to have a word with the guards, Corvinus took a step backwards to speak to his fellows. "The show begins. Keep a cool head, don't let them get to you and we should emerge out the other side relatively unscathed."
After speaking with the captain, the two men opened up the arched double doors that led into the throne room. While certainly nothing to boast about, the room was still impressive for a monarch. While not a grand as some of the other throne rooms, it had a quiet dignity about it, light streaming in through stained glass illuminating the path to the throne, light dancing across the marble floors. Wide cast iron braziers were lit to provide further light and warmth, while each pillar sported a banner showing off the sigil of Telarin. A crowd of people watched from the far end, some nobles from the night before while others watched above on a balcony, overlooking proceedings. Guards manned the doors and the path to the throne, where King Elric sat watching over proceedings, with the princess seated off to the side. Standing right of the king was who they were here to deal with, Chancellor Tarvell. Tall and sporting fine black noble apparel with golden inlaid, the man was beginning to show his age through veins of silver running through his black hair, his face pulled tight into a grimace as they approached. He carried himself like a military man, one arm tucked behind him while in the other he clutched the scroll he had given to the princess. The guards came to a halt just before the throne and with a quick bow, took their places in between the Chancellor and them. There was an awkward silence for a moment, before the Chancellor raised the scroll in the air. "Which one of you owns this?"
"That would be me." Corvinus claimed, stepping forward a step before bowing his head down low.
"I assume you are the mage from the night before who 'defended' the king?"
"I am."
"So if you had possession of such a document, why not bring it forward?" Tarvell questioned, some of the nobles muttering in agreement "If this is true, and such things were brought to light, it would have spared many lives. Why hold into it?"
"In truth I barely believed it myself, but the reputation of the Cathedral proceeds itself, and I had to sure that they were indeed planning an attempt on the King's life." Corvinus politely answered, trying to state their case before this tribunal. "It was more prudent to make sure rather than create a diplomatic incident-"
"And yet one was made, and already the Cathedral and turned against us. Sirel has claimed that he was attacked first and our relations with the Cathedral has soured." Tarvell interrupted, his voice cutting through Corvinus' own, "Who is to say that you didnt forge such a document in order to incite conflict between us?"
"My lord, there are many people here who would contest-"
"And who is to say you didn't forge documentation for Sirel in order to force his hand?" Tarvel continued, as if ignoring anything that Corvinus had put forth. "All I can vouch for is that everyone there was invited, save for you. How you got past the guards is a question for another time, but what I'm most interested in is what you and your friends intended to achieve there?"
Already the questioning had turned south, with most of the audience hanging of Tarvell's every word. It was true they had them backed into a corner, painting their heroic acts to save the king as attempting to spark a war between the Cathedral and Telarin. As Corvinus contemplated a reply, a voice came from the crowd. "Enough." Lord Tyrwell and his sons managed to push their way to the front doors the crowd, and although the guards blocked them from approaching, Tarvell simply raised his hands to let them pass. "Lord Tyrwell. If you had something to say to the court, please. By all means."
"I was the one who got him passed the guards, and I can vouch for his integrity." Tyrwell continued, his sons nodding in agreement. "My boys can vouch for this man as well. They all fought in the tournament and the moment that those bastards made their move, they sprung into action. I'm telling you, if you saw it with your own eyes, you'd see they did everything this could have done. Without them, we wouldn't have our royal family today."
There was some whispers and murmuring from the crowd, some of the nobles that took part nodding in agreement. "Such things are difficulty to see in the heat of the moment. Hence why I'm here, to determine what is lies, and what is lies." Tarvell replied.
William listened to Alta's words but unfortunately they fell upon deaf ears as the interrogation went on. This man, this Tarvell, he spit words like a dragon spits fire, with just as much destruction. He continued to pick at every detail of the night before, sending these verbal daggers at Corvinus. It was not fair nor just that all William and Alta could do is just sit there and watch as it continued. William leaned into Alta and whispered, "you better say something inspirational here pretty soon lad, I'm about ta go off on this guy's damned throat." He said with a strong sense. The usually cheery and laughter attitude he had died at the entrance of the castle. But just before William could not take it any more, reinforcements came in the form of, unfortunately, another noble.
Lord Tyrwell and his son's defended Corvinus and the actions of the group. Thank the heavens someone with some actual sense. William relaxed a bit as the man spoke, damning everything the snake Tarvell spoke out on. William leaned back to Alta, "How come these rich bastards are only chewing on Corvinus? You'd think they'd damn us first but I guess these Nobel animals really do prefer to eat their own." William whispered again. All of this malarkey of bureaucrats, it made now sense in this fighting with words to him. He desperately wanted to stand up and call this man a right and proper… well you know… but he couldn't which made him even more mad. All William could do is sit and wait until either being called upon like a damn squire or sit and mope about it.
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Aug 31, 2021 5:11:27 GMT
Alta... was having a headrush of emotions. As the Tarvell fellow droned on and on about whatever point he was trying to make. When William leaned to him and spoke in his ear, he could not help bot smirk to himself. "Nobility is naught but a pit of vipers, brother." Alta clasped his hands behind his back, "but your strength is in your patience. I however, am Breslaucan first. My tongue is loose like the waves of a stormy night. This will either go well or horribly." He shrugged a bit and stepped forward, taking a stern stance next to Corvinus, and eyed the man. "May I have my word?"
Tarvell's eyes darted to the raider. There was poison behind that stare, a deep hatred stirring behind his irises. "You speak when spoken to, outla-" his sentence was stopped at a motion of the King's hand; Tarvell looked back on him, but after a short shake of Elric's head, the man looked down and remained silent.
"Have your word, Breslaucan," The King spoke in a relaxed voice.
Alta bowed his head in respect for the permission, "Your majesty, letter or not, our presence or nigh, this would have happened regardless," his eyes danced on everyone in the room," As fellow children of Lothern, let us all see the facts. For long we have watched them burn towns and villages, crucify whole cities, all for some petty belief that non-humans are filth. It would be a pathetic betrayal to yourself to believe otherwise," the raider looked down at the carpet for a moment, knowing that he would risk his head to continue, but ... if it were necessary to at least sway them, then that would be fine with him. " I have worked as a mercenary for many years now. My jobs have sometimes taken me to places where the oppression was thickest- where the hand of the Grand Pope Alimra's hand was a heavy weight over the people. If this were to happen to the great people of Telarin..." some of the nobles looked to each other in silence. the King scratched at his chin but remained motionless, a solemn frown on his face. Tarvell stood firm. "But how do we know that the letter is legitimate? Do you think we should simply believe you based on word alone?"
Alta simply shrugged and pointed at Lord Tyrwell. "Because he was the man that hired me to save the princess's life at any cost- be it even my own life for hers."
There were a few gasps as eyes turned to him, and he stood quiet, his eyes closed shaking his head. As Tarvell opened his mouth, the King looked over to him, "Is this true, Lord Tyrwell?"
As he opened his mouth to respond, another voice spoke up, from behind them, "By the name of my deity, Sala, I proclaim his word to be true."
They all turned to look at him. The cloak was a stark black compared to even their dim gray surroundings thanks to the clouds that drifted over. Under the hood was a flat cross helm, the metal a polished silver, and a gauntlet of the same finish holding a rosary protruding from his cloak, held at the wasteline over the hilt of his sword. A crest decorated the breast of his cloak, a pale circle. The nobles that flanked the room stood back a bit as the guards took one step forward, though refraining from drawing their weapons. Tarvell's eyes widened at the sight, but attempted to remain firm, " Who are you? Identify yourself."
"I am of the Holy Circle. We will speak on behalf of these men, for they do our lords' work. For days we have watched an army approach this great city. They will soon be at the walls. The death of the princess was meant to weaken your resolve and bow your head to the blasphemers, lest they cut it away anyway," he pointed at the trio in question, " These men saved your fighting spirit. The Cathedral wishes to see the city burn, whether you fight or not. Peace is no longer an option... nay, it was never an option."
Alta turned to look at Corvinus, glancing back at William, and shrugged. "I hope you didn't want me to placate for total apologies."
"Who knew you could speak so eloquently Alta?" Corvinus muttered quietly to him as the stranger stepped forward to their defence. Corvinus took a few step back next to William to give the two of them the floor to speak, moving out of limelight. The nobles whispered to one another, no doubt this trial would be the talk of the court as one by one the layers of intrigue peeled back. While he was surprised by Lord Tyrwell's involvement, it made sure he didn't let it show, as if he was in on the plan the whole time. "You sure you wouldn't want to be a noble William? Involving yourself in all this...fun." He jested privately with him as the man finished his defence.
It was clear the the intervention of the stranger from the Holy Circle and Tyrwell had thrown a wrench in the Chancellor's plan, as he stood their seething at the defendants. Before he could respond however, the King raised his hand and beckoned him forth, Tarvell leaning down so that Elric could whisper in his ear. His face tightening, Tarvell nodded before regaining his composure. "The trial is adjourned for us deliberate further on the statements brought to light. We will resume at a later date to decide the matter of guilt." He announced, locking eyes on the three of them "The defendants however are not to leave the city, until a verdict is returned. Release them." As the guards moved forward to release Corvinus of his restraints, the Chancellor didn't remain to watch, excusing himself before slipping out a side door out of sight. Feeling the shackles fall off him, Corvinus massaged his wrists where the chains were before huddling together with the rest of them. "Seems we're off the hook for now while the Chancellor tries to find other ways to hand us over to the Cathedral." He said, keep an eye on the door that he disappeared through. "Was it just me or did he seem to want to be rid of us a little too much?"
Lord Tyrwell spoke with the king before the two of them parted ways, the king leaving the court while Tyrwell moved to join them. Most of the other nobility continued to gossip about the trial, those closest keeping quiet to listen in on their conversation. Every little piece of information was a potential asset in the games they played. "Thank you my lord. Seems your testimony helped us get out of a tricky spot." Corvinus said gratefully, bowing his head in respect. "Any chance to see Tarvell rage is thanks in and of itself." Tyrwell joked, returning his smile. "I've just had words with the king. We're all invited to his solar to discuss the Cathedral's subterfuge and attack."
This verbal fist fight between nobles went on and on to William, who whole lot happening with out a thing happening, It was boring and it was driving him mad. "Ungrateful bastards the lot of them." William said to himself, the surprise of Tyrwell was neat but short lived, at this rate William hoped they'd just cut him down here. Corvinus stepped back to talk to William joking about how nobility was. "Corvinus I am but a mere minute away from kicking and screaming like a child. I pray this ends quickly." William replied, sadly this was not far from the truth.
And after a bit more bickering of nobility, they spoke out, the court was adjourned and they were not allowed to leave the city until they came to a conclusion. Meaning they'd have to go through all of this again, William said aloud, perhaps a bit louder than he expected. "Oh absolutel horse shite more of this? again!?!" The last thing William wanted to hear was they would be stuck here without his clothes, gear, money or at least his horse. Instead he was practically under house arrest, this was somehow more of a punishment than a guillotine. The trio made their way out of the castle as William hung his head. "Oh this is a hell and a half, I'd rather just crawl under a rock and die…" he spoke as they walked down the road.
Then Tyrwell came into the picture, he came to the trio to bring information of the trial and a meeting with the king himself.they walked down the halls until the group was fairly alone, William unfortunately had had enough of nobility. In a fit of rage, greed, or just stress he simply grabbed Tyrwell by his collar and pinned him to a wall, little disregard to who was near or watching them. "Listen here lad, I care not for these word games with nobles. I am broke and locked away from my belongings and Alta said you hired him. Your choice is simple, pay me my share now and come up with an actual contract or you'll be picking up teeth with broken fingers." Williams' fun and sarcastic charm seemed not to exist at the moment, he was angry and did not bother to think straight.
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Oct 4, 2021 11:35:12 GMT
It seemed that all Alta did was blink, and the court fizzled away. He had to do a double take to make sure he had percieved it correctly. He turned to look at the member of the Holy Circle, but almost as quickly as he had appeared, he was gone. He frowned a bit, but shrugged it off. After the knights left with Corvinus's shackles, he clasped his friends on the back. "Well, I say that didn't go too terribly for a trial, eh?" When Tyrwell approached, he nodded his head to him in respect. Hoping that he would be able to fit his questions in... later. He laughed at William's remarks, shaking his head at the man. "While I agree, brother, that I hope to never see that room again unless it is to be given more than a trip to the gallows, the important thing is that it seems that the more important ones are on our side." he patted the man on the shoulder and moved over to Corvinus, "My friend, I believe we should talk some details on the meeting with the King."
Alta had some questions that irked in his mind with the situation they found themselves in. To what of involvement does the Holy Circle have in this, for one, though it was good for him to appear when he did. However, if he were watching, then should they have intervened as well? Before Alta could voice anything however, William.... snapped.
In a rush of wind and fury, William grabbed Tyrwell and pinned the man to a wall, rambling for payment and such. Immediately, Alta rushed to him, but rather than retaliate, he placed a hand on the man's wrist, "Brother... there is a way to go about these things... but this is not one of them. We just barely skated death at the hands of the city, do you want to try for it again? Did you think that trial was, perhaps, a whiff or a whim, and we should go until a sentence is made? You fool... I thought more highly of you than this. I thought you to be a knight not in name but in honor and sword, as is any man worth in weight to wield a blade rather than brandish it, but this? This makes you worse than those men that just ravaged this city," He took a few steps away, glancing at Corvinus in hopes that he would be able to use that silver noble tongue to be of more help in convincing the man.
This would be one hell of an excuse to use when you were late to meet a King.
The Lord barely even flinched when William set upon him, locking eyes with the man as his hands pressed up against him, raising one hand to his sons. As Alta moved to start to defuse the situation, Corvinus looked around the throne room as they continued to make a scene, with the last few stragglers of the court keeping a close eye on them. The real question was who did they serve, all high stakes players of the game made sure to have more than a few informants in their pockets, and the best of them sold information to all sides. Resting his hand on William's shoulder, Corvinus gently eased him away from Tyrwell, taking note of his two sons ready with their hands firmly on their weapon's hilt. "Easy friend. Let us keep our temper in check while we get through this. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we put all this behind us." He said softly so that those eavesdropping wouldn't be able to hear. "Besides, I've a feeling you'll be able to put your skills to the test soon enough."
As William slowly released Tyrwell, the lord simply dusted his coat off before smoothing out the creases where he was grabbed. "I understand your frustration." The man said to William, ernest in his words. "But you have to see that our kingdom is now besieged from all sides, even from within. We must be cautious." Waiting for a nod of approval, Tyrwell then beckoned them to follow, setting his sons the task of watching out for any potential followers. Leading them from the throne room and towards the grand staircase, they ascended up to the second floor where the corridor they passed down was lined with suits of armour on the right and stained glass windows on their left, casting their brilliant colours across the carpeted floor. The area seemed to be on high alert following the attempt on Elric's life, with an armed guard every twenty paces or so. Before long they reached a heavy oak door guarded by two of the King's guard, clad in full battle armour with blue sashes stretching across their breastplate. Together their spears blocked entrance, but after Lord Tyrwell approached, the lifted them out of the way to grant passage.
They emerged into the King's solar, a large circular table in front of them placed in front of a roaring fire. The walls were adorned with tapestries and banners depicted the Telarin coat of arms, with bookcases and display cases lined up against the wall. To the left was a door no doubt leading to the King's own chamber, while directly in front of them was the King himself, seated at his desk. Above him was a glass dome allowing him to see out at the sky, with some astrological equipment around to view and map the movement of the stars on the surrounding balcony behind him. Before the steps leading up to the office was several comfortable chairs and small tables that held a few of the books the king was currently reading along with a few bottles of wine and a plate of food. It was not nearly as ornate as some of the other kingdoms in the realm, but the lack of space meant that it had a somewhat quaint feel.
"Thank you for joining me. I find it difficult to meet anyone outside this room. Too many eyes and ears." Elric said, rising from his desk and moving around to join them by the table. Only now he was this close could Corvinus see that the center of the table was made up of a map of Telarin, nails carefully hammered in to keep the circular map in place. It was detailed, showing of the boundaries of the kingdom, its topography and even the streets themselves. "Sit. Please."
William was deep in a fit of rage until the words of Alta and Corvinus managed to bring him back to reality as he dropped the lord down. Luckily for William the lord Tyrwell himself seemed only moderately annoyed by the encounter, William shook his head for a moment and spoke out, "My apologies, I do not take kindly to bad news, I lost my temper, and I do not like being in bad situations without my sword." He told Lord Tyrwell, he then turned to Alta and simple pointed his finger at him. "And I don't know where you get the idea that I am a knight but a knight I am not. I am a sellsword, a mercenary, and earlier in my life I was far worse until I tried this heroic venture. Keep that in mind when you tell me to sit down and be a good lad." He reassured Alta. William was far from happy but at least he wasn't going to go to the dungeon now.
The group followed lord Tyrwell until they went to the king's solar, a large expansive room filled with banners, book shelves and a fancy table with chairs around it. The only words William could muster, "I think he's compensating for something." He said to himself mostly. William being a sellsword knew you had to wear your wealth but this took it to a new degree for him. And to think there were all of those people below who could barely afford half a loaf of bread while nobles just found new ways to spend their gold. It made him sick in a way. He told Alta and Corvinus, "You two do the talking, I think it's best if I keep my mouth shut in front of the King." He said to the group as they approached the war table. Fanciest chess game that William had ever seen for sure is what it looked like to him.
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Oct 30, 2021 12:00:59 GMT
As the trio emerged into the Solar at the tail of Lord Tyrwell, Alta was enamored by the material wealth present just in this one room. Alta paced slowly around the room, observing every detail he could lay his eyes on. The King, as he approached the table, watched the raider with curious eyes as he made his round of the room before he came to a stop next to his companions and bowed his head slightly, "My apologies for my rudeness," he said, a moderated and respectful tone in his voice, "To be frank, this is likely the first time I've seen a collection of wealth in any manner that I was not tasked with taking for the benefit of another."
The king slightly raised a hand, "The history of the Breslaucans proceeds you. As many 'inlanders' as you call us joke, there were stories of your battles present in our lands before your people ever were," the slight smile that had formed in that statement quickly disappeared as he shifted in place, his posture never faltering, "As this is the first time I have met all three of you in one place, and with this lack of... unwanted listeners, I would like to state that your contribution to the survival of both my daughter and myself, even the patrons of my court, has not gone unnoticed," as he paused, he cleared his throat, and Tyrwell stepped out of the room for a moment, returning with a few trusted handmaidens carrying satchels-not purses- satchels brimming with gold, three in total. Each man was given one, and when Alta received his, the sheer unaccounted weight made him rush to put it down. While the handmaidens hurried back out of the solar, Alta raised an eyebrow to Tyrwell, "Not that I am one to complain about payment, but this is quite a bit more than we bargained for."
Tyrwell shrugged as he averted his eyes slightly, glancing at the King, "I guess I will have to admit, I spoke to him about your hiring before the trial. Of course, I had not imagined you to get extra hands, but I trusted your reputation enough that I didn't question it. However, when I brought up your original payment, His Majesty insisted on adding to it." The raider looked over at his friends for a moment, but only shrugged- who would ever complain about extra money?- and looked back to the King, insisting that he continue, "I hope this to be enough to repay you for what you have done for me, however... I hope to ask you directly for your help once more," Elric leaned onto the war table, and began to contextualize his speech with it, " As the Holy Circle's liaison stated, The Cathedral's army marches on us, No doubt at the beck and call of that viper, Sirel," The King leaned over and spit on the carpet, as if the spoken word of Sirel's name left a bad taste in his mouth, "We suspect that, from this moment, we have a full day to prepare. At the morning of the day after tomorrow, Telarin will be under siege. It will be a battle of attrition at first- they will have to assemble their engines of war to scale the Holy Walls- but, rest assured, the battle will take its toll. Time is uncomfortably short, and the odds, unfortunately, skew in their favor when taking to account the attack we only just endured."
Letting Alta do most of the talking, Corvinus took a few moments to explore around the solar, in particular paying close attention to the books on the King's shelf. Running his finger along the spines, he came to a stop on a particularly interesting volume in the occult. Pausing, the entry of the handmaidens with payment distracting him away from the tome, thanking the girl along with a soft smile before returning his attention back to the discussion as he attached the coin pouch to his belt. Standing over his war table as the King discussed his battle plans, Corvinus drummed his finger on his staff in contemplation. "If I may, there is a fundamental problem we face before we consider the siege defence."
"During the assassination attempt, some of your own civilians got involved on the side of the Holy Cathedral. In my limited experience, an enemy within is much more difficult to deal with than the enemy without." Corvinus explained to them all, waving his hand over the several gates into the city "If they managed to take over one of the gatehouses and open the gates, the city won't last even a day."
"What do you suggest?" The King asked, his attention now on Corvinus. After a moment of thought, Corvinus answered. "The city guard will likely have some suspects lined up, although once arrests begin then they are likely to go underground. Id send in soldiers with no uniform to round up as many as they can before placing a curfew in affect. This will make it easier to catch anyone trying to aid the Church."
"A reasonable suggestion. I'll send some of my personal guard as soon as I can." The King agreed, and Corvinus took a back seat for the rest of the discussion. His companions were much more seasoned in war and conflict, their suggestions for a stalwart defence would be better than his own. He wondered how his life had brought him here, not a short while ago he was a travelling healer, moving wherever life took him and now he was sitting in a war council across from the King himself. If he was smart, he would leave the city tonight before the Cathedral soldiers arrived, but he knew that Bella wouldn't forgive him if he turned his back on the people. Reaching up for his locket, he ran his thumb over the engraving, staring off into space as he conversation continued.
William had looked at bits and pieces of the solar as Alta and Tyrwell talked to the king. Many of these things he did not understand nor would he be capable of. But when the king's quite fair hand maidens came upon the trio with satchels of gold, he understood that completely. "Well it isn't being locked in a wine cellar with some company, but it's the next best thing." William said as he looked at the gold coin. Perhaps now it would improve his mood, at least for a little while that is. And then the king asked for their help once more, a favor from the king? Now that's where the real wealth comes in.
"Alrighty lads, that's what I'm talking about. A direct job from the man in charge. Plain and simple, no more from the shadows malarkey." William said as he patted Alta on the back. Hell maybe risking his life wasn't entirely for nothing. William sat back and listened to the rest go on about plans, Corvinus brought up an idea that did not sit as well with him. "Hold on to that idea for a moment, Corvinus. We have to be careful about capturing people, what if they had already started spreading rumors? If we start arresting people all of the sudden it could send the wrong message and turn innocent people against us. Perhaps a bounty? Greed runs deep and for the right price someone would be willing to turn their own mother in." William brought up after Corvinus suggested secret arrests. "And as for the coming battle I say we should try and splinter them up, it will be a death sentence if the major force were to attack all at once but if we could just get them in pockets we'd have a much better chance. That's just two coins in." William finished.
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Nov 26, 2021 18:37:06 GMT
As the Raider listened intently to the conversation, he recieved the mercenary's pat on the back and quip, and chuckled a bit. "Of course, tearing asunder those who would do nothing short of destroy the world is a career worth investing in friend. Even justice thirsts for blood, and men like you and I are the ones who answer that call... only now that bell tolls for all of us."
As the topic progressed, Alta found himself agreeing with William, and seconded his statement. If one thing was true about the plebian rabble, it was that they would sell limb and life to gold; if any fraction of untold riches was offered, some men would even throw themselves upon swords at command. It was sickening, mostly, how men would look aside at the most atrocious thing if it meant any kind of wealth they could possess, but even among these chaotic times, with the world in ruin around them, trying to kill them at every turn, and even the walls failing to protect them, what could you hope for that a little piece to hold on to for yourself- to call your own? He shrugged the train of thought away, and got back in the headspace of the situation. As he leaned forward on the war table, he sighed, examining the map and markers. Even so, his mind couldn't help but focus on the long term first. "Sir King... even though it is usually out of character for me to talk about payment before a total job description, I want to make mine clear now. These men, pay whatever they ask for, but I have a specific request."
The king raised an eyebrow and looked at Tyrwell, who shrugged in response. He simply cocked his head as he spoke, "I do not often work with.... paid men.... an adventurer or two sure, but the guilds handle that... If you like we could discuss this now, if you wish to do so in front of everyone. Usually men of your lands tend to be private with their funds." The raider smiled at the man. "For this battle to truly be worth the blood it will flay upon the streets of this city... you must once again raise the Eagle of Lothern."
For once, his posture visibly shifted, if only briefly.
"That is a move that will invoke quite a response along with the likelyhood that I will put my people directly in danger. Who knows how many rampant warlords that call themselves kings and lords- as rats think themselves clean and proper- would take offense to that move and attack us. That is a burden you ask for, Breslaucan."
"And I argue that you haven't seen enough of your surroundings. I have... worked... in many cities and towns, both bigger and smaller than this. The cathedral runs rampant across these hills and valleys, even so that the coasts spread blackened rumors of their deeds around their streets. I would not be surprised if news of this battle will approach my homeland once it passes. Out of fear, many weaker ones may cling to you for help. If there are those that... seem...," Alta looked over to William and cringed, half shrugging before turning back to the king," Unhelpful.... well... I suppose we can help with that, even at their expense with some gold from their treasuries, for I know at least one or two that stole it from their people anyway. Either way, Lothern has more of a chance than ever to return and pull her lands back into the fold. Hell I say help the westernmost lands come to peace so we can all get back to focusing on these wretched abyssal demons, and the cursed rot that's killing the world around us bit by bit." he paused for a moment before remembering their visitor from the trial, "You may be able to receive a blessing from the Holy Circle as well, and that would put us directly at odds with the Cathedral, as well as make your initial intentions known to the world."
Post by forg3ttablexs0ul on Dec 28, 2021 21:03:38 GMT
The King leaned on the table in front of him. His stern expression conveyed clear messages of deep thought before he simply waved a hand. Ever since our great oligarchy shattered, The realm of man has been in absolute chaos. For years, rogue leaders had stolen land, wealth, and life from others, and given nothing in return. The largest cities held strong for a long time, and those who existed outside of the republic continued strong, like the Breslaucans... but.... now even we are beginning to crumble. Even those who practice lives of reverence have become vipers, willing to strike at the heart to achieve their sinister goals. I've had ENOUGH!" he slammed a fist on the table, causing some of the markers to fall over, "This siege will be won, the Cathedral will burn. Lothern will be what rises from the ashes of Sirel and all like him. Humans will refurn to the focus of the Rot, the true enemy of the world. Non-humans will once again feel safe amongst humans, and the other nations will not be alone in their own strifes and hardships." he extended a hand to Alta, who shook it.
The raider glanced back at his companions for a moment, and shrugged, " My path lies alongside that which means the return of Lothern. So long as your pay is good, your word is true, and your path is just, you have my sword. Just never forget those who bleed for your banner, for no nation is born in peace. For the seeds of a people to grow and evolve, blood must be the fertilizer. Luckily, I hear the Cathedral has no shortage of followers these days." The raider chuckled heartily before he finally took a step back and planted a hand on Corvinue's shoulder, "The mage's brain is expansive, perhaps he and my shield-brother of the Knolls here," he patted William, "will probably be better for your troops and logistics. You feudal plated knights know nothing of the Breslaucan shield walls. My tactics will be of no use to you."