Fantasy Four Suits Volume 3: Shadows Of War

[TPBx]

Valencia, Hearts Kingdom​

The Empire continued its assault on the Four Suits Kingdom deep inland into the heart of the Kingdom. The Valencian Mountain Range, a stronghold in which the Coalition of the Four Suits had gathered, was one of the remaining fortresses that the Empire had to besiege in order to win this war. Although the Argossians had seen quick progress taking control of the beaches of the Kingdom, the Valencian Mountain Range and the surrounding areas inland completely slowed their advance to a halt, causing the Argossians to fight out a prolonged war in the arduous conditions of the mountains over the course of the last two years. Everyday they would send troops into the mountains, and when they would take one hill, the Four Suits would recapture another. The Battle of Valencia has since become known as one of the bloodiest conflicts of the war as both sides have seen a great number of casualties.

After seeing the complete failure at taking the Four Suits Kingdom and not wanting to repeat past mistakes, the Emperor has ordered an all out offensive upon the city of Valencia, which spans across the mountain range and acts as the main area of operations for the Coalition. Over the last week, the city has been bombarded repeatedly by Argossian aircraft and cannon fire from the hills that the Argossians managed to take and maintain control over. Today, the Emperor has given the signal for the thousands of infantrymen on the ground to march into the city with the support of several tank platoons to take it. With this overwhelming show of force, the Emperor hopes that the Four Suits will capitulate, but little does the Emperor know that they have been biding their time, waiting for the Argossians to commit too many resources into an attack like this. Now, the Coalition take action in a decisive battle to turn the tide of the war.

* * *
​

Athania woke up in a daze, even though it was all she heard over the last three years, she never got over the sound of shells exploding overhead as they slammed into the magical defenses that the Coalition had set up around the city. She picked up the necklace her mother gave her that sat on her nightstand and placed it around her neck as she got ready for the day, washing off the dust that fallen on her face overnight and donning her uniform. Athania then emerged from her tent to begin the day, according to the Royalty, it was time for the Coalition Forces to mobilize for a counter attack, and it was time to prove that she had surpassed her father in strength once and for all.

 

[MedievalFanatic2023]

QUEEN ALEXANDRA -THE CLUBBER QUEEN- ​

Queen Alexandra sat by herself on the chair in an allies nation-state in the hearts territory. Hearing the thundering of shells hitting the barrier didn't exactly please her and it sickened her nothing was being done after many years. Sure the only factor was it was extremely annoying to hear constantly. She yelled for a 2 of clubs servant for earmuffs. "MUFF MY EARS!" She said as she was annoyed by the sound hearing nothing was better than hearing cracks of shells on the barrier as a 2 of clubs rushed over and handed her earmuffs that fit over her crown. "Aaaah! GOOD! I CAN"T HEAR THE BLASTS!" She yelled as she couldn't hear herself talking. The 2 of the clubs nervously smiled. "My queen you are yelling." the club said in slight annoyance. Alexandra yelled more. "WHAT WAS THAT I CAN'T HEAR YOU FRED!" She said loudly.

The 2 of clubs facepalmed and removed her earmuffs so she could hear him making her glare in annoyance. "I want them on. "She said. The 2 of clubs seemed confused. "How will you-" he was cut off as Alexandra whined. "I don't want to hear that awful noise that's why I put them on," she said as the 2 of clubs cringed putting them back on his queen. "Y-yes my queen." He said hesitantly.

She then tapped her hands on the arms of her chair. "WHERE'S X-IE!" She said aloud as she couldn't hear herself talk. The 2 of clubs whimpered. "the muffs my queen." He said and she tilted her head and he huffed pointing to the muffs. "OOOOOOOOOOOH!" She took them off. "yes?" She said only for the 2 of clubs trying not to facepalm at this. "I am unaware of where the king is my queen." He said seeing her disappointed look. "Aww, that's no fun. I got no one to tease or stuff. exceeeeeeeeeeept." She eyed the two of clubs before seeing he quickly bowed. "I will er, go find him." He said quickly leaving but wasn't going to he just wanted to not be annoyed right now.

 

[Mechking]

Bombshells and artillerie strikes hit the barrier. One loud crash after another.

"The futility of war. Why must you humans always go to war? To see your loved ones die? To die yourself, for a lost cause? What purpose do you find in slaughtering each other? I may never understand. And I never want to."

As the first rays of sunshine entered a small window, Bob began moving. His master, Arimand, needed to be awakened for the new day.

"It is a shame. On any other day I would have let you asleep, but you insisted. But if you know that today is so important, then why did you have to stay up so late? Studying the same books, notes and maps as so many times before, that you fell asleep on your workdesk."
Bob thought to himself, as he yanked away the blanket of Arimands bed.
"Of course I couldn't let you sleeping there. So I transferred you to your bed, as usual. And I sorted your notes and books, as usual. Well, it's not like I have a lot to do at nighttime. After all, I don't need sleep."

Arimand doesn't wake up. Only after Bob lifts the courtains from the window and the entire room is flooded with light, does he begin moving.

"Good morning, Bob." Arimand greeted his loyal friend and companion, still half asleep.

"...", was the answer from Bob.

A loud explosion was heard. Another bomb dropped. Arimand was now startled awake, still not being accustomed to living at the front line.

"Ah, right. Were here. Well then, it's time to get moving, old friend. Today is the day, if my calculations are as correct as always. And I will need your shield by my side."

Arimand didn't need to dress himself, as he slept in his clothes, as usual. He picked up a few notebooks, neatly aligned on his desk, aswell as something to write and wanted to leave.
Bob blocked the exit. "What is it?" Arimand asked, slightly annoyed. Bob did a hand motion towards his helmet, where his mouth would be, if he had one. "Right, breakfast."

 

[LazyDaze]

XIXIX VALENTINE

DICE ROLL: 8
WEAPON: PREIX THE REAPER'S SCYTHE

X sat on the rooftop of the building, passing the time away. He wasn't nervous, but he could have used a drink. There was a fortuitous smell in the air as if a dramatic shift was going to occur at any second. Sure, he knew the ramifications of this battle quite well. If they lost, their story was essentially over. The others also seemed to know this quite well, and for once they were actually looking like a coalition of sorts. Even still, X did not like to be cramped up in a room before battle. Especially not in a room with so many personalities. He would leave that to his number one "intern". She never liked the name since she thought he was being sadistic by dangling an unattainable dream over her head; however, X was quite serious. She was probably the most qualified person to perform any of the royal duties even with her lack of power. He was advised not to bring her to this battle, but X figured if they were to lose then she would die sooner or later anyway. Besides they were going to go on the offensive and her mind was as good a weapon as any.

X shut his eyes as he took in all the sounds. He could practically hear the groans of the barrier that withstood the heavy fire. The metallic and rustic sounds of the tech heavy fleet. Faint marching growing to a crescendo. He could almost hear their blood dripping on the dirt, but that was only a vision on his part. Image training, he did it before every major battle. X opened his eyes and sat up to take in the surroundings. "Maybe I am a sadist," he joked to himself as he pulled out a coin and flipped it. He grimaced once he saw its results and then reluctantly took out a piece of paper.

"Thanks for volunteering to take my place. It's lonely at the top. The beat continues to get louder, and I have never been much of a dancer but today....today my body moves on its own. Maybe I'm just rambling....welp if I die you can have all my stuff. Peace and don't make the queen mad....er...madder. Oh yeah don't accidently die or anything. It will make me look bad. Peace!"

Once X finished writing his letter he stuffed the contents back into his jacket and continued to gaze ahead as a green 10 sided magical die appeared in his hand. He rolled it right where he sat, letting a moment pass before taking a glance at the number. "So that's what lady luck has for me today," he said dryly as the assault raged on in the background. Soon he and the others would contribute to the cacophony of violence. After displaying so much ambition and valor, he almost felt sorry for them...almost.

IRIS BASTILLE

As much as she hated that man, it felt weird not following him around for once. Despite his quirks, he was still a King and was respected for the most part...."Why in the hell did I ever take this job," Iris thought to herself as she made whatever preparations she could before their battle. It all had the feel of finality to it, but she knew that the Agrossians would simply comeback sooner or later. She was roaming the halls as she studied a map of the area. She was certain it wouldn't be too much of a strategic battle, but she had to go through ever scenario and support X just in case things went left. When he said he would squeeze in military training she didn't think she would actually help in leading the troops. It was something she thought about doing, but even in a limited manner this was almost a bit overwhelming. I mean who the hell entrusts the future of the world to a rank 4. "...Crazy sadist," Iris muttered under her breath as she paced the halls. Just as she uttered those words a piece of paper manifested itself.

"Oh a letter...from X? What could he want now...," Iris said as she scanned the contents despite knowing what it said as soon as she touched it. Sometimes you had to physically see tomfoolery to believe it.

"What kind of way is that to end a letter, and I didn't volunteer for anything..." Iris said crumbling up her letter before it poofed away. As soon as she looked up a low ranked soldier brushed passed her as if she was simply a piece of furniture. Why would he be in such a ru-....oh no...oh no no no no....X's bad luck had officially rubbed of on her. It was the Mad Queen and X-ie wasn't here to deal with her.

...Iris walked in and quickly took a seat on the other side of the room. Giving her a respectful nod, but trying do her best to be invisible.

MedievalFanatic2023

 

[MedievalFanatic2023]

QUEEN ALEXANDRA -THE CLUBBER QUEEN- ​

Alexandra noticed the female walk into the room and sit down on the other side. The girl gave a respectful nod to her but Alexandra thought it was disrespectful she was being avoided in such a way.
"Is that all a nod? Not even a peep?" she said annoyed as she stood up and looked a the lower rank female having a 'tude' as she was not talking to it was WAY too quiet for her.

"Hellloooooooooooo mind coming over here sweetie. I get lonely. It would be rude to stand in such a sad little corner." She said as she moved her club propping up under her chin gazing at Iris. She narrowed her eyes looking at the girl's appearance. "You look nice though." She said extremely random.

"have you seen X-ie?" She said raising an eyebrow with a playful grin as if she was tormenting the poor girl which she wasn't but it was hard to tell what was going through Alexandra's mind. The point was it was terrible to anger her.

LazyDaze

 

[Coyote Hart]

.

.

The Great Collab

「Zephyr Terwilliger ∙ Guineverre y Blanca ∙ Cassius Bellarmont ∙ Jake Parkinson ∙ Samael Nicks」

Three years ago; Guin's secret library

What filled the otherwise quiet room was the sound of fingers gently tapping against a wooden table’s surface as the Queen of Hearts patiently waited for her guest’s arrival. Soon enough, the mirror across began to show signs of magic, driving the blonde to raise a brow in anticipation. To her surprise, it was neither Samael nor her expected guest who came out of the object, but rather, Twig- the Jack of Hearts himself.

Guineverre watched as her fellow royalty barrelled straight to the floor; holding his stare before he picked himself up. The confusion was written all over his face as he requested an explanation from her. It wasn’t long before Samael, along with whom Guin assumed to be a prominent figure of the Jokers, emerged from the same mirror. She stood up from her seat and gestured to the open chairs on the side of the table.

“Welcome, gentlemen. Please take your seats,” she said, addressing everyone present in the room. The tone of her voice was neither commanding nor intimidating- yet it was clear that she wasn’t giving them a choice but to obey. The Queen returned to her seat before her eyes darted between the three new presences in the room.

She could vividly recall that she had asked for the Joker explicitly and she definitely didn’t ask for the Jack to be brought to her. He wasn’t supposed to be here and she was concerned that his presence might cause unnecessary dwindlings. Then again, if the Jack was to cause problems then she would just have to, say, take certain actions. “I must say that this is quite a surprise, Twig.” she began, “Samael, would you like to explain why my good friend is here?”

Samael shrugged. He truly had no idea as to why the Jack of Hearts was with the Joker, who Samael contacted months ago before his little incident happened. “My Queen, your little friend was with our guest. To avoid a conflict with him spewing information to other sources, I thought it best to bring him to contain the breach of information.” Samael said, clear and without any source of emotion in his words. Keeping emotions out of Samael’s job was important, for feelings other than love towards his queen would cause conflict and most likely than not ruin his mission. “I also left evidence, but my alibi is ready and without fault. I can cover the trace towards me, with no fear of showing our connection and possibly endangering our operations, my Queen.”

Jake looked into this whole situation weirdly, for when he met Samael he only gave him the mirror, saying that when the time is right Samael would give Jake a deal of a lifetime. Obviously, the time would be then with him being rescued by the strange man. “Just so you realized, I’m not the leader of the jokers… I’m just in charge of battle, but the actual leader, for lack of better terms, is missing for quite some time when he was adventuring to get some kind of object. I’m sure that in a matter of time I would officially be given the title, but just realize that information. But my comrades are willing to act to my will, so worry not I can and will help for the right price..” Jake said, holding onto his pouch of stuff that he got before he and Samael left the jail cell.

“H-hold on,” Twig said, looking back and forth between his lover and the Queen of Hearts, “What do you mean, ‘help for the right price’? Is there something here that I’m completely unaware about?”

From his seat at the table, Twig felt as if everything was so foreign, hostile, and unknown. The white-haired man was as good as a stranger to Twig, and Guin, with her stoic face and unfamiliar mood that radiated off of her, caused Twig to realize that despite working with the Queen for almost a year, he didn’t know jack about her. The only person who Twig felt he could actually understand in the slightest was Silvern. When this realization crossed Twig’s mind, he unconsciously scooted his chair to be closer to the Joker.

“I didn’t know I had fallen for the to-be leader of the Jokers,” Twig commented wryly as he glanced over at Silvern’s direction. He turned back to face Guin, “And am I right in guessing that this is a meeting to determine if we should ally ourselves to the Jokers?”

Twig finished his statement with turmoil roiling within him. On one hand, he wanted it to be the case. It’d mean that he and Silvern wouldn’t need to keep their identities and their relationship a secret. It would be openly known that the Jack of Hearts and the leader of the Jokers were in a relationship. And Twig wouldn’t feel so divided on his loyalties anymore.

However, on the other hand, Twig prayed that it wasn’t the case. Twig didn’t want to betray the other three Suit kingdoms. He could only imagine the faces of the other royals when they learned of the betrayal. William’s face alight with anger. Lazarus’s eyes filled with sorrow. Quillon’s gaze filled with utter disappointment. And Leolin… his face filled with horror, his stature shattered with shock.

A small laughter resonated throughout the halls. The sound was neither loud nor obnoxious; rather, it was gentle and sweet, almost haunting. Then it died down, just as quick as it came. At the head of the table, the Queen of Hearts eyed everyone in the room with amusement as her mind processed information given. Twig’s revelation- that he and the Joker were involved in a romantic relationship, was like a piece in a puzzle. Unexpected, yet she could see it as a potential tool to smoothen certain creases. She had no concrete idea as to how their bond happened but she believed that it could tie the Jack’s loyalty to her cause. After all, people will do anything for love.

However, that wasn’t the only thing which she found so amusing. Emerald eyes wandered over to the Joker as the stoic expression returned on her face. “I don’t think you fully understand the situation that you’re in.” she began. It was funny that he thought he had a choice, but perhaps she could humor him.

“I am the Queen of Hearts. You are a Joker. I am the Law. You are a criminal. My people have suffered a lot under your group’s ‘terrorism’, and right now I have all the right to slit your throat and be done with it.” with that said, Guineverre suddenly disappeared from her position only to reappear right behind the man’s chair. “Unlike the Diamonds, nothing restricts me from killing you. I don’t need to keep you alive for information. So there is no right price, but instead a right decision which you shall be making.” she added before vanishing.

The Queen resurfaced at the head of the table, eyes still fixed on the silver-haired Joker. She knew that instigating terror unto the man might yield her his cooperation- yet she also knew that appealing to his beliefs would lead to a better outcome. “However, fret not. I am different from all the other royalties. I do acknowledge that the system is broken. I admit that our tradition has become a key for oppression. Change is inevitable; soon everyone would be crying for it. The Jokers could be eliminated but what then? A new group will merely arise, fighting for the same cause, and the cycle will continue until something changes.” she then turned to face the Jack of Hearts. “Twig, you’re probably thinking that I’m betraying the entire Suits right now. I won’t deny but neither will I accept it. Someone has to take the risk, and I’m prepared to be labeled as anything for the sake of my people. The Jokers,” she paused, now looking at Cass’ eyes before returning it to the Joker’s, “Some of them were once our people, and perhaps some still are. They were forced to fight because nobody cared about their woes. Nobody listened. I’d like to fix that. I’d like to listen. So tell me, what are you fighting for?”

Cassius was standing next to his Queen’s seat, fiddling around with his deck as the conversation took place. He didn’t have to be standing, of course: He could’ve just taken a seat like a normal person. But the countless hours of drilling meant that he was supposed to always be standing unless ordered otherwise. “A Bodyguard must always be standing at attention, for this both helps his reflexes, and makes their protege look more prestigious”. The words of his elderly uncle, a former Queensguard himself, were so deeply etched inside his mind that he found sitting in general difficult: His mind was always alert, scanning for threats he knew weren’t there, ready to neutralise enemies that he was fully aware weren’t coming. Normally, the presence of the Queen was more than enough to calm him… But not in the presence of others, and definitely not in the presence of that pompous arse Samael. So he had taken to fidgeting, as he often did. More precisely, he was summoning and flicking card onto the table at an impressive speed-a good exercise for the fingers. If one actually paid enough attention, they would realise that he was actually playing Solitaire. A bit childish, sure, but a good way to manage the nerves nonetheless.

He heard the spy give a detailed report regarding his assignment- Impeccable as ever, though that did not make him in the least likable- and saw as the Queen noted her displeasure over the presence of the Jack of Hearts. Cass couldn’t help but agree. It wasn’t that he didn’t like Twig, much to the contrary, the Jack was kind-hearted and good at the Logistics of managing the Kingdom’s finances. He was also a good company to be around, though admittedly a bit of an introvert. But his morals were extremely pronounced, even more so than Cass, and he most definitely was not one to endorse or even tolerate these kinds of shady meetings. So far, however, he seemed to not have freaked out, which was a plus.

And then there was the leader of the Jokers himself. Well, he claimed not to be a real leader, but what great revolutionary ever did? Modesty was one of the many traits possessed by a righteous leader. It was a trait possessed by his darling Queen as well. It was his next few words that somewhat baffled him. The right price? That was a line more befitting a mercenary than an idealist. It caught Cass so off guard that he was about to nail a card right next to the Joker, just so he can ground him back again to the reality of the situation. Unfortunately for the Joker, the Queen got to him first: Cass had to admit, when she was angry, she was a very intimidating sight. Thankfully, she had calmed down pretty quickly, and went on describing her reasons for the meeting. Cass couldn’t help but feel inspired, especially when her mesmerising eyes met his. Feeling the need to support her position, he spoke: “The Queen is correct, Twig. This outdated and deeply flawed system cannot stand anymore. This is a system that allows, no, encourages the oppression of the many in the hands of few. Sure, our Queen has proven to be most righteous and have the best interests of her people in mind, but what other Kingdom can make this claim? And even so, at any time a corrupt, morally depraved individual can come along, challenge her to a duel, and take her place merely because they happened to be good at combat! Why, our next King could be such a person, and we wouldn’t have a say!

For this reason, I implore you, Joker, and you, Jack. See the sense in coming to an agreement. We may not get another chance at this.”

While Jake was being pressured, intimidated for fear of joining, he was trying to hold his laughs. Once the two buffoons finished speaking, Jake finally let it go as he went on a spree of laughing. Finally finished, Jake sighed as he leaned in. “You seriously didn’t think that would work, dear Queen? Such silly tactics, poor words to add upon that fact, would never work against someone who knows how to intimidate someone. You wouldn’t bring me here, after breaking me out from another kingdom to simply kill me right away. No no.. dear Queen of Hearts, you are mistaken to think I am someone below you. In here, we should be equals which is what I fight for. Being equal, despite ability and status. Something I thought we would share based on what your friend says during our talks.” Jake says, before leaning back into a normal posture as he glares towards Samael. “So, Queen, would you be open, as equals, to make everyone realize that there is no difference between us all..” Jake says, before putting air quotes up for “ or would you rather kill me at any time…”

The end of Silvern’s statement was accompanied with a sinister thud. But it wasn’t Silvern who had caused the thump. The cause of it was Twig, who had with one tiny motion of his hand caused a gust of wind to send one of the many bookshelves in the room to crash down loudly, spilling all the books over the floor. Usually, Twig wouldn’t have the concentration to perform such a feat, but in this case, anger fueled him with the strength necessary. Twig’s hands trembled as his mind processed the fact that Guin had actually threatened Silvern, no matter how empty the threats were.

“Guin, mark my words,” Twig said, his voice quiet and barely audible, “If you hurt Silvern, you’re hurting me.”

“And isn’t it such a darn shame,” Twig spat, “That the harbinger of justice in this world would stoop to such low and vile means to get what she wants. Did you know that only the Royals refer to the Jokers as criminals? I don’t see any justice here, not for what’s being done nor how it’s done.”

Twig exhaled a long angry breath, calming himself down. It wasn’t usual for Twig to be anything but calm. Anger didn’t solve issues, but being calm and collected did that. Perhaps this was the effect of love upon Twig. Love caused Twig to develop a sense of protectiveness.

In spite of Guin’s horrid demeanor, Twig had to admit that she was right in many ways. And Cassius helped point out that oppression was extremely prominent. Twig himself had even experienced it firsthand. Most of his friends were twos and threes after all. They were treated like trash despite the fact that their combat ability was on par with people like Twig-- it was just that they didn’t know a droplet of magic.

“I do agree though that something needs to be done,” Twig conceded, “The system that we live by doesn’t even sound like the goals that the founding fathers of this system had in mind: Freedom, not oppression.”

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Twig said, “But I’d be willing to work with the Jokers, if they fight for freedom and not for death.”

Although his morals would have led him to reject such an alliance, Twig decided the right thing to do was to fight for equality. It was the same goal that the Jokers seemed to have, and although Twig knew their means for accomplishing it would be vastly different from Guin and Twig’s, that couldn’t be helped. If they didn’t come to a mutual alliance, they would just get in each other’s ways. That would be sorely unproductive. If Twig needed a way to do damage control, he could always join them in the fray.

To add to that, fighting for equality wasn’t something that Twig felt like was wrong. He wished that Amsterdam, Keo, Mohammed, and Cillian were all considered equals to him. So that led to one final conclusion.

The right thing to do in this situation would be to work with the Jokers. But Twig’s approval was nothing without Guin’s affirmation that such an action was right.

“So what will it be?” Twig asked Guin, “Will the Jokers fight alongside us as equals?”

Usually, such feats of disrespect would be met with certain punishments, however, the Queen of Hearts opted to remain composed. The stoic expression on her face lingered, unless anyone noticed the brief displays of hurt and dismay after the Jack expressed his displeasure, by terrorizing her valuable books, upon her earlier statements. She put a hand up, signaling Cassius and Samael to stay still, for she knew how protective the two could be.

“It appears we have stumbled upon another misunderstanding.” she began, smiling to herself knowingly, “Twig and Silvern- was it? If you felt as though my earlier statements were threats, or found it to be ‘intimidating’, then so be it. If you would ask me, however, I’d say that I was merely stating the reality of our situation.”

Two ethereal psychic-constructs in the form of gigantic human hands slowly materialized on the area behind Guineverre. They stretched towards the toppled bookcase and set it back to its original position. It then darted downwards, splitting into a group of smaller versions to pick the scattered books and shelve them back.

“Twig, you are mistaken in thinking that it’s only the Royals who label the Jokers as ‘criminals’. The hundreds of complaints sitting on my desk from our citizens can attest to that. I feel as though your personal feelings towards our guest is affecting your behavior at this moment. But I understand. Love is a very powerful feeling, isn’t it? Nevertheless, I ask that you look at these circumstances at hand not as his lover, not as my friend, but as the Jack of Hearts. I know that you understand that when duty calls, it calls.” the Queen stated before turning to address Twig's silver-haired lover. “Granted, more and more people are starting to see the Jokers as the hope of the commoners, but we cannot deny the fact that you and your group are still ‘criminals’ in the eyes of most. How many people died during the Argossian siege at Parma? The fact that you, the Jokers, aided the Empire didn’t put you in a good light. Furthermore, your allegiance with the Empire alone, no matter how temporary, is already a crime most punishable by death.”

"So, you may ask, what urged me to ‘break’ you out of the Diamond’s cell? Simply put: I believe that we fight for the same reason. We fight for the people. Samael was correct when he said that I long for equality, just like you do. You, on the other hand, are incorrect in assuming that I look down upon you. Staying true to my duty as the Queen doesn’t mean that I see you, or others for that matter, as someone below me. Gentlemen, here in this very room, nobody is better nor lesser- despite prowess and status, and this is the kind of world I long to see. I believe that if we, the Hearts and the Jokers, align together, then this dream of ours can become a reality.

So, yes, Twig and Silvern, I am willing to fight for change alongside the Jokers. If my offer of the alliance is to be accepted, the Jokers shall be under my protection- albeit secretly to avoid certain conflicts with the other Kingdoms and the Empire. You can rest assured that the Kingdom of Hearts shall be a haven for your group. Additionally, the Jokers will be given a highly-fortified base on a remote land in the kingdom. Through this, we would be able to monitor and provide support for your activities. We simply have to make sure that none of our people would be harmed, and none of our resources would be compromised without permission. That said, operations against our kingdom will have to stop- but of course, that would raise suspicion. So I propose staging attacks, ambushes, and the likes, and these could be our way of supplying you with resources. In return, we expect that the Jokers will give us equal support, and will allow us to study and benefit from the Empire's provision.

These are the terms and conditions that currently stand with my offer. I’d like to listen to yours, while the rest are welcome to give their opinions.”

On cue, the psychic constructs finished their work, returning to the Queen before completely dissipating into thin air. Without the sounds of the constructs working, the air was deadly silent. The Jokers and the Hearts stared each other down, the tension as thick as pudding.

Eventually though, a resolution was found, after negotiations on the part of both Guin and Jake. And those terms of agreement changed the path of both the Jokers and Hearts, with its ripple felt til the day, three years after the war between the Argossians and the Suits began.

template by astraea, editted for the occasion, . D O V E (Guin), vielpotato (Samael, Jake), Athanas (Cassius), Coyote Hart (Twig)​

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

Gwyn Llywelyn

Even with the sounds of the explosions going off against the magical defenses, Gwyn remained outside in the sunlight for a few moments longer. It's become a habit at this point to maximize his time in the sun. Even if he didn't have anything to heal up, it was still calming for him to feel the warmth digging down and settling into his bones. War was war but what use would it be let nerves overwhelm you before you’ve even stepped into the field. Eventually though, with a low hum, Gwyn stretch and tugged his gloves back on before heading into the building.

The blond quietly stepped through the building to get to the meeting room, towards his Queen of Club’s mana signature. Strangely enough, the queen’s voice seemed to carry even through the sounds of the explosions. ...But it was probably his imagination because he was fairly sure Alexandra didn’t have any magic spells that lets her raise her volume. Thankfully.

He shivered at the thought. As unaffected as he appears by her antics, even he gets nightmares about the sheer volume of her voice.

He trailed into the room just to witness Iris, he thinks, try to blend into the background without much success. It was amusing to watch but it also meant that X may or may not be attending the meeting. Which was also none of his business.

”Morning, Alexandra. Iris,” he greeted with a pleasant smile, as if he wasn’t spewing white lies. “I’m sure she’s just feeling a little shy today. Can’t really hold it against her for that on a day like today, can we?”

 

[ChazGhost]

Maxwell Jacob, Jack of Clubs
A Murder Of Corviknight MedievalFanatic2023 LazyDaze

"Queen Valmore, I do ask you to be kinder to our subordinates. I understand you have your interest ways but you must think of others before acting more" Maxwell said walking into the room and quickly noticing queen messing with X's chief assistant. "And back to the topic of the king, I assuming he preparing himself for the day to come. While I know he may act a bit too casual, in the end he comes through. Besides Ms.Bastille here represents the king himself in opinion when it comes to matters of words and logic. And once its time to fight I'm sure King Valentine will make his appreance" the orc said nodding to Iris before taking his seat. "And before I forget my manners, good morning to you Mr.Llywelyn" Maxwell added looking to the ace of clubs.​

 

[Mechking]

"My calculations are correct, the enemy is finally desperate enough to launch an all-out attack. Do they honestly think so little of us, that we could never anticipate this? I studied hundreds, maybe thousands of wartactics and battle reports. You will never underestimate us ever again!" Arimand thought to himself, as he was making his way towards the town center."For far too long were we on the receiving end of your mercy! Today this will change! Today we will-"
Another loud explosion goes off, this time close to Arimand, disrupting his thoughts. "Argh, god dammit!", he shouts as he clutches his head in pain. Arimand didn't get enough sleep the last nights and every loud noise hurts like needles in his brain.

Arimand points his staff at the fleeing plane, that just bombarded his position. "You won't get away with it this time!", Arimand exclaimed in frustration and began to focus. After a few seconds, the plane begins falling from the sky, exploding before hitting the ground. "Calm yourself! They must not know, what is coming to them" he thinks to himself, as he regains his composure.

"Oh, before I forget. Bob, could you please get the crate that is on the right of my desk? It might come in handy later. When you got it, meet me at the warehouse." Bob leaves his side, returning to where they came from.


Arimand makes his way to a large warehouse, located not that far away from the zeppelin starting place. As he enters, dim light reveals rows upon rows on inert metal constructs.

"Activate all golems!" Arimand shouts, and the constructs begin moving, raising their heads and shifting into a battle-ready stance. "These are your orders: Board the zeppelins until they are full. When you are in a zeppelin, as soon as large enemy forces are located directly beneath you, jump out and drop on them. When the zeppelins are full, all remaining units will form a backline near the gates. This backline will engage as soon as I or another commander gives the order. Execute on sight, no mercy to the enemy!"

With their orders given, the golem army begins moving towards the zeppelins, in neatly sorted lines. It would be awe-inspiring, if it wasn't so terrifying.
As Arimand left towards the meeting room, Bob arrived at the warehouse, carrying a large, reinforced wooden crate.
"Good, I may need it later during the battle. For now, just follow me."


Standing in front of the meeting room, he commands Bob to guard the entrance, the box beside him.
"Be careful of spies, Bob. The enemy must not know of our plans!"

Arimand then enters the room with bags under his bloodshot eyes and his silver staff in hand.
"Good morning, everyone. Today is the day."

 

[BreezeCatcher]

Alaric - 10 - Hearts
Location - Outside Valencia - Field Hospital​

The metallic smell of blood filled the air around Alaric as he made his way through the field hospital that had been set up during the siege of Valencia. Many low level mages lay in varying states of treatment while whatever mages skilled in healing went about their work repairing what the Argossian's had done to this current generation of mages. As he passed by a table he gave pause to comfort the wounded mage that lay there in agony. He had taken some shrapnel from an artillery shell, and had multiple deep wounds across his body. The livery he wore was that of the diamonds, while a mage wearing the regalia of the clubs was busy tending to him. It was crazy to think that the Diamond kingdom had fallen, and so quickly. They had all foolishly protected their own borders, they had thought that they would be able to repel the Argossian war machine individually on their own land, but now a coalition force had been holding out in Valencia for the past two years, desperately putting on some semblance of a defense.

Alaric found himself walking these field hospitals more and more often as the war progressed. The constant use of the life-link ability was accelerating his aging, he was even starting to worry that his abilities might start declining as the wear and tear on his body took its toll. But all it took was a walk through these field hospitals to remind him of why he was out there on the front line. These mages laying on the beds, they were all someone who he could have protected. If he had been on their front, if he had been by their unit, if he had fought alongside them. It would have been easy to protect them. But the battlefield was massive now, and their was no way he could be everywhere protecting them all. There was always someone who he couldn't protect. But he would do what he could for those he could help. Blood ran down both of Alaric's arms, he had been out there on the field today with these men, and he had protected one of the most forward units from a shelling they had taken in their trenches. The men had walked away from the blast, but he had taken some serious damage in the process. The feeling of the shells exploding against and around his body had been mind numbingly painful at first, but as the years went on he only grew more used to the sensation of shelling. Medics who noticed the blood dripping from his arms rushed to give him aid, it was obvious who he was by the scars that covered his entire body. One of the Ten of Hearts, the Wanderer as he had been pegged by the common people. They saw him as more of a priority than any four of five card mage. But he waved them off. Alaric knew his wounds were bad, but he also knew that he would survive. They were not life threatening, and there were plenty of mages who were in a far worse state than him.

(Open for anyone)

 

[LazyDaze]

IRIS BASTILLE

(Oh shit....she saw me)

Iris continued to curse in her mind after each step she took toward the mad queen. To make matters worse, her attempts at being respectful were a cause of discontent. She really didn't need this now. They would begin fighting soon and she would need to make sure she finished her remaining strategies. Even with all that was on her mind she couldn't help but blush at the Queen's compliment no matter how random it was.

"...Y-yes that was quite rude of me, and thank you for your kindness you highness. I can only to hope to achieve a fraction of your beauty," Iris said with a bow once she was standing in front of her. No doubt X would have simply said oops my bad and continued loafing about. She had to make sure his poor manners didn't rub off on her. Ironically, that seemed to be what the queen wanted to talk to her about. Of course she knew that X-ie was on the roof of some building, gearing up for a fight and avoiding everyone else, but she couldn't tell her that.

Suddenly their Ace, Gwyn, entered the room and saved her from this awkward situation. She turned around with an appreciative look. She had heard stories of many Aces, and for so long she believed anyone that strong would be unrelatable; however, Gwyn was different. Easy to talk to, easy to get along with. In fact, you would never think he was as strong as he was. However, for some strange reason that only made his strength all the more terrifying since all of that might, and lethality was contained in what seemed to be a kind, caring, and normal individual. Despite how warm he was, she couldn't help but feel as if she would be crushed if she got to close to him. The next to come to her defense was the Jack of Clubs, Maxwell, who was always very dependable, kind, and honorable...unlike a certain masked sadist. Why couldn't he have hired her instead? Anyway, there sure was a lot of important people here, in particular, the entire Club royals were present, sans one King. "Good morning Ace Llywelyn and Jack Jacob. Hopefully, Ace Llywelyn you do not have to dirty your hands on such trivial foes. Furthermore, Jack Jacob, X has ordered me to remind you that you need not to use formalities when referring to him. (I tried to tell him that is just how you are.) "

Anyone would feel like they didn't belong, but Iris didn't. This wasn't because of some great inner confidence she possessed, rather it was because of who the royals were. Maybe it was because of the heavy turnover over the past 3 years, but despite their quirks, the Club Royalty seemed to be good people...even if one of them was bloody mad. Iris turned to Maxwell as he spoke and nearly mouthed the words thank you if not for the daggers digging into her back. Iris quickly turned to the queen to further explain herself. Besides, simply being the damsel in distress was an image she was trying to outgrow; it was the entire reason she decided to work with that jerk. "Y-yes what the Jack of Clubs says is correct. King Valentine instructed me to act in his stead while he fought on the frontlines. He is currently preparing for battle....probably. Would you like to relay a message to him your highness," Iris asked as she manifested X's Ka, the special paper made to communicate with him via mana. Never in her life did she dream of being in the position of conversing with the royals and their Ace. She couldn't help but wonder if they secretly thought of her as a charity case, and if X only needed a paperwork slave. What if everyone secretly laughed-, Iris mentally shook her head free from those thoughts since that would not help her achieve her dream. No matter the reason, she was here now, and she had to make the best of it. To be honest she was more worried about surviving this encounter as opposed to the looming Agrossians.

MedievalFanatic2023 ChazGhost A Murder Of Corviknight

 

[Coyote Hart]

Lloyd Einstadt
ft. Phatomsong and Mia

"War tastes like truffles," Phantomsong said. Being a sword, it was impossible to tell what his expression looked like whilst he said it.

"What the hell does that mean?" Mia asked, audibly annoyed.

"I mean what I said," Phantomsong said, "War tastes like truffles."

"Phan, I have a question," Lloyd said, reining in both of the two swords, "How are you able to be so random at a time like this?"

Lloyd was sitting at an outdoor table, doing his best to stomach a bowl of salt pork stew paired with a flavorless piece of hardtack while the sounds of bombs and missiles zoomed overhead, bouncing off of the magical barrier to create a continuous fireworks display, with the flashing lights, thunderous noise, and a feeling of sick fascination to go with it.

It wasn't something that Lloyd would ever say to anybody present in the city, but he found the flying metal birds simply mesmerizing. They operated without any sort of magic, but the enigmatic inner workings suggested something just as complex and valid as magic. And they seemed to move even faster than any real bird that Lloyd had ever seen.

In other words, the Argossians were beating nature at its own specialty. While the Suits were working with nature to make works of wonder out of thin air, the Argossians were overpowering the world. Lloyd was curious about how they accomplished such a feat, and how he could alter his tinkering to be like that.

But it wasn't what caused the butterflies to move around in his stomach. Today was the day. The Royals from the four kingdoms were going to meet together, and some sort of action was going to make. And it most definitely meant that Lloyd and his flintlocks were going to be used.

And so, with such an immense danger on hand, Lloyd was incredulous at how the sword left of his waist, Phantomsong, could be so casual and goofy.

"There is nothing to be worried about!" Phantomsong said easily, "The Royals are smart; they will be able to figure something out."

"I guess," Lloyd said, not truly believing Phantomsong's words. He continued to tug the piece of hardtack through the thin pig soup.

"Lloyd, eat up," Mia's tone was harsh, "Or you'll starve and die on the battlefield. Nobody wants that."

Lloyd smiled in response to Mia's words. Although her words were mean-spirited and there wasn't a face that Lloyd could associate with her words, Lloyd knew that she was channeling all her maternal feelings. So Lloyd lifted to his lips his piece of hardtack, which had softened enough with the soup's moisture and said, "Alright, Mom."

Even as Lloyd chewed on the piece of soup-flavored bread, he couldn't dispel the feeling of dread. Something bad was going to happen today. Something was going to go wrong. Lloyd just knew it.

((I told Kloudy that we'd have an interaction, so I don't believe that Lloyd is open unless Kloud ditches me. Please don't abandon me, God-Kloud.))

 

[Goonfire]

With the morning came a sight on the horizon more shocking than the approaching Argossian battalions. Five hulking airships approached from the northeast, in the direction of Corda. As they drew closer, not only could it be discerned that they were of rather shoddy make, but a larger fleet of more average-sized ships followed some distance behind them. The behemoths passed over the city at full speed, with a telepathic message reaching the royals present. “Attention all Suits royalty: the personal fleet of the ace of Hearts has arrived. Impact in one minute.” It was a short transmission, leaving little time to react.

Seconds before the frontline ships cleared the barrier around Valencia, their crews threw themselves overboard, crushing fragile clay feather medallions in their hands so they could safely float onto the rooftops and streets. Among the blue glows was a single golden glow at the feet of a red-clad figure. He was the one whose arrival was announced: Ace of Hearts,

Leolin Hravart III.
​

Two weeks ago...
Leolin had commissioned a group of airship builders to craft a fleet of disposable ships. His own gold was spent on these weapons, the crews of which spent a whole day loading with powder kegs and jars of alchemist’s fire. Although the overwhelming majority of the past three years for Leo were spent searching for info regarding the Royal Flushe, he felt duty calling as the Argossians plowed through the list of priorities and fortified themselves at the top. Enough of his people had died, so he chose to retaliate personally. While these missile-ships were cheap to manufacture, the Ace insisted a team of abjurers were given devices that held a charge for a short while, so they could deliver the payload safely. By his calculations, the shields generated by these channeled spells would hold long enough to provide a perfect mix of accuracy and damage. In a statement to city criers, Leo asserted, “We did not ask for war, and we did not start it, but we will finish it, starting with a victory at Valencia.”

Landing on a taller rooftop, Leolin watched the fireworks display. Argossian cannon rounds hammered the diminishing shields of the ships while they gradually descended, their simple magic systems failing without a crew to operate them. Finally, a powerful shell pierced the shields and then the hull of the first ship, causing an eruption of flames that quickly engulfed the wood body and fabric ‘sails’. The trap was sprung, with little time to cease fire. Not only had the anti-aircraft gunners wasted ammunition, but they also sealed many of their grunts’ collective fate; the other ships ignited after being shot, the alchemist’s fire working as intended.

The five airships plummeted into the Argossian front lines, skidding along the ground and smearing those who weren’t swift enough to evade. Sections of the hulls peeled away, dispersing kegs and jars, the latter of which ignited the former in a horrific chain reaction. Smaller, premature explosions peppered the enemies, followed by massive fireballs at the feet of the hills. The earth shook from the force.

Upon dropping down to the main road, it became quickly apparent to those nearby, Leolin had been crying at some point. Although any tears had been wiped away, his eyes were still red. He moved at a hurried pace towards the command outpost as his nicer ships landed on the outskirts. “I hope this morning finds you all in good health,” he called out with a hint of formality.

 

[MedievalFanatic2023]

Maxwell Jacob, Jack of Clubs
A Murder Of Corviknight MedievalFanatic2023 LazyDaze

"Queen Valmore, I do ask you to be kinder to our subordinates. I understand you have your interest ways but you must think of others before acting more" Maxwell said walking into the room and quickly noticing queen messing with X's chief assistant. "And back to the topic of the king, I assuming he preparing himself for the day to come. While I know he may act a bit too casual, in the end he comes through. Besides Ms.Bastille here represents the king himself in opinion when it comes to matters of words and logic. And once its time to fight I'm sure King Valentine will make his appreance" the orc said nodding to Iris before taking his seat. "And before I forget my manners, good morning to you Mr.Llywelyn" Maxwell added looking to the ace of clubs.​

IRIS BASTILLE

(Oh shit....she saw me)

Iris continued to curse in her mind after each step she took toward the mad queen. To make matters worse, her attempts at being respectful were a cause of discontent. She really didn't need this now. They would begin fighting soon and she would need to make sure she finished her remaining strategies. Even with all that was on her mind she couldn't help but blush at the Queen's compliment no matter how random it was.

"...Y-yes that was quite rude of me, and thank you for your kindness you highness. I can only to hope to achieve a fraction of your beauty," Iris said with a bow once she was standing in front of her. No doubt X would have simply said oops my bad and continued loafing about. She had to make sure his poor manners didn't rub off on her. Ironically, that seemed to be what the queen wanted to talk to her about. Of course she knew that X-ie was on the roof of some building, gearing up for a fight and avoiding everyone else, but she couldn't tell her that.

Suddenly their Ace, Gwyn, entered the room and saved her from this awkward situation. She turned around with an appreciative look. She had heard stories of many Aces, and for so long she believed anyone that strong would be unrelatable; however, Gwyn was different. Easy to talk to, easy to get along with. In fact, you would never think he was as strong as he was. However, for some strange reason that only made his strength all the more terrifying since all of that might, and lethality was contained in what seemed to be a kind, caring, and normal individual. Despite how warm he was, she couldn't help but feel as if she would be crushed if she got to close to him. The next to come to her defense was the Jack of Clubs, Maxwell, who was always very dependable, kind, and honorable...unlike a certain masked sadist. Why couldn't he have hired her instead? Anyway, there sure was a lot of important people here, in particular, the entire Club royals were present, sans one King. "Good morning Ace Llywelyn and Jack Jacob. Hopefully, Ace Llywelyn you do not have to dirty your hands on such trivial foes. Furthermore, Jack Jacob, X has ordered me to remind you that you need not to use formalities when referring to him. (I tried to tell him that is just how you are.) "

Anyone would feel like they didn't belong, but Iris didn't. This wasn't because of some great inner confidence she possessed, rather it was because of who the royals were. Maybe it was because of the heavy turnover over the past 3 years, but despite their quirks, the Club Royalty seemed to be good people...even if one of them was bloody mad. Iris turned to Maxwell as he spoke and nearly mouthed the words thank you if not for the daggers digging into her back. Iris quickly turned to the queen to further explain herself. Besides, simply being the damsel in distress was an image she was trying to outgrow; it was the entire reason she decided to work with that jerk. "Y-yes what the Jack of Clubs says is correct. King Valentine instructed me to act in his stead while he fought on the frontlines. He is currently preparing for battle....probably. Would you like to relay a message to him your highness," Iris asked as she manifested X's Ka, the special paper made to communicate with him via mana. Never in her life did she dream of being in the position of conversing with the royals and their Ace. She couldn't help but wonder if they secretly thought of her as a charity case, and if X only needed a paperwork slave. What if everyone secretly laughed-, Iris mentally shook her head free from those thoughts since that would not help her achieve her dream. No matter the reason, she was here now, and she had to make the best of it. To be honest she was more worried about surviving this encounter as opposed to the looming Agrossians.

MedievalFanatic2023 ChazGhost A Murder Of Corviknight

Gwyn Llywelyn

Even with the sounds of the explosions going off against the magical defenses, Gwyn remained outside in the sunlight for a few moments longer. It's become a habit at this point to maximize his time in the sun. Even if he didn't have anything to heal up, it was still calming for him to feel the warmth digging down and settling into his bones. War was war but what use would it be let nerves overwhelm you before you’ve even stepped into the field. Eventually though, with a low hum, Gwyn stretch and tugged his gloves back on before heading into the building.

The blond quietly stepped through the building to get to the meeting room, towards his Queen of Club’s mana signature. Strangely enough, the queen’s voice seemed to carry even through the sounds of the explosions. ...But it was probably his imagination because he was fairly sure Alexandra didn’t have any magic spells that lets her raise her volume. Thankfully.

He shivered at the thought. As unaffected as he appears by her antics, even he gets nightmares about the sheer volume of her voice.

He trailed into the room just to witness Iris, he thinks, try to blend into the background without much success. It was amusing to watch but it also meant that X may or may not be attending the meeting. Which was also none of his business.

”Morning, Alexandra. Iris,” he greeted with a pleasant smile as if he wasn’t spewing white lies. “I’m sure she’s just feeling a little shy today. Can’t really hold it against her for that on a day like today, can we?”

QUEEN ALEXANDRA -THE CLUBBER QUEEN- ​

She did not believe she was particularly torturing iris. She smiled at Iris hearing her words. "Such kindness. The X-ie picked a good one." She said leaning back then noticing the ace and jack come in. She wasn't pleased with what the jack said. " hello GWYNNIE! and Maxie you should know I rather don't torture important assistants of the king." She said laughing lightly. "But you might be an exception if you question me." She said with a smirk. "Ah and Gwynnie I knew the poor girl was shy so I was just coaxing the poor dear out of her shell. It's my form of welcoming others." She said then smiled hearing Iris's offer. "Oh of course not dear I just wanted to know where X-ie was. Too bad he's missing out today.

she definitely had secrets she was not actually mad this was a facade she used to strike fear into others below and above her. Sometimes her fake madness got out of hand but behind closed doors, she was a whole different queen. She could get what she wanted to be done in secret, fear was only a step in the conquest for others to be feared into respecting her. She has never been found out and she won't stop there. She casually glanced at the others. "any other comments? And my Gwynnie did you get a hair cut looks nice." She said grinning raising an eyebrow she was enjoying talking to them and performing her fake madness way too much but madness was a strategy for her overarching greatness. Not very many questioned her.

She slightly would glance at Maxwell none of the club members were ugly she just wouldn't have a chance with loving any of them as her madness gave her power. She wasn't going to make that mistake and fall in love and revealing her real Self sane Alexandra was a thing of the past where she kept her sanity in her room away from others.

 

[A Murder Of Corviknight]

Gwyn Llywelyn

”Good morning, everyone,” Gwyn replied, giving up on addressing them individual as more and more people started trickling in. He answered the Queen of Clubs with amusement, ”Also, Alexandra, thank you. But you and I both know that we don’t have time to be getting haircuts.

The Ace of Clubs glanced at all the current members in the room, lingering only briefly on Leolin’s face before addressing the rest of the room, ”Yes, today is the day...though...was that strike part of the plan, Arimand? It seemed a bit sudden and out of place, though effective. We’ll likely have to gather everyone faster and follow through Leolin’s attack.”

It would be much easier if...nevermind he’s dragging X into this. He can complain to me later. He inwardly sighed and turned to Iris, “Just tell X to prepare in here with the rest of the party. It’ll be easier than us bouncing the messages back and forth.”

We probably won’t have much time to do much but prepare anyway…

 

[Goonfire]

Leolin Hravart III
“Apologies if I startled anyone,” Leo stated with a sweeping, gentlemanly bow. His weary eyes told a story of their own; despite his strong exterior, he was fried internally. He likely hadn’t slept in days; how could an ace rest knowing people were dying?

“It would appear the prototypes of my new weapons were successful, though I might scale them down next time,” the Ace continued before he took a seat near the foot of the table and sighed. He couldn’t shake the feeling of eyes boring into him. “So, is there a plan?” It would seem he was oblivious to any possible negative impact his barrage had. While he rubbed his forehead, those standing particularly close to him could hear him mumble, “Damn, I hate war,” under his breath.

———

A military caravan came rolling in from the south. Judging by the banners, they were the last small batch of reinforcements from Clubs. Although the sight seemed fairly mundane initially, colorful confetti spewed from the lead wagon. No mistaking it; even the palace party planner had entered the fray...

Vivianne Frisk

The years had been kind to Vivi, who worked tirelessly to bring joy to the palace. Now, she was offering aid on the battlefield. Her signature hat was off and she was making a beeline to refill the kegs. Indeed, beer was as essential as clothing and shelter. “Where did all this ale come from?” one might ask. That was a trade secret only the Club royals knew...

———

Sure, most soldiers were jumpy around all the heavy cannon fire, but one in particular was especially nervous. The bandages covering the right half of his face had become iconic by now, as he had carved paths through the hordes, slowing time so he could rescue soldiers and undo the damages to them.

Ahlmus Thorn

The young half-elf hadn’t cracked a smile in three years, and it seemed his streak continued today. He made strides toward overcoming his fear of fire; lamps and bonfires were no longer a problem, though the large-scale bombings still took away his breath. Still, he kept watch, silently admiring his mentor’s handiwork—the plane graveyard.

 

[Mechking]

Arimand takes a seat and observed the interaction between the others. "So X is not present. And based on how close she is to the others..."

"Excuse me, are you X's assisstant?" Iris confirmed his statement. "I have heard quite a lot about you. Would you mind joining me for some tea, once this whole mess is over?"

Iris appeared to be confused and surprised by his offer. "It was a perfectly normal request, is she that new to the life around Royals?" Arimand thought to himself.
He wanted to say something about it, but was interrupted by an announcement.

“Attention all Suits royalty: the personal fleet of the ace of Hearts has arrived. Impact in one minute.”

"What is Leolin doing here? And what does he mean with impact? Wait he doesn't mean..."
He heard artillery and AA guns firing, followed soon after by massive explosions. "That fool. That massive, overconfident, cocky fool!"

Arimand slumpt into his chair, burrowing his head in his hands and groaning loudly. He activates his ability to understand the situation more clearly, but it only confirms his suspicions. Leolin dropped airships on top of the Argossian army. With this realization, massive amounts of rage begin to build up inside him. Rage he had not felt since he saw his kingdom turned to ashes.

Arimand returned back to reality once he heard someone enter. This someone greeted him and everyone else in the room. This someone was Leolin Hravart III, the Ace of Hearts.

His head snapped upwards after realizing just who exactly entered the room just now. Arimands hate-filled eyes locked with Leos. As the Ace stopped talking and sat down, he points his finger at him. Most people had forgotten that Arimand once served in the military. And with a voice noone expects from such a fragile man he begins yelling, louder than any drill-sargeant ever could: "YOU! HOW DARE YOU! YOU FINALLY DECIDED TO SHOW UP FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, ONLY TO DESTROY OUR ONLY CHANCE AT VICTORY?!?!" Arimand stands up and storms closer to the Ace until their faces are only centimeters apart. Now filled with pulsing, red veins, his red face looked nothing like a noble ruler and more like the angriest military leader you can imagine.

"YOU UTTER DISGRACE FOR ALL OF THE SUITS! YOU PUBLIC DISPLAY OF INCOMPETENCE! IF YOU WERE NOT AN ACE I WOULD HAVE IMPALED YOU WITH A THOUSAND BURNING NEEDLES BY NOW! HOW CAN YOU EVEN BEGIN TO THINK THAT AN UNANNOUNCED SURPRISE ATTACK IS GOING TO HELP ANYONE?"

Now with very literal heat eminating from his body, Arimand continued his furious verbal assault.

"AAARGHH! I HAVE SPENT DAYS, WEEKS WORKING ON THE PERFECT PLAN WITH HELMUR. DO YOU KNOW HOW TAXING IT IS TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM AS HIM FOR EVEN A FEW MINUTES? AND I DID IT FOR HOURS, DAY AFTER DAY! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY SLEEPLESS NIGHTS I HAD? CALCULATING THE SAME PLAN OVER AND OVER AGAIN! ACCOUNTING FOR EVERY POSSIBILITY, EVERY OUTCOME! JUST TO ABSOLUTELY ENSURE OUR VICTORY! AND NOW IT IS ALL GONE! BECAUSE SOME BRAT WITH POWERFUL MAGIC THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO PLAY THE HERO! JUST BECAUSE YOU, OF ALL PEOPLE, DECIDED TO TAKE MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS AND DISREGARD EVERY BIT OF COMMON SENSE!"

Taking a very deep breath, Arimand appears to slowly calm down.

"WHEN THIS IS OVER, I WILL PERSONALLY MAKE SURE THAT YOU NEVER LEAD ANY KIND OF MILITARY FORCE EVER AGAIN!"

His angry rant over, he slowly returns to his seat. Nobody dared say a word as he sat down and slouched into his chair. Arimand activates his Advanced Analysis ability again, desperately trying to find a solution to this mess.

He doesn't seem to notice the Ace of Clubs entering. Only when he adresses Arimand, if that strike was part of his plan, does he receive a reaction. A death-glare, that, would it have been magical in nature, would surely wounded, if not outright killed the Ace on the spot.

After nearly two minutes of silence, Arimand spoke again, this time with his usual calm voice:
"My plan can still work. As long as our military genius over there used cheap airships and the enemy didn't spot the rest of your airfleet, they might be lead to believe that you crashed the rest of our airforces into their army in an desperate attempt to win this battle. If, and only if that happened, they will underestimate our counterattack even further. But we must act quickly. Leo, you will command your forces to guard the zeppelins and you will join them on board. Once the golems begin dropping themselfes ontop of the enemy, you will do the same. But we must act quickly, the enemy will surely be attacking very soon. Everyone, gather your forces and move into position!"

 

[Goonfire]

The verbal barrage took the Ace by surprise, causing him to slowly scoot back in his chair. He had never seen the new king of Diamonds this furious—though, to be fair, he had never seen the king of Diamonds, period. “I’m certain it wasn’t that much of a detriment to them,” Leo eked out in-between scoldings. Then came the final roar, which sent him reeling, his chair falling back with him. A pained groan escaped his mouth.

The two minutes of reprieve was a godsend, as it took him roughly that long to dust himself off and adjust his infamous feathered hat. “Yes, that was the plan... If our calculations match up, little to nothing has changed, and my low-flying air fleet made it here undetected.” Upon receiving the order to mobilize, he did so, but not before slipping in, “By the way... Would you mind joining me for tea, once this whole mess is over?” Damn, he recovered quickly. Not waiting for an answer, he departed for his command ship.

The beautiful, well-shielded, red-draped command vessel awaited the Ace’s return. He cannon-jumped all the way up to the deck, where an officer—which he knew as Alexia—awaited with a logbook. “Did it go well?” she questioned casually, reviewing a crew roster. “Yup, those new royals are a damn good lot. Structured, assertive, and no doubt lethal.”

Mechking

 

[MedievalFanatic2023]

QUEEN ALEXANDRA -THE CLUBBER QUEEN- ​

mentions: Mechking A Murder Of Corviknight Coyote Hart ChazGhost
"Ah, haha that is quite the truth my dear ace. Possibly not even a slight trim I presume?" She teased and glanced noticing Ari who started yelling at 'poor' Leo who was quite an unfortunate ace to ruin a plan. After Ari finished yelling at the ace of hearts. She then stood up laughing thinking this was idiotic to start fighting each other. "My! MY! What a predicament! DO YOU THINK OUR MIGHTY FOUNDER WOULD OF GAVE UP ON A FAILED PLAN? there is always a turnaround." She then smirked slyly. "I may be crazy but I can get a job done. Does the plan need a distraction I can throw out some test sheep hehehe~." She said referring to some golems blocking an assault if their plan failed at first.
She twirled her club in her left palm and raised an eyebrow at Ari. "Will that be all. I can back up this 'plan' of yours that was failed to be acknowledged to me. I believe its time I fix your messes. Such a shame~." She said before she flopped back down and rubbed her chin. "Maxwell do you have a copy of these plans or does none of the clubs know but the ones bringing this up. If so no one is to blame but terrible miscommunication. Also, Ari dear do Tell, has Guin gotten involved? or any of my fellow queens of the suits." She said her tone low and seemingly terrifying when she isn't acting mad. "but it should be simple with we had better preparations but nothing can be done now." She said as she stood back up.

 

[Athanas]

The sun was shining brightly over the meadow. Barely fifty meters from where Helmur was sitting, there was a small clump of trees. Apples, pears, and peaches, all well tended-to and ripe for consumption. Their leaves rustled softly with the breeze as birds chirped all around. He recognized the place. it was where they'd made their encampment, deep into Spades territory. The fresh sources of food were very welcome, as they had trouble securing proper supply lines so far in. Orson had claimed he found the place relaxing. Helmur disagreed. It's the quiet he was afraid of. When things are quiet, it's because there is someone waiting to ambush you. Such was life.

Yet he was trying. Trying desperately to see the beauty his brother spoke about. It was why he had brought him here. He'd begged him to at least let him with a view of something nice, and this was the closest thing to it. And it had actually helped a bit. Until the rot got to his nerves. Then he screamed and screamed and screamed until his vocal cords were destroyed. Even then, he kept making a gurgling, disgusting noise. Until even Helmur could take it no more and put him out of his misery.

Now, he should move. He had a headstart and he really ought to be using it. Get back to Hearts territory as soon as possible. Maybe try to make a map while returning. All logical, valid things. But he couldn't apply his training, no matter how hard he tried. He felt his vision dim once again as tears filled his eyes, and he clasped his brother's lifeless hand even harder.

"How.. Pathetic. The mighty Spade-Breaker, bawling like a kitten. You must be so proud of yourself."

He didn't bother turning. He knew exactly who that was. He'd heard that voice so many times in his dreams. Soon enough, she was in plain view, her posse of rotten thugs, some of which were his own troopers by her side. He remained silent.

"Come now, Spade Breaker. Surely you must have something to say to me? Some horrible insult? A threat to my kingdom? Be a little entertaining."

"He's dead" The words were strained, spoken in a low tone. 'There's nothing to be done. There's nothing I can do. He's dead. I cauterized his wounds, I chopped off bits of his skin, used the last of our salve. It didn't matter. He's dead"

An amused laugh escaped her lips: "Mhmm, he is. They all are. The price of your failure. I could've killed you as well, but when I saw how you frenzied when i poisoned him... Oh, it was delightful. I don't believe I've felt such excitement in months. And I knew, there were going to be no consequences for it. I mean, burning a couple villages? Forming this band of misfits that don't even like you? Hah! Like I care! And then, when your King called, you answered immediately, like a good little boy. My quarters are barely a mile from where you're dug in. They've been there for a month. And what did you do about it? Nothing, nothing at all."

She leaned closer, her voice lowering into a whisper: "So yes, Helmur Bellarmont. Your brother is dead. Your cousin is being used as a pawn by a whore queen. Nobody respects you. And you're not going to do anything about it, because you're a coward. A weak, miserable coward who hides behind his family name and soldiers. And no matter how hard you try, you will never have your vengeance. You will never amount to anything. Just another rabid dog to be wasted as a pawn."

"NO!" he bellowed,striking at her. He was suddenly awake, feeling a sharp pain as his fist connected with the wall. He remained there, breathing slowly, trying to recover his will. How could he possibly deny that she was right? He was an absolute weakling for allowing all of this, for not directly going after her. He felt the anxiety clawing at his throat, yet another breakdown inching closer and closer.

It took him a few minutes, but ultimately he managed to rise and summon his armor. He was glad for the helmet, as it allowed him to conceal his troubled expression. With this out of the way, he opened the door of his office. Seeing Typhus and his other elites already awake, he felt a pang of guilt. He, too, should've been awake, but his issues had overtaken him once more. He gave them a salute.

"Aight lads, rise and shine! I want everyone ready to go in the first line within an hour and a half! Go, go, go!"

He beckoned for one of his runners: "Go inform the medic, Arabella to also come find me as soon as she can. I-I wish to discuss her role in the frontline. Tell her we'll be at the Command post with the rest of the commanders. Oh, and seek my cousin as well: He must also get ready. Go, now!

As he moved to the post with his gang, He saw 5 massive airships overhead. Before he could identify who they belong to, he saw them charging into the Argossian line, unsupported. As expected, they were all ruined within minutes. He angrily swung his fists in the air. What fool was responsible for this? He'd give them a scolding and a half!

He entered the small room once there, His massive physique and gang [roving to be quite the imposing presence. "Good morning. Who is the idiotic fool that charged headfirst into the Argossian lines alone? You better believe there will be some disciplinary action for such stupidity! I did not lose sleep for almost a week so you could all ignore our plan!

Mechking Anaxileah MedievalFanatic2023 A Murder Of Corviknight BreezeCatcher

 

[LazyDaze]

XIXIX VALENTINE
X continued to gaze into the sky as he mulled over what came first...the chicken or the egg. If the chicken came first what a surprise laying an egg would bring! Would it innately know what to do with such a thing? If the egg came first, how in the world would a chick raise itself in the unforgiving reality we call life? Such a conundrum, but at the end of the day both were fairly tasty. It is a bit twisted to say that an unborn creature is a delicacy. Imagine if aliens came down to salt and pepper our fetuses. Sure, we would think that its weird, but maybe its all a matter of perspective. Nevertheless, that must be tragic. Raising a family knowing they were bred to be eaten before birth. Perhaps they do have a modicum of intelligence, but lack the power to stage a revolution. Maybe they just lack the courage to stand up against the oppression...AHA, and THAT is why people call cowards chicken! It all makes sense!

X managed to maintain his blank canvas as a small fleet of airships flew overhead, casting their mighty shadow over him and interrupted his thoughts. He slowly followed the foreboding sight with his eyes as their path led them to the enemy lines. Four...two...and then there was, oh never mind they were all destroyed. X never flinched during this ordeal, even when the ships crashed and exploded. "That was one hell of a final push. What a way to end the final batt-...oh yeah...we never started...," X slowly sat up as he gazed upon the destruction and chaos that unfolded afterward. "...Oooh...that's not good at all," he said dryly, now standing with his hands in his pockets as the sounds of war became louder.

IRIS BASTILLE

Once things finally died down, Iris let out a sigh of relief since should could finally focus on the matter at hand. She would tell X to get his but over here and act like a good King, but that was until the Arimand approached her. He was talking, but she was barely registering what he was saying until she realized he was actually talking to her. (Wait why is he talking to me, and how does he know who I am?) Her thoughts cut off when he asked her for tea causing her cheeks to turn an embarrassing shade of red as she stood there speechless. "D-did he ask me out on a date? In the middle of war," Iris thought to herself as she held up her notebook to her face subconsciously. She didn't have time for a romantic venture, not while she was trying to take care of her own country. She was working for X, but the nations were in a coalition, so it should be okay. Well she barely knew the guy, but he was royalty.Would it be disrespectful to turn him down, or more disrespectful to lead him on? "U-um I-I, w-w-well....." She was usually pretty sure of herself, but these royals were constantly throwing her off her guard. It was starting to seem like being eccentric was a requirement for being a royal. Just as she was about to gather herself and answer the King she was interrupted by an announcement regarding the Ace of Hearts which was strange to say the least. She only had to hear the plan once to commit it to memory, and this had absolutely nothing to do with it. Arimand's reaction only confirmed this.

The Ace of Hearts, Leolin, apparently messed up...bad. The commotion that followed was legendary which caused Iris to slump in her own chair and groan at how dysfunctional they all were. Viewing this scene, it was wonder how they managed to survive this long. Suddenly, she could see why X had forgone this little meeting of sorts; the foresight that man had was actually incredible. As if the situation wasn't already a bubble floating next to a sowing needle, The Mad Queen put her stamp on the situation. She couldn't tell if it was demoralizing to see us so disoriented, or motivating to see that she was so confident in her abilities to rise a failing plan from the ashes. "Oh, my Queen should this suffice," Iris said as she ripped a couple of blank sheets of paper from her notebook. Instantly, she filled the pages with words detailing the plan they were to follow. She then handed the contents to The Club Queen confident this would appease her before relaying a message to X.

We're going to begin soon. Get in position....P.S. you were right.

I'm already in position. You guys are slow, and what was I right about?

The royals, anyway The King of Diamonds invited me to have tea with him. What do you want me to do?

Get married, have kids, and start that alliance. We'll need it in the future.

Bastard.

That's likely; I am an orphan after all.

Go die.

Lend me five air ships and I will. P.S should you be using this for personal chitchat?

"Ahem," Iris said clearing her throat after losing her battle of words with X. "As according to the plan, X is already in position on the left flank and will be awaiting further orders."

That was when a brute of a man burst in...completely pissed. She could take a good guess as to why he wasn't in the best of moods since his anger could only be rivaled by Arimand's. The only thing left to do was to face palm at this point since the only plan that they seemed to be able to follow was yell as loud as you can to the nearest person. "I might need those earmuffs your highness," Iris mumbled under her breath hoping she would wake up from this nightmare called reality.

MedievalFanatic2023 Goonfire A Murder Of Corviknight Athanas Mechking

 

[Nano]

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[div class=header] seria sylvainne;

[div class=subheader] Without anyone noticing, Time continued falling [/div] [/div] [div class=basicsR] [div class=box] Seria Sylvainne’s mood reached apex agitation as the sound of explosions against their magical defenses reverberated through her very bones. Like a child, the serpent living in her blood raged violently in protest. Her skin down to her very nerves felt electrified, making every step feel as if she were walking in a field of molten glass, yet she could only move onwards. There were preparations to attend to and positions to assume. At the very least, it was better now than later. The last thing she needed was for Tyrnotte to throw a tantrum in the middle of a decisive battle.

“Tell your master to behave himself,” she spat coldly at the black cat casually sitting by her feet. Paying no mind to her usual complaints, it flicked its tail at her in disinterest.

“You’ll be late,” it seemed to say.

With no further words exchanged between the two, Seria continued on her way through the halls buzzing with activity with the cat faithfully at her heels. She busied herself with curt greetings and brief orders here and there, and by the time she had arrived at their agreed meeting point, the pain had died down to a dull throb. Or perhaps she was simply too shocked to feel the pain. Even her steady footfalls came to a halt at a very unexpected announcement:

“Attention all Suits royalty: the personal fleet of the ace of Hearts has arrived. Impact in one minute.”

She blinked once. Then twice. Even when the marble floors trembled under the might of the fleet’s artillery shells, Seria stood stock-still, silently contemplating what in the name of the gods was occuring. Could it be a change in plans that she had not been informed of? But what could be the reasoning behind such a blatantly flashy and reckless assault?

As soon as these thoughts were said, her questions were answered in the form of a string of swears and some colorful threats. Sure enough, no one else had gotten the memo, either. Rather, the Ace of Hearts’ preferred method of entrance was not only unplanned but also risked their current plans, inciting the rage of one very livid King of Diamonds.

“He’s quite the character,” the Ace of Spades said, her serpentine eyes flashing with an unreadable glint. As she eased her way into the room, she scanned the vicinity for familiar faces. When her gaze picked up all manners of royals except for her country’s own, her eternally paralyzed facial expression shifted ever-so-slightly as she raised her right brow by a fraction.

"Where are-"

A large and muscular man barged into the room with arms swinging and his voice bellowing angrily.

“-the Spades’ royals,” the Ace continued in a muttered tone. No matter, the others would surely make their way by the time their deployment was due.

In response to the angry Helmur’s outburst, she replied in a bland tone, “that ‘idiotic fool’ would be your Ace of Hearts.”

It was truly a surprise as to how one of the two primary organizers for the upcoming battle came from the very same faction as the one who dared disturb said plans. [/div] [/div] [/div]

Athanas

[/div] [/div]

 

[BreezeCatcher]

Typhus Vont - 10 - Diamond(ex)
Location - Wherever Helmur goes (Unless told otherwise by Helmur)

Following the massive bulk that made up Helmur, it came as no surprise to Typhus that the first thing on the agenda for today was to yell at some poor sap for pissing off Helmur. From his experiences fighting alongside the brute of a man, it made sense. He was quick to anger, quick to fight, and quick to piss people off. But not Typhus. Here in Helmur's gang he was allowed to operate how he pleased. He wasn't judged for his evil magic or prevented from furthering said magics. With Typhus' obsession with increasing his power, he fit right in with Helmur's gang, who viewed overall strength above all else. That and he recognized that Helmur was also crazily seeking to increase his power, although he had never asked why. It wasn't his place to question why others pursued what he so desperately chased after.

So Typhus didn't say much as he followed the angry hulking form of Helmur through the stone halls of the headquarters building they had been using in Valencia. When they passed outside through a courtyard and watched as a group of five airships sunk into the Argossian line with a startling explosion he let out a hmpf in exasperation. What a waste. He thought, but gave little attention too. Whoever had been crewing those airships just hadn't been strong enough, it was because they were weak that they failed. Too bad. Typhus continued to follow Helmur until they made it to the meeting hall. There he paused, but only for a moment. He had nothing to say to these Royals and normally he would leave these things with Helmur. But, presence mattered in meetings such as these, and it would look better for Helmur if his gang was supporting him here. That and Helmur was prone to starting fights. Not that Typhus had any intentions to stop the fights. If it came to it he would be there to back Helmur up and fight anyone who dared to walk over them.

Be that as it may, Helmur's initial outburst was quiet direct, to the point that their entrance seemed to have cut off the Ace of Spades. A dry chuckle escaped Typhus' lips at that. To think that even now Helmur would be disrupting the Spades, what a brute or a warrior. "Last time I checked they were your Royal's, shouldn't you be keeping track of them." His voice flat with indifference. It really wasn't his place to speak at these meetings but he couldn't help but let out the odd comment when faced with such questions. And then the comment about the Ace of Hearts came out, and he couldn't help but voice his opinion again. "The crew should have recognized their weakness and relied on someone of significant strength to carry out such a foolish mission if it had to be done. Tis a shame that instead we find the Ace of Hearts was hiding behind them, knowing fully well the fate they would find waiting for them because of their weakness. What a waste." The distaste was obvious this time, and as he locked eyes with the Ace of Spades he made his emotions known. Typhus had never been one to hide his feelings and almost always spoke plainly. If what he said was upsetting than it needed to be changed, not his way of speaking. That was what he thought. He wasn't aware however that the airships had been unmanned, and that everyone was instead angry because they believed the plan ruined. Instead of them being upset because of the loss of life.

Athanas Mechking Nano LazyDaze Goonfire MedievalFanatic2023 A Murder Of Corviknight

 

[Coyote Hart]

It was like a morning like no other in Valencia. The beautifully carved buildings almost glistened in the sunlight, the flowers danced lazily in the warm Hearts Kingdom climate, and the barrage of fire strained against the defenses of the city.

Twig on his part tried his best to make his morning just like any other than he had when he was back at home. He woke early, feeling a bit sleepy still due to the concoction he had brewed up the night before to promote sleep, knowing what this day had in store for him. As he shook off the remnants of sleep, Twig headed out to help out the overworked field medics to tend the wounded. The sheer amount of wounded was shocking each time Twig visited, and if he still had some sleep left in him, it would be all washed away by the horrific sight of the injuries caused by the instruments of the Argossians.

Usually, Twig would work as long as he could, bandaging up mages and using his healing magic to patch up those most in need. But today, Twig focused solely on herbal medicine and only expended his mana sparingly. Today was the big day, the day when the plans were enacted. So after working on the wounded, Twig painfully pulled himself away to his room to conserve energy for the attack. As much as it pained him to leave the wounded, Twig knew he would have to count on the other field medics to do well while he was gone, as well as Arabella and Celestrina's healing powers.

Instead, Twig found himself needing to be at the Joker meeting, slightly a bit away from where the royals were. There was a discussion on the plan of attack for the battle, although Twig was slightly enamored by Jake, his boyfriend who he hadn't been able to see for quite a while due to the war.

When Twig returned from the meeting, he squeezed out some apple cider from apple mush that he had prepared the night before and heated it up with a bit of cinnamon. He did his best to try to read and get himself into the right mindzone as he sipped on the steaming apple cider.

But twenty minutes in, a telepathic announcement almost made Twig choke on his cider. The Ace's fleet was coming in.

Twig rushed to the window of his room, sticking his head out and watching the scene unfold. The Ace of Hearts, Leo, was standing at one of the rooftops as a fleet of ungraceful ships lumbered to the Argossians. The Argossians aimed their gunfire at the fleet of ships, but to no avail. The ships, visibly unmanned, crashed into the Argossian forces, an inferno of flames accompanying it, creating a small earth tremor as it tore apart the Argossians.

"Leo," Twig said, shaking his head. He didn't feel disappointment, but he did feel a bit of amusement and sadness. The ships were a magnificent show of power, but it did also show the desperation and pain that Leo most definitely felt on the inside. No doubt the other royals would be upset though-- this would likely remove the advantage of surprise for the attack.

Speaking of which.

"Dang it," Twig muttered as he realized his mistake. Today was when the royals were all meeting up together to get ready right before the attack. And even though Twig severely disliked sitting in a room of people and talking, he knew he shouldn't have forgotten.

Twig hurriedly packed his hot apple cider into his hip flask, and then when that was filled, into several wooden cups which he carried on a metal tray. He pulled on his coat, then moved as fast as he could to the meeting without spilling his cider.

As expected, the meeting was in an uproar as Twig headed over. The King of Diamonds, Arimand, was literally shaking in his seat with anger, Helmur's gigantic physique was blocking the entrance as he demanded to know who caused the commotion, and Twig caught Typhus muttering criticism towards Leo.

"Excuse me," the thin Jack of Hearts said as he scootched past Helmur's towering physique. He did his best to ignore the anger in everyone's eyes, although it almost made Twig want to leap out of the window to escape. "Sorry, I'm late."

"I hope everyone's doing good this fine morning," Twig said, his voice shaking slightly as he knew that everything, in fact, was not 'doing good', it was going to heck. He raised his metal tray and said, "I ended up making too much apple cider. Does anyone want a cup?"

Athanas Mechking Nano LazyDaze MedievalFanatic2023 A Murder Of Corviknight BreezeCatcher
Editted to show that Joker meeting already occurred

 

[MedievalFanatic2023]

The sun was shining brightly over the meadow. Barely fifty meters from where Helmur was sitting, there was a small clump of trees. Apples, pears, and peaches, all well tended-to and ripe for consumption. Their leaves rustled softly with the breeze as birds chirped all around. He recognized the place. it was where they'd made their encampment, deep into Spades territory. The fresh sources of food were very welcome, as they had trouble securing proper supply lines so far in. Orson had claimed he found the place relaxing. Helmur disagreed. It's the quiet he was afraid of. When things are quiet, it's because there is someone waiting to ambush you. Such was life.

Yet he was trying. Trying desperately to see the beauty his brother spoke about. It was why he had brought him here. He'd begged him to at least let him with a view of something nice, and this was the closest thing to it. And it had actually helped a bit. Until the rot got to his nerves. Then he screamed and screamed and screamed until his vocal cords were destroyed. Even then, he kept making a gurgling, disgusting noise. Until even Helmur could take it no more and put him out of his misery.

Now, he should move. He had a headstart and he really ought to be using it. Get back to Hearts territory as soon as possible. Maybe try to make a map while returning. All logical, valid things. But he couldn't apply his training, no matter how hard he tried. He felt his vision dim once again as tears filled his eyes, and he clasped his brother's lifeless hand even harder.

"How.. Pathetic. The mighty Spade-Breaker, bawling like a kitten. You must be so proud of yourself."

He didn't bother turning. He knew exactly who that was. He'd heard that voice so many times in his dreams. Soon enough, she was in plain view, her posse of rotten thugs, some of which were his own troopers by her side. He remained silent.

"Come now, Spade Breaker. Surely you must have something to say to me? Some horrible insult? A threat to my kingdom? Be a little entertaining."

"He's dead" The words were strained, spoken in a low tone. 'There's nothing to be done. There's nothing I can do. He's dead. I cauterized his wounds, I chopped off bits of his skin, used the last of our salve. It didn't matter. He's dead"

An amused laugh escaped her lips: "Mhmm, he is. They all are. The price of your failure. I could've killed you as well, but when I saw how you frenzied when i poisoned him... Oh, it was delightful. I don't believe I've felt such excitement in months. And I knew, there were going to be no consequences for it. I mean, burning a couple villages? Forming this band of misfits that don't even like you? Hah! Like I care! And then, when your King called, you answered immediately, like a good little boy. My quarters are barely a mile from where you're dug in. They've been there for a month. And what did you do about it? Nothing, nothing at all."

She leaned closer, her voice lowering into a whisper: "So yes, Helmur Bellarmont. Your brother is dead. Your cousin is being used as a pawn by a whore queen. Nobody respects you. And you're not going to do anything about it, because you're a coward. A weak, miserable coward who hides behind his family name and soldiers. And no matter how hard you try, you will never have your vengeance. You will never amount to anything. Just another rabid dog to be wasted as a pawn."

"NO!" he bellowed,striking at her. He was suddenly awake, feeling a sharp pain as his fist connected with the wall. He remained there, breathing slowly, trying to recover his will. How could he possibly deny that she was right? He was an absolute weakling for allowing all of this, for not directly going after her. He felt the anxiety clawing at his throat, yet another breakdown inching closer and closer.

It took him a few minutes, but ultimately he managed to rise and summon his armor. He was glad for the helmet, as it allowed him to conceal his troubled expression. With this out of the way, he opened the door of his office. Seeing Typhus and his other elites already awake, he felt a pang of guilt. He, too, should've been awake, but his issues had overtaken him once more. He gave them a salute.

"Aight lads, rise and shine! I want everyone ready to go in the first line within an hour and a half! Go, go, go!"

He beckoned for one of his runners: "Go inform the medic, Arabella to also come find me as soon as she can. I-I wish to discuss her role in the frontline. Tell her we'll be at the Command post with the rest of the commanders. Oh, and seek my cousin as well: He must also get ready. Go, now!

As he moved to the post with his gang, He saw 5 massive airships overhead. Before he could identify who they belong to, he saw them charging into the Argossian line, unsupported. As expected, they were all ruined within minutes. He angrily swung his fists in the air. What fool was responsible for this? He'd give them a scolding and a half!

He entered the small room once there, His massive physique and gang [roving to be quite the imposing presence. "Good morning. Who is the idiotic fool that charged headfirst into the Argossian lines alone? You better believe there will be some disciplinary action for such stupidity! I did not lose sleep for almost a week so you could all ignore our plan!

Mechking Anaxileah MedievalFanatic2023 A Murder Of Corviknight BreezeCatcher

XIXIX VALENTINE
X continued to gaze into the sky as he mulled over what came first...the chicken or the egg. If the chicken came first what a surprise laying an egg would bring! Would it innately know what to do with such a thing? If the egg came first, how in the world would a chick raise itself in the unforgiving reality we call life? Such a conundrum, but at the end of the day both were fairly tasty. It is a bit twisted to say that an unborn creature is a delicacy. Imagine if aliens came down to salt and pepper our fetuses. Sure, we would think that its weird, but maybe its all a matter of perspective. Nevertheless, that must be tragic. Raising a family knowing they were bred to be eaten before birth. Perhaps they do have a modicum of intelligence, but lack the power to stage a revolution. Maybe they just lack the courage to stand up against the oppression...AHA, and THAT is why people call cowards chicken! It all makes sense!

X managed to maintain his blank canvas as a small fleet of airships flew overhead, casting their mighty shadow over him and interrupted his thoughts. He slowly followed the foreboding sight with his eyes as their path led them to the enemy lines. Four...two...and then there was, oh never mind they were all destroyed. X never flinched during this ordeal, even when the ships crashed and exploded. "That was one hell of a final push. What a way to end the final batt-...oh yeah...we never started...," X slowly sat up as he gazed upon the destruction and chaos that unfolded afterward. "...Oooh...that's not good at all," he said dryly, now standing with his hands in his pockets as the sounds of war became louder.

IRIS BASTILLE

Once things finally died down, Iris let out a sigh of relief since should could finally focus on the matter at hand. She would tell X to get his but over here and act like a good King, but that was until the Arimand approached her. He was talking, but she was barely registering what he was saying until she realized he was actually talking to her. (Wait why is he talking to me, and how does he know who I am?) Her thoughts cut off when he asked her for tea causing her cheeks to turn an embarrassing shade of red as she stood there speechless. "D-did he ask me out on a date? In the middle of war," Iris thought to herself as she held up her notebook to her face subconsciously. She didn't have time for a romantic venture, not while she was trying to take care of her own country. She was working for X, but the nations were in a coalition, so it should be okay. Well she barely knew the guy, but he was royalty.Would it be disrespectful to turn him down, or more disrespectful to lead him on? "U-um I-I, w-w-well....." She was usually pretty sure of herself, but these royals were constantly throwing her off her guard. It was starting to seem like being eccentric was a requirement for being a royal. Just as she was about to gather herself and answer the King she was interrupted by an announcement regarding the Ace of Hearts which was strange to say the least. She only had to hear the plan once to commit it to memory, and this had absolutely nothing to do with it. Arimand's reaction only confirmed this.

The Ace of Hearts, Leolin, apparently messed up...bad. The commotion that followed was legendary which caused Iris to slump in her own chair and groan at how dysfunctional they all were. Viewing this scene, it was wonder how they managed to survive this long. Suddenly, she could see why X had forgone this little meeting of sorts; the foresight that man had was actually incredible. As if the situation wasn't already a bubble floating next to a sowing needle, The Mad Queen put her stamp on the situation. She couldn't tell if it was demoralizing to see us so disoriented, or motivating to see that she was so confident in her abilities to rise a failing plan from the ashes. "Oh, my Queen should this suffice," Iris said as she ripped a couple of blank sheets of paper from her notebook. Instantly, she filled the pages with words detailing the plan they were to follow. She then handed the contents to The Club Queen confident this would appease her before relaying a message to X.

We're going to begin soon. Get in position....P.S. you were right.

I'm already in position. You guys are slow, and what was I right about?

The royals, anyway The King of Diamonds invited me to have tea with him. What do you want me to do?

Get married, have kids, and start that alliance. We'll need it in the future.

Bastard.

That's likely; I am an orphan after all.

Go die.

Lend me five air ships and I will. P.S should you be using this for personal chitchat?

"Ahem," Iris said clearing her throat after losing her battle of words with X. "As according to the plan, X is already in position on the left flank and will be awaiting further orders."

That was when a brute of a man burst in...completely pissed. She could take a good guess as to why he wasn't in the best of moods since his anger could only be rivaled by Arimand's. The only thing left to do was to face palm at this point since the only plan that they seemed to be able to follow was yell as loud as you can to the nearest person. "I might need those earmuffs your highness," Iris mumbled under her breath hoping she would wake up from this nightmare called reality.

MedievalFanatic2023 Goonfire A Murder Of Corviknight Athanas Mechking

View attachment 638514
It was like a morning like no other in Valencia. The beautifully carved buildings almost glistened in the sunlight, the flowers danced lazily in the warm Hearts Kingdom climate, and the barrage of fire strained against the defenses of the city.

Twig on his part tried his best to make his morning just like any other than he had when he was back at home. He woke early, feeling a bit sleepy still due to the concoction he had brewed up the night before to promote sleep, knowing what this day had in store for him. As he shook off the remnants of sleep, Twig headed out to help out the overworked field medics to tend the wounded. The sheer amount of wounded was shocking each time Twig visited, and if he still had some sleep left in him, it would be all washed away by the horrific sight of the injuries caused by the instruments of the Argossians.

Usually, Twig would work as long as he could, bandaging up mages and using his healing magic to patch up those most in need. But today, Twig focused solely on herbal medicine and only expended his mana sparingly. Today was the big day, the day when the plans were enacted. So after working on the wounded, Twig painfully pulled himself away to his room to conserve energy for the attack. As much as it pained him to leave the wounded, Twig knew he would have to count on the other field medics to do well while he was gone, as well as Arabella and Celestrina's healing powers.

When Twig returned, he squeezed out some apple cider from apple mush that he had prepared the night before and heated it up with a bit of cinnamon. He did his best to try to read and get himself into the right mindzone as he sipped on the steaming apple cider.

But twenty minutes in, a telepathic announcement almost made Twig choke on his cider. The Ace's fleet was coming in.

Twig rushed to the window of his room, sticking his head out and watching the scene unfold. The Ace of Hearts, Leo, was standing at one of the rooftops as a fleet of ungraceful ships lumbered to the Argossians. The Argossians aimed their gunfire at the fleet of ships, but to no avail. The ships, visibly unmanned, crashed into the Argossian forces, an inferno of flames accompanying it, creating a small earth tremor as it tore apart the Argossians.

"Leo," Twig said, shaking his head. He didn't feel disappointment, but he did feel a bit of amusement and sadness. The ships were a magnificent show of power, but it did also show the desperation and pain that Leo most definitely felt on the inside. No doubt the other royals would be upset though-- this would likely remove the advantage of surprise for the attack.

Speaking of which.

"Dang it," Twig muttered as he realized his mistake. Today was when the royals were all meeting up together to get ready right before the attack. And even though Twig severely disliked sitting in a room of people and talking, he knew he shouldn't have forgotten. And after that, the Jokers were going to meet up. Thank goodness he hadn't missed that, or else he would've thrown away his oppertunity to see his boyfriend after being seperated for quite a while.

Twig hurriedly packed his hot apple cider into his hip flask, and then when that was filled, into several wooden cups which he carried on a metal tray. He pulled on his coat, then moved as fast as he could to the meeting without spilling his cider.

As expected, the meeting was in an uproar as Twig headed over. The King of Diamonds, Arimand, was literally shaking in his seat with anger, Helmur's gigantic physique was blocking the entrance as he demanded to know who caused the commotion, and Twig caught Typhus muttering criticism towards Leo.

"Excuse me," the thin Jack of Hearts said as he scootched past Helmur's towering physique. He did his best to ignore the anger in everyone's eyes, although it almost made Twig want to leap out of the window to escape. "Sorry, I'm late."

"I hope everyone's doing good this fine morning," Twig said, his voice shaking slightly as he knew that everything, in fact, was not 'doing good', it was going to heck. He raised his metal tray and said, "I ended up making too much apple cider. Does anyone want a cup?"

Athanas Mechking s Nano LazyDaze MedievalFanatic2023 A Murder Of Corviknight BreezeCatcher

QUEEN ALEXANDRA -THE CLUBBER QUEEN​

Her words did not go unanswered as things momentarily settled she took the papers from Iris. "OH! why yes this is perfect deary." She said but paused as she noticed Helmur kicked the door open and she laughed at his comment. "OHHH dear how late you are." She said then looked over to Iris hearing her and put the earmuffs on Iris. "Take it as a gift I have over 20 pairs." She said whispering to the king's assistant as she looked back noticing the Ace of spades comment. "HEHE, how embarrassing that must be for HElmur his own ace messing up his plans." She said being slightly bitchy. She noticed Twig offering cider. "OO! yes, something sweet!" SHe said pleased letting the man bring her own.

She then leaned back as she fiddled with her scepter looking at the documents. "Fascinating. Dear poor X-ie must be roughed up in battle right now. We should probably join him momentarily.
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