Fantasy Reclaiming the Throne - Main

[StaidFoal]

The coup was swift and precise, lasting no more than a day. With more than half the guard paid off, and the rest out dealing with the barbarous attacks of the Inquisition throughout Strosa, the rest of the coup literally walked into the castle. The fight was disappointing, the crusaders barely suffering any casualties. Thanks to Lady Anna's vast network, they were able to control most of the nobility and Grand Guard. With the Viper and Lord Godfrey, Athena's forces became more than simple farmers with forks. All built right under the royals' noses.

From the castle entrance lay body on top of body. The horrid stench was filling the once luxurious throne room. The crusaders formed lines to the side of the walkway, settling into a straight stance in unison. One by one, they dropped to a precise bow as Her Royal Majesty stepped inside, her black dress trailing behind her. Guards in shiny, gold armor walked beside her, heads high and chests out. Athena held up her dress, walking up the steps and being careful to avoid the pools of blood left by King and Queen Lionsclaw. She reclined into the throne, the sense of fulfillment washing over her like a breeze of winter. A menacing smile crawled to her lips as the loyal crusaders all kneeled before her. In a strong, demeaning voice that had constantly reminded the knights of their place, she spoke. "Rise." In unison they stood, and the castle was silent. "Claiming the throne and eliminating the royal family was just the first step. We still have a whole kingdom to bring under our power, and as of now we--"

The doors burst open, splinters flying everywhere. Athena scowled, but quickly regained her composure when she realized that it was Lord Godfrey, adorned in his red and gold armor and wielding his bloodied sword by his side. He approached her in no ways proper; Athena made a note to correct his behavior on a later date. "Sir Godfrey," she said, tone in a false calm, "what is it?"

Elliot sheathed his blade and dropped to a kneel, focusing on the steps beneath Athena and ensuring that he did not raise his head to doubt his loyalty, the only proper thing he's done. "Your Majesty, it is about the prince." Athena raised a brow, and even the stone-hearted Elliot could feel her penetrating gaze pierce his soul. He stammered in his words for a moment, then, "He has escaped our grasp." The crusaders felt a chill rattle down their spine as Athena shut her eyes. She realized that they hadn't even made it past step one, and with every curse she swore under her breath, her hands clenched into a fist. She abruptly stood, sending a glare at her army.

After a sigh and forcing her frustration back down her throat, she asked, "Is there any other news?"

"He's taken the Talon as well." The news made Athena click her tongue and furrow her brows. The sword was a symbol of rule and authority; a sign that made its wielder the legitimate candidate for the throne. If she was ever to strengthen her grip for good on Manastisia, acquiring it was mandatory. The thought of the prince escaping had crossed her mind, but she believed that their force had countered everything. With a whole network of spies and intelligence from Lady Anna, a whole army of crusaders from the disgruntled noble, Lord Godfrey, and the Viper, a skilled mercenary from foreign lands with a powerful desire to spill royal blood, how would escape be possible? She shook her head. This distraction would be short and temporary. The prince can't make it far, right?

"Godfrey, take you and your men out in Strosa and find the prince at all costs. Kill anybody helping him. Recruit the assistance of the Viper or use the vast web of Lady Anna's knowledge, if needed. Go!" With that, Lord Godfrey stampeded out the door, followed by his mob of the Inquisition. Shortly after, the castle was quiet once more, and Athena fell into the throne. Holding the keys to the kingdom was a weight on her mind, and having a loose prince didn't make it any easier.

---

The Fluffiest Floof AmberV Theo713 You may place your characters anywhere.

Rusty of Shackleford AmberV Bryce and Ewain will have almost escaped the Nobility Quarters, and will need to escape the Slums afterwards.

 

[AmberV]

Gods, the stench was revolting. The metallic tang of blood and offal was not something Anna was accustomed to and it took a fair amount of effort to not dry heave into the nearest corner. Lifting her skirts delicately, she navigated around the corpses that lined the halls. It was so different now, an air of tension hanging in the vaulted corridors. The last time she had been in the castle was for party, attended by most of the nobility present in Strosa. The King and Queen had danced and drank and been so utterly unconcerned with everything around them. They should have been far more careful.

And now their bodies lay upon the dais steps.

Anna paused in the doorway of the throne room, brow furrowed as she looked at the shattered door. That would be expensive to fix, but the sooner the better. She stepped over the threshold and into the throne room itself, composing herself before beginning to approach. It was still and empty, save for the Queen. Anna paused and curtsied, dipping her head low, "Your Majesty." Athena looked born for that chair, lounging in it as if she had spent her life in that very spot. "I must congratulate you on your victory. An awe-inspiring sight, to be sure."

 

[The Fluffiest Floof]

There had been no survivors. The raid on the castle had been brutally successful. All those that had been loyal to the royal family had been mowed down like cattle. Now, their bodies were piling up. The floor was bloodstained. The stench was unbearable. For most, at least. Some people appeared unaffected by it. Those that had been accustomed to death and gore for long enough eventually grew accustomed to the smell. Even to the point, at which i did not even get noticed by them.

Miyoshi Ikage was one of those people. She stood in the throne room, her mask hanging from her belt currently. She had taken it off when the fight had ended. She wasn´t wearing it to hide behind, but for the purpose of psychological warfare. That, and because it simply was something she grew accustomed to. It also reminded her off her home.
Miyoshi took a sip from the flask, that she always carried. The liquid inside was a brew made from a receipe only her people knew. It was easy to make, which meant she wouldn´t run out anytime soon, yet still, it was strange to those that did not know it.
Without her mask, Miyoshi was quite a beautiful female. Her face had a foreign look, as she came from far away. Still, it had a lot of beauty, her skin flawless, her eyes of such deep green. She still wore her hat, which mostly hid her brown hair. If she ever let it out of the bun she wore it in, it would frame her face, even adding to the looks of the warrior.

She saw the door bust open and Godfrey walk in. He seemed quite out of it, making the Viper, as Miyoshi was referred to by many, wonder what he had screwed up now. But he was soon to tell, saying something that almost made Miyoshi choke on her drink. She plugged up the flask and stored it back at her belt, grabbing her mask off it. When the queen sent Godfrey off, she followed, putting the mask back on her face. She wasnt sure if anybody even still remembered she had been there. People tended to forget about her, as she was very quiet when she wanted to.

She followed Godfrey outside the castle. There, she caught up to him. "The prince is a personal matter to me. I will join you. I can gather information for us, assuming we capture a few of them alive. And, of course... I too long to spill the blood of those, that hinder our quest. The prince won´t escape me. Us." The womans speech was heavily accented, but it was understandable for the most part. She spoke those words in a neutral way, not meaning to order the crusader, neither to insult him. Though the ambition behind that was clear. The fact that she wanted to see the prince dead, preferably by her hands.

 

[StaidFoal]

Athena Faleria

Your Majesty. Even now, being called such made Athena's heart race with excitement. It almost made her forget about the runaway prince. "It is the royals' own fault for ignoring the people's displeasure." As she said that, Tyler, for whatever reason, came to mind. Perhaps it was what he said during that one meeting... what did he say? "Don't forget us little people." Athena shook her head. This was no time for such distracting thoughts. There was still lots of work to be done, and the royals were not finished just yet.

"Everything should be going exceedingly well, but the prince managed to slip by us." She crossed her legs, thinking just how much time she was wasting thanks to this little chase. Having the Inquisiton chase after him, flipping every barrel in search for the prince, meant that they would be exhausted for today. The time it would take for them to rest would mean that the rest of Manastisia would hear of the news, and--She shook her head once more. These rambling thoughts weren't new to her, it was part of her neediness for everything to be in order. "But it is no matter, I have complete faith in my force's ability to destroy him. The only place he can truly hide is the Forbidden Forest, and I highly doubt he's capable of surviving in that wretched place."

"Lady Anna, assistance in tracking down the prince would be much appreciated. I'm sure your rats you have around Strosa could be of use, yes?"

AmberV

Lord Elliot Godfrey

As the crusader stampeded out the door, he stopped to order his men. In his old, gruff voice, he said, "I want you to split up in groups of three. Spread out and turn over every barrel! We are not letting the king's brat get away!" The crusaders cheered, armor clinking as they split up and rushed past him. It was then that he noticed Miyoshi, wearing that devilish mask, and she spoke. Her foreign accent was heavy, but he could make out what she wanted. The way she spoke reaffirmed her wish to see the royals dead, meaning that Elliot could trust her. He could feel her ambition spreading to him, and he nodded.

"Do whatever you need to do to find the prince. It is of the utmost importance that we follow through with Her Majesty's order." Outside the castle, Elliot noticed his horse galloping over to him. He grabbed onto the saddle, pulling himself onto the animal. Looking down at her, he continued. "Come with me if you wish, and do not hesitate to investigate the slightest of disturbances. If not, then I trust you know what you're doing."

The Fluffiest Floof​

 

[Theo713]

So this was it. The day of the supposed coup. Whispers and rumors had spread like wildfire through the Slums, but none dared breathe a word of it near the Noble Quarter. A change was coming, and everyone in the slums wanted it to come as soon as possible. Tyler himself was included in that fair group of people, but ultimately he decided against actually joining the coup itself. He vaguely remembered being told, though by who he didn't recall “Either stand with us or stay out of our way.” It didn't sound like something Athena herself would say, but that was definitely the message he had received. And he made sure to follow it to the letter. He felt guilty, only in that he wanted all the rewards and having to do none of the work. Well, a little guilty. Not a lot. Not after everything he and the other Slummers had gone through.

But now it had happened. Now it was real. The coup had been a success, and the current regime was current no more. Stepping out of the shadows, a very tired and very surprised Tyler would look towards the castle, a little disheartened his vision was blurred by fires of noble homes burning to the ground. “Well I'll be damned” He spoke, his voice cracking from having not much water to drink the day prior. “It...worked. She's...queen....” Though he smiled, his brain ran a million miles a minute. Ooh crap I flirted with a woman that would be queen. Can't rightly show up now wanting a piece of the pie. Not and not be killed anyway. Scratching his rough beard and flicking away what he was sure was a few fleas a sudden realization hit Tyler like a ton of bricks. The noble homes still stood. Maybe they had yet to be ransacked by their new leader. A grin came to Tyler's face at the thought of all that gold just lying around waiting to be taken. I'm going to need a coin purse. And a very large satchel.

A half hour later Tyler was stealthily sneaking through the third home he had broken in to, creaking open the door to what he had correctly guessed was the master bedroom. There in the bed lay the former owners of the home, a woman's body and head in two separate corners of the room while her husband laid motionless on the ground just a few feet from the door. This one had been hit too. The family killed but the goods untouched. It almost made it too easy. And honestly, he was ready for an easy day. Only after he was sure the room was clear did Tyler enter, heading for the dresser and adding its eight gold coins to his growing collection. “And that makes 30. It amazes me how much gold you nobles leave lying around.” he would tell the dead husband, his eyes going to the far wall. There, hung next to a vanity, was a full length mirror. Approaching it, Tyler would see himself clearly for the first time in a very long time. “No wonder even the whores don't look at you anymore Ty. You look like Hell. Hey, Noble. Mine if I borrow some clothes?” He asked to the dead room, giving a nod. “Right. Take that as a yes then.” It took him a few moments to find what he thought would look good on him before exiting the closet and holding two sets of clothes up to himself, again looking to the dead man. “What do you think? Brown is more my style but the red really brings out the color of my eyes.” That's when it happened. Something he hadn't been expecting. The husband moved. Not much, just a turn of his head, but enough to give him goosebumps. “Fuck fat man. Guess all that fine dining really did do you some good.” The husband didn't speak, only raising an arm in Tyler's direction. The look on his face. The way he moved. Tyler knew it all too well. Even without speaking the man was asking, begging for help. How the tables have turned. Tyler said nothing at first, only throwing the red outfit on the man's pleading face. “Like I said. Brown's more my style.” And with that he left the room while stuffing the brown outfit in to his satchel, hearing a faint thump just before he began heading back down stairs. Guess that was all the old man had left in him. If anyone came in to the houses he had been in after him, only the most discerning eye would be able to tell he had been there. He didn't toss anything, taking only the gold that was out in plain sight. Sure there had to be vast stashes of gold and contraband hidden all over the homes, but he wasn't greedy. He knew better. He knew it would be smart to leave the big hauls for their new queen. And who knows. Maybe one day he would be invited to the palace to wine and dine with their new nobles. Maybe he would be invited to be a noble. But for now, while all of that was in the air, Tyler was going to continue to look out for himself. And the 30 gold coins at his side was sure to make that a very easy task for a very long time.

 

[AmberV]

So the Prince had escaped. That was enough to give Anna pause for just a moment. She had been certain that, due to the size of the force and the speed at which they struck, no member of the Royal Family would have time to slip out of the castle. But if he had, it was a dangerous situation indeed. His claim to the throne would embolden their enemies, give them someone to rally behind. Her fingers began to slowly tap against eachother as she considered the situation at hand.

"My people might be of some use." She said carefully, not wanting to get the Queen's hopes up and fail to follow through. There was a high likelihood that many of her people had stayed inside with windows closed and shutters drawn to avoid getting caught up in the bloodshed. Her best bet was with some of her more criminally inclined friends, as she was certain at least a few would be taking advantage of the chaos to take what they could from the bodies that littered the streets. "I'll reach out to them at once, make it clear that information that leads to his capture will be rewarded.

The more pressing matter was identifying how the Prince had left the castle walls unnoticed. The main entrances should have been well-guarded and surely someone would have noticed the Prince climbing out of a window on a rope of curtains and bedsheets. At least she hoped someone would have, though many of the soldiers weren't exactly the brightest candles in the candelabra. "With your permission, your Majesty," Anna took a step closer, voice soft and even, "we should begin by speaking with any servants or guards left in the castle. The Prince has few options and fewer allies. I doubt he'll survive tomorrow. However, and do pardon my candor, the threat of an unknown or unguarded exit to the castle is a greater threat than a runaway royal."

StaidFoal

 

[GreekGod]

This night was not going good for Marius. He had been in his quarters, unable to sleep and so he left, walking around for a bit. As he walked back to his room, he had heard shouting, and burst into his room, planning on grabbing his sword and then running to find the King, just in case the screams were of danger to him. Instead he found himself facing two shocked looking men staring at Marius' empty bed. The two men, dressed as servants, attack Marius with daggers, Marius barely managed to fight them off, knocking one out cold with a chalice and then stabbing the other with a dull blade used for smeary butter and jam on bread. Afterwards Marius grabbed his sword and proper dagger, rushing to find the King. Instead he found himself deep in the midst of the coup, and eavesdropped on some guards who were through a doorway he had almost walked through. Here he learned the King and Queen were dead, that a new Queen had taken power, and the Prince was unaccounted for. If the Prince had been able to get to the escape his family had trained him to go too in this event, Marius was perhaps one of the only men alive who knew it existed. Marius took off quickly, heading for the basement library.

Marius swiftly moved through the castle halls, sword in his sheath and dagger in his hand. These kind of close quarters required swift blade strikes, not fancy swings. He turned a corner, two of the Queens men spotting Marius. They turned to him, their swords in hand, but Marius quickly killed them, rushing at them and slashing one in the throat before stabbing his friend once in a gap in his leg armour and then once in the throat. Marius continued on his way. He peered around another corner, spotting a large grouping of men. He had to get to the Prince, he had too. He'd already failed the King, he wasn't going to fail the Prince. "It's like Huntington Forest in 1366 all over again." He thought to himself with a wry chuckle, an imaginary chuckle, that is. No sense losing the element of surprise over a giggle. He walked back over to the two dead men, he took off the cloak of one of the men, placing it on. Presumably the uniform was a little lax at the moment, with the sides having not been so clearly defined yet. Marius walked back, peering around the corner again. Well, no time like the present. Marius stepped out from his cover, calling out. "Lets go! Her Majesty wants this boy found and she wants him found now!" He calls out at the half dozen men. He gestures at a random pair of them. "You two! Go to the gardens, see if he's there." The commanding tone and military way Marius walked was instantly respected, and the pair jogged off. He gestured at three of the remaining men. "And Captain Bernard needs you three at once, report to his position!" The three men seemed confused and one spoke up "I don't know any Capta-" Marius interrupted with a shout. "Now! Go! Find him!" He pointed down some random hallway away from him, and hesitantly the three men walked away. Marius turned back to the remaining man who was peering at him curiously. "Oh shit. That man was a former Royal Guard." Marius thought to himself. Before the man had even managed to utter a cry of help, Marius' dagger was in the man's mouth, jabbed into his brain. Marius gently lowered the man to the floor, continuing on his way.

He descended down the cold cement stairs, eventually reaching the hallway at the bottom. He walked among the many wooden doors, stopping at a seemingly random one, and opening it. Inside were around a dozen bookshelves lined against two walls, a small table with a few chairs in the middle. Cobwebs and dust were all around the room, and a pair of footprints were in the dust on the floor, most likely the Princes. They walked too the third bookshelf on the left side, and seemingly disappeared. Marius of course new the truth, pulling on a book entitled "Great Insects of History". A click opened the door that the bookshelf was disguised as. Marius opened it all the way, closing it behind himself and walking through it, after a few minutes of walking through the tunnel, reaching the basement of an abandoned house in the Noble Quarters, which he walked through before exiting out the other side, finding himself in the chaos filled streets. "Go out the slums, Percy, it is there where you can escape the city. An attacker will never suspect you go there. If possible, find a horse and ride, or otherwise head off south. Once you reach the farm a few miles south, wait there for Marius or another of the three men in this room. If they do not arrive after two days, flee to wherever you think is safest, and hide your real name. The owners of the farm will give you coin and clothing, and provide advice. The man who lives there was a Royal Guard before he retired, and he is trustworthy." The lesson that was drilled into the young Princes head by his father resounded in Marius head as well. He had to get to that farm, and he hoped the Prince would get there too.

 

[The Fluffiest Floof]

The Huntress

The air was humid. It was somewhat dark. The huge tree crowns left little room for sunlight to pass through. There were spots, every here and there. There also were a few clearings. But those were rare and often, they were unsafe. Wandermaws liked to rest and bathe in the sunlight. Even if there wasn´t one around at all times, it was the better choice to stay away from clearings. Unless you were actively hunting a wandermaw, of course.
There was only one who walked this woods. An unnamed woman. She had grown up here, lived with the deadly nature of things. Her clothes, her weapons, she made all of it with the materials she found here. A name however was never something she gave herself. What for, nobody was adressing her. She was herself, that was all she had to know. In the rare occurances she had left the forest to trade some items, she was called "The huntress" by the people.

Going out of the forest was always difficult. Not because the way out was that much harder than moving around inside of it. No, it was the so called civilization. Never having been educated in any of it, it was a lot of weirdness to the Huntress. She taught herself to speak, yes, but that was about all that she had in common with the outsiders. That made dealing with them hard. Many of them tried to give her small metal objects, that she saw literally no use in. The people seemed to value them dearly, which was even more confusing. What the huntress actually did was trade. She gave away goods to acquire goods. Things that the forest could not offer to her. Pans, nails, all kinds of smithery were the most prominent, as she had no way to work with metal. Recently, she found another thing that was quite enjoyable. The people called it "cushions" and it was the most soft and comfy thing that she had ever felt. Sarl had one to sleep on now. And she used them to sit and sleep as well.

Right now, she was doing neither of those things. She was slowly pathing through the forest. She was tracking a Branchdeer. The tracks were fresh. The huntress had left Sarl behind at her shack, for now. He was to guard it, while she found the food for the next few days. After that, she would let Sarl out to hunt for himself. He was not only a stronger specimen of his kind, but in addition, had been trained by the huntress to become an even more efficient predator.
The tracks led the huntress for a while, until she noticed a few will-o-wisps flying around. The woman stopped dead in her tracks and looked around, her eyes narrowing down as she focussed. And indeed, the tracks stopped apruptly. The deer was no longer the huntresses prey. The thin vines in the air were proof that another predator had gotten to it first.

The huntress had to adapt. She hadn´t stopped into the vileranks territory yet, so turning was not hard. But she did want to have a successful hunt. Looking around, she decided where to head next, taking a path she found to be good. No signs of panthers and she was not near the territory of the spiders either. For now, the path she took seemed as safe as it got.
It didn´t take long for the skilled tracker to spot a new prey. A Rock Rhino´s deep footprints had recently been left here. She started following the tracks, making sure to not tunnel on them however. It was important to always have your surroundings in mind. Letting down your guard at the wrong spot was a death sentence. The Branchdeer had found that out the hard way.
Rock Rhinos were slow, which meant, it came into vision quite soon. A small open area, still covered by the roof of the forest, was where it currently had decided to take a break and eat. The huntress came to a step and crouched down. With slow, silent steps she approached her prey, the knife in hand. She came quite close until the rhino became unresting. But it was too late for the animal to realize it wasn´t alone. A quick strike, the knife was lodged beneath the rhino´s chin, piercing the skin at the one weak spot it had, going straight for the animals brain. It died immediatly, just letting out a small, quite sigh.

Now the huntress had a task. Getting the large carcass to her shack. Her thoughts on how to perform that task were cut short, however, as she heard a growl. Another predator had picked a prey. And that prey was her. Though she skilled hunter was not willing to become the hunted all of the sudden. With a firm grasp on her spear, she looked around, seeking out the black mass from the shadows it resided in. She soon found it´s yellow eyes. She panther was ready to pounce, but she was ready as well. Quickly, the large cat shot forward. It was huge, twice the size a panther would get outside of the forest. With a quick movement, the huntress twirled sideways, the panther´s pounce missing its target. The animal clawed at the ground, using its own momentum to spin itself around and face its prey. THe huntress had turned as well, twirling her spear in her hand to get it ready.
The panther started to pace sideways. The womans glance never left it, as she waited just as much for the right moment to strike as the predator did. Then, it got ready to pounce once more. Leaning forward, it prepared its jump. But once more, the huntress was ready. When the panther flew, she threw her spear, before dodging to the side again with a roll. The spear hit home, striking the panther into the torso. Of course, that was never enough to kill the huge animal, but the spear stuck to it now as it growled again. The huntress stood ready, as the opponents stared each other down. Her hands were clenched to fists, but she made no effort of drawing her sword.
The panther once more came running at her, but midway, it broke down, falling to the side and sliding out the momentum it had. The collapsed body came to a halt directly before the huntresses feet. She put one of them on the corpse, pulling out her spear. The poison had done its work.

The downside was, that the panther was simply not something the huntress had a need for. It had been killed only due to self defense. Which meant that this whole body would now be left her to rot. A waste, but something would surely come to feed on it, eventually.
It was only the rhino, that the huntress cared for right now. Taking a few broken down branches, that she was sure were not snakes instead, she laid the carcass on top, pulling the branches as a mode of transportation for the rhino. Luckily, her way to her shack was not interrupted.

When she reached the shack, Sarl came towards her, purring. She pet the large predator, giving it a kiss on the top of its head, while it nuzzled her with its large snout. Then, she brought the rhino inside her shack, where she would soon start working on skinning it. She had a room, designated for such purposes. All in all, it had been a quite day. She was content.

 

[Lua]

Paytons mother had briefed her on the situation at hand as she helped her daughter quickly dress.
The girl had fallen asleep - what only felt like minutes ago. Only to have been awakened by her frantic mother. Frantic wasn't even the word to describe it - hysterical was the word. Lady Nyx spent the first few months prior to shouting her daughter awake pacing the room, catching her breath. Payton glared at her from the bed - the older woman with similar features was having a hard time to compose herself. "Everyone is gone." she kept repeating - over and over. Finally she had stopped, moving to help her daughter out up and explain - Payton had a hard time keeping up.
The King and Queen were dead - God bless their souls; along with several others of the court whom Payton knew by name - and name alone. Lady Nyx was clearly holding back tears - going on about how the prince was missing (Paytons ticket into royalty; a dream of her parents - though a less than likely possibility). There was a new queen now - one Payton would serve. Long live the Queen. What Payton did not fully comprehend was how - out of all the nobles who were slaughtered (a term she never thought her mother would use), how did her family manage to make it pass the bloodshed? She found it a little startling that those were her first thoughts on the matter, instead of thanking God that she wasn't taken along with them. Her questions to her mother were answered in the typical "your father took care of it" fashion.
"I expect you to live up to our expectations." another popular line as Lady Nyx wanked the ties on the back of Paytons gown tighter, causing the girl to let out a tiny yelp. "You'll be presented to her now."
"Now?" Payton spoke up, turning suddenly to face her mother. Now it was her turn to panic - she had only ever been within ten feet of a royal before. Her mother scowled and turned her back around again, moving her daughters hair around in quick movements.
"She has no ladies. You're the first." She placed both hands on Paytons shoulders and gave a tight squeeze. "There is no time for formalities - just keep your mouth shut unless she speaks to you directly. Let's go."
Lord Nyx met them outside the family chambers - panic and worry also stretched across his face. Payton felt a knot form in the bottom of her stomach as they quickly made their way through the castle, towards the throne room. Her father didn't say a word to her - which only worried her more.
The gigantic doors were pulled open and they were led inside. Her father reached behind him to grab Payton by the arm - tugging her forward before kneeling on the ground. Her mother wasn't far behind them.
"Your Majesty." He announced, standing just as quickly as he had gotten onto the ground. Payton looked up at the new Queen, trying her best to swallow the lump in the back of her throat as her father continued to speak. "I present to you my daughter - Payton Nyx. I trust she will be of service to you in whatever matters you need attending too." He shoved her forward a little bit, maybe a bit too hard - as if she was a burden that was finally being released from his shoulders.
Payton nodded at the Queen, taking hold of her skirts as she curtsied. "Your majesty..." she said, voice trembling slightly.




StaidFoal

 

[StaidFoal]

Athena Faleria

She nodded upon Anna's requests, both allowing her to reach out to "her people" and for interrogation of the servants and maids who remained. "You are correct; the prince will die today and join his parents. With the amount of our forces, it is only a matter of time before he is executed before us. As for the possible escape route, I'll have my men search the castle's rooms at once." Obviously, it would take some time before he is caught, despite him never setting foot in the Slums. Athena know how well that part of Strosa hid people, but she's lived there long enough to do everything there in complete secrecy, such as raising a coup. The prince on the other hand; she doubted he even knew what people had to go through down there.

It was then that her first guest as queen--a noble family by the look of it-- walked into the throne room. "Lord Nyx," she spoke, remembering the desperate negotiations he made in exchange for his and his family's safety. He pushed forth the reason of his visit: a gift; a lady-in-waiting; his daughter, Payton Nyx. The slight tremble in the girl's voice and the frozen posture of her father brought a smile to Athena's lips. After years upon years of landing at the bottom and inferiority, people were finally recognizing what she deserved; they were afraid, and knew her to be the new ruler. Even though the events were only recent, just thinking about how much she changed in the span of a day brought immense satisfaction. She mad eye contact with Payton, glaring daggers as if she had insulted Her Majesty. "I accept your gift, Lord Nyx. Starting tomorrow, she will serve as my lady-in-waiting."

From the entrance, a squad of Grand Guard marched in. "Your Majesty!" shouted a man, slightly overweight and adorned in a duke's clothing. Duke Ademar dropped to a kneel, making sure not to raise his head up at her in the slightest. "Some our my men were freshly killed in the halls. We followed a trail to the castle's library, but nobody was there."

It didn't take a genius to figure it out, but of course Wyman was the only dull one. "The library, of course!" Athena realized. "Duke Adermar, have your men pull every book from the shelves. Should one of them slide open, I want you to lead your men down and out." He quickly obliged, hurrying back down. Athena laid back in her throne. Wyman was only a tool to earn the loyalty of the City Watch and Grand Guard. Other than that, he was a means to an end; he'd served his purpose. If he was killed, she'd hold no grudge at all.

AmberV Lua

(Duke Ademar is on the tail of the Loyalists, but he's a disposable villain NPC, meaning they can kill him at any time. Just let me know the plan beforehand)​

 

[GolemGuy]

Bermund Foster

Not far from the coast, a large fluyt ship, the Folly O' Foster, trudged across the briny sea. The ware and tear of travel was most definite upon the wood and sails of the ship, many tears and cuts were visible. Sailors on the ship sung loudly about their final return to Manastisia, their shanties able to be heard from the many piers of the port. The massive ship continued on, not in ten minutes reaching the harbor. The hustling of jovial seadogs was easy to hear, as the cries of seamen and their sweethearts ricocheted back and forth. Heavy ropes began to lower the boarding ramp, which crashed upon the cold, hard cobblestone of the wharf as wood splintered among a gathering crowd. The many sailors clambered off of the rotten tub, heading to the pubs to drink their sorrows away. Others carefully transported heavy crates from the deck of the seacraft, piling them high on the wharf. The heaving of cargo off the ship continued for a fair time, before the bulk of the vessel's cargo had been removed.

With their labor done for the time being, the remaining sailors poured from their cabins onto solid land, diluting into the large crowd that had gathered. At last, a single man had emerged from the vast cargo hold. Bermund Foster. As he began to stroll towards the dock, the crowd grew silent at what tread behind him. It was a bird, possessing the naked, scaly legs of a dragon and the wispy feathers of a tassel, but most importantly, an immense size dwarfing the largest of farm horses. On its head was fastened blinders, and a large saddle covered the back of the bird, various panniers affixed to the seat. However, still, more was to come, as several draught horses hitched to a flatbed wagon piled high with cages drove down unto the landing. The cages in questions varied in size, from small to large, each containing one or more exotic wildlife. The wagon was pulled to a isolated section of the port's quay, and the horses were taken to a nearby stable by a small gang of stablehands.

He worked on setting up his ramshackle market, propping up small benches and tables, and setting cages carefully onto them, careful not to disturb the inhabitants inside. A canvas overhang was the final touch to the set, as he secured the wagon in place with several heavy wrought iron weights. The large bird was hitched to a post nearby the makeshift stall. At last he spoke. A posse of underlings scrambled towards him as he handed them pieces of paper along with nails and hammers. Paper sheets with the writing 'Bermund's Exotic Wonders for the Wealthy' were scribed onto the pages, as they had started to be hung upon the walls of taverns and pubs, most notably the wealthiest of the bunch. Bermund sat down on a wooden stool, waiting.​

 

[Archie]

The night had been productive for Falko. Early, he was tasked with clearing out the guards in the armory. Only Sir Neris, a member of the Royal Guard, had any armor, and he was finished off by a half-sword poke to the face. The other guards were clueless as the mass of peasants and rabble descended upon them. Sir Neris had a sharp blade, and one exceedingly well crafted. Falko tested it by slicing one of the wooden weapon racks in half. Smiling, he ditched his old sword, which was growing dull from how many times it had been used to cut peasants' cows in half as practice this week, and sheathed his new weapon.

To be sure, the Queen and her right hand man would be making their way to the throne room to set up a government. Falko saw the foreign woman, the one they called Miyoshi headed in that direction, but he himself saw no reason to take orders when there was a pressing crisis in front of him. Namely, some of the dead in the hallway to the right of the armory were not wearing royal uniforms. Falko, or "Vagrant", as the rabble of conspirators called him, did not take time to get to know his comrades before fighting. They were in this for power or personal gain, things that distracted them from the essence of life: in Falko's mind, that meant constantly risking your life so you have the right perspective to learn.

Falko followed the trail of dead bodies, stabbed, all the way down to the basement. The cuts were perfect - straight, showing excellent control and balance of the blade. Penetrations were just in the right areas. Whoever killed these men was an expert. Falko grinned, knowing that what he was looking for was at hand: a fight with a worthy opponent. Falko traced the footprints down several flights of stairs beyond where the last friendly soldier - a man who had evidently been stabbed through the jaw and into the brain - lay dead. The stairway led to a hallway deep below the castle, with a single opened door. Sliding instead of walking as a good swordsman was trained to do, Falkko levied his blade, pointing it at the ready directly in front of him as he turned the corner and prepared to advance and rapidly strike down his foe!

But there was no foe. Just a series of empty bookshelves. Falko continued looking for prints. Behind him, he heard the shouts of men, including the distinct voice of one of the chief conspirators - Duke Ademar. This was no good. If Ademar's guards arrived on scene and found out where the Princess and her apparently extremely capable protector went, the fight would be too easy.

Falko traced the footprints in the dust to a single bookshelf. He tried moving it, but had no luck. Without time to look for secret levers, Falko grunted. He drew his knew sword, grabbing it by the blade (something that could be done safely as long as it was not curved), and hacked at the bookshelf with the hilt as if the hilt were a hammer. Six hacks later, and the shelf had gotten to the point where he could finish it off with a few front kicks.

Falko shoved his way past the wreckage into a tunnel. Knowing the man he was pursuing had a lead on him, Falko started sprinting through the dark tunnel. Still, he saw no one at the end. Emerging out of the basement of a house in the noble's quarter, Falko looked around the house and saw no one there. He sighed, opening the door onto the packed and chaotic streets. His eyes widened. This was going to be difficult.

Acting on instinct, Falko grabbed the first man in the crowd and drew his roundel dagger.

"Who came out of this house and where did they go!?"

"I don't know I swear!" the man shouted back.

Falko grunted, dropping the man on the ground. With people in the crowd dashing around, it was unlikely anyone would have noticed someone existing the house. A nobleman passed on a horse nearby, and Falko saw his next chance. Jumping into the air, he delivered a flying roundhouse kick to the man's chest, knocking him off the horse before leaping on it himself. Kicking it into high gear, he dashed towards the city's Western gate - the one closest nearby. He had no idea which gate his worthy enemy would escape from, but gambled that it would be here.