Classic-Castle Roleplay - Gaming Thread

[Matt BeDar]

Max and Tim had been traveling for five long, hard weeks. They had faced many trouble's while heading to the east shore of the mainland.

When they finally arrived, what Max found was anything but encouraging. At every town the two passed through there was a wanted sign with a description of Max and a price of eight thousand gold coins for any information of his where abouts. Multiple times Max was forced to "persuade" greedy villagers or rouges that it would benefit them more if they forgot all about him and Tim.

Once they reached the eastern shore, Max realized that it would be easier to get Tim in a caring home if he searched along the coastline for a small fishing village.

On their third day searching for a village on the shore Max say a newly constructed village that appeared to be populated by vikings.

"Well Tim, I think it's high time we found you a permanent home," Max stated in a matter of fact voice.

"But I wanna stay wiff Mac!" the young boy protested, sticking out his bottom lip in a pout.

"Trust me Tim, where I'm going, death will follow and you don't want to see that," the giant, armor clad warrior said in a commanding tone.

Tim was about start crying when suddenly, he and Max were surrounded by four viking warrior's armed with bows.

"Well," Max sighed, "it seems that we have no choice but to do as you say."

"Aye, I'd say your right," one of the warrior's stated.

[Maedhros]

Location: Florentia

“You know, Florentia is not as bad as some of my countrymen have made it out to be.”

Lucius just smiled to himself and shrugged his head. It may not be like Rekyogo, he thought to himself, but still… They arrived at the best time of the day, when the rays of the setting sun coloured the countless white houses that climbed upwards along the hills a burning crimson. The high and seemingly impenetrable black walls that surrounded the city cast looming shadows that even graced their ship as they passed into the harbour. He heard a slight gasp from Toratsugu as they passed the walls and the two Golden Guardians became visible; each over 20 feet tall they flanked the crowded quay.

“And you complained about the amount of gold in our architecture?” Toratsugu said with a smirk. “Who are they?”

“Ectorius and Aeneas, the founders of Florentia, and the Empire. We could need their strength now…”

Toratsugu nodded slowly to himself and surveyed the quay; it was full of people, a thousand at least. “Do you always get this kind of welcome?”

Lucius shrugged, frowning. “No… I hope they are here out of curiosity about your ships…”

And who wouldn’t? he thought to himself as he looked over his shoulder at the vessels behind. His own vessel, the flagship of the Order, Dracona was totally dwarfed by the two monstrous Ninjan ships that loomed after her, the huge black sails nearly blotted out the sky behind them.

“And if they aren’t…?” Toratsugu asked with a concerned look on his face.

“…it’s bad news”, Lucius sighed.

Toratsugu understood just what Lucius had meant as they walked ashore. The black and red robed guards of the Order nearly had to draw cold steel as they navigated the crowd. Cries of despair and anger shattered the silence. Countless pleading eyes looked at them. Whispers of Lucius’ name all around them… Toratsugu felt a slight shiver as they hurried through the crowd. He dared not to speak to Lucius. He recognised that stern look upon his face.

“Hail to thee, Lord Alcander”, a young man suddenly piped up. He was flanked by two robed guards and sported the heraldry of the Order. For a moment Lucius looked as though he would just walk over the youngling but then he stopped and nodded curtly.

“Good eve, can you arrange a meeting with the Queen?”

“The Queen… but… High Priest Caelestinus wants to see you.”

“Then tell him to go to the palace, for that is where I will be.”

The young man nodded nervously. At that moment Toratsugu noticed that he seemed to have a slight limp, and that a deep gash graced his neck.

“Hav yo ben in bature, boy”, he burst out before thinking. Both Lucius and the youngling cast curious looks at Toratsugu.

“Beg you pardon?”

“Oh…” Toratsugu sighed to himself. He hadn’t spoken their tongue for ages. “Have you been in battle recently?”

“Aye”, the youngling replied in a proud voice.

“When?” Lucius inquired violently.

“Some two weeks ago… I was in the escort of the Queen. We were attacked. By the undead. We came back safely though”, he added when he saw Lucius’ deep frown, “about a week ago. I am sure the Queen will tell you the rest.”

“Good. Now go to Patricius, I have no time for this.”

And with that Lucius was off again. Toratsugu who remained still for some moments, pondering the situation was nearly swallowed by the great crowd.

“Hey! Lucius!” he cried out and Lucius stopped once again, frowning more than ever.

“Yes?”

“I have to take care of my men.”

“Very well. Come to the palace later.”

“But…”

“Boy!” he shouted and the young man straightened up at his side.

“Yes.”

“What is your name?”

“Ectorius.”

“Ectorius?”

“Yes, milord.”

Lucius cast him a curious look but then he shrugged. “Send one of the guards to Patricius. Then you will follow Toratsugu here, and take him to the palace when he is ready. Understood?”

“Aye, sir!”

“Good. I shall see you later, Toratsugu.”

[Lord Tyler II]

"Olar, come!", one of the soldiers shouted from the trees.
"Ah, not again!"
Both Olar and Rolyn charged into the trees, and almost ran smack into the biggest Fig they had ever seen! He was easily three studs higher then the poor quivering archers. Standing in full battle aray, and carrying the most unusual load: a tiny child no older then three, perched upon his shoulder looking quite pleased!
"What is your purpose here?" Rolyn asked calmly for sake of the child and his own fear of the HUGE man...

[Sir Kohran]

“I can’t help but think you are all fools” Alcander hissed, looking towards the Knights of Faeroken. “but I will not try to stop you, Sir Kentis, and I truly hope that you succeed in what ever it is you hope to do, however slim chanced it may be.”

The Stallion Knight had only heard the creams of his men for less than a second when he himself felt a massive force brought to his head. Everything slipped out of mind at which point and blackness became all Kentis could see; and he fell, passed out.

The harsh, piercing screams echoed out around the three men. Rasco gave a cry and jumped about a meter into the air. Galdrutt felt a rush of panic and adrenaline. Then he steeled himself and ran forward, his axe raised. He didn't know what he was doing, but he had to see what was happening. Alcander seemed to hover between following him and retreating, but Rasco pulled him forward as he passed and the knight took off with them.

They had only been running for about half a minute, however, before Galdrutt stopped suddenly, his fierce eyes wide.[/quote]

[Matt BeDar]

"What is your purpose here?" Rolyn asked calmly for sake of the child and his own fear of the HUGE man...

Max studied the viking in front of him. This particular warrior was obviously the leader of this new settlement and not nearly as scared as much as his men were of Max's size.

"I'm trying to find a home for Tim," Max pointed to the child on his shoulder for emphasis, "and some shelter for a while."

"Me hungry, Mack," Tim whined from the knight's shoulder, rubbing his growling stomach.

"Well? Can you find a place for the boy in your village?" Max asked, almost willing to beg to guarantee that the young boy was placed in a good home.

[HeartOfDarkness]

Deep in the Fortress of Insufficient Light, an evil presence lurks.

It is black. It is cold.

It is everything you hate, everything you fear. The very air fouls around it.

Slowly, with an unearthly rustle, it rises. All is frozen, all is dark.

It is Phil.

[HeartOfDarkness]

Phil creaked his head to the side.

"Subordinate? I know you're in there. I have more than six senses, you know."

A scowling subordinate stomped out from the secret room where he had been eavesdropping.

"What is it this time, your evilness? More tea? We ran out of Earl Grey yesterday. Captain Reeve says he'll pick some up the next time he raids a Crusader village. We have some wonderfull herbal-"

"No, no," interrupted Phil, " I wanted to ask about the recruitment drive. What are the latest figures?"

"Astounding. We've got recruits coming out of our ears. I can't imagine where they all come from, considering the fact that you've enslaved the immediate population."

"In that case, start training instructors. I don't want a single soldier who can't capably shoot a bow, use a spear, or weild a sword. And make sure our sentries are neither blind nor deaf. How is construction of my fortress coming along?"

"Wonderfully. The spikes couldn't be spikier, and the angles couldn't be more jagged. However, we ran out of Old Grey Rocks about a quarter of the way through, so we dismantled it and used black. I hope you don't mind."

"I couldn't be happier. Unless I had just enslaved the entire world. Speaking of which, what are you doing here? I thought I told you to get my tea."

"No you didn't. And what does that have to do with world domination?"

"How dare you! I would kill you on the spot if you didn't brew such a nice pot of Earl Grey."

"We're out of Earl Grey, remember?"

"OUT!"

[HeartOfDarkness]

Captain Reeve slowly lifted his saber. With a peculiar twist, he brought it down, executing perfectly a trick that would disarm all exept the best swordsmen in battle. Some hundred soldiers mimicked his technique perfectly.

"That," he adressed the class, "will disarm all but the best swordsmen. Make sure your students can execute it perfectly. Now, dismiss."

The organized ranks broke up, each student heading for the exit and chatting. A few practiced the technique again, remembering the funny twist. Captain Reeve smiled inwardly. These men would be the cream of the Dark Legions, is personal pupils. Some would train soldiers. Others would become Royal Gaurds. Others would train still more instructors. He turned and exited the arena. He had spotted some men who he needed to talk to in private.

[HeartOfDarkness]

Gargyu was a biggish orc, of moderate intelligence, chosen for this class because of his fearsome reputation with the blade. He did not think of himself as extremely skilled, only possessing the strength of an orc with the dexterity of his vampire great-grandfather.
As he was leaving the arena, he spotted Captian Reeve striding towards him purposefully. Gargyu turned and stood at attention, hoping he was not in trouble.

"At ease" barked Reeve. "I noticed you in training today. You're quite the swordsman. Would you be interested in more specialized training?"

"Whatever you order, sir."

"In that case, I'll pick you up from your quarters later today. We're going someplace...special." With a barely supressed smirk, Captian Reeve strode through the exit. Gargyu was a practical sort of orc, but even so, he felt a strange foreboding that this mystifying meeting would foreshadow something ominous. He shrugged and walked to his chamber, resolving that Captian Reeve would not fetch him unprepared.

[Maedhros]

“Good. I shall see you later, Toratsugu.”

*****

“Uhm… I really think you should wait, Your Excellency.”

The guard fidgeted nervously and eyed his comrade who kept his gaze up at the ceiling.

“But I think not. Get out of the way”, Lucius snapped as he pushed the speech-less guard aside and smashed open the door to the Queen’s room.

A roaring fireplace illuminated the hall dimly. The Queen Mother sat sleeping in an armchair in front of the fire while the Queen herself and a man that Lucius didn’t recognise sat close together on a divan in the other side of the room. The man jumped about a yard into the air and drew his dagger as Lucius stopped in the middle of the room. For a moment the silence was heavy enough to crush the three of them, but then the Queen Mother Diana looked up from her seat and caught Lucius’ gaze.

“Ah, Lucius, that was far too long ago.” She smiled and nodded her head curtly. Lucius offered her a slight bow but then turned in the direction of Queen Accalia again.

“H-how dare you!” the unknown man spat. “Breaking in like…”

“I tried to stop him, I did”, one of the guards squeaked behind Lucius. Accalia just shrugged.

“It’s… it’s fine.”

“Thank you, milady”, Lucius said. He was even surprised himself by the softness in his voice. Then he shifted his attention to the man beside Accalia and frowned slightly.

“And who are you anyway?”

“P-p… preposterous”, the man stuttered. “I am Duke Aetius Honorius Florianus!”

“Oh…” Lucius turned away and closed the door behind him. He started feeling stupid now. Why had he rushed in like this? Are you losing your grip? Accalia was still contemplating him in silence while Duke Aetius looked like he was smelling something really disgusting.

“Wait a minute”, Lucius said quietly as he eyed Aetius, “I recognise you… didn’t you apply for the Order?”

“So what if I did?!” Angry red spots were appearing on his cheeks and Lucius found it hard to suppress a smile.

“Oh, never you mind… It seems you have found another quest anyway”, Lucius replied calmly with a hint of bitterness in his voice as he shot a glance at Accalia.

“So, what do YOU do here then?” Accalia broke in before Aetius could retort.

“I… Are you going to offer me a seat or shall I sit down anyway?”

“Oh, please make yourself at home”, Accalia snorted, her face was nearly as deep a shade of scarlet as Aetius’ now. Only Diana was smiling serenely in her seat by the fire as she contemplated Lucius. Lucius sat down in an armchair opposite Diana and caught Accalia’s gaze.

“What has happened while I was away?”

“Nothing.”

“Nothing?”

“Nothing”, Accalia repeated. “Except the fact that I was attacked by the undead on my voyage home from Falconia!”

“Yes, I heard that” Lucius sighed. “But… what about Florentia? What about our country? What about Dardanilium?”

“Nothing I tell you.”

“The masses were desperate out there”, Lucius shouted. Diana had stopped smiling and was now eyeing Lucius with an inquisitive look. Accalia shot a quick glance at Aetius and answered:

“There have been some raids… small scale attacks… but nothing…”

“Maybe the nothing is the problem here”, Lucius snarled. “What have you been doing? Have you talked to the Senate? Have you done anything?”

“Now really…” Aetius started but Accalia silence him with a wave of her hand. There was an unmistakeable chill in her calm voice as she replied:

“I have been to Falconia. To get aid.”

“Oh, to our great kinsmen of course! As you said you would, even though I advised you to go to the Ninjans! They are alien to us you say… speak an unrelated language… they look different… their culture is different… but where then are all the glorious Falconian soldiers?”

Lucius stood up at his last words and had by then gotten a blush to compete with Aetius’.

“They… didn’t come”, Accalia sighed. “And… what about the Ninjans?”

“They sent a whole small fleet, and about four thousand seasoned warriors! And those were volunteers, mind you. I don’t know what the Empress could have done for us if a peer of hers had come…”

Once again there was total silence in the room. Diana still hadn’t taken her eyes off Lucius, and Accalia was fidgeting slightly as she looked from Aetius, to Lucius, to Diana.

“I… I didn’t expect that”, she said in a low voice after a long while.

“Time to put aside our differences, perchance?” Lucius said. He shot a glance at Diana who was smiling slightly again. “And now… what did the Falconians say?”

[Lord Tyler II]

Rolyn looked at the child's pleading eyes, and his heart sofened, "Fine, the child can stay with us. A woman of our clan recently lost her own to the fever. She will take care of him."
One of the soldiers went to take the boy, but he pushed away with a stuborn, "NO."
"Not wifout Mack!"
A couple archers gave a nervous chuckle.
"You could be of some help." Rolyn smirked, looking up. "The main beams are going up on our longhouse today, and I'm sure you wouldn't mind..."

[doodstormer]

After awakening the goblins, Crafton decided to brave the road. as he walked down, he saw a sign, but the letters were faded, so he looked at them more closely but could only make out a faint "F" and some traces of "oni". He assumed that the sign said "Falconia". Allies of the KK1, probably in on the hunt for his head. He sighed, tired of running, and decided that he might make it through another hostile territory. so Crafton continued down the road.
"Hai Crofty, wos for brekkist?" inquired Greenback.
"Depends on the hospitality of any friendlies and what we can hunt."
"As long as dey isn't loik dose sowders. dey izzin so noice ter people."
As the trio walked down the road, it began to rain.
"Aw, it rained yesserday tew. woi izzit rainin' 'gain?"
"Hmm... perhaps undead?"
"Bah, dose skellytins be creepy..."
Just then, an arrow whizzed past Greenback and nicked Dewbrain's armor. Crafton turned around, and saw two men, dressed in the garb of Falconian soldiers. Although something wasn't right about them...
"Halt!" said the archer, in a gruff voice. The archer put his bow over his shoulder, and drew his sword. Crafton decided against combat, in case these men had friends further down the road. The other soldier went into a loudly whispered conversation with the archer. They weren't too quiet.
"Alright, that reward would be nice..."
"Yes, but if we took 'im in over 'ere, the king'd get all the loot. 'Sides, we ain't soldiers o' the king anyway, we need a break."
Hearing this, Crafton swung his sword, unarming both the false soldiers. he then cast a weak light spell to stun them. he knocked them over the head with the hilt of his sword, knocking them out. Him and the goblins took their weapons, and Crafton left a note, explaining the men were false soldiers. He also left his name on the note, in hopes that his act would redeem him. he decided to walk further down the road, not knowing where the path would lead...

[Matt BeDar]

As max lifted the 12 stud long log, the surronding vikings gasped in awe at his brute strength.

He and Tim had only been in the encampment for a day and Max had already helped get the center beams for the longhouse up and had also chopped down and stripped at least a dozen trees to be used as construction material.

Tim sat with his new parents on the beach, watching Max lift a log for the tenth time today. Tim's new father stooped down and scooped up the young boy in a loving hug. Tim returned the hug with all his heart. He was happier then he had ever been in his short life.

As Max watched Tim with his new family he couldn't help but think of his own wife and children, now dead for well over two centuries.

'Curse that sorceror for destroying my home land all those years ago' Max thought with pure rage.

[Lord Tyler II]

Later that day, the final part in place, the Longhouse was complete. Rolyn had never seen a fig with as much strength and resolve as Max. The man was a mystery, Rolyn had seen his kindness but at times his eyes burned with a longing anger, perticularly while lifting the beems...

The clan celebrated! Hunters brought back wild boar and a great stag for a feast! A long table was set in the new hall and it was set with the wonderous food. The seasoned steam filled the place with the smell of fresh herbs. Laughter could be heard all around, during the preperation of the feast!

Brian Jaques is my inspiration!

[Matt BeDar]

As Max watched the rejoicing vikings he wished he could join in their celebration, but his guilt and shame at having died a coward kept him from putting his whole heart into the occasion.

A viking staggered up to Max and collapsed onto a bench not so far away. Max didn't need to be able to smell to tell that the man was far gone in ale and mead. As Max had suspected, the viking began to snore rather quickly.

'Ahhh, to be able to drink, eat and sleep again,' Max thought to himself. The last time he had eaten had been with his wife and children, right before the orcs and evil soldiers had broken down the door to his dinning hall and massacred his entire family before his eye's.

As the painful memories started to rise once more, a child banging a rock on Max's leg brought him back to the present.

The child was none other then Tim. Tim smiled up at Max as he climbed into the giant's lap.

'Maybe all hope isn't lost for the future,' Max pondered, rustling the young lad's hair, 'just maybe.'