ACT COMPLETE Angelcynn: The Myrcian Conflict - Act 2

[Dandragon]

He was nowhere to be seen. Just a few thugs about. And he sure as hell wasn't going to talk to them about Ratty. Looks like the only other place he had to check was the sewers and the back alleyways. That wasn't going to be the most pleasant experience. He left the Rusty cutlass in search for the nearest alleyway where Ratty might be.

[Juliette]

"Sure thing," Freya agreed to the princess's request. She grabbed a nearby training weapon, then took a glance at her and Nelon's armor. "These weapons aren't gonna give the princess anything to work with if we're this well defended. Let's make this a little achievable." She removed the upper part of her armor and placed it in a corner before taking up a ready stance.

[Shin]

Fight!

Nelon didn't seem terribly certain, but he felt more comfortable fighting a solider instead of the princess. Nodding, the man discarded his breast plate, the metal piece resounding against the barracks floor as he landed. Reading his practice lance, Nelon stood calmly. "Best of luck, I look forward to testing your might."

[spoiler=OATal Domination]

Freya

35 HP

2+4 Atk

77% Hit

-% Crit

vs

Nelon

35 HP

2+4 Atk

86% Hit

-% Crit

Nelon strikes first!

(62 2)

Nelon deals 6 damage! (29/35 HP remaining)

(10)

Nelon strikes again!

(37 12)

Nelon deals 6 damage! (23/35 HP remaining)

Freya retaliates!

(29 23)

Freya deals 6 damage! (29/35 HP remaining)

Freya attacks!

(92 25)

Freya misses!

Nelon sees an opening!

(90 61)

Nelon misses!

(75)

Nelon goes in for another attack!

(99 9)

Nelon misses!

(6)

Nelon tries again!

(85 17)

Nelon hits! (17/35 HP remaining)

Freya goes in again!

(52 92)

Freya hits! (23/35 HP remaining)

Freya attacks!

(88 75)

Freya misses!

Nelon lunges in!

(17 46)

Freya takes 6 damage! (11/35 HP remaining)

(89)

Freya attacks!

(37 32)

Freya deals 6 damage! (17/35 HP remaining)

Nelon attacks!

(45 4)

Nelon deals 6 damage! (5/35 HP remaining)

(72)

Nelon prepares for his final strike!

(43 16)

Nelon knocks Freya down!

"A healthy breakfast is the start of a successful day."

Freya gains 10 XP!

Freya gains 5 Lance WEXP!

Alley Alley, Officer

Serge's search brough him closer and closer to the Codger, and none of the streets seemed to have any signs of his rodent friend. The ruffians were growing meaner and uglier as he continued into the dark part of town. As he was passing down the street, he felt a hand on his shoulder, followed by a gruff voice. Thankfully, it was just one of the city guards, an older man clad in armour with Wyke's royal emblem.

"Son, you've been wandering around for a while now, it's a little suspicious." he said firmly, his other hand on his sheathed sword. "You're not causing any trouble are you?"

[Dandragon]

"No...I'm just looking for somebody. A friend. Just trying to make sure he's OK." He said to the guard. He really didn't want to cause trouble, especially with the authorities. That's the last thing anyone associated with Serge needed, right now. "I just...have no idea where he is..." He said, ashamedly. "Anyways, I'd like to be on my way, if it's no trouble."

[charlie_]

"Some of us were, but it was pretty easy to tell who actually wanted to be there. How was it with you? Did you grow up around a lot of mages, or just your father?"

[Nanami Touko]

Cass paid great attention to watch the fight, taking note of both fights. Freya and Nelon both seems strong, though he seems to be better at spacing himself. And it seems that because of that... As she thought, Nelon did win, but Freya had put up a decent fight. Glad she knows how to do that much. Cass clapped a few times, walking over and beginning to heal the loser first. "A good show, both of you. You're quite adept at fighting, sir Nelon. Would you be up to joining us on campaign, soon?" This might be a good time to work out some allies, if possible. "We may be heading to Raewald soon, and someone of your caliber would definitely be useful."

[Jotari]

Emmet reached the Herman residence and knocked on the door. I really should have just visited Niko when I was here the other day he thought to himself.

[Xinnidy]

"I see..." It seemed that nobility was positively pleased by Kearney overall, which was... unexpected. "The Kearney house already has a fair share of land, but I trust his majesty's wishes. The lands of Dettard will need a careful eye, and I say Kearney is one of the few I'd trust to the task." Owen nods, it'd be a lot to push the young squire to do, but he was somebody Owen could trust to follow his orders, and most importantly had a positive outlook on the royal family. The prince was certain the choice would benefit his interests. "As for this Mister Douglas... I won't take the fact my father recommended him lightly, but the name escapes me..." The were so many new faces in the past few weeks, Owen couldn't begin to guess. "Would it be possible to send them a letter first? Perhaps I could see what my father did if I met the man in person."

Gringolett's description of Escablor did pique interest, even if the mention of casualties left a tinge of doubt. "I see... Then assign Escablor to the task." Owen decided, with little pause. "Do keep me informed on their results and casualties, if at all possible."

[Shin]

[spoiler=Cass and Dettard retro]
22nd March 812

The night had come quickly, although thankfully far less eventful than the night of the party. It had been unusual having two brothers around, Cass had never really known Gewaint before these few days, he'd only ever been one of the nobles in the background. He and Owen seldom spoke, although they didn't appear to overtly hate each other.

There was a knock on Cass' door, a gentle tapping followed by a few seconds of silence. "Princess, are you inside?" Gewaint asked, awaiting a response before acting. "Would it be possible to speak for a few moments?"

Well, that was odd. Who wanted her at this hour? Cass' paranoia touched her for a moment until Gewaint spoke, sighing to calm down. "Yes, I'm here... And you can call me sister." She slowly made her way to the door, opening it a crack to see him. A faint smile crawled onto her face. "What is it you'd like to talk about, Gewaint?" Whatever it was must've been important, him coming to talk to anyone at all seemed like a near impossibility...

It was definitely Gewaint, although he wasn't dressed as usual. He'd been borrowing Owen's spare clothing for the last few days, but there he was in a commoner's tunic and a travelling coat. "Sorry for bothering you at this time... sister, but I wanted to say goodbye before I left." he replied, looking down solemnly.

"I've already forfeited my lands and my title, I doubt I would have been able to keep them, but I don't want them any longer." he added. "I talked things through with the magician you sent to watch me, and I realised that the world of nobility is too cruel for me. It made me do horrible things, and I want to do more with my life... I also want you to have your family. Your brother and father wouldn't be comfortable with me around, it's better if I'm out of the picture."

"That's an odd getup. Please, come in. Sit." Cass opened the door all the way, but it didn't seem he wanted to have a lengthy conversation. "Wait, before you left?" Her smile dropped. "What?" Cass folded her arms and listened to him, eventually biting her lip. While she was upset Niko had pushed the issue, it didn't entirely surprise her that the life of a noble was something Gewaint wanted out of. Still...

"It does hurt to save you and then lose you in a matter of days... Especially after what happened to me, hah." Cass sighed, a wave of sadness starting to wash over her. Don't cry. "You're family too, I hope you realize. I don't care about my Father and Owen would get over it eventually... But, if I can't change your mind, then... Where will you go? And just for the record, I really want you to understand that I don't... I don't think you leaving is better. Even if you dropped all your titles, just..." She sighed, a tear happening whether she wanted it to or not.

Gewaint shook his head. "I'm glad I got to meet the family I never had, it was better than being all alone." he answered. "I think Myrcia is my best bet. I still have some gold in the bank, I can use the last of it to travel there and find work. It's the financial capital of the continent, I'll be able to work something out."

"Sister, you need to be strong for your brother and father. Owen's going to have a difficult time ruling, he will need you for support. Wyke will survive without me, it won't survive without you. I want to see what life truly has to offer, I can't live constrained by the chains of nobility. I want to be free."

Cass wiped her eyes clear, sighing again, but returned to trying to smile. "Yes, of course. I'm sure Myrcia will be a wonderful place for you to restart things... I wish that, things had gone better between all of us. My Father was a fool to treat you the way he did." Cass had wondered if Gewaint had been told about anything that had happened to her... Should I tell him? I... I don't want it to interfere with his plans... Not that I think he would stay anyway, but... But I trust him...


"I'm not sure it Wyke will survive with me, either... I'm assuming no one's told you. The night I'd asked Niko to take care of you, I was... Taken. There's a lot of details surrounding it, but... Some noble here wants me out of the way to the throne." She looked away for a moment, finally looking back with a tinge of fear in her eyes. "I'm not trying to convince you to stay, I... I just... Fear is not an emotion I am used to. So I'm... Looking for comfort wherever I can get it, hah..."

Gewaint smiled, his own eyes watering. Wiping them quickly, he listened intently. "I'm not sure there's much I would be able to help with, but I recall Earl Valter asking me a few months ago about any marriage plans I had."he answered, trying to recall the events. "He asked if were considering anyone, even asking whether I'd consider his daughters... and even yourself, sister. I declined at the time, the last thing I was looking for was marriage... and you, you seemed almost forbidden to me, something inside me said I shouldn't. Looking back, it seemed rather strange, I'd understand him wanting to wed his own daughters but still."

"...What?" Cass' smile faded further until it was something of a horrified grimace. "Wh-What's Earl Valter's first name?" She had to know. "I... I'll skip the brutal details, but as I was being... 'detained', I heard mention that you had been asked to bed me, but had declined... Why would he be asking about me, at all? I know he's an Earl-- I am the princess and you weren't exactly low rung on the status ladder, b-but..." Cass felt that familiar wave of fear from the event come back and hit her, shivering and holding herself. "Why are they doing this to me?" She didn't ask very loudly.

"I believe it's Elbert, Earl Elbert Valter." Gewaint responded, perplexed by Cass' expression. Gritting his teeth, he didn't seem happy. "I thought he was just trying to set me up with his daughters, but he then asked how I would feel about marrying you. This is getting stranger as time goes on... unless there's someone who doesn't trust Owen to lead the country. With you wed, it would be far easier to pull the strings..."

Dettard looked at the window, the moon shining down into the room. "Sister, there's a man who you should meet. I don't know his name, but he refers to himself as Ratty. Find him and ask him to take you or someone to the Thieves' Guild. Tell him Gewaint sent you, he'll listen."

"Th-The men, they were talking about a Mr. E-- A-Adele, she wrote it off as a silly play on words, but now an Elbert is asking you about wedding me, I..." Cass was not happy to hear any of this, not at all, especially from Gewaint's mouth. She shivered, shrunk a bit, and could only listen as he went on.

"W-Wait-- I, I remember a man-- SERGE!" she blurted out, finally looking up at him, "there was someone Serge was protecting in the sewers that people were calling Ratty... But he was just a small, weak looking thing, I... Is he really that important? I can probably get Serge to find him again, but..."

Cass was about done at this point, a small sniffle escaping her as she hugged Gewaint. "This is all so stupid, why am I stuck in this!? Do you know what they were going to do to me down there? They tried to get the Gorlois boy to fuck me! Brought him there with a lie and blackmailed him into it... I'm so scared, Gewaint...!"


Gewaint grimaced, he didn't like the sounds of it at all. "Make sure you find Ratty, he'll be able to help you find people who can figure this out. He might be pathetic, but he knows a lot of people. Right now, we have no information, maybe someone will know the men who this person hired to get you."

There were footsteps from outside the door, the maids were probably on the prowl. "I need to leave before someone starts making assumption... sister, I'm glad I got to know you, I hope we meet again." he added, turning to the door.


She knew it wouldn't be fair play to convince him to stay with her tears, but she wanted so badly to do so... She held that part back. Giving him a tight squeeze, she relented, and let him go. "I'll find him. I think I might have a lead, as to how, so... I-I'll do it..." Cass went with him back to the door, ready to close it behind him. It was bittersweet, but... "We will meet again. I know it... So, I hope you can make the best of your life, Gewaint. Know that you've always got a friend here, if you ever return..."

Stepping through the door, Gewaint gave Cassandra a final wave goodbye. "Stay strong sister, I know that you'll get to the source of it. Have faith in yourself, and everyone around you."

And then he was gone, his footsteps from the hall grew quieter until there was silence.

Uncertainty

Nelon was rather taken a back by the Princess' request, he hadn't heard anything of this trip to Raewald. Why would they need someone like him? He wasn't a diplomat, nor particularly important. Was war brewing? Nelon didn't even want to wonder what conflict was approaching the continent."I... if it is requested of me, I would proudly accompany and carry out my duty as a knight." Nelon replied, the man subtly uncomfortable. "Once I receive official word, I shall begin preparation, Princess. My only request is that I make arrangements in my lands, I may have to reschedule arrangements with... the villagers."

Copper trouble

The guard didn't seem too convinced, his brow furrowed as he looked at Serge. "Is he in any danger? Do I need to contact the other city guards to search for him?" he asked, leaning into Serge's face. "Sounds like a missing person to me, we've been getting a few of them around here lately. What does this fellow look like? We might be able to help track him down."

Meeting

Crossing his arms and nodding, Gringolett replied to Owen. "Aye, Prince. I'll send a letter to him as soon as we're finished. His territories aren't too far from the south, he should be able to begin within the week."

Valter seemed content, scribbling more notes down. "Very well, I shall make the necessary documentation but from this point onwards, the young man next to you shall be known as Baron Kearney. Your knighting will have to take place at a more convenient time. I believe this Douglas is currently under the employ of Duke Herman, is that not correct?"

Tobias nodded in agreement, raising his hand. "That is correct, I believe he is the pegasus rider currently working under my daughter. If I recall, he's also the one who assisted in the dungeon fire. I shall ensure he meets with you, Prince Owen, if only to ensure he's of suitable character for nobility. I think that should be all, Prince Owen, thank you for your presence. I'll inform you of your father's health when I next see you."

Angus has become a Baron!

Knock knock!

Recognising Emmet, the guards allowed him passage past the gates, where he was met by Sebastian. "Greetings, Sir Dun, it's a... pleasure to have you return once again." he greeted, bowing politely. "Are you here to meet with Lady Adeltrudis? Or perhaps one of the mercenaries hired? I'm afraid only Lady Adeltrudis is in right now, the others are currently out."

Edited May 2, 2016 by Shin

[Jotari]

"Yes...I'm afraid I never caught your name. I wish to see mister Niko. Do you have any idea where he might be?"

[Dandragon]

Serge began to swear. He didn't know how to handle this. ...Well, that wasn't entirely true. "Alright, you caught me. I'm after the bounty for the Rat looking man posted at the guild." He said, whispering to the guard. "I just don't want anyone else going after it before I can catch him. So I'd appreciate it if we didn't drag this out any longer." He REALLY hoped no one else had heard, otherwise he would have to double his efforts immediately. This day was not going well. But at least Emmet hasn't come running for that bounty either, so at least there was that.

Edited May 2, 2016 by Dandragon

[Ether]

After speaking with Sebastian, Adeltrudis had wandered off, eventually finding herself within her own chambers. Mulling through various things in her own head, from any potential leads that she might have missed, to ways to improve her ability to respond if such a thing were to happen again. Not too much was coming to her mind aside from maintaining a horse, though in some ways the restrictive alleys of Hull ill-suited themselves to a horse, it might even slow her down were she to ride one, were the location in-opportune.

"I suppose I did have that briefest stint of training with a few things once I had gotten riding down... if Doug had brought his Pegasus along, that might have been an interesting option... you'd be able to track whoever you were chasing from a bird's eye view, and needn't worry about obstacles..." Adele considered, though as she continued to think it over, Pegasi did not adapt particularly well to the weight of equipment... it was why pegasus knights wore minimal armour and tended to carry lighter lances and blades. Unless...

"What about a Dieran war drake, though? I do recall the instructor saying that they rode just about the same so long as the beast was tamed..." Adele noted to herself, nodding a few times as she considered it. Standing from her chair, she exited her room, moving towards her father's study. She knew he had departed earlier in the day for a meeting at the Palace, but he may well have returned by this point. If he hadn't, well at least she'd know for sure.

[Xinnidy]

"Very well, then." Owen nodded at the decisions, taking a short time to process Duke Herman's description. "A pegasus rider, that assisted in the dungeon fire, you say? I do recall..." Owen stopped with a vacant, wide-eyed stare as he connected the dots. Oh. So that's a Douglas. He shook his head, paying attention to Herman again. I hope I didn't leave a poor impression on him. It makes sense that father would want to reward him... I was also meant to give him some compensation for his troubles, gah. I hope he forgot as well... Great. Hopefully the mercenary wasn't a person to hold onto small offenses.

"Alright. Thank you for your time, gentlemen. I appreciate your work for our kingdom, and hope to hear more of my father's health in the future." With the meeting dismissed, there was now a brief respite for Owen, and he had half a mind to return to his chambers immediately, though it'd probably be nice to hear the newly assigned Baron Kearney voice his opinion.

[Juliette]

Freya smarted a bit after her loss. "Rough fight... I can do better than that. I'd say it's because I'm not used to unarmored fighting, but excuses don't help you improve." Still, she brushed herself off and got her armor quickly after offering Cass a "thanks" for the healing. "What's all this talk about Raewald? Is something happening there?"

[Terrador]

The newly-minted baron and advisor follows his liege out of the meeting room at the first chance he gets--far too many things had to be addressed, but not all of them were concerns for Owen's ear.

"Your Highness," Angus begins, "did you, ah... know any o'this was comin'?" The two weren't especially close, but Owen knew Angus; he knew he was no statesman, regardless of his prowess as a warrior. Still, he had another question--one that was more important to Prince Owen. "And... well, what of my duties? As your advisor, I mean. Lionel never really spoke of it, an' frankly, I never bothered readyin' myself for such a thing." [Hell of a week for me. Not just a knighthood, but now I'm advisin' Owen of all folks, runnin' a damn barony, plus this scheme with Cassandra? Engel, give me a hand; I'm not cut out for all o'this.]

[riariadne]

Sidney ignored Cass's comments- she was getting childish, and it didn't feel worth arguing. "Archery range... got it." She approached the targets- there were several spaced out at different lengths, and training bows and arrows readily available. Taking one, she aimed for one of the furthest ones, and hit... a completely different target, actually further away. Well, okay. I need a bit of work for those long shots. She switched to one of the closest instead, hitting it soundly in the center and regaining quite a bit of confidence. The natural progression was to move on to a target roughly in the middle, which she grazed the side of- a good in-between. She proceeded to spend a solid twenty minutes focusing on hitting the middle of it, narrowing down her variance significantly towards the end of it.

Finally, she hit three in the center spot in a row, putting the bow down with a sigh. Good progress. A cursory glance showed Cass's new guard Freya and this Nelon fighting, but she decided it didn't really interest her any more. "I might be back on a future day, but for now I'm heading off. Thank you," Sidney told Hogan as she exited the barracks and walking towards the castle.

Once again she found herself heading towards the garden. It had become a sort of default for her- whenever things seemed unclear in her mind, she would head there, which seemed to be very often. She sat on a bench and closed her eyes, leaning back a bit and losing herself in thoughts. What am I gonna do with myself?

Edited May 3, 2016 by Reinfleche

[scorri]

Niko gave a slight shrug. "I guess? I mean, there were plenty of mages who worked for the Reliants, but most of them were too busy to teach me. At any point there'd only be one or two back at base where I was living. I would occasionally watch them practice and learn from them that way. They would correct me or give me tips if they saw me practicing but pretty much my father was the only one who took a lot of time to train me."

[Toogee]

After Oldtimer snuck his head into more than one open window (he was pretty sure someone was getting dressed in one of those cases), Doug had to call off the flight around Wyke. He wasn't sure what had gotten into the pegasus. Perhaps he had been cooped up in the stable for too long. The rider would have take flights a bit more frequently. For now, they made a stop at the royal stables, the letter still on Doug's mind. He figured he'd at least meet up with this mysterious figure and see what they were offering.

[Nanami Touko]

"Sorry for getting the two of you so excited," she said, shaking her head a bit. "The mention of Raewald was just for the future. A diplomat wishes for Owen to see the queen, but there was no discussion of a 'when'. It would simply be good to have reliable people on hand were things to go sour. Not that I think they will! You just can't be too cautious. Your villagers may rest easy, sir. I would suggest to just keep it in the back of your mind. I was rather impressed with your fighting." Cass nodded, tempted to go a round with him herself, but shook her head and decided against it, again. Curses. Priorities, Cass.

"Right, I'm going to go around and heal the trainees, then, Freya, I have business in town. Can I expect you to accompany me?" She began to heal Nelon as she asked, hoping he would keep the offer in mind.

[Juliette]

"Fine by me, then. Just hadn't heard about anything with Raewald at all." Freya shrugged, securing her armor in place once again. "Sure, I can come if you want. It's up to you."

[Shin]

The Breakfast of Knowledge

Looking down at Freya, Nelon smiled nervously. "There all all kinds of foes in this world, variety is the best practice." he recommended, the healing light from Cass' staff easing his bruises. "Thank you, Princess. If my services are required, I hope I can serve you to the best of my ability."

Hogan watched Sidney as she fired at the targets, content with what he saw. "Practice is the key to it, miss." he assured. "If yer don't hit it the first time, it's best to just try to get the next arrow in." He watched her walk off, wondering who exactly she was. Things had only gotten strange since Kearney had returned, he always did bring disaster with him.

Cass and Sidney gain 5 WEXP!

--

Out and about

Sebastian looked at Emmet, considering how amusing it might have been to send him all across town. Deciding that his job was probably more important than teasing a guest, the butler gestured towards town. "I believe Mister Eurus is out shopping. He departed a little while ago, but I'm unsure when he shall return. Perhaps you might be able to find him?" he replied.

--

Well, well, well

"I see, you're looking for a criminal that looks like a rat!" the guard replied, nearly jumping out of his armour. "Thank you, citizen, I'll ensure that we inform you once he's been apprehended!" Marching off, rather pleased with himself, it appeared that the guard hadn't quite gotten the idea.

It wasn't all bad news though, Serge caught a glimpse of Larissa looking at a shop window. It had been a few days since he'd last seen her, she didn't have much a presence at the Herman residence. She was more modestly dressed than usual, which was unusual considering her... background.

--

A tempting offer

A man dressed in white hailed Doug as he landed, his eyes on Oldtimer. "Ah, you must be Doug!" he laughed, waiting for Doug to dismount. "I'm glad you got my letter, I was hoping to catch you." He was a rather unremarkable man, not too tall, nor too short, almost completely forgettable. "I was hoping that you would sell your pegasus to me. I can offer you a lot of money in return. I'm hoping twenty thousand is enough? It's so rare to see a pegasus the age of yours, it's a once in a life time chance for me!"

[Nanami Touko]

"I very much so would, Freya." Cass curtsied for Nelon, waving him off. He seemed like a nice fellow, so Cass was glad he was agreeable. Owen would probably be pleased to hear about it as well. See, I can be useful! Perhaps I'm not as much of a failure as I wrote myself off to be. Cass smiled to herself, motioning for Freya to follow. "Right, so. I need to find a man in town. I can't tell you why, and I probably won't be, unless we get into trouble, but-- I need to find a small man who goes by the nickname of Ratty. I realize it sound rather silly, but that's what's on the plan. Are you up for a search, Freya? Armor won't weigh you down too far?" Cass kept her stride slow, wanting to let the armored woman keep pace.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Melissa

[Dandragon]

And off the guard went, completely clueless of what Serge was intending. Of course, it seemed as though the guards were also after Ratty, now that he opened his big mouth. Great job... But not was all lost. Larissa was in sight. Serge casually walked up to her and initiated conversation, trying not to startle her. "Haven't seen you in a while, eh Larissa? What have you been up to?"

[Jotari]

"Thank you very much, good sir." The butler still neglected to tell Emmet his name but he hardly cared. "I'll go see if I can find him at once. If I happen to fail, please inform him that I called round."

Eurus huh? Didn't even know Niko had a surname. Seems he's not completely common born at least. Since he's a mage, I assume he'll be at the vendor in the shopping district. I'll head there next. Even if I can't fight him they might have something I can buy to assist with my stave studies.

Emmet heads towards the vendor.

Edited May 3, 2016 by Jotari

[Juliette]

"Man named Ratty... I can't imagine what you'd want with someone like that. You don't have to worry about me catching up, though. I don't wear this armor all the time for nothing," Freya objected, walking faster than the princess's slowed speed without too much difficulty. "I'm used to it by now, I can keep pace just fine."