Saturos Prox
Swordmaster
The Wildcard
I'm almost incapable of lying. I'd be a terrible spy.
Posts: 351
Etruria Fame: 1
Profession: Undercover Operative
Affinity: Anima
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Post by Saturos Prox on Jan 24, 2011 3:17:33 GMT -6
After a fair share of walking, jogging, running, and resting which had amounted to a few days journey, the motley crew had finally arrived in castle city Bern. Saturos looked into the horizon, Castle Bern itself nestled atop a high plateau, with mountains extending into the sky behind it. Before them lay the city of Bern, extending out from the base of the mountain on which the castle sat. Making their way through the city wouldn't be nearly as difficult as getting into the castle would be, provided they remained hidden.
Saturos whistled at the sight. Impressive. Supposedly only the walls of Edessa and Ostia could be compared to such a well defended castle. Well, less so Ostia now that it had been roasted to the ground. That news had probably spread to the four corners of Elibe by now. Saturos turned to his companions, jutting his finger at the stone sight behind him. "We've got a bit of a gauntlet to run, it seems," he said casually. "I assume you're all ready for this?"
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Post by Rayl Torien on Jan 24, 2011 17:43:29 GMT -6
An Ilian swordsman stood at the side of the gate with his guard buddy, anxiously awaiting the shift that would occur any moment now. Yawning at the lack of exciting things, which in itself was a good and bad thing. Looking over to the spearman on the side of the gate, he stretched his arms out to get rid of the ache in them from standing so rigid, thankful for the lack of unordinary things, until he looked up to the hill, spotting a lone figure, his eyes widen in shock.
Rayl had moved ahead of his small group of men with a heavy mix of anxious anxiety. Here he was, at the Capitol of Bern, the same city he had been in that was assaulted by Aerious five years back: the same city that turned him into who he was today...Just looking at it's repaired walls and castle, and it's rebuilt homes and buildings...Well, he couldn't but look at himself, and how much he had changed, and not just on the outside, in (and in a twist of irony.) Barigan's armor, but in mindset and everything.
He grimaced as he remembered his actions that dark day: in a drunken stupor he locked that mage in a burning building until he'd calm down ( how could someone locked in a burning building be calm?), how he'd turned in that dragon girl to Alan ( who possessed Barigan's weapon: Malt.), and then fled the group he was in. Thus with a hesitant heart he turned around in the saddle to wave to the others, and rode forward at a slow pace.
Meanwhile, the guard at the gate moved over and nudged his slightly dozed off friend in shock, the spearman jumping awake as he looked to the distant figure: they knew the armor of both horse and rider that approached them. For a moment they thought it was a dream, as the spearman ran back into the gate to get their captain, the swordsman standing erect and at full attention: What else was he going to do?!
Of course not many knew the full appearance of Barigan, (portraits and statues varied by artists, though most depicted him in his thirties), so when Rayl rode up with his flag-bearer (with the Golden Lance Symbol upon his spear), the man stood speechless as he faced the smiling Paladin.
...and oh how forced that smile was as falsely calm eyes looked nervously at the gates, some slight scorch marks that were barely noticeable to uncaring eyes standing out to him like a sore thumb. Just one final test, then: entire the heart of both Bern's Problems...
And his.
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Alwin
The "Before" years
[M:0]
Bern will win back its independance.
Posts: 27
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Post by Alwin on Jan 24, 2011 18:10:04 GMT -6
As they approached the castle, Alwin slowed down. He didn't really feel comfortable getting too close. Of course... this whole journey was one moment of discomfort after another, so its surprising that he wasn't used to it by now. He looked over towards Karina, whom he had been riding aside in order to approach relatively safely and spoke. "Im going to hang back for a little bit. I don't think someone like me would be ....appreciated around here. If you need me for something, well just signal me."
With that, Alwin began to descend, all the while staring towards the castle. Within those walls, were Illians. Ones who were in control of Bern. The pit of Alwin's stomach churned, and he began to question himself.
What was he doing here? Yes, he wanted to help out Bern... but, he didn't really have a plan. He was with this group because they wanted to help Bern too... but if he had never met up with them.... what would he have done then?
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Ralph Meglane
Rogue
The Sightless Wanderer
Dishing out his own brand of justice.
Posts: 276
Etruria Fame: 1
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Sarria
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Post by Ralph Meglane on Jan 24, 2011 19:28:50 GMT -6
Ralph calmed himself with the final stretch to Bern. Flying really helped him forget that dream from earlier, however here he was, the capitol. No time to think about his conscience getting the last laugh, it was time to fix what had gone wrong.
As he waited for Karina to land, he said, "This is the city I was born in, and grew up in. My worst memories in life are from here, maybe it's a blessing that I can't see any of it. I don't know whether I would laugh or cry at its state."
There was no turning back now, he had to do something, or else he would be just like his father.
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Karina
The "Before" years
[M:1000]
Submit to the short skirt!!!
Posts: 132
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Post by Karina on Jan 25, 2011 7:23:02 GMT -6
Karina had faithfully followed Rayl, flying low to the ground by Alwin. She thought about speaking up when he said he was going to the rear, but decided it would be best to let him do what he thought was right. They closed in on the city, all of its sights whirring through Karina's mind. This place must have been beautiful once... But like all things, it must be on hard times. She thought. Karina directed Sascha to the ground, slowly leveling out in their descent. After landing, she helped Ralph off, after which, he told her his worries.
"I'm sorry if this is causing you pain. If I could, I would fly you back to Lycia... but I cannot bring myself to stray from Rayl's service at such a pivotal moment. It may be uncomfortable, but we have to see this through until the end." She gave Ralph a reassuring pat on the wrist, then waited for orders.
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Post by Judah on Jan 25, 2011 16:37:50 GMT -6
Judah reached up and pushed back his hood, revealing his rough hair, a small shock of white hair, alone, contrasting the shadow covering the rest of his scalp. Cold, grey eyes stared out at the battlements before them, calculating the strength of the walls, and wondering what it would take to dislodge Illia.
The towers, and walls surrounding Bern's capital were not lost on Judah. It's positioning would lend a heavy measure of difficulty to the operation. A simple snatch-and-grab rescue would be unlikely to succeed, yet no other possibilities were presenting themselves to the acolyte. "Ready? Not likely, but this is the time to act."
It was that simple to him, really. The odds were stacked against him this time. He only hoped that he could find ways to distract the cities guards, on the way up. He also wondered what Aiden would do, once he was secured. Where would they go after freeing their prisoner?
There were places scattered throughout Bern that would make good hiding places, but would even those places be safe with the Lowell in tow? Perhaps some of his contacts had the resources to keep Aiden away from the Illians.
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Post by Syana Flamberge on Jan 25, 2011 19:52:56 GMT -6
Syana, having recovered enough to get off of Lyar's shoulder, gave a nod. "Ready? I was born ready for missions like this!" True to her word, she had a glimmer of excitement in her eye. She kept running her hand over the very bottom of her sword as she stared over the city in front of them. She couldn't help but grin. It just looked... fun. It was like a giant puzzle. Figuring out the perfect route over and walls and through the city to find Aidan before he gets killed and then back out. A mission most mercenaries would avoid, but one the others salivate at. This type of mission could really put a girl on the map. Maybe not in the way she had always imagined, but hey, any publicity was good publicity.
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Lyar
The "Before" years
[M:0]
Incapacitate? I thought you said DEcapitate!
Posts: 155
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Post by Lyar on Jan 27, 2011 17:23:50 GMT -6
Standing behind his two companions the giant crossed his arms in thought while he surveyed the enclosed city. That was a lot of ground to run through, tight corners, many alleyways, and only two major gates in and out unless they wanted to jump out a window of one of the walls' four Archer towers. a hand went to his chin as he then eyed one of the gates, squinting a bit at shining object...
...on a horse. And thus an idea hit him. He knew who that was on the horse, It was that Sir Rayl guy Mavick would read to him about in the news, and the same horseman they...well, he met in Sacae during that big battle alongside Commander Richter! A grin came upon his face as he reached down and wrapped one canned ham sized fist around Saturos' right arm, and the other on Syana's left arm," Come on, I've got an idea!"
With this and his teammates (unwillingly?) in tow, he ran down the hill shouting to get the Paladin's attention," Hey! Hey Sir Rayl! It's me!"
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Alwin
The "Before" years
[M:0]
Bern will win back its independance.
Posts: 27
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Post by Alwin on Jan 27, 2011 17:43:45 GMT -6
Alwin heard someone unfamilliar shout from far away. He couldn't hear that well from a distance, but he knew he heard 'Rayl'. Curious, he looked in the direction the voice came from. It was a rather.... large man, followed by two people. He looked rather imposing, from what he could tell.
Alwin silently watched, hanging back as the group approached Rayl.
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Ralph Meglane
Rogue
The Sightless Wanderer
Dishing out his own brand of justice.
Posts: 276
Etruria Fame: 1
Affinity: Wind
OoC Alias: Sarria
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Post by Ralph Meglane on Jan 28, 2011 16:38:33 GMT -6
"Of course, Karina, I know that." Ralph said as they dismounted. "There is no time for hesitation or stalls, all we can do now is keep moving forward."
Which, of course, was easy for him to say. Ralph had no choice but to blindly, metaphorically and literally, continue moving. No choice but to ignore everything else around him. This was for the good of Bern, not for himself, that was what was plain to see.
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Post by Judah on Jan 28, 2011 22:45:05 GMT -6
Judah watched as the giant dragged his teamates down the hill, and towards the horseman.
"What's Rayl of Lycia doing here?" The dark-haired man could only wonder, as he decided whether it would be safer to follow the other three, or separate on his own. After a moment, he followed, keeping up as best he was able with the lumbering giant.
It was a curious group, consisting of a pegasus knight, a wyvern rider, several riders, and a few others besides. Interesting.
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Saturos Prox
Swordmaster
The Wildcard
I'm almost incapable of lying. I'd be a terrible spy.
Posts: 351
Etruria Fame: 1
Profession: Undercover Operative
Affinity: Anima
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Post by Saturos Prox on Jan 30, 2011 1:25:14 GMT -6
Saturos just kind of let Lyar drag him along, despite the fact he had been focused on something completely different. The giant had broken his concentration on their little mission, but perhaps that was for the best. He'd been so wound up for the past day or so it hurt, and seeing Lyar jumping and shouting like a little boy in a candy shop made him feel a little more...himself.
But Sir Rayl...the Sir Rayl? The hero of Lycia and one of the men who fought in the Bandit War and had a hand in slaying the Bandit King Hargus? That Sir Rayl? Well, from what Saturos knew about him, he liked to spread his own legend. No wait...that wasn't right. No, he liked to spread stories about that Crowley man. In his years, the Etrurian myrmidon had never heard one thing about Crowley, until he was dead, that is.
A couple of years ago, rumors and stories of the great Crowley, a man who had given his life to defeat Etruria, flooded local bars and taverns, much to the discontent of most Etrurian officials. They tried to stamp them out, going as far as to outlaw the book that began the stories, a book written by Sir Rayl himself, but it was no use. Their protest just made the flames of his legend jump even higher.
That being said, Saturos was always a tad skeptical, of both Crowley and any man who could write such outlandish tales, but then again, everyone else always tended to be a bit skeptical of Saturos, so it was all good.
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Post by Syana Flamberge on Feb 2, 2011 20:02:04 GMT -6
Syana was dragged along by Lyar as he ran. She tried to keep up, but dragged really was the best way to describe it. It wasn't until she heard a name she decided to look up. Rayl? Rayl, Rayl? Like, THE Rayl? Seriously? And Lyar knew him? What the hell was going on? What was someone this important doing here? Wasn't he supposed to be off doing... whatever it is he does?
She stayed quiet, but gave Saturos a look asking if this was really happening. It was... weird. Seriously, why was her here? Was he trying to save Aidan too? Why did everyone but her seem to know someone famous? She had completely forgotten about Judah at this point and was looking over the rest of Rayl's entourage. Some cavaliers, a peg knight, a guy on a wyvern, some dude with covered eyes. What a random group.
Serious, what the heck was going on?
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Post by Rayl Torien on Feb 5, 2011 18:33:13 GMT -6
The guard at the gate gave a firm salute to the Holy Knight before him, who in turn returned the gesture, then held up the hand to indicate the guard to stop," At ease, my friend. I am not the man you believe me to be. I am Sir Rayl of Pherae, and chosen Ambassador of the Lycian League." Th guard however, just kept staring. Maybe he didn't think Rayl was being serious, or maybe he was trying to figure out how a Pheraen knight was wearing the armor of his Nation's Hero and Founder.
However at this point, Rayl hear a loud, and vaguely familiar, voice. out of the corner of his eye he saw a large frame, and at that moment he realized who it was. Turning his head to watch the colossus come barreling down a hill with three people with him, two of these he was dragging along with him...typical of what he knew of the giant," Hail to thee, Sir Lyar of Ostia!" actually, this could be advantageous to their cause. From what he knew, Lyar was with Richter and others when Ostia had fallen...a first hand witness would be a good thing to have.
The guard had gotten his spear ready when he spotted the man in the distance, but soon lowered it nervously as the large man grew closer and closer...and bigger and bigger with each step bringing him more into view...that and between the giant and apparently a friend of the giant: it wasn't the BEST idea.
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Lyar
The "Before" years
[M:0]
Incapacitate? I thought you said DEcapitate!
Posts: 155
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Post by Lyar on Feb 5, 2011 18:40:38 GMT -6
OOC: Mumble Mumble I got dis.
IC: The giant came to a skidding halt as he was soon standing inches from Rayl and Elibe, the giant horse looking up at the man with a snort of indifference...or maybe it was respect, considering Lyar gave a loud huff in return with his typical smile on his face," Good to see you again Sir Rayl!" with this he let go of his two comrades, beaming proudly," This is Saturos and this is Syana!" he gave each of them a pat on the head with a large hand at the mention of their names.
"Amazing that our paths cross again so. We're here to pick up a friend of ours, went ahead because he had a pressing engagement to attend to...and we weren't about to have him hang around for us to get here, you know?"
Oh yeah. He was so clever. Clever like Mavick maybe! putting two hands on his hips, he closed his eyes and nodded in content with his plan, before looking over the people with the paladin...wherever that man went, there was always some sort of multi-weaponry multi-national group with him: The little lady on the pegasi, the boy on the wyvern, the man with the cloth on his face...that other horseman...
"...Oh, and that's that mage dude with us. I forget what his name is."
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