Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Apr 8, 2010 21:31:57 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Apr 8, 2010 21:31:57 GMT -6
(OoC: Continued from: Sleeping Beast of Ostia)
(I shouldn't have to say this, but please try to be active. lol. Takes place under the base of the "E" in "Etruria" on the map.)
BiC:
It was early in the morning, and Garnet and his friends were finally nearing their destination, after some days of traveling. They were approaching a small town, probably an outlying settlement to the place they were headed. The sun was covered, just a bit, with a hazy gauze of clouds, but still provided the pleasant warmth that reminded the red-headed swordsman of his hammock back home.
They crossed a small bridge, stream gurgling quietly underneath, and began heading up through the wood constructed buildings, following the road as it wound it's way between them, coughing dust up along it's worn surface.
"Well, I believe I feel I've earned myself a good meal. What say we turn in here, find a nice tavern, set back, and take a load off, eh?" Garnet was just happy to be nearing the end of the completion of this job. He was thinking of making a detour to where his home used to be, not far off now. No more than a day's travel, in fact, but that could wait until the end of a hearty meal. He'd been craving one since they left the Soldier of Fortune, in Laus.
He stopped in the road, stretched his back a bit, and then yawned a bit, feeling fairly contented with the nice weather.
Then he noticed the cold, fearful looks that most of the villagers gave him, and his friends, how people looked out from reinforced shutters before closing them to slits. Others too afraid to do more than watch from their doorways, caution etched on their faces.
"Friendly lot..." Garnet mumbled under his breath, reaching down and clearing his blade in it's sheath, and nudging his buckler into a more accessible position.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Apr 16, 2010 20:48:01 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Apr 16, 2010 20:48:01 GMT -6
Hearing no complaint from his friends, Garnet continued on into the village, Fable clopping along behind calmly. The people didn't seem to get any friendlier, but no one stepped out to cause trouble either. Soon enough, a beatup, rundown, collection of weathered boards, held in the shape of a building by some unseen effect, came into view. They didn't really inspire confidence in the mercenary, but there didn't seem to be any other place available for a meal. He was thinking it might be better to pass on, but eventually decided that it couldn't hurt to have a look around.
"The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" Garnet glanced up at the name painted in faded lettering over the swinging doors. "I'm not sure that name is good for business, eh? "Good" is good, but "Ugly" is only passable, and "Bad".... Who wants to go to a bad bar?"
Inside, Garnet could hear a group of men arguing with a stout old man in an apron, probably the barkeep, about price.
The merc decided to go ahead and see if he could get some service from the place, and stepped inside.
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Francis
The "Before" years
[M:0]
I Hate Small Towns
Posts: 34
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Avenger
Apr 25, 2010 13:24:34 GMT -6
Post by Francis on Apr 25, 2010 13:24:34 GMT -6
OOC: Gotta go back to working up until May 20th I'd reckon, feel free to ghost Francis, Garnet. Also, I leiks the reference.
IC: Quietly following alongside his Swordsman companion, he marched in step with Garnet as they arrived at the inn, and took a moment to read the bar's name.
"The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly...Well, we know Garnet here is the good one, and I'm obviously the bad one...Well Mage Dude, looks like yer the ugly one!" he exclaimed jokingly, before stepping inside, the rush of warm air was quite welcoming. A few men were heckling the barkeep, and Francis: being Francis, walked up behind one of them, patting him on the back accompanied by an 'ahem'. The man turned around, a rather despicable character who was obviously pissed off.
"Oh come now Gentlemen, can't we all just get along?" the former brigand inquired in a casual tone...oh you could so easily tell what Francis was up to. After receiving a less than friendly hand gesture from the man, who promptly turned around afterward, Francis tapped him on the shoulder again ( again with an ahem), the man turned around...
...and was given a knuckle sandwich. This settled the argument instead of escalating into a full fledged bar fight, before leaning against the counter facing the barkeep, heavy axe strapped to his back, and flashed a gritty, semi toothless, stereotypical bandit grin:
"So...how much fer a room pardner?" he was shown a big goose egg from a stuttering barkeep...there is a price you can't argue with!
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
May 4, 2010 19:56:13 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on May 4, 2010 19:56:13 GMT -6
As Francis made the joking "Ugly" comment, Garnet stepped back, and rubbed his chin, playing along, with an appraising look. He couldn't help chuckling a bit, before giving Arren a friendly slap on the back and dragging him in the door the first few steps. "Well, as long as the name only refers to patrons, and not the fare, we'll do fine."
Francis seemed to have decided to make a bee line for the argument, and the red head had an idea of what he intended. Garnet rolled his eyes, but in this case would be just as pleased to let the axeman do as he would. The men causing the fuss had it coming. They seemed like they were getting close to hostile, in fact.
Garnet took the opportunity to walk in a bit of a roundabout way through the bar, heading generally towards Francis. As he walked, he began to notice to groups in the place. A portion were dressed normally, for a small village. Functional, durable clothing.
The other group, which was by far, the larger, was decked out in various types of armor, weapons, and equipment, most of it thrown together haphazardly. It looked like this was a favorite stop for mercs, or other people who were willing to sell their talents. But why so many?
Garnet heard a crack, and winced. Moments later, a body landed on the floor a few steps away from him, and he looked down to see Francis' handiwork. A few others noticed, but didn't seem to think it was worth their time. Off on the other side of the common room, the swordsman heard a table full of fighters of various kinds break out in laughter, and a bit of cheering.
"It's still early in the day, and we've only got a few hours left. We've got enough time to get a meal, deliver the message, then swing by here on the way out, Franz." Garnet slipped into a seat at the counter, causing it to creak slightly as it absorbed his weight. "So Barkeep, let's have your best stuff, for your great heroes." Before long, there was a plate full of smoked ribs put in front of each of them, with some kind of delicious sauce slathered over it.
"Barkeep, before you go, could you provide a bit of information about the place just a little past here? I'm on my way up there and I'd like to hear a little about it."
"You're on your way to the outlaw town? Ehh, a common enough destination nowadays, what with all the rough business suddenly coming through this area.... The Outlaw Town." The old man shook his head, as if remembering the good ol' days.
Garnet found himself thoroughly puzzled. He was from this area, and there was nothing of the sort in the region. "Outlaw town? What do you mean?"
The stout man gave him an appraising look. "You don't know? A few months back, alot of things changed. A settlement to the North East was raided real good. Few enough of those folk made it out. Rumors lay it at the feet of the clergy, but it's ill fortune to talk like that if you get my meaning. They were the last strong presence for order in this area. It wasn't long before some of the "wrong" folks stepped in an' took over. In this case, "Lord" Carlyle, a crime boss. He's not in the small time either... Since then, we've been getting every kind of low scum. Thieves, pirates, brigands, and m-" He remembered who he was talking to then and stopped himself short of saying mercs. He started to clam up, but Garnet gave him a reassuring gesture, and managed to convince the man to continue.
"... A few weeks back, we heard that they've started rounding up the country folk, and selling them as slaves..." He started to scurry off, at the call of some of his other guests.
The news hit Garnet hard. Only a few months had passed since the fall of his home, the same place mentioned briefly by the proprietor, and now his home region had fallen into a downward spiral. He'd known that his Uncle Bryant had been somewhat responsible for the safety of the region, but he'd never imagined something like this could happen in his worst nightmares.
"Did you catch all that Francis? My home is in shambles." His emotions had turned unreadable. He didn't even know how he felt, himself. What can be done? the message was driven from his mind now. It's almost like this was all done deliberately. His mind snapped into motion, and he realized that under the cold exterior that was up, his fury was burning hotter than a forge. It was shaping him into a deadly weapon with one purpose. To kill that creep of a criminal! "I'll need to gather some information on numbers, locate some good hiding spots. Francis, this is our chance! To do something Glorious!" He leaned back in his seat, arms folded. He checked his drink. He hadn't touched it yet. This anger was genuine.
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Francis
The "Before" years
[M:0]
I Hate Small Towns
Posts: 34
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Avenger
May 13, 2010 14:27:05 GMT -6
Post by Francis on May 13, 2010 14:27:05 GMT -6
Blank Stare. This was what was going on with Francis as the events just spilled out over the table, and he just sort of sat there, twiddling his thumbs and drinking his ale...then drank Garnet's drink as he didn't seem to have plans with it, before slamming both mugs onto the counter, belching loudly, before turning to his sword swinging companion and let out a dark, deep, and pretty intimidating: "YES...!"He didn't really care WHAT was going on, but he figured hey: They were about to do something incredibly ridiculous, dangerous, and probably suicidal... Man this was gunna be GLORIOUS! But until then, he leaned back in his chair, put his boots ( YAY! SHOES!) on the counter, and waited... ...snoring was soon heard. OOC: Whenever I think of Garnet and Francis...I always think they need a feminine archer to join them...why? www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxPGzj2L3n0
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Jun 1, 2010 21:35:11 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Jun 1, 2010 21:35:11 GMT -6
Looking down, after having his fervor broken a bit by Francis' shout, he found that his drink was gone. He gave an accusing look at his former-bandit-buddy, only to find him contentedly snoozing away. Giving an exasperated snort, the merc rose, and paid for their drink.
Moving to the window, he thjought back, trying to get a fix on exactly where they were, and what kind of terrain was around them. He'd been over to this village a few times in his years as a town guard, and he thought he could just remember a place that they could get to, should they need to hideout.
Deciding that it was time to begin... whatever would be done, Garnet turned. He found the innkeeper bustling past, and managed to stop him for a moment. His voice very quiet, yet intent, Garnet asked a question. "How many men are in the fort?"
The innkeeper stopped, and stared at him a moment, trying to divine Garnet's reasons for asking, but the mercenary remained inscrutable. "Perhaps forty in the fortress. More pass through from time to time." Why? was the unasked question. He saw, or perhaps felt something from this red-haired swordsman, that reminded him of the time before the fall, before the outlaws had claimed the place. But it was mixed with something more. This justice fighter was tainted by something else. Something wild, and it wasn't necessarily a good thing.
As Garnet brushed past, something on Garnet's armor caught the innkeeper's attention, and he recognized, at last, who Garnet was. A remnant of the fallen town. A ghost come back to the region. An Avenger.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Jun 1, 2010 22:08:31 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Jun 1, 2010 22:08:31 GMT -6
OoC: I've got permission to ghost Francis, as he will attest when he returns.
BiC:
To the Red-Headed Merc, the place didn't seem like it could get worse, but he was wrong. Or rather, he just noticed he was wrong. He should've known not to leave Francis asleep, alone in a bar packed to the gills, right next door to some outlaw town.
Shouting would do no good in the noisy place, so that left only force. The issue at hand was some scrawny little man, trying to cut through the tough raw hides that held Francis' money. Sweeping up a glass, thankfully empty, bottle from a table, Garnet hurled it across the room with a snarl. His aim was off by at least a couple feet, but the scrawny guy quickly got the message as the bottle shattered nearby, and disappeared. Unfortunately, some of the patrons took it personal that Garnet had launched the bottle their way. One particularly large man looked in the mood to cause trouble. Francis was awake now, and trying to grasp what had happened that could have altered the mood of the room so much.
That was when it happened. The uneasy truce that had been surviving, had been broken, as it inevitably did each day. Someone else pitched a glass bottle, and the next thing Garnet and Francis knew, they were in the middle of a bar brawl.
Those immediately around Francis, seemed to pick him to focus on. To bad. The next thing they knew, all their attention was focused on the counter which their faces were being introduced to.
Garnet had things a bit tougher. Being out, away from the counter, he had no place to back up against. He took a fist blow on his chest piece, hearing the scream of the attacker match the ring of the steel plate. Ducking under a hay-maker, he reached backwards to a table, his hand gripping the neck of a still half full bottle of... bludgeon juice. The man dropped as it collided with his temple, falling amidst the broken glass and dripping alcohol. Letting go of his improvised weapon, Garnet was only glad that he'd not gotten anything to drink earlier. It took all of his balance to dodge and weave forwards, towards his friend and ally.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Jun 12, 2010 23:05:41 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Jun 12, 2010 23:05:41 GMT -6
Francis wasn't quite sure what had happened, but he knew that the little men around him wanted to tussle now. Hitting another would-be assailant with enough force to spin him around, the ex bandit looked over and saw his buddy, Garnet. there seemed to be a crowd of people gathering in front of the mercenary... And behind him, and next to him, and pretty much everywhere. Seeing that his Garnet was embroiled in the midst of a crowd. Francis decided to come to his rescue. Just in time too, because there was one rather large looking man coming towards his friend. And off he went. - - - - - Garnet was really being pressed now. There was only one opponent actively engaging him at a time, but the jostling and by-blows from all the other conflicts around him still took their toll. For some reason, some people said they enjoyed these things. (Things being bar fights.) One thing he could be thankful for was that no weapons had been drawn, and no one seemed to have the intent of drawing them. Of course there were still improvised weapons being used, but, thankfully, no steel was bared. Garnet leaned to the right, allowing a punch to slip by him, and used his left arm to pin the extended punch to his side. After that, all it took was a quick jab to the chin with his right, and a step forward, moving his left arm to push the man back, and topple him. It was almost comical how easy it was for his quick, precise, and brutal movements to dispatch the clumsy barfighters. Some put up more of a fight, but most seemed to be either overly drunk or disinterested, as if this was a normal occurrence. It probably was he realized. Just then, A rather large roughneck got up to Garnet and managed to force the merc into a grappling contest. This was bad. Garnet was layered in muscle from his profession, but this guy was huge. He could feel himself slowly, yet surely overpowered. Francis was the one that saved the day. Garnet's eyes caught the movement as the big, shoe-crazed, ex-bandit shoved a cluster of people out of the way and suddenly started crashing along on top of the tables. It didn't take more than a quick hammerfist to the top of the head to drop Garnet's opponent like a sack of wheat, for which the merc was extremely grateful for. Having a temporarily clear shot at the window, the pair dashed their way over and through the swinging doors, barreling out into the sun shine. Garnet didn't know where Arren was, he couldn't even recall if the kid had gone in, but there was really nothing to do if he had. The mess in the bar known as the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly was horrendous. They'd never find him in there.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Jul 27, 2010 16:00:22 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Jul 27, 2010 16:00:22 GMT -6
OoC: I'm not expecting Arron to return. Actually, though he was with us, he never posted in this thread. He's not been on in a long time, and he's not even been on his own forum recently, so I'm not going to feel bad about trying to get my char up and running again, without him. I'm also cutting back on my ambitions a bit, as they were getting to confusing, even for me, the orchestrater. lol BiC: Garnet turned from the crashes in the bar after retrieving Fable, his grey horse. That really wasn't his concern. Nothing here was, in reality, but it was against his instincts to leave the town in it's situation. The message he'd been hired to deliver from Lycia was to go to this despot, Carlyle, but he wanted nothing to do with it anymore. Best if they remained completely unaware of any communications. He didn't stop to consider what the intent of all this could have been. He merely decided that he was going to put his mind to the task at hand. OoC:This is, of course, a view of the inside, and perhaps a bit larger than what I had in mind. Slaves brought in from all nations are kept in a pen against the wall, and are either resold, or are sent to mine in the nearby mountain/hills. A few lifting cranes are kept around the place, and shipments of blasting powder are stored in some of the buildings. Not that the characters know most of this.www.oblivionmodwiki.com/images/4/4b/Blood_and_Mud_Bravil01.jpgBiC: He stopped a few steps away, where he could see the fort in the distance. "Francis, I don't like this fort. Want to help me break it?"
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Aug 6, 2010 21:46:56 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Aug 6, 2010 21:46:56 GMT -6
Garnet turned, after a moment of waiting for a response, and found only his horse, Fable, looking at him forlornly, as if it was an older brother looking after it's younger sibling. Garnet through his hands up in the air in exasperation. "This town must be bewitched! It confuses people, and makes them lose their way! Gah..."
A few hours later, Garnet found himself again. He'd walked around and looked for his companions for awhile, his depression over what had happened in the recent past reawakening when he saw how his home had fallen into darkness. It wasn't even there anymore, from what he'd heard. His home was a shell of what it had been.
He'd finally decided to go find an alley to mope in, when he looked up. He'd found an alley alright, but it was already occupied. lining the streets were a number of beggars, and other people who were trodden on by what was left of society. What a disappointing, depressing sight. He picked a spot to join the other defeated people, along the wall. What's the point anymore? Why fight when there's so much suffering that you can't even begin to measure it. What do you do when there's nothing left of your life? Unbuckling his guards armor, he dropped it in a heap, staring at it a minute before kicking it away.
He once had trained to uphold the law, but that law was no more. He'd tried to continue work as a mercenary, but that hadn't worked either. He never seemed able to charge people for his services. Not enough to live off of, anyway. That made him, possibly, the worlds worst merc. Now, he was questioning why he even continued to live.
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Aug 6, 2010 23:08:41 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Aug 6, 2010 23:08:41 GMT -6
The mercenary dropped in a heap, much like his armor had a moment before, and leaned back against the dingy, worn wall of the alley. He just wanted to forget his troubles, and avoid any further difficulties. He just felt like giving in to despair.
"Garnet?" It was a tired, somewhat weak sounding voice, coming from up the alley a bit. The crippled figure was fingering the chest piece, and pauldrons that the red-headed mercenary had abandoned a short span before. The man immediately captured Garnet's attention.
"Job..." Garnet got up from where he was sitting and moved up to where Job was sitting. "Job, how'd you survive? What are you doing here?" Garnet knew Job from back before the incident. They'd both served in the guard corps of their common home town. Job had been the blacksmith for their company, and had likely forged the very armor he now held.
The man's fingers found the damage in the chest piece. It had nearly been broken in knocked in half by an axe blow, some weeks ago. "What's this? Didn't I always tell you to take care of your armor?" He smiled sadly though his voice regained some of it's old strength. "How I survived? I'm just a tough old bird I guess. Not many of us escaped. There really wasn't anything we could do. There were professional fighters mixed into that mob. Someone must have taken a disliking to us."
"What about my Uncle?! Did he get out?" Hope threatened to beats it's way out of him. If Job could survive, then surely Bryant, Captain of the Guard, could.
"I'm sorry Garnet. I don't know. There was so much going on... and then I fell unconscious...." They talked for awhile. Garnet learned that Job had been taken captive, along with others from the same village, and forced into labor by Carlyle, the self-proclaimed lord of the region. Job had started forming a resistance in the captives, but had been found out. In the end, they made an example of him. He was beaten, with clubs, flogged until his back flooded red, then healed and forced to undergo the same treatment. In the end, the tormentors had taken the smith's own hammer, and shattered his hands, before having them healed in a partial manner. The result was much pain, but far worse, was the loss of his ability to work his craft. This refueled Garnet's anger. He wanted to rip this Carlyle fellow from his hole in the fortress and plant his sword in the man's gut.
Job seemed to see this, and spoke up. "What happens when you lose purpose again, Garnet? What happens when this anger dies hm?"
Garnet stopped with a start, reminded of how aimless he'd felt a moment before, and also startled that he'd been so easy to read.
"Yeah, I've seen it before. Despair takes many forms, but you and your Uncle? You are just alike. You try and take the weight of the world on your shoulders, and then, when you don't know what to do, you hit rock bottom."
"I...Job, I thought upholding the law was something I'd always stick with, but that law doesn't seem to have stuck with me.... It was taken away. How can I continue my work when the very law I served is now controlled by crooks."
A hard blow hit across the top of the Garnet's head. "Listen to yourself! Do you know how dumb you sound just now?" Job gave a sigh, his now thin frame wheezing slightly. "The law you upheld has been written on your heart Garnet. It's still there, if you're willing to look for it yourself. Right is more than a collection of rules. It doesn't need the support of a government to stand. Only someone willing to champion it. If the law itself is corrupted, and evil seizes control, then it's doubly the duty of good men to resist."
Garnet rested there for a moment. He'd let himself forget. Had he tried to hide from his responsibilities by using the excuse that there was no law here now? It didn't make a difference now, because he had anger burning as hot as ten suns, and he'd found his will again. He stood up tall, and tightened his sword belt and his buckler to his side. He did not put his armor back on, however. His days as a guard were in the past. He couldn't walk that path anymore. Now he was a vigilante. A menace to criminals. An avenger.
He gave a shrill whistle, and Fable obediantly trotted up the alleyway. A few people took notice, but most merely rolled over, moaning in their misery. "Serve him as well as you have served me, my friend." Garnet whispered to the Gray "I'll find you again someday."
Turning, he hoisted Job onto his feet. "Job, you need to leave this place. War is all around us, and this will not be a good place to be soon. Go to Lycia, and not through Ostia. There was a large army set up there when I last passed through."
How will I get there? I've no money, no supplies, and I can't walk as well as I used to. Not since..." He indicated some scarring he had on his back. Odd scars that began, then cut off abruptly as though healed only in part.
"I've found purpose again, thanks to your help. I felt lost before, but you showed me what I must do. Now, it's time for you to embark on the same journey." The middle aged man seemed hesitant. "Listen to me. You need to take Fable, and ride to Lycia." Garnet dug through his money and took out a portion. "You need to take this gold, and see a healer, a skilled one. Re-break that hand and get it fixed. After that, find work for a Lycian Armory. You're right. The law we once upheld is still here, but this Prophet of Elimine does not support it. I've heard things..."
"What are you going to do Garnet?" Job's eyes seemed to let on that he knew the merc had made some sort of decision.
Garnet meant the word he said next more than he'd ever meant them before. "Fight for my law."
It wasn't long before, Job was on his way, and Garnet was on his way into the lengthening shadows. He no longer wore his armor. He'd sent that with Job, who'd requested it for some reason. Smith's pride, he supposed. Now he wore only dark clothing, and a rough, greyish vest he'd bought for a few coins.
He wasn't quite sure what he'd do yet, but he knew where it would end. The death of "Lord Carlyle".
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Post by Garnet on Aug 7, 2010 0:05:55 GMT -6
Eventually, Garnet had decided to try the simplest option. He'd just walk right into the fort. It wasn't hard. There were a fair amount of toughs congregating around the open gates. There were a few archers stationed on the walls, but all in all, the place was one of the most insecure forts Garnet had ever seen.
He walked in, and ignored the few taunts and insults hurled his way by the brash, loudmouthed rogues. He kept on walking straight on by them, his solemn attitude a rarity among the crowds. He made it most of the way through the courtyard, almost to the entrance to the tower where Carlyle would be, when someone finally decided they wouldn't be ignored. Three someones, actually. Drunk by the smell.
They were your typical ogres. Big, strong muscle-heads, who looked like they spent their intellectual time counting how many heads they could crush in their hands. Ordinarily, this would cause Garnet some worry, but as it was, they reeked so much of alcohol that he expected they'd fall over on their own in a second.
Garnet stopped. He was surrounded on three sides by the brutes. The one in front spoke. "Oi. Yur a new guy. You'd better look out, cause I'm th' strongest guy her'. Do you know who I am?"
The merc didn't want any trouble. That would draw attention, and attention would make everything more difficult. "I do... You're the strongest man here."
The giant smiled for a moment, before it turned into a frown. Perhaps Garnet's words had come off just a bit insincere? He needed to do something to repair the situation. "Perhaps I could get you a drink?"
"No. I don't think you meaned what you says. I think that maybe you need ta be showed who's boss."
Garnet tried to come up with something quick, and managed to come up with an idea. "I do mean it, though. Why don't we see who's strongest with a weightlifting contest. All four of us can compete. I'm sure that I won't win though..."
After a bit more cajoling, he managed to convince them to enter into the contest with him. The four of them went over and started with a box. A plain, wooden box. Garnet started, and hoisted it above his head, before setting it down. The others followed suit, each holding the box as long as they could. Next, was a barrel of beer as high as the merc's waist. Garnet couldn't even begin to lift it, and soon, the others found the same true. They however were talked into trying to continue the effort before the mercenary quietly slipped off, leaving them to their "contest".
Garnet used his time to scour the area for information. There was a hanging scaffold above a window on the tower, and a few ropes running up to it, probably used to run buckets up and down with tools for the workers. There were also a few guards stationed at the entrance on the ground.... How to get in?
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Aug 10, 2010 0:00:25 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Aug 10, 2010 0:00:25 GMT -6
Eventually, the merc considered a rather straight forward approach. It wasn't like he'd been trained in the arts of stalking prey, or assassinations. Garnet had been a guard. He knew only how to fight an enemy head on... for the moment. Unfortunately, getting a way in was more difficult than he'd expected. He altered his plans, deciding to not make any more plans, and to just "wing it."
After that was out of the way, he looked for an open window, or any opening into the structure he needed, trying to keep from attracting too much attention. He supposed he blended in well enough with the crowd, except for his unscarred features, and still-full set of teeth. That shouldn't be enough to attract too much attention.
Well, he didn't find a window, but he did spot a cellar. Cellars didn't necessarily connect to what they were under, but something about this one prompted him to watch. The ground around it looked like it was more heavily traveled than a mere storage cellar would be, and there seemed to be some people entering and not coming back out. Perhaps it was worth a shot...
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Aug 10, 2010 19:02:38 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Aug 10, 2010 19:02:38 GMT -6
Taking his chance, the etrurian swordsman moved forward from ta side street, carefully joining a cluster of men heading towards the area. Once they arrived, they descended a steep set of steps down into a dark, yet surprisingly dry room. Dark, because there were no torches lit. There were kegs and barrels of stuffs here. Sacks of grain, kegs of beer and other drinks, and an odd set of barrels grouped away from the rest. Garnet could see a pair of elderly workers, probably slaves, carefully pouring a dark grey powder into the barrels, then adding it to the stash. Their overseer stood by lazily, but he looked to have a ready hand with his a whip.
Garnet discreetly slipped out of the group he had joined, and headed towards the back wall, moseying his way in a non-direct route towards a ladder he saw in the back On the way, he had to step over a badly beaten man with dark red hair, and a beard. Even his clothing was similar to Garnet's. Must be in just now... Once he'd reached it, and climbed it to the top, he found himself opening the hatch to yet another storage room, this one on the ground floor of the building. Easy enough so far... What now?
"You, servant!" Garnet jumped at the sound. After collecting himself, he quickly turned his head to look at the speaker. It was a large self important looking brute. He seemed better dressed than your stereotypical riff raff. This fellow must be working more closely with Carlyle. What gave him the idea I'm a servant? Garnet thought to himself, though he was relieved that the man had made the mistake. "Well? Too dull to speak? Follow me, now."
Garnet didn't say anything, but played along, while trying to allow his mind to catch up with events. They stopped at the foot of the stairs and the big man turned to speak to him. Strangely, his demeanor seemed to have gone under a complete change. "We're already behind schedule. Hurry up and take the tray to Lord Carlyle's room. Top of the stairs. I'll be ready at the escape point." He spoke low. Just barely high enough to be heard. Garnet nodded mutely, trying to simply play along for enough time to get his bearings.
As the man walked towards the exit of the building, Garnet was forced to accept that things were out of his hands. He was compelled to go on by his purpose, regardless of odd occurrences.
As he approached his destination, Garnet could make out a bit of discussion.
"So kind of you, My Dear, to furnish the drinks, however, I never drink without having the drink tested first. So many people are jealous of my position as Lord of the region that I must be ever vigilant. I hope you understand."
Garnet pushed his way into the room with the tray, quietly. "Of course, My Lord. Someone with influence like yourself must truly be a master of blocking any form of danger that would assault you."
Carlyle, and a young beauty of a woman, sat at a table, seeming to be engaged in aimless chatter. Both their eyes turned to him, as Garnet entered, but quickly found each other's again. "Yes... There have been seven separate occasions that someone has tried to poison me. I always insist that a servant sample whatever I am to partake in, right. In. Front of me. hm..."
The woman smiled, though it seemed to take on a strained appearance. "I can assure you Carlyle. The only poison here, is what you've done to my Master's business. Since that trouble in the harbor, his trade in everything has suffered."
"I've told you! I had nothing to do with that little escapade. It was the sea rats themselves that took the initiative, there."
"He wants reparations..."
The silence hung in the air for a moment, as Garnet unloaded his delivery, a set of fine silver goblets, presumably for the drinks. He then poured the glasses full, and stepped back. While he did this, the "lord" spoke idly of how he loved to watch the effects of poison, meant for him, completely fail to harm him, instead taking his "faithful" servants.
"Well? Go on. Take a drink. I want my wine tested now, as always."
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Garnet
Hero
The Scarlet Brand
You call these bandits? You should'a seen what I had to deal with in Sacae!
Posts: 330
Etruria Fame: 1
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Avenger
Aug 10, 2010 19:47:26 GMT -6
Post by Garnet on Aug 10, 2010 19:47:26 GMT -6
Garnet stood there a moment, before he realised that he was the only one Carlyle would be speaking too. His eyes opened wide for a moment as he realized that he was going to be the one to test the drink for poison.
"Chop chop, man! We don't have all evening. We have business to get to."
"Ah,... yes sir..." Carlyle arched an eyebrow. "M-my Lord." His voice was quaking from the adrenaline that had entered into his blood at the temporary panic. That panic was fading now though. Garnet had finally put things together. The badly beaten man he'd seen in the cellar, the one who looked similar to Garnet, himself had been an assassin meant to link up with these two. The Man that had provided the tray, had mentioned the escape point, so it seemed likely that they hadn't intended on killing their partner. He wouldn't discount the possibility of the woman being in on it too. The thing he was left to puzzle over was why they had mistaken him for their contact, which wasn't going to help the immediate situation.
The bottom line from all that reasoning told him one thing. There wouldn't be any poison... he hoped. This allowed him to come up with a twist of his own to throw into the plan.
He took a drink. A long, slow drink, before setting down the goblet. Rapt eyes watched his every move, until satisfied. Just as Carlyle looked convinced that there was no danger though, Garnet started making choking noises, holding his throat desperately. He then threw himself on the floor and began spasming in a way he hoped looked convincing. The transformation on Carlyle's face was instant. "Filthy Vixen! No poison you say?! Perhaps a bit of steel will solve this problem then!" He lunged across the table at her, now holding a steel sword of special, small construction. The woman was already backing away though, up against the wall. She held a pair of keen daggers in her hands, though the long, full, dress she wore made the appearance a bit silly.
Undaunted, Carlyle dove around his desk, and charge her. Until he found red-stained iron in front oh him anyway. The iron was Garnet's sword, driven up, through the man's back, and finally up past the unfortunate criminal's face. The moment the criminal's back was turned, Garnet had ripped his sword from it's sheath, and made his move. "That was for Bryant, and my home! There will be no recovering from this, you Slag. Consider yourself purified." Garnet growled the words into Carlyle's ear before wrenching the blade straight out the side of the man, nearly ripping him in half with the force.
"This was to be my kill!" The woman's eyes threw an accusatory look towards the mercenary. With a noise of exasperation, she continued. "Come on. We can still stick to part of the plan."
With a strength that belied her thin frame, she tore away the full skirt of the dress she was wearing to reveal a pair of tough dark leggings. That was much more appropriate for the duties of an Assassin, Garnet thought to himself. These people had prepared a carefully constructed ruse, and somehow, he'd bumped into it.
Moving to the window, she obtained a pair of two foot long leather strips from somewhere, and tossed him one. "C'mon!" With that, she leapt out the window, a mighty leap indeed. He ran to it, expecting to see her corpse splattered across the courtyard below... but no, these were professionals. He found the scaffold there, at the window, and the woman using the strip of leather to slide down one of the connected ropes. Then he looked down at the courtyard again. About four stories down. THAT'S CRAZY! It was then that he heard the footsteps banging up the stairs. Many footsteps. Staying here is crazy too!
Jamming his sword home in it's sheath, and securing his buckler, he leapt out the window just in time to avoid a slash from those inside.
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