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Post by Kai Werstler on Mar 22, 2012 23:19:05 GMT -6
After explaining himself as a pilgrim to the guards at the gate, using his devotional tattoos as proof, Kai entered the gates of Etruria. The large devotional monuments, military guards policing every corner of the city, the bleak and sorrow filled faces of lowly peasants... it as all too perfect. Kai had only dreamed of a city so rigid and punishing, one that knew the key to survival was the complete removal of all threats within it's proximity.
As Kai walked aimlessly, many guards and civilians looked onto him. Though he had not been seen around, his appearance gave off that of an important holy official. After reading the sign on top of an Inn, the owner ran out to greet and accommodate the important looking visitor. "Come right in!" said the nervous owner to Kai. "Food and a room are free for such a welcome guest!"
After eating until full, Kai rudely pushed his plate towards the Inn keeper. "Take care of this for me." he told him with a stern inflection. "I will see to it instantly sir... pardon me, but what was your name?" he asks timidly. "I am Kai Werstler. I have just arrived in the city today, it's beautiful." Kai responds. "Oh!" says the Inn keeper, "So you're not in the inquisition army?" Kai looks at him seriously for a moment and then bursts in laughter. The Inn keeper lets out a sigh of relief. "Phew," he says. "That's a relief. If I were you I wouldn't stay here too long, the military is very oppressive towards the people here, a traveler like you is sure to find trouble here. I often wonder if St. Elimine is really worth our worship with all the trouble the theocratic government has caused for our people..."
Kai rolls up his sleeves to reveal a large number of very elaborate tattoos including icons of St. Elimine and depictions of large temples. "Thou art of too little faith" he says with a dark grin and a homicidal look in his eye. Before the inn keeper can respond, Kai draws his sword and stabs through his heart, killing him. Kai walks into the street dragging the inn keepers body behind him. Citizens and guards alike stare in shock at the sanguine image before them. "Let it be known that all heretics will die by this blade!" shouts Kai.
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The Herald
Herald
Voice of the Heavens Tyrannical Mouthpiece
"PEACE THROUGH WAR."
Posts: 105
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Post by The Herald on Mar 24, 2012 19:06:55 GMT -6
Corporal Hastings sat in the inn, lying face down on the table in front of him with his head spinning like a top. His spear Ugh, birthday or no, he shouldn't have drank so much last night. One too many Dirty Delfias... Fortunately his celebration had coincided with his day off. He couldn't imagine being on duty today.
"Come right in! Food and a room are free for such a welcome guest!"
Agh, not so loud. Hastings looked up. Welcome guest? Who, the kid in the cloak? The corporal looked him up and down. He was dressed nice, for sure, but other than the way carried himself, he didn't look church, and he definitely wasn't military. Maybe a noble's kid? The kid took the offered plate and wolfed it down.
"I am Kai Werstler. I have just arrived in the city today, it's beautiful."
So not a noble? Hastings couldn't imagine an Etrurian noble who had never seen Delfia. He put his head back down on the table. Whatever. He had better things to do. Like sleep.
Then, however, there was a cry and a splat, followed by a roomful of gasps, and by the time Hastings looked up, he saw the newcomer, Kai, dragging the body of innkeep over the counter, bloody sword in his hand. What!? Almost instinctively, Hastings sat up and reached for his lance, but to no avail. He was off duty. His weapon was in the barracks. Crap.
Hastings, his head still reeling, kicked back his chair and got to his feet, but by the time he got his footing, the kid was already out the door.
"Let it be known that all heretics will die by this blade!"
Oh great, a zealot. What had the innkeep even said? He hadn't heard it, but in Elimine's name, he doubted it was anything worth death. Hastings, a believer himself, shook his head. So many extremists had popped up among the church ever since the war had begun. It was in no way a good thing in his eyes. Fortunately he had the authority to stop it.
"Men, arrest that man!" he shouted, sidling out the door and pointing at Kai. The soldiers, already apprehensive at the sight of the murder, but unwilling to move immediately against such a finely dressed man shouting about heretics, took less than a second to confirm that the plainclothes man was indeed their superior, before moving in on the fine clothed man.
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Post by Kai Werstler on Mar 24, 2012 21:01:24 GMT -6
Following the brief moment of shock, several Etrurian soldiers were beckoned by what appeared to be a civilian to arrest Kai. The men slowly approached Kai with their weapons drawn, surrounding him in a circle of blades. Kai sheathed his bloody sword and gave an appalled look to the soldiers.
"Do my eyes deceive me?!" shouted Kai. "I act in the name of St. Elimine in a city who has claimed allegiance to him, and I am viewed as a criminal? Surely Etruria will fall before it's enemies with such a lack of faith." The Soldiers quickly forced Kai to the ground, removed his weapon, and bound his arms behind his back. The plain clothed man approached Kai and looked down upon him with a puzzled gaze.
"Do you not know excellence when you see it?" asked Kai. "I have done my lords work, and I know that he will attest to that in the next life, so do what you will to me, but can you say the same?" Kai huffed frantically before finally relaxing somewhat. His face returned to a calmer state. "Well I suppose I MAY have overdone it by not reporting him to authorities," he said. "But St. Elimine's sermon is not one of forgiveness and acceptance, surely I am not wrong in my actions?"
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The Herald
Herald
Voice of the Heavens Tyrannical Mouthpiece
"PEACE THROUGH WAR."
Posts: 105
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Post by The Herald on Mar 25, 2012 22:41:05 GMT -6
Hastings, hand on his forehead, grimaced as the man began shouting. He was supposed to be getting over his hangover in the bar, not dealing with this loon. Worst birthday present ever. "Not so loud," said the corporal, brushing past two of the lower ranked men, before giving Kai a bit of a shove.
"I'm not here to debate the will of St. Elimine with you." Hastings sighed tiredly. St. Elimine and her Prophet were order and stability, not off the cuff zealotry. "Now, I don't know what backwoods hamlet you crawled out of, but any heretical claims are handled by the Inquisition, and I highly doubt you're Inquisition. Now, you've got some sort of medal or badge you need to show me, fine, otherwise," He groggily swung his head at the men around him. "Men, bind him and get him off to the barracks." He looked back at the younger man. "Rough him up if you need to. The captain will deal with him."
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Post by Kai Werstler on Mar 26, 2012 11:19:08 GMT -6
"Lay down your weapons you treasonous curs!"Yells Kai savagely enough to startle some of the soldiers. "Am I truly the zealous one here? Your imperialistic lust for land and money under the guise of religious crusade shows that you are a zealot to the coin, while I am no more than a humble servant of the truth. Etruria has no use for your type-" Before he can finish his sentence a soldier stomps on the back of Kai's head.
Kai is dragged away from the scene as Hastings and civilian spectators looked down on him with mixed feelings of disgust and fear. The scene begins to calm quickly, and people begin to carry on with their day to day lives, fearing consequence for what they had witnessed. All were certain it was the last they would see of Kai, he would be killed now for sure, he had raised his voice too high with his unpopular opinions.
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The Herald
Herald
Voice of the Heavens Tyrannical Mouthpiece
"PEACE THROUGH WAR."
Posts: 105
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Post by The Herald on Mar 26, 2012 15:34:22 GMT -6
Arriving at the barracks, an unconscious Kai slung over his shoulder, the one of the arresting soldiers nodded to rest of his compatriots as a sign they could return to their duties, before heading down into the barracks jail. While Delfia did have larger, long term jail cells for more affluent citizenry and political detainees, most got thrown into the barracks jails where they were kept and beaten for a few days before released, usually as a harsh warning, or killed so quickly they hardly had time to drain on the military's resources. And upon seeing Kai, carried by one of his men, Captain Markus Visul wasn't sure which this was supposed to be.
"W-what is this?" questioned Visul, his double chin jostling with every step as he hastily bustled out from his quarters. His longish blonde hair was tousled, and his dress uniform hugged him tightly, accentuating every curve of his dumpy body.
Easily described as fat, perhaps piggy, the son of the accomplished High Officer Fredrick Visul, Markus Visul, was given his position for little reason other than his familial ties. But Captain Visul was not what one may have expected from an Etrurian officer.
No, possessing none of the greed or cruelty that befit the usual stereotype of officers appointed through nepotism, Captain Visul was unique, to say the least. Indeed, Visul had never actually wanted to join the military. Throughout his boyhood, the devout Markus had wanted to join the church and become a priest of St. Elimine, but his father, in all of his stubbornness had brushed that option off of the table. Thus, completely unfit for his job and knowing it, Captain Visul had no problems relegating his duties to his direct subordinates.
In fact, the only reason he had retrofitted the dungeon master's office into his own quarters, forsaking the usual barracks captain's allowance, was so that he could keep an eye on the prisoners in order to make sure his soldiers never got too...over zealous. Prisoners were people too. Well, some of them any way.
"Who is this man?" asked Visul, flustered as usual. The soldier nodded his head at Kai. "Another zealot, sir. Stabbed an innkeeper clean through the chest." The man dropped Kai's body onto nearby table, much to Captain Visul's displeasure. "Don't put him in front of me! He's a murderer!" The corpulent man shouted, throwing his arms up and walking back towards his room. "Put him in behind bars! Throw away the key!" He paused, slowly turning back to his subordinate. "But be easy on him. St. Elimine doesn't like a brute."
Rolling his eyes, the soldier picked Kai back up before grabbing the jailers keys off of the captain's key ring. He placed the key in the lock of the first jail cell, and opening the door, unceremoniously dropped Kai on the ground. "Good riddance," muttered the soldier, locking the door and leaving Kai to his cell. Murders seemed to be going up every day.
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