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Post by ravigen on Sept 17, 2014 15:16:08 GMT
The manor was quiet, it always was this early in the morning, when the first rays of dawn crept over the horizon the only people up would be her father Jotheim and her younger sister Merithea discussing policy, the servants who were already preparing the morning meals in the kitchens. The guards patrolling the grounds and the manor itself while young Jolinar tended to his morning prayers.
The devotion of her youngest sibling both warmed and troubled Athinea, it made her smile that Jolinar had found something peaceful to devote himself too but she could not help but be wary of the Aed missionaries and the Empire itself. She longed for the days long past when they worshipped the old gods and the grand stories and legends of their past, the great feasts that celebrated their life, their history and the exploits of their people.
But those days were gone and she could only sit in the manor’s main hall, watching the world go by and hopefully be a calming force to the politics of the realm. She was still technically the heir after all, even if her marriage to Cadoc complicated things.
Just the thought of that man made her shiver, she had never loved or even liked him, she’d seen the ambition in his eyes and after what he did to her people she would hate him for the remainder of her days, there was constant talk of annulling the marriage but many worried that might provoke Cadoc to attack the kingdom again, a war was something nobody wanted right now. Not until they were ready at the very least.
The sound of the door to the main hall opening had her turning in time to see her younger sister striding confidently into the manor, Merithea Sefti was perhaps the tallest member of the family, standing at 6’8 she was a giant among her family and even her fellow soldiers and commanders, red hair cut to shoulder length, body built like a warrior, in full armor it was not rude to mistake her for a man at first glance.
For her part, Athinea remembered her sister’s childhood fondly, the rambunctious, spirited little girl she’d helped raise had become a steely-eyed, gifted, general of Sefti forces, leading them through both wars and still leading them today. Her sister made a beeline straight for her, pausing next to her, she could see the taller woman fidgeting just a bit, awkwardly placing a hand on her shoulder.
A quick nod and gentle smile had her sister continuing her march to the training yards, her sister had always had trouble expressing her more positive emotions, a side-effect of the long wars she had thought but maybe it was because her sister just didn’t like talking any more than she needed to now.
Something had happened to her younger sister during the war between Cerdigion and Sefti, she had seen it happen, seen the change from the spirited, confident young woman she’d grown up with to a reserved, confident, firm but not cruel general. When the war ended, she wondered if her sister had known what to do with herself. Maybe this was all the result of the war, if so it was all the more tragic.
It only made the memories of their childhood all the more depressing, and speaking of children, she had one of her own to worry about, though the boy was ‘safe’ in Cerdigion hands, she did not like the idea of Cadoc poisoning his mind against her people. But what else could she do! She had little power and her father wanted nothing more than to have him assassinated and be done with it.
She sighed and stood slowly, heading to the kitchen to get something to eat, then she had to find her father, hopefully convince him to change his mind again.
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Post by ravigen on Sept 19, 2014 19:26:09 GMT
In the capital of Thesus the people were gathered around the scene, the building before them was tall, taller than most buildings in the city but still quite quaint, work had been done on it for months and months but it was only now that it had been finally completed.
The Vaekirate Temple had been something new to the people of Thesus, while the Aed was familiar to them they had rarely seen the priests of the religion and it had fallen into the category of something that existed but did not truly affect them, until toay.
The young Prince’s devotion to the Aed was well known and none considered it an issue, the people of Sefti believed that any and all religions should be allowed to preach their teachings and it was the business of the people as to what to believe.
So it was a little exciting that the Vaekirate would be more active in the city, there were many who were extremely curious of the teachings of the Aed. With the completion of the temple there would soon be priests coming to preach in Thesus.
So it was with excited whispers that the people discussed the coming future and what it might hold for the elves of Sefti and the world in general.
--
Elsewhere, a levy of 1,000 pikes prepared to march, they had packed for several weeks journey to the north to scour for more resources to expand the wealth of the kingdom. Great sources of wood had been discovered in the north but the King was praying for gold and silver to be discovered to expand the kingdom’s wealth.
General Merithea Sefti would be leading the group along with some surveyors and prospectors to inspect the area. She often found it good to lead the levies out on patrols to keep them disciplined and in shape. The fighting fitness of the Sefti was instrumental in keeping themselves safe from the threat of the Jotun and the Cerdigion.
Merithea hated this tension, never knowing if a war was about to happen or if both sides would continue to poke and prod at the other, she’d rather get it over with now, for the safety and security of her people. Cadoc was a power-mongering lunatic and while Aeron seemed better, she didn’t want to know what his father’s influence might do to him. Her older sister cried at night sometimes, thinking about it. Merithea would occasionally stalk the halls at night, when she couldn’t sleep. The soft cries from her elder sisters’ room only served to fuel her anger at Cadoc and her own people in general.
The boy should have been heir to Sefti, then he could stay with them and away from Cadoc, Athinea would raise him right, to be noble and proud of his lineage but also tempered and calm. But there was nothing she could do, not at the moment at least. Right now she had to worry about the safety of her people.
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Post by aspenivan on Sept 21, 2014 2:40:09 GMT
No one batted an eye when King Jotheim, belly full of wine and meat, retired to his chamber early in a drunken stagger. The moment his troops returned from their scouting with a great stag, everyone in the court knew he would end the meal with food strewn across his robes and alcohol slurring his speech. Better for him to sleep it out than embarrass his family any longer than he had to.
It was more of a surprise, however, when Prince Jolinar followed shortly after, stumbling to his room while complaining of headache. The bright, devout boy was known for his moderation: The Aedaknam was all the food he needed and the Raegarnam his drink, he would often say. Still, it was no reason to interrupt a royal feast, and the Princesses managed to keep the festivities in order while the men slumbered in peace. No one suspected this peace would be final.
The realization began to unfold when one of the King's trusted advisors was discovered just outside the castle, attempting to hobble away on a badly broken leg. A hardened veteran of Jotheim's more rakish, covert "forces," the aging man had apparently botched his climb down the castle wall and hardly made it twenty feet before being apprehended for suspicious behavior. The guards, hesitant to wake their lord but figuring he would rather attend to this bizarre incident immediately brought him before the King. They discovered his corpse already long dead, throat horribly swollen and eyes practically popping out of their sockets in terror. The Prince was hardly doing better: Princesses Athinea and Marithea found their brother writhing through his last moments, unable to breath or speak while he gazed at them with horror-stricken, blood-red eyes.
There was no question of what to do next. Fuming with rage, the two remaining Sefti royals sent the spy to the torture chamber, broken leg be damned. An hour later, the screams could be heard from nearby villages.
"CADOOOOOC! IT WAS CADOC, AED SAVE ME! CADOOOOC! PLEEEEEEEEEEEASE!"
The traitor's belongings confirmed it: After a few hours spent decoding letters, it was clear that he had been corresponding with the usurper for some time now. No trial, no sentence, and the worthless rat wasn't even worth a public execution. They simply left him in the dungeon to die of his wounds or thirst, whichever killed him first.
There were more important matters to attend to, after all. As horrifying and tragic as the evening had been, no time could be wasted in mourning under the circumstances. A new monarch would need to be named, and plans for vengeance needed to be designed. Not to mention that with the royal administration so suddenly shaken at its core, it would be a struggle before the far reaches of the kingdom could be brought back under the dynasty's full authority.
__________
-- King Jotheim Sefti (Monarch) DIES!
-- Prince Jolinar Sefti (Character) DIES!
-- Must immediately select new Monarch and her/his retinue types (post them in this thread). New traits will be added by moderator in dossier.
-- Kingdom of Sefti gets Hated Rival: Cerdigon until Turn 10: troops fighting rival have increased morale and ferocity
-- Kingdom of Sefti suffers from Sudden Interregnum until the beginning of Turn 4: -1 tax from each village.
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Post by ravigen on Sept 21, 2014 3:14:02 GMT
The manor hall was quiet, unnaturally so, Jolinar and Jotheim's funeral had been solemn and full of all the customs that they deserved. The priests of the temple had come to observe and say some rites for Jolinar. Athinea had been grateful for their efforts even if it didn't do anything to dim the fire burning in her heart.
Cadoc had done this, he was the one to blame for the entirety of the matter, She had no doubt that some kind of messenger would come soon to offer condolences and demand she hand the throne and Sefti over to her son so he could have more power. That would not happen on her watch, this had become far more personal now, her father and youngest brother were dead, was using their son as a pawn in his power plays not enough?
No she had to be strong, Merithea was the heir but she'd absolutely refused to be Queen, preferring her spot as General of the armies, a post she was more than itching to fulfill.
"Summon the levies! if we march quickly we can catch them off guard and make Cadoc pay for his crimes." the sight of her angry sent many of her aides running but only Athinea could tell how upset she really was, this had eaten her up inside and she wept for the pain her sister was going through.
"Prepare the troops as you need sister, but do not march yet. We must do this through the proper channels, as such I have sent petitions to the Vaekir and the Emperor for justice against Cerdigon."
She could see the fight in Merithea's eyes but she acquiesced easily enough, bowing formally
"Yes, your majesty."
Cadoc would pay, that she would guarantee.
--
Athinea Sefti is crowned Queen of Sefti (Administrator/Warrior (Ranged)/Spymaster) |
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Post by ravigen on Sept 25, 2014 3:44:03 GMT
In Thesus the city was alive with activity, blacksmiths working tirelessly to forge armor and weapons, soldiers preparing for war in the city squares, even with the orcish mercenaries this war would be difficult, the military was hard at work preparing for the eventual confrontation, knights were teaching the city militia to prepare for battle while more went out across the kingdom to ready the levies and gather supplies.
The people in the city who weren’t joining the fight spent much of their time at the Temple, praying to the Aed for deliverance, the priests of the temple were almost overworked with the number of people coming to the Temple to offer prayers. In the meantime word had gone far and wide, spread by faithful Sefti messengers, spreading the word of Cadoc’s dishonorable actions and the trial that would soon follow.
Along with this message was a call for anyone who wished to fight against the usurper and the dishonorable Cadoc. The Queen was a noble figure, respected far and wide for her honor and nobility while Cadoc was portrayed as a dishonorable, power hungry assassin.
Even now in the city square, a man, a well-respected citizen of Sefti stood on a dais before a large crowd of elves, speaking to them of the coming war.
“The Sylphs want to conquer and force us into servitude as they have done before, to this end they murdered our King and beloved Prince. Now they’re coming with troops to take our Queen from us, we won’t stand for it though! We will drive them back to the realms they came from and soak the land in their blood!”
The crowd roared with their hate and approval, a great sound that echoed throughout the city
And so the call to arms goes out as a nation rides to war.
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Post by Vaklu on Sept 26, 2014 18:59:53 GMT
"All hail King Aeron! Long live the king, long live the king!" Lord Aelfortue stood before his levies and hired swords. Behind him stood Dedic, his sylph adviser. The "New Sefti Royal Army was little more than that a bunch of farmers armed for war. But they planned to march south and meet with their rightful king. Several of the oldermen looked nervous while the youngster were eager to prove their mettle on the field. Off to one side the Dwarven Sellswords Aelfortue had hired simply looked bored.
The lord of the lumber village in nothern Sefti has chosen to support Prince Aeron's claim. The village will no longer provide taxes, resources or levies until the rebellious troops are dealt with.
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