Empire! "Warrior Queen, Blazing Avatar" [PRIVATE]

[Zap Dynamic]

Hello Everyone! This is a scene from Empire! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?344139-EMPIRE!-Community-W-B-Game-V-Unless-You-Are-The-Mongols), created by Morph Bark. This scene is between Queen Anguri Adite and the Blazing Avatar, one Greta Cardion Divinorum. If you are neither of these people, please don't read this conversation (Chief might be an exception, depending on how things go).

It was no easy feat for a Raaneki to blend into a crowd. This one in particular was covered by long skirts and an even longer robe, but she could not hide the deep purple of her face, or the wispy white tattoos that swirled over it. In her own land she was a Queen--and in many lands she was famed as a warrior--but how much news of her life and deeds had reached Calorum she could not say. Raaneka had little contact with their neighbors in Calorum, and Queen Anguri Adite, called the Golden, hoped against hope that news had not spread this far. She was here for one purpose: to seek out Greta Cardion Divinorum and to speak to her of life and responsibility.

She had spent the past four days searching roadside taverns for news of Greta's whereabouts, always careful to keep her possessions and her mount well-hidden from passerby. It was not so easy to conceal a berunda and an everburning candle, so she usually left them half a day's trek from her destination.

Perhaps this next tavern would hold the information she sought.

Not sure if you wanted to make Anguri's search part of the RP. If not, feel free to jump ahead to the actual conversation! :smallsmile:

[Morph Bark]

Greta spent many of her afternoons in the palace gardens, hacking away with sword, axe, hammer and glaive in the quiet behind the marble, ivy-covered walls. This was one of those afternoons, where she stood amidst a dozen training dummies that were already battered from blows of the past two hours. Her short ash grey hair stuck to her scalp from the sweat, just like her tunic stuck to her skin. She grasped the hilt of her sword more tightly and the blade gave off a slight orange glow from its edge. With a scream she cut two training dummies in half and thrust it through another. With another push, it burst into flames. She left it there and went to sit down and drink some water.


Thought she could get in either by going in through the front and via the royal family/palace steward or other ways. Your pick. :smallwink:

[Zap Dynamic]

Year 399

The palace guards were the first to spot the object flying down out of the heavens. In minutes it was clear the object was a berunda, but no other birds could be seen in the sky. Didn't berundas only travel in flocks, and bring fire and ruin in their wake? There was no sign of an army from the palace walls to the horizon, and no news of massed forces anywhere in the land.

The berunda descended in wide, graceful circles, growing from a speck to a flame-tailed jewel to a great golden bird, tail fanned out wide as it glided on the currents of the air. It was directly over the palace, but its flight could hardly be described as furtive or aggressive. It seemed to want to be seen.

Eventually, the berunda was low enough to fly a circuit around the palace itself. The crowd that gathered on the walls could see a woman on the golden bird's back, long red braids flowing behind her. She granted a curt wave to some of the guards in their towers. She could see them. They could see her. It was as friendly a gesture as they would receive before the woman angled her berunda skyward, performed a graceful roll over the top of the wall, and sped off toward the palace gardens in a flash of flame.

Greta would not have been the first to see the berunda, though whether she felt its approach was a mystery to all but herself. A berunda was a creature of fire, after all. The bird flew in one more tight circle around the gardens before it landed a few dozen feet from the Blazing Avatar. Its rider dismounted and straightened from her crouching position with visible effort. Contrary to the traveling clothes she had worn for weeks, the woman was now resplendent in rich red silk, decorated with bracers and necklace of majestic gold trellis. She was dressed like the warrior queen that she was.

"Greta Cardion Divinorum," the woman said. She was old by any standard, but the steel in her voice had not rusted in her age. She approached the Avatar and produced a candle from her pack. Miraculously, it was still lit. "I am Anguri Adite," she who needed no introduction said, "Golden Queen of Raaneka. For the third time in my life, I seek an audience with the Blazing Avatar."

Should I go ahead and make a Diplomacy roll for this, or will it be RP-only?

[Morph Bark]

Considering it depends on NPCs or PCs of someone not present, a Diplomacy check sound pretty logical. Say, the basic TN of 10? (2d6+Dip)

I had half-expected her to take a different route, tbh. :smalltongue:

[Zap Dynamic]

Roll Result: 16 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?331102-EMPIRE!-The-Community-Dice-Rolling-Thread&p=17430552#post17430552)

Out of curiosity: which route did you expect her to take? This was about the ballsiest move I could think of. :smalltongue:

[Morph Bark]

There was something off, as if the heat in the air ever so slightly changed. In light of the recent heat of the sun, one might not think of that as noteworthy, but light of any heat or light itself was something to note to her. She couldn't escape it, ever since the Grand Ball--now 18 years ago. Her travelling had become more restricted, contained mostly to Calorum, Pryonia and Kasumor. She hadn't seen Shvedrishti in years, though they had exchanged letters. Paco had been gone for over two years to Lord knows where. When the flame in shape of a bird descended from the skies, she was struck for a second, but realized soon what it was and who it was.

"Anguri..." She spoke softly, as if a strange timidity had combined with coldly contained rage that she had been exercising on puppets of wood and cloth just before. "I'm sorry I couldn't face you again at the last Games." She took a sip from her waterskin and picked up the glaive that leaned against a tree "Why do you seek audience with me?" She had an inkling about that...

[Zap Dynamic]

The Queen smiled at Greta's blade work. The girl had grown into a woman since the Third Games. "I did not compete at the Fourth Games," she replied with a hard grin, ignoring Greta's question for now. "but I would not have denied you another duel." Almost at ease, set the candle on the ground before her and produced a bottle of dark wine from her pack.

The bottle remained unopened as Anguri sat, watching Greta with eyes that missed no detail in attack or defense. Greta's movements were controlled fire, but it was not the control of a clear head. Her thoughts were elsewhere, that much was certain. The old queen considered the mangled dummies near the Avatar. "Fearsome. Who is your opponent?"

[Morph Bark]

Greta gave Anguri an uncaring look. "Ignorance and stupidity." She simply replied. She looked over the Raaneki Queen, who was overdressed it seems, by typical Raaneki standards. Anguri looked gorgeous in spite--or perhaps because of it. "You look well." She commented courteously.

[Zap Dynamic]

"Ha!" Anguri's laugh was filled with self scorn. "Thank you, but I look like an old woman." It was true in the strictest sense, but Anguri was not merely a dowdy old bag. She was the only person over the age of 40 who could still ride a berunda, and she had passed 40 over a decade ago.

She studied the Blazing Avatar for a moment. "In truth, age is why I'm here, or part of it. I've got more yesterdays than tomorrows, and it has been too long since I've seen the glory of your flame." It was a pointed remark about Greta's absence on the world stage.

"Would you sit and speak with this old woman?" she looked at Greta's weapons, "or is there time for one more duel first?"

[Morph Bark]

Glory? That was a good joke. One she wasn't too keen on, but felt to be true somewhat nevertheless. "You may speak," Greta said, her specificity carrying a bit of authority, no doubt inherited from her family. "Now, I feel, is no time for duels." She did not put the glaive down, however.

[Zap Dynamic]

A wolfish grin spread over Anguri's face. She was beginning to see what she had come seeking. "My fire was kindled at my birth," she took one of her crimson braids in her fingers, "but our fires are not the same." A vision of the Grand Ball flashed before her, of the flash that blinded her brother. "What does it take, I wonder, to hold it inside?"

[Morph Bark]

"It is a gift from the Lord of Fire, greatest of all the gods, of the sun and spirit and the fire below the earth." Greta drummed up authoritatively, but mechanically. She had always thought it would be more exciting--and exciting it was, most certainly! But... "and it's also a curse," she added. "I can still hear the voices of all those who died that day. Loki and Inaun still haunt me--their very spirits still with me, as if they're bound to me! I know not what the Lord of Fire wanted when he made that happen. I haven't been able to ask." She nearly cut a doll in half with the glaive and it got stuck. She tried to pull it out, bracing it with her foot and her teeth grit. "The last thing Paco told me was to go to the Blazing Temple, but all my life I've been warned against that. If I go there, all hell will break loose. I can't have that on my conscience. Not again."

[Zap Dynamic]

A chill of excitement ran up Anguri's back as Greta wedged her glaive into the dummy. "You have never been at war," Anguri said, nodding solemnly, "So I shall tell you: inaction can sometimes cause more death than wrong action."

She stared hard at Greta for a few moments before finally opening the bottle of Heartwine. She filled the two goblets, but left them untouched. "What does Inaun say to you? I know little of the Tuorkey, but Inaun spoke often of the Lord of Fire." Or his version of him. "Does he not now haunt the god he so revered? Is he not happy?" Her voice was calm, but it could never be called soft or comforting.

[Morph Bark]

"It is not death that worries me. All things end. What I care more for is people's souls. I can't be a Blazing Avatar the way I should be if I can't care for those. Shvedrishti has it easy, all her followers follow the same way and are largely in the same country. She even has all her memories from her past life. How am I supposed to unite half the world when that half is so divided on what they want, need, feel, think, do and say?" She shook her head and cast a longing glance at the goblet. It had been a while since she had last drank Heartwine, or any wine really. She swallowed and turned her gaze away from the bench on which the goblet stood--next to a cloth to dry herself with and two letters that appeared to be unopened judging from their wax seals, though one was unrecognizable and the other clearly Ignato.

It wasn't clear what Anguri was trying to get to tell her, but it was clear she did not intend to lose any argument that might result. "Inaun is as fine as he could be expected to be. He nags more than Paco ever did, talking about the tenets and morality I should live up to... I told him that apparently Wenyavuk's snow has molten, but that did not seem to please him." The glaive came loose with a round swing and immediately got stuck in the tree it had leaned against earlier. "Argh, ****!" Greta cursed, her eyes flaring up for a short moment.


Now we're starting to get to the god bits! Or rather, the bad bits. The really bad and carelessly-swinging-a-weapon-around-while-talking-to-an-old-friend bits. :smalltongue:

Just in case Anguri would open those letters without permission:

It has been long enough Greta. The mashahidi who died have long since returned to this world. I do not know who still haunts you, but you do them a disservice by allowing your fear to shackle you. Those deaths were all so you could lead the Blazing Temple as it was meant to be led. Right now the Temple rains fire and death upon the people of this world, claiming it is the will of your god. Rise up and break those chains you've crafted for yourself. Lead your people. Without your ministry there will only be more death, more strife, more war. They need you to be that girl you were when we were young; kind, boisterous, and fearless.

There are reports now of some sort of ritual taking place on top of the Blazing Mountain. The fire is only the beginning, Greta. Something worse is coming. I can feel it. I'm sure you can as well. Your faithful need you to lead. I will help in any way I can, but if you are unable, if you choose the safety of your chains, I will tear down that temple brick by brick and send every last one of those militants to meet their god. I do not want to, but I will not live fearing where they will next turn their hateful gaze.


With love,
Shvedrishti
Shahidi Mkuu

Blazing Avatar Greta Cardion Divinorum,

Greta, I am certain you have been inundated with requests for action or voice or some manner of rising to meet the militants or Brother Adam and I will now add my voice to the din. You have a responsibility as Avatar to speak to the faithful of the Lord of Fire and guide them. I was not born to sit on the throne I now sit upon but that does not mean I have shrunk from my duties. I have acted in the way I believe to be in the best interest of my people and you must do the same. Sitting around doing nothing while the world erupts into fire around you under the maligned and vengeful hand of Brother Adam makes you as implicitly guilty as these radicals who seek to destroy everything your predecessor had built.

I was not alive to know the last Blazing Avatar but I have heard stories, from Loki Ehtmorl before his death, from the half remembered thoughts of Shvedrishti, and from the common folk who spoke of a great and loving man who united the followers of Fire and stood against the persecution of those who chose a different path. I know as well that he arranged for your training by Paco, made sure that you would learn alongside Shvedrishti because in a past life you and Mosi were great friends. He was a man who, by all accounts, respected all and worked towards maintaining peace and brotherhood amongst all people of Telluris. He was struck down by terrorists, agents of the True Flame who in their ignorance and zeal sought to destroy all that was good and now these very heretics sit atop the Blazing Mountain performing rituals and raising armies to destroy the good people of this world.

You are the true representative of the Lord of Fire and though I know His destruction at the Ball caused you grief you cannot let yourself be restrained by fear. Fear to act is the only weapon that the Order can wield against you and win with. If they strike at you with steel you shall rise again. If they strike at you with fire you shall consume it. You must not let them defeat you by scaring you to act. Rise up and lead your faithful. Turn them away from the corruption of the Order and back to the path of the truth and goodness. Those of Radurja will follow you, those of the true faith in Fire will follow you, you need only act.

Empress Syana Ignato
Triumvirate

[Zap Dynamic]

"Ancestors, girl!" Anguri rose with surprising speed, considering the effort it had taken to dismount her berunda earlier. "You are a goddess made flesh! Born into power! Even I can see how you burn with life."

She began pacing. "You don't like Inaun's buzzing? Silence him. You lament the division in the world? Unify them under your banner! You worry for their souls?" She stopped and looked Greta dead in the eye. "Take charge of your own first." Anguri stood still as a steel tiger, taking the measure of this woman she had known to be so tenacious in youth.

Anguri didn't look at the letters, but Zap was curious and has seen the letter from Shvedri. Zap didn't recognize the second letter, so he didn't read it.

I haven't said it yet, but I'm OK with this being Anguri's last hurrah. It is a good day to die! ...if it comes to that.

[Morph Bark]

Greta stared at Anguri with eyes that almost seemed like pouting. "You are not the first to tell me something like that," she huffed, she pointed at the letters and turned her back on Anguri to return to practice with another weapon, leaving the glaive stuck in the tree. She didn't speak for a while--in thought or focused on her practice, or perhaps giving Anguri time to read. "Lots of people talk about taking care of souls like it's EASY," she mentioned mid-swinging a sword, "but I ****ing suck at meditation and things like that. Not to mention unifying people under my banner. Leading is impossible for me. Taking charge on a task is easy, because it's just YOU. You're doing something by yourself, you don't have to... command armies or negotiate treaties or soothe the starving..."

She stumbled a little and fell silent again, but the sword did not. This wasn't working. Anguri was throwing her off her game, and she already had so little of it she felt. Years of depression had been channeled into training for... for what? She wasn't going anywhere, and while it took her mind off things it didn't ultimately lead to those things being gone. She let out an annoyed sigh and picked up another sword and threw it at Anguri. Her star was cold, but within her pupils that fire burned like bright pinpoints. "Y'know what? If you beat me in a duel, I'll listen to your plan. If not..." The edge of her mouth twitched a little. "Well, I guess you'll just have to beat me."

[Zap Dynamic]

:smallamused: Best 2 out of 3?

[roll0]

[Morph Bark]

Of course! And no RP-y bits in reply? :smalltongue:

[roll0]

[Zap Dynamic]

In Raaneka, it was customary to discuss important matters once sober and once drunk. They believed it explored both the rational and emotional sides of the issue. It was why Anguri had brought the Heartwine, but she preferred the drunkenness of battle. Once more, perhaps.

The Queen snatched the sword out of the air. "Calorum steel," she said with disdain. "I am not certain that it holds its strength with age." She threw the sword point-down into the dirt and moved for her pack. She drew a Raaneki cutlass and buckler made of fine Sulvan mithral from within and assumed a fighting position.

"Now then," Anguri wheeled to face her opponent. Her face was a grim mask, but she seemed disturbingly at home. Anguri charged in, cutlass rising and falling in a barrage of strikes and parries. Even in her age, her mastery of the Heron Blade was clear.

No RP? Who do you take me for? :Smalltongue:

Round 2: [roll0]

[Morph Bark]

While Greta blocked the first strike Anguri launched, most of her fighting was very offensive, but less graceful than it had been before. She still wore the traditional kraken gauntlet she'd gotten from the Jeweled Cities, using it to grab hold of Anguri's shoulder when she got a little too close and she had just parried away one of her strikes. She pushed down on the shoulder and leapt over the Raaneki warrior queen, making a cutting motion at her legs right before she went into a roll.

[roll0]

I presume Greta won two with this, though we can always finish it off with round three regardless. Should mithril give you a bonus like in big battles, y'think?

[Zap Dynamic]

Anguri hissed in pain as the gauntlet bit into her shoulder. She had been raised on the islands. She should have known better. The Heron Blade required its wielder to be the spoke of a wheel in combat. Vertical posture was critical, and lightness of foot to remain centered. The Queen fought with the grace and sureness of a thousand battles, but her back was not as straight as it once was, nor her feet as nimble. The contest was over. Anguri had lost to old age, but perhaps she could redeem herself with a final display of her fabled glory.

Adding the +2 is fine with me! I still would have lost on the first two rolls, but maybe I'll stand a chance this last round. :smalltongue:

[roll0] (+6 Military, +2 Mithral)

[Morph Bark]

Greta checked her opponent and saw that she had become the victoria. She seemed to have gotten away [relatively] unscathed, but then again, her opponent was older, and only human. She sheathed the sword in a special bag that held a dozen others and turned her back on Anguri. "It's time to leave." She stated.

She waited for a while to see how Anguri would respond--knowing her there would be as strong a response as before. Then she swallowed and turned to face her. "Go to Genivana. Tell Shvedrishti to meet me at the Duskenhearth Inn in the Heartwaste. We stayed there one night during our tutelage, it's at the foot of the Blazing Mountain. Tell her to bring as much osuro as she can." She took a swig of the Heartwine and it made her heart and eyes spark a bit. "And bring me another bottle if you can."

And of course, the roll!

[roll0]

[Zap Dynamic]

Greta disarmed Anguri in the final round of the duel, but this was little problem for such a warrior as the Raaneki queen. With all the ease of a growing vine but with much greater speed, Anguri slipped inside Greta's defenses, wrapped one of her arms around Greta's shoulder, and cast the woman to the earth. "Hear me!" Her volcanic blue eyes glared at the Blazing Avatar beneath her. "We have each bested the other once. Life is not so fair, Greta. You will rot in the earth long before the 'right time' comes. Act as you think you should but, by the ancestors, act now. Damn the consequences."

Anguri offered her hand to Greta, who sheathed her sword and made it clear it was time to leave. Shamed by her defeat--shamed by the skill she had lost over the years--Anguri stalked back to her berunda and began to pack her things. She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely heard Greta speak, and had to consider the words in silence before she understood their meaning. She rummaged in her pack and produced an unopened bottle of Heartwine. "I did not know how much convincing a goddess would need." She handed the bottle to Greta. "If it kindles your spirit to action, you shall never lack for it in all your days."

I know a few other players fluff Heartwine as a [Poor] resource for personal use by their rulers, but if you'd like I've still got the spare stack of Heartwine. I could trade it to the Blazing Avatar in exchange for her resolving whatever's going on, otherwise she'll have access to the [poor] resource like everyone else.

And because I've just invited zab to the thread...

Genivana, 1 month later
In the final days of the 4th century, a messenger arrived in Genivana astride a golden berunda. This was no mere missive between regents; this was a note borne by one of the most glorified warriors in Raaneka. The messenger, a slight woman with brown hair and orange godana, requested an audience with Shahidi Mkuu Shvedrishti Bright Eyes. She gave a small scroll sealed with the device of the House Adite:

Shvedrishti,

Travel with all haste to Duskenhearth Inn in the Heartwaste. If you hope to save Greta and perhaps this world, bring all of the osuro mirc you can. Our finest warriors stand ready to guard your journey. You need only ask.

Yours in faith,

Anguri and Krama Adite
Queen and King of Raaneka
For Love of Harmony
Boundless Glory

[Morph Bark]

We can do that, next round after it's all resolved. :smallwink:

Also, for both zab and you (and the one or two you might bring along), go here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?347290-Fires-in-the-North-APXONTAS-KAINE-OA-TON-KOSMO-EMPIRE!). I already prepared a little bit for it.

[zabbarot]

So, we're doing this here? Guess I better call in the troops.

Shvedrishti dropped everything to accept the letter from the Raaneki. A smile spread across her face. "It is time! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olLxrojmvMg)" She passed the scroll to Jonas. "Prepare vauran for five men, and ourselves. We're traveling to the Heartwastes." He bowed and left. Shvedri retrieved a fresh sheet of vellum and began writing a new message.

"I know you have had a long journey. Rest for the night, then take this letter to Sycia. Send it by whatever means you must, but it is urgent. Tell your Queen, that she has my thanks."

High Priestess,
I am traveling to meet Greta in the Heartwaste. If you still plan to send aid, now is the time. We will await Glamora at the Duskenhearth Inn. There is a merchant in Guilder who runs a trade route to the Heartwaste. The watafiti at the Radurjic chapel in Battered Port will take you to him. He has agreed to transport you safely to the Inn. We will wait as long as we are able.


In unending friendship,
Shvedrishti
Shahidi Mkuu

[Zap Dynamic]

Sycia, 2 months after the Duel in the Garden:

A berunda and rider rocketed out of the northern skies, flying low from the direction of the northern archipelago. Within moments, the Raaneki was banking over the temple at Yphinerra. The berunda careened downward, landing unceremoniously near the main gates. Any guards standing nearby would have seen the Raaneki, a slight woman with brown hair and orange godana, tumble from the flame of her arrival bearing a sealed scroll. She made it no further than a few feet from her berunda before collapsing.

"Please," she said in broken Common as she held out the scroll. "For High Priestess of Yphine. For sake of world." The woman died there, such was her exhaustion from the haste she had made. Behind her, the berunda let out a golden call, shuddered in a blaze of flame, and fell dead as well.

High Priestess,

I am traveling to meet Greta in the Heartwaste. If you still plan to send aid, now is the time. We will await Glamora at the Duskenhearth Inn. There is a merchant in Guilder who runs a trade route to the Heartwaste. The watafiti at the Radurjic chapel in Battered Port will take you to him. He has agreed to transport you safely to the Inn. We will wait as long as we are able.


In unending friendship,
Shvedrishti
Shahidi Mkuu

I'm PMing this to HHA as well, I just wanted it here for consistency's sake.

I forgot that I'll be on vacation from Wednesday-Monday, so unfortunately I won't be able to take part in the stuff in the other thread. Blast! Oh well, enjoy yusselves!