+- FEPlanet Community (http://forums.feplanet.net)
+-- Forum: Fire Emblem (http://forums.feplanet.net/forum-7.html)
+--- Forum: Roleplays (http://forums.feplanet.net/forum-9.html)
+---- Forum: Fire Emblem: Insurrection (http://forums.feplanet.net/forum-28.html)
+---- Thread: [IRP] When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? (/thread-462.html)
Pages:
1
2
When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Cevian - 08-12-2014
Tania Castle, Castle Town Outskirts
Orica walked into the town around Castle Tania and something was... off already. It was the kind of thing that someone wouldn't notice immediately unless they were familiar with the area.
There was a tension in the air. The streets were more sparse than usual, save for the increase in guards. The whole thing put up a red flag for her. Gripping her spear tightly she ducked into a nearby alleyway to give herself time to try and figure out what was up. This probably seemed odd to Satsume who was following behind her at the time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For ease of story telling, it's best if other people's characters haven't been in town for long. A lot of the townsfolk are staying inside, as if they are too afraid to leave and as such will be weary of travelers. Just letting people know. How to start this effectively was part of the delay.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Andy - 08-12-2014
Ambrose leaned with his back on an alley wall near the city's main square, smoking his short pipe. He'd closed his eyes, listening for anything unusual. Or, rather, anything usual aside from the city's men-at-arms marching around. It was unusually sparse. The city, by its size, should normally be a bustling hive of activity, a roar of activity going through its streets at each square. Now, however, it seemed to hold a halved population, as though there was too much city for the amount of people. The roar for the squares was a mere undercurrent of background noise and the people were quieter and more wide-eyed.
Something was unusual. Something was about to happen. He wasn't sure he was supposed to be here for it. He thought of the fortress hidden in the mountains between Lycia and Etruria. He wished he were there. He'd furnished a room there for himself as a home. He'd intended on using it as a base for a mercenary company, but no one had taken him up on his offer as yet. He was here looking for volunteers or, more practically, a job. Now, however, he wasn't quite sure there were any to be had.
Wait and see, wait and see, he reminded himself, taking a pull on the pipe and blowing the smoke out. Once his head cleared, he dumped the pipe and shook the rest of the ashes and embers out for good measure, before stuffing it into his belt pouch and heading deeper into the alley.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - WyvernSlayer - 08-13-2014
How did I talk myself into this, again?
This was a persistent thought in Satsume’s mind for the past couple days. It was a fool’s endeavor. It had to be. No one in their right mind would willingly follow a person who had once already tried to kill them. And even if the danger was somehow more than Orica could have imagined, she left no doubt as to her contempt for Satsume, even as he fought back from almost certain death. It really made him wonder if there was something wrong with him.
The last couple of days had been mostly quiet and uninteresting, actually. Satsume had made an effort not to say anything that would put him in a position to be thrown onto somebody else’s blade. Unfortunately, since Orica was so volatile, he said barely anything at all. It was like tiptoeing on eggshells. He picked his eyes up from the ground and looked at the imposing blonde figure walking briskly in front of him. Am I ever going to figure you out..?, he wondered.
Then suddenly, Orica stopped and reached for her weapon. The quick movements made Satsume instinctively do the same. His head darted around. An attack? Here, in the castle town?
Orica ducked into a side alley. Satsume continued to survey the area. There were a couple small pockets of guards roaming around. Maybe it was a bit unusual that there were hardly any citizens out in the streets, but that was Lycia for you these days. Satsume sighed to dispel the tension and turned his head in Orica’s direction. He hadn’t followed her into the alley. Instead he raised an eyebrow, perplexed at her odd behavior.
“What are you doing?” he groaned.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Siro - 08-15-2014
Well, this is not an enjoyable place.
Alexander just sighed and gave no regard to what he was surrounded by. The city that he stopped by for some free-lancing work was not as kind to him as needed. Guards everywhere roaming the city, and no one outside doing anything since the commotion.
Just like same old Etruria.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - LinkPrime1 - 08-17-2014
Royce was tired... No, not tired. Tired did not due his aching body justice. Exhausted. Now that was a word worthy of his current status! His arms ached. His legs moaned with every step, pleading for a brief moment to rest. To sit and take this heavy burden off of them, yes that would be wonderful! They continue to press their case as Royce slowly continues onward.
It had been a rough going. He was only a few weeks removed from his hometown. Tania was his destination, it always had been.
Royce could remember as a child the one time he visited the castle town. His family had traveled there to sell their wares. Typically, they would go to Pharae, so any trips to Tania were special. It was Royce's first, and only, time visiting the province. He couldn't remember any specifics. There might have been some festival going on? All he could remember was his overwhelming excitement and activity and how quickly it aggravated his mother.
One day, these pleasant thoughts were interrupted by thoughts of men shouting. Upon investigation, he discovered a group of loggers felling trees. Their destination? Tania of course. Within minutes, Royce was employed and would spend the next two weeks cutting down and transporting logs.
His inner outdoorsman was proud of his work, but his body was weary. Immediately after receiving his pay, Royce set out to find somewhere to rest. The vague instructions of the inn's location were not help to him as he wandered the streets. His legs grew more impatient by the second. His eyes drifted from one side of the road to the other hoping, begging, to find something resembling some sort of resting place.
Then they settled in on something rather...odd. No, it wasn't the fact that the streets were rather empty. Royce was too tired for that. He would explore and experience the city in the morning, he told himself. It was a woman jumping into an alleyway. It was...confusing, to say the least. A man a few feet infront of Royce seemed equally as perplexed. But, it was of no concern to him. He had more pressing matters to attend to. His legs were furious at this point.
Where the hell is this inn...
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Cevian - 08-18-2014
Orica stayed silent for a few moments as she made sure none of the guards had followed them in to the alley, at least for now. Still tense she pressed her back to the wall before replying to Satsume.
"There is something wrong here." She said. "Tania, unlike other areas of Lycia, had been rather unaffected by changes brought on by Emperor. We are a strong people and strive to continue forward. That is what is so strange. The streets are sparse, as if they are hiding, and I do not recognize the guards we have seen so far. This means something has happened to my family. We must tread carefully."
Castle Tania, Interior
A guard ran in to the main, throne room of Castle Tania. There stood a tall woman with long, light green hair covering one of her eyes and wearing white Swordmaster clothes, with a katana at her hip.
"Lady Taiga!" The guard exclaimed, having to stop and catch his breath from his armor-clad dash. "We've spotted Orica, the daughter of Vanar-"
"I am aware of who she is. Anything else to report?"
"Oh, um... She was with someone we don't recognize."
The woman, Taiga, turned to the side to think for a moment, her hair covering her face. "No matter. If she is anything like the rest of her family, she will run straight forward into my blade. Keep on eye on her and her companion to make sure they do not flee, as unlikely as I think that is for her, but otherwise do not impede her way here. I don't want more of you to have to suffer deaths at the hands of this traitorous and monstrous family."
The guard nodded. "Y-yes, sir!" before turning to relay the orders to the rest of the guards.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - WyvernSlayer - 08-19-2014
Ahh, so that’s why she had seemed so on edge when they passed through the gates. Even so, her behavior now continued to vex him. He looked around at the small pockets of Imperial guards that were patrolling the streets. His eyes briefly locked with one of the men as they approached. He paused and gave Satsume a flat stare, then continued on his way. No scorn, no malice, just a recognition of an armored man in front of him. That was it. Satsume finally turned and went to follow Orica into the alley. I’m almost sure she’s overreacting, he thought to himself. He pulled his pipe out of his belt pouch and stuck it in his mouth. I’ll be damned if I say anything about it, though.
He pressed some tobacco into the pipe. As he fumbled around for his matchbox, he looked past Orica, deep into the alleyway. There was another man propped against the wall, probably staying out of sight just like every other poor Tanian soul. “We made it past the gates without a hitch…You really think they’d deny you access to your own home?” As he spoke these words, Satsume stopped walking. His matchbox had gone missing. He sighed in frustration. Son of a…
“Hey!” Satsume called over to the other man in the alley, careful not to be too loud. “Could I trouble you for a match?”
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Andy - 08-20-2014
Ambrose had stopped again and leaned against the wall of an alley. He saw an armored man and woman heading towards him, further into the backstreet, and the man called out, asking for a match. He dug in a pouch on his belt and pulled out one of his. He still had many, but not so many that he could give them out willy-nilly. "Aye, here's one. Save it for later, though. By the clouds, it's going to rain soon," he told them, handing the match to the shorter man, pointing at the deep grey clouds above. The smell of rain, of wetness, had begun permeating the air perhaps half an hour ago. He readjusted his heavy and worn stormcloak.
"Either of you know what's going on? A city of this size should rightly be deafening around the market squares, but they're not," Ambrose asked the two strangers. He wasn't aware that he was now near the front gate, and that likely neither of them knew a thing. Nor was he aware that he was in the presence of nobility. "What are these cursed nobles up to now?" he growled in a low rumble.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - LinkPrime1 - 08-20-2014
Royce trudged forward. Step... ...Step... St...ep . .. ... .... .. . . ... Step.................................
When in the world did he get so tired? Each movement caused his body to burst into flames. He was sore, exhausted, dehydrated and what could possibly be the onset of delirium....and...proud? Ah, yes. Each fiery step was a harsh reminder of the good work had had put in. Wear and tear today is strength and power tomorrow, his father used to say. Royce felt a smile crawl across his face. He straightened his posture. He took out a deep breath and let out a relieved sigh.
His second wind was not a moment too soon. Each step was no longer pain, it was a challenge. Could he press on? WILL HE PRESS ON!? His legs constantly challenged him, and Royce responded each time with a HELL YES- internally of course. He was really feeling it now, like he was invincible or-
Waitwhatwasthat?
His head whipped around to face the figure he barely saw out of the corner of his eye. There it was. Beautiful. Elegant. Flawless. The clouds parted and sent down a golden ray of sunshine, piercing the darkness around, as if the goddess herself was descending from the heavens, glorifying the magnificence of what Royce had the blessing of witnessing. It truly was...perfection.
"Inn"
The sign lazily swung in the light wind, occasionally kicking a tad extra go the occasional breeze. Its hinges squeaked, as if gears grinding, trying to resist the wind. To Royce, it was as if the voice of the angels were calling to him- "Here, here is the heaven you seek. Here is where all things being and end. Here is where life finally has meaning."
Royce had to hold back his uncontrollable joy. There it was, Shangri-La...at last. Royce took careful steps forward, he did not want to seem overly anxious. He was, after all, on sacred ground. He put his hand on the door, ready to swing it open and be embraced by the goddess's love and warmth within.
This was it...
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Siro - 08-20-2014
Since their was such an odd feeling around the area of what was going on Alexander had really had no idea what to do. Sitting in his chair he debated if it was really necessary to actually leave where he was and move on forward with his little “adventure”. The life he had of free-lancing was not as eventful as other adventures had. Some small work here and there and a few fights that ended in his favor. Whatever the situation was that was taking place was just another nuisance that probably would cause so many unfavorable things to happen that Alexander really had to think about leaving or just staying and waiting for things to cool down.
Yet, his mind always wandered and just like every adventurer or some sort of character he had the urge to actually want to roam the city or at least find out what was happening. As the thought arose, he gestured someone who worked where he was to come over. When he did, a male came over to greet him, Alexander asked,
“The world is going on?” He looked towards the worker and the male said,
“I really have no idea, our area of work and where we stay have not gone outside for a while since all of the commotion and things. We really do not have much here since business is slow.”
Alexander looked and nodded and told the man that was all that was needed. Alexander seemed troubled and did not know if it really a good idea to go leave and search around. Whatever was going on was making Alexander have trouble getting any work done. He then got up from his seat and went to an open window he placed his hands onto the window ledge and peered through the window to look outside.
As he looked out he saw a random person jump into an alley where guards passed. The swordsman looked confused wondering if it was some sort of thief or just a nervous traveler in the sight of all of this.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Cevian - 09-08-2014
Orica was too caught up in trying to figure out what was going on to even acknowledge Satsume's comment. They may not even be her home anymore, and she had to find out why. While she was thinking Satsume asked someone else ducking in the alley for a match and he had made a comment that she couldn't just sit back and let slide. Tapping her spear on the ground she pointed it at Ambrose. "I assure you this is not the work of House Tania. There is something more fowl at work and I intend to unearth the source of this oddity."
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - WyvernSlayer - 09-09-2014
Satsume nodded in appreciation as he received the match, then flashed his hand in dismissal as the man commented on the approaching rain. "Just a quick hit," he replied. As he lit up his pipe, the man spoke of his thoughts on the situation:
"A city of this size should rightly be deafening around the market squares, but they're not. What are these cursed nobles up to now?"
Hoo boy, Satsume thought, sighing inaudibly as Orica whirled around and brought her spear up to face the stranger.
"I assure you this is not the work of House Tania," she hissed. "There is something more fowl at work and I intend to unearth the source of this oddity."
At this point, the stranger seemed a bit put off, so Satsume intervened. "She's like that sometimes," he said. "Don't take it personally." He puffed a cloud of smoke, which hung in the air around him. It was certainly going to rain soon.
"Are you from around here?" Satsume asked the man. "Do you know how long it's been like this?" He was asking partly out of curiosity, and partly because he thought maybe Orica could glean some information from the stranger's answer. He took another hit from his pipe and peered down through the alley. A short ways away, the peaks of Castle Tania loomed overhead. Maybe it was just the rain clouds, but something about that view gave Satsume the chills.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Andy - 09-10-2014
"First off, how the blazes do you know the goings on of a noble's family? Second off, watch where you're pointing that thing, woman!" Ambrose growled, knocking the spearhead out of his face with a vambrace. He turned to the more reasonable person of the two to answer his inquiries. "Hard not to take it personally when someone threatens your life over an opinion. Particularly a long-held and many-times-proven one," Ambrose replied, leaning back against the wall again. "And no, I'm not from here. I arrived looking for work two days ago, and aside from menial, intra-town jobs, I haven't found any jobs that require my skills. The place has been like this at least since then. Almost like they're waiting for something."
The mercenary shifted his weight from his left leg to his right and crossed his arms. "In any case, the name's Ambrose Frederick Locke. Call me Fred. And if you two are going to get to the bottom of this... thing that's come over the town, count me in. From the look of it, you'll need all the help you can get."
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Siro - 09-17-2014
As Alexander was viewing the scene that was happening he really did not enjoy this place as much. He felt as if he was not able to do anything. Cooped up in a building was not something he really was accustomed to. Having to do the waiting game didn't really seem to be one of his top priorities. Alexander really did not know why it crossed his mind; however, it was there. Maybe it was just some sort of realization that his brain just understood. As he came back from his daydream, he looked around and saw that many people were just normal and just waiting this out.
Nothing really else was there, but it made him put the thought in his mind to keep an eye out for anything else. Alexander just sighed and really could not believe that a random event perked his attention for this long. He walked backed to his seat and moved his chair to position himself to look at the window to see if anything else would occur.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - LinkPrime1 - 09-20-2014
He was so close. Just a little further.
Come on...come on...
His fingertips were outstretched, mere millimeters from the door knob. Royce's eyes were locked onto it, like a mortal looking into the eyes of a God, the doorknob the extension of His hand.
Touch and all will be gold...
It was going to happen! Finally finally fin-
And then the screaming started.
Was that a raindrop?
Shit, no, don't, no...
Royce could hear his mother yelling at him.
YOU SHOULD TELL THOSE PEOPLE IT'S GOING TO RAIN SOON! MAYBE THEY'LL STOP YELLING AND YOUR SISTER CAN SLEEP!
Fuck everything...
Royce sighed. His arms turned to stone and fell to his sides. He puffed his cheeks out. After letting an exasperated sigh go, Royce stood straight, adjusted himself, and went in the direction of the yelling.
Oh, they're down an alley? Not suspicious at all.
Royce gave one more longing glance at the door to the inn.
Soon, my dearest...
Royce approached the alley from the side, and poked his head around the corner.
This is such a stupid idea...
"Hey, uh, excuse me!" Royce's eye flinched. Not at the fact that someone was beaing threatened with a spear, but from the raindrop that fell into his eye. "Maybe you guys, should uh, get inside? It's gonna rain soon!"
Dammit mom...
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - WyvernSlayer - 09-24-2014
"Fred..." Satsume silently rejoiced at hearing a name that was easy to remember. He nodded and pulled another quick hit from the pipe. "I'm Satsume." He took a step forward and shook the man's hand. He gestured with his pipe at Orica, trying to pretend that she didn't have her spear leveled perilously close to his rib cage. "This is Orica. She's a..." he stopped himself. Should he tell of her nobility?
No, better not. "...a local." he finished.
Just then, a young man poked his head around the corner.
"Maybe you guys should, uh... get inside? It's gonna rain soon!"
Satsume looked up again. The sky was even darker now, and rain did indeed seem imminent. He winced as a large, cold drop spattered on his forehead. "Mm," he said to the stranger. "Do you know where we could go to stay dry? Like an inn, or a tavern?" He took one last hit from the pipe and clacked it against his boot to empty it.
The rain was starting to pick up. Satsume could hear it plinking off of his shoulder plates. He glanced back at Fred and Orica. "Unless either of you have a different idea?"
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Cevian - 09-26-2014
Orica moved her spear to block Satsume from moving. "Hold." she said. "You can take cover from the rain once I fix your attempt at hiding the whole truth with a half-truth." She turned back Ambrose and tapped the end of her spear on the ground. "I know the goings on of the noble family because I am Orica of House Tania. To use your phrasing, it is hard to not take it personally when someone is wrongly insulting your family in front of you. I can assure you, this current sad state of affairs is NOT the work of House Tania. I will find out what the source of it is because I fear that something terrible has befallen my family."
She turned back to look at Satsume. "There, I have covered for your weakness. We may take cover from the rain and discuss further plans to investigate the goings on here." Orica was honest, brutally so, even if it was not a good idea. Truth was a strength and lies were a weakness, in most cases, like the deceptive tactics she opted out of earlier. There was no need in her eyes to hid who she was from Ambrose so she did not. To her, Satsume's half-truth was another kind of deception and it had to be dealt with.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - WyvernSlayer - 09-26-2014
Satsume threw his hands up as Orica’s spear moved up in front of his breastplate. “Call it what you like. Thought you might appreciate telling our friend here about yourself, rather than letting me screw it up!” he teased. He was playing with fire and he knew it, but Satsume had come to understand Orica a little better during their travels. If she really wanted to kill him for a slight, she would have done so already. He crossed his arms and ground the ashes from his pipe into the dirt with his toe.
“We may take cover from the rain and discuss further plans to investigate the goings-on here,” said Orica.
“Huh?” Satsume stepped in front of Orica as she turned to head back out of the alley. “No master plan? No brazen charge into the castle?” He ran a couple fingers through his hair to flick the dampened red strands out of his face. “You sure you’re feeling alright?”
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Andy - 09-26-2014
She was bold, he'd give her that. In a loud voice, albeit in the middle of an alley, the armored spearwoman had named herself Orica Tania, and in the same breath had expressed misgivings about the fate of her family and how this was not their doing. Did she have no concept of discretion? Literally anyone could have heard that and reported to whomever was in charge of the castle. And what happened when the little lordling was known to have returned and was in a wayside inn within the walls?
He was sure that anyone could understand why he had a smidge of apprehension settling in his gut, but he was careful not to let it show. He understood her offense before a bit better at least. When he heard Satsume's surprised outburst, he was tempted to raise an eyebrow. No concept of tactics, either. Beyond brute force, that is. Truly, she was born on the wrong side of the millenia. Perhaps a hundred years after the Scouring, mayhap people were like her more often than not. In any case, she wasn't doing as the armored man had suggested were her primary approaches, so perhaps she understood the necessity of the situation.
"Planning an infiltration is less likely to get us killed than marching in like drink-addled fools," Ambrose whispered to Satsume. "I think perhaps she realizes the necessity, even if she doesn't like it much." The sword-for-hire continued forward, following Orica and the tired man into the inn.
RE: When Strength is All You Have Left, Is That Strength All You Need? - Siro - 09-30-2014
Doing nothing still and just waiting out for the rest of the day was one of the few options that Alexander believed was the right course of action. The only thing that he had to figure out was what to do exactly in this situation. The swordsman really didn't rely on too much of a though process for things like this, so just go with the flow was what he intended to do. He called the male over again to where he was and as he approached, Alexander asked,
“So what is the whole situation here?” The man thought for a moment and then said,
“Well, as I said before. Commotion is going around the city and everyone is in alert. We don't know why, but it was told to us to do so. Any other information is out of our hands.”
Alexander looked to him and nodded and then asked, “So people, like random commoners wouldn't be walking around would they?”
The male shook his head and said, “I would not believe so, guards are posted and are patrolling the city. It would be unadvised to do so.”
Alexander thanked him and the male went back to his work. The male also brought him a cup of water also for him. Sadly, at the moment, this place was rather eventful. He looked out the window and by his surprise, he saw a group walking past. In shock he just chuckled at peered at them seeing he would have noticed if the same fellow in that group. Unfortunately, he could not make it out, Alexander took some time so the the sight and wondered if they were entering this place or doing something more eventful.