[EVENT RP] The Reclamation of Tania

[WyvernSlayer]

 The Church of the Preservation of Sanctity – Thria
 
The sun had slowly begun to set behind the indomitable arches of the church.  This massive cathedral towered over most of Thria’s capital, inviting all wandering eyes to its steeples.  It was a fixture of light, constructed for a great and righteous cause.
 
So ran the thoughts of General Caernarvon, knight commander of Ostia, as he dismounted his horse and approached the church’s steps.  The people seek a haven in these dark times, he thought.  This is that haven.
 
Deliberately, Caernarvon ascended the stairs and entered the church.  He had pressing business, of course – why else would he be called from the Emperor’s side? – but the situation reports from Pherae and Santaruz had left him confident that the situation would wait for him.  His armor echoed throughout the hallways as he climbed the flanking stairwells, and approached the massive altar on the upper level.
 
A slender-looking holy man, garbed in the traditional white and gold of the Elimine church, stood before Caernarvon, facing toward a large stained-glass portrait of Saint Elimine.  Caernarvon could faintly make out the sounds of whispered prayers.  He cleared his throat to get the man’s attention, even though he armor had probably already announced his presence.
 
“Father Vorosh,” he said.  “I come from Ostia at the Emperor’s behest.”
 
The holy man slowly turned around, revealing a face whose lack of color was almost ghoulish.  Graying hair seemed an extension of his equally pale skin.  Caernarvon’s first instinct was to look away, but out of respect, he kept his head still.
 
“Welcome, my child…”  Vorosh’s words were honeyed and drawn, as though his speech had been forced through a sieve.  “To what do I owe a visit from our most noble guardsman?”
 
“There is talk that the King of Bern has-“
 
Vorosh held up his hand.  “…he brings his men to the border, does he not?”
 
Caernarvon’s eyes widened.  “How…?”
 
A smile crept across the wizened priest’s face.  “Saint Elimine speaks to me, my child…”  He spun around slowly and gestured to the stained glass behind him.  “I need only to open my soul, and listen…”
 
The knight commander shifted about a little.  “Yes… early reports of our detachment in Tania being routed during the night.  The Emperor requests that the Church send-“
 
Vorosh held his hand up again to interrupt.  “Peace, my child… you needn’t worry.  The church’s hand makes for Tania as we speak, to calm the minds of Lycia’s children…”
 
Caernarvon needed a second to digest the priest’s words.  He was always fond of speaking in tongues.  “Good,” he said finally.  “I shall arrange for a group of the Ostian Guard to assist you.”
 
“There is no need,” Vorosh said matter-of-factly.  “I do not wish to burden you with the church’s mission.  Besides…” He stepped down from the dais and walked down the aisle, pausing as he reached Caernarvon.
 
“Our first order is to ensure the safety of Lycia and its people.  Elimine gives the people hope in times of despair.”
 
“As is ours, Father.”  Caernarvon turned on his heel in a hurried attempt to avoid the high priest’s gaze.  “I will station them nearby, in Old Caelin.  If you have need of them, they will help you… spread the good word.”
 
Vorosh said nothing – he merely smiled.
 
“Lycia prevails, Father.”
 
“Good day, Commander.”

---

---

 
Somewhere in eastern Tania...
 
Inquisitor Orel stood propped against a tree, watching shadows on the ground as the wind toyed with the branches.  The moon shone bright above the Church camp, and there were a couple of small campfires nearby.  All was calm.  Orel sighed and slumped down, seated against the tree.  He reached at the ground in front of him and plucked a slightly bruised apple off the ground, admiring it in his hand for a moment before taking a bite.
 
For all of the news of the goings-on in neighboring provinces, Tania had, for the most part, been dreadfully quiet.  Boring, even.  It was a tad surprising for a place so close to the Bern border.   Orel’s detachment had had few encounters with magefolk and other such heretics, and even then, had often elected to allow them to escape into the mountains.
 
Yep.  Let the bandits deal with them,  Orel thought.  Serves them right.  He took another bite of his apple and went back to watching the shadows on the ground.
 
Just then, Orel noticed a large, blanketing shadow swoop across the ground.  He blinked.  “What the…?”  He craned his neck and peered through the branches at the night sky.  Nothing.  Orel frowned, then settled back up against the tree.
 
Another shadow started to creep up on the ground near his feet.  This time, Orel was quick to look up.  Whatever it was that he saw streaking across the moonlit sky was interrupted by a piercing cry from the camp.
 
“Wyyyyyveeerrrrrrrnnnns!”
 
Orel scrambled to his feet and sprinted towards the camp, which was now full of panicked men in holy vestments.
 
“Prepare the- hrrrggghh!”
 
Orel’s voice crumpled as a javelin found the back of his spine.  He could still hear the cries of his fellow Keepers as he slammed into the ground.  His fading vision could just barely make out the bursts of light from their spears as they sent clumsy counter-attacks into the sky.  As the spells illuminated the night, Orel could see several winged creatures dancing about, swooping and diving into the camp.
 
Bern had finally struck.

[Toogee]

It had been only a day since Paige had arrived in Tania with Ellie, yet she was already contemplating leaving. The silence of the village was quite unsettling, the calm before the storm. From what Paige had gathered, Bern struck in the east. This wasn't a mere raid: the rest of their army was likely headed this way. To the west, Ostia's forces would gather to fight the invasion. War had come to Lycia once more, with Paige caught right in the middle.

She had no intention of taking sides in this fight. While she knew Ostia no longer had the best interest of Lycia's people, the librarian knew less of Bern's intentions. While the kingdom had reformed, history had not been fond of Bernese incursions. Paige wanted a return of the old Lycia, not to have it become subservient to another country. She feared a war would weaken Lycia, opening the country to even more bandit raids, assaults by vengeful refugees, and (if the stories were to be believed) attacks by Sacaen tribes.

She feared the brunt of those attacks would affect civilians more than the Lycian army.

For the moment, Paige remained at the inn she was staying in, though her things were packed and ready to depart should things turn south. She was still a fugitive; the arrival of Lycian forces would only increase her chances of being captured. Yet Paige felt she had to do something to help the people weather the war to come. Fortunately, she had Ellie and Shad around to discuss their next move. They had yet to track down Yuri, but he likely wouldn't be far. Of course, with the army gathering, she suspected he wouldn't stick around for much longer.

Paige looked around the in to see if her companions were around.

[WyvernSlayer]

Satsume rubbed the sides of his head as he sat on the edge of the bed.  There had been a staggering amount of commotion in and around the inn for most of the morning, and that, coupled with the slight hangover, had left him with a nasty headache.  Don’t these people understand that it’s rude to be so obnoxious outside someone’s door?  Muttering a curse, Satsume stood and started reaching for his armor plates.  The best plan, he decided, was to get out of the inn, grab some food, and find a quieter place.  He fastened his side straps, shifted his shoulders around inside the pauldrons to get comfortable, and then headed for the door.

“Did you hear about the wyverns spotted over Denir last night?”

“Oh my!  You don’t suppose…”

“I told you we should have moved to Ilia.”

Satsume paused in the doorway, listening to the various chatter going on amongst the inn patrons.  His head throbbed with displeasure.  He again held a hand to his temple, trying to massage the pain away.  As he looked up again, he spotted a glum-looking man in white and gold robes walking past.  He carried a tall hat under his arm, and his eyes were fixed on the ground.  Surely he was a Keeper, but Satsume kind of assumed that the Keepers around here would be hustling about, assuaging the general populace or some such nonsense.

The man seemed to notice Satsume staring at him.  They locked eyes.

“Good day, sir,” said the Keeper.

“Good day,” Satsume replied.  “Rare to see a man of the cloth by himself.”

The man frowned.  “We all walk with Elimine astride us.”  He looked down at his hands.  “…some of us closer than others.”

Satsume stepped out into the hallway.  “Do you know what’s been happening around here lately?  Something about wyverns to the southeast?”

The holy man shook his head.  A furrowed look of surprise crept over his face.  “Aren’t you with the Lycian Guard?”

“Uh… no.”

“Oh,” the man started to walk past Satsume.  “In that case, I would seek them.  They should be making their way into town shortly.  At least that’s the rumor.  Maybe it’s connected to that thing you heard about the wyverns.”

“I’ll try that.  Thanks,” said Satsume.

“Elimine watch over you, my friend.”  The young Keeper continued past Satsume and disappeared into one of the rooms.  Satsume stood in the hall for a moment, as other patrons moved past him.  He’s an odd one…, he thought.  I always thought Keepers were all cranky zealots.

He went downstairs.  There was still some number of people shuffling about.  A few of the tables were occupied by guests having breakfast.  It set Satsume’s stomach rumbling.  Hmm… wonder what I should have.  Bacon and eggs, for sure.  Maybe some fresh fruit, too…  As he fantasized about his upcoming meal, Satsume noticed a young woman sitting at one of the tables whose red hair made her seem like she was his twin.

He recognized it immediately.  As he weaved his way past the tables, he swiped up a pear from one of the platters that had been set up.  He was able to keep his armor quiet enough amongst the background noise to sneak up behind the young woman.  Well then, thought Satsume as he chomped on the pear.  That was way easier than I thought.  And people say it’s impossible to be stealthy in a suit of armor.  As he reached out to tap the woman on the shoulder, someone bumped into Satsume as they tried to walk past.  The chunk of pear in Satsume’s mouth slid down his throat.  And then it stayed there.

“Hrrkgghghghkk…!”  Satsume sputtered and coughed, finally forcing open his airways before bracing himself against the back of a chair with one hand to catch his breath.  He heard a meek voice behind him utter a “sorry,” but beyond that, Satsume was all too aware of the multitude of eyes that had converged on him during his brush with death – including those of the woman he was standing directly behind.  He felt his face turn a few lustrous shades of red.

Satsume cleared his throat.  “Uh… hey, Paige.”

[Swift_Assassin]

The last few hours had been a lot for Shad to digest. Shad's party had met up with Paige and Eli just as Cass had promised, but their party had grown since Paige and Eli last saw them a day before. Shad was awake, his forearms in splints and heavily wrapped. Despite his injury, he was in high spirits. Cass was her usual self, apathetic and sarcastic. The changes to the group came from their two new compatriots. Alice, who Shad encountered multiple times in Pharae, had followed them and offered her aid. She made it known she wasn't a fan of the Church of the Preservation of Sanctity, but that's all Shad knew. He didn't even know if she knew how to defend herself, but she must have gotten by somehow to catch up with them. Convincing Cass to let her accompany them while Shad was out cold was a great feat indeed. With the news of Bern's offensive in the air, both of them went off to try to help in his stead. That left Shad alone in his quarters with their newest companion who joined mere hours ago.

----------------------FLASHBACK----------------------

Shouting could be heard in the distance, accompanying crying. Shad heard the noises and leapt off his horse onto unsteady feet and drew his sword with great difficulty. He could barely hear his companions yelling at him to stop. He charged with the same reckless abandon he did earlier when he saved Eli. He charged headlong into a sword wielding man and brought him down to the ground. He took out his fire tome and charred the back of his head with a spell before he looked to examine the situation. He looked up and saw a woman with piercing green eyes, brown hair in a ponytail, and a distinct tri-colored scarf. "Are you safe miss?"

She stared at him for a moment, tears running down her face as she turned towards another man, already cold on the ground nearby. She walked over to the man and picked up a small box and opened it, sobbing profusely at what she saw inside. Shad struggled to get himself up when he noticed the man was wearing the armor of Church. A Keeper? He looked at the man he had stabbed and turned him over to discover the same thing. He looked at the woman and didn't see a weapon, but noticed the mans sword had blood already on it. Why did this Keeper kill the other one? What's going on here? He withdrew his sword and hid his book, before asking, "What's happened here?"

She composed herself enough to explain. "He was going to ask for my hand. We loved each other, so it was only natural. Except, he was a Keeper, and I was a mage he was harboring." Shad's eyes widened at that. The rest seemed clear, but she continued, "His friend discovered our secret and killed him for his betrayal and tried to kill me." She looked back at him, tears no longer pouring off her face, but collecting in her eyes. "Your form is sloppy and inefficient. To thank you, let me help teach you. My name is Taika."

--------------------FLASHBACK END--------------------

"Taika, I'm going out for a bit. You might want to return to your room for the time being," Shad said to his new teacher as he left the room, wearing a simple brown tunic instead of his coat or Sacaen clothes. He still had the tome hidden on his person and still wore the Schiavona on his waist, but he was a battered man. Now was a good time to approach Bern to cement an alliance, but Paige didn't seem to want to do that. He didn't want to push any of his allies too far. Last thing he wanted was to drive them away. He was unsure of why they chose Tania, especially after Ambrose told them that Orica's family had been overthrown. Perhaps this chaos with Bern invading made it a bit safer for them, but he wasn't sure. He began walking towards the dining area when he felt someone grab him and heft him up. He turned his head and saw a familiar pair of faces. " Lennox? Carla?"

Lennox carried his smaller cousin into the main hall, attracting some attention in the process. He let him down with a laugh. "What in the name of Elimine happened to you? You look like shit." He looked just like he last saw him months ago in Etruria. Taller than he was and built to match. Still wearing that large cloak as well. "Looks like you've had a bit of trouble these past few weeks, judging from those wounds."

Shad only chuckled in response. "I hate to say it, but I've only really been in one fight these last few weeks. The other fights I didn't actually get hit or hit anyone. Infact, in one fight I used those unarmed attacks you taught me and used the guys own ax to disable him. Then there was a thing about derailing a meteor, but yeah. One fight and I got hit pretty hard." He joked, taking it in stride. It was true, unfortunately. The first real fight he got into since arriving in Pharae weeks ago and he left it with two broken arms. "Cass treated me and said I shouldn't be able to use my sword for a while, until we find someone with a mend staff."

"Cass is here, too? What about Marcus?" Shad's other cousin Carla questioned. She had a good reason to be confused. As far as they knew, Cass was holding down the fort with Carla's brother, and Cass' husband, Leon, back in Arretium and Marcus was accompanying Shad.

"Leon sent Cass to send me some gold, equipment, and to do some counter intelligence stuff. Marcus and I got separated in Pharae, in a long story, and he went to Bern without me."

Lennox and Carla looked at each other confused, but unsurprised. "Well, let's get something to eat. I kinda owe Carla for a comment I made still, so I'll pay."

[Toogee]

Paige's search for friends was interrupted by a horrible choking noise coming from behind. It sounded like a hideous beast, the kind one would read about in one of the stories she liked to read. When Paige turned around, she was surprised to see Satsume choking on food. She hadn't seen him since their dealings with Glass II, yet here he was, briefly clinging to life before clearing his throat. Once Satsume had spared himself from the most embarrassing death of a knight ever, Paige approached him.

"Satsume? I haven't seen you since Pherae!" She touched his arm as a greeting gesture.

"What have you been up to?"

[WyvernSlayer]

If he had thought about it for a little while, Satsume would have been able to answer Paige's question with a grand tale about how he was off saving princesses and escorting pretty young women to and fro (which wasn't that far from the truth, actually.) But embarrassment had robbed him of his quick thinking, so he simply said, "Not much."

He took a seat next to Paige. "Although the same can't be said of you, I bet." He took a careful bite of his pear and lowered his voice. "I heard someone had been dabbling in some royal secrets over at the Pherae Royal Library some time ago. Really rubbed Ostia the wrong way." He peeked past Paige's shoulder to ensure nobody was listening in before continuing.

"You're the first person that came to mind when I heard about it. I tried searching for you in Pherae, but I guess you had rightfully left for Santaruz. I'm curious, though - what were you looking for?"

[Toogee]

Satsume's question gave Paige pause. How many ears had her escapades reached? She wondered if this would increase the difficulty of getting more information. She too looked around to make sure no one was in earshot. Paige had worked with Satsume before; she felt he could be trusted. That being said, the librarian spoke in whispers. Her tone was far more somber than when they had first met.

"I was doing research on Ostian lineage, specifically on the current royal family. Someone had burned our only copy of the Ostian bloodline. Hundreds of years of history were lost...except for a name. The Emperor's name. I was hoping I could use that name to find out more. Something that could make me understand what Lycia is going through. I haven't found anything like that yet...but."

Paige looked around once more. The information she had was too valuable. And yet, people had to know. The empire may be able to stop her, but they couldn't stop everyone. Still, Paige wanted to be alive long enough to actually find the truth. That wouldn't be terribly long if a spy was listening.

"I can't say more. Not here. Is there somewhere we can speak in private?"

[Zanryu]

It had been a long ride from Santaruz, and Ellie had barely had a moment to rest her back from the ride - but she was glad she'd made a friend of Paige, and for that she couldn't complain. She gnawed on what was left of her leg of lamb and chased it with what was now warm water - too bad, she thought. She scanned the room, keeping a subtle eye on Paige. Taking a last sip, she noticed a large man approaching Paige. Who's the clown?

Before Ellie could come to her friend's aid, the man found himself scuffling with a pear that had conveniently lodged itself in his throat; not much of a threat, as far as appearances go. Paige turned, and the two spoke.

"Well, where's the pincushion..."

Ellie's head snapped to a nearby doorway, a loud laugh coming from beyond the threshold. There she saw Shad, seeming to manage quite well with his injuries, surrounded by a small group. She stood, and made her approach as they spoke.

"...a thing about derailing a meteor, but yeah. One fight and I got hit pretty hard. Cass treated me and said I shouldn't be able to use my sword for a while, until we find someone with a mend staff."

"Cass is here, too? What about Marcus?"

"Leon sent Cass to send me some gold, equipment, and to do some counter intelligence stuff. Marcus and I got separated in Pharae, in a long story, and he went to Bern without me."

"Well, let's get something to eat. I kinda owe Carla for a comment I made still, so I'll pay."

"Um... I hate to interrupt, but do you mind if I tag along?" Ellie smiled shyly in Shad's direction. She cast a quick glance at the others and nodded. One thing was for sure, they shared a lot of physical similarities. She decided with near certainty that they had to be at least somewhat related.

[Swift_Assassin]

Carla was the first to notice the new arrival and tapped Shad on the shoulder when he spoke up. "A friend of yours, Shad?" Carla looked the youth over, thinking he was quite attractive. If he wanted to, he could pass for a woman without anyone batting an eye.

"Oh, Eli. It's no problem with me," Shad replied before turning back towards his cousins. "This is Eli, one of the people I've been traveling with. Good with a bow." He turned back towards Eli to finish the introductions. "Eli, these are my cousins. The big guy is Lennox. We're practically brothers. And she is Carla. She's practically Sacaen. Remember that outfit I was wearing when we fought those guys? It belonged to her older brother, Leon."

"I don't know what my upbringing has to do with anything, but it's a pleasure to meet you, Eli. The pup's a bit danger prone, so thanks for looking after him," Carla commented, throwing a bit of spite Shad's way with the pup comment. "He's not kidding on that brother part though. Len is just as much as a handful as Shad. But he'll be happy to pay for your food too, isn't that right Len?"

Shad chuckled a bit as Lennox glared at their smaller cousin. "Gladly, apparently. I'm quite curious as to what you've been getting up to. I'd also like to meet the other people you've been traveling with. Nice to meet you, Eli. As the pipsqueak said, I'll cover for you too." He ignored the daggers Carla shot his way. He and Carla went to make their order.

"Why are you assuming she didn't eat yet?" Shad sighed. "Don't worry about them. Carla's the youngest of her siblings, but she's still older than us. So she's been trying to act like on older sister to us, even though she has plenty of reason to despise us." Shad informed Eli, letting him know that this behavior was par for  the course with them. "Oh, have you heard anything regarding the Bernese or Lycian forces?"

[Zanryu]

"A friend of yours, Shad?"

"Oh, Eli. It's no problem with me. This is Eli, one of the people I've been traveling with. Good with a bow."

Ellie smirked in response to the compliment, but did not speak.

"Eli, these are my cousins. The big guy is Lennox. We're practically brothers. And she is Carla. She's practically Sacaen. Remember that outfit I was wearing when we fought those guys? It belonged to her older brother, Leon."

"I don't know what my upbringing has to do with anything, but it's a pleasure to meet you, Eli. The pup's a bit danger prone, so thanks for looking after him. He's not kidding on that brother part though. Len is just as much as a handful as Shad. But he'll be happy to pay for your food too, isn't that right Len?"

Ellie chuckled, but protested quick as she could.

"It's alright, I've already eaten - I'm pretty self sufficient! It's nice to meet you though, everybody," Ellie smiled. "I owe your cousin, believe it or not - he got all banged up looking after me..."

Ellie's smile faded as she replayed the events in her head. She nearly got Shad killed with her little slip up. It was her turn to repay him the next chance she got. She snapped out of her daydream as Shad spoke, managing to catch his question before she had a chance to feel rude for spacing out.

"Oh, have you heard anything regarding the Bernese or Lycian forces?"

"Oh, only what word has made it this far. The wyverns came in the night, and it's been pretty quiet since. I think Paige is worried about getting caught in the middle, but... I think maybe helping Bern would help our position, don't you?"

[Victor]

Roland hadn't seen much sleep since his arrival in Tania. Between the long evenings at the Three Wyverns tavern and the commotion in town now, he was afraid that at any moment, someone would burst from the shadows and skirt him away. The bags under his eyes were obvious, and he slumped as he trundled around the town, looking for his second breakfast. There had been a dearth of opportunity, and now with all the rumors of Bern making its move, nobody really seemed to need any odd jobs done, and were even more wary of an unfamiliar face.

He soon found himself at an inn, with a good amount of familiar faces; drinking companions from several nights ago who he couldn't possibly hope to remember. The big man and his pretend Sacaean savage date and the red haired one in big armor. Among them, though, was a familiar shock of red hair. Someone he never expected to see outside of Pherae. It was her. That bookish look would stick out anywhere, and he wasn't about to let it go unnoticed. Not since the last time they had fought, before he was sent off. He'd almost made a fool of himself. Almost. The wounds were still fresh. The spiritual ones, obviously. The bruised ego. A frail, delicate, scholarly flower like Paige could never actually wound a great knight like himself. The very idea was preposterous.

He huffed up his chest and stomped to the table where Paige and the red haired knight were talking. Nay, not talking. They were sharing secrets, and he couldn't help but feel left out. What in the world could Paige be privy to that she was sharing it with someone who wasn't Roland? He placed his hand on the knight's pauldron to split the duo apart from each other, while he gesticulated at his old sparring partner.

"Well, well," he spat, nose in the air, "If it isn't my favorite little bookworm. Come to Tania to beg for another duel with the Red Knight himself? No need to flatter yourself. How are books treating you? I'll be surprised if they haven't written my name in them yet."

[Swift_Assassin]

"Nothing new then? Cass is off doing something pertaining to it," Shad replied, surprised that no new information has arose yet. "Securing an alliance with Bern was actually what I was planning to do when I first encounter Paige. When we discovered the Emperor's name in Pharae, I opted to accompany her to try to see what else we could dig up. Info is a good bargaining chip, after all. But..." Shad went a bit silent. Eli seemed to be all in on this rebellion thing. He seemed to share his goals in some respects. But Paige is relatively new to this whole 'enemy of the state' thing. Could the librarian really overcome that hurdle and accept that this matter isn't limited to Lycia? As Shad thought about it, Carla and Lennox returned, their curiosities peakes.

"You learned what?!" Lennox asked in a loud whisper. "Is this Paige still with you? I need to hear this. Don't you agree Carla?"

Carla nodded in response. "Eli, do you know where she is? Could you lead us to her? This is stuff we need to know. Perhaps we could pass on some important info of our own as well."

"I could just- Wait. What important information could you possibly have?" Shad inquired, unsure why his cousins wanted to hear such news from his companions instead.

"It has to do with Dyrnwyn. Could also explain some of their actions as well," Lennox replied. He looked back to Eli. "It might make the fight against him more difficult as well." Shad sighed, obviously overruled in this situation.

[Zanryu]

"Eli, do you know where she is? Could you lead us to her? This is stuff we need to know. Perhaps we could pass on some important info of our own as well."

"I could just- Wait. What important information could you possibly have?"

Before Ellie could point the group in the right direction, her attention was diverted to the Hyperion cousins - her mouth wide as she tried to speak, and a perplexed look etched in her face. She composed herself and listened carefully.

"It has to do with Dyrnwyn. Could also explain some of their actions as well. It might make the fight against him more difficult as well."

"You'll have to fill me in, I suppose," Ellie replied. She looked over her shoulder and found another man with Paige, a relatively proper looking young man, despite his ever apparent exhaustion. "That's miss Paige, over there." Ellie pointed and offered a glance at the Hyperions again before heading in Paige's direction.

"Hey, Paige! Got some friends who'd like to meet you!"

[Toogee]

As Paige was talking to Satsume, she was approached by someone she did not expect to see. Roland Summer, a knight previously stationed in Pherae, had come between the two. He was acting as stuck up as ever, despite her getting in a few jabs in her last duel. It seemed his service in Ostia hadn't humbled him at all.

Wait.

Despite knowing Roland. Paige was wary. Last she saw him, Roland was to join the Ostian Honor Guard to protect the Emperor's personal quarters. Though Ambrose spoke of a Roland Summers, she wasn't completely sure if it was the Summer she knew.

"Roland Summer," Paige replied. "I haven't seen you since you went to join the Ostian Honor Guard." She said that last part with some emphasis, to give Satsume a heads up. She wasn't quite sure what they were dealing with. She lowered her voice to keep the rest of her thoughts between the three.

"Then again, I heard from a mutual friend that you abandoned your post...over love. Is that true? I hope so. I would hate to think you turned cloak just to settle an old score with me."

Paige lightened the mood with a friendly jab at her former rival, hoping that he wasn't here to arrest her. Just then, Eli called over, directing her attention to Shad and a couple people that looked like him. She waved back, but remained in place to continue her conversation with Roland and Satsume.

"Sorry, I guess I'm popular today."

[Swift_Assassin]

As the group approached Paige, all three of them perked up, all recognizing some of the people present. The knight in red was a mystery to Shad, but the redheaded knight was none other than the other sane person from the fight against Glass II. The pair was familiar to his cousins due to the Three Wyverns Tavern where they had met. They couldn't say that they really remembered their names, but they recognize the faces at least. "Well met, Satsume. Nice to see you still alive," Shad greeted. He didn't know any of them survived until after the fact, disappearing after the meteor was stopped. The only people he's heard about since was poor news about Orica and seeing Kalin in Pharae. He turned back to Paige. "These are my cousins, Lennox and Carla." He noticed that Paige seemed a little on edge. Satsume, Shad felt, they could trust. A bond forged in fire. Or rather glass and smoldering rock. But the knight, that must cause of her distress. Perhaps she's not too keen on his loyalties.

"You know these guys?" Lennox asked Paige and Shad. Shad pointed to Satsume with his thumb. He chuckled a bit. "Small world. We saw these guys in the Three Wyverns." Shad just turned back towards his larger cousin, stunned by the coincidence in the matter. Before Shad could say anything, Lennox continued. "We've heard you been keeping an eye on Shad for a while, so we just wanted to hear from you what happened in Pharae," he directed towards Paige.

As brash and abrasive as Lennox can be, at least he has some sense of tact. Shad thought, relieved the powerhouse didn't outright blurt out his intentions. He still wished he knew what Lennox and Carla had to reveal, but the less they repeat information between them, the safer they'll all be. "Apparently they want to tell us something too."

[WyvernSlayer]

Satsume pondered Paige’s question.  “It’ll have to be away from this inn,” he said finally.  “I saw a Keeper walking about upstairs, and I don’t-“
 
Just then, Satsume felt someone pushing on his left shoulder.  It was the man he had met in the tavern down the road the previous night – the blond gentleman in red armor.
 
"Well, well," he crowed, "If it isn't my favorite little bookworm. Come to Tania to beg for another duel with the Red Knight himself?”
 
A night’s drinking had left Satsume a little hazy as to the name of this particular person.  But that attitude stuck with him.  Satsume tried to interject.  “Um, actually-“
 
Paige interrupted him.  "Roland Summer.  I haven't seen you since you went to join the Ostian Honor Guard."  She flashed a glance at Satsume as she spoke that last part.  Satsume rolled his eyes back at her and grinned a little.  Ostian Honor Guard.  THAT explains it.  Paige proceeded to lay into Roland with some maybe-not-so-playful ribbing.  Satsume went to speak again.
 
“Mister Roland,” he said, laying a hand on the man’s shoulder.  “The lady and I were in the middle of a conversation.  If you wouldn’t mind-"
 
“Hey Paige!” called a voice from across the room.  “Got some friends who’d like to meet you!”
 
“Oh for Elimine’s sake.”  Satsume’s hand fell off Roland’s shoulder, and he hung his head in defeat.  Paige gave him an apologetic look and remarked on her popularity as she acknowledged the voice.  Satsume didn’t bother turning around.  I give up, he thought.  I’ll just wait until they’ve all said their piece.  He took another bite out of the pear and folded his arms.
 
Satsume watched as a group of four people approached the table.  Satsume recognized two of them immediately – the purple attire was unmistakable.  They were the couple from the tavern.  Satsume thought he recognized the other man, but he couldn’t place his name.  The fourth newcomer, a young woman with short hair, was the only one Satsume was positive he hadn’t seen before.
 
"Well met, Satsume. Nice to see you still alive!”
 
Satsume’s brow wrinkled as one of the men addressed him.  He peered at the man’s belt, instantly recognizing the wondrous blade dangling from his side.
 
“I’m far too stubborn to die, Shad,” he replied.  “Well met.”
 
"Small world,” Lennox said to Shad.  “We saw these guys in the Three Wyverns."  Satsume nodded at Lennox in acknowledgement.  The convergence of all of these people around his table was starting to make him uncomfortable.
 
Paige was then approached about some other matter, and Satsume could feel himself being slowly forced out of the conversation.  He stood up from his chair and touched a hand on Paige’s shoulder.  “I’m just stepping out for a moment.  I’ll be back,” he said as quietly as he could while still being heard.  He stood up from his seat and reached into his side pouch for his pipe.  As he turned to leave, he found his path blocked by Roland, who was still clamoring for Paige’s attention.
 
“Coming through, Mister Roland.”  Satsume laid a hand on the man’s shoulder plate, much in the same manner as he had done to him, and gently pressed him aside as he made for the door.

[Victor]

Roland couldn't say he was taken aback by Paige's words. The tiny bee sting of a woman's words was less than a scratch on his massive bulwark of pride and honor. Still, he had to keep on his feet with someone so literate. As far as he was concerned, most books were the devil, and unless the writers were warrior-poets, they needed to start doing a few push-ups.

"You wish it was for you," he spat back, childishly. "She's much fairer and much more noble. And she doesn't portend at some wild swordfighting fantasy like a true lady." Roland felt himself clench up as the bulk of people began to approach Paige. It looked like he wasn't about to get his fair share of her attention. What the hell was Paige doing with all of these friends and all of these secrets anyways? And this armor-clad, redheaded goon had the nerve to interrupt him. And this other group of five had the nerve to interrupt again. It was infuriating. What the hell was this little boy doing talking about his friends? And why was he even friends with the big man and the savage girl from the Three Wyverns?

Nothing seemed to make sense. Roland could feel his jaw tightened as the situation deepened into more and more confusing links. It reached its breaking point as soon as the armor-clad goon put his hand on Roland's shoulder.

Roland stiffened and furrowed his brow. "Don't you touch me!" he barked, slapping the man's hand off his shoulder forcefully. "Don't you know who I am?!"

He hopped back, readying his feet and crossing his arms. "What does everyone in this place want with a librarian, anyways?" he asked loudly, pointing to the mass of people congregating around Paige's table.

[Toogee]

Paige was getting a bit wary of the attention she was getting. Everyone wanted to know what she found in Pherae. The problem was that they weren't the only ones in the room. Other guests were looking on, wondering what all the commotion was about. One left the inn, perhaps to go about his day, perhaps to tell the nearest keeper of what was occurring. Either way, it wasn't safe to divulge such info in the inn.

"It's good to meet you two," she said to Lennox and Carla. "But I think we're disturbing the other guests with all this noise. Perhaps we can all meet somewhere in private. Outside of the inn." Paige was hinting that the matters they were referring to were quite private and should be treated as such. If there truly was a keeper upstairs, it may already be too late to keep their identities hidden.

In all the commotion, she wasn't able to keep track of Roland, who seemed ready to pick a fight with Satsume. As if they weren't in enough trouble already. Some things weren't going to change though. She nodded to the others to follow her out of the inn. Before she left, she spoke with Satsume and Roland, just as the latter questioned Paige's popularity.

"If you really want to know, follow me," Paige said to Roland. She then looked to Satsume, motioning towards the Hyperions and Eli that their meeting was going mobile.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Paige led the others to an alley way not far from the inn. It wasn't an ideal setting, but it was private enough. Paige then began to share the details of her findings.

"I'm not sure how much Shad has told you," Paige said to the Hyperions, "so I'll start from the beginning. This started in Castle Pherae. Someone was burning copies of Ostia's bloodline as I was attempting research on the topic. Whoever it was was hiding the origins of the Emperor. From the burned pages, I found his name: Emperor Coran. I was hoping to use that to derive a place of origin, but someone must have found out I was digging too deep. I had to resign my post and pursue leads elsewhere."

"We went to Santaruz, to find the author who originally copied down the Ostian lineage. ...We weren't able to save him from Imperial forces, but he was able to share something of Coran's bloodline. He has an heir, hidden from the public. He doesn't know he is the heir, perhaps he's living as a commoner. Any other information is in Ostia's library, which I can't exactly visit on a whim."

"That's why I came to Tania. We were following a former keeper by the name of Yuri. I was hoping to sway him to our side. Perhaps he can get me into Ostia to learn the truth of this heir."

Paige stayed silent for the others to absorb the information.

[Swift_Assassin]

This red knight was chauvinistic, self-important, and poor example to Pharaen knights. Being named after the Lycian hero only tarnished the hero's name. Shad held back from doing anything, mainly because of his two fractured arms. He glanced over to Clara who looked absolutely ready to ream into him, but Lennox held her sword arm at bay. He mused how funny it was that the son of Maddox Hyperion was being the level-headed one here, but that's how it was. "She's a librarian? Didn't know," he questioned, responding to Rolands shouting. Shad slowly turned his head towards Lennox, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn't antagonize Roland more. "She's well read, then? 'That' would be why."

Shad was about to say something, but Paige cut him off with a comment to Roland of her own. The trio followed Paige, presumably joined by the 'knight' Roland and the others. Carla and Lennox listened intently to the information that Shad could have easily told them himself. "Uncle Wolfram was with us when we learned his name. He stifled the flames in time for Paige to find the name. Marcus and Wolfram went there separate ways because I wasn't in condition to travel. I met back up with Paige before we went to Santaruz." He explained his half of the story to the cousins.

"Emperor Coran? That's his name? Coran? I...feel like I've heard it before. I think my father mentioned a person by that name," Carla replied. She thought on it a bit, before explaining, "My father seized the Hyperion lands a few years ago as part of a power grab put it place years ago. He had several different people offering alliances in securing those lands, one being my aunt. But I believe that the man who finally helped him served a man named Coran."

Shad turned Carla, "Faustus' power grab was sponsored by Lycia? I could see why. Arretium isn't far from the capital. He could have used that position to destabilize the surrounding area when the invasion finally began." He tilted his head downwards, realizing that although that plan was stopped, Shad did nothing to help counteract it.

"Speaking of the invasion, we think we have an idea about why the Tower of the Saint was razed. My Dyrnwyn ties into it." He grabbed the blade and placed it tip first in the ground in front of him. "We don't think destroying the tower was purely a religious act. We believe that they seized the legendary weapons inside."

Carla continued, "Since we left Etruria, we've been chased by Lycian men hunting Dyrnwyn. It might not look like much, but our ancestor Francesca made it as a complement or a replacement to the Legendary Weapons. We think the Emperor is collecting these ancient relics."

Shad's head raised at that last comment. The poor relations with Bern up to now; this attack by Bern on Lycia. "And a war with Bern could allow him to seize Eckesachs from the King of Bern. Perhaps even the Shrine of Seals." He shook his head, trying to get rid of unsettling thoughts. "We need to find this heir quickly, less the worse happens."

[Zanryu]

Ellie nearly felt sorry for interjecting the way she had - the ensuing chaos was definitely warranted, as far as appearances went, but it didn't bode well for the group. She felt eyes burning holes the size of gold pieces in the back of her head as she approached the group with the Hyperion legion, as well as discontent glances from the front. The most obnoxious of the group seemed rather peeved, as well as rude. Instead of causing more ruckus, Ellie bit her tongue.

As the groups bickered, they made their way to an alley nearby, lest they find themselves on the wrong end of the law for causing such a disturbance. Paige and the Hyperions chattered some, discussing their findings and new developments. A war brewing, and a new motive; all paths leading to, what seemed to Ellie, the eventual razing of Bern - home.

"Speaking of the invasion, we think we have an idea about why the Tower of the Saint was razed. My Dyrnwyn ties into it. We don't think destroying the tower was purely a religious act. We believe that they seized the legendary weapons inside."

"Since we left Etruria, we've been chased by Lycian men hunting Dyrnwyn. It might not look like much, but our ancestor Francesca made it as a complement or a replacement to the Legendary Weapons. We think the Emperor is collecting these ancient relics."

"And a war with Bern could allow him to seize Eckesachs from the King of Bern. Perhaps even the Shrine of Seals. We need to find this heir quickly, lest the worst happens."

Ellie's normally kiddish smirk had sunken into a pout, her face unmistakably bereft of cheerfulness. She couldn't hide her concern; despite what little she had, Bern would always be home. She wouldn't stand to see it fall, nor the first noble King of Bern in over a century with it.

"We can't let Bern fall," Ellie remarked in a somber tone; she lifted her head and systematically met everyone's gaze. "I want to fight for Bern. I... can't help but trust the King." She shot Paige a quick glance, hoping in equal measure she would sympathize, as well as offer no inclination as to knowing Ellie's secrets. Her mind was made. If this enigmatic mister Ambrose's Vanguard were going to break the Emperor's hold on Etruria, she would help - if they stood with Bern. She carried the weight of knowing she'd be breaking her promise should they refuse... but she was confident she could sway them. She had to.