Epic Tales of Clashing Empires

[Geary]

Ril'Trag looked at the vine rope thoroughly, and nodded his head from side to side. "I'll stay down here and continue the tunnel. It'll be done withing two hours, so make sure you tell the others to get any sneaking they need done by then, or you'll have a full alert guard on your rears."

[William Swiftfoot]

Vandme nods before quickly climbing the rope himself. Once up, he rolls up the rope and slings it over the shoulder. Turning around he just about reels from the scent. "My...it seems the castle has already been dealing with death, even as the true threat has not reached inside yet." He then looks to the others after quickly looking around. "So any ideas to completing the plan among you. I would suggest, but cold stone does not garner much vegitation."

[Stormkit]

In the corner of the room, Eltanin was sitting crosslegged working on a matrix that he would periodically add or remove spells from. Meanwhile Altair was wandering around bored and looking in adjacent rooms, at paintings, and other general things of interest. When Vandme began his suggestion, he listened politely until the end before musing...

"Well if that's your problem, I think I can fix that.." Al trailed off a bit. He then went into the next room over and returned about half a minute later holding a rather large potted plant that sported orange flowers and a trunk which matched the carpet surprisingly well. "Do you think this is good enough for you? They have a few of these around the place... guess they think it's a pretty good decoration."

OOC: I'll leave it to you to decide whether or not it's plastic.

[William Swiftfoot]

(OOC: Thinking about the tech age of the area, probably not)

Vandme begins inspecting the plant before turning back to Altair. "This is helpful, especially with the well tended soil, but what I need will not be here. Besides this is you alls great mission, I am more a wanderer and viewer as I see. I will help where is needed, but it is your plan to make and complete" he says.

[Stormkit]

OOC: Perhaps, but the idea being that the plants may be fake somehow. In these kinds of structures, the ruling class tend to have all sorts of insanely expensive/advanced stuff to keep in fashion.

"Suit yourself then." Altair replied while placing the potted plant in a corner. Just then there was a flash of light from Eltanin over in the corner that swept over everything in the room.

"Oops, sorry about that. Messed up the end of my spell... the main part of it worked though, none of us will emit any odors for a little bit. Neither for that matter will anything else in this entire room..." El frowned at the remenants of the spell matrix but decided it wasn't really so bad in retrospect. Even that obnoxious smell from earlier was gone so it actually did a bit of extra good even if now the effect wouldn't actually last as long. He'd have to look later to see if he could figure out what caused it to lose focus.

Al grinned, "Great, we're all here, we're practically invisible to the grarim, and we have a gate to open! What say we start out? Should we keep as a group or split up?"

[Jonas]

Sennel's wanderings have taken him to the top of a large spiral staircase. At the bottom is a large entry hall with ornate doors marking the entrance.

I bet those lead to the courtyard! He thinks. If I can open those I can help the nice scary soldier!

The only question was how to get down...

"WHEEE!!!" Sennel yelled as he slid down the winding banister. His fur rippled and his tail swayed in the rushing air as he went around and around and around until finally reaching the bottom.

"YIPE!"

*CRASH*

He flew off the end of the banister and straight into what had until a few moments ago been an extremely fancy piece of pottery.

[Stormkit]

OOC: So much for subtlety... Was he even in the room when my character casted his spell?

El stood up, with preliminary preparations taken care of it was time to find and open the main gate. Which just led to one problem... "Does anyone know where the courtyard is? I didn't find out before coming here and I've only been in town for about a day..."

--------------------------------scene skip------------------------------------

At the inner entrance to the gatehouse of the courtyard were posted two grarim. If one were to observe them without being noticed one might notice how bored they were. In theory protecting the gatehouse was an important job. It would be tragic if someone were to sneak in unnoticed and just open the main gate letting in the whole army outside to pillage and slaughter all inside.

In reality however it was a fairly boring job. On the best of days there was no army camped outside and it was phenomenally dull and uninteresting. There had been many of these days in the past and for the grarim this builds up a distinct smell and sense of safety and dull situation that just resists cleaning. So much so in fact that even on a particularly bad day such as this one with a rebel horde camped outside, the guards were not particularly alert because nothing ever happened here. After all, all the rebels were outside... not inside where they could do any harm.

Furthermore as is generally known, bored guards will generally find a way to pass the time. In fact if our unseen observer could understand the unique language of smells they would be witness to a conversation roughly translated to the following.

"So how long do you think it'll be until we drive these rebels away? Before or after the end of our shift?" said the one which looked like a fox. He, like his partner was wearing standard armor and the two were fairly indistinguishable, but he smelled a bit like oranges for some reason so that is what we shall call him.

"After. *sense of certainty* I overheard our captain giving out orders and he smelled worried. It is of course unthinkable to believe they could destroy our mighty empire with such a futile attack, but it may take a while to make them go away. *sense of annoyance* These rebels are nothing if not persistent." replied the other guard, also a fox wearing standard armor. He didn't have any particular smell, but he was a bit shorter than the other guard and his armor didn't fit quite right so we shall call him runty.

Orange snorted. "Oh Jonathan, you're young yet and still new to this. I bet we set the rebels running by the dinnertime ball. *sense of ease*"

"But... what about the captain? Doesn't he have more experience than you?" Runty asked, looking around a nearby corner. (Remember, we're calling him Runty, not that other thing that is apparently his actual name.)

Orange shook his head, "Technically, but he's also somewhat paranoid. It's his job to be worried all the time. Don't worry, we're going to come out of this just *sense of pain and surprise* just... *DANGERDANGERDEATH*"

Runty started. "*sense of confusion* what?" He turned around to see Orange staring vacantly with a sword through his front. "Daniel? *sense of fear*" A moment later the sword disappeared and Orange crumpled to the floor to reveal what looked to be a white zohan with horns and wings flared behind him. He turned around and started to run and give the alarm, "*DANGERDANGERDAN-DEATH*"

---------------------------perspective change-------------------------------------

"Thanks El, that one almost got away. I still haven't figured out how to throw swords right," said Altais, holding the sword he had borrowed from a suit of armor a little earlier away from him as it dripped blood on the carpet. No longer needed, he placed it against the wall.

A little down the hall Eltanin stood near the other guard who had an icicle run through him. "Well you shouldn't have gone for the dramatic death thing. All it did was scare him unnecessarily and cruelly. I know you didn't mean it that was, but try to think about this sort of thing before you go for dramatic poses. Now put your disguise back on, or at least change back to green while I open the gate."

Al grumbled a bit as his skin filtered back to green and his horns faded away while his wings returned to their cloth-like state. A bit later El came back out of the guardhouse as the main gates began to open.

[Jenia]

- Outside the Obsidian Palace Gate -

The 'Raven' was arguing with a certain lisk who has claimed to be leading the rebels when Kigar showed up, causing him to slowly place a finger on the lisk's nose. The lisk's eyes crossed, focusing on the finger.
Seemingly this anthro didn't expect that kind of gesture.
'Raven' turned to Kigar and smiled.
"You look like you've got a plan, boy."
"Oh yes..." Kigar's grin was too big to hide "I got men inside the castle. The gates will open shortly."

Stunned silence followed, and the lisk was the first to break it.
"...I... Didn't think it was possible!" he muttered, rubbing his snout.
"Oh, but by the fated, it is happening," Kigar added, his eyes all but glowing with delight "and soon, the castle will belong to us, free men."
The Raven shook his head, scratching his beard.
"This is your doing, djuni, is it not? If this is not a sign, I don't know what is."

Kigar's grin died down.
Sign? What does he mean? Somehow, that seems off to me...
"What are you suggesting then!?" he finally blurted out.
The Raven remained silent.
"Hey!" the Lisk's ears perked up "Why don't your men become the free men's new elite guard!? We'll pay you from the castle's very coffers!"
As Raven turned to respond, a low creaking sounded.

Kigar:"...Ah, it is time. The gates are opening."
Almost as if lead by an invisible impulse, Kigar stepped forward, withdrew one of his swords, and pointed to the sky.
"MEN!" he roared "IT IS TIME TO WIN OUR FREEDOM BACK!"
Dramatically, he pointed forward, the gate opened just enough to begin the charge...
"CHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGE~!"

With a loud cheer, the intermingled bandits and rebels stormed the castle, like a river of people flowing into a newly opened drain...

[Jonas]

"Urg..." Sennel groaned as his eyes flickered open. The last thing he remembered was sliding down a banister...not the smartest move while trying to stealthily infiltrate a castle but it was hardly the weirdest thing that 'Senny' had ever done.

"He's awake."

The Lupe registered someone to his left. A sword was thrust directly below his throat.

"Yipe!"

"Start talking." the voice said bluntly. "Why are you here and how did you get in?"

A second voice chimed in. "Isn't it obvious why he's here? The rebels must have snuck someone in to either open the gate or to kill me. Perhaps both. Is this not correct?" The new voice had a regal air but was very firm. Sennel looked up to see a white-furred, muzzleless cat-person sitting on a throne.

"Wait, hold on." Sennel said, his curiosity overpowered the thought of a sword at his neck. "You know I'm with the rebels and you had your guards bring me HERE? Right to the person the rebels want dead?"

A snort from his left. "And what'll you do about it? Move and you lose your neck. If you've come with anyone then they can't help you, either. The throne room is in the centre of the castle and has only one entrance which we've barricaded. Now, how did you get in?"

[EmperorDJ]

-The Great Road-

Joshua stops his horse to gaze at what is ahead of him. The site of war and destruction, it's breathtaking. The alignment of the Moons were already to ominous as it was. He had seen common squabbles between bands of thieves and vagabonds; but not this, this was war. Taken aback from the site and starting to panic a little, he looks at Simon and says.

"W-what should we do?"  

[Digital Vulpine]

-The Great Road-

Simon halts his horse and wheels it about so that he can look at Joshua. The chaos of war continues around them in the dim light.

"I'm not sure, we can only continue and hope we find someone who can tell us the cause of this madness."

[Jonas]

Sennel was in a dilema. He could use magic to get away from the guard holding him, but his post-casting self would be incapable of finishing the escape. If he told them how he got in, then the Lupe would be endagering his allies--he had no idea how far from the entrance point they had gotten. Self-preservation was a skill Sennel had had drilled into him from a young age, but so was loyalty. As tennuous as the connection was, Sennel had aligned himself with the rebels and he couldn't go against that.

His tongue lolled out of Sennel's muzzle as he looked up at the questioner with a tilted head and unfixed eyes. "I got in here because you and the big man brought me here, silly! Or maybe the dark brought me here? It was dark after I went down the slide so that might've done it too!"

The two guards exchanged looks between themselves and the queen. Even through armor and the tension of a warzone their scents said enough:

This mutt is daft.

What are these peasants playing at, sending someone like this?

Double-check the perimeter--he might be a distraction!

Mentally, Senne smiled. All he had to do was keep the act up until an escape opportunity appeared.

[Xim]

-The Great Road-

"Hurry up you dumb lizard. Why are you so tired all of the sudden?" Said a rather heavyset lisk merchant. "I need to get this shipment to the Obsidian Palace."

The merchant was tugging a rope tied to an ox, with several bags of various military-grade items strapped on to it. Accompanied with the merchant was a very large zohal, who was hired as a bodyguard.

The two of them met the previous day at a nearby village, the merchant was scheduled to do a run to the Obsidian Palace. The merchant hired the zohal as a body-guard for his trip to the great road, as muggings were rather common. In fact just a few moments back they were attacked by a band of rukos who tried to rob them, yet they were fended off by the mighty zohal.

Largart, the zohal bodyguard was a little exhausted from all the fighting he had to do earlier and need to stop and catch his breath, he was noticeably irritated by merchant's nagging and was almost considering leaving him, as he had never had such a frustrating client before. Yet the sum of money he was offering to him would be enough for him to pay off his debts, so he swallowed his sorrows and hurried up.

Neither of them knew about the conflict going on at the Palace.

"Alright we're almost there..." The merchant sighed with relief. "Hopefully we can make it the rest of the way."

 

[Digital Vulpine]

-The Great Road-

Simon struggles to stay awake as his horse barrels down the road, having ridden through most of the night.  He turns his head back to check on Joshua, who is still behind him, when his horse comes to an abrupt stop and he is thrown forward.  He rolls and bounces across the ground, coming to a stop in front of a large ox, his gun landing several feet away.  He rolls out of the ox's path and struggles to get up, the shock from his fall keeping him wide awake now.  Looking over to his horse he sees it laying on the ground, having tripped over something.  The poor beast was probably more tired than he was.  It was getting up, so it should be fine, would be cruelty to have it carry again in its condition though.

The sky was slowly beginning to brighten, the first hints of light filtering through the air before the dawn.  He had to be close to the Palace, but would he make it soon enough?  His horse was in no condition to gallop again, and while a pair of hurried riders could be ignored, petty thieves preyed on the slow and the weak.  Alongside the ox he sees a towering lizard and heavyset Lisk.  Perhaps Fate had already provided for the last leg of this journey.  Struggling to his feet he calls out,

"Fortune, sirs, where are you heading to?"

[Xim]

-The Great Road-

The merchant turned around and noticed Simon approaching him. He seemed shocked at first but noticed he didn't seem to mean any harm at first, but he motioned towards Lagart for him to be ready to defend him.

"The Obsidian Palace." The merchant replied. "I was assigned to do some trading over there. This is my bodyguard, Lagart." He pointed towards the giant zohal next to him.

Lagart simply nodded towards Simon.

"Mess with me, and you mess with him." The merchant warned. "Otherwise we can get along just fine. So where are you heading?"