Empress Naoki
Famous
Roleplay posts: 2,238
Physical Description: =========================
Empress Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed. Amber eyes glisten in the shadows cast by her hair.
Clothes and Equipment: =========================
Naoki's wardrobe is to her as a frame is to a painting. Sometimes embellished with detail to be attractive in its own right, but never the focus. Usually simple but elegant, tightly fitting and highly revealing, used only to frame the beauty within.
Additionally, Naoki is, when clothed, often adorned with a small collection of accessories. She wears an earring, a brilliant cut amethyst, in her right ear. The silver signet ring of Isra is worn on her left pinky, marking her as High Lady of Isra. Directly adjacent, she wears the golden signet ring of The Isran Empire as its Empress. On the inside of her left thigh, there is a tattoo depicting a rose entwined with tentacles.
Allegiances: The Isran Empire
Player's online availability : Excessively often. Timezone: ET (-5)
Registered: Sept 12, 2015 13:02:17 GMT -8
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Post by Empress Naoki on Oct 31, 2018 11:40:55 GMT -8
“Well.” The Empress’s mouth slides from side to side on her face. “The people need to be told. This is the initial, private meeting where I determine if you’re at all suitable for the position and tell you which way the wind blows. Later, we’ll make an announcement to the city, and then probably travel to The Duchy for some manner of ceremony — though it doesn’t need to be an incredibly large affair.”
“... When were you last in Vortua?” she asks.
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Rudiger Dornmauer
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 229
Age: 30
Physical Description: Rudiger is tall at 6'3", and muscularly built from his profession. His skin is weathered from his life on the road, with the first wrinkles of age appearing at the sides of his mouth and his eyes, and thick calluses on his right hand from wielding his sword. His light brown hair has been sheered to a fade parted on the right side, and his strong chin that was once covered by thick goatee has been shaved to stubble, but his thick mustache has remained. His most prominent feature is a thick scar and his missing left eye, which he covers with a black eyepatch, which he lost in a fight with a bear.
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Clothes and Equipment: Rudiger wears a variety of cloths, depending on the situation. For battle, he wears a blue gambeson underneath steel plate armor, which encases him from head to foot. He wears a bellow faced sallet helm, which he learned to wear from the loss of his eye. He wields a hand and half sword, with a decorative eagle on the pommel. He also carries a kite shield, painted with his coat of arm, a black eagle on a red and orange checkered field.
When he's not in battle, he wears a white wool shirt, and thick woolen black pants. He always wears his tan riding boots.
He owns a dapple grey destrier, and a heavy wooden saddle with a high cantle and pommel covered in thick leather.
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Allegiances: The Grand Duchy of Voruta
Registered: Dec 6, 2017 14:20:22 GMT -8
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Post by Rudiger Dornmauer on Oct 31, 2018 21:45:15 GMT -8
The humor trickled out of his voice as he answered her, trying to figure out how long it had been himself. Some days felt like it was yesterday he had parted with a final warm meal in his stomach and the remberances of his father’s slap on his shoulder. Most days as he got older felt like it was an eternity and another life time ago. Finally, he answered her quietly, “It’s been... 12 years, of I did my reckoning correct. It’s been a busy time outside of that little corner of the world, as you can attest to Your Majesty.”
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Empress Naoki
Famous
Roleplay posts: 2,238
Physical Description: =========================
Empress Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed. Amber eyes glisten in the shadows cast by her hair.
Clothes and Equipment: =========================
Naoki's wardrobe is to her as a frame is to a painting. Sometimes embellished with detail to be attractive in its own right, but never the focus. Usually simple but elegant, tightly fitting and highly revealing, used only to frame the beauty within.
Additionally, Naoki is, when clothed, often adorned with a small collection of accessories. She wears an earring, a brilliant cut amethyst, in her right ear. The silver signet ring of Isra is worn on her left pinky, marking her as High Lady of Isra. Directly adjacent, she wears the golden signet ring of The Isran Empire as its Empress. On the inside of her left thigh, there is a tattoo depicting a rose entwined with tentacles.
Allegiances: The Isran Empire
Player's online availability : Excessively often. Timezone: ET (-5)
Registered: Sept 12, 2015 13:02:17 GMT -8
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Post by Empress Naoki on Nov 1, 2018 19:35:36 GMT -8
“Mmmmh.” The Empress nods knowingly.
“So you’re not much more aware of the situation there than I am. … Hmm. This will be fun,” she muses.
“Tell me about what you’ve been up to, then. The life of a knight-errant — what does that entail? I’m sure you have a few stories, regale me with one. I want to get a better sense of your experiences and ease you into being able to hold a discussion with me.”
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Rudiger Dornmauer
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 229
Age: 30
Physical Description: Rudiger is tall at 6'3", and muscularly built from his profession. His skin is weathered from his life on the road, with the first wrinkles of age appearing at the sides of his mouth and his eyes, and thick calluses on his right hand from wielding his sword. His light brown hair has been sheered to a fade parted on the right side, and his strong chin that was once covered by thick goatee has been shaved to stubble, but his thick mustache has remained. His most prominent feature is a thick scar and his missing left eye, which he covers with a black eyepatch, which he lost in a fight with a bear.
____________________________________________________________
Clothes and Equipment: Rudiger wears a variety of cloths, depending on the situation. For battle, he wears a blue gambeson underneath steel plate armor, which encases him from head to foot. He wears a bellow faced sallet helm, which he learned to wear from the loss of his eye. He wields a hand and half sword, with a decorative eagle on the pommel. He also carries a kite shield, painted with his coat of arm, a black eagle on a red and orange checkered field.
When he's not in battle, he wears a white wool shirt, and thick woolen black pants. He always wears his tan riding boots.
He owns a dapple grey destrier, and a heavy wooden saddle with a high cantle and pommel covered in thick leather.
____________________________________________________________
Allegiances: The Grand Duchy of Voruta
Registered: Dec 6, 2017 14:20:22 GMT -8
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Post by Rudiger Dornmauer on Nov 2, 2018 17:55:13 GMT -8
Rudiger shrugged when Empress Naoki asked him to explain his now former occupation, "Well, if there's a mouse infestation in your house, you call a ratter. If there's a deer infestation eating your fields to dust, you call a hunter and his dogs. If there's a werewolf knocking down your door and baying for your blood, you call for a Knight Errant."
He shifted in his seat for a few moments as he pondered a good story to regale the Empress with. There were quite a few less than exciting ones that were basically him waiting in the woods for an beast to cross his trail. But, there may be one...
"Many years ago on the edges of your great realm, there was a village being harassed by something that went bump in the night. Over the years, a few chickens went missing, followed by cats, then dogs, and finally children. It was after the mayor's child went missing that they sent for a Knight Errant, and I was the first they stumbled across. It struck that first night, trying to drag off a milkmaid who was... occupied with a certain guest, though I scared it off easily enough when it realized that tougher meal was in store. The tracks it left were very large and easy to follow even in the dark, and led into a thicket that surrounded a diseased pond, overfilling with muck and dead or dying fish," Rudiger paused there, to make sure he wasn't putting the Empress to sleep.
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Empress Naoki
Famous
Roleplay posts: 2,238
Physical Description: =========================
Empress Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed. Amber eyes glisten in the shadows cast by her hair.
Clothes and Equipment: =========================
Naoki's wardrobe is to her as a frame is to a painting. Sometimes embellished with detail to be attractive in its own right, but never the focus. Usually simple but elegant, tightly fitting and highly revealing, used only to frame the beauty within.
Additionally, Naoki is, when clothed, often adorned with a small collection of accessories. She wears an earring, a brilliant cut amethyst, in her right ear. The silver signet ring of Isra is worn on her left pinky, marking her as High Lady of Isra. Directly adjacent, she wears the golden signet ring of The Isran Empire as its Empress. On the inside of her left thigh, there is a tattoo depicting a rose entwined with tentacles.
Allegiances: The Isran Empire
Player's online availability : Excessively often. Timezone: ET (-5)
Registered: Sept 12, 2015 13:02:17 GMT -8
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Post by Empress Naoki on Nov 11, 2018 15:11:44 GMT -8
The Empress smirks at the mention of a milkmaid and grimaces at the mention of dead fish. She considers asking about the tracks, but he’s going to describe the creature anyway and there’s no purpose to be had in interrupting. She nods encouragingly, relaxing her posture in an attempt to seem less intimidating.
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Rudiger Dornmauer
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 229
Age: 30
Physical Description: Rudiger is tall at 6'3", and muscularly built from his profession. His skin is weathered from his life on the road, with the first wrinkles of age appearing at the sides of his mouth and his eyes, and thick calluses on his right hand from wielding his sword. His light brown hair has been sheered to a fade parted on the right side, and his strong chin that was once covered by thick goatee has been shaved to stubble, but his thick mustache has remained. His most prominent feature is a thick scar and his missing left eye, which he covers with a black eyepatch, which he lost in a fight with a bear.
____________________________________________________________
Clothes and Equipment: Rudiger wears a variety of cloths, depending on the situation. For battle, he wears a blue gambeson underneath steel plate armor, which encases him from head to foot. He wears a bellow faced sallet helm, which he learned to wear from the loss of his eye. He wields a hand and half sword, with a decorative eagle on the pommel. He also carries a kite shield, painted with his coat of arm, a black eagle on a red and orange checkered field.
When he's not in battle, he wears a white wool shirt, and thick woolen black pants. He always wears his tan riding boots.
He owns a dapple grey destrier, and a heavy wooden saddle with a high cantle and pommel covered in thick leather.
____________________________________________________________
Allegiances: The Grand Duchy of Voruta
Registered: Dec 6, 2017 14:20:22 GMT -8
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Post by Rudiger Dornmauer on Nov 13, 2018 17:52:35 GMT -8
Rudiger took the relaxation to mean he was to continue in his tale, "I had left my destrier at the barn so was afoot when I entered the thicket, which was probably for the best considering the diseased pond seemed to seep into the soil around out, making it some of the thickest much I had experienced. Slowly, surely, I pushed deeper, my sword held in front of me, waiting for the beast to show itself."
"Luckily I didn't have to wait long. One great green iris brighter than the full moon, then the other flickered open at me, followed by the yellowed and decaying teeth snarling its welcome. It stepped forth into the light, one mangy paw followed by another, until finally it revealed itself to be a corrupted werewolf. Some poor fool had been playing with magics beyond their control and had permanently caused themselves to be stuck in beast form. From its rather frail form and hair falling out in patches I knew it had been drinking from the pond."
"It rushed at me, but it took very little on my part to subdue it. A quick slash across the jugular saw it to its end. Cleaning my blade, I turned my attention to the pond, to see what was causing it to disease the land around it..."
Rudiger paused, obviously disturbed by the remembrances of what he saw. Even after all these years the smells of death and decay remained in his nostrils. Finally, his voice cracking a little, he continued, "It was a child... a baby girl, I remember it too well. She was... abandoned by some poor woman, little more than a girl herself, who couldn't care for the child and the village wouldn't name the father who had run out on them, and faced with the choice of starving the poor child or a quick end, she chose the latter and threw the child in the pond. Little did she know that she had created a curse."
"I gave the child a proper funeral, and the decay began to heal within a few days. The village still stands Your Majesty, in some forgotten corner of Isra."
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Empress Naoki
Famous
Roleplay posts: 2,238
Physical Description: =========================
Empress Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed. Amber eyes glisten in the shadows cast by her hair.
Clothes and Equipment: =========================
Naoki's wardrobe is to her as a frame is to a painting. Sometimes embellished with detail to be attractive in its own right, but never the focus. Usually simple but elegant, tightly fitting and highly revealing, used only to frame the beauty within.
Additionally, Naoki is, when clothed, often adorned with a small collection of accessories. She wears an earring, a brilliant cut amethyst, in her right ear. The silver signet ring of Isra is worn on her left pinky, marking her as High Lady of Isra. Directly adjacent, she wears the golden signet ring of The Isran Empire as its Empress. On the inside of her left thigh, there is a tattoo depicting a rose entwined with tentacles.
Allegiances: The Isran Empire
Player's online availability : Excessively often. Timezone: ET (-5)
Registered: Sept 12, 2015 13:02:17 GMT -8
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Post by Empress Naoki on Jan 6, 2019 14:23:55 GMT -8
As she listens, The Empress’s mouth forms an increasingly thin line. At the story’s end, she murmurs, “Hmmh.”
There’s not much to be said in response to a tale such as that. It’s a few moments before she continues, “A regrettable occurrence, though it makes for a good story. Thank you.”
Though it didn’t help the mood any, the story accomplished what Naoki had hoped, which was to give her insight into Rudiger’s character. Living by the blade, he’s made difficult decisions and come out the other side with all manner of life experiences and scars. That was more or less the impression she got, but it was a good story.
“We’ll need to make sure your horse is well cared for,” she adds. “Though I think that may be all for now. There are rooms here at The Citadel for you and your ‘friends,’ and tomorrow I’ll begin showing you the things you’ll need to know. Before we go, do you have any questions for me?”
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Rudiger Dornmauer
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 229
Age: 30
Physical Description: Rudiger is tall at 6'3", and muscularly built from his profession. His skin is weathered from his life on the road, with the first wrinkles of age appearing at the sides of his mouth and his eyes, and thick calluses on his right hand from wielding his sword. His light brown hair has been sheered to a fade parted on the right side, and his strong chin that was once covered by thick goatee has been shaved to stubble, but his thick mustache has remained. His most prominent feature is a thick scar and his missing left eye, which he covers with a black eyepatch, which he lost in a fight with a bear.
____________________________________________________________
Clothes and Equipment: Rudiger wears a variety of cloths, depending on the situation. For battle, he wears a blue gambeson underneath steel plate armor, which encases him from head to foot. He wears a bellow faced sallet helm, which he learned to wear from the loss of his eye. He wields a hand and half sword, with a decorative eagle on the pommel. He also carries a kite shield, painted with his coat of arm, a black eagle on a red and orange checkered field.
When he's not in battle, he wears a white wool shirt, and thick woolen black pants. He always wears his tan riding boots.
He owns a dapple grey destrier, and a heavy wooden saddle with a high cantle and pommel covered in thick leather.
____________________________________________________________
Allegiances: The Grand Duchy of Voruta
Registered: Dec 6, 2017 14:20:22 GMT -8
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Post by Rudiger Dornmauer on Jan 8, 2019 17:36:34 GMT -8
Rudiger nodded, "It's the least I can do, sharing some of my experiences for a wider audience. Let them learn the easy way so they don't have to learn it the way I did."
He pondered for a few moments, "As long as you can give Bob a warm stall and hay at least once a day, he will be well cared for. And I don't have any questions right now, but I'm sure more will come up easily in the next few days."
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Empress Naoki
Famous
Roleplay posts: 2,238
Physical Description: =========================
Empress Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed. Amber eyes glisten in the shadows cast by her hair.
Clothes and Equipment: =========================
Naoki's wardrobe is to her as a frame is to a painting. Sometimes embellished with detail to be attractive in its own right, but never the focus. Usually simple but elegant, tightly fitting and highly revealing, used only to frame the beauty within.
Additionally, Naoki is, when clothed, often adorned with a small collection of accessories. She wears an earring, a brilliant cut amethyst, in her right ear. The silver signet ring of Isra is worn on her left pinky, marking her as High Lady of Isra. Directly adjacent, she wears the golden signet ring of The Isran Empire as its Empress. On the inside of her left thigh, there is a tattoo depicting a rose entwined with tentacles.
Allegiances: The Isran Empire
Player's online availability : Excessively often. Timezone: ET (-5)
Registered: Sept 12, 2015 13:02:17 GMT -8
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Post by Empress Naoki on Jan 8, 2019 18:00:04 GMT -8
“The Citadel’s stables can do much more than that,” The Empress waves a dismissive hand. “There are at least… a dozen stable boys — and you’ll have your own soon enough.”
“But you think about that,” The Empress continues, rising, “And we’ll speak again soon.”
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Greed of the Set
New
Roleplay posts: 7
Age: Unknown
Registered: Feb 22, 2020 11:24:42 GMT -8
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Post by Greed of the Set on Mar 12, 2020 13:16:11 GMT -8
Greed moved quickly through the chaos-filled streets, the screams and shrieks of the dying making it all too easy to move unnoticed towards the Citadel. Pride and Envy were right behind him, but given his expertise, Greed had taken the lead to deal with any lone guards or other annoyances. The few they ran into were dealt with in a quick and efficient manner.
The panicked guards barely had time to register the dagger being driven into their neck before Greed and his compatriots were already moving onward, the guards left bleeding out in the streets. Greed's destination the Citadel wall that was furthest from the gate. After all, the gate was where the crazed citizens filled to the brim with Blue Blood would most likely be able to breach. Therefore, more guards would have to be called from their post to defend it.
The portal into the void had also been opened, unleashing untold horrors upon those defending the Citadel and hopefully drawing the attention of the Enclave. Given the numerous distractions, now was the time for the trio to sneak into the Citadel, they would have no better opportunity. Slowing to a halt near the base of the Citadel’s wall, Greed quickly threw off the backpack he’d been wearing.
Opening it revealed several grappling hooks inside of various designs. The first appeared to have a spearhead tip of some manner, with mechanisms to open once it had pierced its target. Holding the spearlike end with one hand as he aimed it, Greed placed his other hand behind it. Without any warning, the spear shot off at immense speed, a trailing knotted rope flying after it as it ascended. Smashing directly into the stone just below the battlements, the spear penetrated deeply as the mechanisms inside it expanded upon impact. Tugging at it harshly to ensure it was secure, Greed looked back towards Pride.
“We continue as planned, Master?” The words were spoken in an almost too calm tone, no doubt a result of the medicine he’d just taken.
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Storyteller
Committed
Roleplay posts: 63
Registered: Jan 22, 2019 10:58:11 GMT -8
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Post by Storyteller on Apr 12, 2020 9:56:36 GMT -8
Before they had reached the walls Pride had handed Greed a modified spear set with an obsidian head. That had been launched into the air above the citadel courtyard and Lust had done the honours of picking it out of the sky with an arrow capped with a similar head. The meeting of the two weapons had opened up the rift into the void and Pride could hear the screaming from the courtyard from outside.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
"Of course." Pride says with a soft amused voice as they grab the rope and begin their ascent onto the courtyard walls. The three trigger runes had activated right on time, the entire city had been plunged into chaos during the wee hours of the morning. Even if they failed in other respects the death toll was already substantial and it would be enough by itself to cast doubt on Naoki's rule. People loved a scapegoat and blame tended to travel up without a decent level of political weaselling.
Naturally, that was not the end of the plan.
Now with the majority of the city's guards and soldiers dealing with the warzone, the city had been turned into the citadel was isolated. Which meant they would receive no reinforcements to deal with the threat that was flooding its halls. More chaos but even this was not the end of things. The true mission was now Lust, Greed, and Pride were using the other attacks as mere diversion for their ultimate goal. They would pierce the heart of the citadel and kidnap the empress.
Coming to the top of the wall they make their way carefully over it.
Just because the guard was distracted did not mean the invading group was invisible. But with the amount of confusion going on combined with years of brutal training meant that they were the next best thing. Moving slow, being careful, they wind their way around the guards. Making sure that their attention was caught by the next unspeakable horror to fall from the portal rather than to the shadows moving into the citadel.
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The Black Vale
Established
Roleplay posts: 18
Registered: Feb 25, 2016 12:31:19 GMT -8
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Post by The Black Vale on Apr 20, 2020 21:45:23 GMT -8
A massive unkindness of ravens flies in from the southern gates and begins circling the Citadel keep. It's immediately apparent that this is no mundane flock; with eyes of dull green and a cohesion unprecedented in even the most resplendent natural murmuration they encircle the Citadel keep, individual birds occasionally dropping from the unkindness to peer through a window or peck at a doorway. The flock keeps a healthy distance from the rift into the void, as if sensing the danger inherent to such a tear.
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Greed of the Set
New
Roleplay posts: 7
Age: Unknown
Registered: Feb 22, 2020 11:24:42 GMT -8
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Post by Greed of the Set on May 6, 2020 20:38:17 GMT -8
Greed continued to spearhead the group as they moved deeper and deeper into the citadel. While they ideally wouldn’t have to fight any guards yet, he was the most well equipped to swiftly silence one or two. Fortunately, the rift opened in the citadel courtyard combined with the massive mob pressuring the gate made it rather unlikely for their presence to be noticed. Using the shadows to move unnoticed when they could and walking with a confident stride when they could not, the trio moved towards the Empress’s Office.
While on a normal day their appearance would have certainly raised eyebrows, in the current state of confusion and panic, the guards running to and fro were unlikely to pay heed to the slightly out of place trio. Of course, the closer to Naoki’s office they got, the harder it became to remain undetected.
Slowing his pace ever so slightly, Greed glanced back towards Pride.
“It might be about time for Lust to take the lead, Master… Do we wish to continue with the plan immediately or shall we wait and see if more guards will be drawn away from the office?”
Greed slowed to stop at a rather opportune wall alcove that would temporarily shield them from the notice of any passing guards.
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Storyteller
Committed
Roleplay posts: 63
Registered: Jan 22, 2019 10:58:11 GMT -8
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Post by Storyteller on May 11, 2020 11:22:37 GMT -8
"Time is not our alley and I doubt any guards remaining will be sufficient to stop us."
Pride says as he looks to Lust and nods. The swarthy man nods, he had taken his dosage and his emotions were as still as a placid lake on a cloudless day. Slipping out of the alcove just as a pair of guards coming down the corridor. Taken by surprise the men do not even have time to scream before the thin blade of the naginata slips into the gap just under their helm tracing a thin line across their necks in a single smooth movement.
Then he is off down the corridor the other two following on his heels. Lust was, like all members of The Set, an expert with his chosen weapon. Flowing like water around each group of guards they encounter. The Citadel guards that they ran into did not always die as easily as the first set. These were battle-hardened men, well trained, and with fine weapons and armour. But most of them came to the sword later in life and their training was harsh but reasonable and they had physical limitations. Against a group that had been trained like The Set, where the least brutal day of training involved starting the day with having a limb broken to learn how to fight with a handicap, and who were enhanced by magic? The guards could not stand for long.
It took some time, and Greed and Pride had to move to intercept guards who tried to warn the empress they were coming, but they made it to her office. The person who had commissioned the set had their own eyes and ears within the palace and had confirmed this was where Naoki could be. "Lead the way." Pride says to Greed as the last of her guards outside the office doors drop to the ground dead on the end of Lust's weapon.
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