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Twin Emperors[EPIC RPG MKIV] - Story Minute
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<blockquote data-quote="Iron Sky" data-source="post: 7150249" data-attributes="member: 60965"><p><strong>Session 12 - The Solider and the Politician</strong></p><p></p><p><em>Author's Note: I've had waaay less time to work on this than I thought. If the editing has gone down hill in the last few episodes, it's due to my prioritizing getting it posted at all over a deeper edit. When things calm down a bit I'll hopefully be able to go back over and do a final edit.</em></p><p></p><p>A year ago, Michkin's father was knifed in a minor dispute the same night his mother accidentally burned his family's house and workshop down. In the midst of a personal and spiritual crisis, Michkin encountered a madman named Mud Stone, following the Gibbering Priest half-way across the world until one morning he awoke to find the priest gone.</p><p></p><p>A little over a week ago, Cragslander Gorge and tinker Raxtus took their leave from the group after the slaughter at Chimney, the pair heading south in search of Gorge's true love, the Saitese Willow Courtesan Subtle Jade.</p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, this afternoon, Pursus, Eliot Sam, and Michkin sneaked after “Sursura”, the mad caretaker of the Dome ruins, into the Dome complex, there discovering the baggy-skinned man removing a dozen killer clockwork children from meathooks in a storage room, cranking them to life one at a time. At the same time, Nanoc arrived from the ship having followed Eliot Jr. as the young man slipped away from the ship but losing him in the woods.</p><p></p><p>Indecisive and divide as to what response to take to Sursura's literal machinations, the group argued, eventually leading to Nanoc tying the door ring to a portico post to seal it closed as Michkin climbed onto the roof seeking a back entrance. With the argument that there would be hell to pay if Sursura managed to activate all dozen clockkids and send them at them, Eliot Sam cut the rope Nanoc had just tied and they reopened the door to see half-a-dozen of the clockids activated. Nanoc loosed an arrow to initiate the engagement.</p><p></p><p>In the following fight the group made several hard discoveries: one, the children could fire their fist claws then rip them free via wire tethers; two, the children being half-flesh, half-metal were nearly impervious to Pursus' magics; three, the children exploded half-a-second after being fatally damaged. Pursus went down to one such detonation, leaving Nanoc in a brutal fight over his body, struggling to take out one of the clockids without killing Pursus in the process while Eliot Sam kited led several others in a running battle through the woods, taking them out one-at-a-time.</p><p></p><p>Eliot Jr. arrived to help only to be cut down a few seconds later, followed almost immediately by Nanoc. Fortunately, Michkin arrived from breaking in the back of some sort of laboratory and helped Eliot Sam finish the last of the abominable constructs as Sursura fled wailing. Gathering their remaining companions from the Aethership, Eliot Jr. and Pursus were taken back to be nursed back to consciousness by Mideru.</p><p></p><p>The next morning after a brief spat of healing magics, the group met on deck where Pursus and Eliot Sam chewed Michkin a new one for abandoning the others in the middle of a fight to go exploring. Michkin protested that the last thing he'd seen was Nanoc tying the door shut and the group arguing to ignore Sursura before climbing onto the roof. Pursus slapped him, then he and Nanoc backhanded Eliot Jr. to silence as well when Jr. tried to stand up for him.</p><p></p><p>In the following lecture, Eliot Sam and Pursus expressed a lack of confidence in Michkin's right to be captain of the ship if he was just going to “run away and hide” when the going got tough, Pursus calling Michkin a “whiny little girl” when he protested again. As Michkin acquiesced, swearing to step down, Eliot Sam led him into the forest to tell him how to be a leader of men – that he must lead by example if he was to be followed. In the process, he handed Michkin the Throne Barony signet ring he'd obtained from Gimble Throne, telling Michkin that Eliot Sam was getting to old to be the sort of leader the Eon Baronies needed but perhaps Michkin could be that man.</p><p></p><p>As Michkin reached for the ring, Michkin's Magpie swooped in and snagged it, landing on a branch and eyeing Michkin's magpie ring. As Michkin opened his mouth to order his magpie to obey, Eliot Sam halted him, telling him those forced to follow were little more than slaves. Michkin nodded and removed the magpie ring, setting it out on a rock. The magpie swooped down in joy, dropping the signet ring, swooping straight up, slipping the magpie ring over his head in mid-air, then diving at Michkin. </p><p></p><p>When Michkin held his hands up protectively, the magpie plunged into Michkin's hand, leaving a magpie tattoo on Michkin's palm.</p><p></p><p>When the Eliot Sam and Michkin returned to the ship, Michkin said he was not fit to lead until he proved himself worthy of it, throwing the captain's hat overboard. To everyone's amazement, a shadow magpie darted from his palm, grabbing the hat and returning it to Michkin's head. The others took it as an omen and agreed that Michkin would still be captain, at least onboard the ship.</p><p></p><p>About that time, Blisseru and Mideru approached, wondering how much longer they were to spend exploring a ruin instead of pursuing the Twins. This led to a heavy discussion of what the group's ultimate objective was and whether the potential dangers that might exist in the ruins and the time it would take to explore them might be worthwhile for whatever Sursura had been left behind to protect. When Blisseru questioned their eventual decision spend one more day resting and patching the ship before making one final excursion to the ruins, Pursus turned on him, demanding something more than empty words of wealth and glory from the Jade Warrior.</p><p></p><p>Blisseru stepped in, saying the Continuum was soon to be the primary power in Chiain, the Order planning to end Chiain's isolationism after centuries of non-interference. He bespoke of the Jade Warrior's dwindling numbers, significance, and power, saying siding with him upon returning the Twins would put the power of the Continuum at their backs. Blisseru and Mideru both swore again that the companions would receive their weight in gold at the least, but Pursus pushed for their aid in securing Eliot Sam's Barony as part of the deal. Blisseru gave vague promises of political support while Mideru admitted he could promise nothing except to swear on his honor his own personal devotion and that of any Jade Warriors that might follow wherever Eliot Sam might lead if the Twin Emperors were restored.</p><p></p><p>Pursus called their honor worthless, telling Blisseru there was no way he would trust his word and challenging Mideru's role, saying he had done nothing to help in their pursuit of the Twins. When Mideru protested and began to enumerate his efforts in combat and healing, Pursus cut him off and said Mideru and all of the “helpful” things he had mentioned were worthless. When Mideru asked if he should no longer perform those services if they were offending, Pursus called him a “whiny little girl” and told him he was busying hammering nails while they fought for their lives the day before, telling Mideru to “take some initiative for once.”</p><p></p><p>As Pursus let the others away to discuss things in private, Nanoc approached Mideru, telling the old warrior that Nanoc still thought he was a good guy, receiving in return Mideru's admission that he was a soldier first and had perhaps been to willing to wait for orders rather then act. He also warned that normally he'd have had to kill Pursus for his numerous slights to his honor, but would make an exception given the dire circumstances.</p><p></p><p>As the group headed to the fore to discuss their plans away from Blisseru and Mideru, a brilliant white glow from the far North grew exponentially to become a blinding wall of light, chased momentarily by a rumble that rocked the mountains around them. As the group queried one another for the event's meaning, Nanoc swore it was a sign of the end times, that Firkhan had at last been overwhelmed atop the Barrier Wall and the hordes of darkness beyond would soon spill into the world.</p><p></p><p>Unsure of what to do with that information, they returned to discussing their goals, weighing siding with the Soldier or the Politician or whether they should go it alone. Eliot Sam pushed for finishing what they'd started and killing Blisseru off when the time was right, while also declaring he'd been a terrible husband and father and maybe it was time to rescue and restore the young Twins just for the kids own sakes because they chose to do so instead of following anyone else's agenda or seeking a reward. In the conversation, Pursus also admitted that Eliot Jr. seemed to have “a bit of sand” for all his foppishness.</p><p></p><p>In the end, they decided to recuperate from their many wounds one more day before making a final decision. As the group dispersed to rest and think on their own, Michkin decided to see what might be painted on the underside of their ship, finding – to the group's dismay – that a portrait of the recently departed Captain Taggart grinned down from its spread across the whole bottom hull of the Aethership.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Iron Sky, post: 7150249, member: 60965"] [b]Session 12 - The Solider and the Politician[/b] [I]Author's Note: I've had waaay less time to work on this than I thought. If the editing has gone down hill in the last few episodes, it's due to my prioritizing getting it posted at all over a deeper edit. When things calm down a bit I'll hopefully be able to go back over and do a final edit.[/I] A year ago, Michkin's father was knifed in a minor dispute the same night his mother accidentally burned his family's house and workshop down. In the midst of a personal and spiritual crisis, Michkin encountered a madman named Mud Stone, following the Gibbering Priest half-way across the world until one morning he awoke to find the priest gone. A little over a week ago, Cragslander Gorge and tinker Raxtus took their leave from the group after the slaughter at Chimney, the pair heading south in search of Gorge's true love, the Saitese Willow Courtesan Subtle Jade. Meanwhile, this afternoon, Pursus, Eliot Sam, and Michkin sneaked after “Sursura”, the mad caretaker of the Dome ruins, into the Dome complex, there discovering the baggy-skinned man removing a dozen killer clockwork children from meathooks in a storage room, cranking them to life one at a time. At the same time, Nanoc arrived from the ship having followed Eliot Jr. as the young man slipped away from the ship but losing him in the woods. Indecisive and divide as to what response to take to Sursura's literal machinations, the group argued, eventually leading to Nanoc tying the door ring to a portico post to seal it closed as Michkin climbed onto the roof seeking a back entrance. With the argument that there would be hell to pay if Sursura managed to activate all dozen clockkids and send them at them, Eliot Sam cut the rope Nanoc had just tied and they reopened the door to see half-a-dozen of the clockids activated. Nanoc loosed an arrow to initiate the engagement. In the following fight the group made several hard discoveries: one, the children could fire their fist claws then rip them free via wire tethers; two, the children being half-flesh, half-metal were nearly impervious to Pursus' magics; three, the children exploded half-a-second after being fatally damaged. Pursus went down to one such detonation, leaving Nanoc in a brutal fight over his body, struggling to take out one of the clockids without killing Pursus in the process while Eliot Sam kited led several others in a running battle through the woods, taking them out one-at-a-time. Eliot Jr. arrived to help only to be cut down a few seconds later, followed almost immediately by Nanoc. Fortunately, Michkin arrived from breaking in the back of some sort of laboratory and helped Eliot Sam finish the last of the abominable constructs as Sursura fled wailing. Gathering their remaining companions from the Aethership, Eliot Jr. and Pursus were taken back to be nursed back to consciousness by Mideru. The next morning after a brief spat of healing magics, the group met on deck where Pursus and Eliot Sam chewed Michkin a new one for abandoning the others in the middle of a fight to go exploring. Michkin protested that the last thing he'd seen was Nanoc tying the door shut and the group arguing to ignore Sursura before climbing onto the roof. Pursus slapped him, then he and Nanoc backhanded Eliot Jr. to silence as well when Jr. tried to stand up for him. In the following lecture, Eliot Sam and Pursus expressed a lack of confidence in Michkin's right to be captain of the ship if he was just going to “run away and hide” when the going got tough, Pursus calling Michkin a “whiny little girl” when he protested again. As Michkin acquiesced, swearing to step down, Eliot Sam led him into the forest to tell him how to be a leader of men – that he must lead by example if he was to be followed. In the process, he handed Michkin the Throne Barony signet ring he'd obtained from Gimble Throne, telling Michkin that Eliot Sam was getting to old to be the sort of leader the Eon Baronies needed but perhaps Michkin could be that man. As Michkin reached for the ring, Michkin's Magpie swooped in and snagged it, landing on a branch and eyeing Michkin's magpie ring. As Michkin opened his mouth to order his magpie to obey, Eliot Sam halted him, telling him those forced to follow were little more than slaves. Michkin nodded and removed the magpie ring, setting it out on a rock. The magpie swooped down in joy, dropping the signet ring, swooping straight up, slipping the magpie ring over his head in mid-air, then diving at Michkin. When Michkin held his hands up protectively, the magpie plunged into Michkin's hand, leaving a magpie tattoo on Michkin's palm. When the Eliot Sam and Michkin returned to the ship, Michkin said he was not fit to lead until he proved himself worthy of it, throwing the captain's hat overboard. To everyone's amazement, a shadow magpie darted from his palm, grabbing the hat and returning it to Michkin's head. The others took it as an omen and agreed that Michkin would still be captain, at least onboard the ship. About that time, Blisseru and Mideru approached, wondering how much longer they were to spend exploring a ruin instead of pursuing the Twins. This led to a heavy discussion of what the group's ultimate objective was and whether the potential dangers that might exist in the ruins and the time it would take to explore them might be worthwhile for whatever Sursura had been left behind to protect. When Blisseru questioned their eventual decision spend one more day resting and patching the ship before making one final excursion to the ruins, Pursus turned on him, demanding something more than empty words of wealth and glory from the Jade Warrior. Blisseru stepped in, saying the Continuum was soon to be the primary power in Chiain, the Order planning to end Chiain's isolationism after centuries of non-interference. He bespoke of the Jade Warrior's dwindling numbers, significance, and power, saying siding with him upon returning the Twins would put the power of the Continuum at their backs. Blisseru and Mideru both swore again that the companions would receive their weight in gold at the least, but Pursus pushed for their aid in securing Eliot Sam's Barony as part of the deal. Blisseru gave vague promises of political support while Mideru admitted he could promise nothing except to swear on his honor his own personal devotion and that of any Jade Warriors that might follow wherever Eliot Sam might lead if the Twin Emperors were restored. Pursus called their honor worthless, telling Blisseru there was no way he would trust his word and challenging Mideru's role, saying he had done nothing to help in their pursuit of the Twins. When Mideru protested and began to enumerate his efforts in combat and healing, Pursus cut him off and said Mideru and all of the “helpful” things he had mentioned were worthless. When Mideru asked if he should no longer perform those services if they were offending, Pursus called him a “whiny little girl” and told him he was busying hammering nails while they fought for their lives the day before, telling Mideru to “take some initiative for once.” As Pursus let the others away to discuss things in private, Nanoc approached Mideru, telling the old warrior that Nanoc still thought he was a good guy, receiving in return Mideru's admission that he was a soldier first and had perhaps been to willing to wait for orders rather then act. He also warned that normally he'd have had to kill Pursus for his numerous slights to his honor, but would make an exception given the dire circumstances. As the group headed to the fore to discuss their plans away from Blisseru and Mideru, a brilliant white glow from the far North grew exponentially to become a blinding wall of light, chased momentarily by a rumble that rocked the mountains around them. As the group queried one another for the event's meaning, Nanoc swore it was a sign of the end times, that Firkhan had at last been overwhelmed atop the Barrier Wall and the hordes of darkness beyond would soon spill into the world. Unsure of what to do with that information, they returned to discussing their goals, weighing siding with the Soldier or the Politician or whether they should go it alone. Eliot Sam pushed for finishing what they'd started and killing Blisseru off when the time was right, while also declaring he'd been a terrible husband and father and maybe it was time to rescue and restore the young Twins just for the kids own sakes because they chose to do so instead of following anyone else's agenda or seeking a reward. In the conversation, Pursus also admitted that Eliot Jr. seemed to have “a bit of sand” for all his foppishness. In the end, they decided to recuperate from their many wounds one more day before making a final decision. As the group dispersed to rest and think on their own, Michkin decided to see what might be painted on the underside of their ship, finding – to the group's dismay – that a portrait of the recently departed Captain Taggart grinned down from its spread across the whole bottom hull of the Aethership. [/QUOTE]
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