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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 1530565" data-attributes="member: 15043">Well, we have half of eight <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" />This session was a fairly short one, with yet another one-shot character.  Drag n fly’s sister, another D&D first timer, wanted to have a shot, and so we created the following character for her to fill the major party hole:  archer.Vynystra Sampson  Rgr 16 - Vynystra is a half-elf, blessed with unusual abilities with not only the bow but with dual longsword and shortsword.  She is quite deadly in combat, be it with bow, or close with her blades.Vynystra, however, has a few... um.. quirks.  She’s not mentally unhinged, but her massive exposure to demonic combat, coupled with the loss of numerous friends and family in the past two weeks has taken a toll on her psyche.  She is vulnerable to fits of tears at the mentioning of friends or loves.Vynystra rides a large fox named Andar, who serves as her mount, companion, and guardian.A Guard Fit for an EmpressVynystra Sampson gazed over the ruins of Holstean, and her tired form shuddered.  Not at the bodies of the various unholies that lay crumpled on the ground; indeed, her crack archery had felled many of them.  Instead, it was for those of her friends, those comrades whose blood now also soaked the streets of the city, and whose bones lay among the dead.She leaned upon her longsword, tears streaming down her worn face.  Among the dead lay her own brother, her father, and the love of her life.  She watched her husband culled by a vrock just seconds before she could load the shot that felled the creature... and spent the remaining terrifying five hours of battle holding his shattered form, wishing with all of her might that he might come back.It had been her still living comrades that had pulled her away from his form that night, and she still desperately wanted to find him, and stroke the bloodied hair on his head, till it was perfect... if he had to meet his maker, she wanted him to be as impeccable as he was in life.“Sampson,” a quiet, familiar voice said from behind her.  The voice was worn as well, gravelly with age.  She turned slowly, and found herself facing none other than the commanding officer of her unit, General Diogenes.  The wizened man seemed to have gained three shades of white to his gray hair, and his reddened eyes bespoke of a father who had lost many of his children in battle.“Sir,” she said quietly, her first rising to her chest in a rather slow, worn salute.  Diogenes’ hand waved quickly, and she promptly reverted to standing to attention.“At ease, at ease,” he continued to wave.  “I... I understand you lost someone special yesterday, Sampson.”“Yes, sir,” she said even more slowly, fighting hard to keep her voice steady and normal. “Yes... I lost many close ones in the fight.”  The last word came out slightly twisted by terror, but she managed to fight until her voice was even.  Part of her smiled at that sad fact.“We all did, Vynystra,” Diogenes said quietly, motioning for her to have a seat on a ruined pillar... a seat which he soon joined beside her.  The archer raised an eyebrow, despite her tiredness and despair, at his comment.  Diogenes was normally a stickler for protocol... normally he never used first names... especially the first names of those whose ranks were far below his.Vynystra Sampson might have been an officer, true, but a mere Captain, especially one who was not from a high noble background, was literally miles below someone of such proportions as Diogenes.  She’d trained with the composite longbow while young, and had attracted the attention of the elite Imperial Casalad Rangers archery unit.  Her skill with the weapon was unmatched, and yesterday she’d been assigned a role that in future years would have been called a ‘sniper.’  With her enormous range and great accuracy, she was assigned to pick off and slay demons from w distance... and it also helped she had a personal grudge against the Abyss...  ...a grudge that had now grown, due to her loss.“Vynystra, I would understand if you would like leave to go to your home, and be away from war and the like for a few months, or even years,” Diogenes began.  Immediately, Vynystra could detect the next word.“...but, we still have need of you.  For a very special and very important mission.”Shin greaves clanked against each other as Siabrey Sipner-Caladron, now Empress Siabrey, walked through the midst of the Imperial throne room.  Siabrey was thankful there weren’t many petitioners in the throne room at Irulas this day.  If she had seen any true ones, she would have wrung there neck.  Instead, there was a loose gaggle, that as soon as she entered the room, knelt at her approach, all offering condolences instead of requests, prayers instead of demands.  She’d agreed to see them all here, despite her longing to be with Luke.  When they’d returned, she could tell the poor boy was still in shock from the dual hammerblows of the day... and while he recovered, and Empire still needed running.“I regret to inform any of you that were wishing for petitions that His Majesty is ill-disposed at this time, and cannot take petitions until further notice,” she said in her strongest voice.  To her amazement and relief, the few petitioners in the room nodded understandingly.  A few still approached, mostly with very minor matters of needing advice more than judgement.  As Siabrey listened and spoke, she caught a glimpse of Xanadu coming into the throne room, Tess and Shaun in tow.“How is he?” she broke off her recommendation to a minor knight from the northlands.  Her eyes were filled with worry... Luke had been in his room all day, only Xanny and Hidalas by his side.“As well as can be expected, considering the circumstances,” Xanadu said quietly.  “It is unfortunate that a state funeral must be planned, and the staff must still be dealt with... he is still broken,” Xanadu sighed.  The dragon’s eyes looked up at Siabrey plaintively.  “Go talk to him... the three of us can keep the petitioners at bay here.”“You sure?  I know how much they annoy you,” Siabrey said quietly, even as she wanted to leap off of the throne and dash to his room.  Xanadu waved his hand dismissively. “I have had to put up with far more annoying things than a mere gaggle of petitioners, Majesty,” the dragon gave a thin smile.  Siabrey gave an empty smile back, the final word he said still ringing in her ears.Majesty...  I am Empress... arbiter of an Empire? The familiar quaking started again, but Kelir’s voice quickly cut it off with reassurances.  She steeled herself, and took off the guise of Empress, and as she strode out of the hall with a nod, she put on her real guise.  That of a worried wife.The walk to the Imperial Bedchambers was brisk... all the more so when Siabrey broke into a jog as soon as she was out of earshot of the others.  Servants through the hallways gaped slightly at seeing the Empress dashing through them at breakneck pace.  With nary a trumpet salute, flourish or other notification, she burst into Lucius’ chambers, just as Hidalas was in mid-sentence, still talking to him.“-and Alexander,” the cleric spoke, before the noise registered as another person present.  When he first turned around, his face looked initially annoyed... but as his eyes beheld who it was that had entered the room, he smiled.“Ah... My Empress,” he said with a formal, warm bow.  Siabrey gave a brief smile in return, before her face fell at seeing her husband.  Lucius was normally a rather cheerful, if thoughtful man... but now he was standing rigid, arms clasped behind his back, his gaze firmly rooted at some unseen point off in the distance.Hidalas edged over towards Siabrey, and gently put a hand on her shoulder.  “He is still not well... perhaps what he needs is some words of wisdom from his love,” the cleric suggested.  The man then turned, and left the chambers, quietly closing the door behind him.“Luke?” she said gently, quietly, and she saw a slight stir in him as he shifted his weight.  “Luke, whatcha thinking about?”  She slid up behind him and gently began to knead his shoulders, a soothing, relaxing motion.“My life... and how screwed up it is,” he said, his voice a mere whisper.  “I don’t want to be Emperor.  Being Crown Prince taught me enough that I know why Alexander hated being Emperor.  I’m only 17!  I’m not fit to rule!  Only a week or so ago I was evil, and trying to kill you!”  Now its my turn to play Kelir, she thought, gently turning him around to face her.  “Luke... your life isn’t screwed up.  You didn’t screw up with your choice of wife!” she gave a wry grin, hoping humor would help ease his pain.  She was rewarded with a smile, though she could see by his eyes that it was distant... a mere reflection of happiness, not happiness itself.Well then, its time to break out the big swords, then, she thought, and she rubbed his shoulders slightly deeper, more sensually.  “Luke... even when you were evil, I still loved you,” she purred into the back of his shoulder, as she kept kneading.  “As for Shaun and the others, I think they’re love might have changed to concern... until you felt better.  Then it went back,” she grinned, hoping her nuzzling would get him to turn around.  If he just turns around, I can look him in the eyes... and then I’ll cheer him up.She got her wish, as he turned, and she could see his face was now a split of emotions... fear, worry, and now a touch of a very tiny grin forming on his face.“And if ruling the Empire becomes hard, I’ll always be by your side,” she said before giving him a kiss that broke into a smile.  The smile quickly turned wicked.  “And if that proves too much... we’ll just need to make some heirs,” she purred, and this time, a genuine, if small grin came to his lips.  He gave a sigh.“Well, I suppose it would be un-gentlemanly to refuse a lady’s requests,” he said, “though right now...”“Sh,” she put a finger on his lips and nodded.  “I know.  I was thinking tonight, perhaps?” she raised an eyebrow.  “You need something to look forward to, Luke.  And... tell you what.  The better job you do in there handling those petitioners and running things, I’ll make it up to you.”  She gave him a wink, and a full blown grin blew across his face.“Alright!  You’ve persuaded me!  On one condition though,” he added quickly, and she frowned, confused.“You’ve got to help me when you can.  I know there’s the staff to deal with... but I want you ruling by my side, Siabrey,” he gave her a large hug.  “You’re smart, and you’ve got good instincts... and I trust you, love,” he ended his statement with a deep, long kiss... one she reluctantly had to pull away from.“Ah ah ah,” she waved her finger and teased.  “Not until after paperworks have been finished,” she said, pushing him towards the door, “and the petitioners and orders have been dealt with.”“But that’ll take hours!”“The faster you work, the sooner you’ll get to see me in this bedroom again,” she smirked.In the minds of the party, Lucius must have set a new standard for efficiency over the course of that day.  A rapid clip stream of petitioners came and left, some happy, some not.  It wasn’t until later afternoon when a man clad in the armor of a officer of the Imperial Guard stepped forward, handing Lucius a scroll.  The Emperor read it, and gave a slight huff, before handing it to Siabrey.“Hmmm,” Luke said, “it seems Diogenes has decided its time you had a bodyguard... and I agree.”“A bodyguar?  I don’t need a bodyguard!” Siabrey groaned, remembering how Anias turned out guarding Lucius.  A pain in the ass is what they’ll be!  “Kelir is sharp, he is my bodyguard!” she grumbled.</blockquote>

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