Raiders of Aundair : The Dead Men Walk Again (prologue)
- Thread starter DrZombie
- Start date
ethandrew
First Post
Retief pushes his chair back with a scrape against the floor and stands to his full height. The soft light in the room gleams off his gorget as his face is cold and dispassionate. He takes a step out from in front of his chair and walks around the table, never looking away from Goodman Willems.
"So let me get this straight, in case me or my brothers and sister might be misunderstanding in any fashion. You wish for us to shame ourselves and become simple caravan guards. You wish for us to pretend that this war never happened, to ignore what we endured." He continues to walk around the table, moving slowly closer to the portly man. "Just so I'm clear, you wish for us to forsake our pride, give up on ever getting back what is owed to our people."
He stops right in front of the spy, so that he is standing right above him, looking down. "You wish us to negate all the deeds we did for our countrymen and our Queen, just to follow a few of your precious goods across some mundane land?" He leans down so that his face is right above Willems'. "And you wish for us to win back Thaliost and kill some Thranish swine while we're at it?" His voice picks up in pitch at the end, so that some levity could be heard. Retief reaches down with his hands and grabs the man's chubby cheeks, planting a heavy kiss on the spy's forehead. He plops down in the Lord's vacated seat and sets to pour a glass of wine for himself and the spymaster.
Once finished, he hands the glass to Willem and smiles, "A toast: To Aundair and her Queen and the fall of Thrane!" He lifts his glass high and brings it down, quaffing it in one drink.
"So let me get this straight, in case me or my brothers and sister might be misunderstanding in any fashion. You wish for us to shame ourselves and become simple caravan guards. You wish for us to pretend that this war never happened, to ignore what we endured." He continues to walk around the table, moving slowly closer to the portly man. "Just so I'm clear, you wish for us to forsake our pride, give up on ever getting back what is owed to our people."
He stops right in front of the spy, so that he is standing right above him, looking down. "You wish us to negate all the deeds we did for our countrymen and our Queen, just to follow a few of your precious goods across some mundane land?" He leans down so that his face is right above Willems'. "And you wish for us to win back Thaliost and kill some Thranish swine while we're at it?" His voice picks up in pitch at the end, so that some levity could be heard. Retief reaches down with his hands and grabs the man's chubby cheeks, planting a heavy kiss on the spy's forehead. He plops down in the Lord's vacated seat and sets to pour a glass of wine for himself and the spymaster.
Once finished, he hands the glass to Willem and smiles, "A toast: To Aundair and her Queen and the fall of Thrane!" He lifts his glass high and brings it down, quaffing it in one drink.
ShaggySpellsword
First Post
Sarelo pauses a moment, processing what exactly the lord means when he speaks of carav guard duty and winces for a moment as he fears that Reteif missed the subtext alltogether. He visibly relaxes when Reteif lets on that he knows what is going on.
Sarelo toasts, smiles, clears his throat, and speaks up.
"Well, since ol' Galifar's kingdom is far too large to walk about in, you'll need some wings. Since neither of you is likely to sprout any...present company excluded" he pauses as he glances over at Gillian, "you'll need a lift...so I better come along to fly the ol' ship. She's ornery these days, but she'll fly true."
Sarelo toasts, smiles, clears his throat, and speaks up.
"Well, since ol' Galifar's kingdom is far too large to walk about in, you'll need some wings. Since neither of you is likely to sprout any...present company excluded" he pauses as he glances over at Gillian, "you'll need a lift...so I better come along to fly the ol' ship. She's ornery these days, but she'll fly true."
Voda Vosa
First Post
Not really understanding much of what Retief did, Forge move his head to one side, like a chicken, making a screech.
Then, upon the mention of the old airship, where he spend most of his "life", Forge turns to Sarelo and says, in his loud metallic voice.
"I'm sure it need some repairs, it has been a while since that ship tested a real master skills ,and I'm referring to me, when I say real master" his homogeneous tone shift, for the surprise of his fellow crewmen, when the warforged said what seemed to be a primitive and basic kind of joke.
Then, upon the mention of the old airship, where he spend most of his "life", Forge turns to Sarelo and says, in his loud metallic voice.
"I'm sure it need some repairs, it has been a while since that ship tested a real master skills ,and I'm referring to me, when I say real master" his homogeneous tone shift, for the surprise of his fellow crewmen, when the warforged said what seemed to be a primitive and basic kind of joke.
[sblock=spot check DC 25]
You see a glint of shining metal as Willems puts his dagger back in its sheath as soon as Retief releases him. [/sblock]
"To Aundair and the Queen."
Willems looks hard at the lot of you.
"You are all good soldiers. But this is not entirely a soldiers' job. You will have many questions at times, and I cannot promise you I will answer them. You will often know little of the bigger picture, the plan within the plan. At times I will put you under a false impression, for some of our foes can read our minds. Not all will be as it seems.
I can, and will, however, promise you this : Everything I do is for the good of Aundair. I will put our lives at risk, but never without good reason.
These are the terms under which you will work. This is your last chance of leaving, and noone will think less of you if you do.
Are we agreed?"
You see a glint of shining metal as Willems puts his dagger back in its sheath as soon as Retief releases him. [/sblock]
"To Aundair and the Queen."
Willems looks hard at the lot of you.
"You are all good soldiers. But this is not entirely a soldiers' job. You will have many questions at times, and I cannot promise you I will answer them. You will often know little of the bigger picture, the plan within the plan. At times I will put you under a false impression, for some of our foes can read our minds. Not all will be as it seems.
I can, and will, however, promise you this : Everything I do is for the good of Aundair. I will put our lives at risk, but never without good reason.
These are the terms under which you will work. This is your last chance of leaving, and noone will think less of you if you do.
Are we agreed?"
ethandrew
First Post
Spot 25
If Retief noticed Willems' sleight, he did not acknowledge it, at least not with words. He fixes him with a steely glare, one that conveys an unseen message, and says, "Know this, Goodman Willems, what we as Dead Men do, we do naught for glory or fame or coin, not for women or superiors or spymasters, we do for Aundair, our one and only love. We bleed for her, we breathe for her, we live for her. As long as I live, Aundair will be my mistress and I her loyal subject. If she has need of me, I will be there until that need is met or I die trying."
He stands and grins widely at his companions,
"All folk of the brightest realm, wave the flag for victory!
Build the walls high that none can harm a land so free!
Aundair is on the move! Hold your standard high!
March on! March on!
Aundair strives on until victory is ours!"
He sits back in the chair and claps Willems on the back, "I do not speak for my family here, but I am here to serve for Aundair. You have me for your caravan."
[sblock=OOC]Retief has active his Motivate Charisma aura in all non-combat situations, such as this. While he noticed the glint of steel, he will admit that was his intended reaction, although maybe not such a possibly violent one.
He will try to be a little more diplomatic this go around and put the spy at ease: Diplomacy of 37.[/sblock]
If Retief noticed Willems' sleight, he did not acknowledge it, at least not with words. He fixes him with a steely glare, one that conveys an unseen message, and says, "Know this, Goodman Willems, what we as Dead Men do, we do naught for glory or fame or coin, not for women or superiors or spymasters, we do for Aundair, our one and only love. We bleed for her, we breathe for her, we live for her. As long as I live, Aundair will be my mistress and I her loyal subject. If she has need of me, I will be there until that need is met or I die trying."
He stands and grins widely at his companions,
"All folk of the brightest realm, wave the flag for victory!
Build the walls high that none can harm a land so free!
Aundair is on the move! Hold your standard high!
March on! March on!
Aundair strives on until victory is ours!"
He sits back in the chair and claps Willems on the back, "I do not speak for my family here, but I am here to serve for Aundair. You have me for your caravan."
[sblock=OOC]Retief has active his Motivate Charisma aura in all non-combat situations, such as this. While he noticed the glint of steel, he will admit that was his intended reaction, although maybe not such a possibly violent one.
He will try to be a little more diplomatic this go around and put the spy at ease: Diplomacy of 37.[/sblock]
