[RPG] [RP] Foreign's trip

Mon May 21 22:52:52 CEST 2007

Foreign and his twenty-five men had passed the border-sign with the insignia 
of Caligus upon it already, when they neared to the main village in the 
region Nascot. You could still see plenty of burned ruins of what used to be 
farmsteads, and recently dug graves on the outskirts of the village. When 
his men marched into the village, a group of curious villagers had already 
assembled at the road and looked like a joyfull bunch. Most of them smiled 
at him and his men, while the children were running around them playing with 
a large string of rope. Foreign noticed some of them were pointing at the 
Perdan lion embroided into his cloak and he smiled back overtaken by the joy 
of the group. His men also were plainly infected with the atmosphere and 
grinned.

When he jumped off his horse a man came to him and guided him to the nearest 
inn, where he and his men got plenty of food and beer to recuperate from the 
trip. Clearly the news of the signed treaty had spread quickly and the 
Caligean countryfolk were filled with joy at the ending of hostilities and 
looting. Foreign let his men behind in the inn and headed towards the 
Mansion of the Count, accompanied by many smiles of gratitude as he went. As 
he arrived at the Mansion a servant let him in and took him to the 
antechamber.

“Sir Foreign?”, a heavy voice came through the door followed by an 
imposing figure of a man, most likely Count Solomon, “May I welcome you 
in Nascot? Let us go to the main room, I’m sure there is much to talk 
about.” Foreign nodded while smiling –still affected by the joyous 
welcome before- and followed Solomon. When they were seated Solomon opened 
the conversation, “I know your brother well, Sir Foreign, you do know he 
is our judge?” Foreign nodded assuringly, “That’s part of the reason 
I came to Caligean lands, I wanted to meet up with my brother after so 
long.”

“I see, what else brings you to these lands? Do you want a drink?”, 
Solomon offered Foreign a goblet of wine which he accepted. “Thank you. 
Well, I wanted to see the other cultures of the island, and although I have 
been only three-hundred miles away from Caligus my entire life and my 
brother lives here, I’ve never been here before. Besides that I want to make 
the relationship between Caligeans and Perdanites stronger. I thought that 
Caligus would welcome me a bit hostile even, but seeing the warm welcome I 
got before I think the relationship is quite good.”

Solomon grumbled somewhat in his wine, “I can believe they are gatefull 
for the treaty, and the fact that Perdan is willingly to relocate entire 
Caligus, but not all share the same opinion. These people are glad that 
Perdan provided other and safe lands for them to live in, they had a lot of 
looting and warfare lately
 In fact plenty of the people are already packing 
to move out.” Foreign observed the Count, “You don’t seem to agree 
with them.” Solomon licked his lips, “No, I don’t.” “Why not? 
Aren’t you glad Caligus keeps existing?” The Count slowly put the goblet 
on the table and looked at Foreign, “I am gratefull, that’s for sure, but 
I am dissapointed we have to move to keep existing. If there were any way I 
could have stayed here and lived, I would have, but I know that there was no 
other choise. You see the conflict?”

After a long night talking about politiks and diplomacy, the Caligean 
culture and the safest route to Scio, Foreign was invited to stay at the 
Mansion for the rest of the night, and a room was quickly readied for his 
sleep.

The hills of Scio proved to be a tricky terrain, and during the entire trip 
Foreign hadn’t seen a single man. What he had seen were hundreds of 
burned cottages and sheds, not one still standing up. On one of the hills he 
had seen an Yssarian banner, however it was shred in multiple place. It was 
a true land of the dead, and Foreign was shocked by the contrast with 
Nascot.

After a few hours, he saw an old man sitting next to the road, appearantly 
sleeping, “Hey, old man, where is the nearest village?” The man 
opened is eyes and appeared to be bright awake, “Nearest village? Hah, 
Hahahah, hahaaahahaah.” The man stopped laughing and coughed. “What 
is so funny?” The old man looked scarily serious into Foreign’s eyes, 
“Don’t you know? I am the only living inhabitant of Scio. Everyone else 
is
 dead.” The man emphasized the last word, and Foreign 
swallowed noticing a flok of crows in a valley nearby, most likely picking 
corpses, “Are they still around?” The man coughed again, “Ow no, 
they left, they left when there was nothing left,left left.” He gigled 
somewhat, “Dead, Milord! The woman raped, the men slaughtered, the 
children burned, and an old man can easily try to appear dead. They didn’t 
saw me, never. Nothing left left but me!”

Foreign had left the Scian hills behind and has arrived to the capitalcity 
of Caligus: Domus. A glorious city it appeared, as Foreign spotted it in the 
rising sun when he woke up in the small camp his men had set up. After a 
hour his twenty-five men were ready to move out again and they headed in 
solid formation towards the city with their swords drawn. Foreign was 
leading his unit on his horse and when they neared the city up to hundred 
metres he noticed the militia on the city walls had noticed them. Turning 
towards his men, Foreign took off his cloak and bound it on his lance 
holding it out high, while he gave a sign to his men.

The Perdan Lion was very visible on his cloak and his men started a manouvre 
they had trained for plenty of time, before plenty of battles even. Each 
soldier held his shield firmly against their chest, and stepped forward in 
the forced ‘left-right-left’ pace. Each time their right foot hit the ground 
they hit their shield with their sword, and created a scaring repeating 
booming. Boom. Boom. Boom. As Foreign struggled to keep his horse 
straight –that was still after much training scared of the noice- they moved 
forward towards the city gates, with plenty of cilivians watching at them 
from the walls.

The first thing that came through the gates was Foreign’s lance with 
Perdan’s emblem, then Foreign with his sword drawn, followed by the booming 
soldiers in full armor. Foreign got off his horse, making sure the 
improvised banner was very visible and walked towards what clearly was the 
gate captain. As he reached the man he put the back of his lance on the 
ground and the soldiers boomed one more time at the impact of the lance on 
the ground before they fell silent. Foreign smiled at the shocked man, “I 
come in the name of Perdan, but mostly in my own name, I’m Sir Foreign 
Curs.”

The captain was a strong figur and almost immediately dropped out of the 
shock, “Curs? As in Cartor Curs?” Foreign nodded, “I am here to 
speak with him, could you point me towards his residence?” The captain 
beckonned a guard, “He knows where it is, he’ll guide you thus far.”

<i>More to come...</i>

Foreign’s men halted at the nearest inn at Cartor’s mansion, as it was quite 
a mansion, not the ordinary type of house. Servants and messagers were 
walking in and out of the house, and several soldiers were on guard at each 
corner of the house, as well in the street. One of the servants had 
appearantly noticed them as a window of the mansion flew open, followed by a 
head of a middle-aged man. “Perdanites? Here?”, was barely heared 
from the man’s mumbling. Foreign spread his arms and yelled upwards: “My 
brother! My god you haven’t changed a bit!” Cartor seemed to freeze, 
“Foreign? Really? Well my lad! What are you doing here? No, wait! Explain 
that to me inside!”

Foreign had made himself comfortable in a broad couch and smiled at his 
brother, who had –after frantically shaking Foreign’s hands and eventually 
hugging him- taken seat in the other one. “My god, how long has it been? 
What are you doing here?” Foreign comed his beard with his fingers, 
“I was planning to do a long journey through allied land long ago, and 
this peace made it possible, sooner than I thought. And I happened to 
remember you lived here, I thought I’d drop by.” Cartor grinned, “I 
already heared some foreign troopleader had caused hamock at the gates, I 
didn’t realize it would be literatly ‘Foreign’.” They laughed for the 
stupid joke Cartor had entertained for their entire childhood.

“Did I cause hamock then?” “Good god, they told me some mighty 
hero had arrived with fifty giants who shook the ground beneath their 
steps.” Foreign grinned, “I did use some old trick to get the 
attention, I thought it would be easier to get the gate captain coöperate 
with me. And besides, it is good publicity for Perdan.” They smiled like 
two brothers would smile at eachother after having pulled a boyish prank. 
“But I noticed you weren’t doing too bad for yourself either here in 
Domus. The expensive looking mansion, the servants, the soldiers even 
guarding your entire street, 
” Foerign frowned, “You aren’t in 
trouble are you?” Cartor grinned, “No, not really. This mansion 
actually comes with the trade.”, Cartor patted his chest where the 
scales of justice and the Caligean Lion were embroided onto it. Foreign 
nodded, “Judge heh?”

Cartor smiled, “Well yes, actually the servants are mostly messagers who 
bring around formal papers that need my signature, and other boring 
obligatory tasks. The soldier are actually pure coïncidence, in fact seeing 
that the mansion of the Judge is located in a very fancy street, and people 
who hold other high titles live here too. The soldiers are here out of 
safety for anyone.” Foreign pulled his beard again, “Sounds like you 
don’t like the job much.” Cartor frowned as if he thought intensly, 
“No I like it, I’m only very dependant of the people’s opinion. You see, 
I can’t abstain.” Foreign grinned, “Abstain?” Cartor threw a 
pillow towards Foreign, “Not that abstain, you ass. I can’t 
abstain from an opinion, either I say yes, either I say no, there is no 
maybe. As a politician -and I do not denying I am one- I have to pick an 
opinion and stick with it, otherwise I would look weak. I can’t really seem 
to please all by doing so.”

“So plainly you follow the majority of the people’s opinion?” Cartor 
looked very serious at Foreign before he sighted, “No, that’s just it, I 
chose my own path, even if it displeases the people. I don’t get my 
popularity from ‘following the majority’, I get my popularity by 
‘chosing a path and sticking to it’. You see? I get my support by 
acting strong and undoubtingly. Which is very hard for me sometimes.”

A woman walked in and sat down next to Cartor, she had green emerald eyes 
that pearced straight into Foreign, “<I>Ah, the strong woman behind the 
strong man?</I>” Erica smiled at the compliment, “<I>So fond of words, Sir 

?</I>” “<I>Foreign, Foreign Curs, Milady.</I>” Erica looked from one man to 
the other and started to laugh, “<I>Now really, how couldn’t I have noticed, 
you look so much alike, only Cartor is a bit more
 euh full.</I>” Cartor 
tickled her in her side, “<I>You don’t seem to mind, now do you?</I>” 
Foreign grinned, “<I>Children
</I>”

Duel
Cartor, Arch Priest of Caligus meets his challenger Foreign (Imperial 
Knight) for the agreed duel till first blood.
Both participants are using the 'neutral' strategy, so that neither has an 
advantage.
After a series of blows, Cartor draws blood and wins the duel.

Cartor whiped the small splatter of blood from his sword, “You didn’t 
thought it would be that easy to beat me, now would you?” Foreign licked 
the blood from the finger he had been holding against the small cut on his 
arm, “You sure move fast for a fuller man.” Cartor groaned, “Call 
me full one more time and we’ll just continue the fight all right?” 
“Hehe, understood.” Cartor put away his sword, “That’ll teach you 
questioning my skills. Although next time we could also just have 
arm-wrestled.” Both of them walked out of the duelling area and mounted 
their horses. “Where to?” Foreign scratched his head, “I‘ve 
always wanted to see the Palace gardens, I guess
”

After a small trip through the city they arrived at the entrance of the 
gardens and they jumped off their horses. Noticing that Foreign was looking 
at a young couple who were enjoying the garden themselves, Cartor gave 
Foreign a brotherly push into his side, “And how has our stead been 
doing? Have you met someone special yet?” Foreign pushed back, “None 
of your business, bro.” Cartor laughed, “So hat’s a yes. Who’s the 
lucky lady?” Foreign blushed slightly, “I don’t even think she likes 
me anyhow.” “Tut-tut-tut, now who can’t like you?” They 
had already passed the flirting couple and were near the small lake, Foreign 
stood still, “I think I really liked her before, I know I like 
her now. The amnesia remember? She told me once what happened between us, a 
very confusing history.”

“Well who is it?” Foreign threw a stone into the water, “Perdan’s 
former Queen, Clarissa.” Cartor whisled, and waved his hand out of awe, 
“A former Queen? Royalty? Damn miboy you surely know how to pick them. 
Andeuh, does she like you?” Foreign frowned, “Does receiving a 
message with ‘Please don’t hate me.’ on it count as liking me?” Cartor 
joined his brother’s frowning, “Didn’t you say she told you the story 
between you two?” Foreign nodded, “Yes but how far do can she tell 
what I felt and how far do I know it is the truth?” Cartor patted 
Foreign’s shoulder, “Just give it a shot anyhow.”

OOC: Essential information: 
http://ewancient.lysator.liu.se/pic/art/g/e/georgios/dryad.jpg
http://www.mavarts.com/images/mverickarts/satyr.jpg

Foreign and his men had arrived in Winkamus, the village near the forest 
looked but small, yet it inhabited more than half of the entire population, 
about a thousand people. Foreign noticed the plentyful woodcutters and 
sawmills, and reconned the region must be highly dependant on the 
woodcuttnig industry. His men had started to complain about the long 
travellingdistance a few hours ago, and were very happy to get the 
opportunity to rest. The evening became even greater when it turned out 
there was a small communal festival the same night, called the "Night of the 
Dryads".

After asking around Foreign had found out that Dryads are delightful 
creatures of nature, in this case the forest. For the occasion many young 
girls had dressed up in thin clothing and were to dance for an audience of 
men called "Satyrs", resembling the mystical shepards of the trees. At the 
thought of seeing half-naked girls dance in front of them Foreign's men took 
a beer and sat down in the crowd. Foreign himself set himself against a 
cottage and waited until the spectacle begun.

At first the Satyrs arrived, dancing like deers hopping around, and playing 
a flute. Clearly they were greeting eachother in sperate circles to continue 
to the next Satyr. After the ritual was done, a new tone came out of the 
flute and the Satyrs made jumping gestures, without moving from their spot. 
Foreign realized this must be the invitation-ritual for the Dryads to enter, 
and soon a group of about twenty young girls twirled -nearly literally- into 
the circle. Luckily Foreign's men didn't made obsceen gestures nor whistles, 
as it would break the spell of the play.

After the arriving dance was finished, which was mostly the same as the 
first one where the Dryads now met the Satyrs instead of the Satyrs 
eachother, the Dryads started the pleasing of the Satyrs, by sensually 
dancing around them on a nagging rythm produced from the flutes. As the 
rythm became louder and more nagging, the Dryads danced faster and faster. 
At the climax of the rythm, the flutes dropped dead in their sound and each 
Dryad fell down in front of her respective Satyr as a sign of submission.

Foreign noticed his face was glowing by the heat of the evening and rubbed 
his cheeks, with no effect. For the rest of the evening everyone feasted as 
if in a divine state of mind, without any worries, and Foreign joined his 
men at telling tales.

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