Mas Bagus

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Hello. It's a bit urgent, but could you get me seeds from these plants? Yes, just all of them. All of them. Let me water the plants for you. Actually, do you also have a water barrel I could use?"

@Grade

"Of couss mistah 'Enry. Please, follow me."

The royal gardener was a man named Charon. A black-skinned fellow hailing from the Maghribi region. Over the years of service in Kindeance Palace, he had befriended Henri the painter due to having a similar profession as men of arts and craft. If Henry was in the business of paint and canvas, then Charon projected his artistic value in sculpting overgrown and greeneries alike.

The royal gardener guided Henry to a small storage room, where he immediately scooped seeds from three different containers. He didn't specify what kind of seeds they were but the sample from the first container was a small, black seed with a faint trace of tangy aroma. The second was medium-sized, rough, and brown in color. The third was small and silky white.

"These ar gud for youh." he said, again with a funky Magribal accent. Of course, three types of seed barely counted as all of them like Henry ordered, but as a friend, Charon gave him the types of plants that were easy to maintain and... nutritious, because he always looked so pale.

When Henry reminded him about his second request, the man Charon frowned.

"I kan give you de barrel, but mistah 'Enry must know that the supervisor is a difficult man to deal with. All tools are to be accounted for, every missing spade, every broken bucket, always in every Saturday."

Regardless, Charon removed a few sacks from an old wooden barrel and swiped the dirt and a swarm of black ants who apparently nested there. "But! I kan just say to the supervisor that old Charon requested mistah 'Enry to repair the old barrel. We good?"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

"It... Yes, glad to be here, miss...? Forgive me, I know not of anyone's names."

@Grade

"It's Jazdia. Fred-- uh, the King hired me as an independent investigator." Battling the desire to unravel the mystery of the stone man in front of her, She intended to reach out for a handshake but something tells her that it wouldn't be a good idea.

"Also, I wanted to inform you that I have spoken with our mutual acquaintance, Madame Matilda and you will be working with her. Please consult with her about your inquiries."

But the man was already gone as if he was sunken down to the concrete floor below.

Heyo, blondie!" That was to the elf, if anyone wondered. Not like there's another blondie in the room. "Our big friend here need something unusual to function best, yeah? Got anyone to run a small errand nearby?"

@A5G

Another disturbance, bearing the very question that sounds as ridiculous as asking what if an archer forgets to bring his arrows. Jazdia was unsure what to say and the only quick response she would give was "I am afraid don't have anyone I can spare to do my bidding."

When the little noblewoman turned away without saying anything, Jazdia immediately knew her answer was disappointing. She searched for Matilda, who shook her head, and Jazdia answered the courtesy by shrugging pensively. Nope, not my concern.

She wondered where the heck this Chounan guy was. High time for him to return, and she wasn't so thrilled with the idea of using her power to find out that this gentleman was hiding somewhere. No, that would cause severe consequences.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

I assume you would like to know what the first step is? Firstly, I want to investigate the last known area where the prince was seen. He went on a hunting party with the Vessier, along with some guards. I assume that Cedar and maybe Henri, could smell or find any clues the investigators may have missed.

Matilda was about walk towards the entrance, but realizing that Jazdia was not following her, she turned. "Well?"

The elf sighed. This orc woman apparently was a stranger to a saying that patience is a virtue. When Jazdia heard her uttering the word 'prince' she wondered what in the Terra she was thinking. Prattling about the plan on her way to the stable so every unfriendly eye and ear can see and hear? So far there had been too many elements being overlooked and it was rather concerning, but for the sake of decency, and solidarity of this motley crew, she did not bother to explain.

"That was an astute plan. Madam. But could I offer you my view about how we organize this event?"

This event. Organize. Jazdia reread the documents and tried to remember as much as she can. Then, in an effort to put another failsafe, she continued. "I agree that Mister Cedar would be a great help to design a venue that will meet the standard for ecological sustainability. Also to ensure that any undesirable 'animals' are to be kept out or handled in a proper manner. Mister Solomon can provide medical assistance for both the organizer and... those who are already there."

Jazdia shot a glance toward the young woman who seemed too occupied with flaunting her killing ability to the bear-man. Not sure if they could hear her, but she continued anyway.

"For security details, you can entrust that task to young miss Yvonne as well as giving her the responsibility to provide questions and answers should our contestant have doubts. As for mister Henry, I am sure you have your own consideration."

Jazdia flipped the documents again down to the most decorated one. "To ensure the success of this event. I offer my service to survey possible guesthouses for our contestants. For that, I will need Mister... uhh... Chounan's assistance to aid me in navigating the Rascade, and also his position as the representative of the Adventurers Guild will prove useful for security details. With the current situation, I am sure you understand we need that now more than ever."

Throwing another fake smile, Jazdia lowered the document and made a mental note of what she just said, expecting Matilda to do the same. "Needless to say what we discuss here is confidential. It would be unfair if some contestants got wind of our plan and have an early start".

That was all of her plans. And Jazdia emphasized that she would do her part in her own way.

"We will meet at the Village of Hdur. Assuming everything went smoothly. What a lively bunch of misfits we are." Jazdia tapped Matilda's pauldroned shoulder and immediately regretted it. Despite a bit of pain in her palm, she still maintained her cordial attitude, for now.

"Mister Henry! Glad you could join us!"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

For someone this big... and druidic, the fellow named Cedar was surprisingly courteous. Not everyone might be able, or willing to see past his ragged appearance and gruffness of his voice, but Jazdia tried to be not very judgmental. She of course was still taking into account how unpredictable and sensitive these types of forest watchers were. She had worked with the druids on a few occasions in the past. Excellent tracker, but very fussy, moody, and their behavior can be a total hindrance when you were on a total pursuit.

'No, I am not looking for something..." the elf gave everyone, especially the female orc next to the druid a heartfelt smile. "Except of course our Madame Matilda!"

Jazdia waved at her. Hoping that cordial gesture would make the orc paladin ease up for a bit. After what happened with her master and his son, that would certainly put anyone on edge. Not that Jazdia blamed her, especially not after what she did in Fredricus's chamber. She was, however, almost tempted to explain that she was also roped into this motley band of investigators, and had to make do with whatever they had now.

But that can wait. Really...

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

The elven woman closed the door behind her with a fair amount of respect she could muster, deciding it would be in everyone's best interest to not anger the poor Fredricus even more by slamming the door. The chamberlain, however, looked very surprised when he saw her, showing a mix of confusion and fear as he scurried back to the King's chamber and make audible door noises in his entry. A series of angry yellings could be faintly heard afterward.

Still leaning against the wooden railing, Jazdia observed the main hall below and focused her attention on the group. She saw a very pale man leaving the premises after exchanging words with the King's trusted Knight. Not a very... fleshy fella. Prosthetic? Animated doll? Golem?

Before she managed to investigate further, the man had already headed to the east wing, far beyond the range of her vision.

Investigate. She repeated the word under he breath. Looking at the records she swiped from Fredricus's desk and matching them with the personas below, Jazdia would soon find few of those documents were lamentable at best even an intern in the Delta Two could do better. Some track records were lacking, and the details about family, origin, and analysis, many were left blank. No one, for instance, bothered to type out the detail that two of the invitees were a decaying old man devoid of any living energy... and the other was a half-stone man. They, however, had a very thorough report about the druid, who apparently was not just a bipedal bear but also an offshoot offspring of an unholy union between an intelligent bear and a druid. They detained him a few weeks earlier and had him released just recently.

The report somehow made Jazdia recall one of the bizarre accounts her apprentice Linea testified when she returned from a rescue mission in a remote misty village 10 years ago.

Two other hirelings apparently had a certain connection with the royal court. The small woman was a scion of a failed clan, who might or might not have retained its status had this child didn't dwell too much in the art of severing heads and limbs and mindless carnage. The other guy, wearing oriental-styled armor, was an ex-royal knight, but for whatever reason took early retirement to join the Adventurers' Guild. He claimed to be a close friend of the king, but according to the report, did not present when the king was attacked, nor when a certain group ambushed and kidnapped the Prince. The reason for his absence was unknown.

See, this was one of the glaring mistakes she mentioned earlier. This whole report lacked any presumptions of motive. A good intelligence service realized that it was their job to find the worst in every human being, to find a potential threat and a way to subdue it regardless of the accuracy of the allegation. There were too many unknowns in this report Jazdia partially believed it was filled by the invitees themselves.

Jazdia normalized the color of her eyes and took a series of very regulated breaths as she walked down the stairs to regroup with everyone, not sure if any of them saw her on the balcony, but she greeted them regardless.

"Greetings!"

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

At the king's behest, the group left the chamber to begin their investigation. Fredricus returned to his seat and finally felt a certain amount of weight had been removed from his chest. Looking at the pile of the unsent letter, he was glad he didn't have put any mind to it for this time being.

However, there came another headache from a certain elf who remained in the chamber despite the clear dismissal. She was the one who didn't bow. A transgression punishable with fifteen lashes for anyone failed to observe the importance of paying respect to a king. But instead of apologizing, the elf took her time fooling around with his favorite bookshelf and lacquerwares, blatantly breaking every court etiquette like nobody's business.

"So many years in the Council and you still have not mastered the basics of etiquette."

The elf glanced at him briefly. "You know what they say, can't teach an old cat a new trick."

Fredricus found that analogy makes very little sense it felt like an insult to his intelligence. However, the king, with the ease of long practice, kept his emotions in check. "Rare be the days when Jazdia Crystalspark would heed to the king's summon. I remember that wasn't one of your tricks either."

Jazdia closed a book with a blue cover that told the tale of classic Kindeance folklore and shelved it back. "You know I am not turning down an invitation. Also, even rarer be the days when a king would require assistance from a humble restaurateur."

Fredricus couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh, probably the first time after some people tried to have his neck. "I have heard about your retirement. But a humble restaurateur? Are you sure you are not being delusional, Milady?"

There is a brief pause, and Ferdinant remembered a very silly anecdote that said the fall of Tretagor began when two amethyst glowed in its royal great hall. At this moment, it didn't sound very silly at all.

"The courtesy of your hall is somewhat lessened lately, Fredricus, King of Kindeance."

The elf moved forward, looking back at Fredricus who didn't feel intimidated at all. No, not this time, he was tired, wounded, and wronged and he thought the only way to make himself feel better was a blatant show of power.

"You are one to talk! And really we should thank the Mecheans for sapping the cheerfulness of my court." He glared back, then added. "Also, I will see you behave in a way that is considered proper in a royal court, Milady."

Jazdia was no pushover either, and he knew she never was.

"Or what? Throwing me out? No thanks, I can leave myself."

They had been in this battle of staring for a full minute already, and even this time, Fredricus opted to be a bigger man. Wrangling this elf was as useful as shouting at the rock. As well as chaining and hauling her to the dungeon. So instead of risking his palace having another hole, he receded.
"How was the Council, Milady?"

"I thought you know that I have retired." Jazdia answered, still belligerent tone.

"Yes, I know, but you are still one of their important associates--"

"Let's make it easier for both of us by omitting the tediousness of Royal Protocol, Your Highness. I know you are not... inviting me to reminisce about the old days, so why did you bring it up now?"

Ah, the old days. Fredricus still remember those days like it was a few weeks ago. When Kindeance began its rapid economic growth 30 years ago, it was all thanks to the big nations on the western part of the continent waging war on each other. It didn't matter who was the victor, his only concern of that time was a threat from another bigshot Tretagor who took the advantage of this momentum by conquering the Westernant's vassals and absorbing their standing army into their own. It was just a matter of time until another war would come to his doorstep.

Fredricus knew for the sake of his kingdom's survivability, he couldn't afford a war, big or small. So he contacted the newly formed League of Nations, pleading to join, adding another reason why they should pacify the Beast of the North, and they did just that. With systematic warfare orchestrated by the Council, Tretagor was brought down to its knees, torn by a civil war after its people, inspired by a lust for revolution, court-martialed their king and had him executed.

Fredricus always saw himself as a rational man. With the downfall of his potential enemies, and after seeing the extent of what this Council could do, The King wanted nothing of it anymore, so he withdrew the application and remained neutral. Obviously they were not very happy with his pragmatic decision.

Now, the former leader of the so-called peacekeepers was standing in front of him, sporting a similar expression as she did in their last meeting when attending the Helvetian royal banquet ten years ago. Honestly, Fredricus couldn't really answer why were they having this banter. Was this still the part of enlisting a pawn to do his bidding or just two old acquaintances talking about the old days?

He decided to find out.

"I have been thinking. Would bringing back the old days help me find the prince?" The King reached for the bottle of wine but could find another stemware. "And flush out the traitors and slaughter the usurper?"

The elf's nose wrinkled. "No. Certainly not. And I don't drink. Thank you!"

"What about... the repercussions," The king emptied his glass in one gulp. The liquor was so invigorating he stopped caring about mincing his word. "...should we invade Meche?"

"Ah, so that's why you brought this up." Jazdia stared out the window, but her face was not as alert as Fredricus had predicted. "You don't have to fear them. Kindeance and its neighbors are beyond their jurisdiction. However, you will have yours and your kingdom on everyone's little black book if you dared to wage war unprovoked."

Jazdia shook her head, gesturing that Fredricus should have known better. "For a country that depends on trade and export that would be suicide for your own economy."

"People will forget, it doesn't matter where the goods came from as long as people find it satisfactory both in quality and pricing."

The elf nonchalantly continued her tour in his chamber and found a set of porcelain wares with a half-emptied teapot. Without asking for Fredricus's permission, she poured a cup of already-cold tea for herself and reheat the container with her fire magic.

"The world is changing, Fred," she approached the king again. "And everyone is out there flaunting their morality in every aspect of their lives. Isn't that your approach when this conflict started? Nobody would want to trade with colonizers, invaders, or slavers. King or not. And if you think your kingdom is the only trading port in this region people would just change their course, or better yet, someone else would start a new one. You are not an idiot. You know this from the get-go."

Fredricus smiled as he leaned against his chair. "And yet, you are still putting an effort to entertain us with that lengthy forewarning. Are you sure you are retired, Milady?"

Jazdia's silence answered his question.

"I am sure you have heard me saying the chance for Meche to do the right thing is still open, but to guarantee its safety..." Fredricus shook his head. "I am afraid you have visited the wrong person, Milady. I am King and a Father. If you want to stop this war, do your part and help me instead of preaching about its consequences."

After another long pause, Jazdia shrugged as if trying to retake the dominance from him. "Why should I help you? I am here to deliver a formal complaint."

But Fredricus knew this time he was indomitable.

"For the unprofessionalism my soldier displayed when searching your new restaurant? I am really sorry, but the impending war forced us to be less bureaucratic with our procedure. You, however, can help to normalize the situation so it can be... profitable again."

Jazdia sipped her stale tea and looked the other way. Fredricus apparently had had enough of this old acquaintance playing hard to get.

"Miss Jazdia." He said, straightening his posture and putting more emphasis on his words his voice starting to sound coarse and breathy. "The very flesh and blood of mine they are currently holding in their custody is my only son. Find him, for he will inherit the crown one day when this body has given up. I don't know what the future holds, but you will outlive me, and when that day comes, I assure you he will be your valuable ally."

In his last attempt, he smiled. "Consider this as a long-term investment."

Fredricus didn't care anymore if his words would get through to her. The not-supposedly-old King let out a heavy sigh, leaning against his chair as he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, the elf was nowhere to be seen, and at the edge of his table was a teacup, half emptied but still steaming hot.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

done!

@Squashedquatch

We are currently reviewing your character. Could you please join the discord so we can have quick discussions about it?

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Hi, is there room for 1 more?

@Milkman

Hello there. Our GM is still offline so I will reply in his stead. Technically we are still open with only one slot remaining. If you wish to join, please make your character sheet so Boss GM can review it ASAP

PS: the recruitment will be closed when the team finished the audience with the king, you should hurry.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

Jazdia was the one who did not kneel.

The king tolerated her antics although a glint of annoyance could be observed in his eyes. But the same couldn't be said to one of the king's bodyguards who invited her to have this audience. Jazdia could feel the glare of the orc knight bore through her skull, and maybe, just maybe it was only a matter of finding the right moment for her to summon other guards and have the elf executed.

It was only when the King demanded them to be at ease Jazdia would follow that will to the letter, instinctively taking the time to review her behavior. The situation was already intense, and Jazdia pondered if the act of withholding her prideful ideals was really worth it.

So, it would be in her best interest to let the others speak first. Though, she would have preferred to have the chamberlain bring them something to sit to... And some refreshments, come to think of it, weren't they all the guests here?

One of the guests was a burly man with an imposing figure. Dressed like a druid, walked like a druid, and smelled like a druid. A Druid for those who fancy integral classification of magic application and keen enough to spot the difference. For the average people though, not sure if he was a very hairy man or a bipedal bear.

"I'll do what I can-- jus..please, do what ya can too.. Don' go ta war..."

The man said solemnly. Now there was an interesting interchange. Don't go to war... such an honest plea, just what the common folk needed, but seldom wanted thanks to that pesky thing called politics.

Sovereign's Will: A Fantasy Roleplaying Game. [CONCLUDED]

@Randomness It is necessary to have your character cataloged. If you wish to join and already have a character written down, you may post it here or in the interest check thread so we can review it.

Also, this is the link to the discord server if you are interested
discord.gg/8ucx2Cw5