mercenarius

Pursuit of Power

I've had a very busy few days, but I'm still here. I'll try to get caught up and working on my other post either tonight or tomorrow.

Salem - Witches and Holy Men

tentative interest~

Pursuit of Power

Mel: Boys will be Boys

^{@Sol Grim}

As Mel approached the Frozen Candle, he heard the sound of skirmish from within. He couldn't help but laugh. "Just like home," he said, turning toward the guard who had insisted on following him. "Yes, this will do just fine. Carry on."

"Your Highness, I really don't think--"

Mel threw open the door, took two steps in, and thew a left hook at the first guy he saw, immediately entering the fray. The other fighters thought little of the new face as they continued their wild brawl, those on the edges of the tavern cheering wildly for their friends and betting on who would go down first. This went on for not more than another minute before a voice boomed through the tavern.

"INTRODUCING HIS MAJESTY'S ESTEEMED GUEST, PRINCE MELCHIOR OF LUTHRA."

The brawl stopped. Everyone began looking around wildly, and gazes quickly settled on the one-eyed newcomer. Mel froze; his face went red, partially from embarrassment and mostly from anger. He turned his attention to the guard, who had climbed up onto the nearest table to the door before making his announcement, and was now staring Mel down.

"And what a grand welcome I've received. Thank you for your kindness." He kept his tone as regal as he could, but couldn't prevent bitter sarcasm from leaking through. "Now, if you don't mind--"

"His Majesty requires the attendance of all foreign royalty at the palace."

"Of course. And I will--"

"Immediately, so that he may welcome you personally."

Mel inhaled sharply. Glancing around, he spotted someone who looked a lot like his friend Dalious; thinking quickly, he grabbed the man's arm. "I mean no disrespect. I am simply here to meet up with my personal bodyguard, who required alternate travel." He glanced at the man, Mel's eye begging for him to play along. "Now that we are reunited, we shall be on our way."

Pursuit of Power

@Sol Grim drinkin buddiez

Pursuit of Power

Luthra's Grand Entrance

---

---

“So kiss meeeee, I’m shitfaaaaaced, I’m soaked, I’m soiled, and br--”

“Melchior!”

Mel stopped singing, but didn’t stop strumming. Leaning back in his chair, his feet propped on a barrel, he stared at Angeline, who stood cross-armed and scowling not three feet away. ”Any requests?” he mumbled flatly.

“Do you know a single song that isn’t about alcohol?”

“Oh, sure.” Mel cleared his throat and began playing a different tune. “There’s a place your mother goes when everybody else is soundly sleeping--” He stopped as Angeline’s hand shot forward and caught the neck of the instrument.

“We are almost in the harbour, and your voice travels on the wind.”

“And everyone loves a good shanty.”

“Melchior!”

Mel stared at the woman, clearly disinterested in what she was saying. He waited for her to finish her lecture, telling him about how important this trip is, how important it is that he doesn’t screw this up, how if he does screw up he won’t have a home to return to, and everything else he’d heard a thousand times over the past few weeks.

“Do you understand?”

Mel blinked.

“Melchior!”

“Yeah, got it.”

She released the instrument and started walking away. He began strumming again.

“Cause the gentlemen are calling and the snow is softly falling on her p--”

Angeline spun on her heel and once again seized the instrument, this time ripping it from her son’s hands. As she stormed off, she hurled it over the side of the ship into the water below.

Within the hour they were disembarking in Exodus. Angeline went first, demanding the first official-looking person she saw tell her how to get to the palace, her sickle twirling between her hands. A nervous guard escorted her as he welcomed her and her kin into the kingdom.

Mel emerged quite a bit later, after he was certain Mother was long gone. He stretched widely, as if he hadn’t the space to do so on the ship, and asked the nearest official-looking person where he could find a cheap drink. Another guard pointed him in the direction of the Frozen Candle, but cautioned him that, as a member of foreign royalty, it might not be the best--

Mel didn’t bother to hear him out as he made a beeline in the tavern’s direction.

Pursuit of Power

@Aamaya if I could make a suggestion you could even implement guns as a strong cultural taboo, a "coward's weapon", so to speak. That way they could be a thing, but tightly restricted (especially in more lawless areas such as Luthra, the taboo would prevent people to defaulting so such weapons).
It's up to you tho

Pursuit of Power

runnin dat criminal enterprise legitimate kingdom like nobody's business

Pursuit of Power

Mother Dearest

Name: Angeline, Mother of Luthra
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Straight
Race: Thanatos
Kingdom: Luthra

Appearance

Personality: Angeline is not a kind woman. She is cold and calculating, willing to say and do just about anything to get what she wants. Rarely has she shown much emotion beyond disdain and anger. Even rarer has anyone seen her smile.

She is also distrustful of people, largely because of how she came to power and how she has been able to hold onto it. She understands that her position, while giving her access to luxuries that most in her kingdom don’t have, is a dangerous one. She is always prepared for the worst.

History: Born less than a year after the fire, Angeline was born among the first settlers of the lands that would become Luthra. Those settlers successfully built an anarchic haven, welcoming in outcasts, wanderers and criminals alike. However, as time went on, it became clear that because of scarce resources (among other issues) they could not survive as a “kingdom” without international recognition and diplomacy.

For this reason, it was decided that two of them, a man and a woman, would be chosen to “lead” Luthra. Angeline quickly became the top female choice: in addition to her proven skills, she quickly and efficiently eliminated anyone who stood in her way. At 17, three months before the birth of her first child, Angeline was named Luthra’s first Mother.

Since then, Angeline has worked to improve Luthra’s international reputation, with little success. What she has succeeded in doing is secure better lives for herself and her family - with very little change in the quality of life for her “subjects”, although from what she’s seen and heard, they’re absolutely fine with that. “I won’t fix what isn’t broken.”

She hopes that the upcoming festival will provide an opportunity to continue her work, and strengthen diplomatic ties with the other kingdoms.

Weapons: Angeline always carries with her a silver sickle; she holds it in hand at all times, only tying it to her belt when absolutely necessary. She also has a belt pouch filled with various poison vials, kept just as closely as her sickle.

Skills:
- Persuasion / Subterfuge: After spending more than twenty years leading a “leaderless” people, Angeline has become very good at getting what she wants, whether that be through skillful use of words… or otherwise.

- Toxicology: Angeline is very knowledgeable about various poisons and venoms, and their uses. She can identify many by sight and smell.

- Stealth-based combat: Although she isn’t the strongest fighter, Angeline is quick and quiet, and is most successful at taking down targets when they don’t know where she is… or if she’s even there.

Scar(s):

Additional Information: Angeline is obsessed with the idea of eternal youth. After hearing rumours that those in Exodus bathe in blood for this reason, she has taken up the practice herself. She gets the blood herself. Only the incredibly brave and stupid dare to ask where it comes from.

Pursuit of Power

@Aamaya for your consideration

Mother Dearest

Name: Angeline, Mother of Luthra
Age: 39
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Straight
Race: Thanatos
Kingdom: Luthra

Appearance

Personality: Angeline is not a kind woman. She is cold and calculating, willing to say and do just about anything to get what she wants. Rarely has she shown much emotion beyond disdain and anger. Even rarer has anyone seen her smile.

She is also distrustful of people, largely because of how she came to power and how she has been able to hold onto it. She understands that her position, while giving her access to luxuries that most in her kingdom don’t have, is a dangerous one. She is always prepared for the worst.

History: Born less than a year after the fire, Angeline was born among the first settlers of the lands that would become Luthra. Those settlers successfully built an anarchic haven, welcoming in outcasts, wanderers and criminals alike. However, as time went on, it became clear that because of scarce resources (among other issues) they could not survive as a “kingdom” without international recognition and diplomacy.

For this reason, it was decided that two of them, a man and a woman, would be chosen to “lead” Luthra. Angeline quickly became the top female choice: in addition to her proven skills, she quickly and efficiently eliminated anyone who stood in her way. At 17, three months before the birth of her first child, Angeline was named Luthra’s first Mother.

Since then, Angeline has worked to improve Luthra’s international reputation, with little success. What she has succeeded in doing is secure better lives for herself and her family - with very little change in the quality of life for her “subjects”, although from what she’s seen and heard, they’re absolutely fine with that. “I won’t fix what isn’t broken.”

She hopes that the upcoming festival will provide an opportunity to continue her work, and strengthen diplomatic ties with the other kingdoms.

Weapons: Angeline always carries with her a silver sickle; she holds it in hand at all times, only tying it to her belt when absolutely necessary. She also has a belt pouch filled with various poison vials, kept just as closely as her sickle.

Skills:
- Persuasion / Subterfuge: After spending more than twenty years leading a “leaderless” people, Angeline has become very good at getting what she wants, whether that be through skillful use of words… or otherwise.

- Toxicology: Angeline is very knowledgeable about various poisons and venoms, and their uses. She can identify many by sight and smell.

- Stealth-based combat: Although she isn’t the strongest fighter, Angeline is quick and quiet, and is most successful at taking down targets when they don’t know where she is… or if she’s even there.

Scar(s):

Additional Information: Angeline is obsessed with the idea of eternal youth. After hearing rumours that those in Exodus bathe in blood for this reason, she has taken up the practice herself. She gets the blood herself. Only the incredibly brave and stupid dare to ask where it comes from.

Pursuit of Power

it's all good~ I mostly just didn't want to be presumptive, I would've been happy either way (: