OathMaker

Royal Distraction [IC] [The Raven CallsxOathmaker]

Olosse’s eyes widened, back stiffening at the sight of his Shadowguard. If she hadn’t been in the state she presented herself in currently, he would want to get more information than just “All information has been confirmed”, but now his current priority was to ensure that Iris got the medicine she needed. The future king needed Iris at her best for tomorrow evening’s potentially fiery ball. He strode over to Iris, placing a hand on her cheek and wiped away some of the caked blood, clicking his tongue off the roof of his mouth.
“No need to apologize, Iris. Come, let’s get you the attention you need.” He thought he had seen Iris’ eyes fall on the now silently sleeping Rowena, prompting a flip of the wrist.
“Don’t worry about her. Rowena might have enjoyed the evening, but something tells me that she’s more of an evening companion than a permanent one. Let’s see what we can do to get you back in action.”

Albeit Iris probably would protest at Olosse’s fussing, he helped her over to an overstuffed chair by the window he had previously occupied before peeking his head out of the doorway to his quarters and asking the guard posted there to fetch him bandages, alcohol and other assorted medical paraphernalia that prompted an almost stream of questions, Olosse holding up a hand to cease the line of questioning and inferred that his amorous activities had become very Vadrudorian and needed the appropriate recovery methods. This stopped the questioning and brought supplies to his quarters, which allowed for Olosse to kneel at Iris’ feet, grimacing slightly at her ankle.
“Dear Iris, what on earth happened out there?” Father had insisted that Olosse learn basic battlefield skills in case he was ever thrust into a conflict without his Shadows or the Ishmeldian regiments at his beck and call, one of those skills being basic (BASIC) medical assessment and wound dressing.
“I can patch you up with what little I know; don’t bear too much of a grudge if it’s not comparable to your knowledge…which it isn’t.” As he began to roll up Iris’ legging, he ran a hand over her exposed ankle and shin. Goodness her skin was practically flawless, glowing even; it was then he realized this was the most exposure of her body that he had ever seen.
“Now, as I take care of this, do be more specific. What exactly did you confirm on your tour of the capital?”

Royal Distraction [IC] [The Raven CallsxOathmaker]

Iris’ words prompted a mixture of skepticism and caution, Olosse sitting up taller in the carriage.
“Arel? You deem him untrustworthy? This is news to me. What proof do you have of this?” Arel had served faithfully under his father for as long as the prince could remember in a variety of roles: royal advisor, lead emissary, trade viceroy and the last two years of his father’s life, acting Chancellor. All of the aforementioned roles had been filled admirably by a man who had been called multiple times by his father as the most trustworthy man he had ever called a friend. By the Mountains, Arel had even been appointed Guardian of the Estate if something were to happen to both sons, essentially giving Arel formal parental rights over Libea and the rest of the Bytaus’ family assets.

Then again, Iris wouldn’t have said something this potentially inflammatory if she didn’t have a good reason for it.
“Nothing you say will get back to hi-”
“We’re being approached on horseback, My Liege. Black and white armor with the Vadrudorian flag mounted on each steed.” Olosse gently put a hand briefly on Iris’ knee.
“We’ll continue this later.” A gentle smile.
“And the only way I survive any potential danger is if you’re with me, so consider any promise of my safe return fulfilled as long as you stay by me and get us all back home.” With an endearing, light squeeze, he withdrew the hand and pulled back the curtains on the carriage window to reveal a heavily armored Horde captain in full regalia (if one could consider the Horde’s standard uniform that).
“My Liege Olosse Bytaus, the Vikar has sent us to escort you and your party to the Palace. Please command your subordinates to follow my lead and do not deviate from the road we take.” Olosse mustered a warm smile before asking:
“And who might be leading us to the Palace?” The captain thumped his fist against the hardened metal breastplate that adorned his massive frame twice.
“Captain Arneus, My Liege. It is an honor.”
“Nay, the honor is mine, Captain.” Olosse stuck his head out of the window to spot five Horde soldiers that were pointing at the carriages, no doubt dividing the labor.
“Not that I’m ungrateful for the escort, Captain, but when the Chancellor asked your Vikar for protection, I wasn’t expecting any of the Horde, but rather the city guard.”
“Too much unrest at the moment, My Liege; the Vikar didn’t want to take any chances.”
“Chances with what?” The captain hesitated.
“Some in the city believe that they are more suited to offer direction for Vadrudor than the Vikar and seek to undermine him. We are in control of the situation, I assure you, My Liege.”
“Of that there is no doubt.” The captain’s barrel chest heaved outward, a confident grin briefly passing over his face before resuming the dour look of servitude he had.
“Are you ready to continue forward, My LIege?”
“Indeed. Carry on, Captain.” With a shout of command, the carriages ambled forward , Arneus taking the lead and the other five surrounding the carriage in a two by two by one formation. Olosse nodded to the now curtained window.
“Well, there’s some confirmed intelligence for you, Iris. If the Horde is enforcing the law in the capital, things might be as unstable as we think.” He collected his thoughts for a few minutes, allowing the silence to organize his orders before telling his companion:
“I need you to do some reconnaissance while I’m meeting with the Vikar and his representatives. I don’t know how many other of the Shadowguard are here nor do I need to know, but as their squadron leader, assign two of them to me and ensure they remain visible. The Shadows have a powerful enough reputation even here in this militaristic society that ne’er-do-wells will think twice about an assassination attempt. As for you-” He handed her the intelligence reports he had been perusing.
“I want you to follow any leads on quite literally any of these reports; codify your findings and..” He was going to tell Iris to send them directly to Arel, but without knowing what grounds Iris had for her suspicions, he changed his mind:
“Directly return to my quarters this evening. There won’t be very much in the way of activities tonight with the formal ball tomorrow; let’s take advantage of this time and see what we may be walking into.” He half-smiled.
“And do try to stay out of sight. Your…assets are going to be admired even more so in a place like Vadrudor where the men are more forward and the women more receptive. If you DO find yourself in a tight spot, just…no messes. Make sure no one finds the body…or bodies.”

Olosse found himself at the top of one of the spires that jutted menacingly upward from the imposing stone walls of the Palace, gazing out one of the few windows on the illuminated capital city below. There wasn’t much architectural imagination in the design, each quarter designed in a roughly square manner with massive partitions between each to separate them (or isolate them in case of an uprising or unlawful rioting, which happened far too often), and yet there was a beautiful simplicity to the city that, despite the manner of folk that dwelled in it, charmed him. Speaking of charming, the Vikar had done his best to receive the retinue, throwing a lavish dinner for Olosse and his party along with the families of Rakuhor’s closest court allies. In true Vadrudorian fashion, Olosse was prompted to select one of the ladies-in-waiting of the queen as a welcoming gift, said lady-in-waiting wrapped up in a tangled heap of sheets, her breath coming in ragged gasps as she slept. He shot her a quick glance, snorting a chuckle as his hands slipped comfortably into loose, flowing pants that had been thrown off a bit earlier in the evening. Rowena was a sweet girl, but a bit dull; nevertheless, if custom dictated that His LIege indulged, then so be it.

His gaze returned to the city, wondering silently if Iris had managed to follow up on any pertinent information from the reports he had been looking at earlier. He longed to be on the streets with her, pounding the pavement so to speak. The royal life had wonderful perks, but he itched for a more practical role, one that could DO rather than command.

He felt a gentle breeze waft from behind him. Had Iris returned?

Royal Distraction [IC] [The Raven CallsxOathmaker]

Olosse listened to Iris, fixed on her glistening irises as she relayed her concerns about this 'Bludless' group with an undercurrent of what the liege-in-waiting thought was mild anxiety; odd. His personal Shadowguard normally didn't betray emotion easily and even when he could detect a semblance of sentiment, it was quickly suppressed. This 'Bludless' organization must be more powerful than she's letting on, which she all but confirmed by her derivation of "unsubstantiated rumors are just that, your highness"; he knew the semantics of the Shadows well enough by now to translate their rhetoric into more plain speech that a member of the royal family could use. While maybe his father appreciated the downplaying of issues that the Shadows encountered in their intelligence gathering so that he could focus more on his own priorities, Olosse valued the Shadows more than any other group in the Ishmeldian ranks and even more value was placed on the woman across from him. When his father had assigned Iris to Olosse several years ago, the latter was annoyed by the idea of a perceived baby-sitter, but after several official trips across the Continent, he had come to value her council and, in the rare moments he had seen her practice her art, her martial prowess (albeit, he had come in on the very last gasp of action or the aftermath). If he was also being completely honest, he ALSO came to value her...well, it wasn't difficult to conceptualize the kind of physical beauty she was underneath the suit she wore. He was above cracking comments about her attractiveness in form, however; his respect for her position as well as her ability to sever his arteries in potentially a millisecond thwarted any young-blooded remarks.

"Cannot what, Iris? Speak your mind. If my trusted Shadowguard is having doubts about what we're about to go into, I need to hear them." The road that had once jostled the carriage smoothed out, indicating that they were on the initial approach towards Valkan. The carriages would ultimately follow a gentle slope upward for about a mile before the road straightened out once again and put the entirety of Valkan on display.
"My liege, we were given instructions to circumvent the main gate and go to the Western entrance. Should we still follow the instructions given?" Olosse chuckled. The Western entrance of Valkan opened up into the wealthiest area of the city and served as the most direct path to the palace as well as a way for all those in the court to get a nice view of the visiting retinue. Naturally, Rakuhor wanted his most influential supporters and his most vicious detractors to see that his plans, no matter what were thrown against them, would succeed. It was a good optics play, one that Olosse appreciated; after all, they would be formalizing their trade alliance in just two days, said formalization also including a pledge of military support for both kingdoms. This would be a first in any treaty Ishmeldia had signed, but Olosse's father, Arel and Olosse himself recognized that having the Vadrudorian Horde (as they called themselves) as allies could only prove to be beneficial if and when Ishmeldia faced war.
"Yes, follow the instructions." His attention returned to Iris.
"Say on. Before we get to the Kingdom, I need to hear your thoughts without any filters." A half-smile.
"Don't spare my feelings nor my sensibilities."

Western entrance: (

My Hider

)

Royal Distraction [IC] [The Raven CallsxOathmaker]

Reference so I keep everything straight:
Vadrudor-Eastern Kingdom ruled by Vikars. Known for their metallurgy, beer and military-esque social caste system.
Ishmeldia-Kingdom on the northern most part of the greater Continent. Once sheltered by an impassible mountain range, it is now an active player in continental politics and trade.

Arel Bykard-Chancellor of Ishmeldia and close friend of deceased King Bytaus. Serving as Chancellor and ruler for the next year by Ishmeldian decree.

Olosse Bytaus-

Olosse

Eldest son of Erel Bytaus and Liege-in-Waiting of Ishmeldia. Dignitary and representative to Vadrudor, Terapolise and other kingdoms across the continent.

Erel Bytaus-King of Ishmeldia. Deceased.

Erel

Selenia Bytaus-Queen of Ishmeldia and mother of Olosse, Kyne and Libea

Selenia

Kyne Bytaus-Younger son and second child of Erel Bytaus. Prince of Ishmeldia and Commodore of the 1st Regiment.

Kyne

Libea Bytaus-Only daughter and third child of Erel Bytaus. Princess of Ishmeldia. Being courted by multiple suitors from various lands. Currently shadowing her mother to learn the responsibilities of a Queen.

Libea

Royal Distraction [IC] [The Raven CallsxOathmaker]

"Vadrudor is going to be a bit difficult to navigate in regard to the polit-" Arel's silvery-blue eyes narrowed.
"You're not listening to a word I'm saying, are you?" The disengaged brown irises moved from the etched glass mosaic dominating the eastern wall of the main hall back to the peeved voice.
"Apologies. My focus has been divided far too much as of late." A half-frown flickered across Arel's face.
"Understandable." Both of their gazes momentarily drifted to the mosaic in question. The near kaleidoscopic color scheme burst from the piece, emphasizing the subject in the center: a bearded man in armor, sword jutting over his head with beams of victorious light shining in every direction, mountain ranges capped with snow serving as the background. To the left and right of the armored figure were a variety of men and women garbed in familiar functions that any in Ishemeldia would recognize: fishermen, hunters, loggers, merchants and the like.
"The mourning you still have in your heart is shared, I'm sure, Olosse." Olosse nodded, fully aware that there were those in the mountains who still burned pyres three weeks after his death.
"Indeed...yet, mourning is something that does not befit a future king, does it?" A sad smile came and went.
"If that mourning interferes with his royal duties, then yes, unfortunately." Arel's lips pursed, then continued his original line of thought:
"As I was saying, the Vadrudorian court is in upheaval at the moment. Our intelligence in the capital has informed us of grumblings about our formalization of trade relations with the Rakuhor dynasty that currently rules the Silver throne. Vikar Rakuhor has been on a bit of warpath trying to purge out the malcontents in an attempt to reassert his family's control. Many think that the Vikar and his lineage are trying to acquiesce to Ishmeldia due to their reliance of importing our wood and copper." A snort came from Olosse.
"Arrogant as they may be, at least Rakuhor and his family knows that their relationship with us is beneficial. If any of the other rival families established their own dynasties, Vadrudor would be much more of a thorn in our sides...and everyone else across the Continent." Arel made a good point. Olosse knew the history of Vadrudor quite well, seeing as his father had appointed Vadrudor as Olosse's first post as ambassador. It was a good move on his father's part; Vadrudor had a troubled, bloody history of insurrections, wars and strife that saw the kingdom change hands several times and a near annihilation of any natural resources available to them. It wasn't until fifty or so odd years ago that the kingdom experienced stability at the hands of Logana Rakuhor, a captain in the Vadrudorian Brigade that took control of the Silver Throne after their king had been assassinated. Rakuhor never wanted to rule permanently, but after eliminating the latest insurrection and establishing informal alliances with several neighboring kingdoms (Ishmeldia being one of them), the people wouldn't hear of anyone else other than Logana becoming king.
"How do you suggest I handle the signing?" Arel paused for a few moments, fingers tapping on the marble table he stood over.
"Arrive at least two days before and have your Shadow do some investigative work while you massage the Vikar and his officials. I'll send a missive to the Vikar immediately to ensure that you'll have increased security before, during and after. Gather as much intelligence as you can about how the court is doing and ensure that your Shadowguard sends an encoded report to me about their findings. After the signing, the Vikar will more than likely want to cement an alliance with us through marriage." A gulp from Olosse.
"Now now, no need to think your reputation will take a hit; as your stand-in Chancellor and future royal advisor, I would recommend that if the Vikar makes a proposal, you immediately defer and encourage him to keep a lady in waiting until you are fully made king. That'll buy us enough time to determine if an alliance by marriage is appropriate."
"Given my father's stance on having more than one queen, I doubt that I would want to commit to something that drastic." Arel chortled.
"Indeed; nor would your mother approve of such a measure. However, most of our neighbors practice the custom of multiple marriages, so we must respect their cultures while maintaining the dignity of our own." Olosse rose from the high-backed chair he had been sitting on for the last hour, casting one more look at the mosaic before making eye contact with Arel.
"I'll convene with Iris and set out tomorrow morning. I won't be taking much of a ret-"
"My Liege-in-Waiting, you are a future king; your retinue shall and must be massive. An eyesore. The custom of royalty demands it." A smirk from both.

As the carriage bumped along the unkempt road towards Valkan, the capital city of Vadrudor, Olosse pored over the reports that Arel had alluded to regarding the unrest within the city. He read snippets aloud to the woman seated across from him:
"Mercantile ships refuse to dock at Valkan ports citing extortion by ne'er-do-wells...increased reports of fistfights, stabbings and other violent crimes...propaganda littered in taverns proclaiming the death of all 'that is right and Vadrudorian'...heated debates between Vikar and factions..." He looked up from the reports just in time for the carriage to hit a large groove in the road, prompting his lithe frame to jolt upward, head hitting the ceiling of the carriage. Muttering a curse, he nodded towards the nearly fully covered woman across from him.
"What do you think of all this, Iris? Surely amidst the Shadow's ranks you've heard more concrete things."

Royal Distraction [IC] [The Raven CallsxOathmaker]

Hey hey! Just getting the thread on the board. IC is incoming.

Oathmaker's list of plots and fandoms [18+]

Hey folks! I'm Oathmaker; a pleasure.

About me

-I'm situated in CST, but I'm totally fine with any and all time zones. Some of my favorite partners have been in the UK!
-Like many of you, I work full-time and have personal obligations (i.e.: family lol). All that to say that my post frequency can vary a LOT. When I'm traveling for work, I might be able to post two times a day due to me being stationary; when I'm at home, I might only post two to three times a week if that. I will be super communicative about how things are going and I'd appreciate it if you can do the same.
-I tend to write, on average, two to three paragraphs. I won't write more for the sake of more, though, so if our charries are in the middle of a battle scene, there might not be more than a paragraph depending on context...or there might be a wall of text lol. Just depends on what the story calls for.
-I avoid writing out anything beyond fade to black; I'm just not good at it.
-I tend to get up to PG-13 in my writing with some dabbling in borderline R-rated stuff, but again, depends on the context and if the story calls for it.
-I LOVE world building and brainstorming, so please don't hesitate to plan with me! That's half the fun. I love it when partners throw in their own twists, turns, etc as well, so don't be afraid to do that as well (obviously don't kill my character unless we talk about it lol).

The good stuff

I've got several loose ideas below in different fandoms as well as an original world that I'm building out for a campaign I hope to run in the future. Feel free to pick something you like here or shoot me an idea you have. The pairings below have roles you can pick from unless I've designated something I'm really craving to play.

Idea 1:
Fandom: Star Wars-Old Republic timeframe
Premise: A young Jedi Knight is plagued by visions of a horrific war between Jedi factions instigated by a mastermind Sith that has infiltrated the ranks of the Order. Across the galaxy, a young Sith Inquisitor is also tormented by visions, except roles are reversed. When these two eventually happen upon each other's presence on Nar Shaddaa during conflicting operations, they both sense that they share a bond...but to what end? And which visions are to be believed, if either? And most importantly, what is the Force trying to tell them?

Idea 2:
Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3
Premise: With the Elder Brain defeated and Baldur's Gate rebuilding from the chaos that the Chosen Three would have inflicted on the Sword Coast, the heroes of Faerun have all but disappeared from the limelight thanks to the relative peace that has come over the land. Yet, a traveller to Baldur's Gate stumbles upon a series of carved runes arranged in a circle, each with a mysterious symbol on them. In the center of the circle lies a bloodied heap of a person, their life essence barely clinging to their corporeal form. What happened to this pour soul? What are these runes?

Idea 2a:
Fandom: Baldur's Gate 3
Premise: With the Elder Brain defeated, the half-Elf Nuvyen [MC] and his love, Shadowheart [YC], seek solitude in the northern part of the Coast. Just a few months pass by until a bloodied note posted on their door reminds them both that Shar is still watching, hungering for the power that Shadowheart innately has within her. The note simply states: "Return to where you were born".

Idea 3:
Fandom: Persona 5
Premise: Seven years have gone by. Seven boring, drudgery filled years that saw the eventual drifting of the Phantom Thieves. A few remain in some contact, but for the most part, life rent their once formidable bond apart. Ren [MC], the former leader of the Thieves, has settled into a entry level software developer position for a mid-level tech company in Osaka, where Morgana still dwells with him in their cramped apartment and reminds Ren about once a week that he was very stupid for letting his relationship with Ann [YC] drift to the point where they hadn't spoken in at least five years. One dreary evening, Ren receives a text from an unknown number that invites him to a cafe and promises to tell him something that the "leader of the Thieves" should know.

Hey hey!

Hi folks! I'm Oathmaker (among other names lol). About me:
-Been writing a long, long time and have done all sorts of roleplaying (including being a Dungeon Master)
-I have two Corgis and are the cutest potatoes ever
-My current writing obsession is fantasy-based thanks to BG3, a re-read of LOTR and wrapping up a D&D campaign set on the sword coast
-I have a soft spot for the Persona series (mainly 4 and 5)

Hope to write with you all soon!