darkwolf687

A God's Gamble

Oooh, tentatively interested. I have a couple of ideas, I just need to see if I can make a character that will work for this.

A Prized bride (The return)

Zakroti watched as Siadamkiru left. How curious; Something was definitely wrong here and he wasn't sure he liked the sound of it; Whoever he was to be meeting must have been unwelcome to be meeting so far from the Wroth; the walls may have had were but even here there were private places, no they must have been either plotting something treasonous - or were a foreign power. She had mentioned flirting with treason...

Zakroti paused to consider the implications; He had heard tell of Gemminite resistances before and there were whispers of a rather well organised group, perhaps Siadamkiru was meeting with someone from said organisation; It would explain why she wanted back up. Zakroti glanced towards his entourage, approaching them and turning towards Gaikus.

"Oeiz una kynd, epe kala o zo rahtankor ad odzi zan vithze." Zakroti said and the Blackguard nodded, leaning in towards him and whispering quietly. Zakroti nodded in response before turning towards the hallway as Ayltam came down with the remaining Blackguard in tow, she looked up towards Zakroti.

"Vivyent sunna wre, Lalyent-Seru. I was just returning to rooms." Ayltam said as she came to a half before him, glancing to Kasari and giving her a warm smile before looking back to her uncle

"Vivyent sunna wre, Seru-Wel." Zakroti replied with a thin smile "It is the middle of the night by now; we should all retire"

He glanced towards Kasari and cocked an eyebrow at the lizard. He motioned for everyone to follow him and set off down the halls before speaking directly to her. "What is that species? I dont think I have encountered it before- And how did you come to have one as a pet, anyway? I would hazard a guess that a lizard is not the usual pet in Gemminia. And what did you think of Lady Siadamkir and her Bride"

***

Vain paused for a moment as he read the piece of paper before nodding and turning his attention towards the door.

"Kaani kree! Hilyat!" Vain barked; There was a racket from outside as the two sentries spun and threw the door open, marching in with spears in hand.

"Gais, Norkaan?" The guard asked as he glanced towards Aymiria, then back towards the Blackguard with a curious look. This one was Aurien, a Buro Za Mishaxi; he had served the house long and faithfully, since before Vain had been born.

"Aymiria gaiarew nit wre shanta wus lal e fathisew Vilyn Hilevus." Vain said as he pointed towards Aurien who gave a swift nod and placed his hand to his chest as he looked towards Aymiria

"Na wre gaiar." He said before turning around and leaving the room, barking some orders into the hallway; The sound of replies and boots on stone could be heard, fading slowly into the distance. The second man at arms waited for his orders patiently as Vain turned to him.

"Astrae Rosalin Silverheart, an bride Lord Vilyn edeoz; Shantaew geheiz dilon e ulven ta zo an cheydinmu odaew..." Vain commanded as he showed the warrior the piece of paper. The soldier looked towards Aymiria and placed his hand against his chest.

"If such is your will; I will send for a priest." He said to her before turning and heading towards the door, closing it behind him. Vain turned towards Aymiria and smiled, nodding to her politely and seating himself into one of the chairs, awaiting the return of the warriors.

Hider

Just a small post to ensure that Zakroti and Kasari are going to be ready for the time skip, and to link Zakroti back up with Ayltam and the remaining Blackguard. Also sets up something for the collaboration me and Aria are working on. Zakroti whispers to Gaikus, then asks Kasari about her pet as the group sets off back towards the chambers

A Prized bride (The return)

@WilsonTurner well think about his. Why would a Drakken leave after murdering someone at the bride choosing? There are no repercussions and it's the perfect place to ravage their victims brides

Brutish, and proud. Drakken claim their kills. They may not think it's a gem bur those Drakken who are more than dumb brutes will figure something out.

And brutish hardly means dumb. If they were dumb they wouldn't win so many wars lol

@agentmanatee

The Crown might not hold any charges against them but that doesn't mean other Drakken families might not take justice into their own hands if one of their own or one of their friends is killed because that's how societies with a weak rule of law tend to operate; Blood feuds.

The Crown has a vested interest in ending feuds between noble families as it weakens the state (This was why weregild was so important, it allowed families to settle disputes on a way other than a cycle of murders)

A Drakken might not want to initiate a feud because that would be messy, or he might want to try and spark a feud between other families for his own gain. Plenty of reasons he might not claim the kill. Doesn't mean things won't run smoothly though; As you say, it's not very Drakken and would probably be seen as dishonourable or maybe outright murder (I assume here would be a difference between two lords fighting to the death in a duel at the choosing or in the great hall itself and one lord just straight up barging into anothers bedchamber and stabbing him while he is raping having sex with his bride.)

Kingless Symphony: Emissary of Ascension

Hope you don't mind Jace getting accosted, @RainDash, I will alter it if it messes up any plans. I just felt a rich sod like Edwin needed an introduction which had him trying to hand off physical labour, however petty, to someone else :P

Kingless Symphony: Emissary of Ascension

Edwin Lysander, Master of Coin

Edwin descended from the castle keep into the grounds below with a single knight and a young servant following behind him, glancing around; The tourney that would soon come had brought people from far and wide. The ale would flow, the whores would be sore and the inns full... and there were always those who went slightly too far with their spending and left themselves bankrupt.

Harvest time for the moneylenders.

Edwin grinned just thinking about the gold that would flow into his pockets from this event- And he intended to place a few bets to augment that cash flow too. He could already hear the coins clinking as he counted them. And the king would be pleased when the treasury was full to the brim with shining stacks of gold.

He glanced over the crowd without a second thought, sorting through a few faces and taking notes of them. Maybe Ser Renault would be a good bet; a seasoned jouster who had unseated many opponents in his time. The payout would likely be low, of course; No, he wanted something... riskier. Ser Glenroy maybe; He might be able to do well so long as he didn't get drunk like he usually did before hand.

Hm. Maybe someone fresh, a younger knight; it would be Ser Stanley's first tourney, though Edwin had watched some of his practice and wasn't entirely convinced.

"Ser Bertram, who are you going to bet on?" Edwin asked the knight on his left, glancing to him. The large man paused for a few seconds before responding in a gruff voice

"The only way to win some games is not to play, my lord." The knight replied

"Oh but where's the fun in that? You are bore sometimes." Edwin said with a mock sigh, proceeding further down into the city below as he moved towards the tourney grounds.

"I'd bet if I had any money spare, my lord." The young servant said quietly, causing Edward to glance his way

"I'll cover the costs of one for you, gods know you've served well enough." Edwin replied with a small smile before looking onwards again.

"Why, thank you, my lord!" The boy cried in surprise before falling silent again as he realised that he had been perhaps too loud.

He paused in one of the squares, glancing towards a butcher's stall. He paused for a moment and moved towards it; Some nice venison would not go amis for his chambers tonight, he'd need something to eat as he went over the records. Speaking of such things, he'd have to collect that case of wine he had ordered on the way down to the tourney ground, though he'd need someone to carry it as he certainly wasn't interested in doing so and nor did he wish his bodyguard to be hindered. And then there was that meeting he would have to arrange later to deal with a not so small debt problem which was getting rather out of hand; He wasn't particularly fond of people trying to worm their way out of their debts. So many things to do at a time like this, people to meet and deals to settle and problems to solve.

The bets could wait, this gave him more time to work out what bet to make regardless.

He circled around and examined the stalk for a few moments, glancing over the assembled meats before looking up to the butcher "I'll take the chop from behind you." He said simply, placing a gold coin down on the counter and modding as the butcher hurriedly unhooked the meat and placed it into a small sack before offere ing it to the lord, who motioned to his servant. The young boy took the bag and quickly set off, already knowing what was expected of him.

The young lord paused for a moment and glanced around before his eyes game to rest on a rather boyish looking young woman. Too clean and well fed to be your average commoner but she certainly didn't look like a noble girl. Either way, she would definitely be fit enough to help him. He tapped her lightly on the shoulder to get her attention

"Do excuse me; would you care to help me carry something? I'll pay you well." Edwin said with a smile as he drew another gold coin from his pocket, holding it up in the air to illustrate his point before slicing it carelessly away again "It won't take too long, don't worry, I just need you to carry something from further along this square down to the tourney ground and you look strong enough to carry it without it bothering you too much."

@RainDash

Kingless Symphony: Emissary of Ascension

Edwin Lysander

"I have too often found greedy to be a word that the jealous thrust upon the successful to protect their fragile egos."

Name: Edwin Lysander

Age: Twenty eight

Titles: Lord of Whitehill, Master of Coin

Origin: Locksley Town, the West

Allegiance: House Rathmore

Family:

Hider

Arthur Lysander (Father)
Mary Lysander (Mother)
Lynne Tailor (Aunt)
Jim Lysander (Uncle)
Edwin Lysander, Lord of Whitehill and Master of Coin
Ser Peter Lysander (Brother)
Elizabeth Lysander (Sister)
Amelia Blackfly (nee Lysander)(Sister)
Arthur Lysander (Brother)
Jasmine Woodvile (nee Lysander)

(Sister)

Personality: Ambitious and avaricious, Edwin is a man who is extremely diligent and is always looking for days to enhance his fortune... And ways to spend it, for if there is one thing he has it is a love of wealth; It is sweeter than honey and stronger than the sword, for any blade can be turned aside with a gold coin. His greed has become nearly as widely known as his ability, having acquired him the nickname "Magpie" for his efforts. He embraced it fully and went so far as to use a Magpie for the sigil of his house.

Edwin is a proud, or arrogant as some would say, man who does not forget slights easily, even if it was never meant as one in the first place. For example, he is quick to become defensive and brazen if one should suggest that his success can be attributed to divine blessing; in his own words, he did not toil tirelessly forging business partnerships and clawing his way from the dirt to have the success attributed to a magical sky fairy.

Edwin is manipulative and cunning, with a silver tongue and a talent for 'enhancing' the truth. He is capable of donning different personalities in order to get what he wants and is good at discerning what other people want.
For all his faults however he is quite a philanthropist; There are a number of orphanages in the capital which rely upon the generous donations and the tax breaks to charities that were given by the Master of Coin, though he would never admit his softness. Likewise, despite his lack of piety he remembers quite clearly that it was men of the church who taught him the skills he needed to have gone so far. Indeed, the few places where a poor man can rely on any form of charity are the churches. Though the upper clergy have found themselves hit much harder by their taxes, the poorer rural parishes have found themselves relatively secure and with occasional donation.

Background: Edwin was born in the town of Locksley some five miles from Caelorn, land belonging to Sir Richard of House Blackfly. His family were freemen who owned a moderately sized farm outside of the town and mostly made their living through herding sheep and selling the wool to the local clothier, Robert. As freemen, they were in a much better position than many of the peasants however they still lived poorly compared to the merchants and lords of the land.

The children were taught to the rudimentary aspects of literacy  by the monks of the nearby monastery in exchange for them acting as servants for the monastery. As a result of this upbringing, Edwin was raised with a strong faith however this was shattered around his twelth birthday

Edwin and his siblings often went to play around the abandoned watchtower in their youth. Tragedy struck however when his brother Aidan tripped and fell for the tower during one of their games, breaking his young body upon the rocks below. Edwin lost his faith and never regained it.

Robert was married to Edwin's aunt Lynne and it was through her that an apprenticeship was acquired for Edwin at the young age of 13 with the hopes that Edwin would eventually be able to use his training to pull the family up towards the middle classes.
To say Robert was an immoral man was to put it lightly; He often travelled to the capital on business and while there he would whore and gamble. Edwin found Robert in bed with a whore one day during one of his visits to the capital and was quick to turn the opportunity to his advantage; The young apprentice blackmailed his master and in doing so became an equal partner in the business which was characterised to the village as being part of a strong master-student relationship. In truth, Edwin held the cards and played then to his advantage.

The boy might have remained a comfortably off if unnoteworthy clothier if not for a twist of fate. The Lady Blackfly cared greatly for fashion and appearances and as fate would have it she passed through the town of Locksley on her way to the capital and was drawn to one of the display dresses that were kept in the window. Edwin was more than willing to oblige her ladyship and managed to ingratiate himself with her through discussing the various designs and fabrics and Lady Blackfly requested that a dress be made for her. 

Lady Blackfly became a frequent visitor to the clothiers and became a major patron of the business, ordering many extravagant garments be produced. Before too long Edwin had built up a trust and friendship between himself and the impressionable noble woman and had manoeuvred his sister Elizabeth into being a handmaiden to Lady Blackfly.

Six months later Sir Blackfly was rendered incapable from an injury sustained in a drunken duel and thus Lady Blackfly took over his duties as his regent; Elizabeth convinced Lady Blackfly to allow Edwin to become the treasurer of the Blackfly's estate and although there was a great deal of opposition to it amongst the landed gentry Lady Blackfly appointed Edwin to the position of treasurer.

Edwin was illiterate save for being able to recognise a few select words from memory, however he was capable of using numbers and quickly proved competent as treasurer and forged many trade links and connections. The young treasurer returned to many of his old tricks and as he handled taxation and trade, his business partners and allies found themselves subject to far better deals and his rivals found themselves strapped for cash. Before too long, Edwin had accrued an outrageous amount of money and expanded his businesses across the entire Blackfly holdings.

Edwin did not cease there however and used his new found fortune to invest in business ventures throughout the entire west and became a major banker in the realm.

In doing so he developed a reputation as a financial wizard who could seemingly draw money from thin air; Edwin could squeeze blood from a stone if need be and as such caught the attention of the crown and his appointment as Master of Coin coincided with a massive donation to the royal treasury. The self made man was considered to be a very controversial appointment by the crown and was granted a noble title and a barony as part of the arrangement in order to prevent a commoner from holding such an important position. Having ascended from being the son of a shepard to being one of the richest and important men in the realm, it was inevitable that Edwin and the newly established House Lysander would be seen as social climbers and tricksters; a reputation which is not entirely undeserved.

Edwin has spent the past three years running the affairs of the royal treasury and doing an admirable job: the crown is in surplus and has access to cheap loans through Edwin's banking connections when required. While he may never have been particularly popular among the upper echelons of society, his ability is not in question and he is well known for looking after his friends; This has given him a number of allies and secured what would be an otherwise precarious position.

House Lysander

"Rising with the wind."

A white Magpie carrying a golden chain, emblazoned on a field of black.

The families seat is Whitehill Castle, a moderately sized castle sitting atop a hill in the West with the town of Whitehill built around the base of the hill. Although they are not a powerful family in the sense of owning a lot of land and holding a number of vassals, they are a rich family and are capable of using their wealth to exert political influence. They are often seen as social climbers by members of the older noble dynasty's at court though they are powerful allies.

Arthur Lysander
Mary Lysander
Lynne Tailor
Edwin Lysander, Lord of Whitehill and Master of Coin
Sir Peter Lysander
Elizabeth Lysander
Amelia Blackfly
Jasmine Woodvile

Kingless Symphony: Emissary of Ascension

Darks charrie and your first charrie, Aria, have been accepted.

@Ambra

Excellent! I shall write a post soon, though probably tommorow given that I can barely keep my eyes open after getting literally no sleep last night haha.

A Prized bride (The return)

I'm waiting on response ATM.

Kingless Symphony: Emissary of Ascension

I was waiting on you to confirm whether I had been accepted or not?

Kingless Symphony: Emissary of Ascension

So now that the guild has started working long enough for me to make changes, here we are;

Edwin Lysander

"I have too often found greedy to be a word that the jealous thrust upon the successful to protect their fragile egos."

Name: Edwin Lysander

Age: Twenty eight

Titles: Lord of Whitehill, Master of Coin

Origin: Locksley Town, the West

Allegiance: House Rathmore

Family:

Hider

Arthur Lysander (Father)
Mary Lysander (Mother)
Lynne Tailor (Aunt)
Jim Lysander (Uncle)
Edwin Lysander, Lord of Whitehill and Master of Coin
Ser Peter Lysander (Brother)
Elizabeth Lysander (Sister)
Amelia Blackfly (nee Lysander)(Sister)
Arthur Lysander (Brother)
Jasmine Woodvile (nee Lysander)

(Sister)

Personality: Ambitious and avaricious, Edwin is a man who is extremely diligent and is always looking for days to enhance his fortune... And ways to spend it, for if there is one thing he has it is a love of wealth; It is sweeter than honey and stronger than the sword, for any blade can be turned aside with a gold coin. His greed has become nearly as widely known as his ability, having acquired him the nickname "Magpie" for his efforts. He embraced it fully and went so far as to use a Magpie for the sigil of his house.

Edwin is a proud, or arrogant as some would say, man who does not forget slights easily, even if it was never meant as one in the first place. For example, he is quick to become defensive and brazen if one should suggest that his success can be attributed to divine blessing; in his own words, he did not toil tirelessly forging business partnerships and clawing his way from the dirt to have the success attributed to a magical sky fairy.

Edwin is manipulative and cunning, with a silver tongue and a talent for 'enhancing' the truth. He is capable of donning different personalities in order to get what he wants and is good at discerning what other people want.
For all his faults however he is quite a philanthropist; There are a number of orphanages in the capital which rely upon the generous donations and the tax breaks to charities that were given by the Master of Coin, though he would never admit his softness. Likewise, despite his lack of piety he remembers quite clearly that it was men of the church who taught him the skills he needed to have gone so far. Indeed, the few places where a poor man can rely on any form of charity are the churches. Though the upper clergy have found themselves hit much harder by their taxes, the poorer rural parishes have found themselves relatively secure and with occasional donation.

Background: Edwin was born in the town of Locksley some five miles from Caelorn, land belonging to Sir Richard of House Blackfly. His family were freemen who owned a moderately sized farm outside of the town and mostly made their living through herding sheep and selling the wool to the local clothier, Robert. As freemen, they were in a much better position than many of the peasants however they still lived poorly compared to the merchants and lords of the land.

The children were taught to the rudimentary aspects of literacy  by the monks of the nearby monastery in exchange for them acting as servants for the monastery. As a result of this upbringing, Edwin was raised with a strong faith however this was shattered around his twelth birthday

Edwin and his siblings often went to play around the abandoned watchtower in their youth. Tragedy struck however when his brother Aidan tripped and fell for the tower during one of their games, breaking his young body upon the rocks below. Edwin lost his faith and never regained it.

Robert was married to Edwin's aunt Lynne and it was through her that an apprenticeship was acquired for Edwin at the young age of 13 with the hopes that Edwin would eventually be able to use his training to pull the family up towards the middle classes.
To say Robert was an immoral man was to put it lightly; He often travelled to the capital on business and while there he would whore and gamble. Edwin found Robert in bed with a whore one day during one of his visits to the capital and was quick to turn the opportunity to his advantage; The young apprentice blackmailed his master and in doing so became an equal partner in the business which was characterised to the village as being part of a strong master-student relationship. In truth, Edwin held the cards and played then to his advantage.

The boy might have remained a comfortably off if unnoteworthy clothier if not for a twist of fate. The Lady Blackfly cared greatly for fashion and appearances and as fate would have it she passed through the town of Locksley on her way to the capital and was drawn to one of the display dresses that were kept in the window. Edwin was more than willing to oblige her ladyship and managed to ingratiate himself with her through discussing the various designs and fabrics and Lady Blackfly requested that a dress be made for her. 

Lady Blackfly became a frequent visitor to the clothiers and became a major patron of the business, ordering many extravagant garments be produced. Before too long Edwin had built up a trust and friendship between himself and the impressionable noble woman and had manoeuvred his sister Elizabeth into being a handmaiden to Lady Blackfly.

Six months later Sir Blackfly was rendered incapable from an injury sustained in a drunken duel and thus Lady Blackfly took over his duties as his regent; Elizabeth convinced Lady Blackfly to allow Edwin to become the treasurer of the Blackfly's estate and although there was a great deal of opposition to it amongst the landed gentry Lady Blackfly appointed Edwin to the position of treasurer.

Edwin was illiterate save for being able to recognise a few select words from memory, however he was capable of using numbers and quickly proved competent as treasurer and forged many trade links and connections. The young treasurer returned to many of his old tricks and as he handled taxation and trade, his business partners and allies found themselves subject to far better deals and his rivals found themselves strapped for cash. Before too long, Edwin had accrued an outrageous amount of money and expanded his businesses across the entire Blackfly holdings.

Edwin did not cease there however and used his new found fortune to invest in business ventures throughout the entire west and became a major banker in the realm.

In doing so he developed a reputation as a financial wizard who could seemingly draw money from thin air; Edwin could squeeze blood from a stone if need be and as such caught the attention of the crown and his appointment as Master of Coin coincided with a massive donation to the royal treasury. The self made man was considered to be a very controversial appointment by the crown and was granted a noble title and a barony as part of the arrangement in order to prevent a commoner from holding such an important position. Having ascended from being the son of a shepard to being one of the richest and important men in the realm, it was inevitable that Edwin and the newly established House Lysander would be seen as social climbers and tricksters; a reputation which is not entirely undeserved.

Edwin has spent the past three years running the affairs of the royal treasury and doing an admirable job: the crown is in surplus and has access to cheap loans through Edwin's banking connections when required. While he may never have been particularly popular among the upper echelons of society, his ability is not in question and he is well known for looking after his friends; This has given him a number of allies and secured what would be an otherwise precarious position.

House Lysander

"Rising with the wind."

A white Magpie carrying a golden chain, emblazoned on a field of black.

The families seat is Whitehill Castle, a moderately sized castle sitting atop a hill in the West with the town of Whitehill built around the base of the hill. Although they are not a powerful family in the sense of owning a lot of land and holding a number of vassals, they are a rich family and are capable of using their wealth to exert political influence. They are often seen as social climbers by members of the older noble dynasty's at court though they are powerful allies.

Arthur Lysander
Mary Lysander
Lynne Tailor
Edwin Lysander, Lord of Whitehill and Master of Coin
Sir Peter Lysander
Elizabeth Lysander
Amelia Blackfly
Jasmine Woodvile