Saltwater Thief

In the Court of the High Queen

Post is up.

In the Court of the High Queen

Post is up.

In the Court of the High Queen

Sir Aldrich Martin

Morons, the whole lot of them. Aldrich made a mental note to find out who was in charge of appointments to the royal guard and give them a competence booster straight out of his military days. Oh, sure, they looked nice and pretty in their armor, which they probably spent more time polishing than doing anything useful, but to be this lax on such an occasion wasn't just unprofessional, it was an outright disgrace.

Things had begun rather smoothly. Gisela had said her prayers, or at least looked like she had, while the table was set and the chairs were arranged. Aldrich shared Lady Valericka's sentiments toward them being permitted to sit at the table; she insisted on sitting directly to Gisela's right, and there was no way around the Chancellor taking the other side, which left him sitting two seats to the queen's right. It would do well enough, especially since in many other places he might not be allowed at all. But that was something to consider for another time, he thought, as the procession returned to the hall. Valericka all but teleported to Gisela's side, and Aldrich was shortly behind her. He didn't say anything, simply nodding to the young queen in a show of reassurance, before turning his attention to the newly arriving guests.

Which was when his mouth started thinning and his brow furrowing.

The first of note to arrive was the knight of House Alistair. Rycherd he called himself as he reintroduced himself. He looked at Lady Valericka with a bit of suspicion and disdain- in fairness, so had Aldrich before he got to know her- and then rose to his feet and started thumbing his sword. His damn sword that should have been removed at the entrance. Aldrich started to move toward him to rectify that, but then was distracted by the next, substantially larger blunder of the guards.

It was a procession of robed individuals, four of whom certainly had NO business being in the hall at that time, and they were all chanting something. Aldrich was nothing remotely like a mage, but time spent with Valericka had learned him enough about magic to recognize a spell when he heard one. Furthermore, the warlike nature of the chant instantly set him on high alert as he abandoned his intent to accost Ser Rycherd and moved between the priests and Gisela, one hand on his sword. As the vines snaked out and along the floor straight for the Queen Aldrich mirrored them, making sure that whatever this was would have to go through him first. Only when the blasted things stopped growing and the spell finished completely did he dare relax again, but even then he still kept a wary eye on the priest and his entourage. Once Kamahl, as he called himself, was finished with his reintroduction, Aldrich gave Valericka a curt nod to acknowledge that he was going to deal with things and headed toward the foreigner.

"Pardon me, Lord Priest," he said quietly, politely, and with as much restraint as he could manage, "But I am Sir Aldrich, one of Her Grace's personal protectors, and there are some things I wish to address with you. Firstly, I can't speak for your home nation's customs, but it would be greatly appreciated if you would kindly refrain from such... dramatic rituals during your stay and in the future. Secondly, if you would please dismiss your companions to the exterior? I'm afraid this gathering was intended for only yourself." he finished with a somewhat forced smile.

When he got ahold of the guards managing the front...

Closed

Post has been posted. Hopefully the rust doesn't show too much...

And spriggs?

Closed

Marshall Narquis

Trials Day. It was something every First Year had to go through, and one most of them would likely remember for at least the rest of their time at school, if not the rest of their lives. Marshall still remembered his, in any case; he'd tried to raise himself up on an ice pillar, and to his credit he had- before losing his footing trying to stand up, slipping back into the pit, and banged his head. Not his most fantastic moment, to say the least. Still, he was grateful for it happening; it was what caught Claudia's attention all those years ago, and here he was following her footsteps.

He watched intently as a variety show of the elemental spectrum began. Some students had gone for the grand scale, eschewing finesse in favor of showing just how much earth they could move or fire they could conjure. Others had opted to try and stand out with their unique talents and spins on the idea. One in particular had chosen to show off a multicolored water fountain, done using a rifle no less. Still more instead chose to try a middle of the road approach, to show that they had a basic level of command over their gift and that they were willing to try. Those were the ones Marshall was always most interested in. They might not be able to show off the grandiose extents that the upper end chose, but they consistently showed a willingness to try, and from where he sat that was far more important than raw ability.

@Ennui

One in particular that caught his eye, as well as the Headmaster's it seemed, was Yelena. She'd chosen to go for a simple water bubble, which she maintained and grew for several seconds before it burst in her hand. Kano had taken a moment to offer her some tips and a bit of consolation before moving on to Thora, who had produced the multicolored fountain. Marshall sighed to himself. Sometimes the Headmaster could be so... insensitive. But then that wasn't really anything new, was it? Marshall shook his head as he made his way over.

He stepped down into the enclosure with the pink haired girl, crouched down on his heels, and gestured for her attention. "That was nicely done!" he told her reassuringly, "Making water hold a still shape like that is way harder than people give credit for, especially a sphere like that. Let's see..."

He raised his own palm, focused for a bit, and formed a water bubble of his own, about the same size Yelena had started with and held it out toward her. "The key thing is to take it at your own pace. Start small, like this, and hold it as long as you can. Don't worry about size, once you have stability size will come easy as breathing. And if you ever want some exercises for this sort of thing I'd be happy to help you. So don't be so hard on yourself, alright?"

(OOC: If Yelena would like to take the sphere from him and take over sustaining it, she absolutely can. I'll also carry a conversation if you want, we can just say it all resolved before he went over to Kris)

@Spriggs27

A short while later Marshall found his attention drawn to the exact opposite issue. Where Yelena had tried something small but determined and came down on herself for a perceived failure, another student was flaunting her abilities in a way that showed prior training and almost seemed full of herself. Kris Sterling-Silva, the princess from the north, he recalled, as he watched her conjure a dozen sculptures of ice, seat herself atop a frozen throne, and then shatter her constructs on a whim. It was impressive, to be sure, but the way she carried herself while doing it suggested she was bored, or even insulted by the whole scenario.

"Well, you're not wrong," he said in response to her comment on power, "But what sets people apart is what they do with the power they have, now isn't it?" He crouched again, this time on the edge of the pit looking down into it.

"I do wonder why you'd shatter your creations so callously," he noted with a tilt of his head, "Did they truly mean so little to you?"

Closed

I doubt that Kris impressed any Ice elemental teachers if there are any.

@Spriggs27

There is now, and you just never know. Drama teachers have a way of seeing things in people after all...

In the Court of the High Queen

Uhh... on the whole I would advise against trying any kind of physical violence against anybody right now. There are guards everywhere, including 2 of the more combat-oriented characters in the RP standing right there, and it's intended to be a ceremonial occasion. An admonishing or the like could work, but trying to punch someone in the face would be extremely disruptive...

In the Court of the High Queen

Hider

Name: Sir Aldrich Martin

Age: 26

Rank: Noble, Legitimized Bastard (Sort of)

Title: Knight

Features: Aldrich Martin is a tall, well-built man with dark brown hair and olive skin. His facial features are sharp, reminiscent of a hawk’s almost, and his eyes are a deep green. He stands roughly 6’4” tall, and can usually be seen wearing some form of armor. Typically he wears a few pieces of light plate over chainmail or leather, but he also has a set of ceremonial arms bearing the royal crest that he dons for occasions of particular pomp and circumstance.

Strengths:
-Martial Prowess: Aldrich is one of the finest swordsmen in the Crownlands and hones his skill regularly. Direct conflict with him or his charge is therefor incredibly risky.

-Military Experience: Aldrich served for several years in the Viexmeurian Military before his appointment, and during that time he gained an in-depth knowledge of military tactics as well as several friends in various positions he can call upon.

-Crown Confidant: Few, if any, are as familiar with Queen Gisela as Aldrich is. His presence in her youth, as well as their similar circumstances of birth, grant him an uncommonly close relation with the young monarch. Though he may not have bountiful lands, money, or soldiers, what Aldrich does have is the queen’s ear and confidence.

Weaknesses:
-Black Sheep: Aldrich has essentially been disinherited and exiled from his family, prohibiting him from receiving their support in any form except in very specific circumstances, and even then it's unlikely. Furthermore, where Lady Torverra is involved he is all but certain to be forced into disadvantageous positions.

-A Fish out of Water: Aldrich has not set foot in a court of governance since his adolescence, and while he knows enough decorum to not make a fool of himself courtly proceedings make him visibly uncomfortable.

-(Name Pending): While Aldrich is able to easily brush off insults levied at himself, he does not take kindly to insults or sleights against Gisela or his late father, and such remarks will incite him easily.

Bio: Aldrich is the eldest son of the Torverra House of the Crownlands. A highborn family steeped in military tradition, the Torverras are widely regarded as prestigious fighters and leaders, with several of Viexmeur’s finest generals coming from their lineage. However, Aldrich is not the heir to such a legacy. He is a bastard; his father, the Torverra Patriarch, drank a little too much on the march home to his newly betrothed bride and bedded the daughter of the holdfast lord which had taken him as a guest. Several months later, she died in childbirth and Aldrich was brought to Torverra Keep as a babe. His father, a compassionate man who truly regretted the woman’s fate, vowed to raise the child as his own and acted at once. This did not sit well with his lady wife, who in truth was a conniving woman out to see her own bloodline flourish at any expense, and she began trying to conceive ways the little one might be done away with lest his existence inhibit her own offspring. However, the slaughtering of a child proved too vile a thought for even her to stomach, and she allowed his existence to continue for a few short years, at which point the birth of her own son Davin occupied her attention.

Davin and Aldrich grew together, albeit in starkly different standards and preferences, until the day Aldrich turned 13- the age a Torverra customarily began their time of military service. Not wanting to disappoint, he agreed to serve his time, and departed for the barracks. However, he enlisted under the name of Martin, the holdfast to which his mother had belonged, at Lady Torverra’s insistence. As he learned and grew in the military, Aldrich developed strong bonds with his fellow servicemen, perhaps made possible by his lack of apparent connection to the House, and swiftly grew to become one of the finest soldiers in his battalion.

Then the letters came. There were two; the first was from Lady Torverra, giving him news that Lord Torverra had passed away, and that under her orders he was to cease association with the House as anything more than a governing family over him, and that he would be imprisoned for slander should he ever take the name for himself. It was near banishment, as far as sentences go. The second, however, was a nearly burned paper that had all the writing of a will and testament- his father’s, saved from fire by a servant who had seen it delivered. In it, though scarcely legible, was a simple script from the bottom- officially legitimizing Aldrich as his son, and conferring upon him all titles he was owed. It was clear that it would hold no value in any court, but to Aldrich it was a dear sentiment, even if he would never see it come to light.

Years continued to pass as Aldrich made a home for himself in the military, until one day his Captain called him to the command tent for a special discharge of duty to give him a new assignment. It seemed the King himself was in need of a strong and noble knight to personally safeguard a young girl but it did not say why she merited it. Still, it had called for the best man he had, the Captain had told him, and that meant Aldrich was the only choice.

He has stayed by Gisela’s side ever since.

Quote: “I take such threats neither kindly nor lightly. If you continue with these actions, I will draw my sword. And I guarantee that you will find what comes after… quite unpleasant.”

In the Court of the High Queen

@OfWindAndRain Aldrich can also handle that. In fact, he just might when I get to posting (which will probably be tomorrow)...

In the Court of the High Queen

Retooled a weakness and added the final one. Should be good for final grading.

Hider

Name: Sir Aldrich Martin

Age: 26

Rank: Noble, Legitimized Bastard (Sort of)

Title: Knight

Features: Aldrich Martin is a tall, well-built man with dark brown hair and olive skin. His facial features are sharp, reminiscent of a hawk’s almost, and his eyes are a deep green. He stands roughly 6’4” tall, and can usually be seen wearing some form of armor. Typically he wears a few pieces of light plate over chainmail or leather, but he also has a set of ceremonial arms bearing the royal crest that he dons for occasions of particular pomp and circumstance.

Strengths:
-Martial Prowess: Aldrich is one of the finest swordsmen in the Crownlands and hones his skill regularly. Direct conflict with him or his charge is therefor incredibly risky.

-Military Experience: Aldrich served for several years in the Viexmeurian Military before his appointment, and during that time he gained an in-depth knowledge of military tactics as well as several friends in various positions he can call upon.

-Crown Confidant: Few, if any, are as familiar with Queen Gisela as Aldrich is. His presence in her youth, as well as their similar circumstances of birth, grant him an uncommonly close relation with the young monarch. Though he may not have bountiful lands, money, or soldiers, what Aldrich does have is the queen’s ear and confidence.

Weaknesses:
-Black Sheep: Aldrich has essentially been disinherited and exiled from his family, prohibiting him from receiving their support in any form except in very specific circumstances, and even then it's unlikely. Furthermore, where Lady Torverra is involved he is all but certain to be forced into disadvantageous positions.

-A Fish out of Water: Aldrich has not set foot in a court of governance since his adolescence, and while he knows enough decorum to not make a fool of himself courtly proceedings make him visibly uncomfortable.

-(Name Pending): While Aldrich is able to easily brush off insults levied at himself, he does not take kindly to insults or sleights against Gisela or his late father, and such remarks will incite him easily.

Bio: Aldrich is the eldest son of the Torverra House of the Crownlands. A highborn family steeped in military tradition, the Torverras are widely regarded as prestigious fighters and leaders, with several of Viexmeur’s finest generals coming from their lineage. However, Aldrich is not the heir to such a legacy. He is a bastard; his father, the Torverra Patriarch, drank a little too much on the march home to his newly betrothed bride and bedded the daughter of the holdfast lord which had taken him as a guest. Several months later, she died in childbirth and Aldrich was brought to Torverra Keep as a babe. His father, a compassionate man who truly regretted the woman’s fate, vowed to raise the child as his own and acted at once. This did not sit well with his lady wife, who in truth was a conniving woman out to see her own bloodline flourish at any expense, and she began trying to conceive ways the little one might be done away with lest his existence inhibit her own offspring. However, the slaughtering of a child proved too vile a thought for even her to stomach, and she allowed his existence to continue for a few short years, at which point the birth of her own son Davin occupied her attention.

Davin and Aldrich grew together, albeit in starkly different standards and preferences, until the day Aldrich turned 13- the age a Torverra customarily began their time of military service. Not wanting to disappoint, he agreed to serve his time, and departed for the barracks. However, he enlisted under the name of Martin, the holdfast to which his mother had belonged, at Lady Torverra’s insistence. As he learned and grew in the military, Aldrich developed strong bonds with his fellow servicemen, perhaps made possible by his lack of apparent connection to the House, and swiftly grew to become one of the finest soldiers in his battalion.

Then the letters came. There were two; the first was from Lady Torverra, giving him news that Lord Torverra had passed away, and that under her orders he was to cease association with the House as anything more than a governing family over him, and that he would be imprisoned for slander should he ever take the name for himself. It was near banishment, as far as sentences go. The second, however, was a nearly burned paper that had all the writing of a will and testament- his father’s, saved from fire by a servant who had seen it delivered. In it, though scarcely legible, was a simple script from the bottom- officially legitimizing Aldrich as his son, and conferring upon him all titles he was owed. It was clear that it would hold no value in any court, but to Aldrich it was a dear sentiment, even if he would never see it come to light.

Years continued to pass as Aldrich made a home for himself in the military, until one day his Captain called him to the command tent for a special discharge of duty to give him a new assignment. It seemed the King himself was in need of a strong and noble knight to personally safeguard a young girl but it did not say why she merited it. Still, it had called for the best man he had, the Captain had told him, and that meant Aldrich was the only choice.

He has stayed by Gisela’s side ever since.

Quote: “I take such threats neither kindly nor lightly. If you continue with these actions, I will draw my sword. And I guarantee that you will find what comes after… quite unpleasant.”