Xaltwind
Remram
Izurich
CitrusArms
Abstract Proxy
Cu Chulainn
Mcmolly
ERode
KawaiiOtakuGirl
Duthguy
Location: Ersand'Enise
Interactions: None
Collab: Lamplighters @pantothenic
Desmond awoke the morning of the Societies Faire, he felt his body and it seemed stiff. He lightly sighed as he slowly sat up and rubbed his face before he left his room, as he seemed to almost move like a ghost, as his feet left little noise and even him turning door nobs and opening doors seemed to not have that same squeak they normally do. Once he left his room, he headed off to cleaned up, he had clothing prepared, light clothing and a cloak incase of rain. When he moved through the dark house with not even a light cutting through the window he was as quiet as a the wind. Not even his breath could be heard, his feet moved in a calm and relaxed way, yet he moved in a methodical pattern as it left his movements with little noise to be made. As once he was prepared to leaver, he opened the front door, not even the first light has cut through the horizon, as he had maybe another 20 minutes until that happened. As Desmond left to do the same things he did in the early morning: relax.
Desmond's relaxation wasn't simple as laying about, shopping, not even studying, no his tinkering was a fantastic hobby, yet that sometimes even gets on his nerves when he can't figure something out, or something keeps breaking, no, he trained. As Desmond moved towards the Arboretum, he originally moved in the early morning as it was the best time to dodge annoying Nobles who seemed to always found fun in harassing Desmond. After a rough housing incident with a noble, Centuries seemed to almost breath down his back anytime he is even near the a Noble's Dorm, so he had opted to leaving early to dodge the patrols in the early morn of his area. It was maybe a minute window he had to slip through as they seemed to have a decent focus near in the Noble's Dorm to keep the area safe, however even with the increased patrols, it was more than enough time for Desmond.
The moment Desmond opened the door to the house he checked the street, as the moment he saw the hole in the patrol, he began to bolt forward and through the set of Noble buildings infront of his home. Once he neared them, he dipped to the side where there was an alleyway, as the moment he hit the alleyway he set his hand against the wall and prepared as he focuses kinetic energy into his legs as he squatted down and sprung up as the energy he could muster threw him into the air. He did not have enough power to even throw himself high enough to clear a 30 foot wall, however he had quite a bit of experience and practice in climbing and freerunning.
As Desmond began to slow at about 20 feet off the ground, he began using magnetic energy to attract himself and the wall together as his hands near the wall almost latches on to give him the friction and grip he needs to put is feet under him and against the wall as the moment he had a grip he drew in the charged energy that attracted himself and the wall together as he used the energy he could draw from his beginning fall and input it into his jump again clearing another 10 feet before using the same trick he did before to do another bound as once he neared the top, he used magnetic energy one more time to attract his hands to the lip of the roof, as his hands barely griped onto the edge before he was able to grip tightly and pull himself up and onto the roof.
Desmond finished his ascent from the ground floor to one of the roofs in a mere moment as he began to run across the roofs to continue his travel. Using the fact that more often then not the only time any guards will look up is when they either hear some noises above them or they sense magic. Desmond moved with very quiet and methodical movements as he moved and shifted across the roofs as he watched out for any wandering guards or Centuries. As once he made it most of the way through the Noble Dorms, he began his descent using megnetic energy and kinetic energy to slow his fall, and once he landed he made his way to the road dividing the Merchant dorms and the Noble dorm, Desmond knew he would be mostly fine at this point.
As once he cut through the Merchant Dorms into the Common dorms, he was mostly relaxed as he finally saw the trees and knew he made it. As he entered the Arboretum he began hearing the birds calling, the insects musing, and the water slightly moving. It was nice here, it felt much more akin to what Desmond was used to, as after a bit of stretching, Desmond began 'relaxing'.
Desmond's training wasn't something that was just purely physical training, if that was the case he wouldn't be as proficent of a combatant as he is. Training has always been a wholistic thing with him, to train the mind, body, and magic is the required training to make an even stronger fighter, and so, Desmond's training regiment reflects that.
Desmond constantly drew kinetic energy from himself while doing pushups to create increased resistance and once he reached near his RAS limit, he imparts his energy quickly into a kinetic push into the air. After doing this for sometime, he switches to hanging from a tree upside down as he begins doing upside down sit ups. As the entire time he is drawing from his kinetic energy within him to make his workout much harder and anytime he is moving down he is imparting kinetic energy to force himself to put more effort into going back down, as once he feels his body starting to slow from muscle fatigue, Desmond hangs from the tree for a moment as he began to draw kinetic energy in and converted it over so he can use his spell: [Blessing of Endurance].
As Desmond's Spell worked it's magic, it slowly took away that muscle fatigue that seemed to slow Desmond down. Desmond let out a sight as he landed, Desmond began stretching as once he felt good enough he began sprinting across the Arboretum. As Desmond once more pulled from the force he was to exert on the ground to strain himself while not moving very quickly. Desmond continued this constant use of the gift, physical exertion, and mental exertion. After a few hours of exercise, he does all forms of exercise to train his body. Desmond was drenched in sweat, his body was red from the constant blood flow, muscle working, and growing heat his body is creating. Desmond was huffing and sighing as he used his magic one last time to cleanse his body of his Muscle fatigue.
Desmond did one last stretch before he left to bathe before he started his day. Desmond left to return home so he would be able to bathe and change into his proper clothing before things start to properly happening. Once Desmond was finished he left to begin his day, a day where the day the Student Societies begin. As Desmond went about his day he began seeing the streets slowly fill up, different groups of students building stalls, and much more. As Desmond saw someone come up to him and say, "Hey! Would you like to joinâŚ.", and for Desmond, the Society Faire has began.
"You want me to pay HOW much every month? God damn!!!" Desmond shook his head in frustration and blew off the egghead working the Waverider booth. Learning how to surf sounded awesome, but he was already putting himself in debt by attending this stupid school. It seemed like half the clubs in this faire were only open to people with money or status. What did they have against normal people like him?
As he moped down the street a large piece of parchment flew through the air and slapped him in the face. "What the f-" Desmond ripped the paper off and looked at it. It was some kind of poster advertising a society called the Lamplighters. There was a lot of flowery bull written on it which he pragmatically ignored, but certain pieces of information stood out.
"Tuition rebates? Daily food allowances? Hourly income!?" Desmond crumpled the poster up and sprinted towards the front gate of the academy where the Lamplighters booth was located.
The signup booth looks more like a military recruitment station than a club. There are several tables with chairs on each side for people to sit on. Prefects are interviewing potential Lamplighters in order to assess their personalities and combat aptitude, as well as business matters such as money and release of liability. Desmond's line is rather short, and his turn comes up as quickly as he arrives. The bored-looking senior opposite from him shuffles some papers and prepares to take notes.
"Your name?"
Desmond put on his confident smile as he gave his name to the Interviewer, "Desmond Catulus". Desmond held himself with a calm demeanor, this was him introducing himself to an employer, so he knew the basics from his time as a Mercenary. Give concise information, make sure to play up your strengths, and make sure they don't know about any of your real weaknesses.
The recruiter attempts to write down Desmond's name and notices that his fountain pen is empty. After a brief refill, he notes his interviewee's name on a printed document covered in various blank fields. The print is too small for Desmond to read upside down.
"Desmond Catulus. Thank you for expressing interest in the Lamplighters organization. Before we begin the interview, tell me, what do you know about our society?"
Desmond took notice of the man's failing fountain pen and it being empty, Desmond thought about how many people would have probably came by for him to have a failing pen already, must mean there are either many people wishing to be good doers or that there are probably some more complacent types within the society.
As when the Interviewer spoke it almost seemed to be rehearsed, so Desmond knew that the most basic answers would have been heard a thousand times. So Desmond gave the information in a concise form to move them through the boring pieces, "The Lamplighters are a society that act as volunteer watchmen for Ersand'Enise, they enforce curfew, watch for suspicious activity, and while the Lamplighters are considered a part of the city guard and expected when necessary to be able to police for minor crimes, they are also expected to report more major crimes to the proper authorities".
As he spoke, the pen moved with every sentence Desmond uttered. The prefect's poker face was well practiced: His body language did not indicate whether the student's answer was a good or a bad one. It was unclear whether answering the question mattered at all, such was the nature of a job interview.
"Knowing what you do about the Lamplighters, what is your reason for signing up?" The second question was a big one. Desmond could choose to be somewhat honest, or bullshit it and give a nice-sounding answer.
Desmond spoke and watched as the man seemed well rehearsed, it meant either he has done this often, or he himself is a part of the guard. Desmond kept his same calmness as the next question was asked. Desmond in that moment had weighed his options, nice sounding would make him seem like a man who wants the job for some reason and is willing to lie about it, while the truth would make him seem like somewhat of a man who is here just for the money.
Desmond spoke in a calm fashion, he knew his answer anytime he took a job, you do what you need to, but on your terms, "Ah, I signed up because of the financial assistance and hourly wage. I'm here at Ersand'Enise from my own pocket and had to be indebted to quite a few people I know, so I thought this would be a good way to repay that while being in school".
"The financial assistance does seem to attract a lot of people to our fold." Another non-committal response. The prefect filled in a box somewhere on his document before looking back at Desmond.
"Well, let's start with qualifications. While the Lamplighters are rather safe by the standards of a guard unit, the job may at times put you in harm's way. Not everyone we deal with is a Biro trying to break curfew - Ersand'Enise has a very real criminal element within its walls. We do provide some basic training to those that require it, but this year's pool of recruits is quite large and we can't coddle everyone. You'll be a lot more successful in the Lamplighters if you have prior fighting experience of any kind. How would you say you fare in that regard?"
Desmond looked towards the man as he spoke, Desmond understood te situation clearly: in possibility of a Lamplighter gets into harm's way from the possible criminal activity that they could get mixed into because of the job, they can be provided basic training, yet from the large pool of applicants they can't provide it to everyone.
Desmond's smile never changed but internally he knew this was going to be one that was going to give him a decent edge, "Ah, I have quite a bit of experience in fighting actually. I have quite near a decade of experience in fighting in live combat situations. So basic training would only waste the instructors time".
"Live combat you say? At your age?" Desmond's recruiter reached for a stack of papers on the table and began flipping through them. It was unclear what their contents held, but a keen eye could spot tidbits such as the names of countries, some statistics, and the names of some local mercenary outfits. "Can you provide a little more detail?"
Desmond watched the man as he seemed to almost flick through a stack of papers that Desmond took notice almost instantly. As he watched the papers, he noticed the countries, and then he saw statistics for combats and battles that took place, as he began looking for names: The Flammenburgs, The Grunhounds, and many other mercenary outfits he remembered meeting and facing during his times.
Desmond knew who he was looking for as Desmond said, "Ah I was with The Crimson Sun Mercenary Company, or Le Soleil Cramoisi Compagnie de Mercenaires". Desmond then gave him a chuckle as he said that in a very fluent Perrence as he continued, "Our leader is Perrench, so it might come up as that-" Desmond smiled as he lightly gestured to the stack of papers the Interviewer was looking through, "-During my time we were in multiple smaller scale battles and a few small wars in the Kerremand, Huulendam, and Kressian region, and some of the most note worthy Wars come from the Enth - Helbahn War that was about 6 years back. That one ended with the Enth pushing back Helbahn from their archipelago allowing them to keep control of the sea trade there. Then there was the Kerremand - Huulendam War about 4 or so years back that led to an indecisive outcome or Pyrrhic at best for Kerremand in the that the Iron Duke had lost in open battle yet were bled dry. The rest would be smaller wars waged against piracy between Enth, Juiskarn, Eskand, and Warlisz for the past few years".
As Desmond shared his account, his interviewer recorded his observations on a fresh sheet of parchment. While taking notes he would often pull a document from the large stack and refer to it cryptically. After Desmond was finished sharing his personal history, the man pulled a whistle out from his shirt and blew on it. A younger looking lad wearing the Lamplighters arm band appeared at his side and was handed some of the notes. The prefect whispered in the runner's ear before sending him away.
"Your candor is appreciated Mr. Catulus. It seems we need not worry about your ability to protect yourself. No proof of your service will be necessary, for we can easily figure that out ourselves. Let us move on to other matters." The man picked up a paper and looked at it while speaking. "Before we can consider you for recruitment there are some questions we are required to ask you. Be honest, and don't overthink your answers. This is an important part of the screening process."
"Question one: One of your squad members has pocketed an expensive piece of evidence, and you are the only person to notice. You know that this is against protocol, but the two of you are good friends and have gone on patrol together multiple times before. You remember that this person comes from a large and poor family. What do you think is the right way to deal with this situation while upholding the integrity of the city guard?"
Once finished Desmond sat patiently as the man finished his notes and called for a Lamplighter to run the notes. Most likely to see if any of his claims were legitimate. As the man final broke the silence, Desmond listened as he asked the start of the questions that seemed to be used to screen certain personalities.
Desmond thought for just a moment before he answered, "Sigh, I believe in this case, it's evidence...to up hold the integrity of the guard I couldn't allow them to just leave with the evidence, but I won't get others involved. It'd be a difficult one as I would feel for them, however, I would try to talk to them about giving it up. I know they would fight it, but I would do what I can to get them to do it and then help them return the evidence in a unseen way so no one needs to know otherwise"
"Mhm." The prefect recorded Desmond's response but did not demand any further clarification in regards to the answer. "Noted. The next thing I would like to ask you is: What is the difference between a soldier and a guardsman?"
Desmond fretted if the Interviewer would have pushed further, yet he seemed to move on to the next question, one that was an interesting one that could either be seen as being based upon philosophy or based upon pure classification. Desmond knew not which he looked for so he answered as he could, "A Soldier is someone who is a member of an upstanding army whos job is to fight for and protect their country. A Guardsman is a member of a community who job is to fight for and protect their community. Both fight and protect their people, yet one is much closer to those they protect than the other, so they will have a naturally closer connection and trust".
"So why do we have both an army and a peacekeeping force? Why can't the 11th Mounted Rifle regiment of Perrence do the same job that we do?" The man retorted.
Desmond chuckled, as he said, "It's easy, Trust". Desmond shifted himself as he then continued, "You wouldn't trust someone you never knew to be the one you expect to protect your daughter from some pervs at night, even if they may be well trained and very capable. You wouldn't want someone who might have dubious ties outside the city you'll never know having the ability to say who is and who isn't a criminal. It's about the trust you have of those who are here to protect you, you don't mind having someone fight a war for you if you never see them, but you do care when someone outside of town comes to be a policing force. Because they aren't here for your community, they are here for the country. As the ears of a King never hear the cried of the Clerk and the Thief".
There was a tapping sound as the clerk's pen smacked against the table repetitively. He appeared to be giving something some serious thought. After a few seconds of uncomfortable silence he impartially scribbled something down. "Third question: when is it okay to disobey the lawful orders of your superior?"
Desmond waited in silence, the tapping became more and more reverberating as it felt almost uncomfortable to sit and wait, as the moment the Interviewers pen finally scribbled a note, Demsond felt a sense of relief fill him as the man continued. The next question was another interesting one as it was the question of when was it okay to disobey lawful orders.
Desmond took a moment and then said, "The time I believe it is okay to disobey lawful orders of your superior would be when it either goes directly against the very foundation of what we as people believe is good, or when we are to turn our blades against those we are sworn to protect or know to be innocent. After all, laws may be changed based upon that which those higher than us believe befitting in either their benefit or otherwise, and any can be called guilty without due cause, yet we as people need to be able to stop when we know something is wrong".
The recruiter opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted when his runner abruptly returned. The two whispered in each others ears for a time, and then the Lamplighter was off to a different table. Desmond's interviewer looked at a dossier while glancing at him, then nodded and shuffled it back into the pile.
"Very well. The next thing I want to do is ask you a series of rapid-fire, binary questions. There are only right answers here. Ready?"
Once prompted Desmond said with a solid, "Yes sir", and the questions begin.
"What is seven times twelve?"
"84"
"What is the eighth letter of the Avincian alphabet?"
"đ(H)"
"Which way is east?"
Desmond looked as if he was confused for a moment that this was a question as he looked to the sun where it is rising and falling as he figured out which way was Eastward and tossed a thumb in the direction, "That direction"
"Spell playwright."
Desmond said in a clear voice to make sure a letter in not misheard, "P-L-A-Y-W-R-I-G-H-T"
"You have a number of coins that equal one Incantor. Twenty three coins are Owls. How many Bennies do you need to make up the remaining difference?"
Desmond took a quick moment of thought to remember the conversions and once done he gave his answer in a quick fashion, "You will have to have 50 Bennies".
When the questioning was over, the recruiter went back to his original document and checked something off. "Good enough. I think it's about time to wrap this up. I suppose you want to know how you did at this point...?" He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms at Desmond. His face looked more stern than it did previously.
"Question one. How to deal with crime among your own. Caring for your comrades is important, but as an officer of peace you need to adopt a different mindset. If you confront a criminal without the intent to arrest them, all you managed to do was warn them that their methods need improvement. There is no guarantee that the sob story he fed you was grounded in reality, nor that he has any intent to stop stealing in the future. It's our job to hold people accountable, not to rehabilitate them. That's a job for the Somnians. If arresting your own makes you uncomfortable then report the incident to your superiors."
The prefect took a wax seal and burned it onto his document using arcane magic. "You have potential though. You'll make a fine guardsman, I think, so long as you keep one thing in mind. Our goal is to arrest criminals, not shoot them in the head. Understood, mercenary?" He slid the document into a leather folder and leaned forward. "Training starts the day after Trials week. You know how to fight, but you don't know protocol. You'll report to the Proving Grounds where you will be assigned to your sergeant and begin your drills."
Finally, the man slid a sheaf of papers towards Desmond. "These are things we need you to fill out and turn in to the school's records department. Financial aid forms. Release of liability in the case of injury. Duty statements. Very interesting stuff I'm sure. Welcome to the Lamplighters, Mr. Catulus."
Desmond said with a calm, "Yes sir", as he rose from his seat and shook the Interviewer's hand before he left.
