The Jovian War: Renegades (Present Time)

[Baethor]

17 days Baethor had sat in a cell in the kyuden. He spoke little, and only to tatsumura. Sitting against a wall refusing food and water, save for what he needed to keep himself alive, the dwarf had slipped deeply into depression reveling in his failures. His wounds in his shoulder and legs still bandaged, the poison having run its course finally. as soon as it had the dwarf had called for tatsumura and demanded to be taken to a private cell away from his men, not wishing them to see their sergeant in such a way.

Refusing to even see his own men, Tatsumura came to him two days ago to inform him that there would be a battle to decide mittelmarchs fate. all of the allies would march on the city to take it. Baethors own men at the kyuden had joined the charge. Baethor replied with a stone-like silence that would have shaken mountains in a kings court. Even as tatsumura offered Baethor his weapons and armor again. The dwarf reached out...caressed the runes and steel...felt their power...then slipped back into himself, saying nothing.....


The day before the battle a squat figure approached him in his cell...Baethor felt his age weigh hard upon his broad shoulders, the world felt heavy around him as his guilt began to crush his spirit. The man tried to speak to him but Baethor could only hear his own voice screaming inside his skull. He could faintly hear singing...The squat figure stayed in his cell for several hours, it was apparently his singing that was heard. As the songs continued the weight that crushed baethor seemed to lessen little by little.

Before the man left, exasperated by the stubbornness of the old dwarf, he rested something against Baethors boot. After the figure left, Baethor reached down and lifted it to his face...It was a leatherbound book...The norse runes for BARD were etched into its cover. It was his bardic book, gifted to him by lord Oron for singing at his feasts. The dwarf slowly sifted through the papers re-reading old poems in khazalid, songs he had all but forgotten.

He could feel his mind slipping back into place the more he read, unfortunatly the depth of his deeds had sunk in. If the battle was won by the renegades, he would surely be put to death for defecting. If they lost he would most likely be killed so the jovians could not mount a rescue. Either was Baethor clutched the book to his chest and sat in the darkness of his cell...


That was two days ago. he had found out from the gaurds that mittelmarch had been re-taken and the jovians were driven out. His thoughts turned to his men and he wondered how many survived the slaughter, if any. As expected the old council of mittelmarch had conveined and called for Baethor to be brought before them...

The gaurds came for Baethor...his fists clenched around the book, even unarmed if he tried he could die here...but that would be needless bloodshed of those he once called friend..."No.." he decided. He would face his punishment, if not for the sake of his honor then for the blood on his hands that he should atone for. He was allowed his book, but was placed in irons, he hands connected to a metal collar, then to his ankles. He was lead to a cart to carry him to Mittelmarch...to take him home....


As he began his journey, swords aimed at his throat, heart and groin the dwarf thought he recognized a few of the younger faces in the cart or walking with the cart but could not recall names or from where...The dwarves thoughts turned to his friends Kain...Young goblin...Isen...Rune...Zigler...Tatsumura...Cathan...Nichtmar...At this last thought the wound in his shoulder ached oddly. The trip felt like it had taken days to just leave the gate...he could only imagine what waited him at home...

[Kotaro]

Still weary from the hard battle a few days earlier, Kotaro half walked, half hobbled through the town. Curious that the leg that was injured in the re-taking of Mittelmarch was the same one that was damaged when the Jovians originally took the city, and in the same spot, no less. Hm. At least it's not nearly as bad this time.

As he wandered, his mind reflected on the battle itself. He had fought with Orochi, his nodachi, as well as his twin wakizashi and spear. Most men would be proud of their personal victories. Kotaro didn't care. Once the battle started, each Jovian he killed was just another obstacle in the way of the city's liberation. He could even remember a few of their faces as they died...

He shook off those thoughts. Such wanderings of the mind bred regrets, and regrets bred depression. He had little time to devote to roaming the streets weeping. There's work to be done, he thought, as he spied the destroyed section of the city wall, currently under speedy repair. Changing course, he walked to the construction site to lend what help he could.

[Rojji]

Rojji wandered aimlessly through the recently-liberated Mittelmarch. The allies had won a monumental victory here, that he did not doubt, but something was bothering him. Was the price paid worth it? He saw many fall during the battle, some looked too young or too old to even be fighting.
He even noticed that during one of the battles that a family had a gay old time watching the carnage. They even had a picnic!
Rojji took part in the battle looking for revenge. He had slain many a foe during the battle. At one time three enemies just walked right past him as he rested, so he cut them down and made his way to his side of the battlefield. He would never dose in battle again. Later on during a lull in the fighting Rojji sparred with Kyosuke. In the middle of the duel, Rojji's pants split down the back. He went to Tachibana-dono's armory to see if he could repair them and all they had was some glue and some really thin sheets of metal. He used these materials to repair said trousers.
The gleaming patch on Rojji's backside caused him to be the BUTT of many jokes. At one point one of his enemies taunted him by calling him, "Rojji the metal-ass".
Since he had limited mobility he was assigned to man one of the trebuchets during one of the final offences. He was nearly killed when his trebuchet was overrun and destroyed.
For some reason the only time he really excelled was in the final battle. He was behind the shieldwall when javelins started flying overhead. He actually managed to catch five.
He had been lucky so far, but in the last battle his thumb was nearly severed. That is why he stayed in the infirmary overnight. They banged his thumb with a dressing of cloth made from the fskin of a strange animal called a duct.
"But enough about the past!" he told himself, "i need to return to the Kyuden. But first I need to get new pants, since Kai ripped of the patch."

[ziglerrobertson]

Zigler had had no desire to be called upon by the Jovian Guard and left Mittelmarch for the Kyuden several days earlier. In fact he had began preparations for it the day after he last sang in the Silvermoon Tavern. Before leaving he went to retrieve one item from a friends house, no matter that Zigler didn't have the key.

The closer he got to the Kyuden the more Alliance forces Zigler passed. He came upon the forces of Dunland and camped with them for a night before finally heading into the Kyuden.

"Bring me to the Dwarf Baethor," demanded Zigler of one of the Shinobi. Along the way he begins humming the many songs the two of them had shared. The Shinobi leads Zigler down a flight of steps in a gaily decorated building. At the bottom of the steps is Baethor's cell. The Shinobi stands outside as Zigler tries to talk to his friend....

****

Having not gotten a response for several hours Zigler leaves the cell and Baethor, and Baethor's book. He stays at the Kyuden for a couple of days then follows the caravan transporting Baethor back to Mittelmarch.

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

Fuuma Kyosuke watched the wall rebuilding efforts from a local alley. Where many who had been fighting only a day or so earlier had taken to assisting with the efforts, Kyosuke found these ventures to be...distasteful. Despite the fact that it was beneath his status to do manual labor, the work he was about to do would take precedence. After all, someone needed to ensure the Jovians would not come through the pass again.

As he climbed a rope that took him to the roof, Kyosuke noticed a figure pass out of the corner of his eye. The young samurai expedited his climb, looking back and visually following the vaguely human shape as he did so. Once he made it to the top, the Fuuma wasted no time in giving chase from rooftop to rooftop, catching his quarry with relative ease. When he got closer, he easily noticed the Jovian build of the man he chased. With that out of his mind, he whipped out a dagger and threw it into the back of his knee. The man sufficiently slowed, Kyosuke drew his katana and took position in front of his prey. "Well, then, what have we here? One of Shatar-chan's dogs?"

The man pulled the dagger from his knee and threw it at Kyosuke, who blocked it with little thought. "You only wish I was one of Shatar's men, the dead fool. Die, Samurai Dog!" A slash from a hidden blade almost caught Kyosuke by surprise, but the samurai was too used to surprise. He took a quick step back to avoid the attack, then cut the tendons in the Jovian's wrist, forcing him to drop the weapon in his hand.

"I'm going to ask you this once. Who do you work for?" The question was answered with spit from the Jovian, which hit the mask covering Kyosuke's face. Kyosuke nodded in understanding as he removed the Jovian's head. Not a few moments after Kyosuke wiped the blood off his Katana and sheathed it, did one of the shinobi under his daimyo's command appear before him. "Tell Kotaro-Dono that I am leaving the city with my subordinates. I believe it is time that I payed the land of Jove a visit." The Shinobi nodded and departed, leaving Kyosuke to collect his thoughts.

[Rojji]

Rojji, as he was wandering down the street, overheard Kyosuke-sama giving his orders to his subordinates. This worried Rojji that he would make this trip only with his subordinates.
"He shant go into peril alone!" said Rojji to nobody in particular, "I must find Arashi-dono, and quickly, before he leaves or is too far gone."
With that last statement to himself, Rojji was pacing to and fro. The problem is that he had no clue where his master was. He went to her temporary quarters in the city and meditated outside her door waiting for her.
When he finally saw her he said, "Arashi-dono I have news! Kyosuke-sama plans on traveling to Jove with only his subordinates. Shall we let him walk into peril alone?"

[storyteller]

Most would recognize Helvaryn in is robes as the Librarian, but here he was in some sort of black stealth armor, lurking the rooftops.

His deep and wise voice, “Impressive, Kyosuke. I’ve been watching you. Do you intend to go to Jove? What will you do when you get there?”

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

Kyosuke looked at the new arrival quizzically. "You know my name. Interesting. However, a wise man does not reveal his hand to a stranger without at least learning a name. Perhaps you might indulge me?" Kyosuke bowed, keeping his eyes on the armored figure where he would normally bow even his head.

[storyteller]

"I am Helvaryn, keeper of History. I have a job for you in Jove. Interested?"

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

Kyosuke pondered for a mere moment. "Very well, as long as you're goals connect with mine, I believe I can perform a task for you. I trust you are fighting against the Jovians, Hai?"

[Suihaden]

(OOC) Sorry it's been so long since I've been to practice, but between my Mom's cancer and my work its been hard to work things out. I hopefully will make a practice soon.

(IC)

Pushing hard at a sledge filled with stones, Sui slowly made his way to the crumbled walls. Having spent the battle caring for the wounded he was in excellent condition, unlike many of his Fellow MittelMarchers. Now the city needed his help again, and using the rough skill he had learned about fortifications during his stay at Acre, he was able to assist the masons in raising a new wall. Wiping the sweat off his forehead, he heard voices on the roof tops above.

"Very well, as long as you're goals connect with mine, I believe I can perform a task for you. I trust you are fighting against the Jovians, Hai?"

The thought of fighting Jovians stirred his blood, having missed out in the battle he was eager for action. Nimbly he climbed op the steep gables and vines to the roof, where a cloaked old man and a masked Samurai he recognized exchanged words.

"A mission in Jove? If it would please you, I am eager to join such a mission."

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

Kyosuke looked over, bothered by the sudden influx of new people, which could clearly be seen on his face. "I'm sorry, Stranger-san. This is a mission that only myself and my chosen subordinates will be undertaking. Any more than that, and the risk of capture would become far too great." Choosing to ignore the younger citizen after that and focus on Helvayrn, Kyosuke smiled. "Now then, I believe you said you have a task for me. I hope that you do not expect me to throw myself wildly at some armored beast. I learned my lesson since the last time I tried it."

[storyteller]

"The mission i ask of you will require much cunning. First you must find Cathan, the demon child. Cathan is already familiar with the City of Jove, he's been there. He and you will assemble a team to snake through Jove to find Isg'bel's Scepter and return it to Mittelmarch."

OOC: The meeting with with Cathan and assembling your team and sneaking around Jove, can be done in RP on the boards, but I'm going to setup a small RP scenario for you guys to steal the scepter. Have fun....

[Rojji]

"Kyosuke-sama! Don't leave yet. I have tried to ask permission of my daimyo to go on the voyage, but alas she doesn't respond. I wish to go on this adventure." exclaimed Rojji, "I know you don't want dead weight, but I can handle my self so please, sire. Please take me."
Rojji Nealt on the ground awaiting an answer

OOC: Could this turn into another day event? PM me helvaryn

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

Kyosuke looked down at Rojji and shook his head. "Rojji-kun, as I told the commoner here, I already have subordinates who will be more than up to this task. I will take Cathan with me, if for no other reason than the Demon will be useful, but he is all that I will take with me. Anyone else will just get in the way." Kyosuke turned to Helvayrn and bowed, this time showing the respect of dropping his head. "The staff will be retrieved, Helvayrn-san. I shall find Cathan, and we will be off."

OOC: Since most people don't really do the stealth characters, and Kotaro's busy helping the city, I'm going to keep this to my characters personal unit of assassin's/shugenja + Cathan. As long as I can pick people out for the scenario, it sounds like it'll be fun.

[storyteller]

"Excellent," Helvaryn confirmed. Bowed and departed to the shadows.


OOC: Sure, Kyosuke. Cathan may or may not want to take someone with him. This won't be a big event thing, just a little RP Scenario, gonna start doing more of these.

[Cathán Neamhnaofa]

After destroying the wall in Mittelmarch to give his side an advantage, Cathán didn't stick around to much longer. He followed the Joves that decided to flee from the fight and picked them off one by one before they could get to their empire. No Jovian was left to tell the story of what happened by the time he was done.

Cathán sits high up in a tree watching Mittelmarch get rebuilt, thinking to himself, ( Oh how i would love to just appear inside the Jovian empire and start killing all of them. Good chance i wouldn't even get noticed for a good while so long as i stay to the shadows and pull the dead to the back allys, but there are to many of them and either i would get caught or i would only just kill off some of them not making a big enough dent. I might need some help, maybe a distraction or more swords to come with me.)

Getting bored, Cathán vanishes from the tree and goes in search of some jovians to kill.

[Fuuma Kyosuke]

Kyosuke smiled as Helvayrn disappeared into the shadows. With a snap of his fingers, ten figures appeared, many of them near where Rojji and Suihaden were standing. "You heard him. We have a staff to collect. It is time for us to leave." With that, the group began running from rooftop to rooftop, utilizing the destroyed section of wall to make a quicker exit, though they were light enough on their feet to not knock anything over. If nothing else, Kyosuke thought, I shouldn't make their work harder for them. The group headed for the Kyuden, and Kyosuke thought up a list of supplies that they would need for the journey.

[ziglerrobertson]

Finally arriving back in Mittelmarch Zigler decides to go back to Cedric's and see about the news. As he approaches the building he can see that the door is hanging on one hinge and that many windows have been broken. Zigler unbinds his knife as he walks into the dimly lit room.

There are about five people sitting around the room drinking, none of them the regulars Zigler is used to seeing, all are dirty and unkempt, seemingly dressed like vagabonds though not as clean. One of them is behind the bar and Cedric and his wife are nowhere in sight. Zigler walks sits down at the bar, "Gimme a drink wilz ya?"

"Get it yourself trash," the man responds.

"Hey! I thought this was a drinkin' establishment. Now gimme my booze!," whines Zigler.

"I said get it yourself trash, the booze is free. The owner left as soon as the fighting was done and we showed up. You should've seen her rack, I.....argh!!!!"

With one swift motion Zigler plunged the knife into the man's arm, with another he dragged the skinny man over the bar and threw him to the floor. Three of the men sitting at the tables quickly leave. The remaining two watch Zigler warily as they pick up their comrade and leave. "You'll regret this! You'll see!" the injured man shouts.

Zigler watched them leave then went behind the bar to the kitchen for tools to repair the door and a rag to clean his knife. Once the door closes again, Zigler locks it and then tiredly goes up the stairs to his room, only to find a note nailed to the door.

Zigler,

I wish I could have waited until you returned, but I couldn’t stand being in the Inn without Cedric.
He was conscripted into the Jovian army and was killed during the fighting to take back the city. I'll stay as long as I can, but strange men have been hanging around outside...
There was so much that reminded me of him, and it hurt so much to have him gone…
I just hope you’re able to take good care of yourself and keep warm. The Inn is your home now.
Regards,
Susan

With a sigh Zigler goes into his room and pulls out a piece of parchment and a pen, after writing a short message he goes back to the kitchen to retrieve the hammer and a nail. Unlocking the door Zigler steps outside and hammers the note into the door frame. Sighing again he looks at it and it's words, "Help Wanted" then goes back inside, locking the door.

[Rojji]

Rojji was wandering around the city when he realized he hadn't sleeped in days. Since he had no home he asked around if there was an in in town. He eventually made his way to an inn and on the door there was a sign reading help wanted. Excellent! I need something to do.
Rojji knocked on the door, "Is anyone home?"

[Sir Storm Brightblade]

Storm was walking around Mittelmarch looking at the destruction that had happened during the siege. He walked with a limp because he feel the wrong way on his foot in the fight and wasn't expecting it to happen.

"He at least we have taken back the one place I know as home." said Storm with a sigh and smiled to himself.

He looked up and saw an Inn he knew as Cedric's had a "Help Wanted" sign on it.

"Hm, well something for me to do with my foot not being all the way healed. Also will do some good for business."

Storm walks with his cane over to the door and walks in. He notices someone he recognizes already standing in the door way and smiles.

"Why hello there Rojji."

[Carneth]

Carneth looked up from the forge as he finished the last of the order. He only took to the anvil in the late hours of the evening, when the resident smith was done working on more important pieces. It was boring work, and unsatisfying, as he really took pleasure from forging weapons and not menial blacksmithing. However, since he was a newcomer to Mittelmarch, there was little other way to make a living. He hadn't the money to set up his own smithy, and hadn't the reputation to (or, quite frankly, the confidence, though he'd never admit it) to join the guard and maybe regain his previous status. Besides, the fighting was over now.

He had been able to join a group of rebels in retaking Mittelmarch once he'd sorted out the situation. His new... acquaintance... had helped him take stock of who was in the right just after he first arrived. Dorian Prior was a strange man, that was certain, but he'd been immensely helpful.

However, he, Carneth, had not been immensely helpful to the people of Mittelmarch, at least, not in battle. He hadn't found it hard to battle the Jovians, not after having a run in with a troop of them when he first arrived. They'd fined him hard after that scuffle, taking most of the money he'd brought along after his exile, and thereafter it had not bothered him to ring a few Jovian helmets with his hammer. What had given him trouble was fighting and killing the conquered people of Mittelmarch. It seemed the whole venture had been a conflict of emotions for the rebels. Every hand that had helped free Mittelmarch from Jovian oppression was also stained with the blood of the very people they were hoping to save...

Coming out of his thoughts, Carneth noticed a trio of men scramble out of the inn across the road. Soon after, they were followed by another group of two men supporting a third who seemed to be holding an injured arm close to his chest. The injured man yelled back into the tavern "You'll regret this! You'll see!" and stumbled off cursing. Carneth thought he recognized one or two of the men as what his father would have called "ruffians," and seemed to remember hearing something about that inn. What was it...? Oh, yes, he'd caught a bit of conversation the other day from one of the men who came in for an order...

"... 'Tis a shame that ol' Cedric was killed. 'E used tah run a fine tavern, mark me words. Now there's nothin' left o' that inn but what the scum didn't run off with."

"Well, it looks like someone's come to take Cedric's tavern back," Carneth thought to himself. Looking up, he noticed that said person had come to the door and begun fixing it. He smiled. It was Zigler who had come back to Cedric's tavern and thrown out the trash inhabiting it. Zigler Robertson: a man whom Carneth knew, if not well, then at least well enough to warrant a visit.

As Carneth cleaned up the forge and made his way to the pallet in the barn where he was staying, he made up his mind to visit Zigler very soon and to see if he could be of any assistance. Working for Zigler, he might eventually amass enough money to start his own smithy, or perhaps do something completely different. Whatever the case, after seeing Zigler take back Cedric's tavern, the future looked much brighter.

[Rojji]

Rojji tired from the long day sat down in a chair. He started to doze, then someone opened the door.
"Well hello there Rojji" he said
"Akaruri-sama!" I exclaimed, "Did kyosuke-sama leave yet? He's going to Jove. I think we should be ready if he sends word to help, his force was small. and he left with this strange guy."

[wolfblade]

wolfblade seems to streatch into being from nothing behind Roji

"wait why am i in kyoden? the spell was to help me find the artifact..........and I didnt even have anything to give lord Mattsume. I hope he will not be mad at that i did help dfend this place once."

looking up he realizes there are two people in the rooom one in the chair and storm

"uhhhh...Hail Master storm I am sorry for dropping in unannounced...again but i guess the destiny spell has placed me here for now. Is there anything i can do to help?"

[Sir Storm Brightblade]

Storm smiled and shook his head

'I have a lot to work on with this one,' he thought as he made his way over to a chair, for his ankle was acting up.

"Rojji, I trust completely in my brother's skills and capabilities. If he wants help, then he will ask for help. But it is not your job as an Arashi to do what we Fuuma are to do. Also, shouldn't you be off protecting your Daimyo or even that fact the Shogun?" Storm said as he sat down.