Fire Emblem - Seal of Fate II

[TheSummoner]

And so Nagandra Castle had been reclaimed. The survivors of the invading force disappeared as quickly and as silently as they had come. A week after the battle, Lord Caspian was crowned king, his health having improved enough for the journey and ceremony. Peace had been restored. If only such things could last.

Reactions to Caspian's coronation were mixed. Many questions involving the invasion remained unanswered and suspicion swirled around the man who had just come into power. Though many who had lived in Hebron and the surrounding areas knew him to be a kind and just man, many others had thier doubts. Many rebellions sprang up across Taymeer. Though some were able to be put down through threats of action alone, the majority ended in violence. No mercy was shown to those who threatened the delicate peace.

The mercenary Bernard had left Anselm's group shortly after the battle. With peace restored, he no longer had interest in staying with them.

A month and a half has passed since the battle.

While walking down one the halls in Gilford's estate, Anselm is approached by Gilford.

Gilford: I have some news. Would you please come with me?

Gilford leads Anselm outside to a place where there are no servants or guards within earshot.

Gilford: I've recieved a letter from Lo - King Caspian. He requests we put Prince Draven in his care. The situation is a quite unfortunate... As displeasing as the thought of going directly against the king is, the prince's safety is my greatest concern and I'm not comfortable with the thought of him leaving my care until the men who killed King Orion are caught and executed. King Orion put great faith in your opinions and so shall I... what are your thoughts on the matter?

------

In Hebron, King Caspian is finalizing his preparations to move into Nagandra Castle. Once Caspian has left Hebron, it is to be left in Roan's care. The two are discussing Roan's new responsibilities when theres a knock at the door.

Caspian: Enter.

A servant enters.

Servant: I'm sorry to interrupt you, but your guests have arrived.

Caspian: Wonderful, show them in.

The servant leaves.

Caspian: I'm sorry Roan, we'll have to cut this short for today. You'll see why this is so important shortly.

The servant returns a few minutes later leading a group of men. A large man wearing jet-black armor stands in the center. On his left is a men in deep blue armor and to his right is one in shining white armor. The three of them are followed by a dozen or so soldiers clad in black and gold, the colors of Baethos.

Servant: King Caspian, these men are General Zell, and Seargents Tyler and Gregory of Baethos.

The servant gestures to the man in black , then blue, then white in turn. The three bow in respect.

Zell: It is a pleasure to finally meet face to face, King Caspian.

Caspian smiles.

Caspian: Theres no need for such formality, General. We were on friendly terms before my coronation, even if we had only talked in writing.

Zell: Thank you, King. It had been quite some time since I had recieved word from you, I was quite pleased when you invited me here.

Caspian: Yes... some unfortunate things have happened recently and strengthing relations between our nations is more important than ever.

Zell: I agree completly. I had a chance to talk with the king about your propositions a little while back. He seemed open to negotiations. Now that you've become the king of Taymeer, I'm sure he'll be even more interested.

Caspian: Wonderful! We can speak more tomorrow. I'm sure your men are tired from their journey. I've prepared a room for you and two more can easily be prepared for your seargents. Your soldiers are welcome to use our barracks during your stay.

Zell: Thats very generous of you. Thank you for your hosbitality.

Zell and his men exit.

(Some notes... All bronze, slim and iron weapons are available in both towns. As are all E-rank tomes and staves. Vulnaries are also available.

No one on Green was close enough during Map 1 to recognize Zell.

If you want to say what you did during the time lapse, just say so and note that it happened then.

Sorry about the delay on this... Been very busy working on my Halloween costume in addition to a few other things ^_^)

[tgva8889]

Katleia went home to visit her sister, greatly desiring the chance to avoid going back to a city any time near to soon. She spent as much of the timeskip there as possible, otherwise simply following her friends wherever it is they went.

[TheSummoner]

(which sister? both? anything eventful happen... Kat get yelled at? =P)

[Kasanip]

(I'm rather curious too, for certain reasons )

[TheSummoner]

(If it is you... or both sisters, feel free to do a guest appearance =P)

[Shades of Gray]

Gerard had returned to the DuMorne estate after the coronation, and brought news of the events... exaggerating his heroic exploits just a little. After this, he traveled around the small villages in the area, and helped rebuild.

[Mando Knight]

Roan nods as the Baethos entourage leaves. "I see. You are the king, father. I just hope that this path does not cause the western provinces to rebel in force. A tense peace with both our neighbors would be better than a civil war."

[TheSummoner]

King Caspian nods.

Caspian: There has been far too much tension and bloodshed. I believe in strengthening our relationships with Baethos and Ortham we can help prevent further suffering... Perhaps even help in negotiations to end that trivial war of theirs...

He smiles.

[Geno9999]

Rakken, for the most part, used his free time during the time skip reading in the library. He remembered that the Bishop held a black/purple bound tome, a tell tale sign of a tome of the Dark Arts. However, since he didn't have a close look at the book, he had no idea if it was a simple Flux or if it was *insert name of S rank tome*
I keep telling you, look through a list of Dark or Elder tomes and find out which ones were stolen or "mysteriously" went missing.
No, he could have borrowed it from somebody, like an old friend.
Who gives away a powerful Elder tome!?!? That's like handing death-in-a-pocketbook!
The lists are incomplete, we didn't get a clear look AND we don't know if he made the tome himself.
Ya know, what might help is if we saw what it did, then compare that to what we know.

(OOC: If Noble agrees/allows me to, I'll buy a new Flux book.)

[TheSummoner]

(Yeah, I made that available for you this time around... I guess Gilford pulled some strings =P

On the note of S-Rank weapons... They're intentionally missing from the item lists. They're meant to be unique and special so if someone else wants to start a game and copies this game's item list, I dont want them copying the S-Rank weapons. Once they're needed, I'll add them to the list with their stats.

Oh, and speaking of the item list, I've finalized the stats on Crossbows and Knives. However, they're not available for purchase yet.)

[Noble Savant]

Anselm had managed to get back into routine the past few weeks. Other then drilling with his men he had been left more or less alone, he was allowed to fade into the woodwork again. He spent the rest of his time doing his duty, keeping an eye on the Prince. And Lillian as well.

It looked like things were starting up again. Politics as usual.

"My lord, I always believed that keeping everything that you value in the same place is dangerous. The sacking of Nagandra certainly proved that..." He trailed off for a moment, looking melancholic.

"But the king is the king," he said finally, shrugging. After a moment though, he gave him the ghost of the smile. "You know, me and my group seem to have been slightly displaced from our positions lately." He told Gilford. "If the king insists on taking the prince back, perhaps you would like us to keep an eye on him. Along with any likely men you could spare to come with us." He watched Gilford carefully. "It is our duty, don't you think?"



(OOC: Go ahead and do that Geno. I'll get an Iron Lance for our convoy as well, just in case.
Got a bit bored today, tried giving Anselm a new breastplate/cape. Thoughts?)

[TheSummoner]

Gilford pauses to consider Anselm's words.

Gilford: If you'd be willing to watch over him then I would be much more comfortable with the situation. With all the rumors going around about the invasion its hard to separate what might be fact from what definatly isn't... but you must swear to never let anything happen to that boy, hes lost too much already.

A brief pause.

Gilford: There was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about... During the battle, my men managed to capture an enemy soldier fleeing the castle. Unfortunatly, our interrogations have been fruitless. Would you be willing to give it a try?

(So heres a chance at a little minigame for the Blue team. Noble, you can agree or disagree to try to get information from the prisoner. If you agree you can do whatever you feel necessary to get the prisoner to speak. Also, you can ask anyone you want from blue to help you. There will be no negative effects from refusing or failing

On the breastplate. I like the design, but the way it cuts into the cape looks odd. You could try redrawing a little bit on the cape to make it look better)

[Geno9999]

(OOC: Go ahead and do that Geno. I'll get an Iron Lance for our convoy as well, just in case.
Got a bit bored today, tried giving Anselm a new breastplate/cape. Thoughts?)

(OOC: Anselm looks closer to being a Royal Guard with the new cape and is it my imagination or did you add a little more shadow to his (undevloped) beard?
Also, @TheSummoner, please don't tell me you had "Apocalypse" as the S-rank Dark tome)

[Mando Knight]

Other then drilling with his men he had been left more or less alone, he was allowed to fade into the woodwork again.

Is it the Drilling That Shall Pierce The Heavens?

If there's enough cash, get an Iron weapon for each character on Green team, except for Francis, who gets a Heal staff instead. Also, purchase a vulnerary for each character that doesn't have one.

[TheSummoner]

Also, @TheSummoner, please don't tell me you had "Apocalypse" as the S-rank Dark tome)

(I don't have stats for any of the S-Rank weapons yet and the only one that might be named already is the Sword... See, Ragnarok will either be a badass Lord-only weapon (if Anselm takes swords on promotion) or be a badass S-Rank sword (if he doesn't)

However, I could give each one an end of the world themed name, making Apocalypse an appropriate name for the Dark tome even if the stats would probably be different)

[Noble Savant]

"I'll keep the prince safe, I swear. Whatever I have to do."

Anselm pondered for a moment. "I'd be willing to give it my best, My lord. I have some experience in this sort of thing, you pick all sorts of things up on a campaign. And I believe I know the perfect person to help me..."

(OOC: Anyone on Blue want to try this? It sounds like quite an experience. We could try all sorts of interrogation strategies, depending on who volunteers.

I need to put a bit of work into making the breastplate look more like part of the armor and less like a bug on his chest. I'll see what I can do. And yes, I did fiddle around with his chin. If we keep on this for long enough, a beard might sprout there!)

[TheSummoner]

Gilford: You have my thanks... its ugly business, but we must catch those responsible for King Orion's death.

Gilford leads Anselm to the dungeons and to the prisoner's cell.

Gilford: The prisoner is in there. Good luck.

Gilford walks away.

[Geno9999]

(OOC: Oh oh! Pick me pick me! Rakken can easily go with "Good cop Bad cop" with him as either one. "Then his eyes oozed out of his skull... in fact we scooped it up with a spoon.)")

[Namillus]

During the timeskip, Francis returned home with Gerard, and performed healer's duties during the restorations of those villages harmed in the war. Now, though, he has been focused on his books at the DuMorne estate, studying intently to help his talents improve.

[Istari]

I guess I could help with interrogating if need be
Also, I don't think I need to buy anything

[Fishy]

Margana spends most of the timeskip using her newfound status as Friend To Important People to find out as much as a civilian is allowed to know about who's on the enlistment rolls and whereabouts they're going.

She's a very slow reader, as it turns out.

Also, is it possible for her to pick up a replacement Hand Axe instead of a spare Iron Axe? The range has been very helpful in the last few fights.

[TheSummoner]

(not yet... javelins and hand axes will be available for purchase soon though... probably after the next chapter)

[Reverent-One]

In the immediate aftermath of the retaking of the castle, Jalnir found and reconnected with his family. Before long however, he found he couldn't simply sit by and live a "normal" life. He made his way back to the Anslem's forces.

"My lord, I wish to thank you again for helping to set me free from Valdosta's control." He says with a bow. "It seems to me that this peace is not as complete as it may look. With that in mind, I wish to join your command and help bring the scum behind Valdosta to justice."

(And I could help with the interrogation as well, I'm sure Jalnir would be ecstatic to help get information from the ones holding him prisoner.)

[Noble Savant]

(Well, Geno did volunteer first, so we'll start off with him and see how this works out. We can bring Jalnir in as backup in a bit.)

Weeks Earlier

"I only wish we didn't have to deal with them." Anselm smiling slightly at the newest recruit. "But I think you're right. If we want to keep this peace, we may need your sword."


Now

Anselm opened the door to the prisoner's cell and walked in briskly, pointedly leaving his lance hanging against the wall. This man had already been through a few of these sessions, so shock and awe didn't going to work on him. He was going to have to be more subtle. For now.

He gave the prisoner a small nod of the head. "My name is Anselm Gudbrand. And this is my associate." He indicated Rakken. "You're going to have to bring me up to speed regarding yourself." He told him politely enough, but he watched the man carefully.

[TheSummoner]

(Well... I never said you couldnt have multiple people help you. Its your descision. You have to approve them before they can jump in and help though

Also... who said the prisoner was a man? I think I was pretty careful to not indicate either way...)

As Anselm and Rakken (and anyone else if you choose to let them, its your call) enter they can see a young woman restrained in a chair. Her arms, legs, waist and neck are all bound to the chair and the chair itself is secured to the ground. She has a few bruises from previous attempts to make her speak but there are no cuts anywhere immediatly noticable.

Prisoner: I refuse. I'll tell you the same thing I told the last idiot who was in here, you'd be better off not wasting your time and just executing me.

[Noble Savant]

(You didn't. I just assumed that. My bad, sorry.)

Anselm was a bit non-plussed to find that the prisoner was actually a woman. Not that it should change anything really, he had a duty, but it threw him off. He hoped he managed to conceal it from her.

"Don't you worry about wasting my time. Thanks to your war, my schedule is very very open at the moment." He told her dryly.

"Now then, I've heard it said many times that every person has their price, but if that was the case, I wouldn't be here to talk to you, would I?" He gave her a small smile. "Is it possible that we're dealing with genuine loyalty here?" He asked in mock surprise. Anselm needed to get the woman talking if he wanted to get anywhere here. If he managed to fluster her a bit, so much the better.

[TheSummoner]

(No problem, its my job to keep you on your feet afterall ^_^)

Prisoner: Maybe, its not like anyone would ever believe an attempt to bribe a prisoner of war so I don't know why it matters.

[Noble Savant]

"You would be surprised, it has happened before. One of my own men was marching under your banners a few moons ago." He leaned closer to her. "He has repented though, and he's with us now, in a position of honor." He stared at her for a long moment, before suddenly leaning back.

"All I want right now," he said, sounding weary, the energy draining out of him. "Is to make sure my country remains safe, I want to let the prince grow up without wondering if he's going to murdered in his home." He sighed. "I'm willing to do a great deal for your information."

[TheSummoner]

Her expression changes slightly. Something you said must've affected her.

Prisoner: And all I wanted was to live without fear of my home or family being destroyed in the middle of the night... or day for that matter.

[tgva8889]

(which sister? both? anything eventful happen... Kat get yelled at? =P)

(Just Elicia. Neither of them knows where Mel is. We can run that scene off to the side, that'd be fun.)