Legend of Krystal Forums

by **Alaena** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:30 pm

You head downstairs and find your brother sitting at the kitchen table. At the head of the table was your mother, a fury in her eyes like nothing you've ever seen. But, there was also something else there, a deeper concern and worry.

You notice she has blood on some of her armor, though it appears to be a splash and not her own wound. Her sword isn't at her hip, but on the table, as if she expected to use it at any moment. The room was dead silent as both of them watched you walk down the steps and join them at the table.

You sit in silence for a few moments, your mother's gaze meeting yours and preparing to do or say something. Anything would be better than the tension at this moment.

"As much as I want to tan your hides for the next month for the sin you've committed, there's no time for your... problems, right now. A horde has begun pouring over the border by the hundreds. It's unclear if they have a leader."

She stands up and paces over to the window.

"They're sieging Castle Rafont right now. Your father is there... fighting. And I dared not consider abandoning him, but it was required of me."

She turns back to the table and looks you in the eye.

"You must go eastward. You must reach Castle Ferdaux and bring Lord Ferdaux this."

She hands you a sealed letter bearing a noble insignia, perhaps the only noble insignia you recognize as it belongs to House Rafont.

"It bids them send aid as soon as possible. We... they will not be able to hold. I will be returning to the Castle on the 'morrow. And, James..."

Her anger boils back to the surface as she looks at him, seemingly more angered at her son than you.

"You will go west to the base of the mountains... you know the place and you've dealt with Mercenary Captain Garlton before. Consign his aid at whatever cost, though try to get him at the best bargain you can. He knows Lord Rafont is good for it."

She slams her gauntlet-fists on the table and says, "We will... discuss this problem later, assuming we all survive."

Lady Andrea Baird

(Royal Missive Added)
Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:36 pm

Juliana stood at attention as her mother spoke, she was due for a death warrant if she even looked at mother wrong at this point. "Yes mother. I'll do whatever i can to make sure i get this to Lord Ferdaux. If nothing else i'll begin immediately my horse should be ready..." She casts her gaze down contemplating apologizing for what she did.

"M-mother dont get angry at James it was my fault, Please survive and bring father with you." Juliana goes for a hug though if her mother isnt responsive then she will hug her brother and then get ready for the ride.

by **Alaena** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:43 pm

Your mother does give you a loving hug. Whatever her anger, she still cared for you and wanted you to know that. The two of you embrace for a short while and she kisses your cheek and says, "It's both of your faults. Before you go, Julia, I have something else... James, get ready and get out... "

She releases the hug and despite her harsh tone toward him, she gives him the same loving embrace and kisses his cheek.

Your brother also gives you a hug and you can feel your mother's eyes burning a hole through your backs as you do. James eventually breaks the hug and departs first, leaving through the front door and heading to the family stable to bridle and saddle his horse.

You're left alone with your mother, Andrea. She clears her throat and says, "Once your mission is done, you will return to Castle Rafont and aid us in the defense, assuming we're still there. Also... you will inform your father of your tryst with your brother. If he hears it from me or him, he will fly into a rage and he might knock all of James' teeth out."

She sighs and puts her thumb up to your cheek and runs it gently across.

"They say parents shouldn't have favorites, but your father has always had a soft spot for you. He's more your child and James is more mine... an odd way that turned out. I love you both. But this... this can't continue."

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 12:52 pm

After the hugs were done she knew what was about to come, but a part of her was glad she didnt immediately get slapped by her armored hand. "It..it wont. This was a just an early birthday present.." The ranger tries to backpedal a bit hoping that she'd get some leeway for her actions though given her mother she highly doubts it.

"I'll be sure to tell father, so please keep him safe until i return, even though he has a bow you know he likes to get rather personal with his enemies." Juliana tries to make a joke as she accepts that her father would probably force her to humiliate herself in someway because of this, he was always an eye for an eye sort of man.

"I'll be going then mother, if this mission is as important as it is then i best get started."

by **Alaena** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:00 pm

You leave the house just in time to see James riding off west, toward the mountains to find a mercenary company that him and your father have dealt with before. There was likely less danger on his journey, as traveling east would bring you close to where the Orcs were allegedly entering the country. Perhaps your mother knew that he might try to fight his way through them, when what would really be required is someone who knew when to run - an outrider.

Once your horse is saddled (feel free to name it if you want), you're ready to depart. You gallop at full speed in the opposite direction of your brother, east across the plains and hills toward Castle Ferdaux.

(Encounter - 16)

You ride through the night, a generally ill-advised thing, as it was past dark when your mother interrupted your 'tryst,' as she called it. Thankfully, you come across nothing but the occasional animal who avoids you as you trample over grass and creek. You encounter nothing of issue throughout the night.

At dawn, you come in sight of Castle Ferdaux, a place you have not visited in over a decade. You recall Lady Ferdaux... a beautiful, raven-haired woman, capable of wielding the arcane arts. She was not one to be trifled with and she often used fear to keep the commoners of her domain in line. Despite this, she never punished unnecessarily, but when she justice did call, may the gods give the poor souls mercy, for Lady Ferdaux possessed none.

The keep was surrounded by a small town of roughly 1,000 people. You arrive at dawn as the farmers and merchants are only beginning to ply their respective trades.

(Status: Fatigued. -1 on all rolls until rested.)

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:07 pm

The night ride was starting to take a toll on her body, she felt wobbly at best and exhausted at most, her horse Kallen was also starting to give way to exhaustion as she finally saw the keep. "Oh thank the gods." Juliana let out a sigh as she had to find Lady Ferdaux and pray that her husband would accept the bid for help, nobles were always finicky bastards in her eyes.

Riding towards some of the farmers to ask for directions and sightings about Lady and Lord Ferdaux

by **Alaena** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:12 pm

(Diplomacy for gathering information - 16+2=18)

You stop and ask a few nearby farmers for directions. One of them tells you, "Ah, yes, Lord Ferdaux passed away a year or so ago. Lady Ferdaux rarely comes down from her keep... She likely won't just see any folk either."

Thankfully, you bore a missive from their ally, House Rafont. Hopefully, that would be enough to earn your entry to the keep or your mission would be a failure.

Unless you had any other questions for these farmers, you're free to proceed to the keep itself. There is a single stone wall protecting the inner keep, where House Ferdaux lived and the soldiers' garrison. You arrive at the portcullis gate and are greeted by the two guards standing infront of it.

"Halt, traveler. State your business here, or get lost."

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:16 pm

Juliana thanked the farmer for the information though the fact that the lord died means that Lady Ferdaux might not be as inclined to fulfill her obligation to house Rafont.

"Soldier im an outrider from House Rafont i have a royal missive that the Lady must see as it concerns the kingdom's entire welfare." The ranger spoke with as much grace and purpose as she possibly could hoping that the soldiers werent entirely idiots.

by **Alaena** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:25 pm

As expected, as soon as they see the seal on the missive, he orders the gate to be opened. He wastes no time leading you through the gate and into the inner keep. You're greeted by the sight of soldiers performing morning drills and others changing watch shifts along the gatehouse and the wall.

You're lead past all of them through a set of large wooden doors, intricately carved with the design of a dragon that breaks in two as the double doors open.

The center of this hall is laid with obsidian and stone, a much fancier structure than you might've expected from one of the minor lords of the realm.

Lady Ferdaux is sitting on a slightly raised throne, carved from wood, with a dragon skull above her mounted on the wall. You don't know much about nobles or their history, having never cared for it yourself. Clearly, House Ferdaux had some concern with dragons.

"Who is this at such an early hour?"

The guard bows deeply before her before turning to you and whispering, "Please, bow before Lady Adrienne Ferdaux."

He turns back to the Lady and says, "My Lady, this person brings an important missive from our ally, House Rafont. She seems to have rode through the nig-"

She scoffs, "House Rafont. They've sent not a single word since my husband's death. What do their problems have to do with me?"

You examine the Lady's garb and her attire, a bit more revealing than most lords and ladies you've seen. She was a young woman when you visited as a child, so Lady Ferdaux had to be your mother's age or close to it. Her physical appearance could fool anyone into thinking she turned 16 yesterday.

Lady Adrienne Ferdaux

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:32 pm

The ranger gives a curt bow to the Lady though her outfit has her cheeks blushing a little. "Well Mi'Lady House Rafont is under attack by barbarian hordes or something, its massive and House Rafont needs assistance, if we dont stop them at Rafont then they'll spill over to the rest of the kingdom."

Juliana kept her bow and kept her eyes to the ground hoping to show some humility to the Lady.

by **Alaena** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:43 pm

Lady Adrienne Ferdaux rips open the missive without any ceremony and quickly reads the letter. You stand there patiently for a few moments and she glances at you as you speak to her, though most of her attention is on the letter.

Once finished, she lets the letter fall to the floor infront of her.

"House Rafont did not attend my husband's funeral. They did not send condolences. They haven't sent ONE. SINGLE. WORD. And now they want my help?"

She gets up from her throne and steps down from her throne. Her eyes look you up and down, as if she was examining you for the first time. Suddenly, her face contorts into a twisted smile.

"I'll tell you what, 'realm safety' is hardly a concern of mine, but I'll honor our 'friendship' for my late husband. On one condition. I haven't had good entertainment in sometime..."

Lady Adrienne's hands are suddenly on your chest, squeezing your breasts, and dragging down your hips to your ass. She gives your cheeks a firm squeeze.

The Lady giggles and says, "My, you are stacked, hmm? Hidden beneath all those leathers. Spend two days with me and I'll send my forces."

A well-dressed Dwarf who seems to be her aide intervenes, "My lady... Why not send her to find Alphonse?"

"Ugh! Shut up, Barlam!"

She twists around and practically spits at the Dwarf with her sudden recoil. Lady Adrienne turns back to you and says, "Though, I suppose he has a point. If you can find my son, I would be very grateful. He has dark hair, beautiful blue eyes, and he's very tall, a hunk of a man. He's -huge- in every way... Mmm, yes, handsome. He's been missing since last night and we have reason to believe he may be in danger... Barlam, has the search party returned yet?"

The dwarf says, "No, my lady."

She smiles, "See, so if you find my sexy son, I will help... ugh, House Rafont, if I must."

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:51 pm

Juliana let out a tiny squeal her her breasts her groped, 'this woman has no shame!' She thought to herself as the woman finally let go of her chest. "My Lady two days may be to late I'll gladly stay here and even help you recover your son but I need assurances you can send your forces soon, please I'm begging you as a lowly outrider...I'll do anything you ask of me, but please save my family who are valiantly defending the keep from this horde."

At this moment Juliana glances up to try and catch the woman's gaze and see that she was utterly sincere as she desperately needed this woman's help.

by **Alaena** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 1:56 pm

(Diplomacy Roll - 12)

She shakes her head, "Rest here, if you must. That is the common courtesy given to messengers, right Barlam?"

The Dwarf says, "Yes, my lady."

"But, no help will be sent. Not until you find my son. I will... prepare my soldiers to depart, so when he does return, they can leave right away. Is that fair?"

This woman seems a bit fickle as you feared, and at the same time, a bit implacable on her desires. The way she speaks of her son in such great, and disturbing, detail indicates something strange, something you might not want to know about, though no one else in the court seemed surprised.

Lady Adrienne Ferdaux says, "My, you do look quite tired. Barlam, show her to the guest rooms. A few hours and you'll be right as rain."

She leans in and whispers, "If you need any 'company,' I have many things to suit your needs. Simply hang a sock on the door handle and everything will be taken care of."

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Tue Mar 22, 2016 2:01 pm

Rest? Yeah she should definitely use some rest... She thought. But 'company'? She didn't exactly like the idea of that and the way the Lady has been acting...well she knows it's probably best for her to not get involved at least not until she finds the runaway prince.

Once her thoughts are collected the ranger follows the dwarf to one of the guest rooms before summoning up the courage to talk to him. "What sorta....company is the lady willing to give...umm Barlam right?" Juliana clusters a bit as she walks behind the man.

by **Alaena** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 4:56 am

Barlam says, "Man, woman... animal. Lady Adrienne also possesses quite an assortment of toys, crafted personally, and some bought from nefarious... erm, unusual places."

The Dwarf shows you to a rather nice room, a room as big as both floors of your house combined and some. The bed is clearly king-sized with red silk sheets and warm blankets. The bedspread has an image of a nymph artfully crafted across it.

The room has a glass doors that open up to a balcony overlooking the town and nearby river. There's a latrine connected to the room for relieving yourself and even a guest armoire with a few choice dresses and other clothing.

Barlam clears his throat, "So if you'd like some... company, you may tell me what your desire is, and it will be fulfilled shortly."

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:03 am

Juliana blushes at the possibilities of company she could possibly summon for a night of fun, but she definitely needed sleep more than sex.. Yeah thats what she thought. "Well i'll be okay Barlam, i intend on resting then finding this prince of yours. Given his mother's....description...he's probably off having a tryst with some young woman."

The ranger closes the door behind her almost taken aback by the luxury of the guest room, it was easily bigger than her home and there was even a latrine, and then she examined the dresses... 'wow' was the only thing she could muster by the lap of luxury nobles lived in. But for now she needed to rest and hopefully get enough rest to find Alphonse as soon as possible.

by **Alaena** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 5:55 am

The Dwarf leaves you be and the heavy wooden door closes shut. You're free to lock it if you please. Other than that, you're left to get a well-earned rest.

Your sleep is a bit uneventful, except for a fitful dream you have.

You see seven shadowy figures, just on the edge of torch light. You cannot make them out, though they appear to be of different sizes and shapes. Each one looks at you, expectantly, as you find yourself chained to a bed of bones. You struggle and try to get free, but nothing budges. At this moment, the light in the room dims and the shadowy figures close in around you. One of the steps forward and you can finally see his face. He appears to look handsome and well-dressed, like a prince. He has dark hair and blue eyes, practically a day dream come true. He draws a sword and slashes at one of the shackles at your wrist, freeing your hand. He smiles and says, "We can help."

You wake up some hours later, to a twilight sky. The sun was only beginning to set by the looks of it. You feel a cool breeze coming in from the window, slightly ajar. You feel rested and whatever the dream was about, you felt it was different than any you've ever had.

But for now, you had a prince to find.

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 6:02 am

The ranger sits up in a jolt as if that well-dressed man nearly killed her, but instead he freed her from the bed...that bone bed... what was that even about? Juliana was breathing heavily as she tried to make sense of the dream as she remembered she had a mission. Hopefully the guards took good care of her horse and supplies.

Once her armor was donned she looked for Barlam or even Lady Ferdaux to try and get a lead to as where this runaway prince may be.

What did that man mean when he said they can help? That thought lingered in her mind as she wandered the castle grounds looking for someone.

by **Alaena** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:20 am

You leave the room with the intention of finding Prince Alphonse and securing the aid of the somewhat fickle Lady Adrienne Ferdaux.

You find the Dwarf courtier from before, Belam, standing patiently in the court room, perhaps waiting for his lady or something else entirely.

"Yes, how can I help you, madame?"

You mention you want a lead to Alphonse's whereabouts and he says, "Yes, all we know is his horse tracks ended across the river. I would go with due haste. He has been missing almost 24 hours. We do know he left some personal belongings, important things, and took no supplies save his weapon and armor, so he couldn't have ran away or been planning a long journey."

"Ah, so you may wish to begin there. That's just North of here, across the river Perron."

Character Sheet

Spoiler (click to show/hide):

by **Lorielle** » Wed Mar 23, 2016 7:24 am

"Just north of here huh? I'll be sure to to make all haste then. Give Lady Ferdaux my regards i'll be be back before you know it." Juliana gives the dwarf a bow then runs toward the stables so she can find Kallen and ride toward the river Barlam mentioned. The sooner she got this done the better.

Legend of Krystal Forums

A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Re: A Ranger's Story

Who is online