The Ivory Court of Fheuvenem

[JeVondair]

Selenia stood outside of her Pavillion facing the freshly scarred battlements of Iato. Capital of the 'Ebony Vale.' A chuckle escaped against her will at the thought, mostly because she actually liked  the bloody name, if not the circumstance under which it came about...

A cough from behind, her majordomo, warned her that Lady Sandlakes was had arrived. It gave Selenia much needed time to smoother her mirth and don her serious face, her imperial face. The Empress listened as the Lady's footsteps approached, old senses reaching out and wrapping about the on-comer as she stopped and curtsied.

Without turning, or even taken her eyes from Iato, the Empress held out her hand to the side where her majordomo produced the green-velvet cushion upon which laid the heavy gold Tribune's Chain and Seal of Office. He placed it in the Empress's hands and bowed away as to remain unobtrusive.

"This-" the Empress began, "-is heavy for a reason, you know. I had it crafted that way for a reason, to remind its wearer of the burden of the wealth and power that come with the position." If Lady Sandlakes was surprised by her Empress dropping the Imperial 'We' in favor of something more intimate, she did not show it. The Empress carried on.

"I am trying to build a true empire here, Lady Dragul. One built on tradition, laws, with its bricks mortared by ambition and painted with grandeur. And who ever heard of a single-city 'Empire'?" She finished half-mockingly, staring almost accusingly at Iato. "As Tribune, you will not only serve as the banker for my Empire, which is important enough in and of itself. You will also be the key representative and Speaker for the Imperial Senate. You will poll the morale and opinions of the realm and advise me of them, you will represent the concerns of the lessor lords and nobles, whispering into my ear, and you will advise me on how to deal with issues both at home and abroad. With this Seal-" She held out the heavy chain and dropped the Seal from her palm, letting catch the first rays of the morning sun as it dangled, swaying in the breeze. "-With this Seal, you will be the third most powerful person in my government after myself and my Praetor, whom I will name my heir. It is a great deal of responsibility, and future generations will rely on the precedent you set..."

Selenia finally broke eye-contact with Iato to look over her shoulder at KatalynFae, a sly smile creeping onto her weathered, but youthful face as her body turned also to extend the Seal of the Tribune to the young ambassador.

"Last chance to turn and run?"

[JeVondair]

The city was hers. Her nascent Empire was growing. Selenia could feel it in her bones, taste it in the burnt smell of the air. With the battle for the walls done and the city occupied and in anarchy, the Empress was about different business today.

Today she wore her dark green dueling leathers, her sun-bleached blond hair braided tightly to her scalp, swirling in the interesting patterns native to the Desert of Silhouettes which she'd adopted from her late husband, Dead some 15 years now. Her tawny arms, more muscled than a pampered lady's should be, were bear to the wind. Her twin kukris were sheathed at her sides and a snowline cloak thrown about her shoulders. The blasted thing was both hot and heavy, but it looked good. And in the Ivory Court, Appearances were important indeed.

She knew the city well, and little had changed. Her men were engaging in freedom celebrations, but she was escorted by the other members of the Ivory Court that wished to witness the event.

She strolled confidently to wear her scouts reported Duchess Raziella had holed herself up...

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Raziella I Himoura Nifelleisca   

Raziella had been defending the walls of Iato, but after her defeat and upon the arrival of Ivory's Court, the people of Iato had fled to the city center, occuping the palaces, keep, and city hall. Eventually a district somewhat more appreciative of her was found for the day. Many letters continued flowing to and fro, handling realm business. But also a long-awaited duel challenge. (ooc: by the way, you can't send a duel request until 8th day in realm adn can't have more than one standing challenge, so sorry corben)

As the sun set, the fate of the Vale rested in the swordarms of two women with supreme confidence in their ability.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Raziella I Himoura Nifelleisca

Raziella had paid some local street children to watch for the advance of noble retinues. And so it was that Selenia and Raziella met within the ruined gardens of Iato.

Raziella donned her Valiant Helm of Protection, having finished many sacrifices to a variety of gods she had ever come across. Somewhere, a piano played in a distant window, unaware of the ambience he was setting not far away. Perhaps one of the conquering soldiers had picked up the ability and found an abandoned piano? Perhaps a local attempting to ease his neighbours' anxieties?

The two ladies approaching each other, swords drawn. Selenia attacked first, aggressively, with Raziella mostly moving more nimbly around Selenia.

At one point, Raziella attempts to pull something from within her clothing, but cannot find it, even muttering, "Where did my long-lost hammer go?" It had only recently been found and she could've sworn it was upon her as she set out. Fortunately, she noticed it within a flower bed and was able to strike Selenia with the hammer a number of times and with enough consequence to cause painful bruising ranging from knees to shoulders.

In the end, Selenia was able to remove the Valiant Helm of Protection and knock Raziella unconscious with it.

Awakening near a hastily-piled group of human, undead, and monster heads left as ammunition for the Himouran Head Hurling Horde, it was apparent that someone from the Ivory Court had confiscated both Helm and Hammer. Yet again that long-lost hammer was lost again.

As she groaned awake and moved to  her feet, her unit returned some men shorter, but overall much healthier than she had left them before the duel. Groaning again, less this time from headache but realization of what was next, she fetched some pens.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Selenia JeVondair   (13 days, 14 hours ago)

It was a very different fight for Empress Selenia.

Sweat began to line her palms, heart fluttering as it always did before a fight. She stepped lightly, using the balls of her toes rather than her heels, as she approached Raziella. The Duchess was resplendent in her Valiant Helm of Protection as she stepped into the impromptu arena. She was a nobly born woman, of that there could be no doubt. Her towering birth was evident in her refined poise, while her relative inexperience as a killer was evident in the weapons she brought...a sword and a rather large hammer.

Vassals took the snowlion cloak from her shoulders, which she loosened and rolled like a languid predator. There were no speeches, no taunting, just the silent ringing of anticipation. It tingled along the hairs of her arms like an electrical current. Selenia brought her Kukri's up and crouched. Even wrapped in protective cloth as they were, they were still dangerously solid in her hands, even as her mind was wrapped in morbid thoughts of aggression. The the rest of the world fell away from her, tunneling to show only Raziella.

And then the Duchess moved.

Selenia would never remember if Raziella has simply been shifting, or trying to speak, or any other of a thousand non-threatening things, but the Empress was upon her like lighting to a tree, dancing about with a strength and agility that surprised the other woman, but Raziella was nothing if not stubborn. Though she lacked Selenia's veracity, she made up for with the curious ability to redirect the energy of Selenia's attacks either to her own advantage, or at least away from her, which slowly frustrated the Empress as precious seconds ticked by.

The parity did not last long. Selenia noticed that Raziella's bag of trick moves was only so deep; she was starting to repeat herself. A twist here, a thrust there, and Selenia manipulated Raziella right where she wanted her. Raziella counterstruck with the her sword to ward off Selenia's Kukris. Instead of stepping back, however, Selenia ducked underneath Raziella swing. Catching her opponents arm safely in the crook of her own, Selenia bashed the pommel of her kukri into the pit of Raziella's elbow, forcing her hand-muscles to spasm and drop her sword. But before Selenia could go for something duel-ending, Raziella spun away, disoriented, cocking her head as though listening to music even as she grouped for her Hammer.

Selenia approached casually, confident now in her approaching victory. That cockiness, however, nearly cost her the match as Raziella surprised her with a swift and powerful swing. At the time, Selenia did not actually feel it connect, but she was flung of balance and fell to the ground hard, forehead popping off the stone...

The forest is dark. The children were screaming, but it is quiet now. Too quiet. death stalks the woods, fat and happy. Supreme in it's mastery of the dark places. She stalked Death itself. The death of innocent children stolen from the northern Morekian village. The Maddening was in the ascendant, driving her forward. desperate to help, but knowing in her soul that it was already much too late...

SNAP! A twig, a branch. To the left, did that shadow just move? No, behind! Something there, watching, hunting...HER. Breath, fetid, blood, congealed. That of Children. But how could she know that for sure? She didn't, and yet she knew.

It's not so big, but strong. It's outline blurred in the dark, always the dark. She's on the ground, her head hurts. She rolls just as it's meaty fist crumbles the ground she had been lying on. She springs up. Dancing to a music only she could here. The Head. Go for the Head. End IT. She does. Grabs the horns. The neck feels weak...good. She twists, a popping sound. Chortled rage and fear. She holds the head in her hands, but the body is still moving, somehow screaming. She's lost her blades, but it doesn't matter. She'll pulverize with it's own evil skull. She'll beat it bloody so that it will never hurt anyone again. Never Again. NEVER AGAIN-

The forest reached out to her, moaning. Roots grab her arms, shoulders, wrapping her tight, wrenching the head from her, pulling her from the beast. resolving from roots to hands, from wood to flesh. Night in the woods becomes day in a scarred city. The ruined peace of a crumbling garden. Blurry Vision; tears. Tears ruining the makeup Mavia insisted she wear, even to a fight. Shouting in her Ear.

"YOUR MAJESTY! STOP! STOP! Damn it, you fools, don't just stand there! Help me get her off the Duchess! This fight is OVER!"

Somewhere, a piano stopped playing.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Syl Marlboro   

Dame Syl, now Khatun, had not expected to be a ruler when she'd marched south with the Legion of Wolves. She hadn't brought any fancy clothes, no jewelry, only sturdy travelling gear, her well-honed knife and the staff that the Two had provided for her. Half of the men she'd brought with her had perished on the journey, she'd lit a small fortune in bonds up in smoke during a bloodfruit-soaked hallucination in the mountains of Nothoi, but she still had Duchess Raziella.

Her sole Duchess had, in fact, sent her a dress, a exquisite multicolored affair of red, green and blue. They had never met in person, so she had not been especially surprised when it did not fit, but she called in some favors from her family and visited a tailor in Iato to have it redone in her size. She kept her boots, though, thick leather things meant more for tromping about in the tundras and badlands of the north than the warmer south. They were comfortable, familiar, holding her feet to the ground as the world changed all around her.

Feeling adequately prepared, she sent word to the Empress' retinue that she was present and available for meeting. It seemed that the Duchess might not make it in time for deliberations, which given what had transpired the last time the two had met seemed a small mercy. With her tattered honor guard escorting her, she found quarters and awaited response.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Raziella I Himoura Nifelleisca 

Raziella noticed the Mormont banners on the eastern wall and made a point of going the long way around to enter via a western gatehouse. Then she made her way to the Iato's Ebony Palace, which seemed the most likely location for further deliberations.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Greatjon Mormont 

"well?"

Captain Crydee shook his head. "She did not come through the Eastern gate Praetor."

"No doubt she did not care for my banner." Praetor Greatjon grinned. "Tis a pity. I was looking forward to greeting her personally. I have not yet had the pleasure."

The captain shifted nervously. "My Lord Praetor. The Empress' orders are she be given every courtesy."

"My my Captain. Whatever are you suggesting?" The Praetor looked shocked.

"It is just there are special forces, my Lord, stationed throughout the city. They are not under my command and when questioned it has been said they are under special orders from the Justice ministry. What are their orders Praetor and why was I not informed? I am in charge of security for the visit."

Greatjon waved a hand in a dismissive gesture. "Do not worry yourself Captain. These men pose no threat. We are all on the same side after all. They perform ministry business and are making the city more secure."

"but my Lord Praetor I cannot..."

"dismissed captain." Greatjon continued to read reports on the table in front of him. The captain bowed and left.

As the door closed behind him a figure emerged from the shadows. Greatjon looked up. "And where is she now?"

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Syl Marlboro   

News did rapidly reach her that Duchess Raziella was able to make it, after all, and a relief swept upon the young Khatun. She had not been looking forward to meeting Empress Selenia alone, not because she was scared so much as she knew that her friend and confidant would be better equipped to negotiate. After all, the two other women knew each other far better, since they had been in discussions for quite some time and had even done battle against one another directly.

Paul Marlboro had often said you could never truly know someone until you've fought them, which was why he'd claimed such close ties to Kings Grimrog and Glaumring. Syl knew this to be a lie. Typically when she fought someone, she only knew afterwards that they were dead.

But as the night began to close in, she wore her dress and her boots. She did not even bother wearing her knife, though it would have been simple enough to conceal it and she doubted anyone would have checked. With her dark hair bound back by an emerald hairpin, setting off her green eyes, she strode confidently toward the Ebony Keep. Or at least, that was what she had gathered it was called. Her honor guard accompanied her only so far as to deliver her to the perimeter, where she counted on the Empress' detail to guarantee her safety.

This was a bit of a gamble, of course, but she had been betting big ever since receiving that first message from Duchess Raziella. She did not enter immediately, waiting for her friend to join her before proceeding inside. She realized that it was bad form to keep the other ruler waiting, but she hadn't come this far to get cornered alone. If negotiations failed and blades came out upon them, she would fight like a demon with her hands and her boots and make them kill her, but she wouldn't be dying by herself.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Selenia JeVondair 

Wherever she went, it seemed that Selenia could always find a garden. In the case of Iato, she had Duchess Raziella to thank for that.  The Empress eschewed the trappings of the lately renamed 'Ebony Keep.' It had yet to be cleansed of the taint of its previous occupant, Duke Trent, who caused all this mess in the first place. Everywhere she went in that blasted pile of stone, she was reminded of them and what they did. So she had the keeps' servants informed that all arrivals were to be courteously redirected toward the gardens.

Rather than impose on the keep, she instead set up her campaigning pavillion within eyesight of the spot where she had...defeated Duchess Raziella in their duel, which was rapidly approaching fabled status among the commons and nobles alike.  The Pavillion was a grand affair, something Mavia had insisted upon as in keeping with her Imperial status. In any case, it was larger than some most Taverns she'd been in. Opalescent white silk trimmed in gold adorned its exterior, but once inside, a deep verdant green trimmed in white and gold. Partitioned rooms separated her sleeping chamber and bathing area from the dining room, which even boasted an impressive bronze fire pit.

It was in this Main chamber, with the firepit now lit, that Selenia had arranged for her new Imperial subjects - her guests - to join her. Facing the door across the firepit, guarding the way to the pavillion's inner recesses like a sleeping lion, was her travel throne. Though taller, it was light and covered in sinfully comfortable snowlion furs, rather than the gold and Ivory of the permanent throne Mavia had commissioned last month. arranged around the fire were were several smaller chairs, crowned by a taller one for the Arch Princess.

The Empress decided that it would be a good time to snatch a quick bath as her guests arrived one by one. She was rather looking forward to meeting some of them WITHOUT live steel in her hands...

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Raziella I Himoura Nifelleisca

Raziella sat in the Ebony Palace's throne room laughing to herself. It was deserted, but then again, it had never particularly bustled. It was as abandoned as she had first found it not too long ago. It was at least much cleaner than when she had first found it. Her brief administration had at least seen to some basic necessities and an initial flurry of activity evicting uppity merchant squatters. She glanced at sacks containing many heads in varying states of decomposition and wondered which the merchants were within. Her men always kept these sacks closeby lately, as combat always seemed a possibility.

Upon her lap were some papers she had gathered from elsewhere within the palace. Folding them and stuffing them down her shirt, she sighed, stood up, and gave the order to move out. And the seventeen remaining men shouldered their sacks once more.

Perhaps the Ebony Keep had been where the Empress had gone? Making her way there, she was soon acquainted with the local changes and thus the Empress's pavilion, finding her Khatun already waiting. Selecting four particularly more handsome chaps from her himouran head hurling horde to accompany her and Khatun Syl as they made way to the Empress under guard. The remaining thirteen returned to the Ebony Palace. Unlike Syl, Raziella was armed with smaller blades, though not out of menace, but habit. Her clothes an eclectic mix of battlefield attire and finery.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Syl Marlboro   

Of course Khatun Syl was easy to identify, as she was wearing the very dress the Duchess had sent her. It was she who was surprised when Raziella herself strode up, though she didn't look shocked or scandalized by it. "You look a riot, Your Grace," she noted with a trace of approval in her tone. As far as first impressions went, it wasn't a bad one, but she had her own impressions to give and regrettably had surrendered to the formality of the event. Empress Selenia had seemed well-disposed to her in letters, but she knew that their first meeting could change everything if she made even the slightest misstep.

Though new to ruling, she had found herself rather fond of the title. She'd barely set one boot on the land of... whatever the name was going to be in the future, hadn't experienced sequestering herself in some grand palace (and given the state of the realm, perhaps never would), but she was not eager to lose it either. What had began as a lark was turning into a mission all its own. She turned to face the entry to the Ebony Keep, where her Empress awaited, looking stoic for a moment as she contemplated the future.

Then, she turned her face back to the woman who had gotten her into all of this in the first place. "I don't... do you go first or do I? Or together?" she asked in a hushed voice.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Raziella I Himoura Nifelleisca

(ooc: actually selenia had roleplayed we were entering a pavilion built by selenia across from the keep, with the ruined gardens of the duel scene between them. The Keep reminding her of Elvis and all.)

"Well, someone must!" Raziella declared, opening the Pavilion's door, entering enough to see it was safe, and holding the door open for her Khatun and the lady who had acquired that intriguing staff.

Inward they ventured, soon finding the Empress's ladies, who guided them to the Empress. Raziella left three of her somewhat handsome head hurlers to entertain the ladies while her most favourite stayed behind her and the Khatun awaiting the Empress.

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Selenia JeVondair   

Baths were truly amazing things. Not just the feeling of being inundated, which was pleasant enough. Any peasant could jump into a stream and get the same feeling, Selenia knew. But nothing says Royalty like an absurdly large bronze tub made for transport and filled to the brim with steaming water. Ladies-in-waiting, another amenity forced on her by the ever-insistent Duchess Mavia, combed and rebraided her sun-bleached blonde hair. Another massaged her shoulders, arms, and calves, rubbing scented oils into her skin. Still another painted her nails.

Selenia dozed off, adrift in heaven-

-only to be awoken by her Criers announcing the presence of Duchess Raziella and Princess Syl...

!@#$!@#$!@#$!@#$!@#$!@#$!@#$-

A most un-royal riot of splashing followed...

[JeVondair]

Roleplay from Syl Marlboro   

Unfortunately, Khatun Syl hadn't brought the Whispering Staff along for this, leaving it behind under heavy guard. It was obviously capable as a weapon (She'd used it in battle many times), and she preferred to present herself as unarmed, but more importantly she didn't want Empress Selenia to think she was working some sort of magic upon her. Leave that up to Duchess Raziella.

Nodding to her benefactress, she stepped through the door, holding her head up high and taking a regal air. Her whole life so far had been full of these moments where she'd had to pretend to be something she wasn't, to command respect where none was deserved, but they had prepared her well for this situation where she did in fact deserve it. To the extent that her realm could in any way be respected, at least, but they were here to talk about the future after all. A new realm that could be.

Her boots sounded heavy, for she made no particular attempt to step lightly.