THE IRON DRAGON OF DESTINY *** The Setting PAEGAN (also known as the 'Good Country' for its plentiful woodlands and mostly peaceful history) is a multi-species land recently entering an industrial age, with new technology like gas-powered vehicles, electric lights, landline telephones, and automatic weapons being introduced into an archaic society that was previously mostly dependant on sorcery and the whims of the mysterious NETERA, or Nature Gods. The emergence of this new-fangled technology has created a growing schism, with some people choosing sides: the "Traditionals", those who prefer the old ways and sorcery, versus the "Newthinkers", those who prefer technology and support expanding it. Of course there are those who don't adhere to these extremes, not Traditional or Newthinker, and fall somewhere on the middle, still liking magic but also appreciating the advancements of technology and the benefits they bring. These people are called "Moderates". The roleplay story begins with our characters boarding a luxury steam train to the capital city for the upcoming Royal Election, stopping at various locations along the way and interacting with each other, discussing their positions on the matter and the state of their rapidly evolving country. Players can be great sorcerers, or honest workers, or law enforcement, or even rogue criminals, whatsoever they choose. There will be conflicts at the train stops along the way, engineered by me, the GM, but it is completely up to the players how they react or if they choose not to react at all and focus on sightseeing and getting to their destination. This Royal Election is the most politically charged in the Paegan's long history and the outcome could decide the future destiny of the Good Country....for the Good of All or, quite possibly, the End of All. The Choice is Yours... The Royal Election The last royal family in Paegan (and the only one that most people remember) was the Merigold lineage, led by High King Lutherford Merigold alone, as his late wife had passed away from advanced age years hence. Lutherford ruled from the captial city of AVAREON, a thriving mecca with gold-paved streets and countless mansions. Upon his deathbed, the High King looked around and saw that he was the last of his bloodline: all three of his sons, selfish princes, were murdered in the Great Peasant Uprising when poverty reached record-highs. The peasant class had had enough and they marched on Avareon, looting the mansions and viciously killing anyone who stood in their way. The huge mob quickly overpowered the Lawmen and were steadily beating back the Royal Guard, heading straight for Avareon's richest, largest mansion: the Royal Palace. Finally, MERLIN THE BLACK DRUID, Highest of Wizards, was forced to step in. Merlin appeared in the middle of the Palace Road and raised his oak staff and summoned a storm from the sea. The resulting monsoon forced the peasants to retreat from Avareon or be drowned by sudden floods. Afterwards, guilty and saddened by his aggressive use of magick, Merlin retired to lands unknown, last seen walking into Thornwood at nightfall with his staff, a pack mule, and a weed pipe, singing a sad song and openly weeping. As his last act as High King, Lutherford took in the state of Paegan and decreed that he would not name a Royal Heir from the surviving noble families. Instead, he invented the ROYAL ELECTION, ordering that every following ruler would have to win the office of High King by a majority vote, and that every citizen of the Good Country had the natural right to participate in the vote. Many nobles did not agree with their king's dying wish and plotted to rebel, but BADB THE FAERIE QUEEN arrived on a glittering rainbow just as Lutherford passed away. Queen Badb had been Merlin's lover and try as she might she had been unable to convince the heartbroken druid to stay in Paegan. So to honor High King Lutherford, Merlin's dearest friend in the world, Queen Badb came to take his body to FAERIE where only the greatest of heroes were buried. She also declared in no uncertain terms that if anyone tried to overturn Lutherford's last decree, she would return to rain hellfire down upon them. The nobles got the message loud and clear, and the Royal Election has become a permanent staple of Paegan's democracy. Laws of Magick MAGICK is a natural force that only a select few humans are born with the ability to use. And out of these human sorcerers, a smaller percentage actually have enough personal power to perform big spells; most only have lesser talents, called Small Magick. It is well known that the faeries (sprites, elves, gnomes, dragons, and so forth) are infinitely more powerful in magick than the average human sorcerer. However, humans gifted with Big Magick are known to be more powerful than any faerie, and even capable of injuring or killing Netera. These godkillers are given rank of Druid for their deep connection to Magick and Destiny. Heads of State Humans are ruled by the HIGH KING ELECT, while the faeries are governed by the immortal Faerie Queen, Badb. Humans are rarely allowed in the Land of Faerie, but many faeries have integrated into all levels of human society. Faeries living in Paegan must obey humans laws, but are otherwise free to interbreed with humans and conduct lawful business. The Paegan Ballot There are only two options on the Good Country's Ballot this election cycle: Lady Sylvia, a highborn noblewoman with Newthinker views, and Rez the Wizard, a gifted young sorcerer with Traditional affiliations. Sadly, the few Moderate candidates that had been running for election were too poor to afford campaign expenses (namely travel, advertising, and staff funds) and therefore could not rally enough support to make it onto the final ballot. Lady Sylvia and Wizard Rez are neck to neck in countrywide polls, and so far there is no clear winner. Both are currently in Avereon to give speeches and rally last-minute support before the Royal Election. Vernacular A list of common vocabulary used in Paegan: Big Magick - Powerful, godlike magick, natural to faeries and rare in humans. Small Magick - Lesser magick, only capable of illusions, healing light injuries, and minor miracles. Sorcerer/Sorceress - General term for humans that are born magickal. Hedge - A human with Small Magick. Wizard/Witch - Formal term for magickal humans, used for sorcerers that are a notch above Hedges but not quite Druids. Druid - A high-ranking wizard with Big Magick. The greatest of Druids have the special ability to manipulate Destiny at will. Lawman/Lawlady - Enforcers of the law in Paegan, equipped with ironwood batons that can break bones and, more recently, a new invention called "handguns" and a pocket device called a "shocker" that can discharge a wire and zap a criminal into submission. Uniform dress is all black, including a starched tunic, leather utility belt, creased pants, and sturdy lace-up boots. Faerie - Any nonhuman magickal race falls under the category of faerie. Faeries are demigods that live forever unless killed, and their queen, Badb, is the oldest and most powerful faerie in existence. Younger faeries can go without food or water for up to a month and faerie elders can go decades without starving or weakening, drawing power instead from nature around them. If a faerie marries a human, they instantly lose their immortality and begin to age at the same pace as their life partner. Each faerie can only have one child. Netera - Netera are mysterious nature gods that usually only show themselves in times of great need. The most known Netera are Klaudius the God of Order, Lucifyra the Chaos Goddess, and Abundaya the Earth Goddess. The faerie are descendants of the times when Netera frequently mated with humans, which is why they have extended lives and such powerful magick. Rogue - A rogue is the name given to a high-class criminal that has managed to evade Lawmen for an extended period of time. Rogues used to be more common but their numbers have greatly dwindled and continue to shrink as Lawmen are equipped with more advanced technology. The remaining rogues are highly dangerous individuals that are capable of anything. Freeform Roleplay This ROLEPLAY will have Three Chapters that coincide with each train stop: first Collegetown, home to many prestigious universities with mostly Moderate citizens; Oldtown, a rural, majority Traditional settlement; and lastly Avereon, the Jewel of Paegan, hub of Newthinker philosophy. This RP will follow a freeform format. As such, the GM will provide overral plot points but you are free to react to the events around you however you see fit. If a knife fight breaks out and your character doesn't want to get hurt, feel free to hide in the nearest restroom until the brawl is finished. If you see someone drop a bag of diamonds, you can run to grab it, give it back, or simply do nothing. As long as you don't godmod or write for other characters, all should be fine. And when the Roleplay is finished, your character can vote for whichever candidate they want to be High King Elect. Character Template (Example) Name: Merlin Oakenstaff. Titles (if any): The Black Druid, Highest of Wizards, Master of the Elements. Race (human, half-faerie, elf, gnome, giant, centaur, etc.): Human. Occupation (Lawman, Sorcerer, Wizard, Rogue, Laborer, etc.): Druid. Appearance: Magick Spells (if any): For Hedges only... 1. Protection Spell - <Name a spell that protects you and/or others from harm> 2. Elemental Spell - <Name a spell that involves a single element, earth, air, fire, or water> For Wizards/Witches only... 1. Protection Spell - <Name a spell that protects you and/or others from harm> 2. Elemental Spell - <Name a spell that involves a single element, earth, air, fire, or water> 3. Advanced Spell- <Name a spell that creates a large effect> For Druids/Faerie only... 1. Protection Spell - Shield of Heavenly Light. 2. Elemental Spell - Stormcall. 3. Advanced Spell - Rock Formation. 4. Master Spell - <Name a spell that warps reality> Destiny's Sword. For Hedges and non-magickal people only... Fighting Style (if any)(Kung Fu, Shaolin boxing, Ninjutsu, street fighting, etc.): Staff fighting, swordplay. Weapons/Tech/Equipment: Staff, weed pipe. Short Bio: Merlin came from humble beginnings, orphaned at nine and lived on the streets doing magick tricks for money. He was discovered by King and Queen Merigolds, who saw talent in him, and fostered him in the palace where he met the young Prince Lutherford and they became fast friends. When it was discovered Merlin had Big Magick, at 17 he went on a farflung journey to find a wizard worthy enough to teach him the greater magicks. Eventually he stumbled upon the Land of Faerie by complete accident and was immediately arrested for trespassing. Luckily, Faerie Queen Badb liked his aura and decided to teach him all she knew, molding him into the Highest of Wizards and even, over time, falling in love with him. Merlin returned to Paegan to serve Lutherford as king and Badb visited him occasionally for a night on the town or a stay-at-home date. When Merlin, a gentle soul, had to use magick to hurt commoners to prevent them from killing High King Lutherford, his heart was broken and he banished himself to wander the unknown lands, looking for inner peace. Once completed, post Template to the Dicussion Thread for approval. If you have any questions about how to create a spell, or what a certain race should look like, feel free to message me for advise. Have fun and always remember to vote!
Chapter One of Three: The Moderate Candidate *** Paegan Express pulled into the Collegetown Station at noon o'clock, a gleaming red-and-gold train, maybe even the best train ever built. The sun was high, the breeze was light, and birds were chirping. The steam from the train puffed into the heavens and several people at the station coughed from the foul vapors. The train slowed to a stop and let out one last belch of unholy steam before resting. Bang! The side doors to the middle section of the train banged open after a moment and the train conductor stuck his head out. He was a hairy guy, covered in hair, in fact. Only his grinning mouth was visible through the shaggy brown fur that covered his face, and circular red glasses shielded his eyes. He wore a blue cap to match his all-blue uniform and shiny rubber boots. He waved a hand in greeting and it was also covered in thick fur. "ALL ABOARrrrrD!" the conductor bellowed. Then he laughed to himself, a rumbling chuckle. "That's my favorite part," he said, taking a swig from a silver flask. "You probably shouldn't partake of drink while conducting a train," an elderly black woman commented. She was dressed in layered robes the color of the desert: brown, yellow, and cream-white. The beige turban on her head completed the look. "I'm the conductor of the Paegan Express, so don't you think I know what's best?" the hairy man retorted. "Me name's Gregard the Wolfman. And who be you, judgy lady? The God of Order himself?" The conductor chuckled at his own joke. "I be annoyed," the elderly black woman replied. Then she limped by Gregard at the painfully slow pace of the extremely old and sat at a window seat inside the train. Gregard huffed and gazed around at the beautiful, high-soaring buildings of Collegetown, mostly made of ruby-red bricks. He could count twenty colleges, fifteen museums, and thirteen libraries from where he stood, and big sprawling trees were planted on every street. "This place is too crowded," he commented. "Can't wait to get moving after we refuel."
Fallow Fields arrived at Collegetown Station just as the train settled on the tracks. Luckily, he missed all the smoke clouds. Technology may be the new big thing or whatever, but Fallow could not get used to the smells some of these contraptions made. So, he finished the still-warm pretzel he had bought with his last coin at a bakery and headed for the open train doors. A breeze blew out his brown cloak and Fallow felt confident for a moment, like a grand wizard going on an adventure. But the breeze also revealed his humble, earth-colored clothes that he wore under the cloak, and a nearby woman thought he was a beggar and gave him three bucks. Fallow's mood was dampened but he took the free money anyway. "Howdy do?" Fallow asked the conductor when he made it to the train. He didn't realise that mostly only people from the deep countryside used that greeting. Then he saw the distinguished black woman just inside, wearing nice robes and a turban. "Howdy do?" He asked again, smiling politely. Fallow had always had a soft spot for the elderly.
A crowd is a mine of opportunity, a procession of chambers each with it's own mysterious value. Every pocket and purse hides secrets and treasures; some of sentiment, but others of more tangible affair. As Katarina strolled effortlessly through the terminal, the crowd moved around her. Her fingers flicked and fiddled with anyone everyone's pockets. Every personal object told the carriers story and strife. She rifled through their lives without pause or pardon. They were hers now. Katarina breezed past thin wallets, and cheap jewelry. Only the best could be adorned across her body; she would settle for nothing less. One glance at her person commanded the respect of nobility. She was the embodiment of desire, and she played it to a tee. Men glanced abashed across her body, and women scoffed, mouthing warranted curses her direction. All distracted from the deftness of her fingers. A finer dressed gentleman, obviously of nobility, walked towards her with his wife. Clearly, they were newthinkers by their way of dress, but she was most interested in his watch. It held a sort of rarity in the world, with it's fine metals and air of perfection in design. This trip would require a certain amount of consciousness of time. Her mark was found. Her stride suddenly cut left, as if slipping on a poorly cut tile. Katarina fell daintily into the arms of middle aged man, her gloves pressing his chest lightly. She slowly peered up to his face and watched his eyes widen at first glimpse of the beauty in his arms. "Ah I'm so sorry, my lord," she exclaimed, pressing her body against his with a slight smirk on her face. "I...I must have slipped. Thank you for such a generous rescue, my hero!" The man's blue eyes met hers and lit up to be held in high esteem by one such as her. "Oh no worries, my dear. I assure you the pleasure is …" he was cut off my his clearly irritated wife. "Yes, yes, yes all well and good. Learn to walk...girl," spit the jealous woman. And just as Katarina had played out, the husband angrily spoke out to defend Katarina's honor. As his hand brushed passed hers to point at his wife and criticize, Katarina used his movement to force the watch clip, slipping it off with the turn to walk away. The couple still argued as she slinked off into the invisibility of plain sight. She slid the watch into a pocket below her breast and made way towards the train. With her morning practice complete, and a good limber feeling in her body, her confidence in the nearly suicidal task at hand took a sharper boost. That and the promise of a ten million coin payout, with one point five up front. The things she would do for money concerned her, up until the point it touched her fingers. Then endless desire flared from her hair and eyes. Her covetous nature was a famine towards her surroundings. She would live a queens life as the others burned. This job would step her much closer, as long as they paid. Of course, if they didn't, she would extract every last coin they could muster, and usually a few limbs and pieces as well. Bags already loaded on the train, by the servant boy she seduced earlier with a simple blown kiss and a wave, she was ready. The all aboard rang through the station. She breathed deep through her nose, and pushed forward to the now open doors.
Fallow choked on his own saliva when he saw Katarina come near. He turned away in embarrassment, covering his mouth as he hacked and heaved. Finally he was back to normal and straightened up, clearing his throat, but his brown face had a distinct red undertone. Nice going, Fallow! You made yourself look a complete fool in front of the lady! "Ehem, howdy do, my lady?" Fallow said at last, trying to deepen his voice to appear more manly. "I'm Fallow Fields. A sorcerer," he added to impress her. He even waggled his eyebrows and grinned. If this lady was anything like most girls, she would giggle and ask him about his magick. Of course, he would strategically leave out that he was only a hedge or else she might get disgusted and slap him across the face. No, he wouldn't tell her that until after she fell in love with him and they were engaged. His twenty-year-old mind was already imagining them in blissful harmony and he had to bite his tongue to stop his knees from wobbling at the thought.
Gregard the conductor looked confused upon hearing Fallow's "howdy do", but assumed it was some form of greeting. "I do well, thanks," he answered. The elderly black woman simply nodded at Fallow. Then she took out a folded newspaper and a pen. She flipped to the crossword puzzle and started filling it out, slow and purposeful. After watching Fallow choke on his own spit and try to impress the new lady, Gregard laughed and shook his head. "You've gotta work on your technique, youngun," he told Fallow. "You flirt like a randy teenage goat." A short man in dark overalls came scampering into the passenger area. He was smudged all over with soot and carried a small iron shovel. It was immediately apparent that he was a gnome. "We're refueled, Greg," the gnome announced in a rough voice. "Ready when you are." "Alright, little man," Gregard said. "I told you not to call me that, you big furball," the gnome snapped. Gregard laughed. "Everyone, this is Mance, my new engineer. The old one fell through the toilet. Sad way to go, messy too." The elderly black woman looked up from her crossword to stare at Mance. "Why would a gnome want to be a train engineer?" she enquired. "You have enough magick to live comfortably doing any other job, and from what I know gnomes love being in nature. So why this?" Mance shrugged his little shoulders and a puff of sooty dust raised from his clothes. "I like working with machinery," he replied. "And coal does come from nature. It's mined from the deep earth. Happens to be my favorite mineral. I also like traveling and the Paegan Express goes straight across the Good Country." The elderly woman nodded. "Sounds like a good deal. I'm Lacey, by the way." Mance did a little bow. "Nice to meet ya, Lacey."
Katarina never even would have noticed the young man greeting her if he hadn't said "howdy do." Anybody of a highborn status wouldn't be caught dead saying that. She had brushed off a thousand want-to-be suitors already that day, all who gave her their own twist on a proper greeting. None, except this one, said anything of real amusement. She wondered what a young country boy was doing all the way this far into town. His clothes were of the signature lowborn status, and his wealth was obviously in non-existence. She flashed him a quaint smile. Katarina new she wouldn't get anything of monetary value from this one. Then he said the one thing that would put her in a bad mood. He mentioned he was a sorcerer. No matter what she begged, borrowed,and stole, she would never have any magical power. A country boy with a silly accent and word choice had something she physically couldn't. To Katarina, there was little greater of an insult. She bit her tongue and clasped her hands together, in prevention of letting her knives do the talking. But then she thought quickly of his garb and his demeanor and remembered. This is no sorcerer, this is a hedge. She breathed quietly through her nose, and spoke as a false, yet warm, smile crossed her face and her eyes. "What a pleasure to meet you, kind sir! " As she acknowledged him, a number of other men looked curiously at the boy who seemingly caught her eye. "A sorcerer you say? Oh my, I wish I had such talents as you." She moved in closer and brought out her elbow. "Would you be so kind as to help me up into the train? A strong man such as yourself should easily be able to help little me up here." Reel the boy in. Make him want it. Make him think he's got something to gain. With the prey Katarina was hunting, she was going to need pawns in the fold. Maybe his party tricks could be mildly useful or amusing. She just needed to see them first. "And maybe if you felt like it," she looked away giggled and looked sheepishly back "you could personally show me a few of your...you know...spells. If I were so lucky."
Gregard stared at Katarina in shock. He couldn't believe this gorgeous specimen was even giving Fallow the time of day. "Close your mouth or a fly might go inside," said Mance the Gnome. Gregard cleared his throat. "Ehem, well, I'm gonna start preparing for the train to take off in a bit. Everyone have their tickets ready for when I come back." The hairy man took another swig of his flask before heading towards the front of the train. "Mance," Lacey called. The elderly black woman waved for the gnome to come closer. Mance looked unsure but he woddled closer anyway. There was something he liked about this old lady. "Yes, Lacey?" he grumbled, leaning on his little shovel like a walking stick. "I would like to meet with you tonight, after the sun falls," Lacey told him. "I may need your help with...something...that I cannot discuss openly." She looked around at Fallow and Katarina. "Too many ears around here." "Eh, sure," Mance replied as he scratched the side of his head. "I ain't promising to help you with whatever you're talkin' about, but I'll listen to you and make a decision from there." "That's fair enough." Lacey smiled and went back to filling out her crossword puzzle. Mance looked slightly confused, and slightly interested, as he walked away to return to shoveling coal into the furnace.
Fallow was over the fricking moon. A pretty lady was talking to a him, a rich pretty lady too, by the looks of it. He found himself subconsciously tugging his brown cloak together to hide his peasant clothes. But how long can I pretend to be a wizard? Will she find me out? Oh geez, oh lord. He forced himself to keep smiling, smiling like a happy dope, and took Katarina's offered arm. He listened with keen interest when Lacey the old lady was talking to the gnome named Mance. He watched Mance walk away scratching his head and turned to Katarina, speaking in a low voice so Lacey wouldn't overhear. "Uhhh, what do you think that's about?" Fallow asked. "Should we be worried?"
Joseph was walking through the streets, doing his best to look straight forward and ignore the sights and sounds around him. He knew that he couldn't gawk at the people walking by... though they were certainly gawking at him. He was flocked by a number of servants carrying several bags... and even if that was not enough, the golden snarling wolf pin that sat on his breast was enough to draw attention to himself. Nobles were not an uncommon sight... but the Lockridge family were not exactly ordinary nobles, especially the reclusive heir to the family. He could hear people murmuring, whispering about him. However, he paid it little mind, keeping his head straight up and walking forward. Soon enough the noble and his entourage entered the station. He had to suppress a gasp at the machine before him. It... smelled foul, however, it looked amazing. He'd never seen anything like it before in his life. Though of course, he had been a recluse for the majority of his life, always being 'sick' according to his family. He accepted the ticket from one of his servants, giving a brisk nod, before making his way to the train conductor. He... was quite the hairy man and Joseph had to do his best not to make a face at the strange appearance, keeping a mask of indifference as he held the ticket out for inspection, saying nothing. He had to hide his excitement. For the first time, he was going to be traveling, alone, free of his family, free of doting servants, no longer having to stay pent up in that damnable estate. He just had to maintain appearances just for a few minutes more, if he made one slip up... he'd have to return to the estate right away.
Joseph's cover was blown straightaway by Lacey. She had just finished her crossword puzzle (with the word "finesse") when he came into sight. "You're a sorcerer, like the country boy," Lacey said, looking directly at Joseph and grinning a little. "Nothing spooky. I can always tell a sorcerer just by the look of them. It's a certain way you walk, like you carry mysteries." Gregard the Wolfman came back to hole-punch everyone's tickets before pulling out of Collegetown. He stopped short when he laid eyes on Joseph. "You look like the rich type," he stated in a dry growl. "Are you from old money?" He tipped down his round red glasses to look Joseph up and down. Lacey cocked her head to the side and stared at Joseph as well, waiting curiously for his answer.
Joseph looked over at the elderly black woman for a moment, casting his eyes down for a moment. He had just been compared to a country boy... was... that supposed to be an insult...? He wasn't quite used to social interactions. The most he ever conversed with strangers were the rare occasions when his family would entertain other nobles. His father would be the one to deal with social interactions when he was allowed outside for travel. His typical rule for him was for him to be 'seen and not heard'. He then turned to the hairy train conductor... this time he could definitely feel the hostility coming from him. He steeled himself as he crossed his arms and tried to think about how other nobles had acted whenever he was allowed to converse with them, along with how his father acted in such situations. A cold look formed on his face as he replied to the two. "That is correct. However I am no mere peasant country boy. To be a sorcerer is expected of my family. I am Joseph Alexander Lockridge, heir to the Lockridge family. If you cause me any problems, I can have your job in a matter of moments." He felt... dirty using those words, a part of him wanted to apologize for saying such a harsh thing... but... it was expected of him to act in such a manner, was it not...?
Gregard laughed out loud. "We got us a feisty one!" he chuckled. Then he punched Joseph's ticket and walked over to Lacey to punch hers. Lacey held hers out for him. "You sure have the manners of a noble," Lacey commented with a teasing grin. "Just so you know, I don't intend to bow and scrape to you. I'm not from Paegan so I don't follow your customs and I don't grovel to anyone." She said all this in a calm, measured tone, not angry or cold, just speaking plain.
Joseph flinched at the sudden laughter, and quickly pocketed his ticket. Had... he screwed up the delivery somehow? Usually the people his father had yelled at cowered and apologized right away, laughing was hardly ever the reaction that he received. He glanced at the woman once again as she spoke. "I... I don't..." He let out a soft, dejected sigh. "...Never mind." He said after a moment, not wanting to embarrass himself further, he boarded the train, entering into the passenger car and taking a seat near the entrance, simply looking outside the window, watching the servants that had accompanied him begin to return back to the estate.
"Uhhh, what do you think that's about?" Fallow asked. "Should we be worried?" 'An expectation' is what Katarina wanted to say, almost blurted out, but resolved to keep an aura of ignorance. Secrecy and deceit were only natural if the expected passenger were to arrive. This gave her confidence in the mission, and resolve to not just take the upfront money and run. Maybe this will be the payout of a lifetime, she thought. Maybe. She resolved to keep a close eye and ear on the old, black woman, and the half-man for the duration of the trip. As to Katarina's companion - "Sounds like a mystery to me," she said quietly to Fallow as she leaned in closer to his ear. "Maybe an adventure waiting to happen." As they stepped into the train, the old woman could be heard again, talking to another sorcerer, a noble one. She perked up to the words and listened carefully, taking a light pause after stairs of the train to hear the whole scene and look down on it. "That is correct. However I am no mere peasant country boy. To be a sorcerer is expected of my family. I am Joseph Alexander Lockridge, heir to the Lockridge family. If you cause me any problems, I can have your job in a matter of moments." A Lockridge, but not one she had ever seen. Katarina thought she knew that whole family based on their prominence and power, being a constant name on the lips of many, but this one she had never seen. Maybe he was a shut in. And the fact he travelled alone was curious as well. Again, this felt off from the norm. She would have believed him to be an imposter, but the attitude was spot on. It only lacked the confidence. "Just so you know, I don't intend to bow and scrape to you. I'm not from Paegan so I don't follow your customs and I don't grovel to anyone." The old woman's defiance of local customs seemed strange, even for an outsider. Katarina was glad had paused for a minute, as she turned into the train car. That woman grew more suspicious by the second. She needed to find out who she really is. She could be hiding the target. Or she could be it. The powers of illusion aren't unheard of. Someone of a great deal magical strength could muster a convincing guise like that. Katarina moved into the body of the car as if nothing happened, or was on her mind. But a story was brewing. Maybe I don't need to wait or search, she thought. Maybe it's already here waiting to fall right into my lap.
"Maybe an adventure waiting to happen." Fallow shivered as he felt the pretty rich lady's breath against his sensitive earlobe. Lacey might be mysterious and aloof, but Katarina was on a whole other level. He found everything about her fascinating. And when she walked off to find a seat, Fallow couldn't help but tramp after her like a lovesick puppy and sit in the seat across the aisle from hers. He wasn't bold enough to sit right next to her and also didn't want to smother her. So he sat nearby just in case she wanted his company...or if she ever felt like telling him her name, which for some odd reason she had not. "Joseph Lockridge, was it?" Fallow asked the noble passenger after letting Gregard punch his dirt-smudged ticket. Fallow gave Joseph a big friendly countrified smile. "Howdy do! I've heard of the Lockridges in my journeys. They have impressive generational magick, am I right?" He was hoping by asking that Joseph would volunteer to show them some great magick tricks and he practically rubbed his hands together in anticipation, leaning off the edge of his seat.
Gregard finished punching everyone's tickets and headed to the front of the train to start the engine. The entire train shuddered, jerked, and slowly moved forward on the tracks, gradually building speed until it was moving faster than any horse. Outside the windows they could see all of Collegetown flying by through the wide windows: flocks of hopeful students walking the streets, professors huddled in coffee shops discussing lectures, lovers kissing under flowering trees in public parks. Collegetown was truly a beautiful, thriving city. Suddenly the train passed the Mayor's Mansion and they saw a huge crowd filling the marble front steps. It was a protest, mostly made up of college kids holding signs that said things like "Moderate Or Die!" and "Moderates Deserve Representation!" A girl in a neon orange sweater climbed onto a bigger girl's shoulders to be seen and yelled into a megaphone, "Down with Newthinkers! Down with Traditionals! The Moderate Way is the Best Way!" "Eh, seems like the college crowd is pretty riled up." That was Mance the Gnome who had returned to the passenger compartment pushing a food cart. "They don't like that no Moderate candidates were rich enough to get enough publicity to make it to the final ballot. You know college kids, full of spirit and just looking for an excuse to go wild." Mance continued to push the cart up the aisle and offer bags of warm peanuts, sandwiches wrapped in brown paper, glass bottles of water and bottles of beer. There was also a spring salad option, but the lettuce looked limp from being in the hot environment of the train. The next moment, the Paegan Express reached the outer limits of Collegetown and they left the city behind, speeding out over a great grassland that stretched on for a hundred miles.
"Joseph Lockridge, was it?" Fallow asked the noble passenger after letting Gregard punch his dirt-smudged ticket. Fallow gave Joseph a big friendly countrified smile. "Howdy do! I've heard of the Lockridges in my journeys. They have impressive generational magick, am I right? Joseph had been settling into his seat when he was approached by the stranger. Just with one look Joseph realized that he must have been from the countryside. It wasn't like the clothing he'd seen around the city, it was clearly made of cheaper materials. He'd also never heard anyone in the city call out 'howdy do' to anyone. "...That is correct." He said simply as he crossed his arms, his right had strayed up to his cravat, beginning to touch the golden snarling wolf pin that sat in the center. "...Yes, my family has had wizards, witches, and druids in it for generations. I too have great magic. Should I use it, then I would probably rip this train apart." He said, his face a neutral mask as he explained this to the country boy. He knew it was a lie... however, his father had threatened that should anyone learn about his lack of magical talent, then not only would he never be able to leave the estate again, he would not even be allowed to leave his room. This seemed like the best excuse for why he would not be able to show off his magic to others. If he used it, then the train would be destroyed, likely killing everyone. With that said, Joseph turned his face from the country boy, staring out the window as they began leaving the city. He watched the protest and tilted his head. Moderates? He hadn't been keeping up with politics. He was only allowed to come to the capitol for the election because his father had been running for the position. That meant the entire family had to be there for a good public image.
The seats were comfortable and isolated enough to give a fair amount of privacy, while being an adequate place to pass the time. The target would possibly reveal themselves at some point, but building a cover as a traveler was far more important than the obvious, immediate search. If you put all the senses at work, clues are much easier to come by. Sometimes they even land in your lap. This felt like a good trip in that respect, she had been at it long enough to know. Whether she would survive or not was another aspect, but she wouldn't have much to worry about if she died anyways. The heat of the still cabin caused Katarina to perspire profusely. The double up of covering dress and leather armor was stifling in such a confined location, but likely a necessity. As sweat rolled from her forehead to her chin, dripping down upon her breast, she pushed herself through the heat with the thought of all that money. Greed is a powerful force of motivation; Katarina tried to funnel that power any chance adversity struck. The train lurched, and then shoved on forward, letting a cooling breeze grow through the openings at the windows. It was a otherworldly feeling of pleasure as the misery ended. Katarina wiped the sweat away with her handkerchief, and once again made herself presentable, possibly noble even. It had been some years now since she had began the false persona of a highborn lady, and she was good at it, but her age was showing through slightly from the stress of it. Her skin was smooth and light for someone of their late thirties, but it was starting to pull a little tighter from exertion and time. Limbering up took a little longer, and pains lasted longer. She made herself look near late twenties through excellent physical fitness, but the guise was getting harder to hold. The wind felt nice, and after deep breath to get her bearings, she peered outside. The mayor of Collegetown's mansion had a large and growing protest surrounding. She knew what it was before the signs even became clear. The moderates. A rally of compromise, she felt. Individuals caught between two worlds of thought that can't possibly coexist in their struggle for dominance. She agreed with them on many subjects, but was too caught up in her own person and motives to really participate or play a part in the politics involved. Katarina truly didn't want to join anybody of any side, and simply wanted everyone under her wing. The fact that all the moderate candidates were too poor to compete was telling, she felt. A compromise of the schools of the thought was nowhere near fruition. They needed clear and singular leadership. If someone with a solid head and some funding to rise to dominance, the party might even win. There have always been more of the left-behind feeling denizens of middle-lands. Their strengths have always been sheer mass. Their disgruntled attitudes grew out of the theft of their personnel. Their gifted sorcerers being immediately whisked off and removed from their numbers. Sore memories of their leaders drifting off in a social climb. Katarina would be a hypocrite to believe she wasn't the same in that respect, but she didn't want to merely be the new high class, she wanted to own the current highborns. She wanted the magical creatures to take their dutiful place below that of humans (her) in the chain of society. A toppling of the perceived 'gods' amongst faeries. She wanted everything for her own. The current payout may be enough to get the ball rolling, but was time and age going to hold her back? As the crowd sped away with the winds of train, Katarina contemplated feasibility, and ultimately decided the pinnacle was never reached without taking every step along the way, even if the climb took decades. The memories of what was done to Katarina, and what she had done blurred her mind like the field flying by on the expanse. At that moment she didn't much care for working on messy task at hand. In the end, no matter the target, the song and dance always ended the same. Katarina stared off into the endless fields blankly, lost in the memories of fire and blood, claws and knives, barstools and bedsides. Katarina smiled devilishly in pride of what was accomplished, as she stared out into the ocean of grasses.
The train was still speeding through the grasslands when the sun began to set, turning the sky light purple. Yellow-orange electric bulbs flickered on over the heads of the passengers to provide extra lighting. "Everyone, this is the conductor speaking," Gregard's voice reverberated throughout the train. The Paegan Express had a crackly speaker system, one speaker per compartment. Gregard spoke to all of them from the engine compartment using it. "Testing the sound system. Testing, testing. Hope everyone is enjoyin' the ride. That is all." Lacey was fast asleep in her chair, but she was tossing and turning, small whimpering sounds escaping her mouth. Mance the Gnome returned in a rather dashing state: he had taken a shower and washed away all the soot, combed his ruffled black hair into a slick ponytail, and changed out of his overalls into a fitted brown suit and matching brown-leather cowboy boots. He still carried his tiny shovel, though; it was tucked into his belt loop. "Um, Miss Lacey?" Mance said, poking Lacey in the shoulder. He glanced around at the other passengers, trying to be secretive but failing miserably. Mance never could whisper, his voice was naturally rough and loud, and besides that, Lacey was making a big fuss in her sleep. "You wanted to meet me later, remember?" the Gnome prompted, this time shaking Lacey's shoulder. Lacey jerked awake...and a stone tablet fell out of her layered robes and hit the ground. The tablet was covered in rows of tiny curls and waves that did not look like any existing language, and if you stared long enough the patterns seemed to swirl together in a hypnotic spiral. Lacey quickly grabbed the tablet and shoved it back into her robe, lurching to her feet. "Danger!" she shouted. "We are all in immediate danger!" Her dark eyes were wide open and the whites seemed to have a faint silvery glow. "Whatcha mean?" Mance grumbled. "We're perfectly safe, ma'am." "This is your conductor speaking, again," Gregard's voice rang out once more. "This is odd, but there appears to be people all along the tracks. They're wearing dark colors and just...standing there. Okay, now they're...wait! They're rogues and they're boarding the train! I repeat, they're boarding the train! Aaaaaagh!" They all heard glass breaking over the speakers before the sound cut off. A second later, there were several bump-bump-bumps on all the windows. People wrapped in dark clothes and shadowy hoods had jumped onto the sides of the trains. It was a band of rogues. Now they were all placing small beeping devices directly on the windows. The beeping grew to an unbearable frequency and every window exploded at the same time... And the rogues started to pour in.
Joseph had been starting to nod off in his chair as the sun began to set. When he was jerked awake by the commotion next to him. He looked over at the elderly woman and the gnome from earlier, overhearing bits and pieces of their conversation. He noticed the stone tablet that had slipped out of her robes, he'd only gotten a glance at it before she grabbed it and started warning people of danger. Joseph... had the distinct feeling that they should listen to the woman, especially as the speaker came on. Joseph had the good sense to quickly unbutton his suit jacket and tear off his cravat, quickly stuffing them, and his golden pin which signified his lineage, beneath his seat, before standing up. As he saw the hooded figures at the windows, placing some strange device to it, he couldn't help but wince at the beeping. This... of course gave him time to prepare. He took a deep breath and shut out the distractions around him as several icy crystals formed around him, ten in all, floating around him in a circle. They almost looked like stakes, ready to sink deep into the flesh of the rogues that had dared attacked the train. When the windows smashed, he quickly took aim at the rogue that was climbing through the window of his compartment and let loose. The small crystal cut through the air, a whistling filling the cabin as it did. The sharp diamond shaped ice crystal sunk into the bandit's eyes with a dull 'thunk', there was a spray of blood onto the floor of the cabin, before the rogue fell off of the train, dead. Joseph shuddered at the idea that he'd just taken a life, but knew that he didn't have much time to think about it further. These rogues would likely kill them for their valuables, this was self defense, nothing more. Joseph whirled around to face the elderly woman and the gnome, not having much time to aim, he let another crystal loose as the rogue was climbing in through the window, the crystal whizzed by Lacey's face and just above the gnome, catching the rogue in the stomach. When that didn't seem to completely deter him, he let loose another one, this time sinking it deep inside of the rogue's chest. He fell forward onto the cabin floor in front of the three, clutching at the ice crystals protruding from his abdomen, trying to rip them out... which only sped up the bleeding, a scarlet pool beginning to form on the floor of the cabin as he bled out. Seven projectiles left, he had to make the best of them. He turned toward the aisle, taking aim at the next two rogues climbing into the next row of seats. He let one loose, aiming at the rogue on the left, aiming right at his head. He had lurched forward, causing the ice crystal to shatter against the wall right next to his head, but the second one aimed true and slammed into the man's temple, jutting out grotesquely before he fell to the ground, his body twitching on the ground for a few moments, before laying still. He then took aim on the one on the right, he'd managed to climb inside and had noticed the sorcerer taking down his comrades. He rushed toward him aiming to take him down quickly, and in return, Joseph launched three crystals towards him in rapid succession, one caught the rogue in the shoulder before he'd managed to duck behind one of the seats, the two crystals whizzed over his head and shattered against the wall behind him, almost hitting one of the other rogues, alerting him to the sorcerer that was attacking them. The rogue slid into the aisle from a crouched position, rushing towards the sorcerer, a blade in hand to end him quickly. Joseph caught him just in time, expending the last two crystals in his arsenal, slamming one right into the rogue's forehead and throat, causing him to fall backwards in the aisle. Seeing more coming down the aisle to subdue him, he quickly erected his crystal barrier. A large crystal mass formed in the air in the center of the aisle and then slammed down into the ground in front of him. He knew that it wouldn't keep them back long, all they would have to do is climb over the seats to get at him, but for the time being, it would give him enough time to prepare for his next volley of attacks. Hopefully the others in the rest of the train were faring better than he was...
Fallow had no time to think before the rogues had exploded all the windows and were pouring in. Fear took over and he ducked down and immediately started crawling to safety...only to bump his head against the knee of a rogue in front of him. "Ahhh, don't kill me!" He quickly scrambled backwards and threw up his hands. Fire burst from his extended fingers in long streams of red and yellow and orange. Sparkfire, the most powerful spell that Fallow could cast. He aimed for the face of the nearest rogue, hoping to burn him or at least scare him into leaving. Who am I kidding? These are rogues, for goodness sake! A little fire won't stop them. I have to be smarter... Fallow thought quickly and snapped his fingers. A dove appeared made of pure white light. Angel Dove. The dove automatically knew what to do and flew at one of the rogues, snatching something from his belt and bringing it back to Fallow before disappearing. It was one of the devices they had used to explode the windows. But Fallow was just a farm boy and a lowly Hedge, he had no idea how to work this thing. "Mance, here!" Fallow yelled, and he threw the device toward the gnome. Mance had said he was good with machinery earlier so maybe he could figure it out.
Lost in thought and memory, Katarina was startled by the sudden bumps outside the windows of the train. A high pitched frequency she had never heard before enveloped the train. She plugged her ears, but the pain in her head from the scream at the windows was too great to block. The sonic resonators reached their desired pitch, and shattered the glass surrounding. She blocked her face from the torrent of shards to be met with a man crawling in through the window when her eyes reopened. Damn, whoever's planned this entry out was good, she thought. The decision to attack was knee-jerk, but as she reached for blades she decided otherwise. It was doubtful they were there for her, or to kill everyone on the train. They were looking for something specific. Probably in relation to what she was hunting for, but not in exact reference. So the decision was made. Katarina screamed in utter terror, and fell to her knees on the compartment floor. She begged the intruder, "please, please don't kill me! Take whatever you want, just leave me be!" She pretended to cry as she leaned forward in a begging motion, but always kept a hand in the back near one of her blades. Pounding and yelling came from outside the compartment as a small skirmish ensued. There must be many of these guys, she thought. The rogue in her compartment quickly lost any interest in her, and sprinted outside the section. Katarina scooted closer to the compartment entry to see what was happening. The young Lockridge seemed to rely on an ice shard spell. It was effective on what seemed to be the pawns of the rogue group, but didn't hold up to her expectation of Lockridge sorcery. Maybe he had more tricks up his sleeve. Then she saw the magical barrier. That's two she thought, maybe more would show face later, otherwise he was just a hedge. That would be quite the piece of information if it were true. Even the country boy stepped up a little through the fear. He shot our some weak flames, which Katarina found uninteresting, but at least something. The boy had something of far more power though than she assumed previously. He had a pickpocket summon on command, a beautiful little dove that he could bend to his will. She didn't just see the bird, she saw an illusion, a distraction, and a personal thief for free. She wanted it for herself. That meant she would need to work him a little more. That was fine. He was poor, but at least he wasn't bad looking. Katarina was pleased. As the skirmish played out, necessary information came to light. She wondered where the big guys were though, and what they wanted. She also wondered if the target would show up, or was pretending like her. Whatever the game was, she couldn't show her hand first. At least not outside from the shadows.
Joseph dealt with many rogues, but there were plenty more leftover, eleven in all. The eleventh rogue not only wore a hood, but also carried a large axe painted with a red 'X' across the double-sided blades. He stood behind the rogues and watched patiently without moving. The only part of him that was visible was his mouth and he smirked as if he thought Joseph was being cute and he wasn't worried in the least. Fallow burned the face of one rogue and caused him to scream in panic and accidentally fall back out a shattered window. When he threw a sound device at Mance, the gnome did not see it coming. He was too busy swinging his shovel with incredible strength, breaking the bones of any rogue that dared to come close. Lacey hid behind him, holding out a long, curved knife that she had pulled from somewhere in her layered robes. A rogue tried to grab her wrist, but she lashed out and cut off his fingers. Then Lacey grabbed his sleeve while he was still in shock and yabked him sideways. Out the window he went. One more down, ten to go. But somehow Mance, by pure dumb chance, swung his shovel and hit the device that came his way and it flew...and stuck to Joseph's ice barrier. The beeping started, getting higher and higher until everyone's ears ached, and then the barrier exploded into a thousand pieces. Hunks of ice flew everywhere, knocking out five rogues standing nearby. One medium-sized ice hit Lacey and she fell against her train seat. Her beige turban was knocked from her head and long grey dreadlocks unraveled and cascaded down to the floor. A silver crescent moon tattoo shined on her forehead, the horns pointing straight up. "Enough of this," growled the Head Rogue. He stomped down the aisle and swung his weapon at Mance. Mance raised his tiny shovel in defense and, miraculously, the shovel stopped the giant axe. The Head Rogue played dirty though; he spit in Mance's face and then kicked him in jaw, knocking him unconscious. Now the Head Rogue grabbed Lacey by her locs and yanked her against his chest, holding the axe under her chin. Lacey dropped her knife to clutch her hair where the Head Rogue was pulling it. "Anyone move and she dies," he promised. The remaining five rogues stood around him in a circle and stared down the train passengers.
Fallow grinned from ear to ear after the ice wall blew up and a handful of rogues went flying. That was neat. And now there was only (he quickly counted the rogues from where he was crouched on the floor) six rogues left. Including the X-Rogue, who was more than likely the leader of the band. And where was the rich pretty lady? Probably hiding under a seat. Fallow vowed to keep her safe above all else. "Anyone move and she dies." That made Fallow stop grinning like an idiot. His head whipped around and he saw X-Rogue with his giant double-bladed axe held to Lacey's esophagus. He wondered what happened to the gnome only to spot Mance knocked out on the floor nearby. This wasn't turning out well at all. Fallow's hand crept over to Lacey's dropped knife and he hid it behind his back, just in case. "What do you want from us?" Fallow asked. He tried to sound bold even though his voice shook and sweat was falling across his forehead.
