(Please close thread, not active)

[Seranda]

Boria was always known as a prestigious place for people to set their lives. With a wide selection of opportunities, to the fairness and love expressed by young King Kaleb and his beautiful wife, Queen Helena of the kingdom of Ardos, Boria seemed the exemplary place for any traveler, wanderer, fighter, teacher or farmer to succeed.

A few years back, Kaleb, refusing to listen to his wife's warnings, was slain by one of his own retainers, one of his most trusted advisers, and easily one of the finest warriors to set foot in Boria, Soren of Lucan.

The murder was then pinned on another retainer, and loyal follower of the Boria bloodline, Dego of Boria. Once Soren claimed Dego the murderer, the entire kingdom turned on Dego, and Soren had him exiled. Quietly, Soren took control of the crown, and that's where the bloodshed began.

Farmers who didn't supply him with more than what he asked for had their lands confiscated. Women were constantly raped and beaten by Soren's army, now more than ever filled with sellswords from Lucan and other countries. Many businesses were pushed out, in one way or another, cheated out of Boria. Smithies, teachers, merchants, traders, innkeepers, even members of Kaleb's former party had been mysteriously killed or exiled. The Queen was locked away, facing humiliation and pain most likely. No one was sure of her actual status, or if she was even alive. She was the last hope for a dying country.

Small pockets of resistance have emerged in the coming few years. But none had made an actual impact. Killing two soldiers to then be massacred by ten wasn't really making an impact of any sort. The only one who had done at least a little damage, was Dego the Exile. Ironically, the man shunned for killing Kaleb had become a sort of hero, a vigilante, a pre-determined hero, and likely the one to save Queen Helena. Having dispatched a large number of soldiers, and slaying three of Soren's former retainers, Dego was the one man who could change things, until he crossed blades with Soren's officer, Shura.

Shura, like Soren, came from Lucan. Lucan was always known for its amazing warriors, excellent mercenaries, and deadly women. Children are taught to kill to protect their families and belongings, and power means everything.

In his epic fight with Shura, he hardly managed to cut her, only scratching her shoulder, a notion to which she laughed to. He was wounded by Shura and her unbelievable speed. Once he fell, the small and growing band of rebels he led, quietly dispersed.

~~

The local tavern was as good a place as any to try to get information on Dego. A young woman sat down quietly and looked around quietly. She'd normally try to eavesdrop or ask very surreptitiously. If she asked the wrong person, it could mean a fight. With a staff at her side, she ordered a drink, dropping the coin on the counter. When her drink was served, she leaned towards the man. "What do you know about Dego? You serve the corrupt king, it's why you still have your business. I need to know of Dego the Exile."

The man pulled his hand back and shook his head. "I know nothing. Don't ask stupid questions here young lady." He took the coin and walked towards another client, the woman left to her drink, which she began to consume.

 

[andypants1990]

RE: Breaking Free of Pain (Buttons and Lady Red)

Soren's reach seemed to be everywhere. The treacherous snake knew no bounds and because of that the kingdom suffered. Their King assassinated, their Queen more then likely locked away in a personal hell that no person should go through.. Knights and Soldiers that were once the symbols of justice and freedom now brought nothing but oppression and violence. The grasp of greedy nobles and merchants tightening harder and harder with each passing day, those that knew of the way things had been before kept their mouths shut... And those that fight for the old ways are either killed or exiled. To say there was hope would be a very dangerous thing to let slip from one's lips, rumors of the Exile Dego mounting attacks against the armies of Soren was all that people had to go by. But the fact of the matter was that there was no going back, there was no hope. People just lived, clinging onto whatever Soren didn't rip from their lives and waiting for the next miserable day to come. But at least there was still ale!

With the increase of foreign merchants, sellswords, and all sorts of thieves and thugs, the inns were some of the most popular places to be. Black market connections could be made, professional assassins or kidnappers could be paid for, anything really that one's depraved little heart could desire would be at the inns. Saying you knew the right people of course and paid the soldiers to turn a blind eye to what was going on. And oh how the inn was alive tonight.

Bar maids going around getting groped and flirting with whoever took a seat, the bartender frantically moving from customer to customer collecting coin and serving drinks, legs of meat and chunks of bread coming out on large platters from the kitchen in the back. Those who inhabited the inn were many, mountain men from up north covered in bear furs, cut throats from the south with their tanned skin and overly decorated vestments, to the local soldiers that were enjoying the inns oh so generous hospitality... Because what fool would make a soldier of Soren's army pay for something? Oh right! Who could forget the fool? Every tavern had one after all, and the fool tonight was making his rounds.

“Why don't you show some kindness and buy a man a drink?” The fool asked, dressed in a shabby cloak that served more to warm his body from the cold nights then to be fashionable. “Just one drink buddy!” He exclaimed, the man talking with a group of three men that were eating and drinking to their hearts content. Large burly individuals that looked like sellswords or thugs. “Get lost you fucking freeloader!” One of the guy shouted with food in his mouth, bringing the back of his fist into the fool's face. The fool falling flat on his ass, a large red fist mark across the side of his face. “Hey! I just asked for a drink!” The fool shouted, getting up and going back to the edge of the table. Doing more then that even by getting in the man's face. “Now you hit me and need to make things right! So why not buy me that drink now?” The fool asked, the three men at the table glaring at him before they got up to deal with the fool. All of this was going on when the young woman entered the tavern, but then again squabbles between patrons was common place in an inn.

The name Dego rang in the bartenders ears, he showing no signs of it of course on his face but was worried. He whistled at one of his bar maids to come over, whispering something into her ear before getting more drinks. The bar maid making her way over to the table which Soren's soldiers were at. She saying a few things before leaving, the three soldiers that were there turning to look at the young woman who had brought up Dego. They started to finish their meals, drinking the last of their ale before standing up, weapons in hand as they made their way to the bar.

The soldiers stopped behind the young woman, eyes traveling up and down her body. Damn did she have quite the body, and the fact that she was wearing some weird outfit that completely exposed the sides of her... There was little that the soldiers had to leave to their imaginations. The bartender looked over, groaning as he brought his hands up in the air in a waving motion, “Ah come on not in my inn! Take it outside!” He pleaded, the soldiers raising an eyebrow to him before looking back to the young woman. “Well you heard the man let's take this outside, I will show you where Dego is.” One of the soldiers stated, his sword resting against his shoulder. The three soldiers had positioned themselves together and in between her and the front door, their intentions were to escort her out through the back door.

 

[Seranda]

RE: Breaking Free of Pain (Buttons and Lady Red)

((So to you, Dego has already been executed? -sigh-))

Karin looked at the men from the corner of her eyes and stood up, looking at the bartender as she started to walk.

"We's a heard you blabber something about a fool named Dego... Are you one of his people? You come'er to start some trouble?"

Karin squinted at the man, a hunk of meat dangling from his gaped teeth.

"Say something miss!" Screamed another, grabbing a handful of her hair as a second soldier grabbed one of her breasts. "We're going to take care of you right here! Come now, scream! No one here's going to help you!" Karin whipped her staff against the wrist of the man touching her chest, then quickly smacked the second man's face with her staff. That only angered them as all three of them rushed her, Karin running past the fool, but being caught around the waist and pushed to the ground.

She sprung up quickly, watching one of them come running and hitting his face as hard as she could. The second drew his sword and started to cut at her, the woman barely moving out of the way on time. One swing broke a table into pieces at the owner's expense.

Karin clashed with him several times, before he tried to wrestle her down, she got the upper hand, tumbling on the floor with him, mounting him, and shoving her forearm into his face several times. Panting after the man was unable to respond.

"GET OUT!!" Yelled the bartender, Karin standing up and forgetting about the third man, who got behind her and placed a blade against her throat. He was lining it up, he wasn't going to arrest her, or even rape her, he was going to murder her, and she was caught off guard.