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Post by MusicalMagpie on Jul 25, 2017 17:35:25 GMT -6
Jupiter | Commoner
Jupiter was still studying the unicorn's face to find the name that went with it when suddenly Isolt disturbed the peace of the sanctum. He stood stock still as she backed up to look him over, his face reading as a Yikes. He really had no idea who this was.
"I'm Isolt. You were certainly smaller when we met. It's a good thing you did not drink that potion sooner; the guard might not have been so easily convinced of your heritage!"
Isolt. Guard? Oh gods that's right. Isolt was there at the branding. She was the only one who seemed in any way okay with it. Almost happy? Something seemed so off about her. Perhaps the way she was raised. And raising the issue of heritage, she was right. He was lucky. Jupiter definitely took after Alois in the visual department now. Good, more reminders. Isolt had frozen, elated joy swapped for confusion. Right. He turned his head to Milo and the paint mare, Asalah. They seemed to be speaking to each other, which for Jupiter, wasn't all that odd. Seemed like his whole family was picking up the Whispering tome.
"Your Zelsa is absolutely majestic..."
She went on to almost apologize for the whole thing. Milo had closed his eyes and begun to purr in a deep rumble, seemingly proud of the uncomfortable situation. Jupiter scolded his familiar with a downward glance which wasn't received. He turned his attention to Asalah and smiled kindly.
"I'm Jupiter. I'm sorry if Milo was rude at all, mama says he can get that way." He spoke quietly. If there was ever a constant complaint about his feathery feline it was to do with him being the sly instigator of trouble. When Asalah mentioned the Flamen and the growing crowd, Jupiter looked over a white shoulder and past the Ignacio statue. He had picked up a few words here and there, but mostly they pertained to slaves. Gods, he hated that word. He only ever used it in the company of proud slave owners as a way to fit in. But he was curious. The discussion was becoming more heated and it was difficult to grasp the context.
"I'm not sure. From what I can hear, I don't know if it's my place to butt in." He said quietly, tone unsure. The less he knew, the more he wanted to stay out of it.
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Word Count - 402
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Post by Moose-On-Ice on Jul 25, 2017 18:20:12 GMT -6
"This was the face of slavery. To have nothing, and still have something more to lose."
 One by one everyone came along and voiced their opinions. First Mathias, still bloody cocky about the whole thing. Omar's gaze stayed firm when he looked at him. Then a weathered labor slave, who's name was Maks, saying he would die with a touch of freedom then stay. Then a much more quiet, nearly week slave speaking up from behind Maks, agreeing and trying to help.
Omar snorted, but held his tongue as Ulysses started to speak. Gods be damned, he knew they were worked to the bone, he knew that they were desperate for freedom, but were they so bloody focused on their own freedom that they did not consider the consequences for the REST of them!?
Taking a few deep breaths, Omar's gaze flicked to Ulysses. He quietly nodded along. See. Ulysses got it. The chevaliers would not let boats, tunnels, anything be unchecked! Omar could talk to people. He could convince them and make plans. But that had been in Onea. With War-Forged equines. Ones who were made of tougher material, could handle more aggression and bite one's tone. Sometimes, that was all that worked for them.
Omar looked at Mathias now. Perhaps now he would understand why this was such a damned bad idea! Then he faltered, looking at Ulysses with a trace of disbelief. Willing to aid? What? Pinning his ears, he looked over the crowd and then back at Ulysses. "Are you sure this a good idea." He growled quietly to him. "My gut tells me this is damn bad timing to try such a thing. And you know how badly I want to leave too. It ain't easy for me to decline an offer like this."
He glanced up at more slaves coming over, creating a small crowd. Damnit... He knew there were some slaves who might be less then inclined to let an escape happen. Broken to the core, desperate to stay here and be in shackles. This was far too public. "Not to mention if someone was to tattle, you were seen saying, and I quote "I am willing to aid you."." Omar added.
353 Words; Post 5
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Post by fallenraen on Jul 25, 2017 19:27:22 GMT -6
[ Phoebe ]
The Flamen’s gentle gaze turned towards her, his voice filled with sadness as he told her that one day it would get better, but might not be in their lifetimes. Was that enough for the future? The children she saw already as slaves, trailing behind their mothers or fathers that worked? There was a painful grip in her heart, but the slave lowered her head and accepted what he said. She worried for them, for the others, much more than she could ever worry for herself. It was them she would have wanted to help escape - she had to wait.
She had to be patient for the day Axenus would return, her friend safe and sound. They had to think of a safe way to smuggle her away from the city as much as she would hate to leave others still there suffering, but as it was pointed out: they could not get caught helping many. So many slaves could not fit through the tunnels unnoticed, walk through the gaits with willing Chevaliers to see their freedom or those who pretended to dress up in armor. Boats were not an option either, not when they would be searched. Hope was crumbling, faltering as she listened, until there was a “but” with hesitance.
He, the Flamen, was willing to aid to the cause. Her head lifted, if at first she peeked up shyly, before her ears angled forward to catch every word he said. They couldn’t get greedy with the numbers, no. An excuse might not be hard to come by when labor slaves did have to rebuild the city, but on a day off? It’d have to be something drastically made up that required immediate attention. The Crucible again? Her gaze drifted from those in the small group that had gathered, zoning out with her thoughts before her ears pricked at her name and she returned her attention to the Flamen. She was being given a task? To find those that wanted to escape or help?
He was trusting her. It barely clicked in her brain that someone such as him could give her such an important task, to pick out those in the crowd that wouldn’t betray them, but she did give a small dip of her head. “Y - Yes, sir,” she spoke, quieting again only when his slave spoke up again. His gut told him no. Uncertainty creeped up into her surprised expression, an ear flicking to the side. Shouldn’t they listen to their guts? What if he was right?
Everything tumbled in. Her hope, her excitement. A crestfallen look crossed her face for a heartbeat, but she was sure to wipe it away when a new face had joined their group. A fellow labor slave, one she didn't recognize all too well, but she forced herself to offer the smallest of smiles to remain polite to them. Never mind that there was the crushing realization that the slave trader’s plan was a hasty one, one that might end up with all of them in trouble. As Ulysses had said: things would change one day. Maybe the next King would be cruel, maybe they’d continue to turn a blind eye to slaves or make their lives worse, but it couldn’t always be that way… Could it?
“Hi - uh… Hello there,” she tried again, her ears flicking back nervously. Crowds, as one had begun to form, made her heart beat so fast. Was anyone else feeling a little dizzy? “We’re just…” Just what? Hatching a plan for escape? Arguing with the faults in said plan? She didn’t know this other girl, and she paused while biting her lip. “Just talking,” she said at last. Talking, debating. It was the same thing, was it not? She didn’t want to lie as she sure as she was about withholding the truth.
“Did you, um, did you come to pray? Are we standing in your way?” She didn’t think that was the case, though it didn’t hurt to ask when it was true how much Phoebe would hate to be in another’s way. She could easily step to the side, if they’d like.
Post count: #5 | Word count: 691 |
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Post by InTheDappledRain on Jul 26, 2017 11:37:57 GMT -6
 Asalah's ears flicked forward, curiosity pushing her to try to listen in on what was going on in the forming group. It seemed pretty important by the way some of the horses shifted, speaking with the Flamen as if he was giving them a road to life or death. Maybe he was, Asalah wasn't sure. Maybe if she was more perceptive or a little more attentive, she would have been able to pick up the details, but as it was, there was little for her to take in.
So instead she walked up, taking in the last bits of conversation before her ears flicked back in slight surprise. Was she going crazy? Were these horses really speaking of releasing slaves on a massive level? Was that really what she was picking up from their talking?
She nearly took a step back in surprise as another horse commented, trying to play the conversation off as nothing more than a quiet discussion. Asalah couldn't blame any of them for trying to push suspicion off of them. These were topics that rarely exited the homes they started in.
Let alone topics that would reach the ears of the public in a time like this. Sure, Asalah herself had mentioned to her sisters how she was beginning to see a different side to the slavery of Aodh, but she rarely spoke out about them in a place such as this.
Nervously, as if she expected a chevalier to enter the room at a moment's notice, the mare glanced around her, letting out a short breath.
The things she got herself tied up in were rarely expected. First her trip to Aodh from Talori, then her sudden tumble into the crucible. so many various disasters that had been avoided or survived by pure luck.
The only question she had now was... when would her luck run out? Being around a group of horses this large that were talking so fervently about escaping could easily be the nail in her own coffin.
She chewed it over for a few moments in her head. The zelsa admittedly had been more comfortable company...though that was more because she wasn't completely certain on how she felt about slavery in Aodh anymore. The past few weeks, after being placed under Edith as an apprentice, had exposed her to the darker underbelly of the city. Labor slaves rarely seemed to survive longer than a few years under the stress of the city... and being the one to care for the injured and dying of those slaves was something Asalah couldn't quite forget.
This was not like the indentured servants of Talori. It had always been darker; something that wasn't quite as easy to escape.... being as a slave couldn't rise from their station without some kind of pardon from the family. Working off one's debts and being seen as property were most certainly two different ideals.
Something that Asalah hadn't quite been aware of until she had started owning a slave herself. Owning a slave was not something she was meant to do, seeing as how she often found herself treating Obidias as a living breathing creature and not just some kind of property that could generate money for her. He had been shocked by her treatment of him the first month he had been in her home... and now...
Taking in a slow breath, the mare took a step forward. "Nobody is standing in my way." Her voice was soft, as she wasn't sure if the horse was speaking with her or to another. It didn't matter now. "I merely wanted to make sure that our dear Flamen here wasn't being attacked... seeing as many of you have been... uh... acting a little antsy since hearing his words."
She wasn't quite certain if she wished to start speaking about abolitionism in such a public place. Post #6 | Word Count: 645  |
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Post by ThatDenver on Jul 30, 2017 9:30:06 GMT -6
ULYSSES
It seemed his words had caused conflict, uncertainty. Ulysses’ confidence wavered at Omar’s words – he wanted so badly to be a good leader, to be the type of leader he thought Ignacio would be proud of, but such was not truly in his nature. He was a priest, not a planner. He could manage a soup kitchen with great professionalism and perfect timing, but a slave escape? Less so. And he knew that Omar knew more of such matters than he ever could. Omar had tried, many times, enough times that it almost got him sent off as a laborer.
The Flamen glanced back at Omar, feeling almost ashamed for being so brash. Of course this was hard for Omar, he should have considered his feelings more – the chestnut was big and sturdy, and not always terribly forthcoming about his emotions, so for him to speak up…
He saw from the corner of his eye how more figured approached, and knew that the opportunity, if there ever was one, had passed. The grey did not say anything to Omar, but nodded knowingly to show his understanding.
Phoebe reacted to the order with the type of subservience that made him feel bad. She reminded him of Ealyn – that same broken youth who deserved much better. Omar’s words had affected her as well. Ulysses suppressed the urge to ask about her, where she lived and if she was alright – she looked rather healthy for a labor slave, maybe her assignments were not terribly unpleasant. One could hope.
Now his focus shifted to the new arrival. Phoebe seemed nervous about her. Asalah returned as well, drawn in by the discussion. He wondered idly how much they had heard. He had some trust in Asalah – she was Edith’s student and Edith knew how to pick them – but you never knew with total strangers, like this labor slave.
“I am fine, Asalah”, he said, smiling warmly: “We are just discussing theories and speculating.”
His eyes quickly traveled to those he knew had heard all. Phoebe and Maks had wanted to escape, and Mathias was the one with the idea. Omar would not tell on him. He felt safe enough, although in retrospect it had been… A bit foolish. He knew his status meant a lot, and Ulysses could probably easily refute the claims of one slave or one commoner, but still. There could be ears even in holy places. Even in his home.
It was good that he had Omar.
He turned his eyes back to Mathias.
“I think it would be better to continue this discussion some other time. We are in mourning, after all”, he said, before turning to look at Maks, Phoebe and the newly arrived laborer.
“This here is Asalah”, he introduced the medic with a smile: “She is training to be a doctor, and she would be happy to help you if you need aid – or if you know someone that does.”
Word count: 492
Post #6
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Post by carichimera on Aug 5, 2017 4:19:44 GMT -6
Mathias|| Slave Trader
Mathias nodded, listening quietly to the erupting conversation. He decided to hold back pressing the issue further, he had gotten the Flamen's word that he would aid the smuggling, surely he would keep his word... It was no secret that the large slave trader wasn't very fond of the higher ups in this city, but it seemed he had spoken with someone like-minded, and this wasn't about his personal feelings. This was about the waves of slave he had to try to help. This was about the slaves, it always would be. He wouldn't rest until they were free, even if he had to die to do it. Mathias seemed to zone out ever so slightly before taking another step towards the Flamen and bowing.
"My deepest thanks to you, Flamen Ulysses, the smugglers will be thrilled to hear you are going to provide aid. Pardon my... intense behavior. My emotions tend to get a little carried away." The stallion says, clearing his throat near the end as he rose his head from the bow. He had been successful in getting aid from the Flamen, certainly not discretely, but an agreement all the same. That was one more step to smuggling the enslaved equines to freedom. Perhaps this plan would work out in the end.
If everything were to go according to plan, anyway.
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Post 4
WC 232 |
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Post by Moose-On-Ice on Aug 9, 2017 12:56:22 GMT -6
"This was the face of slavery. To have nothing, and still have something more to lose."
Omar's gaze stayed on the crowd, waiting, listening. If Ulysses wanted to go with it, then damnit, he would actually try to keep out of this for once. As much as he hated it. Slowly looking at Ulysses, he waited to hear his reply. He was the one putting them on the line if they went with this.
However, the Flamen's response was quite a relief. As much as he hated being in Aodh, and considered everyone other then a slave to be stuck up and pampered, he did not want to potentially get separated from the Flamen. This was one place where he wasn't beaten, or forced to wear his collar. Thank Kaia. He nodded his approval at Ulysses's response, relaxing his stance some. Gaze flicking to the medic he introduced for a moment, he again gave a slight nod.
However, a clatter from the soup kitchen in front of the Sanctem caught his ear. Some nervous shouts and more clattering made his attention turn- And then a terribly small sandy tan blur bolted into the sanctem. What the hell?
The creature ran underfoot, biting and snapping at ankles, startling some of the slaves it managed to nip. It dashed behind the statue, and low, small growls echoed from behind it.
What the fuck. Omar turned, slowly moving towards the statue, head low. Okay, that wasn't a slave or anything he knew of. Peering behind the statue, he blinked at the sight of a cowering, snarling wolf pup. Smaller then his hoof. Most likely barely weaned from its mother. Why the hell was this here. Jumping back, Omar narrowly dodged his nose being bitten by the pup. "It's a wolf pup." he snapped, prancing back to avoid squishing the animal as it bolted out again and again started scurrying underfoot.
If it was that young, where was it's mother? Why was it in here? Was it a familiar or wild? And why was a wolf even in Valore? Omar didn't know those were a thing here?
337 Words; Post 6
OOC: This is not part of the original plot, however if anyone is interested in continuing to RP for potential extra AP and such, this is a way to keep things going and get some action!
For now the wolf pup is a free NPC character, so everyone feel free to move it around and cause some chaos here and there! It's terribly frightened, as it's mother was killed in the dragon's escape from under the Pearl and is not an "uplifted" familiar, so it is still a normal, stray wolf pup! It is scared, and trying to hide, as the Pearl's catastrophe has terrified the poor thing. (This wolf pup will become Omar's familiar after the chapter, so no hurting it!) |
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Post by fallenraen on Aug 10, 2017 20:34:11 GMT -6
[ Phoebe ]
Yet another person approached, only this one she had seen speaking with the Flamen before. While the growing crowd did little to ease Phoebe’s nerves, they just seemed to pluck the wrong string. “Oh I was - I was,” she stuttered over her words, flattening her ears as she shrunk away from them as if to hide behind Maks who she stood beside. “Actually talking to someone else, but - but that’s okay too…” Attack? The Flamen? Who did they think everyone was?
The only ones “antsy” were perhaps Omar with his reasonable mind and worry for speaking of the plan out in the open and then the slave trader who had proposed the idea in the first place, hoping for someone to join his side. Neither of them looked ready to attack anyone - well, she corrected herself, at least one of them didn’t. The Flamen’s bodyguard looked as if he could have tossed the slave trader right out the door if he’d started anything or just because he could. She’d had it in her mind earlier to not cross onto his bad side, as caring as she guessed he could have been as he was looking out for his owner. It was a sacrifice surely to give up his chance for freedom when he was protecting his master’s word.
The nervous girl, who had ducked her head, peeked up from under her eyelashes when the Flamen reassured the commoner (she assumed) that he was fine. They had honestly just been talking, but she didn’t try to explain that when he’d moved on with introductions. Training to be a doctor? Her ears pricked at the words, her gaze moving from the Flamen back to Asalah as heat rose up in her cheeks. Hopefully, they hadn’t thought her rude for saying she’d been talking to the other labor slave and not them. Should she apologize?
She opened her mouth to give out her own name, and probably stumble over an apology to make up for anything that could have come across as rude behavior, when there was a clatter of something loud and she all but jumped out of her own skin. There was a scream somewhere and Phoebe flinched and pressed into the side of Maks with wide blue eyes. “What’s going on?” she whispered, looking up to Omar who turned and move from the group to pursue whatever had dashed behind the statue. “Wait-!” she called, taking a step forward. He couldn’t actually go after it, could he?! What if it was a wild animal!
He confirmed it was when he snapped it was a wolf pup, the small child of the other species running back out and making Phoebe “eep” in startled surprise as she backed up from it, no doubt bumping into someone else. “What do we do?! We can’t let it get hurt or have it accidentally hurt someone else!” If they could, that was. What would a baby be able to do? Nibble them?
Post count: #6 | Word count: 497 |
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Post by mariahwhy on Aug 12, 2017 23:44:39 GMT -6
ISOLT
Isolt looked down at the smaller labor slave, the mule's face obviously skeptical. This didn't look like just any talk, not with the way the crowd had been worked up. But that was a slave answer. The answer of someone who has heard something potentially troublesome, and must immediately "forget" that they ever heard it. Knowledge was their enemy. Normally Isolt would respect such an adherence to the slave way of life, but the atmosphere here continued to bother her. The smaller mare continued her charade, trying to pretend that they had been coming to pray, and Asalah answered for the both of them. Isolt tuned them out, leaning around Phoebe to get a better look at the crowd, but the outward tension was slowly dissolving. Whatever trouble had been mentioned was now quieted, nothing more than straggling whispers between the Flamen and the large stallion in front of him. Many of the gathered slaves were resuming that unassuming, tactfully mournful look that it was their job to wear in the face of tragedy. Isolt had missed her chance to find out what was going on, but perhaps it was for the better. She would not be burdened with the worry of what had been discussed. But the heavy feeling in her stomach did not immediately dissolve as she finally turned back to Asalah and the other slave. Her face lightened only slightly as she looked down at the other labor slave, finally looking her over and trying to decide if she was acquainted with her or not. But just as the other was about to give her name a racket split through the hushed voices. "What-" she echoed everyone else, and whipped her head around towards the soup kitchen. She could not see anything though, except a path of horses jumping and panicking in different variations at something on the floor. It moved quickly between the horses, and ducked behind the statue. Had Isolt not been blocked in by other slaves she would have taken a peek herself, but Omar beat her to it and was quickly rushed by the animal. A wolf pup? The mule had never seen one before, and took a step forward to try to take a look just as Phoebe jumped backwards. "Oof!" Isolt grunted, as the smaller mare bumped into her chest, their synced movements creating a heavier impact. Now she sidestepped, just as the pup happened to race through their hooves. Her one green hoof caught the very tip of it's tail, causing it to yip loudly. Though she had been more curious than fearful of the animal the noise took her by surprise, and she spooked. She swung her own hindquarters around, possibly knocking into those standing too close, but she did not care. She stood at her full height, neck arched and nostrils flared as she stared down at the equally startled animal. The wolf did not hang around long before bolting again. "What do we do with it?" she called to anyone that might have an answer, before turning to Jupiter specifically. "Can your animal catch that animal?"
(Words: 519)
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Post by ThatDenver on Aug 15, 2017 7:22:46 GMT -6
ULYSSES
Ulysses furrowed his brow slightly as Mathias still pushed their luck, and again mentioned the smugglers, as if there was not enough audience here for it to be dangerous. He tried his best not to judge others than himself – except on their work ethic – but Ulysses was not particularly fond of this recklessness. He would help the smugglers if there was a safe opportunity for it, but Omar was right – speaking so loud of it was foolishness. Besides, Mathias was hardly someone easy to miss or to forget. The man was a giant, towering above both him and Omar.
“Do not worry about your behavior. Passion is one of Ignacio’s virtues, after all”, he replied, but his eyes and interest were already in the others around them. It seemed best for everyone to not engage with the slave trader any further for now.
As if on cue, a bolt of sand and fear clattered through the room, drawing the attention of many present there. Ulysses perked, unsure as to what was going on, his ears turning cautiously around the room to listen for additional sounds. But everything seemed the same as usual. Just this spooked bolt – a wolf, Omar said. It certainly did not seem tame, or if it was uplifted, it was panicked and wild, running around and snapping at people.
“Try to keep it from running back into the streets. We should try and lure it into one of the side rooms and lock the doors – we can inspect it once it is calm”, he said, moving closer to Omar and trying his best to avoid trampling either the animal, or any of the other horses: “Even if it is uplifted, it’s much too panicked to reason with… And animals generally don’t react well to being hunted by other animals.”
Word count: 302
Post #7
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Post by InTheDappledRain on Aug 15, 2017 10:22:55 GMT -6
"If there is anything any of you need, I'll always be willing to help heal." The mare said with a slight smile, though she was more than certain that everything was lost in the commotion of the kitchens as a wolf pup broke out into the sanctum. Without thinking about it, she took a step back, concern for the small creature rushing over her before she heard everyone around her react.
Ulysses was right, chasing after the creature wouldn't do a good job, and sometimes even having a talent such as her own wasn't enough. Tentatively, she took another step away from the creature, eyes falling on the other horses nearby. Admittedly, she hadn't done a very good job of listening to what was going on around her, for it seemed only the Flamen's voice had reached her ears enough for her to register.
Maybe that was because she was bad at paying mind to slaves... Maybe she had become a bit more... accustomed to the way that Aodh worked than she had realized.
It kind of made her feel bad, especially with the work she had been doing recently. "The poor thing is probably more than just slightly terrified." She added, still perturbed by her previous revelation.
With a nod, she slowly turned away from the group of horses and began to follow Ulysses' instructions by making her way off into the kitchens before she stopped. It'd be wise to let the others know of her plans. "I'll try to find some food for it?" She added. "That'll help us lure it into another room maybe?"
Post #7 | Word Count: 645 |
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Post by Queerly on Aug 22, 2017 21:21:01 GMT -6
Plot More Than Complete Holy Crap - All Users Rewarded Chapter Bonuses
Stay tuned for a wrap-up journal!
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