Kidnapped! (Playground), RP Playground Options

[Uleni Athram]

Evil never dies. It simply evolves into another form of monstrosity. It's like a never ending tapeworm with one million faces that could transform into another million shapes, a repugnant and persistent predator that never stopped finding cracks to manifest itself. He always questioned himself how it could be done. How evil could finally be vanquished. The sheen of the wine glass, its shape made beautiful by the whispers of candlelight, gave him no answers for that, only a burning and shadowed reflection. He dug his eyes there, drinking deeply for visions as much as he did for relief an hour ago.

He let his eyes droop, and his calloused fingers massaged his wrinkling temple.

Times like these make him question whether he had the energy to lead. He was weary to the bone, and his world had no color anymore, only a distressing sepia of what ifs, could'ves and should'ves. When you run a marathon, and you see yourself run, run, run, there comes a time when you make a certain amount of distance.... when you make it further than you realized, you ask yourself if you could get a little bit of a breather. A little bit of a break.

He deserved it, didn't he? He survived the Crisis, didn't he? He fought against the baying hordes of Dagon and came out the triumphant one, didn't he?

The last thought broke all of his inhibitions and he roared a primal roar that bespoke of unending grief, inescapable confusion and unquenchable rage. With pitiable desperation he reached for the whole bottle instead of the glass, and gulped it all down, savoring the burning trail it made on his throat and chest.

He just turned 20 this morning and he already knew why men twice his age drank.

Damn the Crisis, damn the Daedra, damn the Dawn! Damn them all to a black, ancient void bereft of anything resembling hope! Damn them all!

With a surge of inner hatred and borrowed determination from the bottle, Aenius Gratian rose from his chair and stormed out of his tent-office hybrid, a gleam in his young but hardened eyes.
**

The Rebuilding of Kvatch, as was usual with anything associated with Imperial bureaucracy (particularly after a massive Crisis that left the Empire a bloody mess), was slow as a testudo formation on thin ice. The veterans, foremost among them the indomitable Savlian Matius, was busy in the Imperial City petitioning the Elder Council for real assistance, not promises that gets crucified the moment it leaves lips. The ones that were left for Kvatch's protection was mish-mash of hardened guardsmen and green horn recruits.

And they simply weren't enough to go around.

Thirty eight guardsmen tasked in the protection of several hundreds. It was head-bursting as much as it was laughable. It was fortunate that all of them were linked in this tragedy's aftermath and went beyond themselves to help each other; if it weren't, the guardsmen would simply be crushed under the pressure of protecting people several times their number. To help the beleaguered Watch, the civilians established an enclave of sorts, basing their headquarters in the collection of tents on the foot of Kvatch's hill. From his vantage point on the surrounding hills, the sun behind him, Acilius could see that there were several proper buildings erected there now, too. Probably halls of some kind where everyone would meet and gather around in.

Acilius memorized every detail and made notes.

He then joined the mass of humanity gathered there, on the lookout for the young Captain that was hiring mercenaries.

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OOC: Its been a while since I RP'ed, or wrote for that matter, and it shows. UGH! But anyway, let's do this!

[Darkness Eternal]

= Cardius =

Cardius heard Buffy on the subject of the Vigilantes of Stendarr. It was widespread knowledge just how strongly the followers of that organization felt about their supernatural enemies whom they regarded as abominations. Their unquenchable desire to destroy Daedra, witches, vampires and beast-men and all that trafficked with them outweighs their sympathy. From this alone Cardius could see that Buffy had a soft heard and would rather finish a task with the intentions of saving someone rather than destroying an enemy.

Cardius couldn't say he was the same. The end to each quest was to bring finality to conflict by ending every threat out there. But he knew where Buffy was coming from. "The Vigilantes do take certain of their methods to the extreme. It is imperative that the enemy do not have the advantage. Compassion, at certain times, is a weakness your enemy will not share." He set his other hand on the table and interlocked his fingers with his other hand. His other hand sported a black ring with an engraved V on it.

He listened intently on what Buffy had to say. She became quite emotional and revealing about her preferred tactics. Looking closely at her size It was painfully obvious she would use her stature to compensate for any other lacking area in combat. She could fit in small places, hide and eliminate foes. Cardius saw a flush of red spread through her face. Embarrassment? Maybe.

She apologized for her show of emotion, and lacking any on the outside, Cardius waved his hand. "No, no. Do not apologize. Emotion is a good thing to be used and harnessed when in battle to your advantage. But it can also blind you to a fault. Any emotion, used to an excess, can be fatal." He left it at that as she asked his opinion. Cardius too valued stealth and more so infiltration. He'd use deception and illusion to fool his enemies, and when they least expected it, he would strike at their heels.

It was a tactic he's used since he could remember. But a jagged cut to the throat, a blade in the back or a sword through the heart worked just as fine. Magic, too, wasn't far from his reach either. But if he should decide to confront the Dawn with others at his side, he'd have to hold back from using his arcane abilities.

It was good, since he'd have time to perfect his other skills.

"It does," he said after a moment. "I prefer to work alone myself. Not because I lack leadership qualities or I am challenged in coordination. I find I am most efficient when alone. In your case, well, either way works. You are a very small woman, I confess. Your size can be your advantage. Where enemies may see us they cannot see you. Having you as a scout would save others the trouble."