The Collapse of an Empire | RP Topic

“If you want to talk to the murderous overlord, be my guest, but the rest of us would like to make it out of this quest alive.” Reyna says “politely” to Marybird.

“Hey, there is noth’n wrong with negotiation,” Marybird reminds her questioner. “Besides, if we cannot beat him, we can at least get 'em to stop. Ever considered that? Nev’r throw away a chance to resolve things peacefully!”

“His evil extends beyond the natural plane. His essence spawns all sorts of horrid abominations that beset the world with fear and madness. He disrupts the natural order.”

“We already fought him once.” Reyna said. “And we did not make it out unscathed. I doubted we’d be left alive if we waltzed in to talk with him, with our guards lowered and our weapons sheathed.”

“Nobody said about keep’n em sheathed.” Marybird begins to look closely at the dead. “Our tongues can be a weapon as sharp as a double-edged sword. Added tat with fiery eyes and a beguiling spirit, you can overcome emperors.”

Marybird begins to play a song of lament on her violin. “But I s’pose you all want to pay blood for blood. Continuing this quest for blood that this tyrant started. Where does it end? With the spilling of his blood? Or do 'is servants, his loyal generals, take his place in revenge and spill more? What about 'em?”

“There is justice in the killing of Bloodfang!” Candall rebukes. “He must be stopped, even if more blood spills. It is a stubborn real’ty, dearie. Not everyone will listen to yer reasoning. Their shallow mind will stomp out the wise with strength. The only way to stop them is with hardy steel.”

“And what if we don’t?” Reyna responds. “What if we try to talk him down, and like anyone with a bloodlust he doesn’t listen?! He just steps up and tries to kill us anyways, only is a place where he’s surrounded by allies and we’re in the depths of unknown territory. Have you considered that?”

“Of course I have,” Marybird replies. “I didn’t say we need to be defenseless. Ya are making assumptions. Wasting your breath against me, a friend, who just wants peace as much as the rest of ya! There is still no hurt in knocking sense inta this tyrant. We just gotta be smart going 'bout it. Get him in a position that suites us nicely.”

“And an attempt at reasoning with him doesn’t set us up for that.”

Candall laughs. “The ‘position’ is called him surrounded by our swords, upon his knees, crying for mercy.”

“Which is fine,” Marybird replied. “I can work with that.”

“You’re not listening and giv’n more assumptions,” Marybird said in frustration. “Is bloodshed all you can see? There are ways to win tactically. Going at this with brunt force is just gonna get us killed. Why do none of ya see that? Or do we not remember our history? Ya even admitted to being defeated before.”

“You had asked If we can talk him out of this. All I’m saying is no, we can’t, and unfortunately a nice arrow in the throat is the only thing that’ll stop him from doing what he is. People like him don’t listen to reason. They live by the sword. So, die that way they do.”

“It goes both ways, darling,” Marybird replies. “To both hero and villain alike.”

“And if I die putting that tyrant in his place it’ll be a death worth dying!” She borderline screams. "It isn’t like I got many to live for anyways.

“And you let anger fuel that,” Marybird replies quietly. “I do not seek to anger anyone. I just don’t see another fight work’n out for us. He grows so powerful, and he’s defeated ya prior. I just think there hasta be another way. For the sake of the lives of everyone here!”

“Anger has nothing to do with that!” Reyna screams, the subject obviously being a touchy one, before coming down to a much quieter tone. “And I wish there was another way but there isn’t. We just need to get better. We just need to…_be…_better.” She mutters.

“And how?” Marybird asks. “None of us have grown stronger. Even then, strength doesn’t always give the results we want. This is just stubbornness.”

Marybird sighs and sits down. She looks distraught, still overlooking the dead. “I don’t want us joining these people’s fates. May their souls be rest’d.”

“And since when has better simply meant stronger?” Reyna asks, colder than she was before her outburst. “I said we need to get better. Stronger, faster, smarter, quicker thinking. We need to learn how to outsmart and outfight him, because he isn’t going to give us a change for a peaceful resolution.”

She turns away. “I’m going to scout the surroundings. Make sure we’re not in danger. Find me when we start doing stuff.” She said, starting to walk away.

Marybird sighs. “Why she is so angry, I don’t understand. Does she just not see words being a tool for battle?”

Candall sits down next to his bride. “I hear your words, and there is truth in them. I s’pose the lass is shocked and doesn’t want to hear it. I took a good knocking myself. You’ll find a way. For now, be supportive.”

“I’ll try,” Marybird mutters. “I just feel like I’m being scoffed at for even suggesting something peaceful. That troubles me about this group.”

Candall looks away from his wife. “Then his blood will be the last ever spilled. You’ll help me ensure that, will ya?”

“Yes,” Marybird says as her voice becomes quieter, and her violin becomes louder.

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Siansa’s eyes were already using her Celestial Vision, and had been for a good bit of the drive…

She sees these messages, keeping them to herself. She feels an engulfing wave emotion come over her, as she nearly falls off her steed. Her hand braces Ashkey, as Siansa nearly collapses. Tears fill her eyes and gush down her face.

She dismounts from her horse, making sure Ashkey would not fall off. Siansa ties her horse to a building. She knows what happened here. Siansa looks at Candall and at Ernesto, hearing their words. Her eyes trace over each of the party before landing on Envarus. He also sees this, he also knew what well of emotion this place is to them.

She strolls to Envarus, “Which king do you believe this blood cries against? The king of the Isotix that slaughtered them to the point where we are a remnant or do you believe they cry out against the villainous king we battle, that is the enemy of the Isotix Empire?”

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“The old King of Isotix.” “I would guess it is blood unavenged.” Envarus says, before turning to Siansa. "I don’t know who you blame for our people’s destruction. Most of my family blames the people of Isotix. When I was banished from the ranks of the paladins, I learned something. You cannot blame the people for the sins of the leader. Although the soldiers would bear a small part, the burden of this atrocity falls on his soldiers. "

Siansa looks at Envarus, “The individual is responsible for their actions… their leader is responsible for his actions. The soldiers who slaughtered our people are to be blamed, and so is the king. Who is more of a fool? The man who is a fool, or the man who follows the fool?”

She sighs, “As for the people of Isotix… those who agree and follow their leader are the ones I have a gripe with… as letting a ruler who slaughtered our people still rule… I feel that is a mistake… although one I cannot rectify.”

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