Dubhaine Family/Ciarghuala/Roleplays/1018/January

4th January

Night -- Poryatu

Nicholas Archival

They had nearly arrived home. The journey to Poryatown, now reaching its end as the small force passed through the pastures and townland of Poryatu, had been almost entirely uneventful. In contrast to the fighting near Shinnen, the waves of monsters and that final charge of the Sworn Swords, all seemed calm - a curious tranquillity given that malign forces had been rampaging through Earth's Hall not long ago. Despite the lack of action and excitement, or perhaps because of it, Nicholas was pleased. It was reassuring to know that upon his return home, there would not be monsters to contend with. He had only spent a short time in his Noble Manor Square estate, but it had been a place of warmth and comfort; though well-acquainted with the martial life, even he could anticipate a soft bed and a warm hearth.

After a quiet hum of thought, the Knight raised a hand and the column paused. Captain Raedfleda, a spindly woman but a few years older than himself, approached with her bow ever in hand. He regarded her for a moment in expectant silence, before she remembered her manners and bowed her head. He had always allowed a small amount of informality with the Swords... but they were gone, and the Archival Arrows were in their place. Nicholas would not make the mistake of over-investment this time. With curt mannerisms, he requested the report.

"All seems as it was yesterday, and the day before that, Sir Nicholas," Raedfleda began. "It looks like we'll be arriving at Poryatu at first light. The men are eager to set up shop in their new headquarters, so they'll keep on marching 'til we get there."

He considered this for a moment, before offering a brisk nod in response. "Very good, captain. Ensure that they are presentable upon our arrival. I would not want to arrive at the estate in which I govern with a poorly-assembled force. The peasantry must know to respect and admire me, and the men in my service. That would be all."

The Captain bowed once again, before striding over towards the men, to whom she shouted instructions. Nicholas took a few moments to observe her work - she was diligent, loyal and expressed his orders with an attitude which brooked no dissent. It was what he needed; with the Swords he had led them personally, with no captain beside him. That was probably his greatest folly. These men were born and trained to serve Luria in their way, just as he was in his. They served to fight and to die for the cause and for the realm, if that is what it took. It was Nicholas' duty to command, to direct them to where the Empire needed them most. It was not his duty to become friends with them. No doubt it was a short path to a nobleman losing his edge, should he fear overtly for their lives.

It would be callous to disregard them and their livelihood, something he intended to never do... but as he had learned in Grodno, to become too close spelled disaster all the more.

10th January

Day -- Poryatu

Kaguya Fujiwara

A final volley of arrow fire put flight to the last four beasts plaguing Grodno, allowing Kaguya some time to contemplate the battlefield as the skirmish wound down.

It was a strange experience to be fighting on "foreign" soil. True, Kaguya had made the momentous decision to land in the Hegemony and had sworn allegiance to the Lurian Throne, but settling in to new peoples and cultures was taking some time. Each day that passed she learned a little more about her new home, but the traditions of Yamatai remained strong within her and her household.

So much that she did not know!

Kaguya could not help but compare, for instance, the stark difference between her troops and those of her comrades. The heavyset jerkins and mail hauberks of the other men were still a novelty compared to the brightly painted oriental lamellar that she and her retainers wore.

But it is they who will find us exotic, she thought, keeping in mind that she was the foreigner here.

Their ways of war were so different. Of course her retainers were bowmen as per Fujiwara tradition, but everything about Yamatai and Lurian archery was dissimilar; from the type of bows used, to the stance, even down to the base philosophy.

"All the men are accounted for, milady."

Kaguya waved to acknowledge the captain's report and noticed with some consternation the tremble of anxiety in her hand. She gripped the reins of her horse quickly, hoping to hide the moment of weakness.

Perhaps - though she would never openly admit it - she was not as acclimatized to warfare as she had hoped.

Yet another thing for the young Fujiwara heir to get used to.

At peace though the realm seemed, battle was never too far away.

Jeffrey Birkenhead

Monsters. Again.

After Lurias great campaign came to a temporary halt just before the walls of Shinnen, Jeffrey saw it necessary to tend to his troop's equipment. Bows were starting to break, armor beginning to fall apart, even cuttlery was at the point of looking flimsy. Had he pushed forwards, he could not have guaranteed for his troops fighting capabilities.

The travel through Sulorte to Grodno took about a day. Everything went smooth, there were plans of not halting at all and directly continuing towards Outer Giask, but those plans were cut short when reports came in of a Monster horde. A minor nuisance, thanks to some allied forces being in the region as well.

Allied... forces. What allegiance did those strange looking bowmen hold, with their outlandish equipment? Jeffrey's never seen anything of the likes. Jeffrey ordered his captain to hail that unit, and not long after and quite surprisingly, it was established they were loyal to Luria Nova, and preparing to confront the Monsters as well.

Without further ado, as the forces of evil were approaching quickly, Jeffrey's archers took positions next to those strangers, and the battle commenced. Drowning in a hail of arrows, the monsters did not stand a chance. One could even have pitied them, as they looked increasingly similar to pin cushions throughout the skirmish. They were soon exterminated, while the noble defenders did not even receive a single blow! Yes, archers are valuable assets, one that Luria was pitiably short of.

Following the inconvenience, Jeffrey made arrangements for asking the leader of those strange soldiers for a meeting, noble to noble, and now was waiting for a response.