Swordfell/100th Day of Swordfell

100th Day of Swordfell Parade

Roleplay from Enoch Dishman

Enoch, clad in the decorative garb of the Archmarshal, looked into the thousands gathered at Flowrestown. He recalled his first arrival to Dwilight, taking an estate in Flowrestown when there were less than a dozen peasants in the emptied streets. How these lands had grown. How he himself has grown. Little over a year, really...and all the seeds sowed by the Fellish were already sprouting.

He marched, with the Arrowhail behind him. As the peasants threw flowers among the streets, he and his men waved and flourished. The spring had brought a bouquet to Flowrestown, the barest touch of summer had ripened them to grandeur. He saw wine, merriment, and was pleased. At set intervals, he had his men fire into the sky.

Arrows, yet not arrows rose in the air. He had crafters design a shaft covered in streamers as fletching, tipped with a bag of candies. When the ornate rods fell to the ground, they seemed to explode with wrapped candies. The streets around the tasty debris seem to writhe with young and old who clambered to take a sweet. The marvel of spectacle seemed to brighten both the peasantry and his men.

He continued on in the streets of Flowrestown. Looking back beyond his men (and an array of jesters, musicians, and dancers) he could see a familiar face...

Roleplay from Bowie Ironsides

Lord Imperator Bowie watched the streets of Flowrestown swarm with peasants and nobles alike (though not next to one another). He waved to Archmarshal Enoch and his Arrowhail. The candy filled arrows took Bowie by surprise, as at first he thought they were filled with something else, but when he saw kids tramping on one another he understood it was part of the celebration. Phew, good thing nobody saw him flinch...

He clapped and waved and encouraged the knights to march on!

Roleplay from Silas Kain

It felt strange in Sir Silas heart, having arrived just in time for the 100 day celebration. He wanted to show off his unit, their name and skill, but he had yet to reach the capital to recruit one. He wanted to reminisce about what Swordfell had become during its relatively short time span but had little experience of the realm yet to speak of.

But he felt at home here and that is something he did want to celebrate. A realm that can do that for a newcomer is a special realm indeed, he thought.

He took part in the parade with large steps and increased vigor, marsching as well as he could to the joyous trumphets of celebration. Waving a large Swordfell flag in one hand and stuffing his face full of previously arrowed candy with the other, he felt like a kid.

When it came time to display his unit, he kneeled, put his sword vertically into the ground and stated with a loud voice:

- Sir Silas Kain, knight of Shyussei, defender of the republic, unit of one.

He nodded confidently to anyone looking confused.

As he rose again the sword turned into flames. Several people ran forth to use the opportunity to barbeque meat. Sir Silas took a flag, with a monster sloppily drawn upon it, from his wagon. He put it into the fire to display the zeal in which he intended to rid his home of the invaders that plagued her.

A young girl smiled. He smiled back at her. Like an understanding across the ages. An unspoken alliance.

Roleplay from Kenneth Nisbet

Kenneth rode at the head of his men in the next group, behind Sir Silas Kain. He, his horse, and his entire regiment were bedecked in leis of bright yellow tulips and in place of a pack on his horse's rear was a large basket filled to the brim with petals. The wind off the eastern sea picked up now, mussing his golden hair and sending a sea of flower petals billowing through the air behind him as Anice stepped slowly forward, his men walking briskly behind. It was at this moment his squire chose to bellow:

"Sir Kenneth Nisbet of Flowrestown and the Sable Battalion!"

He hefted high his poleaxe and spun it in the air with both hands, trailing a banner of his own design: on the left the sable boar of Nisbet and on the right the iron sigil of Swordfell in a sky-blue field filled with golden tulips. Kenneth lifted the poleaxe towards the Lord Imperator's seat in salute, banner dangling brightly below.

"Long life and glory to the Republic! Pro Libertate!" he called out to Bowie before relaxing his salute. Grinning as his men and the crowd cheered, he began to throw the tulip leis into the crowd, as the parade continued to process onward.

Roleplay from Claude Onyxis

Claude was next marching down the parade, dressed in his full battle regalia and followed by row after row of infantrymen, his Wrath of Swordfell. He marched in front, his gleaming, brass-colored armor shining like a beacon. His sword remained sheathed at his side, but in his left hand he carried his heavy shield emblazoned with the crest of House Onyxis. This shield was his most prized piece of equipment, forged from the best steel money could buy. It was a family heirloom, and Claude valued it to the point that he had incorporated it into his fighting style as quite an offensive mechanism, at least as equally as it was defensively. He had polished it to its brightest sheen, and if his armor shined like a beacon then his shield shined like the sun itself. He waved with his free hand as he walked.

Behind Claude marched nine rows of six men each, followed lastly by one row of five men. Each was clad in armor wrought of steel forged at a slightly lower temperature than normal, resulting in a harder forging and the imbuing of each piece with a slightly blue tint. They all carried a one-handed sword and light shield forged of the same material, with their shield brandished forward and their sword held straight up at their side.

Every fourth pace, the Wrath of Swordfell shouted a grunt, alternating so as to sound roughly as if they were shouting"Hoo!... Ha!..." repeatedly. As they passed the Lord Imperator, the unit formation rapidly changed in motion. The men rearranged themselves, forming into a marching formation that when viewed from above resembled very closely the sigil of Swordfell, with Claude at the very tip of the bottom. All men shouted in unison, "Glory to Swordfell! Glory to the Republic!"

At the end of this display, Claude looked over his shoulder, hoping to see who was next in the parade.

Roleplay from Kenneth Nisbet

Having passed main body of the thronging crowd, the cheering of the city folk dimmed to a dull roar. With fewer onlookers now, Kenneth spurred his horse and rode forward to catch Sir Silas; this was not a difficult task, as Silas himself was marching on foot. Drawing near, he called out a greeting.

"Sir Silas, you acquitted yourself well! Though I'm afraid going for the candy made you look a man half even my age! I'm certain I couldn't have maintained any dignity at all doing such a thing, but you carried yourself wonderfully. I am Kenneth Nisbet, knight of Flowrestown; I don't believe we've formally met. You hail from Astrum, do you not? Someday you'll have to tell me of the lands to the north and across the sea."

Roleplay from Silas Kain

As he saw Sir Kenneth riding toward him he tried to quickly swallow the candies in the right side of his cheek and dust off his armour from the confetti of the parade.

- Greetings Sir Kenneth! Thank you. Gracefulness while eating way too much candy is a lost art really so I've tried to cultivate it. As for my hailing, I grew up in Avamar city on the East Continent but as I came of age I set out for adventures here in Dwilight. I landed in the northern shores of Valkyrja which was a part of the realm of Summerdale at the time. From there I eventually made my way across to the other landmass of Astrum. And you're home grown right here aren't you? I've heard that your family is from Flow?

Roleplay from Kenneth Nisbet

"Indeed, Sir Silas. I am fresh from my family's estate in Flow itself and have lived on the peninsula all my life. These yellow tulips are the traditional symbols of Spring and the Festival of the Reborn Spirit. In the Summer will be the Violet Festival of the Contended Spirit; Flowrestown is always beautiful, but especially so during the festivals. You must come to the festival this summer, there's not a sight like it in all the world, I'm sure of that!"

Kenneth continued to converse with Silas as more participants in the parade made their way forward.

Roleplay from Bowie Ironsides

Midway through the parade, a group of men parted the stream of paraders in the middle of the boulevard and set up in a box formation. Several men lined up shoulder to shoulder all around to clear space. They were about to put on a performance. The nobility and the peasants gathered around to watch. In the middle, four knights wearing gleaming shining silver armour, with long shields that had the dark red of Swordfell on the front, and who were wearing the traditional yellow Fellish cap, came out. Then the heavy drums began. Dum dum, dum dum, dum dum dum dum, dum dum. Men parted on one side of the square to let in a massive long Serpent (manned by four or five performers)! Slowly, to the beat of the drum, the serpent slithered its way into the open space. The knights unsheathed their swords and stood shoulder to shoulder at attention.

Lord Imperator Bowie raised out his arms and faced his palms to the performance. He addressed the audience. The drums continued in their rhythm, the serpent continued its slow entrance, while Bowie spoke.

"Fellish, observe and hold this to your hearts! Slithering amongst us is a serpent! A snake who possess qualities and values that we deplore! That serpent is the Anti-Fellish! It is self-interested, tyrannical, traitorous, and cowardly! All of you, hearken your minds to our Code of Nobility. What are the values that define the ideal Fellish noble? Quick! What are they?!"

The serpent increased speed. The knights roared out a battlecry and began a slow step march toward it. The drum beat increased speed just a little. Dum dum dum dum, dum dum dum dum. Lord Bowie watched, as did everyone, the Serpent open its jaws, stretch its teeth out, and lunge toward the first knight! The knight struck out with its sword but was eaten!

Bowie shouted out, "Community is eaten by self-interest!"

The other three knights back away and then regroup to mourn their fallen friend. Then they spread out again in attack formation and slowly march toward the serpent. The drums increase another beat. The snake turns its attention to the next knight. It slithers faster and opens its mouth wide again, the knight screams terribly and is eaten.

Bowie answers again, "Longevity is devoured by tyranny!"

The remaining two knights express a cry of anguish for their fallen brothers. The drum beat increases, the snake picks its next target. Scrambling an attack, the second last knight lashes out and cuts the serpent, but it is no use, the snake snaps its large mouth and swallows the knight.

Bowie speaks again, "Duty is swallowed by traitors!"

Remaining, the last knight backs away to put some distance between he and the serpent. The serpent faces the knight but does not move. It stares him down with its evil thin eyes and that contempt that only belly crawling snakes could have. The knight points his sword at the serpent, screams out a battlecray and charges!

Bowie says, "Bravely, Martial Valour attacks his foe."

The snake slithers back in recoil at the incoming knight and then opens its mouth wide and roars so loud the audience shrieks. The knight stops dead in his tracks in fright. The serpent rises up in the air then leaps over and falls down onto the knight, eating him as it lands. A hush falls in the streets of Flowrestown.

Bowie breaks the silence, "Martial Valour is betrayed by cowardice."

The serpent slithers in circuit around the open space, as if it is trotting and gloating its victory.

Bowie speaks, "The Serpent of Swordfells slithers amongst us every day, my Fellish brothers and sisters. It slithers through our garden preying on our values. Preying on our ideals of nobility. It eats and eats until there is nothing left of us and then it returns to its hole in the mountains! Everyday the serpent slithers through our hearts and our Souls. It convinces us not to act, not to draw our swords to tyrants, not to use our voice and join the community we built. The serpent is within us. It is embodied in our Tyrant Brown. It is present whenever there is doubt or fear, where there is hesitation or inactivity. Swordfell is our garden and each one of us are its gardeners. I charge you with the task of slaying that Serpent! Prove you are a Fellish noble, that you cherish the values of community, martial valour, longevity and duty! Slay the Serpent! Slay the Serpent within and without!"

The men who formed the box where the theatrics took place unsheathed blades and charge toward the Serpent. All of them stab their blades in, climb on it and cut, stab and gnash! The Serpent cries out once more and slumps dead. A cheer goes out from the victorious men that is carried by the audience.

Bowie raises out his hands higher and finishes his narrative,

"Slay the Serpent, Fellish, always."

Roleplay from Silas Kain

Sir Silas cheered as he heard of the founding of the Storm Legion by Duke Deorwulf. As he did, he remembered the Serpent that Lord Imperator Bowie had spoken of.

The Storm Legion is fellish. The Serpent is anti-fellish. Never must the qualities of the two mix, he thought.