Willarc Family/IntroductionRoleplay
"My lord noble, would you wish for refreshments? We are duly obliged to serve--"
"No." The man lifted his arm, signaling for the attendant to stop. The local Royal Office in Santoo was populated by workers and services to the Empire, toiling hard amongst the surrounding collection of buildings of a rural nature. The area around the royal office in Santoo was about as much as a town square one might get amongst a region of farmland and scattered villages.
"Be sure to send the letters."
The attendant nodded, knowing his social status forbid him to speak anything else to the noble.
"It will be done, sir."
Talt Willarc walked out of the building to the open street, except for the royal office and a few other buildings with direct services to the Empire, there was little to none cobbled pathways or stone-built streets to be seen. Santoo had been a rural region for generations, and there was no reason for many paved roads... whenever armies marched through Santoo, the dirt roads throughout the farm fields across the region had held. The same held true as well, for merchants and local or far-distant travelers passing through the rural countryside, or perhaps even nobles on a vacationing retreat with their close entourage or family.
The man known as Talt Willarc was no stranger to life in Santoo, nor to the great lands of Dwilight.
"The scribes will probably write something akin to 'A new noble has emerged from the ranks of nobles in Pian en Luries'." Talt said quietly with a gentle smile playing on his lips.
"Yet knowingly, I have lived in Pian en Luries, and in Santoo, for many years. I am aware that we stand united under Queen Alanna, and that it is the Lurian Empire's stated goal to unite together, as well, the eastern lands of Dwilight to one banner."
The man, outside amongst the bright noontime sun, looked more a military man than extravagant noble. Instead of flowing robes with colorful patterns and fanciful visuals befitting some nobles seen at royal courts in the Silver City, Askileon, the man instead wore clothing and light leather armor of more functional use when out traveling. Though Talt had his own set of clothing for political and special occasions, or matters of the Lurian Empire, the last decade of his work in Santoo and Pian en Luries demanded more fitting attire for working in the outdoors amongst his company of dedicated archers.
Within speaking distance, a group of figures sat on a grass field, watching the face of their commander approach closer from the building he had left. Bows and quivers were about the group, not in careless negligence or ill-maintenance, but in a state that demonstrated neat order and a respect to keeping weapons in good condition. Most noticeably, tied to different areas of the body to each man, was a distinct red cloth. Not big enough to be an actual garment of any kind, but thin and long enough to tie to areas such as the forehead, arms, wrist, legs, or even waist, if some desired. Together, these characteristics identified the group as Talt Willarc's 'Red Banders', archers from Santoo having served many years with the noble on local patrols amongst the scattered roads throughout the region, or serving other purposes with local militia and police. Often they were called upon seasonally to sometimes help with local farmers or regional matters concerning Empire-like affairs.
"So, we are now out on the table of the Empire for hire, Sir Willarc?" One of the Red Banders asked as Talt reached the group.
...continued
...continued
Talt tilted his head downwards slightly, showing a grim-set face with eyebrows furrowed in a seemingly permanent frown. Yet out of his words came the heavily-gruff, and hard-to-find sentiment of acknowledgement.
"Yes."
This was a characteristic of Talt that the Red Banders had learned to accept not as signs of dislike or grudges, but of a more cautious and calculated man -- one whom spoke few words where necessary, and made decisions of action rather than prolonged debate. Though a silent 'just-do-it' oriented man, it was rare to see Talt make decisions in rash or brazenly-heated moments of emotion. Except for those whom served in the Red Banders, the noble was not inclined to talk with others too freely or even openly. His views on politics as a whole was to generally leave that to those suited to the quill or eloquence of speech; instead, Talt developed a trait of loyalty to serving in a military fashion while keeping his political duties as a noble to a minimum.
Talt made a silent signal with his hand for the Red Banders to pack up. For the Red Banders and Talt Willarc, it was time to prepare for the possibility of leaving the familiar farmlands of Santoo, and to begin service to the Empire and the Queen in formal sincerity. Though Talt did not think much about the political morality or justification of wars and military instances against other realms, he often held to what honorable action and conduct one could do whilst in a conflict revolving around life and death. Talt would not think twice about following orders from a direct superior in a military hierarchy, but if it came down to having his soldiers engage in acts of rape versus just plain out slaughtering a village, the latter, would be the noble's choice without second thought.
At forty-two years in age, Talt Willarc nodded to the Red Banders and began his journey, as a noble of Pian en Luries, to the service of the Lurian Empire and the Queen.
They would travel to the city of waterworks, Askileon, the Silver City, and from there Talt would make what connections needed to gain a formal oath of fealty and service to the Lurian Empire, one of the four founding realms upon the first days of Dwilight soil.
