Chamberlain Roleplays: Faith and Duty

Roleplay from Catherine Chamberlain

Although the progress was slow, Catherine was enjoying being outside of the city walls once again and in the company of her soldiers. As they stopped to break fast in the outskirts of Bruck, she counted more than 20 camp fires that cooked the salted meats brought from Ashforth on this journey. Her banners formed a perimeter and some of the more technically minded of her men were adjusting the yokes and gears on the forbidding bulk of the seige engines.

This was the company she truly understood, the men in the field. The sounds of carousing and boastful exploits drifting from the various fires, of blades being sharpened and training bouts between the green horns as they attempted to prove their skills. Her thoughts were interrupted by Ekhart. The old man was capable enough but she did not find herself warming to him so readily as she had Ewald and Dekmar.

"Your sister approaches." He announced bluntly. "She and her maunts have been spotted three miles to the west. Would you have me send an escort to bring her into the camp?" Catherine's stomach dropped. There were so many rumours currently about her sister and what she had or had not done to the bloodline of Atanamir of Umber, she didn't really want her in the camp amongst her men. Really she wasn't ready to see her, but what she wanted and what she needed were two very different things.

At first Catherine had ignored the rumours of her sister's exploits, but only that very morning she had received word from a new king of Perdan, Atanamir and his Queen were indeed gone, and there seemed no explanation as to why. Belief in such a mystical reasoning was a step on the road to theocratic governance, the rule of faith and of fear. It was a road that Catherine could not conscionably allow to happen. She pulled herself into the saddle quickly. Dekmar and Ewald dropped their food and moved to join her.

"No, friends, stay and finish your meal."

"We are not in Nivemus territory Kronagos," Ekhart stated. "I won't be the captain that allowed the Queen to ride off into who knows what danger."

"When I fear my sister and her maunts, I should not be Kronagos." She spurred her faithful mare past the man and set off at a steady pace through the camp.

But she did fear her sister now. She feared the stories and the influence those stories could have on the people of Nivemus. If she had truly removed Atanamir, what else was she capable of. Already her sister had presided over a spread in the faith of Ora that had seen Her worship double and more, and although this could only be seen as a good thing, she acted outside of the conventions of nobility. The priesthood had changed her and there were no garuantees to her fealty beyond that to Ora herself.

Roleplay from Kristina Chamberlain

She had slept for two days in the temple of Gadlock. The maunts had cleansed her and nourished her with sips of broth as she slept a dreamless sleep. Still weak from her exertions she had not expected Catherine to call her from Gadlock. Still she knew the call would come some time and she left as bidden. As she and her maunts had travelled from the temple the peasants had lined the roads kneeling for benediction. Kristina smiled. Ora had delivered Gadlock from the devourer, not Nivemus, or Sirion or any of the Kingdoms of men, Ora had achieved what none of them could ever have hoped. All would know that faith and true devotion were more powerful than the mightiest blade and all of the armies of the world.

She had dressed herself in the Chainmail of Ashforth, for now she was truly Ora's knight and champion, so much more than a priestess, the grey wolf had said she would know the right place for the mail to rest and he was right, it was her shoulders. The silver had shone in the sunlight with an almost otherworldly glow.

After a few hours travel she left Gadlock altogether. Crossing the border into Bruck she could already see her sisters host some miles off. She had seen the out-riders depart in the direction of the camp, no doubt announcing her arrival. She was not entirely sure how she would greet Catherine. She imagined there would be some formal welcome where Catherine would offer the thanks of the nation for her actions against the devourer. Perhaps it was the time that Catherine would finally swear fealty to her. One of the maunts interjected on her thoughts:

"There's a rider coming this way M'Lady."

"Just one?" Kristina was puzzled, she had expected an escort of stature to take her to her sister's camp. "Colours?" she asked.

"Your sisters," the maunt replied, it was most likely one of her bodyguards, Ewald or Dekmar.

Roleplay from Catherine Chamberlain

Catherine pushed back the hood of her cloak. Her sister looked surprised, but quickly made to disguise her shock with a smile of expectation. Dismounting she handed the reigns of her horse to one of the maunts. After a moment of unsure hesitation she moved to embrace Kristina.

"It is good to see you well, sister, I have heard such tales." But she did not look well, she remained pallid and thin. Her green eyes slightly feverish. And she was armoured, she had not seen Kristina in armour for years. She continued: "you are wearing mail sis... wait, is that the Brilliant Chainmail of Ashforth.." She pushed back Kristina's cloak to reveal the softly glowing blessed mail. "You can't... that is the Grey Wolfs armour, the Knight of Ora."

Kristina pushed her sister back from her: "I am Ora's Champion, I have bested the devourer, I have achieved more than you and your army without raising any more than my voice." She shrugged back her cloak placing her hands on her hips: "I have earned the right to wear this armour and all who see me shall know that I am a warrior of faith."

Her sister looked ill beyond words, Catherine feared more than ever before for her very sanity. As she was, she looked neither beautiful or young, she looked tired, exhausted in fact, haunted and haughty. Taking her by the hands as she had so often as a child she pulled her toward a felled tree and sat down: "Can we talk?"

Kristina's eyes filled with unbidden tears and she slumped on the tree trunk in exhaustion. The words began to tumble from her mouth: "It was awful Kate, I felt it happen. I felt them... felt them.. I don't know, unbeing. It was worse than death, it was simply nothing... Seeeing you today makes me think what if the Dagda witch had done it to you, what if you were unmade..."

She realised in that moment it mattered little whether she believed her sister had caused the disappearance of Atanamir and his kin, it was enough that Kristina believed it herself. Catherine cupped her sisters cheek: "The Dagda witch was misguided, she had no real power or the words in that book would have been read years ago... You are Ora's vessel. It must be hard for you..."

Kristina pulled back: "It's an honor... I am blessed." Catherine could cry to see her sister so forlorn and alone in the world. She had always been a little jealous of Kristina's easy charm and grace; only in this very second did she realise how both of them were sitting atop lonely thrones, almost isolated from one another let alone the rest of the world by the duties and lives they had crafted. Hugging her closely she realised how seldom she experienced true human comfort, and how few people with whom she could share moments like this. Perhaps one day she would be allowed to give herself to her Wolf, but the throne had room for only one and who knew how long she would sit alone.

"You are Ora's vessel," she repeated, stroking her sister's hair. "I have 1000 swords that would be Her Champion." She sat back from her sister: "You are not here to fight the wars of men, you are a guide, you fight for the spirits, the souls... and this..." she tugged lightly at the sleeve of the chainmail: "this is not yours to wear. You make yourself a target in such garb. Faith is your shield, not Ora'n silver." Kristina looked down at herself doubtfully.

Catherine continued: "Do you remember the McManus brood?" Kristina looked up a little bewildered.

"I loved Marin... but I must say that is a name I had not thought to hear again... why?"

Catherine realised how distant Kristina had become from the day to day life in Nivemus, Braelin had made efforts to secure the seat in Gadlock while Kristina tarried at the temple: "Squire McManus has died and the children have taken their places..."

Kristina immediately lightened with a hopeful look in her eyes: "Marin...?"

Catherine shook her head: "Braelin and Padraig" she answered, "they are in Bruck. I would have your help in something... Something that will tell me much..."

Roleplay from Kristina Chamberlain

Bruck was in chaos. Soldiers ransacked the buildings and the peasantry sported all types of injuries as they were pulled from homes nad businesses. Kristina and her maunts had managed to arrive unheralded in the settlement and had made their way to the tavern. The old building seemed to be one of the few places able to retain its function amidst the chaos that surrounded it. Settling in a booth, she and the maunts seemed to be given an essentially wide berth by the nobles, perhaps because of the rumours that had spread so quickly following her actions against Atanamir. She kept her counsel and her hood pulled close so as not to draw unwanted attention.

The nobles of Nivemus seemed to be using the hostelry as a base camp from which they co-ordinated what seemed largely random and violent activities in the streets. Baron Ketchum looked tired to her eyes, having seen him often on the battlefield, she could tell that this was not the way he would choose to fight a war. She did not need to wait long to see Padraig McManus. the beautiful boy she had remembered had grown into a rather beautiful man. he was very like his sister Marin in colouring. Unlike the General, Padraig seemed to be thriving on his activities in Bruck. The young man entered the tavern with some of his men, joking loudly about what he had just done. Taking his blade he wiped the blood onto the skirts of one of the serving girls.

Braelin had enetered much later with Lady Lucienne. She seemed altogether more businesslike in her demeanor as her eyes scanned the room. Kristina remembered the watchful child Braelin had been and noted that where others had avoided looking to the maunts, Braelin appraised them briefly before turning back to Lady Lucienne.

Once they had left Kristina took the two chests to the serving girl. "Be sure that these chests reach their intended" She wrote a quick note: To the Scions of McManus,

May these gifts help to show others your true nature as the champions of Ora and defenders of the faith. May they bow before you in realisation that you carry the favour of the Goddess in all of your affairs. If you have need of me you will find me at the shrine of Bruck. This is the Brilliant Chainmail of Ashforth, once worn by the Gray Wolf of Pucallpa, it is the mail of Ora's Champion. And this ring is Ucduah's Ring of Command. Crafted in Oroya with a stone of Amber from the Great White tree itself. May Ora's blessings shine upon you.

She pressed a silver Oran into the girls hand and left.