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Post by Savas Lambros on Feb 1, 2015 1:21:30 GMT -5
Savas sighs, staring at the staggering quantity of papers that flooded over his desk. It wasn't even paperwork, not really. They were all informational, all different things that were expected of him to know. Notice of a drought in the southern Cydonia that made a poor harvest a possibility, attacks in Andor that threatened the peace, and goblin raids that threatened Dracon. And a million things, both more pressing and more minute, all threatened to crowd out his consciousness.
“Things were so much easier when the only thing I had to care about were my reactions and the Cydonian woods...” He mutters, grumbling to himself. “Days like this make me miss the Scouts. Chalk dealing with this as another thing the blasted cult has to answer for. I wonder if they're man enough to come and try it, though...”
If they had any desire to, there was little better time to try and attack him than now. With his bodyguard gone to send word to Andor, and presumably Ba'dagar after that, he was comparatively defenseless. As defenseless as a skilled swordsman and expert Scout could be, of course, but his father was a superior mage. Then again, they killed him and his bodyguard, so Valek's presence might not be the turning factor that he might think it would be for them.
Looking away from his papers, he sees how beautiful the day is outside through an open window. The sun is bright, the sky is clear, and the scent of the trees drifts in the air, even up to the top of the tower. Sighing, he turns back to his papers. “Blast it, I feel like a schoolboy waiting for recess.” He laughs at himself, the truth being an excellent source of comedy. “But alas, I have much more work to do before I can go out and play...”
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Post by Hilda Brandr on Feb 1, 2015 17:36:10 GMT -5
 I wield my blade
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for the sake of everyone With both of her Seconds now active and on the job, it gave Hilda time to address other concerns. One that she had needed to attend to but hadn't had the time was the new Representative for the Elves. He was recently appointed and new to the position, so she hadn't actually had a chance to meet him yet. However, she had received a letter requesting her aid in getting adjusted to the position. She definitely understood that feeling of being overwhelmed when you first get the job but until now couldn't actually take the time. Informing her Seconds of her business in Cydonia, she directed all communications in Andor to go to the Seconds until her return. Waiting until the next High Council Meeting wasn't the best way to meet the man, and she didn't know how well the work of the previous Representative allowed him to ease into it.
Such is how Hilda ended up riding atop her Hippogriff in direct passage to Cydonia. Flight was a much faster means of travel than by foot, and even with the necessary resting periods in transit it was drastically faster. Her recent flights had also given her quite a bit of perspective. Andor was large, but being able to see the vast landscapes of Terra Heroum from above showed how small it was in comparison. There was so much good that needed to be done in their land, and as one person she could only do so much. She needed to help others so they could in turn help themselves or others.
Passing over the woods, she arrived in the airspace of Cydonia. It seemed that the message of her intended arrival made it, since she wasn't being targeted on sight for essentially flying right up to the tower of the Representative. Maneuvering down to the ground, she found the stables near the tower and aided in setting up the Hippogriff for its temporary stay. Thankfully the Cydonian cavalry dealt in tamed Phantasms regularly, or this would have been much more awkward.
Hilda was lead up several flights of stairs eventually leading to the Elven Representative's office. Without so much as a word she was ushered in and then left to their Representative business. At least it was efficient?
"It is good to finally meet you. I am Hilda Brandr, Human Representative." Hippogriffs are the classy way to travel these days.
Tagged: Savas Lambros
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made by eden @ gs and thq |
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Post by Savas Lambros on Feb 1, 2015 21:45:27 GMT -5
Hearing the door open, Savas looks up from his papers, rather frustrated at first. He had asked for no non-essential interruptions, the work he had to do was piling up on him. However, when Hilda identified herself, relief washes any frustration away, and he smiles. “Hilda Brandr. It is nice to meet. My father has spoken well of you.”
Getting up from the table, he walks over to her. “I can see you got my letter, though it's rather embarrassing right now. I had...it sounds silly. I had just sent the Blade out to give you a more thorough rundown of events here than I could convey effectively in my letter.” He grins. “I'm not quite sure if he'll be downcast at the wasted trip, or ecstatic with all the free time he'll have on his hands.”
Motioning her over to a well-furnished seat, he chooses not to sit across the desk from her, but pulls up another chair and sits next to her. There was plenty of time for serious discussions later, now was no real time to maintain any false pride. “As you can see by the state of things, I'm in a bit of a mess. I suppose my first question should be if it gets easier? Or will I be doomed to endless study in order not to start a diplomatic incident over a misplaced custom?” He sighs. “Because that is quite honestly the last thing I would like to be worrying about in times like these.”
He stands up. “But where are my manners? Has your trip been long? Is there anything in the way of refreshments I could bring up for you? I knew working in this tower was going to be trouble...being this high up is making me into an airhead!”
Not quite his best material, but he wanted to keep the mood light.
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Post by Hilda Brandr on Feb 6, 2015 15:33:55 GMT -5
I wield my blade
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for the sake of everyone Hilda couldn't help but wonder if Savas had actually gotten word of her arrival or not. Certainly those working for him did, they didn't seem surprised by her arrival, but did he actually see that message? It was definitely possible he didn't; perhaps his inexperience in the position caused some...not quite distrust, but information filtering.
Regardless, she accepted his invitation and moved towards the chair, removing the halberd from her back and setting it against the chair before sitting. It was a bit of a long trip and sitting down in an actual chair felt nice, but she didn't feel much thirst right now. She had brought a fair amount of supplies for her trip so she was rather content as it were.
That offer would end up leading Savas to learn one of Hilda's key traits; no sense of humor. His joke was only met with a stare of confusion for a good moment before it appeared the metaphorical candle was lit.
"Oh, that was meant to be a joke." she responded rather plainly, before moving on from that to other matters, "Perhaps a bit of water but nothing much, I'm mostly fine for the moment. The offer is appreciated." Her thoughts soon shifted to how to address Savas's concerns. She didn't have much time to get to know his father, but the two did work well together for what time they had been in office at the same time. As for it getting easier, well....she had to get her wording right on that one.
"I can't say your job will get easier, but I don't think you will be 'doomed' to study customs forever. So long as you can work with the people of Cydonia and don't make obvious military or political actions against Andor or Ba'dagar I think you will be fine." Hilda started with her proper answer, figuring it was the best place to work from. A Representative's job was never an easy one but it certainly wasn't a "study forever" sort of position. Unless you count reading incident reports as studying.
"Our job is to do what we can for our people, and for everyone in Terra Heroum. If something is happening to the people, we must do what we can to fix it, and if we can, we stop it before it can happen." |
made by eden @ gs and thq |
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Post by Savas Lambros on Feb 7, 2015 21:55:28 GMT -5
Savas doesn't visibly react to the fact that Hilda didn't appreciate his joke, but inwardly, it feels like something inside of him dies. It wasn't that bad, was it? At least her wanting water was something to distract from his social faux-pas. “Of course. I'll have some brought up right away.”
Her words relieve him substantially, almost enough to get over the wound in his heart. “Well, that's certainly a relief. Here I was worrying that I'd be held to the kind of standard that would start a war if I ate with the wrong utensil or something like that. I've never been the most...proper...member of my family, so I was panicking a bit.” He smiles. “I could never tell a salad fork from a pitchfork.”
However, her words evoke solemnity as well. “Of course...but I hope you can see why I find that as a relief. That's the easy part. It's what I do all the time anyway. So long as I can count on you to be a bit patient with me, I'm sure I could do a good enough job here.”
He sighs. “I really do feel sorry for bothering you like this, so far, it seems my worries could easily have been disproven over postal correspondence. It's merely...everything feels so deeply rushed nowadays. I suppose it only makes sense, considering my land at least is in a state of crisis.”
His fist clenches at the thought of what put his land into such a state. “I don't mean to pry too deeply into your affairs, but how is Andor taking the news of the pact mage resurgence? Has security been tightened across the board, or are things merely going mad where I stand?”
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Post by Hilda Brandr on Feb 11, 2015 22:26:00 GMT -5
I wield my blade
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for the sake of everyone "Andor itself has managed to maintain its relative peace, but its people have not. Fear has begun to take hold over some." Hilda answered, not feeling much need to hide it. They were in the same boat working towards the same goal, so it did nothing to try and hide anything. Plus, from first impressions Savas seemed to be an honest, fun-loving individual. Admitting his own weakness in the same beat as a joke; even if she could not understand humor, she did find comfort in the fact that the Elven Representative was such an individual.
"I have my Seconds spearheading investigations to try and determine the sudden cause of this fear among the people. If things are equally bad here in Cydonia, I might recommend you do the same if you haven't already." she followed up, shifting a bit in the chair as a bit of worry set in. It wasn't worry that her Seconds could do their jobs correctly; it was the kind of natural worry one might have as a parent towards a child. Even if you knew everything would be fine, you could not help but worry some. In this case...Andor is her child, so to speak.
However, for now she decided to pick up another note that might aid to lighten the mood of their conversation a bit. "I will add though...I would not worry too much about being socially proper. At least as long as you don't go around insulting everybody," while her tone was definitely not a joking one, it was a much lighter one that could almost be viewed as humorous if she could even manage it, "I am professional but I am not the most proper individual either. I am a fighter, a defender; my skills lie on the field of battle, not the field of politics. The same could be said of the Representative in Ba'dagar, I feel." |
made by eden @ gs and thq |
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Post by Savas Lambros on Feb 13, 2015 17:18:28 GMT -5
"Well, that's a relief. I'll keep trying to keep Cydonia from falling into despair, we can't afford to lose our wits now, of all times." He shakes his head. "Though, for a lot of the people in Cydonia's local council, it's hard to imagine they ever had them." Letting his next attempt to elicit some kind of humorous response from the cool and collected human representative pass, he coughs. "I'll have to speak to the representative of Ba'dagar to confirm, but I can only hope that he is doing as fine a job as you are in keeping heads cool."
As she recounts what she's doing to try to unravel the plot, Savas sighs. "That is an admirable idea, unfortunately, that is not possible for me at the moment. Cydonia has not gotten around to selecting a Bow for me, while my Sword is on his way right now to Dracon. I will attempt to have others investigate, though most people in Cydonia aligned to investigation are currently still attempting to unravel my father's murder in greater detail."
Looking up at her, he gives her a relieved grin. "Thanks, you have no idea how much easier that makes my life. Makes me feel like I can go focus on the important things." Savas laughs at what comes after. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better, are you? That makes us three of a kind! Now you just have to laugh and I'll know this is just a dream, something I'm entertaining myself with after I dozed off from reading too much courtesy!"
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Post by Hilda Brandr on Feb 17, 2015 16:31:43 GMT -5
I wield my blade
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for the sake of everyone Fortunately for Savas, he would not think he was dreaming, for Hilda would not laugh during this conversation. His attempts at humor would just be met with more stares of slight confusion. However, Hilda was more concerned about the state of things in Cydonia. Were she a more deceptive individual she would probably take advantage of just how poorly everything was running. No Bow of the Elves, and the Sword of the Elves was currently en route to Dracon? The Representative was essentially unprotected were someone with enough skill to come along and want him dead, much like his father before him. With all their investigative forces working on the murder investigation, it left current affairs to build up and fester. She understood how much Elves prized their lineage but...if they had not resolved it by now perhaps it was time to redirect attention to more pressing matters?
"It seems things were worse in Cydonia than I had thought. Ideal times would allow you to have both Seconds on hand to aid in these matters, or perhaps less of your men scurrying about trying to solve a long-passed murder when there are other people suffering within your walls," her tone wasn't a happy one nor was it a disapproving one; it was concern and fear for what would happen to Cydonia if things kept going as they were, "And I do not mean to belittle the death of your father; though I did not know him long, he was a good man. But if by now they have yet to fully resolve the matter I doubt any further work that takes up so much in human resources will bear any new fruit."
She straightened herself out as her mind shifted to 'how to truly aid Cydonia as a fellow city-state in Terra Heroum'. It could no longer be a discussion between two newly met acquaintances; it was time for work. Theirs was an important job and there was a lot that needed to be done in Cydonia. "I cannot speak on Elven customs, but as a fellow Representative, I believe you need to rein your men in on this investigation. Allow a small amount to continue working on that investigation if they truly feel the need to find every detail, but you need more men to aid you in resolving matters happening right now. How you accomplish this is up to you; as I said, I'm no expert on Elven customs. If this notion brings offense, I apologize, but you cannot handle everything going on right now by yourself." |
made by eden @ gs and thq |
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Post by Savas Lambros on Feb 17, 2015 17:05:10 GMT -5
“Things are...not well. That is for certain.” The bite that her last comment had stung, however. Even if she did not mean it to be offensive, the fact of the matter was that his judgment was being called into question. Though he liked to think he was more laid-back about things, he had at least a bit of the pride that Elves stereotypically clung to. “And I think you misunderstand my intentions on this issue. While I miss my father dearly and seek to see those responsible punished, if it were under any other circumstances, I would certainly not cling so deeply to this.”
He clasps his hands together. “This cult is responsible for quite a deal of this. I am sure of it. Investigations had already been happening before my Father's death...it's only because they have a secure situation that they were willing to come out of the shadows to commit this act. And if we lose the trail now, who knows when the next chance to strike at them will come?”
Still, her words spoke with a bitter ring of truth. “Although, perhaps you are right. Perhaps this particular lead has run dry. It just feels...worse. To have to go back to poking around the symptoms instead of striking at the cause. It's like letting a phantasm lick it's wounds in some dark, hidden cave and post watches on the roads. It'll make people feel better, but it won't really make anything significantly safer.”
He gives a shrug. “However, far be it from me to ignore the advice of seniority. Unfortunately, Elven customs have gotten in the way.” He frowns, visibly annoyed. “So far this has been a strictly regional problem, despite the far-reaching effects it could potentially have. Elves as a whole tend to be more...fixated, on the most powerful events, and only now are willing to open up about the goings on to the Council, beyond the letters strictly stating the event occurred and wishes for you to stay safe. I will devote more people to ferreting out the reason for fear...but it is in all likelihood primarily a result of the assassination. If that's the case, the most important thing to do is keep the investigation going, even if it's essentially ceremonial by this point.”
“This is why my Sword had been sent out...now that my station has been affirmed, I've sent him out to hopefully communicate with you and Taksaka about what's happened, and to try and arrange for a meeting of all of us to try and resolve how we'll deal with this threat. Another thing I refuse to believe about them is that their influence is limited to Cydonia. We have enough evidence of that, at least.”
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Post by Hilda Brandr on Feb 24, 2015 19:24:52 GMT -5
I wield my blade
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for the sake of everyone It wasn't until she heard Savas's response that Hilda truly realized what her words as an outsider meant. As well, she did not fully understand the situation which only became clear when he mentioned the cult's likely tie to the assassination. Her stern expression softened as she listened, emerald eyes reflecting regret for what she had said and insinuated. It was likely a good thing she was not the Representative of the Elves; in all likelihood she would've been kicked out by now if she were as she was now.
"I...I apologize, Savas. I did not realize the likely connection between that and the current state of affairs. If that investigation does turn up something that can lead us back to the cult, then it would be worthwhile. I just hope it does not end up being evidence that we merely wish to believe is connected." her words were a bit slower to come out this time, doing the very same tip-toeing she said Savas likely would not need to do. Truly, elven customs were far different, and his situation was also far removed from her own.
"Your circumstances of coming into office were much more unfortunate than mine, and I believe that you have handled it well. I was more concerned for your safety, given how little time it has been since then. We cannot be certain they may not strike again, with their first attempt being so successful." a bit of Hilda's confidence came back as she spoke more. Indeed, the suggestion of a high council meeting was likely a good one. With all three offices now a bit more solidly filled, it was likely time for them to meet and discuss current affairs.
She began to think, lightly scratching her chin with a gauntlet-covered finger. "A High Council meeting is likely in order, but when? You've sent your Second to communicate with Taksaka and I, while mine are currently investigating incidents in Andor. I have not heard from Taksaka in a fair bit so I am not sure of the state of affairs in Ba'dagar. It would likely be best to occur when at least our Seconds have finished their business and we have more information to bring to the table." she suggested, continuing to think on it. Arranging a High Council Meeting was not an easy matter, and she did not wish to do so without at least having information to present to Savas and Taksaka regarding the events in Andor. |
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Post by Savas Lambros on Mar 1, 2015 13:34:59 GMT -5
When Hilda apologizes, Savas raises up his hands. “No, no, please. There's no need for that...I'm aware of how things might appear...and your caution is duly noted. I can only ask you to trust that I won't let personal connections overpower my duty to Cydonia.” He laughs, despite himself. “A rather tall order, given we've only just met, to be sure.” It was a concern he himself had. Was he really doing the right thing? He thought he was...but there was a niggling voice in the back of his head that caused him to doubt himself.
His somewhat sarcastic laugh softens into a genuine smile at the praise. “I really appreciate you saying that. It was a tall order, to be sure...and I'm still not sure why I was chosen, but I hope to do at least a passable job.” He sighs at the worry that comes after. “Don't I know it. But we're still destabilized here, and the guard can only do so much. I can only hope they're not so bold as to try another attack so soon after the first. It's a risk I'm willing to take, in order to get things done.”
As Hilda ponders the issue, Savas simply shrugs. “Whenever is fine for everyone is fine for me. I certainly wouldn't mind a bit more time to prepare, and with my Second indisposed, I'm not exactly in the most fit condition. I just want to get the ball rolling as soon as possible...but dealing with rampant beauracracy might just be an Elvish custom I'll need to break. At least, one can hope!”
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