The Scourge of Shadowlore Keep (Councillors win!)

Started by Remiel, June 06, 2011, 03:18:01 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Remiel

..and inspired by Mithlomwen's This is War...
(and not Twilight at all!)


(a Mafia game)



O

nce upon a time, in the small, dark kingdom of Carpathia, bordered on the west by the Forbidden Forest and on the east by the Widow's Peak Mountains, there was a dark and terrible plague.  For centuries, the country had existed in relative peace and tranquility; its people were humble but honest, and for generations had been content to work the land, surviving off the gifts of Mother Earth.  Nothing exciting ever happened in Carpathia, and its people preferred it that way.

That all stopped last midwinter.  First there were reports of wolf sightings in the woods, closer to the village than wolves had ever dared to venture before.  There were eerie howls in the night, screams that could curdle the blood of a full-grown man.  Worse yet, Jacob, the woodsman's son, swore on all the saints that he saw a man, naked as a newborn babe, out in the forest while he was hunting one day.  When he called out to the man, he turned to look at him--and then changed into a wolf, right before his eyes.  No-one believed Jacob at first, but as other villagers began to report similar encounters, it was clear that the monsters of myth were, indeed, frightening reality.

As if that wasn't bad enough, there were other rumours, just as ominous.  From the mountains came hordes of bats, shrieking in their multitudes.  Mrs. Plough insisted that she spied a man, dressed all in black, whose skin was as pale as the full moon at midnight, gliding through the sky.  Just like Jacob, no one took her seriously until Mrs. Plough was found dead, bereft of blood, with two bite marks on her neck.

Werewolves and vampires! Vampires and werewolves!

In desperation, King Gregorii the Red summoned all his vassals, all the Dukes, Barons, Dames, and Counts, all the Lords and Ladies, all the knights of the realm to his castle in the capitol.  Called Shadowlore Keep, the castle had stood stalwart for centuries, all the way back to the time of Charlemagne.  There, he hoped, with all of his court's wisdom, they would determine the best course of action for breaking the dreadful curse.




The Scourge of Shadowlore Keep is a Mafia-type game.  For those who have never played Mafia-type games before, think of it as something like  "Murder in the Dark", where a disguised killer must secretly pick off, one by one, a number of innocent villagers who know that there is a killer in their midst but do not know who he is.  Every day, they must vote to determine whom to eliminate; every night, the killer (or killers) get to choose his vctim. For an example of the roles in this type of game, see here.






For The Scourge of Shadowlore, there will be not one, but two groups of bad guys--the werewolves and the vampires.  At the beginning of the game, the werewolves will not know who the vampires are and vice versa.  Both groups must use trickery, tactics, and deception to manipulate the innocent lords and ladies of the court to eliminate their natural enemies.  Once that is done, they must then continue to remain in disguise until the numbers of the humans are too small to resist them. 

As for the regular, honest lords and ladies of the council, they must tirelessly work to rid themselves of all monsters, whether werewolf or vampire.  As long as a single creature yet draws breath, the entire kingdom is in peril.




I am looking for about twenty players, more or less.  The game will move relatively quickly; each "round" will last about a week or so.  At the bare minimum,  the players are required to cast a vote at least once per week; they may elaborate with lengthy narratives if they wish, but that is not required. 

Each round will consist of two phases: the Day phase, in which arguments are heard, and votes are cast; and the Night phase, in which those who have special roles may use them if they wish.  At the end of the Day phase, whoever has accumulated the most votes will be eliminated from the game.  If you are voted out, please do not take this personally.  This is, after all, just a game.

Assuming a player base of twenty, the roles will be broken down as follows:

Vampires (3): There will be three vampires, all of whom will be aware of each other's identity at the beginning.
Goal: To eliminate the werewolves, and seize control of Shadowlore Keep by outnumbering the surviving humans.
Special: During the Night Phase, the Vampires may select one victim to hunt.  If the victim is human, and not immune to vampire attack, he will be found dead the next morning.


Werewolves (3): There will be three werewolves, all of whom will be aware of each other's identity at the beginning.
Goal: To eliminate the vampires, and seize control of Shadowlore Keep by outnumbering the surviving humans.
Special: During the Night Phase, the Werewolves may select one victim to hunt.  If the victim is human, and not immune to werewolf attack, he will be found dead the next morning.


Those who are neither vampires nor werewolves are human.  Among the humans, some will have special roles:

Vampire Clan Servant: The Clan Servant is a mortal who has fallen under the sway of the vampires. 
Goal: To help the vampires eliminate the werewolves and seize the Keep.
Special: The Clan Servant has the same goals as the Vampires, and will be privy to their discussions. He is still human, however, and cannot be detected by the Vampire Hunter. Unfortunately, he can be killed by the Werewolves during the Night phase.

Werewolf Packfriend: The Packfriend is a mortal who is, for one reason or another, in league with the werewolves.
Goal: To help the werewolves eliminate the vampires and seize the Keep.
Special: The Packfriend has the same goals as the Werewolves, and will be privy to their discussions. He is still human, however, and cannot be detected by the Werewolf Hunter. Unfortunately, he can be killed by the Vampires during the Night phase.

Priest: The Priest is protected by the hand of God, and as such, cannot be killed at night.
Goal: To help the innocent humans identify and eliminate both vampires and werewolves.
Special: The priest is immune to both werewolf and vampire attack.

Vampire Hunter: The Vampire Hunter is on a sworn mission to detect and destroy all vampires.
Goal: To help the innocent humans identify and eliminate both vampires and werewolves, but especially vampires.
Special: The Vampire Hunter is immune to vampire attack.  In addition, each Night he may investigate one person, and will be told if that person is a vampire or not.

Werewolf Hunter: The Werewolf Hunter is on a sworn mission to detect and destroy all werewolves.
Goal: To help the innocent humans identify and eliminate both vampires and werewolves, but especially werewolves.
Special: The Werewolf Hunter is immune to werewolf attack.  In addition, each Night he may investigate one person, and will be told if that person is a werewolf or not.

Captain of the Guard: The Captain of the Guard is the King's trusted confidant, and the enforcer of the peace.
Goal: To help the innocent humans identify and eliminate both vampires and werewolves.
Special: Guard Captain cannot be eliminated by vote during the day phase.  If he receives the most votes, his role will be revealed, but he will survive the day (if not necessarily the night!) The Captain is also entrusted with breaking ties, if there are any.


The remaining players will be normal Councillors, whose goal is to eliminate all the vampires and werewolves.

Councillor: A Lord or Lady of the realm who the King has called upon to assist him with scourging the land of the plague of monsters.
Goal: To identify and eliminate both vampires and werewolves.
Special: Lucky Charm. Each Councillor will be assigned a lucky charm, which will randomly grant him the ability to:
  • become immune from vampire attack;
  • become immune from werewolf attack; or
  • grant him a one-time ability to divine the true role of anybody in the game (in other words, he can learn the special role of anybody in the game, but only once).

Remiel

#1
Interested Player List

1. Imogen (Councillor) -- killed by vampires, Night Five
2. Rhedyn (Captain of the Guard)
3. Geeklet (Vampire) -- executed, Day Three
4. Moirae (Priest) -- executed, Day Seven
5. Josietta (Werewolf) -- executed, Day Five
6. Xandi (Werewolf) -- executed, Day Four
7. That Girl Analise (Councillor) -- killed by vampires, Night One
8. Kyrsa (Werewolf Packfriend) -- killed by vampires, Night Two
9. Starlequin (Vampire Clanservant) -- executed, Day Two
10. Aiden (Werewolf) -- executed, Day Six
11. Izu (Councillor) -- killed by werewolves, Night Three
12. Mithlomwen (Werewolf Hunter) -- killed by vampires, Night Six
13. Eden (Councillor) -- killed by werewolves, Night One
14. rottenaim (Vampire Hunter) -- executed, Day One
15. Marguerite (Councillor) -- killed by vampires, Night Seven
16. FoamWeber (Councillor) -- killed by vampires, Night Eight
17. Valerian (Councillor)
18. Ryven (Vampire) -- executed, Day Nine
19. Beguile's Mistress (Vampire) -- executed, Day Eight
20. Lord Mayerling (Councillor) -- killed by werewolves, Night Two

Remiel

One quick rule update, since it's fairly important.

The vampires cannot eliminate a werewolf during the night phase, and vice-versa.  If the vampires choose a werewolf as their target, they will be informed of their target's identity, but nothing will happen to the target*.  Conversely, the target will be informed that the vampires tried to attack him/her during the night.

*Note: this does not apply to either the Clanservant or Packfriend, who are fair game.


Thus, the only way to eliminate a vampire or werewolf is to do so through the day phase voting.  This is to eliminate blood bath/massacres and also to draw the game out a little.  Remember, if you're a wolf or a bloodsucker, it's in your best interest to be sneaky!  The humans outnumber you!

Remiel

The days had grown long but grim, as if the sun had turned its face away from the sheltered kingdom of Carpathia.  The skies were grey, dull, disapproving; at night, thunder rattled the window panes and the wind sighed forlornly in the boughs.  The land, it seemed, was doomed.  The Scourge was upon the kingdom, which suffered not only the curse of wolves who masqueraded as men and walked about on two legs to better hunt their prey, but also by pale and ghostly revenants who flew as bats and drank human blood.

King Gregorii the Red, in desperation, called all his vassals together--Lords, Ladies, Dukes, Counts, Dames, and Barons--to his castle, Shadowlore Keep.  They were each given lofty accommodations, and summoned to sit at court.

"My loyal friends," he announced, when they all had been assembled, "the plague that afflicts us is real.  I have born witness to it with my own eyes.  There are vampires and werewolves among us.  I do not know from whence they came, or what their designs are, but they must all be eradicated, if there is to be any hope left for the God-fearing men and women of Carpathia."

Suddenly, there was a scream, cutting his speech short.    Natalia, the royal cook, had been found in the larder, pale as a ghost, stiff as a plank, and completely bereft of blood, two telltale red holes in the middle of her neck.   Before anyone had a chance to react, there was another scream.  Nathan, the Gardener, had been found in the gardens he so lovingly tended, with his throat ripped out and his body feasted upon as if by a large animal.

The King pleaded everybody not to panic, although it was clear that the stress was taking its toll.  "Well," he said, "it seems that the monsters we speak of are within our very midst.   Let us interrogate each other, and by doing so rid ourselves of the curse.  Who among you has witnessed something suspicious?  Speak now, and let this kingdom be cleansed." 


Josietta

Lady Josietta had been moving through the areas when the screams were heard. Lifting her skirts from her feet she moved swiftly with the cloth in her fists to find out just what had occurred. When she moved into the room she heard the proclamation of the King and frowned looking around. It was hard not to panic in such a time. She had been a part of the kings court since she was a child and now for this to happen, it was devastating. Brushing back a golden lock behind one ear she sighed some and moved closer to the crowds.

"My liege, I am not sure who we would accuse of such atrocities.  This kingdom is not safe it seems, at least not until these beasts are caught. I realize until such a time they are eliminated, none of us shall be permitted to leave. But I do vote we all stay in groups or at the least pairs to ensure safety. Being alone in this time is asking to become a victim of circumstance. I, for one, do not wish to spend any time alone from here on out. What say the rest of you? Anyone else willing to do the same?"

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


Ryven

Count Ryven sat at a small table to the side enjoying one of his many pastries that he brought from his home county which was renowned for its bakers.  He nibbled on the orange scone while sipping his coffee in the midst of all his fellow noble men and women.  It was hard to believe that those close to him that had been trusted for so long would turn out to be blood thirsty beasts or undead.  Such a pity.  He set his pastry down almost gracefully on the small plate before him, wiping his hands briskly together to rid them of the crumbs.

After the screams had come and gone, he looked almost unsurprised by them and experienced a short moment of deja vu.  The man brushed it aside and then spoke just after Lady Josi had finished her rather touching plea.

"My lady, if you so please, I would be honored if you would join me for the evening."  The man then eyed Izu, Marguerite, and Eden.  "I would be so honored if you three would join me as well."  He said in a much less formal voice with a hint of something else hidden behind it.

"But before I go, I would like to say one thing.  I happened to overhear Mithlomwen's chambermaid speaking of how difficult it was to get blood out of fabric and why there was so much of it in such a peculiar place on her dress.  I would keep an eye on her.  She might not be what she seems."  He said before picking up his scone to finish it off.

Imogen

Imogen sank back into her chair once the news had been confirmed. The color had drained from her cheeks and her slender hand clasped the wine goblet's stem tightly. "I agree with lady Josietta." She said. "Her advice seems wise." A shiver crawled up her spine and she hastily drained the last drops from her glass. "I have no desire to be alone, not until each and every of these animals has been caught.

Her eyes widened when she overheard Ryven. "I wouldn't know about that, Sir Ryven, but ..." She leaned slightly towards him and lowered her voice, "rumor has it that Lord Starlequin has been seen returning to the castle in the dark hours before dawn." Her gaze sought the Lord across the room and she frowned slightly. Naturally there could be other explanations... but something about this Lord drew her eye again and again.
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

That Girl Analise

Analise grew pale at the sight of the corpses. The Dame had seen some before, sure, but she was still getting used to the look of the dead... The vampire attack didn't look as bad as the werewolf one; at least that body was still mostly whole. She nodded in agreement with Josietta. "Verily, I don't feel safe either. It is bad enough that we have one foe to face, but two? Nay, I shan't stay alone any night." She watched the others as accusations were being thrown around so quickly. "I shall reserve mine own judgement for the moment, I wish to hear more of what the others wish to say. I'm afraid the whispers of others have yet to reach mine ears."

Aiden

Duke Aiden Lothar arrived long before many of the others had and had refused to change out of his normal attire which consisted of his regal plate suit of armor and a pair of long swords at his sides. He was accompanied with a squire carrying his shield. The duchy he ruled was loyal to the king but the duke ran his kingdom like an army and it made its people feel safe. Now with the kingdom in turmoil, the young man (for his title) came in to greet the king respectfully and his fellow nobles.
"Do not give in to your fears, it is far to early to make accusations lest without letting them speak on their behalf first. Rumors are not a reliable source of information Lady Imogen, one might start a rumor based on the wine you so desperately cling to."
He said with a slight smile, the burden of his father's former title did not seem to effect the dark haired, silver eyed young man he was.

FoamWeber

Lady Weber sighed, annoyed to have been disturbed from her meal. She had been quite enjoying it, having missed the comforts of a fine meal while travelling. She had intended to go to bed immediately after, but clearly now that wouldn't be happening. How... inconvenient. She shook her head, and her dark brown hair swayed from side to side. "I, too, heard the rumour of Lord Starlequin," she announced.

Geeklet

When one looked upon Geeklet, it was sometimes hard to believe that shi was even a member of this noble court. Shi hailed from the more savage lands to the south, and hir attire occasionally left something to be desired from those who deemed themselves more civilized. Tonight was no different, as hir dress was a mixture of leather trimmed with animal fur, looking more like a barbarian princess than anything.

Shi was no stranger to the court, however. And when the two murders were discovered, shi quickly feared that they'd use those differences as an excuse to get rid of hir. Thankfully though that seemed to not be the case at the moment.

Geeklet tried to remain calm as shi picked up a fresh goblet of wine, gazing around to the others before hir eyes finally settled upon Valerian. "Might I ask where you were before we were all assembled here?"

Marguerite

Duchess Marguerite looked up from her scribbles at the scream of an unknown female. Who was screaming to Death himself? She looked to her servants who rushed out to listen while she took stock of anyone missing from her side. Duchess Marguerite had come to visit a few of her dear friends before departing back to her homeland to aid in the rule of her people. Right now, mutiny was afoot but she had her Captain of the Guard to handle anyone who dared to rule against her. No one from her group would have screamed such a horrible sound. She looked over to Count Ryven and nodded at his words. "Yes, we cannot separate from the group unless we have something to hide or to lose in this search for who murdered Natalia. We must avenge her but we also must be very careful for any one of us might be capable of murder." She looked over everyone, wondering who might be turning against the group but she had to hear the word of all before making a decision. To make one now would be too brash and could end in the life of an innocent.
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Kye

Dame Kyrsa was not the most influential member of court, nor was she the most beautiful.  She was however a woman who thought well of others and gave them the benefit of the doubt whenever possible.  The fact that someone she knew, perhaps even someone she had spoken to on occasion or shared a dance with had killed poor Natalia was simply unthinkable and yet she was dead.  It wasn't the thought of the creatures that bothered her, the monsters in the night.  She'd spent the majority of her childhood reading stories about them after all.  It was the fact that someone could be so cruel, and towards a woman who did nothing more than cook and serve her King. 

"How can you all simply call out names so easily.  Mithlomwen has never been anything but kind to me, and while I do not know Valerian or Lord Starlequin well I have trouble seeing any of them as a feral creature who would kill an innocent woman.  Rhedyn on the other hand has always seemed a little strange to me... perhaps she had something to do with this foul deed."

Starlequin

Dawn's light shimmered through threadbare patches in the drawn curtains, and the cocks crowed their morning revele in the courtyards below. Velvet and linen bed curtains were draped over the platform-raised bed, hanging motionless in the early absence of the manor's usual, musty drafts. A figure lay sprawled in the bed, snoring in peaceful rythym and wrapped in heavy linen sheets and elaborately quilted blankets, barely stirring as the ornate oak door creaked open. The sound of a dainty fist knocking on the wooden table near the room's entrance brought a groan and a twitch from the bed's occupant, and a small pile of the sheets rose from one corner at the foot of the bed, nodding drowsily. Ana Lucia, a young serving girl of perhaps twenty strode into the bedroom with a surprisingly casual familiarity that belied her station, and cleared her throat loudly to wake the master of the house.

"Begging pardon, milord, but is not today the day you are scheduled to attend court at the keep? True it's only a short journey by carriage, but you did leave orders we were to rouse you early, that you might see to the barony's business arrangements before you took leave. Miss Inga has prepared your breakfast, and Martin sent one of his courier boys to deliver the contracts you desired. Will there be anything else, milord Starlequin?"

AS she spoke, the small hill in the ruffled sheets sank lower and lower until it rested flat on the mattress below once more, and the girl sighed with a roll of her eyes. She walked boldly toward the bed and jerked the covers away to reveal a tall, slender, lightly tanned man who lay upside down in the bed, completely naked, on his stomach with limbs akimbo as his snores rose in pitch. The cool morning air raised goose pimples on his naked skin, and a fart trumpeted its escape between his cheeks. The serving girl crossed her arms in distaste and sighed again. 'Our benevolent lord and master,' she thought with a shake of her head.

After another moment of obvious inactivity on her lord's part, Ana untied the clean grey apron from about her waist and, wrapping her fist around one end, fell back on the more direct, time-proven method usually required to rouse her employer from sleep any time before mid day.

"Wake up, you lazy bum! There's work to be done!" She shouted, brandishing her makeshift whip and flogging the man's naked ass.  Starlequin's eyes flew open immediately and he flailed wildly to escape the sudden pain, rolling about in a half-awake stupor before falling off the far side of the bed. With a pained groan, he hobble-crawled around the platform and collapsed flat on his back on the lushly carpeted floor. "I'm awake! I'm up, Ana Lucia, I'm up!" He cried, his palms up defensively as his servant stood over him, apron still in hand and prepared to strike. With a brief nod, Ana instantly relaxed her grip on the cloth and spread it out to begin re-tying it back in place. Before she could step away, however, she felt the solid grasp of his hand on her ankle and looked down to see Lord Starlequin grinning up at her lasciviously.

"Ah-ah-ah, Ana Lucia, didn't you hear me? I told you...I'm up," he said, waggling his eyebrows as he thrusted his hips slightly off the floor. Ana tilted her head as she looked at his revived member with a blend of amusement, resignation and anticipation, and gave her lord a brief, but knowing smile as she began untying her apron once again...




The sun was high as Lord Starlequin's carriage approached the gates of Shadowlore Keep. It was not so rare to attend court at this time of the year, but the urgency in the king's summons was certainly off-putting. Starlequin popped a slice of apple into his mouth and chewed thoughtfully as he stared out the rocking window, noticing several carriages of the other nobility drawing near to the keep as well. He thought back to the week before, when some of his vassals began whispering rumors of unearthly beasts that stalked the night. Bloodlusty corpses and ravening animals, they'd said. At first, Starlequin had been quick to dismiss such nonsense as superstitious tripe, or perhaps accounts of roving bandits and rabid vermin distorted by too many tellings over too much ale. But the rumors persisted, and while his people were stout, sturdy and given to telling tales, they weren't stupid. 'Smoke and fire,' he thought grimly. 'Find one, find the other.'

He swept into the court in his usual finery, all blue silks and silver vestements, with red lace frills at his wrists for a touch of color. Most of his fellow nobles were already present in the main parlor, congregating and conversing amongst each other. Starlequin's ears pricked up at the mention of new victims, found murdered right within the castle's walls, and he blanched at the news. The dread beasts were among them even now? His hand went to the light blue cravat tied loosely about his neck, and he shuddered visibly.

As he wandered from corner to corner, awkwardly introducing himself to those few he had not yet met and collecting bits and pieces of idle conversations, Starlequin overheard an impassioned plea for company from the fetching Lady Josietta. He snatched a goblet of wine from one of the many serving trays scattered about the room and made a beeline directly for her side. He sipped at the wine and, finding it pleasingly tart, downed fully half of his cup before reaching her. Sliding comfortably beside her, Starlequin leaned in closely and murmured over her shoulder.

"My lady, I don't believe we've been properly introduced. My name is Lord Starlequin, and I can assure you I would be deeply honored to assume the responsibility of personally ensuring your safety and security during these troubling times. Perhaps you would be so kind as to accept my humble company for the evening?" He said with a friendly smile and a gentle brush of his knuckles across her shoulder.

As he finished his request, Starlequin cast about the room for other familiar faces and spied Lady Imogen. He bit his lip to hide a burgeoning grin, thinking back on the last evening he'd spent in her most enjoyable company. Well, hers and her sister's. And her butler's. And that strange, three-toed dwarf's. And a remarkably well-trained goat...Starlequin shook his head, clearing his thoughts; this was no time to get lost in nostalgia. He lifted his goblet and offered Lady Imogen wink and a silent toast by way of acknowledgement, before taking his curious gaze elsewhere.

Lady Analise and Duke Aiden spoke up, counciling prudence and reservation of judgement over rash accusations, and Starlequin raised his glass in agreement. "Well said, friends. This is no time to be bandying baseless suspicions about. Turning on one another now will serve no one but our would-be assassins; we need to present a united front of trust, friendship and compassion if we are to survive these trials our Heavenly Father has seen fit to set before us. There will be time enough for recriminations later. After dessert, for example."
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

Autumn52

Lady Xandi listened as everyone spoke, her eyes darting from one place to the next. She couldn't fathom the thought that two victims had been found and so many seemed so cavalier. She spoke up finally only to say, "I agree with the fact that we should not be alone. Perhaps if we stay in groups it will be safer, I certainly do not wish to be alone and I do not want to allow my fear to have me make a rash decision about who could be guilty. If I might beg an escort for the duration of the events I would be ever so grateful."

Her request was made in general terms. She wasn't sure who to trust but she did not want to place a vote on someone so early on when little was known about facts.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Rhedyn

It had been a fair while since Dame Rhedyn had attended an event such as this. Usually they were dull and uneventful and while this one certainly seemed to be lively despite the fact that two innocent people were dead, she was beginning to regret her agreement to come at all given the latest turn of events. She could see why accusations were rife, everyone wanted to find the guilty but she was not yet ready to point a finger at anyone in particular.

"I too agree it would be unwise for anyone to wander off alone right now lest they succumb to the same fate as poor Natalia and Nathan. I am certain that as civilized human beings, for the most part..." she stated, glancing around at the others present searching for some sign of guilt, "...we can figure this out."

Josietta

#16
Lady Josietta nodded to the other females thinking perhaps they should gather together. It wouldn't be proper to spend nights with the men, it would be disastrous to ones reputation. She paced a little feeling a bit queasy with the idea of death amongst them. When Lord Starlequin finally made his appearance she was not the least bit surprised. Tales of his escapades leaked through the rumor mills of many maids and servants. She gave him a polite smile and nodded at his words. Their Lord would keep them safe, she would believe it. Her fingers slid into her pocket to rub at her rosary before she looked to each Lord, Lady, Duke and Duchess who made themselves visible thus far.

"As honored as one would be m'Lord, I do not believe it would be very befitting of a Lady, such as myself, to sleep in your quarters and maintain her ability to retain virtue. That pertains to both Lord Ryven and Lord Starlequin. I believe the ladies should stay together as should the lords. This just a suggestion mind you.  But, Lord Starlequin, do answer me this, why were you so late in joining us?"

Her blue-green eyes sparkled teasingly, knowing full well he was probably a bed with a wench, but to hear it from his mouth would make this priceless just now. The good, Lord Starlequin, was a rake to be sure, but one who she thought would not announce his transgression so openly, instead of a confession box as others of the court would.

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


Izu

Count Izu DeCute tried to remain calm as the screams echoed in the rooms, announcing that there had been not one but two dead bodies found. One eaten by a wild beast, one sucked dry by a living dead creature. He swallowed hard as he looked around at the faces of his fellow counts and countesses, dukes and duchesses, lords and ladies. Some were calm, others not so much. But he had a rather bad feelings that the horrible creatures that their king was speaking of were among them. Some of the men and women around him had changed since the last time he saw them. Some were fatter, other skinnier, third paler, forth looking too healthy. There was just something odd about this crowd. His eyes moved to each and one of them, trying to catch something, anything, suspicious. And then he paused when his eyes caught Ryven's gaze. Why was he inviting them? To feast on them? "Count Ryven, my dear friend, I do not think it's appropriate to isolate ourselves in days and nights like this." Izu said with a pleasant smile, though his eyes remained cold.

ONs and OFFs || M/M Search || Izu's A&A
...Like reflections on the page, the world's what you create...

Ryven

"And who said anything about isolation, dear sir.  I've invited four of you together.  Surely, the five of us will be enough to stand up against anything nasty that might come to feast upon us in the night."  He said before sipping his coffee.

"Come now.  Do you really think I would do such despicable things to you?  I mean, I would...but those things are different than what happened tonight."  He said with a growing grin.

Izu

Izu's lips twitched in a small smile, knowing just how perverted Count Ryven's mind was sometimes always. But still... he sighed and shook his head. "I will not change my mind unless I'm proved wrong..." He said quietly as he moved to take a glass of white wine, taking a small sip.

ONs and OFFs || M/M Search || Izu's A&A
...Like reflections on the page, the world's what you create...

Josietta

The Lady Josietta listened to Ryven and nodded to his words. She looked to the others Ryven spoke of and nodded. She thought maybe if there were at least another female there it would help and the males would be good if something were to happen. Reconsidering his offer she spoke up and looked to the others.

"Yes I do concur, a good mix of us would work well. I do believe a strong man would help in case we were attacked in the middle of the night. I would feel safer. Especially one that is trustworthy enough not to take advantage of young virtuous women. I would accept your offer, if another female were to be with us. Maybe the Duchess Marguerite would be willing?"

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


That Girl Analise

Analise nodded to Aiden, then to Starlequin, glad there were others not quick to give judgement. She watched the others group off, wondering who she could trust. Rather than pick who she would stay with this evening, she sat down at a nearby table. "It shocks me that names are tossed out so easily, and without proof. I may have my own suspicions as to who may have done this... but I fear that making these suspicions known so early might be the death of me... And I fear the worst for some of you. Ah, but I guess something must be done, though..." Analise sighed... it could not be helped, she guessed. Someone needed to hang for the crimes that happened, and they needed to hang soon... When the night fell, there may yet be more among them dead. "Still, I shall wait a bit longer... I hope to gather some more knowledge for what everyone has to say, and hope that there will be more than just silly rumors to go on"

Geeklet

"You know, it pains me to throw out such accusations this early, but what would happen if we didn't do a thing? How many more of us would wind up dead? I for one refuse to sit back and let it happen. If there are creatures out there bent upon our destruction, I for one will not go down without a fight."

Autumn52

Lady Xandi sat quietly throughout the day but she observed how people were acting. The first thing she had noticed as the murders were announced was that Count Ryven seems only mildly interested in the events. He nibbled his pastry and sipped his coffee until he finally he spoke up. She knew the pastries from his county were renowned but how could one continue to eat pastry when the announcement has been made of two new deaths. She shook her head and finally spoke in a low and trembling voice. "I...I fear that Geeklet is right. If we do nothing we have the risk of more deaths, but if we act to quickly we risk the death of an innocent. I am at a loss as to what to do. I will say that it strikes me as suspicious that Count Ryven seems so unaffected by today's events. He even makes jokes about about his roguish behavior which make us blush, if we understand his meaning and I'm sure we all do. I think the court should look a little more carefully at him."

Xandi folded her hands in her lap and waited for the next person to speak. This was turning into a chore since she wasn't sure who to suspect yet, but Count Ryven had caught her attention early on with his strange reactions. She would trust her intuition for now, she thought to herself.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Remiel

Current Tally:

Starlequin (3): Imogen, Foamweber, Josietta
Ryven (2): Izu, Xandi
Mithlomwen (1): Ryven
Rhedyn (1): Kyrsa
Valerian (1): Geeklet

Votes not yet cast: Rhedyn, Moirae, That Girl Analise, Starlequin, Aiden, Mithlomwen, Eden, rottenaim, Marguerite, Valerian, Beguile's Mistress, Lord Mayerling

Beguile's Mistress

#25
Mistress Beguile paced the room eyeing first one member of the party and then another.  The hem of her dark blue robes dragged across the floor as though to anchor her in place and long-fingered and dainty hands were exposed below the cuffs of the long, full sleeves.  Beneath the robe a shift of the finest lawn clung to her figure as she moved and would have provided a seductive distraction had she not met each pair of eyes boldly with her own translucent emerald orbs.  Her jewel-like eyes and flaming hair that hung to her waist in thick and vibrant curls were a perfect contrast for her pale complexion and cheeks warmed with a soft pink blush.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said in a soft voice that commanded attention, "have a care for whom you accuse.  It takes strength and cunning to overpower one such as the gardener or to ambush the cook in the confines of this keep.  Look at whom you accuse and tell me if you think they have presence enough to act out these heinous deeds."  Mistress Beguile reach out a hand to a plate of fruit, plucked a grape from a fragile stem and held it to her frull, red lips as though to kiss it softly. 

"To my mind rottenaim is a more likely candidate."  And then to finalize her declaration she bit into the grape and pushed the pieces between her lips with a delicate finger before licking up the spilled juice with the tip of her tongue.

Ryven

His eyes narrowed a bit as his hand moved to set his cup down on the table.  "What reaction should you have me make, my dear Xandi?  Hmm?  Should I panic and become near aghast without a thought in my head as of what to do?  Psh.  I am not so simple as to let a little death shake my mettle.  If you recall, I was the first to chime in and try to begin the fight against those who would kill the innocent.  I will not have these hallowed walls sullied by the blood of my friends.  Think of me what you will, but I find it odd that I am garnering so much attention.  Could it be that you are conspiring to have me killed?"

He turned toward Izu with another smile then turned back.  "Are you plotting with friends in an effort to take me out?  Or is it that you're just jumping on the first bandwagon that looks good to try and save yourself?"

Count Ryven stood and walked over to Count Izu, bowing politely before moving closer.  "I will say though.  Your vote just makes me think that you desire my wrath...of a certain kind."  He smirked and whipped his cloak behind him before moving over to stand near the Duchess Marguerite.

"And what of you, darling?  Have you turned against me as well?"  He smiled at her.

rottenaim

A surprised laugh bubbled up and spilled from her lips as Lady Aim entered the hall. “Mistress Beguile, you wound me! Truly you do.” She said with hand lifted to her heart, although the shocked yet amused expression belied any significant amount truth to her words. “You honestly believe that I would be capable of such violence?” She tsk’d softly as she took a goblet of wine from one of the serving trays, lifting it to her lips as she took a delicate sip. “It is a misguided and a rather strange compliment that you offer me that you think I cunning enough, much less possess the strength, to murder either of those two poor unfortunate souls - I assure you, you’re quite wrong. I am as innocent as the day I was born, Madame.”

Her dark amber gaze cut to the left, narrowing slightly as it rested on Lord Starlequin. “Although on more than one occasion, rumors have been known to be laced with truth. What reason for your late hours, Lord Starlequin? Surely you don’t mind the inquiry, considering the dire situation we’re presented with.”

Aiden

"Our indecision will also lead us to run..."
Duke (Aiden) Lothar, sighed heavily as he looked around his assembled nobles before letting his sight linger on those of Mistress Beguile with a everything but appropriate glance. He shifted in his chair, tapping a chain mailed finger along the table as he worked it over in his head.
"Lord Starlequin, there has to be a reason why so many have accused of foul play already and my suspicious have been spurred as well now." 
The man sighed, praying he did not just condemn an innocent man. Even the red headed Mistress Beguile could be one of the foul beasts and she was a close second the way she seemed to tease him, who ate grapes in that manner unless they where up to no good!

Valerian

The Lady Val, Marquess of Pembroke, watched it all quietly, and uneasily.  Life at court was usually uncertain enough without throwing two terrible murders into the mix.  Now it didn't seem likely that all of them would live to see the next sunrise.

She sipped at her wine, then sighed, doubly uneasy now at realizing that they would all have to speak up, all have to offer up their opinions of who might be guilty of these foul deeds.  No doubt everyone would be accused at some point -- even her, she realized with a start, as Geeklet, in hir usual savage dress, asked pointedly where she'd been.  "Quite alone, unfortunately," was the only answer she could give.  "Certainly not busy killing anyone, however."

She set down her goblet and smoothed out her green velvet dress, carefully trimmed with cloth of gold.  "Perhaps... perhaps Mistress Beguile is correct, and Lady rottenaim knows something about these dreadful events."
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

That Girl Analise

Analise bit her lip... She still had no idea who to trust. After doing a random pick in her head, she said "My apologies, Lady Rottenaim, but I know not of you and know not yet if I can trust you. Please, I mean nothing personal... And I hope that if you are innocent you are spared this vote," she said, wary of having made a choice... but a decision needed to be made.

Remiel

Current Tally:

Starlequin (5): Imogen, Foamweber, Josietta, rottenaim, Aiden
rottenaim (3): Beguile's Mistress, Valerian, That Girl Analise
Ryven (2): Izu, Xandi
Mithlomwen (1): Ryven
Rhedyn (1): Kyrsa
Valerian (1): Geeklet

Votes not yet cast: Rhedyn, Moirae, Starlequin, Mithlomwen, Eden, Marguerite, Lord Mayerling

Starlequin

Lord Starlequin's eyes darkened momentarily at the growing mound of accusations levelled against him, but his expression remained convivial as ever. He drew away from Lady Josietta, looking her over lasciviously and paying her a wink before clearing his throat to garner the rest of the nobility's attention. He finished his wine and gave his most charming smile, then started to speak.

"Honored Ladies and honorable Gentlemen, by all means allow me to put to rest these childish doubts and slanderous speculations against my character. I do not deny my habit of keeping late hours; on the contrary, I admit it proudly, and shall tell you why. The reasons for my seeming disdain for diurnal activity of late are two-fold. Firstly, as I've no doubt at least a few of you are aware, there is a great deal of work involved in running an estate in the service of our venerable king, even one so small and generally inconsequential as that which I have the happy privilege of overseeing. Due to the nature of some of my correspondences with various merchants, farm owners and land-holding  officials, I'm afraid several of my requisite conferences demand later hours for the sake of maximized mutual convenience. I'm sure many here can bring yourselves to understand my position.

"The rest of you, perhaps, lack such ardous experience with matters of commerce and adjudication as I have accrued in my humble career; no doubt you have busied yourselves with equally important matters of state instead. For example, I understand Lady Weber occupies her time tending to the, er, 'morale' of the many stablehands and their charges which reside upon her extensive property, while rumors abound that Lady rottenaim has recently been witnessed personally assuming custody of several hundred gallons of bull seed in varying degrees of freshness, reportedly destined for her kitchens, which of course leads one to wonder what other manners of...unusual cuisine in which she might happen to partake. However, while I have every faith that such activities are of critical importance to the operation of those most esteemed properties, I cannot help but wonder if their patrons might not be using their considerable resources and time to less than their best effects.

"And secondly, like many of you I had heard these troubling whispers of vicious beasts and foul nightstalkers for some time now, and have of late taken it upon myself to investigate said rumors on their own ground -- naturally at great personal risk, of course. Perhaps some might think it unwise, even foolhardy or suicidal, but I have spent several long nights searching for evidence of these murderous curs among the wilds surrounding my own estate, and have taken the liberty of investigating some few acres of some of each of your properties as well, my beloved colleagues. Regretfully I have found not a trace of our unnatural enemies, I confess. But thankfully, I understand the king has summoned hunters of these miserable nightmares, and I have every confidence that they will soon root out and dispatch the source of our sorrows."

As Lord Starlequin spoke he wandered through the room, meeting eyes with those who had had grace enough to not yet accuse him unjustly. He could tell there were still a few who doubted his sincerity, and supposed he could hardly blame them. Obviously fear was beginning to take hold in their hearts, but he hoped there was a chance his words might yet sway them back to the side of reason. And if not, he still had one last argument to make.

"I can see there are still a couple among you who don't trust me, and I want you to know I understand your reasoning. 'Why should we trust anyone who spends so much time wandering about after hours,' you're probably wondering. Well, let me ask you this. If I were really in league with these depraved monsters, why would I engage in what could only be considered blatantly suspect behaviors and draw unwarranted attention to myself? Surely these creatures' bloodthirsty designs must command an undeniable need for secrecy, one that would only be compromised by my actions if indeed I were a part of their infernal plot! No my friends, I tell you with all the honesty within my heart, I am as innocent in my humanity as any of you. On this, I give you my word."
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

Beguile's Mistress

Mistress Beguile smiled at the soliloquy and brought the back of her first and second fingers to her lips to cover what looks suspiciously like a yawn.  Several more grapes were selected and eaten and a glass of Eiswein sipped by the lady.

Mithlomwen

After listening and waiting to gather as much information as possible, Dame Mithlomwen cast her vote for the Lady rottenaim.
Baby, it's all I know,
that your half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole...

Ryven

"After much consideration and deliberation, I have decided to change my vote to the Lady rottenaim as well."  He said before pouring himself another cup of coffee.

Geeklet

As the suspicions were narrowed to a select few, Geeklet listened closely, but said nothing. It was a tough decision as to what side, if any, to take.

desert ashes

Finally from the chair shi had been silently occupying, Moirae lifted hir head and quietly said, "It is difficult not to be swayed by such arguments, even more so to ignore a collective opinion.  I, too, shall vote for the Lady rottenaim and pray for God's forgiveness if it is an innocent we are sending to their death." 
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

Remiel

#38
Current Tally:

rottenaim (8): Beguile's Mistress, Valerian, That Girl Analise, Starlequin, Mithlomwen, Ryven, Moirae, Geeklet
Starlequin (7): Imogen, Foamweber, Josietta, rottenaim, Aiden, Lord Mayerling, Marguerite
Ryven (2): Izu, Xandi
Lord Mayerling (1): Rhedyn
Rhedyn (1): Kyrsa


Votes not yet cast: Eden

Lord Mayerling

Margrave Mayerling the Skeptic was deeply troubled by what was happening. What was happening here was murder, not by beast, but by someone who wished to incite fear and terror into those who they would wish to lord over. Jacob, the boy who cried wolf, was just that, a deviant juvenile with a need for attention from absent parentage. Mrs. Plough, hardly lucid at the best of times, was under the influence of more than one hallucinogen, and in fact sold the fungi she collected in the forest on market days. The murderer, knowing this, had found the perfect victim in which to enact his plan.

Naturally, he asked to see the bodies.

Upon inspecting Natalia, Mayerling surmised that the victim’s blood had been thinned with a tonic, and then removed by siphoning, using a process common in both taxidermy and embalming. Her body had then been neatly deposited in the larder for all and sundry to find, whereupon the discovery would either lead to mass panic, or her death attributed to some process undertaken in the preparation of food. Everyone knew the king loved wildly elaborate meals served at table and banquet.

The gardener, Nathan, was a shite-side worse for wear. As opposed to the other, this corpse was mangled and mutilated; the work of a dark, desperate, unholy man, but a man no less. The marks laid upon his body were indeed gruesome, and Mayerling had to fight the bile in his throat as he inspected the victim, but they were in fact distinctive. Were not the marks shaped like the iron prongs of a tiller, a common gardening tool? It appears the murderer had access to the tool shed.

“Oh yes,” Mayerling returned to the gathered group in the Great Hall of Shadowlore Keep, “there have been two murders here tonight, but these murders were done by man or men, not beast. We must reign in our fears, and trust the path that logic and deduction leads may doth take us. First, we must find one who could wield a tiller with enough strength and precision to overcome the skilled gardener…”

Mayerling the Skeptic unfurled his finger deliberately. "Starlequin, it is you."

Geeklet

And that was when Geeklet's eyes shot to Lord Mayerling, looking at him in disbelief. "After all that has transpired, you still say men did this? We know of the plague that haunts all of our lands. We know of the beasts and foul creatures that roam in the moon's light. The proof is sitting right before our eyes and yet you still deny it? I wonder if perhaps you aren't one of them, trying to get us all to doubt your very existence. Even if not, I fear that this refusal to see what is actually going on might just lead to the death of more innocent men and women."

Marguerite

Duchess Marguerite smiled and looked at the list before she put her vote in for Starlequin. "I have been told things and I can only hope I am right in expelling a murderer from the group. For now, I will retire to my room with a glass of scotch and a few scones."
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Rhedyn

"Dame Kyrsa, I can assure you you only think me strange because you don't know me. I had nothing to do with these foul deeds."

Having listened to everyone's words of both wisdom and folly it was Lord Mayerling's that she found most remarkable, and not for their wisdom. "I too cannot hold humans accountable for what has transpired, not given what we have seen tonight. Perhaps you did have something to do with this and are attempting to use reason to cover your guilt?"

Geeklet

Geeklet sighed before addressing the group "I apologize if it seems like I am coming off as fickle, but as more votes roll in, I see something going on that I cannot in good conscious let happen. I do not understand how you people can keep on voting for Lord Starlequinn after he has given a quite thorough explanation, while Lady rottenaim has given virtually none?"

Nadir

Admiral Eden stealthily plants a battered, green leather tricorn (a sharp eye seeing it is the wrong size) as shi leans against the Baker Count and hums softly in contemplation. "I'll take you up on that offer, Ry. It'll be a lovely distraction from this horrific events. But to business, I cannot suspend my disbelief. Her words sound her to be a liar - innocent as the day she was born? No one is that sheltered. One deception, why not another? Lady Rottenaim's honesty leaves something to be desired."   

Remiel

Final Tally (Day One)

rottenaim (9): Beguile's Mistress, Valerian, That Girl Analise, Starlequin, Mithlomwen, Ryven, Moirae, Geeklet, Eden
Starlequin (7): Imogen, Foamweber, Josietta, rottenaim, Aiden, Lord Mayerling, Marguerite
Ryven (2): Izu, Xandi
Lord Mayerling (1): Rhedyn
Rhedyn (1): Kyrsa

As the evening drew to a close, a sombre hush fell upon the assembled council.  A plurality--not quite a majority--of the councillors present had harboured suspicions of rottenaim--or, at least, had publicly stated as such.

King Gregorii regarded Lady rottenaim, frowning, studying her intently over his steepled fingers.   He seemed quite reluctant to speak.  However, as the lengthy pause wore on, he realized he had no choice.  The Council had spoken.

"Very well," said the King, sadly.  "Lady Aim, I have no choice but to sentence you to death.  Take her away." 

With a brief, almost imperceptible nod, the King signaled the royal guard, two of whom stepped forward.  They each grabbed an arm, and dragged her to the palace courtyard, where an executioner's block had been erected.  A large, bulky man in a faceless black hood stepped forward, wielding a special axe whose blade had been forged out of silver.   As the entire palace watched grimly, the axe head blurred through the air and neatly severed rottenaim's head from her body.

She faced her death bravely, and with resignation; she neither screamed, nor cried out, nor begged for mercy.    The King and all of the Council held their breath, watching the corpse, waiting to see what would happen. However, as the minutes ticked by, there was no change at all. 

Lady rottenaim was neither werewolf nor vampire.

A subsequent search of her personal belongings revealed a worrying discovery: along with sharpened wooden stakes, vials of holy water, and a large crucifix, there were several volumes of vampire lore, with pertinent passages dog-eared and underlined.  Lady rottenaim was, in fact, the vampire hunter, and her untimely death would allow the Nosferatu to rest just that much easier.

King Gregorii said nothing, but closed his eyes in sorrow.  He quietly ordered for rottenaim's body to be given a proper burial, and then retreated to his personal chambers.




Night has fallen, and all of the Councillors must face uneasy dreams.  Vampires and werewolves, please PM me with the respective names of your victims.  Werewolf Hunter, I need your target as well.  As always, any Councillors who have a Charm of Scrying and wish to use it may do so at any time.

Remiel


The new day dawned, and with it came a temporary sense of hope, that whatever troubles the kingdom might be facing, the good men and women of Carpathia would, through diligence and hard work, overcome them in the end.  King Gregorii rose, faced the morning sun, and drew a deep breath.  Despite the tragic loss of Lady rottenaim, he was sure that the curséd monsters would still be found and brought to justice.

His sense of optimism, however, was very short-lived.  A piercing scream from the direction of Admiral Eden's chambers brought the king's men running.  There, in hir bed, the good Admiral was found, hir throat ripped out as of by the jaws of a savage beast, in a manner very similar to the grisly way that Nathan the gardener had been discovered.   The battered green tricorn hat was gone, vanished without a trace, presumably plundered by purple pirates.

But that wasn't all.  When Lady That Girl Analise did not materialize for the day's Council session, a search party was formed.  She was eventually discovered stashed away in the castle dungeons, stiff and white and bloodless, with two bloody holes in her neck.

Both Admiral Eden and Lady Analise were well-known to be loyal Councillors of the Realm, and their loss would be felt keenly.  With a grave countenance and heavy heart, the King convened the Council once again--this time, hopefully their judgment would be more sound.


---

The voting phase has begun. It will end Thursday, 23 June, at approximately midnight, EST (GMT-5).

Aiden

The Duke found himself arriving promptly when the king called them in once more. The night and the deaths had taken its toll on the court but they could not fall to despair. The young man felt like pacing but he remained calm with his hand at the hilt of his sword and his attention diverted out to the courtyard below. He sighed loudly, a fight with a known opponent was much more preferred then a cowards blow, the bloody creatures that hunted his fellow court mates had him on the verge of holy rage. Duke Aiden only hoped they would find who was responsible for the deaths at the King's summoning that morning.

Imogen

Even the lady Imogen had taken to carry a small dagger, snugly tucked in a small scabbard at her hip. It's rough practicality clashed with the lady's usual frivolous attire of lace and velvet just as much as the simple cross she'd donned instead of more fancy jewelry.

When Aiden stalked past she stopped him briefly. "Analise had been searching for a circle of trustworthy councillors. I believe she may have trusted the wrong person." She advised him. "Perhaps worth looking into?"
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Aiden

He looked at the lovely lady and nodded his head somberly.
"She came to in full confidence, I swore to protect her and now she lays dead, drained and left a twisted shamble of her former self."
The man's face held steadfast not allowing it to twist with emotion , the tone in his voice made it clear he was holding back a curse at what he would say.
"She went to Marguerite, tried to speak with her and Admiral Eden about staying together and now those two are dead and the wench lives!"
He hissed lowly with nothing for venom for the one he knew was responsible!

Beguile's Mistress

Accompanying the other Councillors into the King's chambers Mistress Beguile's paused just inside the door then walked slowly to a window that looked down into the courtyard where only the day before Lady rottenaim had met her untimely end.  Her heart was heavy knowing that she had be a part of the decision that led up to her execution.  That in and of itself weighed on her but worse was the fact that the lady in question had been the Vampire Hunter.  A dread chill ran through her body at the thought.

Who will protect us from the scourge of the vicious blood suckers she asked herself as she raised her face to catch what she could of the faint sun that might make it through the cloudy overcast.  Moments later she exhaled a deep, heartfelt sigh and turned back to the chamber to join the others in their discussion of who might be responsible for these latest killings.

As she moved through the gathering the words exchanged between Duke Aiden and the Lady Imogen came her way and she pondered on that aspect and their truth.

Starlequin

The bed looked excruciatingly comfortable, fitted with luxuriantly soft blankets and pillows stuffed fat with down. It also looked undisturbed; its intended occupant sat motionless in a chair in one darkened corner of the room, enduring an interminable, sleepless night with fingers steepled together beneath a grim and grievous expression. The sound of the Kingsman's axe slicing through Lady rottenaim's throat still echoed in Lord Starlequin's ears, a cruel and taunting reminder of his unforgiveable misjudgement the previous evening.

He remembered her last moments as she was led silently to the block, not a word of complaint or denial of guilt passing her lips nor a tear of remorse gracing her cheek. How her eyes had met his, and how...oh, merciful God, how he'd smiled, boastful and triumphant, so certain she was in league with their murderous tormentors. He'd thought the worst part had been watching her corpse with a crumbling surety that at any moment it might burst into flames or crackle to dust. But no, there was so much worse to come, as they searched the lady's room and discovered her true identity. The rest of the night had been spent in silent prayer, in hopes that God Above would forgive him his trespass; Starlequin knew he'd never forgive himself.

Tears of shame and guilt had fallen since sunset, dried by dawn, and now Starlequin rose to rejoin his fellow courtiers. He dressed from the wardrobe he'd brought along, colors considerably more sedate than those he'd sported the day before, greys and dark reds, and completed the new morning's style with a thin, silver collar and two silver bracelets about his neck and wrists. Silver, that was what all the old legends said, wasn't it, for warding away unnatural creatures such as those that plagued them now? Starlequin dearly hoped so; he had precious little left in which to place his faith. Doubtless the others would suspect him even more ardently now, leaving him painfully few allies to defend his innocence. Given his part in rottenaim's death, he would hardly blame them. Perhaps he would speak with Lady Analise; they had spent a few moments the night before sharing their thoughts on those they suspected, and he felt they'd earned some measure of each other's trust. He could only hope she would feel similar.

This morning's arrival to court was far more punctual than the day before's, and he waited patiently for his chance to speak with Analise alone as the morning business was conducted. However, it quickly became apparent that their full coterie was not in attendance; both Lady Analise and Admiral Eden were conspicuously absent, leading several among them to immediately fear the worst. And rightly, as it happened, both bodies being discovered mere minutes after a search began. It was plain from the grisly condition of the corpses what had transpired. Admiral Eden's murder was particularly disheartening; such a clever and cunning opponent was shi, how much more fearsome must hir assassins have been?

Restless and caught between fury and despair, Starlequin paced through the hallways and came across the Lady Imogen and Duke Aiden conversing quietly beside one of the many open balconies overlooking the courtyard below. At the mention of Lady Analise's name a sliver of his composure fractured, and he slammed one fist forcefully against the smooth stone wall, jarring both Lady and Duke's attention.

"If it was your failure to protect her, Sir Duke, then it is my failure as well, and compounded by my own blind stupidity. She spoke to me also of those she distrusted, but did not see fit to share with me any names. And coupled with the death of Lady rottenaim, it would appear my foolishness knows no limits." Starlequin extended a bloodied hand to the Duke, his expression etched with grim determination as he looked from lady to gentleman. "I cannot say now who I suspect of this foulness; my judgement has already proven most poor, and I cannot yet bare to risk another innocent's life until there is no other choice. But without hesitation I can pledge you this, my friend: we will hunt down these blasphemous monstrosities, to the ends of the earth if need be, and we shall deliver them to their final judgement. And may God have mercy on their miserable excuses for souls."
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

Imogen

Imogen rested a gentle, restraining hand upon the Duke's sleeve. "She mentioned suspecting Marguerite to me as well, and for quite astute reasons. Although I share her reluctance, I cannot forget who slandered the Lady Rottenaim's name." A venomous look found Lord Starlequin upon his addressing Aiden. "Rumors have it, good Sir? Do you remember?" Her voice was thick with sarcasm. "I shall not tarnish the lady's memory by repeating your words further."

She straightened and looked past the two men towards the hall. "Please excuse me." A smile was sent to the Duke as she swept past Starlequin, pointedly ignoring the latter as she headed down the corridors.
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Marguerite

Duchess Marguerite looked to the swine who thought to accuse her and now knew one of the individuals who Ana and Eden felt could be an enemy. "Yes, Ana did come to moi and asked for aid for she felt there were certain individuals who could be an enemy. She asked if I could help and I agreed to though it seems no one here is willing to help other than to hang the innocents. If you look at the voting, I did not vote for the innocent Rottenaim for I felt there was something disturbing about Starlequin. There are others who voted for rottenaim who could very well murdered Ana and Eden." Duchess Marguerite looked to all and peered at each closely, her eyes widening and narrowing as she played with a deck of cards in her hands. "I am no bloodsucker or mangy dog. I could never harm Eden who was a second lover to moi. Instead, I am a friend to finding out who has murdered the innocent and take them out before they eat us in our sleep." To looked to all to have their say knowing it was a mystery as to who was innocent. "If you want, have me thrown in the sun or press silver to my skin. I do adore jewelry on my rings and in my ears. Can anyone else test themselves to such acts without wincing in pain?"
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Ryven

Count Ryven stood close by, eyeing those in the heat of conversation.  Tempers were high, and blame was being flung like thick mud through the room.  Three innocents were dead already, some by their own choice and a poor one at that.

"Dear friends...if I can still call you all that, let us not let reason become blinded by emotions.  It is quite the tragedy for three of us to to have met our bitter ends so soon, but let us turn matters to whom is responsible."  He said, trying to steer the conversation to more constructive matters.

"Aiden swore to protect her.  Perhaps she got a little too close for her own good, and he used that as the perfect chance to strike."

Aiden

#55
"A burden I shall carry with me deeply from now on, but we can not all be bakers safe in our kitchens Count Ryven, I do not expect you to understand that kind of burden."
He hissed at the man and sighed deeply, moving to sit at his spot at the table and wait for the others to make their decisions.
"Analise has told others of her suspicions and even now you doubt her? I think your friendship with her makes you blind Count, pray it is not your undoing."

Remiel

Current Tally:

Aiden (1): Ryven
Marguerite (1): Aiden

Votes not yet cast: Imogen, Rhedyn, Geeklet, Moirae, Josietta, Xandi, Kyrsa, Starlequin, Izu, Mithlomwen, Marguerite, FoamWeber, Valerian, Beguile's Mistress, Lord Mayerling


King Gregorii drummed his fingers upon the arm of his throne as the Councillors murmured and muttered, reticent to pronounce a public accusation, possibly due to recent events and the deaths of three of their number.

"Speak up, my lords!" he cried, at last.  "How can we hope to rid ourselves of the vile plague that afflicts us if we are not brave and bold enough to give voice to our suspicions?"




Reminder: The voting phase has begun. It will end Thursday, 23 June, at approximately midnight, EST (GMT-5).

Valerian

The Lady Val finally gathered her courage and spoke.  Saddened as she was by the untimely deaths, they all owed it to those they had lost to do their best to find the killers.  She could not bear to dwell on the possibility of being wrong again -- the thought brought tears to her eyes and a deep sense of dread to her heart -- but the king was right.  If they did nothing, then the monsters would succeed effortlessly.

"My lords and ladies, let us not forget Lord Starlequin.  All of you who voted for him that first day must have had some reason for your suspicions.  Even the Lady rottenaim, may her spirit rest in peace, suspected him, and we know now that she was truly innocent and loyal."  She paused to take a deep breath and try to calm herself as she thought of that terrible loss.  "Some have said that Lord Starlequin gave a good and proper excuse for his behaviour, but for myself, I think only that he protests too much."
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

Josietta

Lady Josietta had finished her morning prayers when she heard a familiar scream. Frowning as her stomach bottomed out, she knew it was more than likely what they had all dreaded. Swiftly she picked up her skirts to find out who exactly had been taken by the monsters that roamed the halls at night. When she came first upon Lady Ana she motioned in a cross like fashion and whispered a half silent prayer for the Lady's soul before she turned quickly away paling at the vision of death. A life taken far too soon.

Moving further toward the crowds to see the next victim she wasn't sure she wanted to know or to see the damage done. With a deep sigh she held tight to her stomach and peered through the crowd to see who it was. Her eyes widened and she glanced quickly toward the others around, looking for allies amongst them. The blonde haired lady searched for those who knew Eden and prepared for comforts and the like. She would indeed be spending some time in the chapel today helping with the grieving family and friends of those lost thus far.

Wiping a tear from her cheek she moved away from the gruesome remains and glanced toward those whispering words of who it was and who the victims trusted. With a furrow to her brow she looked at Lady Val and nodded.

"Yes Lady Valarian. I agree. Lord Starlequinn was a choice of mine before and I have yet to be convinced otherwise. Running an estate may keep you busy but it is not enough for me to absolve him of whatever crimes or sins he may have committed thus far. Until such time that solid proof of his innocence can be shown, I will continue to believe he is linked to the untimely deaths of our people."

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


FoamWeber

Lady Weber arrived in time to hear that last comment. She'd heard the scream, but decided to take a moment to eat breakfast before heading down to find the source. It was always for the same reason, after all.
"Demanding proof of innocence will never get one far," she replied to Lady Josietta. "However, I have to agree; Lord Starlequin does seem to be the most guilty one here."
Of course, her reasoning was more that she wanted vengeance for his insult, but the others didn't need to know that.

Lord Mayerling

“Ladies, Lords, please gather round.” Having generally gathered the attention, Mayerling began an extraordinary story. “During the night, I had the opportunity to discover, beyond the shadow of doubt, that

Geeklet is a vampire among us.

Hir identity was discovered through this medallion, a charm handed down the Mayerling clan through the generations.” He held out the charm for the gathered group to inspect.

“I became suspicious of the monster when shi changed hir vote towards the end of yesterday’s gathering, whence shi stated,

Quote"I apologize if it seems like I am coming off as fickle, but as more votes roll in, I see something going on that I cannot in good conscious let happen. I do not understand how you people can keep on voting for Lord Starlequinn after he has given a quite thorough explanation, while Lady rottenaim has given virtually none?"

Clearly hir vote was changed to protect Lord Starlequin when it appeared the group suspected him the most. It was, in fact, hir vote that made the difference in the surrender of an innocent. Therefore, I believe we can also reasonably assume Lord Starlequin is a vampire as well.”

Mayerling’s face then turned darker, more distant. “As pointed out by Geeklet hirself, this revelation may very well prove catalyst to my own murder. Shi has said that my actions to this point allow only result in the deepening of my own grave. To that, all I have to say is that a grave dug to any depth cannot contain his soul. As a man amongst you, I have elected to reveal the truths I have learned in the hopes my death is not in vain. As such, I have chosen to make my life more valuable to you all now, than my death can ever be. I am ready to die, my gathered friends, I only ask that you heed the truths I have shared with you.”

Autumn52

After listening carefully to all that had been said Lady Xandi stood and in a shaky voice said, "I believe that Lord Starlequin has much to answer for. It struck me as strange that it would have been his head on the chopping block before a number of people became suspicious of poor Lady Rottenaim. I believe that while the Lord speaks eloquent words his heart, if he has one that still beats, is working toward the demise of everyone in this court." Lady Xandi steadied herself before continuing. "I pray that God will have mercy on the souls of those whose lives have already been stolen. My only hope now is that their lives have not been in vain and we can capture and destroy the beasts that have wrought this terrible plague upon us."

Lady Xandi sat in her chair and fanned herself in fear that this was all to much for her to take. She was a gentile sort and this kind of excitement could very well render her faint.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Ryven

"Good sir, if you know without a shadow of a doubt that Geeklet is a vampire, why are not not voting for hir?  Star has been suspicious and may likely be a vampire, but there is still not certainty as there is in the case of Geeklet.  If Geeklet is a vampire, why are we allowing hir to exist another night among us?"

Lord Mayerling

Quote from: Ryven on June 20, 2011, 07:08:00 PM
"Good sir, if you know without a shadow of a doubt that Geeklet is a vampire, why are not not voting for hir?  Star has been suspicious and may likely be a vampire, but there is still not certainty as there is in the case of Geeklet.  If Geeklet is a vampire, why are we allowing hir to exist another night among us?"

Mayerling smiled, citing the growing tally of votes for Lord Starlequin, "Because a man cannot kill a vampire on his own."

Ryven

Quote from: Lord Mayerling on June 20, 2011, 07:14:03 PM
Mayerling smiled, citing the growing tally of votes for Lord Starlequin, "Because a man cannot kill a vampire on his own."

"The late vampire hunter would beg to differ.  RIP Rottenaim."

Autumn52

"Ummm I can understand Lord Mayerlings reasoning. If he is proven right about Lord Starlequin then it would seem, even if he is murdered within the next night, that he has outted two monsters in one day. It makes perfect sense to me."

Lady Xandi sat again and almost fainted at how bold she had just been.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Geeklet

I assure you, I am no vampire. You claim the change in my vote to Lady rottenaim was in order to protect Starlequinn? I had not voted for either of them previous, for I had little knowledge to derive any sort of conclusion from. Now miss rottenaim shared little information which made her seem somewhat suspect, but now I can see that it was merely to keep the REAL vampires among us from finding out her identity. Lord Starlequinn, however, was giving us copious reasoning for his innocence. While I am still unsure of his allegiance, I suspected that keeping him around, as verbose as he was the previous day, would give me even more of an opportunity to analyze his statements so that I could come to a better conclusion.

It is curious though that all this comes after I cast a vote of suspicious against you, when it wasn't either of the two popular options to do so. Are you threatened by the fact that I might know the truth behind your facade?

And today, while there were some more private discussions going on, you voiced to the group that you believed one among them could not be trusted, yet did not specify who. Why didn't you say then what you are saying now? Are you merely trying to stir the pot, and waited until just now to pick your victim? I said nothing within that private group, because there were a few people, you among them, Lord Mayerling, that I still had my suspicions on.

Ryven

Quote from: Xandi on June 20, 2011, 07:25:53 PM
"Ummm I can understand Lord Mayerlings reasoning. If he is proven right about Lord Starlequin then it would seem, even if he is murdered within the next night, that he has outted two monsters in one day. It makes perfect sense to me."

Lady Xandi sat again and almost fainted at how bold she had just been.

"His reasoning does seem sound, but I have learned over the years to not take everything at face value.  It doesn't take much to flaunt a simple trinket and claim to have used its power to divine someone's true intention.  I, myself, have one, though I'm sad to say, it does not do what Lord Mayerling claims his did."  He said, fingering the pocket watch in his jacket pocket.

"Remember, my fellow counsillors, vampires are not the only nasties that we have to look out for.  Have you forgotten about the werewolves that are roaming about?  Let us not get caught in some crossfire between them.  While what Lord Mayerling says could very well be true, it could just as easily be a ruse conjured up by a werewolf looking for an opportunity.  I don't know one way or another, so I will let my vote stay as it is for now...until more compelling evidence is brought forth."  He said, removing his hand from his pocket to leave his precious pocket watch be.

Autumn52

"What you say seems sound Lord Ryven. However if Lord Starlequin is executed and proven to be a monster would it not seem sound to believe what Lord Mayerling says? I am so frightened, because you are correct the monsters are not only the vampires we also must discover who the hideous beasts called werewolves are, but my Lord we must start somewhere. Doesn't this seem at least a place to begin. I mean if Starlequin is proven innocent then Lord Mayerling must be a werewolf or vampire don't you think?"

Xandi's voice trembled as she spoke, this whole affair seemed to be more and more complicated and she was a simple courtier.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Ryven

"You would be correct, and if Lord Starlequin does prove to be a monster, I would be more apt to believe Lord Mayerling's accusation.  However, as we have already lost one of our dear comrades to misplaced voting, I will follow my own conscience for another round before I jump on the bandwagon."  He said before eyeing the others.

Autumn52

Looking at Lord Ryven and wondering why he seemed so careful to place his vote when things had begun to look like we could have some concrete evidence either way.

"As you wish my Lord. I would never encourage anyone to vote against their own conscience. I must say that your reasoning does not fit with your own personal voting history. It seemed that you did not have such reserve in order to vote against Lady Rottenaim when there was absolutely no evidence one way or the other. In fact your statement was,
Quote"After much consideration and deliberation, I have decided to change my vote to the Lady rottenaim as well."

You said, "with much consideration and deliberation" your decision was made. But now with a convincing argument you seem to delay, it makes a person wonder my Lord. I hope you can forgive my boldness, but I am confused by you."
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Ryven

"That is precisely why I am not changing my vote.  I fear my consideration was not as adequate as I first had thought.  I did not weigh the facts correctly, and now, I have contributed to the demise of one of our only defenses against the dark forces.  I should have kept my vote where it was for I would not have been responsible for Rottenaim's demise.  May her soul rest in peace.  Can you see now that I do not wish to make the same mistake twice?  I am willing to accept the consequences for my first vote, but if I change and find out that, again, I have helped another innocent to their grave, I could not forgive myself."

Autumn52

#72
While Lord Starlequins death, should he be innocent, would be a tragedy. The knowledge that we would gain from it would enable us to start down a road to destroy the monsters that surround us. Lord Mayerling has declared he has concrete proof of Geeklets guilt so if he is correct then his assumption about Starlequin should be heeded and acted upon. If he is proven wrong then we still have gained an advantage in knowing he must be one of the guilty. Does not this line of reasoning seem sound? I understand that we stand a chance of making another mistake but should we do nothing more of our kindred will be murdered and it would be in vain. I am not trying to sway your vote Lord Ryven, I am only struggling to understand your line of reasoning.  I can not see the advantage Lord Mayerling would gain if he is proven wrong. Perhaps you are seeing something I have missed, pray tell what that might be?
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Ryven

"I've already explained my reasoning.  It's a risk, plain and simple.  If he is telling the truth, he's counting on people to believe him and take out the vampires.  If he is lying, he is counting on people to believe him and take out innocent counsillors.  Why do you assume we are doing nothing?  As I recall, there are several others who have yet to make their vote.  It is still early yet, and if I may be so bold, I do not appreciate being questioned so.  You say you do not wish to sway my vote, but that seems all that you wish to do.  If you're trying to pressure me into giving something away, I'll tell you now, I am a counsillor as I have alluded to before."

Autumn52

Bowing to Lord Ryven and smiling, "As you wish my Lord. I only thought that perhaps you were seeing something I was not. Please pardon my ill manners in questioning you so. I only wished to understand. Perhaps the stress of the situation is affecting me as well. Please forgive me for what you see as me pressuring you. I will not speak another word of the matter to you, you have my word."

Lady Xandi sat in her chair and turned to face the others in the court who had yet to speak.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Ryven

He sighed heavily, bringing his hand up to wipe over his face for a brief moment.  "Yes.  I fear losing three of my dear friends so soon does wear upon the nerve.  Couple that with the lost sleep while fearing for your own life and it does make one...a bit less pleasant.  Please pardon my tone.  If you are inquiring as to anything I see that you do not, I see only what I have told you.  Nothing more.  I wish I had the answers to end all of this for it would surely save all of our lives."

Imogen

"I too find Geeklet's reasoning strange" Imogen mused, "it did seem as if shi was coming to Lord Starlequin's rescue. And now shi votes for Lord Mayerling instead of acknowledging hir timing might have seemed suspect. Hir actions shed a dark light upon Lord Starlequin as well. I did not trust him before and he has given me no reasons to change my views."
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Remiel

#77
Current Tally:

Starlequin (12): Valerian, Josietta, Foamweber, Lord Mayerling, Xandi, Imogen, Rhedyn, Geeklet, Mithlomwen, Marguerite, Kyrsa, Moirae
Marguerite (2): Aiden, Izu
Aiden (1): Ryven
Xandi (1): Starlequin

Votes not yet cast: Beguile's Mistress

Reminder: The voting phase will end Thursday, 23 June, at approximately midnight, EST (GMT-5).

Rhedyn

Dame Rhedyn listened intently to the arguments and reasoning that had so far arisen following the disturbing discoveries of the night. While she was still unsure if Lord Mayerling could be trusted particularly considering his sudden change from thorough sceptic to accusing Geeklet of being a vampire she could see the value in his opinion.

Lord Starlequin then gets my vote too, as much as I hate the possibility of sending another innocent to their death I think it is worth the risk to attempt to uncover the character of several of our fellow councillors.”

Geeklet

Hir eyes glanced towards Imogen. "Oh, I readily admit my timing was suspect. I did not have concrete suspicions upon either one, and tried to remain out of the conflict for as long as possible, not wanting to be the cause of the demise of one of our own. However, as time weighed on and the day drew to a close, I couldn't help but intervene. Ultimately though, while my vote did break the tie at the time, had I not changed it, Lady rottenaim still would have perished that day, as Eden also voted for her as well, after I did. If I am mistaken, or was swayed by a silver tongued devil, then that, unfortunately, is a decision I must live with."

Imogen

"In that case I fail to understand why you point your finger so adamantly at Lord Mayerling." She said reasonable. "It does not strengthen your position at all, but makes you more suspect. I understand your anger, but if Mayerling attempts to deceive us, he will be found out." She spread her hands. "Do you not agree that Lord Starlequin's actions seemed 'interesting'?"
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Geeklet

"I... I do have some anger issues. Sometimes I do tend to speak and act before thinking things through. Perhaps this is one of those times. I fear, however, that with the accusations against me, one could find suspicion with any vote I make, even if it was one for Lord Starlequinn. His actions on the previous day were a bit suspect, and now with growing votes against him this day, there is not a word. It does seem suspect, but it doesn't quite seem to equate proof as of yet. However, should it help alleviate the fears of the accusations against me in even the slightest, then yes, I shall vote for Lord Starlequinn this day, however, should I survive the night, Mayerling will have a lot to answer for."

Mithlomwen

Dame Mithlomwen pondered everyone's words carefully before finally deciding that she would place her vote on Lord Starlequin.
Baby, it's all I know,
that your half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole...

Marguerite

Duchess Marguerite voted for Lord Starlequin all the while she eyed Geeklet. "Do I have anything to doubt your words, Geeklet? Remember, you were friends with Eden, and I now wonder if you might have had a hand in murdering hir."
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Geeklet

"Miss Mar, Eden's death showed the telltale signs of a werewolf attack. Even if these accusations were true, I could not possibly have been the one to do hir in."

Kye

Having listened to all of the arguments and conversations that have been rampant Kyrsa was no closer to knowing who she could trust.  "I can't help but place my vote on Lord Starlequin as well.  I have my suspicions about others, but he seems to have drawn more suspicion than the rest," she murmured solemnly before glancing towards Dame Mithlomwen with a nod to acknowledge another quiet observer.

Starlequin

As the councillors conversed and debated amongst themselves, Lord Starlequin sank into a corner chair and drummed his fingers on the plush armrests, staring aimlessly into space. It was clear from the furtive looks, the cold glares, the quiet whispers that stopped under his glance that the others were plotting against him. The dice were cast, and his honeyed words and soulful arguments would serve him no longer. The cold, soft shadow of approaching death hung upon him like a silken cloak, and he found a strange kind of comfort in its inevitable embrace.

He sat quietly as his fellows built the case for his execution, ignoring the pointed looks and hushed accusations as he thought back over his life. Not such a terrible one, really. Like many nobles he'd been born to privilege, but he'd done the best he could to see that those under his care and command suffered as little as possible, to ensure that none in his charge should languish under the burdens of poverty or hunger, illness or senseless violence. He had not been perfect, but he'd found something he believed in, and he had lived his life in its service with neither regret nor hesitation. His parents would have been proud, he thought, and that too gave him comfort.

And Starlequin remembered the pleasures he'd met, the countless men and women whose embraces he'd enjoyed and whose beds he'd been honored to share. He considered attempting to decide which had been his favorite, who among his myriad lovers had touched his heart most, but decided not to cheapen the exquisite beauty of their encounters with so base a thing as ranking them. Still, as the court's session began to draw to a close, it was Ana Lucia's face which came to mind, dark brown curls cascading over her radiant visage, and Starlequin smiled to himself. That would be a most fine memory to accompany him to the grave.

The young Lord looked about the room one final time, taking stock of those around him with a clarity he'd rarely experienced before and wondering who among them were truly as human as himself. Lord Mayerling was almost certainly innocent; an obnoxious little toad he may have been, but Starlequin had come to believe his misguided intentions were still noble. Ladies Imogen and Marguerite, despite the venomous opinions they appeared to harbor toward him, were perhaps mortal as well. But two of the other ladies struck him as something more...sinister.

First, Lady Mithlomwen, who seemed to Lord Starlequin constantly distracted, who graced the court infrequently with her presence and even more so with her words. Several others had offered their King their wisest council, yet she had remained silent as tombstones. Was she perhaps hoping to avoid drawing attention to her own wicked agenda?

And then, Lady Xandi, with her fragile and soft-spoken exterior, a perfect disguise to encourage would-be victims to lower their guard -- before she tore out their throats. Starlequin had listened as intently as he could to the debate over him between the Lady and Lord Ryven, the pompous little pastry cook who even in the midst of these atrocities had proven he still thought with his appetites. He supposed he should have been grateful to the man for at least attempting to mount some kind of defense of his honor, but the Lord realized that his compassion would not stand against the rising tide of accusations. No, he too would turn against him in the end, bowing to the pressures of their peers just as Geeklet had done. Ryven could not be faulted for joining the crowd...but Xandi might well could. Indeed, Starlequin began to suspect she may have played a larger hand against him than he'd imagined from the beginning.

The end approached, swift as the wind and carried on tides of hatred and suspicion. Starlequin sought out the object of his suspicions and caught her eyes. A slow, sad smile passed over his face, and he discreetly pantomimed mild applause in her direction. "Well played," he mouthed silently, and tipped his hat to Lady Xandi.

Only one thing left to do, now. He sat back in his chair, head held high, and watched his final act unfold...
You live for the fight when it's all that you've got.

desert ashes

Withdrawing from hir prayers and contemplations in the chapel, Moirae returned to the chambers and gave just a moment for the decisions and votes of others sink into hir.  Lifting the black veil from hir face, eyes glanced between the two shi suspected, and with a sigh shi said, "Lord Starlequin."
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

Izu

Count Izu shook his head while he listened to everyone (or almost everyone) voting for one and the same person. "I don't like this... I vote for Marg simply because I don't want to gang up on one person... Plus it looks odd - everyone, among whom we know there are creatures of the evil kind, are voting for one person? That's just odd..."

ONs and OFFs || M/M Search || Izu's A&A
...Like reflections on the page, the world's what you create...

Autumn52

Lady Xandi gasp when Lord Starlequin accused her. She was simply going on the only evidence that had been placed before the court. Why would he pick her out of the entire court that had voted against him? Her nerves were shot, the days events had taken their toll on her and when he tipped his hat to her a shiver went down her spine. Would she be the next member of court to be eatten or sucked dry for simply trying to follow the only line of reason that made sense? She bowed her head in prayer as the rest of the votes were tallied, praying that God had helped her in her reasoning. Praying that God would see justice done this day.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Remiel

Final Tally (Day Two):

Starlequin (12): Valerian, Josietta, Foamweber, Lord Mayerling, Xandi, Imogen, Rhedyn, Geeklet, Mithlomwen, Marguerite, Kyrsa, Moirae
Marguerite (2): Aiden, Izu
Aiden (1): Ryven
Xandi (1): Starlequin

Did Not Vote: Beguile's Mistress


As the second day came to a close, it became obvious that the overwhelming majority of the King's Council suspected that Lord Starlequin had less than noble motives.  As the votes fell, one after another, with the l inevitability of a tomb lid dropping into place, all that was left was for King Gregorii to once more signal the royal guard to apprehend Lord Starlequin and march him, as they did Lady Rottenaim before him, to the executioner's block. 

At first, Lord Starlequin protested his innocence, declaring before all that his loyalty lay to none but the king and realm.  As he was forced to lie upon the slab, however, his tone quickly changed.


"You'll pay for this!" he screeched, struggling violently against the chains into which he was clasped.  "My masters will kill you all!  There will be no one left!  All will fall prey to the children of the night! Listen closely -- can you hear your death coming  swiftly for you all in the heart of darkness, on leathery wings? Avenge me, my masters!"

His rambling curses were quickly silenced by the fall of the silver-bladed axe, and all who watched nodded in grim satisfaction.  For although Starlequin was human, he had fallen under the sway of the vampires as the Vampire Clanservant.



Night has fallen.  Vampires and werewolves, I need your targets for the night.  Werewolf Hunter, I need your target as well.  As always, any councillors who have yet to use their charms of scrying may do so at any time.

Josietta

Lady Josietta had known there was something off with the Lord Starlequin. She was thankful her intuitions were correct. She sighed in relief at having one of the monsters out of the picture now everyone just needed to find the others. How many more were there and just how long would each of them survive? She pushed her fingers back through her long blonde tresses and she closed her eyes a moment still shaking at hearing the vampire clanservant crying out to his Masters. She couldn't help but watch the others as he spoke, wondering just who amongst them was his master.

Smoothing her skirts she knew the night would not be easy on them and she needed to find comfort and safety before her eyes could truly rest. Slipping off to the chapel she would do her duties before heading to bed and locking herself inside. Before she had bedded in a room with others. Tonight she was not sure who to trust. Geeklet had been supposedly outted. Did shi vote against Star to save her own skin or was she truly innocent? Was Ryven insisting upon voting out Geeklet because he knew more than Lord Mayerling or was he one of the Monsters as well.  Why did Ryven refrain from voting against Star as the rest of them did? Maybe Ryven was truly the Vampire Clanservants Master. It was worth questioning. She chewed at her lower lip and kept her internal dialogue to herself for the moment. Her footsteps lead her down to the chapel where she stayed for a bit. The comforts of sleep called to her and she would soon enough be there to mayhaps hide in the dreams of goodness and forget this tragedy that had befallen them all.

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


Remiel


The King woke uneasily, dreading the inevitable screams that would herald the discovery of a new victim or two.

And he was not to be disappointed.  When two of the councilors did not arrive at the banquet hall, a search party was quickly dispatched.  It didn't take them long to find the ravaged, mangled body of Lord Mayerling, a loyal Councillor.

Curiously, the body was found festooned with garlic and religious symbols.  That, as well as an expression of superlative shock and surprise, seemed to suggest that Mayerling had been expecting a vampire attack--but instead, it was the werewolves who got him.

The news wasn't all bad.  Elsewhere in the castle, Kyrsa was found in her chambers, beatifically poised, hands resting on her stomach, as if merely enjoying an extended slumber.  A search of her quarters revealed an extensive collection of letters revealing her collaboration with werewolves.  She was, in fact, the Werewolf Packfriend; the vampires had chosen their victim well.

With new, and increasingly more desperate, resolve, the King convened the council once more.




The day phase has begun.  All votes are due at the end of Saturday, July 2nd.

desert ashes

The burials of friend and foe seen to, Moirae returned to the chambers and cast a wary glance over the other Councillors.  "Let us not forget who else Lord Mayerling singled out in the quest to rid ourselves of these horrid creatures -- Geeklet.  I have every faith that his words rang with nothing but truth."
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

Valerian

While it was reassuring to know that at least the humans who had betrayed their own kind could do no more harm, that, unfortunately, was of little help in discovering who their masters were.  The king was right to be concerned; they could not relax yet.  Val glanced at Moirae and nodded.  "Agreed.  Lord Mayerling's logic was impeccable.  He believed Geeklet to be a vampire, and I see no reason to doubt his belief."
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

Ryven

He had stood by idle for too long.  Ryven let his eyes move to Geeklet, realization apparent in them.  "You will hide among us no longer and feed to your heart's content."

Imogen

"Lord Mayerling knew giving us this information would cost him his life. He shan't die for nothing. Geeklet is guilty."
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Josietta

With a heavy heart Lady Josietta looked at Geeklet and then to the others. They had lost friends because of monsters. Even those who were allied with the Monsters had to have been persuaded by said creatures to have that kinship, so she felt that even Lord Starlequin and Kyrsa were both victims as well. She did not know anything of how one would become infected or made into those creatures but she knew Geeklet wasn't always a monster. Did Lord Mayerling really know or was he speculating? She wasn't sure. But with his death it appeared he thought the vampires would come after him upon his finger pointing to one of their own. But then again, was it luck or chance that he chose Geeklet or did he have some kind of other knowledge that rang true? Lady Josietta could not say but she sighed and looked at Geeklet.

"I am sorry, Geeklet.I know you cannot prove anything to us but if you could it would show us your innocence you claim. Until you can do that I'm afraid that you being fingered as a vampire is all we can go on. May God have mercy on your soul and on any of us who may be wrong in our choices.

She crossed her fingers over her chest in a cross pattern and clutched her rosary close before moving to the side in hopes that their God would direct them all in the light and show them the way.

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


Rhedyn

There was little to say seeing how events were unfolding, poor Lord Mayerling was dead but not before he had given a warning that Rhedyn felt they would be foolish not to heed. Looking to Geeklet she inclined her head in agreement with the others. "Given what has happened you have my vote as well...I am sorry"

Geeklet

"My fellow nobles... Lord Mayerling, though human, was not quite as innocent as you wish to believe. Though I may have made poor judgement on day one, at the beginning of day two, he sought to use that against me. Believing me to be one of the monsters hiding amongst us, he came to me in private to seek protection. He intended to work with the creatures hunting us to further his own agenda. And when I could not provide the confession he so desperately desired, he resorted to blackmail. Upon day two, one of our fellow nobles rounded up a small group of people they believed they could trust to talk privately, among them myself and Lord Mayerling. As he pressured me in private to confess to something I was not, his first step was to announce a vague threat amongst this group. He spoke no names at that time, for it was merely an attempt to scare me into working with him. When I still could not provide what he wanted, that is when he publicly declared me a monster."

"But think back upon the state his body was in when he was found this morning. He claimed me to be a vampire, yet it was the wolves who did him in. Were I a vampire, would I not wish to kill him myself? The werewolves know I am not among their number, and with Mayerling dead, everyone's attention has turned towards me. This is what these monsters want. They want us fighting amongst ourselves while they get ignored. When it was mentioned that despite everyone focusing their attention upon the potential of Starlequinn or myself to be wretched leeches, that the werewolves were still out there, Lady Xandi was rather quick to turn the attention back towards us, was she not?"

"To this day I still detest that I fell for Starlequinn's lies, however, I am no vampire. Lord Mayerling's accusation was either fueled by werewolf manipulations, since I know for a fact he was seeking aid from the monsters, or he was merely lucky on a flip of the coin that Starlequinn was allied with the vampires instead of the werewolves."

Remiel

#100
Current Tally:

Geeklet (10): Moirae, Valerian, Ryven, Imogen, Josietta, Rhedyn, Xandi, Aiden, Mithlomwen, Izu
Xandi (1): Geeklet

Votes not yet cast: Marguerite, FoamWeber, Beguile's Mistress

Reminder: The voting phase will end Saturday, 2nd July, at approximately midnight, EST (GMT-5).

Autumn52

Lady Xandi faint from the events of the last evening stood on shaky legs as Geeklet accused her of being one of the monsters. She gathered her strength so that she could speak to the court. Letting Geeklet finish hir speech before speaking, Xandi said a little prayer and then began, "My I point out a few flaws in your line of reasoning. First of all it is easy to talk badly about a man who gave his life in defense of the group. Lord Mayerling proved his honor by outting one among us who has been proven to be a spy and coward. You disparage his name now by speaking ill of the dead. He is no longer able to defend himself and you speak lies to save yourself. I was adamant about listening to Lord Mayerlings warning, I had reason to be. His logic was sound, his reasoning reasonable. I pleaded with the court to show any reason whatsoever why we should not listen to his warnings and none was given. I understood full well that my speaking up would put me in the line of fire just as it did Lord Mayerling but I also am willing to die for my belief that this place can become safe again an we are responsible to make it so.

You made a fatal flaw in your speech Geeklet. You said, 'When it was mentioned that despite everyone focusing their attention upon the potential of Starlequinn or myself to be wretched leeches, that the werewolves were still out there, Lady Xandi was rather quick to turn the attention back towards us, was she not?" those were your words. You have inadvertently put yourself in the same group as Lord Starlequinn so you admitted in so many words that you were one of his masters. That is how I see what you have said. You also said that I tried to turn attention away from the werewolves but if you will remember Lord Ryven and I discussed this very issue in fact my exact words were, " you are correct the monsters are not only the vampires we also must discover who the hideous beasts called werewolves are, but my Lord we must start somewhere. Doesn't this seem at least a place to begin?"

Let me first say that I only ever tried to see the logic behind what Lord Mayerling said. I have never personally attacked anyone in the council, even Lord Starlequinn. When I voted against him it was purely on the logic of what Lord Mayerling had revealed. You and he have tried to defame me and yet why would I seek to be so up front with my motives? Why would I put myself in the center of attention time and again if I were a beast? Would it not make more sense to fade into the background? Not to be seen? Yet here I am defending my vote from before and reminding the council that I have not been part of any votes against an innocent. My votes have all been founded in logic. My vote again is founded in logic, not in personal vengeance. I think Geeklet is trying to turn attention away from hirself and towards the one person who spoke up in the beginning after Lord Mayerling made his declaration. I don't mind being that person especially since I and Lord Mayerling have been proven correct. He paid with his life and I am willing to do the same. Ladies and Lords I implore you to stand against these abominations once and for all. Let us rid ourselves of these beast so that we and our families can rest peacefully again. My vote should be obvious but as is required by Our King I state it in court. Geeklet."

Lady Xandi sat down and drank some water feeling sick at her stomach from the deaths and accusations.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Aiden

"The arrogance you show by sullying the name of a innocent dead man, vampire or not Geeklet, the sooner you are removed from this court the better!"
Duke Aiden said coldly, his stern gaze appeared to be burrowing deeply at the accused noble. Could have this all been Mayerling's hurrah? Everyone would find out soon enough. 

Geeklet

It pains me to say such things about those who have departed, and I truly wish he were still around to debate me on this. I simply wanted you all to know that he was not as honorable as you all are making him out to be. I still find it quite amusing he died by the hands of a werewolf, and yet somehow that is enough to convince you that I am a vampire. However, there are a few points that Lady Xandi brought up that I feel must be addressed.

In regards to the 'fatal flaw' I made in my speech, you are seeing things that are not there. Either that or you are manipulating my words in an effort to get rid of me. You claim that by putting myself in the same group as that bastard Starlequinn by saying "us" that it proves my guilt? Yesterday, there were two topics of discussion. His potential guilt, and the accusations against me. That is fact. When it was interjected that some additional thought was necessary on a third topic, that was rather quickly denounced, so that everyone else could focus upon the other two lines. There is no way I could refer to the situation that does not somehow paint him and myself in a similar situation. But those words alone do not make me guilty.

Quite honestly, Xandi, I am now convinced more than ever that you are in fact one of the werewolves amongst us. Quite frankly, there were already plenty of votes against me before you spoke up. If on this day, your vote is founded in logic, then why must you explain yourself when it is clear others think the same way you do? In fact, I believe that you really do not care if I am a vampire or not, you simply want me gone. At best you eliminate a rival, at worst another human is eliminated that you won't have to worry about killing yourself.

It seems now though, that perhaps my words are falling upon deaf ears, and my demise is almost eminent. However, I do want you all to take heed of my words. It is well known about the fierce rivalry amongst the vampires and werewolves, and even if I were a vampire, I would want to see the wolves get taken down just as much as everyone else.

Autumn52

"You are quite correct Geeklet in saying that there were already a lot of votes against you when I voted. I however was the one you pointed out in your statement not some of the others. Just as you see fit to defend yourself I see fit to defend myself. By throwing out viscous allegations you only condemn yourself further. I think I have made myself quite clear in my beliefs and the council will hear no more from me on this matter. Turning attention towards me Geeklet is exactly how what I would expect from a monster. Just because I wish to see another monster taken from our midst does not make me one. If that were the case wouldn't we all be monsters? For all of us are gathered here to rid this court of the treacherous monsters that plague us now."

Xandi sat in a corner and decided to let the others make their votes, confident she would be proven right.
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Imogen

"We are well aware there are two factions haunting the King's lands, Geeklet." Imogen spoke thoughtfully. "I for one do not believe you or yours are guilty of Lord Mayerling's death. He was murdered by those who rather see you hanged than one of their own. His death proves his innocence and therefor your guilt. You would have known that as well as we do. I would go as far as to state that you are the -last- person here who would have wanted him dead and proven loyal to our King."

Her gaze flashed towards Xandi, and she offered a faint smile. "But you will understand that none of us is too keen on believing your words regarding another. Or disbelieving for that matter. Whether you are honest in your accusation, merely try to shield an accomplice or simply trying to confound us cannot be known. You do raise an excellent point however that our dear lady is overdoing her plea a bit, preaching to the choir once the waters have been tested." She shrugged. "Perhaps she is merely overzealous and if so, I can't blame her. At all."
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Mithlomwen

Mithlomwen listened to everyone's arguments and sided with the majority against Geeklet.
Baby, it's all I know,
that your half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole...

Izu

Izu followed Mith's example and mumble his vote against Geeklet.

ONs and OFFs || M/M Search || Izu's A&A
...Like reflections on the page, the world's what you create...

FoamWeber

"I think I will go with the majority in this one. Geeklet, you are the guilty one." Lady Weber announced.

Marguerite

"I am sorry, Geeklet, but Lord Mayerling was an innocent and he commented on you possibly being an enemy and a murderer."
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Remiel

Current Tally:

Geeklet (12): Moirae, Valerian, Ryven, Imogen, Josietta, Rhedyn, Xandi, Aiden, Mithlomwen, Izu, FoamWeber, Marguerite
Xandi (1): Geeklet

Votes not yet cast: Beguile's Mistress

Reminder: The voting phase will end Saturday, 2nd July, at approximately midnight, EST (GMT-5).

Beguile's Mistress

Everyone had spoken and yet Mistress Beguile had not cast a vote.  Her heart beat wildly in her breast as she recalled the sound of the executioners sword severing the heads of the condemned.  She shuddered, she quivered and wiped a tear from her eye with a swatch of lace bordered linen drawn from the sleeve of her gown.

"I suppose I must follow the example of the other Councillors and courtiers and point to Geeklet as one of the culprits."

Remiel

Final Tally, Day Three:

Geeklet (13): Moirae, Valerian, Ryven, Imogen, Josietta, Rhedyn, Xandi, Aiden, Mithlomwen, Izu, FoamWeber, Marguerite, Beguile's Mistress
Xandi (1): Geeklet

With Lord Mayerling's fervent accusations still echoing in everyone's ears, the council decided unanimously that Marquis Geeklet was the most suspicious of them all.  One by one, they pointed fingers at the doomed Marquis, who insisted upon hir innocence even as shi was marched to the execution block.

As the executioner lifted the axe, however, a startling change occurred--Geeklet suddenly transformed into a cloud of screeching bats!  Fortunately, the wise King had been prepared, and a heavy mesh net promptly fell upon the vermin, who found themselves with nowhere to fly.  Trapped, they changed back into Geeklet's human form. 

The king's guards promptly shot hir with their crossbows, which had been custom-made to fire sharpened wooden stakes.  With a number of stakes piercing hir chest, Geeklet was undone.  The body was beheaded, and promptly burned--for as everyone knows, vampires are especially flammable.

"Well done!" cried King Gregorii.  "By the saints, we just might prevail yet!"  And so the Council retired for the night, slightly safer in the knowledge that the monsters' numbers had been decreased by one.




Night has fallen.  Vampires and werewolves, I need your targets for the night.  Werewolf Hunter, I need your target as well.  As always, any councillors who have yet to use their charms of scrying may do so at any time.


Remiel


The morning sun rose again to find that yet another victim had lost his life to the monsters.  Izu had been found up on one of the castle battlements, dead from a score of grievous wounds.  The wounds looked as though they had been made by a great wolf's powerful jaws--a grisly sight which was only becoming too familiar. 

The King held a brief funeral in which everyone grieved the loss of the loyal Councillor, and then they convened once more.





The day phase has begun.  All votes are due at the end of Wednesday, July 13.

Aiden

Duke Aiden walked into the hall after another night in the castle after learning of the newest victim of the monsters hiding among the court. He sighed, the stress of these daily sessions was getting to him. The young Duke preferred to be out with the royal guard instead of these finger pointing parties but he kept that thought to himself as he placed his sword before him on the table while his squire stood nearby with his shield.

Josietta

Josietta came down the hallways with her skirts in her fingers holding them up as she walked. The chapel had been filled with the worried individuals of the castle with all the events going on, that she stayed over longer to help soothe the worries and offer prayers for those who needed them. The confessionals were higher in numbers than she had seen in some time. Pushing back a few loose tendrils behind her ear she slowed her gait to avoid tripping them picked back up her skirts.

The word traveled quickly of Izu's demise and it only caused more strife in the staff and she knew the day would prove to be trying for many. It was time to join the others for a count of who was present or missing and decide who might be a traitor amongst their ranks. It was the worst part of her days; pointing fingers at would be innocents in hopes of ridding their world of evil. The playing of God was what some seemed good at, but she only prayed for a word of who was who in hopes that the following night, none would be taken.

As she wandered in she noted Duke Aiden already about with his squire. She gave them each a curtsied greeting and nod. After doing so, the young Lady glanced about for any others who may join them, hoping no others would be found missing. The odd occurrence that only one was taken that night must have been a good sign that the heavens were with them and that God was truly watching over them all.

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


Imogen

Imogen paced the hallway in restless indecision. Something had to be done! Another loyal councillor was murdered and despite their victory over the vampires yesterday she didn't feel comfortable. She had been apalled at the discovery of one fiend in their midst, but what had terrified her even more was Geeklet's reasoning regarding another. She didn't want to agree with a vampire. It was wrong in every sense. But it was true that Xandi's actions had been suspicions. Nothing of that would fit if they were in the same league, but... The 'what if' nagged at Imogen's mind. The werewolves had claimed another victim. Raging through the night they would murder everyone if they weren't stopped.

She took a deep breath and spoke up. "Xandi, your explanations don't convince me. You have voted with us when a vote less or more no longer made a difference. With nothing else to go on, I have no choice but to ask you where you were when Izu died."
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Autumn52

When Imogen made her accusation Xandi just smiled and said, "I was wondering which bloodsucker would be the first to come after me. I find it amusing, Imogen, that you accuse me when I have never been responsible, not once, for the life of a loyal councilor. I have tried to use my votes in a logical way. I did not see you making much effort to come forward and sort things out. I am actually surprised to see that it was a female who came forward first, perhaps your coven doesn't consist of any males. It would have made more sense for a male since I realized, after the fact, that my coming forward could be looked upon as speaking out of turn for a Lady. I think these horrible circumstances have brought out a side of myself that I am happy to express. I refuse to sit idly by while the men make all the hard choices. I have only wanted my votes to mean something and if for that I am to be accused and even executed then so be it. I can go to my grave knowing that I have aided this court and council in securing the deaths of at least two of the monsters that plagued us.

But you Lady Imogen, can you say as much? I refuse to let your accusation of me take away from the fact that I have helped in the execution of 2 monsters. So with that said I will place my vote: Imogen."
May light guide you through your turmoil and may darkness never cross your path.

White Light be upon you if that is your wish

Mithlomwen

Mithlomwen was just as confused as ever about who might be the demons among them.  However something kept nagging at her, making her wonder if FoamWeber might not be involved in it all some how. 
Baby, it's all I know,
that your half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole...

Ryven

"I too will vote for Xandi as her actions seem suspect to me."  He said eyeing her from across the room.

Valerian

Though heartened somewhat by the deaths of several of those who meant them harm, Val was still somewhat at a loss about this next vote.  The remaining malefactors, whoever they were, were doing rather a good job of hiding, unfortunately.

She looked around at the remaining courtiers uneasily.  All seemed equally suspect, and equally innocent, and she sighed quietly.  Still, as a group, they had been wise enough to choose the right people to execute twice now, and she took some courage from that as she placed her vote, hesitantly.  "Yes, perhaps Lady Xandi has fallen under the sway of evil," she suggested, quietly.
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

FoamWeber

"I will agree with Ryven in this case," Lady Weber stated, also staring across the room at Xandi.

Josietta

Josietta wasn't sure if Xandi was in fact guilty but the odds were stacking up against the outspoken Lady that was sure. She looked toward Mith as she stated her suspicions on FoamWebber. Josietta had, had suspicions about that one herself and half wondered if Mith was on to something or if the majority of the people were right in choosing Xandi. She tilted her head and regarded each of them carefully before speaking.

"Xandi, I am unsure of your guilt but you should explain yourself further if you wish to keep the masses at bay. I have to ask the same of FoamWebber. Either of you or both of you could be at fault here but you need to prove otherwise to us. Ryven you were as equally outspoken in what was said as well. What makes us think you aren't as guilty? We are unsure of just how many of these dark ones remain amongst us. Mayhaps it is all three of you?  There have been a few amongst us who wait to point fingers as you accuse Xandi of doing. FoamWebber is one of those people. I will tentatively place my vote with Miths until further evidence is brought forth. Regardless, God will punish whoever is at fault, but the sooner we help to weed out the evil the sooner we can all rest. I just hope we do not make the wrong decision. If any of you have any clue to help us, please do not hesitate to speak up. Any sacrifice made could very well be essential to our survival as a whole."

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


FoamWeber

#123
"My defense is simple," Lady Weber said, not particularly worried. "I was one of the first to accuse Lord Starlequin, near the beginning of this tragic situation. In fact, my record so far is spotless with only accusing those who are guilty. Why on earth would I accuse people on my own side? I think it is fairly obvious that I'm one of the innocents." She grabbed a roll, suddenly remembering that she had yet to eat breakfast. "In fact," she continued after swallowing, "My innocence is so clear that it casts doubt on people who have voted for me. Not everyone has a record as clear as mine."

Mithlomwen

Mith listened to Lady Weber's argument, making note of the fact that she had in fact voted for Lord Starlequin early on...and thereby made a very good point about her innocence.  "That is a good point Lady Weber.  In light of that, I will change my vote to Xandi."
Baby, it's all I know,
that your half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole...

Marguerite

Marguerite looked at the list and then voted for Xandi but kept her eyes on FoamWeber knowing he could be an enemy to the innocents.
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Aiden

"Is that what we have resorted to? Petty accusations to send another of our fellow nobles to their deaths? Ryven, let us not forget you where along the few who voted to kill one of our only hopes of surviving this ordeal. Do you recall? Our lady Rottenaim?"
He looked over the scrolls he had been taking over the last few days, along with a list of potential werewolves and vampires.
"Among those who voted for her, nearly half of them have ended up dead and now...that leaves a few of you. I am accusing you of being a vampire Ryven, what say you?"
Duke Aiden said with a menacing countenance falling across his face.

Beguile's Mistress

There was a certain level of panic that was quite evident among the other Counselors and Mistress Beguile, off in a quiet corner, watched the comings and goings, the by-play and asides, the accusations and counter-accusations.  It was all so confusing. 

She sighed and pushed herself to her feet and walked to the center of the chamber, her feet dragging and her hands clasped at her waist.  As before when she voted with the majority she had been right and now, after drawing a deep breath to steady herself she spoke softly but distinctly. 

"Xandi."

Remiel

Final Tally, Day Four:

Xandi (7): Imogen, Ryven, Valerian, FoamWeber, Mithlomwen, Marguerite, Beguile's Mistress
Imogen (1): Xandi
FoamWeber (1): Josietta
Ryven (1): Aiden

Did not vote: Moirae, Rhedyn

Once again the council seemed to be mostly in agreement.  Although there were some holdouts, the majority of those who voted believed that Lady Xandi was the most culpable, the least innocent. 

And sure enough, as the King gave the command for the guards to take her to the executioner's block, she suddenly transformed into a terrible beast! Flesh rippled and writhed, hair spouted like furze on smooth limbs, and her cloying smile turned into a terrible, fangéd snarl.  With incredible ease, she swatted the guardsmen aside.

Fortunately, however, the King was once again ready.  Crossbowmen shot her with bolts of silver, and although the werewolf snarled and howled, it fell--for, as anyone knows, those afflicted with the curse of lycanthropy are immune to all wooden and iron weapons, but are highly vulnerable to anything made of the silver metal.  Down came the axe, and the terrible beast was no more. 



Night has fallen.  Vampires and werewolves, I need your targets for the night.  Werewolf Hunter, I need your target as well.  As always, any councillors who have yet to use their charms of scrying may do so at any time.


Ryven

Quote from: Aiden on July 13, 2011, 10:19:17 PM
"Is that what we have resorted to? Petty accusations to send another of our fellow nobles to their deaths? Ryven, let us not forget you where along the few who voted to kill one of our only hopes of surviving this ordeal. Do you recall? Our lady Rottenaim?"
He looked over the scrolls he had been taking over the last few days, along with a list of potential werewolves and vampires.
"Among those who voted for her, nearly half of them have ended up dead and now...that leaves a few of you. I am accusing you of being a vampire Ryven, what say you?"
Duke Aiden said with a menacing countenance falling across his face.

"The few?  If you're going to accuse me, you might as well accuse Beguile's Mistress, Valerian, Mithlomwen, and Moirae as well as they also voted for Lady Rottenaim."  He said with a smirk.

"I do find it fascinating though that you are among the few that decided not to vote for Xandi who we know now to be a werewolf.  Granted, she never came out and said it, but she did talk the hard sell by trying to hide behind logic and misdirection.  That didn't really make her any less suspect.  Are you feeling a little remorse at having to see one of your brethren put to death?  What say you, Duke Aiden?"  He said with another smirk before turning and heading off to bed.

Remiel


A new day, and with it another victim.  Or was there?  As all the Councillors reported to the Great Hall, one by one, the King was relieved and surprised to see that no one had fallen during the night.

"This is an encouraging sign, my lords and ladies," Gregorii announced.  "The monsters that plague us are now in hiding, too frightened to prey on us any longer.  Let us take heart, and purge ourselves of the rest of these foul creatures."





The day phase has begun.  All votes are due at the end of Thursday, July 21.

Josietta

Lady Josietta made her way into the hall the following morning. She sighed in relief as it appeared all were with them but the words of Ryven had haunted her the night before enough that she went to her journals and prayed for some sort of answer to it all. She could only come up with one person who made her question their motives.

"I have deliberated and prayed for an answer but something bothers me. While Aiden may be at fault here, I have to question another as well. Ryven you have always been willing to speak up and accuse but when the finger points at you, you are overly defensive. Is this because you are guilty? You voted to have lady rottenaim killed and we know she was the vampire hunter. You also voted against another when we all voted to kill Lord Starlequin who we all found to be the vampire friend. When it came time to lynch Geeklet you went along with it, only because you knew there was no other choice given that Lord Mayerling had spoken out before his untimely death. And now only this last time has your voting been spot on. And probably because you knew that Xandi was not a fellow vampire.

I regret that I did not see Xandi for what she was. She told me she was not a vampire and I believed her without thinking she may have been a creature of destruction. I have prayed and gone through contrition for my lack in foresight there.

However I cannot ignore this just as I did not ignore my intuitions against Lord Starlequin. I have to look at you Count Ryven for things just don't add up for me and my faith leads me to point a finger at you."


The blonde sat down then as her fingers toyed with the rosary that hung from her belt. She silently prayed for those who were lost and thanked the heavens that she had her tokens of survival and faith.

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


Mithlomwen

Quote from: Ryven on July 14, 2011, 01:37:03 AM
"The few?  If you're going to accuse me, you might as well accuse Beguile's Mistress, Valerian, Mithlomwen, and Moirae as well as they also voted for Lady Rottenaim."  He said with a smirk.

"I do find it fascinating though that you are among the few that decided not to vote for Xandi who we know now to be a werewolf.  Granted, she never came out and said it, but she did talk the hard sell by trying to hide behind logic and misdirection.  That didn't really make her any less suspect.  Are you feeling a little remorse at having to see one of your brethren put to death?  What say you, Duke Aiden?"  He said with another smirk before turning and heading off to bed.

Mith found herself listening to Ryven and couldn't help but agree with many of his points and wonder if Aiden might in fact have something to hide. 
Baby, it's all I know,
that your half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole...

FoamWeber

Lady Weber stood up, filled with purpose.
"I believe it is now clear who one of the guilty ones is, at least. Lady Josietta, your actions have been suspicious as of late. You were one of the few who didn't vote for Xandi, who turned out to be a werewolf; instead you chose to vote for someone with a flawless record so far. I believe that this is because you are a werewolf as well."

Ryven

"I too agree that things aren't adding up though I am not the one who is guilty here.  It is my belief that you, Lady Josietta are one of the monsters."  He said firmly.

Josietta

Josietta rose a brow at the two of them and shook her head some. Her long blonde hair stayed in its place firmly up into a high bun on the top of her head.  There was only a few things left to say then as most often when crowds rioted things did not go well for most involved. She could only proclaim her innocents and hope they listened.

"Trying to turn the attentions onto me is not a very good way of clearing your name Count Ryven. You clearly are not denying that you are one of the blood suckers who have been attacking the innocents of late. I on the other hand was attacked last night by one of your kind, it was too dark to see who it was, but thankfully for my belief in my God and my charms I was spared. I count myself lucky to be here today. And Lady Foamweber I believe I already apologized for my misconceptions of Xandi and how she misled me. Are you against me because maybe one of your own is in peril? If any one of you should wish to see the next day, then do the right thing and do not take heed to this misconceptions. Count Ryven is the true evil here and I believe he may have Foamweber under his thumb. I will say nothing more on the matter for anything else is trite if you will not listen now, you will not listen later. God will punish the dark ones and the ones who slay innocents."

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


FoamWeber

"I really don't think it's necessary for me to declare another defense," Lady Weber replied. "We have an intelligent group of people here, as concerned with the recent deaths as I am. They are capable of seeing the truth for themselves."

Ryven

"I don't have to turn the attention on you.  You're doing a far better job than I could do myself, and to address your accusation, why would I vote for my own kind if I were a vampire?  It seems quite counterproductive to me.  You on the other hand could not even bear to vote for your own brethren as you so demonstrated with yesterday's vote.  Tell me, Lady Josi, how did it feel to watch one of your wicked kind die?"  He said as he lounged in a chair with a cup of tea.

desert ashes

Fearful of the creatures, Moirae refused to leave the sanctuary of the chapel and had instead sent a note in hir place.  It arrived via the chapel's messenger and read:

I think I am trying to be murdered.  My only safe haven is here.  My suspicions are with the Lady Josietta.

Peace and life be with all of us.


Upon reading the message, the boy made his bow and scampered back to the chapel. 
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

Josietta

"My own kind? Why do you think I am a werewolf instead of a vampire? Is it because you are a vampire and know that only one other of your people is left standing next to you? I already explained why I didn't vote for Xandi. I fear I was at the chapel when Lady Foam gave her plea of innocence and it was too late to change my vote by then. I do not feel sorry for Xandi's death for it means another monster, like you, has been taken off this plane to keep the innocents safe."

She glanced at Marguerite, Imogen, and Beguiles Mistress.

"I don't think any of you would like to see another innocent life taken. I implore you look at what I have to say and see that Ryven is the true monster here. I have done naught but pray for all your safety and serve our King as he wishes. Lady Mith, I realize your suspicions on Aiden but I ask that you look at Ryven for what he is. I am almost 100% positive he is one of the blood sucking monsters. I am willing to stick my neck out for the chopping block if I am wrong on that. I only ask you trust my instincts on this and help me rid this kingdom of that evil."

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


Valerian

Val listened to the arguments in silence, watching the others as they discussed the matter, sometimes heatedly.  And who could blame them?  Their very lives were at stake, the entire court in danger.  Some excellent points were being raised, and it was difficult to choose among them.  The arguments against Lord Ryven and Lord Aiden were quite convincing.  And of course they might easily both be guilty.  It was highly doubtful that the two men were working together in any way, but they did not need to be in league with each other to both be evil.  That both made the task of finding the villains more difficult, and helped to save them, for if both groups found a way to work together, there would be no hope of stopping them.

"Lord Aiden," she finally said, reluctantly.  She had a horror of mistakenly dooming another, as all the remaining innocents must also have, and this time there was no even remotely clear choice.  But as much as she disliked voting this blindly, it seemed worse to do nothing.
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

Aiden

Quote from: Ryven on July 14, 2011, 01:37:03 AM
"The few?  If you're going to accuse me, you might as well accuse Beguile's Mistress, Valerian, Mithlomwen, and Moirae as well as they also voted for Lady Rottenaim."  He said with a smirk.

"I do find it fascinating though that you are among the few that decided not to vote for Xandi who we know now to be a werewolf.  Granted, she never came out and said it, but she did talk the hard sell by trying to hide behind logic and misdirection.  That didn't really make her any less suspect.  Are you feeling a little remorse at having to see one of your brethren put to death?  What say you, Duke Aiden?"  He said with another smirk before turning and heading off to bed.

"Let's one thing clear baker, I suspect all of those you have mentioned but may only accuse one of you at a time. I am merely trying to keep a level head in these troubling times."
He said his final say before the night came to an end.




The Next Day

The next day the Duke entered and took his seat, hearing the accusations fly about.
"Lady Mithlomwen, have you anything to say on the pressing matters plaguing the kingdom?

Imogen

Imogen listened and pondered quietly for a long time, trying to remember the events as they had come to pass. There had been suspicious activities by several, she realised, but while their voting had condemned innocents before, another had gone just one step further.

Not only had Ryven started out voting neutral, he had changed his vote when Lord Starlequin was in danger. The next day he had been quick to place the blame on Duke Aiden, trying to divert attention again from Starlequin. While she wasn't sure at all that she could trust Josietta, Imogen agreed that Lord Ryven 's actions warranted closer inspection.

[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Remiel

#143
Current Voting, as it stands:

Josietta(4): FoamWeber, Ryven, Moirae, Marguerite
Aiden(3): Mithlomwen, Valerian, Imogen
Ryven(1): Josietta
Mithlomwen(1): Aiden

Yet to vote: Rhedyn, Beguile's Mistress


Reminder:  All votes are due at the end of Thursday, July 21.

Marguerite

Marguerite looked at the cast who were voting and noticed Josietta kept voting away from the group no matter if the person was found to be guilty. "I am sorry Josietta, but you are suspicious in every way you vote and you cast doubt on Ryven. Ryven who voted the last few times for individuals who are indeed guilty. If you can honestly try to throw mud on the male who in the beginning you saw as an ally, then I hope I am wrong and you are no killer."
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Josietta

Yes I did consider him an ally. But there were others who were thought to be such but turned out to be manipulators. I have only made a mistake in my voting once. Each of my votes have been done for the good of our kingdom and I have helped to rid us of those evils each time one was found out. The only time I made a mistake was this last time. I cannot change that but i do hope you see that you are wrong about Ryven. It may be that he stabs you in the back later when you least expect it, and I do not wish to see that. I only warn you with my instincts and what I feel is right. If me making a simple mistake in a single vote makes me a monster then so be it. I will meet my death with a clear conscious. Just realize how many of you are left and how many of them are. It may not be an even match as far as we know."

She had first thought she should just be quiet after speaking her piece but if she didn't try to show them otherwise that their votes mattered and that it was up to them to make sure the monsters were taken out. If she failed in that, then she failed in her lot in life.

      ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖                    ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🖤🤍💖
                                 O.Os   / A.As / Ideas 
                           Warning:  Finicky Muse Ahead!


Imogen

They were rapidly becoming outnumbered, and Imogen started to fear that their only hope lay in the possibility of werewolves and vampires clawing out eachother's throats rather than feasting upon the innocent. The loyal councillors had little to go on, not knowing who to trust. Sure, they might have suspicions but trust was a precious commodity not easily extended. And yet, it was the division between them that would be their undoing.

"I don't trust Ryven or Moirae." Imogen spoke up. "And I am still convinced that we should vote for Lord Ryven. His actions have been suspicious from early on. I also find it worrying that he is teaming up with Moirae whose timing for votes has earned my distrust as well. Their fanatical pursuit of Josietta is alarming, if only for the lack of doubt that plagues so many of us. I cannot change what is happening alone, and thus I will change my vote to Aiden who I am not too certain about either."

[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Ryven

"Lady Imogen, I must say one thing.  I have voted for both vampire and werewolf.  I do admit early on that my vote for an innocent was cast, but so many others made that mistake as well.  I assure you, I only vote for what is in the best interest of us all, and that is ridding this kingdom of these monsters.  If that is not enough for you, then I can say or do nothing more to convince you of my innocence."  He said plainly.

Imogen

Imogen nodded. "I know, milord, but we must take into account that the lady Geeklet was a lost cause once Lord Mayerling's innocence was proven. In that case, if we look more closely at your voting, then we have you not only -voting- for lady Rottenaim, but doing so at a pivotal moment in the vote. In all honesty, Sir, you saved a vampire and doomed one who could saved us. Not only this, you refused to vote for Lord Starlequin afterwards as well. Later on, you were glad to join us in voting for lady Xandi, but that could be easily explained considering who you saved before."
[tr][td]
[/td]
[td][/td]
[td]Woo's and Won'ts / Absences
Stor-E Writers Registry[/td]
[td][/td]
[td][/td]
[/tr][/table]

Remiel

Final Tally, Day Five:

Josietta(4): FoamWeber, Ryven, Moirae, Marguerite
Aiden(3): Mithlomwen, Valerian, Imogen
Ryven(1): Josietta
Mithlomwen(1): Aiden

Did Not Vote: Rhedyn, Beguile's Mistress

This time, unlike the day before, the voting was very close, with only a single vote having the potential to save a man or send him to his death.  Rhedyn and Beguile's Mistress both remained quiet, perhaps confused or unsure whom to vote for; in any event, when the ballots were tallied, it was Josietta who had a date with the executioner's axe. 

Barely had the verdict been rendered, however, before she bolted for the exit, shifting and changing as she did so.  By the time she reached the archway to the grand hall she was covered in fur and loping on four legs, a werewolf just like Xandi before her.  The king's guard gave chase, but the monster had a clear lead; it looked like it was going to make good its escape.

As it reached the keep gate, however, it suddenly drew up short, snarling in extreme frustration.  The portcullis was down, the gate barred; it would take many men to open it.  The wolf crouched, as if preparing to leap over the wall; but not even a werewolf could clear the ancient barricade.  It tried again and again, every time failing, until the Guard caught up with it and cut it down with silver-tipped blades. 



Night has fallen.  Vampires and werewolf, I need your targets for the night.  Werewolf Hunter, I need your target as well.  As always, any councillors who have yet to use their charms of scrying may do so at any time.


Remiel


The good news was that it seemed like the Council was cleaning house--first getting rid of Starlequin, then Geeklet, then Xandi, and finally Josietta.

The bad news was that there was one more Councillor who would not be able to see victory.  Imogen was discovered dead come morning, the victim of a deadly vampire attack.




The day phase has begun.  All votes are due at the end of Friday, July 29.

That Girl Analise

Rhedyn joined the king early that day; the death of innocents and the fact that she still had people to protect (as dwindled as those numbers may be!) left the dame restless. She was glad, at least, that her king was safe.

Rhedyn had some suspicions as she entered the court in the morning, but as she seemed to be the first arrival, she held her tongue -no need to upset the king just yet.

Aiden

The morning came and the news of yet another member of the court dying cruelly at the hands of the vampires but not at the hands of the wolves. The duke sighed heavily as he walked in, bowing to the king before nodding respectfully towards Rhyden.
"Good day my lady."
He said respectfully before he took his seat but not after he told the king that his suspicions of Mithlomwen remained.

Mithlomwen

"I find it odd good sir that you saw fit to vote for me only after I accused you of being a villain among us.  I would simply state that I have voted for both vampire and werewolf alike.  Why would I do such if I were one of them?"  She sated evenly.  "As I said last round, I have my own suspicions that you are one of the foul beasts preying upon the innocents here.  What have you to say in your defense Lord Aiden?"
Baby, it's all I know,
that your half of the flesh and blood that makes me whole...

That Girl Analise

Rhyden eyed Aiden... "I have my concerns regarding you as well, lord Aiden? Though I may have been absent yesterday due to the king's business, word has reached me that you are one of the only two who did not vote within the crowd... The other being Josietta, a werewolf. It seems a little odd to me. Pray, tell me what reasoning you have for that? Should I be wrong I'd gladly change my vote." the lady said, her hand automatically going to the sword she had taken to keeping at her side. Though the attacks were not known to happen in the light of day, it still made her feel better to have it at her side.

Remiel

#155
Current voting, as it stands:

Aiden (6): Mithlomwen, Rhedyn, Moirae, Marguerite, Ryven, FoamWeber
Ryven (1): Aiden

Yet to vote: Valerian, Beguile's Mistress

Reminder:  All votes are due at the end of Friday, July 29.

desert ashes

Wreathed in garlic and silver crosses, Moirae returned to the King's chamber.  Immediately hir eyes turned upon Aiden.  "You are far too suspicious for your own good, I'm afraid."
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

Marguerite

Marguerite shook her head and put down Aiden's name into the voting box. "His votes are always against those who have been found to be murderers. He might very well be a hungry wolf or a raging vampire."
*R.R*A.A*O.O*Wiki*Bordello*Whip and Apple*
You Keep On Crying, Baby, I'll Bleed You Dry
Mar Is Currently: Taking On Threads
Check My Absence Thread For Updates, Thank You

Aiden

"Ryven is a vampire I know that first hand and I suspect Moirae is one as well, should should worry about them first."
He said, with an impassive look across his face.

Valerian

Val blinked in surprise.  "And what makes you suddenly so sure of that, Lord Aiden?  A short time ago you seemed convinced of Mithlomwen's guilt, but now you suddenly accuse Ryven.  I agree with you that some of Ryven's actions have been suspicious, but I would be very interested to hear why you are now so certain of his guilt."
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

Aiden

"Because I tried to kill him last night."
He answered truthfully, turning his gaze upon Ryven with a hatred that was palpable.
"But he sent his second in command in her ridiculous get up to ward suspicion off of the two of them."

Ryven

"If you accuse me, I must accuse you right back, Lord Aiden.  And no, I am not a vampire."  He stated quite simply.

Aiden

"Come now baker, is that really the only reason? I mean...you have killed two wolves but only one of yours has been exterminated...I die, you win am I right? I mean once your main competition is gone, what can they do to stop you? NOTHING...the vampire slayer has been killed you will be free to sow your terror. I refuse to let you win leech! I stood idly as I saw my mates killed before me...you will die before I if I have my way."
He said responded in a icy venomous tone.

Ryven

"No, that's not the only reason.  Having admitted that you are, in fact, one of the monsters has its persuasive value as well, but if you think you're going to slander my good name by pinning the deaths of the innocents who have died thus far on me, you have another thing coming."  He said quite calmly in the face of such treachery.

Aiden

He could only tilt his head back and let out a guffaw.
"Did I admit to being a wolf?"

Ryven

Quote from: Aiden on July 27, 2011, 05:08:21 PM
He could only tilt his head back and let out a guffaw.
"Did I admit to being a wolf?"

"You're accusing me of being a vampire.  You stated you attacked me last night.  Last I could recall, only vampires and werewolves attacked at night, and since you're accusing me of being a vampire, that would naturally make you a wolf.  Not to mention the implications you have stated when referring to yourself as my 'main competition.'  I really don't think an actual confession is necessary with all of that in mind, don't you think?"  He smirked.

Aiden

"My my...you sure are assuming much, guilty conscious Lord Ryven?"
He asked with his own subtle smile, his tone and gaze shifting back to their signature calm.
"You are a blood sucking, human shredding beast...you slay my fellow nobles in cold blood, of course I would have something against you. You sure know a lot about vampires and werewolves for your own good."

Ryven

"Exactly how would I have a guilty conscience for putting 2 and 2 together, Lord Aiden?  It means little to me of what you or anyone else thinks of me or what I am.  All I am worried about in this immediate juncture is saving the rest of us from those despicable monsters, and it's not such a bad thing to know one's own enemies.  After all, dear Lady Rottenaim, may she rest in peace, had an entire trove of vampire literature at her disposal.  One must always be prepared to battle the dark forces in the night.  Don't you worry though.  I've got my garlic, crucifixes, and silver daggers at the ready though I'm guessing that the silver may not be so necessary soon, eh?"  His smile broadened as he continued the debate with a lord most monstrous.

desert ashes

"As God as my witness I am neither werewolf or vampire," Moirae said calmly.  "In fact, I am almost sure the villains have tried to kill me, but it is my faith in God that has kept me alive.  You pointing your finger at me, Lord Aiden, only reassures my feelings that you are no mere mortal."
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

FoamWeber

Lady Weber shrugged. "It seems like my vote will not make much of a difference at this point. I guess I will stick with the group with this one- Lord Aiden, I apologize if you are innocent."

Aiden

He began to laugh, rolling his eyes in irritation.
"You are all fools you know, but go on...die to the unknown. Sleep well tonight."

Valerian

Val had hoped to learn something from her question, of course, though this sort of reply shocked her.   Despite Aiden's later protests, she could see no other way to interpret his words than as an admission of guilt, of being a werewolf.  "If you're right, and Ryven is indeed another sort of creature of the night, then thank you for that knowledge, at least, Lord Werewolf," she said, still rather befuddled at the strange turn the conversation had taken.
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

Remiel

#172
Current voting, as it stands:

Aiden (7): Mithlomwen, Rhedyn, Moirae, Marguerite, Ryven, FoamWeber, Valerian
Ryven (1): Aiden

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress

Reminder:  All votes are due at the end of Friday, July 29.

Aiden

#173
"Keep this in mind...there are two leeches among you out there. I failed to find the hunter, so if it was not by the vote of this council then it would have been by silver arrow and dagger. Let's get this execution done and over with. In retrospect I should have kept Ryven's secret hidden, for I can only wish all of you a painful agonizing death at their hands now. Lord Baker, if you please...drain Moirae until she is nothing but a shrivled husk of a person."
He said carelessly as he drank down a bottle of fine wine from the king's selection, what was he going to do? NOT kill him? He smirked at his own thoughts.
"My only regret is I did not kill more of you, to be honest."
The Duke added with a shrug.

Beguile's Mistress

Mistress Beguile's swayed where she stood, the drama of the day, the debates and the voting confused her.  The accusations and arrogant banter between the two males made her head spin.  All who spoke directed their attention toward one man.  How could she not go along with them and though it broke her heart to accuse anyone she whispered the name that all the others had called out.  "Aiden"  Again she seemed to grow dizzy.  "I hope that as I join my other Councillors I am not condemning an innocent man."

Remiel

#175
Final Tally, Day Six:

Aiden (8): Mithlomwen, Rhedyn, Moirae, Marguerite, Ryven, FoamWeber, Valerian, Beguile's Mistress
Ryven (1): Aiden

With Aiden all but confessing to being one of the monsters, the Council took little time in deciding his guilt.  One by one the ballots were cast, with the tension growing more and more palpable with each vote. 

"In the name of the King Gregorii the First," read the Lord Chamberlain, "the Council has condemned you to death, Duke Aiden.  Before God and man, may you face your death honorably."

But the Duke of Lothar had no intention of going quietly.  Snarling a curse, he transformed before their very eyes into a savage, ferocious werewolf--the alpha, in fact, of the werewolf pack!  The King's Guard moved to surround him, but he leapt among them, slavering and howling, lashing out with lethal claw and pointed fang.  Before the astonished and horrified eyes of the Council, the great monster disemboweled young Squire Thomas and then leapt upon brave Sir Enrico, tearing out the gallant knight's throat with one brutal bite.  The king's archers loosed their arrows and crossbow bolts, but the terrible beast swatted them all away like so many troublesome gnats.  Roaring, it climbed the rear tower to the gallery, snarling defiance at one and all.  It leapt onto the battlements, perching upon a merlon, preparing to make its escape. 

As it did so, however, its howl of triumph died in its throat; it stumbled, and then toppled back into the courtyard where it hit the flagstones with a loud clamor.  For unbeknownst to the Duke Aiden, the King's servants, in anticipation of the vote, had poisoned his wine with the wolfsbane herb.  The werewolf, weakened and paralyzed, was no match for the King's guard as they quickly dispatched the mighty beast.

"Well done, my lords and ladies,"  called the King, as the injured were attended to and the dead taken away for last rites.  "That was the last of the lycanthropes, the wolf shapechangers; they shall no longer plague the realm.  This would normally be cause for a great feast of celebration, but I fear our work is only half done.  I believe that there are still vampires still lurking among us."

And so, greatly encouraged yet still sober with purpose, the lords and ladies of the realm retired to their chambers, uncertain of what the night would bring.



Night has, once again, fallen.  Vampires, I need your targets for the night.  As always, any councillors who have yet to use their charms of scrying may do so at any time.

Remiel


For the first night in months, the castle denizens could sleep soundly without being woken by chilling wolf howls from the distant forest.  There was, at last, blessed quiet and tranquility during the nocturnal hours, punctuated only by the chirruping of crickets and the occasional hoot of an owl. 

Evil still stalked Shadowlore, however, for in the morning, when the sun at last rose, there was one who would not rise with it: Mithlomwen.  A quick search of her possessions revealed that she was the werewolf hunter, sworn to hunt down and eradicate all lycanthropes.  Although her life was too soon snuffed out, the victim of a vampire attack, at least Mithlomwen had gone to her grave knowing she had outlived her sworn enemies.  She had successfully eliminated the werewolf scourge from Shadowlore Keep.  Unfortunately, all of her talents and training were no defense against monsters of a different sort.

The King gave her a hero's burial, erecting a small shrine in her honor, before convening the council once more.  The werewolves were gone, but would they discover the vampires in time?




The day phase has begun.  All votes are due at the end of Friday, August 5th.

desert ashes

Once more Moirae returned to the chamber, though now only wreathed in garlic, made a polite bow to the King and then looked to each of the remaining Councillor's.  "Mistress Beguile, your previous voting has left me with quite a few suspicions about you -- too many to remain comfortable staying silent.  You were the first to cast suspicion on Lady rottenaim, helped sway the vote away from Lord Starlequin, and then did not vote at all when it came to the guilty party.  You were the very last to vote for Geeklet, the only known vampire, as well.  I believe you to be another of them."
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

That Girl Analise

Rhedyn came in later than usual that morning; she's been up late, keeping her own vigil so that the guard may patrol the area and hopefully prevent another vampire attack... But as it turns out her sleepless night was for naught; Their own Mithlomwen was pronounced dead this morning. Their king was safe for sure, but they had lost their brave Werewolf Hunter who was lucky enough to outlive her enemies, only to be shot down by the Vampires.

"I must wait and see what is said, and see who also may be guilty before giving my own ruling. As sure as I was of Aiden's guilt, I'm afraid I'm less confident this day."

Valerian

"Poor Lady Mithlomwen," Val murmured as she drifted into the room.  It was a somber place, for though one group that meant them harm was now exterminated utterly, their situation was still potentially very dire.  She listened with great interest as Moirae quickly cast the first vote, seeming to base this abrupt decision on very little evidence.

"My fellow councilors, I think we can all agree that Lord Aiden's confession -- while shocking, to say the least -- has given all of us much to think about.  I will also freely admit to being less confident this day, but I am fascinated to see Moirae voting so quickly and with such certainty.  Your own votes have hardly been free from suspicion, after all; and if Lady Beguile's has been slow to vote, or refrained from voting, it seems to me more likely to be simple uncertainty.  Unless you believe that she is somehow in league with both vampires and werewolves?" she added, raising an eyebrow.  "She has hesitated equally in voting against both, so I must say that your evidence seems to me more an attempt to save yourself and your compatriot."
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

desert ashes

"Those are my suspicions based on what I have seen and witnessed," Moirae said calmly, eyes raised to Valerian.  "My only compatriot is God.  I am not scheming with anyone.  My only desire is to see the remaining villains caught and banished from this world."
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

Remiel

#181
Current voting, as it stands:

Beguile's Mistress (1): Moirae
Moirae (1): Valerian
Valerian (1): Ryven

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress, Rhedyn, Marguerite,  FoamWeber,

Reminder:  All votes are due at the end of Friday, August 5th.

FoamWeber

"So now voting quickly is a sign of guilt?" Lady Weber questioned. "May I remind you that the innocents each have their charm- perhaps Moirae simply used hers. In any case, I am not convinced yet either way."

Ryven

"My fellow councillors, I'm afraid the day is drawing to a close.  As I'm sure you are all as bewildered as I am of where to turn to next, we must be rid of these foul creatures posthaste.  I'm afraid, however, that I have no place of certainty to base my vote.  Everyone seems as suspect as the next, so with that in mind, I hope you will take my vote as but what it is, a guess, Valerian,"  he said with a rather grim expression.  Clearly he was not happy with having to make such a choice with those near him he held as friends.  On one hand, if they turned out to be one of the vampires, he would feel betrayed, and upon the other, if they were innocent, he would have helped them to their demise.

Beguile's Mistress

Mistress Beguile's head was spinning.  Accusations and counter-accusations were being thrown and arguments one after the other only added to the confusion.  One remark of Duke Aiden's played in her head.  He had advised the others to go after Moirae.  But he couldn't be trusted, could he?  He was a werewolf an surely he'd accuse an innocent or someone charged to protect them and therefore guarantee another death of one who didn't deserve it. 

"Vote," she whispered to herself.  "I must vote...  but who...  which are fellow counselors and which is an enemy?"  Frantically she scanned the faces of the others and with a sinking hear named one who had been named before...   Moirae

FoamWeber

Lady Weber shrugged, still uncertain. "The vote seems to be with Moirae, I suppose," she said.

desert ashes

"Councillors, please listen.  I have committed no harm to any, and by voting for my death, you are voting to kill another innocent.  Please do not be swayed to do so.  As God as my witness, I have played no ill part in these matters and only seek to rid our lands of these villains." 
make me forget
how to breathe

leave me with the
taste of your sin
they will lie about you, insult you, hurt you,
betray you, injure  you, set you aflame and
watch you burn. but they will not, shall not,
c a n n o t, destroy  you. because  you, like
R o m e, were built  on ashes, and you, like
a phoenix, know how to rise and resurrect.
· accepting new stories ·
 ·· · ideas & cravings ·· ons & offs ·· poetry ·· a/a ·· stories · ··

let there be beauty born from ashes

Remiel

#187
Final Tally, Day Seven:

Moirae (3): Valerian, Beguile's Mistress, FoamWeber
Beguile's Mistress (1): Moirae
Valerian (1): Ryven

Did Not Vote: Rhedyn, Marguerite

King Gregorii narrowed his eyes at the two Councillors who did not cast their votes before the alloted time.  "Have you lost your tongues?" he demanded.  "Have you gotten complacent on wine?  I know we have won a significant victory in scourging ourselves of the werewolf plague, but do not forget that we still have bloodsuckers lurking among us. Our duty is not yet done."

He pressed his face into his palm, and then sighed deeply.  "But very well.  Moirae, I am sorry to say that the Council has voted against you," he paused, eyeing once again the two who did not vote, "such as it is. Bring forth the headsman."

But Moirae did not flinch or quail.  "If that is the Council's decision, so be it," shi said.  "I do not fear death, for I know that I shall have my reward in heaven."

Indeed, as the axe flashed and hir head fell from hir shoulders, it was revealed that shi was indeed the holy Priest, invulnerable to the demonic attacks of all evil creatures, both in wolf and bat guise.

The King was so upset he would not speak to the Council, but retreated straight away to his tower to pray for the brave Moirae. 



Night has, once again, fallen.  Vampires, I need your targets for the night.  As always, any councillors who have yet to use their charms of scrying may do so at any time.

Remiel


The sun rose, and the council met again, convened by King Gregorii, who seemed to be looking more anxious, drawn, and worried with every passing minute.  But there would be one Councillor who would not be joining them--Marguerite, who had fallen during the night to the vampires' ruthless attack.

There were only five Councillors left:
Valerian, Beguile's Mistress, Foamweber, Ryven, and Rhedyn.  Would the true and loyal ones be able to ferret out the doppelgangers in time?

The day phase has begun.  All votes are due by 12 midnight American EST (9 pm PST) Friday, August 12th.

FoamWeber

Lady Weber was beginning to get nervous. Things were not going well for the few remaining humans- was she going to die? Well, better to kill a vampire instead.
"Valerian," she said, "You were quite quick to accuse yesterday with no better excuse than that Moirae had voted too quickly. Were you trying to protect your fellow vampire, Beguile's Mistress? I regret having been fooled by you; it will not happen again."

That Girl Analise

Rhedyn was struck with guilt when she saw a new body. This one had been a loyal friend, but Rhedyn couldn't keep up her nightly vigil forever... She had taken the chance to sleep, leaving her night watch to handle things on their own... But her comrade lay dead. They still had hope in beating this... They had to. "I shall hear both speak. I'd like to hear all, really, but those two stand accused at the moment and must make their case before the king and the court."

Ryven

"I believe it is you, Lady FoamWeber, who seems to have us all fooled.  How odd of you to change your vote so nonchalantly yesterday and condemn our poor priest.  It seems you were just waiting for the right moment to seal her fate."  Lord Ryven said with a bit more certainty in his voice that day.

Remiel

#192
Current voting, as it stands:

Beguile's Mistress (2): FoamWeber, Rhedyn
FoamWeber (1): Ryven

Yet to vote: Beguile's Mistress, Valerian

Reminder:  All votes are due at 12am midnight, EST, Friday, August 12th.

FoamWeber

"I never changed my vote," Lady Weber replied, confused. "The time for voting was getting short, and it was time for me to retire to bed, so I just joined the majority vote. In any case, my defense from ealier still stands. I have been quick to vote against both vampire and werewolf, and other than this latest vote my record has been perfect. I am not a vampire."

Ryven

"You are correct.  Forgive me, but as I have no better clue as to where to place my vote, I shall keep it where it lies."

That Girl Analise

Rhedyn was out of time. While it was not in her nature to pick randomly, she'd yet to be given anything, truly, to go on.  She bit her lip and pointed to Beguile's Mistress, a silent apology in her eyes.

Beguile's Mistress

Oh, lord.  How could this be?  How could they think...  Why would they believe...

"Noooooo."  Mistress Beguile wailed.  "No!  Not me!"  Her heart was pounding in her breast and icy fingers cupped flaming cheeks.  She didn't want to vote, to accuse, to condemn someone else.  She had no choice though if she wanted to save herself. 

"FoamWeber," she whispered before collapsing into a chair and burying her head in her arms.

FoamWeber

"What are you trying to prove?" Lady Weber asked, unfazed despite the accusations. "I am clearly the most innocent one here. Votes for me make you look guilty. We have discussed this before." She glanced at Valerian. "You have to make the right decision here. Otherwise, all is lost."

Beguile's Mistress

"You would stack the votes against me and deny me the right to fight for the life you want to take?"  Mistress Beguile shot back with some heat.  "Is this your way, to accuse indiscriminately and then sneer under the guise of innocence when the one you target seeks salvation?  That is the tactic of a fiend!"  Her small hands clenched into tight fists on the surface of the table.

FoamWeber

"Of course. You vampires have killed far too many already- the attacks need to stop. If killing you is what that takes, then so be it. Am I a fiend for attempting to save the few remaining humans?" Lady Weber shrugged. "Better to be a fiend than a vampire, I suppose."

Valerian

"You're right, I cannot stay silent.  This is too important."  That was easy enough to say, but it did not help solve the problem of who to vote for, and there Val was still deeply uncertain.  Her mistake during the last vote had been too terrible, and she no longer trusted herself.

"This is a difficult decision, with no clear indications of guilt pointing to anyone.  I can understand honest confusion and indecision, since I certainly feel enough of both myself.  What I cannot understand is why anyone would vote for the one person who has seemed innocent since the beginning.  Have you forgotten that Lady Weber was among the first to suspect Starlequin?

"I am still uncertain, and perhaps I will have another terrible mistake on my conscience, but I must speak, and cast my vote for Beguile's Mistress.  I can only pray that I am correct."
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

Remiel

Final Tally, Day Eight:

Beguile's Mistress (3): FoamWeber, Rhedyn, Valerian
Foamweber (2): Ryven, Beguile's Mistress

All was tense at the Councillor's Table.  There were two who had seemed to act suspiciously, two who had drawn the attention of the Councillors as they debated who among them was most likely to be a monster.  The King was at a complete loss, listening to the accusations being tossed back and forth, finding merit in both arguments.  It seemed as if both Beguile's Mistress and FoamWeber were innocent, unjustly accused of savage crimes.

In the end, however, there needed to be a scapegoat, and Beguile's Mistress drew the vote by the slimmest of margins.  Though he was loath to do so, King Gregorii ordered for her head to be taken.

Beguile's Mistress lowered her head, as the guardsmen came to march her to the courtyard, as if in sorrow and silent acknowledgement of her fate.

But then she raised it, and shrieked, a shrill, piercing cry echoing throughout the hall.  Her eyes glowed unnatural and red, and her fangs grew before their very eyes--she was a curséd vampire!  Screaming, she fell upon them, clawing and biting with supernatural strength.  Two guards fell beneath the horrible onslaught before the cold iron of a glaive pierced her heart.  She was quickly staked and cut to pieces, the corpse burned to leave no trace of resurrection. 

"One more nightwalker falls!" announced the king.  "We are almost quit of this scourge!"  And it was a good thing, too, for only four good Councillors remained...



Night has fallen yet again, although the dawn is, perhaps, within sight.  Vampire, I need your target for the night.  As always, any councillors who have yet to use their charms of scrying may do so at any time.

Remiel


One more vampire, dead--and one more Councillor, too.  FoamWeber had barred her door and shuttered her windows, but even so she could not escape her fate.

Only three Councillors were left now:
Rhedyn, Valerian, and Ryven. This was the final day; one way or another, the long Scourge would come to an end at last.  Either the last monster would be discovered, or the innocents would be too few in number to fight back.  Would the kingdom see peace and sun at last, or would it suffer under darkness for a century?

The day phase has begun.  All votes are due by 12 midnight American EST (9 pm PST) Thursday, August 18.

That Girl Analise

Rhedyn came in more confident than in the last session. She had made an ally... But too late, it seemed. Foam lay dead in her chamber. In a fit of rage and frustration as Ryven came to join them in the court. "You foul beast. I call you out here and now. I believe it is you that killed my friend," she glared at him, and had her sword drawn for her own protection. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Ryven

Lord Ryven simply smirked, a hint of malice in his eyes.  "What do I have to say?"  He began.  "You people are far too trusting.  My word, such a feast."  He said with a slight cackle.  "Dear Lady Weber, so delectable a treat, and Mistress Marguerite, how I savored her essence."  Ryven licked his lips with such enthusiasm in his grim recollection.  "And then there was the dear wolf hunter, Lady Mithlomwen who had been put to such good use.  Once she had ferreted out all the little puppies for us, the only use she had left was for a midnight snack."  He chuckled again.  "And Lady Imogen before her.  Oh, how delicious."  He finally grinned to bear fang and all.  "Dear Lady Kyrsa was my least favorite.  She had the smell of those wretched lycanthropes on her.  She simply had to go."  He slowly sauntered in a semi-circle whilst looking from Rhedyn to Valerian.  "Oh, but my favorite, dear Analise.  Her blood was as sweet as wine, so trusting.  How she revealed to me in trust that she was a councillor with the gift of foresight.  She was just too tempting after that."  He finished, gently tossing his cape over his shoulder to reveal a pale hand with elongated nails upon each finger.

"I suppose you'll be wishing to kill me now," he chuckled.  "Go ahead.  Have fun.  Your beloved kingdom lies in chaos now that the majority of its nobility are dead and gone.  Oh, but don't think you are safe either.  The curse that runs in my veins is not only mine to bear.  If not I then others will have vengeance for my dear friends.  Geeklet and Mistress Beguile will be avenged.  Our poor pet Starlequin too."  He gave a grotesquely shrill cackle, staring at them both with blood red eyes.

Valerian

Lady Val rolled her eyes at this theatrical speech.  "Oh, be quiet," she said, firmly.  "You're already dead, Lord Ryven, or had you forgotten that?  All we can do is cut you up and burn you as we did to your evil allies, and we will enjoy that, believe me.  Now that we know how your kind work, we will remain vigilant, and you foul bloodsuckers will never come so close to defeating us again."  And with that, she prepared to watch impassively as the guards destroyed the creature.
"To live honorably, to harm no one, to give to each his due."
~ Ulpian, c. 530 CE

Ryven

"You're right.  We will never come so close again.  Instead we shall just finish you all off."  He spat out at her.  "Cut my body and burn my bones.  My will, however, shall live on."

Remiel

Final Tally, Day Nine:

Ryven (2): Rhedyn, Valerian

Did not Vote: Ryven

As Ryven did not even bother to deny being the last vampire, the choice was easy.  However, determining that he was to be destroyed was one thing; actually managing to do it was something else entirely.    For, as everyone knew, vampires were powerful, and possessed of supernatural strength, incalculable celerity, and could change forms at will.  In addition, they could put regular mortal minds under their sway.

Although the king's knights drew their swords, they found that they lacked the will to attack.  Their blades became as heavy as lead in their hands, and it became a struggle to even stay awake and aware.  Some lapsed into a despondent lethargy, unable to resist the vampire's thrall.

Even the king seemed helpless to resist.  Ryven laughed, his eyes glowing crimson as he stalked the monarch.  "I will enjoy feasting on your blood the most, Your Grace," he said, his fangs growing longer by the second.

However, just then, the two survivors seemed to shake off the monster's hypnosis--Valerian, the last  loyal Councillor, and Rhedyn, the king's trusted Captain of the Guard.  Clutching a vial of holy water, Valerian marshalled her courage and doused the unholy beast--who hissed and shrunk back, his skin melting where the water touched it.  That was all the opportunity that Rhedyn needed, for she rushed forth, wielding a wooden stake and iron mallet, and with a mighty blow, hammered the spike into the creature's heart.

With a mighty wail, Ryven was undone.  The good people of the realm had triumphed; the darkness was gone at last.  King Gregorii, ever grateful, raised both Valerian and Rhedyn to high lordships, and threw a grand feast in their honor.  The dead were not forgotten, as well, for a monument was built in honor of Lady Rottenaim, Admiral Eden, Dame Analise, Lord Mayerling, Count Izu, Lady Imogen, Dame Mithlomwen, Bishop Moirae, Duchess Marguerite, and Lady Weber--fine and noble lords all, who gave their lives in service of the kingdom.  Their memories would be honored, and their sacrifices would not be forgotten.