A Kings Honor
Logged Nov. 11, 1997
Logged and Edited by Raktura
Titled=A Kings Honor
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Player Characters-
Raktura-Uruk-Hai Chieftainess of the Wolf Isengard
Ugluk-Feature Uruk-Hai King of Isengard
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Synopsis-
Raktura enters the Halls of the King to speak to him about one of
her warriors who had been locked up in the dungeons and is being
falsely accused. The thing she did not count on was having her
honor challenged from taking matters into her hands concerning a
dead inquisitor.
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King's Hall -- Receiving Area
You see an enormous chamber. A pair of Uruk-hai guards, clad in
dark chain mail and armed with spears, stand at the ready near
the pillars of both the northern and southern archways. The
walls, like the pillars supporting the twenty-foot archways, are
gigantic slabs of reddish-hued granite. Each slab along the wall
is 6 feet wide and rises to meet the edge of the room's
black-domed ceiling some 15 feet above the floor.
The floor and domed ceiling are made of a polished volcanic
rock, a deep ebony stone with prominent veins of crimson coursing
through it. The area of the floor near the southern archway is
covered with a twenty foot square carpet, a carpet of such a deep
crimson it is the color of dried blood. From this extends a
twelve foot wide runway carpet of the same, which disappears
through the northern arch.
Along the length of both flanking walls hang tapestries
representing the clans and cults of Isengard Under the Mountain,
home of the Black Dragon Kingdom. Along the west wall are
tapestries of the Isendrim Clans: The Wolf, The Raven, The Bear,
The Dragon, and The Blackbanner. Along the east wall are the
banners of the Isendrim Cults: The Hammer, The Temple Order, The
Hand of Darkness, The Swords of Darkness, and The Blood Legion.
Raktura strides in with a confident grace, though her eyes are
kept low yet glance up on occasion out of respect for the
position of her King. Spying the king occupying the room, she
stops just as she enters the halls and brings her hand up to her
chest in a formal Wolf salute as she sees the king. She stands
rigid lifting her chin up in a proud manner and waits to speak
until she is spoken to.
As you make your entrance, the flickering torchlight plays off
the enameled visor of the King's familiar demon helm. As you
salute, the dark lord nods once from the shrouded darkness of
Black Dragon throne, then raises his gauntletted right hand
gesturing for you to come forth. Replacing his arm on the carved
dragon arm of the throne, the dark figure waits silently as you
approach.
Raktura lifts her eyes up to meet her kings. As he beckons her
forward she steps up, her movements are purposeful and direct
with each placement of her boots upon the floor. She approaches
the chair and stands crisply with all the pride and honor she
carries with her upon her shoulders. She takes in a breath and
with a strong voice she states, "I have come to speak to da
king on da bahalve of me Arauruk Wolf Warrior. Da warrior
name Bragum." She pauses to see if the King will give her
permission to continue.
Moving toward the throne, the light of the torches seems to
flicker in such a way that the figure on the great chair remains
in the shadow of the great dragon wings. Only the crimson eyes
pierce the darkness with a constancy that indicates the King's
steady presence. The crimson embers follow you, unblinking, as
you approach the King. When you reach your destination, you
notice a subtle movement...the figure on the throne seeming to
sit back somewhat, folding his hands across a large blade that
you now see resting across the figure's lap. From the shadow
echo's a dark, metallic voice that you have heard before. "Yes.
Of course you do..."
Raktura stands her ground firm and erect as a true warrior of her
position and stature would when standing in the presence of one's
king. Her jaws clenching slightly seems to be the only noticeable
sign of nervousness she outwardly shows. When the king allows her
to speak further, she keeps her eyes straight and unmoving. The
same strong voice echo's within the room as she makes her claim,
"Da Arauruk come ta me clan under da order of da one above
Sharku 'imself. I did not trust him to begin wit, but now I
find meself supporting him to ask for him life and honor as
a warrior of da Wolf Clan. Him be a different warrior wit a
different way of seeing things. I consider him a valued
member of da Wolf and trust him wit me life. Da charges dat be
set upon him wit da evidence found, does not warrant him
being lock up in da cage. Him type need da space of da aboves
and need ta use him energy in battle. He be a fierce
warrior" After she stops speaking she holds her stance as still
as possible and awaits the kings response with a cool unusual
calmness rarely seen within her.
As the king listens to the words of the Wolf leader, the brings
his clasped hands to his visor contemplatively. His eyes narrow
into thin crimson slits as the mention of 'orders' for the one in
question, but there is no other reaction. When the words are
finished, the hands lower again, and grim words follow. "This is
not the world of the surface-dwellers. This is the Kingdom of the
Black Dragun. We have our code, and within our kingdom, it will
be obeyed. Not by some, but by all. If the half-breed has broken
the code, the code says he will pay." The king pauses in silence,
a most uncomfortable pause for the listener, then in a continues
in a dark but questioning voice, "Did you order the Arauruk to
kill the Kreavakh?"
Raktura listens intently upon each word of the King, her mind
calculating her next speech to the king. Holding her gaze ahead,
she doesn't seem to flinch as the final question is asked of her.
Her only reaction is seen within her eyes, a flash of anger as
her own honor as well as the honor of the Wolf is questioned. She
slowly directs her eyes to meet the kings once more and with a
meaningful tone she states, "I speak to you with da spirit of
da wolf as me witness as I tell you dat neither did I, nor any
of my clan take actions upon a members of our clan. Dat would
be breaking da firzt oath of becoming a Wolf my king."
Ugluk nods twice, as you swear to him that you took no action in
this debacle. His eyes, however, remain squinted as he rises to
his full height on the dais before you. He stands in full armor,
his dark cloak draped down over his shoulders, the great blade
Morgcarach held easily in his right hand, pointed to the floor.
He pauses after rising, his gaze looking over you, watching your
expressions.
Then the dark lord steps off the dais, taking three distinct
metallic steps which echo in a brief staccato rhythm against the
cold granite walls of the hall. He now stands before you, looking
down, still studying. The voice rasps metallic against the inside
of the visor, yet it is only loud enough for you alone to hear.
"It is your honor, and it alone, that spares the Arauruk...for
now. The High Inquisitor will continue his investigations, that
is his duty." Then there is a noticeable pause, yet you know the
King is not finished, only allowing for his words to impact. With
the same grim tone, he continues, "But you *are* responsible for
the death of the Inquisitor Gwargash..."
Raktura stands calm as the king rises from his throne. Her eyes
peeled from his to face forward in a stony faced mask of calm.
His shadow seems to fall over her body like a the darkness of the
silence before a storm. As he steps down to look upon her she
lifts her chin up slightly with all the pride she can exude. Her
ears attuned to his voice when he speaks, she shows no emotion as
the king states the life of the Arauruk is spared. She gives a
brief nod when he states the Inquisitor will continue his
investigations but remains facing forward concentrating upon a
small shadow upon the wall. As he continues and makes his
statement of her action against the inquisitor Gwargash she
finally shows a reaction as it seems to of struck deep into her
soul. Her fiery red eyes snap to look upon the face of Ugluk, not
in defiance but with a clear and evident hate for the dead
inquisitor. Her voice turns into a slight growl as she states,
"He betrayed you my king, and he betrayed da honor of da
Black Dragon, and he betrayed me most of all."
As you go into a quick, and passionate defense of your actions,
the King holds up his left hand, palm first and his eyes close to
darkness. Some moments after your words stop, and nothing but the
sound of flickering torches echoes through the hall, the King
lowers his hand opens his eyes. His words are still spoken in a
low tone, but they are firm and hardly a whisper, "That is *not*
the issue. He was an Inquisitor, an officer that reported
indirectly to *me*."
A dark raspy sigh looses from the inside of the mask, and
the King, obviously at odds with himself, closes his eyes
momentarily. This time when they open, his voice is direct and to
the point. "We have nothing without the code. And the code says
that King...*only* the King...can sanction such a death among our
own. That is the *code*. Our code. The code dictates that you
must now die...'death for death.'"
The dark Lord eyes you silently after he speaks these words.
"The High Inquisitor has requested it. And it is his right. The
one dead served under him." Again, a moment without words, and
the king turns away then quickly back, his glare completely cold
and his sword pointed at you. "The only reason you still have
life is because I used *my* honor to save it." The sword drops,
again pointing to the ground. "So you have a 'pass,' a pass where
none is possible. But remember this, if you so much as dream of
breaking the code, or overstepping it's bounds, I will execute
you myself."
Raktura seeing the hand of the King rise quickly, it cuts off any
other words to spill from her lips. Her eyes face forward as she
waits for the king to speak once again. The long silence sending
her through an agonizing terror, the only sound she hears is the
beating of her black heart within her chest. She blinks as the
king begins to speak. His words of the code ringing true into her
soul, and a great debate takes place between her hate for the
dead inquisitor and the honor of her position. She swallows and
holds still, unmoving as the Dark lord tells of her sentence
according to code. She holds herself firm awaiting for the swift
justice to be carried out by the hand of the king only to listen
to him stake his honor to save hers. Her eyes flash to his as
they take in the full meaning of his action this day. She quickly
returns her eyes to the wall and merely nods to him as he says
his last words. She responds as she brings her hand to her chest
and states in the same strong voice she began with, "I will
not dishonor you again my king. You have me word. If
there be the slightest question of it, I will accept da fate
dat comes to me. I will and always has been loyal to you and
dat of da Banner. I will not fail again."
As the Wolf leader reaffirms her commitment to the code, the King
gives on nod of his dark helm. He then motions to one of the
distant guards, afterward looking back upon you and speaking with
solemn calmness, "Then we drink to the Black Dragun and to the
code." As he finishes his words, the Uruk-hai arrives beside
them, with two silver vessels and a silver flask. The King pours
from the flask into one vessel, then hands it to the
Chieftainess. He then pours into his own. Raising his silver
container, he proposes, "To the Black Dragun and to the code."
Raktura watches as the liquid pours from the flask into the two
goblets. She takes the offered silver cup into her hand, her
strong fingers gripping it delicately as she lifts it up to meet
the Kings gesture. Her eyes stare intently into his as she states
with a passionate voice, "To da Black Dragon and da code, my
king" She waits till he lifts his goblet to his lips before
bringing her own up to drink from it.
The two leaders drink from the goblets sealing their vow of honor
to the code and the kingdom of the Black Dragon. Each knowing in
turn the meaning of what honor is to a warrior and knowing the
consequences of crossing the fine line between the life and death
of a warrior due to the vow of honor.
(End of Log)
