Something is Rotten in the State of Caervenfor . . . [IC Thread]

[Wensleydale]

[ic=Aldabrat]Aldabrat watches the carriage suspiciously, and then grins. "That's money made on dwarven backs, I'll warrant. No fear, we'll have made more than him."[/ic]

[Stargate525]

[ooc]I'm gonna be internet-less starting tomorrow and until monday. Just giving a heads-up.[/ooc]

[Seraph]

[ooc]So am I, actually, but I'll be back Sunday.[/ooc]

[Raelifin]

[ic=Jelma'c]"Speaking of odd things, where is everyone?"[/ic]

[ic Archer]"Probably hidin' in fear of being run over, eh?" Archer casts a rare smile that lasts but a second before dropping back into a dreary glaze.[/ic]
[ooc]Hey all! I'm sorry 'bout the extended lack of internet, my move went from bad to worse. ^_^ It's good to be back.[/ooc]

[Seraph]

[ooc]So . . . are you guys gonna do anything?  I mean, you could always go to the palace *wink wink, nudge nudge*[/ooc]

[Stargate525]

[ic]Jelma'c chuckles at his stoic friend before continuing to the palace.[/ic]

[Seraph]

[ic]The word of the king is not to be doubted.  The feasting and ceremony are spectacular.  It seems that all Caervenfor is here, despite all logic to the contrary.  The celebrations of victory have already begun by the time you arrive.  You are surrounded by festivity, and the emptiness of the streets is readily explained.  Such is the glory of voictory that even the peasants dance at the feast.  The Great Hall has proven incapable of containing the sea of heads bobbing and swaying to the modal tones of the players and the outlying rooms bustle with the liveliness of peasantry while the innermost reaches strum with noble reserve.  It seems that you have not been waited for.
Neither are you the only to receive commendations.  Other heroes of the war are being honored as well, including the young Prince Osric II and his uncle Cassius the Thane of Tersigrad and brother to King Osric.  But the herald of your arrival arouses particular joviality, and your valiance at the bridge is held with particular regard, perhaps due to your less-than-royal birth.
King Osric The Just calls the five of you, his son, and his brother before the throne to present to you medals of commendation.  It features an honorific gemstone of the deepest green set in a radiating cross-hatch of silver on a white ribbon that clasps at the back of the neck.  You are then allowed to return to your seats for the consummation of the feast proper.[/ic]

[Wensleydale]

[ic=Aldabrat]Aldabrat snorts, and speaks. "Gah, these medals are nowhere near as good as the ones back at home."[/ic]

[Seraph]

[ooc]@Golem:  :-p Points for staying in character, but . . .[/ooc]
 [ic]"You'd best be careful, dwarf, not to scorn the kindness of the king."  The speaker is a tall, bearded man dressed more regally than most, with furs and pelts of unknown creatures and a medal such as your own.  You recognize him as Cassius, the Thane of Tersigrad.  "My brother is generous indeed, to pay his personal praise and decorations on such as you, who would not ordinarily belong to a level deserving a king's attention.  He acknowledges your bravery, and so be grateful.  Other kings would do much less."[/ic]

[Stargate525]

[ic]"I doubt that very much," Jelma'c says to Aldabrat, "The gem is a lovely shade of green."

To Cassius he says, "Sir, I am not well acquainted with the meanings of the awards of this land. What is the name of this medal, and what is it given for?"[/ic]

[Wensleydale]

[ic=Aldabrat]Aldabrat's mouth opens. Then closes. Then opens again. Finally he says "Greetings, m'Lord. A lot of kings would have..." He pauses. "Uhm. Well, wonderful feast. And how did you fare in the battle?"[/ic]

[Seraph]

[ic=Cassius, Thane of Tersigrad]"In Caervenfor, a deep green such as belongs to this gemstone symbolizes, on the most basic level, health and fortitude.  On a deeper level, we connect vitality of body to vitality of spirit, what's more, greens of all shades are symbolic colors of loyalty, and so this medal, the Emerald Soul, is given to those whose spirit in battle is shown in the faithful service of Caervenfor."

Turning back to the dwarf he says "Very well.  I but once suffered an injury of any note; a shoulder dislocated while battling three of the orcish brutes at a time single handed.  As to my personal valor for receiving this medal, I believe it must have been due largely to an event after the fact.  You see, when the orcs were defeated at Nordgate, we thought we had rid our nation of their filthy presence.  Not that my brother would ever refer to them as such.  He sees ill in none."  He snorts slightly. "Well we hadn't quite.  And we were ambushed on our way back to Kommenap, in Fedrolov near the Deadhaunt woods, not long after passing Rell Inyar.  We had made camp when they attacked us.  Good men were slain that night and the villains made off with many of our horses, escaping into the woods.  I led a team of men three men after them.  Alas my companions were slain, but we rid the land of the last of the orc menace, and I was able to retreive the horses.  It only grieves me that it cost the lives of such good men."[/ic]

[Seraph]

[ooc]OK, come on.  Somebody do something.  If no one has anything to do at the feast, then say you go to your rooms to await what the next day has to offer, but do something![/ooc]

[Stargate525]

[ooc]Sorry. Gone till tuesday.[/ooc]

[Wensleydale]

[ic=Aldabrat]Aldabrat nods. "A brave feat."[/ic]

[ooc]Let's just skip to the rooms...[/ooc]