Roen

Roen crossed her arms, canting her head. This tea was delicious! And the whole scene had a dreamy quality to it. Sure, why not play along? Red-haired Midlander didn't recognize anyone of the faces, but it did not matter. She was curious about all of them. "I was once told, our worth is measured by what we do in life. What do you want to do with your life?"

*waves* *because he started the string of hot Highlander pic posts on the screenshot thread* ... What.

Welcome! Oooh all these characters in cities I want to run into and RP with! Damn you story arc! Perhaps I will run into you with one of my alts... Hornet looked fantastic in your outfit. Yes indeedy.

YA LAZY BUM!!! *shakes fist*

*makes gurglechoking noise* I SOOOO have been thinking about doing this as well! ...I blame Xydane. Since there's where I got the idea too. OOOOY.

What a fantastic idea!! I am so happy for you guys in both the mansion for the FC and now this. I know how hard everyone was working for it in the FC. What a lovely thing to add to the RP atmosphere. Congrats and I think this place will be bustling! Looking forward to more news!

I agree! Rumors are great for RP! The ones I craft for my characters are for exactly that. RP hooks that can be used! Actually I think wiki a a whole is a huge RP hook for others to draw upon. I too also love putting rumors on other people's wiki's and love reading them on mine as well. Because it does show that different perspective from another character's POV of how they perceive interactions and characters. And if they are a bag if mixed rumors, positive and negative, all the better! I also like to update rumors depending on things that have happened recently. And yes, I have read rumors and said... "GAH I need to play with them more." ... Then struggle to come up with an equally cool rumor that I haven't yet, I think you know who you are.

I love reading people's wiki. And updating my own when I can. I allows me to put tidbits about other characters that I otherwise can't either though RP or written stories. And it allows others to catch up on what the heck is going on with my own if they want to know. I also have recent events and history under spoiler tags with a warning to the readers that those are for OOC information only. So far, I have been lucky in that regard that no one has abused what I put there. And because the recap of recent events tend to grow over time, I like it under the spoiler tag as well, nice and neat. I also like wiki for the opportunities to put art related to your character AND screenshots! That awesome Tiergan portrait! So going there! I know so many others with some great formatting and artwork on their pages and I get envious! I know some have put music on their wikis too. I should, I just haven't gotten around to it. Lastly, for those who are intimidated by wiki coding, I first put together my page just cutting and pasting someone's basic page format and inserting text and pictures into it. Then I got page envy and bugged Gharen to help me. Which he generously did.

Yes! I LOOOVE IT, Tiergan! But I told you that yesterday. Thank you so much!

Problem is not Ul'Dah. It has never been Ul'Dah. I would track down that post that Osric put up somewhere sometime ago about all the great things about RP in Ul'Dah. I love RP in Ul'Dah. I love the setting. The clear divide in politics, the architectural layout, Law enforcement LSs, everything. This thread is about Harassment and Griefers but people jump on the opportunity to go "let's leave Ul'Dah!" That isn't the solution. Create RP that draws people to other cities. Don't bash Ul'Dah to get people there. I RP wherever the story takes me. I've gone to Gridania and Limsa. And likely will go there again. But let the RP draw people there, not bashing a great setting. (this isn't directed at anyone, it's just a trend I've noticed in multiple threads) And... this really doesn't have anything to do with Griefers and Harrassment so... um, my contribution/take on it is: I blacklist quickly. There.

Okay with a climactic scene looming on the horizon... I just wanted to say Kudos to everyone involved. Even before I see how that scene will go, I wanted to say it. Itar for turning this plot upside the head with your character. I never saw it coming. Askier for the turn he himself had through the plot. Character I honestly never thought I would get to know but now I am glad I did. Natalie and Kage, for starting this whole Brass Blades arc with me in the first place. I REALLY do think the presence of Blades (with their touch of corruption, even if it was forced on them) brought out the true flavor of Ul'Dah into RP. Even after this particular scene, Brass Blades arc will still continue and I think Ul'Dah RP is better for it. For Crofte, Aya, C, and anyone else that reacted to the Blades in the Quicksand, Ruby Road, and streets of Ul'Dah in general. Because what good are corrupt officers if there is no one to react to them? To Anden and Co, who never read these boards. I still give you Kudos for always be willing to let me drag you in for plots and NPCs. Delial and Gharen, because I love you both. Always there to feed my creative muse. Osric. Because he's Osric. Damn you Osric.

Screenshots of some recent plot events:

“Hello, Jameson,” Natalie greeted blandly. The finely dressed nobleman walked out of the Gates of the Sultana, with three large armored men escorting him. He squinted in the afternoon sun, his feathered hat lending little in the way of relief for all its fancy embroidery and a golden feather from the bright glare of the desert. He spied the armored Miqo’te woman and her taller shackled prisoner and smiled. "I see that you have delivered on your promise." Natalie held up her hand to give him pause. "Before you get too excited... I need to know if you've delivered on yours.” “Ah, the bargain we struck. For Deneith’s amnesty.” He lifted his gloved hand, two fingers motioning his guards to surround the Highlander. “Aye, the bargain.” Natalie frowned, green eyes glancing to the armored men. "Jameson...? That won't be needed, he came willingly." Jameson shrugged. "He may be willing now, but he may not be soon enough." He turned his attention to the Highlander. "Wolfsong is it? My employer has gone through quite the trouble to find you." He gave him another smile when he was met with a narrowed gaze. Natalie stepped in between them, her brows furrowed. "You haven't answered my question," she growled. "The bargain is nearly done, Natalie.” Jameson tugged on his white gloves. “I need to get him into custody and see what names he gives up. My employer will be happy, and happily agree to the amnesty." He gestured vaguely into the air. "Or... burn the documents with proof, anyroad. Else you want the documents delivered to you?" Natalie gave him a dangerous look. “That wasn't the deal Jameson, she gets amnesty, regardless of what he gives up.” Jameson clucked his tongue. "You do not recall clearly then, Natalie. The bargain was that I satisfy my employer, and the amnesty happens. This…” he looked Gharen up and down, like a piece of meat. “...goes a long way though. Perhaps his execution will satisfy them." He gave Natalie his usual sly smile. "No perhaps," Natalie said sharply, her eyebrows twitching. Jameson seems unfazed by her ire and rolled his shoulders again. "Or a whipping? Or beheading? Hanging? Who knows? Names would be nice. His fate may not be so hard then." He glanced back up at the Highlander who was continuing to hold his tongue. "What do you say, Wolfsong? What will it be? Some names to spare your life? Or a quick death?" "Well I'd show ye but these shackles'd make it tough fer me te shove yer head up yer arse," Gharen finally answered, his eyes still intently studying Jameson’s face. "But I'll get aroun' te tha' eventually, I'm sure." Natalie’s hand curled into a fist by her side as she growled again. "I'm not in the mood for games, you fop. I didn't do this for maybes and possibilities." "Hmm." The noble hummed, unimpressed. He gave Natalie a sidelong glance. "I will get for you what I promised. But you do realize, I do not make these decisions." He bowed his head slightly, meeting her eye for eye. He smiled. "But I am certain my employers will be satisfied. You have been a model employee so far.” Natalie exhaled, her eyes closing. She nodded reluctantly. "Fine... just.... just hold up your end." After a pause, she stared back at Jameson, the look of warning returning. "Gods help you if you do not." She turned away, as if to hide the deep frown that was bending her brows. Jameson smiled brightly at her. “Why so sullen, Natalie? You did a good job! Turning in a terrorist!" Natalie snapped back around. "Don't insult me Jameson, we both know what I really did." Jameson only answered her with a smirk, before he turned back to the Highlander, appraising him. “Now Wolfsong, you look much too comfortable. My employers will not be happy seeing you without a scratch, understand." He gave Natalie a sidelong glance, shaking his head. "I expected some wounds on him. Color me a little disappointed." "Dinnae want te hurt th' lass, me bein' a dangerous criminal an' all.” Gharen rumbled, looking down at the shorter hyur. “That'd nae be proper." Jameson sniffed, holding up his hand again and motioned to the men. “Now be a good prisoner while we mark you up a bit. For.. presentation, obviously." "...Right." The Highlander did not move, his jaw set. Jameson Taeros sighed and stepped back away from the Highlander as the three armored men closed in around him, two flanking him on each side, one behind him. With no warning, Gharen received a hard kick to the back of his knee, sending him to the ground. The two men next to him started to deliver blows to his face, kicks to the stomach and ribs. The Highlander grunted, but remained stoic and silent, receiving the blows as they came. His hands bound behind him, there were no ways to shield himself from the beating nor did he attempt to. And the men that surrounded him were strong, and they were brought here for this purpose. They knew how to deliver a vicious beating. "Now... had you delivered him a little bit more presentable, I would not need to do this." Jameson looked to Natalie, a near bored expression on his face. "Alas. Presentation is everything to my employer." He paused for an instant however, his light eyes glancing immediately to the Highlander when a low rumbling growl emerged from Wolfsong’s chest. "Don't you fucking dare put this on me, this was never part of the deal!” Natalie hissed. "I don't hurt anyone I don't have to!” Jameson’s gaze lingered on the Highlander for a moment longer, but when the growl did not give way to anything else, he turned back to Natalie with his sly smile back in place. "What did you think would happen, Natalie. That we politely escort him to our dungeons?" "Yes," she said plainly. "I'm not stranger to torture, but you're not even asking him questions." She scowled. "This... is just wrong." She shook her head. "You're beating a man just because you can." Jameson shifted in his stance, almost as if to keep the view of the Highlander in his periphery. The three men still beating on him however did not seemed to notice or care of Wolfsong’s underlying temper. "The questions will come, Natalie. But only those broken in are likely to answer." He shrugged nonchalantly then curled the sly smile again. "And yes... because we can." Natalie glowered. "Just get it over with then." She flicked the barest glance toward the scene of the beating, as one armored man grabbed Gharen by the cuff of his shirt, bringing his fists onto the shackled man’s face without mercy or reprieve. “Not so tough are ya…?” The bearded guard sneered at his prisoner, spittle flying at his face. Wolfsong only met the gaze coldly, his furrowed brows the only sign that he was concentrating intently on keeping his emotions in check. As if he knew why he was here, and why he had to take this. And it was not for his sake. Jameson sighed restlessly as he watched for a while longer, until the three men started to show signs of exhaustion, and Wolfsong was dropped back to the ground. The guards were breathing heavily. Natalie turned away from the scene, her eyes going bitterly to Jameson. “He's your responsibility now... whatever happens. I'll expect those documents within the next few suns." Her green eyes burned with a threat of its own. Jameson answered her with a pleased and easy expression. “And you shall have them, I expect. Yes, my employer will be pleased indeed.” Gharen spat out blood onto the stoney ground, looking up at Natalie’s back. His lip was split and bloody and his face was adorned with multiple gashes from gauntlet blows. He spoke with a low rumbling voice. "Till we next meet Miss Mcbeef, An' may th' road before ye always be well paved." Natalie stood still, her head lowered, but did not turn to meet Gharen’s eyes. Jameson nodded to the three men. “Take him to the cell.” His light eyes squinted in the afternoon sun as he watched the two heave the Highlander by his arms, dragging him away. He looked to Natalie, who still stood next to him, her back turned to the prisoner being taken away. Her feet seemed rooted for a moment, her expression dark. “Always pleasure doing business with you Natalie,” Jameson smiled, tipping his feathered hat to the Miqo’te. “Perhaps we can get that drink one of these days.” Natalie just stared at him wordlessly for a moment, then shook her head and angrily strode back toward the gate.

“Gharen Wolfsong, I need to speak to you urgently on a matter concerning your sister. It is a matter of life and death. Please meet me alone, tomorrow evening on the docks outside of the Silver Bazaar. I have placed Roen outside of reach until this is over. If you truly wish for your sister to live a life without fear, meet me there, her future is in your hands. Any trickery will doom her.” --Unsigned Seagulls glided through the blue skies, their shadows skimming across the water’s surface as quiet waves lapped against the wooden pillars of the dock. Gharen Wolfsong stepped onto the pier with the letter in hand, delivered the sun before by the mail moogle, the ominous message within unsigned. He narrowed his eyes onto the figure clad in armor at the end of the landing. He stopped half way, the still afternoon air between the two figures was thick with humidity. "Ye've alot o' nerve. Ye know tha'?" he called out across the pier. "I'm aware. I think it is a condition we both share," the armored figure answered, as if to note that both of them had come alone to this meeting. Only the seagulls and the sun bore witness to their exchange. There was a moment’s pause before the helmet was lifted off her head, and Natalie Mcbeef looked at the Highlander. “Gharen,” her voice was somber. Gharen narrowed his hazel eyes, jaw set. There was no surprise on his countenance. "Ye don' know anythin' about me. Lets get tha' straight." Natalie smiled, although it did not reach her eyes. "I knew enough to get you here.” "A simple "Need te talk te ye" would have sufficed,” he rumbled. Natalie slowly shook her head, her expression darkening. “I don't think it would." She sighed, before she leveled her gaze at him. "Gharen, I need you to turn yourself in." "Fer what?" The Miqo’te held up her hand and ticked off her fingers one by one. “Terrorism, stealing a ceruleum core, consorting with Garleans…” she paused for a moment, her voice lowering. “And because the Syndicate said so." "Don' know what yer talkin' about. Terrorism?” He placed his hands on his hips, regarding her squarely. “Consorting with Garleans? Won' deny th' bit about th' core. Though I had nothin' te do with tha' regardless." Natalie let out a long exhale, sadness falling like a shadow over her features. "It's the last one really, that's the most important. I've made a deal with them you see. Amnesty for Roen, a chance for her to live a normal life, and all they ask for in return... is you.” A pause fell between them. The water continued to lap below their feet. "I see. So I'm te be th' sacrifice ye make te keep yer superiors happy? How do you think that'll go o'er with her?" Natalie rolled her shoulders in a shrug. Her cool demeanor did not waver. "She won't know. I don't plan to tell her. She deserves a better life than to be shackled to her past and to her fugitive of a brother.” She narrowed her eyes onto Gharen, her tone turning grim. "You don't want to know what they promised they'd do if I didn't cooperate." The Highlander regarded the woman, no anger in his voice. "I pity ye. Yer road te hell's goin' te be paved in these good intentions o' yers. I wonder how long ye'll be able te live with 'em and keep up th' charade." Natalie let out a hollow laugh. "What would you have me do then? Scoff at their demands and watch as Roen is led to a scaffold and hung as a spy? This won't be the first or the last time I've pushed my ideals aside to deal with reality." Her facade lost all hint of amusement. "Oh, ye don' have te convince me any, but it sounds like yer trying te convince yerself more'n anythin'.” He inhaled, his own expression resigned. “But as I said ‘good intentions’. So, do I jus' let ye cuff me here an' drag me off te th' dungeons? Or am I te die here at th' tip o' yer blade?" The two stared at each other a long moment across the pier. "You don't seem very surprised by any of this.” She canted her head. "Did you already know....?" "I suspected, visit from a flame about a moon ago mentioned th' blades. Two an' two.” Natalie’s expression fell just slightly, betraying something beneath the cool facade. "Yet you came unarmed." She frowned and pinched her nose, turning to face the waters behind her. "...Gods, how did it all turn out like this?” She stared out for a moment longer, her frown only deepening. When she turned back to Gharen, her eyes were once more narrowed. "To answer your question Gharen, I'm under no illusions that what I'm doing is just, or even good." She grimaced. "I just can't see any other path." A pair of shackles were slid from the Miqo’te to come to a stop at Gharen’s feet. He looked to her before picking them up. "'fore we go anywhere with this. Where is she?" "Safe.” She nodded in reassurance. “I hired someone to hold her away from the city. I don't know the exact location, but she'll be returned to the city after this.” A pause. "If I don't know myself... it can't be tortured out of me." He stared at her a moment longer, then bent to pick up the shackles, closing one around his wrist. He pulled his arms behind him to bind his other hand. "Ye'd better hope she is. Because if she's nae, I'll rectify lett'n ye walk away from th' mines." Natalie approached him, her armored boots making the wooden boards creak beneath her feet. "She wouldn't even be in this mess if it wasn't for you Gharen. They knew you two are related, and used her to get to you." She stood before him, her expression somber despite the fact that she now had her prisoner in tow. "Don't worry, as if I'd let harm come to her after I've gone to these lengths." She checked the bindings, then looked up to him. "Any last requests.... or messages, before I take you back to the city?" Gharen set his jaw, and grumbled low. "Let’s jus' get this o'er with."

That post says it all, Askier. *tries to edit one more spelling error* I KID! (kinda) (okay not really) Thanks for the positive feedbacks! I enjoyed telling what happened. Good stuff! Kudos to the players for giving me great material!

Roen’s heart felt as if it would leap out of her chest in fear as she scrambled off the bed, trying to make for the other room. “Was planning on it, Big Guy!” Askier snarled as he threw whatever was in his hand onto the ground. It exploded into a bright flash, followed by a thick oily smoke with a smell of sulfur and salt pepper. Roen instinctively held her breath, recognizing the choking effect. Askier turned and curled his hand around her waist, and he too darted for the door. But Crim was not stalled for long. His heavy armored steps were still quick enough to close the distance to the arched doorway, and he swung his massive sword in their direction. Even fighting the glares that the flash left, he was meaning to stop anyone from exiting. With a violent shove from Askier, Roen was thrown into the other room just ahead of the swing of the blade, and the Miqo’te leaped back. The sword tip just barely caught Askier on the face, drawing a line of blood. “Really, Crim, this is what it’s come to?!” he shouted, his hand digging into his satchel even as he backed away from the armed Roe. Roen barely spared them a glance as she darted for the door, the shackles around her ankles making her stumble more than once. She yanked free the coat that Askier had hung there; she knew she was not going to make it for long outside without some protection from the cold. “You ass!” She heard Askier snarl from the other room as her trembling hand worked to open the locked doorknob. “I’m ashamed that you ever got to taint that tea house and Delial with your madness! Take another step and I’ll make you regret you ever hunted me down after my trial!” “You little bastard," Crim roared, "I was gonna just knock ya good. Now I’m gonna grind yer bones inta powder!" Roen clicked the door open. It was then that she heard rushing armored footsteps. Terror gripped her heart when she glanced over her shoulder and saw the blood-red armored Roegadyn sprinting her way, his blade drawn and a sinister grin in on his face. He was not going for Askier’s baiting--Crimson Mountain was coming after her. Roen threw the doors open, only to have the howling winds and the cold hit her like a brick. She had no time to don the coat she grabbed, only clutched it tight to her chest as she darted out. She did not hear the shouting of the Miqo’te from the other room, nor the crash of broken glass and wood. But the thudding, armored footsteps sprinting after her could not be ignored. To her dismay, the manacles around her ankles tugged at her gait with each step, shortening it unnaturally, and her bare feet slipped on the ice-coated stone steps. She paused only for an instant to regain her bearings, and that is when Crim’s hand grabbed her arm, his blade coming around for her throat. She jerked herself free, her wrist raised to glance off the edge of his blade with a metallic hiss. She stumbled forward and fell to the ground, her hands and knees plunging deep into snow. The chill gripped her limbs instantly. Roen saw from the corner of her eyes Askier rounding the cabin in a full sprint, having found his exit through a broken window. He hurled odd-looking stones, and they exploded with a deafening roar, the shockwave sending her face forward into the snow. She covered her head instinctively, ducking and trying to protect herself. The armored Roegadyn looming behind her blocked much of the stone fragments and debris that flew in their direction, but the blast sent her senses spinning and her ears rang with a high pitched ting. Before she could recover, a gauntlet gripped her hard by the arm and jerked her up and backwards. A blade came leveled against her throat, and his arm crushed her breasts as he held her firmly against him. "Stop what'cher doin' or the girl dies." Roen felt her body starting to stiffen already from the exposure, the coat she had grabbed now laying lifeless on the ground where she had fallen. Her trembling fingers slipped against the cold armor as she tried to pry his grip away with no avail. She saw Askier walk in an arc to stand before them, next to the cliff that the cabin oversaw. His nostrils were flared, breath misting in quick puffs and trailing south in the Coerthian dawn. "Crim, it's over. You kill that woman... Gharen, the Flames, they will hunt you down. Do you think Delial would ever forgive you for it? Didn't you make a promise? Come on, big guy," he shouted into the icy winds. "You said you were a man of your word. Killing her would make you a liar, and I never knew you to lie before. Don't be a liar now." "I did what I had ta keep 'er safe. You started this fight, ya coward! Now yer tryin' ta talk me down 'cuz ya can't win? Ya got no honor, Askier. Getcher arse over here, kneel down with yer hands up, and surrender. Otherwise, she dies, and so do you. It don't even matter if I kill ya 'r not. All the others ya just mentioned? Think they won't hunt you down fer all o' this? Give up while she still lives." "She dies, I have no reason to stick around, Crim." Askier said, his voice leveled and careful. "I'll admit, I started this fight and I'm sorry, but this can't go on. I'll gladly turn myself over to the Flames and suffer their judgement than give myself over to what I know you are now capable of doing, Crim. Delial spoke so highly of you before. You really going to let her down now and kill Roen? Think this through. I'm begging you here." Askier got on his knees, though he still held onto the objects he had in his hand. "Let her mount my chocobo and ride away. Please." "I wanted ta help 'er." Crim's words sounded choked now. "I offered 'er my help an' she called me a liar. Then you wouldn't make 'er shut up. I toldja I'd do it my own way, an' when I did? You attacked me." He shook his head. "So no. I ain't lettin' 'er go. I got a mission ta finish. But if you don't put'cher lil' bomb down, well... then I'm gonna have to make 'er scream. I'm not askin' ya, Askier. I'm tellin' ya... give yerself up ta me right now or I'll cut 'er pretty li'l head off an' send it ta Natalie in a box as a reward fer all the good this 'as done 'er." Roen hissed as the blade pushed further against her flesh, the cold steel just shy of cutting her skin. Her body was starting to shake, though from the blade or the cold she did not know. "And if I give myself to you, Crim, what happens?" Askier narrowed his eyes as he rose to his feet, distrust burning in his eyes. "How do I know you won't kill us anyway? Here you are promising to kill Roen after promising not to kill her. What do I believe now, Crim?" “You believe that yer tongue is what gotcha inta this mess ta begin with, but it sure ain't what's gonna getcha out. Now I've done showed ya time an' again that when I get my way, I ain't hostile. But you didn't wanna play that game. So make yer decision, Askier. Either piss me off more an' see what happens, or give up. I'm past carin' which way this goes right now." Roen stared at Askier and blinked as she watched him pull a linkpearl out of his ear and toss it over the side of the cliff. Then he discarded what he had in his hand over the edge as well; when it landed, heartbeats later, it gave a quieter boom than the one that had struck the cabin. Smoke rose from behind the Miqo’te as he took his robe off and tossed that aside as well, the wind carrying it away. He narrowed his eyes intently as he withdrew one more thing from his satchel. "Will you at least respect the rights of a prisoner of war?" Crim flexed his wrist ever so slightly, the sharp metal scratching at her skin as if in warning. The suspicion was clear in his low rumbled words. "You were my brother once. I owe ya that much." "You swear on the Twelve?" Askier curled his hand tighter around that object in his hand, dropping the satchel now at his feet. "I swear on the Twelve that words ain't my strong point, an' if you don't give yerself up in the next ten seconds, Roen dies." The blade at her throat slid just an ilm, and cut the flesh just enough to draw blood. Roen held her breath, readying herself for the last moments. Even as a single rivulet of blood trickled down to her chest, she knew it was not a mortal wound, but another ilm would end her life. Crim's voice was a white puff of frost next to her ears as he growled at the Miqo'te, "And I swear that on all Twelve." "If that’s your answer, big guy," Askier gritted his teeth and his golden eyes met hers for an instant. He had a look of an apology as he traced the red line that grew down her throat, but all he could offer was a small, odd smile. Roen’s own eyes widened as she then saw something flash before the Miqo’te’s expression. She saw his chest rise in a long inhale as if he was bracing himself for something. Askier looked back to Crim, his jaw clenched. “This is repayment for complicating my life,” Askier said bitterly. His thumb pulled a pin on the explosive. The pin landed onto the snow without a sound. Roen parted her lips to call out something, but Askier just gave her an odd expression as he held out his hand away from him. “Roen, I’m sorry." He sounded sincere for the first time since she has met him. He then narrowed his eyes on the Roegadyn behind her with disappointment and resignation. "I surrender, big guy. Good luck.” Roen gasped one half-heartbeat before she saw the blinding flash of light from his extended hand, followed by the explosion that obliterated the Miqo’te’s arm. She saw blood and flesh erupt from where the appendage used to be, bone and muscle burnt and shattered. It spattered onto the white snowy ground beneath his feet and against his face, even has his eyes began to roll backwards. Roen felt her scream die in her throat as the smell of burnt flesh assaulted her senses. She felt Crim's hold against her chest tighten painfully as they both watched Askier’s body start to fall back, the Miqo'te now limp and unconscious from the shock of the wound. His bloodied hair was tossed against his pale but blood-stained face by the icy wind that howled all around them. And then he was gone. Askier's mangled frame plunged over the edge of the cliff, blood and smoke trailing after him.

There was no restful sleep. The weight of her shackles woke her every time she shifted in bed. Just before dawn she finally lost herself to sleep, but when the morning arrived and she opened her eyes, she was staring at the shackles again around her wrists. They reminded her that this was not a nightmare she could wake from. Her gaze went to the Roegadyn sitting by the bedside: Crimson Mountain, a frighteningly large man in blood-red armor that befit his name. Her eyes narrowed in remembrance of the events the night past; he had forced her to undress in front of him, and grovel on her knees expressing gratitude for the opportunity to do so. Askier was there too, and had purposefully turned his back to the scene, choosing to stare at the fire instead. But Crim made it plain that he enjoyed her humiliation. She knew he was trying to rob her of hope, to prove that he had complete dominion over her... but with this new day, she was determined not to let it happen. “So, not just a bad dream.” Askier’s voice broke the silence of the room, the Miqo’te rising from his seat and stretching with a lazy yawn. “How are you two?” When Crim did not answer, Roen sat up, clutching the blanket around her naked form. It was the only thing she was given. “Thirsty.” “Well, we've got water, or whiskey. Or I can try to make some tea." Askier said as he stood up and started digging in the box sluggishly. He glanced her way but his eyes never quite reached her form. "I would like some tea," she conceded quietly as her eyes roamed about the room again. "Yer gettin' ready ta earn yerself a hood without a hole fer ya ta look through, Crim rumbled. "Yer trouble... too much trouble. This was a bad idea. A bad idea..." His massive arms crossed. He seemed to have lost that sadistic glimmer in his eye from the night before. "If this was a bad idea, then just let me go. I will..." She pressed her lips together before continuing. "I will figure out how to protect my brother." Crim sneered. "I never thought of it that way. Askier, whatcha think? I suddenly feel compelled ta just set 'er free. I'm sure nothin' bad could possibly happen. It's the best plan ever, don'tcha think? Then we'll have absolutely no leverage at all when Natalie shows up with 'er goons ta kill us." “We can discuss this, supposing we all agree to be civil.” Askier threw a look to Crim as he set a kettle of water with tea leaves onto the hot embers in the hearth. “At this point, it’s too early to toss in the towel. Nat hired us to keep Roen safe, and so long as we actually keep her physically here, she has no reason to come after us.” Crim gave a shrug and stared coldly back at her. "There you have it. I guess we can't just let'cha go like nothin' never happened. Go figure." Askier turned away from the fire, dusting off his hands. "I doubt Roen would act like nothing ever happened, anyhow, after what you did." Roen scowled, looking this time to Askier. He seemed more reasonable, perhaps less cruel. "But keeping me here is meant to lure my brother to his death," she said. When she turned back to Crim, it was with a controlled voice. She did not want to spark his ire again. "If you truly mean to keep the promise you made to Delial, you cannot just do nothing but keep me here. As you said, he will be looking for me." Crim rose without a word, striding toward the fireplace as he slid a gauntlet over his right hand. He grabbed the kettle and flung it violently into the far wall, causing a loud crash as the kettle bent with the impact. It rolled onto the floor, its contents spilling forth, hissing. Roen flinched at the noise, and did her best to hide her disappointment at the loss of hot water within. It was as if the Roegadyn could hear her thoughts and see every glimpse for any opportunity to escape. "Hells, Crim!" Askier yowled as he dodged the flung kettle. The Miqo’te clenched his fists as he stood back up. "Crim, would you stop complicating matters for a second?" Askier was doing his best to keep a snarl out of his voice. "I'm trying to be civil here and figure out how to turn this all around, and you aren't helping!" "Couple o' things. First off, I know what I done an' I don't need nobody remindin' me of it. Ever.” The Roegadyn stood over her again, looming. “Second, I'm half an ilm away from gaggin' yer mouth so I don't gotta listen to ya no more. I tried ta offer ya help an' ya threw it in my face. Now yer shite outta luck." Roen saw the warning signs, but she had to press. Perhaps if she could reach what vestige of honor he may still have left, perhaps there was still hope. "Then that is it. You are going to break your word. You are going to do nothing and let him die." Crim was not moved. "Gag her, Askier. We don't need ta be arguin', an' I ain't listenin' to 'er no more. Gag 'er." "I'll gag her once I've gotten a chance to get a few words edgewise with her. If you don't want to hear her voice, why don't you step outside for a second and I'll get you once I'm done with her." Crim did not respond, he just settled back into his chair across from her, crossing his arms and staring at her. Roen fixed her gaze on Askier, some small hope rising in her chest. "I want to save my brother. You know this. Death does not have to be your only end to this. And it does not have to end in his either. Just help me,” she pleaded. Askier regarded her for a moment, then grabbed a waterskin from the box and dragged his chair towards her side of the bed. He extended his hand with waterskin toward her as his golden eyes studied her for a moment longer. When she accepted his offering, he took a seat. “I wanted to save my sister by blowing up Ul'dah, Roen. I'm aware of those feelings. I'm willing to try to work something out, but I want a few promises from you." Roen welcomed the water to her parched lips. "What promises?" "First off, you need to stop pissing Crim off, 'cause that isn't helping anything. Seriously. You antagonize him again, I'm going to let him do whatever he wants. Second, I want your word that, if I help you, no matter what happens, whether Gharen lives or dies, you will not come after my head, Crim's head, or even try anything against me and my own. Because in the end, we are supposed to let you go. And I can’t do that if you are going to turn around and hunt us down. You agree to these two, I'll work with you. If you can't swear by the Twelve you will, we're done here." Roen set the waterskin to her lap, tugging the blanket around her again. "All this will be for naught if he dies. If we save him... I will..." She straightened, nodding. "I will not pursue this when this is over. But you cannot hold me here in chains." "If we save 'im." Crim snorted, looking pointedly to Askier. Askier sighed. "That's not what I asked you to agree to. I asked you to agree, even if we failed. I'm not going to try and help you if you are going to come after me if he dies, because that end is already in motion. We may not be able to stop it.” "Then how do I know that you are not just saying this to ensure your own life? You said it yourself, you will have to let me go. You know this cannot end well for you if things go as planned.” "You don't." Askier shrugged. "You have no reason to trust me, but I kept up my end of my bargain to not destroy Ul'dah in exchange for my sister’s freedom. Obviously, I'm pretty good at keeping my end of bargains." "You let me go after this plan is done, your life is forfeit. You kill me, then you have to kill..." Roen paused, biting her lip. "Then you have to deal with whoever hired you to do this." "You mean deal with your friend Natalie?” Askier arched a brow and leaned back, crossing his arms. “I already have a plan to handle her. I have a friend who would love to know about what she planned and use it. I have my plans, question is, does trying to help you save your brother get added to them or not." Roen narrowed her eyes. "You underestimate Natalie. That would be a mistake." Crim snorted. "How ironic. All you can do to the guy who actually wants ta help yer brother is piss 'im off, an' all ya can do to the guy who don't wanna help 'im is grovel." Roen spun back to Crim, the memory of the night before rushing back all too quickly. "Would you make me grovel again then? Get on my knees? Beg you for things? Is that how you will be satisfied?" Askier raised a hand at Crim. "Easy, big guy, I'll gag her in a sec." The Roegadyn narrowed his eyes dangerously at her. "We're past talkin'. I tried ta make a deal with ya an' ya just called me a liar. Then, when I said we were done talkin', ya said I was gonna break my promise. I ain't got no interest in what'cha gotta say no more. I'm just humorin' Askier so he can see how worthless any conversation with ya is." Roen recognized those signs well enough. She swallowed and lowered her eyes, her hands clenched around the blanket. "I will... I will agree not to come after you." She said hoarsely, her words aimed at Askier. "But you must give me your word that you will try and save him." “I give you my word that I will try. Nothing more." Askier extended his hand to her. "I only took this job to help you, a fellow Garlean out you know. Well, that and I was bored to tears." Roen stared at him for a moment, before her own hand emerged from the blankets to take his. "Are you going to get me out of these chains?" "Nope." Askier shook her hand. "Those stay on for the time being. You don't need your hands for us to plan just yet. Okay then, Roen, the Syndicate is after your brother, we have you, Gharen will probably find out soon. Question is, does the very angry Hyur go after us, the little pawns, or the brains he thinks are behind this?" Roen narrowed her eyes on the Miqo’te. "You said it yourself. You were going to bomb Ul'Dah and kill countless people for your sister's safety. What do you think?" Crim picked up a foot and smashed it into the bed with a loud thud, jolting her suddenly and firmly planting the frame against the wall. "Mind yer tone." "Thank you, Crim." Askier smirked, putting his hands behind his head and scratching. "Might mean, Crim gets his fight if we play this wrong. Roen, how much do you care for Nat's well being?" Roen glanced from Crim back to Askier, scowling. "I still do not believe you. I do not believe Natalie had anything to do with this." "See? She's hopeless. Can we gag 'er now?" Crim gave Askier another pointed look. "I cannot believe she would do this. Have me kidnapped... and my brother killed?" Her voice shook in full denial. "She would not. She... would not..." She said again, as if to herself, her gaze lowering to her hands. "We are talking about saving my brother, not about hurting Natalie." "Roen, I don't know how to make you believe it but seriously, what would I have to gain by lying to you about this?” Askier leaned in towards her, as if to press his case. “The point of my question is that Nat might get hurt if we do this. I don't plan on it but there is a chance the Syndicate might do something. I have no idea if they would since they don't know about this, but you need to consider it." Her lips curled down with suppressed anger that rose within. “You say you want to help my brother, you say you are doing this for me, but then you accuse my mentor. Do not expect me to believe everything you tell me so readily. You bind me and strip me, and expect to just believe you when you accuse someone I consider my sister!" Crim growled in warning. "You didn't believe me before I did that, so yer argument ain't worth shite." "Roen, shut your gob and listen to me or I'll gag you and make you listen," Askier snarled, teeth flashing. "By all the hells I will." Roen scowled at Crim. A part of her knew she should not, but she had to know. He offered her help yesterday, only to... “We were talking about a letter, remember? Yesterday? You said you would help me. Then you had me strip and kneel and grovel. Am I to thank you for that again? And this? This knowledge you lay upon my lap about someone who saved my life... wanting me kidnapped?" "Yes!" Askier exclaimed in exasperation, trying to control the conversation. "I'll admit, Crim went too far--" “I was listening to you,” Roen locked her gaze on Crim, embers of bitterness still there from his betrayal. “Then you became cruel.” The Roegadyn’s expression darkened in an instant and with speed that belied his size he rose and grabbed her by the shoulder, yanking her towards him. He tossed the blanket aside and struck her. And struck her again. She tried to brace herself against the blows but they kept coming. "Crim!" she heard Askier shout. The blows finally came to a stop when Crim tossed her back onto the bed like a rag doll, as his other hand pulled away the blanket that Askier had thrown at the Roegadyn. Roen tried to scramble onto all fours, but the shackles hampered even that, and she fell over. Her muscles coiled in panic, even as her body burned and ached with the blows she just took. She pushed them aside; she needed to get away. She saw Askier facing off with the Roegadyn with a bottle in hand. Crim’s hand was moving toward the hilt of his massive sword at his hip, his eyes blazing with fury. “You gag that dumb bitch... NOW!" "Crim, you insufferable...!" Askier growled and he hurled the bottle at Crim's head. The Miqo'te's face was flushed blood red. "I hired you ‘cause I thought you had a brain, but you are just as barbaric as Kahn'a said!" Askier seized his satchel from the table and pulled out a small item clenched in his fist. He flicked his gaze at Roen and took a step towards her, but his attention quickly returned to the Roegadyn. Crim did not move as the bottle struck his face. His expression seemed frozen for a moment, and Roen thought he actually looked surprised for a brief instant. As if he truly did not believe that Askier attacked him. The bottle fell to the floor with a clang, as Crim slowly turned to the Miqo’te. The murderous look that came over him made Roen’s blood run cold. With a metallic hiss, he drew his massive blade and took a step towards Askier. “You should run now,” the deadly warning rumbled from the Roegadyn.

((Warning: This post contains some mature content and some adult oriented themes)) “Natalie is the one that arranged all this.” Roen froze, staring at her lap, eyes wide. "It's all justified, of course. She's doing it all for you. She cares for you, and apparently not for him. But hey, the Sultansworn are good people. Right?" Her heart started to pound again, painfully so in her chest. "You are lying." "I never lie. I feel sorry for you on the day you realize just how true that is." Roen gritted her teeth as she shot a look back to the Roegadyn, her face flushed and twisted with disbelief and indignation. "Natalie would not-- he is my brother. She would not." "Like I said, Roen... I'm many things. But a liar? No... I tried to kill my own brother, you know. The one who was a Sultansworn. I was going to kill him for our father's inheritance. I failed... and shortly after, he sacrificed himself to save me." He shook his head, chuckling darkly. "I've tried to be more like him since. I see your order, your beloved order, and I see nothing of what he was. He was a man of honor. The Sultansworn of today are no better than elite Brass Blades. Corrupt to the core with no true sense of purpose." "Do not speak of the Order that way. You are not Sultansworn. Your brother held the honor, he wore the mantle. He swore the Oaths. He may get to judge, but you do not. You do not know the sacrifices that some make to uphold the Oaths. You do not know them!" In that instant something snapped in his eyes, and his gaze turned murderous. "SHUT UP! You spit on his legacy! He gave up everything to serve, and you bastards just threw it all away!" He rose up, towering over her, his fists clenched angrily. "The Sultansworn are corrupted. And your 'friend' has betrayed you to murder your brother. You willingly participated in some activity in the mines, something you knew was wrong, and you did it with Natalie and Kage. You all now serve as Brass Blades and here you are telling me that the order has honor?” Roen swallowed, lowering her own voice seeing his anger rising like a sudden tide. "You pass judgement without knowing the facts. You condemn them for corruption seeing the same things the Monetarists accused us of. If you oppose the Syndicate, why do you believe what they want everyone else to believe?" "Everything the Syndicate says isn't true. But everything they say isn't a lie, either. You truly think that your order is beyond being bought?" "And do you truly think everyone within the Order has been bought?" "No, I don't. I think that too many have, but not all." Roen inhaled deeply, regarding the Roegadyn earnestly. "Do you know why we have been demoted to Brass Blades? Because we were loyal to the Sultana. But at my behest, Natalie let my brother and the Resistance go after we faced them... unknowingly at the Mines. Because I pleaded that they and we fought the same enemy. And the Syndicate used that to frame us." "I do think that the friend you're so quick to defend apprehended a woman on nothing more than suspicion and tortured her. And all the while, she was protecting a known criminal. Even if my words to you are overly harsh, you know that she's ruthless. You just don't want to believe it because you care. At least I'm honest about my failings." Roen stiffened as shame twisted her stomach. She slowly nodded. "Aye. I heard about... what they did." "I'm sorry that I'm not a better man.” Crim slowly lowered into a seat again, his voice growing sullen once more. “I'm sorry that I'm the one standing here trying to help you out. I'm sorry that I've let my hatred rule my words for you and your brother. I'm not a good man. I have so much further to go... I know I'm not an ally you would ever choose." Roen stared at nothing in particular. "I cannot trust you. But... I cannot ... I will not risk his life. But I do not know if believing you will help or hurt him." A breath’s pause as she looked back to the Roegadyn. “But I cannot sit here and let him be lured out." "Believing me is irrelevant. Even if what I'm saying about Natalie is a lie, you know the Syndicate will strike him when he's most vulnerable if they have it in for him. Choosing not to aid me just means that he doesn't have someone trying to warn him. I've heard that he's a fine warrior, but... you throw a hundred men at someone..." "And you will not let me go to warn him?" "I wish I could let you go. I'd lead you to safety myself. But if I do, Askier will go to Natalie. Then Natalie will go to the Syndicate. They will abort their plan and form a new one. Matters will not be better... only changed..." That was when the door opened with the turn of a key in a lock, the sound of howling winds entering the cabin along with the new arrival. With a slam of the door behind him, Roen could hear mutters in the other room and shuffling feet. With wet footsteps, Askier entered the bedroom, his nose and cheeks red from the stinging cold as he unwrapped the scarf from his neck. "Hey, Big Guy. How's Roen?" Roen only briefly caught a pointed look from Crim and a quick nod, before the Roegadyn stood up, his hands on his hips. “Awake. Mouthy lil' bitch. Full o' insults, of course. Can ya believe she actually asked fer me ta untie 'er?" Her eyes narrowed at the sudden change in his speech, his accent, even his tone. "Why am I not surprised?" Askier chuckled, his golden gaze flicked toward her. "I brought her some food so we can shove some rolls in her mouth if she gets out of hand." Roen spotted the wet snow he was tracking through the room as he set a box down onto a table. He then turned, giving her a bow. "Sorry about all this. How's the head?" Roen only answered him with a glare, curling her legs to herself. His thick coat, the melting snow on the ground. They were in Coerthas. "We can't keep 'er in them ropes ferever. They fray too easily, an'... well, they'll cut 'er wrists. We gotta get somethin' more... official? Think you can pull somethin' like that off? Somethin' fer wrists 'n ankles both. Maybe even a collar." Roen blinked and stared at Crim. She was not sure if this was an act. Why would he... "Crim, you and I think alike. Part of why it took so long. Cost me a pretty gil, but..." Askier began to dig into the box, pulling out books, food, clothes, and multiple whiskey bottles. "Here we are." He grinned, pulling two pairs of shackles from the box, the metal clanking ominously in the stone room. "Figured it might be more comfortable than that rope and would let Roen use her hands to read." Askier cocked his head her way with a smile. "See? I'm not a total ass." "That's fer the best. Only one problem that creates, though. Lettin' 'er hands be free means it's more likely she can try 'n hide things from us, try an' get free. We have ta eliminate that as much as we can.” The Roegadyn frowned. "Well, we could break some of her fingers." Askier mused and then shook his head. "But I'm not fond of doing that to a woman." Askier looked at his own hand for a moment and then sighed. "I'm not cut out for this kind of work. We shackle her and then use some leather thongs to bind her fingers together. Crude but will work." "No, that ain't what I mean. That won't work anyroad, trust me. I done a little bit o' slavin' back in my raidin' days. She's gotta be naked. Completely naked. An' any time she gets her hands on somethin', she's gotta be searched. Thoroughly. We can give 'er a blanket cuz that's easy enough ta shake out, but... Twelve, I hate this shite." Roen felt herself shrinking back against the wall, her attention snapping back to Crim. "Naked?" Askier said with a hint of incredulousness. "You want her to freeze here? I-" Askier reached for one of the bottles of whiskey, pulled open the cork and took a long draft and then sighed. "Look Roen, you're awake and a rational woman. You want to talk about this or should Crim and I just keep planning how we are going to bind you. I'm trying to be civil here since your friend hired me." "Would you believe me if I said I would cooperate if you kept me unbound?" Her words sounded sharper to her ears than she had intended. Her eyes narrowed on Askier. "And who is this friend of mine that hired you?" "I might, eventually." Askier only paused for a breath. “Natalie,” he answered her flatly. Roen frowned instantly, distrust and anger quick to return. But what words she may have said in protest stalled in her throat when she spotted that change in Crim again. Any sign of challenge seemed to trigger something dark in the Roegadyn. Or perhaps it was his hatred of the Sultansworn. Or Natalie. She could not tell. Crim’s icy blue eyes seemed to stare through her and his voice had a cruel tone running just beneath the surface. "I'm just sayin'.. the best way ta do it ain't somethin' I'm willin' ta do. See, ya put a collar round 'er neck. Then, ya bind 'er wrists tagether... pull 'er arms up so that 'er wrists an the collar are attached. Pull the elbows tagether, preferably touchin'. Pierce the nipples and the nose 'n put rings in 'em. Then, mind the ankles together. You can use the collar ta lead 'er 'round, an' she can't run or do nothin' with 'er hands. But like I said, I don't wanna cause harm, 'n... well... she ain't no slave." Roen felt the blood drain away as she stared at Crim in horror. "Hells, Crim!" Askier grunted in shock, nearly spitting out his whiskey. "I was just think of binding her ankles and wrists together, not start shoving things into noses. I mean I see how that would work but I'm supposed to return Roen in good condition. Nat's orders. Don't think Nat would take kindly to nipple piercings." "How do you know? Nat might like nipple piercin's..." Crim shrugged his shoulders and looks back to Roen, giving her a very stern look. "Just lettin' the girl know what I'm willin' ta do if she tries to escape. I don't play games, an' if she tries ta run away, I'm gonna be so pissed that Rhalgr 'imself'd be givin' pause." Her breathing was starting to quicken as her eyes darted between Askier and Crim. She no longer knew who this Roegadyn was anymore. Was he the same man who offered to help her brother? "Roen, Crim here isn't joking.” The Miqo’te turned to her with a dark look as well. “He will do whatever needs to be done, so lets be civil, shall we? I have you here to keep you safe. My sister will be here soon to help us keep an eye on you and she is a very good tracker, so running won't get you far. Are you willing to let us chain you my way or?" Askier motioned with his head at Crim. "Do I let our big friend her start piercing body parts?" Roen gave a baleful glare to Askier but shook her head and lowered her gaze and head. Her voice was one of swallowed pride when she answered him. "Your way, Askier." “I'm okay with bindin' 'er yer way, but what 'bout 'er clothes? We ain't gotta pierce nothin' ta be careful. Plenty o' blankets in 'ere ta keep 'er warm." His words drew another incredulous glare, anger and betrayal in her eyes. One truth remained ringing in her mind. He was not the ally anyone would choose. Crim met her gaze, and his expression grew darker. "Better yet... she don't need blankets. I'll just keep a nice fire goin'. That sound better, Roen?" "I agree we should take her clothes but we'll give her my coat in addition to the fire." Askier said, a degree of pity in his eyes as he looked at her. "I know that jacket like the back of my hand and every pocket and hole it could have. She makes a change or tries to hide anything, I'll know, and she can keep some of her dignity." Crim sucked on his teeth. "No, ya won't give 'er yer coat. Not at first, anyroad. She wants ta throw an attitude then she can be humbled. When she realizes she has somethin' ta work for, an' starts actin' like a good girl... then we'll see." Roen tore his gaze away from them both, looking down to the floor. Her breaths were coming quicker and she was trying to quell the dread that was quickly filling her chest. "So you want to just strip her down and bind her now?" Askier cleared his throat, his discomfort with it all clear in his tone. Roegadyn grunted, turning to the bed, his shadow falling over her curled form. “Get off the bed and on your knees, girl,” he said coldly, pointing to the middle of the room. “And if you behave and ask nicely, I’ll letcha even undress yerself.”

Blackness. "Are ya wantin’ back in with The Sworn? Ya need somethin' ta show yer still worth yer salt?” Voices started to filter in. There was a distant tug of recognition. It belonged to the Roegadyn, Crimson Mountain. "If so... I need help with a task I'm gettin' ready ta finish. I infiltrated a band o'... bandits... that sounds dumb, but... it was part o' my work fer the Flames. I don’t trust the Blades. But she trusts you, so I trust you. You can help me, and maybe get in good with the Sworns again." He was Delial’s ally. Along with Askier who was there as well. She could not refuse his offer, to possibly raise her worth in the eyes of Ser Jenlyns again. Then she was staring at a door, with Crimson Mountain in front of her, Askier behind her. “I'll go in first. You come in behind me. Askier, you bring up the rear." The armored Roegadyn nodded to the Miqo’te. "We get one chance at this. Make it count." Crim kicked the wooden door in, sending splinters into the air as he rushed in. Roen followed, blade drawn, expecting armed opposition. But soon as she entered, she heard rushed steps behind her, immediately followed by an explosion of pain at the back of her skull. The ground came rushing up to meet her. Blackness loomed again. More voices. "What's done is done. But now... where the seven hells do we take 'er?" Crim said, his voice somber. "We gotta get her out of Thanalan. She said there would be searches, so we get her out of their area of power. I'm thinking the Shroud. So many huts and forests up there, would be easy to keep her hidden. I hadn't, exactly found a place to hide her yet." Askier sounded uncertain himself. "Either that or on a ship... I dunno..." "And how many captains you know who are going to let us stow a prisoner away on a boat?" "None. That's why ya kill the captain an' take the boat.." She felt sensation returning to her fingers. But as her eyelids fluttered open, she saw Crimson Mountain and Askier looking down at her, and suddenly a liquid was being forced down her throat. She choked and shook her head, her hands fumbling to push away the Miqo’te's hand that held her mouth closed. The hold would not relent. Then a shadow fell over her as Crimson Mountain brought his massive armored boot onto her throat, steadily increasing the pressure there. She swallowed the liquid in her mouth to try and take a breath, gasping as she did so. But the weight of his foot did not give way, and air was not forthcoming. “Just drink and go to sleep,” Askier said quietly as he held her still. Blackness fell again. “What in hells happened to her since we saw her last?” Her senses were swimming through a sea of murk and shadows, but she could feel a soft pressure against her shaved head. It was the Miqo’te’s hand. “The Twelve must hate you, Roen.” "They don't hate 'er.” There was sorrow in Crim’s voice. “We'll be judged fer this. What we're doin'... it ain't right. It ain't right at all. We know better than this... Who are we?" "This was all her idea to keep Roen safe, Crim." "I don't care 'bout the Sworn. Her hands 're dirtier than mine... an' that's sayin' a lot." Roen took a deep breath in, light finally filtering in through the darkness that had held her consciousness hostage. Her body felt weighted, and she remembered the sour taste of the sedative that ran down her throat. But what drew her from her drug-induced slumber was that familiar warmth of aether, washing over her body. It brushed over her old and new wounds like a warm summer breeze, mending the ache on the back of her head, the last traces of her broken ribs, the scars on her scalp and ear, and bruises that were left there only a few suns ago. It took two more breaths before Roen realized the weight of the hand that was against her ribcage, the source of the healing energy. Her memory came flooding back with clarity. Alarm made her twist and jerk away from the hand at her side. But that was when she realized her hands were bound behind her. She spun in the bed, her eyes wide on the large Roegadyn that sat at the bedside, his eyes closed. She pushed away from him, squirming away to the opposite side of the bed. She placed her back flat against the corner of the room she did not recognize, and as her bare scalp touched the wall behind her, she felt a subtle chill there in the stone. She was no longer in Thalanan. “I wish you wouldn’t do that…” Crimson Mountain slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowing in a somber expression. His tone was muted, his voice just barely above a whisper. Her grey eyes darted from the rest of the room to Crimson Mountain. “Where am I? Why did you bring me here?” "I'm afraid I don't have many answers for you. I only just became a part of this moments before you walked up on me. I'm still... I don't know what..." He shook his head, his brows bent. He looked confused. "I made a mistake, but... If you will be calm then I may be able to fix it." Roen recalled that he drew her to the Nanawa Mines with the promise of a deed that would gain favor with the Sultansworns. Then she was hit from behind and forced a sedative down her throat. “You and I shook hands, promising no blood between us,” she hissed, her anger rising quickly. She had been fooled yet again, had trusted his words and called him an ally many suns ago when they last spoke. “This is how you keep your promise?" Crim’s expression still held on to a shadow of regret about him. "We did shake hands, and that's why I'm trying to work something out with you. I need you to listen because I'm not smart enough to figure this out on my own. They're going to kill him, Roen. I need you to focus. I know it may not seem so right now, but I am not your enemy." "I believed you, and now I am here, bound, against my will. And you expect me to make the same mistake again?" Humiliation quickly gave way to bitterness and his sober tones only emboldened her. “Untie me. If you want me to listen, start with untying me.” In a flash, Roen saw his sullen look vanish, and his features grew hard, his shoulders rising. She could see the muscles of his neck growing taut. “You are not in control. If I let you go, I die. If you don't work with me, your brother dies. Now focus and help me or just sit here and rot." That made her pause, even as fury waged a war with dread in her heart. She had instinctively leaned away from the Roegadyn, her back against the wall. “...What about my brother?” As quick as it came, the Roegadyn’s temper faded, and his expression fell to one of apology. "This whole plan is about saving you. But... to do it, Gharen must die. I... I can't allow that, but... I can't stop it. Not on my own." Roen stared at him, eyes wide. "I don't know all of the details.” He met her eyes, ignoring her look of disbelief. “You came up on me right as I was finding everything out. It... it has something to do with you being a Garlean. Someone important wants Gharen dead. Someone said that if Gharen is killed, you'd be pardoned. The plan is to kidnap you, drawing Gharen out. When he's vulnerable, looking for you, the Syndicate will kill him." He leveled his gaze back at her. "After that, you're free to live your happy life as an Ul'dahn citizen, I guess. The part about losing your brother doesn't really seem to be on anyone's mind as far as I can tell." “Wh-what...?” She was still numb with disbelief. “All I know is that I promised Delial that I would never hurt you or your brother. Knowing of this plan to kill him... Don't get me wrong. I don't like him and I don't trust him. I believe with all of my heart that he will try to kill her. But I made a promise, and I won't break my word. Sitting back and doing nothing... letting him die... It's the same as killing him with my own hands. I can't. I can't..." He shook his head, his voice growing soft. “I'm sorry, I didn't know what to do..." "I am the bait?” Roen finally managed, even as she tried to absorb all of the things Crim has just said. “To draw him out? You... you took me. You are setting him up!" She pushed herself off the wall, grimacing as she pulled on ropes that bound her hands. "If you do not want to see him die... then let me go. Do not carry out this plan!" "I didn't want to. I wanted to talk with Delial but... you came. You just came right to us. I couldn't just let you go. They would have found someone else, and then I'd be in the dark. They'd never trust me with another detail." "Who? Why does the Syndicate, why would they want him dead..." Roen paused, furrowing her brows in thought.. "Is... is this because of the Mines?" "I don't know. All I know is that one of the Sultansworn set this up. If I let you go then they'll know the plan failed from the inside. I'll be in danger, as will Askier. Gharen won't be any better off, they'll just go about it a different way." Roen’s eyes instantly narrowed with disbelief. "One of the.. Sultansworns?" Crimson shrugged, seemingly oblivious to her quickly rising distrust. "I don't know, I guess she doesn't like Gharen. I don't know everything." There it was. Roen suddenly felt herself grow cold, her fear and urgency for her brother quickly giving way to suspicion and humiliation. She had been fooled too often. “Now I know you are lying.” She felt her insides twist, that she had believed this tale so readily. “You... you lie almost as well as Delial does." "I am a murderer. I am a thief. I am a horrible, horrible man who has committed deeds for which there is likely no redemption. This world will truly be a better place when I die. But one thing I am not is a liar. My word is something I take very seriously. You would do very well to heed what I say." He sat still at the edge of the bed, his hands on his knees, his words stern. "Tell me this, Roen. What reason do I have to lie to you? All I have to do is keep you here and do nothing. Gharen will look for you and you know it. If I do nothing, he dies. What possible reason could I have for letting you know all of this?" She shook her head, refusing to be drawn in by another lie. Her misplaced trust in Delial had brought so much suffering to others, she could not let that happen again. "I do not know," she said, her words measured. "All I know is Delial brought me a head of a man, and told me of the fate of my brother, just to tell me to keep quiet about it. To act as if nothing was amiss. Only suns later, she tells me her true intentions: for me to murder my allies." She turned her gaze back to the Roegadyn, her eyes alight with renewed anger. Some old wounds would never truly heal. "Why did she do that? Just to witness my torment! To see me struggle for suns while she continued to witness my brother’s torture!" She spat out at him, her words full of bile. "So do NOT ask me why people lie. Trying to convince me they are trying to help my brother. You are trying to turn me against a Sultansworn, using my own brother to do so." The Roegadyn’s eyes slowly narrowed, and the sullen expression instantly vanished. A dark shadow of anger fell over him as he leaned towards her. "I can't speak for the actions of others, but know this. I... hate your brother. I hate him. If he ever takes Delial away from me then I will do anything and everything in my power to make him suffer, even if it means burning the entire world, do you understand me? The only reason that I defend him is because she made me promise not to harm him. I hate him. Do you still think I am lying, you sharp-tongued little bitch?” Roen stiffened at his sudden rancor and leaned back against the wall instinctively, to put what distance she could from her and Crimson Mountain’s angry visage. His teeth flashed as he snarled at her. “You're no Sultansworn. My brother, he was a Sultansworn. It meant something for him to don the uniform. You and your friends, you're nothing but pretenders. You march around like you have a purpose, but you have no honor. Is that enough honesty for you? But even though I believe this to the very core of my being, I promised her not to cause you harm. And so here I am, coming to a worm to ask for help, you who are but a shell of those who have walked before you. I detest the fact that I need your help. I loathe the fact that I don't have the strength to do this on my own... but I don't. Here I am, reaching out to you, even as you spit my word and my honor back in my face. Wake up, Roen, or he... will... die." Silence fell between them as she stared at him, conflict swirling her mind. “You hate him. You loathe me. And yet you do it because a woman that once regretted not killing us both asked you to spare our lives.” She slowly hung her head, her shoulders going slack. “And you expect me to trust you.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “You ask the impossible.” The Roegadyn settled back into his chair, his voice forcibly calmed again. "No, I don't expect you to trust me. I expect you not to trust me. I just don't know what else to do but reach out to you. But since you're so short sighted, I'll give you a piece of information that I wanted to save you from. Natalie is the one who sold you out. She's the one who put the hit out on your brother and plans to feed him to the Syndicate. Natalie is the one that arranged all this.”

*was drawn here by Tennant and Hiddleston* *stays put*

...AM I NOT MERCILESS?! STOP. IT. !!!

OSRIC! You did NOT just modify-quote one of my favorite lines in a movie EVER!! ... You did. DAMN YOU! And... I have no other contribution to this thread, other than hanging out with other cool people like Whittledown. ...I'll go now.

I don't even notice it. Most of the times I don't correct my minor typos either, because either chat has scrolled by before I noticed it myself, or I just hope those I am roleplaying with will get the meaning. I have also accidentally hit something like Circle of Scorn button while having a quiet conversation and have emoted: Roen did not just do that. Eh!

I would like to be added to the wait list too please! Bust sketch with color!