Coatleque

Either way, it's not as if the Sultansworn have not gone through a power shift before. Rulers have been displaced in the past. Of course there will be upheaval among the officers, but at the end of the day there is a new boss. My beef with Square Enix is that these supposed elite royal guards seem to be completely worthless at their jobs.

You know I came over there JUST to show you, right?

She didn't. You see nothing here. It was just a glitch. They changed something in the Matrix.

You can do gum commercials together! And everything they do will be in-sync! Walking, talking, acting surprised that both their hats blew off at the same time!

Oh look... It's Lalaleque... Cute: Fierce: And... not as sure about this as she was five minutes ago... Disclaimer: This is all OOC of course.

I'm going to tell a little story as an example here... One day I was at the grocery store. While walking down the cereal aisle, I noticed a young gentleman pursuing the selection of cereals along the side. I stopped to watch for a moment as he quietly murmured to himself about the nutritional content. The price per pound. Even the order of placement upon the shelves according to brand name versus genre of product. After about thirty seconds, I selected what I wanted and walked past him, continuing on my way. Neither of us said hello, nor did we hold a dialogue because there was no reason to. We were both there for our own reasons and said reasons required no interaction of a 2nd or 3rd party. Does this sound at all familiar? It should. I see it almost nightly in the Quicksand. I walk in and stand along the railing just to see if anything is going on. Coatleque likes to listen for news or rumors that may pertain to things she is investigating. That is her job after all. Then I see someone sitting alone at a table emote how they are cleaning their glasses and reading a book. Or how they pour themselves the fourth drink of the night. I look at it and go "Hmm, that is interesting." then continue on my way. The point being that while reading such an attempt at drawing attention is good for room filler, Coatleque as a person has no reason at all to suddenly walk up and engage them. Truth be told, neither would anyone else! How often in real life do we go up to a complete stranger in Starbucks who is reading a book and just start rambling about ourselves?! If you do not give people a reason to engage - a line that sticks out or a question that needs answering - you are going to have a hard time finding people who will respond.

Regarding the weight issue: I would imagine most full-plate armors are actually lighter than their chain/scale counterparts. The actual plates of full-plate are millimeters thick in some cases. Where as the rings of chain are 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick iron. Having made my own chain shirt of galvanized iron at one point, I can testify that a vest from neck to waist, with shoulders (not sleeves) weight 40 lbs by itself. I'd also like to point out an in-game observation. The Gallant Sultansworn armor in particular that a lot of people call full-plate is in fact only half-plate. It has boots, gauntlets, and shoulders of plate, but the hauberk is a mixture of chain and scale mails.

I'm banning Melkire for crimes against beard-dom. You know what you did... (granted it's grown back since then)

Character Name: Coatleque Crofte Character Type: Sultansworn (non-officer), serving as a public liaison. She investigates matters of national security, but does not typically enforce menial laws. Availability Day(s) of the Week: Almost every day, depending on personal muse. Time(s) of the Day: US Eastern Time (GMT -5) 7pm-12am Weeknights, all day Weekends Frequent Locations: Ul'dah, Thanalan, sometimes travels abroad due to her investigations. If I am in the Mist, chances are I am OOC running dungeons.

She had paused again after her last question to listen and was about to speak once more when the reply came. As the man began to list off his demands in as few words as possible, she leaned forward to grab her quick and begin jotting notes on whatever parchment was in easy reach. There was a brief pause when he demanded Jameson's head, but no outburst of emotion which would signal the touching of a nerve. "What will you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means..." She sat back in her chair while gripping the arm rests. There was another muffled thump over the pearl and she quickly touched her ear once more. "Mister Lazarov?" "Nero? You cannot leave her to him! Nero?!" Her exclamation was accentuated by leaning forward again abruptly. There was no response. Silence, followed by the rushing sound of water, then nothing. Coatleque waited a good while with bated breath before slowly removing the pearl and setting down upon her desk. She exhaled through her nose and ran her hands down her face. "I thought we could still do this without needless bloodshed... ... People are coming after Taeros. Do not be in their way" Sitting in the dim light of a single lantern, her thoughts grew increasingly darker the more she brooded on them. The gall of that man requesting pardon to right his own wrongs, of demanding blood to stem the flow of more blood. She did not overly care that it was Jameson's head in particular the man wanted. She had grown used to her lover's day-to-day business. There was always someone around the corner plotting his demise it seemed to her. She was becoming confident he could handle himself. He survived this long, after all. "Roen knows." she told herself. "She has to talk." And if she didn't, Coatleque told herself, Shaelen would. This was no longer about profit margins, power-plays, or cleansing corruption. This was about prevent wholesale slaughter in Pearl Lane. Rising from her chair she made for the door only to stop and look back at the pearl laying atop her desk. Rushing back to the desk she gripped the edges, knuckles flushing white, and leaned over the linkpearl. "I WILL NOT PLAY THESE GAMES!" she screamed to it before swiping it off the desk into the wall with the back of her hand causing a satisfying crack as they connected. Taking her sword she stormed out of the office, leaving the pieces where they fell.

Quiet you! S-she don't know that! /anxiety tremble

For the first time since she was given the position, Crofte's office door was closed. It was not that she was meeting with someone, that would have been an expected closure. No, she had remained within for most of the morning and now all afternoon. The Squire in the hallway made his speech for the twentieth time to another initiate who was awaiting an audience. "I am sorry, Ser Crofte is not seeing anyone today." Behind the door she was only vaguely aware that someone had once again come seeking her, based on the muffled expletives that seeped around the hinges of the door. Coatleque sat quietly leaning forward over her desk. Her fingers were laced with her thumbs pressed to her lips in thought as she stared at the pearl laying before her. A thin haze had collected from an incense burner at the far corner. "I never wanted this..." For all of the morning she had sat and stewed over her thoughts. It was so much easier to push everything aside when in Jameson's presence, but now her doubts were returning. "He will not come... I am not what holds his heart..." Of all things she had remembered talking excitedly with Roen in the airship lounge so many moons ago. She had encouraged her friend that day to pursue her heart. Neither anticipated where it would eventually lead. " Do you ever think of how little we think of her, to think she could only come to this conclusion because of some man?" Verad's observation held painful truth. Since she knew of Roen everyone around the woman treated her as some naive little girl who was incapable of understanding the world at large. It was time for people to realize she was capable of making her own decisions. And mistakes. "At least I did not say it was for your benefit..." She sighed as she took up the pearl from her desk and rolled it between her fingers. Placing it in her ear she cleared her throat softly before activating it. "Mister Lazarov.", she intoned with as little emotion as possible. Left in silence then her ear strained listfully for any sound from the pearl. "Mister Lazarov. I have a message for you..." After another moment she heard a muffled thump. She hesitated before continuing, unsure if anyone was listening. "Mister Lazarov, this is Ser Crofte. I doubt you remember me." More silence. "We have Roen, Mister Lazarov. Or more specifically, she is the honored guest of Master Taeros. She is not proving amenable to polite conversation lately. Perhaps you could do with some yourself?"

Only this one is with a sound effect, 8 seconds or less in length. Here's Coatleque and Roen's friendship recently: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ytCEuuW2_A

I go to bed between 12am and 3am depending on if I'm in the middle of heavy RP. /shakefist @ Roen But I work 9 to 6, so I can afford to be up a little later. I also have the undiagnosed apnea. I can't remember the last time I had an actual dream.

Coatleque started as the doors behind her burst open with a loud crash, so much that her cup sloshed forward and spilled right onto Berrod. The dark red juice seeping into his clothes almost immediately. She did not notice, of course, as she turned about at the same time to see what this new commotion was. Spying Evangeline running through the Quicksand she squeezed her eyes closed and sighed. "By the Twelve, what is this now?" Even if she had seen what device the woman was fiddling with, her speed and the distance between them would prevent the Sultansworn from taking any action.

Cylin and T'caska are both banned for skipping Valeria. Vali is banned for 'going there'. We have enough drama, damnit! 3 days for all three.

She smiled at Berrod. "T'is certainly not my fault that our meetings are so infrequent. Everyone in Ul'dah knows where to find me when they need to, it seems." Coatleque's ears twitched at the commotion behind her, but she paid it little mind - this being the Quicksand after all. She instead quirked an eyebrow at the 'Judge' as she picked up her own drink from the counter. "Passed judgement on the meal? Curious that such a thing would require such scrutiny. I was not aware that a sandwich was capable of infraction. Would not your judgement be more appropriately cast at the one who crafted the meal?"

That or Scottish. I always see people giving them a Scottish accent. I think there's an NPC with a quest somewhere that did it as well which is what they draw on.

I hang around the Quicksand quite often. I've never seen anyone ERPing in public channels.

The sun once again rose on the city of Ul'dah making its sandstone towers blaze bright white on the horizon of Thanalan. Such a clear morning it was that only thick drawn curtains would keep the sun's rays from creeping through the windows. Coatleque stirred as the warmth of the sunlight trailed slowly across her face. With a deep waking breath she rolled over in the bed to face the other side and found she was alone that morning. It was not unexpected, but she huffed all the same. The curtains had been purposefully drawn open that morning, and the adjacent half of the blankets were replaced and laid flat as if nobody had been there. Jameson had left early on another business trip so it seemed she would have a few nights to herself. Rubbing her eyes, she rolled herself out of the bed and folded the covers up once more. The temptation to make the bed herself passed more easily than it had before. She was becoming accustomed to the servants taking care of such things, and James always scowled at her when she tried to help or made any fuss. So she crossed the room immediately to the vanity and took up a brush to untangle her hair. Her nightgown was left draped over the corner of the bed as she finished preparing for the day. Rounding the corner to the front of the office she stopped to adjust her beret. Her thoughts turned to Roen who was not so fortunate now to see the sun. Did she even know it was morning now? Coatleque was vaguely aware she was transferred from the Blade's gaol to a private cell. She should find out where and see that she was alright, even if they had nothing to say to one another. Then she saw an elongated box sitting across the desk. Nearly five fulms in length, and one across, it was made of thin wood painted flat black with red stencilling tracing the edges. A note was left on the top. [align=center]~Be my Sword~[/align] Curious now, she removed her gauntlets and set them aside in order to lift open the box. Folding back a cloth covering revealed a beautiful gilded sword with a blue anodized blade and ornate golden cross guard. Another note was laid on top to be clearly visible. [align=center]~Stop belittling yourself~[/align] She smiled quietly and hesitantly lifted the gift from the box. It was surprisingly light for its size, clearly not iron nor steel. In the next moment she had replaced the winglet at her side with the larger blade. The former arm was left in the opened box and moved to the side for later. Taking a deep breath she pushed all thoughts of pity from her mind for the day. Roen was, after all, guilty by obstructing justice now. Coatleque had a duty to the Sultanate to protect their shipping interests. "Forgive me, Roen" she thought to herself as she made for the door. "But you will have to wait a few days longer."

Everyone keeps saying Crofte is corrupt, but nobody has any evidence or examples. All she's done is spent her nights with the wrong person.

*coughs* Jameson Taeros.

I bet Jancis sings Disney songs when nobody is looking.

Again, that building deco looks familiar. Is that Lebanon-Lancaster?

J-justin Bieber?