Coatleque

Had some great ideas last night. Enjoy

I would but I know nothing about Liliro All the cards I put together have abilities that are based on the RP relationship between the rest.

Aaand another. With some subtlety built into her abilities.

I have no shame.

"And there you go again. Must everything you say be laced with insults from the start? How do you expect us to hold a proper dialogue when you do your best to offend with every thought that escapes your mouth." She could not help but to begin her pacing again. Placing one elbow in the opposing hand, her thumb also went to her mouth as she bit the tip of it. "I do what I do because I must. I did not chose this path so much as it was thrust upon me, and when the Twelve give such a clear sign of their intentions only a fool would ignore it."

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Coatleque had just sat down on the side of her bed. She had been back for less than an hour and had made ready to turn in before she noticed the vase on the end table. Looking around the room as if she expected someone to be there, she reached for the note with a smile. It could only be from one person in recent memory. She had to read the words twice before she could believe them. "Roen..." she sighed. "Trying times... I pray you do not think less of me for what you may have heard." Tucking the note back under the vase so she would not lose it, she blew out the lantern and rolled over to try and sleep.

Coatleque slowly lowered her hand before crossing her arms again. She considered the woman's words before leaning back against the wall once more with a huff. More worried with the apparent safety of the lift at this point than anything else. A long moment of silence passed before she began to fidget once more. It took great restraint on her part not to resume her pacing, but the fear of dislodging the lift was stronger than her unease. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves before speaking again. "Perhaps, Miss Primrose, the Twelve curse you in the same measure as you curse others. Have you ever tried being amicable in your dealings?"

As I have said before, if you want to be involved it is your responsibility to make yourself available. If you spend most of your time sitting by your FC house in the Goblet avoiding people, then of course nobody is going to know who you are. You can't expect people to suddenly go "I need the Flames for my plot. Oh, why not Kale?" when nobody ever sees Kale actively doing things. I know the so called "Sultansworn Group" can seem like a clique, but anyone who walks up to me should know I'm the least clique-y person out there. I involve everyone I can to the extent that others allow, but I am not a DM. Crofte was supposed to be a side-character, not a quest giver. The Sworn are not an FC, we're just an IC Linkshell of like-minded RPers. The reason we're so noticeable is because we are publicly active. We wear the uniform, stand on the street corners, and yell at kids to stop running on wet pavement. People come to us with plots for that very reason. Often times I flat out say "Talk to the Blades" or "Flames", but guess what? There are never any around. The point is, if you wait for RP to come find you, you're going to be waiting a very long time.

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She stopped mid-pace once more to regard the woman with a gaping expression. "Excuse me? There is a man of impeccable taste currently interested in me. I would be with him now, in fact, if you hadn't broken the lift!" She pointed at the woman as if to cast off her irrational accusation in her direction. "What were you doing here anyway? There are no poor to feed this high off the ground. I swear you are hounding my steps aren't you? I can'nae even make for the latrine without you being a step ahead of me lately!" By now her accusations were becoming hysterical.

Her pacing stopped momentarily as she threw another cold scowl at Evangeline. "I am perfectly calm. If I wished your opinion I would have given it to you ahead of time." She was anything but calm at this point. "I simply find current company to be rather unpleasant. Speaking of such, as if your persona was any less off-putting. At least the first words out of mine own mouth are not obscenities the likes of which wilt fresh vegetables and cause mothers to run screaming in the night." She seemed to begin stringing her thoughts together now with hardly a breath in between. "I'll have you know there are many whom find me personable. I daresay desirable even, though I entertain few in that regards. What have you to show for?"

"I am not heartless!" she exclaimed. "You are the one who came into our city and promptly setup shop as if to save those who do not wish to be helped. I take no issue with those of you who chose to use their resources to help those in need, but the changes you propose cannot come about without blood - and lots of it. It is my job to avoid such senseless loss of life." Coatleque began to pace at the other side of the enclosure. "What is taking them so long? Someone should have noticed the lift stuck by now." She was muttering to herself. In truth it had not been five minutes yet.

Shaking her head in some measure of disbelief she sighed. "I was hoping to meet someone if you must know." She purposefully ignored the woman's comment on mocking the poor. Taking another step backwards she leaned her rear against the wall and crossed her feet while standing. "You wanted to like me? You certainly have a strange way of approaching friendship." Her head tilted as she regarded the woman on the floor, particularly her folio. "More propaganda I presume? On your way to plaster your lies all over the lounge? I suppose I should be thankful 'tis nae another cr̃ock of shite."

Coatleque also blinked before she recognized the voice opposite herself. Her grip on the railing tightened as her gaze settled on the Elezen. "Miss Primrose..." Her expression turned instantly sour. "Perhaps if you had finished nursing your refugees this morning, said livestock would be a few ponze lighter." She stepped over to the panel and mashed the button a few more times which elicited the expected response of nothing happening. Moving to the doors then she pressed her hands against them and tried sliding them apart which only resulted in the squeal of flesh sliding against metal. Growing more aggravated as the situation began to sink into her mind she crossed her arms with a huff and stepped back to survey the doors, trying to ignore the woman to her side.

Coatleque stood at the end of the Hustings Strip at the elevator tapping her foot impatiently. She had read the sign, of course, and was chewing her lip at present while she tried to decide on what to do next. Her shift had ended and all she wanted was some a moment of peace, and perhaps to share a drink with her latest suitor in the lounge while they discussed business. She was about to turn and make for the stairs at the opposite side of the Palace when the doors suddenly opened. "I guess they're done working on it?" she quietly thought to herself. Shrugging and deciding not to waste this moment she stepped into the lift and pressed the same button which was already alight, as if for emphasis. She did not even look up to see who was in the opposite corner before turning around and leaning against the wall of the cramped quarters. Her eyes closed as the knot of her ponytail touched the paneling behind. The doors squeaked shut just as they had opened and the lift began to ascend once more. It had only risen a few fulms before the light flickered and the sound of grinding gears and the loss of power greeted them with an abrupt stop. The light itself dimmed to that of a candle. Coatleque started suddenly and gripped the handrail along the wall before looking around rather panicked. "What... was that?"

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The sun began to break through the clouds as the last rays fell upon the sands of Eastern Thanalan for the evening. The line of Sultansworn stood at the fork of the road just beyond the Sungate, the remnants of rain just moments before causing their silver armor to glisten even at this late hour. Coatleque stood resolute, unflinching from the rain while the initiates lined up before her. Romy Leonhardt, who's hair color seemed to change daily to match her personality. Roysia Stone, still fidgeting under the weight of her freshly smithed cuirass. Anita Aezantia, quietly squinting to try and see through the water drops that now clung to her glasses. Off to the side was Shas Tarry and Nyalie Lizeh who had come along to offer aid and guidance for the new blood. "Thank you all for answering my request for aid. I shall not mince words as we have a task to perform. The Sultana's court Thaumaturges, in combination with the Alchemist's guild, require our services. Tell me, how many of you are familiar with the Burning Wall?" Silence. "Well, you see those large, glowing yellow crystals that spiral to the heavens behind me? They are over-aspected wind crystals." "Sounds wonderful.", Anita commented flatly. Romy merely stood silently grim-faced. "What does this have to do with us?" Crofte continued. "Nothing. Not a thing. However, as you spend your days standing for hours on end in service to Her Grace you may have noticed the Palace is not nearly as swealtering as the surrounding city. The reason is due in part to those crystals behind me. The other part being the Thaumaturges that thought up the whole system." She paused for a moment as she paced in front of them, trying to remember exactly how it had been explained to her beforehand. This sort of science was way beyond her, but she owed them at least an explanation as to why they would be risking their lives for a bit of cool air. "You see, by combining ice crystals with wind crystals, they keep cool air moving through the Palace all day. I do not know how it works, and I do not care, so long as it continues to do so." She paused once more to regard the initiates before her. Flat stares, a blink, someone groaned as the realization began to sink in of what they would be doing. "Her Grace agrees, as you can well imagine, as do most of the nobility." Coatleque continued her speech. "Fortunately for the mages who operate this system, and unfortunately for us, they are not hearty enough to gather the materials they need on a monthly basis." And there it was. Roysia looked down at her boots as Anita spoke up. "I can understand being hired to protect the Miner's Guild while they deal with it, but please don't tell me we have to gather them ourselves!" Coatleque turned to face her before responding. "If we were merely mercenaries for hire, that would be the case. But we are more than simple mercenaries. We are Paladins of the Sultansworn. As a Paladin, it is our lot to serve." Anita looked down quietly muttering. "And the nobility's errand girls, apparently." Roysia simply looked back up to Crofte while Romy remained silent still. "Not the nobility. The Sultana. And by extension, her subjects. Many of the citizens we protect look up to us as if we are some sort of untouchable figureheads, leaders of men even. In truth we are but servants to our liege." "I know as much, but this... seems a job ill-suited for us, is all." Anita replied. "Yet our job it remains." Roysia chided her fellow initiate. "Ours is not ta question why... ours is ta do an' not die." Shas had spoken up from her position to the side at hearing her underlings questioning. "Well said." Coatleque continued. "Ill-suited it may well be, but it is not for us to question." "And it rhymed! Bonus points, Ser Tarry.", Roysia quipped. "Zip it, Stone." came the response from the left. She grew silent after that, shifting on her feet. "So are we supposed to just swing our swords at some over aspected crystals and hope we can gather enough?" Anita continued her questions. Coatleque began her pacing once more. "The benefit of them being over aspected. I don't remember all the... technicalities of how it was explained to me, but it was something about 'more bang for the gil'." She paced a few more steps to be sure there were no further questions. "Now, as I was saying. As the Sultansworn we serve Her Grace. As Paladins we serve each other as well. The bonds of the Order transcend the mere pay checks of the Brass Blades, or the bestowed honor of rank that the Flames use. This is why we are here together now, and not just one of us. We are shield brothers and shield sisters, and we all serve together. You may have noticed I said nothing about over-aspected ice crystals? Another group has been assigned to collect them. Now then, if there are no further questions, we must move through Amalj'aa territory and to the Burning Wall. There is a rather large crystal growth towards the center of the spire." Sers Tarry and Nyalie had walked up beside Coatleque as she finished her speech. "I'd say they're ready ta start." Shas nodded approvingly. "Aye then, onward. The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can all be back in the Quicksand." "And if they die you will help me to carry the bodies back?" asked Nyalie. The three of them smirked to each other as the procession started on its way.

Yeah, it was a little more than just a 'fling'. And they were getting glared at because Sei decided to jump on a table and try to impale Warren in the middle of the Quicksand.

Silly Jajara. You can't eat saddles!

(( Starting off with a picture. I'll be posting more as I write up the log. This was the first Paladin trial for the new Sultansworn initiates. ))

When your entire line of work requires that you remain impartial, it is hard to classify poo slingers as true enemies of the state.

As a Sultansworn, Coatleque has many people who probably hate her, but I can't think of any who have openly stood against her as an enemy to date.

The prisoner backed away to the far wall of her cell, clutching her chamber pot as the only weapon available as the Sultansworn and the Brass Blade Captain squared off in the hallway beyond the bars. His look was one of rage at being denied his own wishes. Her's a look of bitter annoyance at yet one more crook trying to circumvent her authority. Stepping up close to her and with a lowered voice he hissed, "You should be nicer to me. We have the same friends, you and I." Her voice lowered to the same level yet carried a hint of smugness. "Do we? I heard differently." She cleared her throat, speaking so all present could hear again. "Have a pleasant trip, Captain Anduron." He blinked in surprise at her comment before his expression turned hateful. Their shoulders connected violently as he shoved his way past her before turning with a pause. "He does not precisely speak in glowing terms of you either, in certain fashions. I suppose practice does not make perfect." With that, Anden Anduron strode away, hands clenched. She stared at him with mouth agape in disbelief for a moment before she was able to compose herself again. "Good DAY Sir!"