Coatleque

Coatleque sat in the Quicksand. Alone. The day had been so slow for her. She had nowhere to go, nothing to do, just drifting without purpose these past two days. She watched Miss Rhea dance in the middle of the bar. It was all she could do to avoid going insane at this point. Then it came, over the private link. "Ser Crofte. The Captain would have words with you now." She hesitated. "... Aye, Ser. I am on my way." Quietly she made her way to his office. She wore no armor or uniform that day, as the day before. It must have been an odd sight to see. Lady Crofte dressed in a formal white dress with black trim and gold accents, flanked by who armed Sworn in full regalia. She gently wrapped her gloved hand against the door. "Crofte, inside." His voice came with a bit more sharpness than usual. She slowly allowed herself in, moving to the side quickly as the door latched behind her. Captain Jenlyns sat behind his desk, fingers laced, not looking pleased. The Lady Knight stood at attention just the same, with obvious angst. She could not meet his gaze. Not yet. Instead she tried her best to focus on the wall behind him. "Ser!", she replied awaiting his command. He took a long breath in, his blue eyes cooler in its hue this day, his brows bent. "Step forward, Crofte. I wish not to yell at you from across the room." The Knight immediately took two long strides forward and stopped with a click of her dress heels. She held her hands behind her back and remained focused on the wall behind him. "Aye, Ser!" Jenlyns stared at her for a moment longer, then slowly his eyes lowered to the documents before him. "I have read your report. Thrice. Who else knows about this report, Crofte?" The Knight swallowed hard, still unable to meet his gaze. "No one, Ser. My reports are strictly confidential, for you alone." A long pause fell between them. "Are you certain Crofte? Because Sergreant Osric came to me shortly after, to defend your actions. Saying you were lured, under false pretenses." She paused, frantically searching for words. Damn the Sergeant to all the hells! She reviewed in her mind everything she had documented once more, unsure of what she could have missed, what she may have worded wrongly. "Ser... He knows of them, but not what is in them. My actions were my own, Ser." "Exactly... what does he think is in these reports, Crofte?", he said, choosing his words carefully. He studied her responses expectantly. "I could not presume to know the man, or what he thinks, Ser. I have never disclosed the contents of any of my reports. I would assume he believes I made no mention of any of these happenings." He taps his thumbs together slowly, his fingers still laced. "Do you see my dilemma here? You have been witnessed to those who are accessory to certain crimes. Dead Blades are accounted for. You made a report, of your awareness of their fates, and yet no arrests were made. Then you bring that report to me. What am I supposed to do with this, Crofte?" Her face flushed as she realized the glaring mistake. Of course the information was worthless at this point. What did she expect him to do? Again her mind raced back to the events, trying to piece together some kind of defense. "Ser, an arrest would have complicated the second mission. As these were Ser Melkire's operations, I was ordered not to jeopardize them." His eyes narrow into slits, as if to drive the point home further. "Then you carry out the second mission, arrest the perpetrators, then make the report to me, Crofte." "A-aye... Ser." "You are still green, I can see that. And perhaps your promotion was a bit hasty, but you are supposed to represent the new face of the Sworns on the streets. If the word of this gets out that you had any part in execution of Brass Blades... You will do even MORE harm to our order than the three demoted Sworns combined. DO you see that?" "I do... Ser." "... and you disobeyed a direct order. From me. For the Sultana's safety, that misdeed I am willing to forgive. Only once. But jeopardizing the Sworns, is precisely why the three you mentioned in your report are not serving as Sworns currently. Do you wish to join them in their fate?" The Knight looked as if she was on the verge of tears by this point. Somehow she held them back. "NO, Ser!." He exhaled long through his nose, leaning back on his thick, large chair. He regarded her a long moment, letting the silence fall like a dead weight between them. She swallowed hard once again, but maintained her attention while still focusing on the wall behind them. It was getting harder not to look him in the eye. "What am I to do with you, Crofte?" "I would expect it is back to guard duty on the Strip, Ser." "Perhaps. That would only leave people to wonder why you are no longer on the streets. Questions would arise." "What would you have me do, Ser?" "If no one is aware of this report, it can disappear." He waved a hand into the air. "But if even one person is aware of what you reported, then you are jeopardizing the entire Order with your inaction. And in turn, my inaction, if I do nothing." Her heart fells at these words more than anyone would think. She had hoped her witness would have made a difference in the end. Some kind of ripple as Osric had wanted. ".... Aye, Ser. No one is aware, Ser." "Sergeant Melkire certainly gives me doubt." He leaned forward, lacing his fingers again on the desk, his eyes showing their intent. "You serve under the Sultansworn Order, Crofte. You are not one of Melkire's men. Nor are you to serve as an accessory to what he does. His actions are answerable to Swift. But I will not have one of mine be thrown into the mess that is Melkire's history with the Syndicate." "What of Deneith, Ser?" He narrowed his eyes, and a different expression passes at the mention of that name. "...I read your report on that." He sighed, the sharpness in his tone giving way. "How is she?" "Unclear. From what I saw... she may have scars. Not just physical." The knight seems to bristle at her own words, knowingly. Jenlyns's gaze drifted downward, although he did not seem to be looking at any particular document in front of him. He frowned. "What a mess this turned out to be." "Ser? I told Melkire I would keep her safe if he brought her back. If you order me against that... I shall comply." He shook his head and looked back up to her. Taking in a long breath he arched a brow at her. "Melkire is bringing Deneith back?" "That is his intention." "You reported she was..." He scaned the documents again. "She was leaving or some sort. What is Melkire's intention?" "He needs her for something. I know not what. He wants to bring her back to Ul'dah from where she is now to keep her safe." He exhaled again, his eyes narrowing. "Crofte. Deneith was.. is... still one of ours. As is Mcbeef and Kiryuu. Even as Blades, if they are persecuted, Monetarists will brand them as ex-Sworns rather than Blades." He trained his gaze onto her, trying to force her to finally meet it back. "Melkire is conducting this investigation, and as I understand it, going after Mcbeef." He set his jaw. "I need to know that what he has is solid. I need one of my own eyes on this matter. That would be you, Crofte." The sudden change of tone in his words caught her ear. She finally worked up the courage to meet his gaze and straightened herself as best she could. "Orders, Ser!" "I've known Mcbeef... for years now. Since the Calamity. She is a rough one, some call her the bad apple. But her loyalty to the Sultana was never in question. No matter how she carried them out, her intentions were always true." He shook his head. "It seems she has fallen off that path, perhaps the Blades have gotten to her. I don't know." He pinched his nose. "And I know wherever she goes, Kiryuu will follow." His voice lowered. "But I need to know that she has truly fallen off this path. Because if Melkire arrests her, this will fall back on us. I need to know it is justified." "Understood, Ser." "Your Orders, Crofte, are now exact opposite of the one I gave you when you were promoted. You are to make it your business to see to the affairs of the three demoted Sworns. Their fates it seems will reflect back on us. Find the truths. See if Melkire's wrath towards Mcbeef is justified. And what his intentions are towards Deneith. Blade or no, they were once our own. See that justices is served. No blinders." "And to what capacity shall I follow Chief Melkire's commands? He thinks me pliable right now, I fear. If I hesitate often he will be suspicious." He narrowed his eyes on her, but there is a small upward curl to his lips. "Not as... green as I thought, Crofte." She holds his gaze, but keeps a straight face. "I do learn, Ser." "Very well. Carry out his orders to the best of your ability, but you are not working under him, Crofte. You are a Sworn. You are to be my eyes and ears, and ultimately my hand in this investigation. Make him believe you are still... pliable. But gain his confidence." The Knight took a deep breath. "Ser, Aye Ser!" "And make certain that justice is served to one of our own. Can you do that, Crofte?" "For her Grace, for Ul'dah. I can, Ser!" "That is exactly why you are doing this, Crofte. We are the Sultana's Elite. Her cloak of safety. Her watchers. If we are tainted, the Monetarists gain more shadows around her. This we cannot allow. Maneuver this situation carefully, Crofte. We must bring those to justice that deserve it. But always... always be mindful of how it tips the scales. Because THAT ... is Ul'Dah." "Aye Ser. I shall, Ser!" "Alright. Dismissed." Coatleque saluted him as is customary of the Flames, turned about with seemingly renewed vigor, and headed for the door. She quietly allowing herself out. Captain Jenlyns watched her go and let out a long sigh. It is awhile before he returns to the documents at hand.

Fish. Great. I think Coatleque has de-synthesized enough fish in her life.

Thank you Roen, for playing the part of Captain Jenlyns and thoroughly reaming Coatleque a new one last night. I left her fate up to you and was not disappointed. I admit there were a few times I was sweating and looking for words, but the whole time she was accepting of whatever judgement would be levied. Looks like she's survived round 1. So thank you!

I think when he grips the hilt and it squeaks from the choke-hold... then he'll notice.

I'll rumor you if you rumor me? I know we haven't met IC, but... I can fake it! :angel:

Well thanks... all this talk of updating prompted me to do my own. It's kind of funny... I don't have facebook, twitter, tumbler, or any of the others... But I check my RPC wiki every other day.

Nice to meet you. Interactivity thrusters engaged! Prepare for synergy...

(( This is the story of Coatleque's past. Where she came from, what happened to her, how and why she has grown into the Knight she is today. Parts of this story will contain adult situations. )) ---------- The northern lands, Gyn Abania. The choking point, and last holdout that kept the Garlean's from sweeping through Eorzea. It was here that the militant state of Ala'Mhigo had ruled. For years they fended off the repeated incursions of the Empire, but each victory had also carried its own loses. It was only a matter of time, really. While the Empire was fighting its slow battle of attrition, Ala'Mhigo was fighting one of survival. As the nation wore down, trade began to crumble. Outlying villages were abandoned or forgotten entirely. It was no surprise then, that the remote fishing warf at the southern tip of the nation had gone un-harassed by the Empire. Nestled at the foot of the hills along the Rothlyt Sound, they were close enough to the Shroud that the armies would keep their distance to avoid raising suspicions in the neighboring City State. The people were vaguely aware that their sovereignty had changed. They knew they were part of some kind of empire now, but nobody really cared. There was little traffic at this point, and the inhabitants eked out their meager existence along the coast as peaceful as they could. No more than eighty people lived there now. It was quiet, picturesque even. And it was into this setting that was born Florence Fishbane, first daughter and second child of the Warf Master. She had the typical childhood one would expect growing up in these surroundings. While she was young she would trail her mother around the house, mimicking her movements while playing with her rag doll. Or she would spend her time along the dunes by herself playing with the wild Primrose flowers. That is until that boy Johnathan Long-grain came to terrorize her. The Miller's boy, he'd tease her and kick sand in her hair or steal her doll till she chased him around the village to get it back. When she reached her eighth year her real chores began. Helping with cooking, cleaning, ... gutting her father's catch for the day. It was that one task in particular which left her with a strong distaste for fish. Isolation brings forth bonds of closeness sometimes out of necessity. As the time passed slowly and the two came of age, John's teasing changed. The running through town turned from a 'give it back' to a 'take me with' sort of game. And then he made her the ring. A silly bit of sentimentality. Carved from a simple shell found on the beach, it was white and pink with flecks of pearl-like flakes. Utterly worthless to any serious appraisal, and yet to her a priceless jewel. Only a fool could not see what was going on. Lucky for them their parents were not. The announcement came to the village on the First Sun of the Second Astral Moon, Fifteen-hundred and seventy two. The arrangement of Florence Fishbane to be given to John Long-grain. There was celebration of course, as there always was at such news. Even the lesser moon seemed to rejoice in the sky as its appearance had grown larger as of late. As the sun set that night the young woman couldn't help but think, Menphina had blessed her with the perfect life. Friends, family, love... nothing could possibly go wrong.

You feel that? That's called pain. It means you're still alive.

Coatleque sat once again in her office. The lantern had been turned down low just enough for her to see the reports she had made. Her wrist ached at the shear amount of writing that was accomplished over the past two bells. It was late now - or early, depending on your outlook. The crickets had long since been silent, and the birds would begin to awaken within the next half bell. Quietly she poured over her words. Scrutinizing them to the last detail. Making sure everything, everyone, every angle had been covered. She had started with the conversation she overheard of Kage's strange transformation. That was her beginning, her first true involvement. From there she moved to the disturbance in the Quicksand where she unknowingly had come to Natalie's aid. Paltry details for sure, but still relevant. After this she noted her contact by Chief Flame Sergeant Melkire. Being approached by Jameson on the street looking for McBeef - she knew nothing of the man, but still noted it as McBeef was involved. How she followed Ser Melkire to the abandoned mine at the wells, watching his back while he conducted his own investigation. Her witnessing of the slain Blades, the rage which wich Natalie had toppled those crates over the entrance. The freeing of Gharen Wolfsong. "She had Kage do it. Because she slipped and spoke his name." "I'm accountable now.", though she left out some of the more grizzly details. From there she moved on to the second rescue, noting the names of all present that she knew. What she observed from her vantage point overseeing the docks. What little she could make out from her Link to Osric. The acquiring of both Roen, and Askier, as well as the state of each. How she was ordered by Ser Melkire to let McBeef quit the scene. "I want reform. I want change. I want this whole thing blown into the open. For that, we need her." "Deneith is out of my reach while she is in Limsa." "But not out of mine. Make ready." "Aye, Ser. You bring her back, and I will see to her protection." Blown open indeed. Her involvement was minimal except as a witness. At this point she had not been required to draw steel. Hopefully that would be enough. This report was going to make waves, she was sure. What she did not know was if she was ready to weather this storm.

Do you speak english? I'm not fluent in binary. But in all seriousness. Any content is good content.

When you see them listed as "users" in the list, it means the search engine "spider-bots" are crawling the forums and recording words. Yes, that means everything you post here is in google's database. Creepy, right? Technically in a few days if I search the phrase "Creepy, right?", this page will show up somewhere in the list. Albeit, on page 51,867 out of 8,175,312. But still there. As FreelanceWizard stated, he has the ability to lock down what threads these spiders are allowed to access.

I update mine at least weekly. I like events to stay up-to-date. Regarding templates, if anyone is confused just look for a basic primer on HTML and CSS. This site, W3Schools, has wealth of information for free. You can get around most formatting if you just copy someone else's template [[ 1.) edit their page, 2.) copy / paste everything to notepad, 3.) cancel changes so you dont' actually change anything ]]. Then you can spruce it up with HTML in between.

The Knight sat across the desk from her Captain. Legs crossed, leaning back. She chewed on her lip nervously as she looked all about the office, but not at Jenlyns. He, meanwhile was pouring through document after document of her report. She had laid out everything. Her involvement with Chief Melkire. Her presence during Gharen's rescue. The dead Blades she saw. The admissions she had overheard. The heartless cruelty of McBeef and Kiryuu in all these matters. She described in great detail the rescue of Ser Deneith from her vantage point above the docks. The state of both prisoners, the names she knew of those who were present. Jenlyns leaned back at length and folded his hands in front of him. "Why did you give me this?" She straightened up suddenly in the chair as he addressed her. "I have made my report for the week, Ser, as is expected, Ser." "So you are openly admitting to acting against your orders to remain uninvolved?" "I am a Knight of Ul'dah, Ser. A sworn blade of Her Grace. I did what I had to, for the security of her Resplendence. For my shield brothers and sisters. And for the sovereignty of Thanalan" she said, with head held as high as she could muster. "I have made my full report to avoid the embarrassment of someone else making it for me, Ser." In her heart at least, she figured she had all of her angles covered now. There was a long pause. "I suggest you spend the next two nights in reprieve of your duties while I review your report in more detail. I will summon you when I am ready to pass judgement. You are dismissed... Ser Crofte." Silently she rose and left the office. The sound of steel on stone... did not echo quite as loudly.

Who is this Ryahl, and why haven't I met him yet? Hmmm...

If I'm not having trouble keeping packs of mobs, I don't bother marking. If people consistently pull off me, I start marking at least the first mob hoping they'll just focus it while I keep generating AOE. Flash, Scorn, Flash, Spirits, Flash, win

The Knight was still on guard for any retaliation to her remarks. Her trust of this Krell fellow was quickly dwindling as he made his demands without offering information of his own. "I shall give you until sundown on the 'morrow to vacate. More than enough time I am sure. As to your second question, I will only tell you he is not in Thanalan. As you are unwilling to divulge your own information, you shall allow me the same liberty." She paused. "If there is nothing further, I believe our business is concluded."

Not per say. What I am saying is that this still a very prevalent viewpoint in the world at large, and should be viewed as natural in any mideval/fantasy themed game. But any AAA title in the US market is going to downplay it for political reasons to avoid offending the majority. Also, it's not a "stronger & better" thing so much as a "designed for the hunter/gatherer role vs designed for the nurturing/caregiver role". Also, I should note here - I'm not inviting a flame war on this topic, I'm simply trying to expound on the concepts being discussed to avoid confusion on the whole matter. These do not reflect my personal viewpoints, just my understanding of the subject.

She watched him through narrowed eyes. "You have taken me away from my normal duties under false pretenses pertaining to the security of Her Grace. You should be grateful that mere threats are all I have leveled against you at this point." She gestured at the Lalafell with her left hand, still keeping her right crossed over to her blade. "I have found your man, as you say. I also know he has been away far to long for your own story to line up correctly. Furthermore, he has gained the trust of the Immortal Flames - something that is not taken lightly. And yet you have besmirched him." The Knight slowly paced back and forth as she continued her tirade, never looking away from him. "I would be curious to your intentions, if I were not so put off by them at the same time. You have more than enough information from me as it is. I would suggest you make yourself scarce from this City lest I am forced to bring you in under false threats of violence to Her Grace."

This is where things get very fuzzy. You have to separate the world itself from the real-life politics that game creators unfortunately MUST abide by. You are not going to find a game today out there, regardless of its theme or setting, that treats men and women as two distinct sexes anymore.

Coatleque, even as a woman, has pretty much the same expectations as Warren. She works within her position as best she can and looks down upon weak-willed men. While she treats everyone with the respect that is expected of a Knight, she will always move aside and let the Men do the leading.

Roelander concept art? http://cdndata.bigfooty.com/2014/03/46723_9587d6d005d55fca2948ebb352d96616.png[/img]

She met his glare with her own, trying hard as she could to match the ferocity in his eyes. "You relayed nothing to me. You baited me here with false information pertaining to someone whom I have found was not even IN Ul'dah at the time. I do not know who you really are, Ser, but the amount of trouble you are in depends on your cooperation going forward." "I would also watch your tone within MY city. I will brook no threats from an outsider. Now, if you would be so inclined to explain your false accusations..."

Nice to meet you. Keep your nose clean when in Thanalan, and I'm sure we'll have no trouble

She turned toward the man and clicked her heels together at attention, but did not bow. "Master Krell.", she replied as her arms crossed. Her sword hand resting upon her hilt. "Indeed, I do have news regarding the man you seek. But before I divulge any information I must administer a test. You see, it has been implied that I am conversing with spirits. Now, I am no fool, Ser, as I can see you plainly before me. What I propose is that you explain yourself now before I decide to run you through to test the theory."