[On that night. In front of the ruins of House Hildegarde. A nobleborn telling what he witnessed.]
[Ceremony of mourning. Saint Reymanaud's Cathedral. One day after the tragedy striking House Hildegarde.]
[Please feel free to add your PC's reactions to this event in this thread. Consider Kudros as being the GM of the Owl plot. As for myself, I would be glad to meet any ishgardian rper wanting to join this plot. If you want to meet Melisande, she shall be in the cathedral for the next days. Feel free to walk-up or PM me. Thank you!]
"She ran straight towards the debris. Everything was still crackling and blazing with roaring blue flames but she just dash right into the chaos. I can...still hear her cries. When she tried to throw herself into the fire there was a man who tried to...grab her, but she flailed, she pushed him, escaped his grasp and threw herself on the ground. She was shrieking, crying her eyes out. She was...vainly trying to...seize the debris, hopelessly trying to reach for the burnt bodies of whoever was under...Â
Knights finaly came to witness the horror... When they saw Lady Melisande, one of them managed to grab her and pulled her out of the ruins. She was...struggling like a fury...crying, and yelling so loud I could feel her pain bursting in my own heart. Her arms were burnt by her harrowing attempt to save someone from these carnage, but still, she was trying so hard to run back there that the knight had to carry her away. She burst into tears, and if he had not hold her I think she whould have fallen, crushed by the palpable agony she was breathing.
Then I saw him. The demon with the horned-helmet. It was as if time suddenly stopped. Everything was like a distant nightmare, lived from afar...the fire, the ruins, the chaos, the burnt bodies on the streets... The lady's voice echoed in my head for a very long time because I could shift my gaze on her. She was yelling threats at him while struggling against men who only tried to prevent her from running right into death. That...was...heart-breaking.
When the shadow of the demon faded I could still feel all the hatred, all the rage burning from the ruins...and the lady's agony made me feel so powerless. I wish I could have done something for her. Her whole body was shaking, convulsing in painful sobs...it was as if she was breathing thorns...clenching on that man's armor desperately.Â
I could not...move. I was...in shock. My mind was so foggy at this moment. I just stood there and watch in awe. I saw them trying to convince her to be escorted in a safe place. She could barely stand, that small woman... But she did. She raised her chin and through her tears I could see the blue flames glowing in her eyes as she gave orders to these men. They grabbed a man... I don't know who, he was just lying there. I could only catch a glimpse of his long silver hairs. And they just took him away while the lady stood here watching the ruins. I think it was this man everyone talked about...Kudros Crendraven, the criminal? Well...they took him away to some place, I don't know where. And she...just remained there untill a tall man in an armor bearing the coat of arms of her House finaly came to her side and gently grabed her by the arm. And...that's it all..."
~*~
[Ceremony of mourning. Saint Reymanaud's Cathedral. One day after the tragedy striking House Hildegarde.]
Lady Melisande was standing straight, eyes gazing at the altar of the Fury. She was dressed in black, wearing a mourning gown, the black veil cascading on her hairs. Her eyes was reddened by the all the tears she cried that night. Words have been sent to all the Houses of nobility, and all were invited to pray for the souls of those who was crually murdered this night.
"I...apologize for the sobriety of this ceremony. Many will think..that this is truly...not mirroring Hildegarde's standing... But our faith needs only words of truth and prayers for the souls of those who have fallen on that dreadful night..."
The voice of Melisande had never been so emotionnal, cracked with grief, trembling as she was struggling to make the words escaped her lips.
"There are...no coffins. Because, you see...everything...everyone...has...faded...in the blue flames of pure destruction... "
She pauses, shaking as the glow in her eyes mirrored the horror she witnessed.
"...and the bodies we could find...even children...were not...recognizible..."
Her voice faded like a whisper and she closed her eyes, taking a deep painful breathe, caressing in a soothing gesture the peculiar necklace she was wearing.
"House Hildegarde has always served House Dzemael with unflawn loyalty and faith. My Father...was a kind-hearted man...and he worked hard to share his high education and charity...and Mother never failed to deliver Halone's Justice to protect us all... As for my brothers they have all already been praised for their sacrifice against the Horde..."
Saying so her eyes brimmed with tears, which she wiped as she raised her chin, her voice still trembling with grief.
"But I shall not forget everyone else. The knights who protected us for so long...heroes of the war, whose loyalty and bravery I would not be able to praise as much as it should be. And all the servants...some of them still so young..walking in the halls of the manor with the hopes of helping us serve House Dzemael and the Fury as well as our ancestors did..."
She gulped painfuly. She seemed overwhelmed by a stabbing pain, but kept going:
"I shall pray for each of them, as it soothes my heart to know their souls shall dwell into Halone's Halls where they shall find peace. A peace I shall not know untill justice will be done."
At her last words there was a firey glow in her eyes. She seemed bitter, sadness and hatred disfiguring her for a moment.
"This...whole...heresy...what happened was not targetting only my House. This...is a declaration of war! Not only against all nobility but against all Ishgard! The -Owl-"Â
She seemed to spit on the name, her fingers clenching nervously on her gown as she held to this deafening anger.
"...uses the pretext of fighting for those left alone in the Brume. He is deemed by some as a savior, but our people...must not be fooled by his lies. He is leeching on ishgardians' sufferings. He only fuels the fire of our misery, giving the illusion to stand for those who lost their faith... But he is a -plague-! He is the enemy within, the one who saw the opportunity to take advantage on our city, weakened by a never-ending war and internal quarrels."
She could not hold back the tears anymore, which rolled on her cheeks as her voice somehow gained strenght and confidence, carrying in her trembling tone all the horror of her grief and all the hatred ingrained in her soul.Â
"I beg all of you to open your eyes and admit it: the war has never ended! Within our own walls we have turned our back to each other and pretended everything was finaly over - but it was not! When I asked -some of you- for help, when I told you we should not be naive and be prepared, you laughed at me. You labeled me as heretic when I was only warning you that this day would come - because we thought we were -safe-. Because we failed to see that our quarrels divided us, blinded us. Because we failed to see that there are still heretics who only breathe betrayal and destruction. We failed to see what the Owl saw. And if Hildegarde is the first to pay the price - it is because we have standed strong and He - or they- wanted to silence us forever."
She chuckled bitterly, a laugh without any joy - only echoing as a crual irony.
"Too bad he failed to kill me...he shall regret this mistake the day I shall have him choking in his own blood... Because I won't stay -silent-."
The whisper was barely audible, but the fire blazing in her eyes had something mesmerizing, like a raging light burning inside the deepest darkness.
"Those who died...would have not wanted me to fall with the House. I am...the last scion of Hildegarde..." she paused, before finally saying more quietly "Well, perhaps not."
Whispers could be heard, but none would dare interfering such a sacred ceremony.
"My Father had a secret son. I...was about to know more on his reasons. Perhaps he feared some danger to aknowledge publicaly the birth of this son. Perhaps he had very good reasons to take him away from the House - for his own protection. Brother - I do not know your name, but if you hear my words, I beg of you to stand and bring me the proof Father gave to you as a token of his lineage. I know you may be afraid - and I am too. I am scared. Perhaps you shall not hear me. And I would be then the last scion of Hildegarde. But if we stay silent...if I kneel and let grief crushes me to the ground - then the Owl wins this battle, and will rejoyce of the next House he shall burn to ashes."
She pauses once more, catching her breathe. She seemed hesitant for a moment. She tried to meet the eyes of one of her surviving knight, before noding.
"But though I am scared... Though I have been torn apart and left alone, deprived of those who watched me grow... Even though in these times I would need help and should rejoice in the marriage my father arranged for me... I hereby declare that I -will NOT- marry Lord Simeon of House Sibaruse. For Lord Simeon failed me twice. By his non-assistance when I was fighting the criminal Kudros Crendraven, and when he left this man approached me so close that he could have stabbed me. I shall rather stand proud and fight with the values of Ishgard than accepting a marriage with a man who mirrors only the cowardice which led lowborns to think we - of noble born - are not worthy of our titles. This is the precise attitude which made the Owl rise from all our sins, vices and flaws. The Owl is -our- demon and we are -all- guilty of the crime we nurrished inside our very walls!"
She gazed at each face she could see, before lifting up a beautiful ishgardian staff, crafted for ceremonial purposes. When she took it in her hands the jewel emitted a peculiar light, aether gathering around it as she spoke:
"The Owl made a mistake. He failed to see that I shall not be intimidated. None of us should! He only wants to spread the terror. Make you live in the fear of his shadow over the Pillars. He wants to take over the city - Shall you let him do so? I shall NOT!"
Aether was oddly dancing around her, emanating from the staff, contrasting with the black clothes she was wearing.
"If Hildegarde's lineage must...fall with me then I shall be worthy of our ancestor the great Lucienaux Anselme D'Hildegarde, slayer of the dragon Irmekt, who earn our titles in war! And THIS is the war I shall fight to prove myself worthy of him. Worthy of Halone. Worthy of Ishgard - of you!"
The aether was flowing, almost shaped like wings around her body, as she kneeled ceremonialy before the Fury's altar.
"I...want to make an oath...and under the gaze of Halone...I swear to dedicate my life to free the holy city from the heretical grasp of the Owl."
She rised, and the aether faded away like a peculiar illusion when she let the scepter laying on the floor near her.
"I shall now pray for each who have fallen this night. Ishgard has been deeply harmed. I only hope you shall now see that we need to stand strong and united...proud and worthy..."
She turned towards Halone's statue, made a few steps and joined her hands in prayer.
"By the balance of her lance will all be set free."
~*~
[Please feel free to add your PC's reactions to this event in this thread. Consider Kudros as being the GM of the Owl plot. As for myself, I would be glad to meet any ishgardian rper wanting to join this plot. If you want to meet Melisande, she shall be in the cathedral for the next days. Feel free to walk-up or PM me. Thank you!]