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Kudros Crendraven · **01-21-2016, 11:39 PM**

This was it. All the preparation, all the planning...everypainstaking minute, every breath, every step...everything lead down to this, this is where I take my stand, this is where I show them justice, this is where...this is where..this is where the Owl lands.

(Taken from theaccount of an Ishgardian Noble)

The sun must of not even reached over the mountains when ithappened...and even now, I still hear the blood curdling screams, the rattling that tore the pillars asunder...it's still there, echoing my soul to its foundations. No one could of seen it coming, not Aymeric, not the guards...not even the house itself, it all happened so fast...we were all played for fools! I had heard rumors of this Owl, this thing that was turning the Brume into some plagued militia...it was only whispers, lowborn's taking a stand to the guards, increased violence down in the foundation, but for it to go this far, for this Owl to actually do this...its insanity, how could we have been so blind to this rising power, it was literally beneath our feet the whole time, watching...waiting...gathering. We up in the Pillars shouldn't have to worry about this! It's an outrage, no one did anything to prevent it! This damn thing has been weaving its web of lies, taking supplies from under our noses...attacking our convoys and we hardly even knew it was happening, this is heresy in its highest form! But...but...we were still powerless when it finally came...we all were...the attack, House Hildegarde didn'tÂ stand a chance, I have witnessed dragonsdestroying my city, people burn before my very eyes...families torn asunder, but this...this happened from within our great walls, something has turned our very people against us and in doing so...has taken the life of a whole house in one fell swoop of its wings.

I can't really remember much...but I do remember some parts,I will admit it was an ordinary day in Ishgard...cold as normal, snowing as normal, the first thing that sparked my curiosity was two drunkards fighting in the pillars, doesn't happen often but I know some people can drink a bit too much, things got serious between them and even dragged away the attention of some guards...but that's what I didn't realise then, it was all a distraction...obviously I thought nothing of it then, but it kept getting worse and worse the drunk fighting took to a closed of corner and it honestly sounded like the guards were beating the life out of this men...but walking past I simply saw that nothing was there, no drunk men...no guards, of course I didn't hang around, who would? So I stormed straight up those stairs, I was not being dragged into anything today! But...I was gravely wrong, a loud shouting came from behind me..I think his words were. "Hey, Hildegarde...I have a price for you, for a deal you can have her of course." There was this man...I couldn't really make his face from a distance, but he had long hair...gray-ish I think, wearing a long black coat, dragging this women...this poor women by her hair in the middle of the street...safe to say I was stuck in a rut, but before I could even breathe a word, guards rushed out from Hildegarde, shields high and swords made ready...who was this man? This gray haired stranger, well apparently he was none other than Kudros Crendraven, branded heretic and scorn of Ishgard...apparently he had a few runs in with Lady Melisande but this...why would he do this, bring them a bounty, even though he was one...it made no sense, nothing did...but I watched, I shouldn't of...but I did.

Guard : Can youtell me what they said, the exchange of words?

"Kudros Crendraven, marked with heresy and the murderof fourteen of our knights, you dare approach our house...offering us a deal? You must be asking for death..."

"You can blabber about that or you can hear meout...this little rascal that I have by the hair is one Kokomo, wanted for the destruction of House Trebair, lower house of House Durendaire...I hope you are men of reason, because I wish to reason with you."

"...there is no reason why we should listen to youheretic, you killed our brothers and attacked our lady, you should taste death right here! RIGHT NOW!"

It was getting out of hand to say the least, this man walkedstraight into his death...surely no one could be this stupid...right? But apparently this man was, he either had a seriously good plan...was a seriously good fighter...or wanted to die. But it seems none of the above were true...
"Hear me out tin can, I will give you thisheretic...witch...murderer, whatever...on one condition, you half my bounty and strip me the title of the Owl, I know you all refer to me as it...but I am not it and it's not only getting on my nerves...its tarnishing my reputation. I will also offer you this, I will help you locate said Owl, if...you rid me of all my crimes."

"ENOUGH! You fool, like we were going to let you easilywalk away with half your crime...you brought us both the murderer of House Trebair...and the murder of our own kin, Kudros Crendraven...you will die here right now, Halone will not even give you any pity...you will perish on her cold streets.."

The man...this man, he must of been deluded for sure...hehad no weapon, no way out and stood in the middle of the pillars, but his face...his face never wavered, he seemed too confident for me to even hazard a guess at what he had up his sleeve. Then it happened...within seconds of the soldiers drawing their swords and circling the man, the pillars burned, dragon fire did not even amount to this...this blue fire. The explosion tore the house asunder within seconds, it crumbled beneath this immense fiery force...even where the house once stood, it was blown into the oblivion below, fire tore through the house, flames, concrete...people were sent in all directions...the smoke reached high as did the debris, crashing down on those below, blue fireballs burnt holes in buildings and set fire to the ground, Hildegarde...Hildegarde was destroyed...there was nothing left, in less than a few seconds...this..this flash of white and blue fire destroyed one of the strongest and most formidable houses in the whole of the Holy See, bodies were strewn across the street...soldiers, nobles...children, they were all burned and murdered, if it wasn't for me standing on those stairs I would of surely died aswell, I felt the intense heat...the concussive force whip across me like death itself came to consume my soul...I couldn't stop...the tears flooded, the shaking continued...what did I just witness, was this the true extent of the Owl's power...or was it that grey haired man, but he said he wanted to show people the Owl...this all made no sense, he surely wouldn't sacrifice himself to prove a point...right.
I looked down once more upon the street, where the deadlay...and I saw him, he had lived...barely, one of his arms had been torn right off...the left one if I can remember, he was cut, bruised and bleeding badly...did the Owl mean to take him out aswell? The rest however, the guards all laid dead...bodies everywhere...the horror...even after the dragons...why...why us!

Guard: Whatnext...anything else happen.

Yes...actually, one thing happened...it appeared tome...like some dream, clad in white steel...that helmet, that horned helmet...it was like I was looking upon a demon, my heart sank..I couldn't breathe...I thought...no..it should of been the end, it should of...it..that..whatever it was it stood above me, looking down upon the chaos...I felt its blood-lust, its rage...through the helmet I could sense it all, its revenge...it's fury.

Guard: Sirplease, what did you see...

The Owl...I saw it...The Owl, it's real.

Ekidna · **01-22-2016, 04:00 AM**

[On that night. In front of the ruins of House Hildegarde. A nobleborn telling what he witnessed.]

Musical themeÂ

"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.]

Musical theme

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!]

Dresden Voltaire · **01-23-2016, 02:48 AM**

This would have never happened if the Temple Knights had listened.

He was the only one privy to identifying the possible suspects. He was the one who sullied his hands combing the Brume for information - had been the one to recruit and conduct a brigade of highwaymen in Western Coerthas as a front to find out where the pilfered caravans were going.Â

He had heard that the Pillars would burn, but his superiors - wrapped in their own convoluted bureaucracy with their Lord Commander occupied - were much too busy clinging to promotions and favors from the highborns. So long as their own pockets were filled and they were due with minimum work, they cared not how things were done.Â

So when House Hildegarde fell that night, Dresden had expected it, but it wasn't the Knights who managed to squelch the flames before it spread. No, Dresden had tirelessly commandeered the sellswords, adventures, and even merchants of his highwaymen front. Hildegarde had fallen, but they had coordinated enough to save the other houses.Â

If they had only stifled their disdain for lowborns like him and listened. Lives had to be lost to bring the point across.Â

By the time it took to smother the blue flames completely, charred corpses both big and small were found beneath debris, unrecognizable. The burned smell literally lingered throughout the night and into the early morning hours. There was one scion left of Hildegarde, lucky as she was. Or perhaps not.Â

The man Dresden had been trailing for the past few weeks had been identified as Kudros Crendraven. Perhaps not only identified, but relatively known for his bounty through the secret echelons of the Holy See.Â

They knew and they hadn't told him.Â

"Ser Voltaire! You're under arrest!"

It was an unsurprising command. Lord Aymeric's new policy of having an open dialogue between the Knights and their citizens was contrary to what they had done. He always knew he would be the scapegoat should his mission go south. Dresden found himself surrounded by his own garrison in the early morning hours and left to drown as an inquisitor shouted out his crimes - crimes of which had been done and ordered in the name of the Holy See. Â

"That's the one! He knew what was to become of House Hildegarde." Those treacherous words came from his own Captain, one of whom Dresden once called trustworthy. He looked upon Dresden not with a warm nod, but a sneer unseen. Dresden had thought, almost despairingly, that this man was one of the only few who saw him not as a lowborn, but a potential soldier.Â

"I had not!" he snapped back, almost desperate as swords and lances advanced upon him. "Everything I had done was to protect Ishgard!"

Inquisitor Depardieu pointed accusingly at him. "Such words would not sway us, traitor! You were in league with the criminals who consorted with the Owl - we have eyewitness accounts from your fellow knights to prove it. Not to mention word from the Jeweled Croizer of your little operation with your highwaymen. It is just like lowborn scum like you to make a profit on the blood of one of our once prominent houses!"

Dresden had no choice but to keep his silence about the highwaymen. He would not incriminate his own men just to save his own skin. "You would put one of your most loyal men to the edge, so you would not take the plunge yourself," he accused his captain and gestured to the men he once called his own. "Have I not proven myself to you enough? The Fury sees all - do you believe you will be saved from her wrath upon judgement? I risked everything to give you the very information needed to catch the fiends who have done this! If you had only listened my warnings!"

"Listen not to this betrayer!" Depardieu warned sharply. "Ser Voltaire of the Temple Knights, you are hereby accused of conspiring against Ishgard and the complete annihilation of House Hildegarde. You will find, unfortunately, that something as trial by combat will not be afforded to you."Â

His heart thumped so hard against his ribcage, he was sure he would have been in the throes of a stroke had he been an older man. With a frustrated snarl, Dresden slowly raised his palms up in surrender. "You will regret this," he promised bitterly. "Knives to the back of our countrymen, turning a blind eye to save your own. Do you not see? Ishgard cannot survive like this! The only crime I am rightfully accused of is trusting my 'betters' to protect Ishgard when I should have done it myself! I swear to you, upon the blood and ash on this very stone, I will not let it happen again! I will protect Ishgard on my own terms - with or without your help!"

In the ensuing silence, Dresden snapped his fingers and a rain of arrows littered the sky above. His captors quickly stumbled out of the way and in the ensuing chaos, Dresden quickly escaped over a low hanging bridge, shoving Inspector Depardieu in the process. He made a break for the lower levels for the Brume, Puru's voice ringing in the linkpearl.Â

The only safe haven now was deep in the ice and mountains of Western Coerthas where his highwaymen waited for him. It seemed that now, this new enterprise was now a legitimate operation.

Ekidna · **01-23-2016, 11:16 AM**

(Sorry I missclick, and I can't delete this post xD)

***Sorcini*** · **01-31-2016, 12:17 PM**

She stood casually in the distance. Eyes cast low with the look of preoccupation, she seemed like any other citizen as the events unfolded. Appearances, however, can deceive to those unaccustomed to looking. As the light started to fade in the sky and another light erupted blue to take its place, so too did her eyes shine brightly. She had for some time been watching and listening to the the grey haired stranger.

â€œKudros Crendravenâ€¦ I see,â€ her sharp ears did not deceive and her breath misted in the utterance. â€œA noble house brought to itâ€™s knees. For that, my platitudes.â€Â

She faded into the edges of the chaos, eyes glinting at the sight of the figure in intimidating white steel and horns. A long pause ensued and the urge to run over conflicted with her instinctual desire to remain in the shadows. Â

Her pulse was high. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on decreasing the tempo in her veins before executing her decision.

[The Owl of the Brume] The fall of Hildegarde (Open)

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes