The Bloody Stoneheart [PK]

[Aehkaj 1244]

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The Bloody Stoneheart

"Perhaps it was all just a bad dream, but then, why would there be moments of reprise? Moments of joy in a sea of pain and anger that offered some humanity?”

 

          It was a bloody night, a living nightmare for those involved. On the 18th of The Grand Harvest, 1865, Sir Vladrick var Ruthern lost it. Something changed, almost like a wild animal took over. From then, a sense of violence took over causing the Veteran to attack any person who got close.

          Dame Amelia, Lucius Wick, Richard Harver, and his own daughter Valentina vas Ruthern approached a scene, the old Captain dispatching someone to their grave. Their first instinct was to arrest the armored figure, at the moment unaware of their identity. The figure ripped their spear from the corpse, dragging it as it marched towards them slowly. 

          A bloody battle began, to which there was no true victor. Vladrick managed to take Lucius’ head, mortally wound Richard, and severely injure Amelia before Valentina was forced to slay him. Her own father, gone mad. By the end of the night, only two remained. Minds shaken from the horrific battle unlike anything the military could have prepared them for.

 

          In his final moments, his mind cleared like a flash. He remembered his start in the military, and all of the friends he made in his early career. He remembered the nagging of his grandfather and father to get married. He remembered his first wife, their kids as well. In that moment, he also remembered his wife's death and the pain after up until he moved on with his second wife, Amie. And even after that, he then remembered a flash of his current family. Inside, he was sorry. Sorry he failed his daughters and son Rhys, and sorry he failed not just Elizaveta, but Amie as well. 

 

Captain Sir Vladrick var Ruthern the ‘Stoneheart’ was finally free.

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The Moon shining over the battle

 

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(Moon photo accredited to cyphrlock3)

 

The Final Will of Vladrick var Ruthern

          My curved longsword is to be buried with me. If my body no longer remains, bury the sword in my stead. I wish for my spear to be kept in the family manor, a relic at most. My old maul should be given to my granddaughter, Catherine. Any military medals that I have are to be given to my daughter, Isabella. The rest is to go to my daughter Valentina. She will decide what to do with the rest.

 

Letters to Family and Friends

 

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Dearest Amie,

          I am sorry that this letter has reached you. I shouldn’t leave you like this, but given the most likely circumstance in its delivery you know why. I am at peace now, we both know that this is how it’s meant to be. Remember that I love you no matter what. You were there when I needed you, and I hope I did the same for you. Please see our children. Make sure that they are alright. Be there for them in their time of need, but take care of yourself as well.

Love,

Vladrick

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My Daughter Isabella,

          Isabella, you are everything I could have asked for. Even as a child, you would follow me around and find your way into the bastion. Watching you grow older with your siblings, and with that idiot George. I remember watching you beat him up in sparring, I couldn’t have been more proud. I really wish I could have had the time to talk more with you over tea. You’ll always be my little magpie, even if you’re grown up and married. Before I sign and seal this letter, I want to leave a reminder. Do not cry for me. I know you see me as a great father, or as a great person. I am not. I never have been.

Love,

Papej

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My Daughters Valentina, 

          Valentina, I am proud of you. Go on with your adventures and lead when you can. Keep moving. I don’t know what’s going to happen to bring this letter to you, but all I ask is you hold your head high. I love you, daughter. I’m sorry I failed you as a father. 

Love,

Papej

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My Squire Madeline,

          You did well in your training and lessons under me; however, either by my own failure or by your failure of consistency, you have been disappointing with continuing these lessons. One day you practically disappeared, and as someone who took you under their wing to train and help you I find it unacceptable of you to do this. Going back on a commitment or whatever you have done without any conversation is the work of cowardice. I expected better of you.

Your teacher,

Sir Vladrick var Ruthern

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The d’Azor Kids,

          Every single one of you has been a pain in my side. Thank goodness you’re all old now. Although, looking back, it was enjoyable with you all running around. 

Signed,

Vladrick

 

 

Captain Vladrick var Ruthern on the steps to Kositz, 1840

 

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Thank you to anyone who’s interacted along the way. Vlad was a fun character.

 

And thank you to Ave_imperium who apparently answers the question “How should I get back into LOTC?” with “Play my son.”

[annabanana1014 2084]

Valentina vas Ruthern, daughter of Vladrick var Ruthern... Her papej, he went mad. The woman would be screaming in her room in the Ruthern Manor. Her mind going insane with everything that happened, the memories, the pain...

 

"PAPEJ WHY- WHY PAPEJ! MY- my own sword. . . killed you. . . I am so sorry. Please, Papej, forgive me from where-ever you may rest. I can never forgive myself for what I did, but I had to stop vy. I had too. . . Papej, you were the best papej ever. You trusted me with everything- how am I going to get rid of these voices, who will guide me now." 

The Ruthern would take a vase in her room, throwing it at the wall as she screamed. She fell onto the floor of her room, sobbing and sobbing as the voices grew louder and louder. Each worse than before as they fed off of that night.

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Diana Vuiller, just someone who adored Vladrick. For he was her Uncle, even if her Father disagreed. He was one of the few who raised her when she was young. Everything in her childhood, the trauma. There was no way she would of survived those years of pain without him. Every challenge brought forth, she was helped by her Uncle Vladrick.

"Uncle Vladrick... thank you for everything. If it was not for you, then I would of been lost. You are one of the few who truly knew how I felt. All those times I came crying to you, all those times I seeked you out for comfort. You knew my Father was not around, and so you took me under your wing. I was always in your debt, and I wish I could of seen you one last time... You are the best Uncle, the best ever.

 

The Viscountess would of been in her room, sobbing her eyes out as she sat on her bed. Her Father was gone, now someone she thought of as a Father... She was losing it.

[HIGH_FIRE 5490]

Sir Duncan Vuiller would read of what happened with a light sigh. After getting Lucius his post mortem knighthood he would lay down on his bed, feeling himself get older by the second “What’s it gonna be? Old age, an honourable fight or am I going to lose it like Vladrick?” he ponders as he lays.

[XOCO 502]

The two recruits advanced as one, hacking away at a certain Private Specialist with wild abandon. Recruit Vladrick's practice blade flashed once, then twice under the sun, and the poor instructor lurched forth with a howl of pain, to face his other assailant. He now stood face to face with Recruit Ezekiel. Yet, the burly recruit made no motion to swing his sword - rather, he unscrewed his pommel and flung it with all his strength, leaving a dent in their instructor's helm, and another unfortunate case for the medical corps. 

 

"Where did those years go?" Sir Ezekiel Moores pondered, a wide smile stretched across his lips as he looked over the training yard, a new batch of recruits wielding their first swords. He had not heard of the tragedy that had befallen Vladrick and his two brigadiers, not yet at least.

 

"We shall duel, I think, at least once before either of our brittle bones give in to our mortality." He mused quietly in his thoughts as he stepped away from the fields and into his office, "It'd be a spectacle to behold, and a mummer's farce at the same time. Two of the Army's finest swordsmen, duelling four decades past their prime. It'd look a proper jest, with two old men hacking away at each other."

 

Sir Ezekiel could not help but laugh at the notion, slipping his cloak off his shoulders and settling into his chair.

[oryP 1068]

Sir James Madron smiled upon the seven skies as he saw his friend Vladrick. “Old bat finally joined me.” He’d approach to give his old comrade in arms a hug.

[PaleOmnivore390 77]

It was a cold day when Rhys walked into the hospital to find his fathers corpse. He froze and dropped to the ground silent. There he stayed before almost dreamily picking him up, his own father, and holding him stop his shoulder. And like that he stayed all the while back to the manor where Rhys finally put him to rest. Covers in his fathers blood, Rhys went to the tavern and began to drink. And he would almost never stop. The voices kept him company.

[EmiliainWonderland 2311]

The first letter arrived at Amie's bedside table, the other side of the bed unoccupied for some time now it seemed. It was only a matter of time before what Amie somehow knew to be true was confirmed. She opened the letter, Vladrick's familiar handwriting. Only for a moment she allowed herself to be hopeful, the sickly woman had hoped she'd received correspondence from her husband he would be home to see her soon, instead the contents haunted her. 

 

"It is time I see my family again." The elderly Halcourt sighed, standing with shaky legs from her bed. 

 

"It seems I am a widow now." Her voice was a broken whisper as she moved to her closet to dawn a red dress and veil for mourning. 

 

"I will never forget you, Vladrick" She set the letter down on the bedside table with a gentle sigh, too weak now even to sob like she wanted to.

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Another woman somewhere far far away felt the disturbance in the air, yet it would not end poorly for her as it would've for his second wife, Amie.

 

The woman was his first wife, Elizavetta Othaman, who had died of sickness some several years ago. 

 

"Vladrick. Vy are here at last." The kind woman smiled, noticing how far he had aged since then she had last seen him.

"Not a day has gone by that I haven't waited for vy." She spoke, opening her arms to her husband. "Welcome home." 

 

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And yet there was but one more woman, plagued by a terrible mental fog. Who in her clarity had heard the tragic news of Vladrick var Ruthern. Maria de Rosius frowned, truly being the last of her friends to live on.

 

"What a world we live in, to see everyone we have ever cared about die... hmm Cousin Elara?" The elder de Rosius glanced at her much younger cousin with a heaving sigh. 

 

"But of course... nothing lasts forever."

[Aehkaj 1244]

3 hours ago, oryP said:

Sir James Madron smiled upon the seven skies as he saw his friend Vladrick. “Old bat finally joined me.” He’d approach to give his old comrade in arms a hug.

Vladrick is too busy reuniting with Elizaveta, so he completely misses and ignores Madron’s existence

[Frisket 4539]

Nicole seemed in utter shock as she looked at the missive, expected it to be any sooner she sought to be in a bit of pain, however with the amount of men and old friends dying, she felt a bit alone from the Original ISA. With the Loss of her Captain, It truely felt like the Army was different, not like it used to be and especially, not like home.

Nicole turns to her Offices navy flag, and Imperial Flag and gives a crisp firm salute

"Ave Orenia, Have but ever lashting peash, Captain"

[Taketheshot 3834]

Joseph d'Azor sighed long as he witnessed his uncles body within the clinic. "And so....It is with this that I know I am old..." The man signed the lorraine as the body was covered and taken away. 

"Thank you uncle, for everything...."