ReveredOwl 5331 Popular Post Share Posted January 18 (edited) THE COST OF FAILURE Spoiler Andrik was alone for much of his youth, being born to parents who he would barely see and who would never show love. Unloved and unwanted, he clung to his cousins' sides for comfort and friendship. His aunt, Analiesa Josefina, took pity upon the poor, unwanted Ruthern and made the decision to raise him amongst her own brood. He was raised in a strict household, if it wasn’t the slap to the rear of the head from his aunt, it was a blistering insult from his uncle; but in a world as dangerous as ours, mollycoddling serves nobody any good. Raised by the Princess Royal, he and his cousins would quickly know what it means to fiercely defend one's family name and not to take insult without rebuttal. He would eventually follow Viktor into the Brotherhood of Saint Karl where he would quickly rise through the ranks and find himself becoming friends with the Queen. Despite his family's dramatics and public disputes, he would fiercely defend those who had accepted and raised him as one of their own. His loyalty to both the Crown and his family did not go unnoticed, the Ruthern runt would draw the King's own gaze. For a man whose beginnings were so gloomy and without purpose, he would never have seen himself kneeling before the throne of his monarch and receiving a sword to either shoulder. A Marian Knight, a most prestigious and elite position in the Kingdom, the Crown’s own retinue, trusted to lay down one's life to ensure that the Crown’s may live. So as the Inferi threat began to encroach on the Haeseni countryside and fort after fort would be lost to the soulless, he took charge of Karosgrad’s defences. Andrik worked for days without sleep, verging on weeks, as he fortified the city so that, at best: they would repel the threat or should the worst come: they had time to flee. The city bells echoed through the silent city as ashy rain descended onto worn platemail, soldiers lined the walls and citizens cowered in the depths of the palace. Andrik was assigned to the Crown Prince at the dock gates, the fighting was fierce and lasted for many days but runners had alerted the dock forces that other parts of the city were falling. The Crown Prince took a bolt and was quickly relocated to the palace for treatment, Andrik returned to the dock to see pale-faced soldiers shaking with fear; the rumblings of the earth beneath their very feet was something they all recognised. With each cannon and ballista prepared, the Devourer had come, erupting forth from the earth and towering over the gatehouse. Cannon fire and ballista bolt was of no match to the gargantuan beast, a full retreat was called and Karosgrad would be lost forever. A fresh start for the Kingdom, it settled upon an island by a river that forked off and spread out across much of the continent. A city was quickly constructed on the island and Andrik was eager to assist in its efforts. Despite his some misgivings and disagreements with members of the royal family, those he was sworn to, he would never forsake his vows and would serve them until his demise. Loyalty was a core value that Andrik held closely to his heart, his mothers death, driven to suicide by the cruelty of her husband and her peers, should he remain loyal to the father figure that had helped raise him? When his cousin, Viktor, who he had known all of his life, slew his father, should he remain loyal to the man who grew up alongside him? When his cousin, Viktor, was challenged to a duel by Andriks very own absent father, who should he support? Despite this troublesome period, Andrik remained loyal to the patriarch of his house and served the crown loyaly. The tension between the remnants of the Canonist League and the League of Veletz were beginning to boil over, but there was hope yet. Andrik accompanied the Haeseni retinue to a peace conference held in the United Kingdom of Aaun, but any notion of peace quickly faded away. As the Haeseni retinue arrived, they had discovered that members of house Stassion, and their retinue, had murdered their liege lord, the King of Aaun. Former members of the Canonist League quickly rallied their troops and joined the gathering in Aaun, it was then that the League of Veletz, a band of orcs and the Ferrymen ruffians appeared at the front gates, jaws snapping like starved mutts and hands rattling the portcullis. They forced their way inside the city and battle quickly spread out into streets of Whitespire, but the former Canonist League members had emerged victorious. Andrik knew then that war was inevitable. Andrik had only been able to attend two of the ensuing battles, instead, having been left in charge of palace defense during many of the battles. But as the victors returned home after every battle but one, he knew the war was slowly coming closer to an end. The bells tolled in the barracks, calling any soldiers around to gather and saddle up. The Lord Marshall had called for a routine patrol due to the increase in darkspawn activities and ferrymen ruffians on the roads. The patrol, for the most part, went without incident; there were no ruffians or darkspawn lingering in Haeseni land and so the patrol began to drift further and further away from Valdev. The Haeseni patrol would eventually find itself at the gates of Petra, an ally and coalition member. It was as soon as they had arrived they heard screams and shouts of the inhabitants within. The patrol quickly circled the walls and found the hastily positioned ladder placed against the walls of the Petran palace. A few faces appeared out of the windows of the palace above before the Haeseni soldiers dismounted from their horses. Andrik was the first one up the ladder and through the shattered window, not knowing what would await inside but eager to assist and defend those mercilessly cut down inside. At first it was one soldier, an official from the League of Veletz, this would quickly change. The sound of horses galloping around the walls could be heard outside, followed by the creaking of wood as heavy boots began to ascend the ladder they had just used. The small band of Haeseni soldiers quickly found themselves surrounded by blood stained ravishers. There was nothing to do but fight, the exchange was quick and brief. The Haeseni soldiers landed a good few blows on their enemies, but they would be overwhelmed by the enemy forces. Bar three captured Haeseni soldiers, the rest would perish in the exchange. Andrik would find himself awakening on the floor of the Petran palace, his wrists bound with shackles and his Marian platemail dented and scraped. It was a silent trip back into the heart of enemy lands, atop the horse of an armoured foe. Andrik stood in the courtyard of the fortress and watched two of his comrades each lose an arm, he averted his gaze away from their maiming and towards Sir Gaspard. Sir Gaspard, a man he had only encountered once before. Some years prior, the Marian Knight had rode to the League of Veletz to warn them of a roaming beast. The Marian Knight had met with Sir Gaspard and exchanged a brief conversation and warned him of the roaming ratmen that had recently plagued Valdev. This was before war had broken out across the continent, there were tensions between their two nations, but not to the degree it was at now. It was soon Andrik’s turn at the chopping block. A Marian Knight can not dutifully serve without both of his arms and Andrik refused to be altered by unnatural prosthetics. Andrik was a Marian Knight who failed in his duties and so he should pay the price for his failure, he exchanged brief words and prayers with Sir Gaspard before the Knight raised his axe skywards and swung it downwards on his foe. SER ANDRIK VAR RUTHERN KNIGHT OF THE MARIAN RETINUE 460 E.S - 513 E.S. | 1907 A.H. - 1960 A.H. Edited January 18 by ReveredOwl 59 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ContestedSnow 778 Share Posted January 18 (edited) When his cousin, Viktor var Ruthern, had heard the news and seen the return of the Marian's body to the capital, he had bore a steelly expression. It would not do to show anything less than fierce anger and indignation. Alas... When the time came that the Ruthern Patriarch had privacy, he slumped back against the wall, and eventually took a seat by a fireplace in a small house within Morteskvan, nestled in the first bailey, between the kennels and stables. He lifted a hand to rub his forehead numbly, gazing into that meagre, freshly stoked fire. Andrik was gone. Though they had been born cousins, they had grown up and lived their lives as brothers. When Viktor had felt his back to the wall in the past, he had known Andrik would be there. A leal man, and a proud one. And though he had caused Viktor trouble doubtlessly, he had been happy to have him by his side in the fray, always. He had joined many of the Duke's other siblings, now, robbed from this realm and lifted to the Seven Skies. Only Villorik and Aleksandra remained. And so, the aging Duke of Vidaus mourned tearlessly in solitude. What more could he do? Other than to mourn now, and to continue the fight. "Vy were cost vyr life, but vy went with pride and honour, Andrik. My brother was nie dog." Edited January 18 by ContestedSnow 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarahbarah 5021 Share Posted January 18 The Queen wept for the death of the Ser, her designated Marian, the most leal of Knights. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerfectlyPeachy 1344 Share Posted January 18 Long since deceased, having perished by her own hand, a tormented soul kept from the skies wept for one of her favoured children. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedResult 224 Share Posted January 18 Kelton looks down with a somber face. "This war claims more. . though he died honorably."Respect for the Pk good post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gandhi 2708 Share Posted January 18 Alfred frowned, lowering his eyes over the notice detailing Andrik's death. He shook his head, uttering only a few words. "You may have mocked me as a child - but you did your duty, Ser Andrik. Rest well." The Duke of Reinmar bowed his head. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MunaZaldrizoti 5749 Share Posted January 18 Ioanna recalled paying witness to the headless corpse of the Marian knight being delivered to the gates of Valdev. A woman not native to this turbulent land, it painted a clear picture of just how dire this conflict between the different kingdoms and factions had truly become. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rigorous 1548 Share Posted January 19 Grisha heard rumors of the death of an enemy knight. The cost of the war was already unthinkable. Countless innocents had died in the conflict alongside combatants. Fate was indiscriminate these past five-years. Nonetheless, he kept Sir Ruthern in his prayers just as he did the others. The cost of war was truly incalculable. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
indiana105 2139 Share Posted January 19 The news found Ivan quickly. A rider in the night brought reports of a small Brotherhood patrol ambushed in Petran lands. Only a handful of men had survived. The Marian Knight was not among band of the broken and mutilated that followed through the gates of Valdev. He was surely dead, left to rot in a field by the Veletzmen. The blood of the North had coursed through Ser Andrik's veins. Now it crusted the axe of some Heartlander dog. The same story had been repeated for near a century, though each time with a new name. "Godan?" Ivan muttered, his breath steam in the winter's air. "Guide me. Let this end." 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
thesmellypocket 1841 Share Posted January 19 Offa of Evesham was a recent arrival in Aevos, and understood but little of the politics or workings of the War. But he soon heard folk speaking about the death of the great knight, and his heart was stirred by accounts that emphasised his manly virtue. And so Ser Andrik, in death, took to himself a place of veneration in the heart of a man who knew him not in life. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frostdrop1 875 Share Posted January 20 Ser Audo Weiss grimaced as he heard the news. Singled away in the confines of the tower, he strode himself through the hall of busts, stopping before Ser Andrik's. Lifting his hands, he removed his helmet and set it aside. "Vy were rash, with a mouth than ran faster than vyr mind." He stated, with a solemn gruffness as the young face of Andrik var Ruthern, the boy lined up among men. Deeply, he inhaled. "Yet, vy always served. Perhaps if things had been different, we might have seen more eye-to-eye. Rest well, Borsa. Vy have earned it." Lowly, he bowed his head before he signed the hussariyan, attended by none but the lifeless busts. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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