[PK] A Failed Knight, a Failed Father.

[ChillDemonLad 170]

 

The church would be furious with him. His father would be furious with him. He wasn’t even able to take the two under his name. Yet, the two mali’ker had been left with him. Rilrae and Nalros Argith, that is what they were called. He had been trusted with their lives, or perhaps blessed by Godan with the chance to raise a family. Maybe it was selfish of him to look upon the two elves in his hold and see them as a gift. Still, as he held the two, he could not find himself to think of that.

 

 

Felice had been at his side for as long as he could remember. An inseparable duo, a family not by blood but by choice. He still remembered dancing with her, winning the competition, even as his body showed the first signs of failure. He had always looked up to her, even as she acted quite unrefined. Even if she fell under the title of a bad influence, he loved her as a sister anyways.

 

Malna had been family out of necessity. Even as she snapped and bickered with Carden, even as she had trouble with his health, he really did look up to her. An elf, so much older, so much wiser, who only wanted what was best for him. He was sure Malna loved him as much as he did her, even if he was never able to finish her gift. He could pray that she found a way to learn braille without him.

 

 

Rossano did not notice how the lady’s hand twitched for her weapon when he said he would be raising them as canonist. He was barely aware enough to notice how her voice shook, but he did try to understand. He would feel the same if a human child was being raised by elves, no? So he tried to dissuade their fears, promising he would raise the two twins as kind people first and foremost. Perhaps if the jester didn’t have his mask, Rossano would have been able to see the fear.

 

He would be a fool to say his papej cared for Cardinal Alaric, but he did. He looked up to the man like a second father. He was the first man he went to when he felt the pull of masculinity, the first one who heard his plea for death, the first one to hear his choice to join the fold, the first one to hear his prophecy. He heard how Rossano had been told to give up all desires, how he could not, and how Godan had punished him with wretched illness. Yet even with all of Rossano’s faults, Cardinal Alaric still took him under his wing. He taught him how to be a proper priest, how to be loving and kind. Even as illness of body and mind ravaged Rossano, he still saw him as someone able to do good. Perhaps they would both meet again in the skies.

 

Nadya, Dima, Ipera, and Acelia, all friends he had seen grow. He still remembered how Nadya once looked up to him, how the other wanted to be a warrior like he was at the time. Neither knew they would never reach such a goal, dragged to different fates. He remembered when Dima became a Dame, when she was given the role he had wanted since he was a child. The sadness of never being able to fight next to her was drowned out by the joy at her accomplishment. He was even able to watch Ipera grow into a lady, growing from the shy girl he had known to someone who could hold their own. And Acelia, someone he had always watched from a distance. To watch her find love, to find family, made him happier than he thought he could feel.

 

 

The mali’ker reached his hand out to run his hand through Nalros’s hair, and Rossano felt fear he did not know how to process. Someone he did not know, who he couldn’t trust, was trying to get too close to the child he held to his chest. So, he stepped back, even as a more logical part of his brain argued that the two were kin. He watched Owyn step between the two and heard the request for a private conversation. He wanted to show his desire to do this right, and so, he followed behind. 

 

 

Juniper and Nemea, two elves who had cared for him. Juniper, the one who had made his cane and his eyes. She had helped him for no fee, simply for the fact she wanted to do good. Even healed, he looked up to her. Yet Nemea? The one who had cursed him with wretched druid healing? He could not bring himself to hate her, for she was merely trying to help as well. Perhaps they could have grown closer if they had more time to make up for the mistake.

 

The Aengul who had blessed him with health. The way he had been ordered to stand, for servants did not kneel to other servants. He still remembered how it had felt, to feel the fresh eyes push out the fake ones, how it felt to stand for the first time without shaking in years. His faith was unwavering after that, for who else could give such a gift besides an agent of Godan?

 

He watched them take them away, voice cracking as a hand reached out for his wards. They were his responsibility, his gift. To see them stolen away from him, his body still reeling from the effects of the hits, was a terrible thing. He could taste the blood in his mouth as he heard the simple order to do as they pleased with him. Yet they had offered him the chance to find the children, for they knew where they would be. Rossano took the offer without a moment of hesitation. His own words echoed in his ears.

“Do as you wish, but ea will either leave here with them or ea will leave here in a casket.”

 

Yvaine, his mamej. What was there to say? She had run off, they had had a funeral for her. Yet still he mourned her, for he could do nothing but love her. Rossano had always wanted to be like her, be a fighter to protect the innocent from harm. To serve the kingdom in the best way possible. He still remembered her sharp tongue when she told him he could not be a knight. A child who could barely walk, who seized, whose eyes were starting to fail, could not be a squire. Yet still Rossano had loved her, even at her harsh words. Even as he felt like a disappointment in her eyes, he could not help but try to make her proud. That is why he had become a priest, to try and do good, yes, but also to show he was still capable of being someone she could love without feeling ashamed. Did she truly mean it when she said she was proud of him in her final letter to him? Or was it a lie to make him comfortable? He prayed it was the former, he would die a fool if it was the latter.

 

 

The bone dagger that slipped between his ribs was a killing blow; all three of them knew it. Yet it was not immediate, the man falling off the horse with a thud as felt tears well up in his eyes. He desperately raised his hand to fend off the weapon coming to his throat, but he had long ago lost the skills he had learned as a squire. He didn’t even think to raise his mace against them as they slit his throat, the priest choaking on his own blood as it slipped down his form and stained his body.
 

This didn’t count as suicide, right? It was martyrdom, it was an attempt to do good and dying for it. He would go to the skies, right?

 

Right?

 

 

Carden, oh Carden. How could it all be put into words? His papej, the one who had raised him. The one who had made him into the man that he was today. They had fought so many times, made up few, but they loved each other. Even as Carden stared at the two dark elves in Rossano’s hold and demanded their return, Rossano knew it came from a place of reason. An orphan whose own children had grown up with a silver spoon, Rossano could not bring himself to feel anger at his father. Like so many times before, they had made up. Not with apologies, but a silent understanding that things would be okay between them. An uneasy alliance made of love. Did Carden know how much Rossano loved him? He prayed, he prayed, he did. Someday, they would be reunited, and someday, everything would be okay.

 

 

Who knows what happened to his soul as the body burned. Perhaps he rose into the skies, perhaps he fell into the void. But Rossano had been loved in life. That is all one could wish for.

 

Spoiler

HELLO EVERYONE! Rossano has, by far, been my longest character I've played on this server. 356 hours on record! I have seriously loved all the time I've spent with him, and everyone he's been with. Even if you weren't included with me, even if we only rped once or a few times, thank you. You all have made Rossano who he is. I have to thank everyone of Haense for giving me such good rp. Let us cheer for a good story! And remember, DO NOT META any of this information! Please and thank you. 

 

Edited March 12, 2025 by ChillDemonLad
Added pages, did not want pages.

[confusedjester 811]

Somewhere, she wept. But she knew it was too late for her, that happiness was never meant to be. That she was never meant to belong, that she was never supposed to have anyone. She was destined to be alone, forgotten, no more than a meaningless speck of dust, that she would lack family forever, lacking a cognomen, a people. But he was her people. He was all she had. She squandered it. She gave up the Weiss. The Leuvens. Haense. Ross. 
 

Felicie mourned what she could’ve had everyday, what she was too weak to pursue, too afraid to accept. Now there was nothing.

 

Her kindred spirit was severed, as her brother entered the Skies, and she was left to the mercy of the land. 
 

Alone, again.

[Lortime 1153]

Alaric, if he ever would hear of the exact tale of Ross' demise, would finally realize what his personal curse, his miserable fate was;

to outlive every single person he loved and watch them die. 

[wolfersquad2004 207]

An certain elfess made her way to visit like usual..a mere couple elven days she had seen Ross walking around seemingly healthy..happy she couldn't ask for more. But then...the news that made her heart wrench, Ross..was dead but that couldn't be right...right? He was better he had told her such, what had happened? She didn't stay long as she left into the forests away from the main city as then she let out a guttural cry as she crumpled. 

"Why...why is it always sweet people like him who die so fast..." 

she didn't say it outloud but she found herself for a moment cursing the aspects, goddan, the spirits for why they seemed to have a cruel sense of humor..eventually she got herself together some and went home. Another life lost..another person for her to grieve another day of routine.

[ChillDemonLad 170]

Spoiler

PLEASE REMEMBER ITS NOT COMMON KNOWLEDGE ROSSANO IS DEAD YET. THE KNOWLEDGE IS NOT SPREAD AROUND YET, IT WILL BE SPREAD IRP. 

 

[DahStalker 3692]

Cruel and unforgiving sobs erupted from a similarly fallen Knight; palm braced against her bodice. She wept naught for the newfound knowledge of her slaughtered issue but rather for the festered guilt which consumed her. "I am sorry." She'd bellow into isolate space, crowded only with few belongings and dust. She had prayed, in another world, she would be like her children - like her son - to be kind, and mindful. To have had the strength to endure her struggles as he had, to muster the willpower to face her growing troubles and tribulations in a seemingly merciless realm. Alas, she could do nothing, for her decision had been made. So, when her secret offspring, dressed with abnormal eyes, and dark tresses came to comfort her in bewilderment as to why their mother wept, Yvaine could only pray. She prayed that one day she would see Rossano once more, to hold him and preach her heart and soul, to speak of her love and bid for his forgiveness. Only, that forsaken mother would not know that it'd not be within this lifetime. 

Spoiler

One of the coolest characters ever! I really loved seeing Rossano progress from afar and in char!

 

[sapphic_spidy 1089]

It's not common knowledge yet, but he knows.

 

He doesn't know how he feels. Disappointed? Yeah, that's the word. Disappointed. 

[KillerMaid 636]

Malna read the news... this was a joke.. this has to be. She couldn't have lost him, she couldn't have. He had plans, things were finally FINALLY looking up for him and then the world destroyed that.

Malna stared at the missive, hands shaking so much the paper could barely stay in her grasp. Soon enough tears welled up in her eyes, a broken sob scratching out of her throat as it came crashing down. Her family, part of her family was gone again. Why couldn't they have all been happy?

[RingAroundRosey 498]

Spoiler

 

 

Louna found out the news of his passing from the Patriarch, in a missive he had sent out.

 

Cold. All she could feel was that chill, quite the opposite of the choked up heat that rises from her throat to her head. What was this feeling? Was it grief? Not entirely, not in the way that her uncle would be feeling it. The painful truth was she didn't have the time to have known her cousin Rossano in a depth she wished she did. Of course she had loved him as family would, but he was always just out of reach. A wandering soul on the path of holiness. She left him to that, she wanted him to have peace.

 

But not like this.

 

This was a burning failure in her chest. She had lost family at a time that was too soon. That warning flashed in her mind from long ago. 'You can't fail'.

 

She went to find her hunting supplies. It was time to plan a funeral.