Secret Plots and Languishing

Secret Plots and Languishing

Postby Rattrap » Thu Nov 16, 2006 7:46 am

Corporal Janis Williams sat in the Gaol for the first time on the inside of the bars. There was a great familiarity to it, however - not for her, personally, but for the situation that had lead up to this. In her cell, she met with despair. Not really for her own fate; while she had never really been sociable, Janis was still a fellow Guard - many still in uniform - gray uniform, now - have known Janis longer than they've ever heard of Helstone. Her stay isn't uncomfortable, excepting that it is staying; hard to do for a woman constantly seeking answers.

"...Corporal?"

The inquisition originated from a man on the other side of the bars, in the Brotherhood gray. Sergeant Heinrich Loche, five years her senior - both on the earth and in uniform. He stepped up to the bars, visually answering his own question. "I'd heard they brought you in. What's this all about?"

Janis shook her head, remaining silent for a moment. "Hello, Heinrich."

"Why are you in here, Janis?"

The Corporal raised her green-eyed gaze to meet the Sergeant. "Remember Private Masaccio?"

Sergeant Loche nodded. "Do you remember why he was put on trial?" she asked.

The Sergeant pondered for a moment - but it was a short one - before nodding. "Heresay by the Governor's guard, Ariane Carnath-Emory."

Janis nodded, open her palms to say there wasn't any more to the story. Heinrich looked at her with slight confusion. "Ariane called you a traitor?"

Janis shook her head. "No, Heinrich, Helstone's guard called me a traitor. It's the same thing, all over again: we're being 'governed' by a Governor with a tongue in his ear. All she needs to say is that the Brotherhood is plotting to 'sweep the Council clean', and we'll be right back to where we were. Myrken Wood doesn't deserve this."

The Sergeant didn't really have anything to say to that, and remained muted. Janis picked up the silence: "Did you know that she can shadowjump, Sergeant? Just like the Drow. Do you think that's a coincidence?"

"...what are you getting at, Janis?"

"Think about it," she said, beginning to rise. "Think about all the circumstances and events that led to now, to Helstone's seat as Governor. You know I'm not a conspiracy nut, Heinrich. But even that's a few too many coincidences for me."

The Sergeant remained silent again, processing the idea. It's true, Janis never was one to look for conspiracies. She was never one to cause any trouble, either...which just made this moment confusing. Then there was this talk of Helstone...but he'd leave that for another time for consideration to come to his own conclusions. "So you think he's crooked. Why are you doing something about it now? We've had other crooked officials before."

Another shake from the Corporal, who by now had met the Sergeant at the bars. "Not like this. And before, we've always had someone to stand up to them. Captain Daniels, Captain Kanashia, Captain Taliaferro...all of whom may have come from somewhere else, but their duties were here. Now? We don't even have a full Council. We can't even count on counter-goal crookedness to keep themselves in line. There's just Helstone. And...the General. Neither of whom are on the Council legally, I might add. And why should they? There's no one left to say no. So...I have to do something."

"...then, what did you do?"

"For this? I went to Helstone's Meetinghouse. Truthfully, that's all. And I'm glad I did. I'm a lot more aware now of threats that never left Myrken Wood."

"You mean Helstone."

Janis shrugged. Probably - either knowingly and maliciously, or just by the same path Altias Bromn walked. Either way spells disaster for the territory.

"I don't know, Janis..."

"Just think about it, Heinrich. The dots are all there. I just hope I'm not the only one drawing the lines. But right or wrong, I can guarantee you the Governor isn't good for Myrken Wood."

The Sergeant was a little hesitant to acknowledge the Corporal. There was a significant pause before he gave a nod. "I need to get back on patrol. I will think on what you've told me though, Janis. Maybe I can ask around and find out more."

He earned a scrutinizing stare from the Corporal. "Heinrich?"

"...yes?"

"I need some writing materials."

The Sergeant looked to either side. The Guard wasn't nearly as whole after the Thessaline boys merged the ranks - for the most part, they had meshed well. But given the tumultuous design of Myrken's politics, sometimes there were questions of loyalty. Better to play safe, in any case. Satisfied, the Sergeant nodded. Then he turned away and continued down the hallway of cells.
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Cries for Help

Postby Rattrap » Fri Nov 17, 2006 6:17 am

Janis Williams thought for long time before she ever set any words to the parchment discreetly delivered to her. She didn't know who to write to; none of her family, as small as it was, could help her at the moment. She had few allies, if any, really. There was, as she'd told Heinrich, no one left to say no. Not even any of those nominated for election were of much use; Janis didn't know any of them. What could they do, anyway? What would they do? Send a message to the crown? It was unlikely they'd step in, given Myrken Wood's granted independance. So long as the problems didn't leave their borders...

Duke Burel? No; she heard their conversation loud and clear. Perhaps if the Corporal had intercepted the Duke prior to his meeting with Helstone...but it was more likely that was just naive thinking. Her biggest problem was that she hadn't the credibility to accuse the Governor. She had enough to be spared, perhaps; but little more.

Maybe she was wrong; maybe Helstone was a great ol' fellow who wanted the best of Myrken Wood. Janis would still stand by what she said; the story of Altias Bromn was still fresh, still the last story to be told of Helstone's current office. The territory was intended to be governed by the Governor's judgement, not by the sword-bearing woman who stood at his side. They all saw where that lead.

Still...the message needed to get out. After waiting for as long as her body's need of sleep permitted, she wrote.

By lunchtime of this day, the ink and parchment were gone, as were the letters. Since then, the woman has waited in her cell, pondering the consequences of her gamble and confliction of goals. Most of all, she hoped that Kerrak al'Nerun wasn't as far into insanity as some feared.
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Success? ...or something worse than failure?

Postby Rattrap » Tue Nov 21, 2006 6:43 am

News of General Sleipner's actions reached Janis. So did those of the Brotherhood's Captain. They were confusing, to say the least. Janis couldn't help but wonder if Eriks acted on the information she had relayed to him, despite telling her otherwise; or, worse, that maybe she'd been pointing the finger in the wrong direction. Maybe just a crime of opportunity. Too many maybes. Too much unknown. Janis had started her rogue career with just a small, if not complicated puzzle to solve. It had grown much too large now and only more complicated.

The Captain's response was curious, as well; the Militia never really stood a chance if it ever came down to fighting against the established guard. Not in training or organization - or, more importantly, direction. It was much easier to use the guard and the more official chain of command for abuses of power than it was the volunteer army, whose thoughts were usually much more grounded in loyalty to the territory than any politician or commander.

A coup d'etat with the Militia would require serious distrust, or well-placed propaganda. Janis was eager to get out and find out what the hell was going on.
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Reprieve... of a sorts.

Postby Vanidor » Wed Nov 22, 2006 11:59 am

A notice would come down the grapevine, as it were, a letter sent and delivered to Janis whilst she was confined in the depths of the Gaol. A letter that bore the seal of the Captain of the Brotherhood, no less. It was a simple thing, really, a yellowed piece of parchment that bore the seal in crimson-hued wax. No tassles or other affixations to mark it as anything other than an inner-company post.

The man who delievered it would probably be unknown to Janis, as he bore the markings of one of the Brotherhood's scout corps. It was rare they were in the city, let alone the barracks themselves. But he would slip it through the bars with a sort of half smile. The only thing he said, in a raspy voice unused to much conversation was the following...

"Try not to get into too much trouble, lass, the Cap'n is puttin' his balls on the line for this." And then she would be left with the missive itself. The corporal smiled, saluted, and then saunted off.

One should always be drunk. That's all that matters... But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose. But get drunk. - Charles Baudelaire


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Postby Rattrap » Wed Nov 29, 2006 3:18 am

A correspondance would eventually reach the Captain's office. Short and sweet:
Accepted. Thank you, Captain.
- Corporal Williams


And so the letter was returned, and answer given.
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