Lets Roleplay(using empty closets forum members)

One of the assassins was known by the name 'Yosia'. Noone knew of their last name, or whether that was their name at all. All they knew was that Yosia was the most feared person among the whole world. Yosia didn't really fight for anyone, and was even considered a rogue among his/her own army, but noone ever took action due to how fearsome Yosia was - he/she had betrayed pretty much all the factions including his/her own, leaving blood everywhere he/she went. Yosia did not ever mean to hurt anybody though, he/she was born with a disorder which when triggered, made him/her go insane and bloodthirsty. All Yosia wanted was to find a cure for this disorder, and he/she knew that the assassin empire had this cure, it was just a matter of time and patience before Yosia laid his/her hands on it.

 

The House of Broughton was not very warm to the idea of having a woman lead them, as it had a long and rich history of male dominance. Women typically only held power in the back rooms of the palace, where their charm and physique replaced political advisers and military generals. But this had changed with the death of her father, the Emperor, and no male heirs available to claim the throne.

Though only a princess, Kaiser seized the helm of power. While the rest of the court talked amongst themselves, preparing alliances and plans to take power for themselves, the princess approached a rival land with a tempting offer:

"I would like for you to ready your armies and march into my territory..."​

It would have been easy to label the young princess as insane, but only a fool would have taken this at face value. There was a practical acknowledgement that, especially in the early stages of solidifying power, one had to make concessions on the way up. Here, with her enemies, in exchange for invading and frightening the House of Broughton's influential circles. While they were lost without her father, the Emperor, Princess Kaiser would step up and 'somehow save them'.

In exchange for this, the princess agreed to a peace treaty, with beneficial conditions. Nobody knew what was in that treaty, except for those involved in that candle-lit cabin signing, and the princess had no intention on releasing such information. Besides, it kept her claims safe, and was what allowed her to so easily prove herself, taking the throne that would have otherwise been her's.

But that was nearly a decade ago, and the Princess had become the Empress. She had conquered those she made a deal with, knowing they would become lax with such generous terms, towards their defenses. Their lands had become her's, and their resources were returned unto where they were toiled. However, despite the temptation to exploit the newly acquired populous, Empress Kaiser was merciful -- so much so, they quickly laid down any significant desires to resist, as her rule was greater than the previous rulers, and why would anyone give up a better situation?

Besides, all those who knew about that betrayal had been rounded up, given a sharp little speech, and then executed. Nobody but the Heavens and the Empress knew about that incident, and nobody but the Heavens and the Empress would ever know. As far as the rest of the world was concerned, the House of Broughton had come to a land in need, liberating them and granting them an improved standard of life. As far as the rest of the world knew, the Empress had been acting for the sake of providence.


"My Empress! My Empress!"

It was the royal courier, with some news of current events most likely.

"My Empress! I mu--"

The courier stopped, realizing the mistake he had made in his haste to get her. Immediately he dropped to his knees, lowering his eyes away from the Empress who sat before him, in her purple and white formal wear, upon the throne.

"Forgive me, my lady. I did not bow before you."

Nobody could ever really forget those first two years, after the Empress has ascended the role of supreme leadership. Nobody could accept the idea that a woman was in charge, and as a result, the Empress had to impose strict and cold regulations until, finally, her strength had been proven. Even though the past eight years had been better, only the foolish forgot what her Royal Highness was capable of.

Smirk formulating across her face, Empress Kaiser let out a soft bout of laughter. From the sound of it, she was in a fair mood. The courier was washed over with relaxation.

"I presume you wish to inform me of current events."

"Jurock refuses to surrender, but they have sought the possibility of negotiations, Your Divine-ness."

"A capital without an army has nothing to offer me, but their pride. I have taken their surrounding holds, decimated their armies on the field of battle, and severed their allies from them. Pride does not feed my people, nor does it please me like my harems. You send this message back to Jurock:

Cease this foolishness, and be alive to help rebuild your lands, or continue this, and be burned within the ruins of your lands."

"Yes, M'lady!"

With that, the courier took leave.

"Was it really right to wage war against them, My Empress?"

That voice. It was her Grand Vizier.

"They invaded our lands. You should know the pressure I'm under, being a woman in a patriarchy-preferred nobility. If it was not for me, you'd still be a simple chambermaid, and not the second most powerful woman in this court. I cannot be as lenient when it comes to the matters of men, because I am judged without leniency."

So far, the Empress had left her doubters and critics to eat their words, but at a cost. She had to be a little colder, a little crueler, a little inhuman, than she wanted to be. However, it kept the connivers and undeserving at bay, and allowed her to maintain the crown. It was not always easy, but with time it came naturally... and this kept the Empress up at night:

How long could she fight within herself?
How long could she be the ruler she wanted, instead of the ruler she worried about becoming?

Time would tell...

 

(OOC: interested in the role of the leader of the House of the Bear, though I have not role played in many years. Is sorcery/magic allowed?)

 

There was a worrior in the house of broughton they had been a slave once and even though these times where over their loyality belonged to the empress.they did all the dirty work that the world remained blind to.if they were told to kill they killed if someone told them to kill themselves for the sake of the empress they'd have oblieged without even asking.
as a member of a long forgotten tribe whose people were all either killed or enslaved they were a master with the blade as well as dark and long forgotten arts.seeking vengeance for what happened to their tribe they searched for a master strong enough to bring the world to its knees forcing her under a violent regime.
they hope that one day empress kaiser will give into the darkness threatening her soul and become said person.still if it meant getting their revenge they would easily betray her and follow a new master.

 

"The capital holds fast, Your Divine-ness."

General Valus was a fine man. Very handsome, but rugged and experienced with bloodshed. To the Empress, this made Valus not only qualified, but proven. And if she could be so frank, a nice piece of eye candy as well. The General had a slight backbone, in that he would be willing to bring up possibilities and suggestions, but he, like most in the House of Broughton, had come to show reverence to the High Lady.

"What are your orders?"

Empress Kaiser weighed the possibilities before her. The most straight forward was to simply rush the walls of Jurock, battering them until they gave in, and the city could be swarmed and captured. However, damaging the capital city any further risked alienating future subjects, and meant more resources, that could go elsewhere, on the rebuilding project. No, something else would have to be done.

"I want you to pull your men back, General."

General Valus was a little more than surprised, hearing this. For a second, he opened his mouth as if to speak, but he remained silent. Pity. The Empress knew that Yes Men/Women were significant contributors to the ruination of an empire, but Valus was the best, and so his job he would keep.

"When you have fallen back beyond their line of sight, I want you to send your best man forward, with a small escort, to challenge their warriors to a duel. If they decline, feign persistence, as if our supplies are almost depleted. Make them believe we are incapable of lasting more than a few days. Each day, remove more and more of the camps, as if we are trying to avoid being found out. This will bolster their arrogance and, wanting to regain morale, they will attack."

"And if they accept?"

The Empress smiled.

"Fight, but retreat soon after. The temptation to obtain a victory will be too much for them, especially following the "defeat" of your finest warrior, and they may be lured into am ambush. With their best forces on the offense, the walls will be unprotected, and your army shall return to surrounding the capital. Having fallen back out of their visibility, you may move freely without being detected, until it's too late to do anything. The capital will submit, because they are not soldiers, and will seek to return to a sense of normalcy. And without their walls, the isolated soldiers will be dealt with."

"My Empress, what makes you so confident that the soldiers of Jurock will send their forces, let alone their best soldiers, leaving the capital ill defended?"

"Do you remember the Battle of Stone Hill?"

"Of course! Our forces crippled the bulk of the Jurock Army, leaving them a fraction of their standing strength."

The Battle of Stone Hill would go down in history as one of the finest examples of military tactics. With just a force of 800, the Broughton forces there, had ground the Jurock Army of 4,000 to a pitiful number.

"Fate clearly selected it's victor, but the Jurockians remain oblivious. Their inability to accept defeat, let alone surrender what little remnants of authority they have, means they have every intention on holding tightly to hope. They crave the moment when, against the overwhelming odds, they rally and turn the tides... pushing the invaders back and cementing their hold of power. We shall let them have that moment, but we shall be the tellers of their tale."

General Valus understood. It was a slight gamble, but banking on desperate individuals seeking a way, any way or opportunity, to turn around their misfortunes, was a solid bet. By luring the capital city's forces into, what they would believe to be, fate shining kindly on them, they would fall right into the final chapter of this tale; as dictated by the Empress Kaiser.

"It shall be done as you command, M'Lady."

"And what of the former slave hands? I hear one in particular is a formidable warrior."

"A message has been delivered. Their response is still being waited upon."

"And what of these reports of a rogue amongst our lands?"

"As you requested, My Empress, we have circulated the necessary papers and rumors all throughout the land, in the hopes of enticing them."

"Very well, General. You may depart."

And now, the Empress would wait.

 

The King uses his gay powers to take over everything this is my world mother fuckers.

 

Yosia the assassin watched over all of the Empress's plans and tactics, she was surprised no-one saw her sitting on the roof eating candy. She knew she had to do something, the empires and kingdoms could not go into mass anarchy like they had once before. But what could a sweet little teenage girl like Yosia do?

"Do you know what causes me to go into a frenzy doctor?" Yosia was sitting with her doctor/therapist/counsellor, discussing the possibilities of how she can turn into a bloodthirsty killer.

"Well it seems to be when your heart starts to beat faster - due to situations such as battle, stress etc. - that's when you turn crazy, maybe using medication to control your heart rate could stop it?" The doctor stated, wanting to ensure that Yosia stayed safe. Yosia thought about it, but she would need her 'powers' if she were to stop Empress Kaiser from taking over this world.

After a while of thinking and playing games, Yosia had a perfect plan...

 

The ex slave was busy sharpening their weapons .one could never know when the next battle would be since there had been a few attacks on the camp of the Broughton soldiers at night.
When they heard a noise they spun around throwing a knife at the intruder purposely missing his throat by milimeters. The messenger stood in shock before he began stuttering
t...the ge...general wants something from y..you
They remained silent eying him warily.when the general wanted something from you it either meant you made a mistake and were going to be punished or another suicide mission.both weren't good news.
an order from the empress.she uh..she wants you to....uh..
it doesn't matter.
saying no to Kaiser would be unwise.she was extremely powerful and an excellent strategist
i will do it.
The empress huh?a small smile played around their lips.they had heard a lot about the empress and even though she was a strict ruler no one would ever say anything bad about her to frightened or impressed by her genius.they couldn't help to feel excited to be chosen to fullfill one of her direct orders.

 

The Grand Vizier had once been a simple chambermaid, and would have remained so, if not for the way events had played out. While women were not treated too terribly before, they could not expect to become more than lovers, servants, or ceremonial figures. But with the resourceful take over, the Empress had progressed equality among the sexes, so much so, that many held internal resentment for this rapid advancement.

But that resentment remained wasted, as the few women appointed to the higher ranks of the House of Broughton performed admirably. The Grand Vizier was one of them, a young woman of about 24, she had a natural aptitude towards the magical arts. In fact, her bloodline was riddled with arcane potential, which both interested and protected the Empress.

"Lord Justinian seeks an alliance. Do you not find this odd, My Lady? Our Houses have had no ill will between them, or any intention of establishing such."

Empress Kaiser smirked. The House of Nurem, while powerful, was still composed of human beings, and mortals had their flaws and their desires. There was little to fear, but much to respect.

"It is always the same reasons. Fear or unwillingness. My actions are what define me, rarely the reasons behind them. An alliance is merely an attempt to appease our lands, with the hope we will turn our blades and ambitions elsewhere. I suspect Justinian is also more willing to accept a woman as a respectable force, and so I am in favor of what he seeks."

An alliance with Justinian would be beneficial, in some regards, but in others, not so much. As with any alliance, there was always an expectation to come to another's aid, in the good and the bad times, in the peaceful times and the waged wars, whether or not the ally was even capable of doing so. While it was true the House of Nurem had a larger army and more resources, it was debatable if this made them better. On paper, it would seem that way, but only an idiot would fail to take measures against such a thing...

... and Empress Kaiser was no idiot. Her sense of preparedness almost bordered on obsession, practically paranoia. It was not like her feelings were without justification. Just in the first few months of her ascending to the throne, there had been two assassination attempts, a mutiny in the army, and sabotage efforts to undermine her authority -- all of which were dealt with. And because of these events, the Empress had invested much time and effort in procuring the necessary means, to ensure this did not happen again; and if it did, that it was quelled almost immediately.

"Aliwyn, do you sense something?"

The Grand Vizier's face contorted a bit, displaying a sense of nervousness. Was the Empress just asking some kind of rhetorical question, or was she lightly scolding her for failing to register something?

"I... do not, Your Divine-ness."

The High Lady laughed within herself. Of course her Grand Vizier, Aliwyn, did not. It was not that Aliwyn was incapable of such, but her magical abilities were being placed elsewhere, and this contributed to her inability to detect another's presence.

"If our guest were going to do anything, they wouldn't sit so intently, as if listening to what we discuss. Perhaps they wish to see how we treat those, who serve under the House of Broughton's banner. So be it."

[ OOC Note: Randomly Me, since your username would be odd to call somebody, I'm going to sort of combine it, into Ranme, if that is okay. ]​

About this time, the bloodthirsty Ranme should have arrived. Taking a moment to observe this warrior before speaking, the Empress was very aware of the inclination of malice within. It had proven useful, and it would still prove just as much so.

"Before I send you into battle, I would like to test your dedication."

Empress Kaiser would allow Ranme to see action on the battlefield, but not before seeing how they would respond to orders. Discipline was a very important factor in the Imperial Lady's armies, no matter who you were, so long as you wore the crest of the House of Broughton, you were expected to be a soldier.

"Lord Justinian, of the House of Nurem, shall be approaching with intentions of securing a beneficial agreement. I would like for you to stand guard, watching for any sort of chicanery that could be attempted, and to deal with it when such arises. If you do this for me, I will allow you, upon the field of battle, the opportunity to crush the skulls and rip the flesh of the enemy."

A soldier who could follow an order that contradicted their tendencies, was a soldier with resolve. It was easy to do what one liked, but what one liked bred too slowly for the likings of her. If the bloodthirsty could show patience, they would gain something for this: clarity for themselves, and respect from her. This would prove they were qualified to handle the most meticulous and precise of orders, even during the heat of battle.

Despite her talents in the military realm, the Empress wanted to end this conflict -- and quickly. She was trying to avoid bringing destruction to the lands of Jurock, and refrain from harming or killing any non-soldiers. While many saw a foul witch, they were blind to what resided behind her hazel eyes and fair skin: a woman that simply did what was necessary, to prove her mettle, and to discredit any and all critics.

If she were a male, showing hesitance would be praised as showing wisdom, but as a woman, showing hesitance was indecisiveness. If she were a male, seeking to negotiate a peace would be praised as charisma, but as a woman, seeking to negotiate a peace was weakness. Though the minds of many were changing, it was impractical to believe such sentiments would vanish. In fact, it was very likely, upon her death, that old habits would reclaim the House of Broughton.

This, among other things, is what chipped away at Empress Kaiser's stoic armor. But such reflection would have to wait, as more pressing matters required her attention.

Like the arrival of a certain nobleman, and perhaps even the appearance of a mysterious roof-residing guest...

 

(ooc just call me Asa it's my chosen name and way shorter)

As they entered the throne room they quikly got down kneeling in front of empress kaiser.So this was the empress.She was younger than they had imagined judging from her strategic capabilitys.weird....they tilted their head curiously.Usually royalty smelled like some horrendious expensive parfum but this woman...she reaked of blood.

"Lord Justinian, of the House of Nurem, shall be approaching with intentions of securing a beneficial agreement. I would like for you to stand guard, watching for any sort of chicanery that could be attempted, and to deal with it when such arises. If you do this for me, I will allow you, upon the field of battle, the opportunity to crush the skulls and rip the flesh of the enemy."

Y...Yes.I mean as you wish your highness.
Something was seriously off about the empress.In their time as a slave they had gotten to know royalty and they all had something in common.Being raised with everything one could wish for nobles didn't know hoe toWANT.Want something so badly that you'd kill for it.But this woman...not only did she burn with it...she also seemed to know exactly WHAT she wanted.The only reason they had come here was simply put to get a free license to kill.If you were a normal civilian or mercenary it would be considered a crime but as an official member of the royal army things were slightly different.but now...that Queen wasn't simply a marionette in a nice dress she wouldn't be impressed easily.

During their walk back to their chamber they thought about the task ahead of them.The king of Nurem trying to kill the empress?Unlikely.Nurem couldn't afford a war with Broughton right now they were in a state of inner peace since Lord Justinian had risen to power and they wouldn't risk that.No more likely was an attack from the inside.There were still some people in the House of Broughton that weren't to fond of the idea of taking orders from a woman.Killing the Empress and then putting the blame on Nurem would be to good of a chance to let it slip.

The other thing that unsettled them were the rumors of an unknown assassin-Yosia- that had been seen in this area.On the other hand judging from the sadistic and violent way Yosia had operated an assassination attemp from this side was highly unlikely.Those actions had been simply insane and the crazy usually had no interest in kings or queens.

They closed their eyes for a second listening to their surroundings.Feeling everyone in the palace their breaths their blood flowing.They startled.There was something on the roof...For a short second they had felt something there before it simply vanished.Uneasy they continued there walk.This task defenitly wouldn't be easy

 

The young shape-shifter, Simo, snuck along the side of the road, en route to the House of Broughton, disguised as an ordinary fox, and carrying a large, empty sack in his mouth. He'd sniff out the situation, and see how much gold he could make off with. He found it a bit much how these various empresses and kings and dukes carried on as they did, fighting each other and hoarding so much wealth. His goal was to steal as much as he could, and take it to remote lands in the south, exchanging it for for food, and then giving it away to the needy there, who had suffered long droughts, and had been trampled over by various armies. Surely, the empress wouldn't miss a sack of gold coins or a few jewels, with all she had going on.

He pondered her palace and all of the servants milling about, and it reminded him of his dislike of ranks in general. Why not have a more equal distribution of wealth? All this 'your highness' stuff was too much for him. Transforming into a mouse, he entered though a crack in the wall, in search of any valuables, and wary of any cats; in a moments notice, he could transform into whatever beast he might have to. But he had his mind set on the jewels of the empress! Simo pictured her sitting before her mirror, as her attendants decked her out in diamonds, and sprayed her with perfume...his plan was already clear: Once he stumbled across such a scene, he'd quickly become a skunk, and show her a different sort of perfume! And in the chaos as they gagged and were temporarily blinded, he'd make off with the gems. He almost giggled at the thought, yet kept quiet as he scampered, unseen, up the tower stairs, following servants to her chamber.

After this, he'd hit up the House of Nerum;that old pile of stones was sure to have a few goodies stashed away.

He'd also perfected the art of being able to spray certain potions while in skunk form; not only did it have the benefit of a skunk's defense, but could cause people to flee, fall madly in love with him, roll on the floor in helpless laughter as if being tickled by 1,000 invisible feathers, and a few other gags. Mainly, he liked potions that were also funny. And he was very close to a potion that would transform others into an animal of his choosing...

He hid behind a velvet curtain, as quiet as a mouse, literally, listening and waiting.

 

They woke up by the feeling that -again - something wasn't quite right.it smelled like....magic.not the kind the sorcerers of her empress would use- more...natural.they followed their feeling through the palast.
First the weird feeling on the roof and now this...they should have never gotten involved in this mess...
Finally at their destination they stopped before a curtain lifting it with one hand they saw.....a skunk??

 

The kitten in black fur would scamper up to Empress Kaisers shoulder, watching everyone as he sit straight up, occasionally 'mew'ing.

 

They woke up feeling slightly hungover.The last thing they remembered was that skunk and then.....Eww!They stank!!groggily they got up to their feet.On their way through the palast they overheard people talking.
Have you heard about it?Yes...an assassination attemp on the empress...Who could be that crazy?But worst of all that the Lord of Nurem stopped it.She defenitly won't be pleased with that...
An...assassination attempt?On Empress Kaiser?They were so fucked.Angry they slammed their fist against the wall.
Damn it.Damn it.Damn it.Damn it.Damn it.This would have been their best chance at revenge so far.Joining the Broughton army, then sneak away while they were busy attacking Jurock then getting into the city itself (which would be easy if all guards were currently fighting)and then breaking into the palace.They knew both the city and the palace very well as they had been a slave in Jurock for many years.
Crown prince Ignis had been their master for many years (befor they managed to escape) and they hated him with their entire existence.They remembered the last night of their clan clearly his sword bringing death to so many of their beloved,And oh the humiliation afterwards when the oh so mighty prince decided to keep them as his personal pet- a memory of his oh so glory actions.In their time as his slave they tried countless times to kill him but he was guarded to well and every single attempt failed.But now in a time of war things were different- he needed his soldiers on the battlefield and therefor had no men left for his personal guard.They smiled- how many times had they dreamed of killing him,making him beg on his knees.
But now all their chances for revenge had been taken from them.The empress would be pissed.They had failed the only thing they'd get now was a quick and honourless execution.Tears began streaming down their eyes as they slowly fell down to their knees- all hope lost.
(ooc I am sorry if i'm interfering with someones plans\characters here. If i did so please tell me and I'll take the part away.It just seemed like a good time to give the chara a little more of a back story that fit in the universe)