Knight Posting

"I'm going to investigate the cellars of the castle for anything.. that should not be there. I am happy for your help, but if you are unable to make it I tell this to you so my absence can have at least a location to start at."

Margaret reads the note and immediately makes her way to the basement. She stops quickly by the castle kitchens, sneaking a small knife into the sleeve of her gown, before beginning her journey again.

>the hallway is deserted though the muffled sounds of the staff bustling and in continuous movement to feed everyone can be heard through the walls<

>it is markedly cooler here than in the kitchens<

Soon the three are gathered around, brief introductions given as the pull of the basement door draws them. It could just be a regular basement, Sierra reminds herself.

"Let us delay no longer."

Sierra opens the door fully and leads the group down the basement stairs and into the unknown.

As they came upon the Princess Margaret, Nox stepped fully into the light. Her armor was shabby, worn over years of use but well maintained and painted in a chaotic mash of dark uneven colors. Scraps of dark fabric lined the gaps and bends, contributing to her strange silence. A great sword was also strapped to her back, a monstrous thing nearly as long as the Dame was tall. (Though in being merely 5'3" perhaps it was not so large a sword at all.)

"Princess, my lady, please allow me to be the rear guard. I would rather stand between either of you and a knife in the back than run into a spiderweb." Her voice was a measured alto, low, soft, and full of good humor despite the unknown ahead.

She scoffs at herself "it seems I came ill-prepared. Dame Nox, I believe it would be best if you took the rear. I fear my only form of guard would be my spine and that would hardly defend us from monsters."

She pauses for a moment and pulls the butcher knife out from where she hid it in her skirts with a smile, "not to say I wouldn't fight, I will. But it'd be two hits before I went down.

Margaret turned to follow Sierra deeper into the basement, knife held firmly in her grip.

The stairs lead down appear to be in good condition. The torches are lit by one in every three which gives the shadows longer reach than what she had expected. Upon stepping out onto the floor rows of shelves filled with wine greets them.

To Sierra it was much the same, a soft tap, and a bid for silence as she moved forward into the cellar, drawing her sword as she strained her eyes and ears. If whatever they were searching for was alive, it sure wouldn't be for long.

Margaret strained to see as they went deeper into the cellar. She huffed a small breath to curse her lack of night vision, but followed on anything. She grabbed a small part of Sierra's tunic to know where her friend was and listened as she walked into yet another spider web.

She reaches out and takes one from the wall and lightly touches Nox's elbow. Glancing at the unlit torch to one of the little torches she quirks an eyebrow, doing her best to ask without speaking. With her free hand she reaches out and lightly tugs Margaret's sleeve, an offer of assurance that it was still herself within the gloom.

She couldn't sense anything off about the cellar so far so perhaps their caution was over dramatic. She could just go about her adventure and return upstairs for a nice hot bath.

Bottles and bottles of age old wine were stored down here. There were a few dark purple stains on the floor, no doubt the sticky spots she had stepped in at some point, and a lot of spider webs.

A small crackle of disappointment hit her chest and Margaret pressed her lips into a tight line. This was good. Monsters shouldn't exist in the basement. That would be the worst scenario because it meant there were enemies inside and outside the castle.

She looked to Sierra and watched her for any sort of reaction.

And blinks.

The dark purple stains made sense. Wine cellar. Spills. Especially in the dark. But what are these spills? Sierra crouches down and sticks her fingers in it. It was thick, like a clot almost. She reaches out with her clean hand and tugs on Nox's boot then points down at the puddle.

"Be ready to move to cover." Nox's voice was so soft it was barely more than a breath though it seemed to carry through the shadow. Doing nothing to move but becoming harder to see, as if the darkness itself was clinging to her.

Her hands twitched and her skin felt like it was buzzing. She wanted to drive the blade foreward... but there was nothing. She clenched her teeth and stayed poised to follow Nox's lead

Sierra licks her dried lips. "I can an idea.. but it may be a bad one. Dame Valerius, please be at an at ease ready. Princess, remember how you said that your, pet, had tracked my darkness? I am going to try and see if there is anything I can sense."

"Take your time, I would rather you not summon something but I will do everything in my power to protect the both of you." Nox said, relaxing fully and giving Princess Margaret and Sierra an easy smile. "We can handle this together, okay?"

She resists putting a hand on Sierra's shoulder, not wanting to break her concentraction, but wanting to reassure her friend that she's beside her again.

Instead, she loops a pinky through Nox's hand... To reassure her... Yes... Not because she needed to be grounded...

Stepping out into the light of the torch-

》a rat. A perfectly normal brown rat shined only half the size of a typical rat's normal size maybe but its okay to be totally normal small brown rat size

it appears. Twitching in the dim light but it has answered

To the calls《

👁hisssssssss👁rat!👁hushushush👁shhh

Sierra calls out in a low soothing voice, "We got this, or should we flee?" Terror sharpened the edges of the words strove so hard to sound normal. There's always a chance to flee-!

"Yes, far greater." She says without much inflection. She scans the basement again, staring into the darkness.

It did feel weirdly cold through the leather of her boot.

"Please let me go back down, I think I can help kill whatever is down there - but... Margaret do you hear something whispering down here? Like.. in a breathy voice? Please, it.. do you know if your pet is safe? Is it secure? Is it.. out?"

A brighter light is dancing in Sierra's eyes. "It is important for me to know. I.. I want to hunt those things but I wish not to harm your pet."

Abruptly she turns to calling out for aid, blushing at her own fumbling of words and worried for the time racing past when Nox could be in trouble.

A screamed word, from down the hall. It was muffled, and he did not know what was yelled, but he took off anyways. Tucking the orb into his front most pocket he dashed down the hall, drawing his sword. The only door here is to the cellar. No. No no no no no. He threw open the door, the torches down the stairs dim and sparsely lit.

On the other side is Lady Sierra, and a beautiful woman in a simplistically elegant dress who looked a bit shell-shocked. Lady Sierra’s mouth was still open in a shout, but she shut it quickly.

@nox-valeriusstream tossing it back to you

She would not falter and as long as the rats were focused on her the ladies would be safe.

"Of course I'm being haunted by fucking rats." Nox spat, shifting on her feet as the rat started to lunge.

Oh well, stars above. Rats. Big ones too, just beginning to lunge at a female knight in the open cellar. He dove forward, swiping at the rats with his sword. He caught two on the side, and they went flying back, splattered with blood. He immediately paired back-to-back with the Dame to fight off the pests.

"Be on your guard, there is more here than just vermin." Nox said firmly, rising to a half crouch and readying her dagger again while she noticed Sierra move close. "Keep eyes on the Princess."

A crawling sensation ran across her neck when she heard the screech and splatter from the basement. She flinched, why did she flinch, and pivoted away from the boy to look at Sierra descending the stairs behind her.

Sierra... she had said something, asked a question?... the memories swam slowly to her mind. "Do I hear... Yes, YES!" She launched herself down the stairs shouting to Sierra, "THE SHADE, SIERRA. THE SHADE. ITS SPEAKING AGAIN"

“Ladies grab a torch! Rodents don’t like fire!” He quickly pulled one off the wall, brandishing it at the vermin. They shrunk back with slight fear before launching themselves towards again. He parried one with the torch, singed and screaming. There were 5 left, if the darkness was not lying. He threw his dagger at one, and pinned it to the ground though its throat with a shriek. Ew.

William glanced over to Lady sierra, brandishing her hammer fiercely.

The Shade - has whatever is down here been influenced with the shade? The stableboy is glaring down at the party, the rat in his angry hand squeaking wildly as he clenches his fist.

'THOSE ARE MY TASK!' As he shouts his shadow bobs. He doesn't give Sierra much time to consider his words -Task? Is he from outside the castle? Is he responsible for the rats of unusual size? - when he lunges down the remaining steps and lunges for her. They collide, the wind being knocked out of both. They slide into Nox's legs threatening to topple her over.

"Secure that peasant! There's no time for this nonsense!" Her voice is a sudden clap of force, cleaving through the air as clear as sunlight through trees as she brought her dagger down onto the closest vermin. Four (of eight) rodents down and one aggrieved peasant was no match for two knights and two women.

Oh gods, had it cracked? It was too cold to tell and it thrummed in the presence of the rats...

A rat snuffed up to her head and she rolled to her side, bringing the butcher knife down into it and groaning when a sharp pain shot through her skull.

The second knight caught her eye. When had he arrived? She should helpstop him... Margaret's hand released the knife and she crawled over, grabbing his boot.

Hearing the Dame’s call to action, William sprung towards the boy that had tumbled down the stairs. He promptly put him on his stomach, and he wretched the boy’s hands behind his back. The boy kept screaming for his rats, and it was giving William a headache. He ripped off the boys glove and shoved it in his mouth, muffling him.

Keeping his hand around the boys wrists and his knee on his back, William brandished the torch towards any rats that may come near him.

Gasping he looked to the Dame. “Now what?”

"I believe in you!" She goes to the knights side and brings the side of the hammer down on the boy's head, hoping that knocks him out cold. She grabs the boy's arms.

"Sir! Go! Valerius needs help on the line and you are better suited to battle at the moment than I. Margaret and I will handle the shade." Turning towards the shade Sierra puts her hand on the dagger -

[They will die because of your meddling]

"Oh zounds," she whimpers.

[You can do nothing against the darkness]

She yanks out the dagger and levels it at the shade.

[That will not harm it. You can so nothing.]

If the rats were in fact controlled by the lad perhaps the phylactery really was here in the cellar, hiding in plain sight. As she mused one of the remaining rats sprang towards her, claws raised to rip and tear, only to be struck as Nox kicked out. Striking the rodent in the head and stunning it just long enough to bring her dagger down into it's eye. The horrible creature screeching in it's death throes and fighting forward until it slowly it lost strength and stopped. She caught her breath and called back out;

"Keep your eyes on the Princess! Do not drop your guard!"

As the knights focus on the rats and the boy, Margaret shuffles closer to the shade and plunges the dagger through it. The feeling is familiar, cold, and airy yet somehow firm.

"Sierra!" She turns back to the woman, eyes clear again, "We've done this one before, we can do it again!"

He stood, and realized just how deep the shade was. And those rats looked nigh on rabid. He made a mental catalogue of his supplies, and remembered his containment orbs with rosemary and mugwort. Well, he can always collect more.

“Here! Stuff the rats in here!” He pulled out 3 fist sized orbs and tossed one to each girl. “They preserve what’s inside! Just dump the herbs!” He lunged for the closest rat, bringing two fists down on the rats head, cracking its skull. Why was the blood cold? Blood is not cold.

"I'm going to investigate the cellars of the castle for anything.. that should not be there. I am happy for your help, but if you are unable to make it I tell this to you so my absence can have at least a location to start at."

Margaret reads the note and immediately makes her way to the basement. She stops quickly by the castle kitchens, sneaking a small knife into the sleeve of her gown, before beginning her journey again.

>the hallway is deserted though the muffled sounds of the staff bustling and in continuous movement to feed everyone can be heard through the walls<

>it is markedly cooler here than in the kitchens<

Soon the three are gathered around, brief introductions given as the pull of the basement door draws them. It could just be a regular basement, Sierra reminds herself.

"Let us delay no longer."

Sierra opens the door fully and leads the group down the basement stairs and into the unknown.

As they came upon the Princess Margaret, Nox stepped fully into the light. Her armor was shabby, worn over years of use but well maintained and painted in a chaotic mash of dark uneven colors. Scraps of dark fabric lined the gaps and bends, contributing to her strange silence. A great sword was also strapped to her back, a monstrous thing nearly as long as the Dame was tall. (Though in being merely 5'3" perhaps it was not so large a sword at all.)

"Princess, my lady, please allow me to be the rear guard. I would rather stand between either of you and a knife in the back than run into a spiderweb." Her voice was a measured alto, low, soft, and full of good humor despite the unknown ahead.

She scoffs at herself "it seems I came ill-prepared. Dame Nox, I believe it would be best if you took the rear. I fear my only form of guard would be my spine and that would hardly defend us from monsters."

She pauses for a moment and pulls the butcher knife out from where she hid it in her skirts with a smile, "not to say I wouldn't fight, I will. But it'd be two hits before I went down.

Margaret turned to follow Sierra deeper into the basement, knife held firmly in her grip.

The stairs lead down appear to be in good condition. The torches are lit by one in every three which gives the shadows longer reach than what she had expected. Upon stepping out onto the floor rows of shelves filled with wine greets them.

To Sierra it was much the same, a soft tap, and a bid for silence as she moved forward into the cellar, drawing her sword as she strained her eyes and ears. If whatever they were searching for was alive, it sure wouldn't be for long.

Margaret strained to see as they went deeper into the cellar. She huffed a small breath to curse her lack of night vision, but followed on anything. She grabbed a small part of Sierra's tunic to know where her friend was and listened as she walked into yet another spider web.

She reaches out and takes one from the wall and lightly touches Nox's elbow. Glancing at the unlit torch to one of the little torches she quirks an eyebrow, doing her best to ask without speaking. With her free hand she reaches out and lightly tugs Margaret's sleeve, an offer of assurance that it was still herself within the gloom.

She couldn't sense anything off about the cellar so far so perhaps their caution was over dramatic. She could just go about her adventure and return upstairs for a nice hot bath.

Bottles and bottles of age old wine were stored down here. There were a few dark purple stains on the floor, no doubt the sticky spots she had stepped in at some point, and a lot of spider webs.

A small crackle of disappointment hit her chest and Margaret pressed her lips into a tight line. This was good. Monsters shouldn't exist in the basement. That would be the worst scenario because it meant there were enemies inside and outside the castle.

She looked to Sierra and watched her for any sort of reaction.

And blinks.

The dark purple stains made sense. Wine cellar. Spills. Especially in the dark. But what are these spills? Sierra crouches down and sticks her fingers in it. It was thick, like a clot almost. She reaches out with her clean hand and tugs on Nox's boot then points down at the puddle.

"Be ready to move to cover." Nox's voice was so soft it was barely more than a breath though it seemed to carry through the shadow. Doing nothing to move but becoming harder to see, as if the darkness itself was clinging to her.

Her hands twitched and her skin felt like it was buzzing. She wanted to drive the blade foreward... but there was nothing. She clenched her teeth and stayed poised to follow Nox's lead

Sierra licks her dried lips. "I can an idea.. but it may be a bad one. Dame Valerius, please be at an at ease ready. Princess, remember how you said that your, pet, had tracked my darkness? I am going to try and see if there is anything I can sense."

"Take your time, I would rather you not summon something but I will do everything in my power to protect the both of you." Nox said, relaxing fully and giving Princess Margaret and Sierra an easy smile. "We can handle this together, okay?"

She resists putting a hand on Sierra's shoulder, not wanting to break her concentraction, but wanting to reassure her friend that she's beside her again.

Instead, she loops a pinky through Nox's hand... To reassure her... Yes... Not because she needed to be grounded...

Stepping out into the light of the torch-

》a rat. A perfectly normal brown rat shined only half the size of a typical rat's normal size maybe but its okay to be totally normal small brown rat size

it appears. Twitching in the dim light but it has answered

To the calls《

👁hisssssssss👁rat!👁hushushush👁shhh

Sierra calls out in a low soothing voice, "We got this, or should we flee?" Terror sharpened the edges of the words strove so hard to sound normal. There's always a chance to flee-!

"Yes, far greater." She says without much inflection. She scans the basement again, staring into the darkness.

It did feel weirdly cold through the leather of her boot.

"Please let me go back down, I think I can help kill whatever is down there - but... Margaret do you hear something whispering down here? Like.. in a breathy voice? Please, it.. do you know if your pet is safe? Is it secure? Is it.. out?"

A brighter light is dancing in Sierra's eyes. "It is important for me to know. I.. I want to hunt those things but I wish not to harm your pet."

Abruptly she turns to calling out for aid, blushing at her own fumbling of words and worried for the time racing past when Nox could be in trouble.

A screamed word, from down the hall. It was muffled, and he did not know what was yelled, but he took off anyways. Tucking the orb into his front most pocket he dashed down the hall, drawing his sword. The only door here is to the cellar. No. No no no no no. He threw open the door, the torches down the stairs dim and sparsely lit.

On the other side is Lady Sierra, and a beautiful woman in a simplistically elegant dress who looked a bit shell-shocked. Lady Sierra’s mouth was still open in a shout, but she shut it quickly.

@nox-valeriusstream tossing it back to you

She would not falter and as long as the rats were focused on her the ladies would be safe.

"Of course I'm being haunted by fucking rats." Nox spat, shifting on her feet as the rat started to lunge.

Oh well, stars above. Rats. Big ones too, just beginning to lunge at a female knight in the open cellar. He dove forward, swiping at the rats with his sword. He caught two on the side, and they went flying back, splattered with blood. He immediately paired back-to-back with the Dame to fight off the pests.

"Be on your guard, there is more here than just vermin." Nox said firmly, rising to a half crouch and readying her dagger again while she noticed Sierra move close. "Keep eyes on the Princess."

A crawling sensation ran across her neck when she heard the screech and splatter from the basement. She flinched, why did she flinch, and pivoted away from the boy to look at Sierra descending the stairs behind her.

Sierra... she had said something, asked a question?... the memories swam slowly to her mind. "Do I hear... Yes, YES!" She launched herself down the stairs shouting to Sierra, "THE SHADE, SIERRA. THE SHADE. ITS SPEAKING AGAIN"

“Ladies grab a torch! Rodents don’t like fire!” He quickly pulled one off the wall, brandishing it at the vermin. They shrunk back with slight fear before launching themselves towards again. He parried one with the torch, singed and screaming. There were 5 left, if the darkness was not lying. He threw his dagger at one, and pinned it to the ground though its throat with a shriek. Ew.

William glanced over to Lady sierra, brandishing her hammer fiercely.

The Shade - has whatever is down here been influenced with the shade? The stableboy is glaring down at the party, the rat in his angry hand squeaking wildly as he clenches his fist.

'THOSE ARE MY TASK!' As he shouts his shadow bobs. He doesn't give Sierra much time to consider his words -Task? Is he from outside the castle? Is he responsible for the rats of unusual size? - when he lunges down the remaining steps and lunges for her. They collide, the wind being knocked out of both. They slide into Nox's legs threatening to topple her over.

"Secure that peasant! There's no time for this nonsense!" Her voice is a sudden clap of force, cleaving through the air as clear as sunlight through trees as she brought her dagger down onto the closest vermin. Four (of eight) rodents down and one aggrieved peasant was no match for two knights and two women.

Oh gods, had it cracked? It was too cold to tell and it thrummed in the presence of the rats...

A rat snuffed up to her head and she rolled to her side, bringing the butcher knife down into it and groaning when a sharp pain shot through her skull.

The second knight caught her eye. When had he arrived? She should helpstop him... Margaret's hand released the knife and she crawled over, grabbing his boot.

Hearing the Dame’s call to action, William sprung towards the boy that had tumbled down the stairs. He promptly put him on his stomach, and he wretched the boy’s hands behind his back. The boy kept screaming for his rats, and it was giving William a headache. He ripped off the boys glove and shoved it in his mouth, muffling him.

Keeping his hand around the boys wrists and his knee on his back, William brandished the torch towards any rats that may come near him.

Gasping he looked to the Dame. “Now what?”

"I'm going to investigate the cellars of the castle for anything.. that should not be there. I am happy for your help, but if you are unable to make it I tell this to you so my absence can have at least a location to start at."

Margaret reads the note and immediately makes her way to the basement. She stops quickly by the castle kitchens, sneaking a small knife into the sleeve of her gown, before beginning her journey again.

>the hallway is deserted though the muffled sounds of the staff bustling and in continuous movement to feed everyone can be heard through the walls<

>it is markedly cooler here than in the kitchens<

Soon the three are gathered around, brief introductions given as the pull of the basement door draws them. It could just be a regular basement, Sierra reminds herself.

"Let us delay no longer."

Sierra opens the door fully and leads the group down the basement stairs and into the unknown.

As they came upon the Princess Margaret, Nox stepped fully into the light. Her armor was shabby, worn over years of use but well maintained and painted in a chaotic mash of dark uneven colors. Scraps of dark fabric lined the gaps and bends, contributing to her strange silence. A great sword was also strapped to her back, a monstrous thing nearly as long as the Dame was tall. (Though in being merely 5'3" perhaps it was not so large a sword at all.)

"Princess, my lady, please allow me to be the rear guard. I would rather stand between either of you and a knife in the back than run into a spiderweb." Her voice was a measured alto, low, soft, and full of good humor despite the unknown ahead.

She scoffs at herself "it seems I came ill-prepared. Dame Nox, I believe it would be best if you took the rear. I fear my only form of guard would be my spine and that would hardly defend us from monsters."

She pauses for a moment and pulls the butcher knife out from where she hid it in her skirts with a smile, "not to say I wouldn't fight, I will. But it'd be two hits before I went down.

Margaret turned to follow Sierra deeper into the basement, knife held firmly in her grip.

The stairs lead down appear to be in good condition. The torches are lit by one in every three which gives the shadows longer reach than what she had expected. Upon stepping out onto the floor rows of shelves filled with wine greets them.

To Sierra it was much the same, a soft tap, and a bid for silence as she moved forward into the cellar, drawing her sword as she strained her eyes and ears. If whatever they were searching for was alive, it sure wouldn't be for long.

Margaret strained to see as they went deeper into the cellar. She huffed a small breath to curse her lack of night vision, but followed on anything. She grabbed a small part of Sierra's tunic to know where her friend was and listened as she walked into yet another spider web.

She reaches out and takes one from the wall and lightly touches Nox's elbow. Glancing at the unlit torch to one of the little torches she quirks an eyebrow, doing her best to ask without speaking. With her free hand she reaches out and lightly tugs Margaret's sleeve, an offer of assurance that it was still herself within the gloom.

She couldn't sense anything off about the cellar so far so perhaps their caution was over dramatic. She could just go about her adventure and return upstairs for a nice hot bath.

Bottles and bottles of age old wine were stored down here. There were a few dark purple stains on the floor, no doubt the sticky spots she had stepped in at some point, and a lot of spider webs.

A small crackle of disappointment hit her chest and Margaret pressed her lips into a tight line. This was good. Monsters shouldn't exist in the basement. That would be the worst scenario because it meant there were enemies inside and outside the castle.

She looked to Sierra and watched her for any sort of reaction.

And blinks.

The dark purple stains made sense. Wine cellar. Spills. Especially in the dark. But what are these spills? Sierra crouches down and sticks her fingers in it. It was thick, like a clot almost. She reaches out with her clean hand and tugs on Nox's boot then points down at the puddle.

"Be ready to move to cover." Nox's voice was so soft it was barely more than a breath though it seemed to carry through the shadow. Doing nothing to move but becoming harder to see, as if the darkness itself was clinging to her.

Her hands twitched and her skin felt like it was buzzing. She wanted to drive the blade foreward... but there was nothing. She clenched her teeth and stayed poised to follow Nox's lead

Sierra licks her dried lips. "I can an idea.. but it may be a bad one. Dame Valerius, please be at an at ease ready. Princess, remember how you said that your, pet, had tracked my darkness? I am going to try and see if there is anything I can sense."

"Take your time, I would rather you not summon something but I will do everything in my power to protect the both of you." Nox said, relaxing fully and giving Princess Margaret and Sierra an easy smile. "We can handle this together, okay?"

She resists putting a hand on Sierra's shoulder, not wanting to break her concentraction, but wanting to reassure her friend that she's beside her again.

Instead, she loops a pinky through Nox's hand... To reassure her... Yes... Not because she needed to be grounded...

Stepping out into the light of the torch-

》a rat. A perfectly normal brown rat shined only half the size of a typical rat's normal size maybe but its okay to be totally normal small brown rat size

it appears. Twitching in the dim light but it has answered

To the calls《

👁hisssssssss👁rat!👁hushushush👁shhh

Sierra calls out in a low soothing voice, "We got this, or should we flee?" Terror sharpened the edges of the words strove so hard to sound normal. There's always a chance to flee-!

"Yes, far greater." She says without much inflection. She scans the basement again, staring into the darkness.

It did feel weirdly cold through the leather of her boot.

"Please let me go back down, I think I can help kill whatever is down there - but... Margaret do you hear something whispering down here? Like.. in a breathy voice? Please, it.. do you know if your pet is safe? Is it secure? Is it.. out?"

A brighter light is dancing in Sierra's eyes. "It is important for me to know. I.. I want to hunt those things but I wish not to harm your pet."

Abruptly she turns to calling out for aid, blushing at her own fumbling of words and worried for the time racing past when Nox could be in trouble.

A screamed word, from down the hall. It was muffled, and he did not know what was yelled, but he took off anyways. Tucking the orb into his front most pocket he dashed down the hall, drawing his sword. The only door here is to the cellar. No. No no no no no. He threw open the door, the torches down the stairs dim and sparsely lit.

On the other side is Lady Sierra, and a beautiful woman in a simplistically elegant dress who looked a bit shell-shocked. Lady Sierra’s mouth was still open in a shout, but she shut it quickly.

@nox-valeriusstream tossing it back to you

She would not falter and as long as the rats were focused on her the ladies would be safe.

"Of course I'm being haunted by fucking rats." Nox spat, shifting on her feet as the rat started to lunge.

Oh well, stars above. Rats. Big ones too, just beginning to lunge at a female knight in the open cellar. He dove forward, swiping at the rats with his sword. He caught two on the side, and they went flying back, splattered with blood. He immediately paired back-to-back with the Dame to fight off the pests.

"Be on your guard, there is more here than just vermin." Nox said firmly, rising to a half crouch and readying her dagger again while she noticed Sierra move close. "Keep eyes on the Princess."

A crawling sensation ran across her neck when she heard the screech and splatter from the basement. She flinched, why did she flinch, and pivoted away from the boy to look at Sierra descending the stairs behind her.

Sierra... she had said something, asked a question?... the memories swam slowly to her mind. "Do I hear... Yes, YES!" She launched herself down the stairs shouting to Sierra, "THE SHADE, SIERRA. THE SHADE. ITS SPEAKING AGAIN"

“Ladies grab a torch! Rodents don’t like fire!” He quickly pulled one off the wall, brandishing it at the vermin. They shrunk back with slight fear before launching themselves towards again. He parried one with the torch, singed and screaming. There were 5 left, if the darkness was not lying. He threw his dagger at one, and pinned it to the ground though its throat with a shriek. Ew.

William glanced over to Lady sierra, brandishing her hammer fiercely.

Leading Carnelian around the wall to the hanging bladder, he took down the hose and doused them both in lukewarm water. Grabbing the dandelion soap, William started to clean Carn’s chest up. Pedestrian. Grandmother.

“What… Carnelian, who are you?”

He grabbed Carn’s shoulders, and flipped them, so that Carn now had his back to the wall.

"Perhaps I should have introduced myself more formally," they mused. "But then I'd've missed out on you being all assertive and slamming me into walls. I'd bow, but I'm... occupied."

Still crouched down, tears filled his eyes. “I-I I’m so sorry your Highness. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry I did not know who you were. I’m sorry for having a fit. I’m sorry for puking.” Every sentence sounded quieter, embarrassed.

He poured water over the puddle, and into his mouth, thanking his lucky stars it was outside. He took a few deep breaths, and came back to Carn, and began scrubbing him again, taking their arm first. He looked up at Carn, seeing them in a new light.

Carn could see inside Will’s room when he entered. There was a small blue comforter on a twin sized bed in the corner, and an overflowing wardrobe. But the biggest detail was the walls: covered in posters ripped from notice boards and colorful charcoal drawings. He emerged from the room, with the hairbrush and a red ribbon.

Humming, He begins to brush through Carn’s hair, parting it into sections. He works his hands though, turning the beautiful auburn locks into a elaborate braided bun, tying it off with the ribbon. As he worked he thought. Then answered.

“Well, I was sick because I hyperventilated, not because my first reaction to a prince is to upchuck. To be frank with you, I’d never met a prince before, outside of a formal setting. I suppose I forget sometimes, that titled folks are still people like me.”

OP: Why couldn’t traditional Chinese Yinpiao银票/silver drafts be forged if they were merely slips of paper? (cr大明宝钞，渐越)

Traditional Chinese yinpiao/silver drafts were paper vouchers issued by private banks starting from the Song Dynasty(960–1279). People could exchange these slips for physical silver at bank branches across the country.

Silver drafts were made in multiple copies with matching serrated seal edges. One copy went to the customer and others stayed at the bank. All edges had to fit perfectly together to withdraw silver. The unique split edge marks were almost impossible to copy.

This mechanism is known as qifeng骑缝 (split-joint seal) in China. It first originated in the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046–771 BC). The Rites of Zhou records that contracts were written on bamboo or wooden slips in duplicate. Notches and marks were carved in the middle before splitting the slips, with each party keeping one half. The two halves would be matched by their notches for verification.

During the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods (770–221 BC), this idea evolved into hufu虎符/tiger tally tokens. A military tally was split into two pieces with identical inscriptions carved along the split edge. Troops could only be deployed if the patterns and characters on both halves perfectly aligned, serving as a metal version of the split-joint anti-counterfeiting system.

The technology matured in the Tang Dynasty (618–907). Government documents and private contracts commonly used split-joint seals stamped across the dividing line. The Chinese character "hetong合同" (contract) was written across the middle before the paper was torn apart, so the complete characters would only appear when the two halves were put together. This split-coupon system was later adopted for Song Dynasty (960–1279) jiaozi paper money and yinpiao/silver drafts of the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368–1912).

Official Song dynasty paper money (Jiaozi交子) was abolished in 1107. Private silver drafts issued by Qing-era piaohao票行 (ancient exchange banks) vanished completely in 1951, hit hard by modern banks and currency reforms. Nowadays silver drafts no longer circulate as currency. Their collectible value depends on their rarity and physical condition.

First they were called "chirographs", but later the word "indenture" (in its earliest meaning as just a legal document of any kind between two people) came to be used, originating from the practice of a contract being written twice on a single piece of parchment and then cut in half with serrated edges (as in dent, "teeth" -> indents -> indenture) in order for each party to take one half, so they could later piece them together and verify that there had been no forgery -- same as the Chinese silver drafts!

(Charter of the Clerecía de Ledesma, 1252, showing the serrated indents at the top -- presumably they are cutting rather than tearing because they're using parchment, which I expect is much harder to tear than wood-pulp paper like the Chinese were using)

德化白瓷 Déhuà báicí/dehua white porcelain

Dehua County, located in Quanzhou, Fujian, China, is renowned for its white porcelain.

Its kilns flourished during the Tang (618-907 CE) and Song dynasties(960–1279 CE), peaked in the Yuan and Ming periods, and remain famous today, particularly for their white porcelain. Fired at high temperatures, the unglazed porcelain exhibits a smooth, jade-like texture, appearing crystal-clear and pure white.

"I'm going to investigate the cellars of the castle for anything.. that should not be there. I am happy for your help, but if you are unable to make it I tell this to you so my absence can have at least a location to start at."

Margaret reads the note and immediately makes her way to the basement. She stops quickly by the castle kitchens, sneaking a small knife into the sleeve of her gown, before beginning her journey again.

>the hallway is deserted though the muffled sounds of the staff bustling and in continuous movement to feed everyone can be heard through the walls<

>it is markedly cooler here than in the kitchens<

Soon the three are gathered around, brief introductions given as the pull of the basement door draws them. It could just be a regular basement, Sierra reminds herself.

"Let us delay no longer."

Sierra opens the door fully and leads the group down the basement stairs and into the unknown.

As they came upon the Princess Margaret, Nox stepped fully into the light. Her armor was shabby, worn over years of use but well maintained and painted in a chaotic mash of dark uneven colors. Scraps of dark fabric lined the gaps and bends, contributing to her strange silence. A great sword was also strapped to her back, a monstrous thing nearly as long as the Dame was tall. (Though in being merely 5'3" perhaps it was not so large a sword at all.)

"Princess, my lady, please allow me to be the rear guard. I would rather stand between either of you and a knife in the back than run into a spiderweb." Her voice was a measured alto, low, soft, and full of good humor despite the unknown ahead.

She scoffs at herself "it seems I came ill-prepared. Dame Nox, I believe it would be best if you took the rear. I fear my only form of guard would be my spine and that would hardly defend us from monsters."

She pauses for a moment and pulls the butcher knife out from where she hid it in her skirts with a smile, "not to say I wouldn't fight, I will. But it'd be two hits before I went down.

Margaret turned to follow Sierra deeper into the basement, knife held firmly in her grip.

The stairs lead down appear to be in good condition. The torches are lit by one in every three which gives the shadows longer reach than what she had expected. Upon stepping out onto the floor rows of shelves filled with wine greets them.

To Sierra it was much the same, a soft tap, and a bid for silence as she moved forward into the cellar, drawing her sword as she strained her eyes and ears. If whatever they were searching for was alive, it sure wouldn't be for long.

Margaret strained to see as they went deeper into the cellar. She huffed a small breath to curse her lack of night vision, but followed on anything. She grabbed a small part of Sierra's tunic to know where her friend was and listened as she walked into yet another spider web.

She reaches out and takes one from the wall and lightly touches Nox's elbow. Glancing at the unlit torch to one of the little torches she quirks an eyebrow, doing her best to ask without speaking. With her free hand she reaches out and lightly tugs Margaret's sleeve, an offer of assurance that it was still herself within the gloom.

She couldn't sense anything off about the cellar so far so perhaps their caution was over dramatic. She could just go about her adventure and return upstairs for a nice hot bath.

Bottles and bottles of age old wine were stored down here. There were a few dark purple stains on the floor, no doubt the sticky spots she had stepped in at some point, and a lot of spider webs.

A small crackle of disappointment hit her chest and Margaret pressed her lips into a tight line. This was good. Monsters shouldn't exist in the basement. That would be the worst scenario because it meant there were enemies inside and outside the castle.

She looked to Sierra and watched her for any sort of reaction.

And blinks.

The dark purple stains made sense. Wine cellar. Spills. Especially in the dark. But what are these spills? Sierra crouches down and sticks her fingers in it. It was thick, like a clot almost. She reaches out with her clean hand and tugs on Nox's boot then points down at the puddle.

"Be ready to move to cover." Nox's voice was so soft it was barely more than a breath though it seemed to carry through the shadow. Doing nothing to move but becoming harder to see, as if the darkness itself was clinging to her.

Her hands twitched and her skin felt like it was buzzing. She wanted to drive the blade foreward... but there was nothing. She clenched her teeth and stayed poised to follow Nox's lead

Sierra licks her dried lips. "I can an idea.. but it may be a bad one. Dame Valerius, please be at an at ease ready. Princess, remember how you said that your, pet, had tracked my darkness? I am going to try and see if there is anything I can sense."

"Take your time, I would rather you not summon something but I will do everything in my power to protect the both of you." Nox said, relaxing fully and giving Princess Margaret and Sierra an easy smile. "We can handle this together, okay?"

She resists putting a hand on Sierra's shoulder, not wanting to break her concentraction, but wanting to reassure her friend that she's beside her again.

Instead, she loops a pinky through Nox's hand... To reassure her... Yes... Not because she needed to be grounded...

Stepping out into the light of the torch-

》a rat. A perfectly normal brown rat shined only half the size of a typical rat's normal size maybe but its okay to be totally normal small brown rat size

it appears. Twitching in the dim light but it has answered

To the calls《

👁hisssssssss👁rat!👁hushushush👁shhh

Sierra calls out in a low soothing voice, "We got this, or should we flee?" Terror sharpened the edges of the words strove so hard to sound normal. There's always a chance to flee-!

"Yes, far greater." She says without much inflection. She scans the basement again, staring into the darkness.

It did feel weirdly cold through the leather of her boot.

"Please let me go back down, I think I can help kill whatever is down there - but... Margaret do you hear something whispering down here? Like.. in a breathy voice? Please, it.. do you know if your pet is safe? Is it secure? Is it.. out?"

A brighter light is dancing in Sierra's eyes. "It is important for me to know. I.. I want to hunt those things but I wish not to harm your pet."

Abruptly she turns to calling out for aid, blushing at her own fumbling of words and worried for the time racing past when Nox could be in trouble.

A screamed word, from down the hall. It was muffled, and he did not know what was yelled, but he took off anyways. Tucking the orb into his front most pocket he dashed down the hall, drawing his sword. The only door here is to the cellar. No. No no no no no. He threw open the door, the torches down the stairs dim and sparsely lit.

On the other side is Lady Sierra, and a beautiful woman in a simplistically elegant dress who looked a bit shell-shocked. Lady Sierra’s mouth was still open in a shout, but she shut it quickly.

@nox-valeriusstream tossing it back to you

She would not falter and as long as the rats were focused on her the ladies would be safe.

"Of course I'm being haunted by fucking rats." Nox spat, shifting on her feet as the rat started to lunge.

Oh well, stars above. Rats. Big ones too, just beginning to lunge at a female knight in the open cellar. He dove forward, swiping at the rats with his sword. He caught two on the side, and they went flying back, splattered with blood. He immediately paired back-to-back with the Dame to fight off the pests.

"I'm going to investigate the cellars of the castle for anything.. that should not be there. I am happy for your help, but if you are unable to make it I tell this to you so my absence can have at least a location to start at."

Margaret reads the note and immediately makes her way to the basement. She stops quickly by the castle kitchens, sneaking a small knife into the sleeve of her gown, before beginning her journey again.

>the hallway is deserted though the muffled sounds of the staff bustling and in continuous movement to feed everyone can be heard through the walls<

>it is markedly cooler here than in the kitchens<

Soon the three are gathered around, brief introductions given as the pull of the basement door draws them. It could just be a regular basement, Sierra reminds herself.

"Let us delay no longer."

Sierra opens the door fully and leads the group down the basement stairs and into the unknown.

As they came upon the Princess Margaret, Nox stepped fully into the light. Her armor was shabby, worn over years of use but well maintained and painted in a chaotic mash of dark uneven colors. Scraps of dark fabric lined the gaps and bends, contributing to her strange silence. A great sword was also strapped to her back, a monstrous thing nearly as long as the Dame was tall. (Though in being merely 5'3" perhaps it was not so large a sword at all.)

"Princess, my lady, please allow me to be the rear guard. I would rather stand between either of you and a knife in the back than run into a spiderweb." Her voice was a measured alto, low, soft, and full of good humor despite the unknown ahead.

She scoffs at herself "it seems I came ill-prepared. Dame Nox, I believe it would be best if you took the rear. I fear my only form of guard would be my spine and that would hardly defend us from monsters."

She pauses for a moment and pulls the butcher knife out from where she hid it in her skirts with a smile, "not to say I wouldn't fight, I will. But it'd be two hits before I went down.

Margaret turned to follow Sierra deeper into the basement, knife held firmly in her grip.

The stairs lead down appear to be in good condition. The torches are lit by one in every three which gives the shadows longer reach than what she had expected. Upon stepping out onto the floor rows of shelves filled with wine greets them.

To Sierra it was much the same, a soft tap, and a bid for silence as she moved forward into the cellar, drawing her sword as she strained her eyes and ears. If whatever they were searching for was alive, it sure wouldn't be for long.

Margaret strained to see as they went deeper into the cellar. She huffed a small breath to curse her lack of night vision, but followed on anything. She grabbed a small part of Sierra's tunic to know where her friend was and listened as she walked into yet another spider web.

She reaches out and takes one from the wall and lightly touches Nox's elbow. Glancing at the unlit torch to one of the little torches she quirks an eyebrow, doing her best to ask without speaking. With her free hand she reaches out and lightly tugs Margaret's sleeve, an offer of assurance that it was still herself within the gloom.

She couldn't sense anything off about the cellar so far so perhaps their caution was over dramatic. She could just go about her adventure and return upstairs for a nice hot bath.

Bottles and bottles of age old wine were stored down here. There were a few dark purple stains on the floor, no doubt the sticky spots she had stepped in at some point, and a lot of spider webs.

A small crackle of disappointment hit her chest and Margaret pressed her lips into a tight line. This was good. Monsters shouldn't exist in the basement. That would be the worst scenario because it meant there were enemies inside and outside the castle.

She looked to Sierra and watched her for any sort of reaction.

And blinks.

The dark purple stains made sense. Wine cellar. Spills. Especially in the dark. But what are these spills? Sierra crouches down and sticks her fingers in it. It was thick, like a clot almost. She reaches out with her clean hand and tugs on Nox's boot then points down at the puddle.

"Be ready to move to cover." Nox's voice was so soft it was barely more than a breath though it seemed to carry through the shadow. Doing nothing to move but becoming harder to see, as if the darkness itself was clinging to her.

Her hands twitched and her skin felt like it was buzzing. She wanted to drive the blade foreward... but there was nothing. She clenched her teeth and stayed poised to follow Nox's lead

Sierra licks her dried lips. "I can an idea.. but it may be a bad one. Dame Valerius, please be at an at ease ready. Princess, remember how you said that your, pet, had tracked my darkness? I am going to try and see if there is anything I can sense."

"Take your time, I would rather you not summon something but I will do everything in my power to protect the both of you." Nox said, relaxing fully and giving Princess Margaret and Sierra an easy smile. "We can handle this together, okay?"

She resists putting a hand on Sierra's shoulder, not wanting to break her concentraction, but wanting to reassure her friend that she's beside her again.

Instead, she loops a pinky through Nox's hand... To reassure her... Yes... Not because she needed to be grounded...

Stepping out into the light of the torch-

》a rat. A perfectly normal brown rat shined only half the size of a typical rat's normal size maybe but its okay to be totally normal small brown rat size

it appears. Twitching in the dim light but it has answered

To the calls《

👁hisssssssss👁rat!👁hushushush👁shhh

Sierra calls out in a low soothing voice, "We got this, or should we flee?" Terror sharpened the edges of the words strove so hard to sound normal. There's always a chance to flee-!

"Yes, far greater." She says without much inflection. She scans the basement again, staring into the darkness.

It did feel weirdly cold through the leather of her boot.

"Please let me go back down, I think I can help kill whatever is down there - but... Margaret do you hear something whispering down here? Like.. in a breathy voice? Please, it.. do you know if your pet is safe? Is it secure? Is it.. out?"

A brighter light is dancing in Sierra's eyes. "It is important for me to know. I.. I want to hunt those things but I wish not to harm your pet."

Abruptly she turns to calling out for aid, blushing at her own fumbling of words and worried for the time racing past when Nox could be in trouble.

A screamed word, from down the hall. It was muffled, and he did not know what was yelled, but he took off anyways. Tucking the orb into his front most pocket he dashed down the hall, drawing his sword. The only door here is to the cellar. No. No no no no no. He threw open the door, the torches down the stairs dim and sparsely lit.

On the other side is Lady Sierra, and a beautiful woman in a simplistically elegant dress who looked a bit shell-shocked. Lady Sierra’s mouth was still open in a shout, but she shut it quickly.

TASTE MY BPD