denomination: the warrior of steel and silver. a battle hardened, self-made man notorious for wealth being his greatest motivator. also alludes to his absolute loyalty to Frigoria's reigning monarch.
"i come with knives (acoustic)" by iamx โ- โ"the boy with the gun" by david sylvian โ- โ"promise keeper" by agnes obel
๐จ๐๐ 0: born to a merchant family who are at an economic disadvantage by the closed borders. ๐จ๐๐ 15: left home to enlist as a soldier (lied about being 17); aspires to climb the ranks & return with wealth. ๐จ๐๐ 20: becomes a war hero after subduing a few rebel houses; genius intellect got exploited by his predecessor โ has assisted with strategizing ad hoc campaigns. ๐จ๐๐ 25: knighted, serves as a personal guard to ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐จ๐๐ 28: promoted to general. ๐จ๐๐ 36: tasked to exhaust soteran and asterian courtiers.
ใ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ใ
โข given his commoner background, his achievements and rank earn him both ire and admiration. they aren't taken seriously by several noble officers, seeing him as the queen's pawn. there's a rumor that his commanding general is intent on replacing him.
โข experiences mild shell shock, slight tinnitus, stiffened limbs, and insomnia. has plenty of battle scars despite his low pain tolerance.
โข devotes time to perform grounding techniques on soldiers with shell shock. also assists his troops with their recovery from combat/travel fatigue, especially when morale drops.
โข rides bareback with an appaloosa mare, โheartโ, with a grulla blanket pattern. quite diligent in the caring of horses.
โข an exceptional spear fighter and hand and knife combatant. specializes in enemy depredation and psychological warfare. uses a self-bow while targeting opponents.
โข born as the eldest son to two siblings, he prides himself as breadwinner. but his brother rejects his gestures of goodwill, insisting that they're blood money of the empire and accusing him of treason against frigoria's struggling merchant community. his occupation is a sore topic between them.
โข experiences brain fog after magic overuse. he may even temporarily forget a person or their name and details, except for the valerians โ his constant exposure to them is one of his tethers to reality. he is appreciative when people don't invade his personal space during this state.
โข the only nobility he addresses by their given names are the valerians. everyone else is referred to as milord, milady, your highness, or your majesty. what with the memory strain, it's easier for him to remember people by associating them with nicknames based on a distinguishing characteristic/interaction.
โข has a Tom & Jerry dynamic with prince cefin. ๐คก
โข was supposed to marry, but abandoned his beloved for duty. since then, enzo became strict with keeping separate his professional and personal life.
โข ๐๐๐๐๐๐... sparring, corn and sweet potato dishes, soteran wine, arithmetic, recons, horse racing.โ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐... impracticality, seeing his soldiers suffer from shell shock, sounds resembling explosions and catapult projectile impacts. โ๐๐๐๐๐... not being able to provide for his family, endangering the Valerian family, losing his influence in the council, becoming crippled, The Coin of Terror and Starvation.
ใ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ใ
nightmare generation and creation via lucid-dreaming. he is not a mage, hence his heavy reliance on the madrid's cursed, heirloom commemorative coin: The Coin of Terror and Starvation. the madrids believe it only amplifies nightmare magic, but the coin gives any magic user a massive boost in energy to perform prolonged or strenuous techniques โ at a cost. when the coin lands on โheadsโ, you'll gain its benefit, but when it lands on โtailsโ you'll be temporarily cursed with one of the following effects: extreme hunger, extreme thirst, extreme bodily fatigue, or extreme nightmares โ plus constant mild paranoia. duration of the curse lasts 2-3 days, but the user has no way of predicting its termination since it is up to fate.
(only his family and The Ancient Queen knows about the coin.
ooc knowledge: he's not responsible for pd001's nightmares. )
need-to-know conditionals:
โข his magic is more attuned to anchoring nightmares with the weight of a person's name. if he whispers a birth name, the nightmare is more vivid. if it's a nickname, the nightmare manifests weakly. if the name is false or an alias, he'd know immediately because the nightmare has a 50/50 chance of manifesting โ should it manifest, itโll appear weak and very fragmented.
โข his magic can neither control how a nightmare unfolds nor affect a target's receptivity. the target's subconscious reacts to it naturally, especially after sleep.
โข if a target is forcefully woken by external stimulation, once they've experienced a nightmare, it lingers in memory until they naturally forget.
โข because his nightmares are merely fabrications, they do not embed permanently into the subconscious.
โข standard use penalties. regular use (two targets) results in one day mental fatigue.
โข overuse penalties. if he targets three people, he suffers severe headaches or temporary memory lapses. penalty duration is six days per three targets (e.g., targeting nine people = 18 days of side effects).
โข impact of external sensory stimuli from environment. non-coin aided : external stimuli can wake him and he suffers less fatigue. coin aided : the coin overtakes his senses. impossible to wake him externally.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐: thorough, detailed mechanics of his powers can be read here. but it's not a required read ! i make stat sheets for all of my characters and roll dice based on vtm v5's mechanics + consult the admins for all major ic decisions. i just absolutely abhor godmodding and never want anyone to go through that. ๐ค๐ผ
WHO TO blame, indeed? Had she been anything like the previous rulers of the Valerian line, she would have bathed the kingdoms red in their blood. But, perhaps there had been wisdom in their bloodshed, in their cruelty. This charade of a masquerade would never stand under their rule - if they were watching over her now, how disappointed they must be, witnessing an empress of Frigoria doing nothing with delicious chaos that had all but been given to her, freely.
disappointed, indeed.
It was good to know her general's loyalties are true & Eris offers him a rare one of her honest smiles, before the expression fell, exchanged by another solemn look.
"We ought to sit & wait. Sit & wait, & weave our little chaos. Weave a bit or two of our own brand of nightmares. I suspect fouler winds ahead, & we ought to try & prevent it, or try & get ahead of it."
โโโThe smallest of comfort, whatever it was, had touched the empress. And Enzo smiled back even if hers had fallen.
โโโSit and wait, huh? Great minds think alike โ luring out the offenders without arousing any suspicion. Otherwise, anything too obvious might cross prospective allies or stoke the flames of foes.
โโโThat meant another round of nightmares, another cursed invocation. More chaos weavingโฆ
โโโLike Erida, his smile went. Not like he could do anything about it, a sword never questioned their bleeding wielder.
โโโโAffirmative.โ Enzo exhaled, nodding. โIf you've plans for me, no doubt I'll be at the barracks testing arrow penetrations โ Genesis should be there tomorrow with the equipage.โ
โโโHe hinted at a stashed compilation report of the masquerade, and one of their couriers, before parting ways.
๐ณ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: the royal palace of Asteria
๐ซ๐๐๐ & ๐ป๐๐๐: March 1st, 1276; midnight ( 24:00 )
โโโThe torches along the outer courtyard flickered โ guttering. Like dying breath. Enzo sensed a chill crackling in the air. Of something insidious, something unseen. He had leaned against a stone railing, fingers toying with a small wrapped sweet he took from the feast, but never ate it. Wasnโt hungry. Wasnโt anything.
โโโFatigue had nested across his chassis. Two weeks. Two weeks of nightmare construction and measured cruelty. Heโd kept count: twenty-three constructions, nine using the Coin. He hadn't lost control. Not yet.
โโโMurmurs drifted from inside, but to him, theyโre clamors set off by that threat. The celebration of the dead no more. The empress had briefed him: damnatio memoriae was broken. Frigoria was exposed and the world watched. He should be inside, standing beside Eris, but he needed a moment โ to settle this frayed mind.
โโโHe didnโt want war, war wasnโt selective with its victims.
โโโBut wanting something meant nothing.
โโโEnzo exhaled, tossing the pastry into the darkness. Guess it was time to get back to work.
โโโA shuffling. Footsteps. Yeah, he already knew who it was.
Cosme wasn't accustomed to the halls being full like this; crowded, almost. In some ways she liked it, seeing all different sorts of people, never truly able to be alone with her thoughts. In some ways she didn't - though she'd never been one for lonesomeness, it felt off, different in a way that was wrong.
As the nightmares plagued her, she gave up on sleep, and her usual next call of action was to wander. She knew every corner of this palace with her eyes shut, but not like this - dodging people, passing strangers. For some reason, her gut said the barracks might be clearer. At least, clearer of those playing political games.
Instead, there were other games being played. She lit up the moment she saw it, moving in as if she'd been invited, then flinched just a little when she failed to realise there was a whole person standing beside her.
"Oh! Hello!" She curtsied politely. She probably shouldn't have; she might have been able to pass as someone of lower birth, been welcomed in much more enthusiastically to join on the games and bets. But oh well. "I think I might join in. Can I? What are they betting on, exactly?"
โโโBrunette. Not a wear or blemish on exposed flesh.
โโโโA nobleโฆ? Looks familiar.โ He strained his hearing for additional footsteps but none followed.
โโโFriend or foe, if this one got roped into trouble, there'd be bigger consequences than a cacophony. โCourse the palace wouldn't allow entry to anyone โdangerousโ per say, he just knew the sorta folks present. And they're tired โ shaken folks. And fear can make one desperate for plenty oโ reasons.
โโโEnzo nodded instead of bowing, finishing the last of his banana โ right. The peel. He stuffed it in the sack by his foot for a raker to collect afterward.
โโโโSomethinโ grim. The fateโฆโ He nodded to the crowd. โ...of our motley friends.โ
โโโNot that he'd condone makinโ an entertainment outta the twoโฆ But people were frustrated.
โโโโTell ya what.โ Enzo rummaged in his coat's breast pocket for a pair of dice, knuckles grazing against the sewa flowers and leaves embroidery. โI hate bettinโ though I'm not against friendly matches. That way we'll have as much fun as them with nothing to lose.โ
โโโHe dragged a small, low round table to his front then placed the dice and banana bunch on the surface.
โโโโWhat say you? Know your way to playinโ hazard?โ
the barracks was not somewhere yinuo found himself going oftenโalmost never, in fact. he found his weapons better off in their sheaths until absolutely necessaryโhopefully, never, but if you prepare for the worst, you can never be taken off-guard. that night, however, on his sleepless route of the palace, his footsteps took him all sorts of places he had never visited before: hence...the barracks.
the crowd inside was raucous, but he didn't take offense. it was nice to see a few people managing to find joy in the aftermath of the masquerade, rather than just the nightmares that seemed to greet one's tired eyes. at the man's words, yinuo felt a smile stretch across his face. "well, only if you insist. i wouldn't want to show them up." a rare joke.
after a beat, he shook his head. "no, thank you. i have no interest in betting with an audience; not at this point in time, i'm afraid. but if it keeps the soldiers occupied." instead, yinuo leaned against the doorframe, watching the bets unfold. "and you?" he asked. "is there a reason you aren't participating in this game?"
โโโEnzo huffed a quiet laugh, finishing off the last of the banana. A joke? That was rare.
โโโโEven if ya hadn't, still wouldn't let ya.โ He leaned back, side-eyeing the gamblers. โNothinโ good about betting on lives. But if ya want the technicalities โ simple. They're mockups of real games โ known to possess men, drives โem desperate.โ
โโโHe smirked. That was the real reason he stayed out of it, but it was a stark contrast to gambling with The Coin of Terror and Starvation. He was a hypocrite, but he'd do anything for the empress.
โโโThen he nudged the banana bunch towards Yinuo. "Heard โem talkinโ about how I manage my coffers. But food?" He tilted his head. "They're meant to be shared."
โโโHe gestured lazily at the fruit.
โโโ"Go on. Have one, two โ I donโt know, three."
โโโA quiet offering. Wasnโt the type to waste words, but actions spoke louder.
SHE WAS planning on taking a nap, but it just wouldn't happen. Tossing & turning in her bed, Vivian had finally given up on sleep at three in the bloody morning, throwing the cover off herself & deciding to wander over to the barracks to - to do what, exactly? She didn't know. The clang of metal against metal had soothed her, perhaps sung for the rotten part of her to pick up a blade & wield it. She knew Erida would've like that - would've liked to have her rotting power of the battlefield, should it come to that when the curse ends.
& it had been ticking close to it's breaking.
Tsking at the general, Vivian leaned against the doorframe, hazel eyes fixing upon the man munching on bananas. "I don't want to see a banana for a week. I had to rot one out to fake slipping on it so I could have a chat with the general of Asteria." she spoke, but tilted her head to the side.
"Are you keeping watch? Mind if I join you? There's not much to do around here when sleep refuses to come."
โโโEnzo nearly choked. He had to breathe. Breathe. He coughed, thumping his chest, before swallowing and sending a deadpan stare at Vivian.
โโโโYa didโฆ what now?โ He squinted, pinched smile forming. โWish I coulda been there ta see that.โ
โโโThe sound of dice rolling meant bets were placed. Not his business.
โโโโKeepinโ watch? Not exactly.โ He jerked his chin towards the gamblers. โThey're betting on the jesters. Don't condone it, but โโ He shrugged. โWe got our parts to play.โ
โโโHaving finished a finger, he stuffed the peel into a sack. Enzo glanced back at her. He could be generous. Or he could be an ass. He dragged a chair out, then, just as deliberately, placed the entire bunch on the low table.
โโโ"Business or pleasure?" He hid his hand behind the bananas โ within Viv's sight, thumb flicking toward the crowd. "If itโs the former, not much to glean from โem."
THE GENERAL had been right. Fear was a powerful tool, wielded by many in he past & the present... but to whom did this brand of fear belong to? Who did it benefit? Way too many strange questions for the pale haired empress to ask herself. Still, she had inclined her head in acknowledgement of her general, lips pursing together in thought.
"You have a point, but it worries me which horseman & whose horse it belongs to, that are turning to spook us instead." a damning thought had crossed her mind. "Do you have any news from our home? The council should see through any deceit, perhaps this could be a rebel fraction looking to destabilize us now that the prophecy is coming to it's end." damnatio memoriae was rigged to fall within months.
That is why she had now ventured to the kingdoms two, to see if... chaos could be instilled or prevented, if alliances or enemies would be made.
โโโPerhaps their horseman were horsemen and the horse horses. He didn't have specifics yet. Enzo had already made a silent admittance of his disturbance; their people gained nothing if they demonstrated fear.
โโโโNo news, Empris. Not in a while.โ He met her gaze. โVikram, Vivian, or the duke may offer better insight.โ
โโโHe could already see the council debates unraveling. Some would argue it was rebellion, others claiming outside interference. Rebels with powerful backers, yeah, but this orchestration reeked of arrogance. The faction knew with just one command total annihilation was inevitable.
โโโโStill too early to denounce them. Whoever orchestrated this wants the rebels implicated. Who else to blame?โ
โโโTheatrics. An attack on faith, not flesh.
โโโโWe both know this is a form of destabilization. The statement kind, not declaration.โ His jaw tensed. โJust foxes baring fangs to hounds they think blind. Expect more โ they want to fracture the faith of flock and pack.โ
โโโHe looked away, voice soft like a blade polished off silk. "Doesnโt mean we stand idly, Erida. Say the word."
location & timeline: sotera's gardens, february 13th, an hour after the thorned king's appearance.
availability: open to all !
ERIDA had been rather disturbed by the appearance of the Thorned king. While his powers of terrifying every soul in the room had certainly been a thing of appreciation and envy, the amount of chaos it had generated simply be appearance alone, had been quite more than she'd been used in using.
it did help with her own use it, though.
She didn't have to deplete her own reserves of it, instead she'd happily use whatever power constructed by the... king, to her benefit. Still, she could only hope it would be enough to sustain her, for the time being. Being away from Frigoria had threatened to destabilize her magic - and that wasn't something she was keen on happening.
she'll have to do with this little help.
Sensing an additional presence, her mask long forgotten somewhere in the ballroom, Eris checked her posture and her usual lady of the kingdoms mask had slipped back into it's place.
"Do you find yourself unwilling to retreat for the night as well? Tiredness beckons, but I fear I would be unable to sleep. Tonight's events had shaken quite a few individuals - even I cannot remain immune to it."
โโโA fourth kingdom. Pft, logistically impossible unless they've a barrier themselves. Hell, that's classic destabilization, but a precursor to what? To whom? By who? They had the first act narrow biases โtil the second delivered the punching blow โ by instilling the notion of japes into everyone's mind. Law of parsimony and a bit of chaos went a looong way. He'd know.
โโโSpeaking of chaos herself, up ahead stood a pale blonde woman. Unassuming to the rest, but to his trained eyes sheโs the very person who had defined his life.
โโโWithheld his death.
โโโโDitched the mask?โ
โโโHe didn't want to be a pedant, like his superiors and those enforced conduct treatises moments after his accolade. Still, he quickly assessed her nonverbal cues. Shaken, but not in denial โ got that merchant's identity backing her. Good.
โโโHe nodded in greeting.
โโโNowโd be the time putting to use those etiquette lessons. Enzo sidled beside Eris, close enough to be heard without sullying her reputation.
โโโ"Fear benefits them. I know of several stable hands gauging the reactions of riders โ see which startles first: the horse or its rider?"
โโโNever expect more than one can handle. Better to distract them from their thoughts. Away from the cause.
๐ซ๐๐๐ & ๐ป๐๐๐: February 13, 1276; lauds ( 3AM )
โโโWhoever remained for that midnight blunder, from hired mercs to the newly knighted, gathered for drinks and to bet dice on the fate of their motley pair: banishment or punishment. Now, this wouldโve been a good way for armies to kill time, but they're not at war, and had he been their superior, he'd disband โem. Someone higher up would get wind of this soon enough. As for him? He stayed around for the intel.
โโโโcourse, he excelled at calculating odds, but when it came to gambling? All he could think about was theย demise โ one crueler than death. And in truth? Nothingโs ever honest about the work; no other approach than to match fix. Stay honest then you'd end up with stacks upon stacks of uncertainty. He regarded โem dirt cheap. Never worth whatever risk.
โโโEnzo shrugged on his stool.
โโโEh, let them have their joy. It bolstered morale. What with that petty performance hounding their mastersโฆ in turn, so have they.
โโโHe was stationed just near enough to the door to register footsteps approaching. He didn't have to look when the newcomer stood beside him; he just kept to himself and his bananas.
โโโโYa planninโ to join? No one's stoppinโ ya,โ he spoke with a mouthful.
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If you like my content and would like to support it, please consider donating to theย Palestine Childrenโs Relief Fundย or an indigenous cause. I have links in my pinned post to point you towards some if you need suggestions. Thank you! ๐
TWs:ย Weapons (not used, but a bow & arrows and a rifle strapped to his back in the majority of the gifs), horses, violence (shoving), and eating
โโโHe had to admit โ not that he thought it'd be simple โ just how damned demanding trade reports were. Among his equipage were copies of past Madrid guild accounts, including reports to reference from. He figured his official compositions would solidify Erisโ identity while the ones he wrote now were countermeasures to interception.
To the Most Esteemed Guild Master,
Per your request, an audit of the recent supply was conducted following our recent gathering. The Assistant Warden, alongside our masters, expected a routine assessment, but were met with an unexpected outcome. During convene with the traveling suppliers, they proposed a new commodity to the market. However, their demonstration was insubstantial despite their fervency for organizational ideology. Nothing of material worth after inspection โ no silver, no iron โ despite the promise of gold.
Some members were beginning to hesitate to question their credibility, while others dismissed them as frauds. The market momentum may endure minor fluctuations should external actors seek to disrupt stability. How much stock should we place in such ventures? Their timing and method suggest an interest beyond simple commerce, depending on whether this is an isolated attempt or part of a broader investment strategy.
Further assessments are necessary to determine if future negotiations will follow similar patterns. Our competitors watch, but I shall remain watchful and report accordingly.
๐ท๐ถ๐บ๐ป ๐บ๐ช๐น๐ฐ๐ท๐ป๐ผ๐ด Caelius has yet to acquire the warrantum suum de fidelitatem of the suppliers.
In service,
Deputy Warden L. de Rรญos
Worshipful Company of Fletchers
[๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐] February 14, 1276
โโโWithout a doubt, the empress would understand his use of โinsubstantialโ over โunsubstantial.โ Magic involvement shouldn't be ruled out. And if she were to request details, hell, he'd gladly explain them.
โโโEnzo unscrewed the hollow crossbow bolt from its arrow, scrolled the parchment, and slotted it in, followed by a locking. All he'd need to do now was to drop by one of her fletcher guilds and deliver this to a contact. The courier'd handle the rest.
