the-sly-god.

To be the second son is to live in a gilded shadow. I have spent a lifetime being sculpted—first by a mother, then by a brother, finally by a court that sees only what it wishes to see.

[tacticaltomfoolery567]

BY THE GRACE OF THE FROST & THE FIRE OF CUNNING,

LOKI OF JOTUNHEIM, THE KING IN THE ICE,

ISSUES THE FOLLOWING PROVOCATIONS & INVITATIONS.

Let it be known that the Sceptered Crown seeks discourse, diversion, and diplomatic entanglement. Below find a series of open inquiries, scenarios, and provocations. Select one and present your case.

EDICT I: THE DIPLOMATIC MISSIVE

(For matters of state and sovereign to sovereign discourse.)

1. "A formal envoy from your realm appears in my court, seeking an audience. What is the nature of their petition?"

2. "A treaty lies on the table between us. What is its most controversial clause?"

3. "We are forced into a temporary alliance against a common foe. The terms of our cooperation are..."

4. "Your presence at the Jotunheim coronation anniversary is... unexpected. State your business."

5. "A resource vital to my kingdom is found within your borders. I propose a bargain."

EDICT II: THE SHADOWED WHISPER

(For encounters of intrigue, espionage, and shared secrets.)

1. "We meet in a neutral territory, cloaked and anonymous. What information is being traded?"

2. "You have something I want. I have something you cannot refuse. This is the nature of our deal."

3. "A secret from my past has come to light, and you are the one who discovered it. What do you do with this knowledge?"

4. "They call us both liars and schemers. What makes our methods different?"

5. "I find you rummaging through the royal archives of Utgard. Explain yourself before I decide on your punishment."

EDICT III: THE PERSONAL AFFRONT

(For old wounds, sharp words, and complicated histories.)

1. "You dare to call this a 'monstrous' kingdom? Elaborate on your ignorance."

2. "You stand before my throne and speak the name 'Odinson.' A deliberate insult, or a plea for mercy?"

3. "We were allies once. We were family once. What are we now?"

4. "You find me in a rare, unguarded moment, looking not at my kingdom, but at the stars. What do you say?"

5. "The ghost of the prince I was and the king I am often war within me. Tonight, which one are you speaking to?"

EDICT IV: THE SURREAL & THE SYMBOLIC

(For dreams, visions, and magical phenomena.)

1. "A magical storm strands us in a pocket dimension with only each other for company. How do we pass the time?"

2. "You appear in my dreams. What nightmare—or fantasy—do you bring?"

3. "The Norns show me a vision of a future where our fates are intertwined. What do I see?"

4. "We are bound together by a curse. What is its nature, and how do we break it?"

5. "A child of Jotunheim presents me with a gift. What is it, and why is it significant?"

ALL INTERACTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO THE LAWS OF THE ROYAL COURT. LET NONE DISAPPOINT THE CROWN.

[tacticaltomfoolery567]

The silence in the throne room of Utgard was a physical presence, thick and heavy as the ancient ice that comprised it. It was a silence Loki Laufeyson, King of Jotunheim, was intent on shattering.

From the dais of his throne—a jagged, beautiful monstrosity of ice and carved runes—he gazed into the shimmering surface of a scrying pool. But this was no ordinary pool. It was a window, a web of seidr he'd dubbed the "Tumblr-Net," tapping into a current of consciousness that flowed between realms.

His voice, when he finally spoke, did not echo. It was too controlled for that, each word precise and sharp as a shard of glass.

"Let it be known that the silence is broken."

A flick of his wrist over the pool's surface, and his words solidified in the magic, a proclamation sent into the void.

"The throne of Jotunheim is no longer a seat of forgotten glory. It is a seat of power, reclaimed. I have taken a realm of brutes and am forging it into an empire of cunning. And the Nine Realms will adjust accordingly."

He leaned back, steepling his fingers. The air grew colder.

"You there, watching from the shadows of your own realm. I can feel your gaze. Do not be a spectator to history. Speak.

Are you here to pledge allegiance to a new order?

To beg for the old one?

To test the mettle of the so-called 'Monster King'?"

A slow, dangerous smile spread across his face.

"Or are you simply a ghost from my past, too cowardly to step into the light? The door is open. Cross the threshold."

[tacticaltomfoolery567]

EDICT I: THE FOUNDATION OF THIS REALM

ARTICLE I: THE SOVEREIGN'S NATURE

Know that We, Loki Laufeyson, hold the Throne of Jotunheim by the twin rights of blood and conquest. This realm, once a bastion of forgotten glory, is Ours to reshape. We are the God of Mischief, and Our lies now weave the very tapestry of state. Our rule is one of cunning, of magic, and of an order forged from controlled chaos. The era of the blunt fist is ended; the era of the sharpened mind is begun.

ARTICLE II: THE MUNDANE BEHIND THE CROWN

Let it be known that the hand which guides this crown belongs to a mortal scribe (The "Mun"), aged one-and-twenty years or more. This portrayal finds its roots in the Marvel Cinematica, though Our destiny has diverged onto a grander path.

EDICT II: THE PROTOCOL OF INTERACTION

ARTICLE I: THE MANNER OF APPROACH

All supplicants, allies, and adversaries are permitted to present themselves via private missive or public query. However, the Royal Court is Selective; interaction must serve a purpose—be it diplomacy, old grievance, or potential alliance. Frivolity is the currency of lesser courts.

ARTICLE II: THE LAWS OF ENGAGEMENT

The person of the King is inviolate. Godmodding, or the usurpation of Our will or actions, is an act of high treason and shall not be tolerated. Our reactions are Our own.

EDICT III: THE NATURE OF OUR DISCOURSE

ARTICLE I: WARNINGS OF CONTENT

Our reign was born from and is steeped in mature themes. The Royal Court will engage in narratives of political intrigue, trauma, power struggles, and moral ambiguity. All such discourse shall be preceded by a Royal Sigil of warning: #tw [subject].

ARTICLE II: THE AGE OF MAJORITY

By order of the Crown, all who seek audience within this court must have attained the age of twenty-one years. Our discourse is not for the immature.

EDICT IV: MATTERS OF ALLIANCE AND AFFECTION

ARTICLE I: ON ROYAL SHIPPING

Matters of the heart are a tangled web, even for a King. Any potential romantic entanglement must be a narrative of significant compelling quality, befitting a monarch whose primary devotion is to his realm. It is a story, not a guarantee.

LET THIS DECREE BE POSTED IN ALL PUBLIC SQUARES AND VIRTUAL REALMS, THAT NONE MAY PLEAD IGNORANCE.

SO PROCLAIMS THE KING IN THE ICE.