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Tales from Tarkanea
Topic Started: Sep 13 2011, 12:41 AM (238 Views)
MrSometimes
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Libertinus
15 years ago...

58AE
the Ellesie Road Khornite Temple
Silera

A great crowd had gathered in the temple to witness the very important yearly maturity ritual. Proud parents watched their children stand before the altar, dressed up in their finest garment and with mixed expressions of anxiety and anticipation in their faces. The temple's high priest towered above them in his blood red robe adorned with mystic symbols and wicked daggers. Long ago the priests would carry skulls of slain enemies tied to their outfits, but this was of course only a rumour.

Bael Lamati believed fully in this old rumour, but he equally believed that the priest didn't need any skulls. He was a true giant and his wild hair and beard as well as his deep sunken eyes made him look terrifying. It was with trembling steps he walked up to the altar at the priests command. It was only a few metres but it felt like he walked for hours constantly feeling the eyes of his classmates and their relatives on him. Now he stood before the altar and stared into the bowl in its midst. The bottom was covered in a thick, red liquid. Blood.

He took a deep breath and quickly went through the oath in his head before taking the long, sharp dagger that the priest held out towards him.
"Great and powerful gods" he began. "I give you this sacrifice so that you may judge me as a man and a worthy servant of your awesome power. I swear to rise to every challenge, to fight every obstacle and avenge every slight, in your names. I swear my undying loyalty to the Imperial Throne of Tarkanea and to the gods of chaos. I am Bael Lamati, and today I am a man!"
Before he could hesitate he sliced the top of his finger with the dagger. It stung, but he clenched his mouth and held out the hand over the bowl. A small trickle of blood poured out of his finger and fell into the bowl, mixing with that which was already there.

After a small nod from the priest he took up a piece of cloth from the altar and wrapped it around the finger. He turned around and walked down to the class again. On his way he managed to spot his parents. The proud look on their faces made him feel a great warmth inside. Today he was a man.




73AE
Horngar Forest
Remos Prefecture
Tarkanea

Officially the war between Tarkanea and Vorkad was long over. And officially there was no military resistance among the Vorkadeans, both the Dictator of Tarkanea and the puppet King of Vorkad agreed on this.

Unofficially small groups of Vorkadean patriots had been attacking Tarkanean settlements since even before the war ended. Angered at the weakness of their own government and the slow, unstoppable Tarkanean expansion they had decided to take matters into their own hands and begun a long, bloody armed struggle to reconquer their lands. But the odds were stacked against them, they were outnumbered and out gunned. They had little supplies over all and few ways to transport more to the fronts. And most of them were from the mountains and had little to no experience of fighting the forests and plains of the lowland.
And so they had been defeated again and again. But for every rebellion crushed a new one took its place. Hiding in the deep forest or travelling quickly on the plains they were hard to catch for the Tarkanean garrisons and one small group could cause havoc among the settlements for many years before they could be stopped.

Sergeant Bael Lamati had spent the last eleven years fighting these enemies. He had during the time become a veteran at fighting in the deep forests, in thanks mostly to serving with grizzled old veterans who had spent many decades there. He had grown accustomed to the simple lodging, the horrible weather and the long times without sleep or food. But he could never grow used to the fighting. Every battle, be it large or small, was a massive experience. The adrenaline pumped his head became dizzy and he could feel the taste of blood in his mouth. He had gotten a reputation of fearlessness and blood thirst and many said he had a great potential to become a berserker, a very respectable position within the Tarkanean army.

Now he stood in the little village his regiment currently used as base and guarded a group of five prisoners. They were five men who sat on the muddy ground chained to eachother. Bale felt that they looked pathetic with their dirty, tangled beards and their tattered cloths. Where these the men who thought they could challenge the might of the Empire?
Beside him stood captain Orien Tarnon and glared at the prisoners one by one. They shuddered and huddled together as his gaze locked on them.

"Pathetic scum" he said quietly. "They don't even dare to meet death like men, I have no pity for such spineless cowards" he turned to Bael. "We shall show them how we treat cowards in Tarkanea. Cut of their beards, all of it. Use your field dagger and don't worry if you manage to cut off some skin" he let out a short, barking laughter. "Then I think we should let the men have a bit of fun"
The captain turned around and crouched down until he was face to face with one of the prisoners.
"Have you ever run a gauntlet, worm? I would say my prayers now if I were you, not that it would help. He leaned in closer and his voice lowered until it was almost a hiss. "You bastards and your little ideals. You think you are heroes because you can butcher Tarkanean women and children and burn down houses. Well, it's time for you to pay!"

The captain rose again and nodded to Bael before leaving. Bael called two soldiers and together they unchained one of the Vorkadeans and dragged him away to a chair, which they tied him up in.
"Now worm, meet corporal Innian." Bael made a gesture towards one of the soldiers, a large, brutish man who was playing with a long knife. "Corporal Innian used to have family in this village. A wife and two children"
"A boy and a girl" Innian filled in. "Julius and Clarina. Seven and five years. And my wife Onaia"
"You know what happened to them, worm?" Bael continued. "One of your little freedom fighting friends murdered them. Cut them right down. Just like you've murdered many others. And we're not gonna just sit back and let that happen, are we?"
"No sir" Innian said.
"Corporal Innian, I think your customer wishes a shave. Do your worst"
Innian grinned even wider and walked up to the terrifying prisoner. The other prisoners whimpered as they heard his screams echo over the camp.
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MrSometimes
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Libertinus
Harinora Mansion
Namal
Tarkanea Nova

The building that was the seat of the Tarkanean noble house Harinora was a large, fortress like building built in marble. It was built on the top of a high cliff and overlooked Namal's harbour, which was the headquarters for the Tarkanean navy.

Manius of Harinora, Head of the house and Grand Admiral of the navy leaned back in his throne like chair. Opposite him sat Rimus Paron, a man that long ago served on Manius ship as first mate. Rimus looked rather anxious, an emotion that Manius hadn't seen his old friend show many times. Rimus drank eagerly from the glass of Rianan wine he was offered.
"You're probably wondering why I asked you to come, Rimus?"
"Well, it came kinda unexpected, sir"
"It is a rather important matter. I wish to talk to you about your son"
"My son?" Rimus oldest son, Orion, had to his father's pride followed in his footsteps and joined the Takrnean navy. "He's not done anything stupid, has he sir?"
"Quite the contrary old friend. My daughter says he shows a lot of promise" Manius responded. "Officer material no doubt"
Rimus smiled wildly at this.
"Your daughter the admiral? Why that warms an old man's heart."
"I've recieved a recomendation to promotion from his captain, and I'm glad to say I've agreed to promote him to captain"
"My boy!" Rimus leaned back and took a deep sip from the glass, nearly emptied it. "And his mother said he'd never have a chance in the navy, that he should be a bureaucrat in Silera! But I said that no son of mine is gonna be a paper turner in the old country!"
"Good man" Manius laughed. This was the Rimus he remembered. "Of course, there is another thing I wanted to talk to you about regarding your boy"
"Eh, what, sir?"
"When I said he was promising, I meant really promising. He has enough potential to rise above a commoner's position"
"I, I..."
"He is clearly chosen by the gods. And that means he should join the ranks of the chosen"
"Are you saying-?"
"I wanted to ask you first, of course. But what I'm trying to say is this; I wish to adopt your son into the Harinora family"
Rimus was silent for a few seconds, staring at Manius.
"You'd make him a noble?" he managed to say finally.
"As far as I'm concerned he is a noble. All he needs is a noble name"
"Sir, this is a great honour for me. But he must make the decision himself"
"Of course, but now I know you wouldn't oppose it"
"I wouldn't dream of it, what kind of father would stand in the way for his son's ascension?" his smile was even wider now and he drank eagerly when a servant had refilled his glass. Manius chuckled a little and then sighed.

"If only I could be as proud of my first born"
"But your daughter is one of the youngest admiral's we've had! I've heard officers are prepared to cut their arms off just to serve under her!"
"But she isn't my first born! That is my son, Limos. And he is on the other hand a disgrace. He does some kind of pretend job in the capital and spends most of his time holding orgies in his apartment! I for one is not someone that would deny a man the right to hold orgies, I attended many of our former Dictator's in fact, but by Slaanesh you have to deserve them! If he hadn't been first born I'd strip him of support and let him rot in the poor district, but the law forbids me. It really gets to me that he'll inherit when I'm dead, rather than his sister. If only she'd be born a few months earlier."
"A real mess" Rimus said carefully
"But one that will be fixed soon! And by the gods, why am I making you suffer for my bad mood? This is a day of celebration. Get in more wine!" the last he shouted at one of the servants. "Send in the musicians and the dancers! We're going to drink to Orion Paron's honour!"
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MrSometimes
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Libertinus
Silera

When you made a list of the most influential men in the Tarkanean capital, Limos of Harinora was never even considered. The young man that was heir to the Harinoran name and the fortune that follows spent most of his time holding lavish parties in his expensive apartment. As anyone would gladly say he held no ambitions and seemed to have no real skills, preferring instead a life in decadence. Although despised by many because of this perceived worthlessness, no noble in the capital would ever dream of saying to his invitations, for his orgies were indeed famous.

And so Limos had gathered around him a circle of friends and allies, who while looking down on him still appreciated the entertainment he offered and where always ready to help him in return.

It was during one of these feasts that Limos was approached by a young women he didn't recognise. He didn't seem to mind though, for she was really good looking and wore a flattering Iysan dress. They had a few drinks together and talked before she proposed that they get to know each other a little better. Widely smiling, and only stumbling a little, he escorted her up to his bedroom. He sat down heavily on his bed and looked hungrily at the woman while she poured him a drink. She leaned over him and smiled as she brought the glass to his mouth. But when she turned away for a second to put away the emptied glass, he suddenly spat the drink at her.

Her reflexes made her dodge as Limos lunged at her with a long, barbed dagger. Before he managed to attack again she had pulled her own dagger and made an attack. The two exchanged punches, kicks and stabs as they fought for their lives. Finally Limos managed to force her to drop the dagger and pushed her to the ground.
"Who sent you?" he yelled at her, but it was to late. The would be assassin was frothing and her eyes stared emptily at the ceiling, she had swallowed the poison assassins always carried with them in their mouths. With a curse Limos rose up and kicked the corpse.

Despite what others thought of him, Limos was a Tarkanean noble. He had been raised from childhood to be suspicious, ruthless and deceiving. While others thought he was drunk and weak he never let his guard down. He had looked at the unknown woman with suspicion, like he did with everyone, and had therefore felt the taste of poison in the drink she gave him, something he wouldn't have noticed hadn't he been prepared for it.

He waited until the party had ended and the guests had gone home to alert the authorities. He acted angry towards the sour old detective that lead the investigation.
"Well of course I waited to order the police here, was I gonna have a bunch of clumsy policemen stomping around, rudely interrogating my guests? I don't think so no. You're paid to catch law breakers, not to harass nobles!"
The detective frowned but didn't feel suspicious. This was just another blown up prick who thought that he was something because his name had an "of" in it and seemed to take the attempted assassination of him be nothing but a rude insult. The rather large bribe definitely helped him to take the noble's behaviour calmly.

When they had finally left with the body Limos took a large drink to calm down. He sank into thoughts as he watched the mighty city outside his window.
"Everyone underestimates me", he said to himself. "Well they'll soon find out just how wrong they were"
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