1625 Sea Season/Disorder Week/Godday

Pavis

Yelm hangs high in the sky, although the day is cool and humid. A few clouds are moving in from the west.
The courtyard outside the garrison is crowded with a line of conscripts, most young and anxious for their first assignment, chatting nervously among themselves, some aged, and a few tough looking veterans.

The line ends at a sturdy oak table where a young male scribe, a tall female in leather armor and a large figure 8 shield, who has a musical instrument of some kind strapped to her back, and a very powerful looking female warrior, begin signing in the first of the recruits.


Each recruit receives from the tall woman a black and red focale, which she assures is properly secured.
The warrior looks each recruit in the eye, places her hands on their shoulders, and repeats their name solemnly before patting their shoulders and sending them on.

Three competent looking soldiers join the back of the line.

They are followed presently by a teen aged Praxian that you recognize as a sable rider, the (mostly) friendly tribe to Lunaar interests in the region. He looks from the ground to an elderly Praxian woman who sits in the shade swatting at flies and back, saying nothing.In the stable are a number of zebras and two white horses.


The three veterans arrive at the front of the line.

Amilcar straightened up, his quill at the ready.

”Gentlewomen and Sirs, please step forward!  Give your names so I may add them to the roster for Master Envoranus’ Expedition-“ Amilcar squinted into the mid-distance, ”into the Unknown.” the Scribe made a motion in the air with his hand to communicate...mystery?  It wasn’t entirely clear.

He arranged his papyrus before him, looking at the fighting types, “Fortune favors the bold.  Who’s first then?”

When he gets to the front of the line, The Aggabortas says to the scribe "The Aggabortas reporting in.  Commander Rostag Valash said I've been re-assigned..." he looks around the collection of unimpressive looking recruits, "...here.  To the... Red Storks (or whatever)."

He turns to address the two women.  "What this gonna be?  A hunt?  Escort?  Scouting?"
This message was last edited by the player at 05:28, Sat 05 June 2021.

Coroltha, the large, tough looking warrior who you take to be the second in command, looks you up and down squinting a bit, and then says flatly,
"His lordship wishes to keep the details of this first sortee quiet until we are out of the city. "Ears everywhere.""
She betrays no sign or being sarcastic or critical, nor of gushy enthusiasm.

"Commander Valash's loss is our gain" the tall woman says echoing the plain straightforward tone of her superior. She nods to another veteran behind the Aggabortas, "Cousin Zyxx" she says, in the same impersonal tone but with a smile tugging at one corner of her face.

The Aggabortas returns the impassive gaze, and nods.  Great...



" 'Cousin?' "  The Aggabortas turns to regard the scarred soldier behind him.  "You didn't tell me you had family here, ha, Zyxx!"

In reply to The Aggabortas (msg # 6):

Wanakela quietly waits her turn, swatting at bugs that may or may not be present in this dimension.

In reply to Wanakela (msg # 7):

As the sable brave arrives third in line, he signals to Wanakela, whose place he has been holding.

In reply to Gargle (msg # 8):

The other brave attempts to helps Wanakela to her feet.  Momentarily, she appears confused, swatting at his hands.  He eventually gets her up and leads her to the line in front of the table.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:06, Sat 05 June 2021.

Astorl nods at Wanakela, waiting for his turn.

Amilcar’s brow knits in confusion, ”I’ve no idea who that Commander is...?” the Scribe looks over at Corolotha, lost.  He shrugs before adding, “And we are not going to be called the Red Storks.  I will not hear of it.  No creativity whatsoever. No, I’m still of a mind of:” His thin, golden hand shot dramatically into the air in front of him, ”The Enlightened Expedition of Envoranus!”

He glanced at Hawendona and added ”1625.  Pavis.” but the cadence faltered, emphasis in the wrong places, and the last bit fell flat.

Straightening up, and acting as if nothing untoward had happened, Amilcar continued, ”But I approve of the name, Sir.  The Aggabortas.  The definitive article, if I may say so.  A strong name for a strong lad,” Amilcar made a motion with his arm indicating strength, then wrote the name down on his papyrus.

The Aggabortas

The golden skinned scholar tapped his paper with the quill, completing the spelling, ”Excellent.  I’ve no idea when we leave. But your name is now in the books, so to speak.  Corolotha will be telling us what to do and when.  Thank you, Sir.”

Amilcar looked past the Aggabortas, ”Next”
This message had punctuation tweaked by the player at 23:55, Sat 05 June 2021.

The Aggabortas maintains his impassive demeanour.  But now the struggle is real.  Queen Deezola, give me strength...



He watches the scribe record his name, then nods and steps away from the line, waiting to receive his focale, and for Zyxx to report in.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:47, Sun 06 June 2021.

Hawendona hesitates over whether to let the Aggabortas fix his own focale but decides, with a shrug, to maintain the consistency of the induction rituals, and ties it on him herself. "Holay?" She murmurs, tilting her head to the right?

The Aggabortas blinks at the question.  "Yes," he says, trying to discern from the woman's accent where she is from.  He's trying to think where Zyxx is from as well.  "From the capital Mirin's Cross.  Originally with the Dalini regiment, but have been re-assigned a few times..."

"The Crystal Bridge!" Hawendona says with a brief flare of animation and a far away look. "I've been across it." She adds back in her matter of fact tone. "I'm from Tarsh, Furthest, or just east of it, on the way to the Heruvernalda" Her New Pelorian is indeed Tarsh accented, but perhaps not as strongly or as consistently as a typical Tarsh countreywoman's.

Zyxx waits in the line until it is his turn to present himself to the young male scribe (Amilcar) . When it is his turn to talk to the man sat at his table, he takes his helm off and places it under his arm standing to attention.

With a quick blink of his left eye towards The Aggabortas Zyxx draws out his parchment orders (which he ensured he collected from Commander Rostag Valash) from a leather map case on his belt. "Heavy Infantry trooper Zyxx reporting for duty with the Red Storks, as ordered." and hands over the parchment. He then says very quietly leaning forward towards the scribe "Orders were present to me by Commander Rostag Valash, yesterday at the dusk. They do not mention Master Envoranus’ Expedition." Then returns to a full upright attention position.

Looking down at the clerk and scanning the paperwork Zynn continues "Zyxx, Son of Zelah, Grandson of Zennor" As if this is not his first time being asked to give answers to a clerk he continues "My home town is Dunstopp and my original unit is the Crimson Sheilds. Heavy Infrantry through and through!".

Zyxx then looks at the tall woman and then places his faithful helm on his head before wrapping the black and red focale around his neck loosely knowing it will be a minor irritant against the fresh scar on this neck. Zyxx considers a salute to her, but noting that none had been given and the message about "ears", he performs a perfect right turn and leaves.

He walks over next to The Aggabortas , with a nod towards Hawendona along the way and stands formally next to him. He then looks about without moving his head to check nobody else is looking and says quietly "I find that if I talk about my family that others feel obliged to then tell me long stories about all of theirs."
This message was last edited by the player at 15:48, Sun 06 June 2021.

Noticing the scar as she tries to put the focale on him, Hawendona tuts, and mutters  "Zyxx? What have you been doing Zyxx?"

"The Crimson Avocet Company," says the large woman without expression. "The avocet is part of his lordship's crest. It would be a good idea to get used to that name."

Amilcar’s bronze face took on a ruddy hue as his frustration piqued

”By Lhankor Mhy’s bushy beard I will not suffer a name like the Red Storks of I’ve an iota of input on the matter.  What are we?  A story for children told by midwives?!” The shoddy quill the scribe was pressing against the papyrus snapped, sending the point shooting past Zyxx’s ear, narrowly missing.

Calming himself, and acting as if the broken quill were par for the course, Amilcar plucked up another, waving it in the air, ”Perhaps- ENVORANUS’ ELITE IRREGULARS” the scholar appeared to write the words in the air as he said them.

”Anything else really,” he added under his breath, “Storks!” he squawked to himself, unbelievingly.



At the name, Amilcar’s eyes raise, and his left eyebrow arches even more, “Z’s!” the young scribe exclaimed, ”Alliteration is the language of Heroes!” Again the thin, bronze hand shot towards the heavens as his eyes looked dramatically into the mid-distance, ”The amazing adventures of the adamantine army’s most awarded authority on aggressive assault upon all amassing enemies.  You see?  We speak the same language.”

Self satisfied, Amilcar wrote the name down.

Zyxx

”Excellent.  Welcome Zyxx.”

Amilcar made a motion of dismissal, looking past the warrior, and stating: ”Next.”

The two braves help the elderly woman to the table. She has an audible tick that manifests as "Keak...keak...keak." Wanakela shuffles up to the young scribe. "Is this where we put the scratches on the papyrus?" Her hands seem to be trembling, but not out of fear.  She taps on the pages. "Keak...keak...keak." Then waits for the scribe to respond.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:29, Sun 06 June 2021.