Romani Montclaire - Unremarkable (5/23)

[22:50] The High Lord of Myllenoris approached Sythaeryn within the remnants of Osrona. Tied to his hip by a black sash rather than atop his head was the Crown of Aschea. A few steps took him near the drakanite before he nodded his head in greeting.

"You're the last I'm to meet with to sort out whatever there is to make of Asta's promises to our allies, Sythaeryn. Whatever promises she made to you about the efforts for foreign expeditions will be kept and supported by the rest of those willing to take part in them and Myllenoris."

"As for Osrona, Romani's asked to see to some of its reconstruction. Ilburg, Alabastre, and Theria held no problem with this so long as the Petrakis line is forbidden from returning, most notably Alexander himself. The Council that Regulus and Asta had come up with is willing to step in as well, a table consisting of all voices and allies with a vested interest in seeing the city returned with an equal focus on the Fireblooded, the Valeborne, and a new Church of the Celestial Faith to be headed by the Stellus here himself."

All of it was outlined expediently enough, and with a small turn of his head to Romani and then back to Sythaeryn, the High Lord said, "If there's any objections, now'd be the time to voice them. Romani has a plan that the Therians have signed for the electoral process. If you'd like to see it, you're more than willing to before it goes public."

Finley had settled into his new role relatively well, though he was obviously nearing the end of his energy surge with so many meetings back to back to back. He was ready to see this all to the end and allow the book to be closed on this chapter of history.
(Finley)
[23:00] The drakanite had received the letter and took to the streets of Osrona since then, taking in the wreckage of the aftermath. With such a high death doll and entire districts turned ablaze, the once 'Shimmering City' was a gloomy place to be. And as someone who had taken the life of their Lightbringer, of their Stellus, Sythaeryn was no friend to the frightened citizens of Osrona-- Most were wise enough to keep their distance from him with hushed whispers and fearful glances.

It's something he enjoys.

The smell of defeat in the air.

Finley approached besides Romani, and the tall dragonborn took them in, listening closely. He looks...

Satisfied, relaxed. Even smiling a slight fanged smile with his hands folded over in front of him. All of this was good enough.

"Show me it." Sythaeryn requests, then continues to speak, his serpentine gaze focusing on Romani, "Priest." The tip of his tongue grazed against the edges of his whites, briefly tasting the man with his eyes like he might eat him whole, "How does it feel? To go against everything your Church stands for? To deny their doctrines, to simply say 'no' to the supposed right to rule of the Petrakis..? You've been disgraced, thoroughly."

"Taken captive. Perhaps considered a puppet by loyalists to this wretched place. How low can a man sink...?"

A step forward follows, rolling his shoulders once with an audible hum escaping his throat.

"I don't think you can go much lower..."
(Sythaeryn Vartuul)
[23:03] Sythaeryn Vartuul says, "death toll*"
[23:08] Romani would have followed Finley, mainly quiet. The High Lord of Myllenoris was quick and to the point, so the Stellus would nod and follow after him. It was until he is addressed that Romani does not speak, precisely when Sythaeryn asked his question.

"Mikhael Petrakis was given the divine right to rule to stand against the Witch Elaide long ago. It is for this reason that the stars blessed him."

"When Alexander choose to unite with the Witch Nebula Lockwood, it in turn destroyed the divine right that his family was given. He is not fit to rule. His family is no longer blessed. This is what I believe."

"Not that I am going against the doctrines of my church and Faith. But instead that a man was given the divine right to rule to fight against something, and by accepting it, that same right is lost to that family. You may call it what you wish."

"My desire is to see Orsona regrow anew, without the Petrakis family. An Orsona that can be part of peace, and is not swallowed by Zealotry or madness. A true Orsona for the people that can remain. I do not see it as going lower."

The paper is extended to Sythaeryn to look over.

"It is offering people a chance to live in this unfair, cruel, brutal world. And it is to stand and create new doctrines that support the stars and what our worship should be."
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[23:12] Finley looked off across the streets. He remembered walking through this place throughout his youth, accompanied often by Romani himself. But now the park lied in ruin, the star statue torn down and replaced with the visage of Aschea herself. There was some pride to take in that matter, even if the rest did stir mild regret in the Teraphim.

But it was clear to his allies and all he'd spoken with that day that the High Lord bore no apologies for the destruction. He didn't ask for forgiveness nor felt it was deserved. This had been the cost of war, the cost of the hubris of a King.

He allowed for the debate between Sythaeryn and Romani to occur if that was to happen. Finley was prepared to set things in motion rather than continue with deliberations.

"It's my belief some will return to join Romani, and my hope that when they do, they forsake their king who survived. But for now, I don't intend to root him out. Alexander can rule in some cave or on some hill for the remainder of his life. If he chooses to return or try to make some claim to this place again, he'll have to win it back the same way he lost it."
(Finley)
[23:20] The smugness is clear on the drakanite's expression as his eyes flit to the written words. He enjoyed watching them turn on each other so easily - Disloyalty was a common trait prevelant with humans, and he much preferred the solitude of a dragon to it. Sythaeryn listened to Romani's justification with half-interest while taking in the new terms and conditions of Osrona, yawning briefly when he's half way through...

Democracy... elections...

It's a bore. The paper is passed back to Finley's way before he's even done reading it. He doesn't care to give the document his approval with a signature.

"..And what of their treasury? What remains of their wealth has been sieged by your troops, and will be used to fund outside operations spoke of with Asta, yes? The defense of Esshar and extending its reach before everything was so... fractured."

"If you care for my opinion, I don't think this'll hold up. Nobody's going to be inspired by it. There are men willing to live and die for Alexander and his ancestors because he is a king, and there's power in that, weight... Warriors respect it. Men and women strive to reach such heights. You have this man-puppet to show for it, someone who's turned on their own."

"A list of signatures by yourself and a Therian council with as much remarkability as the sewers beneath us..."

Sythaeryn exhaled a fume of smoke, clearly not enthused or impressed.

"My interests lie elsewhere. Tell me of them so I can get back to ignoring whatever this is."


(Sythaeryn Vartuul)
[23:21] {Item} You picked up The Election Process of 1741. Dropped by Sythaeryn Vartuul. .
[23:28] "What we collected will be used for funding your expeditions, yes. I've no intention to go back on whatever it is she promised you, especially if it means taking pre-emptive action against foreign invaders that would only take advantage of the crippled state Esshar is in." Finley gave a single nod. "What men you need should be provided."

Finley only shrugged in regards to the rest. He was upholding Asta's final promises and seeing to some sort of vision she and Regulus had planned, even if Osrona had been left in rubble. If there was someone else like Romani who wanted to pick up the slack and upon his own shoulders, the High Lord wasn't going to say no.

"I'd prefer to turn my sights toward healing the Vale. Toward what greater goals might lie beyond more squabbling between the Essharan states. Filling these streets under the jurisdiction of one I trust such as Romani to ensure people here will keep Alexander out by force is all I could ask, or else someday he'd just return with a swarm at his back anyway, and I'd have to fight for what would amount to nothing less than a graveyard."

It wasn't a prospect he was interested in, for Finley's goals were clearly elsewhere. The city had fallen, and though Alexander lived, the Osronan force had been defeated. This was over for now and beyond his interest.
(Finley)
[23:33] Towards the words of Sythaeryn, Romani would offer a brief shrug.

"Alexander has people willing to live and die for him. That is true. However, such people will only find themselves growing more and more disheartened over time. This is a chance to allow them to return to their home, to allow them a vision of what the world could be without Alexander dragging them down."

"The same way that he ended my association with the Petrakis Dynasty, others may end their association with him." The Stellus phrased, simply. "And as people live through this, new people will grow, people who do not want his rule. People who believe in what they can become. You can call me a puppet, but I prefer to think I am simply not blind."

"I do not hold blind Faith. And I will not follow someone who abandons people, goes against their divine right, and who people, who I, can not believe in."

An exhale, shaking his head.

"I may fail at things a thousand times, but all the same, I will attempt to rebuild Osrona from the ground anew. An Osrona that can be part of the Coalition."
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[23:35] Kofe knew not to get in the middle of politics he frankly did not want to speak about. Moving past the Stellus and the High Lord, he moved to the bench, pushing aside someone's lost limb in order to make room to sit down. He'd wait his turn to speak his thoughts, and more.
(Kofe)
[23:44] Sythaeryn listened to Finley passively with a small nod following the man's words, finding himself uniquely content.

in the past... ten years, he's seen so much and witnessed events to many to count. The recent battle in particular was fresh in his mind.

As for the disgraced Stellus, however, he eyes him much like a dragon deciding whether or not to play with its food. A smile creeping up against his lips, "Say what you want about Alexander, but unlike you, Romani, he was here until the last moment, fighting for Osrona."

"...He fought evenly with me." Stepping towards the man, the tall drakan eyed him, "Blow for blow. I felt the power of a King, and it was why I decided to slip him in a healing potion to see who was more worthy of surviving on that day--instead of killing him. Then he fought the High Lady, arguably one of most powerful creatures in Esshar..."

"And took her head, letting his blade fall right against her skull."

"You call it blind faith, but I am a child of Garljing. I admire power and a man's will to endure, to not be led astray so easily and hold true to their values. In that, I can meet Alexander with a warrior's respect, even if I may very well one day fight him again. But what are you, really? Besides some submissive substitute? Why will anyone listen to you...?"

Again he sizes him up. His serpentine eyes trailing the man from tip to toe.

He sees nothing.
Plain. Unremarkable. The head of an abandoned Church.

"...I sure wouldn't."

With that said, Sythaeryn took a step back and his focus resumed on Finley. "No disagreements from me," he says innocently, flashing a fanged smile, "You can be on your way."
(Sythaeryn Vartuul)
[23:51] "There is more to life then simply having strength or power. Anyone who has lived in Sudbury can tell you that."

The Stellus was not one known for his power. In fact, there was not a single fight that he had won, with exception of small brawls that he had when he was a kid. When it came to combat, Romani was weak, and chances were he would always be weak, he would always be defeated, and there was nothing in his life he could do to change that.

"You admire him because he has power, and because he endures. But I do not see a man who stays true to his values. I see a man who saw others as a burden, and severed connections. I see a man who approved of poisoning those loyal to him. I saw a man who accused someone of being a traitor twice, when they did nothing but help him."

"I do not follow a person based on the strength that they have. I do not follow someone based on if they are one of the most powerful beings on this continent."

"I will follow or create things that I can believe in. If you ask me why anyone would listen to me, someone who is rankles, someone who is weak, someone who is a failure?"

"It is because they trust me as a person. They hold faith in me, as a person. I can give you no more then that."

Sythaeryn sees nothing but a plain, unremarkable man, because all his life?

That has been what Romani cos Montclaire was.
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[23:55] Mariaan was here! She'd snuck in during the intense ending notes of the conversation, looking from Sythaeryn to Romani with pursed lips. While the alchemist admired power just as much as anyone else, pointing to somebody like King Alexander...?

"Must be hard not to have power when you were born with an entire empire in a magically blessed lineage..." Her own unwanted opinion was thrown in there, lips pursed. Anything that Alexander had was less earned and more pre-ordained by fate itself, wasn't it?

Not that she had anything against the man personally. That's the way the dice of fate rolled.
(Mariaan)
[23:56] Kofe chimed in, too. Merely because Mariaan had.

"I knew a girl who's physical strength was not all there for a magi, but her... dedication and sense of duty were unlike any other. She was born with the same opportunities, nearly. It comes down to a person's heart, whether they're to be strong or not.

Strength comes in many ways, too."
(Kofe)
[23:57] "Romani inspires a different crowd than the zealots that have chosen to stick to Alexander's side. But the matter is one for history to write, not for us to debate on. What succeeds and what doesn't will be written in battle once again should Alexander return for his throne." Finley turned, ready to depart.

"Thank you for your aid, Sythaeryn." For one who had once held killing intent for the drakanite, the High Lord was amicable enough. "Send word when it is you'll require assistance."

A nod was given to Mariaan and Kofe, but it was obvious Finley didn't intend to stick around for greater conversation.
(Finley)
[00:01] "You mistake me, then."

Sythaeryn's hand rises, an index finger jutting out from within the fist as he eyes the priest, "By power... I don't just mean brawn, but one's heart and soul. It reveals itself in the midst of battle. Whether a man is brave and worth following or not."

"When I fought the High Lady, I felt similar. There are men- like yourself- then there are those who you might call demigods, like the fallen Teraphim and perhaps the Petrakis king. Something in their blood... I can smell it, taste it, it calls to me. Makes the dragon in me hungry," he adds with a dangerous fanged smile.

"Romani. You, on the other hand, lack that scent. You're no Pericles--he had everything you're speaking about and more. And that is why I believe you will struggle to find ample followers, and you will be seen as a traitor rather than the salvation of Osrona. I killed so many of your people and I don't even see anger in your eyes, and that makes me disappointed..."

This place was desolate. People were starving, struggling. Inspiration was needed, a shining light...

Sythaeryn only sees darkness, now, where the man in front of him wasn't that guiding light. Some steps back were taken back before he settles besides Kofe, taking a seat. "This'll be interesting."
(Sythaeryn Vartuul)
[00:07] 'Must be hard not to have power when you were born with an entire empire in a magically blessed lineage...'

"Every failure is hard. Every failure is difficult. It just means that I have to find a different way to come at the problem. If I am weak with strength, then I will make something else. And in my case?"

"I have a Quill. And that has proven enough for me until now." A small nod, towards Kofe, seeming to agree with his assessment. And another nod towards Finley.

"We have to see what comes."

A glance once more towards Sythaeryn.

"Then, I suppose you will have to wait to see what I am made of for when I am in battle. I am not asking you to follow me. Nor will I ask that of anyone."

"If people want to, if they see a vision they can believe in? Then they will come. Otherwise, they will not. That is what it is to accept leadership."

"You are right. I am not Pericles. Nor am I one who holds hatred right now. There is too much work to be done. To much to try to work at. A traitor I may be seen as, but all the same? I will work to better and create something of what is left."

His light had already been dimmed by the strikes Alya. His holy magic would never glow as bright again. All the same? A faint light in the darkness, the attempt to light a spark, was still better then nothing.

And with that, he began to turn to leave.
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[00:08] The drakanite's serpentine eyes watch the man depart with the faintest curiosity.
(Sythaeryn Vartuul)