(Archive) - More Minas Tirith RP
From the archives of the Gondorian
what the title says
August 31, 2000
Logfile from Elendor
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Weather: Sunny
Time: Twilight
Season: Spring
Date: Mersday - March 14, 3021
Real Time: Thu Aug 31 18:30:34 2000
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*Note - logged by Kadareth*
Minas Tirith: Inside the Great Gate
Risen here in the shadow of the Great Wall, the becobbled path levels out into a large courtyard. The large crest that runs from the outstretched Embrasure atop the seventh tier of Minas Tirith stands clifflike across the court from the Great Gate. Day and night the spur of the thrusting rock, encompass the view here. Even the mighty wall, raising a hundred feet in the air, or the Doortowers, large and oval constructed almost it seems from one block of stone, can\'t drawn attention from the cliff. A part of the city and the mountain, it leaves no wonder why the city is called the \"City of Stone.\" Beautiful, powerful stone.
Contents:
Kerowyn
Merchant\'s Coach
Nightflyer
Gate-Wardens
Korontiel Arena
Obvious exits:
A narrow guarded stairs leads to Central Battlements.
Up leads to Lampwright Street.
Down leads to Lampwright Street.
Gate leads to Minas Tirith: Before the Great Gate.
Locked Door and Door
Night falls on Minas Tirith. The deep shadows cast by the dying sun as she vanishes behind the Mindolluin creep up the stone girdle of the city. Torches are lit throughout, and the wardens posted at the gates close the massive doors for the night.
Two figures negotiate entrance at the last moment, one of them a black-uniformed soldier of Minas Tirith, the other a woman of fair complexion. The guards hastily close the gates as soon as the two find themselves within the bowels of the city, then go about their duties.
Kerowyn Lets out a soft sigh, \"Ah, I so often forget I am not of this city. I am glad things did not go overlong!\" She turns, then, to smile at her companion, \"There, we are within the city now, if you\'ve other duties.
The private, Kadareth of Pellenor, walks besides and a little behind Lady Kerowyn. His face bears a grim expression, as it did the whole afternoon. The whole time he uttered naught a word, save when addressed directly.
He nods silently as Kerowyn turns to him. He bows courteously, and walks away from the woman--
Kadareth stops. The massive bulk of the soldier is suddenly frozen on his feet.
Kerowyn raises a brow, still watching the soldier as he departs. Eyes shift, upwards tot eh battlements, further into the shadow of night beyond Kadareth\'s bulk. With a weary sigh, she approaches.
In a startling move, Kadareth spins on his feet, head turned up at the starry sky. His arms flail aimlessly about him as he turns, eyes swivelling in frenzy from left to right, and from top to bottom.
The battlements.
The gibbous moon.
The ascending street to his left.
THe woman is skilled enough in the ways of a battle field, and steps in one great swift stride to flatten herself against the wall. Not a word is uttered, her own blue eyes reflecting silver in the moonlight as htey widen, seeking the reason for such odd behavior.
Kadareth stops in his mad gyrations and his deep blue eyes, glinting maniacally by torch light, stare straight at Kerowyn\'s. He holds up an open hand, palm turned to Kerowyn as if motioning her to stand still and looks to the side.
\"Hush,\" he gives a coarse whisper and puts his hand to the sword.
Kerowyn merely frowns, and lifts one shoudler in a silent shrug, as if to indicate she has already ben silent, and has no intention to break that.
Kadareth looks definitely tense. Again, he casts frantic glances about.
The gate.
The sentry to the right on the battlements.
A citizen traversing the cobbled street down the street from him.
The guards at the gate look nervously about, unsure of what to make of Private Kadareth. They squeeze their halberds on their gloved hands and peer into the dark corners around them.
Kerowyn merely frowns, and lifts one shoudler in a silent shrug, as if to indicate she has already ben silent, and has no intention to break that.
Nor is the approach of Captain Rorgan a breach of the silence, but suddenly he is there, standing apart from the two, arms crossed. Watching. Even the alertest of people would be hard pressed to determine exactly how long he had loomed where he is, sapphirine eyes fixed on the Private.
Kerowyn\'s own eyes have been skimming hte darkness, and rest now, finally, upon the Captain, brows knitting into a questioning frown as her head tilts towards Kadareth.
Kadareth startles when Captain Rorgan comes into his field of vision. The private\'s blue eyes keep swivelling around as he takes a few steps backwards. Beads of cold sweat formed on his brow now run in trickles down his face. His hands, possessed by uncontrollable shuddering, attempt to reach for the hilt of the sword.
\"Do you feel it, Lady Kerowyn, do you feel it?\" he mumbles amidst terrified gasps.
Announcement: Kadareth has changed the GPOLL to: BEHOLD! As Kad gives way to insanity!.
The question is answered with the same question from the Captain, the same knit brows as he stares back at Kerowyn for but a moment before the lad speaks.
\"
Kerowyn opens her mouth as if to shriek, and then merely shakes her head, chin tilting upwards to scan the skies, \"
Then he repeats, in the common tongue, \"Private Kadareth! What madness is this?\" He shakes his head, looking skyward but feeling not the chill fear of a passing Black Rider or any of the terror the private is obviously experiencing. \"What is it, lad? I feel nothing.
\"Do you FEEL it, Captain?\" Kadareth now turns to Rorgan. He spins on his feet, hunched like a predator ready to pounce its prey. Then, in a lightning movement, he runs to the wall and squeezes himself against it, sword held high in shivering hands. \"It is like . . . like . . .\"
A howl of rage and anguish breaks Kadareth\'s speech. His eyes dart around in dread as he clenches his teeth and squeezes the handle of his blade in his sweaty palms.
\"Lay down your weapon.\"
The words are cold and flat as the stone wall Kadareth huddles against, but still they carry the weight of the Captain\'s rank and his many years of experience.
Kerowyn slides along the wall away from the private, casting him a worried glance.
\"
Rorgan\'s commanding voice forces Kadareth to snap back to a semblance of awareness. He lowers his sword, but does not let go of it.
\"Like claws ripping at my soul,\" he gasps and wails. He drops to one knee, and drops his head to face the ground. Sweat and tears rain upon the dusty cobbles of the street. \"I CANNOT BE MAD!\"
Beofre the sentence is finished, her own startled paralysis has reslolved itself, and Kerowyn has stepped forward to grab a page for hire, whispering directions to the boy an dflashing a coin which causes him to break into a run.
\"Then prove it to me, Kadareth. Lay down your sword and step away from it,\" says Rorgan in softer tones now, compassion written plainly upon his face.
Kadareth hesitates at first. But then, letting out a furious shout, he hurls the sword away, which crashes against the cobbles with a loud metallic TWANG!
He wraps his thick, muscled arms around his torso and looks up at the stars. His deep blue eyes glisten with the tears that cloud them.
\"They . . . They keep -- gasp! -- coming. I -- gasp! -- feel them -- gasp! -- all around!\"
\"You\'ll have to tell us about them, Kadareth,\" says Rorgan, removing his own heavy cloak and approaching the man, as if to place it upon his shoulders. \"But first we need to take a walk.\" He nods in the direction of the blade and then casts his eyes in the direction of the coach.
Kerowyn Takes a deep breath, and releases a soft sigh, stepping forward once more, reaching down to heft the blade , tucking it within the folds of her skirt.
Kadareth offers no resistance to Rorgan\'s approach. He gets up, rather uncertainly, and trains his miry gaze on the Captain\'s eyes.
\"It was the same last night,\" he speaks in a low, but quick and nervous whisper. \"But it\'s not a nightmare! It\'s not a nightmare!\"
\"It will be all right. Let\'s get you into the coach,\" says the Captain, laying his cloak around the shoulders of the guardsman, his hands guiding the man in that direction.\"
Kerowyn lifts a shoulder in another little shrug and sighs softly, \"
The private pulls Rorgan\'s cloak further around him as he walks towards the coach. \"It doesn\'t feel right,\" Kadareth stirs. \"It doesn\'t feel right, Captain! I cannot be mad!\"
\"
\"Lady Kerowyn!\" Kadareth shouts, suddenly turning back and evading Rorgan\'s hold. \"Tell me I am not mad!\"
\"Nay, I do not think you mad, Kadareth. You need some rest. Come with us,\" he places an arm around the young man\'s shoulders, \"and your Captain will protect you.\"
Kerowyn mms softly, \"You are not mad, Kadareth. Now come,\" her voice is soft and soothing now that it is in the common tongue.
Kerowyn mmms softly then. \"
\"How can you protect me if you cannot feel what I feel,\" Kadareth shakes his head dismissively. \"How can you?\"
\"Because I must be immune to it, lad,\" replies the Captain. \"That is nothing to be dismissed so lightly, for certain. Come now. Into the coach.\" He opens the side door, and ushers the young man in.
Finally now turning toward Kerowyn and responding, Rorgan says, \"
Kerowyn nods assuringly, and steps within the coach herself, whispering direction to the driver.
With a final set of insane glances about the street, Kadareth climbs aboard the coach. \"Please don\'t take my sword away from me,\" his deep, sturdy voice fades out as the carriage rolls away. \"Evil is all around us.\"
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Mail Message Number 13 (Message ID #: 625408)
FROM: Kadareth - Thu Aug 31 20:47:54 2000
SUBJECT: Kadareth struck by madness
MESSAGE: ---------------------------------------------------------------------
Fellow citizens of Minas Tirith,
Word is out that Man-at-Arms Kadareth of the city guard has gone hopelessly insane.
While escorting Lady Kerowyn back into Minas Tirith last evening, Kadareth went on a rant about \"evil all around him\" in a violent fit of delusional paranoia. Kerowyn, with the aid of Captain Rorgan, managed to calm the private down and talk him into a carriage, whereupon he was turned to the secure ward of the House of Healing.
Kadareth is known by a few to have suffered a war injury three years ago, when he was hit over the head repeatedly with a battle axe. Could they be related?
However, this is not an isolated case of sudden madness. A few nights ago, a citizen came to the guards gibbering nonsense about \"feeling\" something evil in his pursuit. In the highly unlikely event these occurrances are related, what could be causing these bouts of insanity? And who will be next?
Meanwhile, if you wish to RP with Private Kadareth, you must pay him a visit at the HoH. And please bring some food of your own along, because hospital food sucks. )
Cheers,
Mad Kad