Noxus, the pinnacle of strength to some, to others, the pinnacle of cruelty. To Elise, it was a source of aid... watching from afar as the people who escaped her ducked into a house, no doubt there hide away. Elise's blood red eyes narrowed from behind her cloak, she would have to rectify this issue soon, she cannot have her reputation... soiled.
Though, she could not just waltz in and slaughter them, as much as she would like too. However, a smirk slid over the Spider Queen's face from behind her cloak. She knew how to fix this problem indirectly. Holding out her hand, a tiny spiderling seemed to skitter from out of a nearby whole and rest in her palm, looking up at it's mother as if wondering what she needed.
"Here you are my pet.." Elise cooed softly to the creature, handing it a folded up piece of paper. The Spiderling took it in it's fangs. "Deliver this to Grand General Swain, in Darkbourne Hold." Elise said, pointing over at the large palace.
The spiderling looked at where Elise pointed before looking back to her and skittering off in that direction, slipping past the gates into one of the dark holes of the castle.
------------------------------------------------------------------------ Darkbourne Hold
The tiny creature emerged inside the dining hall of the Darkbourne castle, it's alien like eyes darting every witch way. Quickly, the tiny spiderling skittered throughout the halls... finally locating what it only guessed as the Grand Generals quarters, giving the luxurious nature of the place. Skittering inside, the spiderling quickly skittered on top of the desk. If Swain was in, he would see a spider sitting on his desk with a letter... it was bigger than an average spider, giving the indication it belonged to the Spider Queen, but still small enough to slip through tiny cracks. The spiderling would stare at him and cock it's head to the side before dropping the letter on the desk and skittering out.
If Swain was gone, the creature would simply leave the letter on the desk and leave. Once the letter was opened, it would say the following:
Dear Grand General Swain
It seems that I need some... assistance from you. If we could talk in person, it would be quite beneficial... for the both of us. How does tomorrow sound, hmm dear?
If there is any qualms with my request, leave your response on your desk in your quarters, I will have my pet fetch it for me.
Post by The Master Tactician on Apr 11, 2013 16:08:19 GMT -5
Beatrice shrieked as the skittering form of a spider shot beneath her perch. The Grand General, startled from his thoughts, scowled in her direction. Quickly, then, blazing eyes darted towards the movement of a smaller creature: the source of his familiar's unease. A spider, large and likely poisonous, not native to Noxus, scaled the leg of his desk, a letter in its pinchers.
Eyes narrowed, he watched as it deposited its neatly folded parchment before him, then bolted from the room. Beatrice let out another shriek after it. "Shhh," came The Master Tactician's soothing hiss as he unfurled the note. He scanned the curling scrawl, the cursive signature, Elise. His brows furrowed. What business could the Spider Queen possibly have with him? Her mention of mutual benefit made him purse his lips in thought.
A trembling hand took up his own pen, dipped it skilfully into its inkwell and scrawled beneath her text.
I can meet with you for tea at noon tomorrow. Be prompt. My people will receive you at the front gate. J. Swain
He refolded it and laid it on the desk, as specified. Slowly, arduously, he rose, retrieving his cane from the desk against which it leaned. He motioned for Beatrice, who spread her wings for the short flight from her perch to his shoulder. Kah-thunk-thunk, kah-thunk-thunk, he strode from his quarters. Work to be done. Plans to be made. A country to manage. Tomorrow, he would meet with the mysterious arachnid who sought his aid--but for now he had little attention to devote to curiosity. Time would tell what tangled webs she planned to weave.
Elise smirked to herself as she strolled through Noxus the next day. Having received the Grand Generals response, she headed for Darkbourne hold. Her form was cloaked, her piercing red eyes hidden behind her hood, her back legs tucked against her back. Elise looked just as normal to anyone, though to those who dared get a closer look, they would find out the hard way she was not so normal... Once she reached the gates of the castle, she stopped and gave a low bow to the guards. "Hello, my name is Elise... the Grand General is expecting me." Elise said with a smirk.
Having been told to expect the guest, the guards allowed her entrance and escorted her to a tea room where she would meet the Grand General. Once inside, Elise spoke. "Hello, Swain." She cooed, her voice cascading the air like that of a beautiful song. "I believe we have business to discuss."
Post by The Master Tactician on Apr 12, 2013 0:43:46 GMT -5
The Grand General stood in the center of the room, hands folded over his cane, in expectation of his guest. Tea was dutifully set out upon the table between armchairs: two cups, sugar, cream, a plate of scones. "Good day, madame," he said, extending a withered hand towards the cushioned chair prepared for Elise. "Please, make yourself comfortable."
The Raedsel who had escorted the Spider Queen through their twisting halls took up their places upon each wall of the room in dutiful silence. Swain limped to his own chair and waited until Elise had seated herself before following suit. As he lowered himself into his chair, the slightest grimace flickered over his face. "What is it you wish of me, Elise?" He raised a brow in inquiry.
Elise scanned Swain's form from behind her cloak, an aged man... though, Elise was no fool; the Grand General may look aged, but he is far from weak. She supposed she admired the Tactician for that, the way he weaved is own metaphorical webs. Elise's eyes slid over the guards at their posts... taking note of any quick exits if the need should arise. When Swain motioned to her chair, allowing her to make herself comfortable, she smirked. Elise then flipped the hood of her robes back, revealing those piercing red eyes, and that very unearthly, very dread inducing smile that seemed to always be painted on her face.
"Thank you, Grand General." She mused, shedding the rest of her robes and draping them over the chair. Her back legs extended and stretched, as they had been cooped up together for quite some time. Elise let out a soft sigh as they did so, "Much better..." She said, taking a seat in the chair and crossing her legs. Elise was dressed in her usual attire, save for her headdress, which she wasn't wearing at the time; it was hard to hide something like that under a cloak. Elise was silent for a moment as she sat, idly drumming her claws on the chair as she watched the Tactician take his own seat.
"Much to be done... much to plan." She stated simply as Swain sat down. "Though, I need not tell you this, Jericho." The Spider Queen simply smiled wider; the same, little spiderling skittering out of a dark hole to come to rest on her lap, as if to reinforce her title. Giving the creature a soft stroke, Elise continued to speak. "I suppose you are curious to why I have called this visit." Elise said. "Well, I need to... tie up some loose ends. You see, a group of people stuck their nose too far into places they shouldn't... and they know too much about what I truly am." Elise said, the spiderling in her lap clicking absentmindedly as it was stroked.
"They have been soiling my reputation... and I can't very much have that. I have tracked them down to here, the great city state of Noxus; however, I cannot dispatch of them myself... if they even got a hint that I was here, they would relocated quickly." Elise stopped stroking the spiderling, and it then hopped from her lap and bolted back into one of the dark crevices. "I am a very busy woman, Grand General." Elise then said, idly drumming her claws on the chair once more. "I do not have the time to expend to pull thorns from my side... I am sure you can relate to this."
Elise seemed to smirk ever so slightly. "Now that that's out of the way, I have a... proposition, for you... You help in doing away with these people, in exchange for my services for Noxus." Elise leaned back in her chair, her back legs adjusting to the move. "You will find that I am a very powerful ally, Grand General... I am sure you would agree."
Post by The Master Tactician on Apr 13, 2013 4:40:55 GMT -5
A mirthless smirk crinkled the premature agelines on Swain's face at his guest's proclamation of her own industriousness. It was not, as she claimed, restrictions of time that made his aid valuable to her, but availability of resources--and the Grand General laid claim to many. Assassins, brute force, even the ninjas of the Order of Shadow all lay at his disposal. He allowed her final words to hang in the air before commencing his own address.
"I am a generous man, madame, when it suits my purposes," the Master Tactician began, interlacing his fingers over his golden breastplate, sitting back in his chair. "You wish for me to do away with your pests." Beatrice clicked her beak in response to the spider's own noises. From her master's shoulder, she looked down at it in disdain--but she would not interrupt his oration to vocalize her distaste for the creature. "I will need names. Faces. Tendencies. Places."
He tilted his head to one side, luminous eyes flickering over the spider woman, a match to her own crimson orbs. "And for me? Your service? I am flattered." Crimson eyes flashed in punctuation of his final word. "One who walks on webs where few may tread may come in useful in the coming months." He did not immediately elaborate, allowing his words to hang in the air while she might ponder their meaning.
"Excellent..." Elise mused, idly drumming her fingers on chair again. The Spider Queen snapped her fingers, and the same spiderling skittered out of it's hole and onto her lap. The creature sat in her palm and she lifted it off of her lap and into the air so Swain could see. "As for where they are... I'm sure my pet can help you with that." She cooed, the tiny spider clicking as if in agreement.
Post by The Master Tactician on Apr 17, 2013 23:30:21 GMT -5
The Master Tactician's blazing gaze never fell from the Spider Queen's own red eyes. "Numbers," he said gruffly. "Details. Give me at least enough to know what orders to issue, which men to send." His voice rang as coldly businesslike as usual through the office. Beatrice preened at her onyx feathers, averting her eyes from the arachnid in its mistress' palm.
A harsh, one note chuckle escaped Swain in response to her eagerness to seal the deal, to have her needs met. Of course she would be expectant, and he would acquiesce--but not without his due. "I will protect your interests. Silently and efficiently. And you, madame," his eyes flashed with grim purpose. "In return you will give me the information relevant to strengthening my own web."
He shifted in his chair, laid his cane over his lap and brought a gnarled knuckle to his chin. "You are in an advantageous position, as an uncommitted resident of the Shadow Isles." Cracked lips pursed behind his shroud as they formed those ominous words. "Tell me: what called forth The Ruined King from his slumber? And what dark whispers float about him and his thralls? Surely, you have heard them. And you will enlighten me." His eyebrows raised in punctuation of this assertion.
"Three of them... two male, one female." Elise mused, stroking the spiders abdomen in her hand, her own crimson eyes remaining locked with his. Elise smirked, and sat the tiny spider on her lap, drumming her fingers on the arms of the chair. "It is likely they will not put up much of a fight either... that is, if they even see your men coming." Elise mused.
Elise's crimson eyes flashed for a moment and she smirked at Swain's next words. Raising a single claw and wagging it slightly, she spoke. "Nuh huh." She cooed softly. "When my pests are taken care of, is when you will get your information" She replied, leaning back in her chair more, her back legs twitching slightly to the move.
Post by The Master Tactician on Apr 18, 2013 18:14:37 GMT -5
"I don't think so, madame," he said without pause, letting the slightest emphasis linger over her title as though to reinforce the impropriety of assuming a first name basis. "I am a man of my word, and you--no offense meant--are a flighty queen." Crimson eyes flickered in the half-light. Beatrice raised her head from beneath her wing as her master spoke, six red pinpricks fixed upon Elise.
The Grand General interlaced his fingers over his cane, his gaze never faltering, his withered features inscrutable behind his shroud as he conducted business. "What you wish will be done, but you are mistaken if you think I work for free." He spoke calmly, evenly, without heat--despite her teasing--as though on one level or another he was accustomed to such coy negotiations. "How does that mercenary adage go? Half now, half later."
A quiet trill of accord came from his shoulder as his fiendish familiar puffed out her chest feathers. "You will give me some hint, some preview of what you bring to the table. Consider it a reassurance of sorts that this deal is worth my while. Let us begin this compact on a healthy note." He extended a withered hand towards the untouched tray of tea and fresh scones, offering politely, "Refreshments, by the way?"
Elise feigned hurtfulness, "Grand General, you do not trust me?? That hurts" she cooed, faking a pout before chuckling slightly at her own act. Drumming her claws on the ends of the chair. Her crimson eyes still locked with Swains. "Very well, we shall do it your way." Elise leaned in, resting her elbow on her knee, and her chin on the back of her hand. "The King is planning something rather big... Demacia is just the first on his list." Elise smirked slightly "From what I have gathered, he plans to return to rule, and I am sure Noxus, is very close to Demacia on the list."
Elise smirked slightly and leaned back in her chair, silently drumming her fingers on the edge of it once more.
Post by The Master Tactician on Apr 20, 2013 16:46:09 GMT -5
A moment of silence followed her proclamation in which Swain nodded slowly, crimson eyes ablaze, jaw set behind his shroud. His calculating gaze took in her coy stance, her feigned pout. Her ominous warning still rang in the air: confirmation of his apprehension regarding the Shadow Isles' rise. The Grand General shook his head solemnly. "Of course it is."
Suddenly gruff, he offered a two-fingered wave of his hand in dismissal. "Leave your creature with me, madame, if you would be so kind." Beatrice ruffled her feathers in protest, but her master paid this gesture no mind. "Expect your enemies to be eliminated by midnight. I will return your messenger to you with news of our success."
Elise clasped her hands together. "Excellent!" She cooed, letting the spiderling skitter from her lap and back to it's hole. "You have my thanks, Grand General, you were a most gracious host." She then said, standing up and giving an elegant bow to Swain, her back legs following her work. She then took her cloak and wrapped it around herself once more.
"Do you require anything else of me before I depart?" She then cooed, folding her hands in front of her.
Post by The Master Tactician on Apr 21, 2013 21:18:13 GMT -5
Slowly, arduously, the Grand General rose from his seat to wish her off. His eyes flashed with purpose. "I should like to arrange a meeting with you two weeks and two days from today, during which you will provide me with any information you have gathered concerning the Shadow Isles and The Ruined King. And if there is any outstanding opposition of your personal interests, you will inform me of those as well."
He lifted his chin, inquiring politely, "Does the seventeenth suit you? Same time, same place. You and I."
"Sounds quite lovely dear, until then... and you shall have your information." Elise then gave a nod of her head before masking her face behind the shroud of her hood and exiting DarkBourne hold.
Welcome to Maelstrom, Original Characters, Summoners and Champions alike. We are a divergent setting roleplay forum for the ever-popular MOBA by Riot, League of Legends. This means we are based in Riot canon, but your characters' actions can have a real, lasting impact on the world. Together, the Maelstrom community endeavors to bring the League of Legends setting and characters to life through collaborative storytelling and meaningful development. We welcome you along for the ride.
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