RP:Linn's Pledge of Service
Summary: Linn, now able to walk after recovering from The spell of a very rude lich, makes a round through the Frostmaw Fort, and finding Hildegarde, pledges his service to Frostmaw, inspired from the time he has lived there and the healing he received. He also gets his breastplate back from some grateful merchants, and hints at joining the Knights of the Black Ice as a way to give service.
Frostmaw Fort Main Room
Hildegarde had set Ayras off on his task which left her with a feeling of a small weight being lifted from her shoulders. With Ayras keeping a watchful eye on Laezila and keeping her under his vampiric tutelage, the knight felt as though the former matron would be safe enough and would be able to overcome her fledgling troubles. Besides, who better to teach a vampire than another vampire? For now, however, the Silver stood in the main hall of the fort and admired the trophies and tapestries that adorned its walls. The image of her friends fighting the great Grey dragon, whose head adorned these very walls, brought a sense of sadness to the dragon. She missed them dearly. But she had to soldier on, if not for herself, then for Frostmaw itself. The knight sighed gently, briefly touching the tapestry before moving along to sit down upon a nearby bench. Perhaps she could sharpen her blade here.
Linn came out from the west hall after learning that Leone was unable to receive visitors right now. Given her current state he wasn’t too surprised, and would respect the priestess’s need for rest. Loose, light clothing hung on his lean and sinewy frame rather than the armor he normally would wear, the short sleeves revealing the burns that crisscrossed his skin and fresh bandages given to cover the lanced boils while they mended. He certainly wasn’t a weak man, though without the bulk of his armor he may have looked somewhat thin. After a good night’s rest he was walking again, his relative exhaustion replacing the weight of his armor and pack for now. Colorless eyes that had lost their traces of green from yesterday scanned the room to find Hildegarde set down on one of the benches before the enchanter walked his way in, for the first time in a while lacking the clicking of mithril-plated boots against the hard floor. “Hildegarde” he greeted the steward evenly, almost solemnly.
Hildegarde lifted her head upon hearing her own name said so solemnly, rising from her seat. “Linn,” she replied, offering a brief smile, “it’s good to see that you are up and on your feet, my friend. I trust you are feeling stronger?” she asked. She was aware that the man had had many visitors to his place of rest, so she assumed maybe seeing so many concerned friends had lifted his spirits a little bit. “Ah, please, sit, you needn’t weary yourself.”
Linn returned the smile warmly before approaching to sit nearby. “Just takes some time to recover from everything by now. I’ll likely be ready to go by tomorrow.” That was all that really mattered, if she wanted details she would ask. Taking a seat near Hildegarde he looked forward before nodding to himself after a second. “I’ve been more or less living in Frostmaw for some time now, and I’ve come to the decision to pledge my service. What I have seen and been a part of here is something worth fighting to keep.” He left the statement hang for a response from the steward, so many things went into this decision and would come out of it that he would let her questions sort out the order in which it all would come.
Hildegarde would sit back down on the bench once Linn had taken a seat. After all, she would not want to be rude and sit down while he remained standing. As he spoke, she listened in silence and thought carefully on what he had to say. It was a long moment before she spoke, “Pledging your service is not lightly done, my friend. When you pledge your service, you become a part of Frostmaw and a trusted friend within Frostmaw. You are afforded wages, favours, all the benefits of being a true and leal citizen of mine.” The Silver paused to let that sink in for a moment. “But Frostmaw has a history of never forgiving those who betray it. To those who dare betray the city that so warmly welcomed them, there is only one fate left to them,” she warned, though not coldly and not harshly. It was more or less as if she was detailing a factual occurrence; something that had happened previously. “Why do you wish to pledge your service to my city?” she asked softly. “I am curious. I wonder also what you think you can bring to my kingdom.” It was not a no, but it was obvious that the Steward was asking her questions out of formality and the cautious nature of any ruler.
Linn nodded slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on Hildegarde throughout her statement of what his leap would entail, patiently waiting until questioned. “I wish to pledge my service because it has inspired a care in me strong enough to forget about myself to help others in trouble here. And it has reciprocated that care as well. It’s a place I have already decided to stay because we fight to help each other here. I only wish to make my allegiance formal now.” He gave a nod at the curiosity of what he could do, “I will do everything in my power to make sure that we will make it out of whatever the world decides to throw at us alive, whether on the field of battle, expeditions to retrieve things lost to the ages, or back here, preparing for those eventual situations.” A beat, “I haven’t had a good chance to show you some of my more unique work. Most of it is in my room where I’ve been resting right now.” A knock came at the door to the main room of the fort, behind it would be a merchant and his son carrying the enchanter’s breastplate back from where it had been left in Xalious. What circumstances would have led them to bring it here only Linn might know.
Hildegarde nodded as Linn spoke once again, listening to all that he had to say with evident interest. “If you have a unique talent of some sort, I’d like to hear about it. Perhaps we can set you up in some way that you can explore said talent and develop it. I always find it important to further the growth of my citizens,” she said with a little smile. “But you almost sound knightly with that pledge, Linn. Is that what you wish to be? A knight, a guardian of Frostmaw?” Then she waved her hand, “I accept your pledge of fealty, my friend,” she said as a giant opened the door to permit the merchant and his son inside. “But I would bid you to think on where your talents might be applied in Frostmaw. Orikahn, for instance, is my Prime Hunter. Ayras is a part of our prestigious order, a Knight of the Black Ice. Everyone can find a place in Frostmaw.”
Linn grinned at the idea of sounding knightly. Each aspect of what he mentioned was much of what he did, except maybe a straight up battle, but he had become willing to take part if needed. He was about to respond about his work before the merchant was allowed in, the enchanter’s eyes flickering to the distinctive breastplate held in the man’s arms before he jolted to his feet, shifting a step to keep himself from falling with sudden wooziness. With a sigh to recompose himself he went to the merchant to retrieve it. “You left this in Xalious, after… whatever that thing was tried to kill you” was the statement that was given with it. The enchanter could only respectfully nod and smile in return, “Thank you, I would hate to have lost this.” The merchant and his son had already begun to leave the fort to continue on their business, not hoping to interrupt the current meeting, “No problem, thank you again” was their farewell. With them gone he turned back to Hildegarde, turning the large plate in his hands and inspecting it for any damage. “Where I would go exactly is a hard question. I don’t think I could ever stick to a single kind of task.” He walked back over to Hildegarde to continue their conversation, continuing to inspect the plate that had been returned, wondering just how it was lost.
Hildegarde watched the exchange quietly, waiting for Linn to say goodbye before interjecting. “My good sirs, if you would see the giant at the door on your way out, you’ll receive some gold for delivering this item here. If you stop off at the tavern, there’ll be some warm food to fill your bellies before the long journey back to Xalious,” she promised courteously, before turning her attention to Linn once again. “I would think on it, Linn, if I were you. The Knights of the Black Ice… well, they are a unique order. Knights that are not quite so bound to rigorous codes of honour and virtue, they are a ragtag band who have skill and loyalty. They serve as… well, as warriors, true, but as enchanters, merchants of secrets, they do all that needs to be done in service of Frostmaw. I would say think on it, Linn. But for now, I will gladly welcome your service and fealty.”
Linn raised his brows at the mention of the Knights of the Black Ice. It was a phrase he heard once, on his first trip into Frostmaw. As the description came around he began to look more and more certain with the variety of tasks that they fulfilled. At the mention of enchantment he lit up with brows raised before looking back to the armor plate. When Hildegarde was finished he nodded, “Thank you. Much of my work deals with enchantment.” He offered the breastplate up to examine, the notable features being the lack of any slots for rivets, buckles, or straps that should hold it to the rest of his armor. Instead the edges that weren’t lipped to transition to empty space were tapered off as if to fit into something else, with clear white sapphires periodically set into the edges and cut to match them perfectly, any division between the two imperceptible to the touch. “Some of it’s simple. Hold a couple things together. I’ve worked with some much more complicated effects though. Overall though, I’m always looking to make something new, which much of the time may involve looking for something old to learn from. And other times…” he tilted his head to motion west, through the walls of the forts, “we have to fight to preserve it, and even then much can be learned from that.”
Hildegarde smiled as Linn spoke of enchantment and offered the breastplate to her. She took it readily, fingers tracing over the metal to examine it more intimately. Indeed, it wasn’t quite like any other piece of armour she had seen. Even her own armour had buckles and the like to strap it to her body, but this seemed seamless. “An interesting design,” she praised, offering the breastplate back to him. “If you ever need more tools for enchanting, do not hesitate to ask. I know a place in Frostmaw that might prove useful to you,” she commented. “See? The benefits of loyalty and leal service,” she smiled. “Now, if you would not mind, Linn, I must see to other business.”
Linn nodded at the mention of more tools being offered before cracking a grin as the benefits were highlighted. “I’ll see to it once I can” he responded with a nod. With Hildegarde’s excuse to see to other business he stood up to go as well. “That is fine. With everything going on you must be quite busy. I need to get back to resting before I’m dragged there.” He chuckled, “Thank you for accepting me here in Frostmaw. I’m looking forward to continuing my work here” was his farewell before he began to leave, stopping for a second. “The Knights of the Black Ice sound like they get around enough. I feel I’ll probably wind up there if anywhere.” With that he continued to the west hall again unless stopped.
Hildegarde said to Linn, "If you feel it's the place for you, we can talk about that another time. For now, though, as your liege I command you to rest!" It was clearly said in a jesting and light hearted way. "It was nice speaking with you again, Linn."