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+---- Thread: Chains of Command (/showthread.php?tid=3257)
Chains of Command - Jigano - 04-20-2020
If there were going to be Grounders staying at the Palace, it only seemed right that they should be provided for in the coming season. The problem, as always, was the Spire. A little creativity and a lot of magic had resulted in the sledge that Jigano pulled through the portal, loaded up with bags of grain and firewood. After tithing a bag of grain to the guards he had continued towards the Citadel, dragging the sled behind him with quiet grumbling the whole way. No stranger to the guards by now, at least they let him into the city without much fuss and he headed for the palace to deliver the goods to the rooms Loren had set aside for the refugees.
Then came the long, boring, and even more frustrating process of unloading the sled at the Palace doors and carrying the individual bags and logs back towards the rooms. Jigano was sweating hard in spite of the cold and only halfway through the task when he paused for a breather in the hall, stretching to crack his back as his body protested the abuse he was putting it through. ”Gods most fortunate, I should have brought help,” he murmured to Isuma, the snow-leopard gryphlet perched on his shoulder and reeping encouragement. ”Alright, fair. Bigger help,” he amended with a fond chuckle for his companion’s willingness to lend a (tiny) claw.
RE: Chains of Command - Morgan - 04-20-2020
Morgan was having a rare day with few tasks to accomplish. Her guards were on a day off from training, those on patrol had had little to report and her desk was pleasantly empty of paperwork: of course, she had plenty on her mind, things to plan she could not speak of...but in terms of practical things to do, she was out. Perhaps then it was time for a walk.
She had just donned her cloak and begun to walk towards the doors when she spotted something odd: a man she had not seen before with long white hair (it was this more than anything that made him distinctive), with a small gryphon in tow. He seemed busy carting about several boxes. Morgan frowned: normally checking the contents of parcels was a job given to very low level guards and not one she frequently checked in on, so she didn't know about this delivery, but the strange man made her suspicious.
Marching up to him and standing with her feet together, chin raised, a true soldier's stance, she asked: "What are you bringing into the palace?" Her voice was not aggressive, but certainly firm: intended for Jigano to get the impression that if he answered poorly it would not go well.
RE: Chains of Command - Jigano - 04-21-2020
Visits to Loren and his small handful of audiences with Neron meant that the palace was not completely foreign to Jigano, but he didn't visit often enough to get to know everyone. Hell, he couldn't even say that about the Hollowed Grounds where he lived. So he wasn't surprised when he didn't recognize the strange woman who approached, making no effort to hide her confident footfalls as she made a beeline to confront him, though he was a bit taken aback by her forthright and rather abrupt question.
"Ah, apologies, you can inspect them again, if you'd like," he offered, halfway resigned to having the sacks of grain poked and prodded again. "I'm bringing supplies for the Hollowed Grounds section. Grains, mostly, today, and logs for the fireplaces." Fireplaces he had helped to install, under Loren's direction. "I'm Jigano, an Advisor to Queen Rexanna. A pleasure to meet you, ah... cap...tain?" he hazarded, desperately searching for some sign of insignia on her cloak. Only a captain or sergeant would accost him so brazenly, he suspected, and it was better to guess high than low in case he was wrong.
RE: Chains of Command - Morgan - 04-22-2020
Jigano's willingness to have his things searched and his explanation relaxed Morgan somewhat: she had approved most of the mission to help the Hollowed Grounds as far as the guard involvement went. While she was hesitant to allow potentially more Ascended into thier land, she could not deny people safety from the attacks of the monsters.
"I will have the guards take a final check once the items are inside." She informed him, then looked past Jigano to see what was left to bring in. Seeing enough things to still be a substantial task, she whistled: almost immediately a guard appeared and she commanded him to help the Provost with his bags and crates.
"Captain Morgan." She filled in for him, then realised she had heard Jigano before. "Oh. Jigano Silversmith? You are the leader of the Loreseekers? I have heard good things of you." Very good things, in fact, but she suspected some of it had been over-enthused hype from a particularly devoted follower.
RE: Chains of Command - Jigano - 04-22-2020
He nodded agreement to Morgan's decree, having nothing to hide in the simple staples he'd brought. "Of course." It was the Halovians's home, after all, and the Grounders were entirely in their debt for allowing those who wished shelter to take it here, even if they brought their own supplies. They had a right to be protective of themselves and their own people, and once the supplies were stored inside another check wouldn't cause him any difficulties.
The relief on his face was palpable beneath his scarf as another pair of hands was summoned to help, and he hesitated for a moment, caught between assisting the guard who was now doing the heavy-lifting, or remaining to speak with...
Ah. The Captain of Halo. That settled that question, and he offered her a far deeper nod of respect. "I am. And I'm glad to hear that." It certainly beat the alternative! "I apologize for not seeking you out sooner, but with the cannibal lair we found in the Whitebrim Mine I suspected you were too busy for simple pleasantries. If you have time today I would like to change that, once the supplies are in?" He tread the line between courteous and hopeful, always seeking new bridges to build, especially if the people who had become his own would be relying on the Captain for their protection in the coming season.
RE: Chains of Command - Morgan - 04-23-2020
Morgan idly watched the boxes go past them, sure her guard could handle it. With her being so busy, they'd all had a bit of an easy time of it recently, and she was sure not all of them were as punctual with their training as promised when she was out of town.
Jigano seemed to be impressed by her title, giving her a deeper nod. Morgan had never been particularly vain about her position, but this did make her want to give the man more patience: those who knew when to put on the right respect and decorum did well with her. "We could. The situation in Whitebrim is not yet solved, but we have plans." She had always been careful to avoid the word 'cannibal' in public, not wanting to unnecessarily confirm the rumours to the people of the Citadel.
When the supplies were finally brought in, she stepped towards the doors. "There is a sitting room off the main hall. We can talk there. ..I could ask someone to bring us a drink?"
RE: Chains of Command - Jigano - 04-23-2020
It was a bit of a disappointment to hear that the cannibals remained a threat, but at least the Captain seemed to have the matter well enough in hand. And with the weather in Deepfrost purported to be particularly lethal, he hoped that meant a reduction in both travel and cannibal-related deaths while the exiles hunkered down along with everyone else in Halo. Jigano simply nodded acceptance of the Captain's statement, and was pleased to see how quickly the sled was emptied by the guard.
"I would appreciate the opportunity. And the drink," he added with a gracious nod. "Mulled cider or tea would be equally welcome. What is hot," he added with a wry smile as he followed Morgan's lead into the sitting room, waiting for the Captain to begin making herself comfortable before he let his own cloak hang near the fire and took a seat. "If you have any questions for me, first, I would be glad to answer them," he offered diplomatically.
RE: Chains of Command - Morgan - 04-23-2020
Morgan motioned for Jigano to sit as she looked out of the room to tell a guard to check through the items and a servant to bring them some drinks (as requested, mulled cider for Jigano, water for herself). Going to sit opposite him, she raised her eyebrows at his offer of answering questions, honestly not having any prepared in her mind.
It wasn't that difficult to think of something to say though, with the stellar impression she'd gotten of the man. "I met a disciple of yours called Quanil in the Greatwood. They were very enthusiastic about your accomplishments. Do you purposefully drill such admiration into your followers?" Perhaps it sounded a little like she was talking about a cult, but that wasn't a million miles away from the notion she had gotten.
RE: Chains of Command - Jigano - 04-23-2020
Seated and warming after the trek through Halo's cold, Jigano nodded gratefully at the guard who was sent to run the errand and settled in to answer what he could. A military mind's questions, perhaps on monsters or threats that might come from the Grounds, on preparations for Deepfrost and LongNight, on the monsters that sent refugees willing to brave blizzards from a land with a far milder climate. All of these he had expected, or perhaps questions of government and guilds...
The mention of Quanil immediately alerted him to a source of confusion soon to come and he braced for it, finding the question uncomfortable to say the least as he reached up to rub the back of his neck with a sigh. "Quanil is... unique," he said delicately. "But no, it is definitely not something I encourage. Lately I've been trying to discourage it. It's uncomfortable for both myself and the other guildmembers, but I also don't want to hurt their feelings. Still, they're young yet and will hopefully grow out of it. Loren can probably give a more balanced opinion of me, given that he's a former member of my guild. Ingrid as well," he added after a moment's thought, though he'd hardly seen the priestess since she'd joined.
"May I ask you some questions, too?" He hadn't meant to put her on the spot, after all, and perhaps a trade would be more comfortable than a one-sided interrogation?
RE: Chains of Command - Morgan - 04-23-2020
Morgan listened to Jigano's answer with some interest, finding the whole situation quite odd. Partway through it the servant arrived with their drinks, handing a mug of cold water to Morgan (with her cape protecting her from the cold and her dislike of numbing her mind, it was her usual drink) and placing a mulled cider before Jigano. "Loren has not mentioned you before." The mention of Ingrid took her a little by surprise: she had barely seen the priestess herself for quite a while.
"You may ask, I may not answer." She told him, taking a sip of water. It depended on what he wanted to know. As soon as he'd arrived she'd been watching his mouth to make sure there were no fangs, so he would get to learn more than some, but there were still limits.
RE: Chains of Command - Jigano - 04-23-2020
Jigano nodded to the servant in thanks as he accepted the cider, sipping it cautiously and then setting it aside to let it cool as it nearly scalded his tongue. It wouldn't stay that hot for long, he knew, so he kept an eye on the steam coming off it. "As you can see, already a less biased source," he said with a wry smile. "Though we're friends, so I won't pretend he's an unbiased one."
He was impressed with her cool nonchalance towards the cold water in the already cold Palace, but he tried not to show it. Her equally cool answer earned a nod of understanding and he took a moment to compose his thoughts.
"I would like to know of the recent history of the Citadel," he said at last. "Can you tell me how Neron Launceleyn came to rule here? And what happened to any Wardens or previous rulers you might have had?"
RE: Chains of Command - Morgan - 04-24-2020
"Me and the Healer have not had much social contact." Morgan explained, not wanting to give Jigano the impression he'd been left out of a grand variety of conversations. "He is a competent worker, but I like to keep my relationships professional." That, and she'd begun to distance herself a little from Loren after Neron's 'change', unsure if the man would side with his brother in the eventual fight.
She took a drink of water before answering his question, sighing as she put it down. She knew if she spoke without thinking her words would be full of obvious disgust and bitter hatred, which was not the face she wanted to show to the world outside of Halo: taking a moment to compose herself first, Morgan tried to be as objective as she could. "Before Neron, we did not have one leader. A council of our best thinkers and fighters ran the Citadel: I was the Captain of the Guard in this group too." While she'd had issues with the system then, now she practically yearned for it.
"Neron was chosen by Eirachi, who made him this palace and installed him as Warden. Most people in Halo are rightfully respectful of spirits, so her decision was accepted...even though he is an Outlander." It was clear, even with her best efforts to hide it, that she was unhappy about that.
RE: Chains of Command - Jigano - 04-25-2020
The bard nodded thoughtfully to the Captain's stripped down description of her interactions with Loren, very much getting the sense that this was a woman who was all business and devoted to her duty. It was a desirable trait in a captain of the guards or a leader of a military, and he couldn't help but compare her to Deimos. The two would likely get along well, if only for the simplicity of the conversations that would ensue.
Still, he appreciated the time and care she took in answering his question, and his eyes narrowed slightly at hearing that it was the Eirachi who had placed Neron on the throne, rather than any action or display of the Hailstorm's own worth to the people. "It is certainly... unbalanced," he said delicately. "That so many Outlanders have come to sit the thrones of so many regions. What happened to the others on the council, if I may ask? Those who have been displaced by the new regime?"
RE: Chains of Command - Morgan - 04-25-2020
It certainly was unbalanced, and having recently found out that The Voice had brought the Outlanders to Caido Morgan had been rather suspicious indeed about the lack of Naturals in charge: but she had no real evidence for that thought, so had not yet explored it thoroughly.
His question brought a sigh from her, the first real show of emotion. "Some still work here in similar roles, though our Warden likes to say he 'chose' them to do them now." Morgan paused and closed her eyes. "I apologise, I have misspoken. I should not speak poorly of the Warden to a guest. Anyway. Some of them left after Neron came into power, not believing the claims about Eirachi. A few were fired or dismissed, and a couple have retired, for they were getting old anyway." A whole mix of fates; the end of an era she had been comfortable in.
"What do you think of your Ascended Queen?" She asked suddenly, her tone flat but expression telling enough, that she did not approve of Rexanna at all.