Dao Azat al-Zanarya Male | 443 | Archivist Scribe | Zanaryan (Serres)
A P P E A R A N C E
Height: 6'3” Build: Built. In Zanarya he was forced into rigorous training, while spoiled to fat rich foods, . His muscles are best toned in his legs and traps, to allow him to fight well on land, rather than the air.[/b] Eye colour: Brown Hair: Black First Impressions: Rahil, while largely a pretty "civil" person—as he tries to fashion himself—is very two faced. One on hand, he is likely to be very polite and respectful when his arrogance doesn't kick in. On the other, he is likely to mentally nitpick out the bad points in a person. In Zanarya this has rarely been an issue for him, but should a telepath pick up on such mental notes, they might get angered by it. Mind, it depends on the person. For example, an aged Dracovarian (1000+ years of age) will likely view him as a child who doesn't know any better. However, a younger Vampire might view him as a complete snob as a result.
There are exceptions to this, though. For one, Rahil may at one point decide to abandon the facade and reveal his xenophobic tendencies/be rude to just about everyone. In such emotional outbursts, he is likely to be hated, or even fought.
Oh yeah, and Level 0 Stench. And Faris's neighbours thought HE was Rotten Egg smell. They'll have to lower the rates on all the homes in the area as a result of Rahil! (so if anyone else lives there, sorry/thanks? )
Distinguishing Features: Not many, aside from being pretty attractive (shoulda given him his uncle's looks!). He has two facial scars along the side of his right cheek, too uneven to be from a weapon. A very observant person might figure out that his right cheek was literally clawed, courtesy of a very irked woman – which, though it is often left unsaid, is from Lady Kaia herself. Play-by or Description: Tamer Husni
P E R S O N A L I T Y
To be honest, his history shows enough of this. Seriously.
To get a bit more official, though, he is the artist type. A bit eccentric, of course, but so long as his arrogance doesn't kick in, nice enough. As one might expect from a son of the Great House of Taj, Rahil has continuously strove to to eradicate his own weakness, part of an independent nature. Yet, despite his belonging to a Great House, he still manages to be approachable, if not a bit generous due to his status. As a second son, he is not to stand out too far in his family, lest he take over his brother's position. Typical Zanaryan politics, ones which have controlled a good portion of Rahil's lifetime, exaggerating or diminishing his deeds depending on which family consul judges his actions. He despises both sides.
The third part of his history reveals a good bit of his more impulsive side (who jumps out of windows on a whim? This guy). He likes things to occur as they go, rather than according to a plan. He is very much the person to procrastinate and work best under pressure resulting from it. This makes him a pretty good ally for the more warrior types, or just a character who can stand his racism. As a certified xenophobe, partially due to his family's stigma, he won't be trusting towards most of the other races. He is actually hoping to find a way to shut down the Elysia->Zanarya portal, too.
Given that he has always been somewhat of a tool for those in political power in his family, Rahil is an extremely negative individual. This forms him to actually be cynical towards things, as he is confident enough in himself to believe he can make it through something, but sees the "bad" in the world around him. This applies even to his own works of art, which he sometimes will tear apart in frustration of not capturing a certain feel he desires. This negativity, when paired with his impulsive personality, makes one who is usually a pleasant person to be somewhat of a spoiled child at times. Rather understandable, as he is one, regardless of how much he doesn't want to be.
Most of the time he will be pretty civil in the face of other characters, but that is mostly due to him being trained to be a politician, even though hes the reclusive artsy type at heart.
B A C K G R O U N D
Name Azat'Dao Rahil'Taj ibn Murad al-muharib ibn Jabbar al-batal abd'al Malik ibn Jibran abd'al Kaia'Dao al-Kertehbah aal-Harmah il'Serres aal-Espur il'Elysia
Translation:Servant of Earth Rahil of the Great House Taj; Son of Murad the warrior and grandson of Jabbar the hero; Servant of Malik, the son of Jibran and Servant of Dao Lord Kaia; born in Harmah in Serres; current living in Espur of Elysia Birthdate: Sabhasha 23rd, 9569 XA (8609 ZT) Hometown: Harmah, Serres Financial Status: Extremely wealthy, when in Zanarya, however, he only has access to a small amount of xanthos allowed to him so that he might supply himself on his mission on Elysia. Just enough money to keep him from having fantasies of staying in Elysia—-or so his Miragi believes. Only time can tell.
Any money he would have to gain would be from selling various accessories he brought with him, though, money won't matter much where he is going... Alignment (just for fun): Neutral Evil/Good (depending on whether you are Elysian or Zanaryan) with Lawful tendencies
In Zanarya, each elementalist bears a pride in their element that they would fight to believe in it. All Houses can be applied to this line of thought, but none so zealous as the Great House Taj, a Dao family that is respected not only for the power they carry, but the many male workers of the family. As a result, the Great House Taj has become so wrought with family conflicts that it's many branches of it's bloodline has form its very own council. Of course, the Miragi commands absolute power, along with his orders—until he is murdereddead.
This council, as a result, has a long mantra to guide itself and the Great House Taj.
“Our first rule is that one does not betray the Great House Taj under any circumstance. Death is preferrable to punishment in the Great House Taj. Strict punishment promotes unity.
The Great House Taj must seek to become as powerful as possible, even at the cost of its current patriarch.
The Great House Taj must seek peace with outside families.
The Great House Taj will not tolerate non-Dao condescension on the element earth.
The earth shall guide the Great House Taj to greatness, as land allows all races to flourish. The Great House Taj must spread the wisdom carried beneath the earth, but not reveal it's secrets to any of the other races. Punishment is worse than death.
But most importantly of all, remember that Elysia is the traitor's realm.”
The Prince of Nothing (9566 XA – 9754 XA)
Warning: This part probably has one particularly disturbing bit about it towards the end, which still kind of creeps me out to have written. Still, after arguing with myself over it for a bit, I kept it. Not like the majority of this isn't disturbing already. >_>
Central Characters: Rahil & Nasir
Spoiler
The Great House Taj was in the middle of yet another feud with another House regarding the greatness of the Dao ways when Rahil ibn Murad al-Taj was born. One of many, unfortunately, that was thankfully ended at the joy of having another member added to their family just before the three moon's eclipse. That was a good sign, for their belief. The earth would be pleased, having another of their family to aid it's growth.
The second son. A backup successor, unless the first born failed. There were a great many things such a son could become, especially in the hands of ambitious family members who haven't a chance for succession. He was to be indoctrinated, just as the first born was, rather than given nurture that his younger siblings would later aqcuire.
The boy grew quickly under such doctrine, rarely allowed to see his parents or interact with his cousins beyond formal occassions. Rahil was an intelligent child, quick to grasp the precepts for Zanaryan society and politics—and those of the Great House Taj. He understood early in life the reason for this distance; Rahil might need to slay one of such family members one day. However, as he was slow to grow physically, the likelihood of such enforcer purposes fell. The small boy was capable of intricate movements for producing art and had a sharper wit than his older brother Nasir, but his size solidified him a secondary heir. At least, until his elementalist capabilities could be decided. Already Nasir's apprenticeship progressed quickly.
Whereas Rahil admired the brother he was groomed similarly to, as boys meant for success, Nasir looked down on his brother. Nasir was young adult, successful, and a natural leader. He and Rahil got along well when together, but afterward, his family reminded him of his position. Rahil was unneeded, a threat, even, and Nasir planned to prove to his family a lasting lesson. Nasir would not be denied his eventual rise to power.
His plan came through on one of his return trips on Tahllominas 4, 8661 ZT. Nasir returned from his tutelage for a week, and during that time he offered to test his younger brother's martial arts, on multiple levels, for his father. His intentions were no secret, he knew, but the guise of helping his brother progress towards elemental training was suitable for the rest of their family. As Nasir may not have been creative for artistic purposes, combat was his medium for Rahil's would-be humiliation. For days, he practised himself in those arts once more, having maintained a light training regiment in favor of learning to control his element.
Meanwhile, Rahil practised himself, but in an entirely different manner. His life had been dedicated towards learning the various arts, and he was still fresh on his martial arts training. Rahil wasn't prepared to face his own kin, regardless of his tutelage. In his eyes, the fight was nothing more than a way to gain his family's praise. His teachings taught him of Zanaryan politics, but not of the darker nature of his older fellows.
But this would also be a formal duel. He was expected to lose, he knew, and the supervisors would make sure of it. Either by declaring a foul against him, or by offering ways to punish him for his actions against Nasir. It would be safer that way.
When all formalities and preparation were over with the next day, the two participants in the duel each faced each other with their saif in hand in the center of a darklit room that only had light in a circle around the combatants. The House Arena, meant for any disputes in the family. Of course, this duel would settle many such disputes before they even started, by Murad's expectations. Each duelist sank into his fighting stance with the natrualness of long practice, cautiously stepping around one another. For a moment, the stillness of their movement almost guranteed a cat call from someone in the audience, family heirs or not. Then the two came to meet one another Rahil's basic fighting lessons allowed him to counter the stylized techniques of a mock duel that Nasir began with. He was plenty used to that.
The two swung their saifs in an arc that created a flurry of motion and sound of steel meeting steel. Nasir studied Rahil's motions carefully, spotting potential awkwardnesses that he could take advantage of. The Great House Taj would remember this lesson, as would Rahil. The to and fro generated by the dance of saif combat continued on and on with no change of pace for several minutes. Finally, Rahil got the advantage as he feinted a horizontal slash to his brother's chest, then moved back to strike from a diagonal slice down to to his brother's shoulder. Nasir barely blocked the attack, but then went on to press an offensive so that his brother wouldn't maintain his advantage. The brothers continued to struggle, with cuts on Rahil's arms and legs sprouting as time went on. Nasir was merely putting on the show, one that was about to elevate.
Nasir grinned, and parried a blow off to the side, then darted forward—too close for Rahil to retaliate with his blade. Nasir slammed his knee into Rahil's gut, causing him to bend forward into Nasir. Nasir then shoved him forward and onto the ground before him, where he belonged. He had would always win, no matter what the cost.
Rahil weakly rose in turn, partly only to avenge his crushed pride, Nasir knew. However, in Rahil's eyes, the fight turned from a mock duel to a blood fight when Nasir used dirty tricks. With a cut and thrust movement, the movements of actual battle, Rahil overtook Nasir, creating a light gash down his stomach as Nasir moved with the movement to minimize any damage he could've gained. The crowd responded with interested murmurs in return. The young child managed to draw blood against his superior. Regardless, the judges had yet to stop the fight, as Nasir turned back against Rahil. He was the more experienced fighter, he knew, and he had to make sure Taj knew that too.
Nasir turned the tide of the battle just as quickly as it turned against him. He slammed aside his brother's saif, then kicked his sword from his grip. The sword slid away into the boundaries of the arena, blade lit partly by its light, and the darkness of the stands. Rahil only had the time to glance to it for but a moment before Nasir kept a hard, steady stare on him. His sword was at Rahil's throat now that his head was turned. It was his defeat. But it still wasn't over quite yet. Nasir tossed the sword away with a shrug as though it was just a passing thought in his mind.
The two brothers then struggled with each other for awhile. Each moved to their hand to hand stances, but the fight wouldn't need them for long. They traded blows, Rahil threw quick jab to Nasir's jaw, and Nasir in turn provided several feints mixed with actaul attacks to Rahil's head. Nasir, then in one clear, quick motion, kicked Rahil's feet from under him while he was staggered from his blows. Rahil's wings could have provided a slight advantage after this, but Nasir's elbow fell to his chest, driving him to the ground. The air whistled from Rahil's body as it left him in a wheeze as the elbow and ground connected through his chest, and then, he knew, it was finally over. He gave it everything he had, and it wasn't enough to do anything but draw blood once.
Nasir walked back to the audience, taking in his cheers, and Rahil recognized the truth about his brother, as he had slowly taken in throughout the fight. Later, he knew, Nasir would talk to him with a pleasant expression. He would praise him on various deeds. And not a damn bit of it would matter. Nasir was a leader, willing to do anything to get what he wanted—what the Great House Taj needed. He was cold, calculating, but being charming all the while. Rahil just didn't care for greatness anymore. In his lessons, he would be praised for his brilliance, only to hear of his brother just outside the door.
His pride and spirit mended slowly after that event until he was allowed to see a new member of his family. Yumn, a sister born a few years after the fight, was a child he was granted to see starting 9639. He hated her, at first, for a girl would not be forced to endure the same hardships as he. She would be showered by gifts from her eventual husband. But then—she also would only be seen as a tool for marriage and mending relationships. He realized, she was blessed and cursed at the same time. Just like him, to be given anything he needed, but little of what he actually wanted. Rahil wouldn't allow anything to diminish his brilliant younger sister, who he spent evenings making art with in their own secret rooms. Even the art of love.
A Prince's Place (9754 XA - 9840)
Central Characters: Malik, Rahil, & Yumn
Spoiler
Years had passed, and though yet another child had been added to their now- patriarch's family, the Great House Taj still grieved the loss of the hero, Jabbar. He was responsible for keeping the family from internally destroying itself during the Hundred Year War. The hero granted Taj a good deal of its respect, but ultimately, its relations were bound to fall in some places. Most of their loyal allies stayed with them, luckily, along with some new additions that allied with them during the Hundred Year War. The Great House Taj meanwhile continued to push for the portal between Zanarya and Elysia to be closed in honor of their recently passed miraja. As such, their son was left alone with wounded pride.
Rahil still didn't care. He had honed his muscles and mind specifically to combat Zanaryans and their gift of flight. Just in case. As he strove for improvement, his family picked up on it. His reputation was still tarnished, especially in comparison to his brother's, but Rahil strove to remove that taint. The only place to put him was with Lady Kaia at the Temple of Farahij. With Rahil's change in attitude over the years, from a sweet young boy to a bitter young adult, they could only hope that he wouldn't cause trouble with her, as Nasir had done when he entered his servitude. She didn't take disrespect lightly.
How could they have expected any less? Rahil had been polite enough during his admission, but aggravation eventually overcame him and he taunted her after his lessons with his teacher. Surely, she wouldn't openly hurt nobility, he thought. Unfortunately for him, he learned that insulting his betters had just as harsh a punishment as his family rules had. Lady Kaia returned the favor by clawing his the side of his face with a light poison for sickness and imprisoning him by rock. In the middle of one of the hottest days of the year.
Afterward, though, Rahil caused far less trouble than Nasir. He learned, unlike his even more arrogant brother. Furthermore, he was placed under a militant tutor, Malik, who served during the Hundred Year War for his family. The man was a killer, something seen in the glint of his eyes as he watched students spar. Rahil knew right off the results of defying his master.
As time flew by, though, Rahil realized he actually began to earn the respect of his teacher. Not only did he learn to use his element quickly, but he didn't follow the path of students that tended to over use their power of an element, which often resulted in disaster. Students who could only control a small concentration of rock sometimes tried to push beyond their limits, and the expansion in control of earth often brought down buildings. And that was if they were lucky. One student managed to make a sinkhole so deep that other students had to call an Azizi to get him out. In short, he avoided endangering himself and others by training far outside civilization, rather than try to test his powers in public for all to see for glory.
Instead, any time his powers were used around others, it in aid, which was actually Rahil's attempts to build a better reputation for himself. More often than not, he was one of the first to help begin repairs from Serres's landslides and other natural disasters. The danger involved didn't matter to Rahil, as he began to understand his own sense of duty to his people. For that Malik marked him as a student to be proud of, even if he rarely gave sign to it.
Rahil's rough edges from his lesson that Nasir gave him were diminished after so much success. Malik knew Nasir, and recognized the coldness in Rahil when he arrived. But over time, the man began acting like an caring adult, rather than a bullied child. Malik didn't believe kindness to be a weakness that a strong person needed to eliminate. The Taj might have desired that in their heir, but the people would want otherwise.
As a result, Malik helped mold the broken boy that would serve politicians into a people's hero, though Rahil had yet to realize this. Politicians didn't matter, especially when they sat in their high seats of power while others fought and died for them. Many such lessons of life would be taught to Rahil on journeys throughout the wilds of Serres. He would know more than Zanaryan brutal civilized politics.
Rahil, in turn, appreciated this much of his tutelage. His spirit was at most home in nature, and the uncivilized lands in Serres helped him ease into his new life, away from his sister. Furthermore, Malik never confused his lessons on life for those of morality. His family never taught him what was supposed to be “right” and “wrong”, that made it less important to him as a result. All that mattered was each member's personal code of honor—or the lack of one. Honourless individuals couldn't be trusted for anything.
His apprenticeship wasn't always so easy, though, as Malik had to give into pressure from his family to not pass the young man for at least another thirty years. Rahil was often tested against the Azizi's other pupils with a condition for him to win with ease, and he had done so. The issue that slowly rose, was that Rahil proved himself better than Nasir by far. His family decided to have brother Nasir wed in a bid to further increase his influence over his younger brother's. Their family didn't want someone who had lost in martial combat previously, without even better elemental capabilities, to marry before his elder brother. After all, there was already a minority on the council claiming that Rahil would be a better choice of a heir, and that Nasir only won back then due to his older age.
Malik and Nasir's teacher secretly held a competition between Nahil and Nasir's former opponents, just to test the Malik's rising pupil during this period of waiting. He didn't always win, especially as some were already at the rank of Aziz, but he always learned from them.
Rahil eventually left the Academy for his brother's planned wedding, where he was introduced to a lovely lady that would be his brother's bride. She had glamorous curves and an immaculate background and tutelage on her wifely duties. Her eyes were filled with the ambition for great heirs that matched his brother's very own desire to be patriarch, and judged a person before they even spoke. A perfect Zanaryan bride. He hated her.
An abundance of formal greetings later led him to return to Yumn, and all of his frustration built up over the years disappeared. His brother's vanity didn't matter. To Hell with the Great House Taj. He wanted his love and she wanted him back.
The pair found a small room to be alone in, mostly to catch up with one another after his years of apprenticeship. Yumn was put down by his family, as expected, that she was going to be happy as a bride one day. Happy—as if they knew the word. Nahil considered telling her of the beautiful wilds of Serres then, but couldn't. It'd only give her a false hope.
Instead he told her of Reixos, a land he heard during his travels across Serres, one he read many stories of. A land where she might become something more than a tool. A land where politics hadn't mattered. He wanted to go himself at times and Yumn would make the journey even better, but he couldn't bring himself to abandon life at the Academy. Just a bit longer, and then perhaps he would be ready for such a trip, he told her.
And they later acted on their building passions. They felt better than ever, and the couple lost any wariness towards their meeting. He even shared the techniques with her that Malik told him of over a good course drinks. The man loved his alcohol, one had to give him that. Their mistake was that they didn't notice the young Fawzan outside, a curious onlooker brought towards them by the racket they were causing.
It would be three days later, when Rahil needed to leave back to his master to continue his training, that this mistake would come back to him. He was surprised to hear that his father wanted to see him, privately. Perhaps Murad had heard of his success, he hoped. He found his father in his private chambers, which were well-decorated, Rahil had to admit. His uncle chose to make an overly lavish room, filled with ornaments that were easy to bump one's wings into. Instead, the miraja chose for comfort and practicality. His room was spacious and organized, with a few chairs and a desk set off in one corner, with enough space to allow room for Murad's larger wings between it and the wall.
The miraja gestured to his side, for Rahil to take a seat, and there Rahil noticed Yumn next to him. Rahil had last seen her with a look of the greatest pleasure, courtesy of himself. Now, she didn't even seem to recognize him. For one, her wings were removed, which was easily noticed as she sat straightly in a chair. He moved close to her, and the miraja merely watched as he examined her. The ones who removed her wings were not neat during the process, intentially so. He'd seen only this sort of punishment on the worst of criminals. Rather than a clean cut, her wings seemed almost ripped off bit by bit. He glared at his father immediately. In return all he got was the passive face and grin of the worst malice.
As the second son, he would be lifted of public punishment. A grace given by his position, Murad informed. Yumn was stated to have meddled with a commoner, someone his father ordered to be murdered in the appearance of suicide. No one would know of their relationship, since young Fawzan merely thought they were playing, too. Murad didn't even seem to blame him; Rahil entertained the thought that maybe Murad was convinced by his own story. But no—the miraja knew very well what had been done. Murad even seemed pleased to know Rahil was capable of hiding something from all of the Taj.
Murad instead acted as if he were doing Rahil a favor in punishing Yumn, but he wasn't. Rahil could only return to his teacher, only because he could do nothing for Yumn. She became mute and submissive after the incident, sadly enough, but even with her purity gone on top of that, they could probably find a use for her. Rahil cursed himself. He wouldn't have been able to take such punishment either. But still, Yumn, at least the Yumn he loved, was gone. That hurt more than any humiliation could have, serving to teach Rahil his final lesson for Zanaryan lordship: Anything is possible.
Fit For A Prince (9840 XA – 9880 XA)
Central Characters: Rahil, Malik, & Murad
Spoiler
Now in the middle of his adulthood, Rahil was nearly three hundred years old. Despite all that had happened, he refused to allow his spirit to be broken. Malik and he worked harder at honing his abilities, just to spite his father, and challenged other students to gain experience in battle with other elementalists, aside from the Dao. For years, Rahil was the perfect potential successor. His previous victories brought glory to his family, but didn't endanger his older brother's position as a successor. He didn't plan to succeed his father, but he wanted his deeds to surpass anyone else's just to prove he could.
This made him one handful of a pupil to watch over, but Malik had military training. When Rahil continued to move his hardest inside the Palace, Malik kept a steady pace or flight beside or in front of him. Rahil still couldn't fly fast, but his stamina and number of requests for help from the other lands had increased. His personal help was more than that of the official requests to his family in Serres, too. That mattered—he was able to do something that mattered for his people, rather than just watching for trouble. And his family couldn't, or just chose not to, given how they were.
A stranger change in the man, though, was his sense of fashion, in another attempt to stand out. His idea of fashion was borderline foppish, as he displayed several times. Before, Rahil desired to look the part of a fine young man, but never tried to look out of the norm for high society. Unfortunately for him, he knew the best person to turn to in the Palace. He made a request to see his Lord, and it hadn't taken long for her to find an availability for the servant.
Later, Lady Kaia looked at him with a guarded look. The servants of earth had asked for many things, but her aid with fashion? Normally, she had to tell someone when they were out of conduct. She remembered the second son in the Great House Taj—a foul mouthed brat, who grew into a bland adult who was only good for his talents. The nobility produced such terrible brats, and the man before her was once one of such, but at least they looked nice. Rahil stood quietly before her as she studied him, and she was already making plans on what she could do with such a specimen. Since the young man had served the Shrine well as an elementalist, her decision was already made. She just waited to partially to keep him in his place, and because she had to maintain her image.
From then on, Rahil was the height of fashion. Lady Kaia made sure of that, regardless of what he might do in the future. If he murdered, he'd murder in style. The primary concern were the results of his actions. Lady Kaia knew of inner turmoil in the Great House Taj, and smiled when she heard that Rahil's deeds could infuriate their politicians. Rahil might be able to stir up the House, which was always so pompous towards her due to her gender.
Meanwhile, the head of council in the Great House Taj considered what to do about their new upstart. Admittedly, the young man was proving to be quite the prospect. He just stood out too much. The other Houses could already have contacted him for some sort of edge, as some of their heirs had lost to both Rahil and Nasir. While Nasir might have been the more welcoming and family oriented, Rahil was a people's champion. Rahil had a charm and warm-natured personality that made the citizens love him, which would have pleased the House's servants and anyone who lived on their land. Despite this, Rahil would've put all people equally, and the House could not allow public opinion of Rahil to allow them to disagree with their head's current choice in successor. Nasir was a good heir and appealing personality on a public level too, just a horrible person, deep down.
Murad instead offered a solution to the council as another look at who would be his heir. He'd have to get Rahil married. The miraja had already considered the siblings, as well as their younger brothers. The House greatly needed someone who could improve their harsh image, after so many years of stressful demands and tricky alliances with numerous other Houses. However, they also needed a cold leader who could put the other families in their place, and continue their demands to shut down the Elysian portal. Murad still wasn't sure of where Rahil stood in relation to Elysia, as the merchants slowly started their deals with the Elysians. Nasir, on the other hand, already began to rally Zanaryans against having the portal in use. He was always the first to act.
The only question was who to choose. For several years Murad delayed the plan to marry, as Rahil's fame in Zanarya increased each year. Would-be brides were offered from a great many families, and none truly held his interest until the Great House Majid offered them a daughter. A troublesome one, who, in spite excelling in the element of water, was uncontrollable. It wasn't that she was beautiful enough to hold many affairs to cause trouble, but she simply couldn't get along with others very well. As a result, she stayed inside her room all the time, studying history.
Weighing the benefits of adding another favor in their hands from the Great House, Murad briefly considered the situation over the course of a week of the offer. Whenever he had the time, anyway, the Great House Marid could wait on such an deal. They simply had no choice in the matter. Pairing two troublesome children together might cause a new batch of problems, but he had a nagging feeling that they might just solve each other's issues. Or just argue with one another enough so that they stayed a problem for each other, rather than everyone else.
Mutiye was the bride-to-be's name, and while she wasn't the best wife for a Zanaryan, nor was the groom. Rahil was still outside helping miners clear out a cave-in when the news arrived to his home in the Academy. To him, the marriage was an outrage. Sure, he needed to get married off for political strength, but to marry before he graduated from being an Azat? The family council could have at least waited until their prohibition on his graduation passed. He knew about that fiasco, after so long of being a top student. It wasn't natural for him not to graduate at his pace.
Those reasons were just excuses to bar his mind from Yumn, though. She still served the family, silently and reclusively. From what Rahil knew of her status, she had become a painter to help the family income. They didn't let him inquire anything directly, though, and Rahil was forbidden to come close to his sister. It was expected, after all, for him to hate her for her early “seduction.” As if the Great House Taj could've lost reputation over a little contact between siblings. If it did, that was all the better for Rahil.
Regardless, he knew nothing would stop his wedding. The motto of political marriage was that if one didn't love their partner, they would learn to love their spouse. Not that Mutiye seemed like a bad sort. She seemed to be an individual from reports, and still a fitting wife who wouldn't run off on the ideal of freedom. That was the life his sister wanted, and she certainly went down a different path.
Rahil was focused to discover anything he could about his engagement as a result. If his family was trying to ruin him, he would have known. The marriage between two Great Houses would only improve his status, though. His brother had even married a daughter of secondary family in House Saab, rather than a daughter of a Great House. With the two eldest brothers now trained for combat and capable of engaging in politics, Murad's will was obvious. Rahil was being tested as an heir again. If the marriage went well, and he managed to “tame” the woman into a rightful wife, he'd likely be a successor. Rahil always thought he didn't want that, but he felt inclined to take up such a chance, regardless, so he did.
Follow-up meetings were made after the engagement was confirmed have its ijab-o-qubul . Understandably, he still had to give her mahr, but he wanted to give her more than money and simple trinkets. If she was to be his wife, he would make her happy. He'd already ruined one woman's life, and his code of honour wouldn't allow him to continue on that path as he strove to make his own.
He hardly had to worry about that, he made two trips to Smyrna, Los. By his third meeting, Mutiye had sat as she always had, just nearby a window as she read tales of adventure. She didn't bother saying a word to him, no matter how much that he stressed that they can't marry without saying anything to one another.
“Just because I'm marrying you, that doesn't mean I have to like you. My family would've bothered me about every suitor that I had to please every day of the week if I hadn't said yes this time. Besides, don't you go off playing hero most of the time?”
He couldn't argue with that. “Perhaps, but haven't you ever wanted to leave this room? I've been here three times now and each time you've read books about the outside world.”
“A wife must stay indoors unless on business.”
“To hell with that—.”
“To hell with you. Now get out of my room.” She knew he meant well, but she wasn't about to accept false promises of freedom. He could argue with that, and that he would be the one in control. The act was all about control anyway, it seemed.
“No. After all the trouble our families have gone through to see this happen, I'm not leaving.”
“Really? I can still call off the marriage, you know. I don't have to like you.”
Rahil just wanted to push her out of that window at that moment, the snippy little wench. That was a thought. Rahil moved forward to the window, right through her.
“What are you—,” her voice was cracked, raising higher at the man's brutish manner. “Get away from me! Guards!” The sounds of footsteps rushing from down the hallway began. They wouldn't make it in time, though.
By the time the guards were close to the door, a string of swearing and crashes came from Mutiye's room. Whoever the new suitor was, he must've been quite the man to face such wrath. They were just at the entrance to her room, and heard the sounds diminish, when a final word of bastardizing came through. After a brief glance about the room of the room, they peered from the window, seeing a gliding man carrying their petite lady through the air. No one mentioned the suitor being capable of flight. The guards stared at each other in response, unsure whether to grin at Mutiye's unlady-like manner, or fear for the possible punishment they would receive.
While the guards assumed that Rahil was capable of flight, he was left to struggle with a crazy young woman he held. He wasn't good at gliding, let alone flying. He must have been crazy, too. After a short distance of struggling and messy gliding, the pair's quickly lowering altitude caused them to crumble into a unceremonious lump of aristocracy on top of another of the Palace's landings, which was thankfully left vacant. Rahil had braced himself for further wrath from the woman, but the pair were knocked breathless after their graceful landing. At least she couldn't call for more guards from atop the tower, unless they wished to fly after the pair.
“So...now we're outside. What do you think?” Rahil asked.
Mutiye hadn't heard him, gazing at the landscape around her at the time. Rahil frowned. When she last looked at the world without a window? He was feeling the urge to just kidnap her, after looking at her. It wasn't the first time he wanted to drag a woman off from her home, but then, he always had something of a complex for such situations. Plus, he expected her to stay at home, too. That was the Zanaryan way, even if their wives were given a good amount of freedom within their confines after marriage. He moved the building's foundation to block the entrance to the terrace, and Mutiye gave him a surprised look for a moment, but then returned to her observations.
The pair just sat there for a bit, pointing out each landmark they could find. Rahil pointed to the bazaar, sharing stories of strange merchants he had met, before he arrived to the Marid palace. Shortly thereafter his fiance returned to the callous woman she was, even if she still seemed a bit more pleased than before.
“So why did you bring me out here?”
“Well, you told me to leave, so I did.” He turned his frown to a smile, just to spite her.
“That doesn't answer my question, and there are certainly better ways to make an exit.” she said, making a point not to acknowledge his smartalike attitude.
“I guess,” he paused, considering the question, ”I just did that to see how you would react.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, you weren't exactly being welcoming.”
She chuckled briefly, a sound Rahil was already getting used to at the time. “Maybe not. I wonder how long it'll take before they find some older guards to fly after us.”
“Probably not much longer,” he said skeptically, the guards should've already been there.
“How about we make them come looking for us in town?”
It was his turn for laughter. The Marid must've known their daughter was so mean-spirited, to pair her with him. “I'd say we should just call it a day. If I brought you in town, they might have my head on a pike. Then who would let you out?”
“That is assuming I want to go out. I was plenty happy up in my room, until someone up and threw me out.” Mutiye said.
Oh, great, not only was she a handful, she was coy, too.
“Hey, now I didn't throw you out, I valiantly carried you off into the wind!”
“Unevenly flying us off onto someone's roof. What would you have done if we landed on someone's business?”
“I'd have blamed it all on you and let them bring you back to your family. It was mostly your fault, anyway.” Rahil said.
“Yeah, sure, blame it on the wife. She is the one who jumps out of tall palaces,” Mutiye responded, a grin growing on her face all the while.
“Yup, making her fiancee do it for her. Work, work, work.”
It was only months later the pair were married, still playing off such childish “arguments.” Mutiye slowly appeared to fit the appearance of the right wife over the years, even if it meant throwing the trouble Rahil's way, when she could. After all, it was either him or her father, and he actually responded positively. Though, now she had a new playing field, with the whole Taj family council to bother instead, from time to time. Occasionally, she felt tempted to let out a loud belch during her appearances. She opted for silent flatuence instead, barely stifling laughter as Rahil's uncle was blamed nearby instead.
Unfortunately, Rahil would spend most of his time at the Academy, away from Mutiye, while involving himself in politics just enough to make the Taj court uneasy. There would never be any rate of stopping arguments on heirship, lest a final decision was made. Thus, Murad-sayyad's plans had backfired, and he blamed Rahil. His son just couldn't do anything right, sometimes. He once again stood by his decision for Nasir's heirship, and that it would be the final time he considered it, unless given reason for otherwise.
The Princes' Price (9880 XA -10000 XA)
Central Characters: Rahil, Nasir, Fawzan
Spoiler
With Nasir's confirmed heirship, Rahil was mostly left to his own devices. As there was no reason for causing more trouble, Rahil settled down into a steady routine of life, while still fulfilling a few requests for manpower that were made to his family or himself. The requests either seemed to never stop, or just disappear altogether. As a result, only ten years after his marriage, he was ready for the rank of Aziz. Malik agreed, however, Lady Kaia would not approve of letting her servant go. She didn't give her reasons, either. Unfortunately, there was no denying his Lady. He instead just continued changing jobs over the years to satisfy himself, from painting and sketching to eventually becoming a scribe, which in itself was a sort of practical art in Zanaryan society. He gradually attempted to become a servant of the earth of little importance to anyone but himself or his family.
Meanwhile, during this period of waiting, another issue arose. While Murad was a cold, efficient ruler, his council was often divided and opposed him. While being a patriarch offered him total control, the council was largely in favor of another member in their family being in charge, if not themselves. Nasir was the perfect heir, purposely so. Those against Murad in the council grouped together, and were only divided for over one hundred years of rulership on whether to eliminate the patriarch's family somehow, or to just replace him with a figurehead of sorts. Given that both Fawzan and Rahil lived outside the Taj's authority, they were left with little choice. They'd have to either get the two younger siblings to aid Nasir unknowingly, or bribe Nasir into supporting them. Assassinating their patriarch required an heir's help, as Zanaryans rarely trusted politicians, and reasonably so.
Although Fawzan immediately desired to decline the offer to meet them in person for “family emergency”, as his interest was entirely in his studies, he contacted his older brother Rahil on the matter. If there was actual emergency, their father would've sent something. It seemed he, too, received a request for help from a councilman. He knew that from then on, the council had something in the works. What that something was, however, was beyond his understanding, so he went to his brother for aid. Fawzan knew that Rahil always had a mind for subtle plots, especially after a certain event Fawzan understood now that he was older. He still didn't approve of it, but Rahil and Yumn seemed distant enough for him to dismiss that fact when interacting with his brother.
Rahil offered numerous possible plots in place. He couldn't dismiss that the council might backstab them if they answered the call, and predicted that it was likely Nasir would receive such a letter already, if he hadn't. Undoubtedly, the council planned to gather the family for some reason. There was always the possibility of murdering the patriarch's family for one of their uncles to take the position of patriarch, but Rahil doubted this was the case. The politicians would never be able to agree on a single person to take that position, and they likely didn't command the manpower for such a rebellion against Murad's patriarchy. Rahil instead agreed to work with Fawzan, allowing Fawzan to go in his place in excuse of himself being busy. Of course, he had to offer Fawzan personal tips on how to beat the rest of his class, since Rahil couldn't teach the boy himself.
Nasir agreed to this proposal in secret, his ambition seeming to only grow by the year. He planned to use the council as they did him, and make sure he crippled them along the way so that he wouldn't be killed, as they were going to do so to his father. Nasir's messenger bird was seen leaving his room often not too long after. He would pave his generation's path of power, rather than let others take credit.
Nasir's communications continued, and the traitor's party was eventually settled in for a meeting within the Taj's very own palace. A large number of guards were supplied to make sure no one uninvited entered. Of course, most of them covered their faces and decorated their horns, to help detract attention from themselves. They didn't want Nasir to possibly be able to repay the favor later, like he might've been planning. He and his wife Rabia walked arm to arm through the group, merely biding time. Nasir had never found a taboo he wouldn't be willing to break, and that included playing both sides.
Meanwhile, Fawzan probed the crowd of his family members, wondering what their purpose was, and confirmed that his father was missing. His cousins grinned and winked at him for reasons beyond his understanding. Nasir subtly ignored him for the most part, idly chatting with several of his family members. He knew more than Fawzan did, but wouldn't reveal anything. Finally, a spokesperson moved forward. His uncle Levent took control in seconds, and with a raise of his hands, the council silenced. He spoke of praise to some who had managed to gather and oversee their meeting so that they could meet in secret. For several minutes he spoke of various dealings, all of which painted the miraja in a bad light. The nasiba were collected to put things right by eliminating him.
As the councilman stopped speaking for a moment, Rahil and Murad entered the atrium. Rahil managed to contact his father regarding the so-called meeting, who had already been informed by Nasir as to the location of the meeting. At first, the nasiba looked ready to fight, but as more and more of their own guard entered the room, many surrendered without trouble. Then Levent brought his trusted allies forward, urging Nasir between his father and uncle. Both sides spat their own insults and questions, but knew they wouldn't be appealed without bloodshed.
From there on, Rahil lost track of what was happening. There was simply too much going on at once for the man—being inexperienced in battle. At first, the fight was mostly under the control of his father's forces. The father and son were back to back for a time, wreaking havoc on their traitorous family, but it hadn't taken long for elementalists to disrupt the combat's flow. Rahil tried using his own control to stop them, along with a few of his father's men, and they succeeded for just enough time for his father's men to cut down almost half of the rebels. Nearly all the earth in the atrium was sent scattering against each other, as spikes and pillars blocked the way for oncoming boulders, creating large amounts of debris as they collided.Rahil had gone far beyond his normal means of concentration to stop it, however, and needed to regain his wind mid-battle. While his father's forces sucessfully overtook the rebels, Rahil still was unable to a stray blow from sending him to the floor. As a result, he gradually lost consciousness on the floor, his last sight being Nasir with a bloody grin as he eliminated a rebel to his father's back. However, Nasir turned and struck his father in the back with that very own dagger in the brief recourse mid-combat, taking advantage of the moment. Everyone else was focused on saving their own hides, especially the rebels.
By the time Rahil woke up, there was no need for this information. Nasir betrayed the rebels, and then his very own father. Murad was dead, and Nasir had taken the position as miraja within hours. Nasir blamed his father's wound on a stray rebel, and Rahil was left to wonder whether he should keep quiet on the matter. Nasir's directed his effort to quickly recovering the family's sense of trust, enforcing stronger punishments than ever on traitors. He promised those that admitted their crimes pardon if they contributed funds to the family treasury. Most took that route.
Rahil chose to keep quiet regarding the matter. He wasn't sure if he wouldn't have done the same in Nasir's position. Furthermore, Nasir actually strengthened the family's image, rather than leave an opening for another hostile takeover. Fawzan glowed with admiration as he returned to the Academy, while Rahil returned with his own issue. Someone needed to help Rabia watch over Nasir. Rahil was sure Nasir might become too arrogant while in power.
And so in his return to the Academy, he sent a letter to maintain contact with the wife. He had hated her, but still had to entrust her with his concerns. He'd heard stories from the Taj palace that traveled to the Temple regarding the family's situation, and soon knew not to worry about his family's state of affairs. Strangely, Lady Kaia hadn't said a word about the situation, as though she expected the rebellion. Rahil noted to keep a close eye on her, just in case.
Rahil maintained a regular life, managing to keep his job as an archivist scribe, and pursuing the path to become an Azizi. While his Mundane teacher had been long finished with his studies, Rahil did note that he was getting rusty with a blade during the rebellion, perhaps due being long out of use. However, he chose to eventually journey with Malik and another student once more, rather than hone such skills. He needed the influence in court, and therefore, elemental control to put down any further threats from the nasabi, on a matter of principle. The pair would travel for twenty years before any further interruption came, slowly going back on Malik's teachings once more as they traveled with Malik's other student, Alai. Rahil managed to gain enough control of his power so that he could make large formations of the earth from a smaller source, that way he would be able to fight even indoors. However, in what Elysians would refer to as 10012 XA, he was recalled to his family's grounds shortly after his return to the Academy.
Rahil – One Who Is Gone (10012 XA)
The Taj family had long despised Elysians for no reason other than xenophobia. However, whereas some families made deals with merchants, the Taj instead kept track of their governments, partially in search for a way to shut down their portal. If the Zanaryans couldn't stop progression towards opening their portal to Elysians fully, the current political balance would be at stake. News of a matriarchal race capable of attuning themselves to their own element, primatively allowing it to expand without use of any sort of technology to control it shook such politicians. Matriarchy and controlled growth of the very land itself, of all things to have in a race, that was the worst! Rahil believed in this through and through, supporting that portal not being opened to merchants from Elysia at all. At the worst, the half-breeds might start roaming Zanarya, creating more of their kind. Zanaryan purity would be ruined by the dirtier races, or overtaken by the might of dragon blood.
And so when Nasir proclaimed that his very own brother, an Azat Dao who was on a journey to fully restore his elementalist abilities, had returned to aid the Elysians aiding them after a recent threat came upon their lands, both sides were happy. Nasir and the council planned to have his brother, who they knew was not fully recovered, to venture out from Zanarya and bring glory to the Taj. Rahil's secondary, or rather, secretly primary, cause, was to find a way to cut off Elysia from Zanarya. Rahil believed in the Cause, and as a result was left with no choice.
Rahil grudgingly agreed. He knew he was being manipulated, knew that he would likely be in mortal danger, but also knew what could come of his actions. Yet now he has a new problem. He and the two guards he was sent to Elysia with have met the Alexandrian government and found out exactly what they contacted the Taj for. Rahil is to be sent to the vanguard out west. ((Therefore joining the Acanthan Arc, just to add another perspective in there))
I N V E N T O R Y
P R O P E R T Y
HOUSE Address: Rotten Egg Smell Guranteed Espur-land Now Doubled Blvd. Tier|Type: 1 Description: Flat
E Q U I P M E N T
SPECIAL ITEMS Item: Taj Royal Armor Description: I'll get to this later...nothing real special, but still something unique to him. It's a boiled-leather armor that basically has a section of metal around the chest and midback.
COMBAT GEAR Item: Saif Description: A weapon with a extremely decorated sheath. The sheath is white with gold and silver Zanaryan markings with a well-forged blade of cold, hard steel inside.
MISCELLANEOUS|MUNDANE Item:Backpack Description: Elysian made backpack with several different compartment pouches of various sizes.
Item: Sketchbook Description: In the pack, halfway used with artistry of Zanaryan landscapes
P L A Y E R
Name or [/b]Handle:[/b]David Referred by: RPG-D Ad Gender|Age: Male | 22 Random Encounters: Sure thing. Randomness adds more excitement to life! Permissions: I'm okay with minor things such as someone noting his smell or even something small like seeing him nod in response to a conversation. However, when it comes to a fight , he'll usually counter something from the front. Or dodge something, so it's best to note him doing so if he gets hit.However, please ask if you're about to say...stab him in the heart. Surprise attacks would get a slightly different treatment, moderate injuries are acceptable so long as you don't like...render him paralyzed for life with a strike to the back or something. ;(
I'm on the side for a graceful fade to black, so anything too graphic or sexual for a kid's parents to see...yeah.
Plotting:Ohhh I'll have plenty of fun doing this. I admit, I wasn't around for whole plotting threads popping up everywhere, but it seems like a nice trend for “modern Rping.” Well, so long as the RP threads get more content than the plotting threads, at least. lol
I really have no qualms about being the “villain”, but don't expect me to make my characters a psychopath, more morally deficient. It is boring, at least in my opinion, to make a villian and just go “oh yeah he isn't normal, thats why he does evil stuff.” The most interesting villians are the ones who can do all those deeds, but still have that bit of good that actually drives them. It's not like they get up in the morning going “how much evil can I spread today?” Nah, I'd be more interested in the mafia leader sort of person who is just such an evil prtdon, but an awesome family man who genuinely desires to keep both of his “families” safe.
Other Characters: Alain-Gaston Moreaux
=-~-:-~-=
STINKY AND PROUD
This post has been edited by Xanth: 02 July 2012 - 09:22 AM
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