[Syliras Location] Recruitment Office

[Chevalier]

Keshta

Ser Erik had been biting hunks off of a large piece of sourdough bread, just a bit of a snack to keep him going onward into the lunch bell. As he heard his door begin to creak open, the man was quick to run a hand through his grizzly facial hair, attempting to ensure that no stray food particles remained in order to look as presentable as possible. A wide variety of potential Squires had come to him lately, but despite the varying cultural and racial diversity in those he had been dealing with, there was a certain look of surprise on his face when he made eye contact with the childishly built Keshta.

"Your parent was a Knight you say? Well, asking me in that case is little more than a formality. I'm surprised your folks didn't get you enrolled sooner." he had begun, only to just as briefly stop. 'Formerly a Knight' she had said. Did that mean death, discharge, or dishonor? "Being the youngin' of a Knight can be tough, but it also means you might know the difficulties in the lifestyle better than most. Makes you grow up real quick like, too. In the end though, it's up to the person. Time and dedication it takes, no doubt. If your family be Knights, then the Knights are also your family. Did you have a Patron that would be sponsoring you, Keshta? Or is it something I should look into?"

[Keshta Maric]

“Ser, I hope this will not affect my application, but I was not enrolled at the appropriate age because I had no wish to become a Knight.” Keshta’s face was stoic, though the rhythm her fingers tapped against her gown hinted at anxiety. Certainly honesty is the best policy here. Tyveth knows I have nothing to hide from the Knights. “But, since the Djed Storm, much has changed. I now believe I might best fulfill my duty to Syliras through the Knighthood. Please know that this is not a flight of fancy or a fleeting change of heart. I have many relatives who have served the Knights, I understand the risks you have mentioned, and have thought about this decision a great deal.” Keshta could feel more words scrabbling for their turn upon her lips, but pressed them together tightly. This was not the place for longwinded speeches about her duty to the Gods and to peace, her faith in the path Yahal had chosen for her. Ser Erik had his own duties, and many would-be squires to process. She need not waste his time. “I can assure you I possess the necessary dedication. But I do not have a sponsor, Ser. Many of the Knights I knew as a child are mages. I must confess that though I will follow your direction faithfully I do not feel any particular inclination toward that path.”

[Chevalier]

Keshta

"Sure lass, I get it. Things change, people get different interests and priorities. That's all well and fine, it won't effect anything for you. Was mostly just a curiosity from me. I see a great many youngsters pulled into the Order before they can ever write a lick of Common." he commented, sliding a length of paper out in front of him. There were some segments of the parchment that had been separated with lines, most likely it was some sort of form prepared in order to keep record of active Knights and Squires on hand.

Licking the very tip of his quill, he slid the moistened end into his nearby ink well, "Well, there's no force to become a Warrior Mage, lass. Every man and woman who walks through those doors has something inside of them that will grow as they Squire. Some do well with animals, some do well with paths and tracks, some with bow and arrow and some with sword and shield. Only you can find that interest within yourself. For now, we'll put you on the track of a well rounded Warrior Knight. You'll learn to handle a horse, hold your own in both melee and ranged combat, and you'll get a handle on utilizing the shield of the Order to protect yourself and others. Let's see..."

Tipping the end of his quill against his chin, Ser Erik seemed to ponder for a moment. "A well rounded Knight...someone that would work well with a young lass like you...someone--ah, I've got it. Ser Roulin Cordner came back to full duty recently, and he is without a Squire. I think his skill set could be the perfect compliment for you. Mmhmm..." he began to scribble down some various bits of information, filling out the blocks of the form. "Well Keshta, let us get a wee spot of information from you, then it's off to the storage to get some equipment ready for you. Ready?"

Secret :

Alrighty, you are effectively a Squire from this point forth, so feel free to start and get involved with any Squire related threads. You can reply to this post if you wish, but it's not mandatory. Enjoy!

[Taell Shambroft]

8th of Winter, 512 AV.

Taell hoped the information was good. Clothed in simple commoner's garb he presented himself before the grand Dyres District and was directed to the recruitment office. It was suprisingly easy to find, though the crush of the city streets without a lead was new and excting to him. He was free. He suspected that feeling of being owned and watched wouldn't go away for a long time, but the young man was willing to wait.

Taell entered quietly, closing the door behind him before turning and beholding the Elderly Knight. Not used to speaking first, Taell had to force himself to speak confidently: "Hello, Ser- I wish to become a squire. I have just .. arrived in the city, and wish to learn of the Knights.. well.. become one... I just err.." Stumbling over his words Taell shook his head violently and inhaled sharply. "I am Taell Shambroft- I should have said that first. I want to be a Knight, and as I understand, I start here." He eagerly awaited the man's response, silently berating himself for being clumsy with words.

[Riaruk]

67th Winter, 512 AV Riaruk made his way through the warren that was Stormhold Castle, pulling his cloak about him as his nose picked up on every scent in the vicinity. He wrinkled it as he tried to snort it free of the closeness of the human society around him. He was not used to such confined space, never having experienced it before. A dark scowl filled his countenance which caused the crowds to part before him, the advantage of height and strangeness causing fear perhaps, or perhaps they knew Akalak’s by reputation and stayed away from them. Either reasoning was good enough for him as he tried to breathe through his mouth and pick his way towards his destination. She grunted as he came to another dead end and was forced to backtrack and try to discern the proper direction. “Please, where recruitment office?” he asked a passing woman, covered with the sweat of daily work and eyes that showed all to owell how far away she wished to be at that moment. “Right back down there, left after that!” she stammered as she hoisted a basket of what looked like cleaned clothing upon her hip, darting off straight after her words were finished. “Thank you” he told her receding back, losing her in the throng quickly. She was nice, did you see how her clothing stuck- Rakesh began inside his skull. Shut up Riaruk snapped mentally back at his twin. I’m just pointing out that a few ales and a nice joke or two an- Rakesh pushed, amusement evident in the tone of thought. SHUT UP! Riaruk roared, silence following as she swayed upon the spot with concentration, trying to force his darker side back into nothingness – it was becoming more difficult of late. Rubbing his forehead with a number of broken nailed fingers he continued upon his journey, following the kind woman’s directions and finally making some progress. After the second turning the area was beginning to seem like what he had been described. It was cleaner, more ordered and the number of knights in attendance began to grow exponentially. His jaw ached from the tension stored there, teeth gritted almost permanently these days. He kept meaning to delve into his meditations more deeply but life upon the roads had not afforded that luxury. He probed with his fingers and released some of it with a small grunt as he turned another corner and came face-first with the doorway he had been seeking – two fully armed guards in attendance, flashy and solid. “Business?” the one on the right asked him as he approached them, face tilted ever so slightly to look at Riaruk’s face. “I want to enlist” he responded with his deep bass voice, a rumble from the depths. “Very well, follow me and we will see if you aren’t too brutish enough for it” the one stated curtly, waving his hand to gesture the Akalak forwards. Too brutish? Too brutish! The shiny, stuffed up… Rakesh began, thankfully growing a loss for words that was all too rare for Riaruk’s liking. It took a few minutes to be led into what appeared to be an office, past several weapon stores and general amenities. Well carpeted and with a roaring fire in the hearths the room was not unpleasantly warm. Riaruk stood before a man at a desk, the rigours of combat all too evident upon the man. Silence reigned as he awaited the human ceremony that would hopefully unfold soon.

[Bolivar]

Bolivar stepped forth like many others to join the ranks of the Syliran knights. Though he might be considered an oddity compared to the usual candidates they regularly see. Perhaps not. This city after all is one of the more populated areas that Bolivar has ever seen. That sounded about right. Having a mixed blood could be considered somewhat standard to the people of Sylira. Chuckling slightly Bolivar knew this wasn't true as he found himself staring at a worn knight keeping watch of the table. His blue eyes stared at Bolivar and Bolivar stared right back. He held his gaze for a few more moments taking in the lesson portrayed by this fellow. This man seemed to say 'Welcome to the registration desk! Here is what you can expect happen to you. Are you fine with that?' Fluttering his eyes over to the man's scars and wounds accumulated over the years Bolivar found himself tugging at his arm absentmindedly before speaking. “I'm here to join your ranks. If the Syliran knights would have me.” Readjusting the great sword on his back trying to sway the man's impression on him. Bolivar stayed silent for a time before adding in an extra quip. “I hear tell that you take in even those that have picked up some skills.” Bolivar flexed his hands a few times before explaining what he meant. As if a rain was falling down on him he could feel the tiny droplets of djed gathering to form the small ball of djed in his hand. “Courtesy of some self comprehension and a few scars to prove it.” A light breeze started to form in Bolivar's hand before he cut ties with the newly formed wind current.

[Jess Carraway]

46 Winter, 512 AV

Jess walked through the stone corridors, head aching. His adjustment to the city was slow in its coming. The artificial light was frustrating, he was used to the black of night and the sun's radiance, and the in-between of the castle halls gave him headaches. "No matter." he thought, slipping between two washerwomen, "I must persevere. a knight must face more than some dim light and a crowded hallway."

An Akalak was leaning against the wall, picking his teeth with a small knife. "Pardon me, friend. Could you point me towards the Knight's recruitment office?" The blue-skinned man nodded, and pointed down the hall with his knife. Jess thanked him and continued on.

Coming to the wood door he had been directed to, Jess paused. He pulled his comb out of his pocket and fixed his hair, and brushed the creases from his clothing. "This is it." he thought, cracking his neck and stretching his shoulders, "A life of servitude begins." He thought back to his years on the road. It was a free life, but full of hardship and danger. Would he miss it? Yes, but there was no turning back now.

Jess opened the door. A grizzled, one-armed knight sat at a desk, scrawling something onto a piece of parchment. Jess couldn't help but smile as he saw the gladius mounted above the man's seat. He adjusted his swordbelt to make his own blade show prominently. "Hello, Ser. My name is Jess Carraway, and I've come to join your order."

[Fallon]

5th Spring 513,
Late-Morning, 11th Bell

Syliras had been as it always was. A place that time and time again Fallon had returned to. But this time her reason for returning was kept silent as if speaking it would cause her to back out of the idea. And so Fallon marched herself to the recruitment office. It was difficult for her to stay calm, and although she had respect for the knights, she could not help but feel that she was sticking her head into the mouth of some savage beast. Still, she made herself push on regardless.

For a few chimes she paced about outside the door of the recruitment office, a moment of hesitation on whether or not she should really go through with the process. Perhaps to some it was nothing to walk in there and sign up, but to Fallon it was a big step that would no doubt change and mould her. She swallowed up her worries and reached for the handle.

Fallon opened the door of the office, taking a firm step in. Her eyes quickly traced around the room, her mind thinking for the correct thing to say to the proprietor. To be honest she was still unsure about the process she would have to go through, but simply turning up was the first step to this story through life. She hovered for a moment in front of the man, her back straightening as she prepared herself mentally for the worse possible outcome. She was after all inexperienced, unless it was a projectionist they wanted.
"Ser? I'd uh. I'd like to sign up as a squire. For the people of Syliras. Please?" she spoke clearly, her eyes meeting that of the Knight.
Good luck Fallon, you're gonna need it. And remember your manners.

[Kreig Messer]

Spring 513, 5th day 11th bell 30th chime Kreig had arrived not a chime later after Natasha had left him at the front door of the office before leaving him to report to one of her superiors and give them an official report during her time on Sahova and her journey from Sunberth to Syliras alongside Kreig.Kreig himself had felt quite nervous since their arrival to Syliras and felt amazed at how different it was from his home city. He had retrieved the letter of recommendation he had received from Imass and it felt like this piece of paper held is fate. As he entered, the nervousness he felt lessened considerably once he did as he saw the one jovial looking unarmed man before him "Excuse me Ser, don't mean to be a bother but I've come here to join the order. I've a letter of recommendation from another knight" He smiled friendlily at the recruite before extending his hand to hand him the letter. To Syliran recruitment and whomever this may concern, From this day onward, Kreig Messer is to be considered a squire of the Syliran Knights. I have made him speaks vows of obedience and commitment. I have instructed him to present this letter to all who question him as well as the recruitment center on his arrival in Syliras. It is this Knight's humble opinion that Kreig should be patroned by Ser Dontos the Bold and be trained to be a frontline soldier. He is tough, strong, and talented; I swear it on my own experience. He was meant to be a fighter. Also, Kreig is liable to brawl, but he has the heart of a warrior. Ser Imass

[Accolade]

Taeil Shambroft

Ser Erik looked the young man over for a moment in silence. It seemed the boy was short for words and while a man that knew how to hold his tongue could be a good, in times like these one needed to be able to stand out and speak up. " Well..alright then Taell Shambroft, was it? Tell me, about yourself, and why do you wish to become a knight?"

Riaruk

Ser Erik stared hard at the bulky Akalak that entered rather precariously. His job as it was, he had done so for many years and could tell the character of a man/woman just from watching them and a few words on their part. Akalaks were always welcomed to join the Knights, but there was always their duel souls to consider and if they could control themselves in an honorable nature. The Akalak didn't speak, or do anything else for that matter and Ser Erik took that moment to observe him more before wiping at his chin and speaking. "What are your names Akalak? I assume that you want to join up, but you'll have to speak up my hearing isn't what it used to be."

Jess Carraway

It was a busy time for the Knights, as many new people showed up looking to become squires. Ser Erik was pleased, and even though they wouldn't all make it into knighthood, he would give them a chance to prove themselves and show why they would make a good squire. He looked up from his parchment and met the eyes of the man that had just come in. "Come closer Jess Carraway. Tell me who you are and why do you think that you possess what we are looking for?"