With the men drawn away to the North in preparation for War, their opulent homes and more importantly, the beautiful women who are their wives, daughters, sisters are left alone undefended. Never those to miss an opportunity, there has been a sudden spate of theft within the richer districts. Not enough to turn too many heads, but perhaps to leave the noblewomen feeling a little jumpy at night until a report comes in that a young girl has gone missing, snatched from her very bed chambers it would seem.
As the girl's distraught family look for answers, the nobility gather as one in the wake of this trespass against their own, and as tongues begin to wag suspicion and rumours are levelled at the strange folk of the circus that has been encamped nearby
Event Ideas
-- Many of the menfolk are gone off to war, this event is for those characters left behind. Has your house been victim to one of these thefts? Perhaps you have seen some strangers lurking around?
-- Or maybe you are one of those being gossiped about. People fear what they do not understand, but is it justified or not. How will those from Tempest of Set take being badmouthed?
-- Or anything else! If you want to do something wild and wacky that makes sense in this event then go for it! You can use it for your own personal drama, start a catfight, declare a rivalry, reveal a secret in public to all. Remember: there is no wrong way to do this. There is no plan. Just storm forward and go for it! Just remember to tag everyone who might be affected by your more curveball-y posts in the #roleplay-tags channel.
Characters who may be interested in this event:
tbc .
Opportunity Knocks Event - Egypt
With the men drawn away to the North in preparation for War, their opulent homes and more importantly, the beautiful women who are their wives, daughters, sisters are left alone undefended. Never those to miss an opportunity, there has been a sudden spate of theft within the richer districts. Not enough to turn too many heads, but perhaps to leave the noblewomen feeling a little jumpy at night until a report comes in that a young girl has gone missing, snatched from her very bed chambers it would seem.
As the girl's distraught family look for answers, the nobility gather as one in the wake of this trespass against their own, and as tongues begin to wag suspicion and rumours are levelled at the strange folk of the circus that has been encamped nearby
Event Ideas
-- Many of the menfolk are gone off to war, this event is for those characters left behind. Has your house been victim to one of these thefts? Perhaps you have seen some strangers lurking around?
-- Or maybe you are one of those being gossiped about. People fear what they do not understand, but is it justified or not. How will those from Tempest of Set take being badmouthed?
-- Or anything else! If you want to do something wild and wacky that makes sense in this event then go for it! You can use it for your own personal drama, start a catfight, declare a rivalry, reveal a secret in public to all. Remember: there is no wrong way to do this. There is no plan. Just storm forward and go for it! Just remember to tag everyone who might be affected by your more curveball-y posts in the #roleplay-tags channel.
Cairo was not an excessively large city. Rumours stirred up by the weak and pathetic flared in the arid winds like wildfire. Poisonous thoughts and assumptions about the recent disappearances served to fuel the ire that resided already within the chest of Amenemhat of the Tempest of Set. Ticket sales were already declining, for the circus spent entirely too much time within the capitol. People saw what they wanted to see, so the general audiences that did not take to the thrill so heavily did not repeat. Eventually, it was just fanatics: worshipers of Set who preferred this to the temple, the children of patrons who were given special treatment.
In the end, Cairo was giving less and less to the circus, and then, to top it off, they had the audacity to level accusations and whisper them from the shadows. Of course, Nem found the ire so ready to break the surface. But, what could be done to show it? There was no taking this merely turning a cheek. The people of Cairo showed their true colours, and... so would the circus. It was all part of a greater show, an audience of a scale that'd surely extend towards the outer reaches of Egypt.
That's fine, he mused. Law and order did not exist anymore, it seemed. The soldiers that occupied Egyptian cities were all distanced, serving in a war to satisfy their pharaoh's gullet. Where the nation of Egypt was weak, the Tempest of Set was not.
We have everyone we need,
The inner cult of the Tempest of Set, and then those that sensed, either through subterfuge or an innate instinct, that there was more to be seen and done within the circus than their position allowed. The ringmaster called for his loyalists just as the nobility within the capital called their own little meeting. He'd heard about it, the whirling rumours and the stir for action. Surely, it'd be more of the same.
So, retaliation was needed. Already, he'd leveled his concerns with his sister, Kesi. Layla had not approved of Amenemhat's methods, concerned about the consequences of being so direct. But, they need not provide evidence of their involvement. Subtlety, grace... the acrobats of the Tempest of Set did not lack for it. Strength, skill. The masters of the circus, whether of its beasts or the ringmaster himself... all of them had their assets that he could make use of.
"I've called you here today, friends, to bite at the 'hand that feeds us'. We've lost our glamour, spent far too long here, and they punish our stillness with malevolence. Before we leave them behind, we must show them their audacity in accusing us of things we did not do."
How? Surely, they had their questions. Nem would've, too. He waited just a moment before he elaborated,
"By throwing stones of our own. We show them how we could ruin them. Their imaginations are left to roam, their assumptions that we'd strike first, steal their people away. When more than half of our faces are of foreign make? What need do we have for them? Their gold is enough."
It irritated him beyond understanding, so he shared his rage.
"Hit them where it hurts. We split into groups, and we do things quietly. We'll be on our way to Thebes before they know what's happened."
Cairo was not an excessively large city. Rumours stirred up by the weak and pathetic flared in the arid winds like wildfire. Poisonous thoughts and assumptions about the recent disappearances served to fuel the ire that resided already within the chest of Amenemhat of the Tempest of Set. Ticket sales were already declining, for the circus spent entirely too much time within the capitol. People saw what they wanted to see, so the general audiences that did not take to the thrill so heavily did not repeat. Eventually, it was just fanatics: worshipers of Set who preferred this to the temple, the children of patrons who were given special treatment.
In the end, Cairo was giving less and less to the circus, and then, to top it off, they had the audacity to level accusations and whisper them from the shadows. Of course, Nem found the ire so ready to break the surface. But, what could be done to show it? There was no taking this merely turning a cheek. The people of Cairo showed their true colours, and... so would the circus. It was all part of a greater show, an audience of a scale that'd surely extend towards the outer reaches of Egypt.
That's fine, he mused. Law and order did not exist anymore, it seemed. The soldiers that occupied Egyptian cities were all distanced, serving in a war to satisfy their pharaoh's gullet. Where the nation of Egypt was weak, the Tempest of Set was not.
We have everyone we need,
The inner cult of the Tempest of Set, and then those that sensed, either through subterfuge or an innate instinct, that there was more to be seen and done within the circus than their position allowed. The ringmaster called for his loyalists just as the nobility within the capital called their own little meeting. He'd heard about it, the whirling rumours and the stir for action. Surely, it'd be more of the same.
So, retaliation was needed. Already, he'd leveled his concerns with his sister, Kesi. Layla had not approved of Amenemhat's methods, concerned about the consequences of being so direct. But, they need not provide evidence of their involvement. Subtlety, grace... the acrobats of the Tempest of Set did not lack for it. Strength, skill. The masters of the circus, whether of its beasts or the ringmaster himself... all of them had their assets that he could make use of.
"I've called you here today, friends, to bite at the 'hand that feeds us'. We've lost our glamour, spent far too long here, and they punish our stillness with malevolence. Before we leave them behind, we must show them their audacity in accusing us of things we did not do."
How? Surely, they had their questions. Nem would've, too. He waited just a moment before he elaborated,
"By throwing stones of our own. We show them how we could ruin them. Their imaginations are left to roam, their assumptions that we'd strike first, steal their people away. When more than half of our faces are of foreign make? What need do we have for them? Their gold is enough."
It irritated him beyond understanding, so he shared his rage.
"Hit them where it hurts. We split into groups, and we do things quietly. We'll be on our way to Thebes before they know what's happened."
Kesi felt it all. Her mind was firing off with different emotions as she gathered all the robes and masks. Her lips were pulled tight and serious, but the fire in her eyes was lit and burning brightly. The people of Cairo were bullies. They were horrid, rancid people who deserved nothing more than to start their journey towards the Du’at. They would make their way to Anubis for judgment only to be crushed into nonexistence. No one would make it to the Field of Reeds. They were unworthy.
Bullies… no, that wasn’t the right term for them. For these people did something worse than bullying. Who they upset was not Kesi… but her brother. And that was not something that she would allow. Pain was Kesi’s friend, suffering was not so distant memory, and that the small girl could handle. She would take all the pain, all the suffering so that it would never take hold of her brother. He deserved everything he could ever desire. And the people, the idiots sought to deny him. Accusing the circus was one thing, but creating baseless lies like stealing Egyptian children undermined her brother.
They would die and Kesi would bathe in their blood.
She wanted to burn the whole city- no the whole kingdom! But tonight, she would settle for less. Kesi would settle for turmoil. Before Amenemhat had gathered the inner cult, after the majority of the circus started making their way towards Thebes, Kesi had a small task to do. She made her way to the Temple of Set. There, she had met with the Setians. The Tempest of Set wasn’t the only cult that existed. Though the two groups may not agree on everything, the one thing they had in common was their worship of chaos. It was so easy to get them involved in their plans, and as her brother spoke Kesi handed out robes and masks provided by the Temple.
“The Setians send their regards, Ringmaster,” Kesi said to her brother. “And they offer their temple as a site for mayhem! But it would not just remain there, will it? All of Cairo deserves to see what we truly have to offer!”
At Kesi’s feet was Apep who slithered between the girl and towards Amenemhat. Kesi had her plan. Some snakes went with the rest of the circus- but not all. It is time they roamed free in the streets of Cairo. They could find their home in a nice noble’s house, or perhaps a child’s bed. They seem to care so much about them, after all.
Cairo would suffer for its stupidity. The Tempest was without sin, acting under the word of their God. Nor did it desire a useless Egyptian kid when they had others that were far more interesting. Their desires, their ambitions, went beyond snatching people from their homes. They weren’t petty criminals. With Amenemhat leading them, they would rise as high as the gods themselves.
Finally, Kesi’s lips curled into a smile. It was not, however, her typical excited one. It was not filled with innocent, childlike glee. It had a sinister edge to it. Venomous like the snakes she keeps. Kesi was hungry. She was held back too long. Tonight was the night for something… different.
Anger. Excitement. Hatred. Frustration. Kesi felt it all. And all Cairo would feel is chaos.
Anger. Excitement. Hatred. Frustration.
Kesi felt it all. Her mind was firing off with different emotions as she gathered all the robes and masks. Her lips were pulled tight and serious, but the fire in her eyes was lit and burning brightly. The people of Cairo were bullies. They were horrid, rancid people who deserved nothing more than to start their journey towards the Du’at. They would make their way to Anubis for judgment only to be crushed into nonexistence. No one would make it to the Field of Reeds. They were unworthy.
Bullies… no, that wasn’t the right term for them. For these people did something worse than bullying. Who they upset was not Kesi… but her brother. And that was not something that she would allow. Pain was Kesi’s friend, suffering was not so distant memory, and that the small girl could handle. She would take all the pain, all the suffering so that it would never take hold of her brother. He deserved everything he could ever desire. And the people, the idiots sought to deny him. Accusing the circus was one thing, but creating baseless lies like stealing Egyptian children undermined her brother.
They would die and Kesi would bathe in their blood.
She wanted to burn the whole city- no the whole kingdom! But tonight, she would settle for less. Kesi would settle for turmoil. Before Amenemhat had gathered the inner cult, after the majority of the circus started making their way towards Thebes, Kesi had a small task to do. She made her way to the Temple of Set. There, she had met with the Setians. The Tempest of Set wasn’t the only cult that existed. Though the two groups may not agree on everything, the one thing they had in common was their worship of chaos. It was so easy to get them involved in their plans, and as her brother spoke Kesi handed out robes and masks provided by the Temple.
“The Setians send their regards, Ringmaster,” Kesi said to her brother. “And they offer their temple as a site for mayhem! But it would not just remain there, will it? All of Cairo deserves to see what we truly have to offer!”
At Kesi’s feet was Apep who slithered between the girl and towards Amenemhat. Kesi had her plan. Some snakes went with the rest of the circus- but not all. It is time they roamed free in the streets of Cairo. They could find their home in a nice noble’s house, or perhaps a child’s bed. They seem to care so much about them, after all.
Cairo would suffer for its stupidity. The Tempest was without sin, acting under the word of their God. Nor did it desire a useless Egyptian kid when they had others that were far more interesting. Their desires, their ambitions, went beyond snatching people from their homes. They weren’t petty criminals. With Amenemhat leading them, they would rise as high as the gods themselves.
Finally, Kesi’s lips curled into a smile. It was not, however, her typical excited one. It was not filled with innocent, childlike glee. It had a sinister edge to it. Venomous like the snakes she keeps. Kesi was hungry. She was held back too long. Tonight was the night for something… different.
Anger. Excitement. Hatred. Frustration. Kesi felt it all. And all Cairo would feel is chaos.
One might've believed, based on his attendance within the capitol city of Cairo, that Onuphrious H'Sheifa did not take to the city like he did Thebes. The truth was an altogether more complicated thing. The Sheifa family had its roots within the former capitol of Egypt. Thebes was once the jewel of Egypt, its heart and soul, but the powers-that-be deemed it a necessary change to shift their focus to the smaller sister. Hei Sheifa, in all of its wealth and power, would not leave her roots so readily, particularly for a less advantageous port for traveling away from the nation of Egypt. While many within the nation's borders held nothing but contempt for foreigners, Onu had long dismissed such notions.
No, Onuphrious did not dwell within Cairo because it was simply not his prerogative. In the past decade or two, he'd made himself scarce within the capitol, coming only for the sake of Iaheru, and far more inclined to deviate from the politically charged nature of the capital city. The notion persisted, but was augmented by the simple reality that he was not welcome. Not by the nation at large, for who would deny such a powerful man of anything but his wife. Iaheru, the woman who blessed him with four children. Iaheru, the beauty who'd enraptured him so many years ago. Iaheru, the demonness whose anger could intimidate the sirdar of Hei Sheifa more than any pirate or any vagrant holding a knife to his throat.
But, in both the realms of family and business, Onuphrious' intentions were not always met in kind by the graces of the Gods. As with most anywhere else, business brought the sirdar back to his wife's native city. He'd met with his patronage and just made his way back from the docks, the persistent scent of salt water and fish cleansed away by a bath that included a lather of the finest soaps and kept from returning by what he considered an excessively expensive perfume that he dabbed along his wrist and throat. Bearing the signs of his noble lineage, Onuphrious wore a shendyt inlaid with gold embroidery, the insignia of his Hei expertly crafted near the tie that bound the garment to his waist. About his shoulders was a finely wrought tunic, sheer enough as to not encumber him too gravely should the weather turn towards an uncharacteristic heat, given the season.
The garbs marked him, showed to the world the gravitas that came with the name Sheifa, and the world recounted him with everything he needed -- or didn't, as often was the case -- to know. The capitol had become dangerous since his last visit, with rumours stirring about of a missing girl and the cold reality that with the absence of soldiers, crime had gone on the rise. So, Onuphrious lingered within Cairo, working up the courage to journey to his wife's home and persuade her and his children to leave with him. Not to Thebes, for the escalation of the war effort (little more than skirmishes if his understanding was correct) boded ill for moving north.
No, they'd likely retreat to Shedet, if only for a little while. The commoners of that province might live in paltry huts, but the Sheifas were their stewards and would not find such repugnant standards of living waiting for them.
In the mean time, the sirdar found himself in the presence of a growing crowd. Many began to blame the increasing crime and the disappearance on one thing: the circus. It stood to reason that the financial boon that was the Tempest of Set paired with the decrease in surveillance would create a stir of crime. It was true that these travelers bowed to the God of Chaos and were unrepentant in their single-minded worship. But, could they act so brazenly? To steal a young woman? At the news, Onuphrious imagined his youngest daughter, Nenet, in the girl's place. He envisoned Iaheru and him grieving her absence, separate in their agony. Would a vanished child reconcile their differences?
One's gone already. Two would only make it worse.
He had to do something. To take them. It seemed the only logical thing to do was to lay in with the rumours. If enough anxiety and fear was mustered, then he could appeal to Iaheru's reason and regain command of his family for long enough to keep them out of harm's way.
"It has to be them," he insisted, his calm voice shattering the white noise and bringing a modicum of peace to the unrest that brewed within the crowd. Onuphrious was a member of the council, and it seemed that those that lashed out in anger and frustration would calm themselves in the presence of a voice that agreed with them, but spoke in calming, metered tones intent on allowing sounder minds to prevail.
"I've followed the habits of the circus for long enough to know that their extended stay in Cairo is irregular to say the least. They must be planning something nefarious. Let us not stoop to their level, however, my friends. Violence does not begat peace. It will only stoke the flames and bring rise to greater conflict. Let us, peacefully, disbar them and demand the return of the lost girl, lest their time in Cairo come to an end, permanently."
Onuphrious waited, curious to see who might find the courage to speak.
One might've believed, based on his attendance within the capitol city of Cairo, that Onuphrious H'Sheifa did not take to the city like he did Thebes. The truth was an altogether more complicated thing. The Sheifa family had its roots within the former capitol of Egypt. Thebes was once the jewel of Egypt, its heart and soul, but the powers-that-be deemed it a necessary change to shift their focus to the smaller sister. Hei Sheifa, in all of its wealth and power, would not leave her roots so readily, particularly for a less advantageous port for traveling away from the nation of Egypt. While many within the nation's borders held nothing but contempt for foreigners, Onu had long dismissed such notions.
No, Onuphrious did not dwell within Cairo because it was simply not his prerogative. In the past decade or two, he'd made himself scarce within the capitol, coming only for the sake of Iaheru, and far more inclined to deviate from the politically charged nature of the capital city. The notion persisted, but was augmented by the simple reality that he was not welcome. Not by the nation at large, for who would deny such a powerful man of anything but his wife. Iaheru, the woman who blessed him with four children. Iaheru, the beauty who'd enraptured him so many years ago. Iaheru, the demonness whose anger could intimidate the sirdar of Hei Sheifa more than any pirate or any vagrant holding a knife to his throat.
But, in both the realms of family and business, Onuphrious' intentions were not always met in kind by the graces of the Gods. As with most anywhere else, business brought the sirdar back to his wife's native city. He'd met with his patronage and just made his way back from the docks, the persistent scent of salt water and fish cleansed away by a bath that included a lather of the finest soaps and kept from returning by what he considered an excessively expensive perfume that he dabbed along his wrist and throat. Bearing the signs of his noble lineage, Onuphrious wore a shendyt inlaid with gold embroidery, the insignia of his Hei expertly crafted near the tie that bound the garment to his waist. About his shoulders was a finely wrought tunic, sheer enough as to not encumber him too gravely should the weather turn towards an uncharacteristic heat, given the season.
The garbs marked him, showed to the world the gravitas that came with the name Sheifa, and the world recounted him with everything he needed -- or didn't, as often was the case -- to know. The capitol had become dangerous since his last visit, with rumours stirring about of a missing girl and the cold reality that with the absence of soldiers, crime had gone on the rise. So, Onuphrious lingered within Cairo, working up the courage to journey to his wife's home and persuade her and his children to leave with him. Not to Thebes, for the escalation of the war effort (little more than skirmishes if his understanding was correct) boded ill for moving north.
No, they'd likely retreat to Shedet, if only for a little while. The commoners of that province might live in paltry huts, but the Sheifas were their stewards and would not find such repugnant standards of living waiting for them.
In the mean time, the sirdar found himself in the presence of a growing crowd. Many began to blame the increasing crime and the disappearance on one thing: the circus. It stood to reason that the financial boon that was the Tempest of Set paired with the decrease in surveillance would create a stir of crime. It was true that these travelers bowed to the God of Chaos and were unrepentant in their single-minded worship. But, could they act so brazenly? To steal a young woman? At the news, Onuphrious imagined his youngest daughter, Nenet, in the girl's place. He envisoned Iaheru and him grieving her absence, separate in their agony. Would a vanished child reconcile their differences?
One's gone already. Two would only make it worse.
He had to do something. To take them. It seemed the only logical thing to do was to lay in with the rumours. If enough anxiety and fear was mustered, then he could appeal to Iaheru's reason and regain command of his family for long enough to keep them out of harm's way.
"It has to be them," he insisted, his calm voice shattering the white noise and bringing a modicum of peace to the unrest that brewed within the crowd. Onuphrious was a member of the council, and it seemed that those that lashed out in anger and frustration would calm themselves in the presence of a voice that agreed with them, but spoke in calming, metered tones intent on allowing sounder minds to prevail.
"I've followed the habits of the circus for long enough to know that their extended stay in Cairo is irregular to say the least. They must be planning something nefarious. Let us not stoop to their level, however, my friends. Violence does not begat peace. It will only stoke the flames and bring rise to greater conflict. Let us, peacefully, disbar them and demand the return of the lost girl, lest their time in Cairo come to an end, permanently."
Onuphrious waited, curious to see who might find the courage to speak.
It was purely by accident that she was out in this throng of people today, for there was little that she despised as much as gathering with the Court. And this wasn’t even Court! What was going on? Why was everyone huddled in the streets of the Ghani district like this? Frowning, Neithotep had stepped outside of her mother’s Cairo home into the glaring sunlight and the worried shouts and exclamations of so many of her neighbors.
“What’s going on?” she asked the nearest woman, gently touching her shoulder to alert the other to her presence. “Why’s everyone out here like this?”
‘You haven’t heard?’ the woman asked in seeming surprise, her eyebrows rising up into her forehead. ‘There’s a little girl missing. A distant branch of Hei Moghadam, I hear, though I’m not entirely sure. They think it’s the circus.’
“The circus?” Nia repeated, shocked. “Why would anyone think that?” Her companion shrugged and turned her attention back to the man speaking, a man Nia abruptly realized was her father.
What was he doing here? Why wasn’t he in Thebes? After her mother’s disgrace, it was rare enough to see him around the capital city, and to see him right here outside Iaheru’s house… Huh. She wondered how long he had been here, if he’d even been staying in the house and she hadn’t noticed. She did her best to stay away when she could, especially if he was around.
Her shock only grew with what he was saying, a frown furrowing her brow. Where was he getting all of this? Did he have evidence to back up what he was saying, or was this just speculation like everyone else? Where did any of them even get the idea that the circus had taken the little girl? Sure, they were a little strange, but they were a circus. What did people really expect?
“So, they’ve been here a while, and you think that makes them ‘nefarious?’” No one was more surprised than Nia herself when her voice rose above the crowd, swallowing hard when several eyes turned in her direction. Oops. Well, she had their attention now, she couldn’t just go quiet again… “Does that make travelling merchants who stay a season or three nefarious too? I like the circus. I have friends there, and they’ve always made me feel welcome every time I’ve ever visited. What makes any of you think they’re stealing kids?”
The young noblewoman’s heart was pounding in her chest as she defensively crossed her arms, desperately trying to appear calmer than she actually was. What was she doing? Since when did she try to make herself noticed around these people? More often than not, Nia was conspicuously absent from the Court, and if she did attend, she made herself scarce. Why was she speaking now?
Maybe it was just because it was Onuphrious who was speaking out against the Tempest of Set. She and her father were at odds during the best of times, and these past few months certainly hadn’t been that. She couldn’t just stand here and watch him make baseless accusations against an entire group just because he didn’t trust them. He would start a mob with that kind of talk, and is that what they really needed with so many of their men off to war? What was he thinking?
“I think we all might be overreacting a little. It’s Cairo. Bad things happen, and they happened before the circus ever stepped foot here. They’ll continue happening when they’re gone. What should we peg the blame on them?”
She was going to regret this, she knew. Fuck, she already did. But, too late to take it back now. She was right, anyway. Where were they getting this stuff?
It was purely by accident that she was out in this throng of people today, for there was little that she despised as much as gathering with the Court. And this wasn’t even Court! What was going on? Why was everyone huddled in the streets of the Ghani district like this? Frowning, Neithotep had stepped outside of her mother’s Cairo home into the glaring sunlight and the worried shouts and exclamations of so many of her neighbors.
“What’s going on?” she asked the nearest woman, gently touching her shoulder to alert the other to her presence. “Why’s everyone out here like this?”
‘You haven’t heard?’ the woman asked in seeming surprise, her eyebrows rising up into her forehead. ‘There’s a little girl missing. A distant branch of Hei Moghadam, I hear, though I’m not entirely sure. They think it’s the circus.’
“The circus?” Nia repeated, shocked. “Why would anyone think that?” Her companion shrugged and turned her attention back to the man speaking, a man Nia abruptly realized was her father.
What was he doing here? Why wasn’t he in Thebes? After her mother’s disgrace, it was rare enough to see him around the capital city, and to see him right here outside Iaheru’s house… Huh. She wondered how long he had been here, if he’d even been staying in the house and she hadn’t noticed. She did her best to stay away when she could, especially if he was around.
Her shock only grew with what he was saying, a frown furrowing her brow. Where was he getting all of this? Did he have evidence to back up what he was saying, or was this just speculation like everyone else? Where did any of them even get the idea that the circus had taken the little girl? Sure, they were a little strange, but they were a circus. What did people really expect?
“So, they’ve been here a while, and you think that makes them ‘nefarious?’” No one was more surprised than Nia herself when her voice rose above the crowd, swallowing hard when several eyes turned in her direction. Oops. Well, she had their attention now, she couldn’t just go quiet again… “Does that make travelling merchants who stay a season or three nefarious too? I like the circus. I have friends there, and they’ve always made me feel welcome every time I’ve ever visited. What makes any of you think they’re stealing kids?”
The young noblewoman’s heart was pounding in her chest as she defensively crossed her arms, desperately trying to appear calmer than she actually was. What was she doing? Since when did she try to make herself noticed around these people? More often than not, Nia was conspicuously absent from the Court, and if she did attend, she made herself scarce. Why was she speaking now?
Maybe it was just because it was Onuphrious who was speaking out against the Tempest of Set. She and her father were at odds during the best of times, and these past few months certainly hadn’t been that. She couldn’t just stand here and watch him make baseless accusations against an entire group just because he didn’t trust them. He would start a mob with that kind of talk, and is that what they really needed with so many of their men off to war? What was he thinking?
“I think we all might be overreacting a little. It’s Cairo. Bad things happen, and they happened before the circus ever stepped foot here. They’ll continue happening when they’re gone. What should we peg the blame on them?”
She was going to regret this, she knew. Fuck, she already did. But, too late to take it back now. She was right, anyway. Where were they getting this stuff?
Azarion couldn’t recall a time that he had ever questioned Nem’s choices, nor did he think he would ever question his leader. There was an unhealthy obsession with his leader, following him unquestioning in his choices and motives. While some followed because they believed Nem godly, believe Set smiled upon him, or what ever it was, Azarion did not believe in the Gods of these lands. Yet despite that, he followed Nem with as much passion, or perhaps even more, than some of the others.
So he stood in the meeting, and while he didn’t have his usual hyenas with him, it would be very out of character for Azarion to not at least have one animal with him. This time, it was a baby crocodile, the thing had been hatched only a few short days ago. His arms were crossed in front of him, the tiny reptile lounging on his large forearm, soaking up the warmth of his body heat as Azarion listened intently to his leader.
Doing things quietly? Well that wasn’t exactly Azarions strong point, but if Nem needed him, he would do his best. He couldn’t disappoint the man, he wouldn’t disappoint him.
As Kesi handed out robes and masks, Azarion took what he was handed, the baby croc clung to his arm, letting out a little chirping noise as he moved his arm to take the robe and mask. He tucked them under his arm for the moment, not putting them on yet. He wanted his full instructions before he did anything.
Azarion was a strong man, he was confident, and he normally took charge of his own actions. But when it came down to it, he served Nem and what ever Nem wanted done. This time, he was not going to make his own decisions, he was going to follow the word of the man who had given him a home, who had accepted him, his animals and the man that Azarion loved when there had been no one else and no where for them to go.
Azarion owed Nem everything, and as such, the man was one of the most loyal followers he had. He would do anything Nem wanted.
For now, it seemed Nem needed him to listen, and so the foreign man stood there and listened.
Azarion couldn’t recall a time that he had ever questioned Nem’s choices, nor did he think he would ever question his leader. There was an unhealthy obsession with his leader, following him unquestioning in his choices and motives. While some followed because they believed Nem godly, believe Set smiled upon him, or what ever it was, Azarion did not believe in the Gods of these lands. Yet despite that, he followed Nem with as much passion, or perhaps even more, than some of the others.
So he stood in the meeting, and while he didn’t have his usual hyenas with him, it would be very out of character for Azarion to not at least have one animal with him. This time, it was a baby crocodile, the thing had been hatched only a few short days ago. His arms were crossed in front of him, the tiny reptile lounging on his large forearm, soaking up the warmth of his body heat as Azarion listened intently to his leader.
Doing things quietly? Well that wasn’t exactly Azarions strong point, but if Nem needed him, he would do his best. He couldn’t disappoint the man, he wouldn’t disappoint him.
As Kesi handed out robes and masks, Azarion took what he was handed, the baby croc clung to his arm, letting out a little chirping noise as he moved his arm to take the robe and mask. He tucked them under his arm for the moment, not putting them on yet. He wanted his full instructions before he did anything.
Azarion was a strong man, he was confident, and he normally took charge of his own actions. But when it came down to it, he served Nem and what ever Nem wanted done. This time, he was not going to make his own decisions, he was going to follow the word of the man who had given him a home, who had accepted him, his animals and the man that Azarion loved when there had been no one else and no where for them to go.
Azarion owed Nem everything, and as such, the man was one of the most loyal followers he had. He would do anything Nem wanted.
For now, it seemed Nem needed him to listen, and so the foreign man stood there and listened.
