Court of the Empress: An RPG Exercise

[mcroft]

A Game of Neel Krishnaswami's Court of the Empress. Rules are here.

Let us look upon the Empress's court.

It is a frosty winter's evening on the longest night of the year. The Empress Iphigenia has taken the court to her royal barge, locked in ice until the spring thaws. An orchestra performs quietly in the background and the court has been dancing, for her Imperial Majesty's pleasure, upon the surface of the frozen river. The courtiers can see each other's steamy breath and there are braziers of burning coals for heat and a bit of light. The full moon is low in the sky, behind the Empress's pedestal on her barge. A few honored servants are there with her, but most are a few steps down, on the surface of the wide, frozen river. Her Imperial Majesty is resplendent in a dazzling black gown with a stiff collar behind her. She carries the Scepter and there is a banner with the Imperial Seal behind her throne.

And now let us hear what may be said.

Comments

(frozen) Empress Iphigenia

[mcroft.livejournal.com]

Sallan, visitors from the far northern wastes are rare in my court, and we expect that you have different ways. Demonstrate for me how people entertain themselves in your lands. You may invite your fellow courtiers to assist. I would like to see entertainments that demonstrate bravery, if any do.

(frozen) Sallan Re: Empress Iphigenia

[sunday-courtier.livejournal.com]

Most certainly, your Imperial Majesty. As ever, it will be my pleasure to present my meagre skills for your entertainment.

I would, if I may be so bold, like to show your Majesty a demonstration of the northern sword arts, and the sword dances that accompany them. But, as all here know, it is fobidden to draw arms in your Majesty's presence without your express permission. May this humble one, then, request such permission of your Majesty, that I and perhaps one of my fellows here may demonstrate to your Majesty the humble arts of my people?

(frozen) Empress Iphigenia

[mcroft.livejournal.com]

Your request is granted.

(frozen) Sallan Re: Empress Iphigenia

[sunday-courtier.livejournal.com]

Your Majesty is too gracious for words.

Come, fellows, is there one among you who will join me in a demonstration for her Imperial Majesty's pleasure? I promises, ahah, that I will not hurt you.

(frozen) Firdausi Re: Sallan

[libskrat]

I fear I must decline the honor, sad though I must be to turn aside from such an invitation. War, some years ago, in unenlightened realms that had not yet accepted place in splendid Empire's train, war severed sinew, splintered bone -- in short (for what great queen desires to know the sad and sorry hardships of her minions' lives?) I cannot dance, unless her Majesty's desire should run to capering fools, in motley hues.

(frozen) Scamandius

[colomon.livejournal.com]

While I have no particular talent for the sword, dancing setts is how my people amuse themselves on the cold winter nights. I think that, for all my girth, you'll find me fleet of foot. And I can dance a mean two-foot as well.

If you find me acceptable for your demonstration?

(frozen) Sallan Re: Scamandius

[sunday-courtier.livejournal.com]

Thankyou, Scamandius, I do appreciate your willingness to try something new. Please, fellows, if you could clear a circle, oh, 8 meters across for us? Thankyou. Now, as you can see these two blades, eatern desert scimitars, are quite sharp, so please, Scamandius, be careful. This dance is easy, especially compared to some of it variants. We'll go slowly at first; just copy what I do and you'll do fine, I'm sure.

First we turn to face her Imperial Majesty and salute her, thanking her for her kind courtesy in allowing us to display this dance for her today. As you can see the salute takes the form of the rune Asperia, the sign for health and well-wishing in the ancient language of my people. It's a superstition, but there you have it; life is full of little superstitions that decide how we do things, and what we say. Good, well done Scamandius.

Footwork is easy. We stand with blades crossed about half-way down, thus, and we do opposing cross-steps. Good. As you can see, it's made to simulate opponents circling each other, waiting for one or the other to make the first strike. One, two, three steps then a little skip to reset the legs before we trip over ourselves, ahah, for that would just be embarassing.

(frozen) Scamandius

[colomon.livejournal.com]

Indeed it would! A lovely little dance, easy enough steps but charmingly different from anything I have ever known. What is next, good Sallan?

(frozen) Sallan

[sunday-courtier.livejournal.com]

Next, good Scamandius, we step in, still circling, and raise the arms like so, bringing the cross of blades down and locking the hilts. Very good. Circle again, one, two, three steps, and back. Now we assume the deuling pose: standing side-on, weight balanced between the feet, sword arm straight, pointing at the opponent's throat, off-hand curled up behind the head.

Starting with me we do opposed attack and block combinations, high, middle and low. On the beat I attack and you block, then we switch. Repeat on one, two, three, four, forward, back, forward, back. Good! Now we bring it in again to circle, hilts locked once more.

Now, normally at this point there would be a vigorous set of jumping and bouncing attacks and blocks. Do you wish to give them a try?

(frozen) Scamandius

[colomon.livejournal.com]

Jumping and bouncing I can handle well enough -- among my people, a man isn't really considered a man unless he can dance all night. I don't know how much of this my arms will be able to take, though by all means let us try!

(frozen) Firdausi

[libskrat]

Dear me, such vigor! Empress, have you seen in all your life such curious attitudes, such picturesque quadrilles, the art of war so sweetly made to capture minds and hearts? Almost I feel that I could join the dance if only bodies healed as swift as minds.

(frozen) Re: Firdausi

[mrsitouh.livejournal.com]

Indeed, I would gladly join the dance, had I not sworn never again to lay hand to sword when I became a monk.

(frozen) Sallan

[sunday-courtier.livejournal.com]

We shall do this final part slowly at first, to let you get the rhythm, but, believe me, it begins to get faster and faster as the pace of the music picks up. The last set then, friend Scamandius, goes like this. With blades still crossed we stop circling and step back again. I draw my blade off yours and spin on the ball of my right foot, coming in for a high strike that you ward off, yes, good, with a raised body-cross block. I must commend you on your sword-play Scamndius, you really are good at this.

So, I spin on the ball of my left foot and come in at your side and you block across your body, blade-tip down. Good! And from there you push my sword up and over, and I skip back out of your range before you, ahah, disembowel me. Now, back in again, I slash upwards and you block it low. Very good. Now, a skip, a jump and a cross-step and we change places, and it's your turn. You repeat the same pattern, with the high, middle and low strikes, the cross-step, and we change again.

The music picks up in pace, and rises steadily through a series of key-changes, building to a crescendo. The attack-block combinations move faster, and faster. You're doing very well, Scamandius. I can see you've got the pattern down. Final step is easy. On my last block we move up together again and circle once more and... stop, just as the music does.

Unlocking the hilts of the swords, we turn together, and salute her Imperial Majesty again. Thank you, your Majesty, for allowing us to display this humble rendition of a Northern Wastes sword-dance.

Aah, thankyou for my blade back Scamandius. Normally a pair of blades like this are worn strapped across the back, one at each shoulder. I know that the fashion in this beautiful court is to wear your blade sheathed at the left hip, but a diversity of ways and customs and, indeed, even fashions is what makes her Majesty's empire the envy of the world.