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) 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.