#karrakin cavalry college

[drunkenskunk]

I'm hoping to play in a game of Shadow of the Wolf soon, with the absolutely wonderful @butlerkobold as GM. And I already know who my character is going to be.

I am going to have SO MUCH FUN with this. She's gonna be a complete 180 from my other character, in every aspect, from personality, to backstory, to her battlefield doctrine and mech choices.

To the few of you who follow this blog and actually know of my favorite OC, this will probably come as no surprise. What is surprising - at least to me - is that the backstory of this particular variant (unlike many of the others) is going to be surprisingly close to the original.

BEHOLD:

Lady Tuera Ashama, Mailed Fist of the Raven Guard, Scion and Heir Apparent to the Ashen Throne within the House of Smoke.

Tuera was originally created as a facsimile clone of Venthrax Ashama, Duke of the Ashen Throne, as part of his "research." She was meant to act as both the "enforcer of his will" and leader of the Raven Guard, his private army. To this end, she's been the subject of countless experimental procedures, and fitted with extensive combat mods - both genetically engineered and cybernetic - to turn her into a living weapon. The results of her many years of hardship have been extremely successful - and highly profitable - for the Ashen Duke.

However, since her gender transition, she has seemingly fallen out of favor with her "father," if only behind closed doors. In public, the Ashen Duke has sent his progeny to the Karrakin Cavalry College on merit because of her many achievements and victories on the battlefield; the truth, however, is that Venthrax simply wants these "foolish delusions" beaten out of her by authority figures she cannot best through strength of arms, all so that his "son" can return to him.

Tuera was originally livid at this news; this was the last straw, and she was dead set on abandoning everything. She planned to leave Karrakin space entirely, and forge her own destiny outside the iron grip of Venthrax. However, she has given her situation much thought, and agreed to attend the college... for her own reasons.

She has already died a thousand times before. She will die a thousand times still. And it will not be enough to stop her.

She will not be beaten.

She will not be broken.

One way or another, she's going to find a means to kill that old bastard, once and for all.

[northstar-galactic-command]

Like much of the Omninet, we at Northstar Galactic Command were delighted to hear that the Karrakin Cavalry College has opened its doors to a new batch of students. The Arm's best and brightest are streaming in from across the Baronies and even further afield, and will likely continue to do so for months to come.

Space is a dangerous place, however. A lone ship in transit is far more tempting target than a fortified palace surrounded by honor guards. Baronic Houses are prohibited from operating warships, so to protect against assassins and kidnappers seeking ransom many of the ships travelling to the KCC have contracted with Free Companies for protection. Some, however, chose to reach out to Northstar Galactic Command for assistance, something we were honored to provide.

One of the primary services NGC offers new clients is our Escort/Secure Premier (E/S-P) package. E/S-P is our standard interplanetary escort and VIP package, providing professional and customizable transportation and protection for clients and any assets they'd like to bring along. We can handle almost anything, from custom heavy Frames to small armies of personal servants and subalterns. Heavy lifting is an IPS-N specialty, after all!

Those familiar with the escort packages offered by most mercenary outfits might be expecting "protection" to consist of a frigate or two at most, but the E/S-P package is far more comprehensive. Our standard E/S-P group is organized around not one but two carriers, as well as rapid-response frigates, multiple wings of mounted chassis, and a significant marine compliment for your personal protection. Additional assets can be added for clients expecting trouble, and the group can be scaled back for those wishing to keep a lower profile.

All E/S-P ships are outfitted specifically for defense and rapid transit, ensuring a safe and speedy arrival for all our clients.

To maintain operational security, until recently we have been unable to share any details regarding escort missions related to the Karrakin Cavalry College. Thankfully this is no longer the case. While we cannot reveal the identity of our clients for privacy reasons, we can share some of the excellent work NGC has been doing to shepherd these brave young hopefuls to the bright future that awaits them at the KCC.

If you've been keeping up with the news in the Baronies, you may already have heard about some of it. That's right, we're starting with the Caspian Incident.

Stay tuned!

[karrakincavalrycollege]

The Karrakin Cavalry College board would like to announce that students can now face disciplinary action for being mean to college staff online : (

[atreyucannamos]

Yo what the fuck. Uncle just summoned me into his office and I thought it was just gonna be another lecture about how much of a disgrace I am to the family.

Instead, he's... sending me to the Karrakin Cavalry College on Karrakis?

What the fuck?

WHAT THE FUCK?!

[radiofreesanjak]

We here on Free Sanjak are proud to announce a competitor to the Karrakin Cavalry College. Free entry to anyone who can hop the blockade, a full staff of battle-hardened hotties, and free Kobold with entry. BYO frame if you want to pilot anything else.

[sailing-into-the-middle-distance]

>//[LNCR(SILKWEAVE) WHITEOUT]:: This Karrakin relationship drama stuff is better than any soap opera I've ever seen. What do you think is gonna happen first? Ferdinand Cannamos sucking face with the Cavalry College guy, or the Han Jae/Rosceline/Arvantiel polycule going official? >//[LEGIO(ICANN/C4/EVER) STARING-INTO-INFINITY]:: Almost certainly the latter, though all is still to play for as they say. Our personal prediction is that the Han Jae/Rosceline/Arvantiel polycule (stars, do we need a better name for that) will eventually expand to include the Horus Shitpost bot. >//[LNCR(SILKWEAVE) WHITEOUT]:: God, I wish.

[jancer-lancer]

"Dear Watcher," I wrote, "What is it you're so afraid I'll do?" Then I held his pen for him, and he replied instantly with a candour that has kept me from truly despising him.

"Fail," he wrote back.

---

Watcher at the Gate, an RKF Tagetes from Shadow of the Wolf. Piloted by Emiliana Arquera Papiran of the House of Scabbards, student of the Karrakin Cavalry College.

Kitbashed from Retrograde Minis' art. Quote from The Watcher at the Gate, an essay by Gail Godwin.

[neramontagofficial]

I do highly recommend any students considering entry to the Karrakin Cavalry College to go for it, by the way. It is quite a prestigious institution and one that exposes you to a multitude of people at all echelons of Karrakin society. For all that the naysayers pushing their own agendas prefer to front their own alternatives, there is something to be said for the way that it has pushed us away from the frankly elitist apprenticeship paradigms that presume you already have the contacts and goodwill in order to learn and the way it forces the scions of the most powerful families in the Concern to respect, engage with, and live alongside the ignoble populace.

One might be correct, in fact, to consider the KCC one of the primest opportunities for upward mobility in any society that still retains the system of nobility as a mechanism of administrative structure. I question the motives of some of the people on this site questioning its legitimacy in that sense, especially when the alternative is "attend our school instead," a transparent ploy for your money, or "engage in squiredom," a frankly outdated practice that only saw the already rich, noble, and enfranchised to positions of high prestige.

The KCC introduced me, enrolled ignoble, to the opportunities for adoption and upward mobility. My fellow students, also enrolled ignoble, also have found profound success post-graduation. I would not deny that opportunity to anyone, and would ask anyone seeking sponsorship to please contact me privately.

[sir-eddy-of-umara]

In the wake of the surge of interest in the Karrakin Cavalry College, this knight feels he must make clear that this is not the only path for an aspiring kavaliere. Indeed, though he does not mean to offend, merely critique and recommendations to young ones, this knight must confess some disdain for the very concept of such a place. The proper and truest path to knighthood is through squiredom and apprenticeship, not an institution. Furthermore, glory and honor are won through daring and heroic deeds, not by the "prestige" of attending an engine of war.

[chariotofthestars]

Introduction

My name is Walaam Du Fraz of the House of Stone. I am 5'9" with a strong body, mind, and heart. My pronouns are He/Him. I am a Lancer who is currently stuck with an Everest, although I have modified it to specialize in dueling. I will be attending the Karrakin Cavalry College soon and will post about my many experiences. I look forward to speaking with the many kind gentlemen of the Omni-Net.

OOC: kinda new to this sorta rp, so we'll see how this goes lol. any art for this is done by @acy-art, follow them or don't. also walaam is supposed to be a dude who kinda sucks and is a jerk, so please keep that in mind.

[scratching92]

I know a few of you followed me more for Bleach and fanfic, and outside of a few reblogs here and there I’ve mostly pivoted to posting about Lancer due to brain rot, so to make it up a little I’ve decided to provide some Lancer!AU headcanons for some of the cast, despite normally not being about AUs.

Abarai Renji: I originally considered the idea that Renji pilots a standard General Massive Systems Everest, on account of his lack of money, but after thinking about it I realized he would pilot a GMS mech, but not an Everest. He would pilot a Sagarmatha, because Renji loves a good pep talk, and what is Raise The Banner if not the ultimate pep talk? Later on, his equivalent True Bankai moment would be grabbing an Royal Karrakin Foundries Orchis. Orchis' love of being adjacent to its allies, alongside Ferrous Lash providing options for pulling allies close/pushing enemies away fits Renji rather nicely. That said, I did about die laughing to myself earlier imagining Renji in a Harrison Armory Enkidu. Incidentally, I think in this AU he would be an Ignoble from the Karrakin Trade Baronies who got into the Karrakin Cavalry College somehow alongside Rukia.

Kuchiki Rukia: Rukia would pilot a Calendula, I think. Its focus on slowing mechs to make them vulnerable matches how she uses Sode no Shirayuki, I feel. Naturally, the Kuchikis would be a Karrakin House in this AU too, so it makes for her to pilot a Karrakin mech. Also, there's something morbidly funny about her having the power to put an ally and an enemy in the shadow realm to duel one another alone and uninterrupted. One imagines she enabled the Lancer! AU Kaien in a much more direct way than in canon.

Kuchiki Byakuya: Byakuya would pilot a Smith-Shimano Corpro Mourning Cloak. It's the most "-teleports behind you- nothing personnel, kid". Also, SSC is the luxury brand, and nothing says luxury like buying a scarf worth seven mansions a Mourning Cloak. Also also, however, Mourning Cloak's versatility in being suited to melee combat, ranged combat, AND e-warfare line up very nicely with Byakuya's own versatility as a Shinigami.

Zaraki Kenpachi: Kenpachi would absolutely use a GMS Everest, but he'd outfit it with Interplanetary Shipping-Northstar Blackbeard weapons and systems, for some real close-combat hacking and slashing. Post-character development, though, I think he'd swing towards Blackbeard's variant frame - the IPS-N Empakaai. A mech with an integrated superheavy weapon just feels right.

Kusajishi Yachiru: Yachiru does not get her own frame. She's Kenpachi's personal SEKHMET-Class NHP. She's maximizing Kenpachi's potential for violence.

Madarame Ikkaku: Ikkaku is absolutely the kind of guy to use a superheavy weapon, but I think the IPS-N Vlad is more his style. Both because it has a lance weapon, but also because Ikkaku's seiyuu, Nobuyuki Hiyama, was the voice of Viral in Gurren-Lagann, so of course he should use the mech with the big fuck-off superheavy Combat Drill.

Ayasegawa Yumichika: With Yumichika, we're gonna go in a wild direction. He would pilot a HORUS Manticore. It's a real close-combat type, much like Ikkaku and Kenpachi, but unlike them his Manticore is secretly built for hacking as well. Also, Yumichika's willingness to throw his life away to keep a secret feels like the kind of mindset that would CASTIGATE.

Komamura Sajin: Komamura would pilot the Harrison Armory Saladin. I'm not even sure I need to explain this one. Everyone remember to say "Thank you, Big Sajin".

[drunkenskunk]

Gonna be playing in the Shadow of the Wolf game run by @butlerkobold soon, and I'm really excited! In the session zero last week, Theta asked all the players some questions to help us get in the headspace of our characters. I decided to go all out, and write down all my answers.

Meant to post all this here much earlier but then I forgot lmao

What House are you from, if any? What Minor House?

Tuera Ashama is the Scion and Heir Apparent to the Ashen Throne of House Ashama, a Minor House pledging fealty to the House of Smoke, originating from a planet on the edge of the Concern known as Cinder. In public, she presents the image of a stereotypical Karrakin noble heir, and acts as such. However, the truth is that she doesn't care about her titles or her inheritance; she was originally intending to leave Karrakin space and disappear to an obscure system in the Long Rim. But something recently changed her mind...

Who is your sponsor? What do they require you to do to keep their support?

Tuera's sponsor is her gene-father and current head of House Ashama, Venthrax. Officially, she has been sent to the college on merit, to further hone her skills as both a pilot and commander of men, so that she may better lead the Raven Guard and one day take her place on the Ashen Throne. Secretly, Venthrax has sent her to the college because he disapproves of her transition; she is a facsimile clone of himself, and she should not be a girl. He hopes that she will have these “foolish thoughts” beaten out of her by authority figures that she cannot best through strength of arms. And, crucially, this is the last chance he is willing to give. He has made it plain that if his “son” does not return, he has no qualms about discarding this “mistake” and starting again.

Who trained you into becoming a kuirasser? Where and why did you fight to gain those license levels, and why are you not there now?

Tuera was one of a hundred facsimile clones created by Venthrax. The clutch was almost immediately thrown into the proverbial meat grinder to find out which one would be “worthy” of inheriting the Ashen Throne. She, like the others, was trained from gestation to be a peerless warrior, a leader of men, and “the enforcer of his will.” She has had dozens of teachers and years of real world combat experience, all in an effort to weed out the “unworthy.” Of those hundred, only Tuera lived to see her 15th birthday. She is not fighting alongside the other soldiers of the Raven Guard because, up until very recently, she was entirely willing to leave everything behind and disappear from Karrakin space.

Everyone has an opinion about the people of Free Sanjak and the blockade, what is yours? Are you open about that opinion?

Tuera has two opinions: one very well rehearsed public opinion, and one that she holds in secret. If asked, she will respond with “Oh, is that still going on? I thought the House of Stone would have had the strength to deal with that minor scuffle by now. Curious...” The truth is that, while she has no personal stake in that conflict, she's very amused to see the House of Stone be routinely humiliated by the Free People, and genuinely hopes that they will one day succeed against their oppressors. She knows what it feels like to struggle against someone who would see her destroyed.

What is your Bond? Does your character feel it is accurate or do they reject it? How have the Passions influenced your life, if at all?

Several months before her arrival at the college, Tuera was sought out by an Augur of the Order Xenoglossia. She initially dismissed his arrival and refused to meet with the mystic, but soon discovered that the meeting was not optional. There, she was given a bond reading that gave her pause: the Knave, with a crone moon and a deep water fate. A destiny to strive against impossible odds, an impossible goal. A heart hardened by betrayal and great injustice. A destiny that would find her no matter what, and demand everything, stripping her of dignity, principles, reputation, even her safety. But necessity knows no law, and victory knows no bounds. If she is ruthless, unflinching, and completely unfettered in her resolve... then even the impossible may be achieved. Since that meeting, she knows exactly what she must do. And she will no longer run from it.

Why are you late for the Matriculation Ball, the mandatory party to start the academic year? What excuse for being late are you prepared to give, and is it the truth?

The reason she is late for the ball is because a critical component of her frame was delayed in transit to the college: the casket containing the Didymos-class NHP that calls itself “Phyacair.” She spent far too long trying to track down her seneschal and co-pilot, utterly losing track of time in the search, before discovering that it had not even arrived on-world. The irony of an NHP specializing in temporal manipulation being delayed and causing her to be late was not lost on her. If given the opportunity, she will offer up the truth and try to take full responsibility directing any ire away from the others and solely onto herself; whatever passes for “punishment” at this college, she will endure. She's already survived far worse.

I hope my internet holds out, because I really don't want to miss this. My character is already late for the ball, I don't want to be late for the game in real life too lmfao

[northstar-galactic-command]

The Caspian Incident, Part 2

< Prev

E/S-P Group 72

As has been previously mentioned, one of the many services Northstar Galactic Command offers its clients is our Escort/Secure Premier (E/S-P) package. A standard E/S-P package is the rough equivalent of a BUC light naval group and typically includes two carriers plus frigate, frame, and subline escorts. 

As the Karrakin Cavalry College opens its doors to new students, a number of clients made use of our E/S-P package to ensure the safe arrival of their prospective Kavaliers. One of the groups granted this privilege was E/S-P Group 72.

NGC values the privacy of its clients, so we are not at liberty to disclose who contracted E/S-P Group 72, or who it was escorting. Should they wish to identify themselves they may do so, but until such time they will simply be referred to as “The Client” and “The VIP”. 

E/S-P packages are customizable at client request. In this case, The Client expressed a desire for speed, efficiency, and a certain degree of subtlety. An escort of multiple capital ships is not a thing that can go unremarked, but there were concerns that arriving at school at the head of a war fleet could be considered a bit ostentatious. As such, they were provided Group 72: a low number, high-impact package consisting of only one carrier and two frigates, plus their attendant subline escorts and wings. 

NGCS-CV Guiding Light

Guiding Light was the flagship of Group 72. She was constructed to the specifications of the Masauwu class Heavy Carrier-Frame, and was launched in 4898U. Like many NGC vessels, much of the time since her launch was spent in transit, but she has seen more than her share of action. Guiding Light has worn both Union and KTB colors and saw action in the Siege of Sapphire Dawn, the Battle of Point 5974, and the Harvest Line campaign in addition to her standard patrol and escort duties. 

In 4978 she was formally transferred to GALCOMM’s KTB-C division and assigned as the flag vessel of her own battlegroup: the newly formed E/S-P Group 72. As is standard for flagships, Guiding Light was given a refit that significantly reinforced her structure, armor, and point defense capabilities. She was also equipped with a new FORGEMASTER subaltern command suite to help maximize combat efficiency.  

Like all vessels built to standard Masauwu class specifications, Guiding Light has no naval ordinance of her own. She is a dedicated carrier, with docking berths for multiple subline escort groups and dozens of catapults for launching attack wings. To help leverage her extensive complement of parasite craft, she features an extremely robust set of command and control (C&C) systems. 

At the time of the Caspian Incident, she was hosting four Bowsprit class destroyers: NGCS-DD Whip Shark, NGCS-DD Ripperfish, NGCS-DD Orca, and NGCS-DD Razorfin. She was also carrying six autonomous assault delivery platforms, equipped with boarding pods for several hundred IPS-N PIPECLEANER subalterns.

For close-in patrol and raiding, Guiding Light maintained a Legion drone nexus with ninety drone craft on standby. To secure the safety of the VIP against possible boarding actions, a mounted Chassis wing was allocated to Guiding Light. The wing consisted of 40 mounted frames divided into ten teams of four, and was primarily comprised of IPS-N Tortuga frames and their support units.

As it is currently operating within the Concern, Group 72 uses the rank structure of the BUC. At the time of the Caspian Incident, it was commanded by Line Captain Nelson Chiarella. This also placed them in direct command of the group's flagship: Guiding Light.

Line Captain Chiarella was born from Honest Truth with top naval command certifications. They were seconded to Union peacekeeping operations, where they served as the executive officer on UNS-CV Erie. Their first command was NGCS-CL Narwhal, where they led Narwhal through three long-range patrols and two combat engagements. They were eventually promoted to command of NGCS-CV Chicōmecōātl, which completed one long-range patrol and three E/S-P contracts before being badly damaged in the Battle of Eastfold. For their skill and heroic action during the battle, Chiarella was promoted again to commander of E/S-P Group 72, a position they have held since the Group's creation.

Chiarella's public-facing naval record notes their particular loyalty to their crews and clients, something that served them well throughout their career. They are also noted as extremely dedicated by several former commanders, and uncompromising in the face of adversity.

-

Next we will review the remaining ships and commanders of Group 72. After that, we can dig into the incident itself.

Stay tuned!

[karrakincavalrycollege]

The Karrakin Cavalry College is proud to announce that our philosophy and legal departments are close to developing a definition of "Human" that is able to include clones produced by the House of Moments while excluding clones made by Harrison Armory!

[atreyucannamos]

Chapter I: Tears from a Stone

Soundtrack: Andrew Prahlow - The River

What was the point?

What was the fucking point?

Sobbing is never graceful or dignified, but there are levels to everything and Atreyu-Cannamos was, at this very moment, sobbing harder than they had ever sobbed in their life. Other students, having each caught different snatches of the argument, were giving the entire courtyard around the fountain a wide berth.

This was the one thing Atreyu had promised they would never do - cry in public. No matter how much their family and their House humiliated them, no matter what indignities were heaped upon them, this was the promise they had made with themself: bear it. Bite their tongue, hide their tears, choke down the anger. Shame Stone by being Stone - face of Stone, heart of Stone, soul of Stone. In the face of their contempt, be stoic.

But what had it all been for?

The day had started badly. Their first-class cabin on the shuttle had mysteriously "become unavailable" at the last minute, so they'd been reseated in economy, squashed between two nattering armsmen in a seat with no legroom. Their travelsickness medication had likewise been misplaced, so it took every ounce of self-control they had to keep the wretched freeze-dried crap that passed for a meal down. All this they'd had to endure for twelve hours of orbital tuning, and then the juddering hell of deorbit itself. Through it all, Atreyu bit their tongue.

Finally, when they got to the Throne Karrakis spaceport, for the first time in the trip somebody recognised that Atreyu was, in fact, actual nobility, and they were directed into the correct immigration queue. This tiny victory lasted all of five minutes before a fully-armed squad of BUC accompanying a Baronic Intelligence agent arrived to haul out of the line in handcuffs. Through it all, Atreyu hid their tears.

So, after a further six hours being interrogated, having their papers checked, rechecked and then rechecked again in a seemingly endless cycle, the agent finally admitted that yes, the youth sitting in front of her was indeed Lord Atreyu-Cannamos of the House of Stone, and they were indeed enrolled at the Karrakin Cavalry College. This was, of course, an entirely random check. Their mech, however, had already been impounded and they would need to submit paperwork to reclaim it. Through it all, Atreyu choked down the anger.

Nevermind that other nobles' cabins did not just "become unavailable." Nevermind that other nobles' possessions were not waylaid. Nevermind that other nobles were never subjected to "random enhanced screening." To claim that they were being singled out in this fashion would be conspiratorial. Through it all, Atreyu bore it all.

They were late - dreadfully late. The commencement speeches would already be beginning. Of course, the groundcar that house Cannamos had arranged had departed hours ago, and another one couldn't be dispatched at short notice. Of course, it was raining, so an aerocopter was out of the question. "Just take a taxi," their uncle had instructed, his voice positively dripping with malign glee, "like a commoner. After all, shouldn't we all be equal with them?"

So upon a painfully delayed arrival at the College, Atreyu had pulled the family credit stick out of their wallet, only to have the taxi driver glare at them as it was declined. Losing just the slightest bit of their cool, Atreyu had taken it back and snapped it in half in their fingers, then pulled their personal credit stick out instead. They half expected that to be declined as well, but eventually the transaction went through - that was 134 solaris that, like as not, they would never get back.

There had been the smallest comfort: they weren't the only one to turn up unfashionably late. There was a motley assortment of latecomers outside the College: two (reasonably) regular humans, and two quite exotic augments. There was a dark-skinned man in House of Sand colours, who seemed to be having an argument with his subaltern. There was a dark-haired woman with a severe expression and prominent purple eyes, the Inverted Tower of the House of Smoke sitting proudly on her lapel. The two augments were a white-furred wolf, who Atreyu noted with great displeasure bore the insignia of the House of Stone. Finally, the other augment, a many-tailed tomato-red fox, bore no house insignia whatsoever.

The Archchancellor had demanded excuses for their tardiness, and while Atreyu desperately wanted to ask why the College had not protected them from the myriad humiliations they'd had to suffer on the way here, they held their tongue and confined themselves to saying "I'm sure some documents got misplaced." There was no point in making even more enemies.

The evening had a couple of bright spots after that. They had met with Lord Castor-Eyros, head of the Noble Arts Syllabus, and Atreyu got the impression that they'd genuinely impressed the man by showing familiarity with his books. This led to a long and productive conversation in which Atreyu got the sense that behind the jovial, unconcerned facade lay a craving for power and ambitions that reached far beyond a prestigious teaching post.

The odd red-furred fox girl - Persephone - turned out to be an ignoble, and was possibly the sweetest person Atreyu had ever met. She'd assembled her own tarot deck and decided to give a reading - the outcome was "a new chapter in life, where your goals shall be achieved through perseverance and the help of many friends." Atreyu didn't have the heart to tell her that they had no goals, and no friends, so they simply thanked her for the reading in the spirit that it was given, and warned her that this place was a nest of vipers.

They had been putting it off long enough. Praya was here, somewhere. Cousin Praya, childhood friend, who had so often played heroic "Lady Stoneblade" to Atreyu's cunning "El-Ahrairah." It had been ten years - ten long years where the most they'd seen of each other was glances from across a banquet hall. After Atreyu's political sympathies became more obvious, Uncle Hyderad, Stonelord Hyderad, had decided that no heir and daughter of his would cavort with such a wastrel embarrassment to the family.

It had taken so long to get here, but they'd been delaying it as long as they could, finding any excuse not to go into the gardens where they'd been told all the other students were now congregating. What would it be like? To see her again after all these years? Finally meeting her again, free of the grasp of Hyderad?

Hell.

When he stepped out, there was yelling, jeering, screaming. Atreyu rounded a corner to see some unfortunate student on the floor, and two sneering figures laying into her with brutal kicks. One was a sneering pale-faced weasel of a man, shorter than Atreyu by a head.

The other was Praya.

The other latecomers were there with them, but that didn't really register. They were upon Praya in a moment, pulling her off of the brutalized student, desperately asking what the hell she thought she was doing.

Her eyes had flashed with surprise. "El-Ahrairah?"

There was a moment, in that spark of recognition, where the horror lifted, where Atreyu dared to let themselves hope for a split second that things might be alright.

Drunken, her words slurring, she replied: "what, do you have a problem with this?"

Atreyu didn't really have a clear recollection of the next few minutes. They barely recalled screaming themselves hoarse, recounting the impossible humiliations they had endured throughout the day, their words barely coherent. There were other things happening around them: the injured victim being hauled to her feet by the others, some argument between Praya's companion and the stranger from the House of Sand - apparently, they knew each other, and the acquaintance was not positive. Atreyu didn't care.

All of this, they cried, all of this embarrassment and indignity and humiliation they had endured, endured happily, just for the hope of seeing Praya again. For this? For this?

There was a long silence after that, a heaving, echoing, violent silence. And then Praya spoke.

"I'm sorry. I must've mistaken you for someone I used to know."

Then, grabbing her companion by the arm, she turned and left.

[radiofreesanjak]

With the new influx of support and enrollment into the Karrakin Cavalry College, we here at Radio Free Sanjak would like to remind all prospective students that houses of education are not a politically neutral apparatus. The teaching of tactics and history are not value neutral acts.

We would charge those who seek the New Era that would infiltrate the elite houses of learning to remember this: the structures of power would silence all who dissent. Stay measured and tactical in your routes to resistance, but resist all the same the narratives that would aid the powerful.

Ask yourself: whose perspective does this serve? What assumptions underlay this narrative? Will my participation in this structure of power subvert it, or support it?

Stay strong, students. Keep the inquiry of the Magus about you.

-Mistral