Thread: Portal - Innocence Lost (Black_Out and Loveme)

On the charges of treason against the Empire of Merasheel you are found guilty! The thin nosed man of some elderly age cried out as he tossed his gaze about the mumbling discordant crowd gathered beyond the fringes of the protective wall offered by the Empires mighty knights. ...and sentenced to banishment from these lands by means of the Portal! The stern and age worn voice of the gray haired man known as the High Inquisitor rang out over the crowd from his elevated perch behind the stout white washed wooden podium. His immaculate robes flowed in the gentle breeze, the blue embroidery gracing them matching the brilliant blue star centered upon the white face of the podium. It was the symbol of the Empire's only god, Merasheel, the High Father of All Knowledge and Keeper of Magic. As the shackled young man with dirty brown hair and a beaten and bruised face desperately cried out his innocence a tall and imposing knight stepped forward from the nearby ranks and with a thunderous back hand his metal clad fist smashed the already beleaguered and weary prisoner to the turf, sending a spraying mist of blood mixed with teeth into the air. A pair of white robed Inquisitors approached from behind the podium of the High Inquisitor. Dark blue hoods hid their visages as they stepped forward and gathered the floundering young mans body up by the arms. Rich crimson stains of fresh blood decorated their white robes as they dragged the barely coherent prisoner past the lofty perch of the High Inquisitor. From beneath his bushy grayed brows the High Inquisitor spared a brief and scornful look upon the unfortunate soul before he turned his attentions back over the long line of those awaiting judgement by his hand this day. While he turned his attention to the next that stood accused of crimes against the Empire the young man was dragged up marble steps, his bared feet kicking weakly at the hard stone stairs that led to the shimmering blue vortex of the Portal. The Portal was immaculate, carved of white marble, gilded in gold and rare metals, and etched with the blue star of Merasheel in decorative patterns. Massive wooden wheels bound together with straps of iron offered it a means of locomotion, while a team of the strongest of draft horses pulled the immensity of the devices weight wherever the Empire took it. Currently, those twenty horses were stabled and being cared for elsewhere under watchful eyes since the Portal was in use and would be for days to come. Nearly a month ago the Empires army had arrived at the city of Levono and surrounded the sizable, but ill prepared settlement. As rations quickly ran low, and the meager forces of Levono knew they were outmatched and swiftly disbanded, the governing body of the city submitted to the Empire's will. Their gates were opened wide, and the Inquisition swept in and took root in the city. In the weeks that led up to the Portals eventual arrival outside the cities limits none were spared from the Inquisitions arrival. Homes were opened up, businesses were searched and cleared out, even the noblest of Levono's citizens were questioned at length. Prison camps were established outside the city, and filled with both Levono's criminals and those the Inquisition suspected of heresy, magic use, or treason. Every item was stripped away, belongings and holdings were claimed by the Empire, but most ended up in the hands of the city of Levono as a small token of the Empire's appreciation for their cooperation. Pleas of innocence fell on deaf ears as the camps were filled, the prisoners left with nothing but simple rags that barely passed as clothing. Those that were defiant were beaten mercilessly into a more manageable mind set, while those who practiced, or were even suspected of being capable of magic were made to suffer excruciating tortures. Fingers were bent, twisted, and broken, tongues were sliced in half, or cut out all together, and mouths were emptied of teeth, and sewn shut, all in an effort to make sure that no breath of magic ever left their lips again. Few if any were spared, even those that professed a sudden finding of faith in the teachings of Merasheel were taken to task. Priests of the Pantheon of the All Father, the God that had gone silent many years ago suffered the worst. Many of his acolytes and faithful found themselves hovering at the edge of death as they were tossed through the swirling blue vortex of the Portal and into the unknown fate beyond it. Even the ones that fell dead from the rigorous tortures and extreme punishments they endured were sent through the Portal. Rebellions had risen up to try to stand against the might of the Empire and the ruthless judgments of their Inquisitors. But the mystical marble artifact was surrounded on all fronts by the might of the Empires army. Steel juggernauts with the heads of rams that spit out smoke and steam paved the way for the portal. Forming roads where none had existed underneath the tremendous weight of solid steel cylinders that could crush a full grown tree into splinters. Even those who managed to get close to the Portal found themselves faced with an elite opposition of the Empires best and most powerful knights and wizards. In the end most that tried were left dead or banished into the depths of uncertainty that lied in wait beyond the Portal. The High Inquisitor barely flinched as the screams and pleas of the young man were drowned out by the hum of the swirling blue energy of the portal and then vanquished into silence as he disappeared within it. Those irritated hazel eyes, sprouting crows feet from the edges of the mans weathered and elderly face had already settled upon the next in line. There was a brief uptick of his lips as he gazed upon a young woman, sporting a fresh series of bruises upon what was otherwise a rather pleasant and beautiful face framed by long blonde hair. She had ample curves and the High Inquisitor admired her attractive features for but a moment before he turned his gaze down to the ledger before him. With a wetting smack of his lips and quick drink of water from a skin to replenish his voice the High Inquisitor looked back upon the young woman and spoke in his typical stern fashion. You stand accused of theft from one of the Empires soldiers, a sum of twenty gold and a family heirloom in the shape of a ring were claimed to be stolen from his belongings while visiting your brothel. How do you plead? The High Inquisitors expression grew smug, as his tired eyes drifted past the young and freshly beaten blonde haired beauty to regard the next in line. Last edited Aug 19, 2018