Warhammer: Black Rose

Unrelated stories that take place in a setting besides Star Wars...

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Warhammer: Black Rose

Post by Halcyon508 »

Merchant District
Salkalten
Ostland
The Empire

The Serpents Smile was an inn and tavern on the far side of the town near the iced over coast. It was winter now and the fires roared piercing the darkness of the long winter nights. The Inn was one of the more modest in the Merchant district and its tavern was always full. Cosimo, as the owner was called, was a Tilean of little renown. No one knew how he possessed the money to live the outlandish lifestyle that he had. He lived like a king or at least some minor noble. Behind the barrels of mead and the counter where the tavern head stood taking orders, was a sword. Affixed to the swords hilt was a single large ruby and surrounding it were human hands severed from the arms of thieves who had tried to take the blade, preserved and nailed to the mantle. Rumors were abound as to the story of the blade however Cosimo was reluctant to speak any tale of his history.

In addition to the Merchants and other Foreign Traders the Tavern was host to several gangs of mercenaries, bodyguards, and a haven for thieves. Theft was kept to a minimum though as most got jobs from a prospective employer within the tavern. You don’t befoul your own nest. There was one thief in particular that Cosimo enjoyed the company of, his name was Indigo Maros, an Estalian who enjoyed being hired to steal from corrupt noblemen. A Thief with morals was something of a rare commodity, and while most would do a job for one of Cosimo’s clients without batting an eye, Indigo however looked carefully at the ramifications of his work. Cosimo held the young man as a friend.

Cosimo smiled as he saw the boy enter into the tavern. Antony Mariguchi was another regular. He was a bit of a brat, son of the noble Merchant Agustus Mariguchi who often brokered deals in the Tavern while living out of a large manner adjacent to the Inn, when he wasn’t traveling. His son mostly stayed behind leeching off Cosimo’s good will. They were both Tilean after all and of Luccini at that. They quickly found that they were related by some distance to one another neither owning the name of the sire from which they were connected. Cosimo admired the boy, and looked after him like an uncle. The youth enjoyed the tails told by the cutthroats and merchants who frequented the place and enjoyed the privilege of status and was afforded special privileges.

Merrymaking continued as all got intoxicated on the house ale. The clouds drowned the moonlight and only the fire remained to illuminate the area. “So Antony,” Cosimo said. “You must be happy that your father will return tomorrow from his journey.”

Antony opened his mouth to respond but was cut off when the door of the Tavern slammed open. The Frigid air blew the fire as a man limped in from the merciless winter. “Cosimo…” he said in a thick Estalian accent. He staggered forward toward the barkeep. “Old friend.” He murmured blood dripping from his arm. “I have a message for you.” In his hand he held a small tattered piece of parchment with several droplets of blood smearing on the paper. Cosimo took them hand shaking lightly. There was two slips. He examined the first and slowly tucked it into his pocket, then he looked at the second and shivered a little. He looked up and the strange man had left the door flapping in the breeze. Cosimo lowered his hands and dropped the second piece of paper and walked away out of the tavern and up the stairs to his room. On the tattered blood stained slip was written a list of names, each one crossed out except the last. At the bottom of the list was Cosimo Rossetti…
Domani, forget domani
Let's live for now and anyhow who needs domani?
~ Frank Sinatra, Forget Domani
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Post by Jedi_Kit_Fitsu »

Indigo had merely been sitting in his chair silently enjoying a drink at the establishment of a good friend. He sipped his drink and looked over the crowd gathered for the night. It wasn't long until he saw Antony entere and Cosimo approach him, "Might as well say hello," he thought to himself.

However, he was soon interrupted by a figure coming into the door and handing Cosimo pieces of parchment. He studied the men for a moment before he saw Cosimo run upstairs. In an instant, Indigo was now standing over the dropped piece of parchment. He looked over the list and saw all the names except Cosimo's that were crossed out. He mused over the piece of parchment quietly before he handed it to Antony, "What do you suppose all this buisness means?"

He then looked up the stairs towards Cosimo's room, "Maybe we should go see what's going on?"
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Post by Topgun220 »

Antony read over the paper, the blood stuck out in his mind. It made it seem...real. This was serious, people bled on this. It was easy to infer that the people on this list were dead except for his friend Cosimo.

"I think we should definately check on him." Saying those words went completely against every fiber of his being. His sheltered life at his mansion had little danger in it except when he came here to listen to the stories told by Cosimo and the other mercs and brigands coming into the pub.

So when he took the first few steps behind Cosimo with Indigo following it took a lot of determination not to go get outside help.
Niko says:
were so lame
Kit_Fitsu says:
but awesome at the same time
Niko says:
its so contradictory
Magic Man says:
agreed on both acounts
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Post by Halcyon508 »

Cosimo sat in his room in complete silence. He was staring at a chest in the corner not daring to move a muscle. “The end is nigh…” he said softly as the two walked into the room. He pulled out the second piece of parchment and stared at it again. Licking his lips he reached for his desk and grabbed a glob of wax, folded the paper and then sealed it with the wax using his ring to create a seal. He then placed the parchment on the table. “Indigo.” He said softly. “I want you to hold on to this, don’t open it its vital that you do not.” Looking to Antony he then added, “You may have a Vital task soon, both of you.” His shoulders slumped and defeated he then lifted himself and stood. He walked to his chest and cracked it open as to not reveal its content. Pushing his hand in he quickly withdrew another parchment. This one neat and well pressed embroidered in gold. He rang a bell and a servant quickly came to attend to his need. He put the nice piece of parchment in a leather bound pouch and told the servant “Take this to Stein”. The servant complied and walked from the room. “You two should go. Leave me be until the morning. Antony I wish to see your father when he arrived. And Indigo I want you to watch the lad, make sure he gets safely home.”
Domani, forget domani
Let's live for now and anyhow who needs domani?
~ Frank Sinatra, Forget Domani
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Joined: Sun Feb 16, 2003 9:56 am

Post by Halcyon508 »

Cosimo sat in the morning sun his closed from the frigid air outside. He sat across from Agustus Mariguchi. They stared at one another from across the table. “I’m the last one.” He said finally. “Everything has come to pass just like the witch told me it would.” He smirked a little. “I’m sorry to drag you into this old friend, but I have no one else to turn to.” Patrons were starting to arrive. Cosimo stood up and peered through a slit hole in the door. “Herr Stein has taken care of all the arrangements. He has with him the proper papers.” Cosimo shifted his position. “I fear though old friend you are too old.”

“Cosimo you know I could make such a journey!”

“I don’t doubt you would try, however I’m unsure if you would make it.” Sitting back down Cosimo hovered a hand over his pistol. “The next in your house shall have to go, but don’t worry I’ve chosen his companion well.”

“I understand.” Agustus said softly after a brief moment of silence. “I will go and prepare him.”

“First let us have a drink.” Cosimo said pouring two goblets of wine.

“Yes a drink.” Agustus said lifting one of the goblets.

“To old adventures.” Cosimo said followed by “Salud” from both men. They sipped took they drank. As the wine drained from the glass a loud crack was heard; the front door being slammed open. A loud bang and a hiss followed by cracking wood; a gunshot. Cosimo stood quickly and pulled his pistol and a butchers knife. Agustus pulled his Tilean Rapier and both charged out the door. They didn’t know what was about to happen but they were now facing six men each with a brace of pistols. It was an ambush. There was a firefight!
Domani, forget domani
Let's live for now and anyhow who needs domani?
~ Frank Sinatra, Forget Domani
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Post by Jedi_Kit_Fitsu »

When the door flung open, Indigo was in midsip of his ale and ended up spitting it out as he tipped the table over to make cover. Looking down at the now spilled drink and the ale rushing across the floor, Indigo couldn't help but feel large pangs of anger.

"Always while I'm drinking," he muttered to himself.

He then reached into his cloak and grabbed a large dagger along with a handheld crossbow attached to his belt. Waiting until he heard the last pistol shot, Indigo sprung up from behind the table and let fly his arrow. The arrow flew across the room and stuck in one man's shoulder knocking him back and to the ground.

He then saw one of the attackers rushing him causing him to take cover again. "Just a little closer," he said to himself. He then waited for a second before he sprung up once more and threw the dagger at the attacker, the blade embedded into the man's chest. Hurdling the table, Indigo ran towards the first man he shot at and grabbing the dagger from the downed man on the go, he spun the handle so the blade was pointed down and slashed across the man's neck.

Blood splurted as Indigo jumped behind a large crate and began to relaod his crossbow. "Cosimo?! Are you ok?!" he yelled above the din.
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