Asherons Call: Rollout Article

August 2005 Rollout Article

Posted By Ibn on 17-Aug-2005

Seneschal Dalmour strode out of the Royal Hall and observed the prisoner before him. The man was shirtless, lash marks covering his back and sides. The man lay on his stomach, a massive knight pinning him to the ground with one trunk-like leg. Five other knights stood watch around the Aluvian captive.

Dalmour knelt next to the man and moved the prisoner's sweat-dampened hair from his face. The man glared at him out of the corner of his eye.

"What is your name?" Dalmour asked the man.

The man had trouble speaking due to the weight of the knight's leg on his back. But after a bit of struggle he finally spat, "Jasten."

"Jasten," Dalmour said, "My name is Dalmour. I am the King's seneschal. I understand you bear a message from your Queen."

"Y-yes," choked the prisoner.

Dalmour nodded his head. "Well, I'm sure it's riveting. But I'm afraid I haven't the time. You see, my King, he requires much of me. I have meals to prepare, reports to write, housekeepers to discipline, that sort of thing. I am afraid your Queen's message will just have to wait." Dalmour beckoned to one of the knights. "Meanwhile, I'm going to ask these men here to cut off your arms and legs, okay?"

The knight unsheathed a massive sword and stood over the prisoner. Jasten struggled to focus his eyes on the knight, but was unable to roll over far enough to look at him.

"They're going to keep you alive though, okay Jasten?" said Dalmour. "So don't fret. You won't die on their watch. They're pretty good at this sort of thing." Dalmour stood up and took three steps back from the panicked Aluvian. "But in the event you do die, tell your Queen not to bother sending us any more messages, okay? I'm afraid we're just not interested."

The knight raised his sword high above his head. Dalmour turned and re-entered the Royal Hall as the Aluvian screamed.