Gilded Hearts' Shooting

[Lombard]

It's the aftermath of an assault, the immediate days that follow.
Some stitch their wounds; some pave their walls back up; some mourn their dead.
But some means not all.

In the peak of silence, the hour just before daybreak in the Gilded Hearts' Isle, claims of a ship's sighting have surely spread.

From the shrouding mist, scarce witnesses say they swear to have seen the Pauper's Bride drift by the palace's narrow shoreline. Shortly thereafter, the roaring of cannons and submachineguns opening fire on the building could clearly be heard, piercing cleanly through the lush window panes of the manse and into the adorned living chambers, ruining many of the elegant vases and much of the fine wooden furniture. Needless to say, several rooms are left unpresentable.

A blitz of sorts, before the ship, was seen fleeing southward at full throttle without ever stopping to reconfigure its course. No way to properly catch up to it, no way to fully ascertain its patent and identity.

One of the bigger naval projectiles reportedly held a message engraved onto it with rubicund gems reading:

"This is what you get for disrespecting the invaluable worth and beauty of my perfect, unmatched sister.
How dare you loosen nay a penny from your filthily stuffed wallets to earn her favor. Slighting her honor and attributes like so is unforgivable.

You're lucky that these weren't incendiary nor explosive rounds.
Reconsider your terms of purchase in silence, Mister Avilov."

Though no lives were lost and the minorly injured only consisted of shifting nocturnal staff on a weekday, this still denotes the first instance of a drive-by sail-by shooting in Essharan history.

[Pin Head]

In the wake of the devastation of the drive-by boat shooting, Avilov finds himself wandering on out to the front of the manor once more, visible bags under his eyes. Seems like someone hasn’t been sleeping much!

“Wow!

Kid, I don’t know why you wanted me to buy your sister, but the obvious answer to that is no. Listen, I’m lonely, but I’m not a fucking creep. Now, seeing as you went and had a fit, and bombarded my guild’s island…

We have a few issues that we're going to need to settle, and there's only one real way to do that.”

A hand reached into his pocket, only to produce… A deck of cards?

"Arcana."

“Pick a time and location, and we’ll settle this like men.”

[Folian]

The day following the sail-by barrage upon the manor was one watched over quite carefully by the Guild Master of the Gilded Hearts. Hired masons and carpenters were quick to set about repairing the damages inflicted against the estate, the movement of rubble and ruined decor as constant task for the nameless workers.

Yet amongst such, a casualty most dire that had almost gone unnoticed was discovered.

"..."

Present observers seem to give an account that the Guild Master suddenly collapsed to his knees, a most empty look upon his face, before the following words were spoken to a nearby assistant to be delivered to Avilov.

"Dearest Avilov, I do wish you luck with that children's card game duel of yours."

"If you find yourself embarrassing us, a sum of twenty-thousand coins will be docked from your pay."

"Sincerely, your Boss, Johannes Alabast."

[Lombard]

Within the short and pretty-much-inexistent period between the message being cast and received...

a clear defiant missive is returned to the masonic bard. It comes from no one but the culprit of the shooting, the little man at the helm, Lazav.

And boy, does it come loaded with words.

It is said that the young Docro has reached out to the biggest authority the game in question presently holds, the one and only Arthur Delisle, of Arcana Corp, to intervene and mediate.

"Tch-hahn. Pitiful.
I'll have you know, Avilov, that challenging a true master of games comes with a steep price.

I've never lost a game of cards before, you know? Not once in my life.
However, I commend your bravery for daring my wrist to shuffle the deck and bury you under your HP.

Consider your challenge to the Ace of Hearts... accepted."

"The location will be up to his discretion. Feel free to beg him for a place that makes you feel all the safer, I insist.
As we speak, my card-engineering team is working on the perfect counter to your deck. This duel will be resolved swiftly.

Be as prepared as you humanly can be, so at least it'll feel like a spectacle if nowhere near a challenge.
We will spice up the terms in due time, Mister. Until then, meditate on your poor choices and sob all over your card binder."

SATURDAY (7/24), 6PM EST

[Lombard]

[Due to OOC causes, the Penalty Game has been rescheduled!]

SUNDAY (7/25), 6PM EST

[Lombard]

In a duel that's not for the faint of heart, the intermission of a dark cast arbiter binds the rivaled redheads to their immediate fates. Were Lazav to lose, he'd have to repair the entirety of the Gilded Hearts' estate by hand, whilst Avilov's defeat would signal him surrendering his left eye to the young Docro.



The encounter comes nail-bitingly close, an overconfident Lazav nearly getting odds overturned when his treasured Project ADAM is sent to the Netherworld. He's instead forced to rely on a distinct lack of sufficiently powerful creatures; whilst the three-time-seen appearance of Avilov's signature creature, Flamey, single-handedly chipped away at nearly half of the younger rival's HP.



However, insufficient, Avilov is outmatched by Lazav, who later mocks his deck. Insisting that he should've brought a higher-rated one with him, he watches the arbitrators of fate gauge the faux masonic bard's left eye, seizing it for Lazav as per the rules of the exalted penalty game, and declares himself victor once the Gilded Hearted Bards' HP hit zero.

Undoubtedly, this was sure to give onset to a new age for these games. The young master of gambits at the helm of the bizarre forces of 'fairness' commanded. Avilov disappears into the wilderness, obsessed and in pursuit of a solution, sure to return with more in the bag.

Rumors of these bizarre higher powers existing shapen themselves. Mystery lingers afloat, these unknown forces ever observant of the simplest of card games.

The arbitrators are watching... state your penalties.