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Fatherfigure

Posted in Black Caste, Niamh on February 2, 2026 by crow1971

[13:44:50] Vesper (razius) walked into the room and catches the peek around the corner, “We can come back later if it better suits your needs Physician.”

[13:44:54] Zαℓєηα Қrell (zalenapraxis) heard someone speaking in the other room and turned “Seems you’ve got more work to do Lady,” she smiled “Do I need to sign anything?”

[13:45:27] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) noted the men in black and their girl. She instantly recognized them. Seh turns to Zalena “No … let us keep this between us.”she whispered. She would nod .. “this is important.”

[13:47:25] Zαℓєηα Қrell (zalenapraxis) nodded to her then followed her out of the office, recognizing the need for secrecy. She would nod respectfully to the two men that had entered the office, then head towards the door, “My thanks Lady, I shall see you soon, until then, Safe Paths”

[13:47:36] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) swung his head around from the skeleton to view two women with his one clear eye. “Ladies.”

[13:47:42] Vesper (razius) tilted his head to the side as the woman walked past.

[13:48:24] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) smiles, as Mistress and the very pretty Mistress in blue enter the room. “Tal, Mistresses.”

[13:48:33] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) smiled warmly “I wish you well, lady. We meet soon.” she would turn to both man and girl “My office isn’t big but please ..” she offered them.

[13:50:20] Zαℓєηα Қrell (zalenapraxis) offered a gentle smile to the girl and then walked out of the office, leaving them to their business with some privacy

[13:51:19] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) stays in the back corner, out of the way

[13:52:58] Vesper (razius) followed her into the office and lifted up the shirt to show the blood soaked bandages covering his gut. “First, think you could change these? It’s been a couple of days. And, second, Crow has asked me to come here…. no, rather, there is something you said… and I’ve spoken to Crow about it…. and he directed me your way. So, I’m hoping we can discuss the results you pulled up for me recently… but….well… I don’t have your expertise even though I trained as a physician… I’ll need you to guide me through it.”

[13:54:52] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) also stood in the corner, he was a very large man, and the chairs seemed.. rather made for smaller people. He was captivated by the decor. Reading the symbols and trying to figure them out. The ones on the table floated.. that was weird.. Must be his new agent senses? He would ask when appropriate. He was rather concerned with Hith. ” I thought he would heal faster.. but he smells kind of rotten right now..”

[13:55:46] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) enjoyed seeing these men again. Only because she knew her life was safe in their hands and rumor had been that there was a man with less good intentions in the city. Not that she would mention it just yet – she didn’t want to jump the gun so to speak. As Vesper started to talk she could guess to what had caused it. “Change these ?” as she couldn’t see anything. As to the words of Crow she nodded “Guide you ?” she asks. “I had suspected him to come also. But I guess he didn’t dare ?”

[13:57:00] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) bites her lip so she doesn’t laugh at the Mistress’s words, but her eyes begin to sparkle with amusement.

[14:03:43] Vesper (razius) moves to put his helm onto the table and then, as his fingers brushed the scroll, he heard the song again. He shook his head, and looked down, surprised that the song didn’t come the way it used to in the scroll’s presence, nor did the voices. He pulled his hands away…silence…touched it….sound….hand away…silence. He looked to Niamh and said, “The voices are almost gone now….seems I can only hear it when I touch it.” He let his helm rest and then pulled off his jacket and shirt so she could see what transpired. The bandages around his gut were seeping with black blood, but the work of the rejuvenation serum was doing its part to keep him mobile. The stitches looked like they needed to be cleans but after only a couple of days, it was surprisingly well healing despite the seeping.

[14:05:30] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) winces seeing the wound, even if it does look tons better than it had back when he got it.

[14:08:02] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) would move to the cot in the back. Taking a bowl with water and some ointments. Her clinical eye upon the wound and the bandages. “Those can be disposed.” she states the obvious. “I will clean it and apply some healing salve. Why not use it when we can.” she suggested in her dry humor. “So … Crow did not guess as to what I had seen ? Or do you think he did but rather have me bring the news ?” she asks as she looks to Sirius “Please do not touch my subject .. I fear … it has been a long time since I got it to work.” she stated as he had been studying what was on her cabinet.

[14:08:47] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) scrunched up his face, at the sight of the wound. But kept silent in the corner. He wasnt even paying attention to them anymore, but to the floating designs on the desk. He was transfixed.

[14:09:33] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) jumped being called out like that

[14:16:05] Vesper (razius) shook his head as the bandages were pulled off and tossed and then he sat back upon the table. He looked at Niamh and said, “Before you gave me the results for Kage… I knew. I think he does as well… but would rather you provided the results. Or… perhaps he does not wish to know… to confirm… that is hard for me to say.” He turned his head to look at Sirius and then back to Niamh, “What should I know that he cannot say? I feel like my line led down with you and now it is leading up… and my world is shifting drastically as a result. The hunger Niamh…. the hunger I have to kill burns in my veins and bubbles to the surface… he said that….he understood that and it was given to him. I always thought it was just me.

[14:23:30] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) would wash her hands before she would take a bowl with fresh water placed it beside her and started to clean the wound. A critical eye to the stitches how it healed and what caused the dark colour of the blood. She worked methodical and quick. Her way of doing things was as ever gentle. There was nothing brutal in her. “Did you learn of his past ?” she asks “Of his time before ?” she asks. She would look up “He had three children. I know that he assumed them all to be killed when he found his companion. But they didn’t. He met Rose in when he was just earned his livery. Tried to father her .. but failed. She was pushed away by what he had become …” she shared. It was his own fault she spoke so freely … “Does this … sound in a way familiar to you ?” as she would take an oinment to clean the wound some more and looked to the others in the room. “Girl if you wish .. in the kitchen you can make some tea or black wine if any wants it.”

[14:24:25] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) moved to the desk now, as if he and the desk and the floating texts that had come alive.Crouched down , the mechanical whirligigs went through him. Flying all around him producing designs and trails of colors so sharp and exquisite he had never seen the like before. They sang a song to him. Something special that he would understand. He mouthed the words, no sound produced would come from him. But he bobbed his head to it, as if it was the most favorite song ever in his head.

You’re here because
You’re one of us
We are the strength
We are the soldiers
You’ve journeyed far
You’ve battled hard
And now you will receive the Permanent reward
You’ve conquered pain
You’ve conquered fear
Stand proud and salute
The bloodied flag here
You pledged your death and
Your last breath
You are the gears
You are the gears
We fear not our mortality
We’ll serve to the best of our ability
We give our lives to our masters
We vow to smite our enemies
You’ve mastered death
You’ve mastered fear
You are transformed
You are stronger
Now that you’re here
A branded gear
Burned in your flesh
We’ll seal the deal
You’ve conquered fire
You’ve conquered ice
You’ve tasted blood
You’ve taken life
You’re here because
You’re one of us
Become a gear
Become a gear
We fear not our mortality
We’ll serve to the best of our ability
We give our lives to our masters
We vow to smite our enemies
We bless your skin
We bless you with our mark become a gear…

[14:32:47] Vesper (razius) would nod slowly, “Yes, he spoke of his past… finally after so many years I learned of it. I was transfixed by the story and felt his pain.” He didn’t hear the song as he was not in connection with the scroll but he did feel a rush of adrenaline in his body, as if it was time to hunt and his face flushed slightly. But he mastered his reaction and would not show it to Niamh or anyone, carried on speaking as if his veins were not on fire. “My mother was from Kyoto…on earth and talked about the man who was my father as if he was vile, a beast with little in the way of morals or kindness, even though he was a physician of Ar…. and as to missing a companion…..yes, I can empathize with Crow on that as well…perhaps for the same reasons. I killed both my mother and the Pani woman who was my free companion in order to become a member of the Black Caste….and my father…. I never sought him out…. never seemed worth it given the kind of man he had been rumored to be.”

[14:37:50] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) would hear the song. The songs always came to her. As if the Priest Kings themselves ensured that she was as ever in constant reach and contact. For a moment she paused – trying to tune into it … but the conversation important as she turned to Vesper once more. “The reason I tell this is … ever since that with rose … he has fathered more children. But he never dared to acknowledge them again. Afraid he would push them away.” she would take the healing salve and started to apply this. “Did you ever ask him .. why he wears on occassion the livery of those of the pani islands ? Or why he even has a contract woman ?” she would now give Vesper a sharp look as if perhaps things would fall into place.

[14:40:26] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) blinks… is the Mistress saying…. ???!!!! No way. Surely not. Her gaze goes to Sirius, to see if he has any reaction to be read on his face.

[14:42:52] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) reached his hand out to the floating text, and watched as it settled on his skin and seemed to disintegrate in his skin. When it did that, the song faded to something that would go on repeat in his head, but softer. Always playing when he would be quiet and empty his mind. Reminding him of his choice to become a gear. He stood up, bumping into the cabinet behind him. Blinking a few times, he wondered how he got to the desk when he was in the corner. But weird shit had been happening to him for several days now. Lyric was in vision , and he nodded to her. The conversation before that had been muffled as if he wasnt meant to hear it. He did reach a single finger up to his left eye, and wiped what he thought to be a tear. It was instead the color and substance of milk. Strange. He brought it to his lips, and tasted. But tasting nothing, he saw he was still hallucinating like mad. He made his way to the door. Looking back , nothing was floating on the desk anymore. Things appeared.. .normal.

[14:43:51] Vesper (razius) mouth dropped open and he looked at her and suddenly he felt like an idiot… a verifiable idiot sandwich…. He sat there looking at her and then he would realize what kind of man would be considered without morals…vile…evil…. he was such a man…. and so, it would seem was his father. The adrenaline flooded deeply in his veins and he felt the connection with the man like it was a direct line leading home. He’d always felt that pull to Crow… always. “I’m an idiot….” he muttered out loud.

[14:48:55] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) would take the bandages and started to dress them. As ever she was efficient and well practiced. A life with northern men had abled her to practice enough. “Crow is a charming man. A man that had his share of women. Sometimes in part of his disguise. And perhaps sometimes to fill a void that he never truly can fill. I even doubt Yoko can.” she would ensure the bandage secure as she looked up to him “I think he suspected it but never got confirmation. He must have guessed I would check it. I had to test it and got the results.” she would pause and lock her gaze with his “He is your father.”

[14:52:19] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) stood at the door, his back to them. But he could hear bits and pieces. Enough that made him turn quickly enough he hit the frame of the door. “What the fuck?” he was not the best at etiquette or finding the right word.

[14:53:53] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) whispers to Sirius, “Do you think Master Crow knows?”

[14:55:36] Vesper (razius) took in a deep breath, held it, let it burn in his lungs until he would move it out slowly though his mouth in a beat. In the space of two days he had gone from a self-made orphan to a man with a full family of sorts. That was enough to change a man deeply at a fundamental level. He held his surface still though, as if silence could be what kept structure that would, like the bandages binding him up, hold his very essence inside. Finally, in time, and once it hat settled, he would say, “He is my father. He knows it. Of that I am certain… but he thought I would reject him.” A pause and then he said, “I do not…. I welcome him… I wonder if he would know that though.”

[15:00:31] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) looked to lyric as she could still spy her from where she was. cleaning up as she was done with the wound. “These conversations are to be had with him.” she answers. She had her own thoughts on the matter and of course her information in songs and dreams. “Now as to your wound. It heals well enough. It might take a little more time than normal but nothing lethal or bad. But perhaps clean the bandages more frequent.” she suggested.

[15:01:56] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) is glad for her Master, of course, but she also worries for him. He’s taken an awful lot of hits in a very short period of time – not necessarily bad ones, but both good and bad.

[15:02:50] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) felt his cheeks actually flush with a burning red at the mention of the wound not being lethal. It was well known at least in their circles, that it was Sirius who stabbed him. But Sirius marched into that exam area.. He opened and closed his mouth several times, nothing came out. He lifted a hand like :what the actual fuck… He was able to speak.. but he so flabbergasted that it was impossible to.

[15:09:43] Vesper (razius) put on his clothes and would hold onto his helm for the moment, “I’ll do that.” He paused and said to Niamh, “If one is in hiding… as you are… I should think it would be helpful to know who had designs on you.” He would look toward Lyric and then say to Niamh, “If one, such as myself had an experience that changed him to the core…made him rethink how he had been … used…. by those that made him a penitent man…. a zealot of faith…. he might find himself drifting…. drifting in that faith… that would make sense from the surface would it not?” He looked at Sirius and then said, “But if the hidden water is pure… then the surface, no matter how disturbed it may seem… could still be of use.” Then back to Niamh, “In time, you may know more of me… in ways you fear… but know that who I am is Crow’s son…. and on that you can count. You will always be safe with me Niamh.”

[15:13:36] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) inclined her head “Crow is a man that has managed on his own for a very long time. It is good that he isn’t alone anymore.” she replied. Perhaps giving them both some insight in that part of their quest. “I have lived so long with looking over my shoulder … it is a way of living. But thank you for that promise.”

[15:15:54] Sirius™ (lucienwildulf) blew air from puffed cheeks forcibly. A hand moved to a fist and rested on his hip, the other held his helm. He looked HIth from head to toe, trying to see either his father, or his brother in the man that was suddenly named as his nephew. “Well I ll be a jits uncle.. “he stated, then as Hith gave his word of protection, and knowing Crow was very protective of the lady, ” I ll watch your back as well. “

[15:17:44] Niamh Strömberg (karlotte.shelman) looks at Sirius “Thank you, all. I walk in the light and yet have you all as my shadows.” she jested. “If there is anything I can do .. from here let me know.”

[15:19:42] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) listens closely to her Master. When he glances at her before mentioning hidden water, she meets his eyes – she understands. He’s talking about himself, his core. She’s seen that core. It is pure. She knows this. A small nod, brief, certain. A smile quivers on her lips. She knows who he is… at his core.

[15:25:02] Vesper (razius) would put on his helm and leave the way he came. Not meant to stay longer than his time. He would walk out the door with only a couple of words, “I need to see Kage… but this needs to be a more private conversation…. I think he is still getting used to the idea that he is my son… I have no idea what it will mean for him to even bring up the larger legacy. You’re welcome to come to the outpost but I may not be able to connect with you for some time.

[15:25:31] Lʏʀɪᴄ (kiya.pawpad) watches from the corner anxiously

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Shadows of the Third Knowledge

Posted in Black Caste, Serum storyline, War of Gor on January 23, 2026 by crow1971

[07:32] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “ahhh interesting!”…..”someone laying suspicion on someone else, or somewhere else”… “as for Leya, her status is always somewhat blurred, so i do not blame you for the initial confusion”….”i prefer to consider her in permanent transition”.

[07:32] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “it makes things easier that way”.

[07:33] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Laughs “Aye, she is a tranisarrie..” waves hand. “An old historical joke maam, from Earth. ” Grows serious once more. “The vial contains..” leans forward “a virus”.

[07:34] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “A virus? good heavens!”…..sits and considers the implications for all….having just come back from a physicians seminar in Besnit.

[07:35] Crow (melchior.wardell) had not come to his age by being reckless. No his age was because he knew when to move, when to be quiet and when to listen. And as he listens – the voice – and the word were enough for him to stand still. His ear to the door as keen eyes would look out for anyone to oversee him. Surely his pose could instill some questions if he wasn’t paying attention.

[07:35] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): nods “said virus was concocted by the Kur, many moons ago, and stopped by …” considers “some men of Earth…men with the third knowledge perhaps you might say. It would appear, that they did not contain all of it, and the Kur wish to send message, or if not the Kur, then one of thoe barbarians..>”

[07:38] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires) has her head in a spin, his replies immediately answering her next question immediately and a sinking feeling hitting her heart…. “gracious Sir, how dreadful!!, those damned Kurii, I assume it was found near to here!, so we are looking for Earth Men who should not be here?”

[07:40] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Smiles, calm…almost too calm. “The reason I tell you this maam, is twofold. ” Pauses, wiping dry lips. “Firstly, when I told Master Neph of this, he reacted very strangely, and wanted to carry out further analysis of the vial. That means a few thing – firstly, he is a physician in his spare time and hides it well, or…he is an agent of…a higher power hmm?”

[07:40] Crow (melchior.wardell) frowns at the words. It reminded him of Klopek. The abduction of Solomon and wondered if Niamh might be in danger. as he listens he wondered if to enter. To stop the sharing of words. Perhaps there was already too much shared? His mind would go easy to murder. It was what he did for his craft. Yet he knew and understood that there should be reason and cause.

[07:41] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “I assume you have enquired with Leya, partly because of her former slave condition, she has the keenest eyes in the entire Sim, she seems to see most everyone who passes, and sends up alarm to those who are unfamiliar?……..”

[07:43] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Sighs “Indeed, i have, and have warned her to look for a man from the north, dressed as an Arian. Secondly, I fear that the man…one of the men who stopped the Kur virus in the first place, has become an enemy of his former colleague, and sends the vial as message to indicate that he knows where his colleague, now his enemy, is…and that…he is coming…” Pauses “that man’s name, is Tyr…” Looks up. “His former colleague, is called Crassus Tace”
[07:43] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Shrugs “YOU SEE MY QUANDRY HMM?”

[07:44] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “I am not long returned to the Oasis, but i am still relearning who comes and goes, but either way, what you have shared with me will remain confidential, as all matters in this place often are!”

[07:44] Crow (melchior.wardell) tried to memorize names when they were shared. And turned to ensure he was still not observed. Not that he wanted to remain hidden. Strangely enough he wished to be found. When the name was mentioned he would knock on the door. Hoping they would remain unaware of how much he already overheard.

[07:44] Crow (melchior.wardell): KNOCK KNOCK

[07:44] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Turns rapidly, hand goes to pommel “you are expecting company?”

[07:45] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “oh dear….. !, please stay here…”

[07:45] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “Janus stay close”
[07:46] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): Tal Sir, welcome to my office! how can i help you today?
[07:46] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): smiles
[07:46] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): Do you have a legal matter with which to discuss with me?

[07:47] Janus (tegamerdk) steps forward to the back of the lady and watches

[07:47] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): As you can see i have company right now, if you would like to come back later?

[07:48] Crow (melchior.wardell) smiled easy enough when the door opened. “Greetings, lady.” he offered. “I come from far … and from what I understood you might have information that is vital for me.” the smile came easy. The charming killer as ever there. His hands in their view as to give them that sense of safety. “I am the man called Crow.” he offers. Surely giving a name would give taht sense of familiarity.

[07:48] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): unless it is very very urgent?

[07:49] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): hears the name..a distant memory…surely not the same…surely, it could not be…

[07:50] Crow (melchior.wardell) sighs “I do not want to press matters … but it is indeed very urgent.” Crow sure of his craft and his business would move in and pass her as if it was the most normal thing in this world. As if he never had been told No before. “The importance is a matter of life and death … and not just of one …” he stated with that certainty.

[07:50] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “what a lovely name indeed 🙂 I am Lady Myriam and Magistrate 🙂 and this is one of my colleagues, a messenger who conveys my messages and i must write a letter most urgently involving a legal matter for my client, perhaps you can wait in the Inn and i can ensure that as soon as i am free i can have you sent for?”

[07:51] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): mind racing now…if it was the Magistrate of Ar…no…perhaps he had never been the magistrate of Ar…perhaps yet, he owed him his life…hand does not leave pommel. It was a trick , yes..one of Tyr’s tricks. he had been in Ar, he was sure of it

[07:52] Janus (tegamerdk): As you can see the lady and i have business to conduct if you give her some time we can be sure you can have the time you will need 🙂

[07:53] Janus (tegamerdk) tries to be light hearted and affable

[07:53] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): If it is super urgent you could wait outside these doors 🙂
[07:54] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): but i will be pacing about the place for a short time, consulting maps and so on?

[07:54] Crow (melchior.wardell) wouldn’t let himself be swayed that easy. His eyes in warning to the man that was with her. “Now … I do not want to do any harm.” he warned. He had not yet drawn a weapon. But his wearing black, the spear the many daggers might tell them they were dealing with a man skilled in his profession. Not the kind that would make haste – unless – important of very sure of himself and this business. “That is the issue, Sir.” he stated and his tone had remain void of urgency even if his words were “There is no time. I wish there was … as you must know it is one of our traits.”

[07:55] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): opens the door, sliding up the wall, hand on hilt…that voice…was it really the man of Ar?

[07:56] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires) waves to the passing locals… and smiles back to the man. If you can perhaps seek refreshment in the inn and Janus will come and let you know when i am free 🙂

[07:56] Janus (tegamerdk) nods, “yes i can do that for you Lady”

[07:56] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): grimaces before stepping out…

[07:57] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): “it would seem there be no end to your talents, Magistrate..and Assassin?” stares into eyes he recognises

[07:57] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “there are many more refreshments more suited to your thirst in this hot weather than tea”

[07:59] Crow (melchior.wardell) hears another door open and his eyes would turn to the sound. He would most likely be able to overcome the woman and the scribe – but more ? Even he was no super human. But when the man steps into the hall way the corner of his lips moved up in what might appear a grin. “We meet again, brewer.” he stated. Surely it was long ago and names could be like ribbons – speaking them could turn them in turtles. “Many talents … but one very important. To find who is needed.”

[07:59] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires) smiles, “oh how nice! you know each other!….. well perhaps you should both be aware this is a legal office, and your conduct is be accordingly.

[08:01] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Nods, hand not leaving pommel. “If it is I that the black caste seek, then we shall have words of steel…” sighs…”but i would not bloody the lady’s hallway…” Smiles briefly “know only, that before we tease the cities of dust with our presence, that I still owe you for preventing my companion having collar, and for me avoiding the impaling spike…for which you still have my thanks…”

[08:04] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “Well Sirs, that letter is not going to write itself!, It seems there is pleasantries to pass between you….am i yet needed by either of you?”

[08:04] Crow (melchior.wardell) regarded the woman with a critical eye. She too seemed to be familiar. But he would dismiss her. She held for now little importance. His gaze would rest upon Crassus “If I had been here to serve a contract you would be dead and I would be on the first kailla and be on my way.” he stated. Not out of arrogance but simple truth. It is how he did his business. He could see his hand on his pommel and knew that people in fear could do strange things. “Rumor has it that our meeting was for a reason back then. And not to your death but your life. So can we ?” he would wave his hand to the door. “Perhaps we can speak more discrete?”

[08:06] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “If you need a private space so long as there is no blood you may use a meeting room nearby? or perhaps you could make use of my office as long as you do not make it a mess! i hate mess!”

[08:06] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Eyes narrow…so many of the black wanted him dead, and yet this one, spoke of honor and intrigue…He wanted to laugh at the surety of his claim, but decided to opt for valor, and remove the woman from proceedings “Milady, we will leave you and convene in the inn…’lest blood spoil your cushions, and your reputation . ” Smiles…moving toward the door, offering first pass to the assassin

[08:07] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Considers “Unless that is MAster Crow – that you wish to include the magistrate in the diatribe?”

[08:08] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “0Now, i fear that you both have put me in the middle… this would cause a great deal of fuss and i would send for aid if there is going to be trouble between you! by all means discuss… “

[08:09] Crow (melchior.wardell) would take the risk to go before him. He considered the man not the type to stab him in the back. Even if his own profession cared little for such. A kill was a kill and there was little honor in such. As Crassus spoke he shook his head “Not for now … but perhaps for later.” he stated. His eyes would drift to the woman and the supporting scribe. “I wish you both well.” with that he moved outside.

[08:09] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): “thank you for your time Milady…and do be careful of the man from Ar , named Tyr…”

[08:09] Myriam-alyah Spires (noirnyte.spires): “Sir, are you in danger?” whispers?

[08:10] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Shakes head

[08:10] Janus (tegamerdk): Lady, I dont think i should leave you, this seems to be a remarkably dangerous place for a Free woman alone

[08:12] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): slaves scuffle to attend them as they enter the inn “water girl…we do not seek paga…yet”

[08:13] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): watches Crow take a seat as the women fuss over him; watching his senses control entry, exit, means of escape, position…all of it…he reminds him of Tyr

[08:14] Crow (melchior.wardell) would seat himself with his back to the wall. Keen eyes upon those that would observe them. His voice low – a bare whisper as to keep the conversation discreet “I couldn’t help to overhear … a man of Ar Tyr ?” he asks as he took a tankard with water from one of the girls (NPC).

[08:15] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): “You know of the third knowledge, the men of Earth? You know that sometimes, well, tales tell of them coming to Gor for those taken by voyages of acquisition..” A fist clenches “to take them back…Tyr was one of those men..>” looks up “as was I”

[08:18] Crow (melchior.wardell) would observe him over the rim. “You were in my home. We spoke about your origins. The information is known and familiar. But I do not know all names that are taken here. Nor do I know of those that return. What I do know is that there is purpose for a something far bigger than you and I. So tell me of this Tyr is he your enemy ?”

[08:20] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Sighs, remembering. “He was one of my men, before we came to Gor…the finest of the finest. ” Closes his eyes for a time “Five of us came here. I thought the rest dead, but Tyr survived…” Considers. “Eva…and I carried out work for the Priest Kings….and I found that Tyr was alive….” Rubs chin, clearly more to tell

[08:22] Crow (melchior.wardell) was an agent of the Priest Kings for a long time. And in this time he had seen many things that could give a very different perspective upon life upon Gor. As he was a good listener he remained silent and let the silence invite the other to speak.

[08:26] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Sighs. “Something changed…the Priest Kings put an implant in her. My belief was that I could remove it. Tyr joined us in the hidden city, we determined that the Kur were designing a virus..” looks up “A virus that would reverse the effects of the serum…and thereby age all who had come here from Eaarth, in a bid to destablise Gorean society. ” Considers “We thought we had won…but after the mission, Eva went crazy…sending Tyr to the galleys and trying to kill me…” Over a period of passage hands, i returned, and tore the implant from her neck…” Licks lips. “Tyr…i later found out, escaped the galleys..and swore vengeance”

[08:30] Crow (melchior.wardell) would listen and perk a brow ‘So if I have it correct … you distrusted the Priest Kings?” he asks to have it clarified. Such could change the dynamic of the conversation as well as the outcome. “I remember Eva… how did she get hurt … Is she alright ?” he asks further. The story was complicated he feared. “Tyr swore vengeance on who ?”

[08:33] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Nods..”After I removed the implant…or thought i had…I collared Eva, to hide her, and brought her here as my slave, where she yet serves. As a slave she might hide, as Ubara she could not. Tyr wants her dead, and me, so long as I protect her…hence…” Considers. “hence…he has returned to his Kur contacts, and sent the vial as a message to show not only has he allies, and powerful ones, but that the virus was not all destroyed” Pauses “We recently found a vial of the virus on a corpse in the desert. A message, that he is coming, in my estimation.”

[08:37] Crow (melchior.wardell) pondered “I wish it was that simple. Take out this man Tyr and we are done. Can’t you see the bigger picture here?”he asks. “Here I thought it was only rumor that the Kurri had been able to obtain it. Surely after we ensured the one that could produce it out of their hands. But I guess they managed to find another with similar knowledge. That vail … if it is overly produced … Gor as we know it might not have much longer. I want to find this man Tyr and his contacts so we can get to the source and eliminate that danger. ” he sighs “Where is the vail and where can I find this man Tyr ?”

[08:41] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Smiles. “the vial is with Neph – a warrior here, though…” considers, “having dealt with Priest King agents in the past, I suspect he is one. His interest in the vial was too astute.” Licks lips and sips the water. “As for Tyr; one does not find him…he finds you. He was the best soldier I ever had…’special forces’, attitude, successful and lucky…on Earth he was the best of the best…as I say, one does not find Tyr, unless he wants to be found. He knows I will stand in his way for Eva, hust as he knows that I will die for her…” Sighs “he found a way to be preferred by the Kur Queen…a way which most men would not have dreamed of, and hence he has powerful allies amongst the Kur.”

[08:48] Crow (melchior.wardell) listens again with great interest. Soldiers ? He knew them – studied them even. The technology on earth in that regard more in the open where here it was an offense enough to have it blue flamed. But he understood this wasn’t about weaponry but intelligence, connections. “So he is obsessed with Eva.” he replied as if that was already some kind of answer. “And he can’t be found.” he hears the lack of trust in the caste he served – or anything of this world But could he blame the man that came from Earth? “He is nothing to them. Just a piece in their play of kaissa. When he served his purpose he will be disposed or used in their antics.” he frowns “This Neph. Where can he be found ? Have you spoken of this with him ?”

[08:51] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): “Aye..Neph knows the history of the virus, though I regretted telling him…for I fear he is more than he seems. He lives toward the wall with his slaves…(( Nephtides na Neidos (nephtides) )) . Turns onmce more “Know this – Tyr will come, and I will fight…” Shrugs “For I have little choice. My fear is the Kur and what they might do to the people here, but also the virus. Iw ould see the women of Earth that have been kidnapped to your vile planet die, rather than forcibly age in front of Gorean masters and be slain by the sword…” Spittle flies as he grows angrier

[08:54] Crow (melchior.wardell) memorizes the name “My network can try to find this Tyr. As they are still finding those physicians that must have worked on this … ” he replied – sharing some of his knowledge into this. “The kurri and the Priest Kings work in a strange balance … If I can help it … that toxin will never be used in such a manner, but I need more then this. Can you introduce me to this man Neph?”

[08:55] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): nods “i can aye…he travels a lot – also he is frequently found at Ar’s Station with his sluts…” Stares int the middle distance “My own death, I have little fear of, but I will protect Eva to my last breath in this matter…”

[08:58] Crow (melchior.wardell) frowns “I can’t remain here. But you could hire protection for her. You must know of this ?” he asks. “And I doubt she will have much use of you being dead so do not speak of it as if it is already a lost cause.

[09:00] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Laughs “aye, your words are true. I will not hire protection and draw attention. better she remains my slave, but already I have had the physicians look at her, for I fear that I did not get all of the implant our..” shrugs “I took advice from Lyra on the matter…the physician, but I fear she still has ‘attacks'”

[09:05] Crow (melchior.wardell) frowns “Lyra of Ar ?” he asks curious. He knew of her research and hidden clinic. “There is a woman that can help you with the implant. She is now known as Niamh. She is a companion of a trader of the North. Portus STromberg. Last I know he is a slaver in Holmesk but also has a trading company the Black Compass.” he shared. As to not draw attention. Tyr is already close considering the vial he left as a warning?”

[09:07] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): remembers the name “Aye…I may well seek her out..Lyra had advice, but I am no physician..i fear something remains of the influence, and I would be done with it.” Nods “Tyr is close, or else the Kur are trying to takle the Tahari…either way, it bodes ill for the oasis. Were I to ascribe subtlety to Tyr, I would suggest he is giving me an option…give Eva to him, or he will unleash the virus…” Looks up “He will not get Eva”

[09:11] Crow (melchior.wardell) nodded “Well blackmail is never a certainty for him not to use the vial even after. I agree it is foolish to get into that request.” he would drain the tankard. “I will try to get my men seek this place out more frequent. So you could relay a message if it is needed. We need to stop that contamination at all costs.” he stated. “Remember that conversation … even in the guise of something – there is truth.” he stated cryptic in hope he would learn that Crow – even a murdered – stood on the light side of things. “For now I need to depart and inform those of the caste I trust with this … if you have any word of those less honorable. Let me know by messenger or sent me a feather so I know it is urgent and I need to find you.”

[09:12] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): smiles…reaches a hand to grip his arm “my thanks again Magistrate…”…considers “if we are lucky , I will owe you once more for the life of my companion”…”I have means to get Eva out if Tyr arrives…and I will send her to you, one way or another, once the fight begins”

[09:18] Crow (melchior.wardell) regards him again very serious. “I understand that this world seems cruel and unkind. That it is rough and demanding for men. Surely when one comes from Earth. Yet … honor, kindness and dare I say love is to be found in special places. There is no need for gratitude. Since I have my own selfish reasons for finding the toxin and ensuring it won’t be used.” he would lift himself up. He would toss a few silvers – way too much for the water they had taken “May your bags always be filled with water.” and with that he would move off. Wondering when he would find a scroll, feather or Eva.

[09:19] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Nods “and yours Magistrate…you will know that matters are moving when someone says that word to you…accept it as a sign…’Magistrate’ will be the key word…”

[09:20] Crassus Tace (jensen.abbot): Smiles “for there are few who know you by that name”

[09:20] Crow (melchior.wardell) dipped his head “Magistrate it is.”

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Papercuts

Posted in Black Caste, Serum storyline, War of Gor on January 19, 2026 by crow1971

Crow traced the ink on the parchment, his fingertips drifting over the signatures. He wasn’t reading names. He was feeling the pressure of the quill, weighing the intent and the force behind each stroke. It was a dark habit of his to find the man within the ink. Yet, as he traced the lines, his thoughts drifted to the voids on the page. Sometimes, the ink that isn’t there carries the most weight.

Taog’s signature was missing. A pity. Crow would have preferred him here, not out of sentiment Taog. He understood the gears of the Castes, and Crow had always held a sharp, jagged respect for a mind that could navigate the laws of Gor as cleanly as a his dagger navigates a ribcage.

Then there was Scar. His absence was predictable, tedious even. Crow had spent years pouring his blood into the man’s cup, only to realize the vessel was bottomless and ungrateful. Scar operated on a deluded sense of entitlement, demanding a loyalty he had never truly bought. A mistake Crow wouldn’t let him make again.

But Solomon… Solomon was the complicated one.

Solomon hadn’t signed, and Crow suspected it was born of a newfound caution. They had been mentor and student once, a dynamic of clear horizons. But the shadows had grown long. With the secrets Crow now carried. This knowledge that could unmake better men and with it the balance had shifted.

Solomon wasn’t an enemy; he was a brother-in-arms, but a brother who now realized the whelp he had raised was fully grown. There was a new, sharp edge to their silence. Crow didn’t resent him for it. He knew better than most that very few people truly saw the man beneath the “Charming Killer.” They saw the flirtatious grin and the easy humour, the polished façade he maintained. They didn’t see the dark depths where his true thoughts lay coiled and hidden. That man in the mirror could never be fooled. “Back to business.” He mused as he rolled up the scroll and stored it in his chest , the lock clicking like a final word..

Important matters were piling up, and Crow could feel the weight of them. This assignment had dragged him across every godforsaken corner of Gor, and as the Tahari sand stung his skin, he realized the people who actually held the answers were likely long gone.

Whispers. That’s all he had. But the air felt different here—he was close. The problem was the distance; he couldn’t be in two places at once, and the clock was running out.

He needed a messenger. “Find the one called Vesper at the Loom,” he told the runner, his voice raspy from the heat. “Or Erebus. You’ll likely find them both there. They’ve known of this business for a long time.”

He sat to write, his hand moving with a precision that felt out of place in the desert. The elegant sweep of the letters betrayed him—it was the handwriting of a man raised in the High Castes, a remnant of his years spent hiding behind the robes of a Scribe and a High Magistrate. This time, he didn’t have the luxury of being cryptic.

I am in the Tahari. I narrowly missed the ‘physicians’ carrying the vial we discussed. Word is they are headed for Ar’s Station. I cannot say if they serve the light or the dark. Whatever you do, do not let that vial be opened—not unless you are certain the light prevails. — Crow

He kept it brief. If the scroll was intercepted, a few vague words might save his life. Now, it was out of his hands. It all depended on whether they were clever enough to read between the lines.

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The Quiet Ascendant

Posted in Black Caste, Mastery on January 18, 2026 by crow1971

This blog once started with a post about my views on the caste and gorean roleplay. One of the first posts was about rank. This roleplay I didn’t want to post because it is too much praise and I am rather not the centre of anyones attention. But then a friend told me it was part of my story and should be posted. So here it goes – and it allows me to show my gratitude to those there in my roleplay story !

Thank you for all my friends there. K and Lyric for the pictures.

[2026/01/17 10:47] Sirius™ grins at his brother, “Tal, Killer. I am glad you made it.”

[2026/01/17 10:48]  Şυтα ιиgℓєωσσđ  would also Notice Master Crow  and Lawan “greetings Master and Lawen, she would give the girl a wink “I was wondering when you was going to get here” she would say with a impish grin

[2026/01/17 10:48]  Crow would brush some of the dust of his cloak and looks about himself. The amount of Crows was … hilarious – but surely such would not be shown on his features. “Ah … I see I come to a murder scene.” as the saying was more then one crow was a murder.

[2026/01/17 10:49]  Al’Eru: His two uncles were here, neither of whom looked much alike, no matter how long he looked at them. “Tal Killer”

[2026/01/17 10:50]  Sirius™ smirks to this, as he had captured each crow by hand and brought them here. He had high hopes that none would dive on them, and peck their eyes out. But rather bring out shiny and drop them in their laps. And high hopes none were shit on. “It is indeed, the scene of a murder.  A murder of crows.. ” dun dun duuuun

[2026/01/17 10:52]  Lawan decides it’s better to stay quiet and moves a little closer to A. Slowly, more and more people arrive. But her smile, her feigned innocence, greets each and every one of them.

[2026/01/17 10:52]  Crow chuckles now.  He would turn and dip his head to the other killers  “Tal Killers. Girls.” he stated taking of his helmet and taking it under his arm.

[2026/01/17 10:52]  Şυтα ιиgℓєωσσđ  would notice more arrive “Greetings Masters and beauties”

[2026/01/17 10:54]  KeDjA sneaks up behind Adira and hugs her from behind before whispering softly in her ear, ‘Long time no see, sister.’ One of the few people who get to enjoy this title is the blonde beauty who will always be Adira to Kedja. She kisses her on the cheek and releases her arms from around her body.

[2026/01/17 10:54]  αяѕυѕ As always, his tarn throws him from the saddle, he rolls elegantly on the ground, stands up confident of victory, looks around as if nothing had happened. “Tal” was the only word he said.

[2026/01/17 10:56]  αяѕυѕ “heel mine” was stated as he noted Kedja.

[2026/01/17 10:56]  Lʏʀɪᴄ sticks close to her Master like glue at the large gathering. “Tal, Masters… tal, Slave Girls.”

[2026/01/17 10:57]  Al’Eru: observed the arrival of more killers, waited a while until he sounded another “Tal Killers, slaves”

[2026/01/17 10:57]  Sirius™  Obsidian should be here, but coming late.

[2026/01/17 10:58]  Vesper would move into the circle of men and their beauties to see who was present and accounted for and who was likely still writing a speech or fixing to wear the right silk

[2026/01/17 10:59]  Sadiyah || She drifted in the wake of others, the tiny bauble that dangled from Kage’s fingers as they entered into the gathering. Slithering through the crowd, she settles beside him, “Masters.” the polite cadence of that small word filtering from quiet lips, “Slave girls.” ||

[2026/01/17 11:00]  Crow could tell that some had remembered some of his past. A purple camisk .. a bare chest .. and even his killcard of old. A silent reminder when he was the most shaggable of all. He simply dipped his head to new arrivals. Trying to keep an eye on all crows. You needed to be one to know them.

[2026/01/17 11:00]  Snow wore his most spikiest outfit for the occasion, folding his hands before himself as he gave a small inclination of his head to those gathered, taking up position at the back of the group.

[2026/01/17 11:00]  Şυтα ιиgℓєωσσđ  would notice as more arrived, she would smile warmly at Kedja, it had been a long time since she had seen her she would then share that smile to all “Greetings Masters and Beauties” she would say with a bow of her head, her eyes cast down in a respect manner

[2026/01/17 11:00]  Vesper looked down to Lyric, “There are many here today. Stay close…we’ll move to sit down now…others will be filtering in and we want to get out of the way.

[2026/01/17 11:01]  Lʏʀɪᴄ : “Yes, my Master.”

[2026/01/17 11:01]  KeDjA blinks for a moment before turning her head to get an overview of who is there. She winks at Crow and Sirius, then, at his command, scurries over to Arsus. ‘Tal Masters, Kajirae,’ she says in a soft voice, and finally stops to the left of her owner.

[2026/01/17 11:01]  Sirius™ gestured with a sweeping hand toward the ceremonial area. He had wanted to build something that was liken to the Stand Towers of yesteryear. “Please find your seats, they’re not assigned. Where you sit, is up to you.( The chairs also have duo seating, for the girl to be at your feet)

[2026/01/17 11:02]  Lʏʀɪᴄ :yelps as a crow pecks at her foot

[2026/01/17 11:02]  Snow turned to head for the seating, leaving it to the slave to either keep up or be left in his rattling wake. So many spikes.

[2026/01/17 11:03]  Serpent™ : Serpent stepped toward the circle with unhurried purpose, the helm tucked beneath his arm, its familiar weight a quiet constant. Black gathered around black, some faces known,.

 He took his place among them without ceremony, posture relaxed, presence unmistakable. This was not his rite, not his claim. He was here to witness, to observe.

 “Tal, killers,” he said evenly, voice low, carrying just far enough.

[2026/01/17 11:03]  Kurotaka Shin’en taps keDJA head … ” wrong feet you at … “

[2026/01/17 11:04]  Crow would place his helmet spear and shield to the side of the chair. Such was hardly comfortable and he considered the time he needed to sit and wait till this was over. In anything .. he felt completely out of place.

[2026/01/17 11:05]  Lawan wasn’t afraid… but she did feel a little queasy. Somehow, it never ends. When everyone was there, she followed A and squeezed herself between the chairs. Finally, she sank to her knees in one fluid motion.

[2026/01/17 11:05]  Snow furrowed his brow as the slave uncharacteristically wiggled. As she finally took up a proper kneeling position, his perturbed expression remained and he gave the smallest shake of his head, baffled for a moment before he turned his gaze back to the matter at hand. The rattling of the spikes, so many of them, really too many, finally stopped.

[2026/01/17 11:08]  Şυтα ιиgℓєωσσđ  with her owner finally arriving she would heel him as he took a chair, falling gracefully to her knees as she would remain poised and silent

[2026/01/17 11:08]  Serpent™ : He shifted a step and took one of the seats within the circle, the helm resting against his leg as he settled, eyes forward, silent and observant.

[2026/01/17 11:09]  Al’Eru: As so often, he was quiet and observant, looking at all the killers who had come and the slaves who had dressed up for the occasion. The trainee stood behind the chairs and was going to see such an event for the first time.

[2026/01/17 11:09]  KeDjA After having to move the chairs around a little (thanks, Sirius *g*), she settles down on a small, low stool and begins to fiddle inconspicuously with Arsus’ trouser pocket until she catches one of the biscuits and pulls her hand out of the pocket again. She crumbles the biscuit in her hand and leaves a small trail of crumbs directly in front of her to attract the cheeky little crows that are scurrying around on the floor between the chairs.

[2026/01/17 11:09]  Obsidian joined the gathering, his mind drifting back to so many years ago when he was called before such a group.  With a deep breath, thankful for the years he had managed to survive, he looked around the room and offered respectful nods to those gathered.  Then took a seat.

[2026/01/17 11:10]  αяѕυѕ : Arsus, as if unaware of the importance of what is to come, settles comfortably into his chair. He nods to the others in greeting.

[2026/01/17 11:11]  Crow would see Pariah and grinned. A dip os his head to him. A gesture of respect. There was much between them – but it needed so little words.

[2026/01/17 11:12]  mai settles in on a small cushion to his right where she heels to him. A soft wriggle of her hips as she settles in letting that familiar purr drip from her lips. perched there at his side she did her best focus on the goings on ignoring all else in the moment. A shift of her head as she turns looking to out of the corner of her eye she fall silent as death not daring to speak

[2026/01/17 11:13]  Sirius™ rose from his seat, and looked across the chamber. To every Killer, their slaves. Old Killers, and the new. Each were branches of the tree. ” Tal Killers, Trainee and slaves. I want to thank each and everyone one of you for attending today. (( I kind of went overboard on the crows, hence we are in the midst of a murder)). I have known this assassin since the beginning of my journey to the black. Which started in August 2014. Mind you, I knew this particular bird since 2011ish on someone else. The enigmatic Crow.”

[2026/01/17 11:13]  Kurotaka Shin’en K settles into the seat without ceremony … letting the weight of the gathering speak for itself … eyes move slowly across the ring of killers and watchers … measuring history rather than faces … the presence of Crow hangs heavy … earned … unquestioned … proof that legend is not noise but consequence … His hand lifts absently … fingers finding Sadiyah’s hair with familiar ease … not only possession … recognition … he leans just enough for the words to reach only her … “This place remembers steel and silence … to stand within it is honor enough …” his gaze returns forward … steady … “Crow did not need praise … this gathering is his answer …”

[2026/01/17 11:13]  Ƭʜᴇ Ṗᴀʀɪᴀʜ approached the location marked on the map delivered to him and then moved to take a seat in the gathering. Upon seeing so many familiar faces, he simply offered a single thump of his fist over his chest in acknowledgment to the silent greetings.

[2026/01/17 11:14]  Sirius™  “Meeting this person, who role played circles around me, and all the while pulled you in and wrapped you with intrigue, mystique and falsehoods.. maybe some truth for fluff filler. I am sure you are all aware. AND to boot, he always was done up nice. Had his own groupie fan club and every slave girl wanted him as a master. Definitely kept you wanting for more. “

[2026/01/17 11:16]  Vesper closed his eyes for a moment as he sat in the chair. He wasn’t sleeping, he was finely attuning, understanding the threads that connected each of the men to each other. In his mind’s eye, threads connected each to the other in overlapping ways. But there was a thick thread that held him tethered in this space, it was the first thread ever connecting him to the Black Caste and it led directly to Crow. He opened his eyes to look at his first Mentor and said, “You’re going to hate this… I hope you suffer through it well.”

[2026/01/17 11:17]  Sirius™  “This character has played a killer for  nearly two decades. In Second Life. I cant say with certainty that it didn’t begin before that in the chat groups. – I really should listen to them tell me these things!

 The man trained under THE Solomon Voss, Serpent,  Black Judas( even Scar). All legendary names. Names that in time, his would be forever associated with,  in legacy.”

[2026/01/17 11:18]  Sirius™  Vesper and Serpent have recently returned. With it, a return to the circle of lineage. Sol, Serpent, Crow, Vesper.. from the first of our kind in this digital world to now. A line unbroken. I came to know several of roleplays that joined the sims in stories and Lore.

 I found out that Crow, while being a master assassin of cities, was never properly elevated to the rank. The truth of the matter.. Crow never sought glory for themselves. They had earned the Black Habiliments of the Black Caste, through the first training regimes. Which we all know, are tried , tested and true. He was granted the title of Killer. Assassin. The ONE title any of us need.

[2026/01/17 11:20]  Obsidian listened to the tale of lore, knowing it well, and inclined his head in agreement.

[2026/01/17 11:21]  Sirius™  So now his youngest brother, wants to dump a title on his head. Will it change him? No. He is still Killer. But will legacy remember? Doesnt matter, as the Killer title suffices. I am of his lineage. I am humbled and honored to be so.

[2026/01/17 11:21]  Sirius™  What this honorific title implies, is that Crow has achieved the rank of Caste Master, per the Books.

  “Candidates for the caste are chosen with great care, and only one in ten, it is said, completes the course of instruction to the satisfaction of the CASTE MASTERS.”

Beasts of Gor, Chapter 30

   A historian of the Lore and Legacy. A teacher. A student. A leader. Works well with others. A Brother. A friend

[2026/01/17 11:27]  Sirius™ moved to the side of his chair, and produced a scroll. Clearing his throat he read from its parchment:” Crow, Certified Master Assassin of Gor. The Black Caste Tented Compound does so recognize the time, contribution, and legacy in the nearly two decades you have been active. The BCTC hereby promotes Crow as Master Assassin and Caste Master of the Black Caste of Gor. Gold and Steel.  ” he hands the scroll to Crow, ” I hereby promote you, with all our brethren supporting. Congratulations, Caste Master. “

[2026/01/17 11:30]  Snow prepares for his throat singing solo,.

[2026/01/17 11:30]  Obsidian  Thumped his right hand to his chest over his heart as he looked toward Crow and spoke out, saying, ‘Hail Crow, Master Assassin of the Caste.  Well deserved.  Glory to the Black Caste.’

[2026/01/17 11:30]  Crow would look to his brother. His eyes piercing through his in perhaps this idle attempt to torture him by placing him in the centre of attention. He would take the scroll without truly studying it. As if he rather wish to vanish with it and be done. “Thank you, Killer.” he stated – and as ever his voice betrayed nothing of his inner turmoil or feelings. It wasn’t void of anything. But it was as ever unreadable.

[2026/01/17 11:31]  Serpent™ : Serpent inclined his head toward Crow, the gesture brief but precise. “Well earned,” he said evenly. “You’ve carried the weight long before the title found you. May the Black remain sharp under your hand. Gold and Steel.”

[2026/01/17 11:32]  Snow thumped his hand against his chest in applause, though otherwise remaining still as the well-earned honor was given. It had been earned many times over. There was a gleam of pride in his eyes as he watched, the corners of his lips curling. “Well done, Killer!”

[2026/01/17 11:32]  Kurotaka Shin’en K inclines his head in solemn measure… eyes steady… voice low and controlled…

 “By Gold and Steel… the Black is strengthened today… I acknowledge the honor… and the weight that follows it… May your blade remain true… Caste Master.”

[2026/01/17 11:32]  Sirius™ reached forward his hand holding a black sash. He offered it to Crow with both hands. “Now let the man be identified, with the sash of his station. “Should he take the sash proffered, Sirius would grasp the man’s shoulder and give it a hard squeeze, then clapped him twice in the same space. ” I hope Crow has something prepared to say to us all. Then I open the floor for others to speak. “

[2026/01/17 11:33]  Ƭʜᴇ Ṗᴀʀɪᴀʜ listened to the words spoken, the tales told, and the words presented to promote Crow. “About time.” He said calmly, unsure why it took this long to recognize the man. Still it was a thing the old grumpy sleen needed to witness.

[2026/01/17 11:34]  Crow would take off the sash of the captain he owned from 2009 and would move the sash to his upper arm.

[2026/01/17 11:35]  αяѕυѕ : remembered the first time he met Crow, returning from a long journey. Much time had passed since then, and their paths had crossed many times. Arsus was never one for many words, so he simply said, “Hail, Crow, you have more than earned it.” He bowed his head as a sign of respect.

[2026/01/17 11:35]  Crow never enjoyed being the center of attention. Perhaps it was one of his better traits; it allowed him to fade into the background, positioned near the fire but always as a supporting player, never the lead. This anonymity had served him well, allowing him to eliminate high officials in crowded cities. He had once even dispatched a thief in a packed square in Treve, while every warrior was preoccupied with protecting the Ubar and Ubara. He carried the scars to prove it—reminders of the day, though none had been lethal.

But now, he was the focus of every gaze. He felt their eyes upon him, and he knew they were reflecting on their own histories with him. Some memories were likely fond; others, undoubtedly bitter. He had never sought to be everyone’s friend. He had simply walked a path he believed had purpose: maintaining order in a world defined by chaos.

 “I stand before you all humbled,” he began. “This is not a position I sought out of want or desire. In truth, I would rather be where you are now. But I understand that worth is often in the eye of the beholder. It is not my place to choose my own rank—though I know many have tried to do so. Perhaps this rank simply signals to others that I have a story worth hearing, or at least the knowledge of how to stay alive this long.”

As he stood there, every item he wore carried a weight of meaning. He was not a sentimental man, but his gear told his story: the young tarnsman, recruited and trained; the man who had tasted loss and gained wisdom traveling the wilds of Gor. He had remained curious, learning from those who taught him well—a man who appreciated beauty, yet remained ruthless, cunning, and precise when his craft demanded it.

 “I accept this rank with humility,” he said, his voice steady. “The true gift was knowing you believed I held this rank long before it was formally given. I hope that teaches those who follow us that there is beauty—and power—in patience.”

Crow would stop hold pause in the way he could. He was a Koskinen. A snake that could warm itself in the sun, lazy and seemingly not paying attention. Of course such was only a ruse. The truth was much different. “Here I want to thank many that allowed me to be here. Some of them not here in the flesh. For instance Taog who has been a mayor influence in the way I portray myself. The storyteller.” he would turn to Serpent. “Serpent … a vast force for the true beginning. When he was a warrior in the city of Laura.” his eyes would rest upon him. The flikker of past upon them before he would cut the gaze to the center of the room. “Arsus, Snow and many others. But not only my mentors have made me the man I am today. So there were those I trained and while doing so. They mastered myself as it were. But all – do not underestimate the power and lessons of the girls here today. They too brought me much of my wisdom. Thank you all”

[2026/01/17 11:41]  Sirius™ rose once again, and thumped his shoulder, “Glory to the Black Caste! Hail, Crow! The floor is now open to those wishing to speak. “

[2026/01/17 11:42]  Snow lifted his hand into the air, indicating that he had something to say when the time came that there was a lull long enough.

[2026/01/17 11:44]  Serpent™ remained seated as the sash was passed and Crow spoke. He did not shift, did not interrupt, did not add to the weight of the moment. His eyes followed the exchange in silence.

 When the sash was lifted, his gaze lingered a fraction longer. He recognized the stitching, the balance of it, the small dagger worked into the fabric, the small dagger created at the forge by his own hands. Not ornament. Not sentiment. A reminder. Steel, even when worn. If a man were to earn the title, the least he could do was put in the effort to recognise it.

 When Crow’s gaze found him and his name was spoken, there was no visible reaction at first. Only the faintest rise of one eyebrow, a flicker of memory passing and gone just as quickly. Laura was long buried. Warriors even more so.

 At the mention of mentors, of those trained, of lessons learned from unexpected places, Serpent inclined his head once, slow and deliberate.

[2026/01/17 11:47]  Ƭʜᴇ Ṗᴀʀɪᴀʜ had little more to actually say than his previous words. Those two words were enough for him, even if not everyone who heard them understood why he said them. The silence was a constant ally, and very few words were needed between himself and Crow. The man knew enough about his ways. Once the floor was given over to another to speak, Pariah’s eyes turned to acknowledge the one who would break the silence.

[2026/01/17 11:48]  Snow rose to his feet from where he sat. He lowered a hand to the girl who sat beside him, passing over the parcel he had been carrying, wrapped in black silk. He spoke in those low tones, his voice resonant but never rising. “We entered training together. And by the will of the gods, you survived. To this day, I recall the killing blow. A blow well-dealt. The first of many. You do honor to the caste. You lead by example, not by words. I find myself often humbled by your wisdom, and for this, and for the many years of brotherhood, by blood of both line and that has been spilt together, you have my gratitude and my loyalty.” With that he gestured for Mai to take the wrapped weaponed over to her, though she would not know what it was she carried, for such was not the usual manner of things.

[2026/01/17 11:52]  mai sees his motion and would unfurl her frame quietly. Bearing the weight of the silk glad thing she tenses her muscles to carry it only making her move slower and move intently as she moves across the floor weaving to and fro around the crows she arrives just before him. Folding neatly before him she positions the silk clad, thing and raises it up in small flat palms her head lowered and her gaze lower remaining there before him in silence

[2026/01/17 11:52]  Sirius™  Vesper, then Obsidian, and Arsus please, when done, please indicate so.

[2026/01/17 11:52]  Snow took his seat once more, inclining his head, finished with his words. He was, it seemed, sparing them all the throat singing.

[2026/01/17 11:53]  Crow would rest his eyes upon Snow. There was a lifetime between them. The training, The brotherhood, the fights over slaves, the mischief during training, even the breaking of one of the rules. So much was passing by and yet – firm they stood still here. As the girl approached and his eyes as ever would travel over her with appraisal he would take the wrapping and receiving the beautiful adorned Masahiro katana. He knew the significance of it. The code that was written in the fac they were two. “Thank you.” he offered his brother

[2026/01/17 11:55]  Vesper had been silent for much of the time, it was by design, he watched and listened to others, felt the weight of history in the room, and had sat at the table of the man that they honored enough to know when to speak and when to listen. So, because he was an Assassin and not a Clansman, he did not wish to torture the man more than necessary, and so he would say this only once and let it never be said again.

“Before titles were spoken, before authority was recognized, before any blade was ever raised in his name, Crow was already teaching us how to see. Not how to strike, not how to threaten, not how to be feared, but how to perceive the currents that move beneath a city’s stones and through the hearts of men. He taught by withholding answers until understanding was earned. He taught by hunger, by silence, by discomfort, and by forcing us to confront the quiet debts we incur when we mistake kindness for safety. He showed us that sight lies easily, that habit dulls judgment, and that the most dangerous leverage is not a blade at the throat but a hand extended without cost being named. Long before this elevation, Crow was already doing the work of a Master, shaping men who think before they act and who understand consequence before inevitability.”

“Today we do not elevate Crow because he seeks command, for he never has. We elevate him because he sharpens others without needing to stand above them, because he welcomes correction as readily as he gives it, and because he understands that the Black Caste survives not through spectacle but through discipline, restraint, and clarity of purpose. He reminds us that vulnerabilities must be guarded, that power is most effective when unseen, and that continuity is preserved not by constant action but by knowing when inaction is the harder choice. In naming him Master Assassin and Caste Master, we are not granting him authority he did not already wield. We are acknowledging what has long been true. That the Caste is stronger where he stands, clearer where he teaches, and more honest where his voice is heard. Gold and Steel…. Mentor. You have ripped the bandaid off and allowed us to force you into the spotlight for today, now that it is done, you can move into the shadows again.” (Done)

[2026/01/17 11:57]  mai feels the man take whatever it was she lowers her arms  waiting till he would again take his seat before she would again rise to her full height and return to her Masters side. Once there she perches

atop the cushion once more not daring to speak in this moment and only obey.

[2026/01/17 11:59]  Obsidian looked to Crow as he rose from his seat.  His voice measured, calm, almost hushed.  He would be a man of few words on this occasion with so many present.  ‘You have always been steady, Crow.  From the time of my own training, I have known of you and held you in respect.  The title thrust upon you today is one that, candidly, I always thought you had been granted or should have been granted.  So to be here today to help honor the formality of what should have been many years ago, I am humbled and honored.  I wish for you long life and successful contracts.  We are a stronger caste because of the likes of you, Crow.’  He then bowed his head toward the man,one final show of respect before sitting down again. (done)

[2026/01/17 12:00]  Tayir was quiet, just watching from her master’s side. Not a place for her to speak but she was present and observant.

[2026/01/17 12:01]  Crow would incline his head towards Obs. It was meaningful when men as him spoke these words of praise. Truthfully – Crow had less adrenaline for a kill then for this gathering in which all eyes seemed to be upon him.

[2026/01/17 12:02]  Al’Eru: This dignified silence was broken by words from killers who had shared a path with Crow. The solemnity of the moment made his words sound firm. It was time to honor a killer who had rendered great service to the caste and always remained modest in his own way. “Killer, my congratulations. You deserve it.”  There were few words, but every single one was meant exactly as he said it. Honest, sincere, and with respect for achievement, patience, and humility.

[2026/01/17 12:02]  αяѕυѕ : “Today we have elevated a man who did not seek it. A man who values caste more than titles. A man who is a master of his craft.” Arsus stood up and fumbled something out of his pocket. It was rolled up and wrapped in a black cloth. Arsus knew how serious this meeting was, but Arsus wouldn’t be Arsus if he didn’t bring a smile to Crow’s face, even if it wasn’t visible. Arsus would walk toward Crow slowly, and when he reached him, he would wait for Crow to stand up.

[2026/01/17 12:04]  Crow would watch as Arsus approached. A brow arched as if in question. For some in this gathering it was perhaps clear that Crow didn’t trust Arsus when it came to these social matters. Crow had pulled enough pranks with Arsus to consider one back from him. So when he showed the small wrapped cloth he expected almost anything ? A spider ? An other object that would test his resolve ?!

[2026/01/17 12:06]  αяѕυѕ : Their eyes might meet, he would lean forward and, with a quiet, inner smile, hand him the cloth with the something inside. Quietly, he would say, “I saved it for this moment. It may be cut up, but it will always remind you, perhaps with a smile.” And so he handed him a belt, a cut-up belt. For many, this belt might mean nothing, but for Crow, perhaps it did. Arsus didn’t know.

[2026/01/17 12:08]  Crow would take the cut up belt and for a moment – even if it was brief – the corner of his lips moved up in to what seemed to be pained smile. The belt of course a beginning of a deep understanding and dare he say friendship. It was meaningful and yet also with the knowledge that even in the caste of assassins, amusement, humor and jests could be found. “Thank you, Killer.” he stated. It was said with great respect and sincere gratitude.

[2026/01/17 12:10]  αяѕυѕ nodded, turned around, and sat back down in his chair. (done)

[2026/01/17 12:13]  Sirius™  “Is there anyone else wanting to speak?”

[2026/01/17 12:16]  Crow would almost give a warning glance … there was already enough praise to last him a life. “Good none … let us drink and eat  before we resume to business.”

[2026/01/17 12:16]  Vesper (razius): “Have we not already tortured him enough Sirius?”

[2026/01/17 12:16]  Sirius™  “If the Killers are willing, let us feast.. The girls I am sure are just…itching.. to be of service. I of course will stare at my portion.”

[2026/01/17 12:16]  KeDjA While Sirius spoke, she managed to remain calmly kneeling. A remarkable achievement, considering how many temptations lay before and beside her. And for once, that didn’t mean the men. When Sirius had finished his speech, she turned her gaze to Crow, and a smile flitted across her lips as Crow accepted the scroll, looking wonderfully cool – almost disinterested. Exclamations, congratulations and expressions of admiration rang out from the men present. She watches Crow change his sash, and her smile widens as she listens to his words. She can understand that he can even get an Ubara into bed with just his words. There aren’t many men who can use such words – and if there are, they seem to be found mainly in this caste. When his words end and most of the men have addressed their words, memories and wishes to Crow, and Arsus has presented him with the cut-up belt – malicious tongues might claim that Arsus’ business is bad, which is why a piece of destroyed leather had to suffice as a gift – her voice also sounds out in a low tone: “Congratulations, Master Master Assassin.” It doesn’t matter if anyone hears her, Crow is sure to hear this title – this tiny play on words – from her mouth more often now, and she is already secretly delighted about it.

[2026/01/17 12:19]  Vesper : ”As you all know, the feast was created through lots of effort all week long in multiple Home Stones and with multiple merchants. We honor Crow, as is fitting for the man… by living the experience. When you eat, know that it was gathered through your connection with each other and the way that you worked together as Caste Members and slaves to create community. It is in that spirit that we honor Crow with what he taught us by example.”

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Of Silk and Steel

Posted in Black Caste, The Silent Circle of the Nights Veil on January 13, 2026 by crow1971

αяѕυѕ shook his head. “I haven’t been to Selnar in a long time. The last thing I know is that a storm swept across Selnar and flooded parts of the city. My slave was there at the time,” he replied. “I must ask her what she saw there. “Do you still have contacts in Selnar?” he asked. He noticed Crow’s searching gaze over the area, surely looking for unwanted eavesdroppers. Then he turned to the warrior. “We don’t have much at the moment. We need to gather more information first.”

Crow (melchior.wardell) nodded. Crow had a network of spies that pretty much was shattered all over Gor. “Oh I am sure.” he replied to Arsus. “but one wonders why a man of the scarlet would find us with this information ? Is he fearful for war ? What is the issue underneath this … does it concern is woman ?” he asks Arsus. Crow unaware of their relationship or what was discussed previously.

αяѕυѕ: “I don’t have any more information at the moment. He fears a war and asked me for my opinion on the matter. That’s all I know so far, and this list.” Arsus took the paper and handed it to Crow. “As he said, Selnar is planning a war against several cities, including Holmesk.”

KeDjA (lilli.breda) strolls quietly out of the court, humming softly, her feet splashing gently in the water as she walks through the gentle waves and pushes past the plants that cover the entrance to the court. Two familiar silhouettes catch her eye and she stops humming before smiling slightly. Her movements become more cat-like as she pushes past the railing and shakes her feet briefly to get rid of the water between the soles of her sandals and her feet. She blinks back and forth between the two men before coming to a quiet stop. During a pause in the conversation, she interjects a brief ‘Tal Masters’.

Crow (melchior.wardell) listens and nods “If he fears war he is smarter then most warriors to find us.” he replied to Arsus. When Kedja arrived his eyes would be drawn to her. As a moth to a flame. He noted the purple silk draped over her shoulders. Had she remembered? For a moment he paused as to truly drink her in. “Selnar seems to have an appetite for war.” he replied. “If I think of it I wonder if there is any city that hasn’t yet had issues with them.” he pondered the prize on the head of the Ubar of Selnar. Or was it just the people in general that were hungry for power.

[03:36] αяѕυѕ: “And thats not all, he spoke about Selnar and few other nothers regions planning a war” he then added. “Not sure, if its true but if its true, may there will be a way to avoid it, on a diplomatic way perhaps. If this fails, maybe other ways more practical. But first, it is important to find out why they are planning a war. Perhaps it is only one or two individuals who are hungry for power, which could result in damaging the balance between the cities. That would be a reason to prevent it, if possible.” said it and looked for moment to Kedja.

KeDjA (lilli.breda) casually pushes a strand of hair over her right shoulder. Of course, this movement was not as casual as it seemed; that was rarely the case. Most of what she did was well thought out and planned. At the same moment, she pushes her shoulders back, improving her posture, before sliding the purple silk scarf on her left upper arm down a little. The cool silk leaves a slight goose bump on her skin as she tries to organise the content of the men’s conversation in her head. As always. Quiet and attentive, but not appearing curious. Her head tilted slightly to the right as she looked at Crow. It had been a while since she had seen him and, as always, she checked his appearance for changes, injuries or other signs that might indicate how he was doing.

Crow (melchior.wardell) was for that moment captivated. The strand of hair that casually felt from her shoulder. The silk. It showed in a way promise. He always enjoyed the girls antics but also her beauty. Never had he the pleasure of her use, but it wasn’t as if he hadn’t fantasized about it. For a flicker there was that lustful gaze he gave her. A present – of a man so often in control – to her owner and herself. She was well trained. Perhaps even better then she was aware of. “I think it would be wise to keep some things between us. Not yet make it a caste operation if you know what I mean ?” Crow had seen some of the men busy in training and wasn’t very taken by it for now. He didn’t think he was the best, but Arsus and him didn’t think in quantity but in quality. In time to engage and not study from books on a shelve. “There is a spot you can visit if you ever wish to meet others. Ever heard of the loom?” he asks.

αяѕυѕ smiled to himself when he noticed how Crow was looking at Kedja, but he didn’t say anything. He agreed that they should keep the matter to themselves for the time being, so he nodded. “Until we have more information, it’s not important to inform the caste. Maybe it’s just a passing fancy, and we don’t want to scare the Kaiilas away prematurely.” It was a phrase he had heard somewhere before and found meaningful. When Crow mentioned Loom, he knew what it was, but he didn’t know the location yet. “I’ve heard of Loom, but I didn’t know there was a place to meet. Do you know where this place is?”

Only now did Arsus have time to greet Kedja. “Tal, Kedja,” he said with a smile. There was no one else around, so he could calmly show how happy he was to see her. Had she made herself look extra pretty for Crow, he wondered, when he noticed the purple scarf.

Crow (melchior.wardell) perked a brow at the mentioning of Kaiila’s. The animals useful in the desert and as a lover of animals the four and two legged once he had owned several. There were others too but with a tarn, tharlarion and sleens to feed. It would become a little much. “True and they are easily scared.” he mused – if it was in humor or serious – was anyones guess. “I have been there. I met up with a woman … a phsyician. She is on a little mission of mine. So I will see how she does.” he informed his friend. “Here .. this is a short map.” as he quickly drew a way to get there. “I was able to fly there by tarn.” he stated. “I am sure Shriek would love to meet up with your Shadow once more.” he winked towards Kedja.

KeDjA (lilli.breda) bites her lower lip when Crow’s gaze meets hers. For a brief moment, perhaps the blink of an eye, she keeps her eyes fixed on his before lowering her head. Almost as if she were shy, which – if you know her – would be a completely idiotic thought. If the topic of conversation weren’t so serious, at least to her at that moment, she probably wouldn’t have looked away, but would have moved closer to this man, whom many were surely afraid of, and enjoyed a nice flirt. For whatever reason, she had always been attracted to danger. Presumably, this carefree attitude had allowed her to live to such an old age. She didn’t worry about the fact that her life could end at any moment with these men, even though she was well aware of it. Her hands clasped behind her back, a habit she always had when she had nothing to do. Her head lifts again slightly when Arsus speaks, and she watches her owner closely to gauge how serious the situation might be from his facial expressions. She briefly tensed her muscles when Arsus looked at her, but then smiled when he returned her greeting. Now it was time to move, and she slipped between the two men and positioned herself to Arsus’ left. She purses her lips slightly, but her eyes sparkle with amusement when Crow mentions the two Tarns. ‘But this time without any chicks afterwards, please, Master,’ she says to him. As if he could prevent the animals’ natural instincts.

Crow (melchior.wardell) knew life upon Gor was serious. It always was rough, dangerous, filled with twist and turns. It shook life, people, castes and slaves alike in a way that was thrilling and yet at times stale. But sometimes there were these true gems. As in friends, moments, girls, weapons, encounters that made him feel alive and very much in place. He too had become old by looking danger right in the eyes. As if he taunted it as to get him. Catch him. And for now they always had the other end of the stick. “Well I can clear a room with my mere presence. I can silence an Ubar with only a gaze and yet …. I would fail miserably when it comes to the urges of a more primal nature of Tarns.” he admitted. His voice held no humor and yet – everyone knew he was jesting.

αяѕυѕ: “They’re easily frightened,” Arsus mused quietly to himself. He didn’t reveal whether he was referring to the Kaiilas or some of the caste. There was some truth in both. “You mean you have a physican in Selnar,” Arsus looked at Crow, “somehow I have the feeling you have a bride in every port,” and laughed, even though the subject was very serious at the moment, but lightening the mood never hurts. Shriek, yes, there was something else. Arsus’ flying skills with his tarn were legendary, probably not in a positive sense. He took the map Crow had drawn and looked at it, nodded a few times, and then said, “With the tarn, it’s possible to fail once again with my flying skills,” he muttered to himself.

KeDjA (lilli.breda) laughs softly at the words of both men. Addressing Crow first, she lets her voice sound gentle and flattering, ‘Oh, you’re selling yourself short, Master.’ She is convinced that he could convince anything and anyone, whether with fear or charm. She is also convinced that every woman, whether slave or free, would throw herself at his feet. Accordingly, she also assumes that he could control his Tarn when the going gets tough. She has already noticed that most of the black men’s informants are women. That could not be denied. Her face turns to the right towards Arsus as he takes the map. ‘Do I have to fly with you?’ Her mouth twists again. It is well known that she is not particularly fond of Arsus’ flying skills.

Crow (melchior.wardell) shook his head “No this physician lives in the forest near the outpost of the loom.” he stated. “She serves the caste in way. Or well that is what I got from it. I think my brother Sirius knows more about this.” he added. As to the phrase of easily frightened they were in complete agreement. “As to my contacts … yes I have many … but I fear my cock hasn’t seen a cunt in ages. I fear in a few hands I will take the old baker between her dough.” he jested “Seems many killers do not like to share their beasts.” as his eyes would look over Kedja once more. As the conversation turned to flying. “Oh for the Priest Kings sake .. one moment in time he will learn – won’t he ?”

αяѕυѕ: Crow had apparently taken a liking to Kedja, as many others had before him. However, many were concerned that I might be upset if Kedja were to engage in intimate relations. She is a slave, and it would be difficult to give her greater pleasure. She is certainly not shy in this regard. He looked at Kedja and noticed her joyful expression when she asked if she could fly with me. “Of course you can fly with me,” I said, glancing at Crow, “I’ve almost always arrived safely so far,” I added with a smile. Then he returned to the topic at hand, “How do we proceed? My suggestion would be for you to activate your contacts in Selnar, while I track down Onyx and see where she gets her information from and whether she can recount parts of the conversations to me.”

KeDjA (lilli.breda) snorts lightly when Arsus, of course, misunderstands her again and books her a flight with him and Schatten. Her eyes roll slightly, but a loving smile still appears on her lips before she turns her face back to Crow as he continues speaking, and her expression changes to one of disbelief. Him? No woman? For ages? Hard to imagine. That would be like saying that the priest kings are now knitting jumpers so that the Kurii don’t freeze in winter. She shakes her head slightly and, in her boundless openness, asks bluntly, ‘But why? Are you injured?’ Her gaze slides shamelessly, but with concern, to the centre of his body, as if she wants to check whether she overlooked something during her visual examination earlier. Her head shakes as Crow continues talking and brings up the matter of Arsus, the Tarn and learning. ‘I’m afraid not, Master,’ she murmurs in reply.

Crow (melchior.wardell) knew of the offer of Arsus when it came to his girl and his generosity. But Crow would never take advantage for such. As he turned to the conversation at hand. He nodded thoughtfully “I will do so. Let us keep in touch of what we learn. It wouldn’t hurt to have some ears there regardless.” he stated. “I need to check a few things for now.” at the gaze of Kedja he would move closer to her tap her nose “Perhaps your owner allows me to have you bath me soon.” he stated. “Nothing better then to overhear conversations in a bath house with a bond.” he winked there. “I need to be going. I see you both soon – and I will keep in touch.” with that the air stirred as Shriek presented himself to take him on another flight.

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The Choir of the Broken (part 2)

Posted in Black Caste, Niamh on December 30, 2025 by crow1971

[16:11:51] Huntsy Silverpath  rinished the letter as well as the scroll and held them out to you, then turned sharply ot the woman who hears songs, ” what have the songs told you Lady, what have you learned from them that you believe will help remove the artifact safely, and I caution you, the bio-matirix of the artifact itself has become symbiotic in nature, they have been joined too long, the artifact shell is an organism

[16:15:04] Niamh Strömberg   nods “Yes. I learned this. ” she sighs. “Strangely enough … I need to sing it so I do not get the words wrong. So bare with me.” she started.

“The first verse goes like this …
In the hollow of a chest, beneath the cage of bone
A shard of ancient starlight sits upon a throne
It doesn’t breathe the air, it doesn’t feel the cold
It only remembers a story never told
When the sky was a mirror and the sun was a chime
Before the great sundering at the edge of time.”

[16:15:45]   Vesper took the scroll and put it back into a pocket but would let the physician hold onto the scroll ((textures sent)) that Niamh had given him as that may have use to keep them wrapped. He kept his ears open and was glad the doors were locked. “Hall is closed for fumigations!” he would shout out.

[16:16:25] Niamh Strömberg   would continue

“Deep in the silt of a riverbed miles away
A sister piece is sleeping in the heavy clay
And high on a mountain, where the hawks never fly
A jagged edge is reaching for a piece of the sky
They are calling through the dirt, they are calling through the sea
A choir of the broken, a ghost melody.”

[16:17:21] Huntsy Silverpath  heard the pounding on the shield, ” tal whoever is there I have sealed the kennels for possible quarantine purposes please stand away i may be sequestered several Ahn until I know for certain what the slave girl has!”

[16:17:57]   Vesper would move toward the fountain and grip tightly as she sang in order to keep him standing, “Solomon, it’s what you and I spoke of…and here it has come to pass. I am a Captain at BCTC.”

[16:18:28] Niamh Strömberg   would say “Now this is the important part as I think it shows us what it needs.” she would take another breath and sings the next

“The host feels the tug, a north in the mind
Leaving the safety of the world behind
Every step is a stitch in a shroud
Every breath is a prayer said out loud
The metal wants the metal, the soul wants the rest
The weight of the ages is heavy in the breast”

[16:20:36] Lʏʀɪᴄ    looks nervously over her shoulder. “Maybe we should omve closer to the office, my Master, Mistresses?”

[16:25:52]   Vesper would listen to his girl, he was compromised now and he knew it…and knew that she was protective. He would move toward the inner part of the room. He would look to Niamh now and say, “I had no idea why I put this in my chest….and now there is a song that tells me, that I have never heard before, that THIS was EXPECTED!!!”

[16:29:40] Niamh Strömberg   nods slowly “Those that rule upon Gor had always this hold upon the caste of assassin. I am sure it was no accident that most of the killers of a certain age and time were those effected by it.” she would look to Huntsy “I know all thes parts long to be together. I have a small heirloom. It might help to persuade the piece to let go of his host ?” she suggested. “But it is clear that silver and gold have something to do with it too.”

[16:32:48]   Vesper would pull out a piece of silver from his last and currently ongoing task, and then he would pull out the first coin he was ever given to take a person’s life. Each coin, one representing life and the other representing death were handed over to whomever would take them. He whispered, “I am the man between these coins. Take me as I am.”

[16:34:52] Huntsy Silverpath  shook my head hearing her words and knowing that hith was hearing voices himself, ” I have only just returned my journey took me to the lands of my past not long after the rise of my uncle in Ar, Marlenus was always one who sought power and would stop at nothing to possess it not even treason would deter his ambitions,  this object power unimagined, from what I have learned if united the cataclysm could destroy two worlds, but the steel worlds can no longer allow that to happen, and the Artifact must be kept separate however we have a problem for it has bonded with Vesper, I chemical and physical dependency has occurred, removing it can be done but you will be vulnerable at least two hands and from your blood sample I took last visit, ive begun culturing rejuvenation serum, it has a short shelf life and takes a long time to culture, it is almost ready for use codded specifically to you Vesper, and you Naiamh provide the last link in the removal process, the only way for the artifact to let go of Vesper

[16:34:52] Huntsy Silverpath     will be through song, it must feel it is about to unite to another piece can you do that do you feel?”

[16:38:51] Niamh Strömberg   nodded “I can do that.” she replied in all earnest. It wasn’t a first that her songs had done strange things. It had unfrozen pieces of the North. It had melted a heart of a man of iron. It had given guidance and comfort. As Vesper offered the coin to Huntsy “So I understand that he will be extra vulnderable. Can he remain here guarded ? I can take him to the lodge, but there are no gates  only the understanding that the land isn’t as often visited by strangers.”

[16:40:05] Huntsy Silverpath    he can remain under my care, I will allow no harm to my patients

[16:44:23]   Vesper would turn his head and say, “I’m tired of the chest pounders too Colton.” to no one…”but what matters is what will happen in the future…you remember I said that….Colton?” He squinted his eyes. Shook his head. Looked confused. Then he was back.

[16:46:23] Niamh Strömberg   would smiled “Good. So when do you wish to start the proceedings ? Do you need to prepare anything ?” she asks. The song strangely enough started already to form in her mind. A song to seduce the fragment to let go.

[16:46:31] Lʏʀɪᴄ    gulps, not daring to tell her Master that Colton had been gone to the city of dust these many years, and she wrings her hands in distress.

[16:48:49] Huntsy Silverpath    Vesper are you ready to have this removed, and understand the consequences to you if the procedure fails? the artifact will revert to Parasitism once the symbiotic relationship is broken, if Nia falters in her song in the slightest it will not latch on to the false vessel, you body will begin to fail as soon as i remove it so she must not falter for I will be keeping you alive at that point”

[16:50:33] Huntsy Silverpath    pain and a deep sorrow brought tears to my eyes as my heart caught in my throat a the mere mention of Colton’s name and my eyes flashed to Lyrics, but i did not comment as i awaited his reply

[16:52:00] Niamh Strömberg   felt the words push to the chambers where her songs were sprouted. The irony. The girl that once was considered dead due to her leaving the boot of her Master had now been the one that had helped several men of the caste to remain alive. She would smile to reassure them all. “I will not falter. That is not where I come from.” she stated.

[16:53:03]   Vesper looked to Huntsy and said, “I am ready to be done with this…13 years it has remained in my body…far too long, keeping me dogmatic and brutal…keeping me rigid and demanding without sway. I was once the snake, now I must be the weaver of the loom moving and swaying with the cloth upon the loom…looking towards the evening light. And if I am done, then it will be as an Assassin of the Black Caste of Gor and I will have lived a good life. then to the exam bed and you will need to be naked absolutely no metal near you

[17:00:07] Niamh Strömberg   would follow. Humbled by the idea of what was to be done. The mere thought of someone at the mercy of song. And yet had it not been more then once ? Was it not for a purpose ? She would wait and go by what directions she would be given.

[17:00:57]   Vesper would place his weapons aside for the moment as his mind moved to the past, each weapon pulled off was a story, a hunt, a kill, a death, a protection. He would move into this with vulnerability and it was that sway and bend that would help him survive. He whispered under his breath, “Cam…Pot maker of Lydius at your service.” the first disguise he ever wore.

[17:01:36] Huntsy Silverpath  quickly scrubbed up then prepared bed setting up 4 oval pads along the side railings of the bed, I then connected the leads to box that ran the energy bulbs and the pads hummed until i switched them off for when i was ready

[17:06:06] Huntsy Silverpath  adjust the positions of each pad that would generate a strong magnetic resonance I turned to his girl ” you wil lneed to keep his ring safe unless its made of gold is it solid gold vesper/”

[17:08:09]   Vesper moved to settle onto the bed, naked as the day he was born. This too was a birth of sorts. He would look down at his rings and take each one of them off. Each ring, one for each finger on both hands, given to him over the years by various Camp Master Assassins, “Xaz….Hemaca received this from you….” He let his rings come into one hand and gave them to his girl.

[17:08:42] Lʏʀɪᴄ    nods, taking the ring, keeping a distance since her collar, as well, is made of  metal. “I will keep them safe,” she promises.

[17:12:27] Niamh Strömberg   would stand quietly as she waited for everyone to be ready.

[17:12:30]   Vesper nose and lip scritched up into a snarl of sorts behind his mask, the sociopath holding out the memory now of the dogmatic past he led. “Serpent, I have fought my promotions all along the way because I was sure that with only a few kills; despite the work for the Caste I have done, I was not worthy of each title. Tell me, point blank, if I am to see him, do I have permission to kill him?”

[17:14:32] Huntsy Silverpath  pulled from under the bed an empty shell except it moved and was eerily similar to the artifact shell, I liad it next to your wound site and said when you sing visualize this empty shell, of its warmth and life ” focus your thoughts on it your song must feel it comes from the empty vessel, when I turn on my switch here the magnetism will  release the inner mechanical locks that imprison the artifact, it will consume the fragment and transfer to the new shell as you sing are you ready?”

[17:15:38] Niamh Strömberg   would smile as she would listen to the instructions. “yes. Give the word and the words come natural.”

[17:16:51] Huntsy Silverpath  set up the plasma drip, and cleaned the inner arm found a good vein and started the IV, my surgical equipment stood at the ready

[17:16:55]   Vesper came back to the present a moment looking determined, “Let it be done…it takes more than it gives.” That was a measure of the dark life the Hith had led if anything.

[17:18:52] Huntsy Silverpath  begin your song please

[17:19:51] Niamh Strömberg   would smile and close her eyes as the words came to her in this ancient and sacred way

” Oh, little spark in the cage of the rib
Come away from the cradle, come away from the crib
The blood is too warm and the bone is too thick
The clock of the mortal is starting to tick
You are a titan bound in a reed
We are the harvest, and you are the seed.” her voice clear and melodious.

[17:20:25] Huntsy Silverpath  switched on the magnetic pads as she began to sing, doing nothing all would depend now upon her song if it was to be coaxed out of his chest without force

[17:22:48]   Vesper voice was quiet as the song moved him, but he would say to the lad at the fireside in the back of his brain, “I never fail a lad. I have never once failed a lad.” He paused and continued gently, “They fail themselves….and so do Assassins if they do not learn the lesson of the tree of hierarchy.” As the procedure began though he would grit his teeth and clench his fits. The artifact screaming in multi-voice clamorous noise.”

[17:24:13] Niamh Strömberg   continued while she visualizes the undoing of it within his chest as the words become more forceful – almost hypnotic. “Come out to the light, come out to the air
We have the silver, we have the snare
The mountain is calling, the river has dried
There is no more reason for hiding inside
Unwind from the marrow, unspool from the vein
To be whole is to never feel hunger again.”

[17:26:56]   Vesper eyes went wide and he screamed out with the furious indignation of his youth, “Call a court session…see who will come…let him die a slow death…you think I care!” The ravages of time were upon him as the shard of the artifact held sway fully.

[17:29:09] Lʏʀɪᴄ    watches silently, clutching her Master’s rings so tight they would leave indentations in her palm.

[17:33:48] Niamh Strömberg   didn’t falter as her voice remained steady and clear. The words as ribbons cutting through the air.  Her voice held that force as if it truly tried to persuade and prod.

“Do you feel the vibration? The pulse of the sky?
Your sisters are waking, they’re singing nearby
The piece in the silt has been scrubbed by the tide
The piece on the peak has the stars for a guide
They are waiting for you to complete the design
To turn all this copper to something divine.” 

As she held that melody she continued – unwavering as she sang with conviction.

“It’s a gentle release, like a breath in the frost
To find in the world what the centuries lost
Let the host be at peace, let the traveler go
You were never meant for the valleys below
Rise like a fever, rise like a flame
We are the voices who whispered your name.”

[17:35:13] Huntsy Silverpath  heard each claw like appendage in the chest snap back as the artifact reacted to the magnates i gave him the first injection that would allow his genome to react to the rejuvenation serum and at the same time it would alter his genome every so slightly enough to make the parasitic  artifact lose its taste so to speak for him, a souring of the milk that once nourished it and as the tones of her song changed i felt the impact as the artifact and left and slammed into the new host already attuned for it, I removed the abandoned bios-hell and dropped it down the shoot to the incinerator where contaminated clothing and clothes were destroyed the song and treatment was beyond pure science and yet was born from kurri innovations, I immediately triaged the damage left and began to excise the dead tissues wound packed with surgical sponges as i let the IV flow replacing the blood we were losing, no signs of damage to the heart past some scarring the serum would repair, organs everything were untouched as I sterilized the cavity ensuring no trace of the organism could reproduce then I closed him up carefully and applied healing salve to the outer would so it would force knit the new tissues over a few Ajn

[17:38:41]   Vesper face became the stone, his jaw tight. The song pulling the dark cave forward. The time in which the anger and rage was like bile in is throat…but also the time he went stone cold inside and became the Killer, the Hith. He did become all that he was trained to be even as his hand drummed along his leg in a slow four time beat. “I wonder Clansman, if someone has ever broken you hmmm?”  His voice was steady because it had to be. His resolve was firm because it MUST be. His fight or flight response would create distractions and deceptions easily. But he was never settled inside. But as the artifact released, he was reborn. He was calm….deeply so. He was patient, precise, directed, ruthless. He was weak, but fully what his Caste would need him to be for the coming future.

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The Fragment’s Refrain (part 1)

Posted in Black Caste, Niamh on December 30, 2025 by crow1971

The gangplank groaned under the weight of a man who carried death in his pockets and a ghost in his chest. As Vesper stepped off the boat, his hands moved with the practiced rhythm of the Black Caste—checking the sand, the grapples, the tharlarion oil, and the whetting stones. Beside him, his girl Lyric scanned the docks with wide, wary eyes, noting the shifting barrels like a bird sensing a storm.

From a high balcony, Niamh Strömberg watched the unmarked Assassin. He was a familiar shadow from a life she thought she had outrun, a reminder of the “Crow” and the ruthless men who served him. When her mate, Portus, stepped forward to challenge the stranger’s quest, the air grew thick with the unspoken codes of Gor.

They moved to the privacy of the captain’s quarters, leaving the open air for a setting where truth could be told. There, amidst the steam of jasmine tea and the weight of old scrolls, Vesper’s calm facade began to fray. He spoke of fragments and serums—and a decade-old shard of an artifact buried near his heart that had begun to sing. As the melody of the relic pulsed against his ribs, the distance between past and present vanished, leaving Vesper caught between the man he was and the weapon he had become.

Vesper   would pull out two scrolls. They were old, they were dusty, but they were all that he had that would tie his memory together…scraps…like his own memories over time. He would let the woman take a look but he would want them returned. He took the tea from his girl’s hands and wrapped his fingers around the cup and drank the subtle brew. He closed his eyes a moment and then said, “Thank you mine.” He set his cup to the side and looked at what was laid out on the table and he went cold and hot all at the same time…his hands moving swiftly under his cloak to press against the artifact shard that was suddenly very much present with him. His jade eyes clear…and the he felt the song…not heard it…felt it. “Solomon…I hear you. Please stop yelling.”

Niamh Strömberg  would read the letter and would drop to the seat. “That is … He is my brother.” she stated. “I never knew of it until Mia spoke of it. She tested his dna and spoke of the resemblance.” she stated. “I was taken from Earth by the Kurri. Most likely for the knowledge I have on manipulation of dna. The ship crashed before it reached them. And from there my adventure upon this world began. I was taken to the collar of the man named Byron. Later known to be the killer Scar. Crows mentor.” she recalls. “The kurri .. They nearly found me before I met the village in which I found my mate. By his doing and that of the killer Pariah and Crow have made me remain safe.” she sighs. “I guess the shard is connected to my brother?” she asks. As if the voice within the man was recognized.

Lʏʀɪᴄ  rises to her feet as her Master takes the cup of tea, but then her jaw drops, and she stares at him. Did he just… thank her? That’s just… he doesn’t DO that. She racks her memory for any precedent for this… nope, nu-uh. She also doesn’t miss the way he presses his hand against his abdomen. Chills creep up her spine and her anxiety spikes again, and she gulps silently. “Um.. you are very welcome, my Master.”

Vesper   looked up from the scroll and to Niamh, “Who is your brother?” It was as if the memory of speaking to Solomon was no longer present. As if now the message had been received and the memory no longer needed to remain. He looked to his girl and growled, “Welcome? Welcome for WHAT?! You served me tea! That is your purpose!”

Niamh Strömberg  smiled “Solomon. And although I have met him several times. I never knew back then he was my brother.” she shared. She would look to the girl in what seemed to be care and understanding. She wouldn’t speak on it though. That was not her place. “I so hope to meet him … but from what I have learned he has not long been spotted.” she added to the fact Solomon was her brother. “Crow worked on his escape from the Kurri. He was there when he was ill … very ill even. It was why Mia tested his blood and learned of what she later told me.”

Lʏʀɪᴄ  stifles a sigh of despair… that damned artifact is messing with her Master and she hates Hates HATES that thing! All in all, it’s probably just as well he doesn’t remember thanking her, or he might slit her throat just on principle. So she clears her throat, and replies. “Yes ,my Master, I beg forgiveness for..” she breaks off.. what is she asking forgiveness for? She wings it quickly. “um… for being displeasing, my Master. I hope you enjoy your tea, my Master.” The conversation isn’t passing her by, but she’s storing it up to think about later.

Vesper   shook his head, clearing it. He gathered the scrolls and put them back into the pockets on his belt. “I have met your brother.” He let his mind wander back. “He and I would walk on the banks of the marshes and he would speak to me while I was a new Killer. Then, later, I built him a house at the edge of my camp’s land for Skian Codice Compound and let him live in peace.” He would pause a moment upon the memories returning and say to his girl, “entirely displeasing, but you are absolved.”

Niamh Strömberg  would hold the girl in her gaze. Conveying a silent sense of understanding. “If you found me here and now … I think it is time to continue with your quest to remove it. If Huntsy needs assistance I can offer her help. I have a medical degree and have been in practice for a long time now.” she stated. “Take those papers .. I have been told that when the shards are wrapped they are easier to carry.”

Lʏʀɪᴄ ‘s lips part in protest, as his words of absolution reference an event that happened over ten years ago, yet he speaks of it as if it was about the tea she served him just now. Resolutely she closes her mouth, but casts a look of almost desperation at the Mistress.

Vesper   would take the scroll and place it into the pocket on his belt with the other scrolls and say, “Mine, there is a usually a Caste Member with a golden slash on his helm waiting near the port of most trading posts, give him this message to send to the Physician of Olni Huntsy Silverpath. “It is time. We have knowledge and the experience present in a person. It is time to be only a man and nothing more.” He then held out a coin for her to take in the way that was appropriate for a slave “And give him this for the message delivery.”

Niamh Strömberg  would watch the interaction as she knew of the ways of these men. “Only a man ? I doubt any killer is truly only a man.” she reasons. “But I can imagine you long to be a tree in spring. “

Lʏʀɪᴄ  listens carefully as her Master addresses her, She takes the scroll and the coin, and nods vigorously. “Yes, my Master.” she makes haste out to the harbor to see if there is one of the Messengers available.

Vesper   when the slave would leave he would say, “What should I know…quickly!”

Niamh Strömberg  would look up to him “You of all men should know that at times it isn’t only about what one knows but one feels. It might be good to listen when the voices stop whispering.”

Vesper   would shake his head and press his fingers to where the object lay in his chest and say, “That is the problem…Niamh…I only know fragments of my life. I know moments but not all. I hear echoes of the men of my Caste and they drive me insane with their mission for our survival. I know everything and nothing all at once.”

Niamh Strömberg  smiled warmly “I think many of these men will look at you in envy. How they desire to forget and not know. Too lose some of the parts of their life.” she reasons. “You are here. You are healthy for the most part. What is it that these memories will bring  you ?” she shook her head “Those memories will bring you mistakes, pain, anxiousness, regret and a lot of coldness. While it is all the opposite you are looking for. Have it removed … so the whispers and voices no longer feed your mind with their wisdom.  But feel what is right and trust that once you were without those voices – and taken as a trainee. A man valuable and worthy.”

Lʏʀɪᴄ  returns at a run… which is pretty much her normal… and reports her success. “I found such a Messenger, my Master, and he has said he will make his way to Olni and deliver the message directly to the Mistress post haste.”

Vesper   would whisper his name, “I am known as Vesper….Niamh…the evening star…the first light….and you are right. I am ready.” As his slave returned he would only say to her, “Niamh knows my name, Mine.” with the deep implications that would mean. “She is to be trusted in times of need.”

Niamh Strömberg  would watch the girl report back and she would dip her head – of course not lost on the significance. She knew these names and how one tried to live up to them. She had seen more then enough to know so many. “Thank you. Killer. That says a lot.”

Lʏʀɪᴄ  takes note of her Master’s words, and relegates them to memory, along with that of Mistress Huntsy. “Yes, my Master. I understand.”

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Rumor has it … (part 1)

Posted in Black Caste, Serum storyline on December 26, 2025 by crow1971

For an ongoing storyline … Crow finds him on a path of a new rumor. As an agent of the Priest Kings one might wonder … who will pay the cost if they are found true.

[09:20] Crow (melchior.wardell) had his spies and his whispers so when he walked casual through the city he might not seem to have a sense of direction. But he would come to a halt at the Inn. The place mostly empty as his keen eyes would rest upon the woman. He held pause – as if he was to search for words.

Crow wasn;t the most social fellow and yet there was this agreeable charm over him. Something of his high caste upbringing was never truly lost on the simple killer.

He inclined his head “Greetings, lady.” his voice of a darker timbre so warm and yet fierce.

[09:23] Neeve Barbosa (kristie.tigerpaw) looked up from her warm larma juice when she heard the man speak. She smiled lightly at him – there she was still a little reserved with strangers. “Tal sir. ” She looks around “I have not seen you before. I hope you are feeling welcomedhere in the Var.”

[09:28] Crow (melchior.wardell) would move closer while he remained behind the fence of the Inn. Perhaps to give that false sense of security. The assassin had overcome more difficult things in his life and knew what would stop him and what would not. Even in his age he was flexible enough and fit to jump precise. His smile came easy as his gaze searched for hers. “It is often a good thing.” he answers to her not seeing him before.

“Strangely enough the welcome has been well.” he added as he recalled his conversation with Liam.

“Forgive me my ignorance .. I am called Crow. I am a man of the caste of Assassins.” he introduced himself.

[09:33] Neeve Barbosa (kristie.tigerpaw) lets out a small “oh,” her brows lifting in mild surprise. “Not sent to kill me, I hope?” she added with a light, amused chuckle. She flicked her fingers over her cloak, pulling it tighter around herself against the lingering chill, even though the snow had finally stopped. “I’m glad to hear the welcome’s been good,” she said warmly. “And here you are at the inn—have you come in search of food or drink, or are you simply passing by?” she asked softly, her gaze settling on him.

[09:37] Crow (melchior.wardell) kept her under that gaze. Seeing the small surprise and measuring in what he would answer. “Do you expect someone to pay good money for your life?” he asks. The question was one that came often. He couldn’t recall if he ever truly answered unless it was on the moment of his kill. Still he was one that could answer ‘Yes’ in jest, but would she truly take him serious if he had?

“Are you glad ?” he asks “As I do feel you have not given me the curtsy of your name ?”

He was one not known to play with food so came right to his business. “Do I stand before the Head of Caste of the physicians? You see … “he paused “I make it my business to know certain things and I would very much like to discuss a matter of importance. If you are – that is.”

[09:42] Neeve Barbosa (kristie.tigerpaw) licked her lips slowly, taking in the way he held her gaze and the careful manner of his reply. At his question, she let out a quiet sigh. Her name—of course. The one unknown left between them. For a moment she hesitated, weighing the choice, before reminding herself that this was her city, not his. She gave a small nod.

“Ah, yes. I am indeed the one you’re searching for—the Head of the physicians.” Her tone softened as she continued, “My name is Neeve Barbosa-Levee. Or perhaps Levee-Barbosa. I’ve yet to decide which sounds better… if either does at all.” She chuckled lightly, finishing her drink.

“Would you prefer to speak in the infirmary,” she asked, meeting his eyes again, “or here in the inn?”

[09:47] Crow (melchior.wardell) was as ever calm and measured. As if every motion of him was given thought. In a way it was drilled in him that his pose, mannerisms mattered. His humble approach at times disarming and putting people on the wrong foot. His knifes and words could be razor sharp if need be.

“The matter is delicate.” he stated “But it is up to you. I do not wish to isolate you or put you in a spot that is not comfortable to you.” he stated. A sense of care was given. He was no brute. He was in a way very much the sophisticated fellow that understood the importance of women in Gor. He would respect that status.

[09:50] Neeve Barbosa (kristie.tigerpaw) sighs. Assuming that perhaps his ‘delicate’ situation might have been a medical issue or something that might require supplies, she simply stood, and lead to the way to the infirmary. Of course, she’d make sure she had her hair pin in her hair dosed with sleeping powder just incase.
[09:50] Janice Saiz (jace.saiz) is offline.

[09:57] Crow (melchior.wardell) followed seeing the Ubar as they passed. He had dipped his head in his direction. And could already sense the way the man might worry as to his citizens. Good reason – as none were safe for when gold was paid.

As he stood in the door opening he didn’t yet seated himself. But he would wait till she did before he would tell her of his reasons. “When I speak of serums … I do not speak of the amount I need to grow old.” he stated cryptic as to read what the mere sentence would tell him of her.

[10:03] Neeve Barbosa (kristie.tigerpaw) hummed softly as he spoke, the words serums and grow old telling her more than he likely intended. She watched him linger in the doorway for a moment before gesturing toward an open seat, settling herself only after. “One who looks as you do hardly seems in need of serums for age—or anything close to it,” she said evenly. “Which tells me you’re not here out of necessity, but because you know we are working to refine what already exists.”

Her gaze held his, steady and unimpressed by the veiled phrasing. “But let us not speak in riddles,” she added plainly. “I have neither the time nor the patience for them. If you wish to speak with me, then do so plainly.”

[10:08] Crow (melchior.wardell) could tell that she felt comfortable in this setting. How she hummed and even spoke sharp as to how she wished to convey or continue the conversation. Crow was cryptic and with good reason. He spoke plain to his intentions, but veiled to their purpose. As an agent he held a sword much heavier then that of the simple killer.

“A long time ago .. there was a whisper … a simple rumor.” he started. He would take a coin from his pocket and threw it up in the air as to catch it there. “A rumor about physicians that started to dive deeper into the serums. Perhaps it is something physicians do. Play Godlike and with the antidote to age got cocky. Arrogant.” his words were harsh and yet the tone was void of any emotion.

“Can you see that such a rumor .. can become a weapon ? You must know of second and third knowledge .”

[10:17] Neeve Barbosa (kristie.tigerpaw): Neeve sat in silence for a moment before answering.

“I don’t know the past, sir—and I don’t dwell in it,” she said calmly. “What’s been done cannot be undone. But I do care about what can still be done.”

Her gaze lowered briefly, then returned to him.

“There are people I value. People who made mistakes, or trusted the wrong things… and now they’re told they have five years left, while others may have hundreds.”

Her voice softened, but did not waver.

“I understand second and third knowledge—though few still grasp what it truly means.” A pause. “This isn’t arrogance. And it isn’t a desire to play at being a god.”

She inclined her head slightly.

“It’s the belief that if a single equation can be adjusted—carefully, willingly—then time does not have to be stolen. It can be given. At least to those who choose it.”

[10:24] Crow (melchior.wardell) regarded her – not in anger or the attempt to silence or educate. It was in the way he listens. In the true nature of truly hearing what she said. Measuring them as to her intent. He was a good listener and a good judge of character. Strangely enough his old age was not only due to serums but how he moved through life. Surely with a profession as that of him such was needed.

“Oh .. I do not ask you to dwell on the past. Neither do I.” he replied “I deal with it just as you are doing. I suppose. There were you wish to prolong – I simple end. With a flick of my dagger. Yet do not mistake it for something casual or for something I do easy.” he shared.

“I would take a seat and discuss this but I have other obligations. I would like to discuss the issues that your infirmary might be in. Surely when word gets around. You might be in dire need of me. More then you wish to acknowledge. ” he shared. His words were still in that low humble approach.

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The Stone Beneath the Blood

Posted in Black Caste, Black Compass Trading Company, Disguised, Silas, Trajan, Uncategorized on September 16, 2025 by crow1971

They called him Silas—but that was merely the skin he wore. Beneath the name, beneath the calm demeanor, lurked Crow: a man forged in blood and secrecy. The Stormcrow had once sailed under a different captain, until murder rewrote its fate. Crow, cloaked in his alter ego, slipped aboard under the guise of loyalty, and slowly, like a tide rising in the dark, he earned their trust. When the time came, they handed him the helm.

Under his command, the ship became more than a vessel—it became a front. A company was born, thriving in the shadows, its roots tangled with the ambitions of Portus Stromberg, a man seeking sanctuary for his beloved and their children. Together, they built something that looked honest. But behind the curtain, Crow moved pieces on a darker board.

Then came the note.

It was unassuming, folded and sealed, but it carried the weight of a world. A whisper from Ar—his Home Stone. The place he had sworn to sever from his soul when he entered the caste of assassins. Yet the bond had never truly broken. It pulsed beneath his skin, a ghost of belonging.

And so, the Master of Masks began to weave a new disguise. A plan. A return.

As Silas, he roamed the ports, gathering whispers and favors. One day, aboard the Stormcrow, a young man named Trajan Cernus boarded—bound for Port Kar. He carried arrogance like a blade, and when denied what he believed was his right, he turned it on a girl. She was not his to command, not his to touch. Her Master had not given permission. But Trajan’s fury was blind.

Crow watched.

The girl died beneath his fists.

The owner of the girl demanded compensation. Silas offered resolution. He led Trajan to his quarters with a calm smile and quiet steps.

When the ship docked, Crow emerged alone.

The girl’s owner had paid well.

And the Stormcrow sailed on, its captain cloaked in silence, its secrets buried in the deep.

Crow was no stranger to transformation. In his relentless pursuit to return to Ar—the city etched into the marrow of his soul—he shed one skin to wear another. The death of Trajan Cernus was not an end, but a beginning. Crow claimed the young man’s possessions, his identity, and with the silent blessing of the enigmatic Priest Kings, began the delicate art of rebirth.

Time became his ally. He did not rush. He studied Trajan’s mannerisms, his knowledge, his ties to the House Cernus—the promise of power and legacy. Every detail was absorbed, every nuance rehearsed. Slowly, deliberately, the illusion took shape.

And then, the old mask had to die.

Silas—the alter ego that had served him well—was dismantled piece by piece, buried in whispers and forgotten ports. In his place rose Trajan Cernus, not the impulsive youth who had once boarded the Stormcrow, but a man reborn: composed, calculating, and cloaked in quiet menace.

When Crow finally stepped onto the stones of Ar once more, he did so not as a fugitive, but as a phantom returned. The city did not recognize him, but it would feel his presence. He was older now. Sharper. And far more dangerous than anyone dared suspect.

The note bore no seal, yet its weight was unmistakable. It came from Marlenus—the exiled Ubar of Glorious Ar. Once cast out in the wake of the city’s fall, he had waited, watched, and now, he called for return.

Crow read the message in silence, the ink whispering of unfinished business and buried loyalties. The time had come. The city stirred once more, and with it, the need for shadows to move.

Marlenus had chosen him.

Not as Crow. Not as Silas. But as Trajan Cernus—a name reborn from the ashes of a once-promising scion of a noble house. The real Trajan was gone, his legacy a blank canvas. And Crow, ever the master of masks, would paint it anew.

He had prepared for this moment with patience, not haste. The lessons learned in exile, the alliances forged in silence, the knowledge gathered in the dark—all of it had led to this. Ar would not recognize him, but it would feel his presence. He would not return as a servant, but as a force. A man of lineage, of power, and of purpose.

And beneath the calm exterior of Trajan Cernus, the assassin watched. Waiting for the city to blink.

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Add a little promise

Posted in Black Caste on September 14, 2025 by crow1971

[11:19] Crow looked into the sandpit of the arena as he had leashed the girl with him. He had been around, away, distant. Ever since the note had reached him there was this inner turmoil that only a few things could manage to do. The seasoned assassin not quickly to rile up.

As he stood there – time had been perhaps uncomfortable passed by without a word spoken. As he finally looked down upon the slave his eyes every so slightly soften. “At times a name says everything. Do you not agree?” he asks. He would indicate for her to stand beside him as he unleashed her collar. Allowing her to look into his face – if she truly dared.

[11:23] Promisa: was quietly worried she had done something wrong, meriting punishment. Summoned so abruptly from her daily routine, she racked her brains as to why. She felt the leash being taken off of her collar and bade to stand, so she gulped and obeyed, wondering if a whipping was forthcoming, it HAD been some time since she was last whipped, and many Free said it was a good thing for slaves to be whipped to remind them of the fraity of their existence, reliant upon the kindness of the Free for everything. She put on a brave face and stood, filled a desire to be found pleasing, worthy of keeping. “YEs Master” she spoke with a slight tremble in her voice.

Promisa: momentarily dared to look at the MAster in the eyes for the briefest of flashes, before averting her gaze respectfully. She still found him both terrible and wonderful to look at, the man who had changed her life, and crafted her into the best possible self she could be.

[11:28] Crow would reach out in an attempt to cup her cheek and have her truly face him. It was important as to what he was to do and say “Tell me Promise. How do you feel now after all this time ? I remember the moment we stood before one another well. Or should I say the moment in which I took your previous life and made you indeed the Promise you have become.” His voice soft and in an strange way warm and comforting ?

[11:33] Promisa: sighed and leaned into the touch upon her cheek, so responsive to the simple gesture, she nearly purred but focused on his intense purpose in posing the question. “Master? I feel very much as if I have fulfilled my potential, the potential you saw in me. I live each day with the utmost desire to fulfill the promise that you recognized within, and deserve the name you bestowed upon me. I am Promise, Master, in both name in being. I am grateful for the mercy you showed me, and the opportunity given to be the best version of me, that I could have been. My old life is gone, and I do not mourn it. I am content and happy in my collar, Master.”

[11:40] Crow would caress her cheek, move his thumb over her soft lips as he would come closer to her. His chest nearly touching her breasts. He smiled at the words. She had indeed awakened beautifully. Her motions delicate and yet teasing enough to have men have their cock twitch in their leathers. “What if I am here to tell you that I have need of your expertise ?” he started. “I have need of a physician in Ar. One that understands their methods. Understands that playing with fire can get one burned surely when one tries new developments.” he let the words linger as he studied her expression as to read how these words would fall upon her.

[11:44] Promisa: was suddenly filled with a great fear and inner turmoil, and her lips parted in surprise, even as his thumb strayed close, and his fingertips caressed her cheek. “M-Master… have I disp- I mean… I-I… I would do what is commanded of me, and I obey in all things with complete obedience, but if I am caught, it is an instant sentence of death upon me to be seen practicing medicine again or in the robes of a free woman… I ask only if I have offended in some way that I would merit punishment, Master?”

[11:48] Crow would even inch closer as his green eyes would lock to hers. He could note the change and insecurities that arises in the girl that had become so full in her slavery. “There is no displeasure. In truth … you have pleased me greatly.” he would hold pause as to have the words truly reach her. Before he would continue. “You will not be disguised. I will give you your freedom. You will be given full manumission. Of course some coin to start your life once more,”

[11:54] Promisa: felt so overwhelmed by the statement, her knees buckled and she stumbled in shock. She collapsed momentarily, before she pressed her lips fiercely against the Master’s thigh, a worshipful kiss of devotion and slave love, gratitude and unprocessed emotion. “Master! Master! I am unworthy! I am unworthy but I will make offerings in your name silently to the Priest Kings’ temple forever more. Thank you, Master!” Her face showed fear at the unknown, uncertainty, but also enormous gratitude recognize the gesture he was granting as the highest form of favor a Master could grant a slave. She would not be seen as ungrateful or ignorant of what he had just said to her.

[12:00] Crow would have tried to catch her before she fell or started to profess her gratitude. “There is a catch.” he stated as to have her aware that any gift would come with a cost. Crow was not a man known for gifts that held no meaning but simply to gift itself. Perhaps there was a moment in which he was taken aback. The girl so full in her slavery seemed to long for this he granted? A girl that had been almost the true embodiment of a woman so liberated that she shamelessly could be whom ever she truly was? But he would rid himself of these thoughts. “I want you to warn me. Warn me when physicians dare to venture upon paths that might be questioned by the Priest Kings themselves.” he would now take her head between both his hands so she was forced to look at him. So he could spy a false ‘promise’ if she dared to give him one.

[12:06] Promisa: was easily held and tilted so she was looking him in the face. In her eyes, there was devotion of a slavegirl. There was fear of the future, of being placed back into the position of being Free and responsible for both herself and other duties. But there was also the complete acceptance of a submissive female who would die for the man who had collared her. By telling her to live free again, she would do as he asked with her entire being, and if he asked her to cross her wrists in front of him again, she would do so as well, without hesitation. Free or collared, she belonged to him through debt and history. All of this read in her eyes, upon her visage, and she let his arms bear her small weight for her, so overwhelmed with this responsibility placed upon her, she was not quite realized of what just happened. Promisa: stammered “Yes Master… I will watch, listen, and report back to you. As I have done, and as you taught me. My eyes are your eyes, and my ears are your ears.”

[12:12] Crow would lean down as he held her face. His lips brushed her softly as if to memorize the sensation to his lips. The words were truly heard and measured. Not much would go unnoticed. He was a man for the details and as ever calculating the odds. As he held her so close he could feel the complete surrender. The one that made the woman the most precious gem a man could ever hold. At his mercy and completely devoted. As she stood so close he inhaled her scent. A fragrance that would always tell him where she was if she was near. “Be careful, dear. “he murmurs against her lips. “As you know promises are a thing if you remember me well.” his kiss would deepen if she replied in eager to his kiss.

[12:15] Promisa: standing on her tip-toes to meet that deep kiss, she yielded just as the softest girl could, malleable in his grasp, she was still very much Promise the slavegirl, in this moment. she was His. “I promise, Master. When you have need of me, I will be at your side without hesitation.”

[12:21] Crow would heed her promise and the kiss that still lingered upon his lips. “Go back to the court. You will find enough funds to buy yourself a life. There is a small package with a dress, veils and a pin for in your hair. The pin is engraved with a feather. As a reminder of who it is that took and gave your freedom. Perhaps we will never cross paths and yet if there is need of it – we might. As ever I have whispers that come to me. This feather. Leave it in your window if there is something that needs my attention. And I will ensure your concerns will be met with either a scroll or a place to meet.”

[12:26] Promisa: solemnly looked for the last time into his eyes as her Master, and nodded with absolute obedience. “I shall never forget. Your Promise will remain in my heart, and I will willingly return to keep that debt, whenever you command.” She clutched her arms tightly around his chest. Small and frail, she moved as the embodiment of the perfection he had awoken within her, permeated with the essence of his expectations and demands. It would never leave her, and she would forever keep that part of her as her being.

[12:30] Crow chuckles and grins as she hugged him. He would brush down her hair “Now be aware … when you are dressed and step outside wear this.” he would give her a small scroll “It is proof of what I have given you today.” A rare paper as he had never ever granted his slaves their freedom. “Be well, Promise.” he stated in farewell.

[12:33] Promisa: accepted the scroll offered with both hands, raised high above her head, forehead bowed. “Thank you, Master. I will do as you say, and I wish you… joy, happiness, and prosperity. May your sword sing, and your feet never slip. I wish you the best.”

[12:33] Crow would watch her go with a look that could tell a thousand stories on how he met her, taught her, had her and eventually lets her go.

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