Castle of Ye

[Zhen Xi]

The palace of the newly formed capital of Wei, Ye stands strong as a symbolism of northern strength. It's brilliantly shined marble flooring and immaculate stone pillars stand firm as the palace of Ye, in which many palace officials wander about their business. Peasants may enter the courtyard of the palace, but to gain any further entrance, one must have an invitation, or be of Wei's force. This slightly low security pleases the people, giving them some freedom during the time of turmoil.

[Mortiss]

*A strange looking man enters the Palace, strange in the fact that he looked out of place, the Palace Guards were all so neat, well groomed and correct, this man could not be more alien to this place. He was fairly short measuring only about five feet and four inches and as if to emphasise his short stature as strode he crouched his back, his face to the floor and his long black straw like hair flowed down, it covered his face and the back of his neck hiding all features. His clothes were simple to say the least, nothing more than badly sewn together black rags, moth eaten and covered in rips, it seemed like they would fall apart at any moment. His arms were surprisingly long considering his short size, they hung down his sides unrestricted as the man treaded. Something else that struck the guards as odd was the mans feet. He wore no boots, he wore nothing, his feet were dirty, his toe nails uncut, everything about this man made the Palace Guards uneasy and they were quick to stop the tramp in his tracks*

*With their spears pointing at the mans chest they circled him uneasily. The man stopped dead but did not look up from underneath his hair, he kept his eyes firmly fixed on the floor. The Guards noticed across his back in an X shape two swords, two expensive well made swords which seemed strange an obvious tramp such as this should have acquired two such well crafted blades. The Guards looked at each other one by one and nodded, they began to close in, no questions were needed or desired, this man would not be welcome in the presence of their lords. At last the man spoke and his voice was penetrating, shrill and unpleasant*

"I'm expected, at the moment I am asleep in my cage, you do not wish to wake me, now be good little Guards and tell whoever is in charge that Mortiss is here"

*As the word "here" rang throughout the chamber Mortiss lifted his head from the ground his hair swinging back revealing his face for the first time. It was ghostly white, two scars ran down each of his black soulless eyes. The Guards were not sure whether they should arrest him or allow him to pass. None fancied themselves against the warrior, but if they allowed a potentially dangerous man to enter they would be in big trouble. An uneasy stand off began, however Mortiss was not the patient type soon he got bored and strode off in the direction of the main chamber. One Guard grabbed his shoulder and Mortiss stopped dead in his tracks he turned his head and smiled, it was not a friendly warm smile, instead it was a cold malicious smile that sent a chill up the spine of the Guard. Mortiss at lightning speed grabbed the Guards hand and gripped tightly squeezing it. The Guard dropped to his knees, every bone in his hand was being crushed. Mortiss eventually released his grip leaving the unfortunate guard rolling on the floor screaming in agony as Mortiss continued and entered the main chamber, with the Guards close behind him Spears ready to kill if they were so commanded*

[Cao Chun]

Into Ye enters a man of about thirty years of age. This is Cao Chun, brother of Cao Ren. In each hand he wields a large saber. One of these sabers is in the shape of a lightning bolt, the other is perfectly straight. Cao Chun wears armor, colored blue and bearing a symbol in the center that says "Wei". He had served Cao Cao before and now wished to serve his son.

Lord Cao Pi it is I Cao Chun, your cousin and former officer of your father. I have come to support you in this time of chaos.

[Zhang Liao]

There were many names to this warrior-among-warriors, whom now entered the new capital of the Wei Empire. Of course, he preferred, above all, to be called Zhang Wenyuan, the Hero of He Fei. The guards gulped as he stopped before them, those two eyes staring at them. He knelt, suddenly, removing the Gold Wyvern from the straps on his armor's back, holding the weapon before them in both hands, head bent in defference. Reluctantly, the guardsmen claim the weapon, holding it carefully as not to drop it. Wenyuan rose, nodding to them, and stepped through the halls of Ye.

Those slow, echoing steps made his presence known, even before he had stopped just inside the throne room. He once again dropped low, into a kowtow, before Cao Mengde, ruler of Wei. The man waited for an order to stand.

[Damian]

*As life went on in the bustling city of Ye, the arrival of a newcomer went hardly unnoticed; the overcrowded streets and the loud noise of shop owners trying to make a living clearly masking his arrival. The figure slowly weaved his way through the streets, which would bring him ever closer to his destination. For many years he had been training and preparing himself for this day, and to rush in blindly would betray all the hard work he has endured, so he continued on at a pace best described as ‘snail like’. After what could easily be called an eternity to those with no self-discipline, his trudging finally halted as his crystal blue eyes cast their sights on the benevolent structure before him – the Ye Castle.*

*After taking in the structure’s design and decorations for a moment or two, the figure began the journey up the staircase and to the doors that would lead to his destiny. As he ascended the stairs, a breeze crept through the area, tossing strands of his silver hair about his face. However, the obstructions to his sight when unnoticed, as his focus was completely on the gateway that was drawing ever closer. His tight black leather suit looked more like a second layer of skin, than an actually article of clothing. His arms were calmly positioned at the side, where his fists were strangling the hilts of his two katana’s. Though all seemed normal to any onlooker of the situation, the figure would say otherwise. With much willpower, he carefully hid his increase in breathing, and praised the gusts of wind that passed occasionally for keeping his bodies sweat from accumulating along his brow.*

*As he reached the first of the guards entrusted with keeping watch on the outside of the palace, he quickly un-strapped his katana’s and handed them over to the man. He noticed that many eyes were watching his every move, but no mannerisms seemed to indicate that the guards were uncomfortable with the situation. He continued on. The next guard he encountered was a burly individual whose position seemed to me in charge of the door itself. The figure looked directly into the guard’s eyes, almost as if peering into his very soul for a moment, before he alternated his line of sight to the colossal gate behind the guard. He took in the massive doors that he would hope to enter shortly, mesmerized, like he was truly living a dream. The fact that this was reality quickly came rushing back to him as the guard spoke in a not-so-friendly manner.*

[Guard] – “Excuse me, but are you here for any particular reason?”

*The figures pupils slowly navigated back to those of his addresser, and in a calm gesture he pointed to the door, and spoke. His voice was not deep, but you couldn’t quite call it feminine either. It was in the middle somewhere, almost childish sounding, however in the tone there was absolutely nothing childish or immature.*

“I’ve come to speak with Lord Cao Cao, about joining the kingdom of Wei. I presume this is the castle of Ye, since no other structure in this city matches this one in magnitude.”

*The figure watched as the guard clearly fought a mental battle, a change in expression ever few seconds indicating another thought had found its way into his mind. The battle didn’t last long, and the guard asked a final question, which to most people, would normally be their last.*

[Guard] – “What is your name, sir? So I can let Lord Cao Cao know he has a visitor.”

*A smirk surfaced on his youthful face, but soon went back to a very guarded expression, that seemed almost jovial. Lifting his right hand up in front of him, about face level, he made a gesture with his index finger, ushering the guard to come closer. Apparently the man had something to say to him, and him alone. Undaunted the guard bent lower, so that the figure before him could speak in his ear. The tone that came from this man was utterly different then what the guard had just heard moments before. The guard’s facial expressions contorted into those of a victim of cruel torture, and made many other guards watching the scene clearly more interested in their visitor. As the guard pulled away, he raised a hand and rubbed his ear, as if the words just spoken into it were harmful and must be rubbed off.

Contemplation… The guard was once again thinking over his choices, unsurprising to the figure though was that this time it didn’t take very long for a decision to be reached.

[Guard] – “Proceed right this way, sir. One of the palace attendants will fetch Lord Cao Cao, or whoever is available at the moment to speak with you.”

*The same smirk from before once again found it’s way into the young mans expression, indicating that whatever he had spoken must have gotten the results he was looking for. He waited patiently as the grand doors were opened before him, before preceding his journey once again, this time inside the very structure of his many visions. It was not difficult at all to find the main room, as there were no other possible directions to travel except forward through the hallway. As he entered, his self-control slipped a little and he gasped at the sheer sight of the enormous room before him. Many palace attendants were in the room; some where busily talking with each other, while others seemed to be talking with other guests to the palace. Not even a moment after the figure regained his composure, an attendant come before him and spoke in a casual manner.*

[Attendant] – “You must be the man here to see Lord Cao Cao about joining his cause? One moment while I see if he’s available.”

*Just as quickly as he’d appeared, he disappeared. The figure was left baffled at the scene before him, as he waited for the attendant to return with someone he could speak too. He leaned up against the nearest wall and allowed his eyes a moment of darkness, so he could calmly recollect himself for the conversation he was hoping to have momentarily…*

[Cao Cao]

(Sorry about keeping you guys, I'll make a post later, I'm not ignoring you on purpose. )

[Sima Yi]

A man walked around the streets of Ye. He wore an expression of arrogance on his face. The sly smile that completed his face spoke volumes to those around him. It was quite obvious that he thinks himself superior to everybody.

The name of this man is Sima Yi. He comes to Ye because he wishes to seek an audience with the Lord Cao Cao. With his mind set he makes his way through the crowds on his way to the Palace.

Yi finds the palace and makes his way past the guards and finds his way to the throne room. The guards stop him at the door

Guard "What is your buisness here?"

Sima Yi "I am here to speak with Cao Cao. Is he here?"

[Guo Jia]

A man clearly exhausted walked into the capital, it was Cao Ang – one of Cao Cao’s sons, he had barley time to get off his horse before entering the castle. The flustered look on his face showed something was wrong. Otherwise he would not have been a man to ignore customs and welcomes, he glanced around looking intently at the gathering in the main chamber – word throughout the kingdom was thriving with talk of rebellion in the capital. Cao Ang walked past either friend or foe to try and see his father Cao Cao. Alas the man was clearly busy, Cao Ang stopped and thought to himself for a moment, was this worth disturbing his father… No that would take up even more time, which right now was not something he had. Grabbing the nearest minister and placing him before him Cao Ang spoke to him.

"Tell Cao Cao when he emerges that Guo Jia is no longer convinced that Sun Jian’s intentions are totally honorable, and now believes Xu Chang to be in danger. And Tell him that Cao Ang has taken back the troops Guo Jia returned to the capital, as they are once again needed."

Hardly waiting for a reply from the minister unlucky enough to be the one to inform Cao Cao that some of his army had been taken Cao Ang was making his way towards the exit of the castle. Sun Jian would be at Xu Chang soon, Cao Ang would struggle to beat him there, if Guo Jia was right then his entire trip could be in vain...

[Sima Mao]

A proceeding is seen from atop Ye. Men marching to the beat of a drum, and walking in a brigade type formation. Ahead of the parade of men, a horseman can be seen. A cape flowing behind him, a long spear-like weapon in his hand. His shoulder’s arched back, and his back strait. The chanting of the army could be heard, and banners could now be seen. Slowly they came to the gates, and the army stopped. When the gate guard came to the door, he was surprised to see a one-eyed warrior looking back at him.

The guard spoke, his voice harsh and unkind. “I assume you want to speak to Lord Cao Cao?”

The one-eyed man smiled. “Indeed, I am Sima Mao, and I have come to grant my services upon your lord.”

The guard sighed, and opened the gate. “Only you may pass, your army will need to make camp away from the wall.”

Sima Mao nodded his head, and then looked to a tall man who was beside him. The tall man turned to Mao’s small army, ordering them to move out. They about-faced and started to walk away. Sima Mao nodded his head again when the procession started to go, and followed the gate guard. Soon they arrived at Yuan Shao’s old palace. The guard turned to Mao.

“Just head up the stairs and you will find the throne room.”

Mao again nodded his head. “Thank you, guard. Peace be with you.” The guard shook his head and muttered something as he left. Mao on the other hand laugh slightly to himself. He saw more guards as he dismounted, and a stable boy came and lead Hyundai away to a stable. Two more guards came before him, they looked like hard, seasoned veterans.

The one with a sergeants insignia spoke. “Please hand over your weapons.” The other soldier beside had a pike aimed at Mao.

Mao smiled and spun Cerberus around so that the head was facing him, and the handle at the guards. The sergeant gave Mao an evil glare. Mao’s smile continued as he then pulled out his dao. He quickly spun that around in his hands, and it glittered in the sunlight, reflecting it back at the guards. And when Mao held the back of the blade in his hands, and the handle again facing the guards, they realized that he knew how to fight, and his skills were above there’s. Finally the sergeant took the blade from Mao, and with a scowl issued the warrior onward, towards the palace.

Mao walked, now weaponless into the palace, he could see other warriors and ministers coming and going, and some trying to get in. Mao waited for the two guards to open the door, and they did so, once the sergeant from before entered. Mao entered the throne room, and once he spotted Cao Cao, he made a sweeping bow. Throwing his left arm out behind him, the other he placed on his chest. His left leg was placed behind his right, and thus the bow was complete.

He soon straitened himself, and looked at the Lord of Ye. “Lord Cao Cao, I am Sima Mao,” He introduced himself. “I have come to ask admittance into your army, as I have reasoned out that you are the most logical choice among the others. A true hero of chaos.” His words were short and to the point. No need to bother Cao Cao with meaningless titles or petty words, that was not Mao’s style. And so he waited.

[Zhen Xi]

*The large doors to the pure marble palace were heavily guarded. Not a soul could enter without permission by one of the Lords. The entry way opened into a huge cavernous place which was the throne room. The pillars holding up the celing were marble, but had a thick layer of glass on the outside. The floor was completely marble, aside from the large golden crest of Wei that lay in the middle of the room. You could see three thrones from the doors, one large one in the middle, and two smaller ones on each side. Each were made of gold with the seats lined in red velvet. Lined along the gold, were diamonds. One large blue one in the top middle, and then they got smaller as they trailed down the gold and into the arms. These were the chairs of Lord Cao Cao, Lord Cao Pi, and Lady Zhen Ji.*

*Cao Pi sat in his fathers chair, with Zhen Ji at his side. Cao Cao was out of the palace for the moment, and Pi was taking charge of matters inside. He sat with his head propped with one hand, and the fingers on other drummed lazily on the soft fabric of the elegant chair. He was shaken from his daydream by Zhen Ji, to realize that there were men who wanted to speak with him. The first was a rather strange man with a short stature and rags for clothes, being stopped by the guards. Zhen Ji turned her face away, not wanting to look at the thing in our palace. Cao Pi held better, and to the guards, he spoke.*

Cao Pi: [blue]"Let him pass, he must have a good reason for being here, and I will hear it."[/blue]

*Cao Pi turned his attention to the next man in his palace. It was none other than his cousin, and former office of Cao Cao, Cao Chun. He wanted to serve once more.*

Cao Pi: [blue] Ahhh! Cousin! Of course you can support us, we always are glad to have family back together! Welcome!"[/blue]

*Cao Pi got off his throne and shook his cousin, and new general's hand, before sitting back down, and addressing the next person who wished an audience with him. While Pi was out of his chair, a man had knelt at his feet, bowing to him. Cao Pi nodded and spoke once more.*

Cao Pi: [blue]"You may stand respectful one. Please, tell me your buisness here. "[/blue]

*As Cao Pi waited for the man to speak, he looked upon one of his palace servents.*

Servent: [pink]"Excuse my my Lord, there is a man waiting for entrance, he says he wants to join you. Shall I let him through?"[/pink]

*Cao Pi nodded, and the servent scurried away to fetch whom he spoke of. He could see another person at the doors being stopped by the guards. Pi stood and shouted across the room.*

Cao Pi:[blue]"If this man is here to speak with my father, let him know that I am handling palace matters for the time being. If he still wishes to pass, let him."[/blue]

*Cao Pi noticed his brother rush into the palace and speak to a minister there, then leave as quickly as he came. The mininster who recieved the message had a very worried look on his face, and he hurried to the throne. He took a quick bow, then spoke to Pi without asking permission first.*

Minister: [yellow]"Guo Jia no longer thinks Sun Jian's intentions are honorable, and he believes Xu Chang to be in danger. Also, Cao Ang has taken back the troops Guo Jia returned to the capital, because they are once again needed."[/yellow]

*The minister repeated everything Cao Ang had said almost exactly, and the look on Cao Pi's face didnt change much at all. He shook his head and stood up.*

Cao Pi: [blue]"There is no need to be alarmed. The last reports we have heard from Jia were about how well things were going. Cao Ang can have his troops, but I refuse to send any others until I am informed of a real threat."[/blue]

*Pi sat back down and addressed the next man wishing to see his father. It was another who wanted to join Wei.*

Cao Pi: [blue]"My father is not present at the moment, but I'm sure he would gladly have you in Wei. I welcome you.[/blue]

*With that, Cao Pi rested again. Having all of the men in his palace addressed, he could fall back into his mindless daydreams.*

[Guo Jia]

Cao Ang startled by his brothers sudder presance, turned to address him properly, though clearly unerved by his presance - Cao Ang knew it was time to leave immidatly. With whatever troops he could muster.

Cao Pi...it is good to see you well, you had me worried. I will take my leave now - but fear not I shall be back shortly, I hope father is okay.

The last line was more a statement than a question, as once Cao Ang had finished talking he immidatly turned and left the castle - he could be in Xu Chang as fast as the wind would carry him. With whatever troops could be spared.

[Sima Yi]

OOC: Sorry but i am alittle confused by your post (and the fact that the others were deleted)

so was Sima Yi accepted into Wei services or what? you really didnt explain who you were addressing for the most part

[rotkplayer]

”How befitting. This city would have been wasted upon any other but a Cao.”

“It is a marvelous city, is it not?”

The great sprawling capital of Wei opened before them when they passed through the gates. His son could not even attempt to conceal his awe, and Zixiao himself still found Ye to be a bit much at times. At first, when he heard that Mengde had designated Ye as his capital, Zixiao, who was a hunter and rider at heart, had been skeptical. Of course, when he heard of the great hunts that took place in Hua Bei, as well as the herds of wild horses that still roamed about, things had not seemed so bad.

Of course, they were not in Ye to hunt, they were in Ye to serve, and as such, both Cao dutifully made their way to the Grand Palace. All about them, the streets were teeming with people: merchants hawking this and that, guards dutifully carrying out their patrols, children assisting their parents or selling small little things of their own. There was even a madman standing in the midst of one of the busiest intersections and informing everyone he could that he was “directing traffic.”

“You remember?”

”Yes, stand behind you at all times, bow as I am supposed to, wait until you acknowledge me.”

“Good.”

At the entrance to the grand palace, the two halted. If procedure had not changed, and Zixiao did not believe that it had not, they would have to announce themselves here, gain access to the palace and then and only then, would they would be allowed to appear before Mengde. It was, in his mind, a good process, firm and uncompromising, as any good process regarding affairs of state should be. His son often jested that his father was far too stuffy and conservative when it came to such things, but Zixiao preferred to think of himself as a stoic, vigilant man, sounded better that way.

“I am Cao Ren and this is my son, Cao Yi,”he reiterated his greeting from the gate to the guards outside the palace. “My son and I seek an audience with Lord Cao Mengde that we may enter his service. Would it be possible for Lord Mengde to spare but a few moments of his time in order to meet with us?”

[Damian]

*As his consciousness was beginning to wane, the figure felt a slight nudge on his shoulder. With slight difficulty, he lifted his eyelids and allowed his retina’s a moment to focus. Standing their before him was the attendant who had left to search out Lord Cao Cao. A small yawn escaped his lips, almost before he realized it, however, it went unnoticed by the attendant as he began speaking.*

[Attendant] – ”Lord Cao Cao is currently busy. Prince Cao Pi, and his wife Lady Zhen Ji, however, are greeting new members who wish to join Wei right now. Allow me to take you to them.”

*Groggily, the figure followed the attendant before him, struggling to keep up with his quick pace. His feet sluggishly caught rugs and constantly over or under stepped, causing the attendant to look back occasionally, probably expecting to find the man sprawled out on the floor. However, due to either luck or skill, the figure and attendant arrived in the main room, where Cao Pi and Zhen Ji were, without any accidents. The attendant quickly motioned towards the table in the center, then just ask quickly as before, vanished back into the castle to pick up his tasks that he had put on hold.*

*The walk down the corridor did the figure a world of good, bringing his sense back to their full, and his thought process was now back on track. As he approached the table, trying to act neither rushed or sluggish, many introductions were being tossed around in his head, however many didn’t seem to be what he was looking for. Sooner than he would have preferred, the figure found himself before Cao Pi and Zhen Ji. Respectfully, he bowed to both, making eye contact as he lowered his head both times, until his silver hair finally cut off their connection. As he brought his body back up the second time, he addressed Zhen Ji. His voice showed no signs of nervousness or impatience. Clearly, he was a disciplined and skilled speaker.*

”Lady Zhen Ji, it is an honor to meet you. Many have spoken of your beauty, yet none seem to speak of anything else. I see they obviously overlook your ability to fight and lead. I look forward to serving you on the battlefield…”

*With a slight shift in position, the figure now faced Cao Pi, the man who would ultimately decide whether or not he could join Wei. With just as much clarity in his voice as before, he spoke again, this time towards Cao Pi.*

”Lord Cao Pi, I’ve heard many a tales about your exploits. You truly do match your father in the capacity in tactics and politics, however, I still wonder about your ability to lead… Allow me to join you, so I may see your skills for myself, and give you all that I have to offer this kingdom.”

*Without hesitation, the figure bowed again. His tight black leather armor, hugging him tighter than any scabbard or sheath, however, just loose enough so that movement wasn't uncomfortable. His soft silver hair once again put a veil over his face, as more words come forth from his mouth. This time, however, his voice betrayed him slightly, and showed his desire to be accepted.*

"My name has been long forgotten to me… But, like everyone else who must address me, you may call me Damian. It is a nickname I have been given by friends, and I think it suits me well.”



[OOC: Sorry for the low quality post, but my mind was just not focusing for me tonight. Needed to get this post out of the way though, so there it is.]

[Zhen Xi]

OOC: Yeah, sorry. I should have read over it once before I posted. Since none of you mentioned your name in the post, save one, Cao Pi didnt know who the person was. So I didnt mention names either. I should have described a bit more. And yeah, everyones who has actually spoken to me has been accepted in. I deleted the 3 posts because they wouldnt have gone in line with the plot that is set up. Sorry 'bout that.

*As Cao Ang spoke, Cao Pi nodded to him, bidding him goodbye, and good luck, even though he didnt think Xu Chang to be any real danger. As Ang passed through the entry way, Pi noticed his guards speaking with yet another man.*

Guard: [yellow]"Mengde is not present at the moment, but if you wish to seek an audience with his son, Cao Pi, you may pass."[/yellow]

*The guards moved out of the way of Cao Ren and his son, letting them move forward to speak with the prince and his wife if they so desired.*

*Cao Pi's attention turned from his guards to the silver haired man kneeling in front of him. The first words he spoke were to Zhen Ji, speaking of her beauty, and then to him questioning his ability to lead. A glint of anger sparked in his eyes, but he kept his calm.*

Cao Pi: [blue]Damian..I accept you into the service of Wei, but under one condition. You must never doubt my leadership. Doubt leads to failure, and I will not fail."[/blue]

*With that, he raised his hand and gestured Damian away. He was to be left in peace again, until the next matter presented itself to him.*

(And Matt..that was by no means a "low quality post" so stop your whining. )