prologue ♔ chances are more than expectations

[wynn]

WHO || Wynn and any characters newly joining the Knights
WHAT || Initial recruitment meetings with Wynn
WHERE || Knights Headquarters outside London, England
WHEN || Anytime before the 1st of each month
HOW || Prose OR Actionspam (I'll follow your lead!) Please make a new thread for your character's arrival below.

♬ [When you see this note in a post or NPC tag, click for musical accompaniment!]

The paths to the Knighthood are as unique as the individuals who comprise its widespread organization. But all of their tales have one aspect in common: their first trip to the castle that serves as the primary headquarters for their operations occurs blindfolded, generally with the member who had recommended them for service as their escort.

Only when the car had pulled up to the front steps of the opulent building are they unmasked and allowed to follow inside.



Within the wide front hall is what looks like a receptionist desk to the left, manned by any one of a number of usually young Knights, who make the newly arrived sign into an ancient looking tome with hundreds of yellowed pages, along with today's date, usually accompanied by a look of curiosity from whoever's working the desk. Either way, they ask no questions.

They are then directed down the main ground floor hallway, which seems to stretch on for a great distance, passing tapestries of a mostly medieval flavor, suits of armor and weaponry lining the walls, and archways that open into opulent ballrooms, extra wings with numerous doors, poshly decorated parlors and more.

It's in front of an incredibly large painting that they come to a stop, drawing some kind of keycard out of their wallet or pockets and using it to open a small glass case containing a fire extinguisher to the right of the artwork. They pull the extinguisher upwards like a lever, making it clear it's just for show, and a loud mechanism creaks behind the wall, as the entire mural swings aside slowly to unveil a torch lit hallway. Escorts leave their charges to go on from here alone, usually with a nod or word of encouragement.

There's something solemn about the long stone corridor, made only more so by the fact that almost every inch of the walls on either side is covered in paintings, tapestries, rugs, artifacts, carvings, etc. that depict various images from the Knights' history, of those in armor battling against all manner of twisted and dangerous creatures. There's another constantly reoccurring image as well - of a gigantic silver dragon battling against armies of dark elves, or just one dark elf in particular, who is often depicted with a certain circular symbol somewhere on his wicked looking armor.

More prominent than this collection of madly arranged images is the incredibly large lettering inscribed over the large doors at the end of the hallway.

Thou Shalt Defend the Knighthood.
Thou Shalt respect all Weaknesses, and Shalt constitute thyself the Defender of them.
Thou Shalt not recoil before thine Enemy.
Thou Shalt make War against Injustice, without Cessation and without Mercy.
Thou Shalt never lie, and shall remain Faithful to thy pledged Word.
Thou Shalt be Generous, and listen to and Respect All.
Thou Shalt be Everywhere and Always the Champion of the Right and the Good against Injustice and Evil.

The room that stretches out beyond those doors, however, is enough to wrench the eyes off the inscription. It houses an incredibly large, thick, wooden table constructed in the round, surrounded by at least twenty five chairs. Rising from the center from the table is a massive statue that appears to be made of glass or crystal, depicting a dragon in flight. Suspended in the middle of the statue is a proud looking sword, that looks as if it's merely hovering there because of the statue's transparent nature. The statue rises up towards the vaulted ceilings as if it means to break free and soar out of the room, creating a very otherworldly aspect to the setting.

It may take a moment for those who enter to realize they are not fully alone, as Wynn waits on the exact opposite side of the table, facing a pair of incredibly tall sealed doors, that appear to be gilded in gold leaf. His hands are locked behind him, laced white cuffs falling over them, one ring visible on his left hand. His height is intimidating, at a full six foot seven, and his posture rigid and impeccable. He wears an old-fashioned tailored coat worked with silver and dark blues, over a silver and white doublet, framed with gleaming buttons that have tiny dragons worked onto them in brushed silver. He says nothing - doesn't even so much as turn, as if he doesn't even register that anyone has arrived.

Once inside, the doors fall shut with a ponderous thud, of what seems to be their own accord.

Comments

[withasouvenir]

[ sooooo sometime in late october after being rescued and being ferried to england, thea finds herself across from merlin, probably. her heels click as she crosses the room, taking the moment his back is turned to rub at her wrists. she's going to need to put something on them before too long. once she's close enough to not have to shout, she stops and clears her throat.

hello...? ]

[wynn]

[ wynn turns slowly to study her, with that penetrating gaze of his. ] Miss Queen, I presume.

[withasouvenir]

Thea.

[ "regrettably" is on the tip of her tongue, but she tones down the sass. thank you, valium, you're so sweet. she does regret it though, thea queen gets in too much trouble for it to be a good thing.

ever. ]

[wynn]

I heard of your rather... eventful meeting with our Knights.

[withasouvenir]

[ her mouth thins out as she thinks about how to approach her words, hands clasping together in front of her. ] Thanks for calling in the cavalry for me. I've never been rescued by helicopter before.

[wynn]

We try not to spare any expense.

[withasouvenir]

I'm noticing that. [ her eyebrows lift, as if to indicate she has indeed gotten a glimpse of his palatial accommodations. but the expression falls quickly, discomfort gnawing at her. she hates feeling like she owes people and she definitely owes these people -- both for saving her life and for putting a stop to the drug trade that was hurting all those shadowkind. thea would have settle for just the latter, but coming out of this unscathed is certainly a bonus. ]

Thank you. Really. I couldn't have stopped them on my own.

[ especially not drugged and tied to a chair, like wow. she was beyond useless. weak little thea queen all over again. ]

[wynn]

Does that trouble you?

[withasouvenir]

[ the honest answer is yes. she hates feeling like she needs to be saved. she knows she couldn't have stopped even a small drug ring on her own, but the fact that she couldn't even defend herself -- something she spent months learning to do -- is what bothers her the most. but she doesn't want to admit that so she hedges. ]

Of course it does. Those Shadowkind were targeted because they didn't know any better.

[ yep. nailed it. ]

[wynn]

That is not quite what I asked. [ calling u out, but he doesn't ask again, moving on instead to the subject she brought up. ] A common problem, I'm afraid, in this world of ours.

[withasouvenir]

[ thea grew up dripping in wealth, she doesn't understand poverty. but she remembers the glades and she remembers roy. she might be pissed at him for lying to her, but after a year and change she at least gets it. ]

It's a problem in a lot of worlds. [ poor people have it bad. ]

[wynn]

That it is. And where it exists, there are those who will stand to combat it.

[withasouvenir]

[ she is full of (unsure). ] l

Vigilantes?

[ because no. ]

[wynn]

Some will be, where the governing body of a land refuses to offer aid to those who need it.

Our own organization is known to most regimes of this world, and we have a mutual... understanding in place.

[withasouvenir]

[ that does a little to assuage her pursed lipped judgement. ollie had done well enough to convince her that the hood was a psycho and then her own interactions with starling city's personal vigilant had only shored up his warnings to stay the fuck away from him. add in her father and her penchant for being kidnapped... thea is so very done with superheroes.

but this doesn't seem like a giant justice league. what would ollie do? get drunk and insult jennifer lawrence to her face probably. what would her dad do? (her real dad, for the record. not malcolm merlyn.) he was a good man, mostly. he would want thea to help people. she's not sure this is what he ever had in mind for her though. maybe a charity ball. ]

Nothing good seems to come from people taking justice into their own hands.

[wynn]

Is it justice you speak of... or vengeance?

[withasouvenir]

[ there is something about the weight of wynn's presence that makes thea answer honestly. ]

I don't know if I can tell the difference anymore.

[wynn]

[ he nods, as if appreciating her honesty ] It is a delicate line.

But justice is first and foremost not about punishing the wicked. It is about protecting those who cannot protect themselves.

[withasouvenir]

That sounds fair. [ and gives less from for personal interpretation of who the bad guy is. ]

[wynn]

I can't claim that there are not times when some of us lose sight of that. But that is why we do not do what we do here alone.

[withasouvenir]

Checks and balances.

[ she shifts, crossing her arms over her chest. it's fairly obvious she's wary of the idea still. but maybe not too wary about it. ]

[wynn]

I've heard it called such, yes.

[withasouvenir]

[ she nods slowly before finally answering the previous question she had glossed over. ]

It does bother me, yes. I ran away from home because I felt weak and today that's all I felt.

[wynn]

Admitting when we feel weakest is an act of strength in itself.

I imagine you would prefer not to feel that way again.

[withasouvenir]

It would be preferable, yeah.

[ and she doesn't exactly feel strong having admitted that. :| ]