Timeline of Events:
- The Emperor holds a Tourney in High Requiem to find candidates for his new knightly order: The Deific Order.
High Requiem, Capital of the Empire of Man
The clash of lance on shield echoed through the stone amphitheater as the knight brought it true onto his opponent. The painted three golden wolves heads were almost scrapped completely off by that blow as the knight of House Wester lay stiffly in dirt his opponent soaking in the cheers from the crowd both noble and peasant alike. He galloped his horse around the list, his draping flying the colors of his sworn house, a yellow arms-man standing guard on a field of black, the Sigil of House Magnus. He bolted past the mob of peasants standing on the other side of the short stone wall on the west end of the theater, and turned to face the crowd of nobles sitting in the elevated stone seating of the east side of the amphitheater that was attached to the Tower of Ascendancy.
Noblemen and women from all over the Empire gathered to witness this tournament, they sat on cushions laid on top of the stone "step like" seating that surround a box where the Emperor and the royal family sat. Between the seating were stone steps painted white that lead up to doors that lead to the rest of the royal castle. Many drapes and coverings have been erected to shield the noble people's faces from the harsh summer sunlight that beat down on the costal capital. Lords and Ladies alike fanned themselves as they watch tilt after tilt of this tournament, the breeze barely joining them for any sort of relief, the banners of the Royal House of Requient sat still in the air unmoved.
It had been some time since the last tourney was held in the Imperial Capital, the last Emperor Julian the III in his weak sickly years did not have the constitution to hold such events, as they tended to be large and exhausting affairs of both political and social intrigue. Nobles from across the Empire would travel to see these events, and this one and particular seemed to draw a large crowd, even from as far away as the Coastlands, Welland, and Gunrado. The honor of this event was in the name of the anniversary of the young Emperor, Titus the IV's ascension to the throne. Since his fathers sickness finally claimed his life little over a year ago, the Emperor of just nineteen years had taken a fancy to holding extravagant affairs that he missed out on during the waning days of his father's reign.
The young Emperor was starting to build a reputation for himself as a tenacious ruler, taking no resistance to his edicts and orders lightly as he began to build a vision for the future of the Empire in his reign. His often grand schemes he had highlighted at court in the past year have secret become the punch line of many noble lord's jokes as his plans grew even more and more grandiose than the last. His latest scheme was to create an order of knights specifically for the purpose of rooting out non-humans and these who support them. The Deific Order as he called it would be built of some of the best knights of the Empire, and they would be chosen from the best of the best at the tournament today. Knights from all around took up this call as a chance for glory. From second sons with no hopes of inheritance, to poor knights with nothing but the clothes on their backs, they have come far and wide to join this new order.
Titus sat atop his cushioned throne and mildly clapped in a bemused way as the next set of knights readied their lances for the tilt. Jousting was not the Emperor's favorite event, but he knew its importance to the knights that would come to claim glory. The Emperor would much rather see his warrior servants test their metal in the melee, sword on shield with no horses, only a man's own strength to keep his footing. The two knights came together this time in a violent clash, both the household knight of Thrat and a lesser noble from some insignificant northern countship were de-horsed in this run of the event. The Empress Lidia, a young red-haired girl of fourteen covered her mouth in a gasp as she waited for both knights to stand up. Titus studied her simple worried face, her red strands of hair dangled past her collarbone and rested on the silks of her bosom.
She was a pretty girl, sought often to please her Emperor. Doing anything and everything to gain his pleasure, but not what Titus fancied. It was an arranged marriage between his father and the Lord Avondale of the Avonhold, to marry his daughter to a Requient in hopes to gain some sort of political power. It was an endless game played by the highborn of the Empire, marry yourself into the royal family to fill it with some of your blood, and gain power until the next scheme to overthrow that power by another house was made. Titus grew tired often of keeping up with these schemes and trying to counter them. He left most of the whipping of the noble houses to his chancellor, Lord Julitt, who had been his father's as well. Titus had other things to keep him busy he thought, there were wars to be won before he could safely be in the history books as Titus the Conqueror.
The next of the matches were about to be called, Titus bit into a apple that was offered to him by one of his servants as he sat sideways on his throne. He must look every bit as bored as he felt, the noble lords and ladies seemed distracted enough as they cheered and leered after every tilt. The new combatants come forward to the Emperor's perch as it were called, right in front of the list. One was a older knight of the House of Crownfox, Sur Severin Meine, a noted warrior who has served the Lord Crownfox for many years in several different conflicts. His grey chiseled face saw the ware of many battles and carried the scares of a couple as well. His opponent was slightly less bland, a young knight in dark scale armor, wearing all myriad of purple coverings atop his faced helm. The Emperor recognized this was the Prince Gurren, of the House of Thoront known as "Prince of the Purple Night". A young representative of the Kingdom of Gunrado from the south. These exotic vassals were some of the more interesting warriors in the Empire, carrying crescent-shaped shields, wearing helmets with faces carved into them, and painting their horses rather than having them wear a cover. They were a sight to see on the field. They both saluted the standard Imperial salute to the Emperor- fist raised high in might- before receiving their leave to begin their joust.
The two knights trotted their horses to the opposite ends of the list before their squires came to hand them their lances, and give their saddle straps one last tug less they fall from it being loose. The knights lowered their visors before shouldering their lance, and finally the trumpet was played for them to begin their fast trot towards each other. Each man waited for the right moment to lower his lance and deal the blow to unseat his opponent. As they neared each other the crowd seemed to collectively hold its breath, but neither Knight scored a blow during the first go. So both galloped to the end of the lists and turned around to come at their opponent again, the crowd was cheering this time, both names being called out in equal thunder. As they came together once again Prince Gurran leaned in to deal the decisive blow to unseat his opponent. The lance tip grazed Sur Severin's shoulder knocking him enough to fall to the ground. His leg however caught and the stirrup and he was dragged for some meters before the squires were able to stop his horse.
"Victor! Prince Gurren Thoront of the Kingdom of Gunrado!" The man announced to the crowd, they cheered his name for a good minute before he began to trot off the field, he stopped however first in-front of his sister who sat in the stands, to give her a flower as a token to family love. She smiled and thanked her brother, and the Emperor took immediate notice. She was an older girl, seventeen he would expect, her hair dark brown and her eyes a exotic bright gold that was only found in her lands. She was the picture of grace and finesse, sitting and admiring the crowds around her. Her and her brother were new to court and she had not caught the Emperor's eye until now. For a good few minutes he stared at her, every part, up and down and up again until his eyes grew sore. He was interrupted however by his wife who was annoyingly excited to beckoned him to announce the winner of the jousting event. The Emperor patted her on the hand and stood up from his throne to speak to the crowd.
"My loyal subjects, today was have witnessed the gallantry and strength of the many knights who have come here today to serve the Empire." He spoke in every amount of enthusiasm he could summon, but truth be told the entire day had to his disappointment bored him. He looked forward however to the morrow when knights would square off in the melee. "I am happy to announce to you the winner of the joust, Prince Gurren of Gunrado!" The crowed cheered thunderously as the Emperor raised his hands to the young prince who still sat atop his painted horse.
"We shall return to witness our warrior knight's glory on the field of the melee tomorrow." The cryer shouted to the crowd as the Emperor receded into the box. He motioned for one of his knightly guards of the Order of Summer to come to him. The knight clad in black enameled plate with a golden dragon centered on his chest strutted forward and bowed his head silently. "Bring me the delegation from Gunrado, I wish to welcome them to the capital." He whispered into the knights ear, not wishing anyone else to here. "Have them come to my study, at an hour after dusk." The emperor whispered while adjusting his black whips of hair from his ears. The eyes of the young man then found their way back to the girl who still sat in the stands, peering around at the large sights of the capital. He could almost see the glimmer in her golden eyes as the sun dipped over the battlements. He had not seen anything as beautiful before.