"But the Kings coronation was a scandal. No one knows what happened that day." ____________________________________________If the coronation is mentioned in RP, PLEASE remember how much your character would know. I don't want anyone magically guessing the answer (at least not yet, I may allow this as an event sometime later). You can look below to see what your character would know. NON-CARIDAL CITIZENS: Everyone's heard of the Kings coronation. Everyone knows something went wrong. Some say it was an assassination attempt. Some claim there was intervention from a divine being. Some even blame aliens. Everyone's heard the rumours, but no one knows the truth. CARIDAL CITIZENS: Here, in the city where it happened, talk is even more common, but no more reliable. At first, many claimed to have been there, seen it for themselves. Yet each of them told a different story, none of which seemed plausible. Then things changed. The loud-mouthed citizens began disappearing, most found dead days later. Though it was never made an official law, the people of Caridal soon learnt the coronation was not to be spoken of. THOSE AT THE CORONATION: Right from the beginning, it was madness. At this point, Melding was still a new concept, and the Kingdom was in debate over what to do next. Most Meldings, along with their friends and family, were demanding fair treatment, as much as any other person. Others were scared by such a strange thing, yet unheard of in all of Aldoreths history. There were those who though the Meldings to be demons or monsters, something to be feared, hated, hunted. Folk from all groups could found at the coronation, all wanting to hear what the new king would say, and who's side he would take. Needless to say, with so many people, all intent on yelling their opinions, fights broke out before the ceremony even started. But when Herenote came forward, all fell silent, holding their breath in anticipation. This momentary stillness was lost the moment the crown touched his head. Then came the shouting, the fighting, the new king hurried offstage with the royals following in tow, the guards yelling for calm and killing those who disobeyed. Those at the back of the crowd won't have seen much, perhaps catching a glimpse of a sudden light on the stage before the chaos began. Of the people at the front, where the fighting was thickest and the guards most ruthless, not many survived. But those who did could have seen it, the brief light that covered Herenote the second the crown touched his head, and the way it stuck. Even in the madness and his rush to leave the stage, it remained perfectly in place, as if glued. Not many who saw escaped, but those who did knew. The king was a Melding. ADVISORS, NOBLES, HEAD GUARD AND LESSER ROYALS: Aside from Herenotes siblings and guards, the palace occupants were seated on a balcony above the stage, where they looked over the crowded audience of commoners. Separated from the brawl, they could do nothing but watch as it started, and were quickly rushed inside by guards before the killing started. For days afterwards they chatted and whispered, wondering what could have gone wrong. But when they could get no clear answer, and it was made evident the King would hear no more of it, the gossip passed, as gossip does, turning back to the latest parties, affairs, and political matters. PALACE GUARDS: The remaining guards have no clues as to what happened. They began the day as planned, sorting out the smaller, expected fights at the beginning, standing at their assigned posts, keeping watchful eyes fixed on the crowd throughout the ceremony. Then, when madness fell, they worked as they had been trained to, protecting the higherups and controlling the crowds, maintaining order as best as they could. The few onstage, who had rushed the king and his siblings to safety, they had seen. They knew. Three days later, they were accused of plotting against the crown and promptly executed, guilty or not. HIGHER ROYALS: The kings brother and sister were seated behind him through it all. They saw the king Meld, they know as much as the coronation crowd, and more. That night the King called them to the throne room. It was the fist they'd seen of him since the ceremony, and they were surprised to see how unnoticeable the Meld was, it looked as though the crown was simply placed on his head, but the royals knew better, they'd seen it happen. "Not a word," the new King snapped, once they had all arrived. "What happened today was a disgrace." He sat tall in the throne, his face a stony mask, but his voice was was laced with anger. "My own citizens turned against me the second they saw this-" he rapped against the crown, which stayed firmly planted on his head. "I can't have this, I won't have this. For every man still willing to follow me, there's anougher who thinks me a demon. We can't afford instability, not now, and I can't unite them with half their swords at my back." (Cont in N+C)
As he spoke he had grown increasingly mad, and was now shouting his words, red in the face as he paced before the throne. "No, this land need a king, and if a man is to be king, he needs the support of the people. I'll never have their love now, never their respect..." He broke of here and stood still, staring at a distant point as if deep in thought. Slowly, his breathing calmed and he turned back to the royals, wearing a grin that never reached his eyes. "Word will not spread of what happened today," Herenote told them, speaking in a low whisper, "Give the orders- I want guard patrolling the streets, anyone caught breathing so much as a single word of it is to be killed. This stays between us. Next, tell them this; the Melding are a plague on our land. They are to be killed on sight, or captured and brought here, as is anyone who gives to them aid or shelter is to share in their punishment. They are inhuman. The king declares it. Respect can be forced." With this he shoved forwards, ignoring any questions, protest or advice they might have offered. At the door he paused, turning back briefly and saying only this: "If I can't win their love, I'll settle for their fear instead." ____________________________________________ "As for the people who were there, well the wise have kept their mouths shut and the foolish have been silenced."