Alcide of Gallet - A messy bitch who lived for drama

Started by The Samophlange, February 21, 2022, 06:43:39 AM

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The Samophlange

Alcide of House Gallet


It has been an exceptional ride! Coming off the heels of a character I didn't quite click with mechanically, I decided I wanted to try two new things: A serious stab at a melee rogue, and my first ever PRC. I've always known rogues had a lot of potential as a class, with many stunning PCs over the years showing just how deadly they could be, but I never managed to get over the early hump of low HP and  the slow second attack usually meant I gave up and played another fighter instead. This time, though, I managed to tough it out long enough for it to pay off. And did it ever pay off!

Alcide was born the middle child in a dying minor house. Whatever glory the Gallets had known once had long since been worn away, leaving only dust and debt behind through the passage of time. Alcide's childhood was spent listening to his family moan over their lot, and trying to find a path to wealth through a political marriage that would never come. The only things that provided him much joy were his fencing lessons, something he took very seriously.

The terrible secret of Alcide was that while he professed a great fondness for the Auld ways of the ward, it was an affable mask to cover a terrible bitterness in his spirit. He hated the great houses for their indolence, resenting how they used their power only to further reinforce the ivory towers they dwelled within. His love of the duel was a much more honest one... because it was a way in which he could humiliate his foes, and pick at men who were meant to be his betters. Though he never did get to duel a knight as he'd once hoped, he won many notable bouts on the bridge for House Belmore and earned a great deal of respect for his bladework. And, in the end he did slay one... though the details behind that are best left discovered in game!

[Hide=Early days]

Alcide really hit the ground running, starting with a level 5 entrance into one of Sarah's little tournaments. He had two potions to his name, but I came second in the grand melee! ...And lost every other fight. Still, Sarah's enthusiasm for entertaining and supporting her people won him over, and so when she offered him a role in her House he accepted.



Alcide fit in well amongst his fellow retainers, who found his incorrigible tongue to outweigh the occasional headache that came with it. The friendships he found within Emmet, Talbert, and Pavlina formed a huge part of his motivations, and led him down many odd roads in the pursuit of a Ward worthy of their futures.



At the same time, Alcide's more whimsical nature allowed him to serve his Lady in ways the others could not. Many were the times that Sarah asked him to do something that the more stuffy members of the House might object to on the basis of being 'a bad idea' or 'potentially suicidal'.



Though small in number the Belmores had enormous spirit, and were constantly poking their fingers into anything that they thought could make the Steadings a safer or more prosperous place. These would form the happiest days of Alcide's life, and the start of his upwards trend in the Ward.
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[Hide=The Rise]

Not content to be merely another retainer, Alcide hatched a plan to demonstrate the glory of House Belmore via his bladework. He wished to best a member of each great house on the bridge in a proper duel, both to stab at the name he so disliked but also to bask in the attention that his victories would bring. His first duel, however, was a closer failure to Bartimus of Moonspear. All present were impressed by the young fencer, and yet it seemed ash in his mouth. It was all he could do to force a smile and congratulate the Knight of Pies. Thus began the start of his career as a champion.



Over the next month in the ward Alcide would boast many victories, both major and minor. Alth'azar of Velstra, Moira of Glitt both saw public defeats, while a number of more minor matches took places all across the 99th. He was fond of fighting even over small things, such as baubles found on adventures, and won a number of trinkets through friendly contests. As the days went by people came to know the young man of Gallet for his prowess.




It was around this time that Alcide stepped beyond a simple fencer and became something much more fearsome. His lunges and jabs, honed after so much fights, were becoming the stuff of legends. An old blade was produced from the vaults of House Belmore, one of the last relics the family had... entrusted to Alcide. He would use it for the rest of his life.



It was around this time that his feud with House Velstra began in earnest. Emmett, one of his dearest friends, was pressed by his conscience into ransoming the safety of Dame Kinsley from Ser Adrian. So incensed by such behavior unbefitting of a Knight, Alcide started a smear campaign on every level to try and goad Adrian into fighting him. Despite how brazen of a man he could be, he did respect the bans from the Velvet and the Vale. Mostly.

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[Hide=The Fall]

As time went on within the Ward, the problems would only seem to compound. Adrian, afraid of the Nothing, made plans to escape via boat. Japes, though he professed a willingness to fight it, had all the leanings of a bully rather than a Knight. Despite his growing fame, Alcide was still a retainer. He had no power to deal with the men he viewed as sucking the marrow from the bones of the Ward.



Though tied to Glitt and Moonspear via friendship and official declaration, respectively, it was hard to feel as if they were doing much to stifle such influences. Kinsley, recently knighted, was still too timid to take to the fight in a manner that pleased him, while Moonspear reeled from many recent deaths at the hands of the Nothing. A period of darkness was starting to fall over their home.



It was only after Kinsley was beaten down by Manfred in the streets that the wheels began to turn on a plot. Unbeknown to most, however, House Belmore did more than just support their friends in the affair...



Demands were made. Either Japes would submit to Lord Bernard's demands of a lash, or the fragile alliance of the Peers would break as Glitt withdrew its support. The Knight claimed he would kneel and submit to his punishment...



...Only to instead deliver another insult to Bernard's halls. The Glittsman within did not accept such a slight, and battered the Orzans down to a man. The fierce Ser Japes was stripped naked and paddled like a surly babe, before Bernard announced he would be sent back to his Lord in such a state.

This is where the screenshots end, as I got too caught up in the moment to keep taking them. It was claimed that Japes had sold the souls of several Orzans to a demon to attain some fell bargain, and that he allegedly planned to use his stake in the soon to be rebuilt Vestry to steal even more away. Though disturbed, the Lord  of Glitt would not kill a knight that was assaulted within his home outside of a proper duel. He would still be returned...

At which point Alcide decided enough was enough. As Japes made his way through the streets, he gripped his epee in hand and charged for a final lunge. The results?



A knight lay dead on the cobbles. Alcide, for his crime, was to die. But Anders is not a man of mercy. Emmett was taken with him, to be tortured before the young man's eyes and break him. Only his death was to be swift. It is said that no good deed goes unpunished...
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So ends my time as Alcide! I had a tremendous amount of fun playing him. His quick wit and catty tongue meant most interactions gave me a chance to give some sly barb. I very frequently delivered back-handed remarks to the face of retainers from all Houses, as he sought to quietly release the building pressure of his hated for what they represented. Even so, I did still manage to make friends in the ward, as well as interesting enemies that made my time so much more special to me.

A special thanks to the players of Kinsley, Sorcha, Earc, Reinald, Aldstan, and Mebril for all the political scheming done during his time alive. Another to the Peter Pickwick crew, Anum, Casper, Oliver, Albert, and Vimmyl for the many magical adventures we had. To that end, thank you to Bearic, Secutor, Skaghunter and Sternhund for running many of the plots and events that did so much of Alcide's view on life in the 99th.

And, last but certainly not least. To the Belmores, Talbert, Pavlina, Emmett, Joachim, and Sarah herself... you truly were an exceptional group of players to engage with. I saw others from the outside say that the Belmores were the most human group that they had seen, and I really did feel that way myself.  The love poured into one another, both in and out of character, made logging in a joy even when nothing in particular was going on.

I would have loved to keep playing Alcide for longer, but I am happy with the way he ended. He died doing what he thought was right, and in doing so has sewn a number of plot seeds I hope will unfold in cool ways. I'll take a little time to gather my thoughts on what exactly I want to do next, but I look forward to meeting you all again on a new face soon.

Oh, and thanks again to Karpie for the art used at the top of the page! I told you I was going to use it in the obit, didn't I?

Ramc


Don Nadie

Alcide was awesome and died being really cool :)

Quick edit to remember the wonderful "duel" between him and Isa :'(

Juglar

Samo, first of all, you have been an absolute gift. You are a fantastic player, but most importantly now, a friend.

Emmett loved Alcide to death, quite literally, and the time spent together is something I will never forget.


Also:

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SN


White_Ice

Loved Alcide and I was definitely hoping to get into more scheming with him.

The Samophlange

I tried to keep to the narrative of Alcide's life for the main post, but after a bit more rustling through my screenshots I found some more fun ones that didn't quite fit into the rest. Here are some odds and ends!

[Hide=Odds and Ends]













[/hide]

An absolute ham, to his very end.


crestfallen


Damien

Seemed like a cool char,  a pity you decided to fd a naked guy on near death as a weapon master really,  as a duel would've been much more interesting and satisfying if you won.

Jubek

There are some characters that you know your own won't interact much with, but you wish you'd bend the rules for your character behaviour and personality, because you'd want so much to spend some time with.  Alcide was one of them. I "really" enjoyed watching him from afar and hearing his stories. Thanks for showing us a colourful persona that this gallant heart was. I wish your continuity of characters to be just as entertaining and inspiring to play.

Cheers, mate!

Kinsley G.

What a fun PC! Alcide was a well characterized Steadings lad on a journey to more. Glad we became friends IC.