Caged Bird

A

Artsydaze

Guest
Original poster
The sons of the Emperor are always tested far away from the court until they are ready to overthrow their father, exiled inside the Eye of the world, a faraway oasis only reachable by a small canyon. As soon as they are born, the infants are each given a small kingdom, two advisers, a handful of slaves and a village worth of citizen to grow into a powerhouse worthy of a future emperor. They are left on their own by the world at large, only knowing the small oasis they grew in and not much more as they are shown the way of a true emperor while having to constantly watch their back. Indeed, their life is much like those of a bird in a gilded cage, shown only what their elders want them to see and groomed into hating their rivals with the paranoia of a madman.

Once prepared, the surviving sons of the Eye normally amass an army from their subjects, attempting to overthrow the throne and claim their place as the new emperor... You are one such son, and are now ready to start preparing for your destiny, on the edge of your 15th birthday, the day you become a man in the eyes of all. The subjects you have inherited are now numerous enough to start expanding and strengthening your kingdom by either political, financial or martial might.

You are one of the sons of the emperor, starting at fifteen years of age, you will rapidly grow into a king of your people or die by the hand of one of your brothers' assassins. You will be a sheltered young man and must act as such, having faith in what your two advisers tell you whether they want your triumph or your ruins is up to you to discover. You will start by introducing you character by the mean of a flashback and will be assigned subjects that will have random personalities and loyalties to your young king. They will either hate, be indifferent to, like, or love you and your action will shift those predispositions based on their personality and the gravity of your act. Be careful of your actions, mishandling your subjects could lead to dangerous consequences.

That method was proven again and again, as the very first Emperor slew his own father to take over his throne and making it into a flourishing empire. Then but a small kingdom, the four hundred years old Empire now spanned a great deal of land, always expending. The male heirs never met their sisters, as the latter were sent at birth to be married to worthy nobles and thus forgotten.

The Eye of the world is a desertic land with a gigantic oasis surrounded by great cliffs on most of it's diameters serve as the heart of the known world, the centre of a great circle of sand encircled by ice-peeked mountains. All the capitals of the various kingdoms occupying the Eye of the world, as the inhabitants of that land called their home, can be found surrounded by great white walls of sand on the edge of the cliffs, near the life-giving water. The vast desert, itself, is used as the home of various nomadic colonies of those countries, various tents and small huts littering the sands. A narrow and dangerous canyon leads to the world beyond, where only merchants dare thread the treacherous and serpentine passage. It's emplacement is unknown to all but the Emperor and his Vizier.

For four hundred years has the Eye been the cradle, arena and prison of the sons of the Emperor, most dying in it's midst and few leaving it for the Imperial Capital. Even rarer are those that succeed in overthrowing their brother's, father's uncle or even grandfather's regime to become the next Emperor. The fortresses found on the desolate land of the Eye are nearly just as old as the land's purpose, exactly one hundred in number and inherited by each successive generations of young kings.

Our story starts in the Imperial palace, where a new heir is born...


The Emperor laid in silk, his golden cage glinting expensively under the light of the candelabra as he looked upon his newest child. A son, that may one day overtake him as he once overtook his late sire. The infant was in his mother's arms, the beautiful woman prostrating herself before her lord and master as she presented her newest child. A tuft of dark hair and a chubby face were the only thing visible of the babe, his tiny body bundled in colourful silk as was expected of a newborn son of the Emperor. Only time would tell if this one would be the next sovereign of these lands. As the ageing monarch looked upon his progeny, his wife spoke of her melodious voice, attracting his full attention once more.

“My Lord,” she whispered, “I beseech you to grant this child the boon of recognition as one of the sons of the Empire and gift upon him his birthright. Your most gracious decree would surely be greatly favourable to your people in a few years, your Imperial Majesty” her speech was simpering and waxing in flattery but granted the woman her wish.

“So mote it be, wife,” was the Emperor's answer as the child was taken from his mother to be brought away to his new home by an attendant. “He will be loaned an estate in the Eye and be given the opportunity to prove himself as a king! I decree that two advisors, a hundred villagers and twenty-five slaves will accompany and serve him in his journey, may he only come back when he is worthy of my title.”

“Thank you, my Lord.” The new mother simpered, still bowing on the extravagantly carpeted floor of the Emperor's throne room. “He will not disappoint you!”

“Pray that he do not...” A growl, this time, as the heavy door of the room closed behind the younger duo as the young heir was led to his new life, the various arrangements made as soon as the imperial decree was uttered. A small entourage and a village worth of subjects left with him to the abandoned kingdom that would soon be his in the Eye of the World, an oasis reserved for the heirs of the imperial throne. There he would live the next fifteen years of his life learning of his lot in life, preparing for the day when he would take upon himself to oversee his kingdom in hope of one day becoming Emperor.

Time passed as the boy grew into a young man, ready to take on his brothers in a battle of might, wills and wits. Today was his fifteenth birthday and as he was preparing for the day ahead he could not help but reminisce on the past years or his short life...
 
Coaller was one of the sons of the Emperor. His hair had been dark then it grew lighter until it was a glossy blonde, his green eyes searched like usual. When he'd been younger he'd been a trouble maker and was always causing trouble but now he was mature and felt ready to lead but that was up to the Emperor. Being young was like being caged up and was always told what to do, what to wear, and so on. He under stood it was for him and becoming possibly king one day but he always questioned the rules if they didn't make sense to him. He lived in fear but he'd never show that, fear meant weak and it crippled you. In fear that he'd be slaughtered at the hand of his brother or an assassin. His green eyes looked up again, "I'm fifteen now....." he whispered to no one but the air that drifted his voice off and he hoped that he could beat the odds. The thing was he was, he'd become blind out of his right eye and had learned to cope with it. He'd learned to fight and defend himself with that blind eye and he wanted to prove that it wasn't holding him back and nothing was but that was hard to in royalty.