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[ludvicthebard]

Ludvic recognized the look on the woman’s face as she eyed the grand manor of a rich noble; she had some sort of business with someone, or something in that house. He felt quite sure that she wasn’t an invited guest to the nobles living there, but if she was a thief, he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize her mission; particularly not since the noble who lived there had cheated him out of gold for a quest he’d done for him once. “What? In this manor here you mean?” He asked, glancing up at the house, and back at the woman, before he chuckled lightly. “The person who lives here is the very opposite of a grand person, although he lives a much grander life than he is deserving of.” He said with a nod and a small shrug of his shoulders. “When I was still making my living as an adventurer, the noble who lives here decided he wasn’t going to pay me the gold we had agreed upon after I completed a quest for him. I was quite tempted to smash my hammer into the side of his skull, but I figured that karma would eventually get the better of him. Although it appears that it still has not. Not yet.”

While the small ones were far away from her now, cozy and nestled into a bed well protected by thieves and brigands of all sorts their sister the dark and shadowy elder or them all breathed deep the night air as fingers ached to take what was not their own. There were plenty of jobs to have taken but this was hers and the score was one no one could refuse. Rich men were usually very foolish when it came to safeguarding something. Foolish, rich men failed to realize a true thief could break in anywhere and into any court and slip out without ever having been thought to be there. This one little job and she would be back to them before they’d ever know her gone. Never mind her sisters, Jael and Shazah would be fine there were more important things at hand now. Things such as how to enter such a grand house. “I wonder who lives there and if such grand people live grand lives like we common folk believe”

[ludvicthebard]

ofblade‌:

A smiled played on her lips when he took her hand, giving it a slight squeeze before pulling it back to rest in her lap. Now that she had his name she was able to place distant memories of him. While she couldn’t recall ever meeting her, she could remember the name itself being mentioned when she snuck into her fathers meetings. It wasn’t until she noticed his expression shift into one of seriousness that she paused. Her stomach coiled at his words, though she couldn’t place the feeling as either excitement or anxiety. She held his gaze for a solid minutes, her own expression shifting into one of pure thought. “The longest I have been able to avoid my guards was a full day.” She said softly, searching his face for any sign of humor, but when she realized he was completely serious she smiled. “I don’t think the High Lord of Autumn Court would take kindly to his youngest daughter running off with a mortal.” She had meant for it to come out as a joke, however the threat was a serious one. After the offer he had just given her she had no issue sharing who she was, he would have found out eventually. “I don’t want to be responsible for your death, besides, I would have no way to pay you.” After she had made it a habit to run off her father stopped handing her coin, instead he would hand it over to her guard, and incentive to be sure she wouldn’t be able to stay gone for long.

And there it was; the truth about her identity. She was the youngest child in the Autumn Court’s High Fae Family. Undoubtedly, that made any chance of escaping the life she lived immensely more difficult. However, Ludvic actually laughed a bit at her words, giving a small shake of his head. “I’ve smuggled nobles out of cities before, and I certainly wouldn’t need you to pay me.” He replied with a shake of his head, although he sighed, and his face fell into a frown again. “But ..there’s no doubt that it would be difficult. And there is a high risk that we could get caught. A few years ago, I most certainly could have pulled it off but now...I’m out of practice with these sorts of things.” He couldn’t deny that it made him feel a mixture of sadness and guilt that he couldn’t give her her freedom like he so greatly wanted to. “So what shall you do then Eden?” He asked, his eyes filled with the sadness he felt for her. “What will your life be?”

[ludvicthebard]

ofblade‌:

Pure intuition told her he was too clever not to see past her facade, especially after she had expressed what was holding her back. From what she had gathered the lower class citizens rarely had to worry about duty, and she envied them a great deal. When he commented she’d be a wonderful adventurer herself, she flashed him a thankful smile, though it faltered slightly as he continued speaking. “I have tried. Many times.” She replied softly, hands now twisting at the material of her cape in frustration; not at him, of course, at her parents. “My father has already began offering my hand in marriage in order to strength our bond with other courts, though I assume he’s been doing that since the moment I was born.” Usually she was never so open with a stranger, however she was a very good judge of character and she felt no reason to be skeptical of the man next to her. After all, he had already shared details of his life with her, she wished to do the same. It was then that manners seemed to cross her mind, eyes widening slightly as she said, “I completely forgot to introduce myself!” With a smile she held her hand out to the man, “I’m Eden.”

As Ludvic listened to the young lady continue to explain her situation further, he felt a strong surge of sympathy for her. He had never craved the life of nobility like many others did, because he had always suspected that their lives and destinies were not their own to control; but he had never imagined that the extent of it went this far. It made him very glad that he had been born in a position where he could be the master of his own fate. His face wore a frown as he considered these things,  although he smiled briefly when the young woman introduced herself to him, taking her hand and shaking it. “It’s a pleasure to share a drink with you fairest Eden. I am Ludvic. Formerly Ludvic The Foe-Breaker, now Ludvic The Bard.” He said with a nod, the smile still on his lips, although a second later, as he leaned forward, his expression almost immediately turned serious again. “Eden, is it not possible for you to run away? Leave this place behind?” He asked in a hushed voice. “You deserve the chance to decide your fate for yourself. You would be welcome to come with me and join me in my travels. And you would be safe. I may not seek out adventure any longer, but I am still deadly with my hammer. You could travel with me for as long as you needed, until you felt ready to go your own way.” He was fully aware of the implications of what he was offering, and the consequences that he would face should she agree, and then they got caught; but he was unafraid. Besides, he had made an oath when he had become a bard to aide all future adventurers in becoming legends, just as other bards had done for him, and so he felt like this offer was his duty as a part of that oath.

[ludvicthebard]

ofblade‌:

Her heart hammered against her chest at the reminiscing of his adventures, eyes widened with interest as she hung on to each of his words. Eden had always loved moments where she got to speak with others, especially when they didn’t filter themselves because of her status. As he continued to speak she slid onto a bar stool, shifting to rest her head on her palm all while keeping her attention on the male before her. Just from his brief description of his travels she was craving a journey of her own. There were times when she fantasized her mother and father giving her permission to leave, walking her to the dock and kissing her cheek before sending her on her way. Of course she knew that was nothing more than a fantasy and at the end of the day the closest she would ever have to an adventure would be slipping away from her guards and running through the woods. It wasn’t until he had finished speaking that her brow furrowed. In all the times she had sat and talked with strangers, not once were they able to make a correct assumption of her. Usually they asked if she was farm girl in need of coin or they would simply entice her for a brief moment before falling over themselves from the mead. His question left her to ponder an answer and while she was usually quick-witted in almost any situation, this had caught her off guard. “I’m not allowed-” she began, though quickly stopped herself. She bit at her bottom lip in thought, letting out a sigh before she truly answered. “I’m not in a position to do so. I have duties here that leave me with little choice in the matter.” It was her truth. No matter how desperately she wished to be free her future had been planned for her many years ago. “I have been set on a very clear path from the moment I was born and I have no way to escape it. Not truly and not forever.”

Listening to the woman’s words with just as much interest as she had listened to his, Ludvic’s brows furrowed at what she was telling him. Based on the things she was saying, and the fact that she was still wearing her hood, he was starting to suspect that this young lady held some sort of a position of nobility in the court; but the last thing he was going to do was voice his suspicions aloud and risk getting her caught. It was clear from what she had told him that she lived a very sheltered life, and wasn’t happy with that at all; so he wasn’t about to ruin her short time being liberated from her bondage. Sighing once she had finished speaking, Ludvic gave a small shake of his head. “That’s a shame. I have a feeling you would make an excellent adventurer.” He said with a small smile a nod of his head. “Is there no way you can change your circumstance? It is, after all, your life. You should be able to live it how you want to, and if you’re unhappy, than you should be able to change it.” He knew that his words could come across as foolish, but he couldn’t help but say them anyway. He didn’t think that anyone should be denied their chance at adventure if it was what they wanted.

[ludvicthebard]

ofblade‌:

At his brief story she did her best to try to place his face, though she knew that the majority of her childhood was spent with the ladies in court, away from the business of her father. However, now it was a completely different story, she often forced her way into his plans, mostly in hope of keeping herself from an arranged marriage. “I’m sure you’ve seen a great many things then.” She said lightly, almost wishfully. She had always dreamed of travel and adventure, though despite her stubbornness she was sure she’d never get to experience it. She turned her gaze to the man behind the bar, the one person she knew recognized her instantly. He had always been sympathetic towards her, letting her hide within his tavern when she needed to escape her duties. He gave her a wink before sliding a mug in her direction. “I’m sure you get questions about your adventures a lot. Not many people from out court ever leave.”

Ludvic nodded his head in response to her words. “Yes.” He said with a soft smile. “Yes, I have indeed seen a great many things... Had a great many experiences... Fought and vanquished a great many foes... And had a great many adventures. And it was all quite thrilling for quite a long time. But like all things, it eventually had to end.” He sighed softly, pausing briefly, before continuing on. “You see, the road gets to be quite lonely after fourteen years of being on it. I had all of these great tales to tell, but no one to tell them to.” He explained. “Before long, I found that I was enjoying listening to bards tell the tales about the adventures that I’d had, and that other adventurers had had, far more than I enjoyed being out there actually having new adventures. And that’s when I decided it was time for me to retire. And so I became a bard, and decided that I would travel to all of the places I’d visited in my quests, but never really seen, telling, not only my own stories, but the stories of others, spreading their names far and wide like other bards had once done for me.” Smiling now, Ludvic shrugged. “It’s a much different life, but it’s one that brings me a lot of joy. And I still occasionally get to hit bandits with my hammer when I tag along on adventures with others, so that I can write songs and tells stories about them and their adventures. So all in all, it works out quite nicely.” Hearing the woman’s question, Ludvic chuckled and gave a small shrug of his shoulders. “It really depends on where I go. Back home in The Imperial Court, they are always asking to hear stories about me, as told by me, even though they’ve heard them all a thousand times before.” He said with a shake of his head, still chuckling. “In other courts, like this one, Ludvic the Foe-Breaker is more of a legend. People have heard of me, but, as we briefly discussed, they do not know my face, so they do not know to ask me to recount my adventures. And if they don’t know to ask, I’m not going to tell them. In those cases, I choose to sing songs in glory of other brave warriors and their adventures.” Taking a long swig from his glass until it was empty, he set it down on the counter, before he looked at the woman with an expression of light curiosity. “Am I right to assume then, that you’ve never been on an adventure yourself?” He asked, basing the question on the hint of longing that he thought he’d heard in her tone earlier. “But, that you do wish to go on one? If so, what’s stopping you from doing so?”

[ludvicthebard]

ofblade‌:

  It was one of those rare moments she was able to slip into the market without being recognized. All members of the Autumn Court had known her face, watched her grow over the years, and it was almost impossible to slip the guards; that was unless she went to the tavern, where everyone had more important things to worry about than the youngest member of the high family. The room erupted with cheer when she walked in, instantly noticing the man at the counter, who seemed to be the cause of such joy. While she knew most of the patrons were long past sobriety she didn’t want to chance being noticed so she kept her hood up as she moved towards him. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you here before.”

Hearing the young woman’s (at least in appearance) words, Ludvic smiled as he turned in his seat to face her more properly. He made a mental note of the fact she was wearing her hood up despite being indoors, which meant that she must have something to hide, but Ludvic wasn’t one to judge. In his career as an adventurer, he had himself many times needed to hide his identity for a variety of reasons. Once, he might have questioned her on why she wore her hood up to try to find out the truth, but these days, he didn’t feel the need to involve himself in other people’s business. “Well, I’ve been here a great many times before.” He replied to her words with a nod and a shrug. “I did quite a few quests for your high lord a few years back. But of course, that meant that I would leave immediately, only to return briefly once the quest was finished. So it’s understandable that you would not recognize my face. I’ve never had the chance to stick around for long, before now.”

[ludvicthebard]

Having just sung a song about Venlar The Daring, which was well received by the many listeners crowded into the tavern, Ludvic sat down at the counter, and took his pint of mead from the bartender with a smile. “Thank you good sir.” He said with an appreciative nod, dropping a handful of coins onto the counter. “Now, if you would, please get all of these fine patrons another round on me!” He added in a louder voice, which was met with resounding cheers. Still grinning, he set a small bag of gold onto the counter in front of him, before he raised his mead to his lips.

[ludvicthebard]

( CHRIS HEMSWORTH | HE/HIM ) - LUDVIC BALAGAR is HUMAN who is THIRTY years old. They can be found within the IMPERIAL COURT where they are known as a BARD. It is said that they are JOVIAL, however they can also be STUBBORN. After years of peace it has been decided that they have POSITIVE feelings about the treaty. ( peanut | 23 | EST | pronouns )

Okay so Vanrick is great, but his stance on immortals makes connections with some of the characters in the rp a bit tricky. Thankfully, before Dawnguard was added as a playable faction, I had the idea for this jar of sunshine:

Meet Ludvic!

So Ludvic Balagar was once a renowned adventurer. He would travel all around the courts, doing quests and slaying foes with his mighty hammer. Many bards wrote many songs in his honor.

And then, a few years ago, Ludvic found that he was starting to grow tired of fighting all the time. He thoroughly enjoyed travelling, but he never really got to stay anywhere for very long, because he was always off doing quests for people. He had already amassed a fairly large fortune, and his adventures were starting to feel repetitive and stale compared to his adventures at the beginning of his career. His glory days were behind him, and he knew it; but he wasn’t entirely sure what to do about it. Then, one day, as he sat in a tavern, listening to a bard sing a song in his honor, he was inspired. It was then that he decided to retire from a life of adventuring, so that he could dedicate himself to travelling to the many places he’d visited, but had never really had the chance to properly experience, where he could spread the stories of other adventurers, helping to build their legend, just as bards had helped build his.

 And that’s pretty much how he ended up becoming a bard.

Ludvic is a lot of fun. He’s super lighthearted and very friendly. Although he’s done with adventuring himself, he’s always willing to tag along on someone else’s adventure, and then write a song in their honor, which he’ll sing in every new place he goes. He’s still extremely capable in battle too, so he’s not gonna be that tag-along bard who ends up getting in the way. He can be pretty hot-headed though, and he’s stubborn as a damn mule; if he thinks himself to be right, he’ll flat out refuse to believe otherwise, often even when there’s proof of it.

Please come plot with this big teddy bear! 

[ludvicthebard]

Blind Guardian - A Past And Future Secret

From the album Imaginations from the Other Side, 1995

Listen crowd I’ll tell you everything Though I have to say I don’t know much