THE HIGH TABLE
Established: 2023-11-17
Chat room: #BARBARUS
- No holds barred
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- Extreme violence
- Blood
- Death
A worldwide organization of men trained for violent, bloody, and even deadly combat. Their competence is indicated by their qualifications, from the lowest to the highest, reserved for an elite.
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Roland riding at their head, they crossed the desert toward the Monastery of the Black Sun--Red and the youths he had trained riding behind him, Roland's servants all, while the captive Gregory was borne among them, caged and in chains, already marked for judgment.
1. Audience at the Monastery
: 
08:53 The_Black_Knight: And this one, the one who should be eunuch...
08:53 Roland: "Yes, Dire Grace, though your own dispensation kept him whole."
09:12 The_Black_Knight: A measured sigh follows, not of doubt but of conclusion... “Then the accord is sealed. The captured scout you brought will die in public. Let his death instruct. Lord Roland will provide this spectacle, remembered not for mercy, but for order.”
09:13 The_Black_Knight: “Then Roland will submit to penance. Champion though you are, you remain subject to the Black Sun. Strength must be returned to its proper alignment.”
09:13 The_Black_Knight: The hood shifts, almost imperceptibly. “Your bondsman will be placed in my keeping for a time. Not as punishment, but as recollection. He has grown too close to what he serves. He forgets what service costs.”
09:25 Roland: Still kneeling I lift my gaze. “I keep faith, and expect the same. My bondsman will be returned to me alive—and returned as a man.”
09:26 The_Black_Knight: “His body will remain intact.” Another pause. “He will be marked only by what he remembers.”
2. Repose in the hostel
Apart from the noise of the monastery, they rest in a narrow chamber where the Black Sun’s light falls muted—Roland, with his bondsman Red near the door, and the young eunuch Malek waiting in stillness, in the manner learned by those who serve…
Their quest—to restore Malek to manhood—has been spoken of plainly, without promise or consolation. Malek has listened patiently.
Earlier he had drawn the Oriarch’s attention, and with it the perilous gift of vision: branching futures shown without mercy, some crowned with restoration, others ending in service, sacrifice, erasure.
21:27 Roland: "You have drunk of the mirror so you see more of my soul than you did before. I would have it balanced. And though I may come to regret some of this, but I know my nature, and I know. Whatever follows, it is my place to be your master." I look at Red, my bondsman.
20:10 Roland: Something is flickering at the edge of the mind... visions. I give voice to some of them. "In Velkharan there is a tale. A hero subdued a demon that had plagued the borderlands. He bound it, broke its name, and castrated it, so that order mightprevail. The people praised him, and the priests recorded the victory as righteous. But when the rites were complete, the hero was not dismissed. Instead, he was led inward..." The material for the coming masque.
09:13 Roland: The sense that we are being watched... My skin is sensitive to the bracing temperature, since I have been shaved of hair for the coming rites. I think of my Enemy, their former commander. We will go down to mock him in his dungeon cage.
3. The Prisoner Visited
09:41 Red_Bondsman: Malek and I follow you, loyal slaves in the service of their Master as we head through the torchlit hallways. I can sense as we approach the commander without even seeing him. Gregory still reeks of the putrid odor of the priests of Skarrow, it burns my nostrils still.
9:47 Roland: I see my enemy in his cell. "Gregory! Take comfort. Few men are granted an ending that teaches. You will be remembered, was an example that teaches!"
09:52 Red_Bondsman: Malek and I watch as Gregory's face transforms from a look of shock to one of anger. "An example?!?" He spits the words like venom. "Of your righteousness, warrior of Kuluz. Is that why you have brought witnesses in the form of my former countrymen?" He asks more calmly now.
09:59 Roland: "We are to play a masque. You will be Iscarion the Unfastened and I will be the hero. Your penis will be struck off. It was for this that we prepared you, under restraint at Eshon.”
10:01 Red_Bondsman: Gregory's eyes grow dark and cold now. He turns at the mention of "Iscarion," a sudden recognition. "Yes...."
19:51 Roland: I study Gregory a moment longer as he stands naked in his cage, then shift my stance so that Red and Malek stand with me, not behind. “That recognition is why this ends as it does,” I say to the former General. “Not as revenge. As instruction.”
4. Preparation of the Rite
20:15 Roland: The corridors narrow as we ascend toward the ceremonial chamber. Cold blue fire burns in the sconces, steady and without smoke. Shadows shift along the walls, stretched thin...No one speaks. Words would have no place here.
20:15 Roland: The chamber of sentencing waits ahead, its floor carved with eclipse marks worn smooth by generations of judgment. Steel will fall. The Rite will be satisfied.
20:16 Roland: One of the Brothers of the Eclipse approaches Red.
20:24 Red_Bondsman: I am approached by one of the Brothers, being handed the oxen clamps. With his simple gesture, I immediately understand. I am to place the clamps on the nipples of my Master, who stands naked before us but for his spikes. I perform my duty, attaching the clamps and backing away to my previous position.
20:28 Roland: Malek's brother slaves are already in their places as spectators in the stone benches along the wall. Red and Malek stand near. The bells fall silent as the Oriarch enters, brothers of the Eclipse fanning out behind him like living shadow, and in their wake, the Enemy, hated Prisoner.
20:28 Roland: I take the chain and lead the Prisoner forward. Gregory does not resist. The platform waits.
20:29 Roland: I turn to the hall and speak, my voice steady. “Hear the cause. -- This Enemy failed in the charge given him, to be warrior and man. Mistaking vigilance for pride, and led his command into collapse.” I gesture once—to the marks cut into the stone. “ I claim the right to enact the masque as hero."
20:30 Roland: I look to Gregory then, my face full of scorn. “And you will be Iscraion, for by your failure.”
20:31 The_Black_Knight: “Let the rite proceed.”
5. The Instructive Masque
20:32 Roland: and with that my loins are uncovered and I am given the weapon to stage the battle whose conclusion is foregone.
20:37 Red_Bondsman: With a quick scan, I locate Serrin and Nathan within the throng of spectators, a relief that they are unharmed and in no apparent danger. What can only be described as living shadows fall behind the Oriarch as he enters. I feel my chest tighten, suddenly breathing is difficult, but I adjust, and with a side glance, I see that my brother adjusts as well.
20:41 Red_Bondsman: My mind is numb as Gregory is brought forward - drugged, under some kind of spell - I cannot tell, but there is darkness upon him. I can see and feel that much. Truer word were never spoken - Gregory led his command into collapse. I see and feel my scorn in your face as you enact your part, a heavy, gnawing burden being lifted from my soul in the process.
20:44 Malek: I stand frozen, like a statue as the Oriarch enters with his band of brothers, then proclaims that the rite proceed. I watch as my Lord's loins are exposed and he is handed the weapon. I only know I'm alive because my heart pounds heavily in my chest.
20:45 Roland: The bells sound once more, and we move. The battle is brief. It is meant to be.
20:46 Roland: Gregory comes at me with the desperation of a bull already marked for slaughter. I meet him without flourish. Steel rings once, twice—no crowd sound, only breath and foot on stone.
He is strong still, but strength without alignment collapses inward. I turn his strike, step inside his reach, and take him to the ground with controlled force. His penis flails as he falls. He struggles. I do not hurry.
20:47 Roland: I disarm him cleanly. His wooden weapon skitters across the platform and is taken away. With practiced motion, I bind him—wrists drawn tight, posture forced to kneel. The demon is subdued. The hero stands.
20:48 Roland: I rise and face the assembly, one hand still on the chain. “Thus is Iscarion unfastened,” I say evenly. “Not by chance. Not by mercy. By correction.”
20:48 Roland: Gregory does not look up. The onlookers do.
6. The Lesson Rendered
20:49 Roland: They bring the frame forward: plain wood, darkened by age and handling, its surface worn smooth where many hands have passed. I guide Gregory to it myself. He does not resist now. The name has settled on him.
20:50 Roland: I position him carefully, not roughly. The rite requires order, not haste. His arms are drawn back and secured to the crossbeam; his posture set, exposed to the hall. The bindings are firm, practiced, final.
20:51 Roland: the Oriarch, the brothers of the Eclipse, those who have come to see meaning enforced rather than justice debated. This is the moment they will remember.
20:53 Roland: One of the eclipsar comes forward with a short curved length of wire, spiked on both ends, he hands it to me. I nod and the rite advances.
20:55 Roland: The Eclipsar speaks, “Champion, the demon is unfastened. Now Set the spike. Let it fix disorder in place and still what must no longer wander. Let the miscreant be tamed and curtailed forever."
20:57 Roland: I mount the platform, kneel before the Enemy who readies for his punishment. Like mine his crotch has been shaved in preparation. I aim the end of the wire at the side of his hanging arsenal bag, slowly puncture, slide it in, skewering his left testicle, then push deeper until it stabs through the right, killing his balls. He throws his head back, spittle flying as he screams.
21:00 Roland: I stand, spattered by the spray of blood. I proclaim it:"He is no longer man."
21:04 The_Black_Knight: he Oriarch’s attention sharpens, his voice low but intent, yet it rings in the minds of all present. “Do not stop at restraint, Champion. Let nothing of the Unfastened remain unoffered. Empty his bag.”
With precision, it was done. Before the assembled hall, Gregory is taken down, his resistance measured and overcome as the Oriarch demanded. His head was struck off cleanly; the blood of the defeated bathed the naked body of the victor. Thus was the lesson fixed in memory: defiance unfastened invites order absolute, and all who had been taught understood.
Published: 2026-01-05, viewed 87 times.
Roland
2026-01-06 15:47Thank you, Max, for these kind words! - R
Freaker
2026-01-06 08:45Roland, the central figure, is a complex and compelling character, embodying both the stern discipline of a leader and the deep loyalty of a mentor. His actions, though brutal, are driven by a profound sense of duty and a desire to uphold the values he holds sacred. The writing is rich and evocative, painting a vivid picture of a medieval world where rituals and beliefs hold immense power. The themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the price of leadership are explored with a depth that invites reflection and contemplation.
Roland's character is particularly striking. His unwavering commitment to his principles, even in the face of extreme measures, showcases a strength of conviction that is both admirable and chilling.
One of the great Saga on CF we are proud to share in THE HIGH TABLE
Max Freaker and the board members.
Blockbuster
2026-01-06 00:47I finish reading and find myself fighting for breath. What an epic masque! Roland is one of the most versatile performers and beings that I have ever met. He never fails to impress and entertain...and what an assembly of characters that join him on this journey. To all parties I say, "Well done." I cannot go without commending the visuals as well. The pictures complement the story so beautifully, and there are so many details. I could look…and drool…over them for hours…and I probably will. Thank you for posting this.