Book 1 - Chapter 3: The City on the Hill

[pringerbeam]

     "Thedrin Ashewake, knight errant, we are on an urgent quest to see the Righ.  We come from the town of Telan with word of monster attack and must petition for aid."  Replied Thedrin.

[Asta]

"Have you an appointment ser...?" The guardsman asked, shifting his weight uncomfortably. "It's the right of all citizens of Thunich to petition the Righ, but you have to have an appointment first."

[pringerbeam]

     "An appointment?  But we're on an honorable quest!  Time is of the essence.  Surely we could squeeze in?"  Pleaded Thedrin.  Beyond these goons lay his chance at redemption, so close he could taste it.

[info]Diplomacy[blockquote]Rolled 1d20+8 : 3 + 8, total 11[/blockquote][/info]

[Throndir]

"And how long do ya reckon it'll take to make an appointment?" Rhenri asked. "If idel be longer than an hour, I swear, you'll do me a huge favor if we can just head in."

[info]Diplomacy, aid another

[blockquote]Rolled 1d20-2 : 12 - 2, total 10[/blockquote][/info]

[Asta]

"Ah... Usually they're made several days in advance..." the guard replies, seeming a little uncomfortable turning you away. "You'll have to go to the requisitions office down the street at the second cross-way and put in your formal request. Sorry for the inconvenience but rules is rules..."

At that moment, the smaller door set within the much larger entrance to the keep pops open. From within emerges a man who looks to be in his early fifties. Wearing an outfit that indicated some measure of wealth and adorned with a small emblem depicting a purple rose, the gentleman has a relaxed presence to him. "Now now... Didn't this young gentleman say their task was urgent? I think, there could be an exception to the rules every once in a while."

The man passes the guards and crosses the short distance to your party, offering a hand. Like nearly all humans of the steppe he has an impressive sturdiness to him, though you notice that his outstretched hand lacks the callouses of someone used to physical labor.

"Where are my manners though? Bhenneit MacMhata. I believe I may be able to assist you in gaining your audience more expediently."

[pringerbeam]

     Thedrin's instincts and experience at home in the noble circles kicked in at the arrival of this new man. The swagger and clout he pulled would indicate some level of authority. The fine clothes and complexion indicated greater wealth. The emblem of the purple rose was likely a house crest. The open offer of aid to a stranger, even one as clearly noble as Thedrin, was likely a move to try and take advantage of a desperate commoner looking to enter the keep. The most likely outcome: they will try and use Thedrin's party to increase their influence at court.
     Thedrin smiled and knelt on one knee, taking the man's hand. "Ah, my lord MacMhata! A pleasure and an honor to meet you."  He turned his head to his companions. "This man is offering us aid. I suggest we show him some proper respect."  He turned back. "Thedrin Ashewake, a humble knight errant at your service my lord. Please, your aid obtaining an audience with the Righ would be most welcome."

[Asta]

"Ashewake... Ashewake..." Bhenneit said thoughtfully while stroking his short beard in contemplation. "That's right! You must be Bregan's nephew. You've come quite a way from your uncle's ranch, you're here to petition the Righ? Whatever for?"

[pringerbeam]

     "A goblin menace my lord."  Replied Thedrin.  "The creatures have grown quite dangerous and even lead an attack against the town in large number.  We come to petition the Righ for aid and lead an expedition to do battle with the beasts in their base."

[Asta]

"They have been getting bold lately, haven't they. There has been news of some trade caravans being attacked, but a raid on a large settlement is disturbing. Come, I believe the last of today's audiences are nearly finished, I'll get you squeezed in at the end."

Bhenneit turns to lead you through the door, pausing a moment after he opens it. "I may ask you to do something for me before you return to Telan... Don't think of it as a quid pro quo, but more one good turn deserving another. It will not be unsavory." He continues through the threshold, leaving the door open for you to follow.



Once inside the keep, you are led through a few hallways on your way to the audience chamber. The interior of the keep is less ornate than you might assume it would be, the decorations include a few large paintings and some ornamental weapons displayed on plaques, but mostly it's things like racks of antlers from deer or the occasional taxidermied animal. It almost seems austere, but perhaps that is just indicative of the Righ's position as the ruler of a frontier people.

After walking through a few corridors, you find yourself outside a pair of large double doors. Bhenneit stops here and motions for you to wait. "This won't take but a moment." Through a smaller side door, he enters what you can only presume is the audience chamber. Five minutes later the doors open, and a guard ushers you inside.

The hall isn't as cavernous as one might expect in a castle, but its size is no less impressive. There are some courtiers milling about along the walls, conversing in hushed tones, and above you are galleries where more of the Aite-Aerd elite lean over the railings to watch the day's proceedings. Of the people standing in the galleries one in particular catches your eye, a dark looking man with equally dark clothing, clean shaven and hawk eyed.

At the far end of the hall, on a notably modest throne made of some kind of dark wood inlaid with knotted patterns of a lighter material sits the man himself, Lachlann Marr, Righ of The Great Highland Steppe. Marr, you are interested to note, is on the young side as far as heads of state go. From across the room he looks to be in his mid thirties, a human, copper colored hair with a short beard. His hair is probably jaw length but it's been combed back and held in place with a simple diadem made from the same kind of dark wood as his throne. He has an air of youthful ease around him, sitting back with one foot resting on the opposite knee. When you approach, he leans forward and steeples his hands beneath his chin giving you the impression that he is the type of ruler that genuinely listens to the petitions of his subjects.

"Welcome to Aite-Aerd countrymen. What can I do for you today?" he asks, smiling warmly.

[pringerbeam]

     "But of course, for your aid my sword is yours my lord."  Replied Thedrin as they mad their way through the keep.  The fieldstone work was... unaesthetic but the size of the keep, its grounds, and the city around it was still the mark of a powerful lord. Still perhaps not the equal of one of the higher houses of Albion but Thedrin would still need to make sure to ingratiate himself if he wanted to advance his quest.



     Thedrin knelt on one knee and bowed his head deeply before the Righ. "Your highness, I am Thedrin Ashewake, a knight errant and these are my companions. We come from Telan with urgent word. Goblins have attacked the town in great number. We were able to repel them but we fear a greater number might return. We request aid in seeking out and destroying their stronghold." At this he raised his head to look up at the Righ. "A regiment of soldiers to lead back to the town would be ideal.  Perhaps a hundred men and horses at least. If it pleases your highness."

[Asta]

At the mention of the goblin raid on Telan, a murmur runs its course through the people gathered in the hall. Thedrin's request for a hundred men brings another, and you can hear the dark looking man from the upper gallery scoff before whispering something to a woman next to him.

The Righ, removes his foot from the opposing knee and raises a hand, quelling the muttering of those in attendance. "Troubling" he replies, his face darkening. "Tell me more about this attack, every detail you can recall."

[pringerbeam]

     "They attacked during the harvest festival. Raiding into the heart of the town under the leadership of a hobgoblin. They fought to a man, even after their leader was killed and before that they attacked other parts of the town forcing anyone that took up arms to fight a battle on multiple fronts while yet still others set fires to draw our attention."  Recounted Thedrin.  "Not far out of town on our way here we ran across a group of nomds that seemed to think that this behavior wasn't constrained to a single raid on Telan and that the goblinoids were harrying Wanderers in the area as well.  As you can see my liege, this requires a sufficient punitive force to crush the leadership of this goblin army." Thedrin looked at the Righ, trying to gauge his position.  "We did not come empty handed of course. As befitting one of your station we bring a gift: a fine warhorse from my uncle's ranch."

[Asta]

On the mention of coordinated tactics to attack Telan the Righ shot a glance to the man standing some distance to his right. The gentleman, well dressed and probably in his mid fifties stroked his excessively large mustache and nodded. You note that his clothes bear some form of heraldry with a blue rose on it.

"There has been a similar attack on the town of Caer Sedda to the south east. Reports from the town indicate goblins led by hobs, and exhibiting strange behaviors. Your news tells me that the issue is much larger than we thought originally." The Righ shifts in his seat. "Very well, I shall send a task force of sufficient size to Telan to investigate and deal with the goblins. I agree with your assessment for one hundred men. I thank yo-"



As the Righ begins to express his gratitude for delivering the destrier though, he is interrupted by a deep voice from the gallery. "My lord..." You can hear a certain amount of sarcasm in the voice and follow Righ Marr's annoyed gaze to the gallery above, where the dark looking man has a hand resting on the railing. His hawkish eyes are full of obvious disdain and a sneer tugs at the corners of his thin mouth. "Surely a band of goblins isn't enough of a threat to draw so many men from the defense of Aite-Aerd."

"Uisdean." The Righ responds with cold politeness.

"I merely am pointing out that given the late time of year, and the time it would take to travel from here to Telan would leave those soldiers stranded and away from the capital during the Anamdorcha. Every man is needed for defense of the walls and the outer city."

The man, you know now as Uisdean, is not wrong. The Anamdorcha, or Dark Time, is soon approaching. During the period of total darkness at the end of the year, all monsters and hostile beasts become more ferocious and aggressive and typically the larger a settlement is, the more frequently it will be attacked by them. Aite-Aerd, being the largest of all the steppe's towns would be like a magnet to their menace.

There is another wave of muttering that goes about the audience chamber before the Righ once again raises a hand to silence it. Closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose, he lets loose a nearly inaudible sigh. "Lord MacArtain is correct. I will need to limit the expeditionary force to a lesser size. Twenty men and horses, with supplies for a month. If the goblin menace cannot be quelled before the Anamdorcha, they shall stay in Telan in defense of the village."

Uisdean sneers again before turning from the railing and disappearing from view.

"I shall see to supplying them my Lord." Bhenneit says to the Righ. "It will take about two days before the supplies are amassed."

"Very well, ensure that some relief is sent for Telan as well." Marr replies, before turning back to the party. "Thank you for making the journey to bring this to my attention. I am sorry that circumstances prevent me from sending more aid. Please feel free to remain in the city and journey south with the expeditionary force, there is safety in numbers."

[pringerbeam]

     "The Dark Time? But surely..." Thedrin cut himself short and took a quick look around the court of the Righ. It seemed like perhaps he should avoid pointing out the uncivilized barbarism of this country king's people when there seemed to be more at play here than he might have originally thought.  It seems grandmother isn't the only master of the quiet game. "Ahem, but of course your highness. Your generosity is most welcome. About that relief force... We would of course like to aid the expedition. Might we each perhaps gain a... title of sorts? Something appropriate to our station. Perhaps Commander of the relief force for myself and official aid status for my companions?"

[Asta]

"You presume quite a lot 'knight errant'." the man with the blue rose heraldry says, bristling slightly. "An unknown traveler and his companions asking to lead the Righ's men in defense of his people. Perhaps you should reconsider exactly what your station is."

Righ Marr once again raises a hand for silence, and the man quiets himself. "Lord Foirbeiseach, calm yourself." he says softly, then turns to look at Thedrin. "He is correct though. You and your companions are an unknown, and though the enemy is only goblins I cannot trust the leadership of my soldiers to you."

The Righ leans back in his seat before continuing. "Distinguish yourselves, and perhaps there can be talk of notoriety to the people of Thunich."