Corsario's Kingmakers: Agents of the Kingdom (Inactive)

Game Master Corsario

Ishana stands just behind Alysandra as she listens to the speech, nodding appreciatively to herself at the words. Amavin had warned her enough about tact to know that she currently didn't have it - her words often came out a little more threatening than her leader would have liked so for the moment, Ishana prefers to say nothing, although she does allow her hand to drift slightly closer to her weapon, just in case.

Porablum waits to see the effects of this, knowing deep down that if this fails, their only remaining choices would be magic or violence. Preparing for the former, she slips back into the crowd to ensure she is hidden from view, in case it becomes necessary to manipulate his mind.

GM, how would you rule trying to stealthily cast a spell?

"It seems Noleski's cousin is intent on founding his own dynasty. I'm sure that won't sit well with him, we all know how jealous of his power he is. Merus thinks this might be a golden opportunity for Rostland. We should..."

A loud explosion from the direction of the camps interrupts Stefan's pitch. The entire group's heads turn as one to see what has happened, but from here there is no apparent signs. Stefan jumps up and heads for his horse.

"Well, gentlemen, perhaps someone has decided to act now and preempt this would be new king. I must go see what is happening. Merus is lost without my guidance." He adds with a smirk.
"Until further word, Merus suggests that if we don't actually support this effort, that we should at least not hinder it. Good day!"

With that Stefan vaults into his saddle and rides hard for the camps.

Between Alysandra's charming diplomacy, hard intimidation,
Jasrella's and Ezekiel strong words and Ishana and Porablum's presence (Woman to power! Ezekiel will have to defend the men's honor) you manage to pass the guards and enter the tent where Kresten Garess is.
I will advance the discussion a little bit, "guessing" what you are going to tell him.
"Rade Surtova? She is no queen. Don't get me wrong, she is a nice lad, and I don't have anything against her, but she is not. I got orders. Specific orders. To escort and defend Rupert Surtova, but in case he died to recover the treasury and take it back to New Stetven. I won't disobey those orders. And we are prepared to defend the treasury with our lives."
He stands in front of Alysandra, looking her in the eye.
"Will you kill us and steal the treasury? Are you going to take it and run into the Stolen Lands? Will you become the new bandits lords of the place?"

GM, how would you rule trying to stealthily cast a spell?

You can't except if you have Silent Spell or a feat like that... But the short answer is you can't, spellcasting is a very notorious activity.

"Captain Garess, your desire to obey orders is admirable, but in this instance, foolish. By now the city of Restov knows about the incident to the south. If they are truly desiring to take the goods, you will not make it back to New Stetven. They expect you will attempt to return there, and you will not make it back. They will set upon you, kill you, and take the goods. Restov and Rostland want a civil war, and will think nothing of starting one for this. However," Porablum says, leaning forward, "If you do something they do not expect, such as continuing with the Stolen Lands expedition, they will be caught off-guard. After all, why would you continue with the expedition unless King Rupert were still with you? They will hesitate, and that will allow you to avoid allowing them to get that you wish to protect."

Standing straight, hands behind her back, Porablum continues, "Of course, in order to maintain the ruse, we will have to actually build the nation of Sloboda. And, should we be correct in our belief that King Rupert and the others are not dead, his dream of a nation will already have begun. Princess Rade is capable of governing, with the aid of Anando Verisisi as Prime Minister. You will have helped to avert a civil war and kept the resources out of Restov's hands. Is that not what the spirit of Regent Noleski's orders were?"

Kresten Garess ponders about it.
"You are right. They won't stop at anything to get the treasury. But, if you are right, they will attack us here, or in the way to Sloboda, and kill us all. We won't have any escape."

"On the contrary, attacking us on the way to Sloboda would be foolishness. For one, they would be caught off-guard by such a move. For another, continuing for Sloboda means you will have the Coursers, the Righteous Wanderers, and the Blessed Hospitalers and their forces. Sure, the leaders may be missing, but I assure you, we have fought many battles by their side. Restov must consider our presence, and that will give them pause. We will not accompany you to New Stetven, so your chances are greater to the south than to the north."

Well that is where we come in.
Jasrella gestures around the room.
Off the top of my head i can think of two ways to handle this. First is by trickery...Let Alysandra's people relocate the treasury to a new location. Maybe right next door to the Courser's Camp. It is fortified and we have a large contingent of battle tested troop there already. Take the empty wagons north as a diversion. We can create an accident to make it look as if you were looted before they could get there. If they think that you left with the resources and then where looted, it is possible that they will think it was the same people that struck at the meeting.
she pauses for a moment as she prepares her next words
or....we call their bluff. Openly relocate everything to the courser's camp and we dare them to start something. There are a few among us that can explain the situation to them and that such hostile acts would have dire repercussions.If they do not listen..then we defend ourselves and burn the lot of them.

I am open to other suggestions....

Kresten Garess shows a sad face.
"A diversion? Maybe if my men and I ride north... that can give you some time."
Yes, there are your groups there, and some of them are "battle hardened". But you won't last a fortnight if Restov's troops got you all in the open. Well, MAYBE you would last a couple of days, but if they surround you, it is going to be a very short campaign. And if you try to run with a baggage train, you won't be able to outrun a pursuit party.

Its a tricky situation around, because the straightford way would be murdering them in a way where they do not expect it, Game of Thrones style. However, this is outright evil and is against the moral compass of everyone in the group. Objectively speaking, the possible alternative would be needing to both promote a diversion and sabotage the ability to pursue. Corsario, would a pursuit team originate from Restov (and therefore overtake us), or are we discussing being overtaken from factions in the current camp.

Your main risk, right now, is the closest enemy. And is not Kresten, he has realized he will not escape. So you need to deal with an attack from Restov, and if you flee, a pursuit from them. And speaking of the devil...
Two of Kresten guards appear.
"A couple riders from Restov. They ask to see His Majesty Rupert Surtova, and if he is not available, Lord Christian D Elagante, Azrael the Avenger, Aramil Wells or Alexander Dumonte."
Yes, the leadership of The Restov Coursers.

Alysandra shakes her head. "Lord Garess, you are being premature with your intent to return the treasury to the Regent on the Dragonscale Throne; you have no proof, no body, nothing but an explosion and the lack of the king's presence. You simply do not know that King Rupert is dead. Give us time to find out, and cooperate with us during that time. Correct me if I'm wrong, but as I understand it, you want the treasure to be, by preference, in King Rupert's hands and being distributed as he desires it, or else returned to Regent Noleski. As things are, if you and we don't help each other, the Free City will take the treasury - yes, over your dead body - inside two days, if not two hours. Work with us for two weeks - I'd prefer two months, but I suspect there's no way you'd give us that long - anyhow, work with us for two weeks.

"Either King Rupert and our best friends and family," she gestures to herself, the others from the Businessmen, and the cohorts assembled in the pavilion, "will return, or we'll have a far greater likelihood of having proof that they're actually dead. Or, as Porablum says, after two weeks you may see that young Rade has the makings of a queen as good or better than her father as king, and we may well be on our way to making good on the original expedition - and would you not prefer to fulfill the spirit of your orders, of protecting the crown as a new kingdom is established in the Stolen Lands, or the letter of it and return to Lord Noleski even though such a kingdom is being successfully created? I've heard he's a stickler, but I also know he likes ... results."

"As for keeping a hold of the treasury itself, well ..." She frowns for a moment, considering that, and as she does, Ghent Maston, a man of about forty years, steps up behind her and says a few quiet words to her.

"You do?" she asks, and he nods. "Well, hell, let's hear it."

"Shell game," Maston says, the slightly-potbellied man crossing his arms and standing spread-legged. "I don't know how much actual coins and gold bars or such you have, but there isn't a carter alive who isn't a part-time smuggler. Always two or three handfuls of something that can be stashed somewhere - a small pouch of coins at the bottom of a chest or mixed in with a pile of bags, a document shuffled among a score of others - there must be fifty ways, even with a simple unprepared wagon.

"The trick with this shell game is that the pea isn't under any one shell, it's ground up and under ALL the shells. We all have to be moving - soon. Lord Garess kicks the rest of the lot of you out in a little bit, lots of shouting and threats and go to hell and that sort of thing, but most of the treasury goes out the gate with you - and with any of your companies you have. Hospitallers, your camp runs right around sixty people, give or take half a dozen; Coursers, I estimate you have about three-quarters of that, about forty-five. I don't know about how many you have," he nods at Tomanescu, "and to be sure I'm not sure you should carry anything anyhow, just in case." He doesn't say what it would be 'just in case' of, though. "Wanderers, I estimated about forty or forty-five for your camp, but I don't know how Rocknose's removal affects your numbers; call it half, just for safety's sake. So without the bosses, we're looking at about a hundred and thirty - though that's a rough cut, and without the rest of the Royal encampment and guards, who can be carrying some too. I imagine you, Master Verisisi, would be able to keep a quiet tally of who's holding what, so that there's lots of ... what's the word ... accountability, that's it, lots of accountability for everyone.

"The key to the con is to get everyone thinking we think Lord Garess has hightailed it with the goods. Maybe you let some coins fall in dribs and drabs early on - some silver, even a little gold. When the other groups' chasers come back, they can - loudly- give the 'bad news' to their groups. Then, all of us being generally unwelcome here, and the queen still nobly wanting to yet try, we head south just as soon as we're done packing, which shouldn't be too long for us. And from the Restov's point of view, you in the other camps, as foolish and noble as Queen Rade, join with her and we all head south. The rest of your men, Lord Garess, would accompany the queen - whether because you ask it, order it, or just because they want to be around when she falls on her face. Sorry, ma'am," he apologizes to Queen Rade, tugging on his forelock, "just saying what a cynic guard might think. Anyhow. We can make thirty, maybe forty miles today, and I daresay everyone will leave some scouts behind to keep an eye on the roads behind us, just in case the good nobles of Restov would like to send a few armed accountants to talk to us. But if we do it right, with even a little bit of luck they'll be headed after where they think you went, Lord Garess, and so long as they leave us for two or three days, we'll be well gone."

"Why the hell are they coming here for the other ones?" mutters Alysandra under her breath. She looks at Garess. "Decision time. This is the best chance to start the ball rolling - bring them in under guard, I can have the Businessmen raise a bit of fuss to make it clear that it's for their protection. Put them into a tent, the Royal pavilion or something, as guests; Master Verisisi, I'm sure you know somewhere. Do the whole courtesy thing, wine, a bit of food so early in the morning, send an underbutler or something to do it. Let them know after they're in the tent, that they'll be seen as soon as the current meeting is over. We split the treasury now, Lord Garess sends for his select riders to get ready, and then these riders from Restov are right there to be an audience for Lord Garess to kick all the rest of you out. You can have a brusque meeting, some nasty exchanges, do some verbal nose-punching, tell them it's none of their damn business, then after ten or fifteen minutes you throw them out. Better, give orders to throw them out. While they're being ushered out, you and your riders hightail it out of here, and we still in the camp can interfere with their departure for a couple of minutes. That'll give you and the chasers from the various groups a head start, and keep these two as inadvertent witnesses. THEN they go rushing back, and a pursuit gets organized, all that stuff."

Anando Verisisi shakes his head.
"There are two problems with that plan. On one side to divide and track the treasury properly would take hours... maybe a full day, and there are some gold bars that won't be easily transported out of their cart, not will they be easily concealed afterwards. And remember our friends from Restov are out there already. We don't have the time to repack everything."
He then looks south.
"The other problem is that there are no reason for us to move south without the treasury. Without it we wouldn't have enough resources to create the new kingdom, so if Lord Kresten "runs" with the treasure, we should logically pursuit him, not going the other way. In the moment we move south, or even keep the camps, Restov will suspect we still have the treasury, or part of it."
He looks at you.
"Whatever we do, we must do it quickly. We don't have days. We have hours, maybe, and minutes, probably. And what should we do about the Restov's riders?"

Well now I guess we are in a pickle here. I had hope that we could get around this with diplomacy. It seems we may as well try diplomacy's illegitimate child then....we lie. We have to convince them that we know that the others are alive and in the stolen lands. We got confirmation of this through extra planner sources, holy or whatever. We are bound for the stolen lands and that they are meeting us at some point. We were instructed by the king to continue on. This should solve all the current problems we face. If we go this route Garess, you are with us for the long haul. Alysandra, can you spin a fancy beleavable tale that our lives will depend on?

Anando looks thoughtful.
"That might work. But how do we explain the explosion?"

Finally something that we can accomplish easily. We explain that the high level of magics being used by whoever attacked them and the magics unleashed by those at the meeting caused a overlapping of magical energies that do not mesh well. The wild magic surge was the explosion that transported them to another location. I can add in lots of complicated words and formulas to help clog their minds...

"That seems risky. Attacked by what? How do we know they were transported? Transported where? They only need a doubt to demand us to turn over the treasury. They just need an excuse."

Stefan had arrived just in time to see the group arguing at the entrance to the King's camp. Quietly attaching himself to the group as they enter he listens for information, piecing together what the problem was. As he listens to them debating a course of action, he decides to give Garess some extra motivation.

Sense Motive for info: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (7) + 8 = 15
for GM: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (17) + 8 = 25

Stefan pulls out a small object from his tunic, glances at it, and then tucks it back in.
"Well, Merus is still alive." He says loudly, cutting across all the conversation.
And the odds are that if he is still alive, then so are the others. So all this talk of the King's death is quite premature."

Everybody in the room turns towards Stefan.
"How do you know? Can you communicate with him?" - Kresten Garess asks.

"Merus and I have two items that keeps us aware of the others safety. It's for when we get in a tight spot and let's us know whether to risk going back for the other. His is that stupid snuff box that he takes everywhere, mine is the stone I just looked at. As long as either of us are alive, we can tell."
Stefan pauses for a moment and thinks.
"I suppose if he were on another plane it might not work either. Hmm, I need to ask him that next time I see him. Either way, he is alive for now."

"If Merus is alive, than we can assume the others may be alive, including King Rupert. That helps buy us time. As to the explosion, there was an assassination attempt against the King and the others, but they fought the assassins off. The reason they have already begun moving to the Stolen Lands is they are in pursuit of the surviving assassins, to bring them to justice. We are to join them as quickly as possible, and so must make haste."

"Do we let the riders from Restov in?"

"I might be able to help in that regard. Merus is known to them and I might be able to persuade them to wait to see what happened."

Hareth remains silent, as the diplomacy seems to be well in hand by others, and when talk of duplicity comes up, his discomfort is palpable, and he continues to remain silent rather than put a damper on plans that might be efficacious though underhanded. The birth of a new kingdom might be worth a few lies though he himself cannot be an integral party to them.

Selina walks up to Axhammer, her face is a little puffy, It's obvious she has been crying. I don't think they be dead. she says. there ain't no thing in this world that can kill Dagit so easily.

Meanwhile at the Crater

Axhammer looks to Selina, "Child, I still have hope that none of my friends that have been freinds for years aren't dead. But I must bury it, hide it deep inside, I couldn't stand to get my hopes high then have them dashed to pieces. We will have to move soon, Aolis, Daggit, Trewart, Myself; I never expected to be the Last One, but its happened at least for now. Dawn will come soon, perhaps my Message or Sending will get through to who needs it, perhaps not. Either way, you will always have a home with me and mine, same goes for any of the others. My Son, he rides around on that giant bear, and is ordering the camp, asking politely about the others who came with. You and the others are in charge now, least till my freinds come back, as such its time I guess to take you as a confidant. Daggit was my Priest, you are too young to shoulder that burden yet, however it would please me greatly if you would take his seat at the council I will be holding soon.

Axhammer, motioned to his tent that had been set up.

I am under the assumption that all of the wanderers are currently with axhammer until stated otherwise.

Ishana listens to the plan with no small amount of interest, its certainly something she could appreciate, enjoying trickery in all forms.

"We have established then, that it is likely that, at least, our friends are still alive, and the King therefore is likely alive as well. I have faith that our friends can keep him safe, and that he will return in due course."

Ishana smiles confidently to Rade, hoping to comfort her a little before ploughing on. "Its clear that, in the meantime, we should continue onwards with the kings plans, as best as we can and as much as we can, prevent the complex shift of alliances to fracture and break apart. Kresten, unless you feel differently, its clear that your goals and ours would align, at least for the moment. Might I suggest that we put into practise the plan this fine gentleman" - at this Ishana indicates Ghent with a gesture and a polite inclination of her head - "has proposed. You are of course, welcome to revisit the situation regarding the treasury in two weeks time, and we would be happy negotiating this, although as mentioned, perhaps two months would be our preferred grace period. If anyone feels uncomfortable about this plan of action, please speak up, I would rather address any concerns now rather than have to worry about them later. In the absence of an concerns, I might suggest that we start making preparations?"

Ishana waits politely in case anyone has any concerns they would wish to raise. She isn't blind to the fact that some of the more devout members of law enforcement might have come concerns, and wants to make them feel like they are not being pushed into something unwillingly - even if she saw the current plan as the best option.

"In the meantime, we have the issue of the Restov Riders to handle. Stefan, I have full confidence in your ability to negotiate the situation. If you can convince them to continue support in the likelihood the king is still alive, then all well and good. If you can convince them even to just delay action, that grants us a little time. I'd go with you, if I thought I could help, but I couldn't help but think they would find it rude if someone accompanied you that they did not ask for. Also, on a separate note, I would like to know if we plan on informing anyone else about the plan, or are we limiting it to just the people in this room? I have little preference either way, as both telling others or keeping it secret have advantages and disadvantages associated with each".

I am under the assumption that all of the wanderers are currently with axhammer until stated otherwise.

Bachu sees Jasrella looking at the crater and goes and stands next to her and uses his detect evil on the crater.

When that is done he hurries back to the camp.

And Aolis/Sacha are being AFKPC'd ...

Rade Surtova is going back to camp, as everybody except Axhammer and his people.

... so Axhammer, Burfoot, their sixteen followers and ten hirelings are there alone.

Alysandra looks at Ghent, and Ghent shrugs, spreading his hands. "With solid knowledge," he apologizes, spreading his hands, "which one is the better plan becomes six to five and pick 'em. The Old Man always says that the best lie is one you yourself never tell, though."

"Just enough truth," Alysandra agrees, musing, trying to figure between trying clumsily to scatter the treasury despite Verisisi's warning and Garess's probable reluctance, or ... and a flicker of lightning sparks in her eyes. "New plan," she says, her head coming up. "We tell the truth - but only a certain amount. Stefan - sorry about the name thing, I didn't see you there - anyhow, talk to the two from Restov, like Ishana says. Let them know that the king and the others ..." She hesitates, hunting for the right word, then concludes with, "... left early. Which is true, Coalhouse left at two-thirty this morning. If they ask if they're alive, feel free to scoff and say of course your boss is alive. Stick to the absolute facts, don't let them try to push you into lying. If they ask where they are right now, tell them you don't know - because you wouldn't know exactly where they are, of course. If they ask what we're going to do, why --" She looks over at Garess, then Verisisi, then Ishana, Porablum, Hareth, Jasrella, and - finally - Rade. She smiles and says, "Tell them we're going ahead with leaving today, as per the king's plan. In any case, try to convince them, as subtly as you can, that no, something forceful on their part would only get a lot of people killed. And though Ishana might be right about someone else coming with you ... having someone else there for backup, whether that's physical, magical, or social, isn't a bad idea."

She looks at Ghent, who gives a crooked grin, then turns to Jocasta and says to her, "Get it all packed, as per arrangements." Turning back to Ghent, then glancing at Stefan, she asks, "Presume they don't take that as an answer. Can we slow them down? Delay them somehow?"

"Not so far as I know," replies Ghent. "Best bet would be for the gates to get screwed with when they're in the closed position, or capable of being closed. Mess up the mechanicals, and it's out of service for hours, at least."

Alysandra sighs. "Well ... we might have to talk our way out of this one. Hate to get into it here, though."

Taking his cue from Ishana, Stefan walks out to meet the riders from Restov.

"Well met good Sirs." Stefan greets them as he approaches.
"Things are a bit in turmoil at the moment, but I may have some information for you to bring to the Mayor. Who's in charge here?"

Except for Selina, who has chosen to place herself at the crater. Otherwise, I believe Bachu and Sacha are at the meeting with us.

Porablum nods agreement with Alysandra's plan, smiling at Rade. Stefan's knowledge of Merus being alive had buoyed her hope that Aramil was as well, and she was sure that the King would come through this with the protection he would have.

Looking at Alysandra, she asks, "Since the riders asked for the leadership of the Restov Coursers, do you think it would be a good idea if I went along?"

Axhammer looks to Selina, "Child, I still have hope that none of my friends that have been freinds for years aren't dead. But I must bury it, hide it deep inside, I couldn't stand to get my hopes high then have them dashed to pieces. We will have to move soon, Aolis, Daggit, Trewart, Myself; I never expected to be the Last One, but its happened at least for now. Dawn will come soon, perhaps my Message or Sending will get through to who needs it, perhaps not. Either way, you will always have a home with me and mine, same goes for any of the others. My Son, he rides around on that giant bear, and is ordering the camp, asking politely about the others who came with. You and the others are in charge now, least till my freinds come back, as such its time I guess to take you as a confidant. Daggit was my Priest, you are too young to shoulder that burden yet, however it would please me greatly if you would take his seat at the council I will be holding soon.

Axhammer, motioned to his tent that had been set up.
I am under the assumption that all of the wanderers are currently with axhammer until stated otherwise.

Yes, they are.

One of the three riders takes a step up.
"I am. We request a meeting with His Majesty Rupert Surtova, and if he is not available, Lord Christian D Elagante, Azrael the Avenger, Aramil Wells or Alexander Dumonte. We saw the attack from Restov, and are worried for their well being."
All of your characters that want to be there can.

Who is Alexander Dumonte, he seems to be missing from the player list? I assume he is also part of the missing group.

"Ah, well, that is a good question. King, is it? You seem to have acquiesced quite quickly to the new development. I am Stefan Tomanescu, companion to Merus Lebeda who I'm sure you know. At the moment they are all missing. We aren't even sure it was an actual attack, all we know for now is that they are still alive. I do know that Merus had a message for the Lord Mayor and in his absence I have the gist of tht message."

The late "Dart" Alexander Dumonte, ranger of the Restov Coursers, killed by lightning in the pavilion.
They all seem surprised.
"Missing? All of them?"
The leader queries you.
"How do you know they are alive? What is the message?"

"We have certain means to determine that they still live, well... at least some of them. As to the message," Stefan glances around meaningfully, "I think we should go someplace a little more private to discuss it."

"But can you communicate with them?"
They accept your proposal to go somewhere more private.
"So, what is the message?"

"Unfortunately, no, we can't communicate yet. Perhaps some magical means will be devised shortly." He replies as they move to a more secluded place. Once they are out of earshot he continues.
"I only know what Merus told me before the meeting they had last night, but the gist is that we should not hinder this expedition after all. It appears that Noleski's young cousin is splitting from his family and planning his own new dynasty. A dynasty that may be much more favorable to Rostland. Merus also thinks that Noleski is counting on us to kill his cousin and use that as an excuse to clean house here in Rostland. I was supposed to get more information after this meeting, but, as you can see, things have taken an unexpected turn."
He thinks for a moment.
"The status of the king is somewhat in doubt, but this may have be an attempt to blame us on his death. It is perhaps in our best interests to play up the notion that the king is still alive."

The Restov Riders look at each other.
"Split from his cousin? How do you know that?"

"Did you not listen to him at the dinner? You know how jealous Noleski is of his power both within his family and among Brevoy. There is no way Noleski would grant that kind of autonomy to Rupert. Merus believes that Rupert is genuine in his belief that he is founding a new kingdom and that Noleski is using him as a disposable pawn to justify him in removing a lot of the independence minded Rostland nobility. At least those are Merus' judgements. Me, I'm just a messenger." Stefan says, adding a smile to the last bit.
"Us supporting Rupert would really be a stick in the eye to Noleski. And if we can show Rupert what Noleski's real plans for him were, we might be able to swing him in our direction."

Sense Motive: 1d20 + 8 ⇒ (16) + 8 = 24

"Go tell the Mayor, as far as instructions go though, we will do what is necessary to rescue our friends. So, no promises."

Back to the meeting, Anando Verisisi unfurls a map.
"This is what Rupert and I investigated, is not perfect, but is the best we could do."
Annotated Stolen Lands Map
Anando start to show you places on the maps and telling you what he knows of them.
"You have to remember this map was done with references and second-hand histories. I guess we will need much exploration to be certain what it has is real. On the Stolen Lands there are only two "real" nations. On the Northeast border we have Brevoy, developed and patrolled. And on the Northwest we have Pitax, south of the Thousand Voices forest. Pitax only controls some area, but has reclaimed a much bigger one, but that claim is not formally recognized by, well, anyone, specially Brevoy, the bandits and the Numerian barbarians that roam all of Glenebon. North of Lake Hooktongue is the territory of the "Tiger Lords", a band of barbarians from Numeria that have stayed there for several years, unlike other warbands that come and go. Lake Hooktongue was a hub of commercial activity before, being a quick and safe way to moving people and merchandise, but for several years the commerce have all but stopped. The lake is teeming with Boggards, who have complete control of it except for Fort Drelev, a small town that survives from better times. The Hooktongue Slough, on the other hand, is now overrun by demons from the Worldwound with the purpose of closing it down so the Crusade is denied that way of reinforcements and supplies. In the Narlmarches we find, on the North, the Dragon Forest, where a powerful black dragon is said that controls most of it. After the Skunk river lays the Enchanted Forest. It is said that everyone that sets a foot in there disappears or is... changed... never to be the same again. The fey controls it and it is reputedly the most dangerous part of the forest. Next to the Tuskwater lake, the forest is home of a Lizardmen tribe, aggressive to river traffic. And south of the Marque river, all the way until Mivon is controlled by a powerful band of Trolls. In the Lake the Candlemere island is said to be Haunted, and noone has set foot on it on many a lifetime. East of the forest is the so called "Stag Kingdom"... is not a kingdom in a classic way, as there is no organization or development, only people living a meager and brutal existence under the yoke of bandit gangs, mostly under the control of a self called "Stag King", a bandit lord of ill repute. Only north of the Narlmarches there are some brave hunters and farmer that resist them, with losing fortunes, leaded by Oleg Leveton and his 7 sons, the so called "Greenlands". It is said that they won't last long. Between the Thorn and Shrike rivers there are many Kobolds, and no one can stay the night there without being attacked, so there are no farms nor people living there, but it is said that during the day you can travel without much problem. Just don't stay the night in there. South of the Gudrin River there is no people, too, as the land is filled with monsters. Bulletes, chimeras, and more exotic kinds make there their home. And north of the Silverstep lake it is said to be a dead and terrible place, filled with undead, protecting some barrow or cursed ancient treasure. And south of here, on the east side of the Tors of Levenies, with formally is Iobaria, there live the Nomen Centaurs, many different tribes of nomad Centaurs hostile to other humanoids. The South Rostland road go Northwest from here into the town of Nivakta's Crossing and Fort Serenko, and then towards New Stetven. The Shrike river is not used for transport, not has even been, because of the Crooked Falls and the big Shrike cascade, with impede normal boad traffic. And I was forgetting. The Mivon River Kingdom claims all of the Troll lands as theirs, even of they don't make any move to really occupy those lands, nor attack the trolls. And remember, this map is based on conjectures and best guesses. Until we explore for ourselves we can't be certain of anything."
After checking the map he continues.
"We need to explore to find a suitable place to start our kingdom, but before that we need a place to stay, and let most of the people live while we find that place. And near water is a good place. We can try to move towards Fort Serenko , over the South Rostland Road, and then choose if follow the Shrike River or continue to Oleg's Trading post."

Ishana looks at the map for a long moment, thinking it over. "Personally, I tend to favor Oleg's Trading Post, at least for now. From what I have heard, its fairly defensible and should be a way to hold a defensive position for those following us that might not...favour combat."

Mutting under her breath, Ishana indicates isolated spots on the map, each one lighting up under her touch with liberal use of her Prestidigitation spell. "From a diplomatic or tactical point of view, I would favor an alliance or friendship with Oleg regardless, seeming that its one of the few people in this location that isn't outright hostile - and besides, they might welcome our help or assistance. Thinking longer term, Lake Hooktongue looks fairly important for a trading hub, and I think that the Stag Kingdom could be an area we could attempt to reclaim from bandits. Most of everything else looks to appear to be extremely hostile, or risky to push into, using Dragon Forest as a prime example of this".

Porablum looked over the map. She'd been through the River Kingdoms and seen their overall lack of civilization, but the Stolen Lands were a whole different bag of oats. Everything seemed stacked against any kind of success, given the sheer number of obstacles before them. No wonder colonizing the Stolen Lands was considered a fool's mission. Still, they would have to manage it. Somehow.

"I concur with Ishana. Oleg's seems to be the best option, at least for now. Establishing a foothold in the Greenbelt is the safest course of action, given the enemies we face elsewhere, and following the Shrike River means placing ourselves in close proximity to the Stag Kingdom, which means bandits are going to be an ever-present threat. Too far south and we're in close proximity to the Kobolds. Plus, I suspect we'll need all the allies we can get."

Bachu studies the map for several minutes. "Oleg's sounds like the best place to start, though it is close to the border. From there we can explore and clear to the south. I think our best bet for a more permanant home is on one of the lakes. It may be possible to clear out the kobolds then the bandits and take the Stag lord's base. Where the river meets the lake is a strategic place, as well as anywhere where two rivers come together."

Stefan walks back into the tent.
"Well, I bought us some time. They want us to stay in the camps and left a couple of riders to watch us. I told them that if we get news of our friends, we are leaving to help them. It depends on how the Lord Mayor takes the information I relayed to them. I suggest we come to decision and act quickly."

Hareth considers all the information, almost an overload thereof, and nods in agreement with Ishana... "The trading post seems a likely place to start and make a base of operations there or near there... annexing nearby areas like the bandit range belonging to the Stag Lord next or the kobold infested places next. Having a solid base first though seems a good starting point."

Jasrella studies the map as Anando describes the different locations, nodding as the others speak their minds on points of interest. She stares long and hard at the map as if she is memorizing every detail. He fingers touch certain points on the map and she mumbles under her breath so low that no one can hear what she is saying. Without looking up from the map as she continues to study the map
Does anyone have any information about Nivakta's Crossing, Fort Serenko, and this Oleg's trading post?