Sveng puts a light hand on Sara's shoulder, lowering his voice. "Peace. We are the law here, and I doubt a single one of us thinks this is punishable by death."
Valeria listens to everyone then, with a tone as neutral and emotionless as she can muster, she says, "Thank you, Honorary Tribune Piscum for laying out the details of this case. The accused is also thanked for bringing much needed clarifications to this case. I would also like to thank my peers assembled here for observing their duties as Tribunes for the recovering barony. Proper attention in matters of justice is fundamental to the enlightenment and growth of this land, and we will not spare any efforts in coming up with the right judgement. I would also like to remind everyone assembled that we are not here to debate the nature and existence of the current laws, but to seek truth in the events that have happened and make a decision in these matters. At this time I would like to invite any other citizens or peers of the barony to speak and let themselves be heard, before I dispatch the Tribunes to proceed with their investigations."
Valeria sits back on the table's high chair, motioning for her fellow adventurers to speak, beginning with those who have or are pretending to have noble titles.
Valeria's declaration seems to calm some of those in attendance who start to nod in agreement at the wise words. A few are willing to speak up.
One man says ”Portimer’s a miller. But what when the mill shut down, he tried his hand as a farmer, and well… he ain’t a great farmer. I suspect he, his wife, and their child are all struggling to feed themselves, although too proud to be asking for help.”
Another woman says, ”Law’s the law… but don’t seem right killin’ a man for trying to feed his family.” You see a number of others mumble in agreement.
But you hear one man telling his neighbor, a little more loudly than he intended, ”But won’t Lord Lockheed expect his will to be carried out? Them nobles ain’t always interested in the circumstances…”
At Sveng's words, Sara quietens down, though it a clear she is still fuming. She nods along with the woman who spoke out against the killing. She knows there is more to the story than the former miller is telling but she isn't about to question him in front of everybody. Her feelings on killing the man have already been blasted out for all to see and the reasons don't matter near as much to her as the level of punishment for the crime.
She does give an apologetic smile to the adorable BunBun though, telling herself she should have gone with chickens as her example.
Sveng inhales, raising his voice to be heard. "We need the individuals responsible for assaulting this man. A crime that does not hurt the body or property of another person does not warrant a violent response, guilty or not."
"Second-" Sveng steps closer to Portimer. "We need the entire truth of the matter. It will be investigated and the truth will be unveiled, but if the information comes from you first then that will be a favorable consideration."
"Miller you say?" replies Valeria to the man who speaks up, with an arched eyebrow. "It was within the barony's plan to restore the broken mill. I will hazard to guess that Stachys does not benefit from hordes of trained millers at this time yes? It appears fortuitous that Mister Portimer here could pay for his crime by helping us rebuild the mill and subsequently operate it for the benefit of the village yes? I will be honest that this may require some explaining to the Count, but since he has a favorable disposition towards us and has funded the barony's repair following the Jubilee, we could seek a dispensation from his office in this regard, based on the immediate need of the village."
Valeria looks at her fellow nobles and Onara. "What say you? My final decision will of course take into account any other evidence retrieved as part of the investigation. Anything to add or consider before we let the Tribunes out to gather more facts and information?"
================
After Sveng speaks, Valeria nods, then looks at the other Tribunes to see if they have more to add as she readies her gavel to announce a recess.
Sara will share, just doesn't want to do it in the open discussion. So she'll whisper her feelings of his truthfulness to the others.
She looks at Valeria at the proclamation, a surprised arch of a brow at a noble breaking from the expectations of other nobility. She doesn't know this woman yet, maybe there is hope.
Sara gives a quick dip "Thank you for your wisdom, my lady." showing her agreement and deference (still feigned at this time) in front of all.
Eregos leans forward, considering Portimer and his wounds, then leans back. Personally, he didn't give a fig if the deer had been killed on the count's property. Unless the area was walled in, animals would roam where they pleased - they cared nothing for who owned what land. However, if Portimer wasn't telling the entire truth...
Eregos leans over to Onora and asks, "What can you tell me about the geography of the Stachys Spur?" As she tells him, he also considers what he knows about the law against hunting on the count's land.
Portimer has said all that he is going to say.
Many of the townspeople seem to nod in acceptance as Valeria speaks. It does appear that this would be an acceptable judgement in their eyes.
Eregos is sure that while a typical punishment for poaching is death, but even Onora seems to think this a bit harsh.
However, as word reaches Count Lotheed, it is not well received.
Sara is happy with the decision. Later with all bouncy smiles, she slips up next to Portimer and whispers "I know you lied to try and save your life, but do not do so to my lady again. She's different from the other nobles, give her a chance."
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Valeria pens a letter immediately and dispatches a messenger to the Count. Hopefully her letter can reach him before rumors and gossip do their dirty work first!
"Your Excellency, we have discovered that our unemployed miller has committed an act of poaching in your barony, due to the dire poverty rampaging these abandoned lands before we took the reins. Due to the man's particular set of skills, it would have been unwise, at this time, to dispense capital punishment. Rest assured that we will restore the mill very soon, using the funds you so graciously recovered for us, and we will put the man to work immediately so that he can pay back for his mistake. In the meantime we will have our hunters scour our own barony and send the first three deer we shoot down straight to your kitchens in order to mitigate the loss accrued to your lands. As always, the burden of nobility seems to be a walk upon a thin razor's edge, and it pains me heavily to seek favors and exemptions from your wise person upon my first week in charge of this estate."
Your humble servant,
Lady Valeria Tanessen."
Eventually you get news that indicates this was a win all around.
The mill takes 900 gold to get back in order, and no one works harder than the man who's life you spared.
Bimble's propaganda seems to work quite well, and a few of the townsfolk start approaching you for various things. Top on the list seem to be a new pub, since Onora's place is little more than an oversized home with a dirt floor.
The farmers are happy to see the swamp draining, but now look at the more daunting work of turning a farm profitable. Some aid there could go a long way.
Valeria agrees wholeheartedly about the pub renovations. Getting muddy boots indoors would be getting tiresome fast. She also seconds upgrading some of the farms into vineyards, as she believes Baroness Voinum would no doubt secure the first harvest by herself, based on their first meeting at the Voinum Estate the previous week.
"Both are excellent" Sara rolls up her sleeves and helps with the renovations as normal, Morale boosting and snacks more than truly building, though she cries and holds and tries.
The townsfolk are happy to see a new pub being built.
Almost immediately upon its completion, the rumor mill begins its operation.
“The Night Swan struck a trade convoy from Cassomir! They say he robs from the rich and gives to the poor, but that sounds more like Galtan propaganda than reality. Can you imagine anyone giving away money?”
“Sotto hasn’t paid their taxes in over a year, from what I hear, and
hey always seem to have some new excuse. Baroness Voinum’s been stepping in to cover them, as I hear it, but the old girl can’t keep Lotheed’s soldiers from collecting their due forever.”
Food is vastly important to everyone, from rich to poor, with the poor typically left in the lurch anytime it is not rather abundant. So Sara is in full agreement on improving the farms around the town. She'll even spend time talking to the farmers about which types of grains make the best type of grains, arguing endlessly for her favorites, promising that she will make each of them the moistest buttery melt in your mouth buns that they have ever tasted as soon as the harvest is in.
Sir Kalegos frequents the new tavern to learn more about this Night Swan.
A few weeks go by, and the progress on the mill is amazing. Sara takes the lead on working with the local farmers to find out what they really need, and makes some headway. Sara sees a number of ways that the farm improvements could go much further , but the costs are adding up, and you are running out of designated funds.
Options include selling off some stuff from your estate, or even using your personal funds.
“Okerra is quite a lovable sort, but clearly it’s all a front. His mother had quite the affection for stable boys, you see, and his claim to the family lands is only as strong as the bribes and gifts he keeps handing out to his peasants.”
The productive little village of Pensaris gets by mostly from processing goats, fishing the adjoining Lake Pensaris, and manufacturing salt from a mineral spring 3 miles southwest, ultimately providing salted fish and meat to the rest of the county and beyond for winter. Their relative wealth has allowed the community to develop a number of specialty artisans as well, especially shipwrights and woodcarvers to support the anglers. It is also the closest neighbor to Stachys, making Baron Okerra the easiest neighbor to visit.
Baron Nicolaus Okerra’s estate is a small but cozy citadel overlooking the village.
Valeria sends a messenger to Pensaris to announce their visit. Assuming the reply is favorable, Valeria and her two ladies in waiting board Martella's coach along with the rest of the heroes who will not ride horses as part of the escort. Arriving there, she curtsies to the waiting Lord warrior upon arrival, extending her hand to him.
"Baron Okerra! pleased to meet you again! thank you for receiving us in your beautiful home!" says Valeria with a warm and genuine smile. "I am thrilled to explore Pensaris and meet your fine community. Any recommendations for tomorrow? but my apologies... let us see what you have in store for us today before we discuss tomorrow."
Valeria discusses the ongoing repairs in Stachys and explore potential new trade between their two villages. However she's not all business: if the Baron wishes to discuss other topics she graciously listens and participates in whatever else the baron has in mind.
Sara has traded her sturdy cotton skirts of a commoner for a dress befitting of a lady in waiting. Subdued colors to not detract from where the focus needs to be Valeria. Also, subdued makes slipping away easier if need be.
But for now, she waits as a lady in waiting does, joining in the discussion only when to highlight a witty banter or distract from a misplaced statement.
Eregos does learn a bit about the local legend known as the Night Swan.
A local myth, often repeated in taverns, claims a long-dead duke drowned his young wife in Lauchlein Lake after marrying her at the circle of stones. The maiden’s angry spirit returned a year later as a swan who could walk as a woman under the moonlight to take revenge on her husband. The duke kept her sated and bound by pouring 6 vials of holy water into the lake on the anniversary of her death each summer—a tradition that continued until Bartelby Lotheed took control of the county—and now the restless drowned maiden of Lauchlein has begun exacting her vengeance as the fearsome Night Swan.
The trip to Okerra is rather pleasant. He receives you and you have lunch, and talk mostly about business. He seems genuine as he congratulates you on your successes, and you almost feel as if he takes some credit for inspire you and others to greatness.
From your afternoon together, you learn a fair amount about this man.
Nicolaus Okerra is the baron of a stretch of villages in the eastern portion of the county of Meratt, and he is a local hero of the people. Popular as much for his good looks as for his fair policies, he has slain several terrible beasts and helped organize community improvement projects like irrigation, roadwork, and wells, often rolling up his sleeves and chipping in with the manual labor. His staunch loyalty to order prevents him from standing against or even impugning the Lotheed family for their negligence, and instead he hopes to inspire his lackadaisical neighbors to action by showing the benefits of hard work and organizing charity for their peasants in lean times. Despite his action, he secretly worries he’ll never match the organizational abilities and human insights of his late wife, Nirvenna, who ruled the barony in his stead during his military career. Nicolaus is a man of action; he cares little for fine words and prefers fine wines. He is still readjusting to civilian life, having retired from the Taldan Horse to assume control of his barony and raise his daughter, Selli, after Nirvenna died confronting a troll. Nicolaus still prefers riding, sparring, and physical labor to elaborate balls and fine dinners, but he is beginning to learn the quiet joys of good company and a well-placed joke—though his own sense of humor remains appropriately blunt for a man of the people.
Nicolaus’s greatest weakness and blind spot is his high-spirited daughter, Selli. The child inherited her father’s zeal for adventure and grew up on tales of his heroism from Nicolaus himself as well as villagers and servants. She wants to be a great hero and warrior like her father, but at only 10 years old she still has a lot of learning to do before she can join the military. Before Nirvenna’s death, Nicolaus assured his child she could join the military after coming of age, but having felt the pang of loss, he now regrets that promise and has been quietly trying to kindle an interest in academia in her heart before she dies on a battlefield far from home. Few of her studies have taken root, however, and Selli has become increasingly rebellious, often sneaking out of the estate into Pensaris or to explore the surrounding countryside. Her personal adventures occasionally end in disaster—most recently losing two fingers to a fox—but taking a note from the dramatic, larger-than-life tales her father inspires, Selli is already telling anyone who will listen that the fox won the fingers off her in a crooked game of cards.
Some of you also het a bit of history regarding the local lake. At 12 miles long and almost 2 miles wide, Lake Pensaris is the largest lake in the county; it’s also unusually deep for the area—almost 200 feet at the center. Bass, perch, and trout are all abundant, as well as catfish that have migrated to the lake. Steep stone walls make most of the lake’s eastern shore inaccessible. Like any lake of reasonable size, Lake Pensaris is home to countless “fish stories,” though the most frequent are tall tales of the General, a sizable catfish that locals claim has eluded them for a century; the occasional disappearance of local anglers is usually attributed to the General “conscripting” men. One popular myth even claims it scuttled a visiting duchess’s pleasure barge one summer 50 years back (alternative tales claim the fish was a drunkard, ambling up to steal the wine or was mesmerized by the young duchess’s beauty). Anyone who could actually bring this beast to shore would become a local legend. Fishing the lake requires Baron Okerra’s permission.
Okerra nods thoughtfully, and a little surprised. "That is a surprising and generous offer. Yes, I may very well be interested in that."
"Stachys needs a lot of repairs Baron Okerra. Perhaps we could come to an arrangement in this regard as well? do you have any resources or labor you could spare at the moment? once we are up and running our two villages could do a lot of trade together. What say you?"
"Hmm. I agree - once you are up and running, let's talk again. Meanwhile, enjoy my hospitality for the night."
While you are hanging around the estate, a few of you overhear some servents talking about their plans to "catch the General by any means necessary". They seem to be laughing about it.
Capricia, in stoic bodyguard mode, approaches a couple of gossiping servants and casually asks what they mean by the phrase 'catch the General.'
Seeing her freind flounder with the servants, Sara will cast a spell to make herself extra charming and go help out. "Catch the General sounds vaguely dirty. Doesn't it? Innuendo like that always catches her eager ears." Sara bumps shoulder with the stoic bodyguard Carpicia with a cheeky grin "Please tell us it is as filthy as it sounds? Or if not, what does it mean?"
Catch the General? That doesn’t sound good. Can’t act on it, though - wouldn’t fit the irresponsible, foppish cousin role I’ve set myself up for. Hopefully Sara and Capricia can find out more.
Eregos instead moves away from the servants and pretends not to notice them.
The servants look at you blankly for a minute, and then it dawns on one of them.
"No, no! Not a real general. The 'General' is a fish!"
At 12 miles long and almost 2 miles wide, Lake Pensaris is the largest lake in the county; it’s also unusually deep for the area—almost 200 feet at the center. Bass, perch, and trout are all abundant, as well as catfish that have migrated to the lake. Steep stone walls make most of the lake’s eastern shore inaccessible. Like any lake of reasonable size, Lake Pensaris is home to countless “fish stories,” though the most frequent are tall tales of the General, a sizable catfish that locals claim has eluded them for a century; the occasional disappearance of local anglers is usually attributed to the General “conscripting” men. One popular myth even claims it scuttled a visiting duchess’s pleasure barge one summer 50 years back (alternative tales claim the fish was a drunkard, ambling up to steal the wine or was mesmerized by the young duchess’s beauty). Anyone who could actually bring this beast to shore would become a local legend. Fishing the lake requires Baron Okerra’s permission, and doing so otherwise is punished as poaching.
Capricia finds herself blushing at the turn Sara puts into the conversation. The explanation of what 'the General' actually is puts her in another pickle.
Is a catfish some wizard's creation like the dreaded owlbear? Or is it merely some variation of freshwater fish that a gal who's lived by the sea her whole life has never heard of?
Best to keep my mouth shut.
"That sounds interesting. A century old catfish that claimed a young beautiful duchess as his wife. A story that could have 'And the Heroic Local Legends defeated the foul fish kidnapper' tacked at the end." she smiles in thanks for the information and then links her arm in with Capricia as they walk away "It warrants at least asking if we could have do a little fishing. Though I have never fished for anything in my life, not sure how you even go about it?"
"With nets...or maybe a pole with a baited hook," Capricia answers. "I never did much fishing myself; I preferred hunting small game like hares and goats in the hills near my town."
"I've only hunted at the market and a few times in the scrap bins when mother's tips were especially low." Sara says with a light air. "Maybe some of the others are expert fishermen or fisherwomen." the baker finds the parlor where they abandoned their lady to talk of Generals, and leans in to whisper what they found and suggest "Besting that which no one has in a century might increase our standing, but first we'll need permission from our lord here. If you be willing to ask?" then the lady in waiting moved to behind her mistress and... wait.
"Baron Okerra: do we have your permission to fish the lake and attempt to catch the General? does your village have a magic shop? I reckon it would be safer to buy minor magicks that will allow us to breathe underwater, should the General happen to be in self-revealing mood when we're on the lake..."
You want to breathe underwater to catch a fish? Well, I don't think that method has been tried yet. But go ahead, I would be very interested to see if that works. I don't know anyone who is out there selling magic items, but maybe someone it. Good luck to you!"
"No Sir, I want to be able to breathe underwater if we located this pleasure barge, of course! However, perhaps being underwater to catch the general with spears and other pointy things would also increase our chances!"
Even though the villages you are in a are quite small, we are talking about taking a week at a time, so sending someone to a larger city is not out of the question - assume standard prices for items.