Tulvak resists Tandri's spell. Tyr grabs hold of the hag and squeezes her tightly, holding her in place so Sariana is able to land a hit as well. Floare protects Valerie as she continues to battle Fredero, gaining the upper hand once more. Tulvak claws angrily at Tyr but only manages one hit.
While Deregar supports Tyr with his magic, the dragon attempts to hold on to the hag. Then, both strike out at the hag.
for
for
With Valerie protected, Flore turns her magic upon the hag.
Tandri got distracted watching her mistress work over the horrible hag, enough she almost forgot to send her magic into the fray to help end the creature's expired life.
Her remaining magic soars into her mistress to help with the beating.
Floare and Tandri burn and blast the hag while Tyr holds her tightly. Deregar slices her with his cold iron blade and Sariana pummels her twice to finish her off! Valerie knocks Fredero out with the hilt of her blade and stands over him, panting heavily.
"I always took Fredero for an arrogant fool. Now I know I was correct. He deserves whatever punishment is coming to him for being so easily manipulated," she says icily.
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Sariana breaks the hag's neck with her customarily efficient twist and then turns to Valerie. Her face forms a frown briefly as she considers the prone paladin and then she shakes her head.
"Banishment. He leaves Nightsong, never to return." She decrees. "Sweetling, wake him up so that he can be informed of his sentence. Unless you would seek a different punishment." She offers to Valerie. "You are the wronged party here."
Dante moves to Tandri's side to give the man a close-up view of his 'welcoming smile' when he wakes.
In the meantime, Floare looks through the hag's possession, tossing the salted pork aside in disgust. She chuckles at the wand before lodging it through her hair and over one ear.
"And we're still waiting for a public apology," the witch adds to Sariana's declaration.
Tandri would much rather the decree have been days of correction before banishment. But she obeys, giving Dante a gentle scratch before praying to her goddess to heal. "Lady Nightsong has decided on your fate."
Fredero grovels at Valerie's feet. "I am deeply sorry, Valerie. For everything I've done to you, both in the past and present. I fear I have strayed far from Shelyn's teachings and the beauty of my soul has been thus tainted. I shall seek atonement for my transgressions."
He bows and scrapes before scurrying off. Valerie scoffs. "Good riddance to bad rubbish." She turns to you. "We're done here. Let us return to more important matters." She pauses, then adds, "Thank you."
"We all serve our Lady Nightsong" Tandri says, giving Valerie a small smile, glad they didn't need to dispatch her as well, since replacing leadership is difficult.
Chapter 7: Blood for Blood
Some time has passed since you integrated Varnhold and its citizens into your kingdom. This morning, a messenger bird arrived from one of your other holdings, the town of Tatzlford, with a missive from the mayor Loy Rezbin:
Greetings, my lieges!
Would that I had the opportunity to contact you via missive in gentler times. Since its founding, Tatzlford has faced many challenges, but recent rumors of a much more disturbing sort abound. A woman named Kisandra Numesti has come to Tatzlford bearing warnings that, if they are to be believed, indicate we may face a terrible threat. She speaks of armies of bandits, hordes of Tiger Lords—and worse!—organizing to the west beyond Hooktongue Slough. To date we have had no trouble with these elements, but this woman is quite convincing. She tells us an army from Drelev is marching on Tatzlford. If this is true, we will need your aid in defending our homes. Please come as soon as you can.
—In good faith, your humble servant,
Mayor Loy Rezbin
Deregar reagards the missive throughtfully. If he still have eyebrows, they would be furrowed.
"This as least bears investigating, Lady Nightsong," he advises. "If dangers come from beyond the borders of our kingdom, we should deal with them. If this Kisandra Numesti is spreading rumors for some unknown end, she should be dealt with appropriately."
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Sariana nods her head sharply. "Agreed. Threats to Nightsong will not be allowed to stand. Sweetling, Little One, have either of you heard anything like this?"
Nightsong doesn't have spies. Not really at least, but they do have both diplomats and traders so if something was brewing beyond her borders then Sariana's... lovers? Spawn? Concubines? might have heard rumours at least. Sariana herself is much more focused on rumours within the kingdom, which she tracks, manipulates and crushes ruthlessly as needed. No spies, but internal peace the like of which Brevoy or Cheliax could only dream of.
Tandri does listen to rumors when she oversees the coming and going of caravans, so if something credulous came in she would have told her mistress. Shifting through credulous and incredulous is sometimes difficult.
There are a few rumors swirling around Nightsong about Baron Drelev. One claims that he has surrendered his fort and his town to King Irovetti from Pitax. Some belive that Baron Drelev was a plant from Pitax from the start, and he’s only now showing his true colors—“surrendering” was just a sham.
Another rumor claims that Baron Drelev has taken on a beautiful young lover, much to his wife’s dismay. . . and with good cause, for this lover is in fact a succubus who has dominated the baron and is behind all of Fort Drelev’s problems!
Whatever the case, what is clear is that forces from Fort Drelev have indeed been spotted on the western outskirts of your kingdom...
"There have only been the cursory missives between myself and the Baron," Floare replies with a frown. "Nothing that would raise suspicions or lend credence to any of the minor rumors circulating."
"Shall we meet the encroaching army openly or shall we attempt to infiltrate and query the commanders directly?" she questions with a smile, knowing the predilections of her mistress.
Tatzlford is a cozy town located in a large clearing deep in the Narlmarch woods, just south of a ford in the Skunk River. The beginnings of a road lead north and south from the town, but they do not go far before petering out at outlying homes and farms.
Tatzlford is governed by mayor Loy “Tanner” Rezbin, a retired ranger, although most of the important decisions are made by his wife Latricia, the town’s priestess of Erastil. Together, they founded Tatzlford with the intent to help build up your new nation as it rises in the Stolen Lands. The settlement has attracted settlers from all around, primarily from Pitax, Mivon, and Rostland. A small wooden fort sits at the heart of the town, but the settlement has outgrown the defense this walled complex can provide. Construction of a larger stone wall around the village has been started but is not yet complete.
As soon as you arrive, you immediately gain the attention of everyone in town. Captain Coren Lawry, commander of the Tatzlford guard, meets you on the outskirts of town and quickly offers to escort you to the Tatzlford Lodge so they can meet Mayor Rezbin and speak with the woman who has brought them news of war. The townsfolk all bow and give you proper obeisance as you pass, their expressions awed with a tinge of fear.
Mayor Rezbin does his best to greet you in a manner befitting your status as the highest dignitaries to ever visit Tatzlford. Short and unassuming, he has put on weight since retiring and seems ill-suited for the stress and rigors of governing a settlement. Despite this, Rezbin comes across as likable, down-to-earth, and loyal. He is accompanied by his wife Latricia. They both bow.
"Your Highness, honored councilors," Rezbin says. "Thank you for heeding my message. You're no doubt busy, so I'll skip the tour of the town for now and get straight to the point. Tatzlford is in danger. I think the one who brought tidings of this danger should elaborate further."
He gestures to a young woman who has been waiting in the wings, and she steps forward and bows. "Greetings, Your Highness. My name is Kisandra Numesti. I come from the Drelev Demesne, northwest of here on the far side of Hooktongue Slough—it was established by Baron Hannis Drelev of Brevoy. My father is Lord Terrion Numesti, a knight who once served the baron but then rebelled against him and was thrown into the dungeon as punishment. I came here to warn you of an imminent attack on this town by Baron Drelev’s troops, Tiger Lords, and trolls! I left Fort Drelev as soon as I could and raced here to warn you. They can’t be that far behind me—a few days at most!"
"Why? To save himself," Kisandra says. "And so he can claim everything you’ve built. Drelev surrendered to the Tiger Lord barbarians and the Lord of Pitax so they wouldn’t overrun his kingdom. I suspect he sees attacking you as a way to prove his worth to his new master, King Irovetti, but he’s long been jealous of your success. He covets just about anything he deems more valuable than what he already has. I’m afraid your kingdom is no exception.
"My father refused to play along with Lord Drelev when the Tiger Lords demanded a tribute of several nobles—including my sister—as hostages. Baron Drelev has lost his way—he wants only to impress King Irovetti by allying with the Tiger Lords and defeating your kingdom in hopes of becoming a vassal state to Pitax, and my father would have none of it. So Drelev threw him in prison and sent my sister to the Tiger Lords anyway. The monster!
"I hoped that by warning you I might earn your favor and obtain aid in freeing my family. In any case, I don't want to see this town destroyed, so I'll help in any way I can."
Kisandra tells you that the attacking group consists of 100 human mercenaries armed with longswords and composite longbows, 50 human Tiger Lords armed with axes, and a dozen immense trolls. The group is commanded by one of Drelev’s right-hand thugs—a pig of a man named Ameon Trask.
Ameon’s forces are somewhat disorganized and sloppy—Ameon’s not all that great of a leader and his tactics for the attack are likely to be little more than orders to charge the village en masse while he hangs back with a few guards to observe the clash from afar. The number of trained soldiers and grizzled nomadic warriors he commands more than makes up for these blunt tactics with sheer force; if Tatzlford’s guards were to meet Trask’s forces on even ground, the result would likely be a slaughter. She finishes by pointing out that since Ameon is likely to hang back to observe rather than take part in the battle, a targeted strike on him could sway the battle in your favor.
"We should behead the force. These faithless vassals will scatter--mercenaries value their own skin above all else," Deregar recommends. "And Drelev should be taught a lesson as well, of course."
"Mercenaries also don't fight unless they're getting paid," Floare adds. "I agree with Deregar. We need to deal with Ameon directly."
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"Mayor Rezbin, I leave Tatzlford in your hands." Sariana says firmly. "Fortify the town as much as you can. I will warn the people before I leave today. If any mercenaries come this way Tatzlford will be strong enough to deal with them. Spend whatever is needed and the treasury will cover the costs." She shoots Tandri a look - firstly Nightsong can afford it and secondly she refuses to put a price on her people's lives. They are hers, not to be threatened by some idiot from beyond the Slough.
"We will journey tonight, slay the leader and scatter the band." She announces firmly. "Look to our coming by first light on the fifth day. At dawn, look to the east west."
As she leaves the Lady of Nightsong pulls her major aside. "Don't lose this girl." She commands. "I will want to speak to her again. Keep her comfortable, but don't let her go." The innkeeper is one of Sariana's 'people' so there's not much risk, but she makes the command anyway.
After making an announcement to the people that emphasises that she will personally be destroying the band and their leader while encouraging her people to vigilance and construction Sariana leads her Most Loyal off into the woods with a distinct thrill. It's been too long since she's had a good hunt!
Tandri inwardly flinched at the works 'spend whatever is needed', and then gives the mayor a look at hopefully relays she would be reviewing each and everyone of these costs to determine the need after the fact.
After the fact, since she would not leave her mistresses side, no matter how much she itched to keep her ledgers.