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Marching through the Kamelands would take them much longer, which is likely why they make for the bridge. The Hellknight force at our... disposal... is far swifter than their bones.
Between Stanis' own local knowledge, notes from Ilya's trips and Kalev's formidable knowledge of geography, you are also equipped to investigate with a map of Varnhold and other Brevic settlements in the Nomen Heights. The trade route built to Varnhold from Kardas bypasses the northern Brevic road by extending directly west from the city, through Varnhold pass and meeting Kardassian territory by the Shrike. This is reportedly the route the skeletons are expected to have taken to get so close... Also nearby is Fort Serenko- one of Brevic's wooden fortifications that has been on the border to the Stolen Lands for many years. Nivakta's Crossing is the southern-most Rostlandic village in all of Brevoy and by now, many of you are familiar with the city of Restov nearby; the heart of the Brevic rebellion.
General- There have been few rumours of late and news of the war in Brevoy has been scarce... -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Casimir- Stanislaw has been searching for a link between the Blodeuwedd Queen to the south and the attacks on Kardas and is now confident that this particular group of Fey have in fact, had nothing to do with any attacks on Kardas. Having clandestinely got closer to the large, incredibly fertile clearing that you were driven from; he instead confirmed that the Fey presence there is due to a thin veil between the Material Plane and the First World- they influence one another in such a place far more than is ordinarily possible, and overlap somewhat. Lucius reports the River Patriots are even more discontent now that the citadel city of Falcrum has been founded. Although he doesn't have specifics, he is quite sure they are concocting something unpleasant for the Hellknights... Mikmek reports no trouble and is pleased to be keeping Vaysh company. Malthir- Master Teldas has drawn inspiration from the mighty stone keep of Fort Drelev, to the west in the Slough. His designs include an outer wall, additional towers for archers and a "killing ground"- a trapped, dangerous initial courtyard between the outer and inner wall designed to maximise enemy casualties. Noleski's progress is slow but steady. Vaysh and Antal continue to have no success galvanising the nobility of Swordhaven, even with the loveable Mikmek accompanying them, much to the latter's chagrin.
Ricter- Your Hellknights have been busying themselves setting up the new Citadel over the past couple of months. Kip- Lord Sirian is chasing a lead far to the west; apparently, the full picture book included a page with a map on it and he has a rumour on its location... He will be away from the kingdom for some time, he believes. Doritian is following up a lead on a potentially estranged Dryad. Zordion has completed his thesis on the First World, having gathered many insights on it. Consider this page your knowledge from him. Kalev- You and your rangers have, in the past few days, brought dire news home to Swordhaven. Traders on the borders are reporting that something seems to have befallen Varnhold... No one has dared get too close but Maegar Varn's capital appears to be completely deserted; and trade has reached a sudden halt. Worse still, scouts have reported signs of the Undead approaching Kardas' east borders in great numbers; perhaps hundreds or more. Kalev is sure from the various bones that whatever force is moving there, it is likely comprised primarily of skeletons... Fenna- Joseph Bodevski is desperately trying to limit economic damage from the sudden loss of the trade route the kingdom was so invested in. Lily is still researching Elven settlements, some of which are rumoured to have cultivated some food in the forest other than the usual roots and berries. She thinks she is making progress but warns that the process is likely to be both expensive and somewhat inefficient, although it will help to mitigate Kardas' borders somewhat. Corax is assisting her although his work with his own logging company keeps him somewhat busy. ___________________________________________________________________________
Without any particular orders, your rangers are patrolling the borders of the kingdom. BP
General- Since the assassination attempt on General Ricter, very little unrest has plagued the Duchy of Kardas. Rumours from the north are flying fast- apparently the Swordlords of Restov and their alliance won a great victory a mere 100 miles from the Brevic capital of New Stetven. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Casimir- Stanislaw has been working with Jhod to uncover as much as he can about the assassin. He is able to confirm that what Kip said was correct; the creature was indeed a Skin Stealer, an assassin from the First World. Strangely, all attempts to Speak With Dead on the humanoid have failed. Stanislaw is keen to burn its remains in case whoever the assassin's patron is, has access to powerful divine magic. Armiger Zoresk's skinless body has, however, been found dumped in a trash heap in Kardas. He was slain in a single blow from behind while investigating a report that a killer was prowling one of the less reputable streets of the capital, and never saw his killer. By this point, Lucius has heard enough information to convince him that the River Patriots main goal is to remove the Hellknight influence on Kardas at best and at worst they hope to turn the faction against the Duchy. He is now in a prominent position within his "cell" and could arrange for the arrest of four of the organisation's members he is in contact with, but he stresses that they seem to be mostly pawns. He believes that with just a little more time he will soon be trusted and enter the "mid-ranks" of the organisation. Although the primary activities of the organisation seem to be protest and agitating via distributed leaflets, he still hopes to find out why they know so much about the assassination attempt. Mikmek reports no trouble and is pleased to be keeping Vaysh company. Malthir- Master Teldas is still absent, having sent word that he will be a few more months while he draws up plans. Noleski's progress is slow but steady. Vaysh and Antal continue to have no success galvanising the nobility of Swordhaven, even with the loveable Mikmek accompanying them, much to the latter's chagrin. Ricter- Kesten has busied himself drilling local militia. Pellius has returned from the large city state of Pitax; Castruccio Irovetti's domain as well as the name of his capital city. By all accounts, Castruccio is a seasoned and ambitious leader; a proud and capable man, although his legitimacy to rule is based on little more than having no rivals to prevent him. His titles include: Supreme and Inimitable Magnificence, Castruccio Irovetti, by the grace of the gods the rightful King of Pitax, Marvel of Numeria, Master of Mormouth and Prince-Regent of the Sellen. Unfortunately, Pellius and his men were treated with suspicion within the city and kept under escort at all times, with their access restricted- even in every-man's clothing. They do claim that the city of Pitax is filled with trashy art and bad sculpture and that the region no longer trades with Brevoy, likely due to the forays Irovetti's forces are making into Brevoy. Despite the poor art and sculptures, Irovetti is actively encouraging artists and artisans to come to Pitax; the ruler apparently considers himself a man of culture. Although Irovetti rules the city-kingdom jointly with the Trade Houses, he is apparently gaining more power and leverage over them with each passing year. Pellius warns Ricter in particular that Pitax is clearly a haven for chaos- perhaps once it was a rugged hopefulness and defiance but it seems the city has changed into a place of fear and dread. Balthus' continued presence in dealing with mercenaries travelling to Brevoy is valued. Kip- Lord Sirian is continuing to hunt pages of Zuddiger's Picnic and has had a streak of success in recent months, moving closer to Pitax in his search. He has tracked down pages 3 and 4. Page 3- "... when a pesky crow flew down and stole my spoon." Page 4- "The nasty bird flew into the trees and then..." Doritian's inquiries on your behalf have yet to bear fruit. You suspect Zordion has been a little lax in the past few months as he has yet to find anything new about the First World.
Fenna- Joseph Bodevski is still nurturing the trade route but rumours of problems with Centaurs in Varnhold have prevented him from further exploitation. Lily is researching Elven settlements, some of which are rumoured to have cultivated some food in the forest other than the usual roots and berries. Corax is assisting her although his work with his own logging company keeps him somewhat busy. Kalev- Without any particular orders, your rangers are patrolling the borders of the kingdom.
General- To the west, Ilya has been attempting to contact the forces of Duke Drelev; the small river kingdom directly to your west that was founded by Brevic forces alongside your own. His attempts at diplomacy have been continually met with silence, although there are reports that Drelev has built a magnificent castle, far larger than Kardasholme or almost anything found even in Brevoy... Swordhaven's new arena is well received and already popular among citizens. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Casimir- Stanislaw's investigations have been progressing nicely and although it rankles him, he is forced to admit that the Surtovan's have had no hand in the various troubles Kardas has had, since the attempt on Edric's life. More and more signs are pointing to a powerful Fey somehow pulling strings within the area, but keeping itself veiled, only working through its own agents... Lucius' last report was a little disturbing. Although he has no conclusive proof that the River Patriots were somehow behind the attempt on Ricter's life, the organisation seems to have unusual knowledge about the attack and its failure, far beyond the carefully controlled information that should have reached the citizenry... Mikmek reports no trouble and is pleased to be keeping Vaysh company.
Malthir- Master Teldas is taking a trip to see Fort Drelev to the west, in order to gain inspiration for Kardasholme. Apparently the new castle built there is truly awe-inspiring in its defensive properties. Noleski has proudly began the process of training and recruiting a select few devout Iomedean's, beginning to form the core elite of a small fighting force... The progress is slow but steady. Vaysh and Antal continue to have no success galvanising the nobility of Swordhaven, even with the loveable Mikmek accompanying them, much to the latter's chagrin. Ricter/Kalev- Between Kesten, an accompanying group of hardened Hellknights and Kalev's own forces, the large Worg pack responsible for the attack on Lord Sirian was found at the edge of Kardas' southern borders and utterly slaughtered. The fighting was fierce and with no survivors or worgs left to tell the tale. The group did not manage to find where the apparently intelligent leader's base of operations were. Pellius is currently touring Pitax but should return within three months. Balthus' continued presence is a reassuring one as he competently deals with the flood of mercenaries streaming to the conflict in the north.
Kip- Lord Sirian is continuing to hunt pages of Zuddiger's Picnic but has had no luck in recent months, chasing several false leads. He remains optimistic and seems to very much enjoy the task. Likewise, Doritian's inquiries into the Fey emigration's out of the Narlmarches have yielded little beyond a general sense of fear amongst and uncertainty among the Fey. Zordion has gathered some basic information about the First World for your perusal. Looking over his notes, you understand that the First World is so called because it is believed to be the gods' first draft of the subsequent plane which would later split into the Material Plane and the Shadow Plane. It is a plane of over-fertile wildness and strange forms of life, some appearing to be early creations of the Gods that were forgotten or improved upon before the material plane's creation. It is coterminous with the Material Plane and the Shadow Plane, but exists outside the standard cosmology, being somehow “behind” the other two planes. Very little information is readily available about the plane, or the "Eldest", god-like beings that are its masters. The "Green Mother" is an evil, manipulative Fey creature of tremendous power, with her portfolio consisting of carnivorous plants, intrigue and seduction in particular.
Fenna- Joseph Bodevski has been encouraging the prosperous trade route to Varnhold, with a little less success now the initial boom period is over...
Despite Lily's popularity with the common folk, her methods appear to be ill-suited dealing with Swordhaven's prickly nobility; harming Vaysh's efforts rather than helping thus far. Corax is hearing rumours about the cruelty of Baron Drelev to the west, whose rule is apparently quite oppressive.
General- Red Eyes' loyalty seems to have gone past the point of wavering now that he feels satisfied his requests have been met. He seems to have been slowly developing some new abilities, a result of the magical experimentation that spawned the strange creature, perhaps. With Kozek Lodovka as a hostage, the war in Brevoy continues although the Lodovkans seem paralysed with indecision; likely a result of ransom negotiations for their captured lord. The two main forces have begun to clash on the fields between Rostland and New Stetven- mostly skirmishes thus far but a great battle is no doubt looming... While the war seems to favor the rebels right now, the main battle for Brevoy remains to be fought. To the west, Ilya has been attempting to contact the forces of Duke Drelev; the small river kingdom directly to your west that was founded by Brevic forces alongside your own. His attempts at diplomacy have been met with silence. Further west, however, some interesting rumours are sweeping through the kingdom like wildfire- tales of the mighty technological power that the city-state of Pitax has begun to bring to bear on the lands around it; including several successful forays into south-west Brevoy. The "Genius King" Irovetti has apparently secured strange devices and apparatus from the Technic League of Numeria; and is using them to great effect. Faceless metal golem's apparently functioning on an unknown power are being used as shock troops, killing indiscriminately in the name of the city. Metal towers are reputedly being erected in the city itself, killing would-be trespassers with cold, calculated bolts of lightning; only wearing the correct identification within the city ensures protection from the lightning-throwers. There are also rumours that Irovetti is using a distinct, metal Numerian rod to control the minds of his enemies, manipulating them with ease into foolish maneuvers and decisions. What no one is sure about though; is how the King is funding such fearsome and wondrous devices. He is rumoured to have acquired a powerful patron; perhaps even divine sponsorship. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Casimir- Stannislaw has, unfortunately, made no progress in recent months in his investigations. He has been seen scouring the former troll outpost, now Hellknight citadel-to-be, in the search of secret rooms or some clue as to who Hargulka's mysterious allies were. Casimir hears from Lucius that the River Patriots are planning to oppose Kardas' annexation of Tatzlford; he is slowly gaining trust within the organisation and believes that they actually have contacts and a foothold in the town. Mikmek reports no trouble. Malthir- Master Teldas is working on the premise of an outer wall for the castle, but doesn't appear to have made much progress yet. He has changed drafts over a dozen times- apparently his perfectionism is preventing him from finishing any plan thus far... Noleski's diligence has unfortunately began to wane as he seeks a more exciting duty than bodyguard... Vaysh and Antal continue to have no success galvanising the nobility of Swordhaven. Ricter- Kesten is now confident that the system you asked him to put in place is working at an optimal level. He awaits new orders and is assisting in drilling city and town militia's in the meantime. Pellius is awaiting new orders and busying himself with his Hellknight duties in the meantime. Balthus seems to have found his stride and is actively preventing the mercenaries from causing conflict in the cities with ruthless efficiency. Kip- Lord Sirian and Doritian have been researching Zuddiger's Picnic and have found out its history, at some expense. The book was published in what would eventually come to be known as Pitax, over three hundred years ago. The author and artist for the book was a talented painter named Karn Zuddiger; who claimed his inspiration for the book was not imagination; but the result of a traumatic and frenzied, accidental journey into a stable section of the ever-changing, primordial First World- a place he called Thousandbreaths. His adventure left the man deeply troubled and mentally scared; he spent the next three years painstakingly crafting woodcut illustrations, mad with inspiration and said to be "hoping to drive out the images with art". Unfortunately, only a month after publication- the madness in the man's mind seemed to only become worse, not better, after completing his work. Karn went on a killing spree, murdering a new victim every week and attempting to recreate scenes from his illustrations. He was caught swiftly enough and publicly executed. Although the Satyr the duo had spoken to originally about the book claimed that a great Fey "Queen" had ordered the books burnt, history tells a different tale. The books were ordered burnt by shocked and scandalised parents of children in Pitax, which is why no copy is said to exist any more. Lord Sirian suspects that the two stories are not mutually exclusive to one another. Sirian has also used magic while inspecting the two pages found thus far- and found hidden writings- captions, revealed by the use of a simple Read Magic spell. Page One- All of what follows is true Page Two-I was having a picnic, that first day of spring...
Doritian contributed in a minor role to Sirian's successes. He is awaiting new orders, otherwise he shall continue to assist the sorcerer. The pair plan to follow a lead they have stumbled across; through use of divination they believe a farmer's family in south Brevoy has kept pages from the book as heirlooms. Zordion believes the term "green-skinned Goddess may refer to The Green Mother- one of the nine Eldest of the First World. She is said to be a creature of great beauty, tall, and with green hair. In looks she is like a combination of elf, dryad and nymph. Zordion looks hopeful that this fits the peasant's description?
Fenna- Joseph Bodevski has managed to extend the contracts allowing the additional exports out of Kardas' market for an single additional month. He is confident that he shall be able to secure additional caravans in the future if left to focus on this task.
Despite Lily's popularity with the common folk, her methods appear to be ill-suited dealing with Swordhaven's prickly nobility; harming Vaysh's efforts rather than helping thus far. Corax hears nothing of interest in the past few months, though he notes Fey emigration is slowly continuing. Kalev- Kalev and his lieutenants seem content to patrol Kardas for trouble right now; they are made especially welcome in Tatzlford, where they are now on first name terms with several of the locals. Their continued presence in the Narlmarches provides reassurance that the annexation of the town by Kardas will be a smooth transition. Total Net BP Change- -2 BP
General- Red Eyes is by this point somewhat disgruntled that his requests to make two more of his pack sentient and give him capable lieutenants have been ignored several more times. The wolf-like creature nevertheless reports that his now extremely large pack have been keeping opportunistic bandits out of the Narlmarches along Kardas' western borders. However, the proud creature currently feels under-appreciated and there are tensions with wolves in Kardas' villages- tensions he insists are due to not having an effective enough leadership structure with just him and Fang keeping the pack and sub-packs in line. Having Kalev and his lieutenants patrolling the western border has no doubt helped with both the threat of bandit attacks as well as reassuring citizens that some humanoid patrols are taking place as well as just relying on animals.
The war in Brevoy continues to develop- the Lodovkan forces pushed hard into the Orlovsky heartlands over the past three months and emboldened by their success- launched an assault on the main Orlovsky stronghold itself. This proved to be a cunning ruse by the Orlovsky forces, who had held back many of their men from the fighting in the heartlands. The Lodovkan forces were crushed between the mighty castle's garrison and an ambush force that flanked them- there are rumours that Lord Kozek Lodovka was captured in the retreat back to their ships. Regardless of the truth of these rumours, the Lodovkan invasion of Orlovsky lands has been costly for both sides and the former have been repelled, giving the rebels a hard-won victory. The battles to the north did, however, buy some time for New Stetven to be reinforced and fortified against an assault by the Swordlords and their allies. Rumours are also circulating that House Garess has been clandestinely paid a huge sum from Brevoy's treasury in order to pledge themselves fully to the conflict. This means the land is now truly divided west to east with the Surtovan alliance consisting of- Arrayed against- Its hard to say who is currently winning the war, or who shall win eventually. The loyalists have greater military numbers, especially with House Garess having joined them. However, the longer the rebellion survives the more likely it is that public opinion will turn against the relatively unpopular regent, Noleski Surtova. In addition, the military of Restov is arguably the most elite force in Brevoy, at least in terms of individual's skill. Balthus' efforts with the various mercenaries going north seem to have been enough to prevent any excess unrest. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Casimir- Stannislaw managed to track the magical ring used to control the Owlbear to a small village in southern Mivon. There, he found a disturbing trail of destruction. Checking various witness statements and following a trail of owners who sought to use the ring to control various magical beasts in order to gain power or wealth; he found they invariably had turned on their masters and then gone on to rampage, targeting any nearby settlements in every instance. Stannislaw was unable to locate the ring itself; the last surviving witness to the most recent magical beast attack claimed that a green-skinned Goddess was seen prying the ring off the last owner's finger and then vanished with a burst of magic. Stannislaw is therefore confident that the ring was placed upon the Owlbear with every intention of the beast attacking Kardas- and whoever sought to control it even ensured it had armour fitted to it before the ring took effect. Stannislaw believes that it is unlikely that Surtova had a hand in such an act; it was so far south for them and he claims it is not their "style" to utilise forces of nature or magic to such an extent. Stannislaw has returned to Kardas and is awaiting consultation with Casimir as to what he should follow up on next. He is keen to look over Hargulka's notes and attempt to ascertain who his allies might have been...
Casimir has had little word from Lucius but some minor reports indicating that no news is good news. The River Patriots are either planning something very big, or they are biding their time and waiting for an opportunity to discredit the government or the Hellknights. Mikmek reports no trouble. Swordhaven seems more at peace than at any other time in its history, despite the River Patriot's agitation. He notes that bands of young adventurers have begun to find Kardas an attractive place to adventure in... In addition, Mikmek warns Casimir that Kardas is becoming a lucrative target for professional thieves due to the high amount of magical items that pass through its markets. Malthir- Master Teldas is working on the premise of an outer wall for the castle, but doesn't appear to have made much progress yet. Noleski is still doing his best to look after Vaysh while you are absent.
Vaysh and Antal continue to have no success galvanising the nobility of Swordhaven. Ricter- Kesten is now confident that the system you asked him to put in place is working at an optimal level. He awaits new orders.
Pellius is awaiting new orders and busying himself with his Hellknight duties in the meantime. Balthus seems to have found his stride and is actively preventing the mercenaries from causing conflict in the cities with ruthless efficiency. Kip- Lord Sirian and Doritian have been researching into powerful local Fey within the Stolen Lands to try to find out more about the Blodeuwedd and her supposed enclave. At great expense and with great coercion, they enticed an ancient Satyr to share what he knew; but something, be it ancient magic or simply fear, kept his tongue mostly still. He handed them the first two pages of an exceedingly rare picture book- many hundreds of years old and magically preserved. He claimed that a great Fey queen ordered copies of the book destroyed after seeing it and only a single copy survived- its pages divided in secret throughout the Stolen Lands. Lord Sirian and Doritian have excitedly assumed that the pages must contain some hint of a weakness to the reputedly powerful Blodewedd Queen, and have presented the first two pages to Kip.
Zordion contributed in a minor role to Stanislaw's successes. He is awaiting new orders, otherwise he shall continue to assist the spy. Fenna- Joseph Bodevski has been focusing much of his attention on the new trade route with Ilya and it is paying great dividends for the kingdom; he has managed to negotiate a contract with a large caravan company which will allow Kardas greater export potential.
Lily continues to work at her given task with diligence, although the harvests thus far have been good. Corax's news about the wolves unrest comes as little surprise to Fenna, having heard it from other sources. He does also report that some of the Fey living in Kardas are quietly leaving the area, with little fanfare. Kalev- Kalev and his lieutenants are thus far somewhat counteracting the unrest caused by the growing tensions with Red Eyes' pack. While they can be given new orders, this will likely lead to higher unrest until the situation changes.
Taldor brought an impressive army to these lands, but pulled them back once they thought the area sufficiently subjugated. The colony fell so quickly afterwards, the army were never even given orders to return. I am in agreement with Ricter, at least regarding his scepticism. However, the ability to quickly raise troops, even at a premium, could be useful. Put the guild in the heart of a border city and it would even act as an additional defence. With effective policies, they could be left to their own devices until we have need of them.
- General- Red Eyes is extremely pleased that you have made Fang sentient, but asks that you have two more lieutenants awakened in the near future. He promises that this will no doubt pay dividends in the future. He is continuing to press this point at every available opportunity. His pack is swelling in size and he feels like he is struggling to maintain effective control. The war in Brevoy continues to develop- something of a détente has come about as although they are in a position to march on New Stetven, the Rostlandic forces are reluctant to leave their rear exposed to the Lodovkan army which continues to force Orlovsky deeper into its heartlands. Meanwhile, this has bought the Issian alliance time to prepare New Stetven for a potential assault and rally forces. Fenna continues to receive requests on the legality and possibility of forming a "Mercenaries Guild" within the country. The new trade route between Kardas and Varnhold seems to have been a great success thus far and relationships between the citizens of both Duchy's are warm. Casimir- Stannislaw has been gathering evidence and data and expects that the daunting task before him will take additional time and funds. At first glance, many of these incidents that have threatened Kardas seem detached from one another, but he suspects someone or something very cunning has been pulling the strings, subtly of course. He is making progress, in particular following a lead on the magical ring that appeared to be controlling the Owlbear. The ring was sold within the kingdom and he is following a paper trail to find it once more.
Lucius' timely reports continue to indicate his progression within the River Patriots. He is still considered too green of a recruit to get too far inside the organisation but he is slowly building a reputation as an up and comer. Mikmek reports no trouble. Swordhaven seems more at peace than at any other time in its history, despite the River Patriot's agitation. Malthir- Master Teldas has finished a plan of an underground "sealed" area of the castle where vital supplies would be stored. With ample space for citizens to evacuate into and room for years of supplies, it would allow an entire three districts of citizens to flee inside and hold out for six months. The designs include anti-scrying and anti-teleportation measures and the entire underground expansion would cost 20BP. Noleski is still doing his best to look after Vaysh while you are absent. It seems the rich nobility of Swordhaven like to talk about helping the poor refugees, but Vaysh and Antal have had no success in persuading any to assist in any tangible fashion. Ricter- Kesten is still drilling the militia in order to improve their response time but the basic system is now in place. He believes another three months would be enough for them to competently reinforce as necessary in the event of such an attack.
Pellius' patrols continue to roam throughout Kardas but the trail for Kargadd the Troll appears ice cold. Balthus seems to be having some small impact in policing the mercenaries stationed and moving through Kardas. Kip- Lord Sirian is by this point, convinced that the dragon's claim is legitimate, having used a powerful divination spell in order to ask questions to an powerful Outsider on another plane; a being that is old enough to apparently remember the treaty the dragon made with the Elves of that time. He is also quite certain that this dragon was indeed the parent of Ehaism-Caesin. Other than his duties in assisting with the ne trade route, Lord Sirian is no longer engaged.
Doritian's plan fell through- his efforts to persuade an ancient Dryad from Mivon into sharing information failed at the last moment, when the proud and prickly being took offence at something he said. He is back to square one and will continue to work at this task unless otherwise assigned.
Zordion seems to have realised he is on thin ice with his master and is working alongside Stanislaw Dividov in order to investigate the gigantic Owlbear. He is particularly curious as to who the men found dead in its cave might have been. Fenna- Lily continues to work at her given task with diligence, although the harvests thus far have been good. Fenna's other lieutenants have kept themselves busy with personal interests. Kalev- With the likelihood of Kargadd having fled the Greenbelt seeming more and more likely, your lieutenants have simply been running long patrols as usual throughout Kardas.
Will o' wisps are much smarter than most people. If there are several gathered upon the island... You have to wonder what has drawn so many to it. They feed on fear- and the island is reputed to be uninhabited. However you go there, be aware they won't have missed the city to the north. They will be ready to defend whatever it is they have claimed there- and i'd wager they would find it easier to hold the island by not letting you land in the first place.
You always know that the mission isn't going well if the Troll's hurling fire at you instead of the reverse, nephew.
Stanislaw, Uncle to Casimir- Stanislaw has not been able to visit Casimir again yet, although he sends word every few months. The nobles of Brevoy are still playing their game of thrones, and little has changed except poisoning of rivals and potential enemies has increased tenfold. The nobility and merchant class now often employ poison tasters and clergy who can detect such substances, who are demanding huge sums of gold for their services.
Years certainly; but perhaps only two or three. The neutrality of House Garess makes either side hesitant to attack- but i'm certain Surtova will attempt to strike first. Both sides are attempting to undermine one another and gain allies in an attempt to gain an advantage in the future- while simultaneously exchanging pleasantries and attending grand balls in New Stetven. Its all rather comical in some ways... Stanislaw continues to gossip and provide you with other news from Brevoy for a time but hes clearly exhausted from travel.
Surtova seems to have become aware of the presence of the four bands sent into the Stolen Lands to tame it... Publicly of course nothing is acknowledged, but privately they want you to fail. You, those 'Iron Lord' mercanaries sent into the Glenebon Uplands, Maegar Varn and his lackeys, and the group of soldiers and diplomats sent into the Slough. Delicious food by the way, you have my thanks hunter. Stanislaw says to Kalev casually, in contrast to the seriousness of his information. Surtova will attempt to hinder all of you. If it comes to war, the south will be at a huge disadvantage without a secure southern border. The success of your colony, and of the others- may yet determine the winner of the coming civil war. he states sternly, wagging a finger at you.
I received no such letter lad... But i'm not an easy man to track down these days so thats little surprise. Shame about Orlovsky, he was the apple of his fathers eye.
Stanislaw nods approvingly. Good... I see your learning not to trust only your eyes and feelings. I hear the Greenbelt is full of illusions and tricks of the eye. The spell I used to bring him down was the Grease spell, and I am pleased you have mastered it yourself? he enquires. Turning to address Malthir, Stanislaw remembers something else. Ah yes... A student of the Aldori has been 'recruited' by House Surtova. I have been led to believe he is the man who slew your brother. He was bitter over your selection over him to go into the Stolen Lands after your brother was slain- and lost the little loyalty he had for Restov. Keep your eyes peeled for that snake... I believe Karas was his name?
Noleski Surtova is corrupt and is bleeding the life out of the nation. No battle lines are being drawn, but intrigue, subterfuge, sabotage and espionage are becoming more and more commonplace. It may be years off, but make no mistake- civil war is coming. On one side, House Surtova and its lapdogs Lebeda and Lodovka, and on the other- The Swordlords of Restov, Orlovsky and Medyved. House Garess remains neutral and is currently enjoying the attempts from both sides to woo them to their cause. Its all very hush-hush, cloak and dagger though. I've been working on behalf of the Swordlords, investigating and keeping tabs on Surtova troop movements- but its dangerous work, and Noleski has not taken my 'treachery' well. But aye, your right I can't afford to stay long- I just wanted to inform Casimir of the dangerous polotics in Brevoy right now. Theres a good chance it could spill over into the Stolen Lands, with assassins and sellswords being paid to eliminate this gambit the Swordlords have made, both here and in the other three areas of the Stolen Lands.
Why thankyou, the road has been long and some bread and cheese would be most welcoming... Stanislaw says, laughing as he extricates himself from Casimir gently and sits down by the fire. As to why I was wondering through these troll-infested woods; as you may have surmised I sought out my nephew and this fine band of adventurers he mentioned before he set out. Stanislaw begins to delicately place cheese upon a piece of bread, carefully making sure that the cheese fully covers the bread with a small knife he produces. By Shelyn's bosom my back is sore from all this travelling! he exclaims, sinking his teeth into the meal and sighing in satisfaction. Now, what did you ask me again my boy? Ah yes! I have indeed arrived somewhat earlier than I planned to make my visit, but things have changed in Brevoy- it is unlikely I will be able to visit again for quite some time. I had a small, fortutitious window of opportunity to visit my nephew one last time- and mark my words boy, it may be the last for quite some time. Brevoy is a dangerous place to be, and well... Some might even call me a traitor to the 'King' Surtova... |